Goodbye 2009!!!

My last blog of the year. I don't really have much to talk about at the moment. My last blog was quite eventful and not much has happened since. Elliot's working tonight, so the boys and I are spending a quiet evening here at home. I don't at all miss the all night parties and spending the whole next day recovering from too many drinks on New Year's Eve. I sometimes look back and wonder how I ever did it. We decided years ago that it was better to spend NYE with the kids since they were getting old enough to realize we weren't spending it with them. Not that I judge other people for partying on NYE, I just don't do it - anymore!

I've been thinking today about a New Year's resolution. I didn't do one last year and I'm pretty sure I'm not doing one this year either. Not because I don't believe in them, but just because I can't think of anything. How lame is that?

We've had a pretty good year. The kids are both doing well in school and sports, we've all stayed healthy and the bills are paid. So...I guess my hope for the upcoming year is for things to continue going as well as they are. I don't have any complaints.

I hope you all have had a great year and spend the evening doing whatever it is you want to do. Please be safe!!! Happy New Year!!!

Christmas 2009

And just like that, it's over. I'm always a little sad when Christmas is actually over. I feel like it's something that takes months of planning and preparation and then, whoosh, it's over so fast!

This Christmas was like no other Christmas I've ever had and I'm so glad the boys got to experience their first white Christmas! It didn't come without it's challenges though. For the better part of last week, all the local weather people kept saying was "no snow for us on Christmas...it will pass just to the north and west of the metroplex..." blah blah blah. I know better than to listen to these ass clowns (pardon my french), but I do. So, Wednesday night when they started talking about some "dusting" of snow my ears perked up. Elliot had to work Christmas Eve morning, so I spent the morning showering and getting everything ready for our day in Granbury with Elliot's family. The more weather I watched and the more facebook statuses I kept seeing, about people being stranded on I-20 and the snow causing whiteout conditions, I started getting nervous. But, Elliot talked me off the ledge and promised we'd be fine coming home that evening. So, we made the drive to Granbury...



I let the worries of the weather sit in the back of my head while we enjoyed spending time with Elliot's family. We had such a good time. The kids played in the snow.







Even I got pelted with a snowball - by my own husband...



After the kids played their hearts out in the snow, we sat down and ate a wonderful meal and then opened presents. We tried to hurry out of there so we could try and beat the ice, but we were too late...the ice had already taken over the roads and we were in for a long haul home to Mansfield. We left Granbury at 8:04 and it usually takes us just under an hour to get from driveway to driveway. Well, after 2 1/2 long hours on the roads, we finally made it home at 10:26. Needless to say, we were a bit restless and my nerves were shot. Elliot even commented that that sucked and he didn't want to do it again.

Once we were home, we got to have our family Christmas together and we had a blast as usual. We cranked up the Christmas music and opened presents until midnight. It was so much fun. Elliot and I had a late night getting everything ready fro "Santa".



My Mom came over Christmas morning so we could exchange gifts and then we headed out to Cedar Creek to have Christmas with my side of the family. Luckily all the snow/ice from the day before had melted and dried up, so our drive wasn't nearly as stressful. We had a great day visiting with my family and eating the best food (too bad we left our leftovers there - boo). We had a small gathering this year because all of my family wasn't able to make it, but we managed to have a good time anyway...






And just like that, Christmas was over. The kids have said many many times that this was the best Christmas ever and I think I may have to agree with them. It was magical - maybe it was the snow???

Speaking of snow...As I sit here typing out this blog, there are huge, fat snowflakes falling from the sky!!! 2 days in less than a week? In Texas? Really?

Wrapping It Up...

LOL.

There's nothing worse than thinking you're done wrapping presents, only to get a phone call telling you, "I have a couple more". Ugh. Oh well. Tis the season - right?

I've been a mad wrapping genius over here. We have a little tradition - started by my husband's Mom and Dad - where we put weird names on our gifts and try to figure out who they're to or what's in the present. Well, I modified it somewhat for the kids because for them to try and figure out what the gift is by the weird name on the box is a little over their heads. We enjoy it, but it's lost on the boys. So...my husband being the man of tradition and liking his things a particular way was not too happy with my modifications. Hmpf...guess who gets to change all the labels on the kids' Christmas presents today? Yep...me - the modifier. Oh well. Lesson learned.

The kids are outside playing again today. It's a bit windy if I do say so myself, but they're enjoying it. I told them to get all the outside playing done today because the weather is supposed to really take a turn tomorrow. It's going to be downright cold around here for the next few days - which is fine with me. It'll just feel more like Christmas. Something about the upper 60's and sunshine doesn't scream winter weather to me. So...bring on the cold front.

I sent out some Christmas cards this year, but not to everyone. So, I thought I would share some of the pictures that were in the running for our cards. Enjoy and have a good Tuesday every body!










Oh - by the way...I had another Dr. Pepper today!!!

It's Christmas Dammit...I'm Having A Dr. Pepper...(oh and some cookies too...)

Everyone has an achilles heel right? Something that makes them weak in the knees and something that they like to treat themselves to? Maybe something that you over indluge in once in a while? Well, my achilles heel is Dr. Pepper. I could drink it all day every day. However, I don't. I try really hard not to drink them ever. But...once in a while, on a special occasion, I'll treat myself to one - maybe two at a time. So...I decided this morning, while in the checkout line at CVS to get tape to wrap presents, that I was going to treat myself to a Dr. Pepper. Why? Because it's Christmas! Let's just hope I can leave it at the one 20 oz'er I bought and don't go back for more tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day...you get the picture.

I baked cookies last night. ALOT of cookies. 5 dozen to be exact. For who? The neighbors? The mailman? The UPS man? Family and friends? Nope. For us. this is our one time of year when we go all out and eat any and everything we want and I guarantee all 5 dozen of those cookies will be gone by Saturday. How sad is that? And I wonder why I can't lose weight...

Speaking of losing weight. I've been struggling for a while now with losing weight. Over the summer I injured my hip running and it still hurts me every single day. (I should probably go have it checked out, but I'm a wuss) I've decided that instead of getting back into a running regimen after the New Year, that I'm going to move the treadmill back into the living room and start a good walking work out routine. I need to get back in shape and no matter how well I eat, I'm not going to lose weight without some exercise. So...this is it with the food, the not exercising, whatever. I'm going to hit the ground walking come January 4 (Of course I've got to wait for the kids to go back to school) Wish me luck people and if any of you want to join me - feel free. I'm doing this this time...

The kids got their letters from Santa today. They get them every year in the mail and it's the one thing they really really get mesmerized with about Santa. We're lucky Liam still believes and I always feel things like a letter from Santa or the Elf On The Shelf, keep the spirit alive for him.





We had a busy weekend and it's nice to have some quiet in the house. The kids are outside playing with the other kids on the street that are out of school this week too. Luckily it's a nice day, so I have the windows open and can hear them laughing and having a good time. Instead of playing around on the computer, I really should be wrapping presents, but I'm finding excuses to put that off. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Christmas Break Is Here!!!

Well, we've made it to Christmas break and I'm so excited that I get to shut off the alarm clock for a few weeks and enjoy spending some time with my sweet little boys. I love this time of year I enjoy it even more when I get to spend it in my pj's at home with the kids - and the hubby if I'm lucky!

We've been super busy around here this past week, with Christmas parties at school, me getting some work time in, finishing up the Christmas shopping and of course karate for Liam...

Liam took his first stripe test this week in karate and got his first black stripe on his white belt. It's a small step forward to his goal of getting his black belt, which he hopes to do one day. Next month he can hopefully move up to gold belt.



Aidan got to have an extra day off school this week. His teacher wasn't going to be at school yesterday, so I took it upon myself to let him stay home and start Christmas break a day early. Liam wasn't too thrilled, but hey - life isn't fair - right? Anyway, Aidan's class party was on Thursday and he had fun eating donuts, playing games with his friends and making me a new ornament for the tree.





I only have a couple of Christmas presents to get, but for the most part I'm done! I love not feeling the pressure of the shopping and not having to be out with all the people that are doing their last minute shopping. That just stresses me out...

I've got a lot to do around here in the next few days. Today I've got to tackle the laundry, which always seems to rear it's ugly head at the most unopportune time. Oh well. We're going to have a nice night around here. Elliot and I are going to watch a couple of movies that we've been wanting to see for a while. Let's hope we can actually do it this time! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

This Week...

Well hello everybody! Things here have been great...a little hectic, but great nonetheless.

Aidan is doing his "Snow Biz" program tonight at the school. He actually got a part this year - as a postal worker. I can't wait to see how he does.

Liam is obsessed with karate. He would go every day if I let him. I drew the line at 4 times last week. We've only gone once this week, with plans to go tonight and Saturday for sure. He's on a mission to do his stripe test next Wednesday or Thursday and in order to do that he needs 8 classes. Well, with us starting late we had to play catch up. He's loving it and really enjoying the classes alot. Aidan has no interst in doing it quite yet. Besides, Aidan's mind changes as the wind blows, so I would never make the committment to sign him up for karate at this point. He may change his mind and decide he doesn't like it the week after we pay for a year's tuition.

This cold cold weather has got me in the Christmas spirit. I just love it! Nothing says Christmas like some below freezing temps. I'm sure we'll be at 70 before we know it, so I'm enjoying this cold weather while it's around. I even bought me some cute furry boots to wear (when I'm not in my jammies)...

Oh and I've got a couple of TV shows I've got to talk about. If you haven't watched The Middle on Wednesday nights on ABC, it's a must see. It's my new favorite sitcom and definitely worth checking out. It's a very quirky show and has alot of great characters. They just showed their Christmas episode last night, so I'm assuming it'll be on a break over the holidays, which means they may play reruns. Check it out. My new favorite reality show - Jersey Shore on Thursday nights on MTV. Trash TV at it's finest. It's the Real World on crack and I loved every minute of last weeks' 2-hour premeire. I can't wait for tonights' episode! I've also got to give mad props to MTV's Teen Moms, which is a kind of follow up show to their summer hit 16 and Pregnant. It premiered on Tuesday night and is definitely worth watching as well.

That's about all I've got. I've got to get ready for karate and Aidan's program. I'll make sure and take some pics tonight and post them later on. Have a good evening every one!!

Playing Catch Up...

Wow! It's been a long time since my last blog, but I've been so busy and haven't had much time to sit down and type something up. So...I'll try as best as I can.

Aidan was sick the week before Thanksgiving and missed the whole week of school. He's doing great now and I'm glad he got over it fairly quickly. Because I was playing nurse that whole week, I got sick. Yay. I'm fine now too. Luckily I had some antibiotics here and was able to get those started pretty quickly and get the thing kicked right off the bat.

We hosted my family for Thanksgiving dinner here at the house. We had a blast and it was so nice to get my whole family here together for the first time in YEARS. My brother even showed up with his girlfriend and it was so nice to have them here. Elliot's parents came and I think they had fun too. It was such a great day. The Aggies played the Longhorns in the annual Thanksgiving game and we almost pulled out a win...Maybe next year??? Here are a few photos of our fun day...









This week has been crazy. I've been decorating the house for Christmas and catching up on all the stuff I had fallen behind on. I finally got the house done and just in time for the snow we had on Wednesday morning! It was so awesome to watch the snow and have all my decorations out...it actually felt like Christmas! We got Liam signed up for karate - actually it's American Tae Kwan Do. He had his second introductory class on Tuesday and got his white belt. He's got quite a way to go, but I think this will be something that he will really like. He's already been on me about going whenever he gets a chance.

Tomorrow is Friday and supposedly - according to the local weather people - it's supposed to snow again. I'll believe it when I see it but it sure is fun to have that excitement. I'm snuggled up on the couch tonight with the kids and my computer. I love this weather!!!

This Week Has Sucked...(but it's getting better)...

K...Had to settle on going to the "Doc in the Box". Aidan's doctor couldn't get him in until 4:30 this afternoon and frankly - I didn't want to wait all day. So...he has an upper respiratory infection and pharyngitis. Nothing a few days of antibiotics won't fix. Phew! He also had a flu test, which I thought was unnecessary, and it was negative of course. So, we're back home with antibiotics and back on the nebulizer every 3 hours for the rest of the day. Oh and we were advised to stop the steroids since it's an immunosupressor and his lungs sounded great. So, hopefully we can both get some much needed rest and kick this sucker where the sun don't shine!!!



Have a great day everyone and an even better weekend!

This Week Has Sucked...

I don't have any other way to put it. Aidan is sick and getting worse by the hour. He stayed home from school on Monday with a slight fever and congestion. He was fine Monday night and Tuesday morning, so he went to school. He woke up early Wednesday morning having trouble breathing, so I had to break out the nebulizer that we haven't had to use in MONTHS. I also had a prescription left over from last spring for some prednisone. Once we got Liam off to school we filled it and I just knew he'd be better by the afternoon. He was. He was even better throughout the night and into Thursday morning, but I decided to keep him home to "keep an eye on him". He started getting really congested yesterday and the wheezing hadn't quite subsided as much as I would've liked. I put him to bed last night (with us) not knowing if he'd be able to go to school today or not and said that we would see how he was doing in the morning. At about 4 this morning, he started the wheezy cough. I let him sleep as long as he could, but finally at 5 he asked for a breathing treatment. We got up, did a treatment and I noticed that his congestion is 20x worse. It's thick, greenish-yellow and he can barely blow his nose to get it out. So...he's home again today. He's actually really bummed about not being able to go to school today because they are having a Thanksgiving feast for lunch and he was really looking forward to it. Oh well. I'll put a call into the doctor as soon as they open and hopefully we can get him in soon. We'll see what this doctor is made of when I go in for our first sick visit. I haven't been very happy at all with the office staff and I haven't had to take either kid in yet while they're sick, so we'll see. I'm not going to hold my breath. I need refills on all kinds of stuff too...we'll see.

I'll update as soon as I know what's going on. Have a great day!

Awesome weekend...

We had such an awesome weekend. It started off with me visiting my brother in the hospital Friday night. He was in alot of pain, but managing it well and dealing with the recovery. I'm happy to say that he was discharged today and hopefully he can continue this long, painful recovery peacefully at home. Then, I decided to go out on a limb and make a huge purchase...I spent all of my birthday money on a "Chi" straightening iron. Wow. It's expensive, but as of now, totally worth the money. Somehow I've justified it in my head that with my crazy hair, it's a wise investment. I've already had buyer's remorse but just because I spent all of my money. Oh well. I really do love it.

Saturday was pretty busy. Elliot did his first "trail" race. Which basically means he runs through brush, tree limbs and roots, etc. He was only supposed to run like 16 miles, but they ended up changing the course and somehow he ran 22 miles. Go figure. And of course he ran it like it was a walk in the park. He did say how hard it was, which I found comical since he just did an IRONMAN. Any way, he's excited about this new racing venture. I just smile and nod...

The boys had their last soccer games of the season, which couldn't come soon enough. I've been pretty vocal to y'all about my feelings of this season and I am so glad it's done. Liam's team ended up winning 1st place in their division and he was more than excited when he saw his trophy...



Aidan's season ended on a much more somber note. They ended up tying their last game, but the boys really came together and ended up playing really well these last couple of games. I was kind of sad to see his season come to an end. His coach was young as well, but he at least cared about the kids and seemed to really connect with them. I hope Aidan decides to play soccer again in the spring just so he can get back on this team.

Then after all that, Elliot, the boys and some of their friends went to the TCU game. To say that had a blast is an understatement.






We topped Sunday off with some football on TV and good ole family time. I hate when good weekends come to an end, but I am excited that the kids only need to get through 5 more days of school before their Thanksgiving break...Yippeeeeee!!!! Have a great week everybody!

Bye Bye 35...Hello 36!!!

Well, today is my birthday - YIPPEEEE!!! I love birthdays - anyone's birthday. I love the way my Mom still calls me at 11:39 am and sings Happy Birthday to me. It never fails. I tear up every time. But, today didn't come without any drama...

My brother is very sick. He was taken to the ER last night with severe abdominal cramping. He was rushed into surgery at 7:30 this morning to repair a perforated intestine. He made it through the surgery fine, but he's still asleep and "recovering". He'll probably be in the hospital through the weekend for sure. Please say a prayer for him and hope for a speedy and full recovery. He sure knows how to steal my thunder...just kidding!

Any way, looking back on being 35. This past year flew. I had vowed to make changes and be a healthier me. Well, that clearly didn't happen. But, it will this year and I am going to make sure I stick to my promise this year.

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Spring Cleaning in the Fall...

Well, today we finally did it. We cleaned out the garage and made it a useful part of our house once again. For about 3 years it's just been a place where everything goes that we can't find a place for. Not any more. It's now a "fun zone", complete with an air hockey table, dart board, ping pong table and mini basketball hoop. I better not hear "Mom I'm bored" any time soon.

I can't tell you how much stuff we were storing. We could've probably been in an episode of "Hoarders". It felt good to sell some of our junk at the garage sale. It felt even better to give all the stuff that didn't sell to Mission Arlington a week later. Most of the stuff that was left was seriously trash. So...it's all out on the curb waiting for the trash pick up tomorrow. I can't believe how much we've "purged" over the last month. We sold my dear, beloved Passat, we cleaned out the garage and the attic, got new floors in the house. It's a whole new house around here and it couldn't feel better. Bring on the Thanksgiving gathering. I'm ready!

The kids are tucked into bed and ready for school tomorrow. Aidan's arm, from the varicella vaccine reaction, seems to be doing better. There's still an ugly bruise there, but the redness and swelling are gone. I'm exhausted from all the going and going that we did this weekend and I can't wait to get a break tomorrow when the kids go back to school and I can get back into a routine around here. I have a date with the treadmill...I better not stand him up. Have a great week everyone!

Smell...

You know how everyone supposedly has one sense that is stronger than all the other senses? Well, apparently my dominant sense is smell. My Mom gets such a kick out of my wicked sense of smell.

My husband correlates people with animals. You know, "so and so looks like a rat" or "she looks like a monkey". For some reason that's not as funny as me saying "he looks like his feet smell" or "she looks like she smells like baby powder". I do this daily, but not necessarily with everyone I see or talk to. I don't divulge my weirdness to everyone, because I know it's strange, but am I the only one that thinks people look like they smell a certain way?

I can barely sit in a room with people eating Parmesan cheese. Elliot's got it out right now and I'm about to go rent a hotel room for the night. Geez. That whole thing started 6 years ago when I had my hysterectomy. I was knocked out on pain medicine on the couch right after coming home from the hospital. Elliot was watching CSI Miami (which to this day I can't watch) and eating spaghetti with Parmesan cheese. Apparently I was having some wicked drug induced dream about the chick on CSI Miami (who has the annoying country accent) and Parmesan cheese and from now on I get nauseous every time I smell Parmesan or hear that girl's voice. (It's fun living in my world for a day)

Listen, I know I'm weird. I am the first to admit it. I'll leave you all with that.

So Much To Talk About...

Okay. I'm sorry. I've been a bad, bad blogger. Honestly, I do think about blogging every day, but I just can't seem to make that happen for one reason or another. I'm sorry. I will promise to make a point to keep it coming. It's times like this that blogging is somewhat of a chore because I have so much to talk about that I don't know where to begin...

Let's start with Aidan's birthday/Halloween. It was such an awesome day. We spent the day being lazy because the rain had yet again cancelled both of the kids soccer games. My Mom, Elliot's parents, Uncle Josh, Ashlyn and Casey all came over and we went to eat at Aidan's restaurant of choice for that day - Chili's. Then we came home and he opened presents and all the kids got into their costumes for trick or treating. We then went pounding the pavement throughout the neighborhood and the kids had a blast! Aidan lasted longer this year then he ever has and between all three kids I think they have enough candy to put anyone in a candy coma. It was definitely a night to remember.

Aidan decided he wanted to be the Joker from Batman - the scary Joker. We're not sure why because he's never seen any of the Batman movies, but we went with it and let him have 100% say in his costume this year.



And the even funnier "baseball Joker"...




Liam's costume this year was by far the funniest costume we saw...and he was not sure how he was going to like it. Elliot and I basically forced our oldest child to be Fat Elvis. I swear there was nothing funnier. Not only was the costume hilarious, but Liam's comedic talents were on full display the entire evening. He went to every door asking for a "jelly donut", "peanut butter and banana sandwich" and saying "thank you. thank you very much". It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. He got lots of laughs, which only egged him on more. Halfway through the night he broke out into a slow motion Elvis run across the yards, which had us all laughing so hard we could barely stand it. I really wish I would've taken video. But, all I've got are these photos...






And all three kiddos...



So, with Halloween gone, it's time to start focusing on the holidays - my favorite time of year. I can't wait to get all the Christmas decorations out of the attic and transform the house.

This past week was pretty busy. Elliot worked almost every night and the kids had lots of homework for some reason. After alot of research and going back and forth, Aidan got the H1N1 injection on Thursday. He had stayed home from school with a headache and sore throat on Thursday and I knew it was probably just allergies. I called his doctors' office (which by the way, I'm not really loving any more) and asked if I could go ahead and bring him in for his varicella (chicken pox) booster and the H1N1 injection. So...he got it. I hope we made the right decision. I know it's probably better safer than sorry, but it was really hard to decide if it was the right thing to do. We will eventually get it for Liam as well, but since he's not as "at risk" as Aidan, we decided to hold off on it for him until it was more available and not in as short supply. I definitely don't want to take it from kids that really really need it. So...there's that.

Oh and get this...all the worry about reactions to the H1N1 vaccine and I noticed tonight that Aidan has had a major skin reaction to the varicella vaccine. I'm crossing my fingers he's not going to break out in pox now...which will be just our luck.

The kids are almost done with the soccer season from hell. Liam had a game today and Aidan had two games. In the next 6 days, the boys have 4 soccer games. I'm about soccer'd out. All the rain this season and the horrible coach...ugh. I'm done.

Phew. I think that's about it. Now I'm not as overwhelmed at the thought of blogging because I think I'm all caught up. Now, I will vow to be a better blogger. Have a great rest of the weekend everybody!

Pot Stirrer...

Leave it to me to love stirring the pot. I'm absolutely 100% fed up with Liam's soccer coach. I've had it. And what do I do when I've had it? Stir the pot...

For about a week and a half, I've had a coach from another soccer team contacting me about rescheduling a rained out game that we missed. Hello...I'm not the coach. As it turns out, this coach had been trying to get in touch with Liam's coach and had absolutely no luck. He then contacted me, since I'm "team mom" and I told him to get in line. Everyone wanted to get in touch with our coach, including me, but it was impossible. He's young, about 22, and thinks he's got the market cornered on coaching kids' soccer. I sat at my computer and pounded out an e-mail about my disappointment with our "jerseys" that we paid $30 for, the fact that I can never get in contact with him and that he actually took it upon himself to lay down on the sidelines at our last game. LAYING DOWN!!! Ugh....

My e-mail looked like it was doing something until they sent out an e-mail to the team and no one else voiced their concerns about this &*%*#@*!!! Anyway, an e-mail went out to the team from MSA this morning saying that they had spoken with the coach and it seemed the reason for the dissension was because "there was incorrect contact information" on file for the coach. I'm the first to call BS! So...I come across looking like a complainy annoying soccer mom to the association I'm sure. These are the same people I had trouble getting Aidan's trophy from. I'm sure my family's name has a huge red mark beside it from now on. Oh well. I know what's right and I know this guy shouldn't be coaching soccer. Thank goodness we only have 3 weeks left. I'm so over it.

So, Aidan had a field trip today to the Cowboys Stadium. Wow...it's HUGE!!! Aidan loved it and I have to admit, I loved it too! It was so much fun seeing what everyone's been talking about. I've got to say though, it's kind of surreal. I have alot of history right there where Cowboys Stadium now stands...Elliot proposed to me in what is now the Silver Parking Lot and the apartment we lived in when I got pregnant with Liam sits right directly across the street from the main entrance to the stadium. Pretty cool stuff. Here are a few pics I took...









OMG...We had so much fun!

Well, tomorrow is Aidan's 9th birthday!!! Hard to believe! Time goes so fast....sniff sniff...

A Camping He Will Go...

Well...

Today is the day I've been dreading since I found out 5th graders in Mansfield have to go away to camp for 3 days. I've gotta say - it wasn't as bad seeing Liam off to school this morning as I thought it would be. He was so excited about going to camp and kind of "growing up". I'm sure he's going to have a blast and I can't wait to hear all the fun stuff he got to do. Somehow it makes it even funner knowing it's raining and it will be all muddy out there. I bet he has the time of his life. I sent him with his camera and they are going to journal for one of their classes, so hopefully I'll get lots of stuff to look at when he gets home Wednesday afternoon. I even managed to take a few pictures this morning before we set off for the school...







I just hope I remembered to pack everything. I checked and double checked my list, but you never know. I keep thinking - Gosh...he seems so young to be going to camp, but I was going to camp for a week at a time at his age and the memories I have from my time at camp are still with me today. I hope Liam gets to make some memories there. He's supposed to be able to call me at night from his teachers' cell phone, so I'll update tomorrow.

With Liam gone this week, it's going to be very quiet in my house. Aidan will be perfectly content being an only child this week. I probably won't see much of him because he'll have the Playstation and TV all to himself.

Aidan is trying to get sick on me. He woke up at 2:00 Sunday morning and had thrown up. He said he felt fine afterwards and even kept me up until 4:30 watching cartoons. He hasn't felt bad since. It was very random. He woke up this morning with some congestion, so I'm going to guess he's coming down with something - I'll go ahead and say the flu or strep. We'll see. He hasn't run any fever, which is typically what happens when he gets strep. So...we'll see. Stay tuned for Aidan's health alert.

We had our garage sale Saturday and it was a complete waste of time. We have been storing stuff in our garage and our attic for 5 years and we only made $96!!!! I was shocked. I think Elliot and I estimated that we only had about 30 people show up. It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of great stuff. I called out Mission Arlington and they're coming out on Saturday to pick everything up. We should've just donated it to begin with, but who would've thought we'd only make $96??? I'm still in shock.

Well, that's about all I've got. I'm going to get some stuff done around here before I have to go pick up Aidan.

Oh and please say a prayer for Aidan's little friend Ryan. He's in the hospital right now with a horrible staph infection. We love him and hope he has a speedy recovery.

Ummm...

I know, I know...I've been slacking on the blogging thing. I guess I just don't have a whole lot of interesting stuff going on???? I see this as a good thing though.

The kids are good. The house is coming along with our "remodel" projects. Elliot's good. I'm good. There's just not much to report on.

We've been consumed with soccer for the last few days. Aidan had 4 games in the last 4 days so we could fit in all the make up games that we missed because of the rain. They only won one game - oh well. I think Liam may have sprained or broken his right pinky finger yesterday playing 4 square at school...and just in case you're wondering, that's the same finger that Aidan has broken right now. So...I have 2 children with their right pinky fingers buddy splinted...what are the odds??? Liam's doesn't look as bad as Aidan's, but it does look painful.

We bought some trees to plant in our bare, tree-free yard. We bought 5 red oaks...it may be overkill, but it will definitely fill up the yard. Elliot's almost got them all planted and they look great. It's kind of weird to look outside and see a tree there. We're having a "garage" sale this weekend. This is NOT MY IDEA. I'm completely 100% against garage sales. I would much rather donate the stuff to the women's shelter or Mission Arlington because I think it's such a pain to have a garage sale and it never seems worth all the effort. It will be nice to have my garage back regardless of how we get it cleaned out. We've been stockpiling stuff for a garage sale for years and now with the old car in there, we have no room for anything else. I just wish there was a garage sale fairy to come and do it all for us...

Aidan's 9th birthday is coming up...I can't believe my baby will be 9!!! It's gone so fast. To think 9 years ago we had no idea what we were getting into with our little Aidan. To see how far he's come over the last 9 years is amazing. We are very very lucky and we do not take one day for granted with him. I know how bad it can be and I'm grateful that he's been able to overcome so much.

Well, it's a beautiful rainy morning here. I think I'm going to get the laundry sorted and start cleaning things up around here. Have a great day everyone!

The Big Reveal...

Okay folks. I know you've all been sitting by biting your nails wondering what the big news is...


WE GOT NEW FLOORS!!!!


We had to keep it secret because we wanted to surprise Elliot's parents and since Jaci is a faithful blog reader, I couldn't spoil the fun! This has been on my wish/dream list for YEARS. I can't believe I no longer have that nasty dog/child/dirt/allergy/dust infested carpet in my house!!! It feels so good! Of course I'm sweeping and dry mopping every day - I'm sure this will wear off soon. It feels so good to walk through the house with a broom or mop and know all the dirt and dust is gone. I'm hoping it will help with our allergies and of course put some new life into this house, which we've lived in for almost 9 years.

We've also been busy putting up new light fixtures in all the living spaces in the house. The difference is unbelievable. I can't believe how much of a transformation my house has gone through in just a week. Maybe we should consdider a remodel party??? Hmmm...something to ponder for sure.

Everyone in our house is finally over the stomach flu. Ugh. I can definitely live without doing that for a while. But...I'd still rather have that invade my house than the swine flu. Call me crazy. I seem to be having the hardest time getting my stomach right with food. Nothing tastes good and nothing sounds good. Oh well. Maybe I can drop a few pounds...

The boys had the day out of school for Columbus Day. Sadly, neither one of my kids know who Christopher Columbus is. Guess I should start talking to them about American History since it's obviously not being done in the school. I finally got Aidan in to see an orthopedic doctor today about his broken finger. It's definitely broken...all the way through. Not just a little crack, but a clean break. So...as it turns out, there's not really much to do. He has to keep his pinky buddy splinted to his ring finger for another month and then we go from there. The doctor said that it will probably always look funny. My concern wasn't so much how it looked but how it worked. So, as long as it works okay, I don't mind it looking funny. It'll add some character to his cute little hands.

Once again, soccer has been cancelled for over a week. The kids are starting to get angry. The season started September 6 and Aidan has yet to play in a single game. Liam's team has only had 2 games. The soccer association isn't too happy either. I'm sure they're getting calls left and right from parents wanting their money back. Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about mother nature. I happen to love this weather, but I just wish the kids could play soccer in it. There's nothing better than having the windows open while it's cool and rainy outside. It makes things seem PERFECT. Hope all of you have a good week. Until next time...

I'm Alive!!!

I know it's been a while since I've posted. Unfortunately my entire family has been sick with the stomach flu. Of course it hits ME last. Oh the luck. Apparently all of my vigilance about germs came back and bit me in the ass...

It all started Friday night with Elliot. I'll spare all the details. We were 95% sure he had food poisoning, so we didn't really take any precautions. I took Liam to soccer Saturday morning and by the time I got home Elliot was sitting on the couch smiling and feeling a ton better. We took Aidan to his afternoon soccer game, which ended up being rained out. Elliot worked at the Stars game Saturday night. We continued our "normal" weekend routine on Sunday, running errands, playing outside, etc. Then - BAM. It hit Aidan around 5 and Liam about an hour later. They were nice enough to alternate their - ahem - episodes so I wasn't totally stressed. We were up until about 2 in the morning and then it was all over. I of course kept the kids home Monday and then again on Tuesday so they could get some food in their systems. Monday night I started feeling a little woozy, but nothing I couldn't handle. By Tuesday I was miserable. I think I slept most of the day because that was the only time I wasn't nauseous. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I am not a vomiter. Never have been. Matter of fact, there are only 2 things in this world that have ever made me get sick...anesthesia and alcohol. The bonus side of that is that when I get the stomach flu I don't have to deal with that. But, I do end up being sick longer because I don't get anything out. So...Here we are, Wednesday evening and I still feel bad. Not as bad as before, but still pretty bad. Ugh. I have to get over this. I have so much going on around here and I need to get myself well!

I've got news, but I can't share it quite yet. Nothing life changing - I promise. Just exciting. So...I will share it with everyone when I can...after Saturday. I hope all of you have stayed well and are having a good week!!

Lysol, Airborne & Hibicleanse, OH MY!!!

I guess some would say I'm going overboard. I like to think I'm just being proactive. A little birdie told me about a hand soap called "Hibicleanse". It's supposed to be some supersonic hand soap that protects the hands for up to 6 hours. So, I hunted it down (near the band aids at the local drug store) and bought a bottle. I've set a regimen here - in the morning before school, after school and before bedtime. The kids are very good at washing their hands here at home and at school, but I figure anything I can do to try and prevent the flu (swine or otherwise) from entering my house, I'm game. The kids take a half tablet of Airborne every morning before school and I've Lysoled just about every surface in our house. Purell accompanies the kids to school and hopefully they're using it. I'm sure there is such a thing as too much, but I'm paranoid, what can I say. Aidan's got immunity issues, so the flu (swine or otherwise) is not good for him. In years past, I've always gotten the boys' flu shots about mid October so I can get Aidan through late spring, but this year I feel like I'm behind because the flu has started so early. Ugh. Now he's got a little bit of a cold, so I'm having to wait that out before he can have the flu shot. I'm still undecided on the swine flu vaccine...I need to see and do more research on it before I make a decision.

I'm starting to feel kind of puny, but I'm hoping it just my allergies acting up or maybe the virus the boys have had over the last week. I've been amping up my vitamin C just to be sure. We all know Mom's can't be sick...

I hope everyone stays well and enjoys the rest of their week!

Update...

Well, after spending the better part of the morning at the doctor's office with Aidan, we found out he has an upper respiratory infection and a bum finger. They couldn't tell if it was broken without doing x-rays, so they just splinted it and have him taking it easy with that hand for at least a week.

Aidan's more than happy to spend the day resting his finger in front of the couch watching tv and playing Wii...

Back to Reality...

I know it's been a while since I've posted...almost a week to be exact. I spent most of last week coming down off the Ironman high. Like I said before, we've spent over a year planning that race and it's still hard to believe Elliot won't be spending every spare minute he has training for that. He kept himself busy last week getting back into the swing of working. His second job at the AAC started up heavy last week - with something 5 out of the last 6 days. Yesterday was the first day we had him home.

Soccer started up (finally) for the boys on Saturday. Liam's team had a win and it was nice to see him enjoying playing again. He did manage to step in a rather large ant bed and has gazillions of ant bites on his legs. Poor baby. Aidan had to miss his game because he woke up "snotty". He hasn't gotten any better, so we'll be making a visit to the doctor today. (Our first sick visit with the new doctor - I'm hoping it goes well) This will end up being a dual purpose visit...It seems Aidan may have broken a finger last night. Well, technically Liam broke Aidan's finger. It was total accident. They were throwing the football and Aidan went to catch it and I guess the ball hit his finger wrong. It's crooked - kind of sticking out to the side and swollen below the knuckle. He says it hurts - which with his freakishly abnormal pain tolerance must be quite painful. So...wish us luck.

Today is D day around here. I'm starting back on the dreaded DIET. Ugh. I've been back and forth and all but gave up on getting healthy until Elliot's race was over because I knew there would be carb loading, celebratory meals, etc. So...now I've got to get back on the diet wagon and start getting healthy again. This should be an interesting week...

IRONMAN

I don't really have much to say. Our weekend was awesome. My husband is amazing and I don't have enough words to say how proud I am of him for accomplishing something that he's worked so hard for over the last year. He set out a little over a year ago to do this race and he did it. I complained about it almost the entire time. It took him away from our family, interfered with countless things, etc. But, in the end, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. To see him do this was one of the best things I've ever been a part of in my life. I can't wait for him to do it again - yes I said it. If I only had an ounce of his dedication and his drive, I would be a happy woman. I'm so blessed to have him as my best friend, my life partner and the love of my life. I love you honey...YOU'RE AWESOME! Congratulations on becoming an IRONMAN!

5 Days and Counting...

Well, my kitchen table has been transformed from a closet (errrr...laundry folding station) to a triathlon transition/staging area. I guess I should be happy Elliot gave me a little tiny corner to keep for folding laundry...I love how I'm sitting here complaining about things being in disarray in our house while my husband is getting ready to do something few people will ever accomplish in their lifetime. Hohum...it is all about me after all...

Oh boy...the Big Brother finale is tonight! I can't wait. I wish there was a chance for Jeff to win, but seeing how he's been evicted - that won't be happening. Anyone but Natalie, anyone but Natalie...

Aidan's home from school today...shocking I know. He's actually not really sick, but he woke up this morning with a suspicious cough that came from nowhere. I decided to keep him home so I could keep an eye on it. I didn't want him coming home from school at 3:30 in full blown asthma attack mode and it be too late for me to ward it off. This is where my hyper vigilance comes into play. Most normal parents would let their child go to school and have the asthma attack, but not me. I try to prevent them - if that's even possible. In my defense, there is stuff going around the school and he has recently been exposed to strep. Let's just hope this is me overreacting and not anything illness related.

The weather over the last 5 days has been AWESOME!!! I know that alot of people are sick of the rain, but not me. I love it and as I've said before, I could live with this weather every day for the rest of my life. Today is the first day that it hasn't rained in about 5 days and I have to say, I'm a little sad about it. Although, I have to admit, it's nice to be able to let the dogs outside without them getting soaked. Speaking of dogs...

Rizzo, my diva miniature dachshund has an obsession with my pink snuggy. I'm not joking. Anytime the snuggy is out, she buries herself in it. I of course can understand the obsession - I'm obsessed with the snuggy too. It's just funny to see my dog bury herself inside of it and freak out when she gets stuck. My bulldog Rocco decided to get in on the snuggy action with Rizzo Sunday night while we were watching TV...check this out...









See...the snuggy makes everyone happy! Alright...that's all I've got for today. I've got to get some laundry done so I can start labeling stuff for the race. Have a good day everyone!!!