Cheetah

I'm still laughing at Maggie after this happened yesterday. Our babysitter of 9 years stopped by. I was talking with her and Maggie came up to me and quietly said "Mom, tell her what happened to Tiger Woods." It's one of those moments where we say to ourselves "where on earth did that come from?!?!" I've had to think long and hard to figure out how she knew what happened to Tiger Woods. My neighbor gave me her copy of People Magazine with Tiger on the cover. Max was really impressed that he married a blond and read part of the article. He recapped the story to me and I guess Maggie was listening.

So to go along with this blog entry, I'll end with a joke...What is Tiger Woods new name? Cheetah Woods!

Out to Lunch

This month is going to be crazy! Since the holidays are the perfect time to make extra money, I'll be working up to 6 nights a week. I'll be gone Saturdays from 2 until midnight. I also have this little cleaning job that I'll be doing during the week as well. I'm trying to make it to the gym every morning. Oh wait, did I tell you I have 5 kids too? Basically, any extra time I have this month will be dedicated to my family. So here's my disclaimer: I probably won't be a very good friend this month. My house will be a disaster. My kids will look like rag-a-muffins. I'll look like a zombie (I know, you are thinking "well, aren't you like this anyway?"). So if any parts of my disclaimer fall into your thoughts this month just say to yourself "she's out to lunch". I'll be nice and back to my friendly self in January!

Sweet Jared

Our friend's son passed away this morning, Jared Vance. He was 7 years old and died of a chordoma tumor. Though I didn't know Jared all that well, I remember him being a cute, sweet, quiet boy.

I've left a link for you to look at Jared's blog. Afterward, could say a prayer for the family and give your children a great big hug?

Jared's journey

Chordoma Foundation

You've Got Mail

Whenever I read Happy Thanksgiving I think of the scene from You've Got Mail:

Joe Fox: [speaking to the grumpy cashier] Happy Thanksgiving... it's your turn to say Happy Thanksgiving back.
Rose, Zabars Cashier: Happy Thanksgiving back.

I can see her face, I can hear her accent.

Gobble Gobble!

Reality Check

The other day a friend on Facebook wrote this on his status ...

I dropped my kids off at school today for the first time (my first time). I almost lost it when my baby girl gave me a big hug, looked up with a tear in her eye and in her sad voice said "bye, bye Daddy" Good thing I'm a man and I can control my emotions.

"Humm...", I thought, wishing I could drop ALL my kids off at school. My immediate response was, "You need to have more kids, then it won't be so hard."

Throughout the day I read other friends responses such as, "Been there. A precious moment u won't soon forget." or "that's pretty sweet".

As I read these, I contemplated my response and wondered if I was too negative. Should I feel guilty for being a bit heartless? Then I remembered the previous experience I had the day before when I dropped my kids off at school, it went something like this...

I'm driving the kids to school, they are being so nice to each other. No fighting, no snotty attitude, we aren't rushed, everything is going great. I say to my kids, "guys, I just want you to know I think you are awesome kids. I just really love you."

I pull up to the school. The regular drop-off area is totally full of cars so I say, "look, I'm going to drop you off right here instead of where all the cars are." Then the fun begins...

Kids: WHAT? NOO we are going to be late!!! Don't drop us off here!!! Mrs. Bird is gone and no one will walk us to the school! NO MOM!!!!!!!

Michael slams the door saying,"THANKS A LOT MOM, NOW WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!!!"

Max, who had already left the car, gave me the meanest, crustiest look.

Did I feel guilty for saying that to my friend on Facebook? Not at all.


Did someone say New York? I am still lovin' my trip there...

This is my hero, Kipp. We stayed at his apartment and he helped us get to the bus station (that's how we got to Amy's wedding). We would have never gotten there if it wasn't for his city expertise. He looks like a hero, doesn't he?

This is where the wedding celebration took place. It was in Roscoe, New York.

Here's the beautiful bride, her beautiful mother, and moi.

Becky and I scrambled to get the tables set properly. I guess that's what happens when you work at a fine dining restaurant.

One of my favorite parts of the wedding was when this traditional Italian family sang and danced around the bride and groom to "That's Amore!"

Oh yeah..... I still got it!

A Room With A View

Becky's niece, Aja, let us stay with her when we were in NYC. She and her husband Kipp, live in the financial district about two blocks from the World Trade Center. This is the view she has from her apartment. Can you imagine eating dinner and looking at this every night? Here we are eating pizza...


This was taken from the very top of her apartment building. It's through a window so it's not that clear. We didn't even bother going to the Empire State building because we thought this view was good enough.


I realized that most people don't live on the ground in NYC. Most people live in the air. It baffles my mind.

No drive-thru's in the city but we did notice that McDonald's delivers!

This next picture is Aja's son (I stole it from her FB page). He's the cutest kid! He's 5 years old and goes to kindergarten. His school is in a city building, not a designated school. I was impressed with his street smarts. He rides his scooter all over the city. He knows where to go and he's an ace on the subway. His experience growing up is totally different than my kids.


Now, just a couple of family updates....

Kate is finally walking. I love watching her wobble along. She is infatuated with spoons and always has to have a spoon (or 5) in her hands.


Claire loves dolls. She holds them and hugs them as though they are real babies.


Last night she kept crying. We just thought she wasn't feeling well. This morning I was changing her diaper she showed me her wrist. She had a small elastic around her wrist. She must have taken it off her hair and put it through her hand. Anyway, her wrist was black and blue from the elastic and her hand was totally swollen! Poor girl. Who would think to check her hand when she's crying in the middle of the night? The swelling finally went down by the evening and she seems fine. Note to self: take elastics out of babies hair before going to bed.

(my picture taking skills are really crappy)

NY Fashion Flop!

As many of you are aware, I went to New York over the weekend to attend my friend's wedding. What a FABULOUS trip!!! Everything was beyond perfect. I loved the city, I loved the wedding, I loved going with my friend Becky. My plan is to post a few pictures every once in a while rather than a whole big lump. Anyway, one of the highlights, (or was it a low light?) was talking with Isaac Mizrahi. We saw him at the Time Warner Center and walked over to see what the fuss was about. His intern, Matt, asked if we wanted to chat with him. Being fully aware of my weakness for fashion, I said "NO WAY!" Becky then said "YES!" Oh whatever. Another one of those mortifying moments. The best way to describe how I felt was when Meryl Streep gave Anne Hathaway the evil eye on Devil Wears Prada. They gave us a list of questions we would be asked and I had no idea how I would answer. Here is how the interview went on my end.

Isaac: When you get dressed to go out at night, what do you wear?

Me: Um....I never go out at night. I don't have anything special to wear. I stay at home with my five kids, all day long, that is what I do. I do enjoy your fashion line at Target (this is THE ONLY thing I felt confident saying).

Isaac: I haven't done Target for two years.

Me: Well, I really enjoyed your fashion line at Target two years ago.

Isaac: What staples do you have around your house that you like to wear?

Me: Jeans and a white t-shirt.

Isaac: Is there anything you do that makes you feel sexy?

Me: Take a shower?

Okay, I know there were other questions and more conversation but you pretty much can get the jest of it. By the end of the interview, he didn't even know what to say, he kept asking his interns what he should ask us. He was very nice, friendly, and didn't seem too disgusted with my sense of fashion, or lack there of. He did ask if we shared the same husband and we both laughed no. Even this very minute I am rolling my eyes at myself. I swore I would never watch the interview but I may just take a peek in a couple of weeks to see if I'm on his web-i-sode. And maybe, just MAYBE, I might post it. I'm hoping I'll think it's funnier then.

Princess Maggie

Look who turned 5 yesterday, Maggie Jane! We had a princess party for her to celebrate her big day.

Princesses or Divas?

Maggie chose her princess candles.

One of my FAVORITE pictures ever. I checked on Maggie before I went to bed and caught her wearing this! It's the mask to pin-the-crown-on-the-princess.

Happy Birthday Princess Maggie! We love you!

Dear John

Dear John,
Do you think you can fix my glasses?

Michael's Baptism

Look who was baptized last Saturday. He had to be baptized three times. Twice because his dad said the prayer wrong and once because his hand was sticking out of the water. Way to go Michael. We love you!

Gooood Morning!

You've gotta love it when you wake up to this...

and this....

PS. I spared you the picture with the poop on the floor.

Um...Yeah....

Image provided by my new phone (woot woot!).

This week hasn't been the greatest. I have daily challenges that I often express but this is beyond daily challenges. On Tuesday was the Dr.'s appointment with Kate. Talk about emotional! I went into the appointment, alone, only to be thrown for a loop. I told Andy he didn't need to go because I felt like the appointment would be inconclusive. Instead, I faced three medical professionals telling me all about this condition they believe Kate has. It wasn't pretty. I felt as though I was the victim on the show Intervention.

On Wednesday, Max decided to run away from home. He had gotten in trouble for drinking paint water at school. He was scared to tell us so he ran away instead. Of course I knew NOTHING about this. After an hour and a half of not being able to find him we finally called the police to ask for their help. I had friends and neighbors making phone calls, searching neighborhoods, searching my house over and over again. A parents worse nightmare, we really thought he had been kidnapped. He was found at his school hiding in the oak. Lots of tears, a huge sigh of relief, and prayers of gratitude!

My new motto in life is "don't sweat the small stuff". I have learned we have to pick and choose the things in life that are REALLY worth worrying over. Claire was stung by a bee yesterday, that was nothing. Today, I had all three kids in their car seats, dressed to the nines, ready to go to Target, and the car battery died! Who cares? What's most important is I have 5 amazing children, a fabulous husband, and amazing family and friends. Plus, I don't think that Diet Coke and ice-cream will be leaving the shelves anytime soon.

Another Update On Kate

Today I took Kate to her Dr. appointment with the genetic specialist. Unfortunately, it wasn't the most hopeful appointment. I was hoping that the Dr. would say that the spots on her belly didn't necessarily mean she had nuerofibromatosis (NF1). Instead, the Dr. said that she most likely has it and we will have to assume she has it so we can give her the treatment she needs to live a fulfilled life. There is a blood test (pray our insurance covers it) that we can do that will indicate if she has it. Otherwise, we will continue to live our lives watching to see if she develops tumors or has a learning disability.

On a positive note, I did finish the triathlon yesterday and didn't die at the end. It was challenging but I am glad I did it. One of my favorite parts of the triathlon was seeing Andy and my kids at the end cheer me on. I'll post more pictures later. If you want a glimpse of the event you can go to this blog and read about it.

Always Into Something!

What's my day like with twins? Here is some documentation of my day..

Claire in the drawer

Claire in another drawer, Kate not far behind.

Claire managed to crawl into the tub. She can get in but can't get out. I helped Kate get in. This gave me about 10 minutes.

Claire unwound all the toilet paper and attempted to put it in the toilet.

Claire in the pan.

Claire in the crib drawer. Notice how she is grabbing Kate's bottle. Kate is crying.

Claire in the dishwasher.

Claire on the counter.

This is where I contain the two. I buy myself about 15 minutes by giving them popsicles.

And there's sweet Kate quietly playing with a spoon and shoes. What I really want to show you is her cute tummy. I love that chubby tummy!!!

Jibber Jabber

I found my battery charger. I thought that's why I wasn't posting but charger or no charger, I'm lazy. Since I found my charger by posting it to blogland... can have a million dollars?

I got a new cell phone. I've had a dinosaur for quite a while. I talked Andy into getting one as well. We finally have texting. We have always been able to text on our dinosaur phones but it took me 15 minutes to complete a sentence. As soon as we got our phones we waited for someone to text us. It's like we expected everyone to text us like they magically knew we had new phones. You'd think we were in Jr. High with the things. So come on peeps, text me!

Here's a confession...I'm training for a triathlon. I wish I could say that like I'm feeling all cool and athletic about it. There are several reasons why I'm doing this. First, my friend Lizz who trains at the gym, is giving us a free training course. I can't pass that opportunity. Second, I want to get back into swimming but I don't have the guts to do it by myself (I've been waking up at 5 AM to swim). Third, I want to get into cycling but I don't have the ambition. Now the only problem is that I actually have to do it. Tonight I went with the group for a 13 mile bike ride. Scared me to death. I felt like a kid learning how to ride her bike for the first time (note to self, close your mouth while you ride). 13 miles is the length of the race. Then I have to get off the bike and run a 5K!!! Seriously, I will be the last one to go to the finish line. I'm the one that boosts your ego because I finish last. Should I even do this? The closer the race gets, the less I'll be able to sleep. Oh why do I do this to myself???

Finally, a small note to Andy... I backed the car into a pole today. Fortunately, I did not damage the car but I did damage the pole. We have a pretty tough car.

Dear Battery Charger...

Dear Battery Charger For My Camera,

I can't find you anywhere. I've looked high and low with no luck. Please show up soon so I can download my pictures.

Thanks,

Your Owner

Thankful Thursday

I love this lady, my kids pediatrician, Dr. Fruin. I kind of feel like I'm stalking her because I looked her up online and found this photo of her. She has been the most reliable Dr. we've had. A few days ago I called her and asked her about Kate's possible diagnosis of neurofibromatosis. She called me back. I knew she would. Anyway, she answered some of my questions and then told me she was going to look into seeing a specialist for the condition. By the end of the day, she had found a Dr. who specializes in the condition, found an appointment for Kate, and had already faxed the referral. I don't think we will be seeing the dermatologist as planned. Instead we will be seeing a Dr. in the genetic department in September. It normally takes over a year to make an appointment in this department and we are going in September. What a blessing! Not only do we have a Dr. who specializes in neurofibromatosis, I also have a pediatrician who is looking out for us. So for now, I put the issue on the back burner until September. So many people have extended their love and concern for Kate. Thank you!

Celebrate!

I loved my birthday this year! Jane posted that she was going to do 40 random acts of kindness to celebrate her 40th. I am certain I was the recipient of 40 random acts of kindness for my birthday. A huge THANK YOU to all my friends who made the day the best birthday ever!!!

8 is Great...If your name is Michael

Michael celebrated his 8th birthday yesterday. I can honestly say I don't know exactly what to say about this child. Maybe...if they are yours then you love them. I would not say love has been a word in my vocabulary this week. ENTITLEMENT is better. You'd think Michael Jackson had his will-and-trust read and my son had inherited millions. This week he's acted like a little smarty pants thinking that he's-all-that-and-more. Our lives should revolve around him because it's his birthday. I've made it very clear that is not true. In fact, here's my blog confession. I was SO MAD at this little boy I called him a pain-in-the-ass. I did. I HAD it with his attitude. There were brief moments of guilt as I reviewed the incidence in my head. I wondered how much our future counseling session would cost when he confronts me about "swearing" at him. But these were just moments. While I was at the store in the early morning I got a call from him on my cell phone:

Michael: Mom when are you coming home?

Me: in a minute.

Michael: what are you getting?

Me: just some food.

Michael: don't you have something you want to say to me?

Me: hope you have a good day?

Micheal: no....

Me: Happy Birthday?

Michael: thank you.

I'm certain that this entitlement thing he's going through has come from his father. How could I ever raise a child like this?

But I have to admit, by the end of the day, he was pretty cute. He was very appreciative to everyone who brought him presents (he got a lot and he didn't even have a party). Cute Cori across the street took him to the movies for his birthday. Just Cori and Michael went. It melted my heart that she would think to invite him to do that for his birthday. By the end of the day I actually loved the kid. Happy 8th to my little scout.

Update on Kate

Ketchup for dinner anyone? Kate had her first doctor's appointment today. She saw a pediatric opthamologist who checked her eyes for lesions. The Dr. said that lesions in the eyes contribute to the diagnosis of neurofibromatosis. Fortunately, her eyes are clear! A huge relief for us. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean she is free from the condition. We still have to visit the pediatric dermatologist to see what he thinks about the marks on her belly and back. Another bummer is that he wants to see us again in year to recheck her eyes. I was hoping this would be a "yes or no" diagnosis but it looks like we will have to be watching this for a while. I was very appreciative of the care of the doctor that examined Kate. He said, "your job as a parent is to raise your children. It's our job to worry about your child's health. Don't obsess about this." August 17th is our next appointment. On with the summer...

Sweet Kate

Over a month I ago I went to the girls 15 month well-check. To my surprise, The Dr. suggested I take Kate to Primary Children's Hospital to be checked for neurofibromatosis. Kate has little brown marks on her body that look like birth marks. I made the appointments and put the issue on the back burner. Kate's first appointment is Monday. Last week I finally got the guts to look online and see what a diagnosis entails. Web sites say that the patient has to have 5-6 marks, or more, to be diagnosed. Kate has more than 6. I have been a mess ever since. Luckily, I've talked with some supportive friends and Andy and am not so emotional. Since tomorrow is Fast Sunday, I am asking my friends and family to say a little prayer for Kate. Kate has been our sweetest baby. She is well-natured, full of love, and easy going. I can't go into more details since I'm trying to keep-it-together but please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Ode To....ME!

Today is the day, the big 40. Though people have tried to tell me that I'm "old", I refuse to believe it. Really, how different is the day I turn 40 than any other day of my life? When I was 39 I was changing 8 diapers a day, when I am 40, I will be doing the same. Life goes on despite my birthday, despite my age. What I really wanted to share with you is a quote I read from Tuesdays With Morrie:

As you grow old, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth.

Aging hasn't bothered me ever since I read that quote. I am grateful for life. I'm grateful for each day that I can learn and grow. So today, I will celebrate my life and be grateful for everyone who has been a part of my life and everyone who is a part of it today.

I picked up a bag of these this morning to celebrate the day. Yum!

O Bug Leavest Me

I've been updating my Facebook page about this cleanse that I did but I thought I'd put the real- meal- deal here on my blog. The cleanse I did was to kill the yeast in my body. I was constantly having yeast infections and thought I'd try to take off a couple of pounds as well. The whole object of the cleanse was to starve the yeast in my body. This meant I could not eat yeast products, sugar, or fruit. I was really intrigued how my body would react to this cleanse. I thought it would be great to rid my body of all sugars and toxins. I was told that I would start feeling sick due to the yeast dying but I should start feeling better and then I would feel amazing. My friend mentioned her mom and sister did the same thing. I called her mom and she gave me some good food ideas. She told me how great she felt and that her mind felt clear whens she cut sugar out of her diet. The first day was okay. By day two I was gagging down meat and vegetables. I was surprised at the ingredients found in foods. Like this packaged pot roast had yeast extract in it. Why would pot roast need yeast in it? Anyway, by day three, I was feeling pretty sick and thought the cleanse was doing it's job. I was anxiously waiting to start feeling better. Day four, Thursday, I was ill. Nauseated, tired, dry heaving, hungry, and weak. I even took a pregnancy test just in case (thank you very much it was negative!) By Thursday night I felt so rotten I decided to get off the cleanse and hoped by eating a bowl of cereal I'd start feeling better. Didn't happen. On Friday I was so weak I couldn't get out of bed. Becky took the babies AGAIN and Mariana took Maggie. The boys stayed home with me. Poor kids kept asking what they could eat and I think they ate fruit snacks all day. In the meantime, Andy has had a terrible sore throat and finally went to the Dr.'s. Now you know, when a man goes to the Dr. he has to feel like he's dying. The strep test came out negative. I'm laughing right now as I write this because I think about how pathetic this is. Poor Andy, who is feeling rotten, has the kids right now because he feels better between the two of us. Today, Saturday, I can't leave the house because the bathroom and I are buddies. And Andy is a zombie making sure the kids are entertained.

After talking to a friend, Carla, she said it probably was not the cleanse that made me so sick. I probably wasn't eating enough which caused me to get a bug. And it's a bad bug! But, let's just say that I'm certainly clean!

What's up with catching a bug in the middle of July? Aren't these things supposed to be dead because it's so stinking hot outside? Oh well, hopefully in a couple of days I'll have my strength back and I'll be posting pictures of the fantastic summer we are having.....

Wednesdays Whatnots...

*On Sunday two of my college roommates dropped by. I was SO thrilled to see them. Melanie made a sign to let our other roommate know we were thinking of her. THANKS for the visit!!!!

*Monday morning was so chaotic. I finally got in the shower and suddenly heard the babies screaming and pounding on the bathroom door. I was shouting to the kids "someone open the door so the babies can come in!" No response. I jumped out of the shower (no towel), threw open the bathroom door and my 10 year old nephew was right there, playing with the twins. Crap! I leaped back into the shower and, my poor nephew, I guess he walked away. I didn't have my contacts in so I have no idea what he saw. I called his mom, totally mortified, and told her I had scarred her son for life. I told her I would pay for one counseling session when the event comes back to haunt him.

*Two more members of my family have the flu: Michael and Andy. I worry about Michael because I know that this strain of flu hits people hard who have asthma. I'm staying on top of his breathing treatments and hope he remains in control.

*My wonderful friend, Becky, has had my twins for two nights in a row. Yes, she is an angel from heaven. She was out of town for two weeks and is making up for it by taking them for two nights. After being without Becky for two weeks I realized I can barely make it without her. Thanks a bunch!!!!




*Finally, Maggie has been on the rampage. She's quite the spunky girl. Yesterday she was yelling out the car window at some neighborhood boys, "suucker!!" and "stupid head". So much for the pretty princess. The kids mom was outside as Maggie was yelling. Oh well...

Don't you love it when....

Michael said to me the other day:

Michael: Mom why do perfect people want to lose weight?

Me: What do you mean?

Michael: Well, you are already skinny so why do you want to lose weight?

Gotta love that!

Gotta love when you get a big smile! (look at Kate wanting to be right by her sister)

My cute neighbor, Morgan, took this picture:

Today is Thursday

This morning I thought I'd create a mental log of my day and post it on my blog. I thought maybe if you read it you could tell me you understand why I am moving towards the point of insanity....

Woke up at 6:20 to make it to my exercise class. Great class, worked on abs, had some good laughs, some needed tears, went on my way.

Came home around 7:45 (gosh I guess I was talking a little too long with my AM friends).

Max is sick, I think he has the flu.

By 10 AM I showered, shampooed and shined. I made two Dr.'s appointments (which are for Kate). I changed 3 poopie diapers, made breakfast for all three kids, made sure everyone was dressed for the day, fed the babies, and headed out the door to take Michael to his clay class.

We picked up some friends to play with Maggie. This means I had 4 of my kids home with 2 others. Once Michael got home at Noon, I made lunch for everyone and tried to contain the babies.

I got the babies down for their nap at 1 PM. Everyone seemed to be playing fine. I tried to work on the laundry but learned that the kids had filled the doorway to our basement with water. Yeah, the whole basement flooded because the kids were outside playing with water. I didn't think they would try to turn the doorway into a pool.

The next three hours were spent moving furniture, soaking towels, asking neighbors for their shop vac, and vacuuming the basement.

Are you tired yet?

The babies wake up from their nap which means the rest of my day I'm keeping my eye on them. Thankfully, my neighbor brought over his rug cleaner and spent 3 + hours sucking up water.

Wait, did I mention dinner? Yes, after dealing with the basement drama I had to make dinner. The kids went to my neighbors to make cupcakes. That was a needed break.

Claire only fell off of something once today. She didn't poop in the tub which is always appreciated. By the end of the day I changed 7 poopie diapers. I think it's the watermelon I fed them.

I sit here exhausted, grateful for the help I received from my neighbors, and very much ready for bed.

The End

Don't you hate it when...

Don't you hate it when you throw away something and the garbage smells?

I pulled out the full garbage bag but the garbage can still stunk. I took out the garbage cans and filled them with bleach water...

To my dismay I realized that the space that holds the garbage can was totally disgusting. To make a long story short, I ended up pulling apart the kitchen cupboard, getting out the scrub brush, and dissecting the thing.

An unplanned afternoon project only because I went to throw something away. No, I'm not nesting. If you happen to stop by, ignore the mess all over to the house and go straight to the clean garbage area. Thanks.

Oh, and a special thanks to Kate who took out the loaf of bread and threw it all over the kitchen floor.