A Good Inside Joke

One of my favorite things about being married is that I have this person who goes through (or at least hears about) the same experiences I do on a daily basis. He sees the same movies and commercials, participates in the same conversations, judges the same poorly dressed people, etc. So after 7 years together, we've developed our own set of inside jokes. "Do you remember the time I almost ate all that chili?" "Hey, honey... Utard." The list of things only Kirk and I laugh at goes on and one. But here's one I'll let you all in on.

I recently read that in an effort to curb whining, one mom implemented the following rule: if a person asks for something and the answer is no, asking again will never change the answer. The exception? If the person puts the back of his hand on his forehead like a maiden in distress and repeats the phrase, word for word, "Alas, I fear I shall perish without it," then maybe -- just maybe -- the answer might change to a yes.

Go on... try it.

Husband: "Honey, I'd really like to get that new golf game for the Wii."

Wife: "No, we just don't have the money."

Husband: "Alas, I fear I shall perish without it."

Okay, you'll probably still say no, but at least you'll both be laughing.

Graduation Shindig

Hey, all. So, I'm pretty much a slacker and didn't get the invites in the mail in a timely fashion, so here's the scoop.

We're having a little get-together, barbeque style on Monday to celebrate that Kirk is finally done with school. Yeah! You're all invited (at least, if you live in Utah, you're invited), and here's the info:

Monday, June 30th at 6:00 p.m. at our house (not posting the address here or Jay would chastize me... ask if you need it)

Bring a salad, dessert OR side dish AND a lawn chair
Burgers, dogs & drinks provided

We hope to see you there.

**Cute postcard to follow via snail mail**

For Blogger Members Only

Hey, if you aren't doing the new "blog list" yet, I'm telling you to take the time to set it up. Kirk did it on ours (thanks, hon), and I'm loving it. Now all your blogs display according to who has most recently updated, and I get a little snippet of your most recent post right on my blogspot. I can now get quick updates without having to actually enter each blog just to find out that it hasn't been updated recently. I highly recommend this new feature!

Blogger Buzz: Show off your favorite blogs with a Blog List#links

Happy Father's Day

The best Daddy in this world (Kirk) got Mario Kart for Father's Day, and you can see that the whole family is enjoying it!

The Water Party

The other day, Adam had a "water party" at a neighbor's house, and he's been dying to repeat the fun. We thought he'd enjoy the fountains down at the Gateway, so when Jay & Raini made an open invitation to the festival sponsored by the Utah Foster Care Association, we were quick to join them.

As you can see, Alex didn't love it, but he didn't hate it either. He became very attached to me though; he was afraid I was going to leave him in the water.

Adam watched other kids placing cups over the holes and watching them spray into the air. He thought it looked like fun, so we donated Alex's sippy cup to the cause.

In addition to playing in the fountain, Adam got his face painted, watched his mom get her pigtails painted orange, got a balloon sword, ate at McDonalds, and got to ride the train (TRAX). All in all, it was a fun day. Thanks for the invite, Tuckers!

The Computer

Alex will climb on anything, and lately one of his favorite spots has been at the computer. At least once each day, I find him in the office on the chair, just typing away.

One Step at a Time

As many of you know, Alex is now 15 months old and still not walking. This wouldn't concern me that much, except that his feet have always been pretty turned in, and we've been worried that this has caused the delay in him learning to walk. When he was 9 months old, his pediatrician & I tried to get him in to see an orthopedic doctor, but we were told no. Now that he has reached 15 months, his pediatrician suggested trying physical therapy. So, off we trudged to the PT at 7:30 this morning.

If I had realized that PT for kids was like a big playland, I would never have taken Adam with us. He proved to be a bit of a challenge, but we got through it. The therapist had Alex try a few different activities, but he was mostly grouchy because I had to wake him up too early. She was able to tell me, though, that his biggest problem is that he has a larger-than-normal range of motion in most of his joints, but particularly his hips. This causes him to be very wobbly, and actually allows his feet to turn in. Most kids have developed tighter joints by this time, but Alex has not. In part, this is apparently due to "W" sitting. (Picture a child sitting on his knees, but with his feet out to the sides forming a W.) So, no more W sitting for Alex.

The therapist said that there is no real reason to worry; many kids don't walk until 15-18 months. Beyond that, they don't really take not walking seriously until a child is 2 years old. She said the best thing for him right now is to try to develop muscles to compensate for his joints, and for us to try to keep him standing as much as possible so he can wear the grooves into his joints that will eventually make him feel stable. She said he'll just need to spend a lot longer than most kids in the "pre-walking" activities until he has built up his muscles and refined his joints.

She also prescribed taking him to the kids play center at the West Valley Fitness Center. She suggested that I get some knee pads and get right in there with him. Since he loves to explore, she thinks this will really help him build his muscles and his confidence.

I feel better after the appointment, because at least now I understand what is going on with his little body, and I have some ideas of how to help him. I will also have answers for the MANY people who constantly ask why he isn't walking. I'll just tell them he'll get there one step at a time.