Allergy Testing Update

We are disappointed with how little we learned from Flynn's testing.
Um, newsflash, she is still allergic to milk (thank you Cap'n Obvious) & that's all we know.
The allergist told Jeff that it's not good to test them for more than one thing (I've never heard that).
When Jeff recommended the blood testing, he told Jeff that we won't learn much more about the severity of her dairy allergy. Again, confused.
He's usually very knowledgeable. I'm just hearing some things that I've never heard before (which always makes me doubt). I'm also disappointed because we're wanting to get some answers.
Oh yah, he told Jeff that the best way to find out if she's allergic to shellfish is to just "give her some & see how she does."
H E L L O ?
Think it's time for a new allergist?

Pray for Flynn (allergy testing!)

Right now, Flynn is at the allergist's office getting the scratch test. We've NEVER done the scratch test for her dairy allergy (first allergist we had said too risky??).
We have reason to suspect that perhaps her sensitivity is decreasing?? This is not based on the fact that she has INGESTED dairy & had improved reaction (not true) yet that she survived a whole year of a preschool setting sitting among other children who are eating DAIRY & to our knowledge, has not reacted.
Also, she used to regularly have skin/contact reactions -- to what we were never sure (dairy on others hands/faces coming in contact w/ her?).... she RARELY has these types of reactions.

What she has had tho, has been reactions to food made with CHOCOLATE that is supposed to be dairy-free. So, I'm hoping that she'll be tested for some of those specific ingredients (chocolate liquor, cocoa, cocoa butter).

She also had a reaction the other day (a pretty bad skin reaction) to a 'boo boo device' ... one of those things you keep in your freezer, that's filled w/ a gel that is cold to hold on a booboo. She had fallen flat on her face & asked for the "car" to put on her booboo. So, after 4 or so minutes of holding it on the booboo, I pulled it away to assess the booboo. She was swollen, red, & welted EVERYWHERE the booboo laid. Like an outline of the car. Bizarre. So, apparently yet another allergy (latex? plastic?).

Pray for:
-decreased milk allergy (hey, if you're so moved, pray for completely healed from allergies!)
-NO other allergies found
-no asthma symptoms today

Thank you!!

PS Why am I not with her? Gabe's pretty sick. And I'm home running the sick ward. Thankful for a hubby who has this week off! :)

When I Said "Whose Next?" I Meant US

So there it is. The new 'do for each of us. I still can't believe I have short hair. After all these years.

Flynn actually looks like she was MADE for this hairstyle. Just when I thought she couldn't be ANY cuter, she went & surprised me.

She wasn't nervous, but right after the first cut, she looked like she was going to burst out into tears. I don't know if it was all the attention, or emotion from seeing it really happen (after so much talk).

Ask her where her hair is going & she can tell you exactly where.

And she's just as excited about being a girl with PIERCED EARS! She keeps looking at them in the mirror. And was so tough while getting them pierced. I tell ya...this girl. She is a keeper!

Hair Today....

It's going to be gone tomorrow. Yep, tomorrow's the Big Day.

Flynn isn't the slightest bit nervous, but I AM! Part of me is sad about saying good bye to my own long hair. It's been such a part of me for so long. Of my 35 years, my hair has been long for about 30 of those years.
And there's some finality knowing that I will most likely not grow it out again (I've never liked long hair on 'older' women). Plus, the grey is starting to take up residency. Gray hairs replace the dark brown CURLY hairs. And, I certainly wouldn't have long hair if it wasn't pretty healthy & yah, curly.
The biggest part of me that's sentimental about this, is to see my gorgeous girl's gorgeous hair go bye-bye. Her hair is so pretty, it's so healthy. And altho it's mostly a pain (takes about 45 minutes to comb out), I've loved fixing it & seeing it in curls & down.
But she is making her own decision. And 6 mos ago, when she mentioned having short hair, I explained hair donations to her & she was right on board. She understands that her hair will be made into a wig for someone who has lost theirs. And she & I both think it's pretty neat.

Now, back to my pursuit of a cute curly cut.

to be continued....

Long Winter's Nap

Do you hear what I hear?:"Do you SEE what I see?"

2 kids, eating a 'special' Christmas breakfast
(sweetened cereal!, a real treat! Santa left in their stocking!)

What a mess!:

(hey! ck out my new ring! thx jeff!! :)

Gabe, checking the goods in his stocking:

Flynn, America's next Hannah Montana ("Hannah Muntanna"):

My REAL gift:

Excitement, NOT contained:

Christmas Eve @ church:

I think our BEST Christmas so far. And now, time for a long winter's nap...

or what most call, BEDTIME.

Greetings From Our Family

Hope it's merry!

Two More Days...

The excitement's in the air. And at any given moment, Flynn can spit out the exact count of days until she wakes up to see that baby under the tree...you know, the one that praises herself for the poo poo in the potty.

Gabe's along for the ride this year. He's pickin' up what we're layin' down -- just not to the full realm that Flynn understands it. He knows he's getting presents. He knows he's getting to eat lots of cookies. In his world, that equals bliss.

Know what I really hope they get? That this isn't about them. That it's about Him. That tons of years ago, God gave them the ultimate gift. The one that doesn't run on batteries, or take an hour to untwist & untwine from a insanely taped box.

Can you imagine being there? Can you imagine being Mary? Knowing that you were not only about to give birth, but it wouldn't be with an epidural...or even running water. That you'd be responsible for bringing God to earth. And you'd be the one putting band aids on His boo boos?

I hope that through these next few days, those last minute gifts, or my kids' sugar high hyperactivities, or throwing together a last minute dessert I forgot about, don't derail me from the reason we wear red & green.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”- Luke 2:11-14

They're Home

Some of you inquired about my somewhat sneaky post, wherein I scratched out the CA address for my sister & her family.

'Tis true. They are home. And without divulging a whole bunch of info without permission, I will put your fears to rest by telling you that everything is fine. But things are not always as they are depicted to be. There.

Anyway, I'm happy that my sister & brother in law kept their promise to themselves & their family when they said that if it didn't work out, they'd be back.

All is well that ends well.

And all is well that ends with your sister & your girls, home safe in your home state.

Enter Circus Music

For about a year now, Jeff has started a circus theme, whenever things start, well, seeming like a circus. Like they tend to... a lot.
You know, do do dodi do do do do do do....

Someone could've blasted circus music last night. In our car. On our long trip back from Grandma's house in Arkansas (I couldn't have made up that line if I wanted to).

You see, Gabe's been potty trained for about a year now, but BMs? -- not so easy to hold.
And me, I've been prone to car sickness my WHOLE life. And it doens't take much when I'm riding in a car, to make me queasy.

So, when Gabe yelled up to us (as we were 30 minutes from home, had been in the car for 6 hours), "Me gotta poo poo! Me SICK!!!!"
My response to Hot Hubs was, "Pull off at the next exit" & I gave an encouraging, 'You can hold it Buddy' to my boy in his 5-point harness.
"NOOOOOOOOO, Me SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And.
Was.
He.
Ever.
...and when I turned around to start the unbuckling process, we were still on the hwy (which I HATE).
But, the boy said he had to go.
But, the really bad things is,
he already had.
Went, that is.

So, when I turned around (car still going down the hwy), to sit him on our in-car potty (yes, I'm a germ-phobe & keep a potty seat in the car, for such occasions), I had no idea, that his undies were, um, full.

Until his hands went in them. And my hands went in them. And the smell filled our car. And here came the heaves.
Gag.
Gag.
Gag.

And before I knew it I was yelling, "PULL OVER, I'M GOING TO PUKE."
And I did.

Oh yah, did I mention the 100 MPH winds?

Ever seen puke blow sideways??

I have.

Right onto my open door.

And,
if we were a reality show. Like I think we should be.
The last few seconds of that episode, would've panned back to that particular spot on I-55.
To Gabe's Spidey & Friends undies.
Where we left them.

Sock Countdown

Every year, Flynn looks forward to the Sock Countdown (a bit of an advent...but I've narrowed it down -- now there are only 12 socks)

See the socks above her (doesn't she look like a baby??!!)
Last night's message in the sock said, "Girls paint Ho'Ho'Holiday Toes. Boys paint Ho'Ho'Holiday Rocks."
Other messages include DRIVE AROUND & LOOK AT LIGHTS. Or HOLIDAY SHAKE. Or CHRISTMAS CRAFT. Or READ THE STORY OF THE NATIVITY & SING AWAY IN THE MANGER. I count ahead & the nights we won't have time for an activity, they will just find a piece of candy, which is a REAL TREAT for my kids.

The 'socks' are basically mateless socks & mittens. It's a ribbon from Walmart's fabric dept. And regular old clothespins.

The truth is, I could certainly do it better. But the kids don't care. And I don't have time to handknit sweet little felt mittens with embellishments.

Greatest Feeling

this week was scratching out my sister's California address.

That's right-----
they're coming home.

For good.

I guess Flynn's birthday wishes must be pretty potent.

Perry Hodge Podge

You know that crafty modge podge stuff?...I always accidentally call it hodge podge.
But anyway,
here is some stuff for the grandmas to laugh at:

• a few weeks ago, Gabe started calling me AMY.... a couple of days ago, he referred to me as 'Amy' all day long. Until I scolded him & said, "Gabe, Amy is what other people call me, you & Sissy call me Momma." He said, "Oh."
• I used to call my parents by their first names. Except, their name was preceded by 'Big'. So, my parents were "Big Jim" & "Big S". It rubbed off on my friends who all started doing the same. Heather's parents were "Big Bob" & "Big L". And instead of saying, "Let me check with my parents", we'd say, "Let me check with my Bigs." We were such dumb teens & now, now, it's all comin' back 'round.
• Gabe will not write his name. For. Anything. Period. But, he willingly & voluntarily writes an 'F' & announced, "F for Finn!"
• In a discussion about heaven, Flynn said, "I can't wait, I'm going to see if I can hop on the clouds."
• I'm not ashamed, I have my shirt TUCKED INTO my pj pants. No lying.
• My dad, whose mispronounications have become endearing to me, pronounces SOY MILK as 'O Soya Milk.' And I'd have it no other way.
• Flynn was looking at some photos I had printed out for a frame. One was of the previous posted Mrs Claus photo. And when she looked at it, her eyes watered. I thought nothing of it, then proceeded on to the next photo. She quietly said to me, "Sometimes when I see a picture of someone with a red nose, like Grammy or Nana, it makes my eyes water." I tried SO hard not to laugh, as when I went back to the picture, sure enough Mrs C's nose was a bit on the rosy side. She acted very embarassed & so when a laugh did emerge, I was sure to squeeze her & tell her that I love her because she can make me laugh & making others laugh is a very good thing.
• Gabe can not just observe others riding his spring horse. He has to stand beside, a hand on the horse in action, or try to squeeze behind the horse.
• Flynn can tell you at any point in the day, just how many more 'til Christmas.
• And Gabe is not the slightest bit worried about being on the naughty list.

Not Ready

I woke up to notice Jeff not beside me. Which was strange. And when I got up to look for him, I saw both kids' beds were empty. I started to panic. No one should be awake so early. The cars were still here, he couldn't have taken them anywhere. And as I searched through the house yelling their names, I got the strangest feeling.

At some point, after I'd made phone calls, listened to the radio, turned on the tv, it became clear to me. And after preparing for it my whole life, it happened & I got left behind.

This was a dream I had Saturday night. And although, through the course of the dream, it evolved into me not being the main character, yet me watching this happen to someone else; it was still enough to shake me to my core & leave such an impression on it, that 30 hours later, I can't get it off my mind.

And I want to be sure that you are ready. That anyone who thinks my blog is of any interest, has read with their own eyes, perhaps something you'd never known before. It's the other side of what we live. A side that isn't talked about much.... it's not fluffy or heartwarming. It's not rainbows & doves & kittens & sunshine. It's not 'God Bless You' or 'Peace to You.'

I was surprised to recently read that Rapture has become something that is believed in by just evangelical religions.

According to the Word of God, the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the coming of the Lord in the air to receive to Himself into heaven both His own who are alive and remain unto His coming, and also all who have fallen asleep in Jesus, and that this event is the blessed hope set before us in the Scripture, and for this we should be constantly looking (John 14:1:3; 1 Cor. 15:51:52; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 4:13:18; Titus 2:11:14).

Hey, someone a long time ago must've thought so too -- graves are still buried facing the east.

No matter -- whether you believe that people are going to instantly be taken up (some films depict the clothing left behind, the cars left driving) --- or believe in a different order of events... pretribulation, post, etc., I feel confident in saying that most Christian religions believe that Jesus is coming again, the dead will be resurrected, and the problem of sin will be fully and finally resolved.

Isn't that a much better eternity to think of; rather than, you live, you die, that's it. ?

Maybe I won't be arround for Christ's return. Maybe I'll die today. Maybe you will. Either way, isn't it best to know what will happen if we do die?

I pray often for Christ's return. I don't want to be around to bury one of our parents...to see more sadness in this world.... for 50 more years of back pain. Hopefully that doesn't come across as morbid. But just reading a glimpse of the glory of heaven, is enough for me to be excited for it.

Why did I have such a real dream? Why did God lay it on my heart? I don't think it was the pork loin I ate Saturday for dinner.

How do you know you're ready for Christ? How do you make sure that once you live, you die, you can "firm up" plans for eternity in heaven?...

So easy. So important -- in fact, inarguably, the most important thing you will have ever done. Here's how:

Know & believe that Jesus Christ was God's son - sent to earth to rescue a world full of people like us, sinners.... SO THAT, we could have the promise of heaven for eternity.
In the bible, in the book of John (3:16) is says,
God loved the world so much that He sent His son, so that the people who believe, don't have to just die -- but that we can live FOREVER in HEAVEN. (that's paraphrased by yours truly)

Then it's ABCs (can you tell I'm a teacher?!):

Admit/Accept -- "God, I know I sin. I do awful things. Please forgive me for all the bad stuff. For the years of not always doing the right thing...

Believe -- ....You are God. You sent Your son Jesus who died for me & rose from the deal. I want Him as my savior, as my friend. I accept Him as the One I live For. I trust in only Him......"

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts (4:12)

Confess -- ...to others. No, I'm not suggesting that you get a bible & stand on the corner on a box, screaming to passers-by. But what I believe was of huge importance in the bible, is spreading the gospel. Best done by you sharing w/ others, just how you feel about Christ. My goodness, some of us go on & on about a new facial cleanser, or a new recipe or sport, more than we do about the guy who let himself be killed for us!
And those others you confess Him to. More beneficial if they don't believe. Otherwise, you're literally preaching to the choir. Certainly uplifting to other believers! (& easy & stress free!) -- however, not so much effectice, eh?!

If you happen to be reading my silly little blog ... and have never heard any of this stuff... will you email me? (tightwadmomma@gmail.com) Or maybe you've heard it all before, but are at a place in your life where it all just makes sense. Please let me know. God doesn't intend for you to make such a step then wander aimlessly alone in your walk. He wants you to be supported. And He wants you to keep learning.

Now, onto a post about my kids, baby poop, & all the other ridiculous stuff I usually talk about...

Woot!

I saw a contest about being thankful. I figured, why not, I'll ask Flynn what she's most thankful of & will type as she talks.
I was of course proud & pretty impressed as she rambled on & on about her allergy & how glad she is to stay safe. And of course, when she gave shouts out to her HomeBoy, God.

So, I was super excited to get a phone call that she was one of the semi-finalists. She didn't win the grand poomba, but won her category & 4 tickets to see our zoo all lit for Christmas (yay!).

Wanna check out her entry?:
http://stlouis.momslikeme.com/members/JournalActions.aspx?g=640988&m=3058977&grpcat=

Sincerely,
Proud Momma

Complicated Bubby

So today was an I.E.P. meeting for Gabe. I met with the special services coordinator & the speech & language pathologist. The goal of the meeting was to write an IEP so that Gabe's speech therapy could begin.

You know how I've complained a bit about this process. How for a year now, we've been actively pursuing therapy for him. How as a bit of an early childhood expert, I've known the criticalness of him learning language in the language window (for lack of a better term). It's killed me to know that he is now past the time where learning language is easiest & most effective.

So...feeling a bit relieved, having set the appointment for today, knowing his therapy could start as early as the week schools return from Christmas break, I went in super positive.

The SSC & SLP weren't to the point I had expected them to be at. As they wanted to learn more about Gabe & ask lots of questions.

Long story short, through lots of questions about Gabe's personality, his quirks (or at least that's what I had thought they were), his past, & his present, they're concerned about more than his speech.

There is some concern about sensory. I always just thought he was overly-sensitive or disagreeable.

The SLP also is concerned about apraxia -- which I had mentioned to the pathologist who evaluated him 9 mos ago, but she shrugged it off.

SO...
No he won't be starting therapy anytime soon. Rather, he will be evaluated AGAIN. This time not just by an SLP, but also a PT & a OT. After that, another IEP meeting. At which point, they will decide the extent of his therapy needed & exactly what type of therapy. That won't be until February.

I left a bit discouraged...glad that they're being thorough. But also a little disappointed that yet another month is going to go by with no help.

My boy just wants to talk.

And when I had asked him to repeat his teacher's names (I'm wanting him to start addressing them by their name when he 'speaks' to them), Mrs Peterson & Mrs Schmittgens, he said, "Micka Peeton & Micka Mickens." And I melted. Because "Micka Mickens" is the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life.

Total Randomness

Which is a true representation of my brain lately. SO much in my mind -- to do, to make, to finish, to organize, to buy, to return... It's a bit too much for a brain which was already pretty full to begin with.

Here are some great photos worthy of blogocity:

My girl, the artist. She took misc. stuff from the playroom & made a snowman.

My boy, also pretty artistic & is no stranger around the magnadoodle.

Said, "Me make E. Me make letter E."

And he did...

My boy, also obsessed with tools.

He sees his daddy working on stuff around the house ALL THE TIME.

And when at Pa & Nana's, never sees resting, just always hammering something,

sawing something, pouring concrete, you name it.
He has no choice but to be handy.

Flynn & our one-on-one time every nap (well, she still naps 1-2 days a week).

Said, "Take a picture of me upside down, so I can see myself upside down."

I didn't tell her that she could get the same results by turning a photo we'd already taken, upside down.

Plus, not near as fun.

Please don't remind me that I have only 15 days left to check off the rest of my list. But do remind me that there's nothing more fun than the looks on my kids faces when they walk into our livingroom Christmas morning, a room full of gifts, just FOR THEM.

Gobble, Gobble

Our church has a big Lord's Supper (Thanksgiving breakfast + Communion) every Thanksgiving.

Not sure how my short girl got shoved to the back row -- couldn't see her at all.

Right here, she could've cared less who could see her... except the friends she was trying to cut up w/ I guess (what IS she doing anyhow??).

Either way, it was cute cute cute. And who doesn't like to see their sweeties in the spotlight??

(Flynn back row, 4th from right; Gabe front frow, 3rd from right).

PePaw's Surprise

A couple of Saturdays ago, we were very sneaky & pulled one over on PePaw

(which was not so hard, he is his son's dad for sure!).

Flynn was so curious as to how a SURPRISE party worked.

And I told her ahead of time (which could've been risky).

But on his actual bday, after we'd called him & sang to him, she told me

(very curiously, new word), "Mom, I think PePaw knows about his suprise."
"He does??" (thinking, she let the cat out of the bag to him)

"Yes MOM!, He knows it's his birthday, WE SANG TO HIM!!"

Happy 60th Birthday PePaw!

Frosty Night of Fun

Except I don't mean frosty the snow man.
I mean our friends, the Frosts & how we only carve out time in our schedules for us to get together like 2-3 times a year. And then whenever we do, we talk about how ridiculous it is that we don't see each other more often.

Because when they come here or we go there, the kids are in hog heaven. Flynn & Delaney acting crazy together.

Photo from 10/2006

And the boys, who each only have a sister or two, focus all their boyish rough-housing play on each other.

Buddies way back then, 10/2006

After eating, wrestling, destroying the playdoh, ransacking the train tracks, & wrestling some more, they were still ready for more. And while us girls went to Kmart (& I astounded Amy with my coupon-style), who knows what the guys did back here.

Then we came back & made angel ornaments. And the kids stayed up later than they ever have in their entire lives (seriously).

Yet, Flynn was still up at the crack of dawn this morning.

A Flynnism last night at Kmart. As she rounded the corner & was distracted by an endcap full of toiletry sets in cosmetic bags,

"Oooooh, these are STYLISH."

And while the rest of us died laughing, she fondled the make up bags.

Seriously, where did she get that?? (wasn't me)

We love you Frosts.

Mrs Claus

came to preschool.

But not before we had prepared letters (& a piece of art) for her to pass along to her hubby, Santa himself.

Just like usual, Flynn went right to work on her letter. She got one line in, wiped her brow, & said, "Can you help me Mom?"

I agreed, as I knew that at that pace, it'd be Christmas of next year before the big guy would get his '08 letter.

Bubs on the other hand, flat out refused to write the letter. The artwork was actually his idea, "I make picture instead." And so he did. And I wrote his letter. Except, unlike Flynn's letter (with each sentence thought of by her, dictated by me), all the ideas in Bub's letter, were thought of by his Momma. Who is hoping that he (Gabe) finds a book in the bottom of his stocking, a book entitled, "How to be More Agreeable."

The adorable photo with the Mrs.:

I just want to point out Gabe's mini unicorn stump. Which matches his green sweatshirt. He did that at load-in last Saturday at church. Can someone tell me how the child managed to fall flat on his face on a concrete/tile floor & managed to hit BETWEEN HIS EYES (without his nose taking the brunt of it) with such force that it took 5 days to bruise?

This next one is saved "dark mrs claus" on the computer. I don't think I have to explain why (& it's not because she went for a mystic tan up at the North Pole).

Why would I even save such a poor quality photo, let alone post it on the blog?

Because I want you to check out how my kid's giant hands, are as big as Mrs. Claus's. He might only weigh 31 lbs, but about 10 lbs of it is his head, and another 6 are his long Arsenio Hall fingers.

Yay

Finally.

How to Burn 8 Trillion Calories,

In just 45-minutes:

• Be elbow-deep in coupons, deciding that when you surface from the clippings, that you'll enter into your 'work-mode' (real work, the kind that pays).
• Look around at the mess in the playroom/office/family room. Breathe a sign of relief that no one has to see it.
• Be startled when the phone rings. Look at Caller ID & tinkle a little when it's the realty office.
• Try to not act surprised & panicked when the realtor says, "We'll be showing your house between 3 & 4."
• Look at watch, see the time of 2:07 pm.
• Say crap.
• Jump up & look around. Let out a fake cry.
• Briefly panic, but then realize you don't have time to panic.
• Text Jeff (text to email, yay!) & tell him the low down.
• Fight a case of I.B.S.
• Throw all said coupons (& trimmings) in nearby basket (same one used for drawing for tightwadmomma.com).
• Say crap.
• Yell to Flynn (a plead-yell) that you need all 472 pieces of train track back into the train table drawer.
• Plead w/ her to also pick up all pieces to Handy Manny's toolbox...and what all the babies...and the construction set...and the cars.
• Cry/yell/beg when she gets distracted on a piece that "won't come apart mom."
• Re-consider the whole showing.
• Clean downstairs bathroom, stack baskets of clean (yes Mom, clean) laundry in laundry room.
• Think to myself, wonder if they'll think this laundry is dirty.
• Move furniture to cover stains on downstairs carpet.
• Open blinds to hind 2-inch thick dust that lives on each one.
• Grab reusable shopping bag & stuff it full of weird odd stuff on table downstairs.
• Hear Mission Impossible music in my head.
• Laugh because this will be impossible.
• Cry because this will be impossible.
• Tell Flynn I'm glad she didn't nap.
• Straighten up shelves.
• Hide mess of receipts in box on shelf.
• Throw Christmas gift bag into closet & slam door shut.
• Realize that when they open the door to closet, it's all going to fall out.
• Shrug shoulders, no time to care.
• Move upstairs, look at kitchen table & say OUTLOUD (altho no one is around), "Oh, no."
• Get a timely phone call from Baby Lua's dad, tell him the deal & designate a pick up location just down the road.
• Clean up lunch dishes & crumbs.
• Wash Baby Lua's dishes.
• Clean counters.
• Clean sink.
• Pick up random plastic crate & start throwing homeless stuff in (you know, nose trimmers, etc.).
• vacuum out Baby Lua's booster.
• unbuckle it.
• vacuum out seat.
• cry.
• go to main bathroom & round up shedded hair (ew, gross, I know).
• wipe all surfaces.
• 'fluff' rug.
• see a random 'somethin or other' & kick it behind the door.
• Hear Baby Lua's "I'm awake please come get me!" cry.
• Final touches in bathroom.
• Wash hands.
• 'Rescue' Baby Lua from pack n play.
• Change her diaper, make her 'presentable.'
• Throw everything in Jeff's bathroom, under his sink (he might be a bit mad about that...one of said things is his TOOTHBRUSH).
• Look at watch, say OUTLOUD, "Oh my gosh, it's quarter 'til!"
• Glance across the hall at Flynn's room & growl, "There's PUZZLES ALL OVER THE FLOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!"
• Send her in to start picking up the puzzles.
• Throw random stuff from dresser INTO one of the drawers.
• Start folding up pack n play.
• Nearly faint of relief when hearing the sounds of Jeff coming in the door.
• Consider kissing his feet, but know there's no time for affection.
• Tell him to clean kitchen floor.
• Scratch head over what to do with laundry all over bed.
• Start folding said laundry, as it's no more trouble than ATTEMPTING to find a hiding place for it.
• Open Gabe's door, apologize ahead of time for turning on the light 1/2 way through his nap, then blind him w/ the overhead light.
• Look at his pale & surprised face & turn light back out.
• See Jeff finishing the puzzles with Flynn & thank God in my head that I married SUCH A STUD.
• Tell Baby Lua that I love her but that I can not hold her right now.
• Kick some of Jeff's clothes (on the floor) under his side of the bed.
• Join Jeff in Gabe's room, which won the award for MESSIEST of the DAY.
• Look at watch & announce to everyone, "It's almost 3!!"
• Round up Baby Lua's stuff & start carrying it to the van.
• Yell for everyone to "GET TO THE CAR!!!!! IT'S 3 O'CLOCK!!!!!!!"
• Take another once over, grab random stuff (including, but not limited to the plastic crate full of random homeless items).
• spray linen spray on the beds.
• turn on wisp flameless candles (see www.tightwadmomma.com for an awesome deal on those).
• make a pretend plot w/ Jeff to just sit in van in garage, while the kids watch a video.
• realize that giving someone a heart attack when they look in the garage & see a family in their vehicle, might not be a good selling tactic.
• laugh,
• because,
• only us.

Cute

There are some cute things going on over here at the house of orange (& I don't just mean hot hub's backside).

Some things I want to note:

• Flynn sang herself to sleep today (a nap! a nap!)
• Bubs & Daddy were talking last night, Daddy can't leave his day job at work, so he was telling Bubby that everything covering him was skin. "Gabe, this is all skin." "Nope D'ay, this is COW-WA, COW-WA!"
• Flynn told me today in the car, "I really would like to see a big Santa & a big reindeer."
• Bubs ate at the counter today. Because, well, he wanted to -- and I think a smart move on my part, it meant him eating a mug full of soup!
• We made cookies. With chocolate (not really) sprinkles. Just a note: you might not want to eat anything that Flynn cooks unsupervised, as I looked over & she was linking her fingers & sticking them in the choco-sprinkle tub.
• We have a salmon-colored huggies tub & an old white one (that now houses mini-tys). Gabe pointed to it & said, "Look Momma! -- a white box & a orange box!" (monumental!)
• Flynn's dance teacher told her class a week ago that the Christmas tree would be up today & to bring an ornament. She didn't forget, not for a moment...she even remembered to take the ornament! (she's a walking blackberry)
• Gabe got a handy-manny toolbox from Flynn's BF Madelyn...and it doesn't leave his side. Ever. He even asked to take it to walmart.

I Am Thankful

Maybe even more than last year. Definitely more than 10 years ago.

So very thankful.

Thankful for...

Flynn stopping me as I walked out of her dark bedroom last night, to say I love you just once more.
Gabe running into Daddy's arms yesterday & laughing until he was out of breath.
Feeling the warmth of Jeff's arms around me & knowing that I am blessed.

It's Like I Birthed a Child

For reals. I've been up late the last few nights. Have gotten mad. Have gotten glad. Have gotten rad. (okay, maybe not rad, but it rhymed & I didn't want to use sad)

Because I created a little website. Readers, meet my new site. My new site, meet readers.

It will be a combination of the easy/cheesy things I do to save a dime. Good deals I see. Great finds I share from a garage sale or flea market. Hand-me-downs I'm excited to show. Crazy stuff I make or create. Free samples. Awesome coupons. And fun things to do with your family, that won't break the bank.

Go check it out....I hope you like.

The Birthday Song

Don't let them fool you,

they might try to act embarassed,

or like they'd rather not have the entire staff of Bob Evans

come to the table & sing to them...

but the truth of the matter is,

that they LIKE having the birthday song sang to them.

Information about Flynn's awesome outfit: IT WAS HER DAY! I LET HER PICK OUT HER OWN OUTFIT! And boy, did she ever clash. What she chose was her hand-me-down & very worn-out pink sweatshirt (complete with satin bow) teamed up WITH her orange & glittery silverish leggings, a hand-me-down from Madelyn.

I mean, if you can't pick out your own outfit for your 5th birthday, when can you pick out your own outfit?!?!

Birthdayness

After an exciting Bob Evans dinner (sarcasm), we came home, put on PJ's & birthday crowns (well, just one). It was time to sit in the birthday chair & open more gifts!

What's this? Lots of books? And an off-brand Polly Pockets set from Bubby?
A close up of the 5-year old.

The scooter was a big hit. And she was off! And thank goodness for a good open basement to practice the new 'scootin' skills.

And then some downtime with the new books.

The next day, Flynn asked, "When are we going to have my next party?"

Um, yah.

Hmmph! And They Say Teaching Has No Perks!

Actually, that's us that says it. All the time, we complain -- we get no swag, no paid business trips for the whole fam. No business trying to impress us, by paying for dinner & golf. No Christmas bonus. Not even a paid Christmas party (yes, 'til true, in the past if we wanted to attend, we must pay a hefty fee + bring a dish).

But there are perks. Other than the I Believe the Children Are Our Future changing lives, shaping futures, making learning fun....there's other 'stuff'.

Like really cool middle schoolers. Yep, I put cool & middle schooler in the same sentence. I used to DESPISE this age group. They were geeky. They were ackward. I didn't even know how to talk to them. My standard line, when asked what my certification was in, was, "Elementary. Yep, can't stand the kids older than that. Once they get boobs, b.o., & a bad attitude, I can't be around them."

But that's totally changing. Well, for one thing, those little 2nd & 3rd grade sweeties I taught 6 years ago? Guess what, they're still sweeties, but now they're middle schoolers. And those sweet darlings at church who ooh & aww at our kids. Yep. Middle school. And 1/2 my wonderful nieces? Middle School.

And hot hubs teaches my new tolerable age group. And comes home with stories of their hilariousness. And how much he likes them. And how glad he is to have added that certification.

And you'll never guess what those little darlings did...

A handful of them, in one of his classes, pooled the money together, and bought FLYNN a birthday present.
And boy did they ever get it right! They must've known that Snowball's days are numbered. As they gave her a BRAND NEW WEBKINZ!

PERRY the PLATYPUS!

And that's way better than an engraved mug anyday!

Cornucopia

When I picked Gabe up yesterday from his classroom, I noticed some artwork peeking out of his backpack.
"What's this?!" and I bragged on the masterpiece.

"CORNUCOPIA" he said.
He said.

Um, he can't even say cup. But he said
cornucopia.

Pretend It's 11/11/2008

you know, the real first day of preschool.

Tuesday, 11/18, Momma asked the two littles to stand beside each other for the photo.

Gabe didn't want to.

Flynn insisted.

Gabe was mad.

Momma takes Gabe's photo with his backpack on.

Gabe says, "Me do this."

Momma takes Gabe's photo at his new school

Gabe says, "Me do this" & did something odd with his hands.

Momma takes Flynn's photo.

She stands beside one of the teachers who is filling out a birthday card for her.

This is Flynn's first day at her new preschool, 10/11/08.

She wore her milk allergy tee.

And if she isn't the picture of a preschooler...with her cockeyed doggy ears & her chapped lips.

Happy 5th Birthday Flynn

minutes old

November 19, 2003, the day you made me a momma

5 months old

Your first Easter, 2004

14 mos old

Daddy's birthday, your 2nd January, 2005

17 mos old

Your 2nd Easter (& a few short mos before becoming a big sis), 2005

2 years old

playing doctor

2 1/2 years

4th of July 3 1/2 years
on vacation at the beach

4 1/2 years

first time on the west coast

Dearest Flynn,

I can't believe this day has come. When you were tiny, I used to think about this day & how 'five' was so big & how far off in the distance this birthday was.

Well, it's not far off in the distance now. It's here. And I can't believe how fast it got here.

I'm probably more emotional than I should be about this particular birthday; but to me it means the end of anything-baby, it's the official end to your preschoolhood (even though you are still in preschool) as five typically means the beginning of school. (don't even get me started on that, I don't have enough tissue for that)

You could not be more of what I wanted & hoped in a daughter. Really. You are so smart. Incredibly clever. With your big dark eyes & matching lashes. You don't seem to care what anyone thinks about your ideas & the things you want. You think outside the box. The movies you ask for, the things you want to do in your spare time, they aren't typical for little 5-year old girls....and I like that.

You have faith that can move mountains. You ask questions that I would need a theology degree to answer. A couple of months ago, you asked who was bigger, 'God or Jesus?'. You regularly pray that God would heal you of your allergy, and I know that in His timing, He will honor that.

Your latest obsession is babies. If you spy one, you say, "Ohh!!!!" You love to hold them & rub their hair & help take care of them. It makes Daddy & I question our timing of having your baby brother when you were still a baby (far before this love of baby stage).

You have a deep love for your family, particularly your cousins. Your normal sibling rivalry always makes way to wanting to please Bubby. Recently when we were having lunch with friends, you gave Bubs your seat after he cried five minutes to sit where you were sitting.

You have great friends. Lots of them. And grow close to each friend you have.

When asked what your profession will be as an adult, you still consistently waiver between "a doctor" & "a firefighter". And with the strong traits you have, I believe either of those could be a reality.

This year, you traveled further than you ever had. To California! And you experienced a plane ride for the very first time. You also learned what it means to miss someone & ask about your girl cousins across the country, at least once each day.

You just changed preschools. This would be traumatic for lots of kids, but not you. You kept with your go-with-the-flow attitude. You love the new place, especially being in a class with your best friend Madelyn.

You love church. On Saturday nights, when we're laying clothes out for the next day, you & Gabe squeal, "church tomorrow! church tomorrow!" You love your teacher who always makes sure the snack is a safe (& fun!) one. You spend quite a lot of time there at church as we're one of the first ones there & one of the last ones to leave. But it seems like no prob to you & Bubs who make it pure play just going up & down the long halls.

Nine months ago, you asked me how babies are made. I was dumbfounded & completely not ready for such a question for sure. And my quick (& untelling) answers weren't enough for you, you kept wanting the truth & more of it.

One thing I can really appreciate at this point in our lives is what a 'good' girl you are. I ask it & you do it. You rarely ask twice. Being around so many other kiddos, I see what a comodity your obedience is. Thank you!

You are loved everywhere you go. And especially here at home.

When you came into this world, I thought my heart would burst with love. And nothing has changed...

except,

there's even more of it now.

Flynn, I pray blessings on your sixth year of life (fifth birthday starting your sixth year). I pray that your attitude would continue to be positive. That your love for others would be abundant. I pray that you know no sadness this year but if you do, it leaves you a better person. I pray that what you know about God would grow in enormous amounts & that your relationship with Christ would be stronger & stronger. And that you will keep telling other people about Him. I pray that because He's promised us such, that this will be the year that you don't know the fear of dying or becoming sick from what you're given to eat. That this will be the year that your little body is strong & healthy & whole.

I pray that your bright eyes don't lose their twinkle & your pouty lips keep kissing the people you love.

And like I pray every other year, that you don't lose the huge zeal that you have for everything you do. That mundane will never set in & that each thing you do doesn't seem done until you've given it your all.

More importantly that you will know that everything you do makes me & daddy proud. And that you are so special, no matter what.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl....

More love than you will understand for a long long time,

Momma