Two years, can you believe it?

Reina's birthday week marked two years since Glenn's got sick.  Two years!  In some ways, it still feels fresh in my mind, in other ways I wonder if it ever really even happened.  I still get a little nervous when he comes down with a bug and is a little droopy for a couple of days.  I look for the signs of something serious happening again and thankfully it's just a cold, or a touch of a stomach bug that the kids have so generously shared. Life came so very close to changing forever that day and since then I've tried to live with a sense of gratitude that Glenn and I get to keep walking this road together. 

 

We were interviewed by the local paper last week.  Glenn wanted to tell the story for two reasons:  to thank our local hospital and to hope that people would learn that the phrase "that would never happen to me" is no guarantee that something won't.  Doing the interview brought back so many memories but we also celebrated the fact that Glenn's 100% healthy.  With a big list of hunting trips still on his horizon, we can't ask for much more than that. 

While I left you alone with my phone....

Last weekend, I had to dash into a store quickly and I left Will alone in the car with my phone. I didn't notice the pictures until a few days later and I had a good laugh. This is just a piece of the collection - there were probably twenty pictures all together.  Someone has a fast trigger finger. 

Look at those lashes!

Sad face.

My favorite in the series.

Pensive.

A photo of the game he was playing on the Ipad.  Technological wiz this kid.

His foot.

A wink and two adult-sized front teeth growing in. 

A letter to the birthday girl (a few days late)

Dear Reina:  You celebrated a birthday on Monday and as soon as your birthday was officially over Monday night, you came down with a bug and were sick for most of the rest of the week. In looking at the blog from this time last year, almost the same exact thing happened. This year, you didn't let a fever and general droopiness stop you from enjoying every minute of your special day, and the day before that and the day after, etc. etc. etc.

The birthday girl on the morning of turning 5.  No one in the history of the world has been more ready to be 5. 

The biggest thing you wanted for your birthday this year was your own pet.  You narrowed the list down from a kitten to a guinea pig to a hamster to a fish. We try to explain to you that Trigger and Tootsie would claw down your door to get to the first three species on your list so you finally compromised with #4.  On Monday night, we went to the pet store to pick out Goldie, your very own beta fish.  (Read this part when you are older.  You insisted on a girl (ghel!) fish but not only are they not as flashy looking, the pet store didn't have any.  Since you can't read, we told you that the male halfmoon beta you had picked out was in fact, a female.  Later that night you told me that maybe one morning we'd wake up and Goldie would have a bunch of baby fish with her and I giggled.)   

Serious about her first pet fish.

Goldie Rainbow Victoria is safe and snug in her own BRIGHT PINK fish tank.  We let you pick out the tank accoutrements and you (naturally) chose pink rocks, a pink plant and a pink thing for Goldie to hide in.  You also wanted an Easter Island statue in there but I thought Goldie might need a little more room to stretch her fins. 

Hope Goldie likes pink! 

On Sunday, we had a spa and tea party at our house for you and a few friends from preschool.  I was so busy dishing out hot chocolate and other party stuff that I forgot to take a single picture.  Luckily one of your godparents snapped this one. We had great help from the other moms and some of the older girls and we painted finger nails, made bead necklaces and had a tea party with your Great Grandma Dunlap's blue willow china. You had strong opinions about the decorations and the menu but I think you were happy with the way it all turned out. 

Reina, I say this every year but I cannot believe you are five.  You told everyone at preschool that you were leaving for kindergarten right after your birthday and you really wish that were true.  You write your name beautifully and you told me today that 40 + 60 = 100.  You will be more than ready for August to roll around but I know I'll get just as teary dropping you off as I did with your brother. 

You stopped taking naps last month and I feel like we've shed the last little vestiges of toddlerhood around here.  When you were sick this week, I actually enjoyed getting a chance to take care of you because you are usually running around here too fast for me to sit and cuddle for a while.  (The Florence Nightingale aspect of the week evaporated around Thursday when you were yelling for a kleenex and had three boxes within arm's reach but let's cut each other some slack on that one, okay?)

My little Raisin, you are a busy, busy kid.  You love to do art projects and I'm currently sitting at the kitchen table in a pile of crafts that you've (semi) completed this week.  Your room is in a state of perpetual disarray because you love all of your toys and I'll walk by and see the miniature ponies having a picnic with the baby doll while the cats and the baby monkey watch from the bed.  You have really taken to your dance class and you twirl and jump through the house.  You also love music and we all know the complete lyrics to the movie "Frozen" because it's blaring from you room just about every waking minute.  Even Will walks around singing "Let it go.... let it go...."

You love your big brother and (most of the time) you are a willing ninja, star wars, soldier girl following along on the mission.  You are delighted by your baby cousin and have a list of things you want to teach her - among them how to eat and use the toilet.  I'm sure your aunt and uncle will appreciate that assistance.  You talk about all of your extended family members and get frustrated when I say that we'll see them sometime soon (and won't give specific dates). 

Reina, five years ago you made our family complete.  Today, you make it infinitely more entertaining and you keep us on our toes with your energy and enthusiasm for life.  We love you, Reina girl.  Happy fifth birthday! 

Ice fishing and other things to talk about besides football

Greetings from a subdued Pauley household.  Well, I'm not even actually there right now (on a work trip), but it was subdued when I left.  Okay fine, I was the most subdued.  That thing that we don't need to talk about that happened on Sunday bummed us all out but we look forward to next year and hope to see the Broncos back in the SB.  Before the big game, we had a busy weekend! 

 

On Friday, Reina attended cheerleader camp at one of the local high schools.  She was really excited to give it a go.  When I dropped her off, she held my hand as we walked into the gym but once she saw all of the campers and cheerleaders in a circle, she dropped my hand and off she went. 

 

The whole camp performed at halftime of the basketball game that night.  When I first picked her up, she told me that she didn't want to do the big dance.  I said that was just fine but as halftime approached, she changed her mind.

Lining up with the rest of the campers. I think I told say "Go Thunderbirds!"  Or she's giving me an order.

Reina being lifted.  She was very serious about the whole endeavor and didn't crack many smiles. 

My favorite cheerleader and her favorite cheerleader.

 

 

On Saturday, Glenn took the kids ice fishing while I stayed home and didn't ice fish.  For the record, I had a ton of chores and it was cold outside.  Ice fishing was a huge hit.  We have some bonafide Wyoming kids on our hands. 

Will and Reina and one poor fish.  I washed their coats Saturday night because Reina carried the fish around all afternoon. 

 

Will's turn!  I think Reina's hat makes her look a little like an Ewok.  In a pink jacket. 

Reina and Will and their new best friend, one of Glenn's friend and co-worker who is also a really patient ice fisherman who doesn't mind being shadowed by two very interested mini-humans.

 These two kiddos sure love being outside, even when there are several inches of snow on the ground and temperatures in the teens.  The thermos of hot chocolate certainly helps but these two genuinely like stomping around in the snow.  Which is good, because it's February. Winter is here.