Thursday

This is technically a family blog.
I started it, nearly three years ago now, to keep family up to date on...well...the family.
Which I have been horrible about doing lately.

If the idea of this bores you, please, turn the channel.
Leave the room.
Navigate to another page.
Like this one, for example....

If you're still here, and I haven't scared you away, below, in list format, is what's happening with
the family pelton.

*Stella still doesn't sleep through the night.  At a whopping 17 months, she wakes up at precisely the same wee hour each night. We've tried "Sleep-training." She cries so hard she causes herself to vomit. A condition our pediatrician tells us is completely normal. And un-curable. Like some airborne toxic disease or a bite from a brown recluse. "Wait it out," she says.  I convince myself that some day I am going to miss being horrible sleep deprived all of the time snuggling my little girl for the better part of the night. Unfortunately for me, I am a horrible liar.

*While she doesn't sleep very well, she's the most amazing child. Ever. Already saying "Please" and "Thank you." She's a bruiser, too. Doesn't mind being knocked over. Walked into. Stepped on. Tripped over. Pushed. Must be the side-effect of second-child syndrome.  I am taking advantage of her toughness and training her for roller derby already.  Seems only fair to give the kid a head start as she's likely to have received the gift of my unimpressive stature.

*Elena is drawing every day.  Just today she drew her first stick-person. Complete with ears, which is perfect. I'm not raising a Van Gogh: in this house we draw heads with all the necessary appendages. We also try to write letters every day. This usually requires a bribe of some kind.  She wants to learn reading, and bugs, and everything about the universe, but she could care less about writing. Typical. This kid is totally a replica of me, even down to the tutu she wears on her head instead of her waist. Because, duh, she's a lion.

*It's currently hotter than a sweaty armpit outside. It was nearly 100 degrees yesterday, with the humidity up over 80%.  In Minnesconsin, when the humidity gets stifling, it storms.  Tornadoes, hail, fire and brimstone. Michelle Bachman is driven back into her crazy cave for fear of melting.  Once the smoke clears, the air is left cooler, drier, less palpable.  The only moisture Texas gets is in the form of humidity and beer.  A Tornado Watch typically occurs in the middle of the afternoon when one would be about as apt to find a 1 in the Twins win column as they would a cloud in the sky.  Needless to say, we don't exactly run for cover.

*I've become addicted to Pinterest. It's the most amazing place. Request an invite. You won't be sorry.  Promise.

*I shot a wedding over the weekend in Port Aransas (a teeny town on an island just north of South Padre where the humidity there is just about 94% and no matter how hard you try you're never really dry).  You can see some of my favorites over at my photography site here.

*I also took photos of DRL and the girls playing on the beach. Then accidentally I deleted them all.  Because I'm awesome.

*I really don't like the word 'alright.'  Mostly because I don't actually think it's a word.  I just had to slip that in there.

*We are planning a two-week stint in the middle west come July.  A sleepover with some friends in Omaha on our way to Minnesconsin. I'm still trying to get my hands of four pairs of adult-sized footie pajamas.  We might have to settle for snuggies and bug spray. Nadia's baby shower. DRL's birthday. Time with Rebecca and her family. Some engagement sessions. A trip to madison to see Anda.  Food. Family. Friends. Oh My God friends.  And the new Harry Potter.  Duh.

*I've given up gluten. Not forever, but for now. I've made it two days.  I'm hoping it sticks. At least long enough for my body to decide to shed some of this baby weight.  I keep telling it there is zero fear of future pregnancy so there's really no need to hang onto it. But, like my kids, it just doesn't listen to me.  I think I need to have DRL give it "Mad Face." Everyone in this house responds to Mad Face.....

*I'm addicted to "The Hunger Games" trilogy and have just started reading the third and final book of the series.  Read it. F'real. It's engrossing and perfectly paced.  And unlike the Twilight series (which it is being compared to, for reasons beyond my grasp) (which I also read and devoured and aside from their horrid writing and complete lack of substantial main character, I fully enjoyed) the main character isn't a whiny wimp. She's got guts. And a personality. Of her very own!

*My brother is living with us now. It's great to have family in town. Even better, he's just down the hall. Can you say "babysitter?"

*Abby is coming to visit next weekend.  We are beyond excited to see her.  Elena thinks Gramma Abby is going to take her back to Mexico when she leaves.  I don't have the heart to tell her that's not going to happen.  She really wants to go to Mexico...

*Elena completed a six week spanish course at the YMCA.  All she retained was a song.
(To the tune of Frere Jacques)

Buenos dias, buenos dias
como esta? como esta?
Muy bien, gracias. Muy bien, gracias,
Y tu? Y tu?


Although she much prefers to sing "Uprising" by Muse.  Oh, no, wait. I take that back. Her current favorite song to sing is "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha. I love my kids.

That's the news for now.
Happy Thursday!

Cheers,
A