boredom...

Last weekend, St. Louis was draped in cloudy, gray, weather.
The girls were stir crazy.
Pacing around, cranky, bickering with each other.
Nothing could make them happy.
Anne finally asked for play-dough and went bonkers creating...and Kate, well Kate, climbed up on the chair I had used to hang up a curtain (and didn't put back) to have 40 minutes of WATER PLAY!

Their moods swung around quickly, and we were all back to the normal.

Luckily, we have been given beautiful sunshine the past few days, still cold as ice, but sunny! In my book, THAT IS AWESOME!

~Chat soon!

Snowy Saturday

Nice surprise. If it was a school day-we would be home! :)
~Chat soon!

Just a little bit older..

Probably not much wiser.
Today is my birthday.
I turn the big 3-3.
Anne asked Adam if I was old. He said, 'yeah, I guess so, she's older then me, so she's o-l-d'. We all laughed (well some of us)
Anne says very factually. "You're not old mommy, you look just like a princess and they don't get old..." SIGH
Here is hoping that 33 is as good to me as the other 32.
Truly blessed, I am.

~Chat soon!

...speechless...

So, I was going to blog about n.o.t.h.i.n.g.
I didn't have anything exciting to say.
Good, bad or otherwise. Maybe toss up a few pictures of the girls, but otherwise, I had nothing.
I was cruising around on blogs I like to read, and found this, which lead me to the story of Calla. Speechless.
Just speechless. That's hard for me, to be speechless.
Anyone that knows me, knows that!
I had an odd connection with this family.
When we had Anne Clara, she was in the NICU for a mere 32 hours.
It was horrid.
We couldn't hold her, she was hooked up to tubes galore.
It was the most painful day and a half of my life, of Adam's life, of our parent's life.
It was awful.
If I think about it long enough at any given time, I could get teary about it...it stunk.
How selfish of me, to think that we were pained by that short visit in the NICU, yet I can feel just how the family of Calla feels. Not to the extent they do, but yes, I can feel a connection.

My mission for now is to pray for this sweet family, pray for comfort, healing, and peace. For Calla and her mom, dad, and everyone else that is in contact with the situation. Do the same.
If you are lead, send 10 bucks their way.
I'm guilty, at time taking for granted my health, my husbands health, my children's health and all the blessings we are granted...
Just a thought for this Monday...
~Chat soon!

Cool.

My new insulin pump...

With glucose sensor...

So I have been on an insulin pump for the better part of 10 years. I have been diabetic for a very long time. Since my diagnosis, things have changed in the world of diabetes tremendously. Although there has yet to be a cure (I'm waiting very patiently) there have been so many great advances. One of which I have been introduced to this week.

I received a new pump. It not only is a pump that delivers insulin through a small catheter type set up that is in my belly, but it has a GLUCOSE SENSOR! In non diabetic terms, it tracks my blood sugar. It tells me if it is rising, falling, or holding steady. It alerts me if it is jetting up at a high rate and I need to figure out why, or that it's crashing to the floor and I may be there soon if I don't take it's hint.

It's super cool.

I have heard mixed reviews about it.
It isn't flawless.
You still have to check your blood sugar 3-4 times a day to make sure the sensor is reading the right stuff. But seriously, when I think back to my dad having to check his glucose by peeing on a little paper strip (lovely) and then trying to match the color to the right 'average' of numbers that it matched up with....this is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!

So, if you are reading this, and are on the pump (Dad or Aunt Linda) check back with me soon, you may want to consider it. ;)
~Chat soon!

Magic House

Last weekend, I took the girls to the Magic House. I was half dreading it. Lots of people, spazy kids that aren't mine...you know, things that make mom's sweat. (or at least this one.)

Turned out the girls had a blast. Kate was able to enjoy a lot of the activities and Anne loved showing her the ropes.

~Chat soon

Curious George was there.

Look close at Kate's little tongue. She was concentrating so hard.


Kate has the best 'in motion' hair.

peek a boo...

just a fun giggle to help wrap up this week...

she's too sweet.

~Chat soon.

if you read my last post...i noted that i would write a more humorous version. i typed it out, it isn't funny. so i deleted it. just a little bump in the road. hoping to not hit that same path in a very.long.time. thanks to all my support that prayed. ;) you know who you are!

The longest 24 hours...

Well, the past 24 hours has been longer than anyone can really imagine.
Yesterday started out average.
Kate was sick with a fever, my dad watched her because I had several routine doctor appointments.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Just check ups.
The last check up was of the female variety.
The doc and I were shooting the breeze.
Talking about movies, kids, books etc.
The day suddenly took a turn for the worse.
She uttered those life altering words.
'I found a lump.'
And for the past 24 hours, I have been on my knees, physically, and emotionally.
Praying for health, peace, and comfort.
Just a couple of hours ago, I went to get the 'lump' checked out and it is NOTHING.
Absolutely NOTHING.
A piece of FAT.
My prayers were answered.
Outright, answered.
Right there.
Plain as day.
How can you not LOVE THAT?!
I have never been so in love with a piece of fat in all my 32 years of life.

When I have a little more time, I will write about the actual semi-humorous version of the past 24 hours, but for now, I need to go pick up my little chick from preschool.

Chat soon!

A Memo...

Lindsay sent this to me as a 'note' on Facebook. I don't have a clue what "Note" means, but the info in the note was great...read on.

I am God.
Today I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember that I do not need your help.
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance, think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose, be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember, things could be worse. You could be them.
Signed,
Your Lord and Savior
~Chat soon.

Honesty...

So this morning, I saw Kate put something in her mouth. We weren't around food, so I was a little curious what exactly it was that she just consumed. Here is how it panned out...

Me-'Kate, what did you just put in your mouth?"
Kate-"BOOGERTHS" (Kate ling for boogers.) And smiles the PROUDEST KATHERINE SMILE you could ever see...

Gotta love honesty.
~Chat soon.

Jaaaaaaannnnnnuuuuuuuaaaaaarrrrrrrrryyyyyy

I love Thanksgiving, Christmas, even a touch of winter. I have said that before.
For some reason I DON'T LIKE JANUARY. It lasts for what seems to be f.o.r.e.v.e.r. I mean forever.
November and December flew by. I blinked, bam, it was gone.
I woke up January 1st and feel like I have been in a hamster wheel ever since.
Not going anywhere, just going through the motions.
I always forget how long the winter seems. Until I'm in it. Then I say "COULD THIS BE ANY LONGER."
I do know, that it will end. Spring will come, flowers will bloom, and the wind will blow.
Until then, I guess I need to find a good book, play some games with the kids, try a new recipe, or clean out a few closets.

Oh to be four...

We hear the pitter -patter of little Anne feet running in our room.
It's around 3am.
She is frantic. "MOM I HAD A BAD DREAM".
She has only done this once before...
I peel back the covers to welcome her.
She snuggles down, and begins to relax.
I asked her what her dream was about.
She replies simply.
"Kittens".

~Chat soon!

Nothing to say...

Just having fun with the camera this past weekend...

~Chat soon!

Monday...

Hope you're having a sweet one!

Chat soon!

crayons

a very innocent subject, wouldn't you say? crayons. colorful, non-threatening, even therapeutic. all of that changed for me this evening.
i was in the midst of making an awesome crafty project for my favorite niece, ellen. it consisted of melting crayons, pouring them into a silicone ice cube tray that was in the shape of the alphabet and then letting them dry.
(i can't find the link for the directions...it really is a great one. if i find it i'll make sure to post it!)
simple enough.
and cute.
so i started the project.
the peeling of the paper off the crayons was not nearly as easy as i had thought it was going to be, but with the help of a good knife, i was well on my way.
i got them all peeled, and put them in a cake pan and into the oven to melt. i dutifully checked on my project, often, to make sure it wasn't burning.
perfect. it was a beautiful swirly display.
i couldn't wait to pour them into the trays. ellen would be sooo excited. i just knew it. what 3 year old wouldn't be?
so i carefully took them out of the oven, and all of the sudden something went awry. i don't know if i blinked, or got bumped, or sneezed or what, but i would say oh...a good 1/2 of the pan of crayon juice was ALL OVER THE FLOOR AND THE WALL OF THE KITCHEN/BAR AREA!
NIIIIIICCCCCCEEEEEEE!
anne immediately thought it was her fault, apologizing all over herself. she was soon banished to the family room to watch some t.v. as to not have a heart attack...
what a disaster.
i have been hunched over the kitchen floor and hallway floor scraping crayon-y wax. i almost have it complete.
adam, a.k.a. adam the saint, just smiled simply and said 'can i help you at all?' i think i sneered back, because he just smiled and walked away, checking on me every now and again.
so, if by chance, you are interested in the directions. let me know. i will be happy to share. just make sure your crayon goo is in a deeper dish! :)
i'm positive that some day, some day real soon, i'll get a total kick out of this. right now, i'm just getting a neck ache!
oh, and suz, not sure ellen is going to have a.b.c. crayons anytime soon!

~chat soon!

Random acts...

Who doesn't just flip over mail?
I do. I can honestly say, I do.
I am not in charge of bills at our residence, so mail really excites me.
I don't get much of it either.
Thursday was a snow day. I had my eyes peeled for the mailman. I never saw him. (just the trip to the mailbox is exciting for me...)
Adam must have intercepted it before I could.
I saw a bright, cheery, green envelope on the counter late in the day.
I was sleepy and kind of in a ho-hum mood.
I'm really ready for spring.
The return address was from a dear friend from high school that lives in the state of Washington. (and has enlightened me on all of the 'secrets of Grey's Anatomy-if you watch it....)
I opened it up, and it was a note. From Lindsay. It made my day.
Kind words.
Uplifting words.
Things you like to see on a frigid day....when it seems like flowers and sun are never going to come.
It was great.
I'm not sure exactly why she sent me the sweet note, but it made me realize two things.
1) letters are a lost art
2) good mail is a great thing.
Because of Lindsay's sweet note, I am challenging myself to try to write a note every now and again to an unexpected recipient. It could be a coworker, a long lost friend, or a sister who is far away (SUSAN!) .
I hope that I can help brighten a day, like Lindsay brightened mine.
~chat soon!

"Mom, this was SUPER FUN"

Those words spoken from Anne as we left the Scott Trade Center this afternoon.
We had just finished watching Sesame Street Live.
It was a great show. Anne was beside herself. She was a little nervous at first, but by the end of the show, she was digging for her pretend camera and taking 'shots' of all the dance moves. (to show her brother, you remember, the one that teaches her bad words.)

Our seats were in the second row from the front on the side of the stage. All the characters were running past us. Even Cookie Monster stopped to shake her hand.
I really thought she may just keel over from sheer 4 year old excitement.
It was the best. We are so glad we took her. Now, we are suffering from parent guilt as we came home to Kate, who is pretending she saw Elmo too...

Me, being a sap, even got a little teary-eyed. I really don't know why...having the opportunity to go, or just sitting there, watching her almost sweat with anticipation...who knows.
It was a great time had by all. Even Adam, who is NOT the biggest fan of seeing Sesame Street Live, said "that was a lot of fun."
There is just something about watching your kids have the time of their life, isn't there?
Note to self, next time we have FLOOR SEATS at the HOCKEY ARENA and are having a subzero stretch of temps outside...wear warmer socks. eeks!

~Chat soon!

honored...

A few months back, my dear friend Julie sent me an email. She asked if I would take pictures of her kids. She wanted good, natural pictures. Ones she could give as gifts to the grandparents for Christmas. *gulp-room gets fuzzy.*

That's my guy!

Who really likes to shovel snow?

No one that I know of.

Adam went out to shovel the snow, so he could run some errands. After a little while, I heard what sounded like a snowblower. I figured one of the neighbors must have come over and lent a hand, because we don't own a snow blower.

I looked out and CRACKED UP! He was clearing the driveway with the LEAF BLOWER.

The snow was like dust, so it was perfect.

WHO-DA THOUGHT?!
~Chat soon!

Good Morning...

They said it would come. Maybe it wasn't QUITE as big as they thought...but it works.
~Chat soon!

nothing worse...

there truly is nothing worse then an impending snow storm. especially if you are a teacher. don't get me wrong, i am not sitting here wringing my hands, worried about traffic, or if i have enough food to get us through a day or two, or even wondering how i'm going to get my lessons in that we may miss, or how i'm going to get the papers graded that i left on my desk.

I WANT TO KNOW IF I CAN SLEEP IN! :)

the weather man says, we are under a 'winter weather warning'. muttering words like 5-6 inches, large drifts, blinding winds.

sounds favorable for a day without an alarm clock, don't you think?

here is hoping to hear from the snow fairy tomorrow morning.

~chat soon.

Wash day...

I know, now that I am a mother. Silence, is NOT golden. Especially if the children are with you.
We were just finishing up dinner. The girls had been excused. Anne came in and casually mentioned she ‘needed a couple towels’.
A few minutes later, Kate came in, muttering the same type of demand. For ‘t-owls’. She even stated she needed FIFE. (cute 2year old lingo for five…) Adam gave her two and sent her on her way.
We continued our conversation about the days happenings, highlights, lowlights, midlights. Just chatting.
It was quiet. No t.v., no radio, no screeching.
A few minutes later, both girls came charging in. “You have to see this.” Anne said.
I walked in. To see this.

A few breathes later, Anne states in a most matter of fact tone.
"WE ARE DOING LAUNDRY!"
Sure enough. They heisted some ribbon from a craft spot in the kitchen. Anne tied it (I didn’t know she could tie yet) onto the nails for the Christmas garland and there you have it. A clothes line.
I was taking pictures and realized Anne did not have her pants on. After asking her to put her pants on, she told me, once again, very matter-of-factly. “Mom, they are DRYING!”
Oh, duh! After all, it is Monday-Wash day! ;)
Chat soon!

Can't beat 'em, join 'em...

So as I have mentioned in other posts. It is cold.
DERN COLD!
I love sweaters, fires in the fire place, and warm slippers.
Now, if I have to go INTO the cold. I would rather poke my eyes out. Just not a fan.
But that is o.k. I am voluntarily living in the great state of Missouri, which does indeed have all four seasons. I know good and well what to expect come December-ish through March.
A few days ago, I decided to run to our local crafty store. I picked up a couple clearance Christmas items and a grape vine wreath.
A little while later…Viola!




A spruced up front door.

She could of....danced all night...

Anne's end of the session 'recital'.


Obviously, she does not have an OUNCE of fun at dance. Can you tell?


Santa even came in.