Our First Big Wound

So we had our first experience with a big time wound this weekend. While I was out running errands with Paige and Chris was home with the kids Ally fell down the stairs and split her forhead open. I was calling home to see if he wanted anything from Starbucks and he called me at the same time (2:40) and said something like "You have to come home right away, Ally fell down the stairs and we need to take her to the hospital." Of course I freaked out and drove about 90 mph from Windsor Locks to our house. When we pulled down the street Chris and Joshy were standing at the end of the driveway. Chris was holding Ally who looked limp in his arms. I was freaking out! But she perked up soon after. The wound had stopped bleeding which was scary though and was quite open like a puncture wound. We got to Johnson around 3:00 and she was seen around 3:20. It took quite a while after they took her in to actually get someone to attend to her but they were slammed for a country hospital on a Sunday afternoon. I have never seen that many people in their waiting room before. Chris came out and got a diaper for her and said they were going to have to do 3 stitches. To do this they wrapped her in a big sheet like a burrito and had Chris and 2 nurses aids hold her down while they did the stitches. I guess the first one was ok, but she really lost it by the 2nd one and then they still had to do another. Chris reminded me that they also had to put the sterile drape over her face so she was basically covered by a tarp and was crying so much you couldn't even hear her anymore. I couldn't have done that - good thing it was him and not me. I sat chatting with the other waiting room people and keeping the 2 older kids entertained. She was a trooper. Poor little girl! I guess when she was finished Chris asked her if she was ok and she turned to the doctor and said "Thank you." She's been ok since, immediately after pointing to her head and saying "Fall down stairs." Today she took her band-aid off a few times but she hasn't been picking at it yet and has been really good about the whole thing.

Here are some pictures of:

1. her nice forehead a few days before it was wounded (probably the last picture ever without a scar),


2. a picture of the wound at the ER pre-stitches


3. a picture of the stitches


4. sleeping comfortably with her band-aid.

The Same Thing Happens Every Day

Wake up around 7ish. Usually late. Hurry up, hurry up the kids to get dressed, fed, washed up, bags packed. Waffles for Joshy, cereal for the girls. All the while the dog is whining and Ally is probably whining too: needs a binky, doens't want cereal-wants waffles today. Rush out the door...usually Ally won't walk by herself she has to be carried. Joshua needs a hat and can't carry his bag becuase he must put his hands in his pockets. Buckle the kids, ask Paige to help buckle them too. Pick up Emma. Rush the kids to school, probably running to the door as the bell rings. Get a guilt trip for not walking them in to tell the principal I am a slacker. Drop little kids off at daycare. Go home. Take the dog out, make coffee and usually an english muffin. Finally now I can start work. It's just 9 am.

Some time during the day I manage to pick up the kitchen, possibly run and put away the dishwasher, make our bed, do some laundry which all gets folded into neat piles on my bed for someone to put away, pay the bills, take the dog out a few times, oh yeah, and work.

Paige gets home a little after 3 and starts demanding a snack while she watches tv. At 4 she starts her homework. I rush around to finish the chores before the family gets home and the work before the day ends.

Go pick up the kids. Must put on the prescribed DVD or CD in the car on the way home. Drag them and their stuff into the house. Now there are 3 kids and 2 pets begging for food, demanding entertainment. Make dinner, argue with Joshua about what he won't eat. Clean up dinner. Give the kids baths, make Paige take a shower. Pick up the laundry scattered all over the bathroom and Ally's room. Pick up the toys and the couch cushions off the floor for the millionth time.

Walk Paige up to "tuck her in" or she won't settle down. Put Ally in her crib. Argue with Joshua about where to sleep, threaten to take his bed away if he keeps refusing to use it. Now Ally is crying and needs to be settled down again. 2 kids up. Eventually one parent takes a toddler and settles them down somehow. Although frustrating it is now finally quiet and we can take a temporary break from work and snuggle with the kids. Once they are alseep they are carried into their beds. Any final clean up is done. Possibly enough time for a snack and a tv show before we go to bed too late. Because we have to wake up late again tomorrow to start it all over.

There has to be more to life.

Heath Ledger is dead

I am just shocked and saddened by this news. I don't think I've been this shocked at a report of a Hollywood death since River Phoenix died. He had a 2 year old daughter with Michelle Williams. Ok they were divorcing or broke off an engagement or whatever, but still. Having a little girl seems like his personal life had happiness in it. And he'd been nominated for Brokeback and appeared to be doing well in his career. Shocked, I am just shocked. I keep hoping its not true but the story is already on our local CBS station, TMZ and CNN so I guess it's real. Wow! My heart goes out to his family. That is just so sad.

Re-run

This is an old post, borrowed from January 18th 2005. As we celebrate Martin Luther King day again I thought it would be good to re-run it and enjoy the humor again.

Martin Luther King Day
I was trying to give Paige an appreciation of the man, the holiday and why she had the day off of school. And if you know me you know that "justice for ALL" is a big thing with me. I could not agree more with Dr King's statement of judging a man by the content of his character not the color of his skin. And because of certain events in my past it is really important that I teach this lesson to my children. That said, I was telling her about how there were separate schools and separate restaurants and punctuating each of these with "Isn't that CRAZY?!" And Paige would say, "Yeah, that's CRAZY!!" And so when I was finished she said, "So like if we were out to eat with Daddy, because you know-Daddy is kinda black, only let's pretend that Daddy wasn't just kinda black, let's pretend he was all black, and they said we couldn't eat with Daddy, that would be CRAZY!" I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants! I let her know that Daddy isn't black, he's "olive" skinned. But she was exactly right in her example. And I was glad that she got the point of my stories. It's funny the things kids pick up on all on their own though.

Suzanne Pleshette died

I'm not sure whether that news in itself is more shocking (I mean, she didn't seem THAT old) or the fact that she was married to Tom Poston in his last years. Except for the Newhart connection they didn't really seem to match. But then again, what do I know.

Welcome Lauren Elizabeth!

The newest member of the Clark family has arrived! Cousin Robin and her husband Jeremy had a baby girl this morning, 8lbs 9 oz. I seriously remember when Robin was a toddler the size of Ally, rocking herself to sleep at "Villa Costa Lotta" on Winona Ave. And now she's a mom! The passage of time is an unbelievable thing. But parenthood couldn't have happened to two nicer people. Congratulations to the happy parents, grandparents and new Auntie Kate! And welcome Lauren! You were named after an incredible woman. I'm sure your mom will tell you all about her someday.

Things Women Say

1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
5. Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
6. That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
7. Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says "Thanks a lot" - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say "you're welcome" ... that will bring on a "whatever").
8. Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F*cK YOU!
9. Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Hannah Montana

So on a whim Alicia decides to try to get some tickets to see Hannah Montana in Worcester and it worked! We took the girls on Friday the 21st and didn't tell them where we were going until we were in the parking garage of the Centrum! Boy were they shocked! But a good time was had by all. Here are a few pics.

The Curse Continues

I'm not going to rehash it all. Sally has done an excellent job of spelling it out. Check out her blog here: http://lifeatthelevines.blogspot.com/ and read the post of the same name.

Goodbye Aunt Joann. I'm so sad to see you go. You have always been so kind and sweet. My heart just breaks for you, Uncle Bob, your kids and Ethan.

Bell Out of Order, Please Knock

The phone isn't working again. Piece of crap! And I frankly don't have time for the Cox guy today so if you need to reach us you can email, IM or call one of our cell phones. Updates again when it's working.

Ally's First Haircut

Cousin Carianne came and gave the whole family haircuts for Christmas. This included Ally's first haircut. Ok, it wasn't much of a haircut, really it was barely a trim. Let's face it she doesn't have much hair to cut! But the theory is you have to cut it to make it grow. So Cari trimmed where she could and when she could (it was tough with the wiggling). And Ally did really well, she was excited for her turn and never cried. She was also excited for it to be Joshy's turn and she could be done. Anyway hopefully this will encourage her little hairs to grow!

When I Grow Up

Joshua wants to be a policeman when he grows up. Because he can have a big gun and shoot the bad guys. Today though he said to me "Police mans don't fly planes right?" No Joshua, they don't. "Well, someday they will. And I am going to do that. Be a policeman in a plane. And they go super fast! Adagio." Which actually means slowly in terms of music, but at least he's paying attention and trying to learn something from Little Einsteins. I love three years old. They are now verbal enough to explain all the things they are thinking and they are learning and observing at lightening speed.

Report Card

Paige got 3 As and 3 Bs on her first ever report card with letter grades. Awesome job my girl!

Answer

Into the Mystic

Poll Question

This is a write in so leave a comment with your answer.

What is my favorite Van Morrison song?

Answer to be posted later when most people who will respond have responded.

Boys and Girls

Joshua has been saying very cute things lately, I think it's the age. He talks about things that "boys" do. For example he will ask to watch a TV show for boys. Or when he couldn't reach the faucet the other day he said "Boys can't do it mommy." This morning he told Chris "Boys don't like that." about the new toothpaste we had. Last night he told me "Boys love you mommy." I couldn't stop cracking up.

Also while tucking him in last night he asked if he could bring his new NASCAR pillow to daycare. Here is how the conversation went:
Joshua: Can I bring this pillow to school tomorrow?
Me: Yes.
Joshua: And I can show my friends?
Me: Sure.
Joshua: Collin and the girls?
Me: Yes, ok. Who are "the girls" that you are friends with?
Joshua: Alexis. (who is one of twins)
Me: Just Alexis? Are you friends with Cassandra too?
Joshua: Yes. She's beautiful.

Snookie

Why do people hate me? Why do people go out of their way to be mean to me? What do I do to anger the population at large?
I try to be nice. Sitting here all day crying about my mother being dead and writing letters to my little children to read one day when I am gone.
And out of nowhere pops up someone who has nothing better to do with their day than make me feel even worse about myself. Why?
I don’t get it? What have I done to deserve this treatment.

3 years, one week and 3 days

Today Joshy is exactly as old as Zachary was on the day mom died. Three years, one week and 3 days.

Seriously

What kind of idiot signs themselves up for a dog?? I mean if someone said to you "I have a thing that is guaranteed to cover your house with urine and feces, will chew on and probably destroy valuable items and will fill your hours with barking and whining." What fool then says "Ooh ooh! Can I pay hundreds of dollars for that?!?!"

Seriously. I don't get people who voluntarily bring a home destroying creature into the house. I mean I have little children who walk around on that floor now covered in feces with their bare feet and pick things up off said floor and put them into their mouths. Are you getting the heebie jeebies yet? Welcome to my perspective.

That fool animal just crapped on Ally's floor, right after we brought her inside no less. That's what gets me. We had her in the crate while at soccer. As soon as we arrive at home I take the dog out, forget the humans, must take care of the dog first. And while I'm wishing I could be getting on with my night by giving the kids a bath I stand there and watch the dog pee. Then we take her in and she craps on the baby's room floor. So then I start screaming at her to stop so what does she do? Runs under my bed and craps on a pair of Chris' dirty shorts. Because I don't know about you but that's where my husband keeps his dirty clothes, under the bed.

They say that animals add years to your life, but not for me. I can actually feel years being sucked out of me as I deal with the havoc the animals have caused. Like the torture device they hook Wesley up to in the Princess Bride. Someone set it pretty high tonight, maybe 5 years.

First Day of 3rd Grade and Pre-School

All 3 with new outfits, new shoes, new lunch boxes and Paige with a new backpack they headed off to begin a new year. Paige was fretting over her shoe choices: too small or didn’t really match. But I wasn’t buying her new white shoes in the fall to wear with one outfit and then be outgrown before Easter comes. Just like a woman to be worried about her shoes! And the 2 little ones were whining a lot. As in “What do you want for breakfast?” Reply: “NO!” then hysterical crying. But once we got out the door for picure time it all turned out ok.

They are adorable and I'm so excited, I can't wait to hear how their days went. I know in a day or so the quiet will get to me, but right now I'm enjoying the sound of the crickets and nothing else!

Help Adam get a Bone Marrow Transplant

Adam Saada, a 3 /12 month old Naples Florida baby, has been diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a primary immune deficiency disease. Early diagnosis of SCID is rare because doctors do not routinely perform a test in newborns to count white blood cells. This can usually result in the onset of one or more serious infections within the first few months of life. Adam has also developed PCP Pneumonia and is fighting hard to recover in order to receive an emergency bone marrow transplant. Adam’s parents, Amy and Hussam Saada desperately need our help.

SCID became widely known during the 1970's and 80's, when the world learned of a boy with X-linked SCID, who lived for years in a plastic, germ-free plastic bubble. Since then the disease is more commonly known as the “Bubble Boy Disease.” This once-fatal disease should be now seen as a pediatric emergency, a condition that needs immediate diagnosis and treatment.

YOU CAN HELP ADAM

Adam needs a bone marrow transplant within the next 30 days. The “out of pocket” cost is minimally $25,000 and can be as much as $60,000. The family desperately needs your help to pay the transplant as well as for the rapidly mounting medical bills.

Stories of Adam on the web:
MSNBC
Naples Daily News (newspaper)
Local Florida CBS Affiliate - this story has video with Adam's brother and grandfather.

Sue Buck and Sharon Ardrey have set up a charitable trust for Adam and any contribution you make will be greatly appreciated by the family.

Please make your check to:

Sharon Ardrey for Adam Saada

Mail to: Encore Bank
3003 Tamiami Trail N. Suite 100
Naples, FL 34103
Attn: Banking

-OR-

Sharon Ardrey
1507 Vintage Lane
Naples, FL 34104

Call Sue Buck at 239-949-1352 for details

Meet Our New Friend

Not sure what to call her yet (we're thinking Baxter or Jessie) and not sure we haven't gone insane. But we adopted a new Tetro today. Take a look.

Paige's Poems

These poems were in Paige's backpack today as all the work she's done in 2nd grade has been coming home in big bunches. I LOVE them and wanted to share. Here they are exactly as written, spelling too:

Paige

Funny, nice, thoughtful, creative

sister of Josh and Ally

Lover of soccer and ice cream

who fears bees and jelly fish

who needs rest

who gives help

who would like to see France

Resident of 13 windmill Rd

Tetro

Favorite Food Poetry from

by: Paige Tetro

Steamers, Steamers, Steamers,

buttery, Steamers,

Scrumptsious, Steamers,

fishy, mushy, hot, Steamers

Last of all, best of all,

delicious, Steamers

White Bread

So at my Uncle's funeral, well afterwards at the "party" or whatever you call it when people come and eat my mother's cousin (whom shall luckily remain nameless) came over to where my sister and I were sitting with our families and friends. She started talking to my sister first and I assumed it was the general "How are you? Isn't this sad? How old are your kids now?" conversation. Although I could see Sally making a face at her while she spoke so I leaned over to Tracy and nudged her and said "I wonder what is going on there? Look at Sally's face." Well next she came to me and said that my sister and I have such pretty faces and if we stop eating white bread the rest of it will follow. I looked wide-eyed over to Sally who nodded wide-eyed back as if to say "Yes, this is really happening." The cousin, who is at least in her upper 60s or maybe even in her early 70s went on to tell me that she got up to 190 pounds (big woo) and when she stopped eating white bread (which isn't good for you by the way, it does bad things to your system, get some nice multigrain bread at Stop & Shop, it tastes very good, but don't eat it every day, do every other day) she went back to being thin (which she has been all her life). And now that she's not slapping butter or peanut butter on white bread every night she has been able to stay thin. This of course didn't stop her from going to the dessert table.

When she walked away I took most of my enormous roll and shoved it all into my mouth like a 10 year old. And then I proceeded to have 12 beers (light of course!) over the course of the rest of the day and blab that story to as many family members as I could. I mean seriously, does she think that what I needed when my beloved uncle died was advice on how I could be less fat? I guess she gestured around her stomach to Sally and said something like "This...isn't doing anyone any good." Except for at a Weight Watchers meeting or perhaps if someone came crying to you about not being able to lose weight I cannot imagine a time when this would have been appropriate. But that moment was maybe the least appropriate of all.

Now I don't feel bad about not calling her back last year when she called to say congratulations on having Ally.

First Place...Times Two!

Paige came in first in both Military and Basic marching for her age group at the big baton competition today. We're so proud of her!! Here are a few pics from her team event, individual events and the trophies.

ITP

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Translated in parts as "we don't know why" "blood platelets" "with bruising" This is what we now know that Ally has. It came upon her quickly. On Monday when we came home from Florida the pictures I took show that she had no bruising. By Wednesday night she had so many we called the doctor. Some were swollen big and hard from the pooled blood underneath. We probably didn't explain the situation with enough severity to the doctor, focusing on the hard swollen bruises which they said would go down with time. By Thursday we were afraid to take her out of the house. Some of the parents at Paige's soccer practice asked if we'd had her blood tested and we just went into full on panic. Not sure if bruises were an emergency or if they'd say that we should have just gone to our doctor's office in the morning, we finally decided that we were willing to pay the copay for our peace of mind. So we dropped the 2 older kids off with Chris' parents and headed for Johnson Memorial since it was the closest and we figured they were less likely than a city hospital to report us for abuse. They took one look at her and sent us to Children's Hospital in Hartford.

At Children's they examined her, took some blood and after a few nerve wracking hours determined that she has ITP. The hematologist explained that sometimes after a child has a cold or virus their immune system gets all out of whack and starts viewing the blood platelets as a foreign substance and attacks and destroys them. A normal platelet count is 350,000. Ally's was less than 5,000 and that's just as small as their machine could count. The level that constitutes an emergency is lower than 10,000 so things were pretty scary. At that level the body basically can't clot so any cut might not heal and the real fear was a bump on the head that would cause an intracranial bleed. He also said that there is growing evidence to suggest that the MMR vaccine might also cause this. And Ally just had hers on April 9th. Since it is a live measles vaccine the body starts to fight it off and then goes nuts fighting itself. So when the time comes she won't be able to have her booster shot. Most likely she's already immunized from the first time and since everyone else is there is virtually no place in this country to get the measles. If she had the booster her ITP could come back.

So we were admitted to a room and she was given a drug in her IV and monitored for reaction. The drug was not without it's own side effects. There was fear of kidney failure among other things. But she seems to be doing fine. It is the same type of drug given to mothers with an RH incompatiblity in pregnancy. How it works is that the red blood cells (which she has plenty of) give themselves up as decoys to the immune system so the platlets have a chance to grow in numbers. It should work for 30 days and by then her body should be able to take care of itself. But her platelet count might not be back to normal for 6 months.

We left the hospital around 3pm on Friday. Ally had her platelets checked on Saturday and they had risen to 25,000! So she's getting better and has had no more bruising. They expect the platelets to rise and fall as they gradually increase so she'll have to have her blood taken and tested probably weekly for 3 months. At least we're off to a good start.

Detective Taggart is That You?

You bet it is!
Dad met up with John Ashton at a golf tournament at the course next to where he lives and then we all met him for beers. Very cool! Lots of stories and memories of the guys as juvenile delinquents stealing cars and getting into trouble. Also he took out my mom and said he could see from the resemblance that I was her daughter. Very cool. More stories when I see you all in person.

And we're off!

Headed to lovely Estero Florida in a few hours. Packing the car, getting the snacks and surprises ready. So exciting! Can't wait!!

The Woogeyman

Well, I won't be doing any laundry today. I watched the Woogeyman episode of Charmed. Pheobe is always afraid of the basement and then she learns that her childhood story of the Woogeyman is actually real and the story that Grams used to tell to make it go away is actually a spell. Its a "shadow" of evil. And we all know my well documented fear of the basement and this house's track record with shadows and evil. Wonderful. I had a lot to get done today and now I'm going to be jumpy all day. In case you ever need it here is the spell...

I am light

I am one too strong to fight

Return to dark where shadows dwell

You cannot have this Halliwell

Go away and leave my site

And take with you this endless night.

I've kept it memorized just in case. I'm pretty sure you can substitute "dwell" and "Halliwell" with a word that rhymes with your last name.

Comic Relief

We all need a good laugh. Here are some funny Joshua stories;

1. On an episode of Blue's Clues Steve was teaching the steps to take when you get frustrated. While tucking Joshua in a few weeks ago he held up his "Blue" stuffed animal and said "This Blue is frust-er-ated" Then he proceeded to tell Blue what he should do: "Stop. S-ink (think). And put some cheese on it." I can't stop laughing even now while I type. When I asked Paige what the real steps were she said "Stop, breathe and think."

2. Then one night he caught me changing into my pajamas and was really craning his neck to get a glimpse. "You don't have a penis Mommy?" No, Joshua, I don't. "Is it at the store?" I think because we always say we have to get some more at the store when we run out of things that he just assumed mine had gone away and I needed to get a new one. Every now and then he'll ask me again to make sure I still don't have one. Almost in disbelief. I should probably reassure him that his isn't going away, I just didn't have one to start with.

Something has to be done

Why is it that I can buy a bathing suit in February in Connecticut when it is all of 5 degrees outside, but if you're looking for mittens for a child you're SOL??? I mean god forbid some kid loses or outgrows mittens during a winter. But hey, want to buy something that you won't need for another 4 months? We've got it in every conceivable color and style! Grrrrr!!!

How old are you really?

Chris found this site and it gives you your "real age." You go through this questionnaire (and yes, you have to register) but then it factors all these things like your general health, family history, diet, etc and tells you how old you really are. When its finished they send you an email telling you how you could be younger. For me, most of it was taking vitamins and increasing my intake of things like calcium and folic acid would fend off diseases. Chris found out that he needs to drink 1 glass of red wine a day. Ok! So anyway, my calendar age is 36.3 (36 and 3 months) but my "real age" is 38.8. I'm off by about 2 1/2 years. Which frankly I think is pretty good considering I eat like crap and never exercise. Chris' real age is like 36 so he's 2 years older too. How old are you? Find out: http://www.realage.com/reg/regvar/st1.aspx?mod=LONGFORM

The Club

Man when Shonda Rhimes gets it right she really gets it right. In tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy after George's dad dies Christina goes to meet him outside. Even though they have not been speaking, even though there are people closer to him and he appeared to want to be alone, Christina went. And she said something like this, "There's a club. A Dead Dad's club. And you don't get to be in it until you're in it. Sure you might sympathize and feel sorry for someone but until you feel that loss you really can't know how it feels. George, I'm really sorry that you are part of the club." If you didn't see the show she then admits that her own father died when she was 9. His reply is that he doesn't know how to exist in a world where his father doesn't. And she says something like , "Yeah...that never goes away."

I have said most of those words myself. When my mother died I thought of all the people before me without parents and thought, man this is one group I don't want to be a part of...Cindy Hall, John Link, Kim MacDowell. I didn't want to be in that club! And when people lost their parents after me and I would go to the services they inevitably say "It sucks" or something like it. And my response is always the same. "I know. I know it sucks. I just wish you didn't have to know." I said it to Kim Hanjack and my cousin Nate. Probably to Kim and/or Johnny Clark. My friend Heather. Because I know when their parents died they thought of me and said "Man, Suzie Tetro. That is a club I didn't want to be in." And now they know. They know exactly what I felt. They're part of the club. And it never goes away.

Welcome Ryan Jay!

My new adorable nephew was born this morning at 1:37 am! He's 8lbs 15 oz and 20 inches. Very sweet and snuggly! Congrats to Sally, who was a trooper through it all. And to new Dad, Steve and new big brother Zachary! Can't wait to spend more time with him.

Birds Nests

Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always one reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there

so tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
and the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lie
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here

~Angel, Sarah McLachlan

Christmas in July?

Or have we all been transported to the south somewhere? It is currently 41 degrees at my house. Yesterday I had 5 windows open in the house. And Sunday we had a high of 57 degrees! What is going on?? No wonder I don't feel like it's Christmas! Its like the Heat Miser has gained control for a year. Now, I realize if I was bundling my baby up in the snow or slipping on the ice in the driveway I'd be complaining about that too. But come on, forget White Christmas, it's supposed to be 50 degrees on the 25th! Just weird. Just wrong. This is New England, not North Carolina.

And while I'm ranting, I think those blow up lawn decorations look weird when not inflated. Like someone deflated Santa and left his shell in a heap on their lawn. Or that people just have a bunch of crap scattered on their front lawn. Just seems odd to me.

Sad

Peter Boyle died. Sad.

She's on the move!

Ally is crawling! Just now, crossed the room to get Joshua's new Thomas train. Go Ally!

Welcome Noah Anthony!

Nephew Noah Anthony Bell was born yesterday at 5:45 am. He has lots of dark hair and dark eyes. He weighed in at 8 lbs and measured 20.5 inches. Mother, father, big brother and big sisters are all doing well. Congratulations!

I hate people

Apparently I've said that before.
So I'm in Wal-mart yesterday in a ridiculous hurry as always. I needed formula and tights for Ally. And of course I bought more than that and now have like 45 minutes to get the kids dressed, pick up Chris and shoot across town to the church for the free family photo. As I plop all my stuff on the counter the lady says "Do you want to get this here?" I purse my lips together, raise my eyebrows in my best you're a fucking idiot stare and nod slowly saying "Why wouldn't I?" I mean what about my demeanor says I want to pack up all three kids and my stuff and move to another register? Was it shooing Paige away from all the register items, or swatting Joshy out of my purse or bouncing Ally to stop the crying? "Oh, um, I don't know" she mumbles. So then we continue on with the ringing up. She makes some comment about Ally being cute. Thanks I say, barely paying attention. Then she says "What happened to all her hair?" I'm sorry? She just doesn't have any yet. What happened to all your manners I wanted to say. And really had to restrain myself to not say it. But frankly I was in too much of a hurry and she still had a lot of ringing to do, I didn't have time to get into it with her. What is the matter with people anyway?!? Seriously. This is a 6 month old baby. What happened to her hair you say? What has happened to society I say.

Love this weather

Nope, not being sarcastic. I actually do. I guess it's the melancholy in me. I mean don't get me wrong, I don't want it to rain and be dreary all the time. But that white overcast sky, maybe with a little drizzly rain says fall in New England to me. Its often the weather of Thanksgiving so it makes me excited for that. And the yellow trees look just as beautiful framed by the white sky as they do with sun bouncing off them. Yep, I like a good dreary fall day every now and then. That's why I'm nuts I guess.

Happy Birthday Sue!

Welcome to the other side of 35! Its not that bad here, really. And look at all of us over here: me, Jeff, Scott, Becky, David, Joel, Melissa, Dave. You're in good company. Hope you have a great day and don't worry too much about the number.

So freaking bored!

Nothing to do, no one to talk to. Going out of my mind!!!

Know What I Miss?

Memorial Day weekends at the lake during the college years. I miss a lot of things and a lot of people. And frankly I miss the lake in general. Having a place to go to get away, looking at the moon through the trees on the water at night, the smell of must and gas stove, and the family memories I have. But today I miss those weekends in particular. I miss the float on the lake day and flav-or-ice day and toasting marshmellows over the toaster (even though I wasn't a huge fan back in the day.) I miss the fight about putting the pasta sauce on the entire bowl of pasta or allowing each person to sauce their own, Susan buring Darren with a hot marshmellow, the flood from the shower (didn't you empty the bucket, what bucket! Ugh!) the fight with my mom about letting us go and the payment of toilet paper, Uncle John and Johnny waking us up with the powerwasher, the freezing cold mornings, the fire by the water with lots of beer, the Rock 102 Memorial Day Top 500, shopping at the Big Y in Ware. So many things. Probably in about 10-15 years we'll be able to go away without our kids so those carefree times could come again. And since it was probably 10-15 years ago that this happened we're closer to going again than we think!

Proud of Our Girl

Paige came in 2nd place in both of her competitions at the big Baton Competetion last weekend in Somers. She participated in Basic and Military Marching for her age group. Also her class did their routine and they came in 3rd. Yay Paige! You did a terrific job!!

May 11th

Yesterday was "leaf day", as it has come to be known. And my dad even called me and remembered. He said "Well, today is May 10th and that's the day I normally say all the leaves should be out and it looks like summer." And he is right. It does pretty much. Its funny to me that he remembers because this is a man that hasn't lived here in 17 years almost to the date. And although he had lived here for 42 years when he moved away he's forgotten things like where I played softball for 10 years and where the library is. So to remember the date of when the leaves have bloomed is something.

And tomorrow is/would be Katharine Hepburn's 99th birthday. Can you imagine!

Quote of the Day

President Jed Bartlett (Martin Sheen, The West Wing) to a couple caught making out in the basement of the hotel where he has just given a speech and is making his exit, "Hey there fella! She deserves a nice room and some supper!"

Cracks me up every time!

I Know a Little Boy Who Swallowed A...

...pen cap. Well, not a BIC pen "cap" you see but the screw in end of a Pentel RSVP. The part that screws into the top- holding in the ink. Paige had been writing and left the pen on the couch. Seems like a normal thing to do. Until we found Joshy with the pen all disassembled and chewing on something. I tried to get him to give it to me and as he turned away from me he tipped his head up. I'm guessing that's when it went down. I asked him if he swallowed it and he said yes, but then again he's 19 months. Does he know what I'm asking? Does he know what he's saying? Apparantly. We moved the couch just to see (even though we didn't hear it hit the floor) and it wasn't there. Still waiting for it to come out, which the doctor said would take about 3 days. We're on day two and so far nothing. I'll keep you posted!

New Neice

Welcome Emma Grace Regula!
Congratulations to Heather, Jason and big sister Olivia!
She was born today at 3:07 pm.
9lbs 19 inches, lots of dark hair.

Live Strong, Be Strong, Write Strong!

Paige was the 1st grade winner from her school in the "Live Stong, Be Strong, Write Strong!" writing contest. For this she received a tee shirt and got to read her story at today's all school assembly. Auntie Missy and Mommy went to watch. Her story is called "My Pets" and here is what she wrote:

My Pets

I love my dog.

He keeps me safe, sleeps with me and plays with me.

He is blonde and furry.

My fish are fun to watch.

They chase each other.

They have a castle in the tank.

By: Paige Tetro

We are so proud of her!!

Casting Champion

Paige has a hidden talent. Chris took her to the Springfield Sportsman Show at the Big E last weekend and while they were there she tried fishing in a man made pond. She also entered a casting contest where they have to cast their bait onto a target at certain distances away. There's a whole program called CastingKids where they have these contents nationwide and the winners can get scholarships. Paige entered the contest twice. A perfect score was 150 (50 points each for 3 different types of casts). The first time she got a 60. But the 2nd time she entered she got a 100 which was enough points to qualify her to win the contest enter the state championship!! She took home a Zebco 33 fishing pole, a medal, a certificate, some lures, a target to practice with, a t-shirt and a coupon for a free fishing trip with a paid adult! It was unbelievable! Here are some pictures of her from the local website (MassBass).

Joshy pooped on the potty!

Last night during dinner Joshy was really struggling to poop. Chris took him out of his high chair and asked if he'd like to try to go on the potty. Joshy has been asking to use the potty every night for a week or so. Usually around bathtime when his diaper comes off. And after a few nights of him peeing on the floor we're all for it! But he's never actually done anything. Well shortly after they went in there we heard clapping and cheering. Paige and I burst in the room and Joshy was looking a little dazed, not quite sure what had happened and staring at the gigantic poop in the toilet. We clapped and cheered for a while but he just seemed a little freaked out. I'm sure he won't do it again for quite some time but we're pretty proud of the little guy for at least having an interest and wanting to try already.

So freaking sick!

Oh my god I've been on my deathbed! Vomiting and diarrhea from about 6pm Sunday night until about 7am Monday morning. Couldn't even keep down the tiniest sips of water. Then we went to the ER on advice from the OBGYN to get some IV fluids. My blood pressure was so low they thought I was going to pass out and my heart rate was very high. All of which show how "bone dry" I was. Two bags of fluid later and I barely had to pee. Not good. My potassium was low, I was anemic and my chloride was low- whatever that means! Thankfully the baby was fine. Apparently when you start to vomit like that your pregnant body "shunts" all your nutrients into the baby (good thinking mother nature). So not only am I loosing my nutrients into the toilet but then the rest gets sucked into the baby. Which puts me really low. They also gave me some good stuff for the nausea which did help. We were there for about 6 hours! Can't even image that bill-thank god for insurance! Today I just slept all day. Finally able to eat a little: bananas, toast, tea and gatorade. My body is so achy from all the vomiting. Thanks for all your help the past few days, Chris. Couldn't have done it without you.

Disney Trip

Well, we're back. We had a great time overall. Very exhausted and sometimes cranky but mostly very, very good. Here are some memories:

High Points
-How great the kids were on the plane.
-Seeing Paige's eyes light up at the whole experience.
-Eating in the Castle and seeing the Princesses.
-Watching Cinderella's Royal Coronation.
-Having a $100 dinners that we didn't have to pay for because of the meal plan! What a deal that is!
-Paige getting chosen by Crush in the Living Seas for a chat.
-Getting to see Dad and Sue, getting lost on the way to dinner!
-Joshy taking his shoes off a million times a day in each park and not knowing it until we ran over them with the stroller. This sounds like a bad thing but really became pretty comical!
-The parades and firework shows.
-Being able to do things for Paige that I wouldn't have gotten as a child like the hair wrap, face painting and character meals.


Low Points
-Joshy throwing his bottle in the garbage while Paige and Chris were in Stitch's great escape. He just said "baba" so I gave it to him and next thing I knew it was in the garbage!
-Paige whining about her feet hurting and asking Chris for a piggyback.
-Joshy not eating for the first few days because he's so stubborn and would rather not eat than be fed.
-Joshy crying for at least an hour one night waking everyone up with no explanation as to why.
-Some kid kicking Joshy in the face at Pooh's Thoughtful Spot.
-Paige's fear of all things scary, making her freak out in line for Peter Pan (what if Captain Hook jumps out at me!). She refused to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid (what if there is a big Ursula) at MGM and the Beauty & the Beast Show. As Chris says, we never have to worry about this one bungy jumping!
-Huge, poorly behaved children jumping over Joshy, pushing him and knocking him down in the Toon Town Park.
-Taking insanely overcrowded bus back to the resort and having to stand because no one would let a pregnant woman sit down.
-Listening to Paige complain about things we weren't buying her when she had more stuff than the rest of us combined!

Stats and Thoughts

Like Susan I have lots of random thoughts running through my head. Going to try blurting them all out and hope my head clears a little.

1. After a long trying day I made it through January 4th. We're all a year older.

2. Due to the age difference from Paige to the baby I'm going to be bringing kids to Parkman School for the next 12 years of my life! Remember I attended this school from 1975-1982 and now I'm going to have to be involved there again from 2004-2018!!! I will be 47 1/2 and still going to Parkman School! Like doing the dishes for Sue, this is what brings me down. The getting ready for school in the morning chore. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, all the while with a one year old clinging to my legs! Ugh! 12 more years.

3. I'm really bummed about the miners. I just got a CD Soundtrack of Coal Miner's Daughter and I had been listening to it over and over, thinking of the years I spent in mining country and the people I knew. Then this happened. I didn't sleep much on Tuesday night and when I did I dreamed about the trapped men. Its weird when stories of people I don't know take over my thoughts. I guess I "know" these people in some sense and that's why. Its a hard life and this is going to make it so much worse for so many families. My heart breaks for them.

4. Disney in 9 days! I need this vacation so bad! Here are the stats:
- Haven't been to Disney since 1989.
- Haven't flown away for a vacation since my honeymoon in August 1998.
(since visiting family doesn't count.)
- Haven't been away on vacation for a whole week since July of 2002.
- Haven't been on a plane since October 2002.

I NEED THIS TRIP SO FREAKING BAD!

I've lost the ability to judge...

Is it wrong that I think Dean Martin music is sexy?
Is it wrong to have 3 oatmeal cookies for breakfast? Oats, good. Raisins, good.
Why was Frank Sinatra so popular? He sings like a goodfella.
These are the kinds of questions that go through my mind!

Welcome Julie Samantha!

Born Friday December 2nd. Congratulations to Mom, Dad and both big sisters!
Paige can't wait to meet you!!

Oldies

So as I scan through the stations on the radio and it passes 102.9 I am shocked at what passes as "oldies" lately. I guess this is mostly a problem I have with my perception of what is considered an oldie. To me it does not represent songs that are X number of years old. To me oldies will always be Motown, Doo-wop songs from the early 60s, maybe even a little Bill Haley and other late 50s songs as well. The Platters, the Shirelles, Percy Sledge. An oldie is NOT Cyndi Lauper, the Eurthimics or the Rolling Stones (despite their age). It is not Huey Lewis or Fleetwood Mac. This really isn't a fight against being old, I'm 35 and that's fine. I just think they're categorizing their music in an odd way. Maybe they're changing their image or playlist or whatever it's called. But to me "Big D 103" will always be oldies and those songs just don't fit the bill.

Just another reason why I love my husband

He cleans the cat's butt when she is for some reason unable to do it for herself. Which is surprisingly a lot. She's only 8, but a very unclean cat. In fact the only cat I've ever known that didn't spend it's days cleaning itself. She smells so bad I wouldn't let her in the main part of the house for a day. At night she was in the cellar and during the day she's been outside or on the porch. But tonight is supposed extremely cold and it had to be done. Being pregnant I can't be near the poop end of a cat but also, I wouldn't do that job anyway. And he locks himself in the bathroom with her, requesting paper towels or a cat brush as needed until she comes out soaked and pissed but no longer smelling like poop. Thank god for Chris because you'll never catch me doing that!

Two Stories

So, the other morning Joshua woke up and after a few minutes of listening to him chatter I decided to go get him before he woke up Paige. When I got in there he was BUCK NAKED!!! He had taken his diaper completely off and of course it was poopy. Thankfully he wasn't too bad, nothing a bath couldn't fix. And I guess the sheets weren't too bad either (Chris changed them), mostly it was in the diaper still. Chris said he thinks Joshy just didn't want to sit in the poop anymore.

Last night Paige got a phone call from a boy! She's 6! The phone rang as we were going to pick up Joshy from daycare and when I answered this little voice said "Hi is Paige there?" and I could hear a grown up coaching in the background "ask if Paige is there." At this age you can't tell a boy's voice from a girl's voice so I had no idea. I listed to her say "Cool!" and then I had to know, who was this? She never gets calls and I'm nosy. So I whispered to her "Who is it?" and she whispered back "I have no idea." After she asked she found out it was a boy in her class. Then she said we were going to pick up her brother and the next thing I knew they had hung up. No idea why he called. She of course assumes it was to tell her that he loved her. She insisted we call him back and I think I might have found the right phone number. Although we got a machine. Her message was so cute, "This is Paige. I was going to ask why ____ called me and then I was going to talk. So ok, bye." And so it begins!

Good Times..Not!

So Dad had to evacuate. Well, didn't "have to" but the dividing line is about 2 miles from his house so they decided to go. They left yesterday and traveled up to Tampa. Normally this would only be about 2.5 hours but it took over 5 hours! This doesn't get them too far but at least they're out of South Florida and hopefully far north enough that the storm will come to the south of where they are. If they need to continue further north at least they'll have a jump on driving from home like other people who haven't left. They can only stay in that hotel until Sunday and then they need to check out and now they're saying the storm might not hit until Tuesday. Apparently there are no hotel rooms in Tampa so they'll either have to get in the car and head north with as of now, no place to go, or crash in on Scotty in his 1 bedroom apartment. According to the storm surge maps I found all they need is a direct hit from a Category 2 and the storm surge will be enough that their house will be flooded. They packed winter clothes in case their house is destroyed they'll just head up here. They could be here next week, which will be fine by me because...

Chris is going to Montreal again on Monday. For two weeks. He keeps saying its only one week but I'm mentally preparing for the worst. He's driving so he can come home for the remaining soccer games. But he'll miss the last practice, my birthday and if he is gone 2 weeks he'll miss Joshy's 1st real Halloween. Of the 2 other candidates that could have gone one had a death in the family and the other's wife is having surgery for cancer. I guess my little birthday is no big deal in comparison but I am so stressed about being pregnant and taking care of 2 children while my husband is out of the country!

Costume Dilemmas

So Paige was going to be Kim Possible, as a cheerleader. Which was great, she already has the matching saddle shoes. But remembering the Cinderella fiasco of last year (saying she wanted to be Cinderella, than changing her mind after I bought it) I decided to ask her one more time before ordering the costume. Just make sure it's what she really wants. She hemmed and hawed. I could tell she changed her mind. She was looking at Supergirl, Spidergirl, Jessie the Cowgirl, a witch. Finally she said ok, go with Kim Possible. But I could tell she was just picking it by default. There was something else on her mind. So I ask her, what is it you really want to be but aren't sure about telling me. A power ranger. But not the girl one that's pink, she doesn't like pink anymore. She wants to be the Red one. Fine by me, pretty much. Its cheaper, it's what she wants. Except that it feels a little odd to be getting my daughter something from the "boys" section and wondering if this is just the beginning of a lifetime of that, whatever. But then she starts to cry. What if all the people make fun of her for wearing a boy costume. She's worried about the neighbors! I try to assure her that the 60 year old people on our street will have absolutely NO IDEA what she is, nevermind that the Red one is a boy. My concern is her Halloween party at school. What if she panics that morning and refuses the wear the costume I buy for fear the other kids will make fun of her. And lets face it, kids do that. And Paige panics. This is a reality. What will she wear then? It will be too late to buy or make something else. Nothing from last year fits. I know she likes superheros, I just wish I could find her a girl superhero costume so she won't worry so much or get any grief. Still not sure what to get her and time is running out.

Joshy is going to be Tigger. They're so easy in that respect when they don't talk or have an opinion!

Good Times!

My baby has a heartbeat!
And it's Big E day. Or as we say in our house "Pig E!"
Good times!

Happy...

...belated birthday Tracy!!

...10th Anniversary Sue and Darren!

Happy Birthday...

Tracy!!!!

Answers

Apparently I talk a lot about my life, or my questions were really simple. Probably both.

1. At the Hallmark store in the mall, can't remember what it was called but it was located next to Filene's where a furniture store is currently. Genalco was after this.
2. I sewed straps.
3. Lake Wickabog
4. Point O'Woods
5. Jesse James (boy) or Penelope/Penny (girl)
6. At high school graduation, they ended up sitting next to each other because someone switched seats with one of them to sit where they could see their girlfriend.
7. Dog- Abby, Cat-Muffy who came before Sally was born. Reebok and Maverick were like 10-15 years later.
8. Uncle Ed and Auntie Betty-not to be confused with Auntie Bet. Her name was/is Betty Maznicki and she was related to Matt somehow and she worked with my mom.
9. Uncle Bob is my mother's 1st cousin. Nana August's older sister Eleanor (or Aunt E'nor as we used to call her) was Bob's mother.
10. Yes. I think it was for graduation. But I know it was with Cathy Urian and Roberta!
11. Wendy. And here's a little trivia, Sally's doll was named Linda and Karianne's was Judy I think and Amy had one too. All were identical. Although I will take Sally as an answer as well.
12. 1st best girl friend was Kerri Walsh, 1st best guy friend was Matt Squiers.
13. Uconn 1988-1989, Asnuntuck 1989-1991, Uconn Fall 1991, Year off 1992, Asnuntuck Spring 1993, BayPath 1993-1996. Even I get confused and have had to write it down!
14. Blue house of course!
15. A Reeses Peanut butter cup sundae with chocolate ice cream and all peanut butter, no fudge. Sorry for the non-specifics on this one but I thought it was a classic thing I ordered and would be obvious!
16. cream only
17. In Kindergarten I wanted to be a combo bus driver/teacher. I would bus the kids to school, teach them and then bring them home.
18. I create and maintain the web curriculum for Aetna's traditional (aka NON-HMO) customer service audience. Or a transponster.
19. We went to a cottage called "Villa Costa Lotta" in Ocean Park Maine that was owned by Uncle John's brother Randy. We would go with Randy's daughter Becky because she was my age and a guide to the area and Uncle John's other brother Pete and his family and whoever else he invited along that particular year.
20. The King family farm was on Elm Street running from the edge of the property that is the strip mall to the west, the tree line behind all the businesses on Palomba drive on the east and down to a little brook that separates Tracy's dentist and Bedding Barn to the south. The farmhouse itself sat on Elm Street where Palomba drive is now. It was a dairy farm and he used to deliver milk.

Get to know me game - Part Two

1. Where was my first job?
2. What did I do when working for Genalco?
3. What was the name of the lake where we had the cottage?
4. What was the name of the community where Aunt Lois had her cottage?
5. What were the names my parents thought of for me before deciding on Suzanne Marie?
6. How did my parents meet?
7. What was the name of my first dog? Cat?
8. Who are my godparents?
9. Explain who Uncle Bob is.
10. Was I ever involved in decorating Captain Abbey? If you think yes, describe the circumstances.
11. What was my childhood doll named? (has she been to see you lately Susan?)
12. Who was my first best friend, girl and boy.
13. Name all the colleges I went to in order. Bonus if you get the years!
14. What house was I in at JFK?
15. What would I order at Friendly's?
16. How do I drink my coffee?
17. What was the 1st career I said I wanted to do?
18. What do I do for a living?
19. Where did my family go on vacation every summer and with who? (the more specifics the better)
20. Where was my great grandparents farm in town? What did they grow/raise on the farm?

Turkeys

Just a little wildlife encounter in the backyard in the suburbs! I think we counted eight of them. (Click on the pictures to make them bigger for a better view.)

They came back the next day, here is a close encounter!

Pierced Ears

She finally did it! A little over a month before she turns six Paige decided today was the day to get her ears pierced. Her friend Emily just had them done and told her that it hurt less than a shot. All morning she mustered up the courage and we all trooped down to the mall. Of course that's when the real drama began. Crying, screaming, tantrums and carrying on like a total baby. But she didn't want to leave the store because she did really want to get it done but she was too afraid to do it. We were trapped there with her wanting to do it but too scared to do it. And we took every angle we could with the pep talk- telling her she was tough and strong that we believed she could handle it, down playing the pain, talking up the fun of it all, offering bribes and in the end resorting to shaming her into it. The problem was we knew she really wanted to do it and would be very disappointed if she chickened out. On the way over in the car she was dancing in her chair and singing a "I'm getting my ears pierced" song. So we didn't want to let the fear win. And we were going to do anything we could to help her get what she wanted. But it was a tough road, lasting hours, filled with embarrassment and many trips out of the store and back in. Thankfully the girls were very patient and helpful. I never saw them roll their eyes once! So here she is, Miss America.

Damn Fools

Do you know what bothers me about smoking? Well I supposed I have, obviously, many reasons. The first one is that I saw my mother bleed to death, out of her mouth, becuase the lung cancer ate through her aorta and it exploded. Code blue, lights flashing, people running, and blood everywhere. The last look on my mother's face to me that of helpless, scared confusion. I guess that would be the number one reason why I hate it. I have to live with that image forever. Oh, and now you do too. Good! Maybe it will make you stop smoking. But that's just it. All the idiots that I care about, who knew and cared for my mother are still smoking. (With one exception of Sonja, apparantly the smartest person I know.) But seriously, what is it with the escapism?!?!?! Life gets stressful, and people drop everything to smoke. Oh man the kids are driving me crazy...I'm going to smoke. I'm having such a hard day at work...I'm going to smoke. But you know what the rest of us have to do when life gets stressful? DEAL WITH IT! Through hard times and bad days and death and crisis. The rest of us just have to cope and handle it and carry on with nothing more than the mental capacity we were given at birth. I'm so sick of people taking a break from their lives to do something that will certainly kill them but will also, NOT REDUCE THEIR STRESS. It just makes you a more edgey, stressed out kind of a person. Hello?? What is there not to get. Why is this so freaking hard?!?!?!

I know I'm on a Harry Potter binge and all right now but if I could just take the memory and the vision of that night and the days that followed of sleeplessness and wretching and feeling more alone than I ever knew possible and put it into Dumbledore's Pensieve for others to watch and experience I'm pretty sure we'd have solved the smoking problem in this country.

Queen Latifah

The one thing Chris and I didn't mention about the trip was that Queen Latifah was staying in our hotel just 3 rooms down. Chris thought he might have seen her a few times, but then again maybe not. She stayed the same days we did. The kid in the hotel told us she was coming there the night we arrived. And as we left we saw the Cover Girl truck with her picture on it driving away too. Pretty cool.

Dada

My kid starts talking and he won't stop. Who'd have guessed?!
Yes, that's right. He said Dada in the same day! At least he said Mama first. Now he won't stop: "Mamamamamama Dadadadadaddadada Mamamamamama Dadadadadada"

Mama

Joshy said "Mama!" He had been close to it for a few days now, maybe a week or so actually. Saying "amah" and things like that. But today while waiting for his waffles in his high chair he said it twice, very clearly. Mama, Mama. The sweetest sound in the world!

Lofty Aspirations

Paige just announced that she wants to be a chef and a scientist when she grows up. Her words were, "On Saturday I could go cooking and on Monday I could do experiments." Sounds good to me!

Skunk

Last night while Chris and I were packing the van for camping we both turned to look at the porch and there was a skunk walking out of the house! Now there was a box blocking the view of the step from where we were standing so we can't be sure if it actually went into the house or not. I didn't see any footprints on the floor or anything that would indicate it had been inside. But it at least was right up to the door way. The door was open, Joshy was in his crib upstairs and Paige was in the tub. It was only about 8:30/9pm not very late at all for a nocturnal animal. Barely dark. I just freaked out and kept saying "Oh my God!" but it walked away and never noticed us. After that, we left the door shut! We're not even in the woods yet and already we're having problems with animals!

He's ok

Dad is out of his 2nd surgery and doing well. Going to be a LONG recovery since he hadn't even healed from the first. But at least he's out and ok. Phew!

Bored

That's it. Got nothing.

Trying again

Made a new site for pictures. Check it out!
http://spaces.msn.com/members/tetropics/

Taking the Blog Down

The anger that builds in my head when I see that name just isn't worth having a place to vent and to share pictures of my kids with family who live far away. You win. I'll take it down tomorrow. This will give you plenty more time to insult me and a chance for anyone else to read my blog who hasn't yet today. Good job. Proved my point from the last entry exactly. Another insensitive asshole out there in the world manipulating the good people. How proud you must be.

I hate people!

I would guess I use this phrase at least once a day. Probably more. I really do. I 'm so sick of all these self-important, self-involved people who see others as nothing more than mere obstacles in the way of their life. You know who I mean. People who don't slow down and nearly run you off the road in their vehicles. People who cut in front of you, forcing you to stop short while walking. (Yesterday the same family made us stop TWICE while walking in Mystic. Once when they cut in front of Chris and once when they cut in front of me. They actually had to weave in between a family of 4, pushing a stroller??) These are the people in the grocery store who keep on their course like the North or South Going Zax and make me move out of their way while I'm holding groceries, an 8 month hold and trying to corral my 5 year old. What is it with people? Where did consideration go? Like why when I was pregnant did I have to hold the door open for men in public places? I really did. Enormous baby belly, walking in to work and they let me hold the door for them. I'm serious, it is so frustrating! It really is like these people see other people as nothing more than some "thing" in their way that they need to maneuver around, like a parked car or a cone in the road. I think I'm going to start telling them too. "Oh I'm sorry? Let me get out of your way, I'm sure you're way more important than I am anyway!" Or maybe I'll just start swinging!

So far so good

Haven't gotten the official all clear but the mammogram and ultrasound looked good. They didn't do a biopsy. Just need to compare my old mammogram with the new ones. Hopefully then I'll get the all clear.

Starting to Freak!

So the day my mom found out she had cancer was a hot day in July. Remember it completely. And she was dead 6 months later. Really starting to loose it. I know I shouldn't panic until I have a "reason" to. But isn't having a mammogram and biopsy sort of reason enough? I mean, they don't do those things on a whim or for no reason. And 6 months is before Christmas!! I'm taking deep breaths as if I'm in Lamaze class and it is keeping the diarrhea away (at least so far) but I'm not really in a good place right now. I hear Allison Janney as Peach the Starfish in Finding Nemo screaming "Find your happy place, find your happy place, FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE!"

A Good Day

Dad is out of surgery and doing well! Phew!
And Joshy spent all night last night in his crib! Wahoo!
Things are going well today! I'm so happy for both of them!

Happy Birthday Kate!

Today would have been Katharine Houghton Hepburn's 98th birthday. Although for years she claimed that her birthday was in November it was in fact May 12, 1907. November was her brother Tom's birthday, he died when she was 14 and she pretended that his birthday was hers as sort of a tribute to him. Wherever she is I hope she's having a good time!

He has to go

That's all I've got to say about that.

Modern Signs of Spring

Back in the day people measured the coming of spring by such things as when the crocus blossoms, when the robins return, when buds appear on trees and when a young man's "fancy" turns to love. Frankly I have no idea what a crocus looks like, I don't have time to squint at every bird I see to determine if it's a robin and in my experience a young man's fancy is rarely swayed from "love." Here then are some modern signs of spring:

1. the start of baseball spring training
2. street sweepers cleaning up the winter's leftover mess
3. the arrival of Shamrock shakes at McDonald's
4. Easter dresses on sale
5. Peeps in the grocery store
6. cars lined up at the airport post office to drop off their tax return

Of course this all culminates in "Leaf Day" - the day my father says all the leaves are out on the trees and it looks like summer. Which is approximately May 10th from our observations over the years. I swear I used to have more of these but I can't think of them anymore. Let me know if you can think of others.

Likes

The dislike list came out a while ago. Here are some likes:

1. Sunflowers
2. Feeling fancy
3. Feeling pretty
4. Shopping
5. Coffee
6. Tea
7. Being a mom
8. Being in my 30s
9. Old movies
10. People with common sense
11. People who understand sarcasm
12. Snow days
13. A clean kitchen
14. Family night
15. Snuggling with my kids
16. Feeling intelligent
17. Driving at night and singing with the girls
18. Reminiscing
19. Mocking stupidity (I know it's mean, but it's true!)
20. Going to the beach with my family
21. Vacations
22. Fall foliage
23. The West Wing
24. Matthew McConaughey
25. Breakfast foods
26. Christmas Eve driving home late at night when it feels magical
27. Reading
28. Being right
29. Clean sheets
30. The smell of Easter flowers (and I specifically mean tulips, hyacinths, etc. because other flower smells remind me of the funeral home and death)
31. Saturday afternoons
32. Pancakes and bagels and eggs and hashbrowns and muffins and breads and...oh yeah, see #25
33. Driving around with no particular place to go, just seeing the sights, sipping a latte and having a good conversation
34. dusk

Cutest Kids in the World!

I have the two cutest kids in the world!! Check them out!


What a stud!

So beautiful! 

Location Location Location

My sister is looking for suggestions as to where she can have her wedding. Obviously in the local CT area. She's looking for outside, perhaps this October and trying to stay away from the more mainstream banquet-hallish type places. So if any of you can think of a place to have both the ceremony and reception (at the same place but not exactly the same exact location) let me know and I'll pass it on.

Wedding Bells

My sister is engaged!! Congratulations to Sally and Steve!! We're so excited! A year after they reunited Steve proposed, with what is reported to be quite a ring! =) We wish you, and Zachary all the happiness in the world as you officially become a family.

The Soccer Mom

Here are some shots of the new vehicle. I wasn't able to get a picture before took it's toll when it looked perfect, but you can imagine.

Another angle

New Van 

The Dislikes List

I know I'm really late in the game, and I'm sure there are lots more but here goes for now:

1. Death
2. That choking sound
3. Feeling like an orphan - by this I mean having almost no one left around me that is my family or my friends and no place I can go to feel like I'm at home away from home.
4. Grown ups who call their parents mommy and daddy (or who refer to themselves this way to their grown children)
5. People who use lingo when speaking
6. Sprite or diet soda
7. Squishy foods like cherry tomatoes
8. Getting puked on
9. Pushing a baby out
10. Rap music
11. Hearing too much base coming from someone else's car stereo when in your own car
12. People who say they're going "to prom" or going to wait "on line." It is going "to THE prom" and you wait "in a line."
13. People who act as if they know everything.
14. Getting sand stuck all over me at the beach
15. People who don't get out of your way but make you get out of their way
16. People who walk quickly up behind you and force you to move out of the way
17. When there is pee on the toilet at work. We're grown women people!
18. When people don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom
19. Messed up couch cushions
20. clutter on the table or the hutch
21. Dishes in the sink when there is plenty of room in the dishwasher, a mere foot away
22. Clothes on the floor, again mere feet from the hamper
23. My skin aka feeling like a freak
24. Peer pressure
25. People who don't even try to help themselves before I saying "I can't"
26. The oversexed women on the Levitra and Overstock.com commercials