Father's Day Cookout at our House

Both families came to our house for a cookout, but by the time I got the camera out to take pictures, Nick's family had already left. So this is all I have......

Taylor and Shea were, of course, celebrating Father's Day with their Dad.

He Can Find Trouble in the Safest Places

I have a pack'n play set up in our master bathroom so that when I am in the shower, Nicholas can sit in it and not get into trouble. There are usually a bunch of toys thrown in there for him to play with. Usually Isabella sits in there with him and they play together.

Unbeknownst to me, 2 markers made it into the pack'n play, and Nicholas thought it might be fun to stick them up his nose over and over again. I am not exactly sure why he chose his nose over all other body parts but it was the only place that had marker on him.

He was very proud of his body art and kept wanting to look in the mirror.

Post Surgery

Shea's surgery was successful on Wednesday. She was very brave, and I was so proud of her. The actual procedure only lasted 45 minutes. She now has a large pin that goes from one end of her bone to the other. She woke up feeling groggy, thirsty, and ORNERY! The orneriness lasted for 2 days. I was ready to clobber her, but I was trying to cut her some slack. Thankfully, she seems to be snapping out of it.

She traded her sleek, purple cast for a big lumpy awkward wrap and will have to wear it for the next couple weeks. Once we see the doctor to remove the stitches, they are going to fit her for a removable cast that she will have to wear for the rest of the summer. By Hilton Head, she should be ready to swim and bike ride and build some awesome sand castles.

School Drug Programs

The drug program at the school is very thorough, and if their desire is to scare the hell out of kids from doing drugs, then they are doing a very good job. Shea was given a prescription for Tylenol with Codeine, which I have been giving her before bedtime every night. Both Taylor and Shea are concerned that Shea will become addicted to codeine. I have assured them that she will not become a drug addict as long as I am in charge of administering the medicine.

I never thought I would be in the position of convincing my kids that it's okay to take a drug! Well done, school!

Update on Shea's Wrist

Today we met with the orthopedic surgeon. He recommended that she have surgery to insert a pin into the bone to ensure that it heals properly. He concurred with the ER doctor that this was a bad bone to break and that it was imperative that it healed correctly. Our alternative was to put her wrist in a cast for 12 weeks with an 80% success rate. Which also meant the entire summer in a cast. With the surgery, the rate of success is very high (somewhere in the 95% range) and she will be in a cast for 2 weeks. After that they will design a removable cast for her so that she can shower, and most importantly - SWIM in Hilton head!

The bad part, obviously, is that she will be in surgery on her first day of summer break. She is a little scared about the surgery, but in the meantime, she has a cool purple cast that she has 3 days to have all her friends at school sign!

The Dyson Has Met It's Match

I love this vacuum. When we purchased it, we had Skeet and Hunter, the 2 golden retrievers, and we were desperate to find something that could handle all the hair. It did a really good job.

One of Dyson's claims to fame is that it never loses it's suction. Recently I noticed that it wasn't picking up the stuff on the carpet like it used to and I thought it was broken. I took the filter apart and cleaned it all out, but it was still not picking up with the hand held part of the vacuum.

Nick took the vacuum apart and found this stuck in one of the tubes.

I am not exactly sure how I sucked this thing up in the first place without noticing it, but for future reference, Dysons do not pick up baby bottles. At least not successfully.

The Daredevil Took It Too Far

Shea and her friend were racing around her Dad's yard on Sunday in their go-cart and almost flipped over going 30 mph. Somehow, in an effort to stop the cart from rolling over, she broke her wrist. I still don't understand exactly how it happened. I took her to the emergency room on Sunday night at midnight because she was in excruciating pain and couldn't sleep. (Still at her dad's house, but not being taken seriously.)

Of all the little bones in the wrist to break, this apparently, is the bad one. (Why am I not surprised) According to the ER doctor, if not healed properly her wrist, hand, fingers and eventually arm will lose all function, and will essentially become a dead limb. Just what you want to hear about your 13 year old and her RIGHT hand at 1:00 AM. They put a temporary cast on it, doped her up with Tylenol and Codeine and told us to call an orthopedic surgeon first thing in the morning. We have an appointment on Thursday.

Summer break starts in 7 days! We leave for Hilton Head in 6 weeks! No swimming, no bike riding, no sports... UGGGHHH!

Shea, on the other hand, is very pleased with her battle wound. She is getting an outrageous amount of attention at school, and is loving it.

The Kid's Idea of a Good Breakfast

That's what I get for 1 - forgetting to lock the snack cabinet; and 2 - watching last night's "Jon and Kate Plus 8" on DVR and not paying attention to what the children were doing so quietly on the floor together.

This is how I spent my birthday yesterday....

And this is what I got....

Taylor has a friend who is always in need of a ride to and from where ever. She is not a good friend, but more of a group friend, and fellow cheerleader. When the group of kids plan an evening out, her parents never offer to drive. In fact, I have never met her parents. They are never at the sporting events, and have never been to our house to pick up their daughter. She always gets a ride from another parent.



This week was the start of a week long cheerleading clinic, which will be followed by tryouts on Saturday morning. Taylor takes a gymnastics class on Friday nights, and they offer an open gym class on Tuesday nights for anyone who wants to come. Taylor and her friends decided that they all wanted to go to the open gym class on Tuesday so that they could have as much practice before the tryouts as possible. Cheerleading practice ended at 6:30 and open gym started at 8:00. Of course this one friend in particular did not have a ride home from practice or a ride to gymnastics at 8:00. I told Taylor that her friend could come home with Taylor and eat dinner here before going to gymnastics. Another parent was going to pick up both girls at our house and drive them all to gymnastics.



Yesterday morning before school Taylor advised me that this girl was a vegetarian and to keep that in mind while I was cooking dinner. I asked if she was a vegetarian for health or religious reasons, and Taylor said that she just didn't like meat. Okay, whatever. I planned a meal specifically for this kid. I made a pasta dish with cut up asparagus cooked in a garlic and Parmesan cheese sauce, and I also made a ceasar salad. On our way home from practice, I asked Taylor's friend if she liked asparagus. I assumed that a "vegetarian" liked most vegetables, especially asparagus. She answered "I don't know." When we got home, I discovered that she does not like salad and she picked at her dinner, which eventually she did finish. I asked her what she normally eats for dinner, and she said cookies, candy, chips and milkshakes. Taylor looked at her like she had 2 heads and said - "But what do you eat to stay healthy?" The girl said "Nothing".

Where are this girls parents??? They are never around to watch her at her school activities, and they are obviously never around to cook her dinner, so she is left to fend for herself at 15 and chooses to eat cookies and chips for dinner every night. I was appalled! What is wrong with people? In 3 years, this girl is going to hopefully go off to college and her parents are going to be alone in a quiet house and wonder how they missed so much of their kids lives. Or maybe they won't, and that is really sad.

Those Darn Wildlife Creatures!

I just recently put out my hummingbird feeder and the humming birds have been swarming it. Much more so than last summer. This morning I looked out the window and the feeder was gone. I found it in the yard, empty and covered with dirt. All the flowers were chewed off and no where near the feeder. I finally found them under the deck, but one is still missing. I was able to pop them back into the feeder, got it all cleaned up and we are back in business.

Nick always tells me that "hate" is a strong word, so I will use dislike. I really dislike raccoons and squirrels. They are obnoxious and gluttonous. We have two bird feeders hanging from our trees, and after one day, they are empty from the squirrels eating all the seed. At $15 a bag, it's getting on my nerves. The girls bought me a finch feeder 2 summers ago, and it went missing last summer. I just recently found it in the woods while walking with Isabella and the sides are completely chewed and destroyed.

Anyone have any tips on how to get these animals to leave the feeders alone?

Mother's Day

Sunday morning we had brunch at Windows On The River, downtown. This is the 5th or 6th year that we have gone there and we really love it. The food is outstanding, and it also means that my Mom, my sister and I do not have to cook on Mother's Day.

After brunch, we came home and were able to relax and spend some time together before we headed out to Joe and Heidi's house to celebrate the day with Nick's family.

We also celebrated Joseph's birthday since he just recently turned 7.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Yesterday I commented on how nothing profound has been happening that warranted a post on my blog. Well that changed last night. Right before bedtime, Isabella and I were sitting on the couch and she jumped from the arm of the couch onto me and both her knees went into my side. Of course they crashed into the squishy area that was not surrounded by any bones to protect my organs. After I got my breath back a few minutes later it wasn't hurting much anymore. But within an hour, I was doubled over in pain. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but this was no joke. All the kids were sleeping so Nick called my parents and asked them to come over so that we could head to the emergency room.

After 3 1/2 hours and a CAT Scan, they revealed that I was not bleeding internally and just had a bruised kidney and/or spleen, and sent me packing.

I think my kids are trying to kill me. They have been wearing me down psychologically all week and when they realized they weren't getting anywhere, they decided to up the torture. They probably have side bets going as to who can cause the most damage. I'm on to you kids!

The Ramblings of a Stressed-Out Mom

If you've noticed, I have been slacking a bit on the blog entries. Every morning I wake up and think "Today, something profound will happen and I will have a good story to write about." At the end of each day, it's the same thing. A messy house, laundry piling up, running kids to and from practice, a work-a-holic husband whom no one has seen since Sunday, back talking teenagers, a sassy 2 year old who also refuses to poop until I threaten her with an enema (A.K.A. bucket medicine), and a cranky baby who wants to be held all day and has decided that he doesn't like to eat food, which is very bad, since he is already too skinny. Most of the above leave me feeling guilty and inadequate. I should be able to keep up with the laundry, and I should be able to keep my house clean. I should be able to drive to Shaker Heights to watch a track meet in the rain today. My punishments should be consistent when my kids are mouthy and disrespectful. Who knows where I went wrong with the pooping problems, and I attribute Nicholas' underweight body to the fact that I did not breastfeed him.

When my kids have had a bad day, I always tell them that tomorrow will be a better day. This has been a yucky week. I just have to remind myself that next week will be better! In the meantime, here is a glimpse of the growth I have had attached to my leg for the last several days. (Please ignore the sheep pajamas.)

There is Hope......

Tuesday morning Shea informed me that she could not find her Ipod Touch. She was certain that she had put it in her front pocket of her book bag after school but when she got home from Track practice it was gone. Shea is notorious for being POSITIVE about putting something in one place or another, and I always find it somewhere completely different. By yesterday morning, it still had not shown up. I was starting to get more worried and more perturbed. I told her to take everything out of her locker and make sure it wasn't buried at the bottom, and I searched her bedroom to make sure that it wasn't buried under a heap of dirty clothes. This morning we were convinced that it was lost. I told her to check with the office at school to see if maybe someone turned it in. The chances of someone turning in a $300 Ipod are slim, but it was worth a shot. Low and behold - it was in the office waiting for someone to claim it. I was speechless! I just stared at her with my mouth gaping. She couldn't understand why I was so impressed. (That must mean that she is pretty honest too if the thought never crossed her mind that someone would keep it rather than turn it in.) I told her to go back to the office and ask who turned it in, because that kid deserves a medal. At the very least, a very big thank you.

Our New Rasta-Man

Is this adorable?? The girls bought this hat for Nicholas on their cruise. We might start a trend in babybwear.

My Funny Kid

For four years, I have been wishing that we had installed an intercom system in our house. When the girls are upstairs in their rooms, with the music on and their doors closed, they cannot hear me when I call them. I have to stand in the living room and yell their names several times until either they hear me or I am forced to walk upstairs and knock on their doors. Shea is the biggest offender because she plays her music the loudest.

When she got her cell phone, I discovered that all I had to do was send her a quick text and she would come down. It works perfectly!

Last night, I made chocolate chip cookies for dessert so I sent her a text and told her that if she wasn't downstairs in 10 seconds, she was not going to get a cookie. This was her reply:

"Aight dog. Lemme fix mah herr."

I laughed so hard, and it made my night!

Is This Kid a Hillbilly or What!

Last Weekend Birthday Celebrations

We started the weekend by celebrating Nick and Nicholas' birthdays. Nicholas was originally going to have his party on Valentines Day, but it was postponed. So we joined the 2 Nicks together. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law was sick, so they were not able to come. And Paige developed a fever on the way to our house and spent the entire time in our bed sleeping.

My camera was not cooperating with me, so excuse the picture quality. I am not happy with any of the picture that I took all weekend. I chose the best I could find.

Then on Sunday we celebrated Chloe's birthday. The weather was fairly nice, so the kids went outside and decorated Easter eggs.

Happy Birthday Chloe!

Isabella is Potty Trained!!!

SING IT WITH ME PEOPLE!!

Happy Birthday Nick!

I met Nick one month after my divorce was final in 1998. He was the manager of the restaurant that I was interviewing for. That was a very hard time of my life. My opinion on men could not have been any lower. I was mad at life that I had no job, no higher education and had to figure out how to raise my two small children on my own. We sat across the table from each other at the interview and I remember thinking "hmm" there is something about this guy. I was hired for the job, and over the next year and a half we became friends. I had no interest in dating, but I really enjoyed talking to him. I am not really sure when it happened but we started casually dating. I absolutely did not want anything more. But then I found myself thinking about him ALL the time. I wanted to be with him constantly. It was really freaking me out. I finally laid it on the line and said that I wanted more from him, but was prepared to never see him again. Shockingly, he agreed. And 2 1/2 years later, we were married.

When have been through it all in almost 7 years of marriage....the turmoil of a blended family (much harder than you could ever imagine!), miscarriages, building a house, sick parents, and economical ups and downs. We have grown together and each event that comes our way, we tackle it head on and learn from the experience. I can't imagine experiencing life with anyone else.

My Husband! I love you so much!

Shea's First Track Meet

Starting the 400 Yard Run......

And finishing FIRST PLACE in the 400. (Yes I am bragging, but I don't care!)

Less is More (Or Not)

Isabella asked me to do her hair and insisted that I use every clip she could find. Here is the final product. If you look closely you can see my attempt at french braiding her VERY fine, silky hair. Not an easy task!

She reminds me of another girl I know.

Dave's Birthday Party!

Sorry for the delay....After the power outage on Sunday night, our wireless router wasn't working. It's back up and running, so here are a couple pictures of Dave's 42nd birthday celebration.

I am rationing the leftover artichokes from D'Agnese's. (Not sure of the spelling on that)

Happy Birthday Dave!

The Best Souvenir

Of all the souvenirs that we saw in Las Vegas for our kids, I knew that this would be the best one for Isabella. This kid can eat candy like nobody's business. Her eyes were as big as half dollars when she saw the size of this sucker! I have no doubt that she will finish the entire thing like a champ.

Scavenger Hunt

While preparing dinner the other night, I noticed these Cheeto's on the kitchen floor. I thought, uh-oh, someone left the snack cabinet untied again. There is only one culprit in this house that dumps food on the floor, so I knew I had to find him quickly.

As I went to the living room, I found another, larger scattering of Cheeto's, but still no boy. I was starting to worry. I had visions of my Pottery Barn comforter smeared with orange, slobbery powder.

Then I found him with the entire bag, very happy and very proud. I don't let him eat Cheetos because they are so crunchy and I am afraid he will choke. He thought he had found the motherload of all snacks and went on an eating frenzy as quickly as he could, knowing it was only a matter of time before the curly-haired woman would come along and ruin his fun.

I am still finding hand prints around the house where he left his mark.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!

Nick and I are leaving tomorrow at 12:40PM for a weekend in Las Vegas, sans children. This is the first time we have gone anywhere alone in almost 3 years. This is a much needed trip as this has been a stressful year to say the least. The kids will be at my parents house for the weekend having the time of their lives, and will probably not think of us once.

I am looking forward to beng on my own schedule and not having to worry about who is hungry, sleepy, and crabby; or who has practice, tests or a big project due. I am especially excited to go an entire day without caked-on food on my shoulder and poop on my hands.

We are going to sit at the pool, enjoy nice dinners out that are too fancy for kids, and gamble our life savings away. (Just kidding) And we are going to have normal conversations that will not revolve around kids and work.

To my children, I promise that when I return, I will be less snippy and more patient and ready to handle all the problems and issues that arise with a calm, serene approach.