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| Friday night, we prepped by watching The Wizard of Oz. |
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| We checked out the orchestra pit before the show. They found this really cool. |
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| We can't wait to see another one. Maybe Lion King?....... |
Showing posts with label Grandmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandmas. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2016
Wicked!
We took the boys to Charlotte on Saturday for their first major musical - Wicked! It was really great and they did well, and enjoyed it, even though the first act was over two hours long.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
The Boys, Gamora, & Me
Grandma Cathy snapped this today. It is a rare shot; everyone is looking at the camera AND smiling. Gamora is growing fast, and getting better and better about actually liking being held.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Ethan's 6th Birthday Party
A week ago today, we partied with a few of Ethan's classmates to celebrate his 6th birthday. It was fun, and I can't believe our baby is that old!
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
Bucky, Our Bearded Dragon: April 7, 2015 - June 25, 2015
We ventured to Petsmart June 7 (Andrew's actual birthday) to purchase a bearded dragon. Andrew loved him and named him Bucky, after Captain America's friend. He was a baby and weighed only 5 grams! We chose him because he was the coolest and most alert dragon at the store.
He seemed to like being held for a few days. I loved how he cocked his little head from side to side and moved his eyes around to check out his new surroundings. He ate calcium-coated crickets with the speed of a cheetah and loved kale and carrots, too. Watching him hunt his crickets each evening was family fun for the Burbanks.
He very coolly and proudly sat on his log or his tree, holding his head high and loving the heat lamp.
The boys were in Andrew's room all the time, checking on "Buckman" and "Buckmeister."
We wanted to give him the best of our environment, so here he is playing Godzilla as a curious and jealous Dora looks on.
After a few days and much more parental research, we learned he, in fact, did not really like to be held because he was so very young. One evening, he leapt out of my hands and ran away. Both boys were crying and after 10 minutes, we located him in the guest bathroom. He happily went back into his terrarium.
Here he is with the aggressive tail pointing up, possibly challenging Andrew or some of those crickets he could see in their little cage.
That tail photo was the last one I took of him. Earlier this week, he stopped eating and was lethargic. I talked to everyone I could and did tons of internet and book research.
We learned that beardies, especially babies, can often not see standing water, so he might not have been getting enough fluids. So, we soaked him in a bath for 20 minutes each day.
We also learned that UV bulbs older than 6 months might still be lit, but not providing the animal with enough rays. Natural sun cannot be beat and these Australian desert-dwelling animals cannot get too hot, so we gave him a lot of natural sun time each day.
We bought live mealworms because they are Doritos in the lizard world and, although not the best possible nutrition, they might bump up his energy.
He wasn't interested in any of this stuff and just seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.
So, I found a highly-recommended reptile vet and took him there in a shoe box yesterday. Dr. Brown said things didn't look good, but he and the assistant force-fed Bucky some baby food and an antibiotic in the tiniest syringes I have ever laid eyes on. As the doctor left, he seemed hopeful and said, "He really might pull through!" His thoughts were that Bucky had some parasite or virus and he said that lizards are slow to get sick and then are slow to get well, especially the babies.
I left with hope, especially when Bucky was running around the box on the 30-minute trip home. I kept putting him in the sunny window and he even cocked his head a few times and eyeballed me with his baby browns.
However, as soon as I pulled into our driveway and peeked into the box, he was limp. He was gone. I took him inside and broke the news to Andrew.
The boys planned a funeral and we buried him today. We put him in a soft baby washcloth in a small tupperware container and proceeded outside to some instrumental music. Andrew carried him. Both grandmas were in attendance.
The boys had written down some things they loved about him in the 19 days we had him, and read them aloud over his final resting spot.
They wanted to include sparklers in the ceremony, so of course we did.
Andrew placed his sweet little body in the 2-foot hole and we all filled it in.
Andrew has gone out there a few times, just to hang out and think.
We bought a hosta today and planted it right above him.
I hope his tiny reptile brain somehow knew we all loved him and thought he was the coolest ever. He taught us a lot in our 19 days together.
We love you, Bucky. We will miss you.
He seemed to like being held for a few days. I loved how he cocked his little head from side to side and moved his eyes around to check out his new surroundings. He ate calcium-coated crickets with the speed of a cheetah and loved kale and carrots, too. Watching him hunt his crickets each evening was family fun for the Burbanks.
He very coolly and proudly sat on his log or his tree, holding his head high and loving the heat lamp.
The boys were in Andrew's room all the time, checking on "Buckman" and "Buckmeister."
We wanted to give him the best of our environment, so here he is playing Godzilla as a curious and jealous Dora looks on.
After a few days and much more parental research, we learned he, in fact, did not really like to be held because he was so very young. One evening, he leapt out of my hands and ran away. Both boys were crying and after 10 minutes, we located him in the guest bathroom. He happily went back into his terrarium.
Here he is with the aggressive tail pointing up, possibly challenging Andrew or some of those crickets he could see in their little cage.
That tail photo was the last one I took of him. Earlier this week, he stopped eating and was lethargic. I talked to everyone I could and did tons of internet and book research.
We learned that beardies, especially babies, can often not see standing water, so he might not have been getting enough fluids. So, we soaked him in a bath for 20 minutes each day.
We also learned that UV bulbs older than 6 months might still be lit, but not providing the animal with enough rays. Natural sun cannot be beat and these Australian desert-dwelling animals cannot get too hot, so we gave him a lot of natural sun time each day.
We bought live mealworms because they are Doritos in the lizard world and, although not the best possible nutrition, they might bump up his energy.
He wasn't interested in any of this stuff and just seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.
So, I found a highly-recommended reptile vet and took him there in a shoe box yesterday. Dr. Brown said things didn't look good, but he and the assistant force-fed Bucky some baby food and an antibiotic in the tiniest syringes I have ever laid eyes on. As the doctor left, he seemed hopeful and said, "He really might pull through!" His thoughts were that Bucky had some parasite or virus and he said that lizards are slow to get sick and then are slow to get well, especially the babies.
I left with hope, especially when Bucky was running around the box on the 30-minute trip home. I kept putting him in the sunny window and he even cocked his head a few times and eyeballed me with his baby browns.
However, as soon as I pulled into our driveway and peeked into the box, he was limp. He was gone. I took him inside and broke the news to Andrew.
The boys planned a funeral and we buried him today. We put him in a soft baby washcloth in a small tupperware container and proceeded outside to some instrumental music. Andrew carried him. Both grandmas were in attendance.
The boys had written down some things they loved about him in the 19 days we had him, and read them aloud over his final resting spot.
They wanted to include sparklers in the ceremony, so of course we did.
Andrew placed his sweet little body in the 2-foot hole and we all filled it in.
Andrew has gone out there a few times, just to hang out and think.
We bought a hosta today and planted it right above him.
I hope his tiny reptile brain somehow knew we all loved him and thought he was the coolest ever. He taught us a lot in our 19 days together.
We love you, Bucky. We will miss you.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Aunt Phyl's 80th Birthday Weekend
Aunt Phyl turned 80! The weekend was a very special one with family that hadn't been together in a long time.
I took a personal day April 17 so Andrew, Ethan and I could embark upon the whirlwind WV adventure to celebrate. It went like this:
Friday, April 17
Drove to York, SC at 5:45 am, piled stuff and people and hound dogs into Jack's truck and headed to Yeager airport in Charleston, WV, where we picked up a rental car in the afternoon, then picked up Aunt Rena in Sissonville, then headed to the farm at the Mellin Ridge, where the boys and I hung for a while before driving to Harrisville to be with Mom for a couple of hours and then journey North to Morgantown to Mary Beth's place, where we arrived before 10 pm and crashed in her gorgeous basement. Woosh!
Saturday, April 18
Breakfast at MB's, then I took the guys to Skyview Elementary for a few minutes so I could see and hug Jennifer, Heidi, and Janet because they were running an Orff music workshop there, played for a while at Aunt Phyl's and had lunch there, I bummed around Morgantown for an hour or so by myself, then we headed back to MB's for naps. By then it was time to get ready for dinner at the Montmartre restaurant, which tops the historic and beautiful Hotel Morgan. It was definitely the fanciest dinner the boys had ever attended and they both did pretty well. After that, we all headed back to MB's to chat for a while and then it was off to bed for all.
Sunday, April 19
We awoke early and were on the road headed South by a little after 8 am. It rained on us nearly the entire drive home, but we arrived back in Columbia around 6:30 safe, sound, and a little weary.
The weather was beautiful Friday and Saturday. Here are my favorite photos from the trip....
I took a personal day April 17 so Andrew, Ethan and I could embark upon the whirlwind WV adventure to celebrate. It went like this:
Friday, April 17
Drove to York, SC at 5:45 am, piled stuff and people and hound dogs into Jack's truck and headed to Yeager airport in Charleston, WV, where we picked up a rental car in the afternoon, then picked up Aunt Rena in Sissonville, then headed to the farm at the Mellin Ridge, where the boys and I hung for a while before driving to Harrisville to be with Mom for a couple of hours and then journey North to Morgantown to Mary Beth's place, where we arrived before 10 pm and crashed in her gorgeous basement. Woosh!
Saturday, April 18
Breakfast at MB's, then I took the guys to Skyview Elementary for a few minutes so I could see and hug Jennifer, Heidi, and Janet because they were running an Orff music workshop there, played for a while at Aunt Phyl's and had lunch there, I bummed around Morgantown for an hour or so by myself, then we headed back to MB's for naps. By then it was time to get ready for dinner at the Montmartre restaurant, which tops the historic and beautiful Hotel Morgan. It was definitely the fanciest dinner the boys had ever attended and they both did pretty well. After that, we all headed back to MB's to chat for a while and then it was off to bed for all.
Sunday, April 19
We awoke early and were on the road headed South by a little after 8 am. It rained on us nearly the entire drive home, but we arrived back in Columbia around 6:30 safe, sound, and a little weary.
The weather was beautiful Friday and Saturday. Here are my favorite photos from the trip....
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| Playing on the swing that was just hung by Uncle Jack as I know their Grandad Chuck overlooked |
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| Three generations of the Welch family! Here we are with Aunt Rena, Dad's sister |
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| Pre-dinner chat at the Hotel Morgan |
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| Asked a purple-haired passerby to take some shots of us. She did well. |
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| Beautiful Welch sisters.... I can only hope I look that great at 80 or 85! |
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| Right before digging in! Al was hiding. |
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| This time, Aunt Rena was the one hiding. |
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| Aunt Phyl and Uncle Jack (who the boys call Big Jack) |
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| Ethan's reaction after witnessing a kiss moments before... |
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| Always giggling |
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| Still broken up over Ethan the comedian |
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| Peek-a-boo |
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| Ethan was "leading" the Happy Birthday song, but decided to take a ginormous bite of his ice cream right in the middle of the song. |
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| Happy Birthday Aunt Phyl! |
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