Our Crew at the Zoo

As the weather started to warm up, I was looking for some ideas of what to do to keep the kids occupied this summer. Back in March, my sister-in-law organized a zoo trip for the whole family, and we decided to get season zoo passes. Being the frugal person (read that cheapskate) that I am, I'm making sure we get our money's worth. So far, we have made four trips to the zoo. 

The kids and I love our little outings. Everyone's favorite exhibit is the penguins. They are so doggone cute and friendly. The kids love it when the penguins swim right up to the glass. The Akron zoo is really nice because it is set up for children. It's not terribly large so little legs don't get too tired walking around. It also has lots of little areas for the kids to play, so we look at some animals and then stop to play for a little bit. Here are some photos from a few of our trips.

Riley enjoys the rock climbing wall by the jelly fish exhibit. She doesn't make it very far, but she has fun trying.

The kids would ride the train all day if I would let them. I'm thinking of setting up a chore chart and some allowance to let them earn their rides. 

"Dude, I gotta get me one of these!"

"Cheers!" On this particular day, it was cold and rainy. We doubled the attendance when we showed up. It was really nice to practically have the place to ourselves. This area of the zoo has two cabins with play utensils. I had to drag the kids away from here after some extended play time.

"Anybody want some coffee?"

Here are the kids at the jellyfish exhibit. Look for Riley's "happy hands." She does this when she gets really excited. About halfway through the video you can hear Colin saying "Mom." He has a really distinct way of saying it so that I immediately know it's my child calling. 

I think our next zoo trip will be back up to the Cleveland Zoo. I want to take the kids there again midweek before school lets out so it won't be so crowded. Our last trip to the Akron Zoo was on a Friday, and it was packed with kids on field trips. At one of the play areas designed for little ones, the big kids were getting a little rough and "moving" the smaller kids out of the way. The chaperones were standing quite a ways away and not paying any attention. Lucky for my children, they have a mother who is also a teacher and therefore has no reservations about verbally reprimanding other people's kids. I'm sure this habit will humiliate them some day. At any rate, I'm looking forward to some more trips to the zoo.

Big Kid Beds

Riley has been asking about moving up to her big kid bed for a while now. This week I finally got my dad's old twin bed painted to match the woodwork in her room. She was so thrilled to join the ranks of kids who sleep more than twelve inches off the floor that she started asking to go to bed at around 5:00 her first night. I was a little apprehensive. I never thought of a twin bed as being that big, but with my little girl in it, it seemed to be six feet tall. I actually piled a few pillows on the floor just in case she rolled out, but she did just fine. The next day she happily announced to anyone who would listen that she slept in a "big boy bed." We tried to tell her that it was a big GIRL bed but she would have none of it. I'm guessing that because her buddy Ethan sleeps in a big boy bed, and it's the same size as hers, she must therefore have a big boy bed.I took Riley's toddler bed out of her room and put it in Colin's because there's more room in there and he's going to use it eventually. He took one look at it and assumed it was his to use now. Jeff and I have talked before about Colin moving out of the crib. We'd joked that we'd keep him in his crib until he was twelve because he'd never stay in a bed. When I took him upstairs for his afternoon nap, he ran to his toddler bed and made snoring noises. I thought, what the heck, why not give him a chance. I put him down in the toddler bed and gave him a little talk. It went something like, "Big boys stay in their big boy beds. Boys who get out of their beds have to go back to their baby beds. You don't want to sleep in a baby bed do you? No. You're a big boy." He looked at me very intently through this lecture, pointed at the crib and said very seriously, "Baby bed noooo." He stayed in his bed the whole time. We decided to try it that night again after repeating the little pep talk, and once again he stayed glued to the bed. It's been four nights, and he's still in the toddler bed. I'm pretty proud of him. I'm also pretty relieved because his crib has just been recalled. 

My little babies are growing up - sniff, sniff.

Birthday Bash

As usual, I've had no time to post, but I wanted to share some photos of the kids' birthdays from last month. Riley is now 4 and Colin is 2. Since their birthdays are five days apart, we really had a weeklong celebration. The festivities started with Colin's birthday. I had to work that night so I took the kids out for a special lunch. I let Colin choose the restaurant. When I asked him where he wanted to eat, I was certain he'd reply, "fence fies," meaning any fast food place with fried potatoes. Instead he requested Cici's pizza. I later realized this was because his sister was whispering it in his ear. Judging from the amount of food he consumed, he didn't seem to mind being put up to it. We later presented Colin with a trampoline. He really seems to like it, though we can't get him to pose for a photo on it. 

On Riley's birthday, she wanted to pick a special place to eat for lunch like Colin had. She told me she wanted to eat at Cici's again, but by the time we got to Wooster she'd changed her mind and wanted to eat at, "that place with chips on the table." This turned out to be the local Mexican restaurant. I don't think she ate much more than the chips and salsa, but Colin and I enjoyed some good food. We gave Riley a doctor kit and some play food which both kids like to play with (and fight over.) 

Here is Colin with Hobbes on his new trampoline. He is using Riley's new medical kits to give Hobbes a check up. Notice how he has placed the blood pressure cuff around the cat's neck. Hobbes seems to be taking this remarkably well.

We encourage both kids to jump on the trampoline as much as they want, especially if they seem a little too full of energy before bedtime. 

Riley and Colin had a joint party on the Saturday between their birthdays. Riley picked the theme - pirates. That's right, no Disney Princesses here. We enjoyed some great fellowship with friends and family and the kids had a lot of fun. Here are a few photos of the event.

The cake

The cupcakes

Blowing out the candles

Playing with some of the gifts

Colin loves his baby t-rex.

Riley and the big dog

Some of the grown-ups seeking refuge in the kitchen

The kids had fun whacking the pinata even if I did make it a little too indestructible.  Jeff had to break it open in the end.

"So you're saying I'm ALLOWED to hit this thing?"

"I feel kind of bad trying to break this when I watched Mom work on it for so long."

"HAHAHAHAHA, Show me the candy!"

So How Are They Getting Along?

People frequently ask how Riley and Colin get along with each other. They answer is they act just like you'd expect a brother and sister to act. They watch each others back in public and shove each other in the back when they get home. Riley likes to tell people, "This is my brother, Colin." Colin will likewise point to Riley and utter, "I-eeee." They can fight like cats and dogs but can also be a great comfort to one another. Recently, while playing around the house, Colin bumped his head on a doorway. He started to whimper, and Riley ran over to sooth him. She did not witness his injury but decided for some reason that he must have hurt his finger. She rubbed it and gave it a kiss, telling him not to cry. He was quite happy about this attention. When he noticed I was watching, he must have wanted additional sympathy because resumed his whimpering and ran to me holding his "injured" finger aloft. 

Here is a video I recently shot of the kids. They had been playing happily together with a pizza box (Why do I bother with toys?) so I decided to capture a scene

 of blissful harmony in our home. This, naturally, was the result. 

Here are some recent random pictures of the kids.

Colin quickly switches between being "niiiiii" to the cats and trying to run them over with his dump truck. Maebh is the most tolerant of the three. 

Riley and Maebh have a close bond. Maebh can often be found cuddling with Riley on the couch or curled up on her bed at night. 

Colin was so proud for putting on a hat and gloves all by himself. 

What a doll. (If you look carefully, you can see Hobbes' head sticking out from underneath the chair.)

Jeff took the kids out to play in the snow. Riley loves rolling around and making snow angels as is evident from all the snow on her suit. Colin didn't really know what to think of all the white stuff and basically stood right where Jeff put him and look confused. It could have been because I had him bundled up like Randy on "A Christmas Story" and he just couldn't move very well. 

Riley is quite skilled on the computer. She loves to play games on the Playhouse Disney and PBS Kids websites.

Jeff has taken up photography as a hobby. He took these pictures of the kids while experimenting with his new flash.

And now for some Riley quotes:

Riley (looking at photos of my parents): Why are they kissing?

Me: It's their wedding. They're getting married.

Riley: I want to get married.

Me: You do? Who are you going to marry?

Riley: Jesus. 

Riley: Mommy, are you OK?

Me: Yes, I just sneezed.

Riley: No, you're not OK. You are very sick.

Me: I'm fine. I just had a little tickle in my nose.

Riley (very insistent): No, you are sick. You have a bad cold and your head hurts and your nose is running and your tummy feels yucky. 

Riley is becoming a bit of a hypochondriac.

Christmas Morning

We had a quiet Christmas (relatively speaking) at our house. Riley woke us up a little after seven to inform us that the sun was up. This is her signal that she is allowed to get out of bed. She was excited about the gifts under the tree and was disappointed to learn that she had to wait for her brother to wake up before she could begin to open them. Once Colin woke up and both kids had their morning chocolate milk, the tearing of paper began. Despite the fact that this is Colin's first Christmas home, he seemed to know exactly what to do with a wrapped gift. Both kids were very appreciative of their gifts. My parents came over later in the morning for brunch and the kids were thrilled to show off their new toys. I'm happy to report that several weeks after Christmas, the toys are still being enjoyed. Riley likes to use her Tag reading pen during rest time and Colin loves to play with his "guys" and their construction equipment.

Riley is trying to wait patiently for Colin to get up.

Colin really liked his fire truck. He was quite content to play with it still in the box. 

"I've got the sitting part- now how do I make it spin?"

"Do you think Switchfoot needs another band member?"

These electric toothbrushes were a big hit. The kids seem to think they're toys. Nothing like a little covert oral hygiene. 

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

It's been way too long since my last post, so I've got some catching up to do. Here are some of our Christmas festivities. My mom, my sister-in-law Robin and I got together before Christmas for some baking. We were able to crank out quite a few goodies. We let Riley and my niece Maria get in on the fun too by decorating some cookies. I think more frosting than cookies were consumed in the process, but they seemed to enjoy the activity.

Riley was very careful with the placement of the sprinkles (which were quickly picked off and eaten.)

Maria actually ate the whole cookie, unlike her cousin who just licked all the frosting off.

On the Saturday before Christmas, the whole family met at my parents' house. I love our family gatherings. We are such an informal, laid-back group. Common topics of conversation are deer hunting, stupid stunts (whether performed by a family member or someone we know), and bodily functions. Some people have turkey or goose for their meal, but we had our traditional Coccia House Christmas pizza. I love my family!!!

Here's some of the family getting ready to open gifts. Pictured are Dad, Justin, Riley, me, Maria, Mom, Richard and Aunt Pam.

Riley and Maria both received princess costumes.

Dad, Richard, Justin, Grandpa, Riley, Mom, me, Grandma, Aunt Pam, Maya and Robin

I love this photo of my beautiful sister-in-law and new niece enjoying her first Christmas.

Here are the young, hip, twenty-something cousins, Cara, Katy and Morgan. Katy and Morgan are getting married in the spring but I already consider Katy my cousin-in-law. (Is that a real word?) 

"But they're cousins - identical cousins" 

This isn't the best picture of Colin and I, but I wanted to show the cute outfit he was originally wearing because . . .

Colin ended up wearing this lovely outfit by the end of the night. The poor little guy suffered a massive diaper failure, and naturally I had just removed the spare change of clothes from the diaper bag a day or two before. I had to put him in a hoodie that Riley had received as a gift. One day he will look back at this photo of himself in nothing but a diaper and his sisters purple velvet shirt and cringe, but for now, he doesn't seem to mind.

I will leave you with this cute video. Grandma and Grandpa started dancing to some music and Colin just had to get in on the action. 

Perry Pie Pat and This and That

At the beginning of October, Riley and I took a road trip out to Illinois for my ten year college reunion. I was not looking forward to the long ride until my friend Becky suggested that we ride out together. She was taking her kids out to see her family. Suddenly traveling with a three-year-old didn't seem so daunting. I wish I could say that Riley and Ethan kept each other entertained and we had a peaceful ride, but my little drama queen put on quite a production in the back seat. I still enjoyed chatting with Becky, and luckily Becky knows the location of every McDonald's playland between here and Momence. One of the funnier moments of the trip happened when Ethan composed an original song which Riley quickly picked up on. She still requests that we sing "Perry Pie Pat" at bedtime. Here it is for your listening enjoyment.

I had a great time at my reunion. My three college roommates, Jeni, Karin, and Ruth, were all able to come. These guys are some of the best friends I've ever had, and we rarely get too see each other because we're spread out all over the country. Riley enjoyed spending time with the gang too. She remembered Karin from her visit last year and couldn't wait to see her again.

Riley was thrilled with the "heaven room" in the Billy Graham Center.

I was grateful for the special time Riley and I had together. She kept saying, "You're going to take care of me? Daddy is taking care of Colin back home?" She got to be an only child again for a couple of days.

Riley and Karin hanging out in the New Stupe.

Here are all four roommate: Ruth, Jeni, me, and Karin. We're lined up in height order just like we used to back in the day. This is a pretty awful picture if me but it's the only one I have of all of us together. 

WARNING: The following paragraph contains medical content. If the word "scalpel" makes you queasy, you might just want to skip this information. 

A few days after the reunion, I had a hysterectomy. This is the first time I've had a major surgery so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I knew it needed done and wanted to get it over with and be recovered by Thanksgiving. The surgery went well. My doctor told me the incision had to be enlarged twice because "da big U" was as large as honeydew melon due to all my fibroids. I had to spend five hours in the recovery room while I waited for a room to open up, but I was pretty out of it and didn't really mind. I spent most of the first day drifting in and out of sleep. I spent all of the next day in the hospital. Despite the morphine doing nothing for me, I still managed to enjoy the day. I had nothing to do but lay around, read magazines, and watch TV. That may sound boring to some, but it was like a vacation for a mom with two young kids. I was released from the hospital the following morning. The hardest parts about recovery has been the fatigue and not being able to pick the kids up. Now that I'm six weeks post-surgery, I'm not that tired anymore and I can finally do some lifting. 

This was Colin's first Halloween. I planned ahead for once and bought the kids' costumes before I had my surgery. Riley was a queen. Her only requirement for a costume was that it have a wand. I found a knight costume for Colin that he looked so darn cute in, and it was a nice compliment to Riley's attire. My bother and sister-in-law came over with my nieces on Halloween and we all went trick-or-treating together. Robin and I brought Colin and Maya back after a couple blocks (Maya had a cold, Colin was getting tired, and I was getting sore.) Jeff and Mike took the big girls out for a while longer. Riley and Maria returned victorious with a load of loot. 

Princess Maria, Queen Riley and Sir Colin 

And now a few recent Riley quotes"

Riley: What are you singing, Mommy?

Me: I'm singing about God.

Riley: Why?

Me: Because it makes God happy when we sing songs about how good he is.

Riley: Oh. Does God live in Illinois?

Me: Uh, no. He lives in heaven.

(Jeff latter reminded me that Riley had been in the "heaven room" at Wheaton and must have assumed that heaven was in Illinois.)

After church last Wednesday, I took Riley around to look at the Christmas trees in the halls. She loved the nativity sets under some of the trees and pointed out who everyone was. That night at bedtime, we sang "The Wise Man Built his House Upon the Rock." The next day, Riley asked, "Did the wise man build his house before or after he gave Jesus presents?" I love the way she thinks.