Break Dancer

Last week, Joey fell down some stairs. Not too many stairs and no one saw him fall (if a kid falls and no one sees him, does he really fall?), so we aren't sure how he fell, landed or how hard he hit or where. Since then he has had a bit of a hitch in his giddy-up.

Finally on Monday I took him in to see the Dr. (this after Dave telling me "he's fine..." a million times). The doc checked him out thoroughly and could see the limp that I was talking about, but the kid had not quit moving once while we were in there so it was difficult to tell if anything was wrong. He told us to wait until Thursday, the latest day that we could cast a broken bone, and if he was still limping we would go get x-rays.

Obviously, he was still limping this morning. X-rays showed a buckle fracture in his right tibia. Cast at 4pm, a little frustration learning how to move around and by 6pm he was tearing through the house again. His knee is set at a 30 degree angle and his toe is pointed, but he is doing well. He was pretty darn good during x-rays and great during the casting. And no, I didn't choose his cast color, it was just fate that it is the perfect shade of red.

And, she's back...

Which is great. Call her Brett Favre, or better yet, compare her to Michael Jordan, one of the greats that wasn't ready to leave. Welcome back Amanda, I missed your blog.

NO!! NO! No!!

Today is Ash Wednesday! Let me tell you what this means to me. It is not a part of my religious beliefs, but each year (mostly) for the last 10 I have participated in my own sort of Lent. For Lent, I give up something(s) that I usually indulge in or love. I don't give up an action, or a person, but if that was my deal I would give up house cleaning for 46 days, but I don't think that would work, so it is a food or foods for me.

Last year I gave up sweets. This includes candy, sweet breads, anything primarily made of sugar. And being off of such sweetness helped me lose the rest of my baby weight. So, at the end of the 46 days I just stayed off of sugar sweetness, minus a little angel food cake on Easter Sunday (I wasn't planning on staying off the sugary goodness at that point, but after tasting the cake and realizing it wasn't super yum, I decided to go a little longer, which turned into longer, longer and here we are) and two skittles a few weeks later to prove that I didn't miss it. Oh, wait, I do eat really potent dark chocolate (Xocai), but that is it.

What do I do this year? I usually just redo the sweet Lent from the year before. So this year I decided to give up Diet Coke, and it might just kill me. I thought I had another week before Lent started. Nope, today is Ash Wednesday, I start today (well, after my Diet Coke I had this morning). I can't tell you what a panic this puts me in. I love Diet Coke. It is like my one crummy food issue. I don't eat candy, I don't indulge in much, Diet Coke is just yum.

So, we begin today. I'll be honest with you, the first three weeks are killer. At least with candy/sweets. Wish me luck. Dave is laughing at me as I type this. Anyone want to do this with me? It doesn't have to be DC, it can be chips, sweets, a sweet disposition, cocaine, whatever your poison is. We can have a support group. And let me say, I am in no way trying to diminish what Lent means to those who practice it for religious purposes, it is just what I have chosen as my time frame for testing my will power.

Who is in with me? Did I mention I am panicking? Big time.

Grosgrain Fan- I want this

Ok, call me a Grosgrain stalker, but I want this too! Check out this sweater from Grosgrain - she is fantastic.

Grosgain Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt

Could this gal be any more talented? I want this. Check out the skirt at Grosgrain.

Almost there

I really don't love January/February. They suffocate me. I think I can get through the winter until December because you are busy with the holidays but besides a couple random holidays, what good are January/February? Put me in a deep sleep and bring me around again in March. But then you have days like today. Ahh.

Saturday the kids were in shorts and tee shirts (ok, just E, but the others were without jackets), playing in the crusty, left-over snow. Today, barely any snow and I GARDENED!!! No really. I happen to live next door to a man who is meticulous about his garden. And he was out there, so I am a follower and got out my garden tools, rakes and buckets and pruned and cleaned and man, it felt good. I swear my cheeks are a little pinker now. I was able to cut back my clematises (or clemati, what is the plural?), clean up the flax I didn't cut back before winter, rake up old leaves, breathe really yummy air.

And, there are the tips of spring flowers peeking through. Ahh, again.

It was good to get out and do it now. We will probably have a few more weeks of cold but at least I have 3 or so gardens cleaned up, some prep work done and I'm a bit more cheery.

Slumdog

I might be the last person to have seen Slumdog Millionaire. My heart is still aching. Since I have become a mother, I can't watch shows that show anything having to do with the mistreatment of, violence towards, tragic illness affecting a child or children. I spent the first 1/2 of the movie wanting to leave, my face in my hands because it gutted me. It wasn't anything but realistic, unfortunately. You know when you have so much emotion wrestling inside of you? I can't really write what I mean here, take what you can from it.

But so well written, so well acted.

And although I have a love/hate relationship with movies that make me feel this way I loved the story, or the outcome of the story, or the portrayal of this story. This boy has nothing but goodness in him, even when life has been nothing but horrid to him. I'm not going to summarize the movie, but I loved that aspect of the show and think there are people just like him - good to the core. Hope in a body.

And holy cow, that Freida Pinto is stunningly beautiful.

Tooth-ish

All too often I think this blog should be named "Caroline, the Only Person In Our House" because, frankly, I write about her all the time. I don't know why. Maybe because 3 - 4 year olds say the funniest things, she is a sparkler, she hangs out with me all the time - maybe all three and possible 10 more that I didn't mention. But really, first came Eli. He amazed and amazes us on so many levels. He is so many things and I'll brag another day. He isn't home much anymore. It never occurred to me that first grade is the end of a major era. His teachers will now see him more than I do, his friends have him all day (but not enough according to him), he is a BIG kid. I miss him. And, the camera is often an afterthought when he is home, poor, undocumented child. Although, I will say, he is the first and most well documented baby in our house - give and take, right? Enough wallowing.

Remember that day, long ago, last fall, when Eli's 2nd tooth came out? Want to refresh? Here. The scream is still piercing my brain. Months ago at his dental appt. (I'm sure I've written about this) Dr. told me, "Great two more loose teeth." Eli had know about these two loose teeth but didn't want us to know because if we didn't know, they weren't really loose and they would never have to come out. Logical? Months and months of me sneaking wiggles here and there, going in while he is dead asleep and prying open his mouth to wiggle and finally today we get a call from Eli while he was playing with a friend. It's out.

Tears, crying, asking Eli what is wrong.

Tears, crying, fell out while jumping on the tramp. Put it back. Why did Soli knock it out? He didn't. I didn't want to lose another tooth.

Tears, crying, do I still get a big pack of Pokemon cards? (I had told him that if he lets me pull it, I would get him a big pack of Pokemon cards, I'm a sucker) No, E, I didn't pull it out, you only get a small one. Tears, crying. Ay-yi-yi. 3 teeth down, what feels like 700 more to go.

One reason I miss Eli so much during the day is how he is with his brother and sister. I will be honest, he is a tease, he gets that from my brother Chuck. He teases Caroline sometimes mercilessly, but he is the go to guy at our house. Caroline and Joey adore him. He and Joey never fight. They play, they wrestle, they laugh, they cheer. Eli is patient and kind to him. They hug, they are affectionate. It is great, since there is a huge gap in age. He and Caroline do all the same things, just with a bit more whining.

E's favorite new food it broccoli. As long as he doesn't know that I put some butter and lemon juice on it, we are good to go. He wants it for a bedtime snack. What? I'll take it. This kid has not been an easy one to feed. And now because she sees E eating it, Caroline loves it, Joey always did, but now he can steal more off of E's plate.

Did you notice the shaggy hair? Eli said he wants to grow his hair out, which hasn't happened since he was 3. Not because I don't love long, shaggy boy hair but because it is so thick it goes crazy and then we actually have to tame it.

Be-lated VDay posting

Valentine's was fun - making it fun was the wall of love, which the kids don't want to take down, but has not been added to recently, the kids getting more into valentine cards, a fun date with Dave and another couple (yes, we didn't go out alone, it was more of a group effort and fun).

On the Friday before, for Caroline's VDay party at school, I thought I would get all fancy and do something with her hair. I saw the idea for it here. I had to watch a VIDEO to figure it all out and couldn't even do it then. I'm not a master of hair styling, kudos to those that are. Caroline loved it (even though we were late to school because of it, so embarrassing) and we had to do it the next day too.

Dave left out of the blue Saturday morning to head to, where else? Costco. He had seen this post and took me up on my advice. The best part was that he brought back a bunch of red tulips for Caroline. She said, "Oh Daddy, you are the first boy to ever give me flowers!" Followed with a big hug and smile.














I'm not big into Valentine's as a romantic holiday. I love it as a kid's holiday - although, Eli and Caroline came home with enough candy to rival Halloween, what is up with that. In any case, I hope all had a great weekend. And how about a heart shaped strawberry? Caroline was in heaven!

Good reads

I promise to be adding more this blog - things about great Valentine hair for Caroline, cute pictures of kids, a picture of my niece so you will see just HOW much she and the baby baby daddy look alike, but until them, look over at We Chirp - Amanda of Through the Looking Glass did a great guest post for me. She is so cool.

Possibility

I saw this news story over the weekend and was sickened. But then this morning I laughed out loud when my brother Chuck sent me an email with this as the subject line:

Apparently I have a child in England who is a cheeky monkey.‏

I was wondering why the pictures were so haunting to me. Now I know.

In Da HOWZ!

It's Sunday. I have a two-pronged talk that is pretty prepared, a sharing time that is mostly prepared, a chili that is prepped and ready to start cooking (I think I am going to wear my shower cap and see if that prevents my hair from smelling like onions, what do you think?), sleep in my eyes from a fun night out, mad love for a thoughtful husband, love in my heart for a babysitter that seriously loves my kids, and some huge love for some little kids who collaborated on this little note for me this morning. Nothing like some love for a Valentine weekend.

Now what?

I had no idea this lady was from right here in the Valley! I've heard of her, who hasn't? How do you think she feels after the happenings of this weekend? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29170772/?GT1=43001

I hope health wise she is well. How did she get around with those nails? And now, life without nails?

Why?

Why is there another Friday the 13th movie? Isn't this the 34th one? I remember watching these at Arbon's house in jr. high, we were so cool. The website itself is sufficiently creepy. Dave will never, ever watch these shows - they scare him to death.

Why is Dean in it? Really, would Rory watch this show? Aren't you supposed to do these kinds of movies when you have no other options?

I've got nothin.

I got an oh so friendly reminder to update my blog (thanks p) and have nothing. N.O.T.H.I.N.G. It is like when people ask what you have been up to and frankly, nothing new, but you are so busy that you can't even catch up with American Idol Hollywood, know what I mean? Busy doing what? Nothing unusual - laundry, sweeping, entertaining people that come to my waist, making broccoli cheese soup that was sooo good the first time I decided to make up my own recipe and then bombed the second time I made it but tripled it to share the love - but it didn't love me back. Fever, runny noses, coughs, sleeves with snail trails on them, laundry. Really, not exciting.

Any funny quotes? Hmm. Caroline hops into my bed each morning and snuggles me. I said to her yesterday, "Your voice is kind of froggy." "No, it's not," she says, "it is my sparkly voice." Leave it to her to turn something as un-feminine as a phlegm-y throat into something so beautiful.

Joey is expanding his vocabulary, but in the footsteps of his older brother, you have to be an interpreter. He calls Caroline, Caro-Gine. Eli is still Eh-yi. Whenever he sees Oma he asks where Opa is and he can say his cousin Esther's name quite well. And Wow Wow as in Wow Wow Wubzzy - the coolest yellow shapey cartoon kid ever.

Eli is still Mr. First Grade (the title I have given him, there wasn't an election). He was sick this weekend and I kept him home on Monday for an hour to see if the fever would make a reappearance (it had been 15 hours) and he was begging to go. Let's hope that this attitude stays there. I love to hear from his teacher - yes I am bragging. I am allowed, it is my blog. His teacher is very good at accentuating the positive and the kids all feel adored.

Update on Dave? Dave is combing his hair differently. It is almost like accountant meets librarian meets movie star- he looks handsome. Don't tell him I said that, he'll blush.

Oh, and I have this white pumpkin on my porch left over from fall - I keep thinking I will take it in and seed it so I can plant them this spring/summer. Now I don't dare pick it up. I'm sure my neighbors are embarrassed for me. And, now you want to be my neighbor.

Free!

Ambrosia Girl is a blog that I have been following. She seems like a lovely gal. Even lovelier than before because she so kind-heartedly whipped up some Valentine cards with a Moulin Rouge theme and has made the pdf available to everyone! So kind. Go see here.

And breathe.

So after my rant, I slept. In the middle of the day, slept for an hour and a half. I woke up happier. I think between the odd nap and the unnecessary bloggy rant I was refreshed. In any case, thank you for you phone calls, emails and comments. It is so reassuring to know I am not alone and probably not an idiot.

On the subject of my rant. With a clear head I realized (I always have known this but lost site for about 6 1/2 days) that E will be fine. I will be fine. I have done well to surround myself with the most amazing people - family and friends. That sounds like it was all my doing, like I am a puppet master. I mean, I am dang lucky to have these said family and friends in my life. Eli is surrounded by good friends and even better parents of those friends. My kids are loved not only by myself and those in this house, but other families that I trust their happiness and playtime with. Lucky soul am I.

On a funny note, maybe only to me, we went out last night with some friends who were visiting from out of town. We took the kids, Dave wanting these old friends to meet the babies. Joey was wandering off a bit and I watched him skirt the wall and then go over to someone else's table and bend down. I went over and found him taking the phone out of some woman's purse. I immediately apologized with some sort of "Oh, sorry, he is a little pick pocket!" and smiled at her. She did not smile back and said "OK". I know it is annoying when little ragamuffins interrupt your meal with friends but seriously, how do you resist this face?