Birthdays and Poop

Mackenzie's birthday was great fun for all of us! We had her party at a playground near home, during a heat wave on the 18th. We had no problem getting a picnic table in the shade, to be host to the party, because no one else was dumb enough to be out at the park on such a hot day. :-) Regardless, we had four little girls show up for the party, ranging in age from 1-4. Everyone played great together. The two 1-year olds (Jenna included) found respite by sucking on ice from the cooler. Fun fun! When it was time for birthday cake, we unveiled "Hello Kitty," known to Mackenzie as "kitty cat." We lit two candles, sang "Happy Birthday," and encouraged her to blow them out. She stood there despondently, probably thinking we were all crazy. After continued prodding by everyone to blow out her candles, she finally muttered, "No way!" All the other big kids helped blow them out. Ewww...spit all over the cake! But, before cutting into the cake, we pulled out the cupcakes and showed them to the kids. That was the real hit. Cupcakes with Elmo on them. Mackenzie was so excited!! Elmo!!! She ate Elmo. She did not eat the cupcake.

Present time was fun too. Mason kept encouraging Mackenzie to open her presents and tried to show her how. It took quite a bit of coercing and constant prodding, but it finally happened. Mackenzie was quite pleased with her loot.

On Wednesday, the 21st, we celebrated her real birthday, just us and our cousin Erica. We had more cake (an Elmo cupcake for Mackenzie). She once again ate Elmo, but no cake. Her first present of the day was a new tiger suitcase. She dragged it everywhere and called it "kitty cat." She even took it in the car with us on our normal errands.

Mackenzie also saw an opthalmologist on her birthday. She has always had teary eyes, so we thought it was worth having it checked. They would like to perform a procedure to try and clear her tear ducts, assuming that is the reason. We'll keep you posted if and when that will happen.

After the birthday came bathtime, and hence, here comes the poop story! Okay, many nights are bath night, but last night was poopy bath night. There is a difference. After having a very large water bill after we moved in, we have been very conservative with water, and we tend to bathe all the girls together. Alan was doing the bathing while I was cleaning the kitchen. "Deb, I need some help." I went to the bathroom to see what was the matter. And what should I see? There was such a poop splatter! (Okay, that's my extent of Dr. Seuss rhyming.) All the kids were standing outside the bathtub, dripping water. Inside the tub was floating poop shrapnel. The culprit? Jenna. How cute. Ha ha. That was her fourth, yes, fourth poop of the day. Who would've thought? But, who's counting anyway, right? Needless to say, the kids had to be bathed again. Hurray! And, the very next night, she started to poop again in the tub. We yanked her out and sat her on the toilet. No more poop. Whew!

So now, almost one week after our heat wave, it's barely 60 degrees and very stormy. Global warming. Need we say more?

Why Are We Always So Busy?

It's been almost a month since our last blog. What have we done? Ummm...school for Mason. Ballet for Mason. Work for Alan. Softball for Alan. Softball for Deb. What about the two little ones? Well, we go to the playground a lot. Jenna climbs stairs now, and ladders, too. Scary! Mackenzie is finally starting to play with other kids and talk to them. She is slowly relinquishing her need for a "binky." We don't allow her to have one at the playground or in time out. We keep it away from her much of the time besides.

We are now preparing for Mackenzie's second birthday party. It will be tomorrow, at a playground (imagine that), in the heat wave. Temperatures will be in the 90s at least! We have borrowed a big canopy shade to put over a picnic table. We hope we will survive. Mackenzie's actual birthday is not until Wednesday. She'll be visiting the opthalmologist on Wednesday. Lucky girl! We're having her tear ducts checked, because she has frequent watery eyes. We'll keep you posted.

Oh yes. We attended a fest a couple weeks ago, right here in our little community of Allied Gardens. It was bigger than our usual Nussloch, Germany fest. There were several rides that Mason could ride. Only one for Mackenzie, though. Lots of food, entertainment, and big jumpers to be had. We watched a parade and collected candy and of all things, a beach ball. I guess that's San Diego for you! It was good fun for all of us. It brought back memories.

What else is there? We're always too busy to write, let alone remember our lives day-to-day. I must not forget Mother's Day. That was a brilliant weekend for me. I was told to "go take a hike." Ha ha. Actually, I asked if I could go take a hike. Really! Alan needed the girls to prepare my Mother's Day present, and he needed me out of the house. I hiked for three hours and had a blast! A little lonely, but great, nevertheless. I also was sent out shopping on my own, so I visited Target (without kids) and Borders. What a joy!

Just to catch you up, these pictures of the girls were all taken within the last week. Plus, a picture of my Mother's Day masterpiece, which traumatized Alan. Afterwards, he said, "imagine having three plates of paint on the ground, and trying to keep Jenna out of it." I am at home with them every day, and I DEFINITELY would not have undertaken that task alone. Brave man! Enjoy the pics.

A Mishmash of Updates

In the normal chaos of life, and in the past week, we have had such fun things happening! Let's see, it started when Jenna woke up with pink eye last Monday. This was the second time in less than two months. Fun fun fun! It means constant washing hands, daily bedsheet changing, separate laundry washing, etc. Thank goodness, no one else in the family contracted it, either time.

Jenna is now walking like a crazy kid. She is even learning how to stand up without holding onto anything. Her favorite pastime it to pull all the DVDs off the TV stand. Mackenzie has determined that it is great fun to help, so we find piles of DVDs, several times a day, all over the floor.

Mackenzie, for that matter, is starting to enter her terrible twos. We must have had some sort of delusion when we thought she was too sweet for that. But, we were wrong. Within the last two weeks, she has had at least three timeouts. The first, for a karate chop on Jenna's head. I can't remember the second, and the third for biting me on the back of my leg. (Could that have been avoided if I had listened to her from behind, as she said repeatedly, "Mommy. Mommy. Mommy! Mommy!!) At least Mackenzie sleeps through the night. There's always something positive to find in the midst of the day, right?

Mason has been claiming to have dreams of dogs and giants that scare her. So, she had relocated her bed to the floor of her bedroom. This went on for about a week. Last night, she moved back into her own bed...finally. Or so we thought. When Jenna cried out at 2 AM, I discovered Mason in the middle of our bed. She didn't wake Alan nor me. It seems, after her monster unexpected nap yesterday, she wasn't tired after getting in and out of bed from about 9:30 PM until past 11 PM. Alan and I were exhausted, so we went to bed anyhow. Mason was back in her bed when we retired. Ahhh...what would one night of restful sleep be like?

On Saturday evening, we had our Passover Seder here at our house. We invited our neighbors, Chuck and Mary, from across the street, and our cousin Erica, who lives a couple miles away. It was a fun event for all, and it was truly like a Thanksgiving feast, with all the food. Unfortunately, we forgot to take ANY pictures to commemorate the event.

Mason is at school, Alan is at work, and my two other charges are probably getting into trouble. I must be off until next time. Enjoy the rare pic of Alan and me, as taken by Mason, where we both look halfway decent. :-)

March Like a Lion We Did - All Month Long!

Well, March came and went with a fury, or did it? We saw so much happen in March. First, Deb's parents came for a visit, sort of... They arrived for two days and then we dropped them off at the cruise ship terminal in San Diego. How envious we were, thinking of them walking on to that big ship and a week of complete relaxation. There's just something about having three little kids and not knowing what relaxation can be like, isn't there? So, life went on as usual for the Bice clan. The girls continue to come up with new words, new sounds, and more actions. Jenna started clapping and giving five on demand. She also learned to wave when we said "bye bye."



Then, cousin Tracy came for the first time to our home. She spent two nights with us, overlapping with Grandma and Papa, who returned for another two days, during which we did nothing much...although Mason went to a bowling birthday party and become quite adept at pushing the ball down a slide that she pre-aimed, and ultimately bowled a 99! It was fun to be with all the family, yet relaxing when everyone was gone again.



But, we needed serious help preparing for Jenna's 1st birthday. Yes, her 1st birthday was on the 20th of March. Unbelievable! So, Grandma and Papa came back again, this time for a week. They pitched in and helped with preschool dropoffs and pickups, playing with the girls, baking hamantaschen (a traditional Purim cookie), and running to Costco with Deb, to take advantage of their membership and get food for the party.



On party day, we had a great time. It was in the 80s, and we planned the party to be in our backyard, where the trampoline stands center stage. We had cousins, neighbors, friends, and co-workers here. Will Jenna remember them? Probably not, but it was nice anyhow. She had the cutest bumblebee cake. The picture was taken just before the wings began to melt (they were made of white chocolate). Jenna loved her traditional American lunch of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and lots of fresh berries. She especially loved decimating her birthday cake. What a mess!



Grandma and Papa stayed on for a few days more, during which time we spent a day and a half at SeaWorld. We saw Shamu, the dolphins, the penguins, polar bears, beluga whales, walruses, the Sesame Street characters, a pet show, and more. It was good fun, especially since it was Mason's first of two weeks on spring break. Unfortunately, Grandma and Papa left, leaving Deb running the show solo again. Such is life right?



We took a day off at home before venturing out to the nearest playground in walking distance. The walk took more than 40 minutes, so it was decided we would stay at the park as long as possible. Four hours later, we trekked home, and by the time Alan called to say he was leaving the office, Deb was done. Ready to hand off the kids. We spent a few hours at the Zoo, later in the week, and then were visited by our Aunt Naomi, Uncle Neil, and cousins Jess and Maddie. Jess and Maddie stayed with us, which was great fun for the girls. Mason had a playmate and can't wait for Maddie's return.



When they left, we went to a Pump it Up party. The girls had a blast jumping on all those big bouncy things. What are they called anyhow? After that, would you believe everybody crashed. We all took a simultaneous nap after the crazy weeks that had preceded this time.



Now that things have slowed down again, we have had a quiet week. We've played some, we've been to the Science Center once, we've run errands (a true chore with three kids), and Jenna has taken her first steps without holding onto furniture. It's been fantastic...and exhausting!



Mason goes back to school on Monday. Hallelujah!



Did we mention also that Alan and Deb joined a softball league? Alan is needed for every game. Deb is an alternate so usually stays home with the kids. Alan has learned that he can field balls at third base like a pro, but can't throw worth anything. He had shoulder surgery back when Mason was a baby after tearing his rotator cuff. It seems he now has wussy strength in that arm (his right, of course). Maybe he'll have to try second base, where the throw isn't so far. Ha ha.



A little too much time has passed between blogs here. Sorry, folks. We just have to make time, so we don't have to write as much the next time. Until then...happy trails to you!

February? Where Did it Go?

Hmmm...so after Mason was accepted to Einstein, what happened during the rest of the month? Jenna somehow contracted pink eye. The source remains a mystery, but we had to give her drops for a week (which she absolutely detested). It ended up in both eyes, but thankfully, no one else caught it. It was a constant hand washing frenzy.

Oh, yes, Jenna also cut her two bottom front teeth. That made for very exciting times, because even though she was already eating table food, she now had the ability to use teeth on it. She even used those teeth to bite mommy one time while nursing. Very uncool.

I almost forget the most important advancement...Alan, while attending a Stammtisch (gathering of people) with other preschool parents (ironically, mostly dads), was pressured to break Jenna of her every 2-hour wakeup calls all night long that Deb was handling. He came home on a Friday night and announced that he would care for Jenna over the next few nights, and she was going to scream, but she would learn to sleep through the night. It was rough, but within five nights, we had success. For the first time since we started having this brood, we have restful nights. Hallelujah!

As for Mackenzie, her vocabulary continues to grow with new words such as "cookie," "bike," "thirsty," "sofa..." It's hard to think of all the wonderful words at 11 PM in the evening. Mackenzie is also excited to let us put little ponytails in her hair now. See the newest hairdo. They don't usually last long, as she loves to pull them out again, but they're fun while they last.

Mason started taking ballet this month and really seems to enjoy it. She knows that ballet is on Tuesdays, and is trying to learn the days of the week. She looks very cute in her little ballet outfit (no pictures yet, though), and listens to her teacher far better than her mom and dad would have imagined. Mason is also becoming a great big sister and helper. She likes to help out with Jenna, and is great at retrieving things for her sisters when mom or dad is unable to do so themselves.

Life can be very enjoyable...at times! :-)

Mason's Interview

On February 6th, we experienced something you only read about and imagine, in a humorous way, under normal circumstances. We had to take Mason to the "big" school for an interview. We are trying to enroll her in the Albert Einstein Academies in San Diego. It is an International Baccalaureate accredited program where the instruction is in both English and in German. The interview was required to demonstrate that Mason can speak fluent German. We know she can. Her teacher in her preschool, Die Rasselbande, knows she can. So, we took Mason for her interview, telling her only that she would be meeting Renate, her teacher, at the "big" school, and should speak Deutsch with her. We were on pins and needles, because there were already more than 200 applicants for 80 kindergarten slots. The slots go first to siblings, then to fluent German speakers, and then it is a lottery. We desperately wanted Mason to prove her ability so we could avoid the lottery. She told me she had sand in her shoes, as we walked to the classroom where Renate was waiting. I suggested to her that she tell Renate this problem "auf Deutsch" (in German), and maybe Renate could help her out. Sure enough, Mason walked in and said in German, "I have sand in my shoes." It was the only complete sentence she said throughout the interview. It was enough. Thank goodness.

Last week, we received our notice that she was accepted to Albert Einstein for kindergarten. There are so many magnet and charter schools out there, it has become very competitive to get your children into any school but your local one. It's a crazy system!

Note: This is our future protege! >>>>>>>>

Disneyworld and Other Fun Events

At the end of January, we packed clothes for warm weather and for cold weather, from swimsuits and sandals to winter boots and snow pants. We flew to Orlando, and in addition to our plan to see Nana, our sole surviving grandparent, we decided to just have fun. We spent two days at Disneyworld and one day at Epcot Center. The kids had a blast at Magic Kingdom, where all the greatest rides are, and the kids could go on so many of them! Mason loved to drive the little drag racing cars. The girls enjoyed riding through Tomorrowland on the train, and way up in the air on rocket ships that we could control. Dumbo was a hit, as was the Toy Story ride where we're moving around shooting at targets like a video game. We saw a show with Mike Wazowski (I can never get his name right) from Monsters, Inc, where he interacted with the audience. Very cool. We saw a 3-D movie where Donald Duck flew over our heads and got stuck with his butt and legs hanging out the back of the theater. Mason thought that was hysterical. We saw an interactive show with Crush, the sea turtle from Finding Nemo. That was definitely cool. We went on a jungle safari ride, climbed a tree house, and so, so much! We also met some great characters including Ariel the Mermaid, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, and Jiminy (sp?) Cricket. We all had a great, but exhausting time. Here are some pictures showcasing our time.

From Florida, we flew through Chicago, to Minnesota. We left 80 degrees in Orlando, arrived late in Chicago, after departing late due to a snowstorm in Chicago, being diverted to Indianapolis, because we were low on fuel, and finally getting into Chicago and trying desperately to fly our family of five standby on the last flight to Minneapolis that night. We made it, but there was a lot of headache and chaos involved. Once in Minnesota, we happily crashed at Deb's parents, and let them and Aunt Tammi (pic on left) deal with the kids, who woke earlier than we were ready to wake. We visited with some of our good friends this time. We played at Edinborough Park, a huge indoor play area for kids. We played at the amusement park in the Mall of America. Mason was too small for many of the rides, but could go with a chaperone, which was good. We had an abundance of chaperones! She's about 40 inches tall. She needed to be 42 inches for the "big" rides. Just as well.

Although we had great fun on both legs of this vacation, we do not have any future plans to fly with three kids, their baggage (car seats, strollers, toys, clothes, etc.), and our own baggage, for that matter. It's TOO much work! Not to mention expensive. So, we will happily take driving trips for now. :-)