Guests and LASIK!

We have been very busy the last two weeks!  Between ramping up in my new manager position and hosting my parents and the Dentons (Keith, Lauren, Marea & Sawyer), it's been a blast!  Today, in about 5 min, we're heading out for me to have LASIK done.  Very exciting. :) 

Three weekends ago the whole Janeiro family was sick.  Aunt Patti took Olivia to the mall in the afternoons for entertainment while Kevin and I slept both Saturday and Sunday.  Patti also babysat on Monday when I stayed home sick and we were monitoring Olivia.  I think Patti & Olivia had a blast!  Olivia even had a little boyfriend at the New Park Mall playground.  As luck would have it, the weather was also rainy all weekend - perfect for staying in bed!  Kevin and I needed all the rest we could get... and our coughs haven't quite gone away yet!  But at least we're functional :).

Two weekends ago, my parents came to town and enjoyed the warm, sunny California weather.  It was ~10 degrees in MD.  Their timing was perfect - the weather cleared up and the Janeiro household was almost healthy!  We had a great time.  Thursday night I picked up M&D at SFO, and we all crashed.  Friday morning M&D joined Olivia and me at Music Together class in Niles and then grabbed a delicious gourmet hot chocolate.  Back at the ranch it was nap time and enjoy-the-patio-and-pergola time. :)

<time to go to LASIK.... will write more tomorrow, if I can see!>

<Day after LASIK, which did not go as planned.. apparently I am 1 in 5,000-7,000, but my eye is healed/healing and we can try again in a week or so, if I feel like it>

So where was I?  Ah yes,  Friday was lovely and relaxing.  We met up with Annie and Walter at Paradiso restaurant in San Leandro for an early Valentine's Day dinner.  While the kiddos were not particularly interested in sitting still, the food was delicious!  M&D went home with Annie from there and we came home to continue trying to sleep off the cold/flu. 

Saturday, we worked on cleaning up the house and yard for later in the evening when A&W were coming down to play.  Around noon, feeling a sinus infection settling in, I finally made the call to take myself to the doctor and get some antibiotics.  After a solid week with the chest cold, then a solid week with the Flu, another solid week with a sinus infection was going to break me!  So Kevin watched Olivia and it all worked out well.  A, W, M&D were here sometime around 4pm and we played in the back yard.  Dolores, Charlie and Kathy joined us all for a cookout and it was a party!  Kevin of course out-did himself making crazy tasty bacon avocado burgers.  Mmmmmm!  How nice to enjoy our patio and pergola after all the work that went into it!

Sunday, M&D and the Janeiros went to Sunol to hike up and see "Little Yosemite."  That was just the right length of hike for everyone.  We took a few breaks up the hill, and Olivia fell asleep in the backpack on the way down - perfect!  But that was mostly the extent of her nap for the day.  Back home, Mom and I returned to the toy store for some fun things for the kiddos (bubbles, brooms and dustpans, wooden animals).  I totally forget what we did in the afternoon and for dinner that night.  There may have been pizza involved.  I think there was also watching-Olivia-scramble-around-the-patio-and-climb-on-every-chair involved.

Monday, I had to go to work (new job, I feel obligated) for a few hours.  Kevin hung out at home with M&D and A&W came down to hang out and play in the little sandbox and the yard.  The new toys from Mum-Mums and the bouncy ball that Kevin found all were a big hit.  Olivia has also improved drastically in throwing the ball for Trixie to chase. 

I made it home right after lunch (naptime) and we all enjoyed the beautiful weather and playing broom ball on the patio.  With the antibiotics kicking in, I finally felt like a human being again. :)  So much so, that I trimmed back the liriope bordering the patio and Walter had fun harvesting snails. :)  We didn't tell Walter what ended up happening to those snails once Auntie Kate added a little soap to the water.  A&W left shortly after 3pm and we had Happy Hour on the patio.  A quick dinner at Claim Jumper's and then a trip to the airport concluded the visit from Mum-Mums and Pop-Pops.  Olivia had seemed excited to see them and I'm just happy my parents had the chance to see her toddling all over the place and being her silly little cheerful self.  They've now really witnessed first-hand her effusive personality.

Everyday when we return home from work, Olivia beelines for the sandbox in the backyard and tells us to "sit" next to her while pointing at the floor beside her.  Adorable.

DENTON VISIT
I managed to cram in about 10 hours of overtime the week my parents left, which made the Denton's visit the following weekend that much more of an even to anticipate.  Keith, Lauren, Marea and Sawyer arrived in Berkeley around 2 or 3pm Friday.  While they had play time with the Middleton's, the Janeiro's tried to put our house back together, turning over sheets, etc. and fighting the last bits of the cold.  I was also starting to prep for LASIK (eye-drops, lid scrubs).  We were exhausted from the week - I had an all-day training on Friday which is prime catch-up-on-email day.  We ended up sleeping in until 8:30 Saturday when Olivia awoke and made it up to Tilden Park by 10:15am or so.  By that time, the early risers had already seen the animals, so we joined in a walk to the pond nearby.  How nice to see Keithie and his family!!! They're so cute. :)

The kids started melting down shortly thereafter and we returned to the Berkeley Bungalow for lunch and naptime.  Or in Olivia's case, instigate laughing with Walter and play mischievous games to prevent him from sleeping!  So while the other children napped, I brought Olivia out in the courtyard and we played with all the fun toys around... especially the balls, Auntie Annie pushed her on the scooter, and the push-cars... it was a blast!  We chatted with Keith and Lauren a bit... and eventually took a stroll to the local Peet's for coffee and up through the Claremont Hotel.  I enjoyed catching up with Lauren - they're such chill, real people.  It's refreshing.  Olivia, thankfully, took a little snooze in the stroller.  We had planned to stick around for dinner, but then I realized the dogs were locked up all day, it was their dinner time, and Olivia was getting testy.  So we left around 5:15 or so. 

Sunday we took Olivia to Disney on Ice at 11am since Kevin had tickets from work.  Olivia lasted through the first half and was pretty interested... then naptime hit with full force!  She wasn't too fussy, but we knew it was just a matter of minutes, so we left.  It was a fun family outing overall. :)  Back home, we prepped food and fine-tuned the guest room for the Dentons.  Sometime around 5 they all arrived, along with Annie and Walter and we had a lovely cookout: London Broil marinaded for two days, roasted veggies, potatoes, and bread.  Of course Kevin's favorite chili cheese dip too, and chocolate cake from Annie!  Marea was like a moth to Olivia's flame - totally in love with the little girl!  Poor Sawyer had a little tummy flu and was cuddling with Mom all evening.  The Kraft Mac n Cheese went over well with all the kiddos and I think the adult food turned out well too.  Dusk decended fairly soon after everyone arrived, but the kiddos were still able to play for a bit in the yard.  Annie and Walter left just before dessert and the bedtime routines began shortly thereafter.  Somehow we fit all the Denton's into the guest room and the kiddos all went to bed easily - even Olivia.  Kev and I stayed up for a bit chatting with Keith and Lauren and then it was time to prep for the work week.

THIS WEEK
Well, I already mentioned the LASIK... and Olivia spent Wednesday home sick with me on my 'recovery' day, so it all worked out well. Delores and CHarlie came by to babysit a little so I could make my follow-up optometrist appointment and they brought the cutest little purse and sunglasses for O.
Today, Kiwi had her teeth cleaned (and 6 pulled) and Olivia was sent home early with a fever.  Kevin also is coming down with another cough!  By the time I arrived at home with Kiwi, Olivia was down to her diaper and looking a bit glazed.  She seemed better WEd night, but apparently not.  They said she was not interested in anything and not eating anything (didn't eat yesterday either).  All she wanted to do was cuddle with mommy.  So we spent some time together, and then went and cuddled in the gues room where she promptly fell asleep.  Poor little thing, at least she's drinking milk like crazy.  We just changed her diaper and she was fever spiking.  I'll be she's better tomorrow.  Kevin, I'm not so sure about.

FUN OLIVIA THINGS
- She's been fighting us when we undress AND when we dress her - "No!" features prominently.
- Loves the sandbox
- Makes an elephant trunk with her arm when you say "elephant"
- Does the "Beep beep" motion to "The wheels on the bus" song, and the "round and round" motion
- Teething and drooling everywhere
- I'll have to remember more.... it's late.

I'm behind on pics because dropbox is full.  I'll have to fix that this weekend and upload photos to smugmug!

This Sat we have music class and a playdate with Helen (Urgent Care friend) and her kiddos.  Sun I have a birthday party to attend....  all assuming there is good health.

Good night!
Kate