Catching up

Well, it’s been a while since I updated anything. We’ve been totally busy! If I could just get a computer that can put on “paper” the stuff that I “write" in my head, then I wouldn’t constantly be catching up! (and the content would be much more amusing, too!)

I should be working on the cushions for our camper right now, but the house is sooo quiet that I couldn’t resist sitting down. Cackie just went to bed and Michael is at the football game and I’m sitting here typing and eating my sad little Lean Cuisine.

OK, highlights of September… (not that anyone really cares, but I want to document for when we decide to go down “memory lane” years from now)

The weekend after Labor Day we took Cackie to see her first Broadway show, not on the real Broadway, but close enough for a 3 year old. The Lion King was in town and we knew we had to take her. I was a little worried that she wouldn’t be able to sit still or concentrate, but within seconds of the curtain going up those worries were gone. She was totally amazed by it. The costumes and the puppets are just amazing and they definitely kept her attention. At intermission I thought she was going to have an absolute fit because they stopped. We explained to her that they were taking a break and would be coming back to sing some more. Her response was “and then they are going to come back and sing more and more and more and more and more and more and more and more and MORE, and then it will be over!”

This was the second time Michael & I had seen the show, first time was back in January 2005 when we were waiting for Cackie and then we bought the Simba doll to be able to give to her. So, we took the Simba doll with us to the show and figured that we would get her another to add to it. Well, during intermission while Cackie & I went to powder our noses, Michael picked out a Pumbaa doll for her. If you don’t know who Pumbaa is, he’s the farting warthog! Good choice Michael!

We had a fabulous time and the show was awesome. Cackie really enjoyed the theater and we found out that they do a couple of family shows a year that are geared towards kids. I’m hoping that we can fit a couple of those into our schedules and help her grow an appreciation for the theater.

Swim lessons have started back up for Cackie, this time once a week. We are soo happy about this; it’s a great opportunity for her to “zip her lips and open her ears” and have fun, too. She really enjoyed the swim lessons back in July and was excited to start up again, especially since her buddy Hallie is in the class with her. Michael & I think this is so great for her to be involved in and as long as she keeps wanting to go, we’ll keep up the lessons when they are available.

We've also started Cackie in gymnastics lessons! (This is one busy kid!) Back at the end of August when I found out her dance lessons were cancelled I was soo upset, I really wanted her to be involved in a long term activity (swim lessons are only for 6 weeks at a time) both for her physical well being and to help boost her listening/learning skills. So, I checked into the gymnastics program at the gym, hoping they had something open. Sure enough, they called to tell me that the class I wanted was open for her! Wonderful! What I didn’t know at the time was that she’s the only student in the class! Even better, private lessons at the group rate, the day & time that I wanted and she’s having a BLAST! She just had her 3rd lesson and according to her “coach” she’s doing really well. The first week they had her on the balance beam (low) and the mini uneven bars! She was learning to flip herself over while holding onto the lower bar and then was standing on it and swinging on the upper bar! How cool is that? The second week she was learning to hang from the rings and swing out over the “foam pit” to fall into it. That night Michael was with us and all he and I could hear from her was “help, help, help!” Tonight her coach said that she’s listening and paying attention real well for a 3 year old and is progressing in her skills. I am soo thrilled to hear that and I love to talk with Cackie about doing somersaults and jumping on the trampoline on the way home. Besides knowing that Cackie is having a great time, there’s a plus for me as well… the gym area is surrounded by a walking track, so while Cackie is taking lessons I get some free time and have logged 2 miles a week for the past two weeks! Win win for both of us!

Let’s see, what else? Cackie came down with a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago, nothing serious thank goodness. Of course, it’s always easy for her, but when I catch it I’m down for the count. I missed 3 ½ days of work last week with bronchitis and pink eye! Just when I thought I was going to be able to catch up on things at work, too. I went to the Dr. last Thursday and the best news she had was “well, it’s not pneumonia!” Yay for me!
I think I caught the pink eye when we went mattress shopping the week before. (Michael has been complaining about our mattress for a while. After one night out of town in a decent hotel, he came home and proclaimed that we couldn’t get a new mattress fast enough!) I think I must have rubbed the pillow when testing out one of the beds and caught the dreaded pink eye!
So the mattress was delivered on Sunday, I was already feeling run down and by Monday morning I knew I needed to stay home. I managed to work Tues and part of Wed before it was back to bed for me. So, my side of the bed has gotten a nice “breaking in”. Good timing on my part, wasn’t it?

The best part about being confined to bed, much better than feeling like I was hacking up my lungs and dying, was that I was able to catch up on my latest guilty pleasure… 24! I started getting the series from Netflix and had made my way through the first season and just into the second. The disks had been sitting for a while since things were so busy, but now I’m caught up. A new one came in today and I can’t wait to see it! (please, don’t spoil it for me!)

Well, I guess that’s the highlights of our September. Hopefully we will make it through October a little healthier and I’ll have more time to add some Cackie’isms and such.