A post for my (wedding) anniversary

My desktop is now back up and running at full steam, so I figured a quick post was in order.

[Today, btw, is my 11th wedding anniversary!]

[Mandatory posts missed due to comp problems:

Baptism

praying mantis

YaYa's 6th Birthday]

Last Monday (the 15th) YaYa auditioned for a role in Oliver! at a local children's theater we've frequented since she was a toddler. She went for a pre-audition practice then went for it all in a pageboy hat with a big #51 on her chest.

She sang, danced, and did a scene in front of 4 judges but unfortunately never got a call back and didn't get the part.

A dissapointment, and I'd kick the judge's ass if I could, but she was auditioning to play 9 year old boy. She handled the rejection well. She hung her head for but a moment butthen proclaimed that she would keep auditioning at future productions until she got a part. I was VERY proud of her.

Imagine - a child of Dan Slap having not only the gumption but the desire to go an audtion at age six. Wow!

Additionally, just like her Daddy the reading/writing bug kicked in hard now in 1st grade - she is breezing through her reading assignments and often writes a story before bed! Kudos to her Mom for reading all those Junie B Jones books to her over the summer!

*  * * *

Parker still isn't talking, or rather is speaking only the odd word here and there. So far his vocabulary is:

ew wow!    

socks

broke

no

yea

ok

bye

hi

mama

more

bob (as in bob the builder)

ball

He seems to comprehend fully (and in fact, I know he does) but just can't (or won't) talk. Legend has it his Mom didn't speak until 3 herself. I think I've caught him talking to himself in more complete phrases, but ixnay on speaking for public consumption.

Or maybe I heard wrong.

Anyhow, he remains the happiest kid EVER, with a cheese grin permanently chiseled on that face of his. I hope he stays that happy forever because it would just be too ironic to see a depressed version of my boy, knock on wood.

He's so iconically happy that my Mom has nicknamed him'Smiley', and the name just might stick.

My own choice for a nickname: 'Quake' - because by 18 I think he'll stand 6'4" and top out at 250#, give or take. Men will quake when they see him, and women will swoon.

One hopes :)

My misguided post about his cross-dressing was poorly timed, as he has quickly and drastically abandoned all things girly in favor of Spiderman, Cars, and general destruction.

Maker of Trouble and Mayhem indeed.

* * *

LuLu is enjoying the heck out of K4 and has already had friends over to play. She is getting on her Mom's nerves just like YaYa did at this age. Every morning she stomps her feet and tells us how much she hates her shoes, shirt, pants - fill in the blank - largely becuase she's 'worn dem already'.

Note: this violates our longstanding rule 'don't say hate' - it's a bad word here.

OFW I say. Oh Bleep Well.

It'll pass, just like it did with YaYa.

And personally, I've grown much more fond of her lately. She is the most loving of all the kids, classically the cutest (in an apple dumpling kind of a way), and is at that age where she just adores me.

How can I fault her for that?

She takes dance class every Monday (YaYa decided against it this year, preferring gymnastics on Wednesday's) and is looking forward to appearing in the show again next year.

It's hard to find 10 1/2 wide tap shoes tho'.:)

She's also a Daisy scout, having had her first meeting this afternoon.

* * * *

Lauren has now finally surpassed my birthweight, clocking in at 11# 6oz at her checkup this week. She has a sensitive stomach and has been switched to Soy formula to curtail her vomitting (with limited results) and we've been instructed to add rice cereal to her bottles. Point in fact, she just unleashed a torrent of spitup into my lap. Niiccce.

Otherwise . . she sleeps most of the night, waking promptly each night at 3:15 and 5 am.

That SUCKS

She smiled for the first time on the day of her baptism, but does it rarely for me; much more so for her Mommy.

* * * *

My Mom has spent the last month and a half in a nursing home, recupping from some issues that were largely weight related. She seems on the road to recovery and I think of her a lot (certainly more than I call her. Man I SUCK at calling people. I've been meaning to call both Lauren and YaYa's godfathers and often fall short.

LuLu in particular misses my Mom, more so than I would have imagined, and talks about her often. She also colors pictures for her and asks me to mail them to her. "I want gramma home so we can color toget-er" she says.

* * * *

At work: actively involved in a campaign with the local business association and had a quote and a photo in a recent issue of Business Journal.

I'm now on the Development Committe for the girls' school (Lis is a Room Mom, volunteers each Wed morning, and is 3rd in line as Daisy leader.

* * * * *

Baseball update: I hate the Red Sox and watched (correction: briefly checked in on each telecast) as they rallied against Cleveland. The Rockies were fun to watch in the LCS but c'mon - an 8 day layover before the Series? MLB needs to redo their ragtag October scheduling.

To my chagrin: Red Sox in 5, followed by severe depression and morose thoughts on my part.