Gretchen's First Show

On Mother's Day this year, I got tickets to Elmo Grows Up and took Gretchen as a surprise. I didn't tell her until we got to the theater. Big Bird talked to the audience overhead and she got really excited about the show. I guess hearing Big Bird talk made her realize that we were really going to see the puppets. The usher told her Elmo was taking a nap before the show and would be up soon. She told everyone around us about that..... I am so relieved we waited to take her. It seems like every year there is a Sesame Street show and we have resisted the urge to take her until she could handle it. There were a lot of kids younger than her there AND there was a lot of crying, fussing, and general unhappiness around us. I suspect some of those kids were too young to sit still for an hour or so. However not Gretchen - she was engaged and paid close attention. I bought the CD to the show and we listened on the way home. She was singing along - I am hoping the CD helps keep the memory in her head. We also got a $10 mylar Elmo balloon (sheesh!) because I am a sucker. She loved it though and has been carrying it room to room since we got home. I declare it was worth it!

Chuck E Cheese

I admit it - I have never ever been to Chuck E Cheese before until yesterday.... Gretchen went to her first class/school birthday party. I am not sure how much she even plays with the boy who invited her but we went for the experience. She really liked it though we hardly made a dent in the tokens because all she wanted to do was climb through the tunnel thing they have. She really enjoyed herself and then promptly got sick with a fever and a really grumpy mood. Poor thing!

Patricks Day

If you know me well, you know that I have no love for St. Patrick's day. At least not the excuse to drink holiday that March 17th is famous for.... However tonight Gretchen was telling me how she has to wear green tomorrow for "Patricks Day" as she called it. Well, I don't want to pass on my petty prejudice to her so I found her a green shirt. It wasn't Kelly green but lime green was good enough for her!

My little T-Rex Gretchen

I have decided for now to keep Gretchen and the twins’ on separate blogs. I reserve the right to change my mind but for now, it makes sense to write about them separately.

Gretchen’s day care was closed on President’s day so we went to the Field Museum to see Sue the dinosaur. Gretchen had a unit on dinosaurs a few weeks before so it made sense to go see some dinosaur skeletons. She really enjoyed it, more than the Museum of Science and Industry. I was surprised that she really liked looking at the stuffed animals and skeletons. She was especially fascinated with the whale skeleton on the ceiling. Whenever we have an outing with just the two of us, I always let her pick a souvenir (with price limits of course!). Every time, she picks a cup, which ends up being a piece of junky plastic (I’m looking at you Disney world!) that leaks or spills. Thankfully, this time she picked a Sue T-Rex mask. We have had fun with it with all five of us wearing it though Sean and Evan did not enjoy it as much as the rest of us!

In other news, we finally have Gretchen potty trained more or less. We haven't had an accident in over a week. December and January were challenging in this area. I have never done so much laundry but we made it! We still have to cajole her into sitting on the potty but that's better than cleaning up accidents!

Gretchen is already planning her next birthday party... It sounds like the motif will be "ladybug". I guess I better get to work on that now.....

We took a lot of pictures. Go check them out on my Flickr page.

Museum of Science and Industry

I started my vacation right with a day for me and the girl to bond. I took her to my favorite museum. Steve had told her about the baby chick hatchery in advance so that's all she wanted to see but she really enjoyed the airplane too. Oddly enough, she could care less about the Christmas trees.... Sigh.....

Kissable

We did a little trick or treating at my niece's house yesterday. Sharon got Gretchen these wax lips and she couldn't wait to eat them.... Hee! I put her pictures out on Flickr if you want to see her as the Cat in the Hat (the twins were thing 1 and thing 2)....

Last Summer of One

With the boys still in the hospital, we have been careful with Gretchen. She isn't sure really what to think: mommy's not pregnant yet there are no brothers here.... She knows I visit them in the hospital; I usually get the cold shoulder from her when I she know that I was there ("no! I want Daddy" or "I don't want you Mama"). So hospital time on the weekends is minimal.

Every weekend we try to do something fun. A few weeks ago was the annual carnival/summer days for our town. We went to the parade and then to the carny rides. The week after that we went to the beach. Steve and I were not thinking! We didn't bring towels or swimsuits. I guess we thought she wouldn't want to go in the water. Boy were we wrong! She really liked it (see here for yourself!....
This past weekend Steve's friend brought over his son so they could play. This week we took her to Six Flags. We took her on smallest coaster they have and she really liked it. It scared me to death (I was worried she would fall out) but she was fine.

So our little girl is doing fine - she's getting a lot of attention but since it's the last summer she'll have as the only child, I think it's okay. She certainly is a free spirit. The other day we were leaving the library and Gretchen saw a bald woman wearing a bandanna on her head. Gretchen saw her and said at the top of her lungs: "Mommy, SHE'S A PIRATE!". I wanted to crawl under our car..... But once I got in the car and we pulled away, I could help but laugh a little... (hopefully the woman saw the humor in it as well.....)

Here are pictures from this summer.... (and pictures of the twins)

Girls Day Out

Gretchen is in need of a little one on one time with me so I took her to the Kohl's Children Museum today. She is at a good age for this place since it's so hands on. Their water room, music room, and Potbelly's play restaurant were the big hits of the day. We spent four hours there and she did not fight me to leave which is good because I had a pounding headache. It was worth it though!

My Good Girl

A lot of people have asked how Gretchen has been holding up now that the babies are here but not at home. She visited me in the hospital daily just about and I was very honest with her about what was going on. She knows that they are not ready to come home but she kind of thinks they are sick which I guess isn't untrue. I don't want her to be scared of them. Anyway, she is doing really good. In this picture, we were trying to occupy her during one of the hospital visits so I let her listen to my nano (I picked the songs). She didn't like anything I was playing so who knows what kind of music she's going to like!

The Little Ballerina

We enrolled Gretchen in Beginning Dance (for 3 year olds) to help with coordination and because she likes to dance. I think she is the one of the younger threes in her class but of course one of the cutest in my humble opinion. Here she is doing an exercise. She is supposed to jump over the stuffed animal and then do a turn... Hee!

Feverish Summer

This weekend, in my infinite wisdom, had a slumber party. We were "babysitting" my 11 year old niece so I thought it would be a good idea to have Steve's best friends' kids (8 yr old girl and 6 yr old boy) to stay as well to keep my niece company. What I didn't count on was Gretchen getting hand foot mouth disease and spending 70% of the time in my lap. She did perk up once in a while when the Motrin would break the fever but it was not nearly as fun for her as I had hoped. Plus, I am hoping the kids did not catch it since we didn't know what was wrong with her until everyone left. She is taking antibiotics for an ear infection so we thought it was just that.... But when Steve woke me up in the middle of the night early Sunday, Gretchen's 104 fever freaked both of us out. We were sponge bathing her until the Motrin kicked in! Thank God for Children's Motrin!

Anyway, today she is much better. Acting like joyous, mischievous self! Hopefully that means the worst is over for her. I can't believe we're having more kids.... I don't look forward to the bugs and illnesses they will get......

My Birthday "Pordy" (how she says it)

We had a beautiful day for Gretchen's party. She and her little friends celebrated in Dora style with little sombreros..... While the adults struggled to keep me sitting down (I didn't do much I can say....), the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves. See for yourself the pictures!