Wipers.

Olive learns songs at school, and we sing a few with her at home.  I will admit to forgetting to that one verse of "The Wheels on the Bus" refers to its wipers.  Until my brother sent us this video (while we were out of town), we had not seen Olive's 'wipers'.  Her school is helping fill in the gaps when her Mommy and Daddy's childhood memories aren't terribly accurate ... :)

Enjoy!

No.

Olive has learned that dreaded word.  No.

Right now it is pretty cute.

She wags her pointed index finger at Zoe - after Zoe has snatched a cracker from her hand or as Zoe is about to steal a mouthful of cheerios from her tray - "No, no, no."

She sings it as she walks around the house.  "No, no, no, no, no."

She uses it when she (and we) don't have the right other words.

Do you want a cracker?  No

A yogurt? No.

A grape? No.

Some applesauce?  Emphatic head bobbing, yes.

She hasn't (yet) used it willfully and fitfully.  But I am certain that time will come.

:)

Tired.

Olive has gotten into the habit of asking us to go to bed by putting her palm on the side of her face. 

It is super cute and really convenient.  We sure hope she continues to use it!

Roku. Roku. Roku.

We got a Roku for Christmas.

I love it.

It brings the joy of the internet to my tv screen. 

Netflix and Hulu at a moment's notice?  Check!

Pandora singing away sweetly at our next dinner party?  Absolutely!!

For us (and we understand, perhaps not all), this little device is a great way to avoid the time-suck that cable sometimes was for us while allowing ourselves a little bit of relaxation in the evenings or on the weekends. 

TV (and movies and music) by choice ... not death by a thousand channel changes.

Fabulous.

Cutie Pie.

My main Valentine was tied up at the office Monday night with a deadline ... so Miss Olive and I spent a low-key evening at home being each other's non-romantic Valentines. 

We ate dinner, indulged in a few songs off of the "1, 2, 3s" album/video from They Might Be Giants, read some of the cute Valentine's Day cards we received and took a walk/car ride up and down our street with Olive's little, red Radio Flyer car.

It was relaxing.  Right up my alley.  (My cold is still hanging on with both hands!  Supremely annoying.)

I am loving time with Olive.  It is fun to laugh and dance and walk by her side.  To watch her see the world and to wonder in some of the new things she finds.  She is a cutie pie and was a great Valentine!

Balloons.

Olive and Kyle went to a birthday party on Saturday for one of Olive's friends from school.

I decided that nobody wanted a snot monster around their kids and stayed home.

They played and laughed on the indoor play items.  Kyle got to associate parents with the kids in Olive's class.  They had a really good time.

(And the day turned into a double nap day for Olive.  We sneaked in a short nap pre-party and then a longer one post.  I was afraid it would turn into -horror- a napless day, but our little one was zonked!)

One of the things Olive brought home from the party was a purple balloon.  She loved it!  It floated near our ceiling and had a tail long enough for her to pull it down, let it go ... and laugh and laugh and laugh.

We loved finding another simple item that makes her happy.

Rough.

Now.  There are a lot of people out there who have life a lot rougher than us.  I mean seriously rough.

But, my week was rough. I caught a cold (technically an upper-respiratory infection, but isn't that just fancy for cold?), and it knocked me out.  (See, totally rough!) Most of the week I did not leave the house.  And, Kyle was in the 'Lou for work which made it even more of a challenge to not leave the house.

I did eventually drag myself to the doctor, who prescribed some meds, but I am still dragging.

Now I am only moderately miserable while standing or sitting, but when I try to sleep ... well, then the snot comes flooding into my head making it tres difficult to, well, breathe.  I do not know from whence all of this snot comes ... but there are a lot of things that I would do right now for a good night's sleep.

I think the cold may have won.



(Oh and, last night I was singing the praises of Vick - he of the Vap-O-Rub.  And from 11 p to 1a, he was my hero.  Then 130a came - and the snot came flooding back.)

(Also, is it possible that all of this sinus pressure is exacerbating a latent tooth ache?  Miserable, I tell you.)

(I can't write a whole post Negative Nelly style.  It is a gorgeous day here in Houston.  I mean, frolic in the park with your children and dogs gorgeous.  If only I could breathe ...)

A Lease.

A week or so ago we signed a lease.

Not on a car. (Although speaking of cars, man, those lease 'deals' really draw you in.  For only $xxx per month you could drive this car for y years ... but not own it. Arg.)

We signed a lease on our home in St. Louis!  After more months than we had hoped of seeking out potential renters or buyers, we now have a couple of fairly recent Rice University grads moving into our sweet home in the 'Lou.

It is still on our books, but this little development is very positive.  Very positive indeed.

Taking Action. Baby Steps.

Ah.  The joys of a Houston spring are soon to be upon us.  (I do know that the calendar still says January.)

We know that our home's guttering system needs to be re-jiggered.  There are downspouts in places that don't make sense and places without a downspout where one (even me) would think that a downspout should go.  There are also downspouts that don't quite point to a nearby drain.

Our goal is to take steps to correct the flow of water and minimize the water that infringes on our garage after a heavy rain (and diminish the possibility of water in the future entering our home).  In order to take a few positive steps toward accomplishing these goals, we made a trip to Home Depot  (and did a fair amount of internet research).

We purchased a couple of downspout diverters/extenders which will direct water away from two mud puddles and toward the adjacent (but topographically challenged) drains.  Step one!

We also purchased a rain barrel.  Now, chances are that several rain barrels will be necessary to accomplish water flow management and to responsibly 'gather' water for our yard and garden during the spring, summer and fall.  But, come on, folks, we are taking baby steps.  We will see how this model works, whether it works as we expect and how it collects and later distributes water.  Step two!

After our information gathering is complete, we will make our decisions concerning additional rain barrels and their makes, etc.  (Steps three! four! five!)

Now, we just need a sunny, non-work day to implement our purchases.

And the Sun is out.

This month has been, well, typical Houston winter weather.  A few days, or a few hours, of chilliness followed by a similar period of warming.  A few days, or a few hours, of grey wetness followed by blue skies and bright sun.

Yesterday was lovely and sunny.  Cool but not cold, even warm in the sun.  (Today has a projected high of 70.)  I met a friend for lunch and basked in the sun.

It. Was. Wonderful.

I do not miss those cold grey days when winter felt like it would last forever.

Mmmm. Sunshine.

Lost.

Olive loves brushes.  Of all varieties. 

She even loves her toothbrush. (But she giggles when we try to brush her teeth.  She prefers to use it to brush her hair.)

Not long ago, she found my small round brush.  She carried it all around the house.

At the time, I thought, "No biggie.  I'm using a big round brush for my hair and don't plan to go short."

Well.  A few weeks later, I decided to go short.  (When I face facts, my hair isn't designed for long or ponytail.  But that is no guarantee that I won't try to attain ponytail status in the future.  Its. Just. So. Tempting.)

So, here I am with my short hair, and guess what I can't find.  My small (short hair appropriate) round brush. 

Vanished.

(Except when I break down and replace it.  Then it will appear in front of my face.  My life works that way.  Seriously.)

Ah, Zoe.

This week, Kyle has been in St. Louis for work.  Olive, Zoe, Martha, Stewart and I have been manning (er, largely womaning) the home front.

Thursday, my Dad came over for dinner and to visit with Olive.  We had some tasty crock-pot pork, mashed potatoes and a salad.

After dinner we played with blocks and Olive's magnetic-drawing-board-thing.  As things were wrapping up for the evening, the following transpired:

My Dad:  Heather, Zoe is eating whatever is on the stove.  Did you leave the pork on the stove?

Me: No. (Standing up to look.) She is eating the mashed potatoes.  Zoe! Down!

Yup.  Those mashed potatoes will not be around to enjoy with the pork leftovers.

Dad left, I let Zoe out back, Olive went to bed, and then I tried to let Zoe in.

The side gate was wide open (it was a very windy night and that latch needs an update) and the backyard was empty (well, empty of Zoe).

Panic.

I raced for some shoes and to ensure that Olive was dreaming quietly.  I wasn't comfortable wandering far, so I stood in front of our house and yelled for Zoe (trying to fake cheerfulness so she wouldn't sense my frustration and avoid a scolding).

A few moments later, Zoe came bounding our of the darkness.

Ah, Zoe-dog.  What are we going to do with your energy!?

New Item.

Ok.

I am a reader, but I am also sometimes a slacker.

Let's just say that my reading, for the last year, has been not much at all to write home about.

I miss it.  I miss becoming entranced by stories, edified by information, challenged by new ways of thought, encouraged by words of old.

So.

I added a little widget to the right hand side of this blog.  When I finish a book, the title gets added to the list.  I've seen it on other blogs I read, and it has been a great way to get book recommendations.  My hope is that the list will give me some accountability. 

(Also, I am seriously a check off my list kind of girl.) 

Mostly it is a personal challenge: Read more.  Do it.

We shall see.

(As always, I am open to suggestions or recommendations!  I have quite a few yet-to-be-read books and Kindle downloads, so I'm not lacking.  But I am always happy to hear about a page-turner you loved.)

New Year. New Photos. New Experiences.

We went to Port Aransas with family and friends to celebrate the coming of the new year.

We flew down in a fancy plane - which made the trip way more comfy than a multi-hour schlep with a small child.   We hung out, gabbed, walked in the cool sea air, enjoyed wind blowing in our faces, made tasty food and all in all caught up.  It was wonderful.  Many thanks to Kevin and Paula Hunt for their hospitality.
We took Olive to a park, and she enjoyed the swings.

We took Olive to the beach to reaquaint her with the water.  It was chilly, and she was skeptical.  But fun was had nonetheless.

All smiles in Kansas.