NaBloPoMo....the end!

Today is the last day of November. That means it is also the last day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month)! I made it! I managed to only miss 1 day which I think is pretty darn good!

Not a whole lot going on in Trumbull's World today. Except that it FINALLY snowed here! We actually got a tad on Friday morning and a tad on Saturday. But it has been snowing all day long today. It was a slow snowfall so it didn't accumulate too bad but it was enough for shoveling! Yippee!

Oh and don't be surprised if you don't see a post for several days. I will probably just be so glad to not feel like I HAVE to do it! :)

Oops

I can't believe it. I made it 27 days. 27 days of posting, some painful, some fun and some just fillers. Then last night I shut the computer down so that I could go read and go to sleep and totally spaced posting. 3 days from the end! Oh well! At least now I know that I have no interest in doing daily posts unless something actually happens! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today was a nice relaxing, laid back day like any Thanksgiving should be! We went to Nana's house for dinner. She cooked all the food with the exception of the green bean casserole which was what we brought. And my step-sister Ayrah brought a pumpkin pie.

Yep...that's an H on her head...you see when you have 4 children it gets hard to remember who is who..... :)

So naturally we all stuffed ourselves silly and then the kids got out Nana's Wii to play for a bit. She has had this thing for over a year and this was actually the first time I had ever played! I can see why the kids love it so much!

Kayla and Eli playing Mario Kart....and Emma with her Dora game thinking that is going to allow her to play too!

And now, Emma is sleeping at Nana's house tonight so that JR and I can go shopping in the morning! Yep, you read that right, we are braving the crowds. His idea...not mine if you can believe that!


Oh yeah and the good news, it is FINALLY snowing here! It's coming down pretty slow so we will just have to see what it does overnight. But maybe there is hope that JR will have to plow at least once this winter! :)

Day 26

Yay I am on the home stretch of this NaBloPoMo! I have to say, it has been kinda painful at times. I am so not the blog everyday type of person!

I had a really cool picture that I wanted to put on here but I cannot get into hotmail this evening for some reason. So I will have to save it for later. In the meantime, I came across a couple cute Hailey pics and wanted to share those with you!

Colorado Parrot Rescue

So I figured I would share with everyone our experience with giving Chica a new home. The guy that runs Colorado Parrot Rescue is doing all of this out his home. He does have a partner that helps him and also runs it out of her home. I was already feeling good about the guy with the phone conversations we had.

As soon as we pull up to his house we get Chica unloaded and her cage wheeled into his downstairs bird room. This room is awesome! It is basically a sun room at the back of his house that has windows all over and is heated so it's the best of both worlds for these birds. Chica always loved having her cage near a window in the summer time. There are 6 other birds in their own cages in this one room so Chica has lots of friends...including one other African Grey. Their cages are all FULL of toys so that they don't get bored. He even has a baby toy that attaches to a crib and plays music in one of the cages! So once everything was a little settled, JR took Chica out and she was sitting on his finger so he could say good-bye to her. She then willingly went to Bob's hand! Whoa! That NEVER happens! She obviously knew there was zero threat there and that this man was going to be her friend. Then Bob fixed up a bowl for her food. He cooks up veggies and stuff for the birds to eat! So she got some broccoli and other veggies mixed in with her seeds. He also has a room upstairs with all of his little birds in there. That was one loud house but it didn't even phase he and his wife! They must be quite used to it by now. But I can say that JR and I walked out knowing that we made the right decision for Chica and for us. And I would definitly recommend this place for anyone looking for a bird or a good home for their bird!

Turkey hands

Kayla decided that it would be fun to trace her and her siblings hands yesterday to make a bunch of turkeys and make a cute little sign for Thanksgiving. She traced everyone's hands and had them color their own turkey. Well everyone but Hailey anyways. Kayla colored hers for her. Then she made up a little sign to stick them on and hang on our front door. It turned out really cute!

Chica is movin on up

JR and I had been debating for some time now as to whether we should keep Chica - our African Grey Parrot - or try to find a parrot rescue to take her to. It was a very hard decision because we did chose to take on the bird and we weren't exactly smart about it. Like learning all about the birds before we made such a big decision. Most parrot's are "will" birds....in other words they will have to be passed down to another family member when you pass away because they live so darn long! And since all we had owned before were parakeets and cockatiels, we really had no idea just how much work she would take. And then we added a couple extra babies into the mix (Kayla and Eli were about 7 & 4 when we got her) and it just really didn't make sense that we continue to keep her. I really feel like we got her out of a less than ideal situation when we got her when she was just over a yr old. Now it is our turn to make sure she lives in an ideal situation and let her get some rehab and love. She needs the rehab because she is a feather plucker/shredder. She really isn't pretty so I knew nobody would be interested in buying her or adopting her from the pound. African Grey Parrot's are known to have emotional issues and love to pluck their feathers. And sometimes, once they start, just like nail biters, they can't stop! She also bit JR's mother, bruising her arm. And she bit Emma, though not hard enough to draw blood. I don't really want to risk that happening again with Emma or with anyone else for that matter. So we found a place in Littleton, CO that is a parrot rescue and this guy is excited to get her and start working with her. He already has lots of plans for her and he has lots of friends for her waiting. He was actually taking in a bird this evening that is a feather plucker so maybe she and Chica will become the best of friends! :) He also has a lady all the way up in Washington state that works with "troubled" birds! After many, many conversations with this guy I feel pretty good about him and his organization and trust he will do what is best for Chica. That was the hardest part of all, making sure she didn't end up on some bird "farm" where she was just as ignored there as she was here! So tomorrow morning we will load her and her cage up in the van and take her to her new home where she can be much happier!

Twilight and drinks

I went with a friend and some of her friends to see the movie tonight. Yep, that's right, on opening weekend. BUT our show wasn't sold out thank goodness! I liked the movie. Didn't LOVE it. Just liked it. I really don't like the guy they picked to play Edward. He just doesn't match what I had pictured in my mind. They did do a good job of keeping with the book though. And with getting that 1st book in a 2 hour movie.

Afterwards we went for dinner and then drinks. I think I have found my new drink of choice....chocolate martini. Yum!

Hailey's birthmark

Today was Hailey's appt with the dermatologist up at The Children's Hospital in Denver. First of all, that place was HUGE! It's actually part of a gigantic campus of University Hospital so it takes up quite a bit of land. When you walk in the front door it's a bit like being in the food court of a mall or airport. Yeah, like the airport. Between the parking garage and entrances to the cars constantly pulling up to the front door to pick up or drop off someone or some family. So it was a little overwhelming in a sense when you walk in but I was immediately greeted by a lady asking what I was needing and pointing me to the correct desk to go to so that I could check in and get my parking validated so that I didn't have to pay for it. Then she sent us on our merry way to the 2nd floor where there are several specialists and their offices. They have this system of letters corresponding to each specialty and each letter has it's own waiting area. What's funny is as I am typing this it makes me think of one of those surreal movies where everything is controlled by robots and very exact. But it didn't actually feel that way! Anyways, they called us back almost immediately after we sat down. There were 2 nurses to check us in and get vitals and they were both very gracious. The nurse that took us back to the room actually pushed the stroller for me and asked where I wanted it parked. And then the best part, just before she left the room she asked me if there was anything I needed her to get or do so that I could be totally comfortable! WOW! For all the doctor offices I have been in I have never had that kind of service! And this is just for skin! I can only imagine how great they are with some of the patients in the scarier areas! Since this is a university hospital, we actually had a resident come in first to take a look at her. And then the regular doc came in. He was great too! So I guess it's safe to say that I have a great feeling about this place and Hailey going here.

So the diagnosis is that we are just going to leave it be. They took a picture of it to put in her file so that they have a baseline and can just watch it. I have to take her back when she is 1 yr old so they can see what it is or isn't doing at that point. They don't like to mess with birthmarks unless they absolutely have to. Those scenarios are if it is going to start forcing her eye shut or threatening the structure of her face. And once it has "gone away" if there is anything left in there, they may do something to get rid of that. So for now, we just wait. I am glad to at least have someone in this field to keep an eye on it in the long run but I am also glad that they don't just take these things off without thinking long term and what this thing is all about. I can see why my pediatrician recommended this office even though it is a drive!

Happy Birthday Nana!

Today is my mom's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is because a lady never tells. :) Of course, we didn't get to do anything with her because she spent the day traveling to CA to go celebrate my uncles retirement. But we all got to wish her a happy birthday on the phone this evening. We will just have to do something nice for her when she gets back next week!

Finally!

Guess where I am typing this from......that's right...my laptop! It got fixed tonight! I actually wasn't expecting it since I never go the call from the tech to schedule the appt but of course I told him to come right over! He didn't have to anything but replace the ac adapter. So it was a nice quick fix. Of course he didn't leave without trying to sell me on some computer upgrades and what not!

And now a cute little conversation between Emma and I this morning. I was in the bathroom getting ready and she comes in there whining and tells me "he spanka me!". I asked who and she tells me Eli. So I said "Eli spanka you?". And her response......"yeah, ovously!" (obviously). I clarified that I had really just heard that and then kind of stared at her for a minute in awe. Like how dare I not just know that! I guess we must say that word alot around here!

Carrots!

Hailey got to try carrots for the first time. She isn't giving us the classic reaction to ANY food! But she is still cute and Kayla snapped a couple cute pictures of her with carrot all over her mouth so I still have to share. Call me crazy, but I love this part about babies, introducing new foods and slowly transitioning from bottle to solid food.

My laptop

Today was a pretty bad day for me all the way around. But I did get one small bit of good news. I called Dell about my computer and since I had an extended warranty they are going to send a tech out to come replace my motherboard and AC adapter. I am really glad I opted for that warranty now! So I should hopefully be up and running sometime this week! And then maybe I can do some posts with some pictures since that is the computer I store them all on.

She's rockin.....but not rollin

One of Hailey's favorite thing to do these days is sit up on my lap and rock. It is too funny to watch her do it. She has figured out how to make herself lean forward and push backward. At first I thought she was doing it on accident! That is about all the movement you get out of that baby right now though! She isn't even close to rolling over. Which, really, I am ok with. I have 3 mobile children. To have the 4th stay put in one spot is a great thing for now! :)

Taking back my room

Finally.....I can finally have my room back after almost 5 months! Now that Emma is sleeping in her big girl bed, the crib is down and the pack-n-play is in her room I have started putting Hailey to bed in there. Well, tonight is actually only the 2nd night but I still think it's worth celebrating. Not sure how many out there feel the same way I do but my room is MY space. It's my little sanctuary in the home. Obviously it isn't off limits to the kids but I do enjoy winding down in the comfort of my own space! So now I can get it organized (it became the catch all over the last 6+ months). I can also go back to reading in bed before I go back to sleep! Yep, it's the little things in life that make me happy.......

Uh oh

So tonight when I plugged my laptop in and powered it up I got a message saying something to the effect of my battery is going to die soon. And not in the way of just plugging it in and playing some more. Oh no, it means that I will have to replace the battery. Yep, right before the holidays. And then, my dear sweet Emma (totally not her attitude tonight) decided to unplug the cord from the back. Well when I plugged it back in I heard a noise and thought I had just brushed a diaper laying right there. Nope! Eli saw what he calls sparks. I didn't see anything but considering that I did hear it that was enough for me to not let it be plugged in! SO, I guess I will be calling Dell tomorrow.

Should

Emma's newest word is "should". It is quite cute to hear her use it. She will ask "Should Emma have milk?" and then promptly answer herself with a yes and a mmm-hmmm. Or she will say we should do something. I love hearing toddlers use these "big" words as they learn them!

What Eli Would Do

Eli had to write a story in school called "If I Was President". I got a kick out of this one so I had to share. I figured I would type it out here so you all could enjoy it too well and because I don't have a scanner!

If I Was President by Eli Trumbull

I will do my best for the people in America. As president I will lower taxes. Next I will keep the people in America safe that are at and not at war. I will also lower gas prices. And create new jobs. I will protect animals. Also I will create new businesses. That's what I would do if I were president.

Hmmm do you suppose the kid has been paying attention during this last campaign?! I didn't realize just how much he knew about current hot ticket items on the political agenda! And the cool thing is that he came up with this on his own! Very little of this would have been influenced by JR and I because some of these issues are not necessarily on the top of our lists!

44 Days

I learned earlier today (thank you Jerrie for your countdown widget) that we have only 44 days until Christmas! I don't know how that happened. My friend Valerie says it must be because we have had such nice weather. We really have. Up until this week it has been warmer than usual. As I said before, we didn't even have to wear jackets on Halloween! I obviously knew it was coming but I didn't realize just how quick! The funny thing was that a friend and I were just giving another friend a hard time for having her tree up already. Well geez, if I had realized just how close we were I wouldn't have said anything! I guess I better get busy......

Sad dog

The dog got in trouble the other day for doing what he does best.....eating cookies. Yep almost a whole batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies that Kayla had made. He doesn't get sick from doing this which just blows my mind! But apparently he was mad at JR for busting him. So instead of trying to get luvin' from him, he had to come to me. Which, just for the record, I am not his "go-to" person for that. But check out these pictures and you can see what a baby he was being!

Yep he squeezed his butt up on the chair with me and hung on for dear life until I had to get up! And where is his face pointing? To JR! I think he was trying to rub it in his face!

Busy day

Man! Today ended up being a not so lazy Sunday for us. It did at least start out slow. But then we went to Eddie and Carla's house and had him cut Eli's hair and Kayla hung out with her friend Janae there. We also got the opportunity to visit with Rosie, who is the lady that babysat Kayla and Eli for 6 yrs! She unfortunately broke her back a few weeks ago so she is staying with them (he is her son). Her first comment when she saw Hailey was "She looks just like Eli"! No surprise there! The girl does look just like her brother! Anyways, Kayla stayed at their house to hang out for a bit. In the meantime, we went to lunch.

After lunch we came home and put Emma down for a nap. She only got to sleep for about an hour before we had to wake her up so that we could go pick Kayla up. We then had to go pick up her friend Kadejah so she could borrow our computer and printer to do her homework. While the girls were working, JR and Eli were grocery shopping. Then we had to take Kadejah back home so we could get home and finish up cooking dinner (pot of beans) and actually eat it! After all was said and done, I didn't actually get to sit and relax until about 9:45! Phew! I think we were all worn out and ready for bed! :)

Cereal

The Dr. gave us the go ahead to start feeding Hailey solids. So, as usual, we started with rice cereal. She doesn't get super excited about it but she seems to know what to do with it because very little ends up getting pushed back out of her mouth. Soon we will get to add the fun foods aka yellow/orange veggies. Those are the ones that my kids always loved!

NaBloPoMo Day 7

So is it bad that I am already pooping out on this plan?! Of course it is Friday and this is my tired day. It's the end of the work week. The week wears me out. I do good to stay awake past 9! So maybe that is why this is the best I am going to give you today! I hope I can be a bit more creative and/or inspired tomorrow. :)

Helmets and snowsuits

The guy across the street from us is in the process of doing a huge move and selling a ton of stuff in a garage sale. Yes people, it was that warm around here. There were garage sales happening last weekend! Anyways, he is a motorcyclist and must have had a spare helmet or two. Eli spent the entire weekend helping them with their garage sale and periodically came home with things they had given him. One of the things was a helmet. I walked into the living room to find him watching TV like this.......
And this is Hailey in her new winter coat/suit. I love putting babies in these things because they just look so darn cute in them! After I put it on her she kind of gave me this look like I was crazy for doing that to her.

It's a real life deer!

Yesterday after I picked Eli up and we headed to go get the girls, we took a slight detour down the street one block west of us. We saw a lady with a camera in her hand so naturally we had to look around to see if we could figure out what she was looking at. It was a deer! The poor thing must have wandered away from the bluffs that are about a half mile east of us or the bluffs that are a half mile north of us! But the best part was Eli's reaction. He says "It's a real live deer!". It is a rare siting smack in the middle of the city! Typically the closest we get to any sort of wildlife in this particular neighborhood is a fox! Unfortunately we didn't get to stick around to see where the deer went since we had to get Kayla from school. I do hope it got out of the neighborhood and back to where it was safe. Either direction towards the bluffs were picking up traffic because of rush hour!

And on to the big girl bed

We have figured out in Emma's short little life that she is one of those people that will do the job....once she is darn good and ready to do it. She won't warn you, tell you that she is ready to do the job. She will just do it. I decided this weekend that we needed to push this issue of getting Emma out of her crib because Hailey shouldn't be in her bassinet anymore because she is a chunky monkey. So the crib came down on Saturday. I let her take part. Though she wasn't really interested. But she did hang out in her room while Kayla and I took it all down. Saturday night, the girl cried for close to an hour. JR asked at one point how long I thought it would take her to figure out she could get out of the bed. But she never did! The girl stayed in her bed and cried. She fell asleep, and stayed that way until early Sunday morning (thank you stupid daylight savings time for coming to an end!) when she did get out of bed on her own. Sunday night, she went to bed just fine and did fine last night. When she wakes up in the morning, if you ask her where her crib is, she tells you it went bye-bye. We will leave it down for at least a month and let Hailey sleep in her pack-n-play. We haven't actually put Hailey in their room yet just to make sure Emma will continue to do good every night.

Potty training take 2

For the last week we have been working on potty training Emma again. And it has worked much better this time around! She obviously just wasn't ready a few months ago when we tried. She has done awesome! She did have a rough day on Fri and Sat but came out of that beautifully Sun and today. We do still put her in a diaper if we are leaving the house and for bedtime at night. She won't let us put one on her for her nap time though. Which is fine. She is really embracing the potty training and I think she likes being a big girl now! Yay Emma!

Leaves!

Today was yet another gorgeous day here in beautiful Colorado! According to my computer the high was 72. Remember, this is Nov 2nd! The only way you can even tell it's fall around here is because the yards and now streets are starting to fill up with leaves. So the kids decided to make the most of it and went outside to play in the leaves. I swear this is the only time of year you will find kids everywhere WILLING to do some yard work! The kids would rake the leaves into a pile and then jump into them or throw them at each other. I think I will be picking leaves out of Emma's hair days! And you should have seen the tub at bath time! I don't know where she was hiding them!

Kayla jumping in

Emma "jumping" in. She is a little too short to jump so it was more like a run.

Eli jumping in. I LOVE this picture. It shows his care-free nature and the smile on his face is priceless.

Eli, Cassidy (lives next door), Kailey (lives across the street and I'm not entirely sure I spelled her name right!), Emma, Kayla and Hailey. The were taking a candy break here!

While this nice weather was good for Halloween and this whole weekend....enough already! We need snow!

NaBloPoMo

So last year a fellow blogger friend of mine Crystal participated in Na(tional) Blo(g) Po(sting) Mo(nth) and I was interested in it, but not quite ready to play along. This year, I am going to do it! For the entire month of November, I have to do a post a day. This shouldn't be a problem considering I am now a family of 6! And yeah, I am using this one as my first post for Nov. But I know I have other stuff to post for tomorrow! :)

Anyone else wanna play along?