Reborn as a Hyena!

Tonight we were listening to a Disney CD and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" came on.  I told Ian that it was a song from Mary Poppins.  He looked at me and said, "Why did Charlotte die?"  I told him that she got very sick and her body could not take it anymore so she went to Heaven.  He said, "very, very sick?"  I said, "yes".  I asked, "Do you miss her?"  He said, "yes".  He said, "When will she come back from heaven?"  I said, "She is now one of God's angels and we can think of her when we see butterflies".  He said, "Is she in our heart?"  I said, "yes, she's always with us in our heart and our heart will get warmer when we think of her."  He said, "Mommy, when I die, I want to become a hyena!"  I said, laughing, "Really?, why a hyena?"  He said, "Because I love them." 

And that was it.  It was a very tough but important conversation and then he totally shocks me with his plan to be reborn as a hyena.  Geesh!

Easter Sunday

We had a lovely Easter weekend!  The weather could not have been more perfect. 

Chris and I both had Good Friday off so we enjoyed a nice lunch together.  We both did some chores and relaxed but were happy to have a day off w/ no kids around.  It is rare.  Chris picked up the kids early and we had a blast at the playground with our friends.  On Saturday Chris played softball with his coworkers and we went to watch.  There were hotdogs, chips, and Oreos (of course) and we had a good time watching them play.  Ian brought his bat and ball so he did a lot of practicing.  Unfortunately the game started late so we missed the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  We were disappointed but enjoyed a nice family egg hunt in our backyard when we got home.  That's the beauty of young kids, they really don't know what they're missing.  We had a nice day just the 4 of us.  

Easter Sunday was filled with church early and then home to get lunch together to enjoy with Mom Mom and Pop Pop.  Father Ed cracked me up with his sarcasm during announcements.  He said, "You know, we do this 51 weeks a year."  Ha!  I thought it was funny.  I tried to take photos of the kids and Ruby was great with saying "cheese" but Ian was refusing to be photographed.  And with in minutes he was in his VT jersey and shorts that are UVA colors (navy and orange).  He was showing his Virginia pride.  Oh well, at least I got a couple photos to document that he was dressed nicely, even if he looked ticked off.  Ian and Ruby went out to buy Mommy and Mom Mom Easter flowers.  I got beautiful purple tulips from Chris and Mom Mom!  I love them.  Mom Mom and Pop Pop arrived and we had an Easter egg hunt in the front yard.  Then we enjoyed the lunch.  Pop Pop cracked Chris and I up with his love for the ham.  He couldn't get enough of it.  It was very tasty!  I just got lucky and picked up a good ham at Ukrops.  There was nothing else to choose from since our Ukrops was closing for good the next day, it was this ham or nothing.  So I bought it.  Turns out, it was fabulous and really made Pop Pop happy!  We then dyed eggs on the back deck and had more Easter egg hunts.  My kids love to hunt for eggs!  We then enjoyed our dessert of angel food cake, strawberries and whip cream.  Yum!

We said goodbye to Mom Mom and Pop Pop.  Pop Pop starts chemotherapy and radiation tomorrow.  We're so glad that they made the trip to spend the day with us.  Please keep him in your prayers! 

I was thinking alot about Roger and Rachel Reynolds today.  I read their blog and it appears that they planted Charlotte's ashes with a butterfly bush today.  What a great way to spend the day!  Regardless, their loss of sweet Charlotte is a constant reminder that "every day is a bonus" with your kids.   

My parents and Meg's family are in NYC right now.  I'm envious, I'm sure they are having a wonderful time. 

Chris's shift is changing this week.  He is back on evening shift which presents new changes and challenges.  But we'll make it work after a week or two of transition.  And of course we've got Disney World to prepare for.  Lots of packing to be done when the kids are finally down for bed at night.  We're getting really excited about our trip and are pleased that Mom Mom is still planning to go with us. 

Ian's QOTD (at bedtime).  "Mommy can I get a puppy that sleeps as much as Molly?  I'd like an old puppy.  Can we go to the pet store tomorrow?"  I then went on to explain that puppies cannot be "old" because they are new dogs.  That came outta nowhere!

Hoppy Easter!

Good News, Bad News

It was a year ago today that I was admitted to the hospital to start steroids and my extensive work-up.  I remember rolling my suitcase down the hall to my hospital room and sitting in my room waiitng for a nurse.  When the nurse came in, she said, "Is the patient in the bathroom?"  I assured her that I was the patient.  I looked liked I was healthy but apparently my spinal cord was not.  I remember Meg coming to "do work" in my hospital room because she couldn't stand to be away.  It was scary but I was determined to find the cause and hopefully stop the strange nerve sensations I'd been feeling.  I also drew strength and courage from Charlotte Reynolds, the 3 year old who had just undergone 2 brain surgeries in the same hospital.  I figured if Charlotte could endure multiple MRIs and spinal taps, I could too. 

So, how did I celebrate?  I got up early; showered with no problems; got the kids to daycare; drove the commute down busy I-95; parked in the parking deck; walked the 4 blocks to my office in the freezing cold; worked for many hours typing w/ ease; walked 2 laps around the state capital (including the stairs); worked the rest of the day at my desk; walked back to the parking deck; climbed the stairs to the 5th floor of the parking deck; drove home; helped with the kid's bedtime; shopped at Target; and now I'm typing my blog.  No meds + no spasms = a happy girl. 

Some concerning news...
My father-in-law, Allen, had his cardiac cath this morning.  The procedure was quick because once they saw the 4 blockages, the abandoned the cath and decided he needed a quadruple bypass.  Scary!  He will stay in the hospital for a week to "stabilize" before the surgery.  They need to deal with the beginnings of emphysema and his elevated sodium level.  They also need to help him stop smoking cigarettes.  They are helping him with medications and oxygen.  Shirl, my mother-in-law, said he was relaxed and comfortable when she left him tonight.  Chris called and he said that he was okay, a little frustrated with the TV, but alright.  Chris will visit him in the morning and take him some goodies, hopefully he's allowed to eat them.  We are blessed that he's close by and Meg works at the hospital where he is. 

My sister-in-law's sister, Nicole, returned to the hospital for emergency surgery today.  She was due for another round of chemo but that's clearly is on hold at this point.  Unfortunately, she is in Orlando and many miles from her sisters and parents. 

Please keep Allen, Nicole, and their medical teams in your prayers.

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

Ian watched Mary Poppins for the first time tonight.  I've wanted to get the DVD for him since Charlotte's memorial service and I finally picked it up from the library tonight.  Ian was excited to watch it and sat there glued to it for all 139 minutes.  He laughed when they children, Mary Poppins, the Uncle, and friend (can't remember their names) were having afternoon tea while floating near the ceiling.  I haven't seen the movie in years and didn't get to watch much of it with Ian since I was chasing busy Miss Ruby.  After the movie was over and I was doing the bedtime ritual with Ian and we started singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" and he said, "Mommy, you need the words."  He was right, I was really messing up the lyrics.  But it has such a catchy tune that I'm struggling to get it out of my head, wrong words and all. 

Speaking of kites, the wind is crazy here.  I sounds like it's going to blow the house away.  It poured rain early this morning but then it was warm and sunny during the day and started raining some this afternoon/evening.  Of course, the asphalt guys were here today to dig out some of our dirt/mud to repair our driveway issues.  The builder of the house thought it would be nice to have a nice driveway that was narrow torward the bottom and widened on the way to the garage.  Well, that hasn't worked.  The grass next to the driveway is always driven on and makes a muddy mess.  Plus, there's a big crack in the asphalt that needed to repaired so they are digging that out too.  But, hopefully when it's done it will look nice and be more user friendly. 

I enjoyed a nice walk around the capital this afternoon with my coworker, Marty.  She and I have been motivating each other to go for a walk daily.  Today was very pleasant and now they've taken down the temporary bleachers from the inauguration so you can actually see the beautiful capital again, you just have to look past the really messed up sod. 

I needed a walk because this morning I learned that a 2 of my coworkers are retiring within the next 6 months and my boss, who is battling a serious pulmonary illness, now is using oxygen at work (and home).  All 3 of these people are/were the core of the organization and were there when I started in 2001.  So, although it wasn't a surprise, I was sad and wanting to throw a tantrum (see we're all just socialized toddlers down deep).  I am happy for them to be able to move on and find life past "serving the children of the Commonwealth".  It kind of depresses me that I have 30 plus years before I will be talking about retirement.  Seems really far away but I'm sure it will pass like a flash. 

We had a great weekend full of fun.  I was off on Friday and enjoyed my day.  Ian was sick on Thursday so there was a moment that I thought I wouldn't be alone on my Friday off but by Friday morning he was dressed and ready for school before I even woke up.  Chris had worked from 3pm to 6am on Thursday night/Friday morning so they could work on their big project so he came home and did a run to McDonald's for breakfast.  Ian and Ruby then went to school.  I took the Pilot in for it's inspection, oil change and tire rotation.  Seemed simple enough...$547 later, it was good to go.  I guess it's worth it to keep my trusty Honda running nicely.   While the Honda was being worked on I walked across the big street (Rt. 1) to my optometry appt.  I've set up as many doctors, mechanics, dentists, possible within walking distance of my house and it worked out beautifully.  After my appt., I just walked home since Chris was sleeping.  It would've worked out nicely except I left my house key with the mechanics so I had to wake him up to let me in the house.  Best laid plans...  I then ran errands in the other car and worked on decluttering and purging baby stuff.  I have a coworker that is having her 2nd baby in March so I'm sending a bunch of things to her.  I also had a bunch of baby gear to tackle in the garage and I was pleased that I made a dent in that.  I've posted to Richmond Mommies to try to get rid of some of it. 

I had set up for a babysitter to come Friday night since I thought Chris would be working.  Shira was scheduled to come and was looking forward to hanging out with the kids.  I figured since Chris ended up being off Friday night that we'd just take advantage of having a sitter and go to dinner together.  Shira arrived with a roll of cookies to bake with Ian.  He was so excited I don't think he even noticed us leaving!  Chris and I then went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner.  We had a nice time.  Then he went to see Avatar at the movies and I went to Wine Night in the 'hood.  We both enjoyed our outings.  Wine Night is always so much fun.  I love seeing my neighbors and we're able to complete our sentences since there are no children around.  Plus we laugh A LOT!  I had lots of fun and lots of wine.  I got home around 1:30am. 

Saturday, my dear husband took the children to the mall and to Romp 'n Roll so that I could nap/rest in the morning.  Then, when Ruby woke up from her nap, the 2 of us (Ian was still sleeping) went for a long walk and to play at the playground.  We had a great time.  She's just exploding with language.  It's so cute.  She says, "All Aboard" when she hears a train.  She loves going "outside".  She will try every word, she's just at the cutest age. 

Later, Chris went to the gym and when he returned I headed out for Girls Night Out at Pizza Fusion.  I met Whitney and a few other ladies.  We had a nice dinner and it was good to catch up.  I then took advantage of being near Trader Joe's to pick up some groceries. 

We had planned to go to Wintergreen for tubing with the Helsleys on Sunday but since the meterologists were calling for rain, we decided to postpone the trip.  Instead, Chris, Ian, Ruby, and I took a chilly bike ride/walk to the playground on Sunday morning.  It is great that since Chris got a bike, he and Ian can ride together.  It seems like Ian seems to be riding a little better (obeying the rules of the road) since he has Daddy to model.  And I feel better since I'm not running after him w/ a stroller screaming "STOP" or "BRAKE" like a crazy lady.  We then enjoyed  watching some great football later in the day.  The Vikings/Saints game was a nail-biter. 

Off to bed.  "Let's go fly a kite..." 

The Rules of Gender

Ian is full of quotes.  He told me this evening that "Boys get Mack trucks and girls get Ariels and Cinderellas".  Of course, I pipe in with, "Some girls like Mack trucks and some boys like Ariels and Cinderellas."  Ian said, "Well I like Mack trucks."  Where is he getting this?  Daycare.  It's definitely not from our house.  Chris and I have tried not to teach gender rules.  The funny thing is that he has never even watched The Little Mermaid or Cinderella, so he doesn't even know those movies. 

Chris is working hard this week.  He's feeling better and actually took a long ride on his new bike yesterday.  This was even after he'd gone to the gym.  I noticed that he'd bought some multivitamins.  I'm sure he's tired of being sick.  Chris has been on a special team for wok where they were testing a new computer system for tracking items at Kraft.  Well, the system is to "Go Live" next week so Chris is working hard to prepare for that and I'm sure he's dreading next week's actual attempt to use the system.  By the way, Kraft is buying Cadbury.  Yum!

Speaking of that, I'm doing great with my weight loss challenge.  I didn't lose that much weight this past week but I feel so much more focused this week.  I have walked around the capital every day this week.  It's about a 25-30 minute walk w/ a couple tough hills.  I'm feeling really great and I hope that I will have lost more weight next week.  I've recently reconnected with a friend from Richmond Mommies.  She has lost 117 pounds since last February.  Her before and after photos are amazing!  I'm so proud of her and inspired with her commitment and dedication to making a dramatic change in her life. 

During my walks around the capital I've encountered quite a few Fruit Loops.  On Monday there was a man dressed as Thomas Jefferson giving out material about the Revolution.  And then there was a very large group of people with stickers on them that said, "GUNS SAVES LIVES".  First, there's something wrong with the grammer, should be Guns Save Lives, at least based on what I know.  Second, I don't get it?  It seems like everytime I turn on the news, I hear how guns are taking lives.  Fruit Loops.  Third, a lot of them were wearing their guns proudly.  Yuck!  I trusted that the Capital Police on their bikes would maintain the peace so I could enjoy my walk.  Oh, and by the way, this was all happening on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Wait, didn't he encourage peace and nonviolence?  Ironic.

Ruby has just been so cute recently.  She says "Dance" and just starts shaking and bouncing.  She LOVES to dance.  She's saying tons of words and is just so precious.  Her teacher says she's so involved with circle time and says all of the words and is very confident.  She's so happy and loves her brother.  Her latest activity has been to yank a car or train from Ian just to get him to chase her.  And then she screams really loudly when he tries to get it back.  I try to encourage Ian to ask for it back nicely and offer her another car or train instead.  He's doing pretty well with that.  He's a great big brother!   Unfortunately, Miss Ruby continues to pull her hair out.  It's been 5 months now and I just wish she'd STOP.  Her hair was looking better and growing longer and then yesterday or the day before she woke up and a lot of her hair was gone on one side.  I was feeling somewhat "at peace" with it and had accepted that I could not do anything to change the behavior and the more I tried to combat it, the more she pulls.  So I've been ignoring it and I've encouraged Chris and the daycare staff to ignore it.  But, it's still hard.  Chris and I still worry about it and her and we don't like when she's just playing in her crib at night, morning or naptime because we think, "oh she's pulling".  I'm continuing to trust our pediatrician when he says, "It's a weird toddler thing."  I do have moments when I envy the moms that get to pull their little girl's hair up in the most precious pony tales but I guess the good news is my Ruby's hair is a lot less maintenance. 

So, today marks the end of President Obama's 1st year in office.  I think he's had a tough job for this year.  He's had a lot to deal with since Old What's His Name left office.  

It also marks 1 year since Charlotte Reynolds was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Wow, what a year!! 

Off to do dishes and bed...

The Princess and the Frogs

Meg and I took Kate, Landen, and Ian to see The Princess and The Frog. It was Ian and Kate's first movie in a theater. They did great. They ate a ton of popcorn and stayed in their seats nicely. Kate took one trip to the potty but overall they did great. I enjoyed the movie and liked the story. It had scary parts and Ian refused to look (definitely my child) but I didn't think it was as scary (from a child's perspective) as some Disney movies. I loved the music! All the reference to cajun food and New Orleans made me miss my friend, Jessica.

Ian, Ruby, and I went to church briefly this morning. We were alternates for the nursery and didn't know if the scheduled person would show up or not. Of course, the scheduled nursery person was there but it allowed the kids to play w/ those toys for about an hour and it was good to catch up with some of our adult friends. Then we left for a movie. I felt kind of bad about ditching church for a movie but rationalized that it was an important "family activity" and the 11am movie time was better for naps. Regardless, it was good for Ian and Ruby to have a change of scenery on a rainy morning. It also gave Chris some quiet time to rest and recover from his most recent illness, the stomach bug. So far, Chris has struggled in January. Hopefully his immune system will resist future illness for a while. He came home Friday night from work with an urge to get to the bathroom and he didn't leave most of the night. Poor guy! Today he seems to be feeling a lot better.

Because of Chris's illness, he did not get to go to Charlotte Reynolds's memorial service. Ian and I went with Meg, Erik, and Landen. Ruby stayed home napping. Meg and Erik had a sitter for Kate and Cohen. Chris did watch the service through the live feed from the http://www.cjstuf.org/ website. The service was amazing and perfect! The children's sermon was phenomenal and Ian and I loved the music. Again, I was so amazed and inspired by Roger and Rachel and their ability to speak at THEIR child's memorial service. And what they said was so rich and "full of Charlotte". I can't say it enough, I have been changed by this experience and so appreciate them sharing their journey with me and thousands of others. The reception was just as amazing and perfect. There was a chocolate fountain and Ian LOVED that. After he was done, it appeared that I had skewered him and dipped him in the fountain. He had so much chocolate. The funniest part was between the service and reception, Ian and Landen were running around some trees. From across the grounds I see Ian start to pull his pants down next to a tree. I ran across the lawn screaming "NO"! He gathered himself and we jumped in front of the line to go to the potty. Geesh, that could've been bad, but we made it! I connected with some of my favorite Richmond Mommies at the reception and that was great. Now, we've become Facebook friends. We also loved the balloon launch. It was so beautiful to watch the purple and pink balloons float up into the sky. As they got farther and farther away, Ian said, "they look like polka dots in the sky." He later asked if the balloons were going to Charlotte. I said, "Yes".

When we got home, Chris and Ruby were reading books and both Chris and Ruby had napped well. Chris was so happy to have been able to watch the service from the website. Ruby, Ian and I then went to the playground and were lucky to find a neighbor and her three kids there. It was great because Ian could play with Will. Ruby was more interested in the apple she was inhaling to play much but it was still good to get some fresh air on a warm January day.

The kids went to bed well and then I went to GAP with Meg to check out the sales. Meg and I both found some good items for great prices. We are sad that the VA Center Commons GAP is closing. Ugh! It's about the only reason I go to our mall.

Chris and I both slept pretty good through the night. Much better than Friday night! Chris is off for MLK Day but I have to work. I'm glad he has another day to get better. I feel like I've got a bullseye on my head since Ian, Ruby, and Chris have all had this yucky bug. I'm still crossing my fingers and praying that I don't get sick. I hope it works...

Birth, Life, Death, & Resurrection

We attended church this morning.  Ed, our priest, had a great sermon discussing the passing of Charlotte and his thoughts surrounding the experience.  He, the social worker and nurse from Noah's Children, Roger, and Rachel were the people with Charlotte when she took her last breath.  His sermon was about birth, life, death and resurrection.  He discussed the rebirth you experience at the death or end of something or someone.  It was a great sermon and Chris and I shed many tears.  Coincidentally, I hear Ian, who is supposed to be napping, singing "Frosty the Snowman" in his room.  Very neat.  Back to thoughts about Charlotte...  I was struck by a post on Chris's Facebook status.  Chris had put a status that included his feelings about the passing of Charlotte.  One of his friends wrote that he had not said a prayer in years and was going to pray for Charlotte tonight.  Maybe that's the meaning/purpose of the loss of a vibrant little girl.  I think I will be searching for the answer to "why" for a long time. 

Chris seems to be feeling better today.  He's required less headache medication and seems more "normal".  We went to Allen and Shirley's (Pop Pop and Mom Mom's) house in Heathsville, VA yesterday to visit.  It's about 1hr 30min from here.  I drove and the 3 others slept.  It was quiet, which is always a treat.  Ian loved Pop Pop's trains and enjoyed going down to see the creek/river.  Ruby had a great time exploring their house.  She loved coloring at the kitchen table, playing in the snow (stomping it w/ her pink boots), and playing with Mom Mom.  Mom Mom and Pop Pop prepared a nice dinner that we enjoyed.  I'm glad we made it because I think they are taking down all their Christmas decorations today.  Ruby was asleep in her carseat before we turned off of their road and Ian was asleep not too long after.  That's such a beautiful thing!  Chris dozed off and on.  Both kids then went to bed really well last night and slept well all night.  I first heard Ian around 7am which is sleeping in for him.  By the way, his bed was dry the last two mornings but his underwear wasn't.  I guess he's not getting to the potty soon enough when he gets out of bed.  But I can handle wet underwear more than wet sheets.  So, we'll see if we can make no pull-up a habit. 

Chris screamed at the Eagles a lot last night.  They were playing the Cowboys for the third time.  It was painful.  The only positive was when Vick came in and made a touchdown pass.  But the next time he came in the game he fumbled.  Geesh!  I went to bed at 10pm and was out!

Ian was sweet to Ruby this morning. She bumped her head and was whining about it. He went to the freezer to get her ice. He put it on her head and said, "there you go Little One." Very sweet. He really takes care of Ruby. He doesn't like to see her upset.

We were hoping Whitney, John, Lily, and Ben were going to come play today but it seems that Lily has been coughing a lot and Whitney doesn't want to expose us.  We could probably handle the bug but why risk it, especially when Chris is seeming to be feeling better. 

We're transitioning to 2nd shift tomorrow.  I know it is mainly Chris, but it's a big transition for all of us.  It means Chris does drop-off and I do pick-up.  And I'm a one woman show at night.  Chris's hours are 3-11 but they always seem like 2 -12:30 or so.  We'll see how long he stays in 2nd shift.  Thankfully, it's not 3rd shift (nightshift). 

Well, Ian just came out of his room and said he is done napping, which he never really did.  So, I guess my time is up.  Hopefully this means an early bedtime.

We are enjoying life and are blessed to have each other.

My Friday Off

I enjoyed my day off. 

Chris went to work this morning and he tried to keep Ian quiet so I could sleep a little longer.  He got an A for effort, but it didn't work.  I got ready for the day and got Miss Ruby up for breakfast. 

Ruby and Ian enjoyed looking out at the deck and seeing the snow.  We got a dusting of snow last night.  They both insisted on wearing their snow boots to school.  Ian took his school bus for show and tell so he "plowed" the sidewalk with the school bus before he got in the car for school. 

I then went to the grocery store to buy items for a couple of recipes I've wanted to try.  Then I came home and got sucked into email, Richmond Mommies, and Facebook.  There is so much support and love being expressed for Charlotte's family.  It really is remarkable how the community has joined together. 

I then went to get my eyebrows waxed (ouch!) and showed up at Ian and Ruby's school to have lunch w/ Ian.  I'm always torn about which child to spend lunch with but Ian at least understands that I'm going to leave him again but will be back to pick him up.  I also enjoy sitting at his table with him and chatting w/ his friends.  I shared macaroni and cheese, carrots, pineapple, and milk with Ian and his classmates.  I read Ian and his friends a book, The Gingerbread Boy, while his teacher got the cots ready and the children went to the restroom.  They were pretty attentive.  I felt good about Ian's teacher and he seems to be doing well.  I checked w/ the director and she said that Ruby was having a good day.  She'd been in the room dancing w/ Ruby earlier. 

I then left to take the Camry to be cleaned.  Chris has been feeling like the Camry is triggering his allergies since his headache has been worst Tues. and Wed. evenings on his drive home from work.  The 1995 Camry was a gift from my parents before Ruby was born and it has dust and animal hair (Molly's too) in it.  We've cleaned it before but some of those allergens are hard to get out.  It was time for a new vacuum and wash down.  It was a good opportunity to clean out all the children's daycare crafts and artwork that had accumulated in the backseat.  I took it to a place that washes the exterior and interior.  I made sure to tip 20% because it was cold and it is so nice to just pay someone to do it!

It was time for shopping.  I had a Kohl's gift and I need a new winter coat.  The old maroon Columbia coat that I bought in Boone, NC in 1997 (before the month-long twin study in NYC) needs to be retired.  I actually think it may be a men's coat.  Anyway, it's served me well and clearly, was a good investment.  But, I luckily found a purple (of course) winter coat that fits well and seems really warm.  And it was only $64.  So, I'll get to try it on my daily walks to and from the parking deck.  I try to wear my nice dress coat daily but recently, it's just been way too cold.    I also found a winter coat for Landen.  Meg has been looking for a new one for him for a while.  I also picked up a new baby gift for our friends, Gary and Terry, who live in Bellingham, Washington and had their second boy, little Winter on 1/1/10 at 12:01am. 

Then I made a quick run to Trader Joes for some of our TJ favorites.  I also picked up some red wine.  I'm enjoying it while I write.  :)

I then came home to start cooking one of my chicken recipes for dinner.  Chris came home and changed clothes.  He then went to pick up the kids from daycare.  He didn't seem to be feeling that good but took another headache pain medication and thought he'd feel better. 

Chris was frustrated when he got home w/ the children because Ian "did not want to go home" he told Chris he "wanted to go to something special".  That means Chick Fil A.  I'm not sure why he calls it that, it may be from us trying to not tell him where we're going when we're younger so he wouldn't drive us nuts w/ questions before we got there.  So we tried to be vague but he figured it out quicly enough.  We usually go on Tuesday evenings because we can get free kids meals.  So, Ian really likes to eat out and thinks we should go "somewhere special" every evening.  His protests to "going home" don't work but it makes for an unhappy ride across Rt. 1 to the house. 

I made a chicken recipe emailed to me by Kraft Foods. It was easy and yummy. The children really didn't eat it but Chris and I enjoyed it. And my wine went nicely with it.  Here it is:  http://www.kraftrecipes.com/kf/recipes/tuscan-chicken-simmer-111677.aspx?pf=true.  I substituted 1/3 fat cream cheese and whole wheat rotini for the fettuccine/ravioli. 

After dinner Chris gave Ruby a bath and put her in her PJs.  I did the dishes and Ian worked on a project.  I gave him a bunch of leftover envelopes and he started coloring pictures and putting in the envelopes for his family and friends at school.  It was really cute and kept him occupied.  Chris had said "no cartoons" earlier because of his behavior/attitude related to not going to "something special".  So, I was glad that he stayed busy.  Chris had sent Ruby downstairs to say goodnight to me but I realized that Chris was lying down.  We had a minor crisis with Ian trying to help Ruby downstairs that became an unattended push and Ruby started falling down the stairs.  Luckily she caught herself and I responded in enough time that she didn't hit the hardwood.  Ruby was scared and Ian was upset.  He sat in time out and cried.  Ruby cried.  Chris yelled from upstairs, "What's going on?"  I took Ruby to Chris to explain.  Chris tried to get up, lost his balance and fell into the dresser, I ordered him to lie back down.  I then went back to Ian.  He was so remorseful and worried about Ruby.  He's such a sensitive little boy and I love that he has a conscious and cares about others.  I reassured him that Ruby was okay, he said he was sorry and we moved on.  Lots of hugs.  Ian got back to work on his envelope project. 

Ruby and I read books.  She loves The Going to Bed Book and she says "exercise" at the right time.  It's so cute!  She hit the sack at 7pm and I didn't hear from her again.  She was sleepy tonight.

Ian then got ready for bed and we read 3 books, sang 3 songs and did prayers.  Then we had our "one last hug drama" but he eventually got quiet and fell asleep.  I realized that we were out of pull-ups so cross your fingers that he doesn't wet his bed tonight.  I'll be shocked if he doesn't and Mama will be doing a jig in the morning if he is dry!  No doubt. 

So, Chris is still asleep.  I'd hoped that we can go to Allen & Shirley's (my inlaw's) tomorrow but I'm not sure about Chris's health.  We'll make the call in the morning.  We want to see Pop Pop's trains before he takes down the Christmas decorations. 

We hope to get together with John, Whitney, Lily, and Ben on Sunday. 

Until the next adventure...

The Passing of Sweet Charlotte

I'm am so sad about the death of Charlotte.  I thought I was ready and "at peace" with the end, but I was very sad to hear the news.  I just want to go hug my sweet babies. I can't imagine what Roger and Rachel are feeling right now, although they are at peace. 
I have felt since January 20, 2009 that this was just so unfair!  It doesn't make sense. 
I pray that Charlotte is happy and free to bounce around in heaven with her blonde curls and stunningly beautiful eyes.  Oh that sweet voice w/ knowledge beyond her years, I will miss her! 
May Charlotte and Grandmommy Ruby fly together as beautiful butterflies!

http://blog.cjstuf.org/

My First Blog!

I have been thinking about starting a blog for months and decided to do it!   The title, Purple Lisianthus, is the flower from my wedding.  I love the color purple, and I loved my wedding bouquet because it was full of purple lisianthus.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/theresae/3297313830/ 

I have been married to Chris for 6 years and I still cry everytime I watch our wedding video, it was a great day!  Poor guy, he's upstairs asleep.  He's got a sinus headache and has not felt well the past 2 days. 

Both kids are asleep.  Ian is so funny.  He challenged me this morning by telling me that "boys are football players and girls are cheerleaders".  I told him that some boys are cheerleaders and some girls are football players.  He didn't buy it and began to argue.  I decided I couldn't rationalize with him about this.  It was tough for me, a social worker that appreciates equal opportunity. 

Ruby challenged her teachers at daycare today.  Apparently she is saying "no" more and having more defiant, toddler behavior.  Geesh!  Sounds like an 18-month-old to me. 

I am working on losing weight right now.  My coworkers and I have started a money pool to win if you lose the largest percentage of weight.  I'm hoping that this will motivate me to make changes.  So far, I've been doing pretty well.  It's a constant battle.  But, I'm feeling great and recovering nicely from my transverse myelitis!  http://www.myelitis.org/  My symptoms began on 2/6/09, so I've almost reached my 1 year anniversary (if you wanna call it that).  I'm off all of my medication and feeling really wonderful.  I continue to count my blessings! 

The vigil for Charlotte Reynolds continues.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.  http://www.cjstuf.org/Home.php 

I've got to get ready for tomorrow and get to bed!