Enabler...

Oh my --- Mr. Laid off Dad has posted a link to a word association game. I spent the entire girls nap time NOT sleeping but playing this (bad me - I know!).

Jump on the bandwagon and play! You enter words into the box and create new threads and then follow them...

"Funny Farm"

Sprain

So people of the internet? How long would you expect to be experiencing swelling associated with a sprained ankle? It's been 4 weeks on Tuesday and my foot is still about 75% swollen. My foot looks like I'm 36 weeks pregnant and was on my feet all day.

The pain is much better - but the swelling is uncomfortable.

People comin...

THe girls are excited to see three of their grandparents in the next couple weeks. My in-laws are coming from Michigan over Columbus Day weekend and then the girls' great-grandmother will be here the next week on her bus tour of New England.

The girls sooo love their visitors.

Polite...

Anna just cracks me up. since Julia has started school she is a talkative little thing... and I love listening to her. Almost everything she says is polite or funny or just cute in an Anna kind of way...

She just came up to me and said (no kidding and I could understand 100% of it) "cuse me momma. I dink I have poops in my pants 'gin. Ok. change diaper peez??"

I told her that I just changed her diaper (like 2 minutes ago) but that I'd check. Sure enough - no poop.

"Sorry Anna - no poop"

"Oh. OK momma, farts in my pants then"

6 months old

OK - she's almost 7 months old - but Em had her 6 month check up yesterday. She appears to be doing well - 17.5 lbs, 26 1/2 inches and looks healthy. She is still on for her appointment with the pediatric GI for her reflux the end of October.

Her ped agreed that her spoon feeding issues seem more related to the tongue thrusting than her interest in food so she is going to be doing a feeding study, mostly because of her other GI issues.

She is also getting her hips scanned as a baseline for her previous leg length difference issue.

I still can't believe I'm about to say this - but she did agree with me completely that a lot of Em's screaming issues are probably behavioral at this point. I almost choked when the word time-out came up in reference to disciplining her for her biting! Baby time-out. I could just see Em sitting in her Bumbo in the corner for her 30 seconds of age appropriate time out time. ha. Once she explained herself we were on the same page. She meant that I need to detach her and set her down for a couple of moments so that she understands that if she bites, she doesn't continue to nurse.

As for the other - she agreed with the notion that babies with reflux and chronic pain do indeed have issues with self soothing and that there can definitely be a lot of crying purely for attention at about this age. She said that how I want to handle it is up to me. Letting her cry for a while so that I can go about my daily life isn't going to hurt her. So leaving her in a safe place to cry for five minutes so I can do laundry, or do some dishes, or get Anna's lunch is sometimes what I might need to just do.

Her ped was happy to see her sitting with little to no support, and she was flipping around on the table to show her just how strong she's gotten. Not to mention how damn cute. Smiley little chick was on her best behavior.

She's a little cranky today in a way we don't normally see from Em - she's WHINY! She's usually either 100% happy or 100% pissed. She's never a little of anything - so whiny isn't something we see. She's a little feverish and is spending her day napping, whining and eating.

Does this look like the face of trouble??? Well it should!

sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Two nights in a row of less than 3 hours of sleep makes for a non-functioning, non-friendly, non-human human.

Tuesday night all three kids conspired against us. Em woke up at 9p and was up until 11p. Then Anna woke up at 1230a. Then Emma was up from 130-230a. Then Julia came in at 330a. Then Em was up at 530a for the day. After I nursed her - I sent her downstairs with Dan so she could rest in her bouncy or swing while Dan slept for another hour. 730am came all too soon. N0 nap since Em had her doctors appointment and it was early dismissal day for Julia...

Last night Anna was asleep by 815p, Julia was asleep by 9p. Emma was down for the count at 1op. Dan and I finished up our chores by 11p and I was out by midnight. Emma was up from 2a till almost 4. She had her first fever (probably a side effect of being shot up 4 times yesterday) and was just whiny and very un-emma like. She finally fell asleep at the end of our bedroom cuddled in all the blankets. I moved her back to her bed and passed out into ours. A short, short, short hour and half later she was awake for the day. I took her downstairs to nurse her, take her temperature and hit her with a dose of Tylenol - she fell asleep at 630a and I was estatic to get a chance for another hour of sleep. Thats when I heard feet on the stairs. Julia was up. "Good morning, mommy!" she sings out cheerfully.

"It's not even 7am - you can lay on the couch and watch Curious George but mommy and em are going to sleep'

"Ok mommy - but I'm going to go to the bathroom and then color in the kitchen."

Five minutes later I hear Dan's alarm go off. 10 minutes later Anna pads down the stairs. 5 minutes later guess who else is up.

Nap time can NOT come fast enough today.

Typing typing typing....

Some of you who knew me 3 years ago might remember when I was just about to embark on a new career in medical transcription...

well - an unexpected job transfer, a baby and a new life put a temporary end to that as the company I was going to train for and do work with was a local group

I'm looking for a job that will allow me to work from home or at least work evening/weekend hours so that I can earn some extra money but not do the whole paycheck to daycare routine. I was thinking about starting my own business doing outsourced clerical work - typing, data entry, phone screening, mailings, etc.

Two of my friends have recently mentioned medical transcription work... so any of you out there do this kind of work? How did you get started? Do you freelance or work for a company? Where did you do your training? Did you go to school, complete an online training program or an at home program?

What time is it?

Here are some things kids hear today that weren't said when I was growing up:

- "I don't know what time it is, I don't have my phone with me"

- "I don't know how to get there - let me mapquest it"

- "I don't know the answer to that, let's google it"

- "I like that song, lets download it to our ipod" or "I like that song, I'll dowload it as my ringtone"


Things that seem to be missing from everyday life:

- clocks with hands
- phone books
- tv guide
- CDs

What else seems to have changed in the last 10 years? Let me know...

oh SNAP....

I found something 100 times more annoying than Barney. Even more annoying than the foreskin friendly Boobah's and the non verbal annoying Teletubbies.

Discovery Kids' Hip Hop Harry show is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO annoying. A bunch of kids that can dance to varying degrees of skill - but a giant ghetto hip hopping host...

The lessons are good for kids - but the kids are as annoying as the extra-saccharin kids on Barney. I like that it's multicultural and even relatively hip - but it's sooo ummmmmmmm bad.

laying in the grass

In an effort to slow down our day and calm the throbbing in my head, I did something that Julia found weird.

After our walk back from the bus stop - I parked the stroller next to our front steps and just laid down in the grass. Julia was at first nervous that something had happened, then thought that maybe I was looking at something. So she too laid down. We then got Anna out of the stroller and I laid Anna's stroller blanket down on the ground. Julia brought Em over to us. We all laid down on the ground. Julia went inside and brought out hats to shield our eyes from the beautiful sun and we just laid there. Talking. Looking at the blades of grass and clovers and dandelion leaves. We talked about what it would be like to see the world from this view. Emma rolled around and impressed us with her skills. She got up on her hands and knees and did some rocking. I tried to explain to them that after years without it - how wonderful grass feels on your toes, and how the smell of cut grass is a tonic of sorts. They mostly just looked at me with that glassy eyed stare that you get from kids when you are a foot deep in reverie.

Then Em spent some time sitting up and looking down at us. She also figured out how to lay down and roll over from a sitting position without smacking her head. Vital life skill.

Then the sun snuck behind some of the big white puffy clouds and the brisk breeze started winning the temperature battle.

We decided to stand back up and resume our normal sized lives.

It was time for Pinky Dinky Doo anyway.

Owwww - my head hurts!

Yep - that damn sinus pressure is kicking my butt today.

I'm starting to get nauseous, and seeing those damn little spots... you know what that means... damn migraine on the way.

I will be counting the minutes until Dan gets home at 6p so I can take a quick nap and see if it goes away.

Gotta love the migraine.

or maybe you just kick it's punk ass to the curb.

80s!!

We had a beautiful weekend here last weekend with the weather in the 80s. We had lunch on the beach and took long walks the length of the water on the shore. It was great. My friend Lisa makes these great tie-dye clothes - aren't they great???? The girls LOVE them.

Yummmy!

This weekend was brisk and rainy, but when the rain broke it was sunny and nice. We are celebrating the beginning of Fall here. Saturday night was game night and we made homemade pizzas. Our local grocery has balls of pizza dough for sale in the deli area so we bought some wheat dough. The girls made cheese and ham pizzas and Dan and I made a hawaiian (ham, pineapple, red onion) and then a harvest pizza - which was one of the best pizzas I've had in a LONG LONG time. I sauteed some chopped zuchinni and squash with some red onion. then put them on the pizza. It was soooo good. I think we might do it again this weekend while the Fall veggies are so inexpensive.

Game night went great - we played Dora Memory with Anna and then put together some puzzles. Then Dan, Anna and Em watched Curious George while Julia and I played game after game after game of Guess Who. I love that game. Julia is quite good at it. Once she learned the difference between a mustache and a beard she was even better!! Bingo, tiddlywinks and tic tac toe were also on the agenda but were moved to this afternoon when bedtime came too soon last night. It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. I think we're going to have a nice winter... bring on the board games!

Today we baked the most amazing cookies. I can not even begin to tell you how soft, moist and tasty these things are. They have replaced my other go to cookie - although the cherry chip cookies can't be beat for ease! My next door neighbor in Arizona makes these awesome Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies and she relinquished her recipe only after we moved! We made them today and they turned out perfectly. We took some over to the next door neighbor when we returned his sock (he gave me a sock full of ice when I fell down the stairs a couple of weeks ago - because I had to get in the car and drive to get Julia right after and he was worried about the swelling). The rest we're keeping. They are just moist and full of pumpkiny chocolately goodness.

Tonight we're having more food in celebration of Autumn's arrival. We're having a roast chicken with carrots, potatoes and leeks, stuffed with apples to help keep it moist. I use white wine in the bottom for flavor (3 Blind Moose!) and season with garlic powder, S&P, and nutmeg. DELICIOUS! We'll have canteloupe for dessert. UPDATE: It was everything I had hoped it would be. I love leeks.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Much to our surprise the connection worked when we hooked it up today! YEAH!

I was able to wade through a couple hundred email messages and catch up on some blogs. It was a great feeling.

so - here are some brags cleverly described as updates about the kidlets...

Julia - loves ice skating and is having a great time. She is enjoying Kindergarten and really likes her teacher. I'm impressed so far with what we're seeing from her. The first week the studied metamorphasis and had Monarchs hatch! Julia can tell you anything you need to know about Chrysallis ' and pupas. They also used this as a jumping point to discuss cycles in general (weather, etc...). She LOVES Math and told us Friday that she got moved up in the Math centers for doing such a great job. She informed me that if you add a zero to a 1 you get 10, and then 100 and then a 1000 and then 10000. She was very proud of herself.

Anna - She is really loving having some mommy time each day. We've seen an explosion in her vocabulary and her speech is improving although she still is only understandable about 1/2 the time. We are continuously suprised by what she knows (Julia is a great teacher!!) she knows a lot of her shapes, colors, numbers and letters. She has also become exceptionally polite - and please and thank you is constantly in use. She loves the beach and the water (brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!). I know she misses Julia though - so she play fights with her dolls. Her little babies squabble over what is theirs. :) IT's cute to hear her "MINE!" when there is no one to fight with.

Emma Leigh - is doing well too. She's growing like a weed - and has her 6 month check up this week. She has a bit of a runny nose so I'm not sure she'll do shots or not. Next month is her visit to the ped GI. She still cries a lot and keeps us on our toes but she's getting giggly and sweet. She also loves the beach - and if she's super cranky we'll walk down there and she cheers right up.

Grow Old Along with Me...

I wanna get old like the people around here. Some of them live here year round, some only live here from May to October and head back to whatever part of the world they enjoy for the other months. From what I can tell from my long walks with the girls, these are some very busy older people.

During the summer months this place is hopping with the young. When we came to visit several times in July and August, the streets were full of young kids, teens and adults rambling around. This time of year the senior citizens rule. Most of the time when I’m out for a walk I will only see people who appear to be at the earliest, in their 60s. They are walking, riding bikes, or even running at all times during the day. My next door neighbor is building a dormer on the side of their house. He takes breaks and joins his wife on a bike ride or a stroll to spend some time on the beach. In the morning during low tide you can find groups of older people playing croquet in long complex designs on the beach. In the afternoon and evening low tide you can find them playing bocce ball. While the young head out into the surf in with their boards and wetsuits, the older people are walking the beach with their dogs, looking for shells or sea life. As one lady put it, “we spend a lot of time being busy doing nothing”.

They have pot lucks and walking dinners (walk from house to house for different courses – an elderly version of Trick or Treating) and monthly theme dinners (Septembers dinner is Fall Harvest). They play cards or just sit out on their porches and watch the traffic.

We haven’t quite broken into the social structure here as our kids would cramp their style. They certainly love to look, talk with and be momentarily silly with the girls, but then they are back on the move – back to being busy doing nothing.

I think growing old is probably like a much longer version of Seinfeld – it’s a lot about doing nothing – but having a good time and some laughs along the way.

To Joanna

I love you. Spider Solitaire rocks. For someone with no internet connection, no cable and a sprained ankle – it is the best.

I'll tumble for ya...

We are not a graceful group.

It all started when Dan received a drunken dial at 3am back when we still lived in a hotel. It was someone at a party back in Arizona that was drunk and had Dan’s business card, calling to ask if Dan could bring an Energy Drink out to them. Apparently someone not in the know. Dan doesn’t wake well. It takes him a good 5 minutes to regain consciousness after a deep sleep. He jumped up to get the phone, running through the dark hotel room, tripping on Em’s bouncy seat and pitching forward onto his face. He was sore and relatively unscathed other than a cut on his hand.

Then it was Anna’s turn. On our way down to the beach Anna ran in front of Dan and tripped him, only he was able to regain his balance. Anna was not quite so lucky, and fell on her knees and then onto her face. She had road rash on her knees and forehead, but was OK.

Then me, and I guess Emma too. Mine was a doozy as you know a 300 lb woman doesn’t go down easy. I fell down the stairs going out of the house. I stepped down onto my ankle and the ground was uneven. My ankle went one way while the rest of me went the other, resulting in a nasty fall. I was carrying Em in her car seat, so I twisted and turned to avoid dropping her or landing on Anna. Both girls were fine and Em landed gently on the ground. Me, not so much. I have a nasty sprained ankle and some lovely bumps and bruises. Luckily my neighbor was outside and saw the fall. He ran right over and assisted me. He called for his wife “OH MY GAWD, CATHY, COME HERE, OH MY GAWD!” I was busy trying to calm Anna down in between vomiting and laughing. To make a long story short, fell, it hurt, went to the doctor, it a damn good sprain, gonna live but all the stairs in our house are a bitch in the meantime.

Julia was next and she fell as she was getting down off the school bus. Her ankle twisted as she stepped down and she fell forward and landed on her elbow. She was mostly embarrassed although her funny bone was sore for a couple of hours.

Let’s just say if we’re this clumsy on dry land, imagine how long this winter is going to be!

Crisp

What is it about that cold snap in the air that makes you feel alive? It’s just cool enough to make your blood pump a little harder to keep you warm. Here on the beach the distinct scent of cold is mixed with the smell of salt water. It’s still warm enough for this thick skinned girl to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt, although most of the locals are in khakis and sweaters or the zip down lightweight jackets so familiar around here. The trees are starting to begin their change into the intense hues of autumn. I forgot just how brilliant the colors of the outdoors can be. The palette of the desert is stunning, but certainly not the vivid primaries that the change of seasons can bring. Without the dazzling sun of summer beating down, the sky appears a bright blue, the greens pop in their varying shades from a kelly green to a dark olive of the holly plants. The reds range from the bright red of the Crayola box to deep berry. The fall flowers are blooming and splash color, specifically the bright yellow of the towering sunflowers so popular along the white fence work.

My friend Veronica so clearly described the scents and feeling of fall in this post. If I was still in Arizona I would have read her post with a sense of longing, this year it was with anticipation and excitement. Fall and her cool breezes have certainly arrived here in Northern New England. I certainly second her ardor of the smell of fall.

Last year I was able to experience the beginning of fall for the first time in many, many years. Although the situation wasn’t ideal (we were in Michigan to be with my parents after their accident) it was a shock to those little synapses firing in my brain. A jolt of long hidden memories; burrowing under blankets to watch football, the trips to the apple farms to pick apples and enjoy that first glass of cool cider, the extra quickness of step to ward off the sneaky chill.

I’m grateful for this ease into the cold winter months when I can begin my posts about the beauty of snow angels, white winters and snow on Christmas. Oh you know there will be some, mixed in with the incessant bitching about icy stairs, gray days and damn cold.

I do...

We went to a wedding today. It amazed me that for people new to this place, we knew more than half of the people there. The granddaughter of people that own the cabins we go to every summer on the lake was getting married. My family has known them for over 50 years. I can’t think of anyone else I know that I could go to a wedding for and know as many people as I did today. It really cemented a concept extended family for me. It was great seeing everyone. Aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends and even neighbors.

I can’t think of anyone that I have met in the last 10 years that I know like the people I knew when I was younger. I may know ‘of” my friends family and other friends, but I certainly don’t know them. In fact almost of all of my friends live far away from their families. It seemed that growing up you met all of your friends family. It’s weird how that changes.

The wedding was beautiful. It rained, which I know put a huge damper on the brides dream of an outdoor ceremony on the lake. The rain slowed near sunset and we ran out to the beach while they exchanged their vows. A rainbow peeked out of the trees. There were tears of love and joy, and laughs of happiness, everything a good wedding should have.

The reception was wonderful. Held under a large white tent there were red rose petals on each table. The décor had an Far East feeling with red and white Chinese take out boxes holding chocolates, and long platters with polished stones and votives on them. There was tapping on glasses (actually I think they tapped the votives) for the bride and groom to kiss, there was food, and speeches, and more kissing, and cake, and dancing. All things a good reception should have.

Once the rain stopped people filtered out of the tent and mingled under the trees lit by tiny white lights. It was a beautiful night.

The girls were hilarious dancing. Julia was dancing her little heart out while Anna stole the show with her “booty shaking” brand of dancing. Man does she have rhythm. She held her own with 20 somethings dancing. It was hilarious watching her get down. She was particularly funny while dancing to “Hips don’t lie” by Shakira. Oh man. That girl can wiggle her hips. We had to drag them off to the car to leave, both girls tired. I’m so glad we were able to be a part of the beginning of their life together.

Best wishes to you both Danielle and Reid! May you have a lifetime of happiness.

So long, farewell...

auf wiedersehen, goodnight.

We are moving out of the hotel today and into the house. Sadly - that means I will not have an internet connection for a while.

I hope to be back to post my September 11 tribute to Todd A. Isaac, but if not I have made alternate arrangements to make sure it gets posted.

See you soon!

Todd A. Isaac

Back in July, Dale got an idea to have one blogger each cover each of the victims of 9/11. He set out to get 2,996 bloggers to cover all of the victims, and he exceeded his goal. I am honored to be a part of his project.

Todd A. Isaac

July 18, 1972 - September 11, 2001

Today is about Todd.

Todd was born in the Bronx, NY to Betty and Odell Isaac. He leaves a brother Odell and a girlfriend Sandra Perez behind. He leaves us all with his story.

He won a prestigious admission to Phillips Academy, where he played Varsity basketball. He then went on to earn a BA in economics from Holy Cross, and was a start point guard on the Varsity basketball team. He then joined Cantor Fitzgerald as a Corporate Broker, and was made a partner in 2000. He died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

I never knew Todd, and I feel it's best to leave any tribute of him to those who knew and loved him. Through tears I read account after account of what Todd meant to people. It saddens me to know that this world lost such an amazing man so early in his life, and so many more like him. You are remembered, missed and honored today Todd. Thank you for sharing your smile.

I have compiled a list of links and other memorial sites to learn more about Todd. Please stop by his memorial fund site and help them if you are able. All site links are clickable (just click on the name of the site and you will be redirected).

- The Todd A. Isaac Memorial Scholarship Fund

- 9-11 Heroes

- Andover Bulletin

- Cantor Family Tributes

- Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund

- CNN September 11 Memorial

- Legacy.com Remembering September 11

- The Flagship

- Commemerate WTC