6/30 Ilea starting crying about 9pm in the hall. We ran upstairs to find out what was wrong. She wanted help putting her socks on. As Jenny put her back in bed Ilea said, "My toes and feet were naked".

6/21 - 24 Trip to Ca:

Jenny went down to Ca for the weekend to see her girlfriend's wedding. Kipp volunteered to stay home and watch the kids so I could go by myself. As it turned out, I asked a friend from church, Aga, to go with me. Her sister, Alla, was visiting from Poland, so she came too. Fri went pretty well. A very long, hot trip down, 13 hours. No Air conditioning. Aga (short for Agnieszka) got burned on her arm from driving with it in the sun. It was nice to get to Uncle Kenny's and the air conditioning.

Sat we got going by 8 am to Tahoe. Easy, beautiful trip. The lake was gorgeous. In fact, a little too sunny. We got our car stuck in sand trying to park, and finally another wedding guest helped to get it out. We found a spot in the shade, which was great. The wedding was at 11:11, and was casual. About 20 min, including 2 poems and exchange of personal vows, then we whispered a secret to a live butterfly which was in a box and released them. Most flew, but not too high. Some took a little bit to get going. Not much shade, but a gorgeous view of the lake and mountains. Only 2 umbrellas and old people were using them. About 85 deg. We had some sun screen, but only SPF15. We put it on twice, but it wasn't enough. We all got burned pretty bad. There was food, and cake, and sumo wrestling (where you put on a huge sumo suit and try to push someone else out of a ring). Dancing didn't go over very well because it was so hot. Finally, Tammy gave us tickets to take the gondola up to the top of Heavenly. We had to park our car in the sun, and lost all that great coolness. The view was fantastic. The girls loved it. We found out after that the tickets are $20 each! No way would we have done that. We grabbed a Starbuck Frappacino on the way out and got back to Ken's by about 6:50, burning up, burned on arms, face, fronts and backs. No one home. We begged a neighbor to let us into the pool just to put our feet in. She did, and everyone else got there about 7:20. Us girls jumped in the pool and it was great. Sun we went to the Capitol building, and old town. A nice, relaxing day.

The trip home wasn't quite so hot. Kipp gave me extra oil and water, saying to keep an eye on them. Right before we went into the mountains (around 11am) by Shasta Lake, the oil light came on. So we pulled off at the next stop and pulled by the side of a gas station in the shade. Aga got out with me. I touched the radiator cap, which was warm, but not too hot. I checked the oil which was low. OK. So I got oil, then used a napkin to start opening the radiator cap. From my days with the Mustang, I was pretty familiar with this. I was cautious. Using the napkin in case it steamed, I turned it a quarter turn. Small hiss, but nothing. Aga was standing by my left side. Then I opened the cap the rest of the way and the water exploded out of there. It hit me in the face and my left eye, and after a few seconds I burst into tears because it was stinging quite badly. A man ran over and just started pulling me into the station to the bathroom. Aga got burned also on the side of her face, on her cheek. We were a pretty sorry lot. Alla had been in the car and couldn't see anything because the hood was up. I flushed out the eye, and he brought us a towel with ice in it. We shared it. By about 4:30 the burns had faded on both of our faces. My eye was a little irritated, but not hurt. Aga was ok too, no blisters. Also by 4:30, the oil light came on again. Luckily, I thought I had seen a Costco near the freeway (we had found a Dairy Queen and were taking an ice cream break) and we got a case of oil, and put 2 more quarts in. I didn't check the water this time.... We made it home by 9:15 for them, about 9:45 for me. Long day. We had left at 7 am. But we finally made it safely.

6/18 Today was the best day! Kyler has been taking showers with me for a while. Today, he was so excited, he ran into the shower with his diaper on. We got that off, and then towards the end, he slipped and sat down hard. So I picked him up. He immediately put his arms around my neck, and lay his head on my shoulder. I sang him a couple of nursery rhymes, and then a few more songs. He fell asleep on my shoulder, still hugging me tight, with the water just running down both of us. I could have stayed in all day! He was so cute.

6/15 Kyler was crawling on Jenny on the couch. I wasn't in the mood, and tried to get rid of him. Ilea was also on the couch, reading, and apparently didn't want him bothering her either!
Jenny: Kyler, go get Ilea!
Ilea: -makes a funny growling noise
Jenny: What was that Ilea?
Ilea: I don't know. I was trying to scare Kyler!

6/10 Ilea and Jenny were talking at lunch one day.
Ilea: I can't wait to be 2!
Jenny: Ilea, you are already past 2. You are 3 now and will be 4 on your next birthday.
Ilea: Then can I climb a mountain all covered with snow with you?

6/9 We went to a friend's house for dinner. Their little boy is 4 or 5. Ilea played with him and his sister up in their room. They had a bunk bed, and must have made an impression on her. Here is part of her prayer that night: "Thank you for the little boy I played with. Well, he was bigger, and he could touch the ceiling on his knees! Thank you for friend to play with me. God bless Victoria and cake."

6/5 Just some thoughts. Kyler and Ilea are so different. As active and challenging as he is, he is also snuggly, where Ilea was not. He's been needing some extra love to go to sleep, and he just puts his head on your shoulder and relaxes. He's been taking showers with me too. He used to just play with toys, but the last 2 weeks, he's been wanting to go in with me. When I get ready to start the water and take my clothes off, he's clawing and struggling to get his PJ's off. So he's been in with me, sitting on my feet, and the drain (which fills up the shower with water....). He wants up sometimes, and just gives me a naked hug, putting his arms around me and laying his head on my shoulder and feeling the water. There's nothing like it! I remember when Ilea was small. At her 3 months appt, the dr put one hand under her upper chest/head, and the other under her waist and swung Ilea around. Most babies curl up to hold on to the hands. Not Ilea. She was stiff as board, legs out, back straight. When I changed her, you could pick up her ankles and her whole body up to her shoulders would lift up. She was incredible. She did snuggle when she first woke up, she liked to be in your lap. But differently than Kyler, who just loves to hug and kiss. Yes, the big, wet, open mouth kissing has started. It's great too.

On Sat the kids and I went to a big neighborhood garage sale. Ilea had a bag of cheerios. Kyler was in the stroller I would park them in the shade, and Ilea would feed Kyler cheerios and share with him while I shopped. It was great. She often plays with him. Thier car seats are by the windows, so there is a space between them. Sometimes they reach out and hold hands. Sometimes Ilea shares food with him, holding it out so he can get a piece of fishy cracker or something. She also shares her toys, mostly. She has a favorite, Baby Bunny. One day she was on the couch and he came up and pulled Baby Bunny. She finally let him have it, and then chased him around the room and got it back. So back he came and pulled it again. I thought she would get mad, but they played that way for 20 minutes! She finally let him get it each time, then ran after him to get it back. They play a lot. Ilea pushes him on her car, and brings him toys if he's sad. It's nice to see.

5/31 We had fun at a new park today. Another mom with twin 4-yr old girls came, as well as another friend with 3 & 5 yr old boys. There were tons of other people there too. It's in a new housing development, and very popular. Kyler did pretty well, and didn't make me chase him too far. Some days he just makes me so tired. Last week while we were helping in the 3 yr olds at church, at the end, one child was throwing beans all over (they have a big table that is sunk with TONS of beans to play in). I told him NO, and ran over to get him under control. The teacher said "we don't say no here if we can help it". I was shocked! Really? She said they try to use positive affirmations. "Please walk", instead of "No, don't run!" I know that is good, and I should probably try, but right now I tell Kyler no about 100 times a day! He doesn't listen at all, but it makes me feel better.... I should try the other way I guess. He is so much more active than Ilea was. He gets into the pen drawer, which has a baby lock on it, and keeps wiggling his fingers until he can get a pen or something out. I'm really going to be dead when he figures out how to use the chairs to climb over things, and move them where he wants. When he wakes up from a nap, I keep expecting to hear "THUMP" every day...

Prayer: Thank you for our house, & Victoria's house, and the cookie store, which has pink and white sprinkle cookies, and Victoria, and my feet which help me stand and walk, and my hands, which help me push up, and my nose, and Victoria, ...

We had juice boxes in Ca in Fresno. Ilea would never drink anything called juice. The box was Have a Blast - Juice Blast. So we called it Berry Blast and she liked it. She was looking at the box (which said JUICE BLAST) and Ed helped her spell Blast. Then he helped her spell JUICE, and the rest of us were mouthing "no, don't tell her it's JUICE". So when Ilea finished and asked what it spelled, Ed said HAVE A. She bought it. We all laughed, and she called it Have A BLast the rest of the time. Last week I bought some of the same juice boxes. She was spelling BLAST. SHe doesn't mind the word juice now. Then she spelled JUICE, pointing to the letters on the box. Kipp asked her what that said, and Ilea said, "Have A". Ed's ruined her for life!!!!

5/23 - Ilea & J were sitting at the kitchen table. Kyler was in Jen's seat on the couch. He popped his head up and laughed. Ilea laughed & said "peekaboo". So K kept doing it, saying "peeah" and laughing each time.

He knows many things you say. He can go get an object if you ask him, or he'll look for it. He can shut a door (when he wants to), and he can put things back. He doesn't do many signs, although I think he knows them. He loves Fish, and Dog. He likes Light. A couple of weeks ago he went through a fascination with lightswitches.

5/29 Kyler can get pens out of the drawer that has a baby lock on it. He can open doors. He eats everything still, including sand, dirt, or rocks. He can get on the couch by himself. He empties out all the drawers he's allowed into. Occasionally he puts things back. He attacks Ilea all the time. Today they played chase for 20 min. He pulls her baby bunny doll, and runs away. she comes after him and gets it back and goes back to the couch and the start all over again. I understand he also attacks the little 1 yr old girls at church too. He charges into them with mouth and arms open wide. They don't seem to like this.