The Learning Week

This past week was pretty good. The heat became less scorching and instead of being 40+ degrees, it's been in the low 30's. Each of us experienced or learned something new in the last few days.

Now this was something that Carl learned last week, but I decided to include it in this week's blog. Carl learned not to go to the corner dentist, aka Mexican Chop Shop here in south Fresno.

Now you are probably wondering, how did Carl learn this? Let me elaborate. Before we left Canada, we all went to the dentist since we still had coverage. Three of the Heppner's had a cavity free report, but one Heppner did not. Carl was advised to get a filling before we left because 1) it would only get worse and in a few months might require a root canal and 2) our dentist knew that we wouldn't have coverage after the 31st of Aug. Carl decided that he wouldn't get the cavity filled in Winnipeg. And my response was, ARG. Well, our dentist was kind enough to give us a copy of the x-ray and explained what needed to be done. So if you're looking for a great honest dentist in the Winnipeg area, I would recommend Dr. Rattai.

Anyways, we got down to Fresno and with only 8 days of coverage, Carl had to quickly find a dentist to do the filling. You always get a bit leery of dentist offices that take walk-ins and have plenty of space in their appointment calendar; but the one on the corner of King's Canyon and Winery was the only place that Carl could book an appointment. He left at 10:30 and only returned home at 2:30. His first words out of his frozen, lopsided mouth were, "Kathy you were right, I should have gone in Winnipeg. It was awful, I'll NEVER go back there again". Yes, I was right.

Joel and Kezia went to preschool for the first time. Joel was a bit nervous about going and Kezia was excited. Their first morning was on Tuesday the 4th and they had such a great time. They will go from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Joel was thrilled that he learned all about the letter S and how to count in Spanish (though he told his teacher he could already count in Spanish). His teacher is Miss Arlene. Kezia got to paint apples and then cut them out. She had pizza for lunch and her teacher is Miss Danisha. The director said both of them adapted really well and participated in all the activities. We are very proud parents.

Asha learned how to coo this week. Up until now her usual sounds are when her diaper is wet or when she's hungry. It sounds like, "Why" and the tone is "Hey, is anyone listening to me?" She doesn't scream or wail. Anyways, her communication now includes girgles and ooohhhs in response to any attention. Joel and Kezia love it that she doesn't just stare at them blankly or give them a scowl. She is turning into a very entertaining little girl.

Kezia learned how to ride her bike. She finally got the hang of the pedals and can now join Joel, Soh, and Bryan on their little bike rides around the courtyard. She hasn't mastered watching where she is going and regularly crashes into plant pots, chairs or the picnic table.

Joel learned how to play checkers. We had bought him checkers a few months ago and thought this would be a good time to teach him. He really enjoys playing with Carl and is getting pretty strategic. Next will be chess...

And what did I learn this week? Well, I learned how to drive in Fresno. I went to Walmart all by myself and didn't even get lost. I went grocery shopping and maneuvered around a busy parking lot. I also went exploring in SE Fresno today with the kids looking for suitable parks to play at. I ended up at the Zoo, which I wasn't intending, but it turned out to be a place with a pretty nice playstructure. And I also managed to find the park where all the drug deals take place. I'll make a note of it on my map.

So even though Carl is in school, he's not the only one learning. Let's see what next week holds...