Preschool Picture 2010-2011

Sorry - I had a picture here, but then after I posted it, I thought that perhaps the parents of the other little boys and girls probably wouldn't be too keen on me posting pictures of their children without their permission.  So I decided to take it down in hopes that I don't offend.  They were cute kids though - you can view the picture on my refrigerator if you ever stop by!

A Weekend At The Races

On Saturday morning we took the girls to eat breakfast at the track kitchen and for a walk through the stables and to watch the horses during their morning exercises at Keeneland.  So much fun!  I would definitely recommend it.  Here are some pictures, starting with us eating in the track kitchen...

Horsey!

Horsey!

Role reversal?

I think this one cost me $2...

Horsey!

Our best attempt at a picture of the girls - too many horses, too many distractions.

Then we spent Sunday betting the races in the Phoenix Room with a big group of friends.  Here are some of my dinner club girls!

The boys overly concerned with the race (as if we go to Keeneland to watch the races - whatever.)

Mac and Laura

Ben and Ashley

Kristen!

Laura and I on a walk through the Paddock

This one definitely cost me money...

It was so beautiful!

A much tamer Keeneland for these two - of course, bourbon was off limits...

We didn't cash very many tickets, but you can't beat a weekend at Keeneland, particularly in the Spring! There is nothing like it!  One of the many reasons I love living in Lexington.

Animal Kingdom

Do you remember the baby rabbits born in our backyard?

Well we now have a duck's nest in our flower bed in the front yard between two holly bushes.  The best part of it is that nest is protected by federal law (i.e. the Federal Migratory Bird Act), so we can't do anything about it.  Looks like we will be acting host to the missus and her 12 eggs for the next month until they hatch.  At least they won't overstay their welcome once born, since they typically don't hang around afterwards.

Unfortunately, we do have some members of this family who are not happy about our houseguests.  Jake looks so pitiful in this picture.

Further, there is still a question of paternity.  I have yet to figure out which one of these is the father - although one of the mallards has been conspicuously absent the past week, so I guess he figured out he wasn't the daddy...

Is She So Stinkin Cute Or What?

UK v. UConn - Final Four 2011

Jeremy and I out for a rare night without the kids - hooray!

Cats Fans!

In Jorts We Trust

Nothing like a party at Bob's with Bob and Bob Junior (aka Asher)

C.A.T.S. Cats! Cats! Cats!

Our Little Fireman

Liv was given this hat at the Little Gym during her Spring Break Camp this week.  The theme this week has been "Heroes" and the kids have been visited by a policeman and a fireman to discuss safety (real life heroes) and will focus on fairy tale heroes later this week.  She came home yesterday with a badge and today she was so excited because she actually sat in a "real live firetruck!"  I think the Little Gym camp was worth every penny!

Smart Vest Therapy

So the new vest has not been going as smoothly as we hoped.  To say Lilly is terrified of it is an understatement.  To say how much we love it is also an understatement - having the vest do the therapy is frankly so much easier on us physically.  Moreover, the difference between the vest and our hand therapy is amazing - the vest is so much more effective.  After seeing how it works, I feel like I could have pounded on her chest for a year and never have the effect that the vest has in 20 minutes of therapy.  Lilly, though, is not a fan.  I don't think it is the noise.  I think it is the newness of the experience.  The second she sees the vest she starts hysterically crying.  She grabs me with a death grip and will not let go.  Jeremy and I have to wrestle her in the vest.  Ironically, once it starts, she becomes quiet.  The first few times, she just buried her head in my chest and made the most pitiful sounds (if she wasn't so pitiful, you may have laughed because her voice shakes in the weirdest way during therapy).  Then she started to just look at us with a hateful look, as if looks could kill.  Now we can at least distract her with a book while we do therapy.  I think that initially we had the vest set at too many Hz, which resulted is some pretty powerful pounding, for lack of a better term.  We dialed it down to ease things up and we plan on slowly easing her into the amount prescribed by the doctor, or up to 16 hz for 20 minutes, two times a day.  I know it isn't hurting her because she does calm down during the therapy and only tunes up again after it is over, wailing and burying her head in my chest.  What she doesn't realize is how wonderful this invention really is.  It is so effective.  It will give her independence one day.  But acclimating her to it has not been easy (not that I really expected it would be with a 16 month old - but one always hopes) and I have hated the process.  But things are improving so we hope she will become accustomed soon.

Lilly in her new Smart Vest - the color purple was chosen as the 

symbolic color of ribbons worn for Cystic Fibrosis awareness.