A Cold, Hard Lesson in Gravity!

On Saturday the 8th, the kids set off for a new adventure... their very first ice skating lessons!

This was a whole new challenge of balance and determination. There was a whole lot of falling down going on though! Samantha got a little fed up about 20 minutes into it, but I bribed her with the promise of a snack from the snack bar after her lesson if she would just give it one more try. So she scooted back out onto the ice for just a little bit longer.

David, on the other hand, was very eager to make some progress. That's the wonderful thing about David, he always puts all his effort into things, and he gets very excited when he sees that he has made progress or accomplished a new skill.

What's funny is that Samantha was the one who wanted to skate, but I signed David up too, even though he initially was not interested, just because I didn't think he would want to sit there on the bleachers with me and just watch. So now he is the one most looking forward to his next lesson.

Here are some pictures I took. I wish they were a little clearer, but parents are asked to stay back away from the rink, so this was the best my zoom and no flash could bring me.



And he's down!!! While she is clinging for life to a staff member!




She's up!!




He's up now too!!!




Getting better!!

The best part of all... all the laughs we got to share together at the snack bar afterwards...and all the laughs I got to have to myself the rest of the day when all I heard was, 'Ow, my butt! Ow, my butt," from the both of them when they tried to bend over or go up stairs.

We'll be back out there again on Saturday!!!

Toothy McToothster!

Presenting the latest addition to my collection of geeky children....


Yep, David got braces on Tuesday. He is obsessing over what he was told he can and cannot eat, but otherwise, he is adjusting well.

Here's my little geek squad!
She's got my bad eyes, and he's got my bad teeth! Poor things!

I like their little imperfections though...and they are still cute to me, I think!

Blind....like Mommy!

So I get this call from the school nurse on the 14th telling me that Sammie failed her vision test twice! So off we go to her first optometrist visit.



The poor thing has 20/80 vision in both eyes due to a high astigmatism. The doctor took my glasses to read the prescription and returned with, "Yep! She has it as bad as you do!" I had no idea it was hereditary. So Sammie has been wandering around this earth for five years seeing nothing but fuzzy blobs unless the object is about a foot away from her face! We had no clue, but now so many things about her are making sense to us and her teacher.

Seeing well is too new and too much for her little eyes to handle yet, so she is only in half the prescription she needs...bringing her vision to 20/40 for now. As she gets adjusted to seeing better, we will take her back to the eye doctor in six months to test again and see if her eyes can handle the full prescription to bring her to 20/20. I think even this half prescription is making so much of an improvement for her already! I hope it will help her conquer her shyness too. At home she is a firecracker, but at school and around other kids, she is so timid and quiet. Maybe now that she can see who she is talking to better, she might not be as withdrawn. Let's hope!

Here she is with her first pair of glasses:



And here are a couple of funny things since she's been wearing them...

1. At the car wash she yells out, "Stop! That sign says stop!" Wow! She could actually make out a sign from her seat in the van and read it!

2. Later on the way to Wal-Mart she starts whimpering.
"What's wrong, Sam?"
"Scary monster outside my window!!!"
I look to my left and there is a U-Haul truck parked in a parking lot with a huge, very detailed butterfly on the side of it. She had no idea a butterfly really looked like that!
I said, "That's just a butterfly!"
She said, "No, it's not!! It's scary!"

So it will be interesting to see how the world opens up for Samantha now. I know she will have an easier time in school too. It's a big adjustment for her, but she seems to be taking it well so far, and she is excited about the things she can see now!

Still me...but 33.

Today I am 33 years old now. It's a day for me to look back on how my 33rd year went. Well, what I'm understanding now is that it wasn't the happiest year, but that was my own doing.

My overwhelming grief for my grandmother's passing was the heaviest on my mind, and I carried those feelings through the whole year. Even when I engaged in something that should be joyful, I found myself thinking, "But I can't really enjoy this because my grandma is not here, and I can't pick up the phone and hear her smiling as I tell her about this." I let that sadness be the background music of my year, and I let myself get sadder and feel more pain... which magnified the pain I was having in my leg...which led to the surgery... rock bottom. Yes, in my 33rd year, I hit rock bottom.

I'm facing my 34th year now...and already my song is different; my attitude is different; my feelings are different. I have let her go now, and I'm left only with my love for her, and my overwhelming sense of pride for having been loved by her too. I have been off to a good start at changing things around. This is going to be a good year. This is my renaissance year! This is the year I no longer hold myself back.

Thanks for being here for another birthday! Your friendship means so much to me, and you know it is so true. I am so thankful that I have the gift of knowing you! Thank you!

Let there be beads!!!

One of my first "No Excuses" initiatives was to just get downstairs and light that torch! It felt so good to just melt that glass. I went down there with no preconceived ideas...just played with the colors and put the bead in the kiln when I thought it was the shape it wanted to be. I even made my first semi-successful hollow! I say semi-successful because the hollow part is rather small, and the bead is close to round...I didn't want to mess with it too much in fear of the hollow inside collapsing on me. In the picture below, it's the green bubble in the back.

Another success was that I was able to get "raku" frit to flash that lovely purple that I could never get it to do on the Hot Head torch. It's the one right in the middle with the black base.

I do need to spend more time on the new torch to get a better feel for the heat, get my control of it back -- some things were melting TOO fast! ha ha ha One disappointment, the pretty clear and wispy pink bead on the left just under the green bead has a stress crack along the bead hole...booooooooooo!

Well, here's a picture! I plan to schedule a bead making day for at least twice a month. I'm so excited and inspired again!

Welcome, 2008!!!

Happy New Year, dear friends!!!

I have seen this pattern so many times, and this year I plan to defeat it. Each day I say, "Wow, I can't believe it's already "x" o'clock." Each week I say, "I can't believe it's already ____day." Each month I say, "I can't believe it's already ____." And you guessed it...each year I say, "I can't believe it's 200_! Where did the year go?" It made me realize that I either wasn't paying attention, or I wasn't doing anything that I felt left me with anything to show for it.

So my motto for 2008 is "No Excuses!" I'm not going to let time just pass me by. I'm going to just do what needs to be done. I'm not going to make a list either of what needs to be done because there is so much, and it changes each day. I will just think it and do it.

So HAPPY 2008!!! I wish everybody lots of love and success this year!

Merry Christmas!

The kids have a musical message for you...



We hope you all have a wonderful holiday full of warmth, love, and smiles!

Winter is here!

I know I have been MIA for a while... but here I am with snow pictures! Happy winter!

Picture day...

Well, it's that time again...time to smile pretty for picture day!

Here is what the kids wore today... and now the long wait until the pictures actually come back!

Happy Tuesday!

Catching up...

Hi out there! Just wanted to post a couple pictures, though lately I have taken so many more, but I'm just not feeling well, which adds to my disorganization...

But here is my little soccer hooligan! He got to be goalie this morning in the first quarter!



He was so excited... this "action" picture I snapped of him...he was not trying to keep a ball out, he was just jumping up and down with excitement for being chosen as goalie this quarter! ha ha ha

We went to the York Fair a couple of weekends ago. They added these new things in kiddie land...the big picture boards you stick your face in depicting different clown scenes...

Kissy Clown:



and then this one is kind of creepy...the sign reads, "Stay with your parents"... or what, a creepy clown will chop off your head and put it on a plate??? Real child friendly there!!! (I hate clowns!!)




Hope all is well with you! Hugs from us here in Crazy Town!

FUTBOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Make sure you read that title with a heavy Mexican accent!)

Well, it's happened ....I'm a officially a soccer mom now... woo hoo. ha ha ha
It couldn't be helped... and it looks like the boy likes playing this game, so I'll just accept my fate! ha ha ha

Here is my little soccer dude! They all looked so cute out there with their oversized shirts and little legs going every which way! It was a fun morning at the park.

Have a great weekend!








Check out those shiny blue soccer shoes too! ha ha

Had a hard day.....

Errr....hard week.

I'm trying to stretch my skills on the job by taking on some challenges I would have been scared to before.... but today I panicked that I bit off more than I can chew. I took a job with daily copy in Philadelphia (meaning I have to turn around the transcript within 24 hours) thinking it would be but only a two-hour or so job. It turned into FIVE! And now I'm not going to bed... trying to complete it.... almost 180 pages of editing to get in by noon tomorrow. The part that is frustrating me is my back. It's holding me down a little. It's making it difficult...and I'm scared... scared of needing to just get the stupid surgery. But I'll have to stress over that another day...

But I need to push my abilities and my skill. I need to grow in my career. Yesterday I realized...yes, I am a professional now.... I never felt I deserved that before... I never felt like I made it...but more and more I am surprising myself and realizing that this is it....this is what I've been working to achieve all these years. I am there. I have done it! And though this week has come with some sacrifices -- to my sleep...to my kids... to my back... and I got very frustrated yesterday with it too, it's worth it, and I'm glad this is my career... my dream.

So back to work.... no sleep for me.... but I had to post this picture from ICanHasCheezburger.com because it made me laugh so hard... funny cat picture therapy! You just can't put a price on that. Thanks to Satrina for sharing the link to that site with me!!! I think of you when I visit it, and it always makes me smile! And I have to thank Yoko for letting me talk and vent with you this week.... having you to talk to is a treasure. To all of you, my good friends who come by and visit here... thank you for making my life extra sweet! Love ya!

The end of summer...

Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

The holiday found us camping at Knoebels from Friday night until Monday morning. The weather was perfect...and it was a nice conclusion to our summer fun. So sad to see it go already!











Lazy days are over... and there is so much to look forward to this fall.
Happy September!

My turn!

Well, I missed her first day of school because I had to be in Philadelphia very early in the morning. My in-laws tried to get a couple pictures but they captured part of a backpack in one picture and a pair of eyes in another picture. So on Friday we tried again....







Then there was the drama of Little Orphan Sammie in the afternoon...

her bus came early and nobody was there for her, so she was taken back to the office. When I picked her up, one pigtail had fallen out, her little dress was dirty, and she sobbed, "I don't like you leaving me alone on the bus!!!" Poor little thing! I promised we would not be late for the bus next time.

Today promises to be a better day for her on her third day of school!

Our First Grader!!! Woohoo!

Waiting for the bus to take him to his first day in First Grade!




Say goodbye to little sister! Her big day is tomorrow!!!



Off you go! Have a great first day! I know it's going to be a fantastic year full of different ways that you will amaze me!

Look Out, Kindergarten...

Here SHE comes!!!









Samzilla is coming!!! Run!!!!

Today was orientation for Samantha. Thursday is the big day! She is really excited and likes all of the wonderful things to see in her classroom. We rode on the bus and heard about the bus rules. I felt those little pesky tears well up in my eyes a few times, but this time is a little easier than letting David go. What an exciting year this will be for us academically. My little girl... how quickly you are growing up!

The Goofy Goober Crew Take Over Knoebels

Friday found us bouncing along up to Knoebels for a day of fun...this time with a twist, our friend Paden was along with us for the day. We tried to arrange an outing for earlier in the week with his family, but funerals and weather made that impossible this week for them. Feeling bad that the kids would not get to enjoy the park with their friend, I asked his mom if it would be okay for him to be our third child for the day. So the five of us went on up and had a fantastic day!!

Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day: (If you haven't seen Paden on here before, here's a tip, he is not the Mexican or the girl. ha ha ha ha)








This last one I just like because I was snapping in a series while the kids were waiting for this ride to begin...it's one of those that takes a while because there are many kids to strap in safely...and looking at their faces I just wonder what they were thinking, but adore how close Samantha is cuddled up to David.

and then the next picture immediately after that gives you some idea that whatever Samantha was thinking...it was probably devious! ha ha ha ha ha


Have a great week everybody!!!!!

Rainy days and ponchos....

It's rainy out...and that makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. The cats are curled up on the bed...the kids are trying to busy themselves...there are droplets on my red roses...and I finished Sam's poncho!

I'm feeling better and had a full day of work yesterday. Slowly but surely!

Hope all is well with you out there! Here are some pictures!









The poncho was a snap...it's just two rectangles assembled in a certain way... and since it is Sammie-sized, it was a quick knit! I have already started a second one for her in pink and purple. If I feel brave, I'll try the full size version for myself, which is where I got the pattern. After my hurting my brain with math, I got it down to Sam's size. We'll see how energetic I am! ha ha ha

Second epidural day...

I'm feeling better! Today I have a second epidural. Hope it gives me even more improvement. I'm also working myself back into work slowly. Hopefully I'll be on a depo tomorrow. Monday wasn't too bad, but I've been taking it slow.

I'm still slow on getting some pictures up, but here is a fun one we took at Knoebels on our last visit.... my fancy little Victorian sweeties.





Hope all is with you out there!!!

Getting back to normal quickly!

I feared the dreaded epidural steroid injection....even as I was on my tummy with my underpants pulled half way down my big brown butt, I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing.... but let me tell you, I am so happy to now be back to 85 percent of normal again!

I can stand! I can walk! I can sit! I can ride in a car! I am feeling better!

Now, I still need a little help from some heavy meds, but not like I did earlier in the week. I am getting back in the saddle on Monday by venturing out on a deposition. I'm taking it easy, but I NEED to get back to work.

Thanks to you sweet friends that popped in and saw my post and wished me some healing words. It means so much to me that you care about me, and I'm thankful for having you in my life. Love you guys!!!!

Pictures from vacation while my mom was out to come soon because there are some funny ones. Thanks for visiting!

I have.....

lots of great pictures from my mom's visit to share, BUT.....
on the day I took her back to the airport, I was making my way home when my whole body seized up with pain. I had to pull over at the rest stop and call for an ambulance to take me to the hospital. So since Tuesday the 31st, I've been in bed in excruciating pain. I'm waiting to get an epidural injection to see if that will calm the nerve down so I can use my left leg again.

So sorry I haven't posted lately. Hope everyone is well out there!

F-I-V-E

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY, SAMBINA!!!

Then...



and now...




I am thankful for the past five funny, scary, happy, silly, frustrating, and sweet years I have been given so far with my little Sammie! Happy Birthday, Samantha!!

The Tooth Saga....revisited

The Tooth Fairy is going broke because this boy just keeps popping them out! Today we lost Number 5! At least David is growing the new ones in as quickly as he is losing the baby ones... as you can see, the first two he lost, the bottom front, have been replaced, and there are little bits showing of the next two new teeth. We're getting good at this process now!

Poor Sammie though... she keeps hoping to have a loose tooth so the Tooth Fairy can leave her a surprise too. Her time will come though.

My Toothless Wonder!!

Splish Splash

David and Samantha start swim lessons...





Happy 4th of July!!!

I can't believe...

... that already a year has passed since I last saw my beautiful little grandma laughing and smiling... since I smelled her sweet little head and gave her a kiss on it and she replied, "I love you too." The last time I wrapped my arms around my warm little grandma was a year ago at her birthday party. I miss her every day. I miss her cute little voice and the way it lit up when she laughed.



I picked a few little roses for her. She loved roses, and I think the only reason my roses are blooming and beautiful is because she is helping them a little -- and shaking her head at me because I am pathetic with that stuff, but I could almost hear her whisper when I'm outside that they are such pretty roses. So I found a few that the beetles weren't living in and eating...and put them in a little glass I had swiped from her collection years ago. She always drank out of these tiny little glasses. My little portion of her ashes are in a little tin, which rest inside a satin ribbon pouch that I knitted, and the glass butterfly sits atop of it.

It's strange how you try to hold onto whatever you can..and hope that if you make a little shrine like this she might hear you crying and maybe you would feel her touch your head or something...but the only thing I feel is my heart breaking again that she is gone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE GRANDMA!!! I miss you so damn much.

Father's Day

Hi out there!

Sunday the 17th found us celebrating Father's Day at Hershey Park this year with Jen, Scott, and Paden. The weather was beautiful!!

They have a new water area in the middle of the park now.

It looks like fun, but it is kind of overwhelming! This is just one section. I started out not getting wet, but trying to capture the others on camera... very difficult because it was hard to find the right places to stand and not get wet. I waited and waited for Sammie and Keith to come down one of the big slides, only to see them get to the top and be turned away... Sammie was too small. So I finally put the camera away and was going to join them, but heck if I could find them in that maze! I had more water fights in there with other people's children in my quest to find my group. When I finally got to the top, I looked out towards the entrance and saw them all walking out and looking around for me! So I climbed back down after all that! ha ha ha

We got a little dried off and headed for the car for a picnic lunch... Not only was it Father's Day, but our 7th Anniversary. Here we are:

Seven years...can you believe that? The last couple years have just flown by! (Don't pick on my hair -- It is after being soaked and I can't do a thing with it! But look at those teeth!!! (I still am so happy with my teeth! he he))


I call this one, "Mommy, why do I have to stand with the giant poop?"

Paden, David, and Samantha enjoy a fast ride...


Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil...

The amazing part is that we got all three of them to cooperate at the same time! ha ha ha This was taken on the monorail around the park.

Giant Animal Orgy...


Then we got the most laughs when we came across the Boogie Bodies stand! Ah, green-screen technology at it's finest! ha ha ha
Here Paden and Samantha get ready for their video shoot. David said it looked embarrassing and that he didn't want to be a "Bobble Head", so he didn't participate.

Here is the result of our silliness...

Oh, we're in trouble if Sammie grows up to have a body like that!!! ha ha ha

We had a wonderful day... a great start to summer!

Hope all is well with you! Miss ya!