We didn't do much to celebrate our anniversary this year. On Saturday, we went to a wedding which was fun though the DJed music was too loud and we weren't very comfortable taking a sleeping Simone into the dance hall...so we didn't get to dance. Stepan was reminded on Friday by his boss that our anniversary was coming up. He brought me candy and flowers - two of my favorite things. I did a minimal amount of research and discovered that the 6th anniversary is either the Candy/Iron Anniversary (traditional) or the Wood Anniversary (modern). I made a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation and had some trees planted in Stepan's name at the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan. Maybe for our next anniversary (or sometime in the next 6 years) we can go visit Stepan's trees.
Magda had her first sleepover at Elizabeth's while we were at the wedding so we were Magda-free on the morning of our anniversary. We enjoyed a fabulous brunch at Fonda San Miguel. It was pricey, but tasty and enjoyable.
Magda and Simone both had doctor's appointments today. Since Magda's old pediatrician dropped our insurance, I had to find a new doctor for the kids. I'm very pleased with Jollyville Pediatrics. The office is bright and warm, the office staff is very nice, and the doctor, Evelyn Spencer, and her nurse, Shasta, are personable and great with kids.
Magda got rave reviews on all her developmental milestones. She's got great vision (so far), can do everything a 4 year old is suppose to be able to do, is in the 55th percentile for height, and the 48th percentile for weight. She almost made it through getting her shots without crying, but the FOURTH one put her over the edge. She got over it quickly and she really liked her silver, sparkly band aids.
Simone is absolutely thriving. She is in the 75th percentile for weight and at 23" is in the 74th percentile for height. She too can do everything that is appropriate for her age (tracking objects, lifting her head, smiling and responding to us (my personal favorite)). It was a heart breaker when she got her shots (3 sticks!!). We had her lying on the table and she was looking at my face and starting to smile. When she got the first shot, her eyes got really big. Then she took a deep breath, turned red in the face, and started to wail. She was not nearly as impressed with her silver, sparkly band aids as Magda was.
Stepan and I were also able to get our flu shots at the pediatricians. Stepan says his didn't hurt, but mine sure did! Magda held my hand to help me through it (Simone was nursing). I didn't cry (I was trying to set a good example), but it did hurt more than I expected it to. I think my tolerance for pain/discomfort is lessening as I get older. I did not get a silver, sparkly band aid - very disappointing!
This evening Magda and Stepan were baking the finger cookies for our upcoming Pumpkin Carving party. I was occupied in the back of the house when I hear Magda start to cry. It was pretty late (around 8pm) and we had been gone most of the day so I figured she was tired and possibly she was looking for me and couldn't find me. I make my way to the kitchen asking Stepan, "What's wrong with Magda?" only to find him trying to figure out how to untangle Magda's hair from the mixer...you know, the part you attach the beater to and put into the mixing bowl.
Magda had been leaning forward trying to push Rosy away from her feet (which were apparently getting thoroughly kissed) when her hair (which wasn't secured away from her face) got caught on the beater and pulled her in! Her hair was wound so tightly around the post the beater attaches to that the beater could not be removed. Stepan's first response was to wonder where the scissors were. I thought that was a bad idea. Stepan ended up forcing the beater to turn in the opposite direction, unwinding most of the hair so that we could remove the beater and free the rest of her hair.
Magda is getting pretty good at taking experiences like this and figuring out what to take away from them. She decided that next time she'll help Tata remember to put her hair back. I told her that now she knows she doesn't ever want to wind her hair around a mixer.