Memorial Day 2010

Today was our typical Memorial Day - running around like crazy in the morning trying to get everyone ready because we need to be in the car at 9 to get to Hubby's hometown (not far away) before they shut the roads down for their annual Memorial Day Parade.  So, we were a little off kilter ... what else is new??  We were there in time to beat the street closings ... we roasted while we waited for 10 a.m. to arrive ... Twinkletoes, believe it or not, was the best behaved during our waiting time.  She was psyched for all of the candy that some of the floats throw to the kids on the street.  That is what it was all about for her.  DinoBoy - eh - he just wanted candy and to get out of dodge.  I guess, because he'll be 9 in the summertime, parades don't have the *fun factor* that he is looking for?  I'm not sure but he was just trying to annoy Twink ... and he really does a damn good job at it. 

SweeTart, she is a whole different ball game.  At first, she was happy to be in her red, white and blue dress...she told everyone how pretty she looked.  :-)  She even sat in her new pink chair that we got for her to watch DinoBoy's baseball games in.  Then ... she got bored.  (What did it take, a whole five minutes??)  For some reason there were still cars coming down the street so she couldn't play safely in the street while waiting ... she decided to follow a family with their two Puggles in tow down the street.  Yup - she went all the way down to where they were watching the parade from, about a block from us, and about a block away from our church (in the other direction.)  I am not sure that she knew her brother and sister were following her or not but she is very brave....not sure that is a good quality in a 2 year old? 

Everyone did thoroughly enjoy the parade this year.  SweeTart was taken back a little when it started and there were people walking down the middle of Main Street and we were telling her that she needed to stay on the sidewalks.  Once the bands came through, she was loving it!! She was dancing to each of the different bands - they must have had 7 or 8, including bag pipes!  It is a big deal for such a small town!! 

The firetrucks generally signal the end of the parade.  Instinctively, SweeTart must have known this because she took off down the street again - toward the Puggles.  Her brother and sister were following her again so I wasn't worried.  I finally went after them as I saw her little dress down by our church, about two blocks away.  On my way, I bumped into one of my friends whose bridal shower I missed on Friday night - with SweeTart being sick and having a zillion tests done on Friday, I just wasn't in the mood.  Anyhoo, I kissed and hugged her and told her how sorry I was to miss Friday ...blah blah .... hey, did you see my kids running down the street, I finally asked her.  At first she said no then she said "was she wearing the striped dress, blond curly hair in pony tails and a big chubbs???"  Yep - that's her - she was laying at the corner in front of our church because she didn't want to come back with the kids.  Lovely.  I took off after her, got her a water bottle from church and continued to quickly walk back down the sidewalk towards the Hubs - then - I stepped on a cracked, uneven piece of pavement ... my ankle twisted ... and blammo ... my opposite knee hits the pavement with the full force of fatty me and SweeTart.  I didn't drop her!!  Yay - but I am extremely embarrassed and the proud owner of my first skinned knee in ---- It has been so long that I cannot remember when my last skinned knee was!!!! 

Needless to say, I needed to come home, change my shoes and pants, before heading to my sister's house for their parade and my niece's birthday party.  Did I mention that it was as hot as hades already?  It was well over 90 when we got to her house at 1:00 - and the parade was no where in sight.  It is a great thing that I didn't have my watch on because I have no idea how long it took for the parade to reach her house this year, but it really did seem to take longer than ever.  We wound up leaving at 4:00 - the kids had some water fun, saw the parade, hung out with their cousins for a bit - and relaxed with Brother Bear on the way home.  We didn't wind up staying for cake but *happy birthday sweetie!!*  *your crazy aunt loves you and was soooo happy to get hugs and kisses from you today* (even if they were only because I told you I got you DORA presents.)

This is the picutre of our night ... it's only 7:00 and she's been crashed since we got home just after 5:30 .... Thanks for a wonderful day and thank you to all of the vetrans who gave their lives for our wonderful U.S. of A! 

Post It Note Tuesday - The SICK again Edition

So, she's home with my Mom again today, missing yet another day of her 2 year old preschool class.  SUX! And to top it all off - we're nervous - she's sick so often!! What is going on with this little one?  She seems to be catching everything that comes down the pike, and I mean EVERYTHING.  Few weeks ago, she was diagnosed with the "slap cheek disease" a.k.a. the Fifth Disease.  Nothing major unless you're old or pregnant but definitely not comfortable at all.   Then she got an awful case of the RUNS.  Took 2 weeks for the water to stop coming out of her cute little butt.  After that gets straigtened out, she vomits in school one morning ... then again the next morning but nothing in between.  Doc put her on an anti-acid medicine and she was "fixed".  Now - no pee - and when she does go, she cries.  We are trying to catch it today so that the doc's office can test it for a UTI so that we can get her properly treated if that is what it is.  If that isn't what it is, WHAT THE EFF is it??????

Does anyone have ...

 A recipe to make a Pizza Turnover?  Do you know what that is?  My Dad used to make these tiny little ones - like panzarottis - that he would fry.  That was forever ago ... and considering he's not been with us for five years this year, it is even longer ago than I can imagine. 

Any help that you can give is appreciated.  You can either comment here or email me.  THANKS!

Holy Crow ...

Jimney Cricket .... Peter Pan ... Goodness Gracious ... OMIGOSH.

I am so *freaking* out of shape that it is just a sad, sad, sad (get the emphasis) situation.  I have no idea how my husband has put up with me like this for so long.  Remember on Tuesday how I complained about my pseudo-Yoga class because I was aching like a SOB that day after my first class back in 2.5 years? Tonight, my friends, was KETTLEBELLS.  What, you ask?  Kettlebells.  Just like it sounds tea "kettle" dinner "bells" - and this same teacher that kicked my arse on Monday night threw me and my eight pound kettlebell for a loop tonight.  I had to stop periodically during the hour long class not only to catch my breath and wipe the sweat from my face but to concentrate on remaining concious.  Can you imagine if I passed out from being fat in front of super skinny, kick as$ instructor plus the other 4 girls in the class?  Omigoodness - that would have been even more horrific than my stopping to regain composure. 

I texted my hubby who has the kidlets picking up Twink from gymanstics practice that if he came home and found me DEAD not to be surprised.  I was shocked to see how bright PINK my face was when I walked into the house.  I jumped into the shower and it felt sooooo good. Kind of like one of those cool showers that you take after spending the day on the beach and you're all tired and sunburned ... and the water actually heats up after leaving your skin because of the sunburn....that's what it was like -- sans the ocean, beach, sunburn and sweet smell of coppertone ... all that was there was sweat and heat.  YUK.  25 minutes later, my face is still as red as it was when I walked out of the class.  I hope it goes away before I have to go to work tomorrow. 

What I really hope is that SweeTart sleeps through the night tonight.  She was up again last night.  After trying to get her to go back to sleep in our bed for 45 minutes, I finally brought her downstairs to watch TV so the hubs could get some rest.  An hour and a half later, I took her back to her crib and begged the hubs to tell her to go to sleep.  She did.  I got an hour's worth of sleep before the alarm went off.  Anyhoo - she's on meds tonight for acid reflux so hopefully that will cure her sleepless nights (she was puking as soon as she woke up too .. did I already say that?  I can't remember.)

Thank you, dearest husband o' mine, for sending me back to exercise class.  The muscles I forgot existed in my body will be thanking you tomorrow when you will literally have to either kick me out of or pull me up from the bed, because, seriously, I don't think I'm going to be able to move. 

No worries, I plan on going back for more on Monday night and have already told the skinny lady teacher girl that if she cancels class because she is going to see the wonderful FLYERS play there is no way in H.E. double hockey sticks I can do Pilates Yoga and Kettlebells together in one class.  That would be one funny night. 

The fam is home... hopefully my face isn't still crimson color.  I might scare them.

Mission Monkey

Click on monkey to donate...please help!

A beautiful little girl with Neuroblastoma.  Found out the great news that she is "stage 1, low risk."  But that doesn't stop the medical bills from piling up, nor the worries of her family for her full recovery.  This is Monkey's Momma's latest post....

!

My promise to Monkey…

The medical bills are just starting to pour in from the last three weeks of hell that we have been through and the cancer although found early has left its mark on Monkey with an arm that she is no longer able to use. She has mobility of her hand but the arm just hangs like a lifeless doll. Tomorrow we will start the tedious task of physical therapy of which our insurance barely covers, not to mention the cost of monthly scans and oncologist visits that we will accrue. But thanks to your bighearted gifts we will manage.

This isn’t where we are going to stop…I have set up a Mission Monkey account and the unused portion from your generous donations will be given to another family that has to battle this monster. Medical expenses should be the least of your concerns when your baby has cancer maybe together we can help to ease another family’s worries tomorrow.


PAY IT FORWARD

Its a Raining PINT. (Post It Note Tuesday)

Beechwood's Blog

I just proofed these post it notes after posting.  It seems I've repeated myself and made a grammatical error or two.  Guess what?  Too bad.  I am tired.  I am sore.  I am going to find coffee to get through this rainy and chilly day.   *toodles*

Happy Birthday to me ... :-)

Today - it's my birthday - YIPPEE, right?  Actually, it's just another day ... adding another year to my age is kind of depressing but it is also kind of nice ... nice that I have made it this far without causing too much chaos in the lives of others ... my birthday wish is for a happy and healthy year with lots of patience and love for and from my fantabulous family.  (Sometimes those kidlets really do know how to push my buttons!)  I love you Hubby, DinoBoy, Twink and SweeTart!!  You guys are the greatest gift that I could ever ask for!

Have a great weekend and happy Friday Follow!

Welcome to the May 14 Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! They invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.


Here's how YOU can join the Friday Follow celebration:

--Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
--Grab the Friday Follow button and include on your Friday Follow blog post.
--Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
--Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like.
--Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow.
--Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

Post it Note Tuesday

PS - Look what I found "Yoga promotes weight loss".  I think its a sign!!

So In Love ...

with these guys ....

Even though they push my buttons some times (especially at bedtime when all should be serene in my mind), there is no where on earth I'd rather be than with these four.