calm and chaos (my life in words)

My life with diabetes: a year later

2011-11-30T01:10:00.005-06:00

It has been exactly one year since my official diabetes diagnosis. It has been quite a trip. And not the all-expenses-paid, room-with a view, drinks-are-included kind of trip. It has been fraught with highs and lows and learning lots of information I didn't really want to have a need to know.

One year ago I felt horribly sick (and was horribly sick), was having paralyzing anxiety attacks and wasn't sure I would be around today to be blogging at all. I felt that bad.

But here I am.

I am thankful for that EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

My diagnosis has put me in very real touch with my mortality. The statistics are depressing. I am 2 to 4 times more likely to die of heart disease than someone without diabetes. I am 2 to 4 times more likely to have a stroke. 60-70% of people with diabetes have some type of nervous system damage. My risk of dying of kidney disease is tripled, my risk of liver cancer is doubled and my statistical chances of having Alzheimer's, COPD, blindness, digestive problems, dental problems and limb amputation are higher than in my non-diabetic peers. Diabetes will easily shave 5-10 years off of my life - if I am fortunate enough to not develop any of the above problems before then.

Awesome. Not exactly the kind of information that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Most of the time I work really hard to not become one of the above statistics. Most days I do pretty well - I make good choices and keep myself pretty healthy. There is some good news for me 365 days after my diagnosis. Even though I am still far from an ideal weight, I have evicted 50 pounds from my body (although pounds 48, 49 and 50 are kind of like boomerang children - they keep coming back when I send them out into the world). I have gone from having high blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, liver enzymes and blood sugars to being in the normal range for all of them (except my HDL which still runs a little low despite plenty of red wine and fish oil). Based on my current blood work, you would have no clue I have diabetes. I am off of my diabetes medication and still maintain decent blood sugar levels (most days) and I even exercise once in a blue moon. I have met some cool people through various diabetes activities and forums and I feel A LOT better than I did a year ago.

But despite the positives, the reality is that having diabetes really sucks. I realize it could be worse. I could have complications. I could have the added pressure of dealing with a continuous glucose monitor, insulin injections and hypoglycemic episodes. I could have family and friends that aren't supportive of me. I could have bad doctors and/or no access to the information I need to keep myself as healthy as possible. I could have bad lab results despite a real effort to keep my numbers under control.

But it still sucks.

I don't put a single thing in my mouth without thinking about how it will affect my blood sugar (I admit it doesn't always stop me from making bad choices, but I still think about it). I seem to have a very low tolerance for carbohydrates. Without a highly functioning pancreas or the benefit of insulin injections I can't enjoy foods that should be relatively guilt free (think nice juicy apples, fruit salad, low-fat yogurt, carrots, a warm piece of freshly baked whole grain bread) much less Girl Scout cookies, a loaded baked potato, a piece of apple pie or a serving of lasagna with breadsticks without seeing a blood sugar number that is too high. Okay...in all fairness, I can drink water and eat broccoli - and I actually like broccoli - without guilt or deleterious effects, but really!?!?! Broccoli!?!?!

I have a whole new level of guilt when I can't get my butt up to exercise or I don't feel like tacking that extra few minutes onto my treadmill time. I can work myself into a tizzy if I think about not having the opportunity to see my kids grow up or be around when my husband retires someday (I mean who else will make him long for the working days if I am not around to drive him crazy?). It is difficult to eat out and no fun to fix two meals to accommodate my and my family's dietary needs. It is tiring to explain to others why and what I should be eating and I get cranky when I have to avoid most things on a table full of yummy food when I am a guest at other people's houses.

And it really is hard for me to go it (virtually) alone. Not many of the people in my close circle of family and friends have to deal with diabetes (fortunately) and therefore aren't bogged down in the details. Nor should they be. But as a person who likes to discuss, re-discuss and discuss things again, it is hard to have only a virtual sounding board in the form of online forums.

So where does this leave me a year later?

A year older. A year wiser. A year healthier. And 365 times more thankful for my life than I was a year ago.

But, damn...diabetes still sucks.

Why do I waste brain power on these things?

2011-11-09T16:00:00.001-06:00

The Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting fame will soon be 20 Kids and Counting. This piece of news (which personally affects no one I know yet has taken up considerable Facebook conversation time for a lot of people I do personally know) has made me wonder why in the hell I care and why it make me a little crazy that Michelle Duggar is going to pop out kid number 20?

It isn't the fact the the Duggars are "whoring" (not my word here. I borrowed) out their kids to make some money on TV. I actually don't have an issue with that. I mean, the kids may be slightly embarrassed by some of their childhood antics as they grow older and you could blame that on the parents, I suppose. But seriously, how many parents don't threaten to show their kid's future spouses embarrassing photos of their childhood? Do these kids have to put up with people in their homes and perform for the cameras and wake up early to shoot "reality"? Yeah, but I don't call that abuse. Inconvenient, maybe, but not abusive in my book. In fact, I am pretty sure the paycheck has provided some nice things for that family and I know there are parents who do far worse things to make a buck to raise their families.

It isn't the fact that they use a whole lot of stuff. I mean, they are Americans, after all, and all of us Americans use far more than our share of the world's natural resources. Think mud hut in Africa if you aren't following me on this one. Just the fact that we use any kind of motorized transportation or electricity of any kind pretty much throws us into the "more than our fair share" category.

It isn't the fact that the older kids have lots of responsibility for the younger ones. Which, let's face it, they do. One mom and dad cannot possibly be there to wipe every tear and doctor every scrape and brush every tooth when there are that many kids in the house. But that is OK with me, too. They all seem to treat each other pretty well. Maybe it isn't "fair"that the older kids are essentially "mom", but we all screw our kids up in one way or another. I figure they can spend their adult lives doing whatever they want. And if the worst thing that happens to them is that they have to care for their younger siblings, they are doing pretty well, really. If you don't believe me, let me tell you a story about a kid who has a hard time opening her eyes all the way due to undeveloped muscles in her eyelids from being kept in the corner of a dark trailer for the first year of life.

I actually do understand all of the above arguments and don't disagree with those who stand on them. But none of those reasons speak to me. But I think I know the one that does.

Michelle is not a young woman. Difficulties associated with pregnancy and childbirth do not decrease as one gets older. The last Duggar pregnancy was fraught with complications and resulted in the birth of a micro-preemie. Mom and baby both survived and are doing well, but it was touch-and-go for quite a while. Does this mean she doesn't have a right to have more kids? No. I had a preemie and a complicated pregnancy and chose to have another child . AFTER consulting with multiple health professionals. Do I know that Michelle hasn't gotten the go ahead from her doctor and been told there is a 0% chance that she will have another complicated pregnancy? No, I don't know that for sure. But I do know that I wouldn't bet the farm on the odds of that happening.

Now to the real issue for me...Michelle and her husband have both said publicly that they will have as many kids "as God sees fit" and that if she keeps getting pregnant, it is God's will.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Back up the hockey-team-converted-to-Duggar-family-transport-vehicle bus. If God lets you get pregnant again it is his will to risk your own life and the life of a child and possibly leave your other 19 children motherless? Isn't that kind of like the people who choose not to treat their children for cancer because if it is God's will for them to live, they will live without medical intervention? I may have missed the boat, but it seems to me there was something in that there Bible about free will and choosing to go down one path or the other. Last time I checked, the ability or desire to do something didn't necessarily make it a slam dunk in the what-would-Jesus-do "right" game.

So is it God's will for the Duggars to have 20 kids? Maybe. I missed the memo directly from God on that subject evidently. But the memo I did see (in the form of the most printed book of all time) is that as humans we are given free will and are indeed fallible. We don't always choose the right path, even when we think we are doing God's will. We are sinful. We are broken. We are selfish.

I can't help but wonder if maybe Michelle and Jim Bob aren't just a little swayed by what THEY desire rather than determining what it is that GOD desires. Do I have any clue (much less hard evidence) what it is that God desires for the Duggars as far as their family size goes? Ummmmm, no. But I am pretty sure no one else does either. Maybe they are just a little bit selfish - kind of like the rest of us mere mortals. And doesn't that leave open the possibility that they are making ill-informed decisions and then justifying them in a way that is hard to argue with (i.e. God's will) since no one knows that for sure?

Of course I don't know any of this for sure. But, as always, I have an opinion. That I am definitely not afraid to share. After all, if I can share it, it must be God's will that I blog about it all I want to, right? Argue with that one, people.

Why is this friendship thing so hard?

2011-10-14T11:50:00.003-05:00

I happened across this post that I started back in March and find the subject still screaming at me loudly. I guess that means it is time to address it. Somehow spitting these things out on "paper" helps me sort through them in my mind. So here it goes...

Friendship is so complicated. So full of emotions and expectations and evolutions. I WANT it to always be effortless and sweet and mutually fulfilling. I don't want much, do I?

In a world of limited time and energy, I find that I am needing to modify my "friend list". I want to stop wasting time and energy on people I don't enjoy. I want to focus on the friendships I deeply value, some old and some new. I am just not exactly sure how to cut through the rest. "The rest" aren't necessarily bad people. I just want to focus on feeding the good parts of me and certain people are better at helping me do that than others.

I was recently talking to a long-time friend about losing Laurel. He didn't know her well (friends from different life seasons), and I was trying to identify what it was about her that had such a profound effect on me. What came out was that she just was so good at helping me be more of what *I* wanted to be. She made me stop and think about what was at the core of me and what I wanted and then nudged me down that path without judgment or argument. She just made me want to live a bigger life and be a better me. I haven't ever met anyone else who was quite as good at that as she was. I miss knowing that she has my back.

Which brings me to the "seasonal" nature of friendship. The friendships that develop because of an association in time or place are quite disturbing to me in a lot of ways. I tend to bond intensely and then mourn the loss of that bond as time and/or distance erodes it. Not to say that all of those friendships disappear or even really lessen, but the evolution of the nature of the bond is hard for me to handle. It makes me feel like a failure. Like I haven't done enough to nurture the friendships that are/were so valuable to me. Or, even worse, like I picked badly when I realize it is time for me to let a friendship go - that the "season" has passed and for one reason or another that particular friendship is no longer valuable to me. It is hard to let go.

So I guess the deal is this...I need to figure out a way to draw those people that feed my soul closer to me and cut the others loose. And then in return, I need to figure out how to help those people become more of who they want to be. Because Laurel taught me that THAT is the kind of friend I want to be. Now to figure out how to accomplish that.

Why is this friendship thing so hard?

:)

2011-08-30T23:05:00.004-05:00

The best birthday gifts ever! Along with my wonderful hubby, of course (not pictured - I'll catch him next time, though!).

One of those days

2011-08-27T10:48:00.002-05:00

You know...the kind where anything that can go wrong seems to go wrong?

Dead car battery. Lost car keys. Water leak. Internet problems. Class issues. Strong willed and stubborn 3 year old in tow.

And just to add some misery - a trip to the DMV where they only take cash or checks. Which then requires loading the screaming 3 year old back into the car to go to the bank for cash.

Good times.

But above mentioned 3 year old did provide some comic relief. After screaming in the DMV for about 10 minutes while I tried to renew my license, he stopped crying and promptly announced to all of the workers:

"I am done pitching my fit now".

Thanks little man. We're glad to hear it.

I would like my normal back now, please.

2011-08-24T00:45:00.002-05:00

I just can't seem to right my ship. I can't find my normal, but I know I want it back.

Laurel's death has left me in a place I haven't found myself before - in a spot that I can't "reason" myself out of. No logical thought, step-by-step process or rational thinking is taking me from point a to point B. I am flabbergasted that this loss has knocked me down in a way that nothing else has. I mean, I didn't talk to her everyday. I haven't physically laid eyes on her in years. I hadn't even met her two youngest daughters. But that girl had worked her way into my soul - obviously into one of those places I didn't even know existed because I don't know how to deal with it now that it is exposed.

I get to the point that I think I am on the right track, but then one little (or not-so-little) thing throws me off kilter again. I have less patience than normal (which means I now have ZERO patience), I can't keep the house picked up or get dinner cooked and I just want to run screaming into the night when the car battery dies or the cat pukes on the rug or I wash and dry a pen.

If I went to the doctor, I would bet I would get a diagnosis of depression.

But before my 3 readers (especially you, Mom) freak out and stage an intervention, I would like to say that I KNOW this isn't forever and I KNOW it will get better. I am not spending my days crying or contemplating suicide or coming up with an alternate identity so I can take off for parts unknown. I am familiar with the nature of these things and I fully expect that before long I will once again be riding the high crests of the waves rather than sputtering down here in the troughs. The long and the short of it - some things just suck right now. Not many things, not most things, just some things. And this is one of the blessings of living - having the ability to feel...ALL of it - the good and the bad. I thank God every day that I am here to feel it all. I know I am truly blessed.

But I still want my normal back. And sooner rather than later would be preferable. Pretty please?

I don't get it

2011-07-21T00:12:00.004-05:00

I keep thinking that if I read enough of the news articles online, I will find one that says it didn't really happen. That my sweet, spunky friend and 3 beautiful little girls weren't really lost. That a doting father and husband wasn't really left here without them. That roads don't fail because too much snow or rain falls.

I can't find the article that says that.

Instead, Googling "Laurel Constantinides" finds nearly 500 articles, most of which state the facts of what they call an unspeakable tragedy. A few of those articles touch on the big hearts and kindness that this family possessed. But none of them remember exactly the Laurel that I remember because in every life she touched, she left something special and unique behind.

She loved tea. And sunflowers. She had this big personality in this little, bitty body. She was so sweet and smart and kind and insightful, but she could get mad, and a little sullen, too. But mostly, she smiled and was always up for a bit of fun (or a grand adventure if the opportunity presented itself). She was spontaneous and crazy and had the best stories. She laughed a lot and she always had some wisdom or insight that was totally appropriate for all of those emotional situations one finds themselves in as a college student.

I met her when I was going through sorority rush at the University of Wyoming and I can't count the number of times we laughed and cried together on thousands of fingers and toes. She slept on the floor in my room in the sorority house when I had a bad breakup - I went with her to take some things back to the ex-boyfriend after she had a bad breakup (let it be noted that he and she both came to their senses some years later and ended up married!). We cried at the end of the semester when we parted and we glared over our shoulders at each other after a particularly dramatic summer together in a rented apartment. I called her La, she taught me to crochet, we sang Billy Joel songs together, we planned how we were going to be cool, old ladies with our silver hair, our sharp wit and our stylish clothes. She put her extra money into mutual funds (who does that at 20years old!?!?) and I spent my extra money on beer. We thought we might move to Ogallala, NE for a summer just because the name was cool. We grew up, we left the Pi Phi house behind. She read a Bible verse at my wedding, I sent her some of my daughter's clothes when Hannah came and she modeled patience and solid parenting when I visited her in Colorado Springs with my particularly cranky child.

Although we came to the point where time and distance separated us, we kept in touch via Facebook - I loved seeing her posts and pictures of her sweet, funny girls and got nostalgic when she told me she missed me if I posted about a particularly crazy adventure. She gave me a list of fostering and adoption books when I needed help for a friend and she inspired me with her ability to be a grown-up but still be a little funky with her cool clothes, her dyed hair, her pink bike and her VW camping van. I loved seeing Alex's Facebook pictures and posts about his beautiful girls - every time I saw one, I thought how happy I was that Laurel had ended up with such a wonderful man to be her husband and a father to those girls.

It is inconceivable to me that I won't see her at Homecoming or a Pi Phi reunion one of these years. That her three girls don't have the chance to grow into adulthood - Laurel would have been the best grandma ever.

I don't dare go through pictures or old letters or think too hard about those times shared years ago because I know my heart won't be able to take it right now. Laurel was a rock to me during the years that I was far from home and learning how to navigate through this world. I never imagined life without her in it.

I am no doubt one of a zillion people whose life Laurel touched in a positive and profound way. There will no doubt be a zillion people at the memorial services and my stories and memories will blend in with all the rest. But I feel profoundly blessed to be one of those to have stories and memories that I can hold on to...for all of those who didn't know Laurel in this life, just look for a bright, shining light in the next - believe me when I say you don't want to miss knowing this one.

Rest in peace, Laurel. You will be missed.

Pressure

2011-07-05T15:49:00.004-05:00

I can immediately hear the frenetic music (Billy Joel, of course) when I think of this song. It feels like that music has been the background music for my life for the past few months and I would welcome a calmer tune. I just can't seem to get my life slowed down to a comfortable pace - maybe this is the nature of this season of my life. Or maybe I am just a bad manager of time. I am betting on the latter.

I have a million things I should be doing (like reviewing library director applications or grading class stuff) instead of blogging, but an old classmates recently started blog reminded me what good therapy blogging is for me. To take some time to do something that I do only because I WANT to is something I don't do often. Unless you count the hours of my life lost to Facebook...But I digress...

We had a good couple of months. A trip to Wyoming, visits from all of the parents, a canoe trip, some time to enjoy the pool and another good health report for me. But, good Lord, I have been busy, frazzled, stressed. And things aren't looking to slow down so I better figure out how to manage it.

Bryn is headed for public school next year. The reasons are many, but generally uncomplicated. Suffice it to say we have decided that paying for a less than stellar education jam-packed with a heavy dose of Christian judgment didn't seem like a good idea for us anymore. The pastures may not be greener on the other side but maybe my kid will be able to focus on something besides whether or not her evolution-believing parents are doomed to a very hot eternity.

Library director applications are in and we are reviewing them tonight. The thought of many interviews and the organization that will require makes me tired, but I am hopeful we can secure the right candidate and have a happy ending to this process.

The library budget for next year is under fire from the city. Not easy to deal with when there is no director. I must admit I kind of feel like the council needs to go pick on someone else who has someone in charge besides a bunch of volunteer board members.

Bryn heads to camp this weekend. We haven't even started packing.

Grant is not at all on board with potty-training. Not only is he not on board, he protests the process loudly and violently - basically the way he reacts to just about everything. Very tiring. I think I need a couple dozen nannies to take care of this child-rearing thing for me.

I feel good and my most recent lab reports were great, but I am currently frustrated with a slight uptick in my blood sugars due to a decrease in my meds. Although still within normal range, I want them to be the perfect readings of a non-diabetic. Too bad that isn't ever going to happen for me - I get to hope for a really LONG hold before what I pray will be a SLOW decline. Ahhhhhh...the joys of chronic illness.

There is a whole list of other exciting stuff going on - starting a food pantry at church, the new Harry Potter movie, 12th anniversary, high school reunion. I better work on my time-management and "being-in-the-moment" skills or I am bound to miss it all! I am working on that background music in my head- surely there is a slower tune I can get stuck on.

Lesson for the day

2011-05-18T00:20:00.003-05:00

Long rides in the (i.e. zero physical activity), fast food and a trip to the ER to get Grant's head stitched up are not good for the blood sugar. Oy.

Pebbled

2011-05-09T23:25:00.001-05:00

I am currently reading a very interesting book called "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs. In this book, the author spends a year trying to follow ALL of the rules of the Bible. His initial list of rules is around the 750 mark. That's a lot of rules.

For the couple of weeks, I have been feeling quite "pebbled". In the book,the author loosely tries to obey one of God's rules to stone sinners. He finds one, but decides that throwing stones is a bit extreme and ends up throwing a pebble at the man instead. The description of the whole experience made me laugh out loud - the idea of "pebbling" someone was quite amusing. Until I began to feel pebbled. Not stoned, mind you - I haven't had any big hits. Just a lot of stings ranging from slightly annoying to those that produced enough adrenaline to make my blood sugar go up.

The week began with the resignation of the local library director. As the board president (who is quite comfortable just coasting along and running the monthly meeting), this produced almost a full-blown panic attack. I don't know the first thing about searching for and hiring a new director except that it will probably take longer than the few weeks we have to find one before we are director-less. Shit. Coasting is no longer an option.

Finding water in the basement on the tile and parts of the carpet was less than welcome. Fortunately, it was an easy fix (mis-directed output hose from the water softener). And heck, the new water ring stains look mighty nice with the holes in the ceiling from when said water softener was installed.

Some smaller pebbles ranged from not enough people signed up for the mission team garage sale to my 3 year old screaming at me constantly to students begging for last minute extra credit and grade changes after not working hard enough all semester to get the desired grade.

And then a bigger pebble - one that makes me think that it might just be time for me to sit down, shut up and be still. I desperately need a certified postal delivery on this one. Although a burning bush would be just fine. And making it the Russian sage out front would be fine - especially if you burn it up in the end.

Randomness

2011-02-22T16:42:00.008-06:00

This is the fourth time I have started this post. With a whole lot of randomness swirling around in my larger than average noggin (saying nothing about my brain size - I do truly have a big head), I can't seem to put anything together. So here is the randomness as it comes:

*My head hurts and it sucks. There are no painkillers I feel comfortable taking as they ALL interact with one of the two meds I am on. If there is no other motivation for me to attempt to get my blood sugar and blood pressure normalized, the fact that I would love an ibuprofen and a swig of Mylanta is enough.

*I sure hate the fact that my grandma is in the hospital in Casper and I am here and my mom is in Arkansas.

*I wish my house was clean. A dust bunny fell out of the (indoor) sky last night. Getting rid of the interim housecleaner was a bad idea. I am going to call her and beg her to come rescue us before we are buried under piles of gunk that should be in my vacuum canister.

*I will continue to be aggravated by the people in the school drop off line. I should be able to come to terms with the fact that it becomes only a minor inconvenience to me when people want to act like their kid is going to perish if they don't get out under the awning (even on sunny days), but I just can't.

*My life would be much more peaceful if I did a serious purge of some Facebook "friends", but I just can't do it. I like to think it is just because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but it is much more likely that I am just a weenie.

*I am concerned that my kids are going to develop some sort of horrid affliction from watching too much television.

*I really want to eat an egg roll, some wontons and 40 million crab rangoon right now. This diabetes crap really sucks.

*I am so tired. I would like to curl up in a sunny spot on the carpet and sleep for three days.

Wow...not much in that brain worth mulling over at the moment!

For the Longest Time...

2011-02-07T09:13:00.003-06:00

Ahhhh...Billy Joel...Takes me back...

Anyway, the last month has been busy, busy and I have no idea really what I have been doing. Without referring back to my calendar to refresh my memory, I am hard pressed to guess where my time has gone.

Girl Scout cookie season has officially ended. I managed to get 1500 boxes of cookies distributed to the girls in the troop and then get money turned in for those 1500 boxes. having that finished almost feels like winning the lottery. But without the influx of millions of dollars, unfortunately.

Bryn and I went and saw "Shrek: The Musical". It was a lot of fun and reminded me that I don't get out enough for "girl time" with Bryn.

We have had enough snow to last for a few years, I think. Bryn has been out of school for at least 7 or 8 snow days since Christmas and although shoveling the driveway is fine exercise, I am about over it. Putting that pool in just in time to close it up for the winter has been a form of torture for us - let's get to swimming weather already!

Went to Chicago to visit Grandma and Grandpa with Nicole and Jeremiah. It was a quick trip, but we had a good time.

I have spent lots of time testing my blood sugar and learning about diabetes. Not exactly good times, but I am adjusting.

Time flies. I keep thinking I need to slow down and savor, but who the heck has time?

Sometimes it's the little things...

2011-01-09T23:56:00.002-06:00

that make me happy. After my last post (in which I apparently sounded like I was headed for the nearest tall bridge or building based on the number of concerned calls and messages I received), I thought I would get back to blogging about the more mundane parts of my life...

Here are some of the "little things" that have put a smile on may face in the last week or so...

* Finding a show that hubby and I can watch together without one of us wanting to claw our eyeballs out. That actually brings our together-TV-show total up to 3.

* Some snow to make things look clean and white and new. Until all the cars roll through it and the dog pees in it, anyway.

* A new USB blood glucose meter that plugs right in and creates all kinds of fancy graphs and tables. If I have to be diabetic, I should at least have cool gadgets, right? As an extra added bonus, it was FREE because it was on sale and I had a coupon - now I can spend that $74.99 on something fabulous like test strips to go with it.

* Coffee. I had a cup of coffee the other day for the first time in a month or so. Yum.

* Aaron and Grant in their matching "wife-beater" tank t-shirts. I am not sure how I feel about Grant walking around actually referring to his shirt as a wife-beater, but he looked pretty cute.

* A couple of new non-stick skillets. I can even "legally" put these in the dishwasher because they actually said "dishwasher safe" on the box.

* Bryn "forgetting" to give me her report card for three days and then opening it and finding out that she truly did forget - her grades were great.

* My sparkly red fingernail polish. I will go more subdued this next time, but I love that after almost 3 weeks, the gel polish has just shown its first sign of wear and tear.

*Grant signing his goodnight songs with me - all out of tune and garbled, just like I sing them!

I am so thankful for so many big things (a wonderful husband, great kids, fabulous friends and family), but sometimes it's the little things that really remind me that LIFE IS GOOD!

I guess it depends on how you look at it

2011-01-01T17:06:00.004-06:00

It has taken me some time to get myself together on this post. Christmas has come and gone and I didn't blog about it. The kids have done some funny things and I haven't blogged about them. I have been distracted. I got some news in late November that has changed my life as I know it. It was either an early Christmas present to my me for my health or the most devastating health news I have ever received. I guess it depends on how you look at it.

I have Type 2 diabetes. It has changed virtually everything about my life. I poke my fingers and check my blood sugar a million times a day, I obsess about what I eat, I cry, I worry about every ache and pain, my house is a wreck because I can't get my life back to "normal" and I worry I am going to die tomorrow and leave my husband and my kids. I often feel like I am going crazy, I am not sleeping well, I am experiencing what are probably medication side effects and I spend a lot of time feeling nauseated and tired. I blame myself for getting fat and out of shape (although I have learned that winning the genetic lottery is also a requirement for Type 2 diabetes because not all fat people get Type 2 and not all Type 2s are fat).

But before you think I am going to completely lose it before tomorrow, there are some positives. This diagnosis could very well allow me to live a longer and healthier life than I would have otherwise as it will force me to pay closer attention to my health and my habits. I have had tons of tests that have come back OK - my heart seems OK, my liver and kidneys seem fine - and I am eating well and exercising and am more in tune with what affects my body. I have lost 12 pounds this month, I have stretches where I feel pretty good for hours at a time, I have met some supportive and inspiring people on-line, I have become something of an expert on many things diabetes and I have a new appreciation for the life I do have and all of the good things in it.

I will never be "cured" but in 2011 I hope to learn how to balance my new chronic illness with my real life. I know there will be good days and bad days, I know that there will be times where I can't function and leave Aaron holding the bag and I know I will have setbacks. I also know that every cloud has a silver lining - sometimes it is just a little harder to find than others. But I will be looking hard because this is my new life and I don't plan to let diabetes get the best of it. So I hope to laugh a little harder, play a little more, love like it can all be lost in an instant and worry a lot less. I hope to learn to live in a way that I haven't always before - finding joy in all the moments and focusing on the real blessings in my life.

Diabetes. Blessing or curse? I guess it depends on how you look at it.

Home sweet home

2010-12-05T23:12:00.002-06:00

I just got back from a quick trip to Memphis. It was wonderful to get back home to my cute little family and the sweet little Grantisms... Grant put his head on my chest and looked at me and said " Your tummy is growling. You so hungry. You need to eat cheese."

Gotta love how he looks out for his Mommy! :)

Halloween cuties

2010-11-21T00:56:00.004-06:00

sacrifice

2010-11-12T16:56:00.000-06:00

Between Veteran's Day, a book I am reading called the Power of Half (a family gives up half of their wealth to give it to others) and the "giving" season of Christmas upon us, the subject of sacrifice has been popping up in my life repeatedly for the last week or so. So I will do what I do when I need to empty my brain to clear space for the important things like keeping the family calendar up to date and making sure the kids are fed - I will blog.

The sacrifices of the members of the military are obvious. I have great respect for all they do and all they risk. I obviously didn't ever join the military, but that is something I can conceive of having done if my life had been different. But I didn't, and I know I can't even begin to understand how it feels to dedicate your life to preserving the well-being of an entire nation, knowing that you are putting yourself in harm's way.

But to me there is something very emotionally different about sacrificing yourself and sacrificing someone you love.

I have never read the Bible from beginning to end. I get bored right around the begats and give it up. Plus the Old Testament is full of really depressing stories - the warm fuzzy of Jesus is definitely missing and with all the teeth gnashing and punishment I tend to move on to happier books. Like The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Spot Goes to the Circus.

Anyway...if I ever were to actually make it past Chapter 11 in the book of Genesis, I would be able to read the the story of Abraham and Isaac again. Every time this particular story comes up in a Bible study or a sermon or Sunday school, I freak out. What are the chances that I am marching my kid up a mountain, getting a fire going and tying my kid to the altar to sacrifice him? And when little Johnny says "where is the lamb for the sacrifice?", what are the chances that I am going to say "don't worry, little Johnny. God will be providing that shortly. In the meantime, hop up here on this pile of sticks and hang out while I light them on fire." I can tell you the chances - ZERO! Now the reason I am so disturbed by this is because I realize this makes me not only unwilling to sacrifice something I love, but I am also pretty sure I would disobey a direct order from God. I like to think I would be obedient if God were to appear before me and issue a direct command, but I certainly can't say with any conviction that I would gather my kid and my fire and head out the door.

As if the two above scenarios aren't enough to make me tremble, I had to go and read a book that contains a story about Zell Kravinsky. This man took the majority of his $45 MILLION dollar worth (that HE earned through real estate sales) and donated them to various causes. Then he donated a kidney to A RANDOM STRANGER just because so many people are waiting for kidney transplants. His wife and kids evidently think he is a little off his rocker and I can't say I disagree with them. But the real kicker is this...this man believes so thoroughly in the fact that all people are truly of equal value that when asked by NY TIMES magazine if he would allow his child to die if it would enable a thousand children to live, he said yes.

HOLY SHIT!

Just in case you missed it the first time, when asked if he would allow his child to die if it would enable a thousand children to live, Kravinsky said yes.

Indeed, he has said he would permit his child to die even if this enabled only two other children to live.

And I have to say that I believe that a guy who gives up the vast majority of his wealth and a kidney might just actually mean it.

This got me to thinking...what is my answer to that question? Even if you don't have kids, you could easily replace "child" with "Mom", "spouse" or "dear friend". How many of us are really willing to give up even one thing we love even if it means helping a whole lots of other people?

Kind of makes the measly donations I make feel pathetic when I think about what it would really mean to sacrifice. There is a big difference between the way I give (resulting in a feel-good moment for me with the added bonus of making someone elses life a little easier) and giving up a REAL piece of me, emotionally or physically.

Gotta go. There are calendars to update and kids to feed.

Nerd Shirt

2010-11-10T21:53:00.002-06:00

I got this for Aaron when the kids and I visited the California Academy of Sciences (waaaaaaaay cool place to visit BTW). He deemed it a shirt for "nerd events". Since he is wearing it tonight, I thinking that makes hanging at home a "nerd event". Fine with me - I am comfortable with our nerdiness!

Everyday stuff

2010-11-10T16:33:00.013-06:00

I am stewing over a political post at the moment, but decided it might be a good time to throw in a "Fun in the Life of the Reeds" post in the meantime.

Mom and John were up for race weekend and we had a great time, as usual. The most exciting thing to me was our new headsets - we can talk during the race through the headsets. A real necessity for someone like me who can only be silent for more than 5 minutes if I am sleeping.

October saw the end of our pool construction - a welcome relief to all involved. We got to swim a handful of times before the heater (really our bank account) just couldn't get the water warm enough in the cool weather. We are looking forward to enjoying it in the spring when all of the trials of the build are behind us!

I was part of my friend Barb's 40th birthday celebration we stayed in KC for the weekend and had a great time doing "girl" stuff - manis, pedis, shopping, going out. A good time was had by all!

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Grant, Bryn and I went to San Francisco to visit the newest family member - baby Zeke! We got to see and stay with aunts and uncles and cousins and had a wonderful time. Dad and Cheryl met us there and we had a great time. Grant was not a fan of flying - when we got on the plane he screamed. I later deduced from his comments that he was scared the plane was going to fall out of the sky, but promises of sea lions and fish got us through the two legs of the trip on the way out there.

I probably would be better off...

2010-11-09T16:00:00.002-06:00

just staying off of Facebook. Why? Because I am way too easily aggravated. A friend posted that he had been called a white devil by a homeless guy outside the coffee shop and I shared a story about I another friend I know that got cussed out by a homeless guy for buying him a sandwich that he didn't like. And another person responded "Would you eat potatoes if you didn't like them? Just asking." And my answer is no. But I also wouldn't cuss out the person who gave them to me when I was hungry. Just saying.

Playing by the rules

2010-10-24T22:57:00.003-05:00

I am kind of a sucker for rules. It likely has something to do with the fact that I am kind of obsessive and chaos freaks me out. When I am surrounded by chaos, my adrenaline spikes, my heart rate skyrockets and I start to sweat buckets. Not a pretty sight. So for the most part, I believe in rules. I believe that if they are going to be made and/or written down, they should be followed. Don't even get me started on the drop off line at school. Seriously people - are your kids going to melt in the sunlight if you pull up to the front of the sidewalk like we have been instructed a million times to do? Do they really have to be let out under the awning causing only two other cars to be able to let their kids out behind you? Or carry-on bags on airplanes - is it really necessary to bring Fido and his doggy bed plus your obviously oversized carry-on bag when the rest of us have followed the instruction to bring only one bag? No really, I don't mind wearing my purse as a hat for the entire flight because there aren't two square inches of space anywhere else on the plane left to put it. But I digress...

As usual, a situation (hypothetical, of course) with a student has caused me to think about the way I view rules. And about the way students view rules. My class rules in particular. Let me post the two sections of "rules" regarding my late work policy:

It is my personal policy that no late work is ever accepted for any reason. Due dates are clearly posted on the calendar at the beginning of the semester and you can work ahead to avoid any problems that may arise or prevent you from getting your work done in a timely manner. Allow yourself more time than you think you need to complete classwork. This policy is non-negotiable, and if you think it is going to create a problem, you may want to find another section of this course to take.

The calendar will provide the structural outline for this course. It is really important that you work on the class every day and make sure you adhere to the deadlines on the calendar. Discussions postings will only receive full credit if they are posted by midnight on the due date listed on the calendar. Tests will close at midnight on the deadline day. Failure to take the test before the deadline will result in a grade of zero. Do not wait until the last minute to take the exams - the fact that you waited until 10 pm to take the test only to find out your computer is not working is not an excuse to miss the exam deadline.

I have never really thought that these statements were unclear or ambiguous. Not doing the work results in a grade of zero. I don't care if you have gangrene or Ebola or if your grandmother died of prostate cancer (you think I kid? My aunt had a student use this particular gem of an excuse). It may seem harsh, it may seem mean, it may not even be fair (but I do generally have a very large class curve, I allow you to work as far ahead in the course as you wish and, in moments of weakness, have been known to make an exception if you are in the military or if you notify me of a conflict way in advance).

So if a student misses an exam because he/she misread the calendar is the student likely to be able to make up the exam? No. Not even if the student is busy with kids and the spouse works a lot? No. Not even if the student is an honor student and the course is needed for nursing school and the application is already turned in? No.

Why? Because that is the rule and the student knew from day one of the course that this was the rule. Why else? Because the student assumed that the rules didn't apply in this particular case. The student never took responsibility (or apologized) for missing the exam - blame was placed on the family, then on the class rule, then on the instructor for being mean and unprofessional.

Why is it that a student would think that the rule doesn't apply to them? Why would a student go so far as to contact the dean to try to get the rule changed? Why do so many of the students I teach or talk to think that they are entitled to be the exception to any rule they choose not to follow? I think it is because no one has ever bothered to tell them no and that they are turning into a bunch indulged, entitled brats. All I can say is that if you can't take a test on time because you can't be bothered to read the class calendar correctly, how can I trust that you will bother to learn anything in nursing school before you are unleashed on sick patients? Your actions (or lack thereof) have consequences - sometimes big, sometimes small, but consequences nonetheless. Sometimes you won't get caught, but sometimes you will and you better be ready to pay the price.

I vividly remember the first time I really, truly understood that my choices and actions had consequences. I had gotten a (very) small part in a (very) small play in high school. Rehearsal was after school and I left campus to go get an after school snack or smoke a cigarette or do whatever else I was inclined to do in those days. I went back to school for rehearsal and moseyed in about 5 minutes late. The director promptly fired me and gave my part to someone else. I remember thinking that it seemed so unfair. I wasn't very late - certainly not any later than I often showed up to his class. I really wanted the part. I would never be late to a rehearsal again. I would never be late anywhere again. I couldn't lose the part because I was 5 minutes late! At that very moment, I knew that none of those arguments and no amount of pleading could change one simple fact - I knew the rules and I chose not to follow them. So I kept my mouth shut, walked out and learned a very valuable lesson.

To this day, if I get pulled over for speeding, I just grab my insurance and registration and hand it to the cop with a smile. Am I happy when I get pulled over? No. But I deserve it. I broke the rules.

Most of the time I follow the rules. Sometimes I make up my own rules to follow if I think the ones that I am supposed to follow are dumb. Sometimes I break the rules and get away with it. Sometimes I don't. But I am very, very clear on one thing - if I choose to break the rules then I better to be prepared to suffer the consequences. And if I ever forget that, please fire me from my (very small) role in the play - I obviously need a reminder that there is no one to blame but myself.

Big Mouth

2010-09-26T17:40:00.005-05:00

I have a big mouth. And lots of opinions. I often express them. Loudly. When I am with a group of close friends or with my hubby, I can gossip with the best of them and rarely hesitate to give my opinion (solicited or not) on any given subject. I don't have a bad temper, but I am easily riled up. I stick my foot in my mouth, I talk without thinking and I never hesitate to share my thoughts on how or why someone or something acted or turned out a certain way. I often pray for the good sense to keep my mouth shut, but I must be too busy talking to hear that instruction when it comes. I think duct tape might be the only true solution.

This character trait of mine has some real downsides. I have spent many hours agonizing over the idea or knowledge that I did or could have hurt someone's feelings or, even worse, been wrong about something I said (I HATE being wrong). I have alienated people. I have said some down right stupid things.

That being said, there are a few advantages to being a big mouth. I loudly defend my friends and family, I advocate for my kids and I save people the time of trying to figure out whether they want to get to know me because I rarely stand on the fence about much of anything (although I can usually see both sides of the argument, I generally jump down one way or the other).

There are a couple of things I try to be careful of. I do not talk about things that people I respect (and most of the time even those I don't respect) have asked me not to repeat. And I DO NOT flat out make up false information about people.

So now that I have disclaimed, I plan to call the kettle black.

This little town that I live and love has quite the grapevine of information. I have heard through this grapevine that I should think about getting a breast reduction, that I am a crazy atheist and my latest and most favorite - how much my pool cost (despite the fact that I think only my husband, the pool guy and an other nameless source and I know for sure). Evidently we got a real bargain on the pool, people can see inside my head to flesh out my feelings about God and religion and my cup size is important to more females than I ever imagined even thought about it. Who knew?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that information (true and false) moves at lightning speed through this little Midwest town. I know that these things are never the result of one single person saying something - they are convoluted tales that grow over time. I guess if I am going to dish it out, I have to take it, too. I guess it is unlikely that I (or the rest of the vine is going to shut down any time soon). I guess keeping my mouth shut is always something I will struggle with and probably not something I will ever completely master. I will likely continue to say some things I shouldn't say in the heat of the moment. But I will also continue to say some really nice things, spread some really happy and useful information and try to prop up the people I know and love with words that they want or need to hear. So it's not all bad.

In the meantime, I guess I will wait for the name of the plastic surgeon I will be using to be made public. I would love to know who I plan to have do my body work.

I am trying to stay positive

2010-09-22T12:52:00.002-05:00

I have been told by many people that I am a pessimist. I tend to think of myself as more of a cynic and a realist with a bent toward angry and ranting than a pessimist. I usually try to stop and think of a way out of or of "the bright side" rather than to wallow in misery or stay in a state of "doom and gloom". But why split hairs - call me whatever you want because today I am having to work really hard at not drowning myself in drink or screaming at the top of my lungs.

The pool and patio project began in June as just a little, innocent idea. I thought it would be kind of cool to have a pool and suggested maybe we try out an above ground one for a couple of years to see if we would use it, like it, etc. Aaron was not terribly gung ho on that as it would kill a big patch of yard and they are ugly besides. True statements, and after further consideration and a list of pros (I wouldn't have to go to the pee filled public pool with 87 million of my closest friends, the kids would love it, we could have nice family fun in our own backyard, it will be easy to locate our teenage children in they are hanging out in our pool) and cons (maintenance, MONEY, safety), we decided to go for it. Let the trouble begin.

Who knew it is so difficult to find a decent pool company? Being in a small-ish town without too many people to give us the name of a reputable company made it a little more difficult. But being the obsessive individual I am, I researched and called and interviewed somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen pool and landscape companies. I probably complicated matters by trying to find someone who could do the pool and the patio (with firepit and outdoor kitchen), but I figured that someone out there was capable. And with the economy supposedly being so bad, I figured they would be eager to work for us and do a good job. Hahahahahaha - what am idiot I am.

Between people not bothering to call back or show up to appointments or treat me like a complete moron because I am female and ask a lot of questions and the fact that this little project was turning into a large project with a gargantuan price tag, we just about threw in the towel a month and a half after the birth of the idea. Enter last ditch effort - call a guy who had lots of experience in pool building but a brand new company. He not only builds pools, but specializes in outdoor living spaces including patios and kitchens.

Woo hoo! The bid was reasonable, the guy was nice, the pictures looked good, I talked to 2 satisfied customers. We decided to take the plunge and hire him.

Six weeks, numerous rain delays and many checks later, I sit typing while looking out over a backyard that has about 10 square feet of grass left to go with a patio that is poured way too high (actually over the siding), has water pooling all over it (against the house despite two "fixes") and feels and looks like popcorn ceiling (I guess my idea of knockdown texture and his are two different things despite the fact that the sample looked like my version of knockdown). The fire pit is full of about 6 inches of water, the bricks are covered with patio knockdown coating. The fence is down, the yard is a huge mud pit and we have to take the dog out for walks (not fun considering he thinks he needs to go out every 10 minutes since he is used to just being able to go out back). The pool looks fine, the patio is a debacle (and probably wouldn't pass a building inspection) and my nerves are beyond frayed.

All I wanted was someone who was dependable and would do a good job. I am here every day if you need to ask questions or run something by me. I was very up front about the fact that I expect people I hire to show up when they say they will, do the job I hire them to do and communicate with me about it. It doesn't have to be perfect, but I expect it to be better than Grant and I could do during commercial breaks from the Young and the Restless.

After two botched jobs (don't even ask about our hardwood floor debacle), I am beginning to wonder if anyone out there takes pride in their work and does a good job anymore. I am beginning to think that the entitled and lazy are going to take over the world. I am beginning to think that I am not going to be able to look at the patio without spiking my blood pressure and becoming homicidal. Maybe I am a pessimist after all.

School

2010-09-19T22:05:00.001-05:00

School. It plays a big part in the life of the Reeds. Between Aaron teaching full time, me teaching part-time and Bryn in school, I spend a lot of time working schedules around or thinking about things related to school. And anyone who knows me knows that I am more than a little obsessed with my kids' education. I probably spend far too much time fretting about/planning/overseeing things related to Bryn's schooling. Many days I worry that I am too involved. And then I worry that I am not involved enough. But most of all, I worry that I and/or the educational system is going to fail to provide what my daughter needs to live up to her full potential.

I am not sure exactly when I lost faith in the ability of anyone (including myself as I have not chosen to homeschool) to properly educate my child. It could have started when quite a few people I knew in college who couldn't make the grades in their chosen major or who couldn't decide on a major at all settled on Elementary Ed. (Disclaimer: I realize there are many wonderful, intelligent people who major in Education and who are teachers. I know many of them. But I also know some people who majored in Education who are downright scary and I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy's kid for an entire school year). It hasn't helped that Aaron and I have run into many completely incompetent college students who couldn't write a complete sentence, much less a thoughtful essay if their life depended on it. It really hasn't helped that we have run into even more students who don't give a rat's ass about learning anything in college and expect to earn A's and B's just because they bother to show up to class. Never mind actually doing well on those pesky tests or on actual classwork - they think they deserve a grade just because they tried and did their best (and believe me when I say that their definition of "tried hard" is far different than the one your grandparents would have given you). It does not inspire confidence in the educational system that many of these kids passed 8th grade, much less earned a high school diploma.

I know there are a million and one reasons why kids don't do well in school and not all of them can be blamed on the school or the teachers or the textbooks. I also don't think it can all be blamed on parents or lack of money or No Child Left Behind either. Frankly, I don't really care who or what is to blame - I just need to figure out how to get my child(ren) through it, around it, under it, over it - whatever!

No matter how hard I ponder and how much info I collect, I just can't seem to find the right solution for Bryn and our family. I don't think my kid is a genius, but the work they are doing in her class is not keeping her challenged. I don't even think it has so much to do with the fact that she already knows most of the things they are doing, it is just that she doesn't need 2 weeks to grasp a new concept. I realize that one teacher can't individualize a lesson plan for each student, but I do know it doesn't seem to be working for my kid. And I doubt she is the only one. I don't know how to fix it, but teaching to the middle leaves kids out on both ends of the spectrum. And throwing her in a "gifted" program for less than 2 hours a week as the solution to the problem is almost insulting.

Moving Bryn to the public school does not seem to be a good solution at this point. Their curriculum is even farther behind - not by a lot, but for us, it would just be going in the wrong direction.

Which leaves homeschooling. This would be a bad idea for us on so many levels. It would not be easy for me to do with a 2 year old at home. Bryn and I don't work terribly well together as she is argumentative and I am overly critical. She would REALLY miss her friends and the social side of school. I know she would have plenty of activities and social outlets, but being home with me all day is not he same as being at recess with 10 other little girlfriends.

Sigh. I have to figure it out. I (and Aaron, of course, but he is less obsessive than I am) have to be Bryn's advocate because no one cares about her education as much as I do. If I don't look out for her and make sure she gets the best that can be provided, no one else will. It is up to me, and I cannot fail.

Amazing news

2010-09-17T09:33:00.003-05:00

Not for me, but for my cousin, Julie. She has been working on becoming a foster parent for a while now and after getting some things in order and spending the summer traveling, she made the call to the county on Monday to say she was ready. She will pick up a 3 day old little boy TODAY! She knew that because she is in Alameda county in California that it was likely that she would get a black, drug addicted, baby boy and it seems that is what God had planned for her. Whether it is for a day or forever, I know that little boy is one of the luckiest people on the planet - there is no one I can think of who will be a better mother or a better example Than Julie. I am beyond excited to see where this journey takes her!

A little hope...or not

2010-09-16T21:29:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share a response to one of the posts in my course to prove that there may be hope, after all:

This sort of approach to the issue was a viable one a century ago when human populations were not the size they are now, but in a modern setting, I cannot see how a lack of concern over these issues is a defensible position.

Here is an example of how deforestation could possibly affect you: a forest is cut down in Nigeria and desertification begins. Food and water become scarce in the region, and the populace eventually falls under the control of regional petty dictators who can easily impose their will on the starving people. This might not seem a pressing issue until you consider that this region also produces a sizable quantity of oil for the global market. Now we see a situation where American corporate interests are imperiled by regional instability brought on (at its core) by desertification caused by cutting down of forests. With the oil supplies jeopardized, the US is forced to take military action, sending troops and equipment to yet another far-flung corner of the globe and further escalating the runaway military spending which is proving so damaging to our nation's economy. Government services become less available due to the diversion of resources, causing cutbacks in highway maintenance. A snowstorm causes buckling in part of the interstate and a pothole forms along a route you typically travel. One day, you're traveling that stretch of road and hit the pothole rather than change lanes and crash into the car beside you, thus causing you to blow out a tire. You find yourself stranded on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck, needing a tire, and unavoidably delayed in whatever plans you'd had for that day.

Yes, this is taken to ridiculous personal extremes for the sake of illustration, but the point is that deforestation has broader and more far-reaching effects than the immediate local concerns. And, more to the point, those effects extend far into the future. Our great-great-great-grandparents thought their actions could never affect whole populations of animals or the climate of an entire planet. Now, long after the industrial boom of the late nineteenth century, we see that they were wrong. Do you want your descendants of a hundred and fifty years from now (if there are any) to view our actions in the same light?

And then the response:

I think you have a good point. But now that I read the article I realize how bad it has become. Despite this, it doesn't have a direct affect on me so I can't really find a way to care.

Sigh. There is a lot of work to be done here. On the bright side, only two out of about 14 were this flippant about deforestation and the environment. I guess we just need to hope that those that care or at least bother to think continue to outnumber those that don't.

Things that make you go...

2010-09-12T20:37:00.004-05:00

are you freakin' serious?!?!

So on the heels of a massive Facebook firestorm regarding my last blog post, I find this in one of my Gen Bio class discussion forums. The students are asked to read a posted article about deforestation and then respond with whether or not they are concerned about it. And the answer is:

No, I am not personally concerned about deforestation because I do not worry about global warming, animal extinction, cutting down trees, etc. If it's going to happen then I accept it. I'm not an animal rights activist, I don't shop with recyclable bags, and I could care less if trees are cut down. I think raising cattle for food is more important than a pretty forest that might be fun to look at but what other benefit is there besides helping generate rainfall and consuming carbon dioxide? Personally I'd rather see them cut down and made into a farm, a corn field, or anything that will help generate money or food for people.

I had to shake my head and laugh - I am definitely not a tree hugger, but I generally do believe that there is a link between humans and nature and that our very survival will eventually be determined by how we conserve our resources. Anyone heard of carry capacity? Anyone? I suppose that at least the response was honest. Aaron (who has become quite frustrated with "intelligent" life lately) has decided that he, like the Professor Hubert Farnsworth on Futurama, doesn't want to live on this planet anymore.

So as I am about to be able to laugh it off as an anomaly, I read this response:

I suppose it may make me a bad person in some respect, but honestly, I just don't care about deforestation. It really doesn't effect me. I don't live in a drought-prone country, I don't especially care about animals, and I don't really mind that they're destroying plants for no reason. I know I may sound ignorant and arrogant, but the fact that there aren't rainforests in the United States and that deforestation in the United States is done to expand, I really don't mind. With the increasing world population, I think it's much more important to expand into areas that used to have trees in them than to try to cram everyone into the places we have set out for living.

OH.MY.GOD. We are doomed.

I just don't get it, or, who knew evolution could cause you to be a drug using child abuser?

2010-09-09T12:29:00.006-05:00

I love a good debate. I enjoy hearing the "other side" and the reasons why people believe the things they do. I admire people who can debate intelligently and almost convince me (and once in a blue moon actually convince me!) to change my mind because they have valid and well-constructed arguments to present. But I have a visceral and unpleasant reaction to arguments based on fear or manipulation. Or a complete distortion of the facts. So when I received a Creation Science newsletter with the following statement in it, I just wanted to scream.

Evolution "education" is poisoning our society, beginning with our youth. Believe it: There is research that verifies this statement. Charts illustrating data collected by Educational Research Analysts show a rise in child abuse, divorce rates, illegal drug use by youth, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unmarried couples, unwed birth rates, and violent crimes. Declines in scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) are also charted. All have happened since government began funding the teaching of evolution through textbooks in the late 1950s.

Wow! Who knew that ALL of the evils in our society are all because evolution is taught in schools. I guess I should be glad and thankful that this person was smart enough to figure that out.

Seriously? Just so you know, I am not going to be converted to your way of thinking if this is the best you can do. I am taking my computer and going to play with the people over there. You know the ones - the ones who think that maybe there is a step or two between a textbook and a life as a high school drop-out, drug using, child abusing, single mom, prostitute with 10 kids who is robbing a drug dealer at gunpoint. I'm just sayin'...

What the Reeds do for fun...

2010-09-02T17:43:00.004-05:00

We have been busy with lots of fun stuff and I need to post all about it, but here are a few of the more everyday moments...

Grant playing with bagworms that we picked off of the bushes. They were kind of fascinating.

Missing my girl

2010-07-31T01:01:00.004-05:00

We had a fun time with my friend Barbara and her family this week...they stayed with us during the fair since they had cows at the fairgrounds and our house is far closer to the fairgrounds than theirs (3 vs 25 minutes!). It was a houseful of chaos and craziness and it was obviously distracting because now that they are gone, I miss my girl!

Yes, the mom that is gung ho to send her kid off into the wild blue yonder to experience all life has to offer still misses her girl! We would be leaving early tomorrow morning to go get Bryn from camp if she were in a one week session like we had originally planned. Instead we still have a week to go before we go get her. And since the email and letters haven't been flowing in our direction, I am just needing a little reassurance that I haven't scarred her for life by sending her to camp for two weeks at the tender age of 8. I guess I better start saving for her therapy just in case.

Animal Camp Round 2

2010-07-25T21:56:00.002-05:00

Bryn is back at camp. She had another picture taken with Cherry Cola (the llama), met a hedgehog, a baby wallaby and a baby lynx on the way into camp, secured another bottom bunk in the same cabin that she was in last time, has a nice bunkmate and has 3 of the 4 counselors. And is hopefully really, really healthy!

We have a busy week coming up here at home...more meetings with pool guys and landscapers (ugh...this process has been painful and seemingly never-ending), some houseguests for a day or two, an oil change for the van and a couple of playdates (for Mom and Grant!).

Bryn passed Level 3 swimming lessons. She was pretty excited as this was try number 3. Grant was thrilled to be able to play in the toddler pool while she was taking her lessons and he even shared his toys with the other kids in the pool. Of course he still screamed bloodyn murder when it was time to get out, but I suppose I have to take what I can get!

Better

2010-07-16T09:04:00.005-05:00

Things are looking up. Lots of fun adventures to pull me out if my funk.

On Wednesday, Aaron and the kids and I went to a dinosaur exhibit at Union Station. It started out well enough with a littel fossil digging...

Bryn happpily posed with the animatronic Triceratops and Parasauralophus

Grant, however, though the big, loud moving dinosaurs might be the scariest thing ever.

We ate dinner at Fritz's (a hamburger place where a little train delivers the food). Grant thought this was a vast improvement over the dinos.

On Friday, we shipped Bryn off to Grandma and Grandpa's house and I went out with the girls. Nice dinner and a trek over to the casinos where I managed to only lose $8.45. Not too bad for an evening of entertainment.

On Saturday, Aaron and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary. The years are flying by - it doesn't seem possible it has been 11 years already. I am truly lucky and blessed to have such a wonderful husband. I don't tell him enough how great he is. We went to eat at the Webster House and had what was possibly the best meal I have ever eaten. Shrimp and grits, salmon, gruyere mac and cheese, fried green beans...Yum. I had no idea there was a place in Kansas City with such good food. We came home and watched The Hangover - hilarious.

Looking forward to another busy week. Reality TV night with the girls, swimming lessons, meetings...guaranteed to keep us all on our toes and me too busy to be sad!

Some days are like that...

2010-07-13T10:11:00.004-05:00

I am not sure exactly what has me down, but I have been on the edge of sad for a few days. I spilled over sometime last night and am stuck now. Temporarily, I am sure, as these moods always seem to pass. But I am not gonna lie - I am in quite the funk.

It all started with catching up on Deadliest Catch. For those of you that are fans, you know what is coming. I don't know what it is about Captain Phil. Maybe the sometimes longish hair reminds me of my own dad (although I am pretty sure that Dad never crab fished and I am very sure that he doesn't cuss, drink or smoke quite as much as Captain Phil). Maybe it is the way he cusses his sons yet loves them fiercely. Maybe it is the way he lights up at a practical joke or a good bit of fun. I don't know exactly what it is, but I know when I heard that he had died, I broke down and cried like he was an old friend. Watching the shows leading up to his death and knowing what is coming for him and his family just makes me so darn sad.

Which brought to the surface the sadness that lingers for my friend Krista. Her husband's 37th birthday would have been today, but instead of being able to celebrate his birthday with him, she took her kids to their shrink so they could work on processing his death. How can that be right? It is nothing but just plain sad.

I am sure I do not even have to mention that turning on the news or picking up the newspaper is just plain depressing. Missing children, war, disease, oil in the Gulf, people arguing over politics.

Discussed with a friend tonight the death of her only daughter, which happened 3 years ago. No weddings, no grandkids, no more Mother's Day presents. Heartbreakingly sad.

Can't a girl catch a break? I know there are wonderfully lovely and happy things happening to me and around me all the time. But some days the sad things just seem to outnumber the happy.

Here's hoping for a little more sunshine and a little less rain tomorrow.

Catch up

2010-07-08T08:12:00.002-05:00

We had a nice 4th and enjoyed hanging out at the neighborhood party. The rain put a little damper on the fireworks although Bryn declared that it was the best 4th of July EVER! The kids ran around in the rain and splashed in the puddles while the adults huddled in the garage and watched!

Bryn started twilight Girl Scout camp this week. The bus picks them up at 1:30 and drops them off at 9 pm. She is having a blast.

I am battling some kind of cold/infection. Yuck. Lots of nausea and sore throat and headache. Woke up a zillion times last night either freezing cold or sweating like crazy. Hopefully it is the same thing the kids have had and it will be over as quickly for me as it was for them. I did get some good rest yesterday since Aaron was sweet enough to come home from work early - I have the best husband ever!

Bryn's behavior has continued to be stellar....no getting out of bed and virtually no whining or complaining. It is like a little slice of kid behavior heaven around here. For the time being, anyway!

Hooray!

2010-07-03T10:10:00.002-05:00

It worked! At least for now! After about 45 minutes of wailing and arguing and crying (and getting no where) after being told she was going to miss the party and have to pay for a sitter by selling something or doing chores, Bryn pulled herself together. She didn't mention it again, had a good time beating the sitter at the Great States of America game and stayed in her room/bed all night long! Hallelujah! I would love to think it will all be better from here on out and we will never have to do anything like this again, but I realize that is unlikely. But for now, I am thrilled and highly impressed with Bryn's behavior choices!

The downside of last night is that Grant proceeded to have a temperature spike and start barfing shortly after we got to the party last night (we planned on getting home early to get Bryn to bed, but not that early!). He was up a couple of times in the middle of the night (so much for enjoying the fact that Bryn wasn't waking us up!), but he seems to feel a lot better this morning. And we had some more evidence that he is growing up...he said "double u" this morning instead of "ba do do" when W was the letter of the day on Sesame Street. :(

We'll try this, I guess.

2010-07-02T14:14:00.002-05:00

Desperate times call for desperate measures. We are about to employ some "natural consequences" (aka Love and Logic) for some ongoing behavior issues starting with Bryn and once we get her straightened out, we will be moving on to Grant. Poor kids.

I already blogged about the sleep issues we have been having. For a little over a week, we have been telling her that as long as she goes to her bedroom at 9:00 every night, she is free to do whatever she wants as long as she doesn't come out of her room and bother and/or wake us up. She has been up until at least 11:30 every night reading, playing Nintendo and doing whatever it is that 8 year old night owls do. One would think that this would make an 8 year old night owl happy enough and she would therefore leave her tired parents alone between the hours of 9 pm and 7 am. One might also think that she might realize that when she is dead tired when we drag her out of bed at 7 am that she should go to sleep earlier. Not so. And the battle continues.

Since I haven't yet figured out the consequence for not staying in bed, I am coming down hard on another behavior issue. There have been some problems with exclusion and some mean behavior when Bryn gets together with other kids (really only two sisters which makes a group of three, which any female knows is an absolute recipe for disaster!). Anyway, instead of going to their house tonight for their 4th of July party, Bryn will be staying home with a sitter and figuring out how to pay her. Since she doesn't have any money since she hasn't been doing her chores (yet another issue), she will have to sell something worth the $25 it will take to pay the sitter. I am sure you will be able to hear her screaming all the way to Pennsylvania when we tell her.

Now, I might be making it sound like I have a horrendously ill-behaved child, and that is far from the truth. In fact, she is a sweet, smart, funny kid. But she needs to become a sweet, smart, funny adult and since it is my job to make sure that happens, we are going to work on the little things before they become big things.

Wish me luck...

I need an instruction manual

2010-06-29T16:44:00.003-05:00

on how to raise these kids. I think someone could make a crapload of money by writing a manual and sending it out the door of the hospital with baby and mom. I mean, seriously, someone has to know how to do this. It is, however, most assuredly not me.

Bryn has been getting out of bed just about every night for the past month or so. And I am not talking the normal "I need a drink of water" or "there are monsters under my bed", but instead a 1:00 am "I am soooooo tired, but I can't sleep and I need you to help me sleep". Really? How the hell am I supposed to do that? Her answer is that she sleeps in our room and in our bed where she gets a blissful night of deep sleep and Aaron and I endure bruised shins and cracked ribs and maybe a total of 5 minutes of REM sleep. So the answer to that little suggestion from her is "ummmmmmm. No. Go back to bed." Let the misery commence.

Depending on the night, the above scenario occurs no less than three and sometimes more than 6 times. Each visit becomes a little more dramatic and somewhere around visit three, the hysteria grows so that there is wailing and crying and door slamming and, eventually, a total emotional meltdown. And that is just on my part. Actually, no matter how calm I remain, we are still generally up for 2 hours trying to get through it. Aaron will usually then throw the covers aside and, with bulging eyes, storm into her room and take the Nintendo DS or some other coveted item. 80% of the time that is the last time we see her. That night. The process starts all over the next night and after a full day of hearing her whine about not having (insert whatever item dad confiscated the night before), I am just that much happier to hear her padding down the hall at midnight.

I have tried rewards. I have tried punishments. I have tried reasoning and negotiating. I have tried crying. I have tried yelling. I REFUSE to let her sleep in our bed. I REFUSE to sleep in her bed. There is no reason we can't all have our own sleeping space. I just have to figure out how to make that happen.

I just need the instruction manual to tell me how to do it.

Sad, sick kid

2010-06-24T08:52:00.004-05:00

Not looking too happy on the ride home...

She is feeling a lot better. She had no fever as of late yesterday afternoon and she is happily back to playing her DS while her brother terrorizes her. She is going to get to go back to camp for one of the two week sessions and the very nice camp director is going to credit the full amount we paid to the two week cost. So now just as long as her mom can survive TWO whole weeks of camp, Bryn is all set. Things are looking up and I am thankful for the blessing of a healthy kid and the generosity of a little camp in Missouri!

Oh no!

2010-06-23T22:55:00.002-05:00

I got a call from camp yesterday morning...Bryn was in the nurse's lodge with a temp of 101 degrees and had been there since about 10:00 the night before feeling bad. As I was on the phone with the nurse discussing whether or not I should go get her, Bryn passed out and hit a railing and got a bloody nose. Needless to say, mama was in the car within 30 minutes making the 4 hour trip back to Rolla, MO to get Bryn. When I got there and went into the room she started sobbing and was just a little inferno. She was crying because she felt bad, didn't want to leave camp and wanted to go home all at the same time. Poor kid.

Her fever broke today, but she had to be fever free for 24 hours before she could go back to her cabin or participate in any activities, so she would have only had Friday and half of Saturday even I took her back. We are working on getting her back to camp this summer and I think we can make it happen, but it was just so sad...the poor kid has been looking forward to animal camp and saving her money for an entire year - not fun that this is the way it went.

Bryn and Cherry Cola

2010-06-21T11:02:00.003-05:00

Here is Bryn with the first animal she encountered at camp - a llama named Cherry Cola. Cherry Cola posed with about 200 kids and as far as I know, she didn't spit on anyone. That is a good natured animal!

I only took one other picture when we dropped her off and that one turned out blurry. Fortunately, I ordered the picture CD of all the pics that the counselors and directors take and Bryn has two disposable cameras. Hopefully someone will get capture the camp experience on film because obviously I can't be relied on to do so!

And since I actually have a pic of Grant enjoying his pool, I will post it, too. There will be no pool time today...more rain for us. I guess it at least gives me a good excuse not to leave the house!

Camp

2010-06-20T22:03:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that Bryn is old enough to go to camp, but considering we dropped her off in Rolla, MO (4 hours away from home!) today I am guessing that time has come. Within the first 20 minutes of camp, she had he picture taken with a llama named Cherry Cola and got to pet a baby pygmy goat, a baby wallaby, two kittens and a dog. The dog was rescued from a shelter and Bryn spent the time form the dog to the cabin trying to convince us that she is old enough to take care of a dog and that we need another one. Ummmmm...no. We never even saw where any of the animals live...these were just what they had out milling around with the camp counselors during check in. She is going to have a blast. I am not expecting to hear much until we pick her up, though - she informed me as we were packing her stuff up that she didn't need any self addressed, stamped envelopes because she will be too busy to write. Hopefully she will at least find the time to send a short email or two. I will try to post a couple of pictures tomorrow, but I will have to figure how to get them off of the new phone first.

In other news...we are likely going to put in a pool and redo the back patio. I have been checking into (O.K....obsessing about finding) companies to do it all and it just really sucks to not know someone good right off hand to take care of it. It is just so hard to know who to trust with a project that can go so very wrong...

So sad

2010-06-08T21:30:00.003-05:00

I had to take a 24 hour break from our trip to Lake of The Ozarks with Mom and John this past weekend to attend Krista's husband's funeral. Not fun. I did have a nice time catching up with Nikki (she came and spent the night with me at mom's house and we stayed up for hours talking and laughing) and seeing many people that I hadn't seen for years- some I hadn't seen since high school. But the occasion for being there was definitely not part of that nice time. There were a LOT of people at the service - pilots, police officers and all the people that Lynn had touched in his all too short life. Krista and her family are hanging in there and doing better than I think I would be, but they are completely devastated. It is hard to make sense of the tragedy and even harder to think of those kids growing up without their daddy. RIP Lynn. You will be greatly missed.

Crazy few weeks and horrible news

2010-06-01T01:13:00.005-05:00

It has been a crazy few weeks since I posted last. We took a vacation out to Jackson and Yellowstone and met Dad and Cheryl there. We stopped in Casper for lunch on our way out to see my grandparents (to my disappointment my grandfather is not going to get a rainbow colored glass eye to replace the one he had removed - just kidding Grandpa!). We stayed in the Old Faithful Lodge and mammoth Hot Springs (with no cell phone or internet service - what a lovely break!), listened to a ukelele serenade courtesy of Dad, Bryn became a Junior Ranger and a Young Scientist and we had a wonderful time exploring the mountains and looking for wildlife. We saw all of the animals on our wish list - big horn sheep, black and grizzly bears, wolves and moose. We did learn that a Yellowstone vacation may not be ideal for a 2 year old who would rather be running amok than staying on the boardwalks to avoid the geothermal features, but we still had a great time.

Bryn is in Boise until Wednesday and we will leave for Lake of the Ozarks to vacation with Mom and John for a few days on Thursday. In a few short weeks we will be taking her to "Animal Camp" where she will spend a whole week away. I am definitely feeling a little more nervous about it than she is - she can't wait to spend an entire week swimming, taking care of her animal for the week and doing "camp" stuff. Our girl is definitely growing up.

I am working on getting my online classes ready to go for the summer and catching up on laundry, my DVR'd TV shows, the to-do list and housecleaning. While on vacation, my track ball on my Blackberry crapped out and it seemed as good an excuse as any for Aaron and I to head to AT&T and trade in for a couple of new iPhones.

As all of this is going on, I got some devastating news about a high-school friend's husband. I have been alternately crying, attempting to ignore (not very adult, I know) and trying to figure out how to process the news. While browsing Facebook yesterday, I noticed a status update from Krista's sister that her brother-in-law had suffered a massive stroke. A call to Krista's parents' house confirmed that it was indeed Krista's husband who, at 36 years old, is fighting for his life. Despite the fact that Krista and I do not talk regularly I feel as if my heart is being ripped out. I cannot imagine this dear friend that I shared so many wonderful and crazy times with possibly losing her healthy, funny, caring husband. He has since suffered two additional strokes but is somehow currently defying the odds and fighting to stay with his wife and four children. It seems so trite and cliche to say that "life can change in an instant" or "live each day as if it is your last because you never know what is going to happen", but that is just about all that it seems there is to think at a time like this. There are lots of people praying very hard for this family and I just hope and pray that the miracle that Lynn needs to pull through this comes. Fortunately the family has a fabulous support system and tons of loving people around (imagine a family who has people who are working/have worked in law enforcement, the airline industry, the fire department and an extensive church family). But all of the love in the world doesn't change the awful reality that something devastating has happened. I think I'll go peek in on my baby and hug my sleeping husband while I have the gift of being able to do so.

That was fun...

2010-05-07T16:52:00.002-05:00

There is a sign outside of Bryn's school that says "Smile! Your mom chose life" on one side and "a heartbeat starts at 3 weeks" on the other. The signage finally led to the question about what that means...Oh boy. Here we go.

I gave a very factual explanation of how sometimes women don't want to be pregnant and a doctor can stop a pregnancy by removing the baby and how in 1973 there was this court case called Roe v. Wade that made this process legal. I also explained how some people believe it is OK for a woman to do this because they feel women should have the right to choose whether to have a baby or not and how some people believe that killing an unborn baby is not OK since it is taking a life. And then I asked Bryn what she thought of that. The response...

"Well, if a husband and a wife have a baby and that baby would get really good genes, then if that baby wasn't born it wouldn't be able to pass those really good genes on to the next generation."

Hmmmmm...guess we have talked enough about genetics and evolution around our house to get that point to sink in.

The funny thing is that she took it as obvious that abortion = killing a baby despite the fact that I presented both sides. I guess the finer points of the right to choose are lost on an 8 year old. But I like the fact that she seems to be able to be a critical thinker - regardless of what she ends up believing about various things (despite my gentle nudging in one direction or another!) I am proud to have a kid who can think for herself!

These are for Mom...

2010-05-06T08:19:00.004-05:00

I know it has been a shamefully long time since I have posted. I am not sure what the issue is - I guess I am just finding it easier to record my thoughts in a short sentence on Facebook instead of in a long ramble on my blog. At any rate, after much agonizing, I bought some new chairs for the living room and promised Mom some pictures since she was involved in the painful process of trying to find them! Now I just have to find a new area rug...

Grant approves of the ottoman purchase.

Sometimes you need some backup...

2010-04-13T08:54:00.003-05:00

More pictures to come!

And now...

2010-03-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

that my camera is all charged up, I can't find my wire to get the pics to the computer. There is some kind of conspiracy working to keep me from loading pictures to my blog...

Peace

2010-03-24T22:35:00.002-05:00

I have quit watching anything related to news and am ignoring anything having to do with healthcare or politics. And I sure do feel a lot better!

History made...I guess.

2010-03-22T16:07:00.003-05:00

The house passed the Healthcare Reform Bill last night and of course the nation is consumed with the subject. The Republicans are running for the hills screaming that the sky is falling and the Democrats are all smug and self-worshipping. And I have yet to hear anyone tell me (without using smoke and mirrors and some kind of math I have never heard of) how the hell this is going to be PAID FOR! Did we not learn anything from TennCare? And before you tell me about the beautiful socialized health care system in Sweden, may I point out that our population is more than 30 TIMES larger than theirs?!?! Makes it a little more challenging to regulate the system, dontcha think?

I personally think the bill was a piece of crap in the form it was passed (as if I really know what that is since I don't think there is a soul on the planet who actually knows what is in it), but that is neither here nor there. What frustrates me the most is that people in this country actually believe (and they are probably right) that the government has the power to save us or break us. When did we hand over our rights as citizens to run our own country to these dumbasses on Capitol Hill? When did we begin relying on government to take care of us from cradle to grave? One thing I am pretty sure of is that most politicians are crooked, self-serving, power-hungry morons who are only interested in keeping their fat cat jobs. Cynical much? Yes, I am. And will remain so until someone can convince me to feel otherwise. I am pretty sure the Founding Fathers are spinning in their graves. God help us all.

See what happens?

2010-03-18T09:19:00.002-05:00

I finally was motivated to download (upload? - I never know which way is which) pictures to the computer and the damn camera battery is dead. Figures. By the time it is all charged up, I am sure the picture mood will have passed.

Looking good

2010-03-17T23:31:00.004-05:00

I finally have gotten a little bit of decorating done and our house actually looks like someone lives here! At the end of last week I decided I couldn't take it any longer and called my friend Erin over for a decorating date! I pulled all of my "stuff" (candles, pictures, vases, etc) out of boxes and put it in a big pile and let her go to town! I still have some things to buy, some spaces to fill in and some rooms to finish, but progress has been made. Hooray!

Our St. Patrick's Day celebration around here consisted of green pancakes, green eggs, green applesauce and green milk for dinner. I didn't even drink a green beer.

The end of last week meant the Big 12 basketball tournament in KC. Aaron met his parents and brother for the games and they basketballed the nights away! KU playing KSU for the big 12 title wasn't too cool as someone was going to come back to the house unhappy. A Jayhawk victory left Bryan the happy one in the bunch, but Aaron and his parents seemed to recover quickly. After all, March Madness is far from over!

Bryn and I had a fun trip to Chicago with my friend Rhonda and her little girl. I came home with two new purses. There is something about that purse kiosk in that little mall on Michigan Avenue that sucks me in every time.

Grant is growing up far too fast and many of his cute little words are morphing into real words with correct pronunciation. "Beeps" have become sheep and "soursaurs" are now dinosaurs. He does still call Fruit Loops "shoo shoops" and his blanket is "minke" but he is definitely turning into a toddler. Ahhhhhhh, so bittersweet.

Too much to do...

2010-03-09T08:16:00.002-06:00

as usual. Definitely a common theme in my posts - I have too much to do and too little time to do it! Actually, it is probably more of a time management issue than truly not having enough time, but why split hairs?

Bryn's party went well (i.e. she had lots of fun and Aaron and I survived!). I do think that it will be the last year for a big slumber party as we did have a little more attitude from one girl about the activities than we have had from anyone in the past. I am thinking by next year, they will all have a little more attitude and I am not sure I can handle a dozen girls with attitude at a time! That being said, Aaron and I were once again truly impressed with Bryn's group of friends. The girls are all polite and caring - there doesn't seem to be any of the clique-ishness that girls are famous for. I just hope that lasts for at least a couple more years. It is nice to have sweet girls around! They also filled 3 big boxes full of stuff for the Lawrence Humane Society (we asked them to bring things for the shelter instead of birthday gifts), so they have generous little hearts, too!

I got off to a productive start for the week. I cleaned out the playhouse, swept the back porch and picked up a yard full of petrified dog poop during the brief burst of dry, warmer weather. Grant loved going in and out of the playhouse and driving his trucks and cars around in it - I plan on spending a lot of time in the backyard with him this spring and summer so I hope that continues to be a good source of entertainment! I also got the basement picked up after the 15 girl tornado that blew through and I am hoping to work on the kids rooms today. Time to purge the closets of clothes and toys and create some space for the birthday presents that make there way into the house at this time of year!

Class has been surprisingly pleasant this semester. Unusual for any semester, but especially the spring when students seem to be less focused than in the fall. I also managed to finally get through the Quality Matters certification process for my General Biology course and I am sincerely hoping that the monetary bonus that I was told would come with that pans out. I suppose I should be happy to know I have a decent class to present to my students, but the extra cash was definitely a big motivator for me to get it done!

I am getting excited for our trip to Chicago this weekend - Bryn and I and my friend Rhonda and her daughter are heading up there for a couple of days for a girl's weekend. We are going to go to American Girl for brunch and hoping to see some of the Chicago sights - maybe the Sears (Willis) tower, the zoo, Millennium Park, a museum...whatever we do I think it will be fun!

On a sadder note, it is hard to believe it has been a year since Mema died. This is also the day that my friend Rhonda lost her first child only 6 days after he was born. So a sad day for us and other people I know and love.

Long time, no post

2010-03-05T22:45:00.002-06:00

Wow! Time flies!

The most exciting and frightening event around here is that Bryn celebrated her 8th birthday! I just can't believe she is already 8...Where do the years go!?!? Tonight we are having her birthday party - another slumber party. It is almost 11 pm and there are currently 10 VERY wide awake girls making so much noise that the glass break alarms on the windows are being triggered. And this is after we lost one to illness (101 degree fever) and 3 others who couldn't spend the night. Should be an interesting rest of the night...

What is normal, anyway?

2010-02-22T20:01:00.002-06:00

I was about to say things are back to normal, but I think I probably have at least to other posts with that as the title. Plus, I find myself redefining "normal" all the time so I don't think "back to normal" is really accurate anyway.

I had a really tough trip to Chicago last week. It started out very well with a night in the city with cousin Julie. We did some shopping, had dinner at a nice Japanese restaurant and had a few drinks at a nice jazz bar. But things went downhill from there. When we got to my grandparents house, we found my grandmother not feeling well and in the midst of firing there live-in caregiver who was planning to show up anytime with her some to "discuss" the situation and try to get her job back. It was all over a couple of days later, but the drama and trauma that occurred in the time between our arrival and departure was just as bad as anything cooked up by my 2 and 7 year old on any given day. It is just such a difficult situation with the rest of the family being so far away. Julie and I did enjoy spending time with our "little" cousins - we had a great time with Abbie and Molly even if we do have 20 + years on them!

I gave up snacking after dinnertime for Lent this year. I may or may not survive...time will tell!

Aaron and I went to see "Young Frankenstein" the musical on Friday. It was very funny and we were happy with our season ticket seats. What treat to have a night out with my hubby!

I have had a pretty lazy last few days. On Saturday, none of us changed out of our pajamas and since Bryn had a snow day today, I used it as an excuse to not leave the house. I think I am finally ready to get going - this recovery has taken long enough.

Made my day

2010-02-16T20:23:00.001-06:00

I just got home from a pretty stressful trip to Chicago to see my grandparents, but it made my day to come home to my wonderful husband, my sweet girl and my little guy asking for some "yucky harms" (Lucky Charms). Life is good...

Excited

2010-02-04T19:28:00.002-06:00

I am getting pretty darn excited about my lazy weekend that is starting tomorrow. Aaron is taking the kids and heading to Manhattan and I am going to hang out at home. I invited some girlfriends over to hang out tomorrow night and I plan on sleeping and reading and watching TV for the rest of the weekend. And the best part is that the house is clean and the laundry is almost done which means I have no work to do at all! :)

Thank goodness...

2010-02-02T12:23:00.002-06:00

I am so very relieved to have finally gotten my pictures from Memory Manager 2.0 to MM 3.0 on my computer. It was not looking good there for a couple of hours and the thought of losing 4 years worth of pictures was enough to cause quite an adrenaline rush and racing heart! So even though I somehow managed to copy all of the pictures on the original backup twice and now have 3000+ duplicate photos to delete I am just relieved to have them there at all. Now to just get them all printed so I can get to work on the scrapbooks!

Not much new

2010-01-26T09:01:00.002-06:00

I don't really have anything to post about today, so I am going to just babble away. It has been a gloriously quiet past 24 hours and I am totally enjoying it!

I have been trying to get my act together and finally get the house organized. I tackled Grant's room yesterday and got rid of (actually just put in boxes and crammed into the closet until I can find a new home for them) a bunch of toys. Most were baby toys and I could have gotten rid of a lot more, but it is a start.

In other news, there is finally progress being made on the new sink and countertop at Bridges of Hope. I have been trying to get this going since I started leading the mission committee a year ago and it has just ended up in the "old business" section of every meeting as I just couldn't manage to find the right person to be in charge (since I know nothing about plumbing or construction I couldn't tackle it myself). Measuring is happening on Thursday morning and I am just thrilled that this project is now underway. It will be wonderful to have a nice, clean workspace when we go to serve and cook and I am sure the other groups that work there will feel the same way!

I am still trying to unload the last few boxes of Girl Scout cookies the troop has left over and I am beginning to really dread having to deal with all of the money when it comes in. I volunteered to be Cookie Mom because...yeah, a good reason escapes me a the moment!

I have been working on class stuff this morning and didn't have a single moment where I was screaming through the computer at my students. I seriously doubt this is because I am making any kind of progress in my anger management as far as class goes, but it was nice anyway!

I hear grant digging in the drawer for a new video...I better go distract him with some books or something before he grows an electrical cord as a tail (remember that Shel Silverstein poem? Jimmy Jet and His TV Set, I believe it was) from watching too much TV.

Geez...

2010-01-24T22:55:00.004-06:00

It is almost 11:00 pm and Bryn is still up working on a school project that we forgot about until I noticed (as I was taking her to bed) the big pile of stuff from her backpack from Friday with all kinds of papers in it. So here we are. Fortunately she is almost done and it has shown me that there is no way I could ever homeschool Bryn as I would be screaming and she would be in tears everyday. So I hope the school situation stays bearable because I don't think we have other options! On the bright side, we seem to have made a behavioral breakthrough and the arguing and back talking has decreased dramatically in the last few days. Oh - and Bryn has been better, too! HAHAHA!

I wore two different shoes to church today. They were both black boots and the only real difference is the shape of the heels, but I am sure someone was laughing their butt off at me. I didn't notice until I got home and was taking them off!

Had a good weekend...nice night out with Monica and Stephanie on Friday (went to dinner and went to see a friend's band) and jammie day yesterday when I decided I was too tired and lazy to accomplish anything. Went to a get together at a friend's house last night and then to bookclub today. A trip to Walmart and watching football finished out the evening. As soon as I get Bryn to bed I am going to check class and head to bed.

Just another crazy weekend at the Reed house!

Busy, busy...

2010-01-21T22:42:00.003-06:00

I hit the ground running when we got back from our trip...meeting Tuesday night about an hour after we pulled into town, Grant's procedure on Wednesday (he is doing perfectly - no after effects at all), volunteering at Bryn's school and Walmart trip today, mission meeting tonight...and Aaron has a stomach bug and has been home and miserable! I am looking forward to a slightly quieter weekend!

Class started Tuesday and it has already been frustrating. I did get some comic relief today in the form of an email today, though...

Colleagues-

I have bad news and good news! Our temporary fix yesterday to fix the network issues we encountered did not hold up as expected. this caused a similar issue this morning that led to Email unavailability as well as sporadic service outages.

I am happy to announce that the permanent fix has been completed and the system is now fully back up at full capacity.

Information Services again apologizes for the incontinence that we know this has caused our users.

Fortunately I had some diapers on hand...hahaha!

All Done!

2010-01-20T11:00:00.002-06:00

I am so excited that Grant's tongue is clipped and the surgery is over! We are home and he just ate a huge lunch, threw a fit and demanded to watch a movie. So things are totally normal!

A few pictures

2010-01-12T09:28:00.005-06:00

Chillin' out.
It cracked me up that the jammies blended right in with the chair.

Harley dude
He would admittedly look a little tougher without the pacifier and sippy cup!

Trying out the new DS

This should be interesting

2010-01-12T08:49:00.002-06:00

This evening I am picking up 100 cases of Girl Scout cookies that will then be put in my dining room, sorted and then picked up by the moms and girls. And then I have to get ALL of the money back for all of those cookies. It should be interesting...

The weekend ended well. We finally got a wireless printer so we can finally get rid of the desktop downstairs. It is kind of weird to think we will be all laptopped and wireless - there is something disconcerting about it. Kind of like giving up the landline and going to cellular only. Still haven't managed to make myself do that!

My new goal is to be in bed with lights out by midnight every night. This perpetually tired thing is really getting to me and I figure it is only a matter of time before my body completely rebels and makes me sleep for days! I just so love the quiet hours of the night and hate to waste them on sleep!

Waiting

2010-01-09T09:57:00.003-06:00

I am anxiously awaiting Bryn's arrival home from her Girl Scout overnight to Great Wolf Lodge. I am betting I will have one wound up and overly tired kid on my hands. I am just so thankful I didn't have to chaperone...I knew that wouldn't be the gig for me!

Aaron and I had a nice quiet night (after Grant went to bed - he has been a major crank for the past week or so). We watched "Blood Diamond" which was very good and then went our separate ways - he played football on the playstation and I played Scrabble on the computer. Ahhhhh...the Friday night excitement! Actually, it was lovely and relaxing. And my wonderful husband let me sleep in this morning. Life is good!

Adventures

2010-01-06T23:28:00.002-06:00

We had a fun day hanging out at home...the snow started in earnest at around 11:30 or so and there are probably another 3 inches or so out there right now. Crazy that we are getting so much snow this year!

Barbara and the kids came over to play this morning and the girls were outside for a long time filling the window well up with snow, throwing snowballs at Elmer and trying to build snow forts. The boys stayed inside and Grant freaked out every time William touched any of his toys. That part wasn't so fun, but Barbara and I managed to keep both of them alive, have some coffee and chat.

I was reminded that my minivan is not a snow vehicle when I got stuck at the bottom of a hill while going to a friends house for a game of Scrabble this evening. I did manage to reverse it into a parallel parked position and Aaron is going to take me back in the morning so we can attempt to drag it up the hill with his truck. We will see how that goes!

There is no school tomorrow and I am betting there won't be any school on Friday either. I am hoping the Girl Scout sleepover happens on Friday night or Bryn will be pretty disappointed.

No more news...just enjoying the lazy snow days!

Snow day?!?!

2010-01-06T08:20:00.002-06:00

So just when Bryn goes back to school, there is another snow day! I am actually sort of confused about it...school was canceled last night and there is no new snow. It is predicted that there will be some today, but not until the afternoon. And all of the schools in the area are closed...maybe they know something I don't about the impending blizzard of 2010!

Back to School

2010-01-05T08:13:00.002-06:00

Bryn headed back to school this morning. I had to drag her out of bed this morning at 7:30 - strange how she was up and ready to go by 7:00 or before for the whole break but was soooooooo tired today!

So I guess it is back to "normal" for all of us. I have vowed to schedule less to do this year. I really enjoyed the downtime of the last couple of weeks when the calendar was empty so I am going to attempt to keep the activities to a minimum. That being said, there is already plenty on the calendar that I have committed myself or my family to - library board, church missions, Girl Scouts, Bunco, music and movement class for Grant, Wednesday night church - so we will be plenty busy even if I do manage to not add anything else!

Bryn had a great weekend at Grandma and Grandpas. She evidently didn't get out of her jammies and ate a lot of ice cream. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me!

We have decided to go ahead and have Grant's tongue tie fixed. After months of agonizing over it, I am now more paranoid about his speech developing properly than the risks of a short surgical procedure. The pediatric ENT has said it can be done without IV anesthesia, so barring a problem it should be less than 15 minutes from start to finish and done with just gas to knock him out.

I hope to get Christmas decorations taken down today and tonight and put away the last of the Christmas gifts over the next few days. I am glad those activities occur inside as there is still a lot of snow outside and it is REALLY cold! I feel like I am back in Laramie with the temps hovering around zero and 6+ inches of snow on the ground. I don't miss the 90+ days, though, so I am just going to enjoy the winter wonderland!

Christmas Pictures

2010-01-02T17:46:00.005-06:00

I didn't take very many pictures during the holidays...I didn't even get half of the family in any photos. So here is a partial photographic record of the Hudson family Christmas 2009. Hopefully someone else used their camera more than I did!

Here is my attempt to take a Christmas picture of the kids together. You can see how well it went...

Bryn and the tree

Grant was happier once he had the yodeling pickle to play with

Coffee helps Nana keep on smiling!

Oliver contemplates the fine art of stain removal

The turducken adventure begins...

They got the chicken inside the duck inside the turkey and packed in some stuffing, too!

The turducken masters

Turduckeny goodness!

Extra long (unplanned!) layover in Denver. And one of those lumps on the floor is a sleeping Grant!

Finally in Kansas and on the way home

Uncle Bryan and Grant

Happy new year!

2010-01-01T09:47:00.003-06:00

Aaron and I had a great time at Barb and Paul's house last night ringing in the new year! I am looking forward to 2010 and I figure I have to officially declare a few of my best intentions for the coming year. For some reason, it has been on my mind lately that I need to figure out what it is I would want to do if I knew this year were going to be my last. Slightly morbid, I know, but the mind goes where it wants to whether I approve or not. So I would:

Clean less, play more
Worry less, laugh more
Do less, relax more
Eat less, exercise more
Talk less, listen more
Criticize less, love more

We'll see how it goes.

What's in a Name 3 Challenge

2009-12-28T11:40:00.003-06:00

I was very excited to see that a new host stepped up to keep this challenge going! Annie did a great job creating and hosting this challenge for two years and I am looking forward to year 3! I am absolutely positive that I will change my book choices, but here is the first round of possibilities:

"Body of Water" category: River Secrets by Shannon Hale or The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

"Place Name" category: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

"Plant" category: Twisted Tree by Kent Meyers

"Title" (Doctor, Mrs., president, etc.) category: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik or Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus. I am thinking both of these titles are a bit of a stretch, so let me know if you have any other suggestions...

"Food" category: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

And that just leaves the "music term" category...surely I can come up with one before next December!

Book Reviews

2009-12-28T10:57:00.002-06:00

I need to finish up my reviews for Annie's challenge so here they are. It has been some time since I read some of these, but I will do my best to remember what happened!

For the "profession" category I read Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. "Princess" is a profession, right? This was one of my favorite reads of the year (although I must admit I had quite a few of those this year). The story begins in a small village and with a 14 year old girl, Miri, who is struggling to find her place in her world. When the prince announces he will choose a bride from the quarry town, the eligible girls are sent to "princess academy" to learn how to impress the prince and act like a princess. As the girls endure isolation and hardships, their true characters emerge and we find Miri to be a true leader. This is a sweet story that I think would be a particularly good read for any girl who has ever faced the hardships of being "different" and growing up - just about every female on the planet, I think!

For the "building" category I read "The Enchanted Castle" by Edith Nesbit, written in 1907. Another good book, although I must admit that parts of it seemed strange and a little creepy - the cardboard cut out people come-to-life, for example. Three children happen across an enchanted castle and a magic ring and have many adventures in the process of attempting to sort out the magic of the castle. I originally thought I would read this book with Bryn, but I think I will let it wait a few years - although very cleverly written, it was not one of those children's books I will revisit again and again.

The last book I read for this challenge was "Echo in the Bone" by Diana Gabaldon for the "body part" category. This is the 7th book (I think) in the Outlander series about a woman who time travels to 1700's Scotland. I have been waiting for this book to come out for years (literally) to see what would happen next to Claire and her family. The Outlander series is addictive and LONG. All of the books are somewhere in the 700-1000 page range and they take a while to read. And I have admittedly forgotten much of what I read in the other books, so there is quite a bit of research and rereading that has to go on to make sure I am keeping all of the characters and their complex stories and relationships straight in my mind! So when this one ended with so many stories and characters hanging, I just about wanted to hurl the bulk of the book through the window. I am trying not to think about the fact that it will likely be another 4 to 5 years before the next book comes out. I am really hoping it is the last as I am not sure I can handle any more unfinished business in the Fraser family!

Back Home

2009-12-28T08:03:00.002-06:00

We had a fabulous Christmas in Boise. One of the highlights was definitely the turducken (pictures will come soon!). Bryn was thrilled to pieces with her Nintendo DS and Wii games (and other gifts, too, but those have been the tops for now), Grant looks pretty tough in his new Harley leather jacket and hat (and thought that Oliver's ride-on fire truck was pretty cool!), Aaron is excited about his Playstation 3 and I can't wait to learn the ins and outs of my new camera! Needless to say, we are quite spoiled! But the best part by far was hanging out with the family. We got to see Jeremiah and Mesha's new place, enjoy Christmas Eve service at Dad and Cheryl's church and watch the little kids play (um, fight)! We ate some fabulous meals, got too little sleep and got to watch pheasants from the kitchen window. We even made it home with only a slight glitch (missed connecting flight and had an extra 6 hours in the Denver airport). There was plenty of snow and some lonely cats waiting in Kansas for us. Now we get to enjoy a late Christmas celebration with Aaron's parents and brother, after which we will sit back and recover and revel in the fact that we are truly blessed!

Hanging out with the siblings

2009-12-23T11:25:00.002-06:00

We went out last night and left the kids home with Grandpa and Nana (although we were nice enough to leave two out of our sleeping already) and had a nice time drinking and chatting. We were minus one brother in law who was detained by weather, but we will get a chance to catch up in the next few days.

We have been busy...We went and had a burger yesterday at a biker bar and Grant discovered the joys of fry sauce and then Bryn and Grandpa and Nana went and saw A Christmas Carol. We are now heading to the grocery store to get more food and beer. This evening we are heading to the soup kitchen to serve a meal, hopefully going to check out Jeremiah and Mesha's new place and then work on mastering the fine nuances of cooking chicken fried steak for dinner. And maybe get some sleep before we all drop from exhaustion!

Holly Jolly Christmas!

2009-12-21T16:27:00.002-06:00

Aaron, the kids and I made it to Boise and we are having fun hanging out with the family. Grant has bitten one cousin on the head and pushed his other cousin down, so we are off to a fabulous start! Tonight is cookie baking night, tomorrow is parents's night out and we are going to go out to look at Christmas lights after church on Christmas Eve. Fun times!

Procrastination

2009-12-18T09:55:00.003-06:00

So blogging is the last thing I should be doing considering I have plenty to do before we leave for Boise tomorrow, but I am obviously looking for any excuse to keep me from working right now!

Bryn's Christmas program was last night and after some arguments over her Christmas dress (Bryn: why is it gray? Shouldn't it be another color?...Me: If you don't like gray then you need to come shopping when I buy your clothes...Bryn: I don't like shopping. I will just tell you what color I want and YOU can go shopping) and her hair (it evidently makes her look "funny" when it is curled) we managed to get there and enjoy the show. Grant was very impressed with the portion that had a little slide show video to go with it and proceeded to say "boovie (movie), boovie, boovie" for the remainder of the program.

I am very excited about going to Boise tomorrow, not only to see everyone for the holidays, but also because I can just hang out and not do all of the crazy things that I have to do around the house when I am home. It will be fun to just relax and enjoy! Of course that may be easier said than done with 3 kids under 2 in the house!

So I guess since grades are done, receipts are entered into Quicken and I have blogged now I have to get down to business and get packing!

All better now

2009-12-16T15:32:00.002-06:00

I am feeling much less angry than I was earlier, so I guess the purge was good for my soul! And the lost Christmas box getting to Boise today didn't hurt my mood any...now I can quit worrying about when and how to replace a bunch of Santa gifts - hooray!

Warning - I am really pissed off

2009-12-16T10:55:00.004-06:00

I don't often get this mad and I certainly don't usually post about it on my blog. But this is my blog and I started it so I could express freely what I am thinking. I find that I don't do that for the most part because I don't want to upset anyone or be offensive, but today I don't care who I offend. This is going to be pure rant, so if you don't want to be involved in reading expletives and ire then I suggest you browse away right now. Here is my current Facebook status:

@#$!?#$% students. If you don't do the work, you are not going to do well in my class. Quit being irresponsible, entitled, crybaby whiners. Is that clear enough?

Why is it that people think they deserve to have things handed to them without working for them? When did everyone become so entitled? You want to pass a class when you don't bother to do the work required? You want the government to provide medical care for your sorry ass because you can't be bothered to go find a full time job that provides you with health benefits? You want to be saved from foreclosure on your house when you took out a mortgage that you couldn't afford in the first place? What sorry excuse for a human taught you that you deserve to be taken care of just because it is hard to take care of yourself and your family? Whoever it was should be strung up and pelted with rocks because they did you a massive disservice.

I am sure I should now write some nice words about how I do realize that there are people who really do need and deserve help and that I really do have a heart and care about humanity, but frankly I don't give a shit what I should write. If you are a lazy, whiny, sorry excuse for a human being that refuses to take responsibility for your own actions or circumstances regardless of how you came to be where you are then I am not sure I really much care what happens to you. Wallow in your misery and your pathetic circumstances and keep yourself far away from me and my family. I have no interest in helping you and I don't want you contaminating my personal space with your f-ing existence.

Aaaaaaaahhhhhh, I think I feel a little bit better!

End of an era

2009-12-14T23:47:00.002-06:00

So that may be a bit dramatic, but it is the end of something. I never felt comfortable with the whole idea anyway, but that is just because I have a screw or two loose. At least that is what most people tell me when we talk about this.

What is "this"? The tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and all of the other magical and mythical creatures that are just grown ups disguised as "magic". I think it all stems back to my childhood...

I remember being really pissed off when I found out that all of the magic present bringers were really just grown ups. Why? Because everyone had pulled one over on me. I mean, grown-ups aren't supposed to LIE...especially not to the kids they punish for lying!

So when Bryn was born, Aaron and I actually had discussions about whether or not we would have Santa at our house. I really am not a total Scrooge...I love the idea of a nice, jolly man who brightens up the lives of everyone at Christmas by bringing presents and has a whole herd of reindeer, so I decided in the end it would be kind of fun and surely my kid would figure it out pretty quickly and I wouldn't have to "lie" for long. I mean, I found out by the time I was 6 and certainly kids are more savvy these days, right? Well, I have been trying (subtly) to get Bryn to ask me about the reality of Santa for a couple of years, but she just wouldn't bite. It evidently took the tooth fairy not coming for 5 or 6 days this week (and, no, I did not forget on purpose!) to bring it all to a head. The conversation went something like this...

Me: So why do you think the tooth fairy might not have come?

Bryn: (Long pause) Maybe she was just really busy.

Me: Maybe. Do you think there might be any other reason?

Bryn: Do you?

Me: I don't know...tell me what you think.

Bryn: You tell me what you think.

Me: You tell me what YOU think.

Bryn: I am too embarrassed to say.

Me: Don't be embarrassed...I am your Mom and I won't think what you say is silly.

Bryn: (Long pause) Are you the tooth fairy, Mom?

Me: (Sigh of relief) Yes, I am. And guess who else I am?

Bryn: Santa?

Me: Yep!

Bryn: I had been thinking that since I was 6, but I was too embarrassed to say anything.

Me: Well, now that you know you get to do all the cool stuff like stay up late and put out presents for the little kids with Dad and I and the other grownups. And make sure not to tell anyone who doesn't know about Santa or the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny yet because you don't want to ruin the surprise.

Bryn: Woohoo! (I think this was because of the "stay up late" part...)

And there you have it. The end of my angst over Santa. And all the better that it happened now since I had to tell her that the post office may have lost her Santa gifts on the way to Boise and she might have a few fewer presents until we can hit the USPS up for the insurance money!

And don't remind me that I have to go through all of this again with kid number two...

What a weekend!

2009-12-14T07:07:00.002-06:00

It was another crazy weekend! Although I think my perception of its craziness was tainted by the fact that I have a bad cols that seemed to make everything about 10 times harder than it really was. Fortunately, I seem to be on the mend - there is considerably less pain and snot today than there has been for the last few days. I do have comapny in my misery...poor little Grant has been battling it even longer than I have but he is far less whiny about it than I am!

Bryn and I went to Humane Society volunteer orientation on Thursday night so we are now ready to do our thing. It looks like we will be hanging out with the puppies and Kittens since Bryn is too young to work with any animals over 6 months old. We will play with them, walk, them, clip nails if we want to - basically whatever we feel like doing to make them a little happier and give them a better chance of getting adopted. The ycurrently have about 600 cats there and 300 dogs but not all of them are available for adoption so we have the option to work with about 1/4 of that amount. My main goal is to not come home with another pet...Aarin is in complete agreement with that objective!

Bryn and I and some friends went and saw the Kansas Nutcracker on Saturday night. It was lots of fun and helped get me geared up for Christmas...it seems I need all the help I can get this year to get into a festive mood! I am truly looking forward to heading to Boise to visit...I am excited to just hang out and not have any responsibilities to speak of - no school, no house to take care of, no running through my overscheduled life! Should be great!

It was a good day for church missions yesterday and therefore a rewarding day for me...the dinner fundraiser for Bridges of Hope for which we provide a once a month dinner for the disadvantaged) raised a little over $3000. We got all of the gifts (about 90 items!) we needed for our adopt-a-family, too, and those will be delivered bright and early this morning.

We have another busy week ahead but I hope to get lots of things crossed off of my to-do list in the process. Fortunately, I wouldn't have my life any other way...it may be crazy busy, but it is fun!

Snow Day!

2009-12-09T09:37:00.001-06:00

It is the first snow day of the year and I had hoped to have some nice pictures of the kids playing in the snow to insert here:

However, Grant screamed from the moment I put his boots on until we were back inside and I took them off. I am not sure whether he was objecting to the bulky coats and snow suit (if that is the case, he is definitely his mother's child) or if he was just being contrary (in which case I most certainly must blame that one his father's genes :)!), but either way, it was not the best set up for a photo shoot.

Now we are inside enjoying some hot chocolate and watching Sesame Street...that is my idea of a mighty fine snow day!

Ugh

2009-12-06T06:57:00.002-06:00

I have a long day in front of me and am less than thrilled to have been awoken at 5:30 this morning by Bryn and her little buddy who spent the night last night. Bryn has been kind of obsessed with waking up time in the morning and seems to think that she needs to be up by 6 am to watch TV. And last night she was up at 12:30 (after going to bed at 11:00) because she though it was 6 am (obviously some confusion with the big hand and little hand). Time to go with a digital clock in her room, I guess! I am headed over to the soup kitchen this morning and then we are having a Sunday School social at our house this evening. We'll see how this all goes on 4 hours of sleep...maybe days like this will cure me of my night owl tendencies!

Aaron and I took Bryn and a friend to see A Christmas Carol 3D last night. It was good, but surprisingly scary for a PG movie. I realize that the story itself is somewhat dark and scary, but it seemed a bit intense. But we all liked it anyway. Although I did NOT like ticket prices...almost $50 for 2 adults and 2 kids to go to a movie!?!? That is just crazy!

I had a nice night out with some friends on Friday and we got the rest of the Christmas decorations up yesterday. So as long as I survive today, it will have been a pretty nice weekend!

Geez...

2009-12-02T13:41:00.002-06:00

The days just fly by! Nothing exciting has been happening around here. It has been a relatively quiet few days. On Saturday, Aaron and I went to see "Blind Side" and then put the Christmas tree up. We spent all night taking the lights off of the pre-lit tree because so many strands of lights were burned out - not an activity I would recommend. I finally got new lights on but we haven't put ornaments on. Baby steps...

Bryn has a friend coming over for a playdate today and she has invited two friends to go to see Christmas Carol 3D and spend the night on Saturday. Besides that, just the normal day to day stuff around here!

Um...Wow.

2009-11-27T14:46:00.002-06:00

That is what I have to say after my first real Black Friday shopping experience. I had to try it so I could say I have done it. I am not sure whether I am still so tired I can't comprehend what happened or if it really was kind of fun. I went with a seasoned pro - I am not sure how well things would have ended had I gone by myself! My friend Rhonda and I headed out around 11 pm last night and got home around 9 am this morning. And 4 hours of that was spent sitting on the concrete outside of Target between 1 am and 5 am (but we did get an excellent place in line and NEVER would have gotten what we wanted if we had gotten there later as the line was wrapping around the building by 5 am!). I spent more time looking for Rhonda after she sped ahead like a practiced Black Friday shopper than I did even looking for the things I might want to buy! But I did get the things I went for and met some interesting people in line, so it was a good day overall! Not sure if I will ever go again, but it was fun this time!

We had a nice visit with Aaron's parents on Thanksgiving. We went to Manhattan the night before and got to hang out with them and Aaron's brother, Bryan. We went to Grandmother's for Thanksgiving lunch and ate in the restaurant there. And the best part is that we came back home with no kids! We are enjoying a relaxing weekend with no one to wake us up or ask for snacks (except the cats) while the kids hang with their grandparents and Uncle for the weekend. Sweet...

We have walking!

2009-11-24T22:01:00.002-06:00

Grant is finally really walking! 2 days shy of 20 months old. He is serious about it now, though, and is taking long strolls (well, actually more like Frankenstein lurches) through the house. It will be nice to be able to e able to put him down without having to worry about how clean (or not clean!) the floor is. I feel much better about shoes touching all of that nastiness than hands touching it!

Fun weekend!

2009-11-22T18:43:00.002-06:00

Had another fun weekend! The highlight was definitely going to see Wicked with Aaron. I really enjoyed it - the only bummer was the sound...when the whole ensemble sang the orchestra and the mics were so loud it felt like a rock concert! We did sit in my fav seats though...front row balcony. I had forgotten that professional theater is a really a far cry from what I usually get to see. I am now ready to get some season tickets so Aaron and I will have an excuse to get ourselves out of the house to do something!

Otherwise, just busy. My in-laws were here for the weekend to watch the kids and it was nice to see them. I scrapbooked Friday, did some shopping yesterday and went to church and took Bryn to a birthday party today.

Bryn had a Girl Scout sleepover last night. She got about 5 hours of sleep and came home and crashed this morning for another 4 hours. She couldn't believe she slept right through church! She told me they played Limbo and here was her quote..."You couldn't use your hands. Actually, that was annoying".

So there you have it...crazy life we lead here.

Poetry and other stuff

2009-11-18T17:01:00.003-06:00

Other stuff first...

I have had a good couple of days. No meetings or running around Monday or Tuesday so I got some nice down time and got to hang out a little bit with my wonderful husband. I managed to get our closet organized (at least enough to get everything crammed in and out of the bedroom), got to spend some nice time with my friend Barbara yesterday on her birthday and today while she helped me with some Angel Tree stuff for church. I got to come home to a clean house today (which for some reason just makes me feel like all is right with the world - especially when I didn't have to do the cleaning!) and I got word from the Humane Society that they are going to make an exception to the "you have to be 11 years old to volunteer" rule and Bryn (and I) are going to be able to go help out.

Grant is obsessed with cookies and buses. I probably hear those words at least 300 hundred times a day. Unfortunately he does not get to eat as many cookies or see as many buses as he would like to. I could probably do something about the bus problem, but I am pretty sure there aren't enough cookies in the world to make him happy!

Now for some poetry by Bryn. She brought these home from school and they completely cracked me up. I especially like the comment at the end of this one.

Puppy
(by Bryn Reed)
A puppy was born.
On a bright and early morn.
He did a good job.
Not making a mob.
He liked the mop.
So on it he did hop.
You can see his smile.
From a mile.
He is sweet.
He will eat a treat.
He likes a guppy.
Oh, that puppy.
(Bryn Reed is a well known 2nd grade poet)

Fight
The cat and the dog had a fight.The cat did it with all of his might.
The cat was fat. He had a mat.
Which is what they did fight for. But the cat ran out the door.

Cat
The cat had a hat. He thought it was a mat. So there he sat.

Spring
In spring I wear shoes with springs. I have a bird that sings.

Is it just me...

2009-11-16T16:49:00.002-06:00

or does Oprah seem to not be enjoying her interview with Sarah Palin very much today? I am not really a huge Sarah Palin fan (and have always liked Oprah) but I don't know that I have ever seen such subtle contempt on Oprah's part with a guest before. I don't often watch Oprah, but I couldn't resist tuning in to see how this interview went. I am not even sure what exactly is bothering me about the show. I guess it just confirms that I am not missing anything by missing Oprah in the afternoons.

Another busy week

2009-11-12T12:30:00.002-06:00

We went to Manhattan this past Friday for a quick trip. Bryn had a slumber party to go to there and I stayed with a friend while Grant and Aaron went to my in-laws house. Aaron managed to con his mom out of her KU/K-State football ticket by leaving Grant with her. It was a great game (Bryn and I listened on the radio on the way home). Aaron came home with practically no voice but I gathered form his sign language that he had fun!

Some friends came over on Saturday night and Bryn had a great time playing with her friend Riley. She doesn't get to see him as much since they moved so it was a treat to have him here! And I loved catching up with his mom - it was a fun time.

I had bookclub on Sunday and really enjoyed getting together with my crazy liberal friends. They call me their "token conservative" and even when the talks degenerate into religion and politics we all manage to come away from it still liking each other! We have been meeting for 5 years...it hardly seems possible that it has been that long.

With Bunco on Monday night, Girl Scouts and Friends of the Library on Tuesday night and a trip over to the church to get stuff packed up for a big church missions activity on Saturday, I am looking forward to being home tonight. I am sure Aaron is excited, too - he gets a lot of kid bedtime duty with my crazy schedule being what it is!

Bryn started some of her supplemental school classes at the elementary school this week and she enjoyed it. She was concerned about having to ride over there in the van with her least favorite classmate, but she says he is far better behaved there than he is at school. She worried and worried about it...gee, I wonder where she got that trait?

An occupational therapist came to check Grant out and concluded that he seems just fine and she was not worried about his delay in walking. So now that it has been confirmed that he is just being him and doing things in his own sweet time we will just wait and see what happens. I keep thinking it will be any day - he has taken some steps on his own - but it could be another couple months, too, I suppose. We'll see. I am totally over being worried about it so someone else will have to let me know if it is an issue!

Tomorrow night some girlfriends are coming over to scrapbook...the number keeps growing so there should be a houseful and lots of food, wine and laughs. I am looking forward to it!

So just another crazy, busy week around here. Although it can sometimes be overwhelming, I love my life and am so thankful to have wonderful family and friends to share it with!

I don't get it

2009-11-05T11:36:00.003-06:00

I am sitting at the car place waiting on my car and marvelling at what I have witnessed. The dealership has a nice little waiting area with nice chairs and some free snacks and drinks. I have watched one woman down a latte, a muffin, two juice boxes, a bag of popcorn and then shove some goodies into her purse for later I guess. I suppose I don't know for sure that she is not homeless or starving, so I should probably give her the benefit of the doubt, but the incident did bring up a little question in my mind. Why is it that people seem to take more than they need (or even want) when whatever it is they are taking does not really belong to them? The extra office supplies from work, the extra refills on drinks when you only paid for one glass, the 5 bottles of "free" water when you can only drink one at a time? Is this some innate human hoarding tendency? Is this some fear of not having enough? Or is this greed and entitlement, plain and simple?

Halloween Ghoulies

2009-11-04T20:32:00.003-06:00

We had a fabulous Halloween weekend starting with some pictures of the kids by a professional photographer friend of mine. She was so great with the kids despite the cold weather and the clueless-on-how-to-be-helpful-at-a-photo-shoot parents! Here is the link for those not on Facebook.pictures I can't wait until they are all done and it is time to order - I am looking forward to having some of the beautifully done pictures in my house after too many years of my snapshots!

Speaking of snapshots, here are some from Halloween. We had a great day - our friends Barb and Paul and their kiddos (aka Little red Riding Hood, Big Bad Wolf and three little pigs) came over for trick or treating, dinner and to watch the K-State game. I didn't manage to get pictures of all of them, but I got plenty of my kids that day! Grant didn't "Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrhhhh" like a pirate all day - he was just about the grumpiest pirate ever. But Bryn made up for it by being a pretty cheerful puppy (imagine Bryn dressing up as a dog? Who would have guessed?)

In other news, Grant had his pre-evaluation for early intervention for his non-interest in walking. I keep thinking he is just on the brink (and I really think he is) but he just won't take off on his own. He will walk if you hold only one of his hands, but he just won't do it by himself. He is still adding words to his repertoire everyday, though - cookie, moose, me, movie, mouse, yo-yo, nana (as both banana and Nana!) and ee-i-ee-i-ee-o for farmer. And for a little guy who didn't get his first tooth until 11 months, he now has a total mouth full. All are in or on their way except two eye-teeth.

On the opposite end of the evaluation spectrum, we went to a meeting today to discuss Bryn's test results and options to give her a few more challenges at school. It went pretty well although I am thinking that if I had to deal with me while I work on getting what I want for Bryn out of her education I would shudder whenever I walked in the door. Aaron assures me I am a very squeaky wheel, indeed!

Trip to Chicago with my girl...

2009-11-02T09:02:00.003-06:00

Bryn and I had a great time in Chicago and I finally uploaded the pictures to prove it!

We hit the ground running when we got into the city...

Bryn voted for a ride on the Navy Pier ferris wheel

Hooray!

Warming up with some hot chocolate

Dinner with Valerie Tripp (one of the authors of the American Girl books). She was so nice and spent lots of time talking to all of the girls and telling them how to work at being a writer. It was fabulous!

I accidentally got a picture of Bryn mid-sneeze. It cracked me up!

Heading to the Shedd Aquarium. We got there right after they opened and the crowd showed up just as we were leaving. Perfect timing!

Bryn and Grandma

Bryn, Grandpa and Zita (Grandpa's caretaker)

Can't wait until the next girl's trip! It was so nice for us to get away and not have any of the pressures of the daily stuff. We made it through the entire weekend without any arguing - quite a feat for us as of late!

First time for everything...

2009-10-26T00:43:00.003-05:00

I had to delete a student post from one of my class discussion forums today.

And now I am going to launch into an opinion that could potentially hurt someone's feelings while ranting about students' posts that could potentially hurt someone's feelings. Hypocritical? Maybe. But this is my blog, not a college class, and any readers are not required to read it for a grade - unless there is something about Blogger I have missed!

First of all, I have to address an issue that has particularly bothered me this semester. The frequency of the mention of God and religion in the online discussion forums has been very high. In my BIOLOGY class. Additionally, the general disregard of other's opinions and the judgment passed on those who do not agree is astounding. I do have to take some of the blame since the topics are often of a controversial nature (i.e. prenatal testing for genetic abnormalities, the ethics of cloning, experimental cancer treatments) and I ask for an opinion on the subject. What I expect is a well thought out opinion supported by a list of facts that the student has spent a little bit of time researching (or at least plagiarized from the text - yes that is cynicism). What I get is a post along the lines of "it is wrong because we should all just accept what God has given us and move on" or "if you think ___________ you are obviously wrong because you don't think what I think". Here are a couple of examples of how the world works according to some of my students this semester...

No one should undergo any kind of fertility treatments. If God has made you sterile you can just adopt.

No cloning of any type should ever be allowed since that is "playing God".

No one should have any genetic prenatal testing for any reason. If you do, you are willing to risk the life of your baby from miscarriage through the testing because you are unwilling to accept what God gave you.

And don't even get me started on Intelligent Design being taught in the science classroom. Only two posts into this topic, I have sent out a cautionary email reminding everyone to be respectful of others opinions.

The post I deleted stated that people who have said that they miscarried after a genetic testing procedure have probably just said they miscarried, but actually aborted because they were unwilling to keep a baby with a genetic defect.

Who says things like this in a discussion forum full of people you don't know? What if someone in the class has miscarried after a genetic testing procedure? What if someone has struggled for years with infertility while longing for nothing more than a biological child of their own? What if someone is caring for a loved one with paralysis or a terminal illness and hopes every day for a breakthrough in stem cell or cancer research? What if someone is Buddhist or Hindu or (God forbid!) an atheist and has a different idea about God and would like to see a science text stick with scientific theory? If all of my students were fresh out of high school, I might be able to chalk it up to lack of life experience. But many of my students are parents and/or grandparents and old enough to have some empathy.

Are any of these people more "right" than the other. I don't personally think so. But the degree to which these students will dismiss any differing view leaves me dumbfounded. And the fact that it is done in the name of God makes me sadder still. I may not invite people to my church when I meet them in the grocery store and I may not profess my faith on the street corner, but I hope I do not use my religion to sit in judgment of others or tear them down or dismiss their opinions or feelings. I feel like when I sit in judgment, ignoring the log in my own eye, or am unkind or unforgiving is when I am farthest away from my God and my religion. I am constantly falling short. And will continue to do so.

So maybe I AM the hypocrite - sitting in judgment of my students. Maybe I am casting the first stone. I know I am frustrated and angry and human. And feeling like my class discussion forums are a microcosm of what is going on in the world - when respect, kindness and understanding can't happen between 20 students in one class how can it happen anywhere?

Good Times

2009-10-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

Bryn and I spent two days in Chicago and had a fabulous time! It was so fun for us to get away and have some "girl time"...that is definitely something that gets shoved to the back burner to often by the daily grind.

We got to Chicago on Saturday afternoon and hit the ground running. We rented the car, headed to out hotel and went to check out the Lego store. Bryn was very impressed by the huge Lego spider right outside the store. We went back to American Girl and met Valerie Tripp - the author of many of the American Girl books. She signed one of Bryn's books and spent some time answering Bryn's questions like "which comes first - the books or the dolls?" (the books, BTW!). And "how long does it take to write a book?". We took a cab over to Navy Pier, rode the Ferris wheel, had some hot chocolate and did some fun mother-daughter activities from a book we got. We went back to the American Girl store and had "dinner with the author" - a fun dinner and Q&A set up by the store. We walked the block back to the hotel, played some double solitaire and finally called it a night!

On Sunday morning we got up and head to the Shedd Aquarium and saw their new show, "Fantasea", which Bryn says was the highlight of the trip. It was opening weekend for the show and some of the animals didn't cooperate but it was great anyway. We went at the perfect time of day - the crowds were pouring in just as we were leaving to meet my friends, Dustin and Wes, for lunch.

We had a nice time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa talked quite a bit and ate like a horse! He did point out the creases on Grandma's forehead (which she didn't appreciate much!) and got a little sarcastic about the fact that I wasn't wearing shoes, but it was actually great to see him so engaged and responsive. There were some concerns about his blood pressure and overall health, but a trip to the ER after we left on Monday morning revealed that all is well.

The homefront stayed intact while we were gone. I came home to a little man with a cold and a couch covered in snot, but he is still in pretty good spirits. It was great to have Jim and Sherry here until this morning as I seem to have so much to catch up on and not enough time to get it done. We had parent-teacher conferences tonight (that is a whole other post as I need to have little time to mull that rant over!) and I had to hand out cookie forms at Girl Scouts tonight. Bring on the Thin Mints!

The next few days are going to be super busy - I have decided that if I am going to get out of this endless loop of too much to do, too little time" I have to stop some of these activities. It is time.

A nice little bonus...after two years of not being able to figure out how to turn the closed captioning on on the TV, I accidentally stumbled on to the secret last night. Now I can hear the show with bad audio without turning the TV up loud enough to wake the kids!

Catch up

2009-10-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

Thought I would try to catch up on blog reading and writing a bit before I fix dinner and run out to a Missions committee meeting at church - too much to do, too little time!

It has been a busy week - with Bunco Monday, Friends of the Library on Tuesday, WOW at church last night, Missions tonight, scrapbooking tomorrow and a flight out on Saturday, I have just been trying to stay sane around here! Actually it hasn't been too bad except the fact that I don't get to see my husband much, but I suppose I have no one to blame but myself. Sorry, honey!

Elections at Friends of the Library did not result in a new treasurer mainly because there is an upcoming audit. Not good considering I haven't reconciled the checkbook in a couple of months (or 12, but who is counting?!?!). Fortunately there is not much monetary activity so I have a pretty good handle on what is going on. The reconciling is just a formality. Really. You think the accountant will buy it?

Bryn is out of school for fall break and she and I are heading to Chicago on Saturday. We are planning to go to American Girl and have dinner with the author of the books on Saturday and then head to the aquarium Sunday morning before we go to spend the night at my grandparents house. Should be a fun "girls trip" - I think Bryn and I will benefit greatly from the time alone together. I have been at the end of my rope with her arguing - I finally lost it this morning (after many warnings to her, I might add!) and screamed so loudly my throat hurt. How is that for some good parenting skills?

Grant spent the day at Parents Day Out and had a great time but is now tired and grumpy. Gee, what a shame I am going to miss out on a little grumpiness this evening!

Long time, no blog...

2009-10-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

I keep feeling like I have to have pictures to post to update my blog but if I wait until I get pictures uploaded I may never blog again. We have been busy with all kinds of fun and not so fun activities lately...

Mom and John came to visit last weekend and I went to my first NASCAR race. My sweet husband even missed a K-State football game to go to the race with me - it is pretty cool that I rank right up there (and past!) K-State football! We are making plans to go and tailgate next year so no one has to be stuck at home with kids. Then we can take turns going in and watching if we want. It should be tons of fun!

I have been busy with the normal activities - Girl Scouts, church stuff, library stuff, bookclub, etc. I hosted Bunco here tonight and we had a great time. We drank a little more wine than normal but we didn't get to rowdy...Grant still managed to go right to sleep in the next room. The fact that he would go to sleep next to a freight train is beside the point!

We have been working hard on getting Bryn's room painted, organized and decorated. It is a nice shade of pale yellow, the shades and curtains are up and all of the furniture has finally been moved out of the garage and into her room. All I have left to do is get the mirror up on the dresser, hang her new dog pictures and find a bedside lamp. So exciting that it is all finally coming together.

I also got holiday outfits for the kids and made an appointment to (finally) get their pictures taken. A friend in town who does beautiful natural light photography is going to do them for us and I am so excited to see how they turn out. If they turn out as well as I think they will, we will probably have her take some family pictures in the spring.

As far as the not so fun goes...
Bryn was sick and home from school for a few days a couple of weeks ago, we all got flu shots today, Grant STILL isn't walking (Aaron and I are both having dreams about it so we have must have some underlying stress) and I took all three animals to the vet today with both kids in tow (I had a long battle with Harvey before we even got there - he was less than thrilled about being put into the carrier and ran under the bed as soon as he spotted it). But if that is as bad as it gets, life is good!

As usual...

2009-09-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

I am way behind on just about everything including blogging. So let's see if I can catch up a little.

We had a great visit with Dad and Cheryl when they were here last weekend for Grandparent's Day at Bryn's school. One of the highlights was Bryn riding the mechanical bull at a restaurant where we ate. It was nice and slow and Bryn thought it was great. We also all got hooked up on Skype when they are here so we are able to video chat. Kind of strange to talk via video, but pretty cool. And it will be tons of fun for the kids to be able to see Grandpa and Nana and vice versa.

We are working on painting Bryn's room a nice bright shade of yellow. Unfortunately one coat isn't going to do it and I didn't buy enough paint. So off to Lowe's to get some more ASAP. In the meantime Bryn is sleeping in our room while hers is torn apart.

Speaking of torn apart, much of the house is currently a disaster as I have begun to "organize" and can't seem to find the time to finish. Too much to do, too little time. The mountain of laundry is not getting any smaller, either.

Grant is 18 months old today. He is talking more each day. Actually he is making more animal sounds each day and babbling a lot. We did get "Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!" added to his repertoire for "what does a pirate say" in honor of talk like a pirate day last week. And he now also makes a fish face for "what does a fish say". Yet while he vocalizes lot, he is obviously going to crawl while he does it as he still shows little to no interest in walking.

Next weekend is race weekend and Mom and John will be here. We are looking forward to their visit and will no doubt have a crazy weekend filled with all kinds of activities. We may skip the apple picking this year, though - I don't know if Mom and I can handle a million hours (OK, maybe it was only 5 or 6 hours) of apple peeling and slicing. I still have apple pies in the freezer from last year.

I looked at the calendar today and realized we don't have a single free Saturday until December. Lots of those activities will be lots of fun (like finally getting to see "Wicked" and Bryn and I heading to Chicago, for instance) but it still means there will be many busy weekends ahead. Hopefully we will be able to find some downtime in there somewhere.

All kinds of stuff

2009-09-10T16:39:00.001-05:00

We have had a lot going on since I posted last. I have actually taken some pictures, too!

First, some pictures of goofy Grant...

In the dog bed...

Helping with the laundry...

Helping to "clean" the bathroom...

and of Bryn and Grant

Before...

After...

Bryn and Dad creating fish stories...

Bryn is back at school and loving second grade and her teacher, Mrs. Link. Here is a first day of school picture...

Aunt Nicole and cousin Bonnie came for a visit. We had a lot of fun just hanging out and relaxing a bit.

Over Labor Day weekend we met grammy and Pops in Branson. The guys did some golfing while the girls and Grant packed in lots of activities. A trip to the Kirby Van Burch with some backstage passes to see the tigers and other cats was definitely the highlight of the trip for Bryn. She has been watching "Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed" for a couple of months now so a trip to a magic show was perfect for her! She didn't know how most of the tricks we saw worked, but she loved it anyway! We also took a trip on Ride the Ducks (Bryn got to drive the boat for a little while) and went to the waterpark. And then all of us checked out the dinosaur mini-golf course:

As far as other news goes, we are still trying to figure out what to do about Grant's tongue tie. I think we have decided to just wait and see since Aaron and I are just not comfortable with the general anesthesia idea. We will be sorry later if it affects his speech or causes other problems, but since it will likely never cause any problems at all we just can't get comfortable with doing it right now.

We have been having some big keyboard problems with our new computer. After sending it back for repair and spending hours on the phone with technical support, we seem to have solved the problem ourselves by switching from Internet Explorer to another browser. Such an easy fix after such major headaches. Gotta love it.

We are back into the routine of the school year. Between Friends of the Library, Library Board and mission committee meetings I am making sure Aaron gets to spend lots of quality time with the kids while I am at meetings. Bryn is going to do Girl Scouts and a couple of short drama classes this fall. It doesn't seem like much, but with the Wednesday night programs at church, it all keeps us running.

Aaron is still teaching and trapping. His most current happiness comes from college football, a big TV and surround sound, though!

Grant is still not walking but is really starting to vocalize a lot. A lot of his words seem to be in "Grant language" although he will say "daddy" and "sissy" and "duck" and "hi" pretty clearly. He won't say "mommy", though, he just looks at me and smiles and says "baba" when I try to get him to say it...the life of a mother is so thankless! He will make lots of animal sounds - I have a feeling he is going to be an animal lover like his sister.

Bryn has decided she is part dog since she likes to pant and walk on all fours and she feels like she has a tail that should wag when she is happy. As grouchy and pouty and contrary as she has been for the past few months, I would love to see a wagging tail! It seems she is coming out of this phase a little (knock on wood) - I am sure we have something just as lovely to look forward to!

Our cable isn't working today so I haven't been able to watch any of the 9/11 anniversary coverage. It is hard to believe it has been 8 years since that awful day - I always think of the families and friends of all of the victims and of the military families and hope they have been able to find some peace and happiness.

The 3 day walk in pictures (with a little commentary, of course!)

2009-08-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

On our way

We saw LOTS of blue over the course of 3 days...and just so you know, port-a-potties get really hot in 90+ degree temps!

Are we there yet?

Sea of pink

We walked in the rain...

And shine

Boy, the city still looks awfully far away...(or, we have how far left to go?!?!)

We made it!

60 miles down...I need a nap!

Getting ready for school...and other stuff

2009-08-14T20:13:00.000-05:00

I am busy working on getting my online classes ready, there is a school supply list on the counter and the pool is now only open on the weekends. It looks like summer is over!

The past few months have flown by and I am definitely ready to get back into a routine and settle in to the school year. Bryn is looking forward to second grade and Grant is going to go to Mother's Day Out...it will be very strange to be alone (well, with the pets of course!) in the house one day a week. I am excited about having a little bit of time to finally get some stuff organized, clean out a few closets and sneak in some good naps!

I am LOVING the new cabinets and countertops in the kitchen. It feels so much bigger and more counterspace and more cabinets are never a bad thing. I also do not regret for a minute taking out the Corian and replacing in with laminate. I think the finish on it and the beveled edge make it look better than the Corian did (which always looked like it needed to be polished) and it is a big bonus that is was a lot cheaper!

I made an appointment with a pediatric ENT to get a second opinion on Grant's tongue. We will see her in September. We also had Grant's hearing checked today (which is perfectly fine) and we will see the pediatrician in a couple of weeks. We will see what she has to say about his speech development but I am pretty convinced there is not a problem. He makes tons of animal sounds and can point to many of the animals in his books so I know his little brain is processing info. He may just be a man of few words like his Dad.

Looking forward to a nice weekend with absolutely nothing on the calendar...that hasn't happened in a while! I am sure we will fill it with all kinds of really stimulating activities (like school supply shopping and a trip to Sam's club) but it is great to not have anything scheduled.

Off to work on class some more - getting them ready is never fun but the minimal maintenance during the semester sure is great!

It's always something...

2009-08-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

I took Grant to the ENT doc yesterday to check his tongue tie and the ENT is recommending having the tongue clip surgery now. Of course this freaks me out a bit - who likes the thought of putting their 16 month old under general anesthesia for an elective procedure? Additionally, the doctor is thoroughly convinced that Grant has a speech delay since he is only saying a handful of words. We are going in for a hearing test tomorrow and he wants to refer us to infant/toddler services for language screening. I am not really sure how you can possibly screen a 16 month old for speech and figure out what is normal but I guess I will get to find out. Grant "talks" constantly...he just doesn't say very may recognizable words. Mommy intuition tells m it will come soon and that he is on track but what does a mom know, right!?!?! It kind of feels like Bryn all over again when they freaked out about her size and made us jump through all kinds of hoops to prove we were feeding her correctly. I know the doctors are just doing their job but I fee like this doctor that has seen Grant one time and is not taking the time to look at the individual case. Ah well, at least life is never dull!