Experiencing the Outdoors

Karina taking a break from swimming
while watching her friends playing in the pool

Well, after a rather rocky end to the first two week session of swimming lessons (Karina was claiming to be scared and/or cold and refused to stay in the swimming pool a couple of days the last week of classes), we got back to the pool and had fun again and "graduated" from her class. She still had her moments where she would look for me and felt the need to come over towards me (and she still wouldn't let me leave the area to take a walk with Tommy), but she stopped getting out of the pool. Strangely enough, she never would agree to go to the lesson with Aunt Beth, but a big thanks to Grandma Heinrich for coming over to watch Tommy on Tuesday morning anyway!

I think Karina was able to enjoy the pool more this session because she got more of a chance to just hang out and meet some kids as well as having her cousin Elsa come to the pool one day.

Elsa at the swimming pool

Karina and one of the "community" mermaids left by
another kid at the swimming pool

Karina has always liked 'big" kids and there are plenty of those at the pool. Luckily for us, Karina met a girl named Anna who encouraged Karina to learn a helpful new skill...taking a shower. At the Village Club many of the older girls take a shower (with their suits on) after swimming during which they wash and condition their hair. Karina was so into this activity that one day last week she went to the showers on three separate occasions. Best of all Karina was brave enough to try coming in the shower with me. Granted she just sat on the floor while I took a shower, but she was in there having fun...until she accidentally got some of my soap in her eyes, but even then she weathered it well. We'll have to try it another day and actually wash something in the shower!

Another notable event was when Karina was outside with Grandma Heinrich, she got stung/bitten by something (Grandma said she never saw a bug...only the welts on her forehead) and had an impressive allergic reaction to it. She was bitten on Friday and then by Saturday, her forehead was swollen (I didn't get a photo, but she had lots of them taken because it was Aunt (to-be) Lisa's bridal shower in Appleton). Karina looked very pretty at the shower but I felt so badly that she had to meet so many people who didn't know that she didn't look like herself!

Karina on Sunday (two days after the bite)
with swollen forehead, eyebrow area and eyelids

See how puffed out her forehead is? Poor sweetheart!

On Monday her forehead was a little less swollen,
but look at the bridge of her nose...it actually extends to cover her eyes a little bit!

By Sunday her eyebrow area and eyelids had begun to swell also. And then by Monday, even her nose and the area under eyes began to swell. We finally broke down and bought some Clairitin for her and by Tuesday it was looking better. Luckily, it didn't really bother Karina at all... it was never itchy or painful. I still wonder what in the world bit her!

Mommy, Tommy and Karina at the Zoo...Tommy's first time!

The grandkids, Eric, Karina and Beka taking a little break at the Zoo

A few days later we went for our annual trip to the Zoo with Nana Bonnie and her friend, Jo and Jo's family, including her grandchildren. Unfortunately Karina had yet another run in with the natural world. The very first animals we visited were in the Aviary. Karina was excitedly running through the "rain forest" when a big bird hidden in a tree above her (the birds fly around free in this exhibit) pooped right on Karina's head and shoulder! This she did not like! It was very stinky and the odor did not dissipate even after I rinsed her off. Luckily it didn't bother her too much out in the fresh air and she was still able to have a great time with the rest of us.

Our beautiful Karina eating lunch

Karina's most recent experience was actually much more of an accident than the other things that have recently happened to her...and was also potentially much more dangerous! Gammy and Grampa (Mattern) closed on their new house, so Karina, Tommy and I went to visit. We had a nice time...Karina loves the ridiculously bright yellow bedroom upstairs and she had a lot of fun running around the empty house and back yard. Just as we were getting ready to go, Karina was apparently trying to "...roll the tube (toilet paper tube) down the stairs..." and ended up rolling herself down as well. I was outside with Grampa and Tommy and came in to find Karina at the bottom of the stairs (luckily padded and carpeted all the way down and at the base) with Gammy. Gammy was mortified and felt terrible, but it wasn't her fault. Although Karina was crying, she stopped quickly and in true Karina fashion ("I'm okay!") she actually thought she hadn't been very tough because she did cry. Amazingly, she complained that her ankle hurt a little when she first got out of the car at home (but never mentioned it again), and otherwise did not have a single scratch or bruise on her...thank God! For her first fall down the stairs, we were incredibly fortunate, and hopefully now there will not be a second fall!