Elia’s Kindergarten Orientation
Elia February 2019
In January, Albert had a work trip that meant that Erin would have the kids for two days. Unfortunately Erin also had a trip immediately following which meant trouble if it wasn’t for the fact that Julie was able to step in and take care of the kids during the overlap. The reality was that they only needed care for dinner and bedtime since Albert’s flight got in just after bed time, but there was the possibility that his flight could get canceled or delayed. So it was fortunate that Julie was there and prepared to stay with the kids just in case. Continue reading “Elia February 2019”
Knowing What is Important
Knowing what is important: Elia and Albert had a spontaneous lunch date yesterday after staying home for the plumbers and stair people. Albert asked if she wanted to go to a fancy restaurant, she said that she wanted me to wear a bow tie (which she means a tie) like hers. So we dressed up and went to a fancy restaurant for lunch. where she had chicken fingers with a fruit salad that had a blood orange. Albert had blackened catfish and we shared a side of fries. Elia later told Erin that she was Hermione and Albert was Ron (because they are together) and that we wore the same red tie, black top and white shirt. Of course now Albert owes Curie her own date.
Knowing what is important part 2: The next day, Albert was working from home and needed to take the car in to get an oil change. Realizing it was late in the day, he decided to pick up Curie early and called EMA. When he arrived, Curie bounded forward and the instructor saying that Curie was ready for her date. Albert suddenly realized that though he hadn’t planned for this to be Curie’s date, he needed to make the time special for her because the date with Elia obviously was on her mind. The problem was that there were no fancy restaurants near the car dealership. Albert told Curie they could either go to the buffet ( Curie loves a buffet) for a snack(we had dinner plans with Julie), or because it was snowing, they could get a snack at the vending machines but they could spend the time watching and drawing with each other. Curie opted for vending machines and drawing initially, but when they arrived, she was hungry so wanted to go to the buffet even though it was snowing pretty hard. They trudged through the snow hand in hand and went to the buffet joking all the time that it was a big snack, or dinner 1 before dinner 2. Curie did not mind that it was not a fancy restaurant, all she cared about was equal time with parents and spending time with Albert; that is the lesson here.
Elia’s New Car Seat
Elia’s last day in her car seat and her first day in her new booster.
Pajama Pictures
Elia January 2019
So Elia’s birthday party was in the beginning of January instead of December mostly because of scheduling around that time. Elia originally wanted her birthday to be at Busy Bees again because she has had her birthday there a couple of times before, but even though Curie was at the minimum cut off at 46 inches, none of Curie’s friends would be able to make it if we held it there. We had a few discussions about where to have the party, but Elia was pretty adamant. Then one day after going to Jumpin’ Joeys for a friend’s party. Elia came to us and said that she wanted to have her party at Jumpin’ Joey’s because otherwise Curie’s friends couldn’t come. What an amazing little girl! Continue reading “Elia January 2019”
Doodling with the Kids
NICU 2018
As many of you know, each year we go back to Virginia Hospital Center’s Labor and Delivery and NICU, to drop off some chocolate and thank them for their treatment of Erin in Labor and Delivery, PACU and post-op, and for Curie’s 4 days in NICU, and Elia’s 18 days in NICU. Curie was 4 pounds and 7 ounces and had trouble with jaundice and eating. Elia was 4 pounds 8 ounces and had some pulmonary trouble and eating as well. William Schimmel once said of his kids, “you never want to be in NICU, but once you are there, you are glad you are.” I have repeated this line to so many people after our own experience. We also always reference James, and Analise (for Curie) and Ray (for Elia) and Emma for Erin who restored our faith in the hospital by taking care of us so well after being abandoned in the bathroom post-op by another nurse. Thank you again. Curie on the left, Elia on the right. Curie just lost her first tooth, and Elia registered in the 40th percentile in height in her last check-in.
Elia December 2018
Even though Elia’s birthday is in December, because we write hers from the 15th to the 15th, the events of her birthday will fall in the next blog post. Strangely, we will write about Thanksgiving now and her birthday and Christmas then. We could have made Elia’s posts on the month but that would have meant writing two at the same time, which would be quite onerous. In any case, Thanksgiving.
Our Thanksgiving, Christmas schedule is largely decided upon by Albert’s family and since they met up in October for Columbus day, we found ourselves not having any Thanksgiving plans. We did need to take the kids out to another country this year, but since our house had not yet rented and we were paying both rent and mortgage, we felt hesitant to do anything more than to drive to Canada again. Continue reading “Elia December 2018”
Elia Turns 5
Elia had quite the day for her birthday. She was of an age to truly enjoy it. Happy Birthday Sweetie! From the top left to right, 1) she got a Blackfire girl, sister to Starfire (which Curie got, since you need to get a present even if your sister is having the birthday), 2) telling her class that our family tradition is her birthday and going to NICU to thank them each year 3) her teachers 4) eating her cupcake 5) twirling in her birthday dress 6) choosing an expensive restaurant because she is the birthday girl 7) the restaurant turned off all the lights to sing for her 8) joy 9) wearing the dress from one set of grand parents and getting the horse from the other 10) sweetness for one of three cakes 11) blowing out the candles 12) turning 5