Christmas in Athens

Have I mentioned that I love Christmas?  Well, I do.  And, now that I'm in my new-ish role of "Mommy," I especially am focused on making my kids' Christmases special and fun.  So, for the first time in Cyrus' life, I bought him some Christmas presents.  I know it seems strange, perhaps, that I waited so long, but I have never felt he really cared or was old enough to truly care until this year.  Plus, he has doting grandparents on both sides, so he got plenty of presents without me spending money we didn't have.  Oh yeah, and I think it's also significant that this is my first Christmas with a real job in, like, forever.

David P. was still in town, so I actually got some pictures of the four of us opening presents and doing our first family-of-four Christmas at home, thanks to him.  Tomorrow, after I get off work, we head down to FL to spend some good quality time with Gabriel's parents and extended family.  Can't wait for our third Christmas this year!

-Shirin

It's funny, but when I saw these soft blue and green Christmas blankets, I instantly knew that my boys would love them.  And, they do.

Handing out gifts one at a time to savor and slow the process.

I can't remember why Gabriel was making this face, but it was significant.

Watching my little bubsy open his Thomas the Train puzzle.  He loves puzzles too.

Kai checking out his Cookie Monster stickers while Cyrus opens his Sesame Street workbook.

Gabriel and I saw this book on sale at Borders months ago.  Gabriel wanted to get it for someone but really just wanted it himself (plus, he's the geekiest dad we know).  I told him to buy it and I'd keep it til Christmas, at which time I would wrap it up.  I knew he'd forget about it and he didn't even remember that he had picked it out til I reminded him (his memory is paltry).  He LOVES the present he got himself (of course!).

The hit of the night was the play-doh pizza-making kitchen.

Getting to work on our pizza.  (Please note just how terribly messy our house can be, even after it was clean just a day or two before...kids...what are we to do?)

Kai shredding the cheese after Cyrus made the crust.

There are all those cool molds for toppings, but all Cyrus wants to do is make more and more pizza crusts.

Can you tell I love this toy too?  Yum!  Play-doh pizza.  Merry Christmas and FL, here we come!

Two videos

** This was a 2 post day. Be sure to see the other post below.**

Cyrus telling the story (sort of) about his favorite movie Shrek 4. If you don't have kids or haven't seen it, Shrek For Ever After is a very cute movie about those same characters from the first ones (Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Dragon, etc) with a new character, Rumplestiltskin.


This is also a video from a long time ago that just finally uploaded. It's Kai on Versed (like Valium) before his surgery. He was funny.

Teaching my children

I never wanted to have daycare kids.  I grew up with the ideal of a stay-at-home mom.  My mom was always with us for years when we were little and was always teaching us things.  We were potty-trained by 18 months and reading and writing before first grade.  My dad even started teaching me the principles of algebra in kindergarten, so I really feel like I have a lot to live up to with my own kids.  

Since I do have daycare kids and I'm not home all the time due to being a career woman as well as a mother, I really have to try to supplement their education and cognitive and language skills when I'm home with them on Wednesdays and the weekends.  Luckily, both children LOVE to read and learn, so teaching them is fun as well as rewarding.  (I should also say that their caretaker is very good about teaching them, reading to them, and giving them projects, so they are also getting education at her house).

Right now, Kai is in the process of learning animal sounds, words, and how to color and manipulate objects, like blocks and toys.  Cyrus is in full-fledged learning mode: he is adding, subtracting, learning how to spell words, doing art projects with scissors and glue, singing songs, counting, learning about nature, and in imagination land with making up stories and acting out his favorite scenes from books and movies.  

Everything I read says one of the most important factors in a child's life as far as them succeeding and doing well in school is the reinforcement they get at home from their parents.  So, we're trying our best to do our part to help these two little heathens become good and intelligent citizens of this world.

-Shirin  

Kai reading his favorite animal book.  He can say sounds for many of them and loves to point to them over and over so we will make their noises and say their names.

Art time one Wednesday morning.  Coloring and sculpting.  Cyrus was never that interested in coloring when he was this age, but Kai LOVES to draw.

Getting out the modeling clay.

Serious about coloring.

Me teaching Cyrus, Earl, and Satin about coins, time, and fractions.  

I think the fractions were a bust...but I may have been a bit ambitious.

Cyrus doing his math matching puzzles on Christmas morning.

He also can be a good photographer, albeit cutting off the top of my head sometimes.

Christmas in RH

While shorter than we'd like, we have had a wonderful time here in RH for Christmas.  We're leaving later today to go back to Athens so I can go to work tomorrow.  Gabriel has all week off with the boys, so anyone who wants to come visit, I'm sure he'd love adult company.  

Wednesday, my day off, we plan to do our own family Christmas in Athens, and then at the end of the week, we head down to FL to spend New Year's with my in-laws in Lakeland.  We always do a lot of traveling during this time of year, but it sure is lovely to be with so much family.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love Christmas?

-Shirin

My parents have been sick (courtesy of Kai 2 weeks ago), so they didn't have a tree up this year.  Nevertheless, the pile of presents on the coffee table drove Cyrus crazy til we got to start opening.

They got lots of books and other toys from Nama and Baba.

My dad got Cyrus some magnetic letters and watched Cyrus write his name with them.

Cyrus also got some matching cards that involve addition and subtraction, and we've already play with those twice since last night.

My mom pulled out some of her old Christmas decorations, including this Santa doll that I used to play with as a kid.  I also loved to put his boots on.

These cute wooden chairs are from the days when Tita and I were this young!  They are still in great condition.

Cyrus loves math.

Showing Kai his new music toy from Nama and Baba.

A happy Cyrus, getting another present.

Have I mentioned how much I love Christmas?

Stockings for the four kids.

A peanut granola bar!

More yummy things.

Cyrus sharing with his little brother.

Just hanging out, eating a Larabar.

Blowing bubbles with Baba this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Nama, Cyrus, and I played Trouble.

Noooo!  Cyrus just knocked my piece back to the start.

Baba with his quarter-Persian grandson.  They look just alike. 

Playing Ranger Rick and the Forest Fire game.  I love that Cyrus is finally playing board games with us.

Kai's trying to learn too.

 Merry Christmas.  Tita, we miss you!

Merry Christmas in RH

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours.  We drove up for the weekend with my parents for Christmas.  I worked Friday and I have to work Monday, so we could only manage a short trip, but it feels great to be home for the holidays.  We're eating Persian food, watching Christmas movies, and planning to open presents tonight, as is our Austrian tradition.  We'll have stockings in the morning.
Merry Christmas!
-Shirin

Visit from Beth

My bestie from vet school, Beth, has been in Portland, OR for the last 6 months.  She's working out there and living with her boyfriend, David.  It was great to see Beth again this week when she was home for a visit.  I miss her a lot.
-Shirin

Eating at our favorite Thai place downtown.

She's just got her hair straightened for the day and it looked so long to me.

Cyrus showing Beth his favorite music video with the people getting their skin painted.

-Shirin

A potentially deadly accident with Earl (he's OK)

We are pretty sure we are keeping Earl and Satin, those precious kittens that came from my clinic, both rescued by my boss, Dr Amy.  They are almost completely indoors, but I've started letting them out for a few minutes when the boys and I are outside watching them.  I'm a firm believer that outdoor cats are in much greater peril thank indoor cats, but I also see terrible obesity in my indoor cat patients (and some outdoor cat patients too), so I think it's good to let them out for some exercise.

This morning started out normally and, after breakfast, I let the boys and kitties outside for a few minutes.  The cats were doing their normal thing, milling around in the front yard and the kids were throwing balls and playing with the tricycle, when I went in for a moment to grab my breakfast sandwich.  When I came outside, the cats were missing.  Cyrus saw them up in the tree by the parking lot and I went over and realized Earl was TWO STORIES HIGH in this tree, trying to chase a squirrel.  Have I mentioned that Earl is mostly blind?  He has a little vision in his left eye and that's it.
I went under the tree to try to help him or catch him, but he fell right before I could get to him and landed on the cement and ran back towards the house.  Completely freaking out now (and in the rain), I climbed up the tree and lured Satin back down to make sure he was safe.  Then, I got the kids inside and started looking for Earl.  He was NOWHERE to be found.  I was about to lose it, just imagining him lying under some bush, bleeding to death.  I was running around frantically with a bag of cat treats, calling and calling for him in the rain and then back inside.
Finally, I found him under my bed.  I listened to him with my stethoscope, just to make sure he wasn't drowning on his own blood internally and got him out to watch him walk.  He had a little bit of blood on his feet and mouth, but he walked out just fine, albeit with a left rear limp.  I immediately got him into his cat carrier, got my kids into the car, and drove Earl to the UGA Vet Teaching Emergency Hospital.  By the time they examined him, he was looking even more normal and walking a bit better.
My old emergency/critical care teacher, Dr Brainard examined him for fractures of the jaw or long bones and didn't find any.  Whew...only a cat could fall that far and only have a ripped toenail.  Since we want to be sure he doesn't have any pelvic fractures, I left him there for x-rays.  I'm not religious, but please send Earl some healing vibes.  I hope to go get him this afternoon and bring him home.  Poor baby.
Since this happened just a few days after Satin almost got eaten by a dog outside (in front of my eyes when the dog got off of his leash from my nice neighbor, Rosaria), I just don't think these cats are going to be allowed back outside again.
-Shirin

Home with sick kids again

Well, they aren't as sick as they have been.  But, they are still getting over their upper respiratory infections and now have both developed conjunctivitis (pink eye), something they DEFINITELY can't go to daycare with.  I think they may have given it to me too, but I started myself on Kai's drops the second I felt anything going on in my eyes, so I am probably already getting over it.

I hate to miss work.  I feel lazy and like I'm trying to stay home and do nothing when I call in sick, but there was just no one else to take care of them or take them to the doctor and Gabriel is in the middle of launching his first draft of their vet software and simply can't miss a day right now.  Sigh...I have until tomorrow to get them better enough to go back with the other kids.  They are actually feeling a lot better but this pink eye just has to go.

-Shirin

I asked Cyrus to show me his eye and this is what he did.

And this.  See how red his left eyelid is?  It's swollen too.

Having art time this morning before going to the doctor.

Kai loves to draw and color.  His left eye was much worse than this before I started his drops and they are much better now.

A long cute video

Kai and Cyrus dancing, Cyrus teaching Kai how to jump, and other silly stuff with Gabriel and the boys.

Weekend visit with David P, Bren, and Melissa

David P, Gabriel's good friend, came to stay with us this weekend.  Last night, Brendan and Melissa came over to spend some time with all of us and the kiddos.  Melissa, a developmental psychology Ph.D student, is SO great with the boys and brought over some "I Spy" cards and a box of puzzles for Cyrus.   I made some soy dogs, baked beans, and other sides (along with David's coleslaw) and we had a good ol' American dinner.  Good times.

-Shirin

Just two guys, eating some cookies.

Doing some I Spying.

Reading Llama Llama, Mad At Mama with Melissa and talking about how the baby llama is so rotten to his mama.  (I'm glad Cyrus is so horrified by that fact).

Kai is also a little bookworm, though he often just sits close by the reader and reads his own book, in this case A Mudpie for Mother.

Meanwhile, the guys were playing xbox and watching funny commercials on TV.  See my beautiful Christmas tree?  I only have ornaments on the bottom half due to kids and cats.  Sigh...I just got my Aunt Martha's ornaments in the mail...I wonder if they would be safe on my tree?

Little Satin listening to Melissa reading Is Your Mama a Llama?