Back to Kuala Lumpur in 7 days!

Taylor and I are heading back to KL sooner than expected. My sister offered us a free trip out there to keep her and the girls company while my brother-in-law in gone on a super-long business trip. We'll be there for a week and a half - Oct 5th-16th.  The best part is that we'll be with Nelya to celebrate her 2nd birthday!

So, that means I have some serious cleaning and packing to do before we go.  Thankfully, my parents were here this weekend and Mom helped me clean the kitchen, living room, and dining room.  I just need to tackle the laundry, the toys, and a few things in the basement and we'll be set.

This morning I tried to transfer our license plate registration to the Sienna, going to two different places in the process.  Sadly I found out at the second place that our security inspection for the Sienna had expired on the 15th, so we have to get that redone before we can take care of the rest of the paperwork.  On my way home from the Lincensing Center, I went to Firestone to try to get the security check, but they are all booked until tomorrow.  I didn't realize this process would be so complicated!

Uh oh - free time is up!  To my duties I go.

Doggie trouble and looking ahead

This week Taylor has nearly pushed Phoebe to her breaking point.  Taylor has been so enthusiastic about being with her - chasing, hugging, kissing, tickling, sitting/laying on, feeding, and otherwise pulling and poking Phoebe - that there is an almost constant barking soundtrack to our days.  Phoebe is actually beginning to growl at Taylor now too.  Mark and I feel like referees.  Poor Taylor cries whenever we prevent her from getting near Phoebe.  Anyone have any good suggestions to make peace?

Thankfully, we have a weekend packed with activity to hopefully keep all of us focused on other things.  On Sat morning we'll go apple picking at Eckert's Belleville Farm, then we have lots of wood-chopping and basement-cleaning to do.  If I'm particularly on top of things, perhaps I'll make those living room curtains too.  A girl can dream, right?

Community Group (our in-home, small group Bible study) starts on Tuesday.  We'll be studying 1 John until Christmas break, and possibly 2 & 3 John if we have extra time.  We have several new people this year and a handful of kids too, which will be really fun.  Taylor will get to make new friends.

I must go - Taylor is trying to spoon-feed Phoebe her own kibble.

Last week in Omaha

At the zoo:

Sitting on a lion

Petting goats

Lounging in a hippo's mouth

At Lolo and Lola's house:

Surround sound squeaky blocks

Pearls

The expression she makes when I say "Smile!"

Breakfast with Mommy and Paula Deen

French Toast with the cinnamon and sugar baked in, from Paula Deen's "My First Cookbook." Taylor did well eating it, though honestly her favorite part of the meal was the milk.

Nighttime weaning ?? and a Neighborly Blessing

Last night went pretty much as usual - I nursed Taylor to sleep in her bed, I went to sleep in my bed, and at some point in the middle of the night she ended up right next to me in bed (read: I didn't want to squeeze back into the toddler bed agaaain so I pulled her over).

However, then something unexpected happened. Taylor was fussing a bit, so I scooted over to nurse her and she refused me! I figured maybe she just wanted back in her bed (she is less tolerant of being squished in-between Mark and me now), so I plopped her over in the toddler bed and attempted to nurse her again. "No, no, no!" she howled while pushing me away. Flabbergasted, I rolled her onto her side and just patted her back until she was asleep.

Hmm, perhaps this is the beginning of nighttime weaning? A bit of a shock to be refused for the first time ever at night, but not altogether unexpected. Patting on the back worked well. Maybe that will be my first "go to" now when she fusses instead of nursing. We're entering a new stage.

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This morning, Taylor and Phoebe and I set off for a long walk down the street. A neighbor of ours, who lives almost at the opposite end of Barcelona, happened to getting something out of her car as we passed. Taylor said, "Hello," and the friendly woman started talking to us.

Her name is Jackie, she has lived in her house for 11 yrs, she has 5 grandchildren, and they just put a new retaining wall in their backyard. We had a great conversation, which was encouraging because I often find myself awkward and at a loss for words around new people. It was exciting to meet someone new.

Jackie suggested that next time we're out, I let Taylor ride her bike around the block with me for extra fun and exercise. I told her we didn't have a little trike yet, but that that was a good idea. "We have an extra one downstairs that our granddaughter has outgrown," she said. "Would you like to have it?" Wow, sure! She went inside for a minute and returned with a beautiful purple Disney Princess tricycle. It's in fantastic condition.

(Don't mind the sour expression - she's just sad I'm not pushing her right then!)

Taylor absolutely loves it. She can't quite reach the peddles (apparently they sell attachments to bridge that gap?), but she certainly enjoyed me pushing her all the way home on it. I foresee many hours of playtime ahead with this.

Today we were not only blessed with a new friend, but a fun new toy as well. I'm looking forward to crossing paths with Jackie again - this time with Taylor peddling along close behind.

Tiny Dancer

Check out Taylor's fabulous dance moves. I wish we could capture them all on video - she is hilarious to watch! I think dance classes are definitely in her future.

Minivan Mama

I've been a slacker about posting lately. Here's our most exciting addition over the last few weeks - a 2008 Toyota Sienna, complete with a DVD entertainment system! We traded in Mark's old Camry for this 8-seater beauty. This means if we're ever traveling with more than the four of us (counting Phoebe), we'll have room to spread out. I am officially a Minivan Mama.


The exterior is "Desert Sand Mica."

Note the extra little mirror overhead so I can keep an eye on things in the back.

Taylor has the front row seat for all in-car entertainment.