Susan's Giveness Blog

School Days

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:51:04 GMT

Raina started going to preschool 2 mornings a week this fall. She loves it! She really seems to thrive when she is busy with something new and exciting. She loves to learn and is always up for a challenge. She likes her teachers and is making lots of new friends. She is so happy that her best friend is also in her class. They play, sing songs, do art projects and have fun while learning. She really seems to be proud of her new independence and is gaining more confidence in herself. She's always been a social butterfly, but I've noticed her being even more outgoing lately. We are so proud of her.

Look who's talking!

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:36:14 GMT

Cash has been learning many new words over the past month. It's so exciting seeing such an expolsion in his vocabulary. Some of his new words are moon, cookie, flower, baby, bear, and block. Raina does a great job helping Cash learn new words. It's so cute how she cheers him on when he learns something new. Every day they are having more fun playing together. I love watching them both learn and grow.

Boulder County Fair

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:45:36 GMT

Yesterday Rick and I took the kids to the fair in town. We met our friend Helena and her two kids Liana and Noah. Everybody had a great time. The kids really enjoyed the little petting zoo. They seemed especially fascinated by a large turtle in the petting zoo. We got Raina and Liana ride wristbands so they could go on as many rides as they would like. They loved going on the rides together. This was Raina's first time on fair rides and she couldn't get enough of it! She said her favorite ride was the one with spaceships that went way up in the air and she and Liana were pretending they were going to Mars. Of course we had finish up the trip to the fair with getting the kids a special treat. Pink cotton candy!

Fun at the Zoo!

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:39:35 GMT

Raina, Cash and I recently went to the Denver Zoo with my cousin Alyssa and her baby Juni. It was so much fun! Raina absolutely loved it. It was a beautiful day to be at the zoo and we made it around the entire zoo and saw almost all of the animals. I forgot how amazing it is to see all of those beautiful animals so close up. I know Raina and Cash thought so too. As we were walking along, Raina saw the giraffes in the distance and yells, "Giraffes!" really loud, and went running as fast as she could to see them. Raina is 3 and that is a great age to fully enjoy a trip to the zoo. Cash is 1 and his favorite part of the zoo was seeing the colorful fish in the tropics building. Raina and Cash also really enjoyed riding on the carousel. After we got home, the moments Raina remembered the most were; seeing a polar bear doing a back float, watching a giraffe going pee, walking along the sidewalk with a peacock, and a parrot landing right on her foot! It was a wonderful day and I want to take the kids there again soon.

Great Grandpa's farm

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 03:23:43 GMT

Last weekend Raina and Cash got to visit their Great Grandpa's farm. We went on a road trip to Iowa with 2 of my sisters and my nephew. We all gathered for a large family reunion, my cousin's wedding reception, and to celebrate my great, great aunt's 100th birthday. I had decided to go last minute on this trip with the kids, and all togehter, it was a great weekend. There were so many relatives there that I have not seen in years. Many got to meet Raina and Cash for the first time. It's so wonderful to see how our family has grown and all the kids running around playing together. Relatives came from all over the country to get together at my Grandpa's farm in Iowa. Pretty amazing. Four days away from home, a 14 hour drive each way; with a one year old, a one and a half year old (nephew), and three year old ,definitely had it's difficult times, but honestly, just a day later, I only think of the good times. I feel so absolutely blessed to have such wonderful family and relatives and I am so happy that we were there to celebrate with everyone.

Norah Jones at Red Rocks

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 04:06:03 GMT

Last week Rick and I went to see Norah Jones play at Red Rocks. It was absolutely amazing. Not only was it great because Norah Jones is my favorite musician, but I could not imagine a more beautiful place to see a show. Listening to her flawless voice, surrounded by magestic Red Rocks, with moon shining upon us, made for a perfect night. I would definitely recommend seeing Norah Jones in concert and I would love to go to another show at Red Rocks again.

Party, Party, Party

Wed, 09 May 2007 04:41:57 GMT

Raina and Cash had a birthday party with all their little friends over. Everyone had lots of fun. Raina and Cash enjoyed their cake, and a game Raina received called "Elefun", was the hit of the party. Small butteflies fly out of an elephants trunk and the kids catch them with nets. Most of Raina's and Cash's friends are between the ages of one and four so it's definitely a rowdy little group. My question is, How do you throw a birthday party for a one-year old and a three-year old without a little chaos involved?

Cash is walking!

Tue, 08 May 2007 03:32:20 GMT

My goodness... alot can happen in one week. Cash turned 1 on April 28th. He had a very fun birthday. He was taking a couple steps here and there, and now the past couple days he has been almost walking across the room. It's amazing the developmental milestones that children go through during the first couple years. It is so fun to watch him figure out how to walk, while Raina, Rick and I cheer him on. Pretty soon he'll be chasing Raina around the house! She's going to love that. It's her favorite game.

Today is Earth Day!

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:04:51 GMT

Yesterday Raina and I participated in our neighborhood clean-up. I wasn't sure about bringing her along when I was helping pick up trash around our neighborhood but I'm very glad I did. She really seemed to learn a valuable lesson about taking care of our environment. Raina is almost three and she just seems to soak in new information like a sponge. I guess it's really never too early to start teaching our children to be responsible and to take care of our planet. During the clean-up and throughout the day she would tell me "People should not throw thier garbage outside," and "People should recycle." I am really proud of her and I definitely want to continue participating in acitivities like this with her.

Cash is almost 1!

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:14:18 GMT

I can't believe that Cash is almost one! His first birthday is one week from today! Our little baby is really growing up. This past year has flown by! I was really surprised how the days became so much more busy and full with two children. I feel so content and blessed with our wonderful family. I do feel a little emotional with his first birthday around the corner. I remember feeling the same way when Raina was turning one. Raina is now almost three! It is nice that Raina and Cash are close in age. They are really starting to have fun playing together. I treasure every moment being thier mom.

I love FREE shipping!

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:41:29 GMT

I love taking advantage of Amazon's FREE Super Saver shipping. If you purchase over $25 dollars of eligible products you recieve free shipping on those products. I was able to get free shipping on all of Cash and Raina's Christmas presents. Shopping through Giveness made my Christmas shopping so easy and I was happy that a percentage of my purchase went to my chosen fundraiser.

Spring Fever!

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 03:03:09 GMT

Spring is almost here! It was absolutely beautiful outside today. Sunny and 70 degrees. The kids and I spent a lot of time outside today. We played with some neighborhood friends and went to the park. Raina was so happy to wear her Crocs again. Cash loves exploring the outdoors while trying to put grass, leaves, rocks and sand in his mouth. We really appreciate this nice winter after the cold, snowy winter we've had.

to be a kid again

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:40:52 GMT

Today we went to McDonald's. Raina had a blast. It's great watching her climbing around the huge playland, and the look on her face when she saw her hot fudge sundae was priceless.