November News

Not only is November everyone's favorite excuse to give into gluttony, it's also the chance for us to celebrate our little turkey. Topher turned TWO on November 18th, so of course, we had to have a Thomas the Tank Engine party. We invited the four toddlers with whom Topher was most familiar here in Charlottesville, and of course, their parents came along, too: Garren and his older brother Preston, Grace and Tyler, and Natalie. The kids entertained themselves by throwing Thomas bouncy balls up and down our stairwell, while I tried protecting the cake from the darting missiles. I had frosted the cake with green icing, placed a train track and some wooden trees in the center, and used two of Topher's trains to match the theme of the party. When Christopher saw the pile of presents on the kitchen table, he kept begging for them: "Presents!" But of course, we had to sing to him first and he immediately dashed away from the cake and the candels. Once we coaxed him back into the kitchen and he figured out how to blow out the candels, he wanted to do it again and again. But that desire was quickly replaced by the thrill of opening all his presents: Harold, Emily, Gordon, Toby, two Thomas movies, train tracks, and air planes. Oh, the joy! Then we adults spent the rest of the night setting up train tracks while trying to keep our kids under control with all the new toys.

Thanksgiving this year, like Thanksgiving last year, seemed to circle around Aaron's anxious preparation for finals. Last here he needed to do well to get a good summer internship. This year he needs to do well to make up for his blank GPA as a transfer student. So rather than travel, we stayed in Charlottesville and gratefully joined other law school families for the big supper. The LDS Law Society hosted the dinner in the Commons area at the law school, where Christopher joined a couple other toddlers in running around the tables and chasing between their parents' legs. He had progressively gotten sick during the few days prior to Thanksgiving, so by the time we were ready to feast, our poor boy was managing to only keep noddle soup and apple sauce in his belly. He ate a homemade roll, which was the most food he'd eaten of his own accord in days. And after Aaron and I had sufficiently feasted, we swapped spots tending to Topher's stir-crazy antics. Conversation was sporatic but friendly, and we were glad to meet a few new people. It would have been nice to know everyone so well that we didn't need to introduce ourselves, to have robust discussions about important matters, but alas, our roots haven't sunk into Charlottesville soil that deep. Maybe someday.

Still, it was nice to enjoy two fabulous turkeys, to gorge ourselves on a veritable feast of side dishes, and to not have clean up too many dishes afterwards. By 8pm, Topher had long since fallen asleep, our kitchen was clean, and the Christmas tree was already lit and decorated. I could relax and start to look forward to Christmas.

Happy Halloween

Halloween always proves to be more festive than we originally anticipate. This year we kept searching stores and internet sites looking for a full suit for Christopher so he could join our neighbor, Garren, as the infamous duo: John McCain and Barrack Obama. Garren is an adorable little black boy and Topher's closest friend, so our families thought it might be funny given the political circumstances at the time. Alas, we could not find any suits so we ended up borrowing a skunk costume from Garren instead. Then on the Sunday before Halloween, Aaron and I learned that we were supposed to be an Indian shaman and squaw for a murder mystery party later that week. So on Monday, my sister Jandel and I stormed the local craft stores and came up with these costumes. Thanks to Jandel, we were able to fringe the cloaks and bead the necklaces and add all the details that made us truly distinguishable at the ward Halloween party. Then again, only three other adults were in costume at the ward Halloween party. But this year Topher actually got to carry his bucket and perfect the declaration, "Trick or treat!" as he passed from one car trunk to the next in the church's parking lot. By the end of the long line of cars, Topher's stash was full and his legs were on autopilot. He ran in circles and laughed in delight and flopped in the middle of the lot like roadkill.

On Thursday night, Aaron and I attended our murder mystery party and won the goblets of success, meaning that the hostess determined we accomplished all of our characters' goals. I had figured out who the murderer was while Aaron had several fingers pointed at him. But my main goal in attending the party was getting to know some of the other people in the ward. We've been here for three months and I'm still learning names. It's always a long process...

And on Friday, Halloween, we had all kinds of grand trick-or-treating plans that never transpired. While Aaron helped out a law school softball game, I took Topher to the Pavilion on the UVA campus behind the main building to go trick-or-treating among all the hoards of college students, little kids, and camera-carrying parents. It was insanely crowded with miniature creatures and cartoon characters, and Christopher had to learn how to fight his way through the masses to access the candy available at every door. We were supposed to meet Aaron on a specific corner at 6pm, and just as Christopher was grabbing his last treat from a giving college kid, he chomped down on the Butterfinger offered. His sharp teeth tore through the paper and he managed to swallow some of the candy. Peanut butter. I immediately snatched the candy bar away from him and made him spit out the chocolate in his mouth. He coughed up more because of the paper his had swallowed, too. But even with that little bit of peanut butter, Topher started getting welts along his chin. So I grabbed a student and asked where I could find Benedryl. She pointed me in the direction of Cohn's, a corner store on the opposite side of the hill where I was supposed to meet Aaron. So I ran. I chugged Christopher across the lawns and sidewalks and streets until we were at Cohn's and I could convince him to eat a quarter of an adult Benedryl tablet by calling it candy. And by the time I had pushed Topher back over the hill to the corner where Aaron would meet us, his welts were fading but the rest of our trick-or-treating plans were canceled. I was exhausted, and my little skunk needed dinner and sleep more than he needed more chocolate.

So that was Halloween--full of hoots and hollers!

ABC & 123

Heaven forbid I become one of those moms who brags, but I have to. For more than a month now, Christopher has been spotting letters everywhere we go and announcing them with honest confidence and true delight. And the amazing thing is that he gets them right! His favorite games include letters: putting magnetic letters on the white board and spelling out his nonsensicle words, passing us markers when coloring and dictating the letters he wants us to write, finding the letters on the bottoms of his trains, scattering letter puzzle pieces, and discerning letters on signs while running errands. The picture shows the mess that Topher makes each time we attend one of Aaron's softball games, where he stays occupied at the bleachers scratching letters in the dirt. We just introduced him to a computer game involving letters, numbers, shapes, and animals, and it's now his daily request.

We're working on teaching Christopher how to count, which his most frequent exposure has been my counting to 60 while he mopingly waits in timeout. And he's catching on quick! He surprised us last week while we were driving home from the law school by leaning back in his carseat and reciting one through five without any prompting. That's when we realized we should probably start teaching him to recognize the numbers, too. Now he's trained: Whenever he hears the word "count," he throws his pacifier (aka "choo-cho") far from him and begs, "Count!" He knows that when we count, the game usually involved chocolate chips, M&M's, marshmallows, or yogurt raisins.

Topher surprises us every day with his amazing memory. He quotes his "Thomas" movies before the narrator speaks. He recites, "Only...throw...balls!" when we ask him about rule #1. He points to the places he wants to go whenever we pass them, like our neighbor's house where he knows, "Cranky! Sand! Trains!" are all located. He remembers that fast food restaurants have "choc. milk," and he will try ordering it himself by telling the waitress or the server behind the counter. His charm is contagious, and I can't wait to see what he will learn and do each day!

Now we feel the responsibility of teaching him well.

Summer of Surprises

Forgive me for not posting any new and exciting details about our day-to-day life recently, but that's because there's been nothing day-to-day about it. The summer of 2008 has been a summer of surprises! Here's the sum up:

(June 28-July 5) My parents flew up from Atlanta to spend some time playing around Washington, DC with us. They were amazed by how much Christopher had grown and how well he could speak. He was already repeating the alphabet when prompted and slowly learning his letters. Unfortunately, he was also prone to squealing loudly when he didn't get his way. Aaron planned a surprise birthday party for me, which turned out to be far more festive than anything I could have imagined. And it was good to have my parents there. We visited the US Printing & Engraving Office, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Battle of Bull Run Historical site, and Mt. Vernon. Every day was exhausting in its own way. We also met with Judge Richard Leon, the Federal District Judge with whom Aaron worked, spending over an hour with him in his chambers, learning a great deal and truly appreciating his generous spirit. We visited Old Town Alexandria and Gadsby's Tavern on the Fourth of July, and I was glad to be the tour guide one last time for my parents. One last time? Well, that's because we learned on July 3rd, just as we were all getting ready to go to the DC Temple, that Aaron had been accepted to the University of Virginia Law School in Charlottesville. We would be moving. We went to the temple that night with options to pray about. And in the end, it just felt right.

(July 12) We drove to Charlottesville, Virginia, with no air conditioning on a scathingly hot day. We had one afternoon to try to figure out if there was a house, townhome, or apartment that best suited us. Sweet Christopher was a good sport as he sweated in his carseat between each stop. It was the first time our little guy ever drank honest-to-goodness water, he was so hot! He ran through empty, echoing apartments and houses, climbed stairs and explored yards while I examined storage space and Aaron mapped the distances to the law school. By the middle of the afternoon, the air conditioner decided to kick in and we were very grateful. But the weird part was--it wouldn't shut off! Even when we took the key out of the ignition, the fan kept blowing. And eventually, it killed the battery. We were stranded in a parking garage outside of the Downtown Mall at the old historic district. A classic Southern gentleman and his genteel wife helped jumpstart our car and they led us to the local Sear's auto center, closing in half an hour. That gave them just enough time to replace our battery and check our alternator. We managed to get home that night, but it cost us $800 in car repairs later. The one townhouse that we almost didn't see because I thought the owner had already leased it, was the one that we eventually signed on. Thank heavens the owner's brother called me to ask why we had stood him up! And thank heavens his fiancee was good enough to come back to show us the place while we were in the area! We're living in that very home now, and we love it.

(July 14-August 1) I scrambled to get our home packed room-by-room, necessity-by-necessity while still taking care of Christopher and juggling work responsibilities. Aaron was busy getting our vacation plans figured out, since our flight was supposed to return us on the day Aaron was scheduled for UVA's orientation. We needed to move before then.

(August 2-12) We flew to Utah. I think we could have walked to Utah faster than we flew to Utah. No, actually, I shouldn't complain because in the end it all worked out. We were waiting at the Dulles International Airport from 9am-5pm, trying to find ways to fly around the storms that were causing so many delays and cancelations. Eventually, we boarded a plane to Long Beach and Christopher, bless his soul, fell asleep after the first two hours and stayed asleep for the next three hours on the plane, two hours in the Long Beach airport, and two hours on the flight to Salt Lake that had, fortuitously, been delayed six hours, just so we could make the connection! We got in around 1am (which was 3am EST), and we visited with family for a couple more hours before finally falling asleep. The next day we spent with Joseph, Rosie, and their boys before they had to return to Hong Kong. Most of our vacation was visiting with friends and family, relaxing at the Pacini home, and enjoying their little cabin up in Heber. We enjoyed a date to the Salt Lake Temple, and we were treated a fabulous dinner at The Roof Restuarant. We spent a good afternoon with Grandpa Metcalfe and Sonja. And we discovered that when Parley's Canyon is closed, the roundtrip from Heber to Salt Lake nearly triples in drive-time. Aaron caught two fish while fly-fishing with his father on the Provo River. And I manipulated a lovely little surprise birthday party for Aaron on the night before we flew home: Ashley and Britney assisted in the scheme to get him to the movie theater an hour before our supposed movie started. While waiting we went to the Skybox Arcade Center where, much to Aaron's surprise, was gathered his whole family and several high school and college friends. We let the boys be boys, and it was fun.

(August 13-16) The Big Move. Aaron and I were swamped with boxes, messes, and madness as soon as we returned from Utah. Poor Christopher didn't know why his home was being torn inside out, but I was constantly stealing him away on one errand or another. The only relief we enjoyed was on Thursday, the "game day girls" planned a lovely lunch at one of the gourmet restaurants in downtown DC. It was "Restaurant Week," so the amazing meals we enjoyed were half-price. And we all got to escape our kids for the afternoon! Our adventuresome group included Janelle Patton, Sariah Lundsford, Heather Craw, and Lisa Busby. We were forced to change our reservation at the last minute because we learned upon arriving in DC that the FBI had closed off the block where our original restaurant was located. Four mysterious packages... that ended up being nothing... but they sure led to drama at the time! And on the night before we moved, Heather and Kent hosted a little Chinese take-out dinner, just we wouldn't have to bother with food and so we could spent one last evening playing with our friends. What a blessing! And what a great way to say goodbye...although everyone refused to actually say goodbye. On Aaron's 29th birthday, we moved to Charlottesville. My parents were good enough to drive up from Atlanta to help us with the laborious process of getting settled. Although they were only here for the weekend, they treated us to Aaron's birthday dinner and provided us with the much-needed support in arranging furniture, unpacking boxes, and organizing our scattered life. Unfortunately, I fear I was a little beastly when it came to bossing everyone around, but I really am grateful for all their help. Christopher weathered the chaos by watching movies on his mini-DVD player while strapped in his highchair...for hours. I still feel a little guilty for that. But let's be honest: It kept him out of the way and thoroughly entertained. I think he loved it.

(August 16-Present) We're here: lovely, green, quaint, cute Charlottesville, Virginia. We've met a few families in our ward. We've visited a few parks in the area. Aaron's interviewed with dozens of law firms through UVA. And we're starting to settle into a routine. In a place like this, I'm bound to take pictures. And yes, I'll try to post them soon.

So that, my friends, has been our Summer of Surprises. I'm hoping there aren't any more for at least a little while!

Chit Chat

One of our favorite regular activities with Christopher is teaching him how to talk. He's gotten good at repeating our words if we begin with, "Say..." But because his enunciation still isn't perfected, we enjoy listening to him attempt to say whatever we ask him to try. When he wants the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," he calls for, "Bain! Bain!" Of course, Aaron tries to get him to say, "Chitty Chitty," exploiting Topher's oblivious to naughty words. When he wants to hear his Thomas the Tank Engine songs, he begs, "Trai! Trai!" He's getting better at the "pl" sound in, "Please!" Christopher also calls, "Poo!" or "Far!" if he hears someone pass gas. He overheard a tv character chant, "Fusspot, fusspot!" And when Christopher tried to imitate him, what came out sounded more like, "fuh..." than "fuss." The other word he's had to practice recently has been, "Sorry," which usually comes out as, "Sorh." But more often than not, whenever I ask him to repeat something to practice his words, it sounds close enough to distinguish. And his sweet little voice makes the word a wonderful new discovery for both us.

Trees, Turtles, & Tumbles

Christopher has been a busy boy discarding his usual schedule. I have the fear that the wonderful days of two long naps are slipping away. On Wednesday, we made plans to meet Sariah with Ben, Janelle with Elliott, Heather with Gwynne, and Lisa with Lincoln and Sawyer at the local farmer's market. Christopher has gotten much better at holding hands, but when he gets anxious to run, he does. And he thinks it's a riotous game to flee from grown ups. And at one point, as I was playfully chasing after him, he fell on his knees when he hit the grassy edge of the woods. We all laughed. So for the next half hour, any freedom Topher found he ran towards the same grassy spot and fell immediately, recreating his former tumble and reveling in the moment. Such a clown!

We bought some apples and raspberries and rolls, intending to eat them for lunch at the Vienna Botanical Gardens. Christopher, however, seemed intent on eating every raspberry at the farmer's market and he started getting a little red spotted rash around his eyes soon afterwards. It didn't seem to bother him much, so I simply took note of it. And while at the Gardens, Christopher seemed more intent on feeding the turtles and geese with his food than himself. The weather proved ideal for a long stroll through the gardens, sunny but mild, especially for June. And the flowers were dancing all over the green hillsides. Christopher begged to be let free from his stroller, and as soon as his feet his the ground, he was off, stumbling down the long slope towards the catfish-filled pond. I hurried after him and kept one hand on his shoulder as he half-signed and half-said "water," over and over again. I was glad to see that he seemed to understand that he couldn't jump into the water, but the temptation was obvious. Topher seemed to enjoy just as much delight in the sunshine as he had to endure the despair of my constant shadow. The silly kid simply couldn't run away far enough fast enough, for I was always right behind him, tugging on his pants or wrestling him to the grass when he wanted to tromp in the lush flowerbeds or explore the stone drain tunnels.

We stopped again at a gazebo at the end of a platform that reached into the pond and hovered high over the water. There Christopher discovered geese and turtles and fish all fighting for food together. He spent an hour hurrying back and forth between me and the railing, snatching scraps of bread from me for the eager animals below. The other moms calmly sat under the gazebo, feeding their children content to stay near them. Mine, however, kept me jolting all over the place. We left the gazebo for a winding walk up a high grassy hill. I let Topher escape the stroller to follow after Ben and Lincoln, for whom he was calling enthusiastically. However, the steepness of the hill surprised him, and soon Christopher was tumbling awkwardly down the hill, tripping and falling and occasionally slamming into the ground. I chased after him and tried to keep him from rolling again, but that only frustrated the poor boy so much that our adventure on the hilltop ended rather quickly. We continued our stroll with the others into a wooded area where Christopher wanted to hide among the trees and bushes. When we stopped for a minute, he hurried off to the edge of the woods where we found a beautiful yellow and brown tortoise. Ben was quick to take the turtle from us, but because Christopher seemed a little nervous about the walking rock, I didn't mind Ben enjoy the tortoise in his place. Ben tried to share the tortoise with Topher, but my little guy kept turning away from it. So soon after, I strapped him back into his stroller and took him (and his many grass-stains) home for the day.

Father's Day

Aaron has always insisted that he doesn't enjoy surprises, but I think he liked them this Father's Day. Three days before, I planted a "clue" pertaining to his upcoming Father's Day gift in his lunch. It was a card listing his competition: Chris Patton, Steve Lundsford, Kent Kemeny, Kelly Busby, Neil Sood, John Gardner, Jason Bassett, and Bryson Giles. After a series of questions, Aaron eventually guessed that they would be going go-kart racing! Mario Kart action for the big boys! And all the wives and kids stood in the wings to cheer them on.

So on Saturday, Neil and Lori Sood arrived with their pretty little daughter Annalisa. Neil was under the impression that they had come for a barbeque to celebrate Lori's and my birthdays. So he was doubly surprised when he learned about the go-kart reservations we'd made at a local track. So with very little time to eat our Rachel-Ray-inspired hamburgers, we tossed the kids in the cars and headed to Sterling, Virginia. Everyone had gathered at the indoor racetrack, little munchkins running around under their daddies' legs as the men zipped themselves into hot, thick, racing uniforms. After a ten-minute safety video, our husbands were off to the races!

Christopher did laps just like Aaron did--only while Aaron was whipping in twisted circles around the track driving a super-small convertible, Topher was running back and forth among the bleachers in his favorite "blue shoes." There was no slowing either one of them down. After a practice race of 20 laps, the men paused to compare speeds and scores and to rethink their strategies about how to take turns. And after the real race of 40 laps, they were all dripped with sweat from their hot suits and insulated helmets, but they were also pumped full of testosterone. Christopher had tried to steal into one of the go-karts, open one of the vending machines, and make one of the ashtrays into a sandbox. But besides all that, he was an especially fun little boy. He stood on the chair next to me and clapped for his daddy even though he couldn't see which of the men in black whizzing by was his daddy after all. In the end, the first place trophy went to Christ Patton, but that didn't matter much. Aaron had fun!

On Father's Day itself, Christopher presented Aaron with a card and a new XBox 360 game. It's a football game that Daddy can teach to his little boy who always begs him to "play." We invited Heather and Kent to join us for a night of Catan, a chance to use our new expansion. Christopher sat in front of a movie, eating tomatoes and pretzels and cheese while their little Gwynne fussed with fatigue. We were all a little distracted, but it still nice to visit together as couples. It finally grew so late and we had made so little progress that we had to end the game before it was really done. Still, it was a happy Father's Day and a super fun family weekend. And I hope Aaron felt how much we love him!

The Croup

After five days in the hospital, Christopher came home knowing full well that the croup is "crap!" (When Topher says it, he rolls his R's and it makes us laugh!) But there wasn't much to laugh about when late Thursday night we realized that Topher's sudden heavy wheezing was a serious indication that he simply couldn't breathe. Aaron had taken Christopher hometeaching because he hadn't seen him in several days and he wanted to spend some time with him. Although they came home long past Topher's bedtime, he still seemed to be in good spirits -- but he was breathing hard. And when we tried to give him a bedtime snack, he choked so severely that it induced vomit. His throat was swelling shut.

I thought it was an allergic reaction because the breathing problems struck suddenly during dinner, accompanied by a little rash on his arm. So at Urgent Care, the nurses started treating him for an allergic reaction with shots and IV's and an oxygen mask. Oh, the poor kid was miserable! He curled up in our arms, bawling in his raspy way, coughing like a barking seal, and pleading with what little voice he had, "Help!" The mask terrified him, so we had to administer the medicine by a tube in front of his nose instead. And after a CAT scan and an X-ray, our sweet little boy managed to fall asleep from sheer exhaustion while I curled up with him on the gurney. He was so terrified and so tired and so confused, and we felt so sorry for him. It was around 4am when the doctor determined Topher needed to go to the Fairfax County Hospital to be treated for a severe case of croup. Larry and Larry, the two EMT's, drove Christopher and me to the hospital via ambulance. That was Christopher's second ride in an ambulance in two months. What a special boy!

We got settled into a cramped shared room at the hospital on Friday morning, and after more poking and prodding for vital signs, Christopher was finally allowed to sleep. Aaron also tried napping, but that was futile because of the sobbing little boy in the bed next to us. So he eventually went home to get some real sleep. He had been up all night, whereas I had napped a little while lying next to Topher. I took the day shift with our little guy, feeding him small bits of food, taking him to the kid's activity room, and rocking him for hours when he woke coughing and vomiting again. His harsh breathing had subsided by Friday night, thanks to the steroids the nurses had administered, so they sent us home around 9pm. I was so grateful to see Christopher settled into his own bed for a good night's sleep! And I was also grateful for a shower!

But Saturday afternoon, Topher woke from his nap with fear on his face because he couldn't breathe again. He could barely gasp enough to cough the harsh, hacking sound we had learned to hate in the hospital. So we rushed to the emergency room and immediately, the nurse had him on a bed and was administering a mask full of medicine. He squirmed and cried and fought the mask as he had the day before, but soon he could breathe again. What little appetite he's had on Friday had disappeared by Saturday. We could hardly coax him into drinking apple juice and nibble on a graham cracker. By the time the hospital opened a private room for Christopher in the pediatric wing, I was desperate enough to have him eat that I bribed him with a bottle of chocolate milk. It was the only thing of substance he had all day.

Despite his lethargy from not breathing, not eating, and not sleeping, Christopher proved so patient during his next two days trapped in the hospital. Sadly, he became accustomed to the nurses taking his blood pressure, listening to his lungs, and applying wires to his chest. He liked playing with the monitor attached to his big toe, and we kept him entertained with all of his favorite movies: "Mary Poppins," "Annie," and "Joseph." By Monday morning, Christopher didn't even want to venture to the kid's activity room. He was only mildly interested in playing basketball at the outdoor court with Aaron. He trembled when I tried to prop him up to stand. And he curled up to sleep on my chest or under my arm without any attempt to escape and explore on his own. Mr. Mischief was so not himself. By Monday morning, Christopher had also stopped drinking. Even chocolate milk couldn't tempt him anymore. He had coughed so much and thrown up so much that he wasn't interested in taking anything into his belly anymore. And I became accustomed to calling for the nurse to bring a change of pajamas and sheets. Sunday night, he vomited all over me while I cuddled with him under the cool mist tent in the crib. I don't know what surprised the nurse more when she walked in: seeing me in the crib or seeing the puke all over the place. Aaron helped me clean Christopher up and calm him down again.

I was glad that by Monday, the doctors had decided to be more liberal with the medicine mask that help Christopher so much when he really started struggling. By the time Topher was comfortable with holding the mask to his own face, the respiratory technicians had administered the medicine several times in a just a few hours. But it seems to make a world of difference. The nurse brought in another steroid mashed up in some applesauce around lunchtime, and I feared that Christopher would thoroughly object to it as he had all other food. But when I explained to him that it was "help," he opened his mouth and let me feed him the two scoops of drugged applesauce. That was it. That was all he would take in. But within a couple of hours, I started to see our curious kid return. It was like magic.

Christopher started showing some interest in the way Jello could be mashed through his fingers. Then he wanted to play with his DVD player. Then he started pretending he could climb out of his crib. And by the time Aaron returned from a short sleep at home, Christopher was ready to conquer the world! The doctor didn't let us go home until nearly 10pm, and by then Topher was tired and irrational again. But after taking a tour of the cafeteria and watching us pack up our things, Christopher started getting terribly excited to go home. He kept begging for "home" using his sign language. So we were very relieved when the doctor finally agreed that we could go. As grateful that I was for the medical support when Topher couldn't breathe and when he would throw up from coughing so severely, I was eager to go home where we could all sleep without being interrupted by well-meaning stethescopes.

From what I understand, croup is a common childhood virus. It typically causes a nasty cough, but in some instances, it causes "stridor," the strained breathing that I've come to recognize so readily. It only affects young children under the age of 5, which means Christopher has three more vulnerable years ahead of him. How I pray we never have to deal with the croup again!

Memorial Weekend

Over Memorial Weekend, the last real break before Aaron's internet began, we enjoyed a great deal of family time. Aaron decided to join Heather, Janelle, Sariah, me, and all of our kids for a little game day on Thursday, confident enough to enter the wonderful world of estrogen. He was a great deal of help with Christopher who only calmed down one he had closed himself off in the basement's glass shower. Meredith also joined us, so it was was grand party with just as much chatter as true competition. And having a man there made it all the more entertaining. That night Janelle and Sariah watched a movie at our house while Topher slept so Aaron and I could go on an honest-to-goodness date. We watched "The Chronicles of Narnia" without once worrying about the baby disturbing the others in the audience, and I relaxed under the weight of Aaron's arm. He claims I fell asleep...which is still to be disputed.

Aaron and I both filled up our Friday with what we needed and wanted to do individually, so on Saturday we could work hard and play hard. Whenever Aaron joins Steve and Chris for a game of basketball at the Marquis court, Christopher and I venture over to watch for a few minutes. It's much easier now that Christopher will hold our hands as we walk, and as soon as he realizes where we're headed, he runs! He calls, "Ball! Ball!" while making the gesture with his hands, and he begs for help to go down the steep stairs. On Saturday, that was the routine, but we had to keep Topher to the edge of the court until the first game ended. Then he stormed the men's area, pleading with Aaron to lift him up so he could dunk the basketball. He received a big applause from all the men watching, and he covered his face as though he were suddenly shy. Such a silly kid! Later that day, after putting up curtains and cleaning out the bedroom closet and going grocery shopping, we three went on a walk through the woods to Nottoway Park. We let Topher out of the stroller to run through the long grassy field, never guessing that he would spot the outdoor basketball courts from so far away. But sure enough, he did, and those little legs went running after the chance to dunk the ball again. We followed him to the bottom of the hill at the edge of the courts where several games were going on. And we promptly told him to stop. He did. Christopher dropped to his knees and watched the games for a few minutes before slowly, sneakily, ever-so-carefully inching forward as though we couldn't see that he was walking on his knees until he was far enough from us to make a break for it. Mr. Mischief!

I would have cried on Sunday if I were not so relieved that Christopher finally graduated to Nursery! Sweet blazes, what a blessing! Aaron and I dropped him off at the nursery door together, placing him in his little seat with his snacks, and saying goodbye. He waved to us, comfortable but confused, and they closed the door as we turned away. But Aaron sneaked a few peaks during the course of Sunday School and Priesthood, pleased to see that Christopher had found a basketball hoop. Unlike some of the other kids who were in hysterics for their parents, our independent little guy was happily playing ball and oblivious to the fact that we were not there. On Sunday afternoon, Dave and Natalie Moore came over with their three boys, and we all had a picnic in the courtyard of Aaron's baked homemade ravioli with alfredo-pesto sauce. It was divine! And the boys relished in the warm sunshine, cool grass, and the chance to chase each other around. We loved swapping stories with Dave and Natalie, especially since Natalie and I kept learning that we share so many mutual friends from the past. In many ways, she reminds me of me, but in many more ways I wish I could be like her.

And on Monday, our last free day, we took advantage of the afternoon by heading to Clemyjontri Park just outside of Langley. It was the ideal day to introduce Aaron to the grand-daddy of all playgrounds, with its rubber ground and maze of swingsets and dozens of climbing contraptions. Christopher ran all around the jungle gyms, climbed several of the slides, balanced on the stepping stones, and rode the seesaw. Anything that had a steering wheel fascinated him for at least five minutes, and we soaked up the sun while following after him, watching him play. He ran after several pretty girls trying to get their attention, but alas, to no avail. There's a carosel in the center of Clemyjontri Park, and when Christopher finally noticed it, there was no turning back. We promised him one ride before we left, and oh, what joy that afforded! Our goal was to get our cute kid tired and it worked. We went from the park to the mall at Tysons where we had dinner and got settled to watch a movie. Unfortunately, "Indiana Jones" proved far too exciting to put Topher to sleep right away, despite his earlier signing that he wanted to go "home" and he was ready to "sleep." Still, he was quiet through the first 30 minutes, and when he started to get scared, he sat up and called for "Dadda." I passed Topher to Aaron who curled our cute kid against his shoulder and within minutes, Topher was asleep. Victory! Through the rest of the movie, I got to cuddle with Aaron, and in the end, it truly felt like a holiday weekend.

Busche Gardens

On the last two days of our family vacation (May 16-17), we went to Busche Gardens Europe to get our fill of roller coasters and 4-D movies. Because Chelsea loves roller coasters, she joined Aaron and me as we hurried around the huge theme park, looking for the shortest lines to the most exciting rides. Julie took Christopher in his stroller through all the exhibits representing each country, enjoying the sunshine, wildlife, and bustling atmosphere. We met up with them after thrilling our way through two or three roller coasters, eager to share the excitement with Christopher. So we found the kiddie park in "Germany," and we released him from his stroller to discover the carosel, flying dragons, ferris wheel, train, and boats.

Christopher was delighted by the up-and-down action of riding the horses on the carosel. He shrieked in glee every time he came full-circle and saw either Aaron or me. We rode the dragon and ferris wheel rides with him, but the novelty of height wasn't nearly as thrilling as riding in circles holding onto a pole or a wheel. It seemed that Topher's very favorite was the boat ride, because he sat by himself in the back seat of a little motor boat attached to a pole that guided the boats in circles around the small pond. He steered and flirted with the cute girls who always sat in front, and he hooted at Aaron and me whenever he'd pass us by. As soon as the boats would slow to a stop, Topher was quick to use his pudgy little hands to sign for "more." And of course, we let him do more and more to his heart's content.

Eventually, we left the rides to watch some short shows at different places in the park: A trained pet show that thoroughly entertained Topher with the music, the dogs, the cats, the birds, and the pig; an Irish dancing program that got our kid tapping his feet as soon as he hit the ground; and a 4-D pirate show that sprayed water in our faces. But really, we were relishing in the thrills of fast falls after long waits in line. I liked simply hanging out with Aaron, holding hands and sharing stories and worrying about nothing.

By the last day, our feet were sore and our arms were brown and our kid was the epitome of tired. His final thrill from the theme park was standing by a fence overlooking the Pompeii ride and watching the boats climb up the cement slope, disappear into the volcanoe, and come pouring out over the edge in a steep waterfall. Each boat made a gigantic splash, which is when Topher would throw his arms in the air and flail his legs and cry, "Splash!!!" Then, of course, he would ask for more.

When it comes to adventure, we always want more!

Williamsburg, Virginia

On Wednesday and Thursday, May 14-15, we went to Colonial Williamsburg to soak in the old time charm of the 18th century. We were surprised by how well they had preserved the past: multiple horse 'n buggies trotting around, men in uniform marching or galloping through town, actors dressed in colonial garb talking and working and creating an ambiance that was meant to spark your imagination. We attended a few of the planned presentations about life in Williamsburg during the Revolution, but we seemed to gather more information by simply wandering from house to house, touring what was open and watching the laborers attend to their duties. There was always someone looking the part and willing to describe their part. We watched the blacksmiths hones their iron tools of hot, hot fires. We watched a carpenter chisel a large canopy bed and spoke with another about how they made a harpsicord. I challenged Aaron to find the hidden drawers inside an 18th century dresser, and he only needed a little clue. We learned from the gunsmith how they made rifles and pistols, while across the cobble street a woman was sheering a sheep and teaching passerbys how to make different kinds of the material from the wool. At the forgery, we learned how they made pewter spoons and buckles and all sorts of metalwork. And by attending a meeting at the Courthouse, we gathered a little bit about how they enforced the laws of the land. At the Old Capitol, it was interesting to see how the building's very design divided the British leadership from the colonial government. And the Constitutional history that took place there was remarkable.

I'm certain that Christopher enjoyed the Governor's Palace the most. I've included a picture of it at the top of this blog, taken from the back while walking in the gardens. After being trapped in a stroller for most of the day, Topher appreciated the chance to tour the luxurious rooms and climb the many stairs. Because he wouldn't stay quiet, we lingered behind the tour group and found our own private guide in a man dressed as a colonial servant. He followed us into whatever room Topher wanted to wander, patiently explaining the historical significance of the things we were seeing. I was fascinated by the 450+ swords and shotguns mounded on the entry wall, and Christopher delighted in the English gardens at the back of the Palace. There were tunnels of vines, mazes of shrubbery, and dozens of rows of blossoming flowers. Topher spotted a small cottontail rabbit as we emerged from one of the tunnels, and he delightedly started running after it on his short, awkward legs. Laughing all the while, he chased that bunny across the flower garden to the tunnel on the far side, where the rabbit took off on a long, straight stretch through the tunnel. Topher chased him all the way, pausing only at the end of the tunnel to see where the rabbit had disappeared to. We found him in the mazes of bushes, so Christopher started chasing him down the twisted pathways, till on the far side of the garden, the rabbit vanished in a tangle of thick green ivy.

That night we ate dinner at a colonial restaurant in Williamsburg where I ate a stew made with venison, rabbit, and duck. It was in a thick brown sauce and surprisingly tasty. Topher only calmed down from playing with his utensils long enough to each when the minstrels came in, playing their old songs on antiquated mandolins. The only thing more charming was Topher as he flirted with every waitress that happened by. Honestly, every time we stopped to eat, Christopher had to do one of three things each time a waitressed passed us: He would either show off his muscles (which he's doing in the attached picture), or he would fold his arms to pray, or he would announce as loud as he could his newest favorite word--"Crap!" He kept us laughing.

And by the end of the two days in Williamsburg, our feet were sore and our legs were tired and we were ready to rest. So Aaron and Topher cuddled up on the couch to do exactly that.

Yorktown, & Jamestown

With a few brief weeks between the end of Aaron's first year of law school and his summer internship, we decided to take advantage of the time by going 2.5 hours south to the old historic districts of Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown. We were very grateful to have Aaron's mom and his sister Chelsea join us, to help with Christopher and to enjoy the little adventure.

We stayed at a very nice, rather large timeshare near Williamsburg, and when we weren't walking miles and miles through museums and recreated settlements, we were thoroughly enjoying the giant jacuzzi bath. (Our bathroom proved big enough and dark enough for us to turn into Christopher's bedroom after he woke the first morning wayyyy too early because of the light coming through the windows.)

Although Monday proved far too rainy and cold to enjoy anything outside, we did visit the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, and Christopher danced around on the giant floor piano like the one seen in the Tom Hanks movie, "Big." He did a lot more running around on Tuesday when we took advantage of the perfect weather by visiting Jamestown and Yorktown. We had to relearned our American history and the classic Thanksgiving story all over again. Topher felt a skunk felt and played with blocks that demonstration how the Englishmen built their homes without nails. We roamed through a recreated Indian village and when we found Fort James, Topher climbed out of his stroller and immediately went running after a loose chicken. The chicken became our tour guide as it wandered from the building to building trying to flee our enthusiastic kid. Topher also seemed fascinated by the mud and dirt, drawing pictures on the ground in the dirt outside of the old church and preacher's home. We found a bowling set in the corner of the Fort made of wooden pegs and a canon ball, and that kept Christopher entertained long enough for the rest of use to visit all of the other buildings. Aaron took him up on one of the recreated ships sitting at the docks, fully stocked in the manner it would have been when the first colonists arrived. The idea of traveling across the seas, across the world essentially, in a cramp vessel like those hulls made me realize what courage really meant. It was either courage or sheer desperation.

At Yorktown we learned about everything that led up the Revolutionary War and what transpired during its last battle. We stood on the actual battle grounds and then visited a recreation of a Patriots camp, learning how the tent city was set up. Much to my chagrin, we were told that any women and children who joined their husbands at war had to live in shelters made of pine boughs at the back of the camp. We also learned about the medical practices that were common during the War, handling and hypothesizing about the use of particular surgical instruments. We hardly had time to tour the colonial village, but that was fine because we'd had our historical fill for the day.

Brand New to Blogging

I've always resisted trends. In high school I was a jeans & t-shirt girl. It cost too much to care about fashion, and I never liked trying to catch up with the next newest thing. I feel the same way about most technology: Learning how one computer program works doesn't mean I'll be prepared for the improved version that's bound to come along the very next day. I think that's why it's taken so long for me to try my hand at blogging. Because everyone was doing it served as my main reason not to. I could just as easily keep a journal on my own computer (pages and pages that have never been printed). And I could write my deepest thoughts in a notebook (if my hand didn't cramp up after ten minutes of distracted scribbling). I didn't need to share my life with the whole wide internet world (honestly, who would be interested anyway?).

But let's face it. Eventually, I always did buy at least one stylish outfit each season. And eventually, out of occupational necessity, I did finally master whatever computer program I'd shied from for so long. So eventually, I knew I would become a blogger. It's the perfect solution for a storyteller like me: I get to recount our daily adventures without unnecessarily boring anyone. I believe in keeping a record. So here goes: The ongoing account of Aaron & Shalene Pacini.