Alert the Media!!

She Finishes TWO Pages in One Day. WAHOO!! This photo was taken at Kelton's 5th birthday party which was held on April 13th; the evening before we headed up to Seattle for our 5 week stay. I think this photo is sweet and it's all too rare I have a picture of myself with the kids so I really love it. :)

credit: Clowning Around by Dani Mogstadt

Princess Cool

This is the page I created today at the scrapbooking day for my MOMS Club. Seems to me that after four hours I would have more to show for myself but I guess it's hard to show side-splitting laughter and good food.

credits: Power Puff Pixies by Lauren Grier and Shawna Clingerman

And now I want to scrap, scrap, scrap but there is just no way I can since the kids are going nutty and I think Dakota would having some not so nice things to say if I stayed glued to the computer. *sigh*

What Was That Sound?

Umm...I'm pretty sure it was the sound of my nose being broken. I'm not 100% sure but it sure feels like something bad happened to it.

This afternoon we were all hanging out on our bed when Kaylen decided to excitedly and with much enthusiasm crawl across me to get to Dakota. Apparently my face was in the way of her knee. I never knew a little knee could make such a huge impact. OUCH!!!

I heard the sound....kind of crunchy, and I felt the pain. It's been hours and I still have a tremendous headache and when I do dare to wriggle, touch or blow my nose it hurts more than I can say.

It's not too swollen or bruised and it looks like it is still straight without visible bumps or anything of the sort. I have seen people with broken noses and they usually look pretty bad. Luckily I don't look worse than usual but wow - does it hurt.

It might not be broken. Maybe just injured somehow. It doesn't feel so horrible that I have a need to rush off to urgent care (because for me to go sit in urgent care for hours on end I'd have to be in some seriously, earth stopping pain) so I guess I'll just go with it for now and see how it feels tomorrow. Clearly though, I won't be using any skin care products tonight as I can barely stand to touch my face. Hopefully tomorrow this will feel better and I can stop focusing on my nose and get back to life. Tomorrow is my MOMS Club scrapbook day - wish me luck! And send good thoughts that my nose is better soon.

Bees....again....still

*sigh* I'm not sure we are ever going to be rid of the bees. Not ever. It's been 8 days since the bee guys were here and we are still seeing bees going in and out. They said to give it 10 days and then call them back if we still were seeing bee activity. Something tells me if they aren't gone today, they sure won't be gone on Sunday.

So again, we will have the bee guys come out and spray and then again we will wait 10 days and then I'm sure we will repeat it all yet again. We're ready to go with the tight screening and believe me, as soon as we have an entire day without bee activity in that area, it's going up. But I'm feeling like that day will never come. Thank God this company has a 90 day guarantee.

What is it with this house and bees? Every since we moved in five years ago (and evidence shows before that as well) we have had to spray down wasp nests (I think they are called paper wasps but I have no clue. I just know they start to build honeycomb shaped things under the eves of the house) every year (and we have already once this year, too). Two years ago we had a yellow jacket nest in the ground on the side of the house and last year and this year we have bumble bees. WTF? Is there a sign out there somewhere that tells bees this is a great place to live? I know bees just seem to be bad in this area but come on! Enough already!!!!

Maybe we should just call a realtor because I think Kelton may be on to something when he says "Guess we just have to move." And yet, that isn't a solution either (not to mention we'd still have to have the problem taken care of before we could sell).

I just want the stupid bees gone. Is that *really* so much to ask?

Coffee Girl, Part 2

Thought I would share some proof of Coffee Girl's addiction with you. I missed her saying it spontaneously the first time since I don't usually walk around with a camera in my hand 24/7 but still...it's all her! :)


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

And a few pictures:

Day Eleven

Oh yeah - it's Day 11 and I put in another 30 minutes on the treadmill. I haven't missed one single day. The past three days have been the easiest so far but not because I'm not working out hard (goodness knows I'm sweating like a pig, going at a faster pace (and even running here and there) and I am steadily increasing the incline) but because I haven't been subjected to children's shows while I worked out. It happened by accident really but three days ago I was in the room alone and I flipped on TLC. What Not To Wear was on and I am a big, big fan. For some unknown reason, I really enjoy this particular show and it certainly isn't because I'm a fashion expert. Nope - probably more along the lines of "Phew! I'm not the worst dressed out there." or "I wonder if anyone has turned my name over to the show yet." I think I like seeing the transformation of the person in all ways - not just with the clothing. And maybe there is a small part of me that wishes I could have Stacy or Clinton come show me a better style for my body type.

Anyway....I have been watching What Not To Wear and I am loving it! The distraction for working out is great but I'm also having a good time watching a grown-up show. That never happens around here - not with two small children in the house. Not only that but there are parts of the show that seriously make me laugh - and laugh hard. Sometimes I swear I am going to need some incontinence products and all you women who have had babies know exactly what I mean! First off I have, at this point, consumed a large cup of coffee, then I am working out hard (and even running) and THEN I add laughing incredibly hard and well...you all know that's a recipe for disaster. It's right up there with coughing or sneezing once you have given birth. Need I say more?

But I just have to laugh at some of the outfits people wear and then when you add Stacy and Clinton making (severe) fun of them well......it's all over for me. And I'm here to tell you - when I am watching this show and laughing as hard as I laugh those 30 minutes are just flying by. Never ever in a million years did I think I would ever say *that* about working out!

So thank you, TLC. This show is a perfect work out show for me. :)

Coffee Toddler

Is caffiene a drug as in "serious drug"? If so, my 2 year old is needing a serious drug rehab stay. *laughing*

It used to be that it was good enough to wait for me to finish my morning cup and then she would drink the teeny tiny bit that was left. We moved from that to drinking nice big swallows, but still from my cup. In the last few weeks she has begun demanding coffee in her sippy cup! I pour a small amount into a cup and hand it to her. She will climb up next to me on the couch and without fail, the girl will take a drink, make a happy sound and then say "Mmmmmmmm....Me love coffee."

Here are a couple photos of my coffee princess in her younger addiction days.

11 months old

19 months old

Naked Couches

Yes, you read that right. Kaylen is really into all things naked. She loves to be naked and she wants everything else naked too. She will pull off all her clothes and say "Me a naked wonder!" which never fails to reduce me to fits of laughter. And her dolls? Forget about it - they never get to wear clothes.


Recently she is all about making the couches "naked" which means removing the cushions and sitting where the cushions belong. She likes me to sit there too but frankly, the springs are hardly comfy on my mommy hinney. Both kids love to remove the cushions and build forts and then jump all over everything. I have to say, I've noticed the cushions are not quite as perfectly formed as they once were.

It drives me crazy but I also remember doing the exact same thing when I was a child and I remember fondly the fun it was. So I let them do it and know that some day, when they are grown up and no longer feel a need to jump on the couches or beds that I can buy new home furniture.

My Daughter

Oy. This girl. Two days ago she had a little pink snack bowl for her cheese. While I was in the shower she had to go potty so she ran off to use her potty chair. When I exited the shower stall, the bathroom rug for the main bathroom was in my bathroom. I asked her about it and she said "It covering up my pee."

I asked her to explain. Apparently she peed in her pink bowl (the cheese was gone already) and then covered the bowl with the rug, getting pee all over the rug. She was bringing the rug to me so I could take care of it.

Ok - so we talked about how we don't pee in anything but the potty(s) or her diaper. And we moved on with life.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon snack time. I pulled out a pink snack bowl (the same as she used the day before though I can't swear it was the same one. We have six exactly the same.) and gave her her snack in it. As she sat at the table I could tell she was deep in thought. Suddenly she shouted "NO! Rabbit bowl! Me want rabbit bowl." Hardly worth the fight, I got up to get the rabbit bowl and on the way I said "Why do you need the rabbit bowl? You love your pink bowl."

And she said with sheer disgust in her voice "Me peed in 'dis one! No want one I pee in!"

Well of course. :)

So I had to explain about how dishes get washed so they are clean when I get them out of the cabinets and the bowl she had peed in had been washed in the dishwasher and was ready for food again. And still - she wanted no part of that.

Silly, silly girl.

Confession About Zits

Every since I was pregnant with Kaylen I have been struggling with (minor - though they sure don't feel that way sometimes) breakouts. The really strange part is I had minor struggles with them all my life but then when I became pregnant with Kelton it was as if zits magically disappeared from my life. I loved that SO much and figured finally it was behind me. And then came my pregnancy with little Miss Thang. Poof! They were back. In fact, I think I started seeing pimples before the line changed on the pregnancy test.

I changed my skin care products which helped some but I'm still fighting them more than I would like. Honestly, I never figured at 42 years of age I'd still have zits popping up here and there. It just doesn't seem fair. I thought it was called "teenage acne" for a reason and once you were done being a teenager, the problem was done. *sigh*

I'm curious so let's get personal. Do you still have acne breakouts every now and again? What products are you finding helpful.

Under Duress

Duress. By definition it means: compulsion by threat or force; coercion; constraint

Yep, that sums it up. :) I'm just saying that I am not posting these photos because I want to. I am being coerced by Brenda (who took the bait from Perrin) to post a photo of ourself from high school.

Ok - here you go. This is from 1982. And I have no earthly idea what was up with my hair. But for that matter, I have no idea why I let Brenda convince me to do this.




Alrighty now...when you have stopped laughing, please go to your blog and do the same. And yes, that's an order. :)

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall....

Maybe I'm crazy or maybe it's wishfull thinking but today, day nine of working out, I happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I had to do a double take. Was that really me? I think I look a little different, a little better, a little thinner. Could it be? WooooooHooooooo!!!!!

And yes, I got in another 30 child interruption free minutes of working out today. That's nice entire days of working out each and every day.

Oh - and "The Shawna Update": She called last night about 9:30 to say that she was home (7.5 hours in the ER YUCK!). From what the CT scan showed it was a newly ruptured ovarian cyst. As I have been there, done that in my lifetime, I can tell you; that pain is NOT fun! The good news is that the fluid should reabsorb without incident and she should be fine in a few days. Thank goodness! Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers for her. :)

Mellow to Crazy in the Blink of an Eye


The kids and I were having a pretty mellow day. Everything was clicking right along without a hiccup which is a rarity to be sure. The laundry was going, the house was straightened up (and mostly staying that way), kitchen cleaned, email checked, kids happily playing with each other (and yes, the workout had been completed hours before this. Go me!). Then there, on my computer screen, was a message from my friend, Shawna. I answered and asked how how she was. Not good, was the reply. She was having pain and her doctor recommended she go to the ER. She asked if I might be willing to watch her three boys for a bit. Let's see...pain, ER...kind of a no brainer; of course I would be. Within the hour her husband was with her and the kids were with me.

WOW. Five kids equals a whole lot of energy! As I watched them swarming all over the play equipment in the yard I couldn't help but laugh - they looked like an ant colony...busy busy busy. Every where I looked there was movement. Again, let me say: WOW!

They played outside for a bit and then wanted to do art. After that it was playing with the inside toys for a bit and then back outside for more playing. I broke out the Otter Pops and everyone took a popsicle break. Then it was back inside to play. Sure, they all had their moments but mostly it went well. Two and a half hours in, Dakota arrived home. I met her in the driveway and said "Thank you for not wanting a lot of kids." She laughed.

There was more playing and then George arrived to pick the kids up and take them back to the hospital with him. Shawna was still waiting for some tests before they would know anything. The word "appendicitis" was bandied about. Time will tell.

I'm exhausted. I have no idea how people with more than two kids do this. Heck - some days I don't know how people with any kids do this. Five little bodies running around here with only one adult. It was an insane three hours but I am so glad I could help.

Here are some pictures:

Public Service Announcement


If there is a Starbucks near you I would encourage you to run, not walk, to it and order a slice of their Orange Creme Coffee Cake. OMG! It is like a slice of heaven and if you enjoy orange creamsicle you are going to love, love, love this amazing treat.

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!

The Weekend

Is it really Sunday already? Where did the time go? I'm not even really sure what was accomplished and I have to tell you, the rain isn't making me feel inspired to accomplish anything further.

On Friday the bee guys came and sprayed in the crawl space and around the vent the bees have been using to enter the space. We have to watch the area for the next 10 days and if the bee activity doesn't stop, they will come back out and respray. Yesterday we went to Home Depot and bought screening material and once the activity stops, we are going to attach the screening to the vent (already screened but clearly not with fine enough screening) to (hopefully) keep those darn things out of the crawl space. The bee guy said there was 40-50 crawling around down there and a bunch more in a nest that they created from dryer lint (which apparently was left under there when we had the dryer vent line replaced last summer). Eeeeeew!! I want the bees gone and I want them gone NOW!! This company offers a 90 day guarantee so that will at least get us through the majority of the bee season and if they have to come back and respray every 10 days, then so be it (HA! No pun intended.). It just creeps me out so much.

I was sitting in Kaylen's room talking on the phone today and I saw several big fat bumble bees so I know they aren't gone yet. *sigh*

Yesterday we went to Home Depot. Is it strange that I get a happy, giddy feeling whenever I enter a Home Depot? Oh the possibilities! Now don't get me wrong, I don't actually enjoy *doing* the work but I sure like thinking about all the possibilities of what you can do to your house and yard. And the smell of lumber - it just makes me so freakin' happy! Even Kelton said "What's the smell?" and after we told him he said "I really like smelling it - it makes my nose happy." Yeah - me, too. :)

After that I went and had my hair cut while Dakota and the kids walked around Joe's (previously GI Joes which is a sporting good type store) and then went to a craft store to look around. I joined them there when I was finished. I'm lukewarm on my hair but I know I will like it again in a week or so. It definitely needed shaping after the couple of not-so-great cuts I had in Seattle. I love the stylist I go to and was sad to learn she is leaving the salon to start her own home salon. When she mentioned that, if I wanted, I could give her my number and she could call me when everything was set up, I jumped at the chance. I have been so happy with her haircuts and I hate the thought of having to try to find someone else who could replicate it. It's not a difficult style by any means but it seems that she is the only one who can really do it so I like it. Of course, it probably helps that she did the original cut when I went from long to short two years ago. I just love being able to sit in the chair and start chatting about stuff while she works her magic. None of the "and how would you like your hair cut?" questions. I just sit and chat and walk out happy. Love that! :)

Oh - I took over my MOMS Club Yahoo Group this weekend, too(non-sanctioned and non-official part of MOMS Club international. It's just a fun message board for whoever in our MOMS Club who wants to join it.). It all came about from a comment Shawna made (one of the original list owners) and within five hours, I was wearing the crown. So far, it's going well but then, there isn't much to it. I started a couple conversations, pruned the list of members to remove those no longer part of MOMS Club and cleaned out old photo files belonging to previous members. I think it's in pretty good shape so now it's all about maintenance. Hopefully this will allow me to plug back into the MOMS Club. I've been feeling very much separated from it since my playgroup broke up and definitely since Brenda moved away. Since Kelton will be in school in the fall, it might be nice if I can join a playgroup for Kaylen as she has never had the experience. Of course, that will all depend on Kelton's school schedule.

The working out is still going along fine. Today was the seventh day in a row that I worked out and the seventh gold start I was able to put on my calendar. Grand total of time for the past 7 days is 3 hours and 10 minutes. Yay me!!

Other than that - it's been pretty non-eventful. Kaylen appears to be over the mouth virus she had last week but now Dakota, Kelton and Kaylen are fighting off a cold. Dakota has definitely lost the fight and the kids are holding their own. I am not sure why the viruses have invaded us again - I would have thought we paid our dues this past winter and should be allowed to skate for the summer - but I guess not. *sigh*

And how was your weekend?

And The Winner Is......


Dakota and I decided to submit this photo (taken in January - it's our annual family photo) for the free 16x20 canvas from Canvas On Demand. I'm excited to see how it turns out.

A friend who commented on the original post wondered how I am able to get it for free. It was a special assignment I was lucky enough to get through PayU2Blog. I started working with PayU2Blog a couple weeks ago which is why you may have noticed some obscure linking in a few of my posts which take you directly to a specific site. I am getting paid a small amount for each assignment and all I have to do it find a way ti incorporate the assigned link into a posting. It's actually been surprisingly easy to link to the assingments without altering the course of talking about the usual stuff I blog about. I'm not sure if that will always be the case but I'll cross each bridge as I come to it.

The extra income won't alter the course of our lives by any stretch of the imagination but it will help make it easier to afford to go to the zoo or children's museum or help me feel less guilty for buying the kids a little surprise here and there.

There are pay to blog places who pay significantly more but the blogs I read doing those types sometimes tend to feel more "informercial-ly" and that's not the feel I want my blog to take on. For the past two years, this blog has centered on my kids and my crazy life and I don't want that to change. Now.....all that being said, I can't promise *never* to partake in the "more money game" every now and then because well....life costs money and there is no denying that we don't have enough of it and if I can help bring in some extra here and there to make things less tight for us, that's what I'll do.

You know what else? It felt really, really good to make some money this week. :) I haven't been able to contribute money-wise since I started staying at home with the kids (but heavens knows I contribute in many, many other ways!) and it felt great when I checked my PayPal account and saw the money sitting there.

And yes, you can bet I did a little happy dance. :)

So...long story short; this is how I am getting the free canvas print. :)

It's Been One of Those Days

Tonight Dakota said "I'm going to go shut off the sprinklers. You can go blog or whatever you want to do for a few minutes." So I said "I want to pretend I am single, living alone, skinny and that I am really, really cute."

She said "Sure. You can pretend that all you want."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......I *think* it meant it in a nice, loving, supportive way but one can never be *too* sure. :)

It's been a really, really, really long day with the kids today.

Did I mention REALLY long day?

Oh - and tomorrow we have "the bee guy" coming to deal with the bees that have once again built their hive under the house. Oh yes, this would be in the *exact* same spot they were living last year. ARGH!!! I hate bees. I'm just saying.

Kaylen

YAY!!! I think we have turned the corner with Kaylen. The afternoon she started requesting, and eating, food!! I am beyond thrilled and excited. It's been a heck of a long week.

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Really Amazing Offer

I was just offered a chance to receive a 16x20 photo enlargement
canvas of my favorite photo. For free. And I am so taking the opportunity! I can not even begin to tell you how excited this makes me but then, you have seen my love of photos - I suppose this surprises no one. *laughing*

The thing I am really struggling with right now though is which photo I should choose. I had thought about one from a beach trip but the one I really would like, I'm not in (I'm usually the person behind, not in front of, the camera). Since this is going to be such a big canvas photo, I'd really like to either have all of us or just the kids. We do have a really good photo of the kids from when Kaylen was 4 months old hanging by the front door. No one ever wants to cover it up with a new photo because we all love it so much so it seems it might be a logical choice. Dakota thinks it should be something more recent. ARGH!

I have a feeling I will be looking through my photo files most of the weekend trying to find one we both can agree upon. Wish me luck and hey - if you have a favorite one of the kids that you can recall right off, go ahead and shout it out. I'm taking suggestions! :)

Once it's done, I'll post a photo of it so you can see it. I am so, so, so excited about this!!!!

A Few Mintues to Myself, Please!!

I can see the advantages of going to a gym to workout. I really,really can. Take this morning, for instance; a 30 minute workout took me 45 minutes to complete and I lost track of the total number of times I had to pause the treadmill, jump off and go take care of something for someone.

I checked in with both kids before going into my room and I made sure everyone had eveything they needed. I set Kaylen up with Barney in my room and proceeded to get ready to work out. I jump on the treadmill and 10 minutes later, I realize I have to go to the bathroom (yes, I went before but darn that coffee! It just goes right through me. Perhaps I should wait and have my cup *after* working out. It's a thought anyway), then Kaylen wants a popsicle. She is still pretty sick with the virus and sores in her mouth and throat so I am happy to help her out as I know the cold on her throat probably feels good. So I climb back on and start walking again. A few minutes later, Kaylen emerges from behind the curtain in my room and announces that she is poopy and needs a new diaper. Grrrrrrrrrrr. I hit the pause button again and go get the wipes and a new diaper.

While I am still mid-change, Kelton comes in. Will I pleaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssseeeeeee help him log into the Disney Blast game site? So I finish up with Kaylen, take the diaper outside, wash my hands and go to the computer to help Kelton. Then I return to my room and get back into the groove of working out. Enter Kaylen who now wants to pee in her potty. I yell for Kelton to help her take off her diaper, which he does, and return my thoughts to the treadmill.

The dogs begin barking like crazy so I have to stop yet again to see what is happening. The neighbor girl is at the door. It's the last day of school and she forgot her house key. Could she borrow the phone to call her mom? I take care of that and return to my room.

I added three extra minutes at the end (the machine keeps track of total minutes so I know I got in my full 30 (plus 3) minutes but it sure felt disjointed. I was sweating though so I know I got some sort of a workout but man - I see where leaving the house and working out in a gym would be much more "restful". :)

Another thing about working out - it's a time sucker! Normally I have morning stuff (breakfast, dishes, everyone dressed, beds made, laundry started, etc.) in the house taken care of no later than 9:30 or 10 but at 10 I was just stepping into the shower. Clearly starting my workout earlier will help but Kaylen slept late and I didn't want to wake her since she is still pretty sick.

And yet - I did it. I worked out. I could have given up. I could have said "This is SO not worth it!" or "I am so sore from yesterday I think I'll take a break today (yeah - kinda pushed myself too hard yesterday. OUCH!)" but I didn't. I worked out. And this is Day Four, if anyone is keeping track.

Go me!! :)

Let Me Be Among The First......

..............to wish you all a very happy first day of summer!!!

Feeling Pretty Proud of Myself

This is the third day of having the treadmill in the house and the third day that I have worked out! I am so freaking proud of myself that I can't even begin to tell you. :) Somehow I just *knew* that if I could get a treadmill into the house that I would be dedicated enough about my personal goal of working out that it would see some seriously good use. The first day I did 30 minutes, yesterday I did 25 minutes and today I did another 30. Yesterdays was less because I didn't have time in the morning to work out because of needing to get Kaylen to the doctor so I wasn't able to squeeze in any time until after Dakota got home from work. My goal had been to get in 15 minutes no matter what so I was delighted to get in another 10.

So how long does it take to start seeing progress? I'm not a very patient person. *laughing*

But here is something that sort of bugs me. The machine is in our bedroom and positioned so that I could watch the tv as a distraction. Of course since I have children running about, the only tv I am seeing is Dora, Barney or something of the sort. Not exactly as distracting as I had hoped so instead I am spending my time looking around the room finding things that I would like to clean up, fix up and out and out change.

One of things I look at is the bathroom vanity, which until I looked it up today I had no clue what it was actually called. I always call it "the sink in my room" as in "Will you please go put this on the counter near the sink in my room?" But who knew that they are actually called bathroom vanities. Ok, maybe everyone else on the planet but still! :) Our bathroom vanity is mostly really great, I mean, it does its job and all but the more I stare at it, the more I realize how incredibly handy a double sink would be! Not that I have any plans of upgrading it but still - it would be really nice.

Another thing is, I'd really, really like to have the entire room repainted. Did you read that Dakota? *laughing* Yeah yeah, I know.....some day. :)

But seriously...I am so loving having the treadmill!!! :)

(Hahahahahah! I just added tags to this post and I actually got to write "working out" and I just find that so funny!!! Yay me!!!!)

My Personal Stress Indicator

Now I know this is going to sound weird but I really do have my own personal stress indicator and monitor system. I can tell when I am maxed out on stress and I can tell when things are feeling more under control. No seriously. It's true.

Taz, my 13 year old tabby cat, is my monitoring system.

It all started back in 2004 when we were trying to get pregnant with Kaylen (we had a bit of stress over that!). I suddenly noticed that Taz had begun chewing off the fur on her hind legs. And then, when I was about 6 months pregnant, and incredibly stressed out about adding a baby and Dakota applying to law school (a virtual single mom full-time to a 3 year old and a newborn?!?! Are you kidding me??? What was I thinking?? EEEEK!!!), Taz started shearing her entire back half - including her belly. We would joke about her being shaved for surgery (it's totally what she looked like) and how perhaps she needed a Hair Transplant or, in her case, a fur transplant.

She would periodically let it grow in and then BAM! It was gone again. We started noticing a pattern; the more stressed out I was over this, that or the other thing, the less hair she left on her hindquarters. When things calmed down, she would let her hair grow in.

When I left for Seattle back in April, the poor cat was practically bald and yet, five weeks later after being away from my stress, she was a furry cat again. For the past month she has left her fur alone and then today I noticed her ankles are bare again. Something tells me it's the stress of having Kaylen sick this week that is doing it.

Hopefully, now that I am working out, my stress levels can even out so the poor cat can have some fur. :)

Multi-Colored Fun


Even though there is chaos in the house with Kaylen being sick (see post below if you haven't already) Kelton is still managing to find fun for himself. I don't know if you remember those four color bic pens but I had completely forgotten about them until the day recently that Dakota bought one for Kelton. He is in seventh heaven that his pen has four different colors - his excitement is actually pretty cute. :) As soon as I saw the pen I was flooded with memories of my mom and of seeing them in the house while I was growing up in the 70's. To be honest, I had no idea they even still made them but I have to say, if you have kids who love to draw, invest in one. Their excitement over these "magic pens" will be hysterical, I promise.

Kelton is really into making "treasure maps" for his various adventures and he will draw different parts of the map different colors and then he will dress up in a really silly outfit and go on his flying carpet to far away places. Here is a photo I took of him yesterday. I know he explained his entire get-up to me but I can't recall it all now but I do remember laughing to myself when he spread out the scarf, climbed on board and told me a tale about flying away from the bad guys who were out to get his buried treasure. Thank goodness his secret multi-colored map was carefully hidden in the bag around his neck. :)



I'm telling you, this boy cracks me up. :)

Are You Freakin' Kidding Me???

Kaylen still wasn't back to her self this morning and we had had a *really* rough night with her waking every hour or 90 minutes all night long crying out for something to drink so when she started telling me her throat hurt ("sting" was the word she used) I got that weird feeling in my gut. I pulled out a flashlight and a popsicle stick to see if I could see what was happening in there. Of course it was almost impossible with her tongue which would not cooperate so I placed a call to her ped's office. They could see her in an hour.

So, I kicked everything into high gear and got the kids and myself fed, dressed and out the door in 40 minutes. Go me! :)

The outcome? She has herpangina which, as I later learned by doing internet research is the mouth part of "hand, foot and mouth disease". Now, those of you who have been with me for a while might remember back to this post and this one in August of 2006 when she had a nasty, nasty case of HFM. From what I can ascertain, it's unusual to contract this more than once. Unusual, but not unheard of. *sigh*

I guess I would be moody, fragile, and crabby as all get out to but still......this is SO not fair!

The kicker here is the incubation period is 4-6 days which once again lands us at a MOMS Club event. True, it was at a public park and it could have come from anywhere but it just seems that whenever we are at MOMS Club, Kaylen picks up something to make her, and by proxy; us, miserable. Yes, it could have come from someplace else except for the fact we were at home every single day last week except for Tuesday at MOMS Club. Ever. Single. Day. We go out one time and BAM she's sick.

This sucks. And I have to say, a plastic bubble is looking a bit enticing.

Thinking of the Almighty Dollar....

...and how to get more of it.

An on-line friend of mine hooked me up with a Yahoo group that is comprised of people who want to (or already do) make scrapbooks for other people as a source of income. I joined because I am pretty intrigued at the thought of making money doing something I really enjoy doing. Last fall I created a few digital pages for another on-line friend of mine and I am constantly getting compliments on the work I do on my own pages. I love creating layouts.

I suppose I could have some business cards printed up to hand out or leave them in strategic locations locally and see where it takes me. Or I could just use word of mouth and work with friends. I'm not sure what, if any, road I want to take on this venture...I guess I'm just thinking out loud but still....finding a fun, creative, enjoyable way to bring extra money into the house would be really, really nice.

The Treadmill

Wow. Three posts so far today. I'm on a roll. :) Kaylen is taking a nap today which is completely out of the norm but she is so wiped out from being sick that the poor thing just couldn't stay awake. It's after 3pm already and she's been out since 1:30. This isn't going to bode well for bedtime but what's a mom to do? I can't *not* let her nap if she needs one, right?

Ok - so the treadmill. I've been wanting a treadmill of my own for awhile. January of 2006 Dakota and I even went looking for a new one but what we could afford didn't have the things we wanted. For instance, our comfortable price range meant a manual treadmill, not a motorized one. I know one could burn more calories that way but whoa! No thanks. I had a vision of a nicer one than that.

Yesterday I was casually searching Craigs List, as I do periodically for things on my "wish list", when I came across a ProForm 730 for, get this, $65.00. It was in good working condition with minor cosmetic damage. I've never seen such a nice treadmill listed for so little money so of course I contacted them right away. They sent pictures and within five minutes I was lining up a time to go see it.

It was perfect! Works great and the minor cosmetic damage is on the adhesive backed strip at the very top of the belt. What is the damage from? The guys foot as he ran on it. Ummmm yeah, I think I can deal with that. I'm not sure if he thought I looked like someone who *really* needs to exercise, just liked us or was being overly generous but he knocked $15 off his asking price so we picked up an amazing piece of machinery for $50.00!! I know! Crazy, right?

Since I'm selling one of Kelton's small bikes (yes, we had two. A neighbor had given us their sons bike when he outgrew it so we had an extra once for when friends came to play.) for $20 that means, as far as the financial loss/gain goes; we're only out $30 for the treadmill. You just have to like how life works out sometimes, don't ya? :)

This morning I worked out for 30 minutes and I am so dang proud of myself. I have been wanting to do this for a long while but joining a gym and dealing with childcare seems impossible for me (no way we could afford that extra cost at this point in our lives) so this is a perfect workable solution. I am so excited!!! My goal isn't lofty by any means. I just want to get back to my original weight before I got pregnant with Kelton. And hey - anything beyond that is pure bonus! :)

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids testing it out yesterday.

New Patio Furniture

Is it wrong of me to want a comfortable chair for the hours upon hours of backyard time that is awaiting me? Well - wrong or not, there it is. I was checking out different types of chairs and I happened upon this great site for teak outdoor furniture. I mean seriously, just check out this chair.


Now that says comfort to me! I can just picture myself all curled up with a good book sipping my ice tea as the kids play on their swing set. Just the mere though of it makes me happy.


I know Dakota would love an adirondack chair as she has been talking about it for years and I have to say, this is a pretty darn nice one.

Summer dreaming. Nothing like it! :)

Knock on Wood

The girl is better. I think. I hope. I pray. It appears to be a 36 hour bug or something like that. She only threw up the one time (which was plenty, thanks. Nasty!) but her fever raged until yesterday afternoon and then finally - sweet relief, it broke. She is still tired, senitive, crabby and out of sorts but so much better!!

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Kelton has been sick only a very few times in his five years but it feels like Kaylen picks up anything that walks by and waves at her. Each and every time it strikes fear in my heart and I struggle to figure out how best to help. It's moments like those that I can't help but think I have no clue about being a mother, being responsible for another persons health and well-being. I can deal with tantrums. I can deal with mess. I can deal with runny noses and congestion. I just can't seem to deal very well when one of my babies is "sick" sick.

I have no idea how parents of chronically ill children do it. They are heroes to be sure.

I have more to update about but it requires photos that I have yet to upload to my computer and I just haven't gotten that far today. Hopefully soon.

Not Again!

Kaylen spiked a fever around 10pm last night and it's been raging every since. It was 103 earlier this afternoon though I'm sure it's not as hot as she has been. I've been doing my best to keep fever reducing meds on board all day. Then tonight at the dinner table she was clearly not feeling well. She refused any and all bites which I knew in my gut could only mean one thing and before we were done with our meals, it was confirmed.

The poor girl threw up everywhere.

I'm in vomit hell once again.

I forgot what this felt like - it's been four whole months (quite a record for this past autumn and winter) since she has been sick like this. It's awful and scary and yucky. I'm a worse-case scenerio girl, too, so on top of worry about everythign in the moment I am also trying to keep those fears at bay that creep in; "Maybe she has something seriously wrong with her. What if it's life threatening? Am I doing all I can do to make her better faster? There isn't much point in taking her to the clinic because on top of waiting for hours all they will (probably) say is "It's a virus. Give it 72 hours." I hate running to the doctor for every sniffle and I've made a point to not do that so I won't take her in unless she get's significantly sicker and yet that voice in my head keeps on with the "Are you sure? Are you sure she shouldn't be seen? What if.....?"

I really hate this parent of motherhood. My baby is sick and I can't can't make her better. I'm already exhausted and I know tonight will hold precious little sleep for me. I hate dealing with throw up. What if we all end up getting it? I've been feeling feverish most of today already. But mostly: My baby is sick and I can't make her better.

Feeling helpless sucks.


PS...Shawna; I am so, so sorry that we unknowingly exposed you and the boys to this at our playdate yesterday. She sure didn't give any indication that she wasn't feeling well, did she? Who would have guessed that in 12 hours she would go from a happy girl running around with the boys and acting all silly to a fevered sick little girl? I hope like crazy everyone in your family stays healthy. I'm really, really sorry. :(

Sometimes the world just looks better upside down.

Amazed

I was just checking my blog stats to see how many people have visited, who is currently on (I'm nosy like that) and to see where people are coming from (it logs if you follow a link from someone else's blog and it also logs your IP address with your city and state) and I was struck by something very sobering: even when I was feeling isolated and alone; you were all there. Right there. As close as my keyboard.

I had 3,223 hits to my blog in the month of May. Three thousand times you all come to check in on me as I went through the journey of losing my mom. So even when I felt so incredibly alone, I wasn't. As I struggled with having the kids in a hotel by myself; you all were here. As I faced all I faced during that time....you were all right here.

I find that amazing...and incredible...and sobering. And I am honored.

Thank you all for caring about me. For those of you who leave comments to let me know you hear me and to share things with me; I appreciate every word. For those of you come by and then leave silently; I'm so glad you are here.

Thank you, everyone. From the deepest part of my soul; I thank you.

Word Cloud

It's been a while since I created a word cloud for my blog. If you haven't yet done this - you should. It's pretty cool (and very easy!).



I have to say, I love that last line: Wow Yeah Years :)

New Wheels

Someone at our house has a new set of wheels....and it isn't Dakota, Kaylen or me. Yep - that's right. Kelton is the proud new owner of a new bicycle and he couldn't be more proud of himself.

Recently we started taking walks around the neighborhood and Kelton would ride his bike. It was abundantly clear though that the 12" bike we bought him for his third birthday was far too small for him which is so funny in a "wow they grow fast" kind of way. During the mild days of winter he would ride his bike and it was fitting him fine. Clearly, the plants aren't the only things to grow in the springtime!

Here is a picture of the happy rider:


Look at him go! He seriously was so happy that I think he floated around the block. Not one single complaint of "I'm tired." or "My legs hurt." Just "LOOK AT ME!" and "WATCH THIS!" It was so sweet. I'm still amazed though. When he got his first bike for his birthday two years ago it seemed so darn big on him and now it's so small. We'll put it away for Kaylen even though I already hear her saying "Mom - I want a pink one!" and can you blame her? A blue bike with a crocodile on it just doesn't say "Kaylen" the princess of all things pink.

Tents in the Afternoon

Yesterday the kids were antsy (which I don't understand since we spent two hours with MOMS Club in the park) so I hit on the idea of pulling out the child sized tent and setting it up for them. Oh my gosh did they have fun!

They brought out pillows, blankets and stuffed friends to add to the two sleeping bags already inside. They zipped and unzipped the door. They giggled like fools and wore themselves out. Meanwhile, I sat on the patio reading a book. It was really nice.

I forgot how much fun tents in the backyard during the summer are when you're a kid.

Look at me!!

Look what I just received. Wow! What an honor. :)

And this is what my good friend, Shawna, had to say about me:

1 - Okay so first on my list is undoubtedly Casey. I love Casey as a person, and I love her blog because she is so honest and she really shares herself with you in every post. Casey has about a million blog readers and I know why, her blog is a great place to go and read and relate with another stay at home mom.

Someone likes me - they really, really like me! :)

Sad isn't it? Apparently I need external validation. Hee hee. :)

Trucks, Dolls, Painting and More

Last night after her bath, Kaylen had a little play time while Kelton and I worked on a scrapbook page (his very own creation). Dakota came across the room and whispered "You've got to see this." And this is what we watched. The truck was actually my dad's when he was a boy and the doll and tub is none other than Kira, her new doll from this weekend. The last picture is her ready for bed. Notice all her friends - two dalmation puppies, the truck and Kira with all her stuff. Later, of course, she realized she was missing another doll, her big pink stuffed bear and her hoppity hop. Yes, you read that correctly. The girl actually insists on sleeping with her hoppity hop some nights. Some nights I wonder where she sleeps in that bed. Strange little child. :)



Today we painted. As you can see, I stripped Kelton out of his shirt because he has never not gotten paint all over himself. Except today. Today I should have stripped down Kaylen. That smock did precious little from keeping it off her shirt. But - they had a good time and that's what matters, right? :)



On a side note, today marks one month to the day that my mom died. It's still not really "real" in a lot of ways but in another way, it feels like it's been forever since that day. Time is such a fluid thing, isn't it?

A month.
A whole month.
Wow.

Another Weekend Fades into the Sunset

Wow. Weekends are busy around here. Dakota is still enjoying a shortened work week because of the chaos surrounding her job and her FTE remaining the same as during the school year instead of jumping back to a 1.0. This means that we have three family days in a row - and the kids and I are loving them!!

Friday morning we decided to go to the Children's Museum and had a great time playing and exploring. It's been about a year since our last visit to this particular museum so Kaylen had no memory of it. It was so funny to watch her running around excitedly.


We stayed and played for most of the day though I have to say that around the nap time hour was my favorite time to be there - the crowds really thinned out and we were the only ones for nice chunks of time in several of the areas we visited.

Saturday we didn't do all that much. Dakota headed over to her sister's house to visit with her dad while the kids and I stayed home. After Dakota returned we had lunch and then ran over to Fred Meyer to pick up a few groceries (see post below for details) and then it was home again. The kids and Dakota made chocolate chip cookies and then we all settled in to watch Monsters, Inc. After the kids were sleeping, Dakota and I heated up some food (we fed the kids during their movie) and settled in to watch Music and Lyrics which I thought was pretty fun. Predictable, as romantic comedies are, but fun. By the time the movie was over it was well past 11:00 which is pretty darn late around these parts, so we headed to bed.

Today we hung around the house this morning and then headed out to find a new park to visit. We looked up local parks on the computer and settled on one that had a lot of trails to explore but after driving around and around and around trying to find our way in (which we found eventually but couldn't find a nearby place to park the car) we gave up and headed over to the lake near town. We hadn't been there since Kelton was about 15 months old and since then they have gone to a pay park. Ick. They took cash only and of course I had none with me. The booth guy (kid, really) told us about another place nearby that was free so we headed over there. It was perfect!! No one around, a great play area and right on the river! We were all in heaven. I love, love, love being near the water. There is just something so peaceful about water....even the ocean as it crashes violently. Yeah - I know that sounds weird but I even find peace in the violence of the waves at the ocean. Go figure.


We played at our new found park for a good long time before heading home. After picking up a quick dinner at McDonald's (we were all tired and hungry and the rain was starting to fall which meant out bbq plans were iffy at best) we took care of the regular Sunday night chores (trash out (and I am loving the compactor!!), etc.) the kids found the Halloween costume box and had a great time dressing up in each and every one of them. We all had a blast - and marveled at how a tiger costume that one of Dakota's work friends gave us when Kelton was 18 months old is now practically fitting. How could it be that our baby is that big already? I remember when Dakota brought it home way back when - it felt like Kelton would never be *that* big. Surprise! He is getting darn close. Amazing.



So now the kids are in the tub and soon it will be stories and bedtime. It's been a crazy weekend and I think we are all looking forward to Monday so we can rest. :)

Snap 'n Style Babies

This afternoon we ran out to Fred Meyer to pick up a few groceries and while there we happened to venture over to the toy aisles which is always an interesting adventure. "I want..." and "I need..." and "MOM! Look at this!" filled the air. The kids are pretty good about putting things down and walking away when we say "This is really great but you know, we're not going to get that today." We're lucky that way - they usually just say "OK - maybe next time." and put it back.


Today though we were feeling like we wanted to get the kids each a little something. Kelton chose a notepad and a multi-color ballpoint pen (that's our boy - art supplies and office supplies. He loves them!). Kaylen found something in the doll row (of course) called Snap 'n Style Babies: Bathtime for Kira. I've never seen this particular brand of doll before but she was instantly in love with it. It's a bit like Polly Pockets for the toddler set. The doll is chunky so she is easy to handle and the clothes snap on and off and she can do it all by herself. She could not wait to break into the box and start playing. And play she did! We more than got out $10.00 worth already and Kira has had a bath in the real bathtub and is now tucked in right next to my own sleeping baby doll. It's just too sweet.

So if you have a toddler who loves baby dolls - you might want to check out the Snap 'n Style line. When I looked it up online, I discovered here are a few different sets and I have to say, they all look like fun. Just don't tell my daughter there are more. The girl already has more dolls and doll accessories than one child needs. :)

Dakota and I sign up for Netflix during the summer months so we can catch up on movies we've missed throughout the year(s) and we just completed Season One of Big Love. Has anyone else seen it? Thoughts? Eager for Season Two to begin (which happens June 11th on HBO)?

I confess that I didn't love it as much as I had hoped but I was definitely intrigued enough to watch it - and way more than curious to see what will happen this season. (I'll have to wait until next summer though since HBO isn't in the ol' budget). I liked it - I really liked it and I love that it let me sneak a peek into that world but honestly, the thought of having more partners and more children doesn't really do it for me. :) Way too much drama for this girl.

That said though - I have no issue if it is the lifestyle others choose to live (consenting adults, clearly. I do have issue if young girls are involved it. But I'm not focusing on that. I'm thinking about consenting adult who have weighed their options and are seeing the world with focused vision). But then - I'm a "live and let live as long as is isn't hurting anyone" type of person.

I'm curious what others think.

Well Visits, Dress Up Time and Photographs

On Monday, Kelton had his well-child visit and I'm happy to report he is healthy. He had his eyes checked and his hearing tested and passed both with flying colors. We had a bit of a struggle about the booster shot for varicella but we both survived that though I did get kicked at, hit at and he screamed "I HATE YOU!" at me. *sigh* Here are a couple pictures that I couldn't help but snap (clearly taken prior to meltdown):




Yesterday afternoon the kids pulled out the dress-up bin and went to town. I love dress-up time because I leave the room and let them go for it and the stuff they come out wearing - well...it just makes me laugh so much.



Today I was trying to figure out something to do that would get us out of the house for a bit when I happened to mention to Kelton that I needed to figure out when I would get them in for updated photos. He said "Why not today?" Why not indeed! I called and scheduled a morning appointment and these are a few of the many cute shots they got.





The first two are much less dark in real life and I'm just too darn lazy to go in a tweak them for you. Sorry. :)

The weather is still yucky but I am feeling a bit better about life. We are still in limbo about Dakota's job though she feels things are going to work out for her to stay on where she is - she feels the conversations with the powers that be are very positive in her direction. Time will tell.

We don't really have much of an update on her dad. He is down here now instead of up in the Seattle area which makes it easier for the sisters to see him. He is staying with Dakota's oldest sister for now and when the time comes he will be moved into a great hospice facility here in town. We visited him a week and a half ago but since then the four of us have been battling little colds and are completely uncomfortable being the germ carrier to him. Hopefully Dakota will get over to see him this weekend (Kaylen now has the sniffles - though not serious for healthy people by any means, there is just no way I'm taking her around Dakota's dad. Just as well - from personal experience, it's hard to get in a good visit with someone with the kids underfoot.

So - all in all, things are good and moving right along.

Rain, Rain Go Away

After a week of 80-90 degree temps, we are now stuck in a few days of rainy, icky days. It's so dark and depressing - quite a departure from the days we've had. It's a cruel trick to expect us to go back to *this* when we've been spoiled by days of being outside most of the time, playing in the sprinkler and pool and just feeling...well...free.

For some unknown reason though the outside weather mirrors my inside feelings pretty well. At least for today. I feel dark and depressed, lost, scared and sad. It feels like I have a gigantic hole that someone has kicked in my gut. I'm worried about everything - and nothing. These feelings suck.

The kids are playing in the living room. They have the cushions off the couches and they spent some time jumping around. I hear them in there now making forts and beds. They yelled "night mommy!" a few minutes ago but now I hear Kelton reading a story to his sister. It's her favorite story; Patch. I love how he has it memorized almost perfectly. So sweet. They sound happy and for that I am very thankful. They even pig-piled on my a few minutes ago for tons of hugs and kisses. I love that. Their squishy little baby bodies against mine and their overly wet kisses....it's heaven.

So why do I feel so.....blah? *sigh*

Bounce Houses, Trash Compactors, New Bed Frame and Saying Good-Bye to the Double Stroller

Friday we decided to take the kids and go to a place called JJ Jump, which is a huge building full of different style of inflatable bounce houses. We had so much fun! It was early (and school is still in session) so it was just the four of us and a dad with his son so we literally had free run of everything! We were all sweaty messes from playing so hard when it was time to leave. :)


Saturday was a busy day for us - the kids wanted to go to garage sales so we loaded up and drove around. We picked up precious little but the kids had a good time. After that, we called on something I had been looking for and finally found and just let me say: trash compactors ROCK! Seriously. I have been wanting a trash compactor for the past two years because it has become fairly often that we are needing to add an extra can, and pay extra money, for additional trash collection. So I've been on a hunt for a decent used compactor that we could put in the garage. This weekend we scored! I found a really good one on CraigsList and, as a bonus, we didn't have to drive an hour to see it. It was literally 5 minutes from our house. It's an older model but the woman only used it for about 9 months - it is in absolute pristine condition!


I confess - I am in heaven! You should have seen Kelton and I compacting all the trash we could find and I was over the top delighted to find that all the trash in the garbage can PLUS all the trash still in the house compacted nicely into one container of compacted trash. WAHOO!!!!! I am so, so, so excited!!! (a little more than pathetic, no?) Kelton has been constantly asking today if there is more trash to put in and squash. There isn't, of course, but I promised him that after Dakota's mom and step-father are here for dinner there will be plenty of trash to squish. :)

After setting up the compactor and squashing all the trash, the kids wanted to go for a walk. The double stroller was what they wanted to ride on (it's been in the garage for months now since I haven't been using it). Sadly, Kelton is just too big for the stroller so I had to break it to him that it was time to sell it to another family who could use it. He was less than thrilled but agreed that it was time...after one more trip in it, of course.

So we set out around the neighborhood for our good-bye stroll. When we were almost back to our house we passed a couple loading things from their garage into their truck. As we walked by the woman yelled out "Hey - you wouldn't happen to need bed frames for a queen or single bed, would you? Totally free. We're loading it up to take to Goodwill right now." At first we thanked her and said no, we were good but then on second thought...I turned to Dakota and said "You know, I would really like a new bed frame." So we said "On second thought....." so we went up the driveway to take a look at the queen bed. It was really, really nice. They had recently bought a sleigh-style bed and no longer had a need for the mission-style. It was in great condition and ours for the taking! WOW! A $500 bed for free!!!

We shared that we were out for a last walk in the double stroller before selling it. The woman's eyes lighted up and she said "Really? I am really, really wanting a doubler stroller (she has a not yet 3 year old and a 4 month old). I don't suppose you'd consider a trade?" It didn't take much thought on my part: of course I would!

So we finished our walk and I loaded up the stroller and drove it back to their house. A great bed set-up for a stroller we can no longer use. Sounds like a good trade to me!

So last night we changed our bed from this:



To this:

(Ignore the comforter set. It was an error in judgement last year. Kelton loved it and was sure Dakota would as well as she loves all things tropical. Turned out, she thought it was "ok" but not our (my) regular style (which is darker, richer colors). I never liked it. We've put up with it for the past year but now I'm on the hunt for one that is more our (my) style.) I love the new bed!! We've had the hunter green wrought iron one since December 1994. Dakota bought it for me for my 30th birthday because I really, really loved it. I still do - I'm just ready for a change. I posted the old frame on CraigsList last night and someone is coming to buy it later this afternoon.

Smooshed in there we've also had all the usual fun of playing in the pool, playing adventure and restaurant in the yard as well as playing endlessly on the swing set. It's been a really, really great weekend!