Who knew that blogging could be dangerous?!
I dropped my laptop computer on my foot and broke my toe. I never got it x-rayed because they can't do anything any way but I'm pretty sure it's broken.
It's been 2 weeks and it does look a lot better than the last picture that I posted although it's still bruised and swells by the end of the day.
Other than that, we're winding down our summer. The kids will transition to their new classrooms next week and start Pre-K.
PRE-K! Where has the time gone?
I'm also in full planning mode for their birthday. If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know how I love to plan parties! This year, I decided to do a carnival theme. We live in a townhouse development so we don't have a lot of outdoor space but luckily, I have the best neighbors in the whole wide world! They have agreed to move their cars so I can set up the carnival in the parking lot and have a "real" carnival setting.
Now, if I could only control the weather! Praying it cooperates and it's a nice, sunny fall day. 'Cuz I don't have a Plan B!
We've also decided it's time to put the kids in big kid beds. They've been in toddler beds for 2 years but they are starting to look like giants with their feet almost touching the footboard. Their cribs convert into full-size beds so they should have plenty of room.
Am I weird that I was happy to pull their cribs out of storage?!
I've had fun picking out new bedding and finishing the decorating that I started earlier this year when we moved Christopher into his own room. The mattresses will be delivered on Friday so I'll try to post pics after I get everything together.
Oh, and can I just say that it's a lot of fun buying 2 sets of mattresses at the same time?
Yeah, not so much. Cha-ching!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Vacation and Proof that Miracles Do Exist
We took a mini vacation to my mom's last week and had some much needed relaxation and fun in the sun.
We got on the road by 7:00 am and started on our 5-hour trek to North Carolina. The car was loaded with movies, games and did I mention movies?
Oh, and one of these.
It was our first road trip since the kids have been fully potty trained and one can never be too careful, right?
We made great time and only had one short pit stop. I was really excited to get there because my sister and her family drove in from Nashville and it was the first time my family has been together since Christmas.
Friday, we stayed at my mom's and visited with some other family that lives nearby. She has an awesome salt water pool so it was a lot of fun for the kids.
Saturday, we got up and headed to the beach. My mom's house is about 20 minutes north of Kitty Hawk and we got an early start to avoid the incoming OBX traffic. We were set up and sitting on the beach by 8:30 am.
I wasn't sure how the kids would be this year with the ocean and sand. Last year, they had a great time but as many of you know, kids' opinions change as frequently as the weather.
Chris was super excited to jump in the waves again this year. His only problem was trying to convince one of the adults to go down with him because the water was nippy! Kendall was still afraid so we stayed near camp and had a great time digging and playing in the sand.
We packed up around noon and headed to our favorite local restaurant, Awful Arthur's.
I'm not too proud to admit that I ate a pound of steamed shrimp by myself. It was soooooo good!
After a quick stop for ice cream, we headed back to my mom's for naptime. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pool and was fairly uneventful.
Around 9:30 pm, Chris came into the living room and said his tummy hurt. He ate 2 tacos for dinner so I thought maybe he had some indigestion and I gave him a Children's Pepto. At 10:00, we started heading to bed and that's when all hell broke loose.
Chris vomited EVERYWHERE. At that point, I thought it would be a "one and done" so we got everything cleaned up and put them to bed. I decided to sleep on an air mattress in their room, just in case.
About 30 minutes later, he got sick again. And, proceeded to throw up every hour until 5:00 am.
At 2:30 am, Kendall sat straight up in bed, started crying and vomited all over her blankets. And, she proceeded to get sick every hour until 12:00 pm Sunday afternoon.
I was completely exhausted and was literally up all night - I never went to sleep. Hubby came in from 2-4 am to help but who can sleep when 2 kids are vomiting?
Around 5:00 am, my stomach started feeling a little funny but I thought it was just in my head. Psychosomatic stomach flu.
But, as the morning went on, I started feeling worse and worse. I napped for most of the day with horrible stomach cramps and waves of hot and then chills. You KNOW it's bad when you are praying to vomit. I finally got sick at 6:30 pm.
By Monday, we were "on the mend" but stayed close to home, just to be safe. Thankfully no one else in the house got it. My niece had something similar the Saturday before they left and I'm convinced we caught it from her!
We headed home Tuesday and as always, it's good to be home.
The rest of last week was spent getting back into routine with school and work. Friday night, I missed a call from my friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer in March. She left a voice mail that just said she had something exciting to tell me. I texted her as soon as I woke up yesterday morning but she didn't reply right away. Finally, around 5:30 pm, she posted in her Caring Bridge journal. I couldn't believe what I was reading.
2 weeks ago, she had surgery to remove the tumor. While the chemo did it's job to stop the cancer from spreading, the tumor didn't shrink significantly. While removing the tumor, they also took tissue samples from the lymph nodes.
Friday, she received the biopsy results.
THE CANCER IS GONE!
As in, no cancerous cells in the tumor, the nearby tissue or the lymph nodes. It is truly a miracle.
In March, she was told she would have a year to live if treatment didn't work and to be told the cancer is gone is truly God's work.
I cry every time I think about it.
Truly the highlight of my week. Ah, hell. My year!
We got on the road by 7:00 am and started on our 5-hour trek to North Carolina. The car was loaded with movies, games and did I mention movies?
Oh, and one of these.
It was our first road trip since the kids have been fully potty trained and one can never be too careful, right?
We made great time and only had one short pit stop. I was really excited to get there because my sister and her family drove in from Nashville and it was the first time my family has been together since Christmas.
Friday, we stayed at my mom's and visited with some other family that lives nearby. She has an awesome salt water pool so it was a lot of fun for the kids.
Saturday, we got up and headed to the beach. My mom's house is about 20 minutes north of Kitty Hawk and we got an early start to avoid the incoming OBX traffic. We were set up and sitting on the beach by 8:30 am.
I wasn't sure how the kids would be this year with the ocean and sand. Last year, they had a great time but as many of you know, kids' opinions change as frequently as the weather.
Chris was super excited to jump in the waves again this year. His only problem was trying to convince one of the adults to go down with him because the water was nippy! Kendall was still afraid so we stayed near camp and had a great time digging and playing in the sand.
We packed up around noon and headed to our favorite local restaurant, Awful Arthur's.
I'm not too proud to admit that I ate a pound of steamed shrimp by myself. It was soooooo good!
After a quick stop for ice cream, we headed back to my mom's for naptime. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pool and was fairly uneventful.
Around 9:30 pm, Chris came into the living room and said his tummy hurt. He ate 2 tacos for dinner so I thought maybe he had some indigestion and I gave him a Children's Pepto. At 10:00, we started heading to bed and that's when all hell broke loose.
Chris vomited EVERYWHERE. At that point, I thought it would be a "one and done" so we got everything cleaned up and put them to bed. I decided to sleep on an air mattress in their room, just in case.
About 30 minutes later, he got sick again. And, proceeded to throw up every hour until 5:00 am.
At 2:30 am, Kendall sat straight up in bed, started crying and vomited all over her blankets. And, she proceeded to get sick every hour until 12:00 pm Sunday afternoon.
I was completely exhausted and was literally up all night - I never went to sleep. Hubby came in from 2-4 am to help but who can sleep when 2 kids are vomiting?
Around 5:00 am, my stomach started feeling a little funny but I thought it was just in my head. Psychosomatic stomach flu.
But, as the morning went on, I started feeling worse and worse. I napped for most of the day with horrible stomach cramps and waves of hot and then chills. You KNOW it's bad when you are praying to vomit. I finally got sick at 6:30 pm.
By Monday, we were "on the mend" but stayed close to home, just to be safe. Thankfully no one else in the house got it. My niece had something similar the Saturday before they left and I'm convinced we caught it from her!
We headed home Tuesday and as always, it's good to be home.
The rest of last week was spent getting back into routine with school and work. Friday night, I missed a call from my friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer in March. She left a voice mail that just said she had something exciting to tell me. I texted her as soon as I woke up yesterday morning but she didn't reply right away. Finally, around 5:30 pm, she posted in her Caring Bridge journal. I couldn't believe what I was reading.
2 weeks ago, she had surgery to remove the tumor. While the chemo did it's job to stop the cancer from spreading, the tumor didn't shrink significantly. While removing the tumor, they also took tissue samples from the lymph nodes.
Friday, she received the biopsy results.
THE CANCER IS GONE!
As in, no cancerous cells in the tumor, the nearby tissue or the lymph nodes. It is truly a miracle.
In March, she was told she would have a year to live if treatment didn't work and to be told the cancer is gone is truly God's work.
I cry every time I think about it.
Truly the highlight of my week. Ah, hell. My year!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
{WINNER} - Grace Adele Giveaway
Congratulations to HOPE IN VIRGINIA!
You were randomly selected to receive ONE Grace Adele bag and ONE Grace Adele clutch of YOUR CHOICE!
(see exclusions below).
I just know you are going to LOVE the stylish and organized bags of Grace Adele.
You can start shopping at https://suzannebanks.graceadele.us. Just email me with your choices or if you have any questions. My email is located under the "Contact Me" section on the website.
P.S. - It's great timing because the NEW Fall/Winter products will be available starting tomorrow, August 1st! Spring/Summer items are available as supplies last.
Giveaway prize excludes the following items from the Spring/Summer catalog: Laney and Bella leather bags and clutches. And, the following items from the Fall/Winter catalog: Carly and Taylor leather bags and Paige and Quinn leather clutches. Total prize amount limited to $120.
You were randomly selected to receive ONE Grace Adele bag and ONE Grace Adele clutch of YOUR CHOICE!
(see exclusions below).
I just know you are going to LOVE the stylish and organized bags of Grace Adele.
You can start shopping at https://suzannebanks.graceadele.us. Just email me with your choices or if you have any questions. My email is located under the "Contact Me" section on the website.
P.S. - It's great timing because the NEW Fall/Winter products will be available starting tomorrow, August 1st! Spring/Summer items are available as supplies last.
Giveaway prize excludes the following items from the Spring/Summer catalog: Laney and Bella leather bags and clutches. And, the following items from the Fall/Winter catalog: Carly and Taylor leather bags and Paige and Quinn leather clutches. Total prize amount limited to $120.
Friday, July 19, 2013
I'm Raising Magic Mike
My husband and I like music. We aren't die hard concert go'ers but we do like a good diddy now and then.
When the kids were babies and as they moved into toddlerhood, we started having Dance Parties in our living room. At first, it was songs that my husband and I like because the kids didn't know any better. As they've gotten older, they suddenly have musical prowess and recognize "good" songs from "bad" songs.
They have inherited my old 3G iPhone and have mastered how to turn on the songs they like.
You know, the "REALLY" good songs like.....
Mambo #5.
Oh yes. Mambo #5 is Chris' jam.
The other night, he turned it on and at first, he started doing the typical toddleresque dance of jumping, waving his hands and generally just being off beat.
And, then something happened. He became the male version of Elaine Benis.
You know what I'm talkin' 'bout, right?
Body parts were moving at times they didn't need to be moving and he started throwing his leg out and rolling his fists in circles.
And, then it happened. He pulled down his pants and started spanking his ass.
I was so torn. I laughed and then I didn't want to. It was funny yet completely inappropriate.
And, then he danced over to me and asked, "Do you like that"?
I went to my wallet and gave him a dollar bill.
When the kids were babies and as they moved into toddlerhood, we started having Dance Parties in our living room. At first, it was songs that my husband and I like because the kids didn't know any better. As they've gotten older, they suddenly have musical prowess and recognize "good" songs from "bad" songs.
They have inherited my old 3G iPhone and have mastered how to turn on the songs they like.
You know, the "REALLY" good songs like.....
Mambo #5.
Oh yes. Mambo #5 is Chris' jam.
The other night, he turned it on and at first, he started doing the typical toddleresque dance of jumping, waving his hands and generally just being off beat.
And, then something happened. He became the male version of Elaine Benis.
You know what I'm talkin' 'bout, right?
Body parts were moving at times they didn't need to be moving and he started throwing his leg out and rolling his fists in circles.
And, then it happened. He pulled down his pants and started spanking his ass.
I was so torn. I laughed and then I didn't want to. It was funny yet completely inappropriate.
And, then he danced over to me and asked, "Do you like that"?
I went to my wallet and gave him a dollar bill.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Taking Credit Where Credit is Doo {Doo}
I've been meaning to post this story for awhile but I think the comic value far outweighs the timeliness.
Back in the late winter months, the kids were well on their way to potty training. They had the "pee pee" part down, at least. They were at the point of wearing underwear during the day but we still had some work to do in the "poopy" department.
One evening, Christopher announced he needed to go. This was a BIG deal because we caught him stealing Pull Ups so he could hide, take OFF his underwear, put a Pull Up on and proceed with his biz-ness. And, then he would announce that he went potty. Nice, kid. Real nice.
Anyway, I stayed nearby in the kitchen and he announced he was done and hopped off the potty. I quickly walked in, saw he did a little somethin' somethin' and proceeded to reward him with 2 M&M's.
Kendall then decided she wanted to try and quickly hopped on the potty.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and announced that she too had gone poopy. This was a BIG deal because she had yet to successfully "do the deed".
I proudly walked in and inspected the potty. Now, I'm no Super Detective but it did not appear to me that any extra kids had been dropped in the pool, if ya know what I mean.
"Kendall, did you go poopy"?
"Yes, mommy".
"So, what you're tellin' me is that this poopy right here is your poopy"?
"Yep. Can I have my treats"?
Seriously?! She just took credit for Chris' shit!
Yep, my girl has a bright future in the corporate world.
Back in the late winter months, the kids were well on their way to potty training. They had the "pee pee" part down, at least. They were at the point of wearing underwear during the day but we still had some work to do in the "poopy" department.
One evening, Christopher announced he needed to go. This was a BIG deal because we caught him stealing Pull Ups so he could hide, take OFF his underwear, put a Pull Up on and proceed with his biz-ness. And, then he would announce that he went potty. Nice, kid. Real nice.
Anyway, I stayed nearby in the kitchen and he announced he was done and hopped off the potty. I quickly walked in, saw he did a little somethin' somethin' and proceeded to reward him with 2 M&M's.
Kendall then decided she wanted to try and quickly hopped on the potty.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and announced that she too had gone poopy. This was a BIG deal because she had yet to successfully "do the deed".
I proudly walked in and inspected the potty. Now, I'm no Super Detective but it did not appear to me that any extra kids had been dropped in the pool, if ya know what I mean.
"Kendall, did you go poopy"?
"Yes, mommy".
"So, what you're tellin' me is that this poopy right here is your poopy"?
"Yep. Can I have my treats"?
Seriously?! She just took credit for Chris' shit!
Yep, my girl has a bright future in the corporate world.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
A Larger Plan
Every once in awhile the past creeps in like the fog on a cool autumn night. Things are clear and bright and then all of the sudden, it turns gray and blurred.
I think about the What If's on our journey to parenthood. If you've followed my blog for any period of time, you know I had an ectopic pregnancy in October, 2007. .
There are still a lot of "What If's" that float around in my head.
What If that pregnancy had been viable?
Was it a boy or girl?
What would he/she have become?
Would he/she be an only child?
The loss of that pregnancy left a scar from the surgery that healed but the scar on my heart has taken much, much longer. My life would be much different now if that path was the road we stayed on
In the end, it lit a fire that caused me to push the pursuit of IVF. I sometimes ask my husband if he thinks about the ectopic pregnancy and how different our lives might have been. He always replies, "Yes, but we wouldn't have the twins if it didn't happen".
And, I guess that's true. The IVF testing revealed an underactive thyroid, which was partially responsible for our difficulties in getting pregnant to begin with.
Regulating my TSH levels was required before we could begin IVF. That 6 months provided time for me to obtain coverage through my health insurance. We couldn't have afforded it otherwise.
It took 3 tries to get pregnant with the twins. And, then we were blessed with not only twins but a boy AND a girl.
And, then just like that, my ability to have more children was taken away during their delivery. Emergency hysterectomy.
What If I had a normal delivery? Would we have tried for more kids?
I remember when we were going through everything, I thought to myself that none of it made sense. I kept asking why God would bless us with a child only to take it away.
When the underactive thyroid was diagnosed, I wasn't relieved. It was one more thing that was wrong with me.
When the first 2 IVF cycles failed, it seemed like more torture and the loss of the ectopic stung even more. Would that be my only experience with pregnancy? Would that be the closest that I ever get?
And then we were blessed with a pregnancy. Twins.
And, suddenly it made sense. All of it made sense.
God Has A Great Plan For You. Trust Him.
I think about the What If's on our journey to parenthood. If you've followed my blog for any period of time, you know I had an ectopic pregnancy in October, 2007. .
There are still a lot of "What If's" that float around in my head.
What If that pregnancy had been viable?
Was it a boy or girl?
What would he/she have become?
Would he/she be an only child?
The loss of that pregnancy left a scar from the surgery that healed but the scar on my heart has taken much, much longer. My life would be much different now if that path was the road we stayed on
In the end, it lit a fire that caused me to push the pursuit of IVF. I sometimes ask my husband if he thinks about the ectopic pregnancy and how different our lives might have been. He always replies, "Yes, but we wouldn't have the twins if it didn't happen".
And, I guess that's true. The IVF testing revealed an underactive thyroid, which was partially responsible for our difficulties in getting pregnant to begin with.
Regulating my TSH levels was required before we could begin IVF. That 6 months provided time for me to obtain coverage through my health insurance. We couldn't have afforded it otherwise.
It took 3 tries to get pregnant with the twins. And, then we were blessed with not only twins but a boy AND a girl.
And, then just like that, my ability to have more children was taken away during their delivery. Emergency hysterectomy.
What If I had a normal delivery? Would we have tried for more kids?
I remember when we were going through everything, I thought to myself that none of it made sense. I kept asking why God would bless us with a child only to take it away.
When the underactive thyroid was diagnosed, I wasn't relieved. It was one more thing that was wrong with me.
When the first 2 IVF cycles failed, it seemed like more torture and the loss of the ectopic stung even more. Would that be my only experience with pregnancy? Would that be the closest that I ever get?
And then we were blessed with a pregnancy. Twins.
And, suddenly it made sense. All of it made sense.
God Has A Great Plan For You. Trust Him.
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