One of my favorite things with small Heathens is their inability to pronounce certain words. Heathen #3 definitely takes the prize for this one. He listens so carefully when people pronounce things and he pays attention to pronunciation. Usually he does a fantastic job. He was one of the only toddlers I know (along with his brothers) who could pronounce onomatopoeia correctly!
I took a new job (actually two) in January. I joined the faculty at UPJ and at Penn Highlands as an adjunct instructor. So far, I'm loving it.
The best part is listening to Heathen #3 tell people that his mother is a "junk" professor. Despite many attempts and lots of practice on his part, it just does NOT come out as "adjunct." At least I know I have a unique position!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Christmas's Greatest Gift: 2010
 |
| Ozark Rhys Ulerich |
My brother, Rhys, and his wife, Michelle, received the world's greatest Christmas gift this year. Their first child, a son, was born shortly after lunch time on Christmas Day. I've never felt so far away from Texas as I did when I heard he was born. Congratulations to them and Ozark, welcome to the Zoo! You're automatically an honorary Heathen.
Christmas Pageant 2010
Everyone knows the traditional Christmas story. Everyone has seen a children's Christmas pageant at least once, if not MULTIPLE times.
Since I'm lucky enough to choose the pageant we do at our church, I decided to do something a little different. I found a play called Sleepover at the Stable and it was a pageant of talking animals!
Below are all my Sunday School kiddos in their costumes before the show started. They did a fantastic job!
Since I'm lucky enough to choose the pageant we do at our church, I decided to do something a little different. I found a play called Sleepover at the Stable and it was a pageant of talking animals!
Below are all my Sunday School kiddos in their costumes before the show started. They did a fantastic job!
 |
| The Reininger Girls |
 |
| The Livingston |
 |
| The Spontaks |
 |
| Mr. Thomas |
 |
| Ms. Miller |
 |
| Mr. Miller & Mr. Toth |
 |
| Heathens #2 and #3 |
 |
| The Updykes |
 |
| The Rices |
 |
| Mr. Gibbons |
 |
| The Jabers |
 |
| The Whole Ensemble! |
Christmas at the Zoo: 2010
The Heathens had a fabulous Christmas. Not only did they get everything they wanted, but they spent the time with as much family as we could pack into two houses.
 |
| Christmas Eve at Grammy B's House |
 |
| Christmas Eve at Grammy B's House |
 |
| Trinity Lutheran steeple on Christmas Eve |
 |
| Heathens #2 and #3 on the way home from Christmas Eve service |
 |
| Heathen #1 on the way home from Christmas Eve service |
 |
| Santa was here! |
 |
| Hurray for bean bags! |
 |
| The Asst. Zookeeper at 7 am on Christmas morning. :) |
 |
| Nina lived under the tree for the month it was up! |
 |
| The Heathens waiting for the green light... |
 |
| Heathen #1's X-Box... finally! |
 |
| Heathen #2 and his cupcake machine. |
 |
| Heathen #3 and one of his craft kits. |
 |
| Grandma and Pappy Miller got Heathen #3 his own kayak for Kinzua! |
 |
| Grandma and Pappy Miller got Heathen #1 a new bike! |
 |
| Heathen #2 received a new kayak for Kinzua from Grandma and Pappy Miller, too! |
Christmas: the Season of Stitches
On December 22, Heathen #3 asked if he could have an apple for a snack. Absolutely! I'm a big fan of fruit for snacks. Not only is it healthy, but the Heathens can all get their own fruit out of the refrigerator. He asked if I would cut it up, but I told him to just eat it whole.
At this point in the story, I was upstairs putting away laundry. 10 minutes later, Heathen #3 comes back upstairs and asked for a band-aid. When I asked why he needed one, I was presented with a thumb that OBVIOUSLY needed a few stitches! There had been no shriek, no scream, no crying, NO WARNING that I was going to be presented with this thumb.
As I wrapped his hand in a clean wash cloth and went into "Mom Mode" in preparation for heading to the ER, I asked how he had cut his thumb. Heathen #3 decided that he was going to cut his own apple!
Everyone reading, relax. He didn't touch a knife. He used one of those apple slicers that cores the apple and cuts it into section. The one I have is older that Heathen #2. One of the apple pieces got stuck in the slicer and he used his thumb to push it through. THUS the sliced thumb.
Heathen #3 has never had stitches before. The ER people were fantastic with him. Heathen #3 received 3 stitches in the tip of his thumb and he took them like a pro! He even managed to weasel a popsicle and orange juice out of the nurse. By the time they had him ready to leave, he looked like a burn victim!
On my second trip to the ER in less than a week, guess who I ran into: the same triage nurse, the same roon nurse, and the same doctor to do the stitches!!! Could I have been any more lucky? When we left the ER, Heathen #2 was also the proud owner of 3 stitches.
At the Zoo, we don't return to the doctor for them to remove the stitches. We have our own EMT (thank heavens). It is considered a rite of passage to have the Asst. Zookeeper remove the stitches at home. Before school started for the new year, Heathen #3 had joined the ranks and Heathen #2 had renewed his membership.
Heathen #3's Stitches Before Removal
Heathen #3's Stitches During Removal
Heathen #3 After Stitch Removal
Heathen #2's Stitches During Removal
Heathen #2 Taking Out His Own Stitches
Heathen #2 After Stitch Removal
Cookies with the Cousins
The hardest part of Christmas, in my humble opinion, has always been to find shopping or free time that is Heathen-free. The Heathens are ALWAYS around! In hopes of giving other the needed free time, I initiated "Cookies with Cousins" this December. The Heathens were joined by 5 additional small children for the afternoon, freeing up their mothers for some shopping time.
I decided that we were going to decorate sugar cookies. And like every true woman... I ORDERED them from the local Eat N'Park (without icing). I knew if I tried to make them myself, it would only be a huge disaster. I even cheated and purchased the colored icing instead of making it. I also had enough sprinkles of various types to keep all the little munchkins and Heathens happy!
After they each decorated their cookies, they headed to the basement to watch old Christmas movies. They had a great time that afternoon and were all on a complete sugar high when their mothers came to pick them up! Aunt Dani strikes again!
I decided that we were going to decorate sugar cookies. And like every true woman... I ORDERED them from the local Eat N'Park (without icing). I knew if I tried to make them myself, it would only be a huge disaster. I even cheated and purchased the colored icing instead of making it. I also had enough sprinkles of various types to keep all the little munchkins and Heathens happy!
After they each decorated their cookies, they headed to the basement to watch old Christmas movies. They had a great time that afternoon and were all on a complete sugar high when their mothers came to pick them up! Aunt Dani strikes again!
Baby What
Gertrude
Illy Grace
Heathen #3
Heathen #1
Heathen #2
Skinny Minnie
Breaking the Silence
I've had many mentions that the Zookeeper has been strangely quiet for the past few months. Several have voiced concerns that nothing was happening at the Zoo.
Have no fears, the chaos continues. I have a free morning and will attempt to fill in some of the holes since before Thanksgiving!
Have no fears, the chaos continues. I have a free morning and will attempt to fill in some of the holes since before Thanksgiving!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)