I can't believe this year is almost over. And what better way to end it than with the flu. Ugh. Not so good times, but I am over the hump and will go back to work tomorrow after missing 2 days. I am still a little sore but I think it was from the actual puking process.
I have had the girls home with me today and it was manageable. There were times when I wanted to crawl under my covers in my bed to get away from them, but I didn't. Like when Nadia was bouncing against the couch, or when Claire was yelling in my ear, or when they took over the TV. But then I remember the cards they bought me and signed with their cute penmanship, and the soft teddy bears they picked out and gave to me last night, and every thing's alright. It's not easy on anyone when Mommy's sick. The world sort of comes to a screeching halt as though nothing is capable of happening until said Mommy is healthy again. Why is that? I did manage to clean the kitchen (twice) today. Once from the normal kitchen clean up stuff, then again to pick up all of the play dough gadgets left from the girls. Of course that had to include sweeping up the little bits of dough that were all over the floor. I have a headache, but I really don't want to have to go upstairs to get the pills. I'm tired and crabby and Dion just sent a text that he is running almost an hour late. Fantastic. Good day to have him come home late.
But anyway, this year was kind of up and down for me. I am looking forward to starting a new year, with new hopes and such. I am hoping that I can get some energy back and enjoy things more than I did in 2010.
I have to stop for now, as I have four extra eyes looking over me and reading everything out loud, which may or may not be exasperating my headache. But it is kind of funny listening to my eldest trying to pronounce it. Repeatedly. Can't figure out why my head hurts....
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas Eve!
I think we are setting records in the amount of snow this year. Not too long ago we got about 20 inches, then added another 6 or so, then today added another 4 or 5. Snow snow snow! But that's ok. It is so beautiful outside, and rather peaceful. Which is good. Peaceful is good.
Work is going well. I am still exhausted by the end of the day, which I kind of hoped with even out by now. Not sure what is wrong with me, but it would be nice to be able to stay up past 9 or so again.
The kitchen is almost completed in our house, minus a few touches here and there. It's like being in a different house when we are in our kitchen. It is so nice and beautiful, and very easy to work in. The rest of the addition is coming together, but we still don't know when my mom will be able to move in. I think we are all looking forward to that day, as she hasn't been doing the best as of late. The pain meds barely take the edge off of her pain, and I will just feel safer when she is here and I am able to help her on a regular basis. I know she is looking forward to that too. She has developed an infection in her wound, and I blame the insurance company. They have messed around with getting her infusion approved, which was helping her so much before. They began by denying the medication in the infusion. Now they have approved that, but not the saline. The saline? Really?? I hope it gets straightened out soon so she can get back to the job of healing. Ugh. It's frustrating. More so for her, but frustrating to watch.
Tonight we will do the 5th annual reading of The Night Before Christmas. After the story is done, we always hear Santa's bells outside so the girls know they should get to bed so Santa will come. Works out nice....
Other than that, it has been a day of staying in our pj's, not doing a whole lot of anything. Sounds perfect to me.
Work is going well. I am still exhausted by the end of the day, which I kind of hoped with even out by now. Not sure what is wrong with me, but it would be nice to be able to stay up past 9 or so again.
The kitchen is almost completed in our house, minus a few touches here and there. It's like being in a different house when we are in our kitchen. It is so nice and beautiful, and very easy to work in. The rest of the addition is coming together, but we still don't know when my mom will be able to move in. I think we are all looking forward to that day, as she hasn't been doing the best as of late. The pain meds barely take the edge off of her pain, and I will just feel safer when she is here and I am able to help her on a regular basis. I know she is looking forward to that too. She has developed an infection in her wound, and I blame the insurance company. They have messed around with getting her infusion approved, which was helping her so much before. They began by denying the medication in the infusion. Now they have approved that, but not the saline. The saline? Really?? I hope it gets straightened out soon so she can get back to the job of healing. Ugh. It's frustrating. More so for her, but frustrating to watch.
Tonight we will do the 5th annual reading of The Night Before Christmas. After the story is done, we always hear Santa's bells outside so the girls know they should get to bed so Santa will come. Works out nice....
Other than that, it has been a day of staying in our pj's, not doing a whole lot of anything. Sounds perfect to me.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
By Request of Some
I have made a change. I had my blog set to private so I could write what I wanted/needed to write. I have decided to change it back to public, but have taken a bunch of posts and set them as drafts so they will be mine and mine alone. This way I can still write what I want to write, and keep them private. So, here I am with a lot to catch up on...
We put Sammie down this fall. She was 13 years old and life was getting hard for her. There was no way that I was going to wait until she was unable to get around and in a lot of pain. I held her after her sedative for a while, smelling her fur, feeling her soft ears, creating memories. Then she was gone. It was a sad day. Very sad. After a few days of being a dog empty house, I began the search for another canine friend. It was needed. Our house was empty. Then I found Jenny. She is a Blue Heeler mixed with maybe some rottie, not sure though. She is 6 years old, and in the few months we have had her, she has become our friend, protector, jester, and companion. She stays with us without having to be on a lead, she listens, she plays with all her toys, she is perfect. I couldn't ask for a better dog.
We are still working on the whole house addition for my mom. Right now the kitchen is being out together. Which is a good thing since Dion's family is coming for the faux Christmas on Thursday. As of right now, we have cabinets. By Wednesday we will have counters, a floor, and appliances. Hopefully. It has been very stressful trying to figure out if this is all going to come together in time. Keeping in mind that all of our previous kitchen stuff is located in our living room. All of it. We have a chest freezer underneath our picture window. we have our old cabinets holding up our microwave which is located right next our recliner. Convenient, really. The fridge is next to the computer, which makes for easy drinking accessibility. Wait, maybe we should keep our kitchen in our living room....
Work is going well. It is exhausting at times, but is going well. I have ten 4-5 year olds which offer entertainment daily. I have them from 7:45-3:45pm. I guess there's a reason I am so tired at night. My boss has given me many compliments, which is nice to hear, and the kids seems to have fun in class.
We got dumped on in the last couple days. About 18 inches of snow. It was so pretty to watch and I was glad we didn't have to go anywhere. Today, on the other hand, feel like we live at the South Pole. The wind chill may get to -30 today. -30!! That's not humane at all! And now the girls can't play outside in all of the fantastic snow!
My mom has been up and down with her health. A few weeks ago I had to call an ambulance for her. I got to her house and she was in so much pain that the home health care nurse suggested I take her in. I didn't feel like I could get her down the stairs by myself so I had to call for help. They gave her morphine during the ride and that helped her a lot. She now has some pain patches and those help too. I am really looking forward to her being here so I can get to her quick and help her fast if needed. I can't count how many times I have gone over to her house because I couldn't get a hold of her. Now I will just go up some stairs.
Ok, I think I have bombarded enough. More to come, at some point.
We put Sammie down this fall. She was 13 years old and life was getting hard for her. There was no way that I was going to wait until she was unable to get around and in a lot of pain. I held her after her sedative for a while, smelling her fur, feeling her soft ears, creating memories. Then she was gone. It was a sad day. Very sad. After a few days of being a dog empty house, I began the search for another canine friend. It was needed. Our house was empty. Then I found Jenny. She is a Blue Heeler mixed with maybe some rottie, not sure though. She is 6 years old, and in the few months we have had her, she has become our friend, protector, jester, and companion. She stays with us without having to be on a lead, she listens, she plays with all her toys, she is perfect. I couldn't ask for a better dog.
We are still working on the whole house addition for my mom. Right now the kitchen is being out together. Which is a good thing since Dion's family is coming for the faux Christmas on Thursday. As of right now, we have cabinets. By Wednesday we will have counters, a floor, and appliances. Hopefully. It has been very stressful trying to figure out if this is all going to come together in time. Keeping in mind that all of our previous kitchen stuff is located in our living room. All of it. We have a chest freezer underneath our picture window. we have our old cabinets holding up our microwave which is located right next our recliner. Convenient, really. The fridge is next to the computer, which makes for easy drinking accessibility. Wait, maybe we should keep our kitchen in our living room....
Work is going well. It is exhausting at times, but is going well. I have ten 4-5 year olds which offer entertainment daily. I have them from 7:45-3:45pm. I guess there's a reason I am so tired at night. My boss has given me many compliments, which is nice to hear, and the kids seems to have fun in class.
We got dumped on in the last couple days. About 18 inches of snow. It was so pretty to watch and I was glad we didn't have to go anywhere. Today, on the other hand, feel like we live at the South Pole. The wind chill may get to -30 today. -30!! That's not humane at all! And now the girls can't play outside in all of the fantastic snow!
My mom has been up and down with her health. A few weeks ago I had to call an ambulance for her. I got to her house and she was in so much pain that the home health care nurse suggested I take her in. I didn't feel like I could get her down the stairs by myself so I had to call for help. They gave her morphine during the ride and that helped her a lot. She now has some pain patches and those help too. I am really looking forward to her being here so I can get to her quick and help her fast if needed. I can't count how many times I have gone over to her house because I couldn't get a hold of her. Now I will just go up some stairs.
Ok, I think I have bombarded enough. More to come, at some point.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Summer is Coming to an End
Today was a reminder of the fact that summer will be over soon. The weather was so wonderful, a nice break from the horrible humidity we have been having over the last 2 weeks or so. We actually opened up the windows and filled the house with fresh air. Complete sweetness.
Today was my first paid photo shoot of a little girl named Claire. If you look at the top of my page you will see my Flickr pictures, and that is her. She is such a little doll! She was adopted by my friends, and they are anxiously awaiting bringing home Ian next month. He is 8 months younger than Claire. They will be busy busy people. But it was awesome to catch up with Vicki, it's been years since we have seen each other. Well, minus talking on Facebook. She is one of my camp friends, and there's nothing like camp friends!
School is starting next month, and all the supplies are purchased. However, I have to go back to work in 2 weeks, so unbeknownst to my kids, they will have to go back to daycare in 2 weeks as well. I'm keeping that on the down low for now. I know how that is going to play out and it is not going to be pretty. I have enjoyed most of the summer with them, but I am looking forward to having more adult time once I am back in the work force.
Next weekend is my mom's estate sale. All this week is going to be devoted to getting ready for that, starting with getting an ad in the paper tomorrow. My mom asked me to write that up, so I will do it tonight and call in the morning. These sales are a lot of work, and I hope it pays off for her.
We had the cancer walk on Friday. Our team raised $4115 for the event and the rain stayed away, and I am still waiting on the grand total, but I know it is over $140,000. What an event! Our town is one of the highest per capita money raisers for Relay for Life. We are proud. Again, thank you to those who donated to me for this wonderful event. It couldn't happen without you.
I'm thinking of my dad this week as it marks the 2nd anniversary of his death. It's a challenging time of the year as I fight back the thoughts of watching him die. I find myself looking to him for advise, missing what he would offer. We will be going up to the cemetery on Tuesday. The last time we were there the girls had colored pictures for him and we slipped them into his niche. They miss him a lot, and we often talk about death and God and heaven. But mostly we talk about the memories we have of him, and think about ways that we can remember him. It's going to be a rough week. But we will get by. We always do.
Today was my first paid photo shoot of a little girl named Claire. If you look at the top of my page you will see my Flickr pictures, and that is her. She is such a little doll! She was adopted by my friends, and they are anxiously awaiting bringing home Ian next month. He is 8 months younger than Claire. They will be busy busy people. But it was awesome to catch up with Vicki, it's been years since we have seen each other. Well, minus talking on Facebook. She is one of my camp friends, and there's nothing like camp friends!
School is starting next month, and all the supplies are purchased. However, I have to go back to work in 2 weeks, so unbeknownst to my kids, they will have to go back to daycare in 2 weeks as well. I'm keeping that on the down low for now. I know how that is going to play out and it is not going to be pretty. I have enjoyed most of the summer with them, but I am looking forward to having more adult time once I am back in the work force.
Next weekend is my mom's estate sale. All this week is going to be devoted to getting ready for that, starting with getting an ad in the paper tomorrow. My mom asked me to write that up, so I will do it tonight and call in the morning. These sales are a lot of work, and I hope it pays off for her.
We had the cancer walk on Friday. Our team raised $4115 for the event and the rain stayed away, and I am still waiting on the grand total, but I know it is over $140,000. What an event! Our town is one of the highest per capita money raisers for Relay for Life. We are proud. Again, thank you to those who donated to me for this wonderful event. It couldn't happen without you.
I'm thinking of my dad this week as it marks the 2nd anniversary of his death. It's a challenging time of the year as I fight back the thoughts of watching him die. I find myself looking to him for advise, missing what he would offer. We will be going up to the cemetery on Tuesday. The last time we were there the girls had colored pictures for him and we slipped them into his niche. They miss him a lot, and we often talk about death and God and heaven. But mostly we talk about the memories we have of him, and think about ways that we can remember him. It's going to be a rough week. But we will get by. We always do.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Heat! Oh My God, the HEAT!
Do you remember that episode from Seinfeld when Elaine is talking about hell and how hot it is there? That is how it is here. It is unbearable outside, even for a few minutes. I am not sure how Kay works on the addition in this heat, but day after day, he is here, working, sweating, drinking water and sweating some more. Today he is getting the wrap around the outside with the goal of getting the windows put in this week. That man is a machine and we are so very lucky to have him. I know I say it all of the time, but it is true. I have never met someone like Kay, and most likely never will. Lucky. That's what we are.
We have the cancer walk this Friday. I'm not sure where our team is at as far as total money raised, but I think we are over $3000. I have another $60 to take in that I have gotten since bank night, and I think Dion has another $250. Sweet. Of course this year they are saying that we are going to get rain (for the 3rd straight year in a row!!), possibly some strong storms. I don't mind walking or hanging out in the rain. What bothers me is the fact that the bags with all the names on them get ruined. That is almost a heartbreak to see. But, we have to remember the goal of the night. And I am looking forward to it, rain, or no rain.
We are refinancing our house to take advantage of the lower interest rate. We had an appraiser come through yesterday, so the days prior to were spent cleaning and organizing, and dang, the house was spot on! It actually echos a little bit in the living room. And now the goal....to keep it this way. However, I can hear four kids upstairs who might make it a little bit of a challenge.
After the appraisal was over yesterday we went out on the river with our friends and docked at a beach about a half hour away, and relaxed. It was wonderful! Just wading in and out of the water, watching the kids play in the sand. It was just what I needed after a couple of stressful weeks. Next week will not be much better as we get ready for my mom's estate sale. Way too much to do.
But, on an exciting note, I am going to the cities on Sunday to take some pictures of a friend's daughter. I hope it goes ok as I am not 100% confident of my abilities. I will see if I can get permission to put them on Flickr so if you would like to see them you can.
Speaking of, I have a few that I need to add to the site while I am thinking of it.
We have the cancer walk this Friday. I'm not sure where our team is at as far as total money raised, but I think we are over $3000. I have another $60 to take in that I have gotten since bank night, and I think Dion has another $250. Sweet. Of course this year they are saying that we are going to get rain (for the 3rd straight year in a row!!), possibly some strong storms. I don't mind walking or hanging out in the rain. What bothers me is the fact that the bags with all the names on them get ruined. That is almost a heartbreak to see. But, we have to remember the goal of the night. And I am looking forward to it, rain, or no rain.
We are refinancing our house to take advantage of the lower interest rate. We had an appraiser come through yesterday, so the days prior to were spent cleaning and organizing, and dang, the house was spot on! It actually echos a little bit in the living room. And now the goal....to keep it this way. However, I can hear four kids upstairs who might make it a little bit of a challenge.
After the appraisal was over yesterday we went out on the river with our friends and docked at a beach about a half hour away, and relaxed. It was wonderful! Just wading in and out of the water, watching the kids play in the sand. It was just what I needed after a couple of stressful weeks. Next week will not be much better as we get ready for my mom's estate sale. Way too much to do.
But, on an exciting note, I am going to the cities on Sunday to take some pictures of a friend's daughter. I hope it goes ok as I am not 100% confident of my abilities. I will see if I can get permission to put them on Flickr so if you would like to see them you can.
Speaking of, I have a few that I need to add to the site while I am thinking of it.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Shuffle...Please Help
It's that time again folks. Actually, I am running a bit behind, so you must forgive my urgency. The cancer walk is just around the corner, and like previous years, we are walking it. However, I am in need of some donations to keep our team going. It's a flat donation, nothing by the mile or hour, just whatever you may feel comfortable giving. $5, $10, $20, $100. I do have to say though, that if you are interested in purchasing a luminaria, they are $10, but that can be included in your donation. So say you wanted to honor/remember 3 people and you are donating $50. Then $30 of the donation would come out of the $50. Get it? It's kind of a tricky thing to explain at times, so I hope I did it justice.
Anyway, most of us have been touched by cancer one way or another. You have, simply by reading this blog and knowing that I was diagnosed 6 years ago with breast cancer, and 2 years ago my dad died of Lymphoma. But I am sure you could count on your hands many times over other that have been fighting the cancer battle. And how is it possible for the battle to be fought? By the American Cancer Society. AKA: The Shuffle. We have been walking The Shuffle for the past 9 years, raising money for a good cause that at the time we didn't know we would need.
Please help us help others.....write me at flaskafive@yahoo.com if you are interested in donating. I will email you my home address and together we can help those who really really need it. You guys are the best!
Anyway, most of us have been touched by cancer one way or another. You have, simply by reading this blog and knowing that I was diagnosed 6 years ago with breast cancer, and 2 years ago my dad died of Lymphoma. But I am sure you could count on your hands many times over other that have been fighting the cancer battle. And how is it possible for the battle to be fought? By the American Cancer Society. AKA: The Shuffle. We have been walking The Shuffle for the past 9 years, raising money for a good cause that at the time we didn't know we would need.
Please help us help others.....write me at flaskafive@yahoo.com if you are interested in donating. I will email you my home address and together we can help those who really really need it. You guys are the best!
The Deadliest Catch
I'm not sure why I have such an obsession about the death of Phil. I watch these tough men weep at the lost of their friend, and I weep with them. I can't get enough of the show. The one we watched last night had to do with a documentary of the men who document the crabbers. Ironic sort of. But it was good. To watch Phil write when he couldn't talk that there has to be an end....ugh.....he was such a decent guy. I know that I am acting like I knew him personally, which I didn't, but I just really liked him. He worked side by side with his kids, and demanded that they worked to their highest capability. They didn't get breaks because they were his kids. But you could see how much he loved them, and they him. I wonder what the show is going to be like next season.
We miss you Phil. A lot.
We miss you Phil. A lot.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
I Never Could Juggle
I am finding myself getting more and more stressed as time goes on. I sat on the couch a few days ago, wondering how I was going to get everything done that needs to get done. Ironically, on my Laundry List, was laundry. It never ends. Never. It just grows and grows, until one day the laundry room explodes and I have no choice but to do 500 loads of laundry. And that's not even the worst part. Putting it away is another story. But, after tonight, I am happy to say that once again I can see the floor of the laundry room. For now.
I am feeling the pressure of getting stuff done around here and at my mom's house. My sister and I have been the ones packing things up and moving them to storage. My mom gets emotional because she is unable to help. I keep telling her that I can't do what I am doing without her there to direct me on what stays and what goes. And there's a lot of stuff. I spent time in the garage, finding all of the things my dad had stored away.....like 6 of the same screw driver set. And tools I have never seen before. And holiday decorations. Many of them. My dad loved the holidays for the simple reason that he loved to decorate. Halloween was his favorite.
Most of the plywood on the addition is on the addition. unfortunately, there is a section over the existing house that needed a tarp on it. We had strong rain today, and part of the tarp was blown off. That area is located in the laundry room. Hence the laundry getting done today. It got a little wet.
Yesterday I got the dumpster loaded with old siding and other junk ripped off of the house. It was dirty work, but here's how I feel about that. I was sweating. A lot. But I loved it. I love the feel of sweat rolling down my face. It is the sign of a honest, hard day of work. If I could have a job where I did stuff like that all day, not only would I be skinny from sweating all day, but the pain would feel so good. Odd, I know. I need to get back to the gym.
Tomorrow is the last day of the basketball camp the girls are attending. Day one was a challenge. Claire wanted to quit. I wouldn't let her. She wants to take gymnastics (again...she quit that about 2 years ago), but I told her that if she couldn't finish the commitment of basketball, she could not sign up for gymnastics (again...reminder, she quit the first time). It was a rough first day, but she stuck with it, and is actually having a good time. Today she made 8 shots in one minute. Nadia made 3....she is pretty short so the distance to the basket is so high for her. She was happy though, since she only got one yesterday. I originally thought I would take those 2 hours they were at basketball for myself. To do whatever I wanted. Go where ever I wanted. Just me. Alone. Except for the fact that I love to watch them play. I sit in the gym for the 2 hours they are there, and watch, and beam with pride. I can't help myself. It's just that I enjoy watching them play, more than having time to myself.
So that is that. I am getting tired, and to be honest, Wipeout is playing on DVR and well, that show is awesome. Good night, and big balls (if you watch Wipeout, you had to see that coming, right?).
I am feeling the pressure of getting stuff done around here and at my mom's house. My sister and I have been the ones packing things up and moving them to storage. My mom gets emotional because she is unable to help. I keep telling her that I can't do what I am doing without her there to direct me on what stays and what goes. And there's a lot of stuff. I spent time in the garage, finding all of the things my dad had stored away.....like 6 of the same screw driver set. And tools I have never seen before. And holiday decorations. Many of them. My dad loved the holidays for the simple reason that he loved to decorate. Halloween was his favorite.
Most of the plywood on the addition is on the addition. unfortunately, there is a section over the existing house that needed a tarp on it. We had strong rain today, and part of the tarp was blown off. That area is located in the laundry room. Hence the laundry getting done today. It got a little wet.
Yesterday I got the dumpster loaded with old siding and other junk ripped off of the house. It was dirty work, but here's how I feel about that. I was sweating. A lot. But I loved it. I love the feel of sweat rolling down my face. It is the sign of a honest, hard day of work. If I could have a job where I did stuff like that all day, not only would I be skinny from sweating all day, but the pain would feel so good. Odd, I know. I need to get back to the gym.
Tomorrow is the last day of the basketball camp the girls are attending. Day one was a challenge. Claire wanted to quit. I wouldn't let her. She wants to take gymnastics (again...she quit that about 2 years ago), but I told her that if she couldn't finish the commitment of basketball, she could not sign up for gymnastics (again...reminder, she quit the first time). It was a rough first day, but she stuck with it, and is actually having a good time. Today she made 8 shots in one minute. Nadia made 3....she is pretty short so the distance to the basket is so high for her. She was happy though, since she only got one yesterday. I originally thought I would take those 2 hours they were at basketball for myself. To do whatever I wanted. Go where ever I wanted. Just me. Alone. Except for the fact that I love to watch them play. I sit in the gym for the 2 hours they are there, and watch, and beam with pride. I can't help myself. It's just that I enjoy watching them play, more than having time to myself.
So that is that. I am getting tired, and to be honest, Wipeout is playing on DVR and well, that show is awesome. Good night, and big balls (if you watch Wipeout, you had to see that coming, right?).
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Fran
It had been a while since I had been to Fran's blog, I am embarrassed to say. Fran was called to heaven last month. Please keep her friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.
She was a fellow breast cancer kid, and it's wrong in so many ways.
So many.
She was a fellow breast cancer kid, and it's wrong in so many ways.
So many.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Volcanos!
Yesterday we went to a wedding of a friend of ours who works at the same company as Dion. It was beautiful. I was talking to another friend there and we discussed that after getting married, going to weddings has a whole new meaning. And it does.
We also talked about the coveted Vegas trip. When we went on our honeymoon, we stayed at the Treasure Island hotel, which was awesome, but next door to us was the Vegas Mirage Hotel. If you have never seen the volcano erupt, you certainly must, and can do so here. The way they were able to set up the lighting and water is so cool! I am so pumped to see it again, but this time take my super awesome camera to take super awesome pictures. They also play music and the water shoots in the sir to the beat. It's so neat! I can hardly wait to see it again. It's pure magic.
The Mirage is a pretty cool place to hang out and hopefully we will be able to. There's so much that I want to see and do, but have to remember that we will only be there for a few days. Being that it is a work trip, we have some things that we have to attend for Dion's work, but who could complain about that? MAN! I wish it were sooner! I have never been good at waiting.
So, while we are there, does anyone have any other suggestions of things we have to see? I know I want to go to the pawn store from Pawn Stars.....I HAVE to meet Old Man and Chumly. HAVE to!! Dion said he won't stand in line with me, so looks like I'm flying solo for that, but dude....totally worth it!
We also talked about the coveted Vegas trip. When we went on our honeymoon, we stayed at the Treasure Island hotel, which was awesome, but next door to us was the Vegas Mirage Hotel. If you have never seen the volcano erupt, you certainly must, and can do so here. The way they were able to set up the lighting and water is so cool! I am so pumped to see it again, but this time take my super awesome camera to take super awesome pictures. They also play music and the water shoots in the sir to the beat. It's so neat! I can hardly wait to see it again. It's pure magic.
The Mirage is a pretty cool place to hang out and hopefully we will be able to. There's so much that I want to see and do, but have to remember that we will only be there for a few days. Being that it is a work trip, we have some things that we have to attend for Dion's work, but who could complain about that? MAN! I wish it were sooner! I have never been good at waiting.
So, while we are there, does anyone have any other suggestions of things we have to see? I know I want to go to the pawn store from Pawn Stars.....I HAVE to meet Old Man and Chumly. HAVE to!! Dion said he won't stand in line with me, so looks like I'm flying solo for that, but dude....totally worth it!
Friday, July 09, 2010
It Makes Me Giggle....
....that my mom has a Facebook account. Not sure why, but it does. So find her and ask to be her friend! She will get a kick out of it.
So on the agenda today was moving ceiling tresses from the top of our driveway to the bottom. Ugh. I am a tad sore, but we got the job done. The addition is looking pretty awesome. If you're friends with me on Facebook, go take a look in the mobile uploads.
The past few weeks have been about friends and family. I took the girls to my brother and sister-in-laws house. That was about a 6 hour endeavour, including a stop to eat. From there we went to a college friend's house and hung out for the night. It was fun to watch our kids play together for the first time. They all got along really well, which was cool. From there we went to my college roommate's house for the night. Again, a good time. We got back on a Thursday, and were supposed to head to Hayward WI for a little R & R at the company cabins. Claire had a 105 temp in the early early morning. Dion took her in. They tested for strep and mono, negative for both. It was a virus. We didn't go. We held off for a day to see if she got better, and she did enough to go. It was great. The girls went inner tubing for the first time. I sat in the back of the boat, clenching onto one child, watching the other in the water like a hawk. Nadia's saying the whole time?
"FASTER!"
She loved it. Claire liked it, but Nadia loved it. But, at 4 in the morning, the day we were to leave, Nadia was up with a 104 temp. Same thing. A virus. We went home, and shortly there after, Dion had the same thing. I have survived...so far. Fingers are crossed.
Ok, I am watching After the Catch our of the corner of my eye. I have seen this one already, but Phil dying this year has really affected me. It's almost an obsession. I love Catch, and it will never be the same again. So, instead of watching out of the corner of my eye, I will give in and turn off the puter and watch. RIP Phil.
So on the agenda today was moving ceiling tresses from the top of our driveway to the bottom. Ugh. I am a tad sore, but we got the job done. The addition is looking pretty awesome. If you're friends with me on Facebook, go take a look in the mobile uploads.
The past few weeks have been about friends and family. I took the girls to my brother and sister-in-laws house. That was about a 6 hour endeavour, including a stop to eat. From there we went to a college friend's house and hung out for the night. It was fun to watch our kids play together for the first time. They all got along really well, which was cool. From there we went to my college roommate's house for the night. Again, a good time. We got back on a Thursday, and were supposed to head to Hayward WI for a little R & R at the company cabins. Claire had a 105 temp in the early early morning. Dion took her in. They tested for strep and mono, negative for both. It was a virus. We didn't go. We held off for a day to see if she got better, and she did enough to go. It was great. The girls went inner tubing for the first time. I sat in the back of the boat, clenching onto one child, watching the other in the water like a hawk. Nadia's saying the whole time?
"FASTER!"
She loved it. Claire liked it, but Nadia loved it. But, at 4 in the morning, the day we were to leave, Nadia was up with a 104 temp. Same thing. A virus. We went home, and shortly there after, Dion had the same thing. I have survived...so far. Fingers are crossed.
Ok, I am watching After the Catch our of the corner of my eye. I have seen this one already, but Phil dying this year has really affected me. It's almost an obsession. I love Catch, and it will never be the same again. So, instead of watching out of the corner of my eye, I will give in and turn off the puter and watch. RIP Phil.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Some Fun Changes
Did you see? Did you see? I found a little time to mess around with my blog and make some changes! Unfortunately, I somehow managed to lose the tickers for the girls and my marriage. Might have to work on that to get them back. But I do like the design, and the fact that there is a link to my Flickr page. Sweet.
One more thing, a while back I wrote about how stem cells are able to be harvested from adults. One of my high school friends who has the type of cancer my dad had, recently was given a stem cell transplant from her brother. Thank God for technology....prayers that the transplant worked.
Ok, off to make more changes to the blog.
One more thing, a while back I wrote about how stem cells are able to be harvested from adults. One of my high school friends who has the type of cancer my dad had, recently was given a stem cell transplant from her brother. Thank God for technology....prayers that the transplant worked.
Ok, off to make more changes to the blog.
And Then it Was July
Wow....hey June.....where did you go? I can't believe that it's July already! Of course, the weather feels like July. It is hot today! My in-laws have been doing a road trip of sorts, and sent Dion a text saying that it was over 100 degrees in Vegas while they were there. Now THAT is hot. Speaking of Vegas, it will be in a mere 9 months or so that Dion and I will be going. I told him I want to take a trinket to the pawn shop featured in Pawn Stars. How awesome would that be?!?
When Dion and I were in Vegas for our honeymoon, we had a lone $10 bill after winning a little and we decided to put it in a $5 machine. We spun once...lost. We spun again, won $10. We spun again....lost. Hmmm. We spun for a last time.....won $100. Cash out. Thank you very much Vegas. Of course they are coming up with more and more online casinos if you prefer them. From what I have seen you can go to Online Casino Pedia which has all there is to know about online casinos. So if you're into that, then you may want to read up on the Top 10 online casinos just as an FYI. Always good to do some research on things before you do them.
A popular place to visit on the Online Casino Pedia is at the Casino King. I peaked around on there, but also found this video that shows some of the games available. It was pretty cool to see how the games work, and if nothing else, enjoy the music that accompanies it. I felt like I should have been in a spa, the music was so relaxing.
Anyway, I am pretty pumped about going to Vegas. I am sure it has changed a lot since we were there...it always is changing. Dion doesn't like to play the games like I do, but maybe I can talk him into slipping a $10 bill into a $5 machine again. Maybe we will cash out another $100. Or maybe not. It is called gambling after all.....
When Dion and I were in Vegas for our honeymoon, we had a lone $10 bill after winning a little and we decided to put it in a $5 machine. We spun once...lost. We spun again, won $10. We spun again....lost. Hmmm. We spun for a last time.....won $100. Cash out. Thank you very much Vegas. Of course they are coming up with more and more online casinos if you prefer them. From what I have seen you can go to Online Casino Pedia which has all there is to know about online casinos. So if you're into that, then you may want to read up on the Top 10 online casinos just as an FYI. Always good to do some research on things before you do them.
A popular place to visit on the Online Casino Pedia is at the Casino King. I peaked around on there, but also found this video that shows some of the games available. It was pretty cool to see how the games work, and if nothing else, enjoy the music that accompanies it. I felt like I should have been in a spa, the music was so relaxing.
Anyway, I am pretty pumped about going to Vegas. I am sure it has changed a lot since we were there...it always is changing. Dion doesn't like to play the games like I do, but maybe I can talk him into slipping a $10 bill into a $5 machine again. Maybe we will cash out another $100. Or maybe not. It is called gambling after all.....
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Is This Heaven?
That is what Nadia asked me when we got to the top of the hill of the cemetery that my dad is in. She is such a thinker. What led up to us going to the cemetery was last night. I spent about an hour or so at bed time (well, past bed time) trying to comfort my crying daughters who miss my dad. The conversation went up, down, and all around. At one point, Nadia had a complete look of confusion while crying asking,
"How can there be people who do not believe in God? He made them! How can they not love Him?
She was so confused and sad. Claire asked me if after grandpa got to heaven, could he die again? They both pulled the 8 X 10 pictures they have of them and their grandpa off of the dressers and put them in bed with them. It was pretty much a heartbreaking night.
It's hard to believe that he died almost 2 years ago. I have very little memories of that summer. And the memories I have are mostly of him and how his body began to fail him. One night I drove to Rochester to hang out with him in the hospital. He acted mad that I drove an hour to sit in the room with him, but we talked more that night than probably our whole relationship. I asked questions and listened to his answers, not wanting to leave, but knowing I had a family at home who needed me too. I stayed there about 2 hours.
I remember the feeling of when he was cancer free and the horrible feeling shortly there after when the cancer was back in full force taking over his body. And as Forrest Gump would say,
"And that's all I got to say about that."
Damn it cancer! Get out of my life!
"How can there be people who do not believe in God? He made them! How can they not love Him?
She was so confused and sad. Claire asked me if after grandpa got to heaven, could he die again? They both pulled the 8 X 10 pictures they have of them and their grandpa off of the dressers and put them in bed with them. It was pretty much a heartbreaking night.
It's hard to believe that he died almost 2 years ago. I have very little memories of that summer. And the memories I have are mostly of him and how his body began to fail him. One night I drove to Rochester to hang out with him in the hospital. He acted mad that I drove an hour to sit in the room with him, but we talked more that night than probably our whole relationship. I asked questions and listened to his answers, not wanting to leave, but knowing I had a family at home who needed me too. I stayed there about 2 hours.
I remember the feeling of when he was cancer free and the horrible feeling shortly there after when the cancer was back in full force taking over his body. And as Forrest Gump would say,
"And that's all I got to say about that."
Damn it cancer! Get out of my life!
Monday, June 07, 2010
Day One? Survived.
The first official day of summer with the girls is about over and we all have survived. Yay! Today was packed full of not much of anything. I did make a hair wrap for each of the girls, which they seem to like for now. We played outside, went swimming in our friends pool, watched some quality movies like Winnie the Pooh, and played outside some more. I was going to go to my mom's, but I decided that the first day home would be just that.
I am noticing that the summer is rapidly filling up with things to do and places to go. That seems to happen every year. It's not a bad thing, it just is what it is.
I say the day is almost done because as I type this, out of the corner of my eye I see a little 6 year old girl who is trying to take a stand against going to bed. They are having trouble understanding that while they don't have school in the morning, they can't stay up all night. I think she just made her way over to the stairs. She has been a handful as of late, getting that little kindergartner attitude. And just ask either of my girls....I know nothing. They will ask me a question, to which I answer, and then they proceed to tell me that I am wrong. Oh how I don't long for the teen age years.
And now to go give kisses and hugs good night.....
I am noticing that the summer is rapidly filling up with things to do and places to go. That seems to happen every year. It's not a bad thing, it just is what it is.
I say the day is almost done because as I type this, out of the corner of my eye I see a little 6 year old girl who is trying to take a stand against going to bed. They are having trouble understanding that while they don't have school in the morning, they can't stay up all night. I think she just made her way over to the stairs. She has been a handful as of late, getting that little kindergartner attitude. And just ask either of my girls....I know nothing. They will ask me a question, to which I answer, and then they proceed to tell me that I am wrong. Oh how I don't long for the teen age years.
And now to go give kisses and hugs good night.....
Sunday, June 06, 2010
The Office
Every time that show comes on, I never ever go past the theme song on our DVR. Never. I figured out why. It makes me happy. You see, I started watching The Office when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I knew for those 30 minutes, that I wouldn't have to think of cancer. All I had to do was wonder what prank Jim would pull on Dwight, what dumb thing Michael would say, and why the heck was Pam with Roy? 30 minutes. Not a long time. Unless of course you're afraid you're going to die.
To this day, that theme song means the world to me.
Just thought you'd like to know......
To this day, that theme song means the world to me.
Just thought you'd like to know......
Not a Good Sign
I find it kind of scary that I am tired after this weekend. It's not like we did anything spectacular, it was pretty quiet actually. I am however, feeling like I could go to bed right now. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out things that I can do with the girls this summer that cost little to no money. It's a challenge I tell you. There are low cost things to do, but you have to drive to get there, which costs money. I am not too sure this whole new job without working in the summer is going to work out for us. But I will try to be positive, try to think of things to keep the girls busy, and try not to buy anything but food and toilet paper. Sounds like a fun summer, huh?
This upcoming week I will be taking the girls to my mom's so I can continue with packing her house up. It is rather overwhelming, trying to get all of this done. She wants it ready by the middle of the month. Yikes. Lots to do. Let alone things that have to get done around here.
But on the home front, the garage is starting to come to life. It is framed and you can actually start seeing what the finished product will be. It's exciting. But at the same time stressful. Well, that and other things going on. But that's for another time. Maybe. I actually think the added stress is why I am tired.
I haven't been able to take many pictures as of late, but when we went to Illinois I was able to take some. You might be able to find me on Flickr and see some of the new ones. I need to get out more though. It's good for my soul.
And I need some good things for my soul lately.
This upcoming week I will be taking the girls to my mom's so I can continue with packing her house up. It is rather overwhelming, trying to get all of this done. She wants it ready by the middle of the month. Yikes. Lots to do. Let alone things that have to get done around here.
But on the home front, the garage is starting to come to life. It is framed and you can actually start seeing what the finished product will be. It's exciting. But at the same time stressful. Well, that and other things going on. But that's for another time. Maybe. I actually think the added stress is why I am tired.
I haven't been able to take many pictures as of late, but when we went to Illinois I was able to take some. You might be able to find me on Flickr and see some of the new ones. I need to get out more though. It's good for my soul.
And I need some good things for my soul lately.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
A New Era
Can you believe it? Tomorrow is Nadia's last day of kindergarten. I'm not quite sure where time went, but it didn't even have the courtesy to let me know. What the heck? My baby doll is no longer a baby. How sad. As a side note though, this little baby doll of mine had two, count them, two head injuries at school this year. She is going to be our broken bone/stitches child. The first head bump was from being pushed outside by a classmate. It was quite the bump. About an inch and a half long, by maybe an inch across. But it was nothing compared to the second one which happened last week. The school called to have me pick her up because she got pale and sweaty after getting into the nurses office. This was was about as big in size, but stuck much further out than the first one. Oh, and it was in the same exact spot as the first one. I talked to the playground supervisor, and she said that Nadia was trying to jump over backpacks and didn't make it. But then she stood up and was holding her head while looking at the scrape on her knee. No tears, not until it was made known to her that she had a good bump. I took her in for this one as it was worse than the first and in the same spot. Everything was ok though. Her big concern, as was with the first one, was if her bangs would cover the bump. They did. Problem solved.
So since I am not working this summer, I am trying to find cheap things to do since I will not have a paycheck as well. I guess we will find out if we sink or swim this summer financially. Not really looking forward to that at all. We'll see......
It seems like this will be a replay of last summer as far as famous people deaths. We are not off to a good start so far with Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper on the list so far. Sad. But in an odd way, intriguing. Is that odd?
Tonight our local theater (play theater, not movie theater) showed The Wizard of Oz. It. Was. Awesome. The girls really liked it and I caught Nadia singing a few times. So cute.There were quite a few people there which was pretty awesome.
Ok, we are watching Deadliest Catch (speaking of stars who passed away). It is almost surreal watching Phil at the helm, knowing that he has died since the filming took place. I wonder how future seasons are going to go. I wonder how everyone is dealing with his death. I don't want this season to end because then the reality of his death is right there in front of you.
Before I close, I have to say a big thank you to Fox for not killing off Jack Bauer. I know that was a couple weeks ago, but sad as it is, I still think about it. I was so worried that they were going to kill him, but they didn't! They didn't! Maybe Jack will be back. I hope so. I love him.
Off I go.....
So since I am not working this summer, I am trying to find cheap things to do since I will not have a paycheck as well. I guess we will find out if we sink or swim this summer financially. Not really looking forward to that at all. We'll see......
It seems like this will be a replay of last summer as far as famous people deaths. We are not off to a good start so far with Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper on the list so far. Sad. But in an odd way, intriguing. Is that odd?
Tonight our local theater (play theater, not movie theater) showed The Wizard of Oz. It. Was. Awesome. The girls really liked it and I caught Nadia singing a few times. So cute.There were quite a few people there which was pretty awesome.
Ok, we are watching Deadliest Catch (speaking of stars who passed away). It is almost surreal watching Phil at the helm, knowing that he has died since the filming took place. I wonder how future seasons are going to go. I wonder how everyone is dealing with his death. I don't want this season to end because then the reality of his death is right there in front of you.
Before I close, I have to say a big thank you to Fox for not killing off Jack Bauer. I know that was a couple weeks ago, but sad as it is, I still think about it. I was so worried that they were going to kill him, but they didn't! They didn't! Maybe Jack will be back. I hope so. I love him.
Off I go.....
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A Writer Writes About....Everything
It has been an interesting week. Kind of a long one. And today, at this hour, the humidity is so heavy that I am sure when Nadia gets up her hair will hold curls that some people only wished they had. Since Friday, Claire has been announcing that Sunday (today) will be 90 degrees. Not just announcing, but telling everyone she can, repeatedly. I bet I could go wake her up and ask her what the weather will be like today, and she would say "90 degrees". But the hell if I am going to wake her. Both girls are sleeping, and this is my first alone time in a while. Although I have to say that last night, Nadia was my cleaning helper. She even vacuumed.....keep in mind she is 6. She helped with laundry, cleaning the living and family room, and if Claire hadn't been asleep, I bet she would have put clothes away too. So I can't complain too much about not getting much time alone the past few days.
Dion is coming home from a fishing trip he went on with his college room mate. They have been gone since Wednesday. I am tired. I have kept the girls going non-stop, and here are a few highlights.
I took them to see Shrek in 3D. It took a little bit for Claire to get used to the 3D-ness, but after she did, every once in a while out of the corner of my eye I would see her reaching out trying to touch something. Too cute. Nadia, on the other hand, sat there laughing almost embarrassing loud. Except one time she just expelled a large amount of air through her mouth sounding like a mini machine gun. They liked the movie. We got treats at the theater, Claire got nachos, Nadia got Dots, they shared a fruit punch and I got a soda and popcorn. As it turned out, Claire drank most of the fruit punch, ate most of her nachos and polished off Nadia's dots when Nadia decided to move and eat popcorn with me. Something I should have monitored a little better since about 2 hours after we got home all that junk food made a second appearance in our bathroom sink. Oops. My punishment was having to fish out the chunks that wouldn't go down the drain. Lesson learned.
Prior to going to the movie, we made a stop at Target. Thankfully not in our town as I think it was the most embarrassing purchase I think I have ever made. I will list the items.
1 box of Compound W wart remover
1 bottle of lotion for cracked and dry feet
1 tube of Preparation H
1 box of witch hazel towelettes
1 dog toy
The only things more I needed were condoms, a pregnancy test, and anti-diarrhea medication to make it the ultimate embarrassing experience. Thankfully, I have no need for any of those items. But as far as the other things, sheesh, could it be a more disgusting purchase? I had to throw in the dog toy to add a little "awwww" factor. And because I bought some cat toys the other day and Sammie just looked at me as to say "Where the hell is my toy??" I felt bad. She just kept looking at me people! What was I supposed to do??
So Claire has a wart on the bottom of her swear toe. We have been working and working on that thing, and it has been stubborn I tell you. Slowly, but surely, it has been dissolving. Kinda gross.
It's no secret that I have digestive issues and have dealt with fissures and such, but this new event is, well, not one that I would wish on others. Hmmm....well, actually, I could think of a couple here and there that I would hex with this, but not many. So that's why I had to buy the Prep H and witch hazel towelettes. I am trying everything possible before I go in to the doctor. So hopefully I can home medicate this alien that is trying to escape my body and avoid going in. But, you know, when you have breast cancer, you have to check your dignity at the door. For example, when I had reconstruction, the nipples were added later. The doctor took me in to the bathroom before surgery and handed me those monitors they stick on your chest for your heart and said, "Ok, place these where you want your nipples to be." I looked at him and said, "Ummm...as a male, where do you think they should be?" He stuck them on, and that's where the nipples are to this very day. See? No dignity. Plus also, give birth once and that's the end of that. You can't give birth without your whooha making an appearance. And lord help you if you poop while giving birth (I didn't, I prayed really really hard that I wouldn't. It worked.).
And I have really dry feet all of a sudden for some reason. I hate dry feet. I hate how they feel in my Crocs, and when I put on socks, and it's just yuck. So that's that.
Well, Claire has been sleeping for almost 12 hours, so I imagine she will be up soon, which means Nadia will be up soon, which means free time is almost over. Today we are going to go see a dog that might be of interest to us and take the shelter blankets to donate to them. As part of my Mother's Day gift, Dion gave the green light to add a canine buddy to our mix. I have been searching and searching and it seems like I find one just in time to wave goodbye to it as a new owner picks it up. A day late and a dollar short every time. Well, this one, they called me. So I'm pretty sure no one else has seen the dog yet. We'll see if he is a match. I know he is a border collie mix, like Sammie is, and his name is Cody. We'll see......
Dion is coming home from a fishing trip he went on with his college room mate. They have been gone since Wednesday. I am tired. I have kept the girls going non-stop, and here are a few highlights.
I took them to see Shrek in 3D. It took a little bit for Claire to get used to the 3D-ness, but after she did, every once in a while out of the corner of my eye I would see her reaching out trying to touch something. Too cute. Nadia, on the other hand, sat there laughing almost embarrassing loud. Except one time she just expelled a large amount of air through her mouth sounding like a mini machine gun. They liked the movie. We got treats at the theater, Claire got nachos, Nadia got Dots, they shared a fruit punch and I got a soda and popcorn. As it turned out, Claire drank most of the fruit punch, ate most of her nachos and polished off Nadia's dots when Nadia decided to move and eat popcorn with me. Something I should have monitored a little better since about 2 hours after we got home all that junk food made a second appearance in our bathroom sink. Oops. My punishment was having to fish out the chunks that wouldn't go down the drain. Lesson learned.
Prior to going to the movie, we made a stop at Target. Thankfully not in our town as I think it was the most embarrassing purchase I think I have ever made. I will list the items.
1 box of Compound W wart remover
1 bottle of lotion for cracked and dry feet
1 tube of Preparation H
1 box of witch hazel towelettes
1 dog toy
The only things more I needed were condoms, a pregnancy test, and anti-diarrhea medication to make it the ultimate embarrassing experience. Thankfully, I have no need for any of those items. But as far as the other things, sheesh, could it be a more disgusting purchase? I had to throw in the dog toy to add a little "awwww" factor. And because I bought some cat toys the other day and Sammie just looked at me as to say "Where the hell is my toy??" I felt bad. She just kept looking at me people! What was I supposed to do??
So Claire has a wart on the bottom of her swear toe. We have been working and working on that thing, and it has been stubborn I tell you. Slowly, but surely, it has been dissolving. Kinda gross.
It's no secret that I have digestive issues and have dealt with fissures and such, but this new event is, well, not one that I would wish on others. Hmmm....well, actually, I could think of a couple here and there that I would hex with this, but not many. So that's why I had to buy the Prep H and witch hazel towelettes. I am trying everything possible before I go in to the doctor. So hopefully I can home medicate this alien that is trying to escape my body and avoid going in. But, you know, when you have breast cancer, you have to check your dignity at the door. For example, when I had reconstruction, the nipples were added later. The doctor took me in to the bathroom before surgery and handed me those monitors they stick on your chest for your heart and said, "Ok, place these where you want your nipples to be." I looked at him and said, "Ummm...as a male, where do you think they should be?" He stuck them on, and that's where the nipples are to this very day. See? No dignity. Plus also, give birth once and that's the end of that. You can't give birth without your whooha making an appearance. And lord help you if you poop while giving birth (I didn't, I prayed really really hard that I wouldn't. It worked.).
And I have really dry feet all of a sudden for some reason. I hate dry feet. I hate how they feel in my Crocs, and when I put on socks, and it's just yuck. So that's that.
Well, Claire has been sleeping for almost 12 hours, so I imagine she will be up soon, which means Nadia will be up soon, which means free time is almost over. Today we are going to go see a dog that might be of interest to us and take the shelter blankets to donate to them. As part of my Mother's Day gift, Dion gave the green light to add a canine buddy to our mix. I have been searching and searching and it seems like I find one just in time to wave goodbye to it as a new owner picks it up. A day late and a dollar short every time. Well, this one, they called me. So I'm pretty sure no one else has seen the dog yet. We'll see if he is a match. I know he is a border collie mix, like Sammie is, and his name is Cody. We'll see......
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Catching Up
I hate when I can't find the time to do things I love. Writing, taking pictures, sleeping...it all would be so nice. What is even more crazy is that I only work 15 hours a week. How can I not find time? Oh, well, I guess I should take that back. My first job is 15 hours a week, my second one, which is at night, would run another 6-10 hours depending on the week. But, that is over until the fall.
I will say though that things have been busy around here. We have started the process of the addition for my mom to move in. In the past 3 weeks, we have torn down the garage, and watched with awe as they came in with large motorized things and tore up the cement from the garage and dug and dug and dug, then poured footings, the cement wall, and finished up with 19 truck loads of sand to back fill. 19. I kind of feel like we live at the beach with all of the sand that's around. Well, without a body of water. Or shells. Oh hell.....it's nothing like being at the beach. It's pretty much like having an extra large sandbox. Or litter box. Either one.
So along with construction, I have been spending time getting stuff at my mom's house packed up. No small task. I put my foot down when it came to all of the bedsheets she had. I asked her how many sheets she wanted to keep for the spare bed. She said 6 sets. I said she could keep 2. And so on and so on. We are so lucky to have the relationship that we have. I think for many this would be something that would put a big strain on a relationship. We are blessed.
I took my mom to her second infusion of Remicade this past Monday. It's a long process. We got there at 10 and the infusion started at about 11:00am. It takes about an hour and a half. We stayed in the private infusion room. From the moment we walked in the door, I had a sinking feeling. The infusion room we were in was the room where I had my first chemo. It was a horrible experience. My port wasn't working well, it hurt, and just it being the first treatment made it a very nerve racking experience. As the day progressed and actually into the night, I just got crabbier and crabbier. I didn't really know why, until it came to me late that night. I sat in that room facing the office of my first oncologist, looking at the back of her head for most of the time we were there. As it turns out, I still harbor some unpleasant feelings towards that doctor. In my mind I thought about what I would say to her if she talked to me (which she didn't), I thought about all the feelings I had when she told me that I probably wouldn't make it more than 5 years. I thought about my girls not growing up with a mom. Ugh. I just boiled even more when I finally figured out why I was so crabby that night. Why is it so hard to just set myself free from all of that hatred? Why can't I just say it was what it was, and move on? Maybe I will never be at that point. Is that ok? I have no idea. I want to tell myself to just let it go, but then I think about all the people that were affected by what I was told by this doctor. I think about the phone calls I had to make to tell friends and family that the cancer had returned, and it didn't look good. I think about telling Dion that he could re-marry, just not anyone too high maintenance. I think about digging frantically in our safe for my life insurance policy, so financially he would have a little something extra to raise our kids. Ok, I have to stop. I guess it will be quite some time before it does not make my blood boil. And maybe that's ok. In the long run, because of that doctor, I ended up with an oncologist that I love who does the research and gives me honest opinions and who, unlike my other one, can laugh. That is important to me. I met amazing cancer survivors and remained friends with some of them. So, I guess I owe that doctor a thanks. Thanks for telling me that I was dying so I could go get a second opinion which led me to my current oncologist with whom I wouldn't trade for anything.
So there. That's what has been going on around here. Oh, and also, I have 3 more days of work and then I am off for the summer. The first time in about 20 years. I'm not sure what the heck I am going to do. That is territory I haven't covered in many many years. I'm think the girls and I will be hitting the pool many times. Sweet. Plus the whole remodel and such. It will be a summer to remember.
I will say though that things have been busy around here. We have started the process of the addition for my mom to move in. In the past 3 weeks, we have torn down the garage, and watched with awe as they came in with large motorized things and tore up the cement from the garage and dug and dug and dug, then poured footings, the cement wall, and finished up with 19 truck loads of sand to back fill. 19. I kind of feel like we live at the beach with all of the sand that's around. Well, without a body of water. Or shells. Oh hell.....it's nothing like being at the beach. It's pretty much like having an extra large sandbox. Or litter box. Either one.
So along with construction, I have been spending time getting stuff at my mom's house packed up. No small task. I put my foot down when it came to all of the bedsheets she had. I asked her how many sheets she wanted to keep for the spare bed. She said 6 sets. I said she could keep 2. And so on and so on. We are so lucky to have the relationship that we have. I think for many this would be something that would put a big strain on a relationship. We are blessed.
I took my mom to her second infusion of Remicade this past Monday. It's a long process. We got there at 10 and the infusion started at about 11:00am. It takes about an hour and a half. We stayed in the private infusion room. From the moment we walked in the door, I had a sinking feeling. The infusion room we were in was the room where I had my first chemo. It was a horrible experience. My port wasn't working well, it hurt, and just it being the first treatment made it a very nerve racking experience. As the day progressed and actually into the night, I just got crabbier and crabbier. I didn't really know why, until it came to me late that night. I sat in that room facing the office of my first oncologist, looking at the back of her head for most of the time we were there. As it turns out, I still harbor some unpleasant feelings towards that doctor. In my mind I thought about what I would say to her if she talked to me (which she didn't), I thought about all the feelings I had when she told me that I probably wouldn't make it more than 5 years. I thought about my girls not growing up with a mom. Ugh. I just boiled even more when I finally figured out why I was so crabby that night. Why is it so hard to just set myself free from all of that hatred? Why can't I just say it was what it was, and move on? Maybe I will never be at that point. Is that ok? I have no idea. I want to tell myself to just let it go, but then I think about all the people that were affected by what I was told by this doctor. I think about the phone calls I had to make to tell friends and family that the cancer had returned, and it didn't look good. I think about telling Dion that he could re-marry, just not anyone too high maintenance. I think about digging frantically in our safe for my life insurance policy, so financially he would have a little something extra to raise our kids. Ok, I have to stop. I guess it will be quite some time before it does not make my blood boil. And maybe that's ok. In the long run, because of that doctor, I ended up with an oncologist that I love who does the research and gives me honest opinions and who, unlike my other one, can laugh. That is important to me. I met amazing cancer survivors and remained friends with some of them. So, I guess I owe that doctor a thanks. Thanks for telling me that I was dying so I could go get a second opinion which led me to my current oncologist with whom I wouldn't trade for anything.
So there. That's what has been going on around here. Oh, and also, I have 3 more days of work and then I am off for the summer. The first time in about 20 years. I'm not sure what the heck I am going to do. That is territory I haven't covered in many many years. I'm think the girls and I will be hitting the pool many times. Sweet. Plus the whole remodel and such. It will be a summer to remember.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Mother's Day
It is Mother's Day. I slept until 10:30am, only outdone by Nadia who slept until 11:30am. That's my girl. Claire woke up at 7:30am, that's Dion's kid for sure. And finally it is a nice day....not too cold, and the blasted sun is finally out. Things have been a moving and a grooving at our house. Let's start with the addition.....
It took 3 days for us to take down our garage. We saved as many 2x4's that we could to re-use for the addition. I'm not even sure if I have mentioned the addition yet....hmm....well, it's been in the make for over a year. Trying to figure out ways to get my mom in our house with allowing for private space for all of us. We have gone through so many ideas, but finally got one that stuck. The plan is to put an addition onto the back of our house that will contain two bedrooms, a living room, bathroom, and laundry. But in that process a lot has had to happen. We tore down the garage, and the excavators came and made a big mess in the back yard, and the footings have been poured. Monday the walls will be poured for the basement, and after that, I have no clue. We will be extending our kitchen as well, but I think that craziness will be one of the last things we do so as not to keep our kitchen in disarray for too long. We found cabinets on Craigslist. They are sweet! And many many of them. But as we all know, one cannot have too many cabinets. So that's what's going on in our home.
We have a dog named Sam. She is almost 13 years old. Dion gave her to me as a birthday gift when I turned 23. But now we are faced with choices. She has been peeing in the house. We are now on our second pill for her to see if that helps. They think she has dementia and doesn't know she is peeing in the house. Fantastic. This new pill we have was a little under $30 for 7 pills. Wow. They didn't give me the whole supply of pills because of the cost of them. They want to see if they help first. Ugh. I feel bad for her. Not only does she have the whole pee thing going on, but her teeth are horrible making her breath smell like she eats poop on a regular basis. I'm not sure if she would make it through a surgery to remove her teeth, plus the cost of that is not all that great either. So, we are trying this last pill, and if that doesn't work I'm afraid we will have to put her down. It's not something we want to do. She has been with us so long, but we have to weigh everything out.
I only have 3 more week of work, then I am off for the summer. My new position does not include summer hours, so this will be the test if it's something we can afford. It's a good summer to have off as the whole house project will be going on and I have to get my mom packed up and get her house on the market. No small tasks there....and the girls are excited to not have to go to daycare. I have been working on things for us to do that doesn't cost a lot of money. So, if you would like some visitors this summer....let me know.
OK, have to run. I could spend all day typing. Happy Mother's Day my friends!
It took 3 days for us to take down our garage. We saved as many 2x4's that we could to re-use for the addition. I'm not even sure if I have mentioned the addition yet....hmm....well, it's been in the make for over a year. Trying to figure out ways to get my mom in our house with allowing for private space for all of us. We have gone through so many ideas, but finally got one that stuck. The plan is to put an addition onto the back of our house that will contain two bedrooms, a living room, bathroom, and laundry. But in that process a lot has had to happen. We tore down the garage, and the excavators came and made a big mess in the back yard, and the footings have been poured. Monday the walls will be poured for the basement, and after that, I have no clue. We will be extending our kitchen as well, but I think that craziness will be one of the last things we do so as not to keep our kitchen in disarray for too long. We found cabinets on Craigslist. They are sweet! And many many of them. But as we all know, one cannot have too many cabinets. So that's what's going on in our home.
We have a dog named Sam. She is almost 13 years old. Dion gave her to me as a birthday gift when I turned 23. But now we are faced with choices. She has been peeing in the house. We are now on our second pill for her to see if that helps. They think she has dementia and doesn't know she is peeing in the house. Fantastic. This new pill we have was a little under $30 for 7 pills. Wow. They didn't give me the whole supply of pills because of the cost of them. They want to see if they help first. Ugh. I feel bad for her. Not only does she have the whole pee thing going on, but her teeth are horrible making her breath smell like she eats poop on a regular basis. I'm not sure if she would make it through a surgery to remove her teeth, plus the cost of that is not all that great either. So, we are trying this last pill, and if that doesn't work I'm afraid we will have to put her down. It's not something we want to do. She has been with us so long, but we have to weigh everything out.
I only have 3 more week of work, then I am off for the summer. My new position does not include summer hours, so this will be the test if it's something we can afford. It's a good summer to have off as the whole house project will be going on and I have to get my mom packed up and get her house on the market. No small tasks there....and the girls are excited to not have to go to daycare. I have been working on things for us to do that doesn't cost a lot of money. So, if you would like some visitors this summer....let me know.
OK, have to run. I could spend all day typing. Happy Mother's Day my friends!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Discoveries
I've had many thoughts lately of death. Not mine, but with it being almost the second anniversary of my dad dying, the recent cancer mets to my friend, more people I know being diagnosed...it never seems to end.
One thing that was mentioned when my dad was fighting his fight was a stem cell transplant. A very controversial topic to many. There is no black and white when it comes to stem cells. How could there be when there are so many emotions involved? Do I believe that people should produce babies for the sole purpose of harvesting stem cells? In no way, shape, or form. But, something that I have recently learned from this stem cell website is that scientists have figured out how to convert adult stem cells into what appears to have the properties of an embryos stem cells. How amazing is that? Of course I am more prone to thinking of cancer patients when it comes to this, like this article about an actress named Lisa Ray but I know stem cells can be used for other people who have medical issues.
In this video there is a lot of good information regarding adult stem cells, not embryonic stem cells. Talking about the medical and science professions making strides. The video is a little lengthy, but certainly worth the time for the education it provides.
Anyway, all we can hope for in this world is finding ways to reduce the suffering, without causing more suffering. I can't imagine being a woman who gets pregnant to donate her embryo. I lost a baby before Claire. The thought of doing that just about makes me sick. So when I saw that there are positive alternatives, I thought, "Right on, Scientists. Right on."
Can you imagine where we will be in another 25-30 years?
One thing that was mentioned when my dad was fighting his fight was a stem cell transplant. A very controversial topic to many. There is no black and white when it comes to stem cells. How could there be when there are so many emotions involved? Do I believe that people should produce babies for the sole purpose of harvesting stem cells? In no way, shape, or form. But, something that I have recently learned from this stem cell website is that scientists have figured out how to convert adult stem cells into what appears to have the properties of an embryos stem cells. How amazing is that? Of course I am more prone to thinking of cancer patients when it comes to this, like this article about an actress named Lisa Ray but I know stem cells can be used for other people who have medical issues.
In this video there is a lot of good information regarding adult stem cells, not embryonic stem cells. Talking about the medical and science professions making strides. The video is a little lengthy, but certainly worth the time for the education it provides.
Anyway, all we can hope for in this world is finding ways to reduce the suffering, without causing more suffering. I can't imagine being a woman who gets pregnant to donate her embryo. I lost a baby before Claire. The thought of doing that just about makes me sick. So when I saw that there are positive alternatives, I thought, "Right on, Scientists. Right on."
Can you imagine where we will be in another 25-30 years?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Friday, April 09, 2010
Spring Time Yuck
I decided yesterday to make an appointment after having a sore throat for the past 2 weeks. Fearing that I had strep, I went in, dragging my feet. But hooray! It's a sinus infection! She asked to look at my throat a second time because of how red it was. Awesome. I picked up my 2 prescriptions, and had a few hours of sleep before I had to get the girls. Unknown to me, one of the pills made me tired. I got the girls home and they were so good! They got their own snacks and played really really well while I slept on and off on the couch. I was looking forward to another day of rest today while the girls were at school, until about 3:30am when Nadia woke up with a 102.6 fever. Then Claire was up at 6am with a 101.6 fever. Thank God I got some sleep yesterday or I might have been in trouble today. I am not at 100%, but the 65% that I am at right now has been enough to care for my little ones.
But I am oh so tired, as Nadia decided that after the meds kicked in at 4:30am, that it was time to talk about everything. Ugh.....chatter chatter chatter....now the girls are snuggling on the couch watching Wow Wow Wubbzy while I type away. Now there's some quality TV.
So, we are off to a great start for the weekend. Jealous?
But I am oh so tired, as Nadia decided that after the meds kicked in at 4:30am, that it was time to talk about everything. Ugh.....chatter chatter chatter....now the girls are snuggling on the couch watching Wow Wow Wubbzy while I type away. Now there's some quality TV.
So, we are off to a great start for the weekend. Jealous?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Mayo and My Mom
I took my mom to Mayo today for her abdominal wound. While it is healing, it is not healing at a rate that the doctor wants. And yes, it looks better than it did a few months ago, but at this rate, it will take forever. So, to help speed up the process, her doctor wants to start her on an infusion of Remicade. From what I understand, it will go for about 3 months, once a month. Each infusion takes 2-3 hours. It has been used on other patience who have had similar problems, and seemed to help them. Of course keeping in mind that everyone reacts differently, it may or may not be as successful for her. Her wound is measuring about 12 inches long and about 5 inches high, taking up most of her abdomen.
I hope this new treatment works. This is getting ridiculous.
I hope this new treatment works. This is getting ridiculous.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
I Just Can't Stop
All day I have been thinking of my friend Fran and what she and her family are going through. What kind of a deal is it to almost make it to the 5 year mark and have cancer slap you in the face? It's not fair. It's not right. It sucks.
And with these thoughts I cannot help but think of if I were in that situation. My poor family. I don't know how I would be able to stand the thought of leaving them. The thought of my girls growing up without a mother. The thought of my husband trying to raise them alone. I have spent a bit of time today crying about these thoughts. Crying about what Fran is dealing with. Angry that all of this is happening.
The odd thing is that Fran and I have never met. We met through blogland. I found her blog while looking for other breast cancer survivors, and our stories were similar. I have learned through this though that you do not need to meet a fellow breast cancer survivor in person to build a relationship. We build these relationships through reading and writing. We build these relationship complaining about what we are going through. We understand each other simply by being able to relate in areas others just can't.
My heart has been aching all day over this, and I'm sure there is more to come. Fran and Ed had just adopted a beautiful little girl making them a family of four. How does this happen? And why to such good people? Something Fran had said was that she knew God would take care of her either way. Either here or earth, or in heaven. That either way, she wins. Oh to have that strength. I have been going through her blog, back to the beginning. Reading, crying, smiling, crying some more. I just can't stop.
And with these thoughts I cannot help but think of if I were in that situation. My poor family. I don't know how I would be able to stand the thought of leaving them. The thought of my girls growing up without a mother. The thought of my husband trying to raise them alone. I have spent a bit of time today crying about these thoughts. Crying about what Fran is dealing with. Angry that all of this is happening.
The odd thing is that Fran and I have never met. We met through blogland. I found her blog while looking for other breast cancer survivors, and our stories were similar. I have learned through this though that you do not need to meet a fellow breast cancer survivor in person to build a relationship. We build these relationships through reading and writing. We build these relationship complaining about what we are going through. We understand each other simply by being able to relate in areas others just can't.
My heart has been aching all day over this, and I'm sure there is more to come. Fran and Ed had just adopted a beautiful little girl making them a family of four. How does this happen? And why to such good people? Something Fran had said was that she knew God would take care of her either way. Either here or earth, or in heaven. That either way, she wins. Oh to have that strength. I have been going through her blog, back to the beginning. Reading, crying, smiling, crying some more. I just can't stop.
And That is How Fast
I was trying to catch up on my 800+ emails I have and came across one from a fellow breast cancer bud. She is my age, with kids, and was going to reach her 5 year mark in November. Her blog is in my list of other blogs worth reading.....Welcome to the World of Breast Cancer. It's with a sad heart that I found out her cancer has returned with gusto.
She had just had a clean bill in December. 3 months later it has spread to numerous places. And that is how fast things can change. And that is why I will never feel safe. And that is why I cry for her and her family. The beast will always be there. Damn this cancer. And for my friend Fran, I pray.
She had just had a clean bill in December. 3 months later it has spread to numerous places. And that is how fast things can change. And that is why I will never feel safe. And that is why I cry for her and her family. The beast will always be there. Damn this cancer. And for my friend Fran, I pray.
Friday, March 12, 2010
And The Countdown Begins
I mentioned before that we spent our honeymoon in Vegas. What I didn't mention is that after those few days we went to the camp that we worked at to spend a few days there. Vegas is known as the town that never sleeps, and that is true. The strip always has lights on, there is a a line to wait for a taxi, and of course the casinos are hopping. So we went from that extreme to the complete opposite at camp. Total darkness at night. Nothing but crickets chirping, and stars almost as bright as the lights in Vegas. It was awesome.
We are fortunate enough that Dion works for a company that sends you to Vegas after 10 years of employment. And that is what the countdown is all about. In a mere 13 months we will be packing our bags to hit the strip again after 13 years. I can hardly wait! I know that the town will be different than when we went as Vegas is always changing. Now some people think that Vegas is not for them as they do not gamble. I, on the other hand, enjoy the pulling of a slot machine, but I also enjoyed the shows that we saw. Although one was a magic show and I was a little bit nervous about audience participation. Nothing happened. But, I am curious to see what kind of shows will be going on while we will be there, and will be doing some research on shows before we go.
For those of you who may think that Vegas doesn't have much to offer non-gambling people, take a peek at some of the shows they offer. Seriously? Penn and Teller? Sweet! I am so excited to go again! Of course, if you are jealous of the fact that I will be able to do some gaming, you could always do a little online gaming from home.
So anyway, we are pretty stoked to go on the trip and have Dion's company to thank for it. Is it odd that we have started the countdown when it is over a year away? Heck no! It is totally worth the countdown. And when we go, don't bother asking what we did. Because as you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
We are fortunate enough that Dion works for a company that sends you to Vegas after 10 years of employment. And that is what the countdown is all about. In a mere 13 months we will be packing our bags to hit the strip again after 13 years. I can hardly wait! I know that the town will be different than when we went as Vegas is always changing. Now some people think that Vegas is not for them as they do not gamble. I, on the other hand, enjoy the pulling of a slot machine, but I also enjoyed the shows that we saw. Although one was a magic show and I was a little bit nervous about audience participation. Nothing happened. But, I am curious to see what kind of shows will be going on while we will be there, and will be doing some research on shows before we go.
For those of you who may think that Vegas doesn't have much to offer non-gambling people, take a peek at some of the shows they offer. Seriously? Penn and Teller? Sweet! I am so excited to go again! Of course, if you are jealous of the fact that I will be able to do some gaming, you could always do a little online gaming from home.
So anyway, we are pretty stoked to go on the trip and have Dion's company to thank for it. Is it odd that we have started the countdown when it is over a year away? Heck no! It is totally worth the countdown. And when we go, don't bother asking what we did. Because as you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Year Number Six
Well, it's March. There are a lot of events in this month that make me think. I was diagnosed on March 17th, Nadia was born on March 19th, my dad's birthday is March 22nd, my father in law's birthday is March 26th, and my parents would have been married 53 years on the 30th. Crazy month.
So I am coming up to my 6 year mark for cancer. I had my 6 month check up last month, and failed to post it. Things have been kind of busy in my personal life, and as you can see I haven't even posted anything since January. Egads! Anyway, my check went fine, I was able to surprise my oncologist with a 17 pound weight loss. Rock on. I was also able to surprise him with my ultra low blood pressure. About 2 years ago I topped out at 150/100. Scary high. On my check up it was 110/80. He took it a few times, I think because he couldn't believe his little eyes. Well, they are average sized eyes, I don't want to make him out to be a freak or something. He is anything but that. Except he seems to mass produce children at a high rate of speed. When I started going to him, he had 3 kids. Now he has 6. I always ask him how his 20 kids are when we see him, but he beat me to the punch and walked in the room yelling his wife is pregnant with twins, and immediately laughed at his little joke. Although, by the next time I go see him, it is entirely possible his wife will be pregnant. His youngest is 1, after all.
Now on to Nadia. She will be 6 on the 19th. So a common question for a child who is about to have a birthday is, "what do you want for your birthday". And I did just that. Here are here top 3 answers:
1. A snowmobile (we have never been on a snowmobile)
2. A battery motorized car
3. A new scooter (she got one last year but proceeded to tell me that her feet were getting too big for it.
And that's all she would share with me. Apparently she is all about transportation this year. I will have to address this issue again in the near future. So my baby is going to be 6. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday Claire was wiping her poop on Nadia's little head. Ahhh...good times.
Did I ever tell you that we have new neighbors? I guess they are not really new anymore, they moved in last summer. And wow, they are fantastic. If by fantastic, you mean the biggest pains in the world, then yes, fantastic. Ok, a small exaggeration, but they are up there in the make you want to move sense. She is just a witch that starts her yelling at her boyfriend as soon as he walks in the door, which is obvious in the warmer months when windows are open. They had their clunker car parked in the grass all winter, which made for a lovely lawn decoration. And the number one reason why they suck.......their dogs. Now, if you know me, you know how much I love animals. But, when one is a yappy beagle, and one is a barky pit bull mix, well, the line has been drawn. We have left notes for them twice (since of course they don't answer their door) because the damn dogs are kept outside in a kennel and start barking around 6am, 5:30am on bad days. And they bark. And bark. And fight in the little dog house that was built for them. And then bark some more. And the owners do nothing about it. They leave them outside barking to their little hearts content. Ugh. Me no likey.
We also took a little vacation last week to the Dells with our friends who live on the other side of our house. It was a good time, even if the wave pool hurt my arms from the inner tubes, and cut up my feet from the floor. One of my favorite times was going around in the lazy river in a tube with Claire curled up in my lap. Truly a memory maker. Also people watching. Never a dull moment with that. Oh, and we watched The Hangover when the kids went to bed. Oh. My. Lord. It was too funny (but don't watch it if you get offended easily. It's not for the faint of heart). The humor is along the lines of Something About Mary, Old School, Role Models, etc. Anyway, I laughed until I snorted at some parts. So if you like that bad type of humor, watch it. If you don't like that kind of humor, well, then don't watch it. Easy peesy.
My mom and I have spent quite a bit of time at Mayo appointments. Her stomach wound is now about 12 inches long, and 5 inches wide. And while that sounds bad (and it is, I am not downplaying it at all), it is finally starting to heal. We have been going to a dermatologist who has been wonderful and things are starting to look up for her. Not to say that it will be a fast heal because I think it will take quite a bit of time, but at least it is healing. She finally agreed to have a nurse come in to help her with the dressings, which a a peace of mind for me, and the pain seems to be getting a very little bit better. But a little bit is better than nothing.
Ok, that's all for now. I will try not to wait another month an a half before I post again. But I have been mentally busy trying to figure some things out, which seems to be an ongoing process. One of these days I might figure some things out. We'll see. In the meantime, onward.
So I am coming up to my 6 year mark for cancer. I had my 6 month check up last month, and failed to post it. Things have been kind of busy in my personal life, and as you can see I haven't even posted anything since January. Egads! Anyway, my check went fine, I was able to surprise my oncologist with a 17 pound weight loss. Rock on. I was also able to surprise him with my ultra low blood pressure. About 2 years ago I topped out at 150/100. Scary high. On my check up it was 110/80. He took it a few times, I think because he couldn't believe his little eyes. Well, they are average sized eyes, I don't want to make him out to be a freak or something. He is anything but that. Except he seems to mass produce children at a high rate of speed. When I started going to him, he had 3 kids. Now he has 6. I always ask him how his 20 kids are when we see him, but he beat me to the punch and walked in the room yelling his wife is pregnant with twins, and immediately laughed at his little joke. Although, by the next time I go see him, it is entirely possible his wife will be pregnant. His youngest is 1, after all.
Now on to Nadia. She will be 6 on the 19th. So a common question for a child who is about to have a birthday is, "what do you want for your birthday". And I did just that. Here are here top 3 answers:
1. A snowmobile (we have never been on a snowmobile)
2. A battery motorized car
3. A new scooter (she got one last year but proceeded to tell me that her feet were getting too big for it.
And that's all she would share with me. Apparently she is all about transportation this year. I will have to address this issue again in the near future. So my baby is going to be 6. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday Claire was wiping her poop on Nadia's little head. Ahhh...good times.
Did I ever tell you that we have new neighbors? I guess they are not really new anymore, they moved in last summer. And wow, they are fantastic. If by fantastic, you mean the biggest pains in the world, then yes, fantastic. Ok, a small exaggeration, but they are up there in the make you want to move sense. She is just a witch that starts her yelling at her boyfriend as soon as he walks in the door, which is obvious in the warmer months when windows are open. They had their clunker car parked in the grass all winter, which made for a lovely lawn decoration. And the number one reason why they suck.......their dogs. Now, if you know me, you know how much I love animals. But, when one is a yappy beagle, and one is a barky pit bull mix, well, the line has been drawn. We have left notes for them twice (since of course they don't answer their door) because the damn dogs are kept outside in a kennel and start barking around 6am, 5:30am on bad days. And they bark. And bark. And fight in the little dog house that was built for them. And then bark some more. And the owners do nothing about it. They leave them outside barking to their little hearts content. Ugh. Me no likey.
We also took a little vacation last week to the Dells with our friends who live on the other side of our house. It was a good time, even if the wave pool hurt my arms from the inner tubes, and cut up my feet from the floor. One of my favorite times was going around in the lazy river in a tube with Claire curled up in my lap. Truly a memory maker. Also people watching. Never a dull moment with that. Oh, and we watched The Hangover when the kids went to bed. Oh. My. Lord. It was too funny (but don't watch it if you get offended easily. It's not for the faint of heart). The humor is along the lines of Something About Mary, Old School, Role Models, etc. Anyway, I laughed until I snorted at some parts. So if you like that bad type of humor, watch it. If you don't like that kind of humor, well, then don't watch it. Easy peesy.
My mom and I have spent quite a bit of time at Mayo appointments. Her stomach wound is now about 12 inches long, and 5 inches wide. And while that sounds bad (and it is, I am not downplaying it at all), it is finally starting to heal. We have been going to a dermatologist who has been wonderful and things are starting to look up for her. Not to say that it will be a fast heal because I think it will take quite a bit of time, but at least it is healing. She finally agreed to have a nurse come in to help her with the dressings, which a a peace of mind for me, and the pain seems to be getting a very little bit better. But a little bit is better than nothing.
Ok, that's all for now. I will try not to wait another month an a half before I post again. But I have been mentally busy trying to figure some things out, which seems to be an ongoing process. One of these days I might figure some things out. We'll see. In the meantime, onward.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Mommy and Claire Day
On Wednesday, Claire suggested that we have a Mommy and Claire day on Saturday. This is what she said,
"We could go out to eat lunch and share a desert, and go to the store to pick out Valentine's Day cards for my class."
Seriously, how could anyone say no to that? So we headed out Saturday and the first stop was a surprise for her. I took her to get her nails painted and have little gems glued on to them. You should have seen her cute little face. She was beaming. She picked out purple nail polish (of course) and little diamond like stones. They turned out very nice and she loves them.
She then picked Perkins as the choice of restaurant, but we skipped the desert as we were both stuffed. We then headed out to Target and got her cards and went to the car wash, and then met up with Dion and Nadia at the movies where he dropped Nadia off with us and the three of us saw Tooth Fairy together. It was a perfect day. One that I have stored away in my memory to pull out when Claire is 35 years old and to relish in.
I tell you, life is good.
Until today when she ran a low fever and we had to cancel plans with our friends. Claire and I were in our room watching a movie and Dion sent a text telling me what Nadia had asked,
"Does Claire feel like beautiful hot or like warm hot?"
Oh. My. Gosh. What's not to love about Nadia?
"We could go out to eat lunch and share a desert, and go to the store to pick out Valentine's Day cards for my class."
Seriously, how could anyone say no to that? So we headed out Saturday and the first stop was a surprise for her. I took her to get her nails painted and have little gems glued on to them. You should have seen her cute little face. She was beaming. She picked out purple nail polish (of course) and little diamond like stones. They turned out very nice and she loves them.
She then picked Perkins as the choice of restaurant, but we skipped the desert as we were both stuffed. We then headed out to Target and got her cards and went to the car wash, and then met up with Dion and Nadia at the movies where he dropped Nadia off with us and the three of us saw Tooth Fairy together. It was a perfect day. One that I have stored away in my memory to pull out when Claire is 35 years old and to relish in.
I tell you, life is good.
Until today when she ran a low fever and we had to cancel plans with our friends. Claire and I were in our room watching a movie and Dion sent a text telling me what Nadia had asked,
"Does Claire feel like beautiful hot or like warm hot?"
Oh. My. Gosh. What's not to love about Nadia?
Ace
When I was in college I took a psychology class. There were only six of us in that class which allowed for some good discussions and field trips. One of the trips we took was to a theater to see the movie Casino. I really didn't know much about the movie, except that it was long. We were supposed to have taken notes in the movie, but I was so enthralled with, well, everything, that I didn't take one single note. Now, if you have not seen this movie, be advised that there are violent scenes and they are disturbing. But oh the music, and the blasts of color, and the fact the the movie is based on a true story. A little fun fact, the main character's nickname played by Robert DiNiro is Ace in the movie. In real life his nickname was Lefty. What's so interesting about Lefty, is that on the outside it looked like he was living the good life. He ran the Stardust (without a gaming licence, which eventually caught up to him), he had a beautiful wife, kids, and all the money a man could want. That's what people saw. On the inside, he had a best friend that was sleeping with his drug addicted wife, he had people (hired by his best friend) waiting to pop him, and all the money in the world wouldn't take away the pain he had. Here's a picture of Left'y car after the explosion that HE WALKED AWAY from. Life in Vegas in that time period was not what it is now.
One of my favorite things about the movie, besides the music, is watching Lefty's fashion change. In one part of the movie he is drinking from a bottle of some kind of antacid, and his suit literally matches the color of the bottle of his medicine. It's one of the clearest memories I have from the first time I saw that movie. He lived on that stuff. I suppose I would too with the life that he had. You watch as he gets older, his glasses get thicker, but it's still Lefty. I can see how so many people were attracted to him, not necessarily in a romantic way, but he just had that "it" factor. Of course, I am swayed by Robert DiNiro. I would so hang out with him. And maybe he could invite Pesci too, but that might be scary.
Dion and I went to Vegas for our honeymoon. It was his parents gift for us. We stayed in a suite at Treasure Island and now, ironically we live in a town that has a casino named Treasure Island. We spent so much time walking around the city and going to shows. We were a mere 23 years old. So young to wander around that crazy town. Of course, back then we didn't feel so young, but now, that seems like little toddlers. I would love to go back there some day, a little older and wiser (ha...wiser) just to walk around with different eyes than the 23 year old I was. And with my camera. Oh to have my camera in Vegas...can you imagine the shots I would be able to take? Be still my beating heart.
Casino still ranks as one of my favorite movies. It is so messed up, but Lefty was a smart man. And powerful. Or was he? I guess there would be different opinions about that. I only wish that I could go to the Stardust where all of this took place. If you like being able to experience a casino vegas style through the Internet, you can. But if you do that, you have to make sure that it is authentic. You will have to use all the good luck superstitions that exist. Let's see, that would include, tapping the monitor of your computer, maybe rubbing your fingers across the screen, but I wouldn't slap you computer like some people slap their machines. I don't want to be responsible for computers breaking.
One of my favorite things about the movie, besides the music, is watching Lefty's fashion change. In one part of the movie he is drinking from a bottle of some kind of antacid, and his suit literally matches the color of the bottle of his medicine. It's one of the clearest memories I have from the first time I saw that movie. He lived on that stuff. I suppose I would too with the life that he had. You watch as he gets older, his glasses get thicker, but it's still Lefty. I can see how so many people were attracted to him, not necessarily in a romantic way, but he just had that "it" factor. Of course, I am swayed by Robert DiNiro. I would so hang out with him. And maybe he could invite Pesci too, but that might be scary.
Dion and I went to Vegas for our honeymoon. It was his parents gift for us. We stayed in a suite at Treasure Island and now, ironically we live in a town that has a casino named Treasure Island. We spent so much time walking around the city and going to shows. We were a mere 23 years old. So young to wander around that crazy town. Of course, back then we didn't feel so young, but now, that seems like little toddlers. I would love to go back there some day, a little older and wiser (ha...wiser) just to walk around with different eyes than the 23 year old I was. And with my camera. Oh to have my camera in Vegas...can you imagine the shots I would be able to take? Be still my beating heart.
Casino still ranks as one of my favorite movies. It is so messed up, but Lefty was a smart man. And powerful. Or was he? I guess there would be different opinions about that. I only wish that I could go to the Stardust where all of this took place. If you like being able to experience a casino vegas style through the Internet, you can. But if you do that, you have to make sure that it is authentic. You will have to use all the good luck superstitions that exist. Let's see, that would include, tapping the monitor of your computer, maybe rubbing your fingers across the screen, but I wouldn't slap you computer like some people slap their machines. I don't want to be responsible for computers breaking.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Homework For You, If You Dare
I put a post up on Facebook asking for help, and I am posting it here for those of you who follow me here.
I have a mission for you. In the past when I have gone to my breast cancer check ups, I have sported a cleaver, yet entertaining shirt for my oncologist. Some examples are:
My oncologist is my homeboy
Lost my boobs, not my sense of humor
No they're not real. The real ones tried to kill me
Nice try cancer, but I'm still here
And I did the priceless campaign with my oncologist as the priceless factor. Now I am on a search for a witty shirt to have made for my 6 month check next month. Tap into your creative juices and tell me your most original, funny, cleaver thoughts to be made into a shirt. I need your help here. Nothing inappropriate though as I have to wear it in public. Let's hear it...give me all you've got!
I have a mission for you. In the past when I have gone to my breast cancer check ups, I have sported a cleaver, yet entertaining shirt for my oncologist. Some examples are:
My oncologist is my homeboy
Lost my boobs, not my sense of humor
No they're not real. The real ones tried to kill me
Nice try cancer, but I'm still here
And I did the priceless campaign with my oncologist as the priceless factor. Now I am on a search for a witty shirt to have made for my 6 month check next month. Tap into your creative juices and tell me your most original, funny, cleaver thoughts to be made into a shirt. I need your help here. Nothing inappropriate though as I have to wear it in public. Let's hear it...give me all you've got!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Invasion of Little Girls
Now, if goes without saying that I truly love my husband. He makes me laugh, he makes me grind my teeth, and he is super duper at making me shake my head. Which was evident this past week when he said,
"Hey, let's have the girls each invite a friend over to spend the night!"
Of course, than one has to wonder about me, since I said, "Yeah, that would be fun!"
For a moment I was taken back to the days of my own sleepovers at friends houses, or when they would sleep over at my house. They were so much fun! We would stay up late and laugh about dumb things, eating junk food all night, relishing in the thought of our faux freedom. We could stay up late. We could watch movies. We could TP the neighbors house. Wait. Never mind. We never ever TP'd the neighbors house. Or the house a few blocks away. Nope. Never.
So yeah, I was in agreement that the girls would have fun, not thinking about when I had sleepovers, I was a wee bit older than the girls are now. That fact seemed to have escaped my mind. But, the invites were out, there was no going back now.
And then we had 2 five year olds and 2 seven year olds jumping around the living room singing along to Alvin and the Chipmunks, and of course the Chipettes. And by jumping around, I mean they have better dance moves than I could ever dream of. I saw hair being twirled around, I saw gyrations, I saw cartwheel attempts, but most of all, I heard singing. And more singing.
There was also watching of The Wizard of Oz with popcorn and juice boxes. We were assured by Nadia that the whole movie was not in black and white, but became more fun when the door of the house was opened in the land of Oz.
There was coloring with markers and crayons, and for some reason the theme of the art work was "The World" which they all drew with lots of concentration.
Then when we tried to get them to all go to bed, it was like playing Whack a Mole. One kid would sit up (they all slept on the pull out couch in the living room), ask for something, we would oblige, they would lay down in time for the next one to pop their head up and ask for something. This went on for about 20 minutes until finally, after 11PM, there was silence from the living room. They all had finally gone to sleep. I proceeded to stay up until after 2:30AM for some reason, and paid the price the next day. Not only did I have to deal with crabby tired children, but they had to deal with a crabby tired mom. It all comes out in the wash.
"Hey, let's have the girls each invite a friend over to spend the night!"
Of course, than one has to wonder about me, since I said, "Yeah, that would be fun!"
For a moment I was taken back to the days of my own sleepovers at friends houses, or when they would sleep over at my house. They were so much fun! We would stay up late and laugh about dumb things, eating junk food all night, relishing in the thought of our faux freedom. We could stay up late. We could watch movies. We could TP the neighbors house. Wait. Never mind. We never ever TP'd the neighbors house. Or the house a few blocks away. Nope. Never.
So yeah, I was in agreement that the girls would have fun, not thinking about when I had sleepovers, I was a wee bit older than the girls are now. That fact seemed to have escaped my mind. But, the invites were out, there was no going back now.
And then we had 2 five year olds and 2 seven year olds jumping around the living room singing along to Alvin and the Chipmunks, and of course the Chipettes. And by jumping around, I mean they have better dance moves than I could ever dream of. I saw hair being twirled around, I saw gyrations, I saw cartwheel attempts, but most of all, I heard singing. And more singing.
There was also watching of The Wizard of Oz with popcorn and juice boxes. We were assured by Nadia that the whole movie was not in black and white, but became more fun when the door of the house was opened in the land of Oz.
There was coloring with markers and crayons, and for some reason the theme of the art work was "The World" which they all drew with lots of concentration.
Then when we tried to get them to all go to bed, it was like playing Whack a Mole. One kid would sit up (they all slept on the pull out couch in the living room), ask for something, we would oblige, they would lay down in time for the next one to pop their head up and ask for something. This went on for about 20 minutes until finally, after 11PM, there was silence from the living room. They all had finally gone to sleep. I proceeded to stay up until after 2:30AM for some reason, and paid the price the next day. Not only did I have to deal with crabby tired children, but they had to deal with a crabby tired mom. It all comes out in the wash.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
It Took a While, But....
If you are interested in seeing some Idol pictures from the concert last summer, go to my flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22248031@N06/
and you will see some of the better ones. Keep in mind that I used a point and shoot, and dang, some of them turned out really clear! Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22248031@N06/
and you will see some of the better ones. Keep in mind that I used a point and shoot, and dang, some of them turned out really clear! Enjoy!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Kids......Sheesh
As I start this blog entry, the Touch and Brush ad is on TV. The girls are dying to get one. Very odd. Why would a kid want a toothpaste dispenser? Nadia just told me that we need to order it today. Strange. Anyway, there is much excitement in the whole world of McDonald's because they have Alvin and the Chipmunk figures. So one day this week we had to go to the store after school and the girls were very patient, yadda yadda yadda, so I said I would take them to McD's for dinner. Now, at the store, the girls spent some of their own money on a bubble gum machine. In the car, Claire said she wanted to be done with her gum. I told her to wait until we got to McD's and she could throw it away there. We pull up, and get out of the car, and I watch as Nadia spits her gum into the garbage and walks through the first set of doors and waits for Claire and I. Now Claire just goes through the door, no gum spitting. Huh. Interesting. I asked her where her gum was and she tells me that it had accidentally fallen out of her mouth onto the floor of the car. I told her to walk back to the car and get the gum (for the record, we were in the first row and I could see her at all times). She came back and put the gum in the garbage. At this point, I pointed my finger in her little face and said, "And if you think for one minute that I believe that the gum accidentally fell, you have got another thing coming." Tears welled up, and she said that she dropped it on purpose. My response?
"Back to the car. We are going home."
Insert mass crying here. We were In. The. Doorway of McDonald's and mean me made them go home. With no McDonald's. I explained to Claire in between her and Nadia's crying, that I will not have a child that lies to me. And yes, this isn't a big lie, but she has been pulling these little lies for a little while, and it needs to stop before it gets to be big huge lies. I told them they would have to earn back going to McD's, and they did another day. Now, I understand that Nadia didn't do anything wrong, but this was a good lesson for her as well. Don't mess with Mommy.
"Back to the car. We are going home."
Insert mass crying here. We were In. The. Doorway of McDonald's and mean me made them go home. With no McDonald's. I explained to Claire in between her and Nadia's crying, that I will not have a child that lies to me. And yes, this isn't a big lie, but she has been pulling these little lies for a little while, and it needs to stop before it gets to be big huge lies. I told them they would have to earn back going to McD's, and they did another day. Now, I understand that Nadia didn't do anything wrong, but this was a good lesson for her as well. Don't mess with Mommy.
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