Monthly Archives: January 2018

January 21st, 2018

Big girl insisted on dragging a chair over to the coffee table to eat her post-nap snack.

Something just clicked this weekend. Eleanor has clearly chosen her preference for walking rather than sometimes-walking. If she stumbles, she gets right back up, where previously she’d more often then resort to crawling. She’s even quick-walking. Look out, world.

More cold weather, indoor activities. Des didn’t quite get the concept of running in place, but even that may take practice as a three-year-old

Desmond requesting a picture with this evening’s lego creation. It’s usually a rocket/space ship of some sort or a crane truck. Tonight it’s crane truck, but thanks to grandma’s Christmas gift, it now has a rotating boom!

Mom and dad must be doing something right, Des is eating salad for dinner

January 20th, 2018

While mom and ma are at the women’s march, the rest of the family is marching in spirit/dreams…

Eleanor’s walking game is strong. Less tossing this time, more interested in running the ball back to brother

Upon the soundtrack starting to Saturday Movie Night’s Monster’s University, Ella wiggles off the couch, walks towards the front of the room and appears to begin dancing/wiggling 🙂

One last dinner with the dinosaurs

Desmond was pretty excited to visit the tooth doctor again, and even learned it’s the same person as the dentist! 🙂

Apparently an episode of “Paw Patrol” was more engaging than the surrounding gadgetry. Also, an eyewear trendsetter.

The family has spent many a happy breakfast or dinner over the years at Dixie Quicks. It was one of mom and dad’s go-to brunch spots for weekend dates (they dated? a life before kids?) when it was still over in Omaha. Dad’s arts non-profit occasionally held board meetings in the gallery. Now also a favorite with the kids, it had become known as “let’s go have breakfast with the dinosaurs” for the interactive table decor.

After the passing of his partner–and chef, Rene–to lung cancer last year, Rob made both the difficult and liberating decision to close the restaurant and art gallery after 23 years. It was another loss to mourn, but a certainly need for one last dinner.

Eleanor gets in on the dinosaur action-

She may have gotten a little too “ferocious”

(Big) squirrel!

Eleanor was not a fan. She eventually settled into a love/hate rhythm- pleading to go back over, even touch it. And then freak out again.

Eleanor staring out the window onto Broadway. (Across the street happens to be “Lidgett’s Music”- of which dad was the first employee to work there without the last name “Lidgett.”)

One last dinner, peering up at the chalkboard for the menu. Mom had the cactus scramble, dad the shrimp gumbo. The kids scarfed their black beans and rice.

“Sauna: A portrait of a father and daughter” The new pre-bedtime routine as Ella gets over the croup

January 17th, 2018

Needing to tighten the shower knob for sister’s pre-bedtime sauna treatment, Des assists and gets an introduction to multitools and dad’s “gerbs”

Yup, he’s a fan. For the rest of the evening, it was grabbing objects and proclaiming, “I got one!”

January 16th, 2018

Eleanor arrives at daycare, looking a little bit worse for the wear, and crawls up on the mini couch and collapses. Apparently Desmond views this as a photo op, though dad is just trying to stay upright since mom now has the flu.

Burritos! Dad’s little sous chef has nearly mastered opening cans by himself

January 15th, 2018

In a creative indoor parenting move, mom guides Des through some pre-nap calisthenics

After dipping into his so-not-expired Halloween bucket, Des pretty much writes and stars in his own Skittles advertisement

January 14th, 2018

Eleanor was feeling better the next day, despite a wicked cough. With mom and dad busy for a moment, Desmond was asked to keep sister safe on the couch. He held on to her as they continued their special Bugs Bunny Sunday morning matinee

After naps, it was another lego building session with Des’ big-boy Star Wars X-Wing fighter (thanks backordered-Christmas present elf in the UPS truck)

Pretty much sums up dinner with these two crazies

January 13th, 2018

On the first night of mom’s first recreational trip out of town to visit a friend, Eleanor decides it’s time to experiment with croup again. After a night of new coughing and wheezing, dad was fortunate enough for aunt Kellie’s on-call experience. After forming a backup plan at midnight and packing a go-bag, Ella followed her playbook from last time and woke up at 3am with notable difficulty breathing. A quick call to the nurses’ line later, they confirmed stridor and recommended an adventurous, yet urgent trip to the ER. Again, thanks to aunt Kellie, dad and Ella were able to quickly get to the hospital without even waking.

The doctors were all caring, swift and helpful. With a steroid shot, everyone was back in bed before the sun rose. The next day, however, everyone was a bit sleepy.

Eleanor beginning several long hours of napping, with brother exploring the children’s museum with grandma, aunt Kellie and Cal.

Asleep, then awake. Repeat.

She eventually fell asleep for the longest period after rubbing dad’s beard.

A young family of two, it takes a mom and a dad, with a cast of loving supportive family members.