Day three or Haven't I done this before?

Day three was pretty slow. We ended up going back to the Yukon park eventually 2-3 o clok time period. We did the boot trail when we were out there. Then chasing the kids around then Jamie finding a path to go back to the neverending path we had been on before.

This time we found out where it ended. It actually goes to the north side of the block (which happened to be where we had parked the car! *phew*).To get the kids to sleep I vetoed Jamie's Dora requests and we watched Alice in Wonderland, Robin Hood, and extras from Robin Hood and Sword in the Stone. Jamie and I didn't make it through all of it, but Cian apparently did because he cried when it ended... waking me up in the process.

So now house is sort of picked up. Little People still abound in the play room and I've localized the living room population to one table. Again I haven't keeled over from my creation yesterday...

I created a Mexican dish using Jack Links meat in a pouch. Next time I make the recipe I won't use seasoned meat (this has 'Mexican seasoning'). Thats right I am trying out meat in a bag.... think no-drain-tuna in a bag and this is the same thing. Open it up and use it in the recipe where it calls for 1 lb beef. It has the consistency of Taco Bell meat and looks a bit unnerving pon first glance, but after you spread it around it works.

Well good night. we pick Rose up around 2.. I think... I'll find out tomorrow when she calls me. She has a REALLY early morning. I got the 6AM flight for her (we got that last time to come home from Stockton this time at least she is in the same town!) Talk to ya later.

Good night

Day Two or How I learned to live with mess

It started out like an ordinary day. Got up around 8-9. Around lunchtime I decided to go downtown and visit the Myriad Gardens and Crystal Bridge. It took us around an hour to go through the whole thing.

At first Jamie wanted to ride. Then on the second floor they have around 15 little fish tank like things to display some animals (a python, geckos, a tortoise, a skink, frogs, and some carnivorous plants). It was here that the kids wanted walk on their own. I felt like I was in a cartoon. We kept going around the 10'x10' block. We finally left then went to the otherside where they have a waterfall you can follow down.

I think it was called the adventure trail. Kind of sculpted to look like it has been carved out of the rock. The waterfall follows the trail and the trail even goes under the waterfall at one point. The kids had thrie favorite waterfall sections and kept showing them to one another. Going up and down and up and down. I finally coerced them to walk all the way down the path. Then brought them back up to get our stroller and use the elevator to go down.

Before leaving I thought it would be fun to go through the 'rain zone' once more. This is an area where they have a spicket above the path that sprays water there to keep the humidity WAY up. They supply umbrellas on both entrances to the zone. Pick up umbrella walk through drop off umbrella. Well the first time we went through I gave Jamie an umbrella in the stroller and cian and I used the other. This time I gave them each an umbrella and told them to start walking. They did great, but then like a mad scientist that doesn't know how to control his creation... . I couldn't get them to stop! So I didn't make them. They went back and forth handing umbrellas to me. Making people smile. Two little walking umbrellas kind of an obstacle course... they didn't always walk in a straight line. hee hee they taught one girl about the consequenses of baring her midriff when there are munchkins with umbrellas about waist high and COLD water raining down.

For a while they were content with umbrellas. Then Jamie found it more fun to run through the area. She got drenched. And she kept bringing umbrellas to me... same as Cian.. if I didn't have one in my hand I was a target. Jamie would run one way and then back. I was cracking up. The people would come by see Cian with me holding an umbrella then Jamie dash by all soaking wet and give me another umbrella.

I tried once to leave. managed to get Jamie in the sling and Cian in the stroller, but there was screaming. and when we got outside and I put Jamie down.. she went right back in to the very same spot. so I decided... I have nothing else to do I'll wait it out. And after another 30 minutes Jamie came back to me and said 'dry'. She was soaked to the bone and cold. That made it really easy to suggest going outside and drying off in the sun... she agreed wholeheartedly ;)

After another walk around the grounds we got back in the car. They passed out on the car ride home. Slept from 2:30 to about 4-5!

Today I think I will go out on a late night walk with them to tire them out for bedtime. Jamie wentr right down... wanted under the blankets and a hug. Cian was a little harder to get to sleep on day two. I had planned to clean up after the kids were asleep, but I found myself in the bed this morning with lying on my glasses
with a kid on either side of me.

Day three is off to a good start. we woke around 9-10. Plenty of sleep. Time to start the day
adios

Day One or How I survived the night

Rose cut out for California today. A ScrapTrek convention is going on out there, so it's the kids and me until she gets back on Sunday! She's taking courses now... not teaching yet. Some day that may change.

So I thought I would relate the sequence of events that took place after dropping Rose off. This may get boring... I have a tendency to ramble. Dropped her off at 2:30PM. The kids had managed to fall asleep on the way over, SO it was unanimous that we go to Sonic for a banana cream shake for daddy (these kids are just so generous). Rather than go home and struggle to haul 2 sleeping children upstairs only to have them wake up shortly after, I opted to go to Yukon City park and wait.

Of course I had just got ready to start eating my banana creampie shake when Jamie woke up. There is a certain stubborness to kids who have just woke up. To my surprise she actually turned down the park!! turned out she was wanting to go to the water and throw rocks. Yukon park accommodates. Cian woke right up too (the powers of orange juice). So we spent ti,e trowing rocks in and then playing at the park. THEN we came back out and there is a non official trail through the forest right ext to a stream. That was pretty fun. (the same one we took with Rose sometime back... we only asked ' How long does this trail go?' When we were 20 minutes down the trail :) )

This time we didn't go that far.... we barely made it past the entrance. Cian was thoroughly entertained by beating the dirt hills (some kids with bikes made) with sticks. While Jamie and I used a wooden beam to make a bridge so we could get to the rock bar on the otherside of the creek. Where I was almost scared by a praying mantis that walked up on my neck (I had thought it was just a leaf stuck in my collar). It was a little one.. inch and a half.. no wings yet. Jamie started doing some trailblazing and we managed to go to the boot trail (looks like a giant cowboy boot from the air). This is where the kids wanted to check out the water fountains, which are even more fun when the wind will blow the mist onto you. We hung out at the park at least until 6 when the lack of juice in the juice cups became an issue for Cian! And the whole 'where mom go?'... I still don't think they grasp California... as Jamie was replying.. 'CAli?', which I think she was refering to our cat.

then it was back to Home... snacks juice and a new Dora movie... 'Meet Diego'. Jamie is OBSESSED with the first episode on it. Baby Jaguar is stuck on a rock at the top of a waterfall and needs to e rescued. Jamie absolutely LOVEs to point out any time Baby Jaguar is on the screen! And she does it in the Dora-panic-loud sort of way.... 'Oh no!!! babee jag-war water-al Diego hilp im'. And when the movie is off she has asked me to draw the scene on her Magna-doodle (baby jag on waterfall Diego somewhere Dora and boots.

Any way I oughta get some sleep I have taken too long to write this and been interuppted once (babies waking up). I knew Cian was sleepy when ... not only was he cranky but it started... 'booboo'. Cian was easy to get to sleep..... hold him in the sling and start making shortbread cookies... he passed out during the stirring part.Of course.. the part I dread when there are no boobies around is putting him down! He consistly asks for two things... 'mama ... booboo'... and one is not me and the other I have none. I found that rather than patting his back or talking to him he prefers...and it works.. to just give him a big hug ...wrap him up under my arm. The only trick then is to actually pry yourself away without him waking... which so far I have done twice successfully.

After cian was out and Fantasia was over Jamie woke me up (oops) and a sling ride was all that she needed to pass out. So now stop writing blog ending video game and going to bed... Good night

Still Hanging in there

So I completed my competent fall protecetion person training last week.

It was done by Gravitec. Some of the best course material I got from a class.

It is getting colder here in Okielahoma. And thanks to my great circulation and insulation my hands could probably make water freeze if I held it! Gotta love air conditioning.

Climbing was fun

The climbing class was a good change from the ordinary. sure wish there was more climbing. Most of it was knowing how to use fall arrest stuff and setting anchors up on a tower. That and a LOT of book work!!

More later