Oregon Trail: Corvallis edition

A few weeks ago we drove up to Corvallis for our niece Taylor's graduation. The drive was as easy as we could have asked for, that's what leaving at 3am will do for you. The kids slept until we got to Shasta Lake and made it to Eugene before we stopped to eat, only a one stop at a rest area in between. In Eugene we went straight to T's favorite spot, the UO campus and enjoyed a late breakfast at the Glenwood followed by some shopping at the "quack quack store" (as C calls it).

It was so nice to get to T's sister's house, to spend some time with them before the craziness of "Graduation Weekend" began. The next day most of the rest of T's family arrived and we spent our time the way they used to when T was a wee one...a family game of kick ball (well it used to be softball/whiffle ball, but the majority vote this time was for kick ball).

Team 1

Team 2

just like his PE days

for one run Uncle Ralph handed C to J after he kicked so they could run the bases together

J and C covered first together

he skinned up his knee pretty bad, he called it his "ball game ouch"

After the game Aunt Shelly had a little post-birthday birthday party for B. T got a chance to make the (vegan) strawberry cupcakes that B has been asking for; they went over well, with everyone who ate them that is. Both B and C were much too exhausted/overwhelmed/excited/busy playing with new toys and their cousins to pay attention and didn't end up eating cupcakes at all!

surrounded by so much love

this is what contentment looks like

loved the pop up book from Nana & Papa

pretty excited about new cars...and rocking his new "quack quack" gear

Mr. Mister and Rhys Update #3

Our handsome little man kept himself very busy at Miss B's big party. Since the main birthday post (obviously) focused on her, we kept these cute photos of C aside to be posted later. It is later, so enjoy!

he found a walking stick, very important on wilderness adventures

we've looked at these building "blocks" at the toy store but had no idea he was ready for them until we saw him playing with them at the museum

we want a big window to paint on at home...one that someone else cleans up of course

a very sneeeeeaky sailor indeed

On another note, we had another check-up for Rhys' injured leg on Monday. They did an x-ray and determined that he needs at least another two weeks in the splint. But it is healing very nicely they said.

Rhys Update #2

He's getting around quite well now. Its starting to be a real chore to keep him from doing too much. Last night he ran through the kitchen as T was opening the back door to take out the garbage and pushed past her, leaped/fell down the stairs and across the yard. She was surprised (and relieved) that he didn't hurt himself. We're taking him on a road trip this weekend, fingers crossed he makes it home in at least as good of shape as he is in now!

Ladybug Wheels

Loving her new bike! A 12" Jamis Ladybug ( we even had a coupon!).

Photographic Evidence of the Aforementioned Birthday Party

the birthday girl

she's queen of the party

the cake

making a wish!

waiting for water surges at the "tide pool"

digging for treasure in a "sunken ship"

just chillin' for a minute

climbing down the super cool tree stump hill

making crafts with Emmy & Lylah

Our Rose is FOUR!

Yesterday was B's fourth birthday. In some ways it is so startling that she's already four, but in other ways it is hard to remember a time before she was in our lives. She is such an amazing, smart, sassy, stylish, caring and funny being and we are so blessed to belong to her.

This is the first year we've had a full fledged party to celebrate her birthday and we did it up right! She asked to have it at a museum and she chose Hello Kitty as a theme. Since she also wanted it on her actual birthday (can't blame her there) that ruled out the Exploritorium and so we were so thrilled to be able to book it at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. The staff there was so helpful and friendly, definitely a wonderful place to have a party. We were so happy to have wonderful friends to share the day with (13 children and their parents). We ate yummy cake and ran and jumped and played and did art and crafts and played with giant train sets and climbed trees and hunted dinosaurs and sunken treasure and manned a ship...it was a very good day! And fortunately for us the clouds are also in love with B and decided to keep us dry for the day. (Rain and thunder were the prediction!)

She got many, many fabulous gifts. This is one lucky and loved little lady for sure! From us she got a bike, which we gave to her on Saturday so she could play with it all day (or the parts of the day when it wasn't raining). We also gave her a big, complicated floor puzzle (with lots of princesses, fairies, castles, birds, kites, etc.), a new Culture Kids doll (Anu from India), a big scribbles book, colored pencils, a book of fairy tales, some fairy threading cards (to practice stitching), a ballerina doll, and the crowning jewel...Princess Celestia. Oh, and how could we forget? We also gave her a new PBK Anywhere Chair (since she has gotten so very big and outgrown the pink one she got for her first birthday), this one is purple and has white polka dots. It was a huge hit. C has already put in a request for a blue one on his next birthday. Speaking of C, he picked out the sweetest gift for B completely on his own, a charm bracelet from Gap Kids; he even picked out each individual charm: an ice cream cone, a treasure chest with jewels in it, and a funky elephant. T added a Hello Kitty one too. She adores it!

As is our custom, B gave C a couple of gifts too: a new train (Scruff) and a pirate doll (which he is afraid of, unfortunately).

Her haul from the party is pretty fabulous too! She got a couple of beading sets, and has been making T necklaces all morning. A tea set, a cool car (which she kindly lets C play with too), some Disney princess book/play sets, a Fancy Nancy book and a Judy B. Moody book ("It doesn't have pictures because I am so big!"), a hand made bunny with her name stitched on it (which she slept with last night), a super fun cupcake play set, and a tote bag that she can decorate with stencils and paint. We let her open her gifts from her grandparents a few days early, so she's been decorating tiaras and using the fashion stencil set all week. She very genuinely was delighted by each and every gift.

Before she fell asleep last night she told J that this was the best birthday ever and that she had such a good day. Music to our hearts.

Rhys Update

We took Rhys to see our regular vet today (this was actually the first time T has met Dr. Lagerwerff in person, but we've been going to their office, The Animal Doctors, since we moved down here; we could not be happier with them, such lovely people and they give such good care to our puppy). The news was better than we had even hoped! After reviewing the x-rays that were taken at the animal hospital after the accident, Dr. Lagerwerff explained the injury to us more fully than we had gotten on Saturday. To be fair, at the time the emergency vet was also worried about internal bleeding and a broken jaw in addition to the broken leg, so there was a lot going on then. By today it was clear that the broken leg is the worst of his injuries.

this is not Rhys' x-ray, but the radius is the front bone (on the left) and the ulna is the back bone (on the right)

So the break is a hairline fracture of the left radius bone, but the ulna is in tact. Basically this means that the ulna is working as a built in splint, and with the splint the vet puts on it is protected from both sides. He said its the best possible way to break your arm, if you have to break your arm. He expects a full recovery in four weeks (rather than eight weeks, that we originally were told), but we will have to x-ray it in three weeks to be sure. As long as he's right next to T, and he's not being tempted by seeing the everyone else playing in the yard, he does pretty well at staying mellow. We can tell the last couple of days that he is getting bored by the end of the day, but the vet gave him the mostly clear for him to walk around...or hobble around as the case may be.

Let there be video!

Its a new era in Four Fischies bloghood. Enjoy!

Ballerina B

Yesterday B had her final ballet class for the spring session and they do a little performance for the parents. It was the most adorable thing we've encountered yet. It was so nice to see how much she really enjoyed it, and we are so looking forward to more dance recitals in our future.

ready to bust a move

tiny dancers

a little sass

striking a dancer pose for us

satisfied with a job well done