2005-08-25 Quickly...

Allergy appointments later....

And Julia pulled herself to standing at the coffee table today!

YAY!

2005-08-24 Soap Opera Style Drama

Today I found out...

-that our landlord would be willing to rent to us again, but doesn't know if she will have a new rental property in place (or if it will be in Middleboro) by the time this house is sold.

-for reasons that I don't care to get in to, I suck. None of this would even be a concern if it wasn't for me.

-that our neighbor's purchase and sales agreement is set for December, and even though that is no indication of when our landlord's will go through, moving in December would absolutely freakin' suck. Either make it now or after the holidays, thankyouverymuch.

-that we may actually have to move out of Middleboro which is just devastating beyond words. We love it here and damn it, we don't want to leave.

-that Emily's Girl Scout Leader's may need to change meetings from Wednesday to Tuesday which means that Emily would have to choose between Burtwood School and Girl Scouts, both of which she absolutley loves.

That's enough, no?

Blah...

2005-08-24 Dentist

Katherine has an appointment on September 19 for a cleaning and she is counting down the days. She is looking extremely forward to getting a new toothbrush and a toy.

My kids actually enjoy going to the dentist. Weird aren' they?

I remember way back when, on the way to Emily's first ever dentist appointment, I stopped to get gas. The window of the car was rolled down and Emily was chatting it up with the gas attendant. She was going on and on about how she was going to the dentist and about how excited she was yadda yadda yadda. He said he had never seen someone so excited about the dentist. When I told him it was her first time, he said, "That explains it."

She still loves it to this day.

2005-08-24 Major Work

Here's what I heard.

Katherine: "So, do I have to talk like this (cue to valley girl style "Like Oh My God" type babble)

Emily: "If I am going to teach you how to be a big kid Katherine, we are going to have to do some major work on your social skills."

I have no idea where they came from. Ryun and I aren't that cute, smart and funny.

2005-08-24 Dr. Phil's Fabulous Ideas

By following the simple advice I heard on a Dr. Phil Show, I have finally found inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.

So I looked around my house to see things I started and hadn't finished; and, before leaving the house this morning I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Chardonnay, a bottle of Baileys, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreo's, a pot of coffee, the rest of the Cheesecake, some Saltines and a box of Godiva Chocolates.

You have no idea how freakin' good I feel.

2005-08-24 13 Months

Don't ask me where the time goes...I have no idea.

Anyway, here are some shots of the little monkey doing all kinds of things she could get in trouble for...he he he.

I believe I mentioned in a previous entry that I didn't think the gate would last long? Ahem.

I thought behind the chair was a great place to hide the cds. I was wrong. She has good taste though..."1980-1984 Only Dance". Not too bad.

2005-08-23 Emily and Katherine

These were taken with my camera phone (forgot the real thing at home), hence the smallness of the shots. I can't seem to enlarge them much more than that with my photo editing software, at least not without making them extremely blurry.

Anyway, it was a nice way to spend this lovely afternoon. Heather babysat Julia which was nice. I got to spend some real quality time with Emily and Katherine which is sometimes a little hard to do with the little one running around. They had a good time.

I love the playground in Carver. It's fairly new and the equipment still looks shiny and in good condition. They entire area is fenced in, with a bike path running around the outside perimeter of the fence. I love the fact that it is enclosed...it makes knowing where each kid is a little easier.

Anwyay, aren't they gorgeous?

2005-08-23 Blood Sugar

I am anxious to see her endocrinologist in October. Lately, her attacks seem to have no rhyme or reason. She ate every last bite of her dinner last night, and had desert at about 7:30 or so. She doesn't seem to be getting sick (sometimes attacks occur more frequently when she is sick). I am just not sure what is going on. I have to research a little bit more but I think her problem is not neccesarily high sugar or low sugar...I think it's a regulation problem. For example, I just retested her, more than an hour after she finished eating, and her sugar is 236...which is high, very high actually. I don't know what the heck to think. Normally, after eating the sugar goes up, then, eventually goes down to a normal level. This does not appear to be the case.

If anything major occurs between now and October, I will bring her in sooner, on an emergency basis. Other than that, as per usual, we will just play the waiting game!

2005-08-22 Lunch Box Recipes

I generally pack the kids lunch for them on a daily basis. On occasion, I let them buy lunch/snack but not often. By packing their lunches I know what they are eating and, we save money. Lunch and snack cost $2.00 per day...two kids, five days a week=$20.00 per week. It sure doesn't seem like a lot until you figure it out like that.

Anwyay, I am trying to think of things I can do to "spruce" up what I pack them. Sandwiches get boring (that and the school always sends out a letter in the beginning of the year requesting (though not demanding) that we send the kids with things that don't contain peanuts, therby eliminating the possibility of an all time lunch box favorite PB and J). I hate doing coldcuts all of the time (talk about saving $, coldcuts can get expensive). I have done such things as celery sticks with ranch dip and things of that nature but I was wondering, does any one have any good "lunch box recipes"?

2005-08-22 Season Premeires

I am most looking forward to LOST, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, ER, The OC, Will and Grace, and Survivor. LOST of course is the one I am obsessing over, and I am holding a slight grudge against since another one of my all time favorites, American Dreams was cancelled as a result of LOST's popularity. I have no idea why NBC decided to move Amercian Dreams to Wednesday nights. As good as it was, it didn't stand a chance against LOST or, later in the season, American Idol. Dumb move on their part if you ask me.

I an anxious to see if ER will even be worth watching (I say this but I know I will watch it regardless) with Noah Wyle gone. I think he may have been the show's last character worth a damn, but in the end I didn't like him either (sorry, I really hated Kem).

This is Will and Grace's last season....and damn. That show is so funny it might be illegal. I want a best friend like Will, really I do.

As far as The OC and Survivor are concerned, I watch them strictly to get in my weekly dose of "soap opera style drama." We all need a little of that in our lives.

Extreme Makeover Home Edtion takes care of my "weekly cry" need. I swear to God, it has absolutley nothing at all to do with watching Ty Pennington sweat. Nothing at all.

2005-08-22 Stem Cell Article

The causes of epilepsy are complex and while many important advances have been made in the treatment of seizures (such as improved anticonvulsant medications), there is still a great deal to learn. The basic biology behind the development of a tissue like the brain is staggering in its complexity. However, the last decade has seen a great increase in our understanding of the neurosciences. In time, cellular therapies may indeed be useful in the treatment of certain central nervous system disorders. However, without a greater understanding of the biological basis of epilepsy, it is difficult to predict when or how such therapies might come to pass. The field of stem cell research works together with other basic sciences, relying on fields such a neuroscience to suggest potential uses for cellular therapy.

2005-08-21 Moving

Yeah.

Yesterday, before we left to head to the pool for the afternoon, two guys showed up to do a Title V inspection. I thought it was becasue they were re-doing the septic system (it backed up a few months ago) but he was like, "No they're selling the place."

I knew that selling was a possibility because of thisbut, I honestly thought it wouldn't be for a year or two. The facility is being built in the woods behind my house.

Anyway, the good news is this. Our landlord is buying another house in Middleboro which they will in turn rent to us. We don't have the details yet, but in a nutshell, the landlord said that they have been looking at houses in Middleboro which are nicer than the one we are currently in. I am thinking that if they were out here doing a title V, it will be happening soon, like within a month or two. I am hoping that we like whatever house they buy(which I am sure we will) because we can't afford the expense of moving right now. At least if we rent from the same landord, we won't have to come up with the whole first, last, security thing because, well, they already have it. We haven't done any damage to this house and the fact is, even if we had, it wouldn't matter. When we are gone, it will be torn down anyway.

Not that I am going to have any say in what kind of house they get but, if I did here is what I would ask for, in no particular order.

1. A nice yard like we have here.

2. An office. I would probably kill to have a room dedicated to crafting (scrapbooks etc).

3. A hugely, gigantic, enormous kitchen, with a breakfast bar. And lots and lots of cabinets and counter space. And stainless steel appliances. (Yeah, I know, for someone who doesn't like to cook my kitchen requests are a little over the top).

4. Good sized bedrooms (which we have here).

5. A room that can be used as a playroom. Because my kids have way too many toys, and now that we have one here, I can't imagine living without one.

6. Central air.

7. All bedrooms on one floor, and laundry on whichever floor that happens to be.

8. Located in a neighborhood. I want to make friends with my neighbors and get together for Sunday dinners, and an occasional glass of wine on the farmer's porch, sitting in wicker rocking chairs, while we watch the children run around the yard. Yes, I am serious.

9. Moving just a tad closer to...to well anything would be nice. Preferably closer to the center of town, but not in the center of town and not too far from grocery shopping, the schools etc.

10. Moving to a house that has town water would be nice too. No septic worries etc. Oh yeah, and town gas. We have propane right now and it's too damn expensive. Middleboro Gas and Electric would be nice. And way less expensive for sure.

And that's it. I don't think I am asking for too much...well, maybe I am but, hey, a girl can dream.

2005-08-21 Pictures...again.

1. I am a picture freak. My camera (or my camera phone) go with me wherever I go. Everywhere...grocery shopping even. Kodak moments come at weird times, and I don't want to miss one.

2. I have the cutest damn kids on the planet. Nuff said.