A Riley Update!

So an update on Riley is better suited to stories and pictures. Enjoy!

1. The other night, Riley worried about ants in the bed. Shawn was out, so she was sleeping over with me, but she did not want to get in the bed. So as I am brushing my teeth, she climbs up on our eight-inch headboard, and camps out. She was still there an hour later when Shawn came home despite a ton of coaching from me to "come down from there!" That's when she decides she is going to sleep on the headboard. And not even five minutes later, she was out!

2. In the car, I sometimes talk to other cars, so I can make it through a light or pull out of the school or just drive at a decent speed. The other day, I said, "C'mon...go, go, go" to the sedan in front of us, and Riley responded with "You need to be patient, Mommy. I always tell you, you need to be patient."

3. Riley went with me the other morning to buy a few bagel packs from Panera for my students who helped run GOLD this year. Now she's hooked! Yesterday morning, she wanted to go to Panera for a "milkshake and bagel" after gymnastics. Girl after my own heart. Who knew fondness for Panera was genetic? Her new fav is my current fav: whole grain bagel with butter. It was so nice getting to sit down just the two of us with our bagels and the smoothie we split to chat about the nice day and Adrian and gymnastics and school. I know how much I cherish those coffee shop outings with my parents, and I am so happy to start enjoying them with Riley.

4. When she talks about her friends at school, Riley commonly refers to her peers as students.

5. She has started to pull out books at home and ask the rest of us to sit down for circle time, so she can read to us. Future English teacher??

6. She is becoming so communicative. She comments on how beautiful the day is, tell us what she likes about her brother ("He's cute, except he gets my toys."), discusses plans for her birthday ("dinosaurs and lizards, and strawberry pizza and banana cake"), and shares what she is looking forward to about turning three ("I'll get a new car seat and be able to reach everything!").

7. She's proud that she can buckle the middle buckle of her car seat. She can color in between the lines. She knows how to operate a DVD player and dress herself. She hates getting her hair brushed, and I really hope that's a phase because her hair is getting so long and beautiful. She gives big hugs and kisses, and she is so gentle with her brother.

8. And except for some naps and nighttime, she is potty-trained!

An Adrian Update

Favorite Foods -
Bananas
Peas
Toast
Cheerios
Sweet Potatoes

Favorite Noises to Make -
Ba-ba
Ga-ga
Ma-ma
Endless babbling
Occasional shrieks and screeches when he gets really excited

Favorite Moves -
Crawling all over the house (his hands make the cutest slapping noises on the tile)
Crawling right over to where Riley is!
Pulling himself up on our pant legs
Pulling himself up, period!

Favorite Objects to Put in His Mouth -
Wii remotes
Banana peels
Socks

Least Favorite Things -
Laying down for diaper changes
Getting put in his car seat
Baby food purees

Riley's update requires a few recent photos. Hopefully, I will have it up tonight.

GOLD: A Fourth Fantastic Event!

Last night/this morning, we had GOLD at Oak Hall. GOLD stands for Girls Overnight Leadership Development. For more info, check my post from last February. I feel so strongly about this program. It is such a wonderful way of encouraging girls to be proud of themselves and develop their self-confidence. I went through GOLD as an eighth grader at North Allegheny, I brought the program to Jamestown High School with my twin sister when we were seniors, and now GOLD is at Oak Hall. What a journey! And yes, it is a lot of work. And yes, it is hard to stay up ALL NIGHT. But when I look around at a group of eighth grade, junior, and senior girls having a ball and confronting some major issues they may face in the coming years with poise and maturity, I am overwhelmed.

Seriously, someone give me a grant so I can bring GOLD to schools across the country! I would, in a heartbeat (and continue to write on the side, of course!). The transition between middle and high school is fragile, delicate - especially for girls. GOLD provides a bridge. I love being a part of that.

This year's highlights:
1. Zumba at midnight
2. Dance game on the wii
3. Crazy cookie decorating
4. Tie-dyed shirts
5. Spending time with an amazing group of young women!

New Car!!

Tuesday: Shawn backs into a tree at school.

Wednesday: See if it is better to trade-in smashed vehicle for new car with a better interest rate and awesome financing deals. Riley loved climbing into all the vans and trucks and cars at the dealership. Cutest thing ever!

Thursday: Get a new 2011 Rav4, essentially for 13,000 dollars. Not too bad! And I love it! Silver and beautiful and clean!

PS I will start posting pictures again soon! Promise.

Ray Kurzweil: My New Obsession!

Ray Kurzweil on how technology will transform us | Video on TED.com

Okay, so obsession might be a bit strong, but I do find this guy fascinating! He came to speak at UF a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn't go (weeknight, two kids, not happening!). I am really bummed I missed hearing him speak in person. Last night, I watched him speak on TED, and I also caught a more recent presentation of his on youtube from an IBM conference in 2010. He's a futurist, and his predictions for technological advancements in my lifetime are unbelievable.

The next book I buy will most likely be his.

Here are his most recent titles to check out:

The Singularity is Near (2006)
Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever (2010)

In college, I read a book about paradigm shifts, and I am drawn to the concept in literature as well as in real life. In literature, paradigm shifts of sorts occur when writers have to reinstate meaning in language after traumatic events (like the Holocaust, slavery in America). So fascinating!

Just wanted to share.