Little Salesman

My little Tiger Scout.

Ryan was really excited today because he got to join his Cub Scout pack over at the new outdoor mall to sell popcorn. After rushing to get his patches sewn on to his new shirt, I took him there not sure what to expect out of him.

Thinking he was going to be one of those shy kids who wouldn't want to go up to anyone, he totally surprised me by running around with his arms pull of bags of microwaveable popcorn chasing people down. It was hilarious to watch, because each person walking by would pretty much get assaulted by 4 or 5 cute little boys in blue shirts - and not at the same time. Who in the world could turn them down? You'd be surprised. I couldn't believe how many people walked by them, totally ignoring them. They could at least have just said, "No, thanks" while walking by. And then there was the poor unassuming kindergarten teacher from their school who got hit up for a case, the lady walking by on her cell phone that couldn't say no and every other person that we knew and wouldn't let walk by without buying a bag.

The boys did a great job, but Ryan really surprised me. I am so proud of him.

Chuck E Nightmare

Last night was the dine out fundraiser for Ryan's school at Chuck E Cheese. I have nightmares about this place. Nightmares of germs and unsupervised little hoodlums attacking my kids. It's not pretty. However, last night wasn't too bad. It was all kids from Ryan's school and he had a great time. He flew through his tokens, though and was lucky to have a big sister who knows how to share. My problem with this whole thing is that I spent $40 on pizza, drinks and tokens and only 15% goes back to the school. So that's what? $6? Seems to me that I should have just written the school a check for $40 and saved myself from the nightmare of that place. But then my kids wouldn't have had that care free two hours with their friends where they didn't have to worry about homework and all the other school night stresses, so I guess I'm the one that came out ahead. You can bet their behinds were sent straight to the tub to wash off all the germs when we got home, though.

Game On

We are going to have to get this for Ryan!

Seriously In Need Of Getting It Together Here

This morning started out to be just like any other Monday morning. You know, dragging yourself out of bed, getting the kids up, dressed, fed, etc for school. By 8:30am, Chloe was in her high chair chowing down on her eggs and sausage when the dog perked up and started barking at some noise she heard. I thought to myself, "No. Couldn't be." Then I looked down and remembered that I hadn't gotten dressed yet. I was still in my shorts and tank top with no bra, no makeup and my hair wildly escaping it's pathetic attempt at a ponytail. (I don't rush to get up and pretty myself up for Chloe's mom - she's a good friend and has seen me at my worst already anyway.) And I thought, "Oh, Lord!" It was. Luke's mom was here to drop him off. I wasn't expecting them until 9:30am. Somewhere we must have gotten our wires crossed. I have never been so embarassed in my life. Okay, that's probably not quite true. Oversleeping and running to the door in my tank top and underwear at 6:30am to find that it was Dan and not my (another good) friend Kelly dropping Cecelia off that morning a few months ago was definately more embarassing.

(Side note:) Luckily I caught myself that morning before opening the door. Just cracked the door and said, I'm going to run back and get dressed. Go ahead and come in after I close the door. (I know how your minds work so I figured I'd clear that one up.)

Wake Up Call

Next weekend a friend of Bret's is getting hitched. We're invited and let me just say that being a stay at home mom for the past 7 years does not leave you with much of a wardrobe for attending weddings. My mom was in town visiting this weekend and I dragged her and myself to every single store in Peoria today - twice - looking for something to wear to this wedding.

I've come to the conclusion that I hate shopping for myself when it comes to looking for something in particular. I love going out and buying stuff for the house or clothes for the kids when the season changes and they've outgrown the previous year's clothes. I have no problem with that. But when it comes to myself, I'm my own worst critic and hate the way everything looks on me. It of course has absolutely nothing to do with the 15 pounds that I've put back on since this time last year. Right.

So, I'm getting back on the diet bandwagon. I'm going to lose that 15 pounds and more. Just as soon as I finish this bowl of ice cream that's in front of me.

Birthday Bash

This afternoon we headed out to meet family at Longhorn Steakhouse to celebrate Bret's 32nd birthday, as well as his Grandma's 92nd birthday.

But first thing this morning, I took myself for a last minute haircut and brow waxing at a salon near our neighborhood. I've been meaning to call my friend Shawn, who usually does my hair (because we have a wedding to go to next weekend) but kept putting it off. Then this morning after a battle with my hairdryer, which resulted in the hairbrush being thrown across the bathroom in a fit of tantrum, I jumped in the car and went to the nearest place to get it chopped off. Lately, I've been throwing it back into a ponytail because it won't do anything but hang there all limp like and I just couldn't take one more ponytail day.

So wa-la... my new do. Not quite as good of a job as Shawn would do, but it'll get me by until I can call her to schedule an appointment to touch up my highlights. I will however, never let anyone but her come near me with wax again. I now only pretty much have half an eye brow left over each eye - I should have known better by how much time it took her to cut my hair. (One hour!)

Brooke and Ryan waiting for their food today at lunch.

She's Growing Up

Yesterday, Ashley came home from her friend's house and told us that she wanted her ears pierced. And this came right after she and her friend ran back and forth the backyard to each other's houses, deciding what each one was going to wear to school today. I am so not ready for this. What will be next? "Can you drop us off at the mall so we can go shopping? Money please, mom." Probably that and drop offs at the movie theatre because boys from school will be there. I knew it would come eventually, but sixth grade? Doesn't that seem too soon?

And then I remember way back to when I was her age - 20 years ago (gulp). I remember how boy crazy I was, and how much I loved picking out my own clothes, because my mom's taste couldn't have been more different from mine. I remember, and I'm glad. Glad because she's becoming her own independent person with her own individual style and taste. She's growing up and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, we headed out to Claire's after dinner for some ear piercing...

Before - scared, but brave.




After - happy and glad it's over.

Click on images to enlarge.

School Must Be Back In Session

I tell you, we just can't seem to catch a break around here. About three weeks ago, the kids and I went through the whole fever and headache thing that was going around. We got better. And now a second wave has hit us.

For the past week, we've all had what seemed like either a horrible cold or annoying allergies. However, over the past couple of days it's progressed to fever and sore throats. Ryan came home after school yesterday thoroughly drained, saying he was tired and that his throat hurt. He felt warm so I gave him some Advil and later on left for my PTO meeting at his school.


At 5am this morning, he came and crawled into bed with us, burning up with a fever. Desperate to get more sleep before the alarm clocks went off, we drugged him up and tried (unsuccessfully) to fall back asleep, assuming he wouldn't be going to school today. By seven this morning, he was bouncing around the living room playing his Nintendo Wii and I thought, there is no way he's staying home today if he's going to act fine. So I sent him. (Cringes, yes, knowing he had a fever two hours earlier.)

You see, he can't afford to miss school. He has to work that much harder than the other kids in his class because of his hearing loss and one day away from school could put him behind. So I sent him. Then four hours later, I was picking him up. Fever. Sore throat. Tummy ache. Sigh. Will this ever end?

While waiting for him to come down to the office at school, the substitute secretary was telling me that the school's normal secretary was out today because her daughter is home with strep throat.

Now I ask you, should I be freaking out about now? Ashley, along with 13 or so other girls spent the night there this past Friday night for her daughter's birthday party. Ryan had strep 5 times last year and one more time and we were looking at a tonsillectomy for sure. Now we're all over here sucking on popsicles. Coincindence?

If anyone is looking for me, I'll be at the drug store stocking up on Airborne after the doctor's nurse gets around to calling me back. Enough of this, already.

Into The Unknown

I'm heading into the disaster area my daughter calls her bedroom to clean the crap out of it today. So if no one hears from me by nightfall, send a rescue squad with the jaws of life to pull me out of there!

You Know You're The Mother Of An Almost Teenager When...

...her room is a constant disaster area with no hope of seeing the carpet in the forseeable future and you're forced into buying her the ugliest shoes you've ever seen in your life because she thinks they're cute. Okay, the shoes may be starting to grow on me now, but you should have seen some of the other ones she wanted.

And do I dare ask what this picture was doing on the camera when I went to upload pictures onto the laptop? Nice legs, though. LoL.

Proud Mama

Any parent will understand my need to brag and show off my son's school work! Especially when it has not come easy for him and he's had to work so hard at it.

Today his class had to write down the names of ten animals and try to spell them out by themselves and he did such a great job! I remember back when Ashley was learning how to read and spell and she would bring home work that looked like this. Isn't it the cutest thing when they spell the words the way they hear them?

Can you guess what makes me the most excited about this? He CAN hear them! We've questioned from the start of school as to whether or not he's hearing all of his consonant sounds because he's really struggled sounding out words every night. Unfortunately, his degree of hearing loss keeps him from hearing many of those consonant sounds. With his hearing aids and the microphone that his teacher wears, we can now start letting ourselves believe that he may actually be able to hear them.

Now, lets just hope his spelling test goes well this Friday. Way to go, Ryan!

Better Late Then Never

I finally found some time to sit down and go through pictures so I can order copies for our photo albums. Gulp. I haven't printed a single picture since January. How in the world does that happen? I haven't figured out just how many there are waiting to be printed at Snapfish.com, but over 800 of them are from our Disney Vacation. Guess, I'm going to have to be really picky about which ones I end up printing.

Anyhow, the rest of our Disney pictures are up at at Flickr now. Happy Viewing.

Yea.... The weather is suppose to cool off this week and I spotted the first trees in town today that have changed color already. This is by far my favorite time of year! Hope my jeans still fit...LoL.

Recap Of A Busy Week

• Ashley's biopsy came back normal. What a relief. We'll hear the final results when her doctor comes back from vacation on Monday or Tuesday next week.
• Next Wednesday, I'll be watching a newborn baby boy two mornings a week. A friend of mine that also does daycare passed my name along to a lady that I use to work with on the PTO board at Ashley's old school. I'm so excited, because oooh....baby boy!
• Gold's Gym came to see the error of their ways and Chloe and I are now being welcomed back into the daycare there. The owner got my letter on Wednesday and called me immediately to apologize and to let me know that supposedly the ladies in the daycare must have misunderstood the new guidelines. However, according to one of those ladies, they must be making an acception for me, because they were told otherwise. I guess I made a really good case. Regardless, I am thrilled with the outcome and took my week's aggressions out on the eliptical machine this morning.
• Ryan is really excited because Emily and the kids (our neighbor's that recently moved) are coming over after dinner tonight to visit. I finally get my drinking buddy back for a night. So, I guess that makes me excited, too.

Have a great weekend, everyone! (Ha - All, what, three of you that ready this little 'ol blog?)

Bedtime

Heck, we're lucky if we can get out of their rooms in less than 30 minutes. This video sums it all up very correctly. Be sure to watch all the way to the end!

Biopsy

Aren't we just swell?

Back in April, we noticed some bruising that looked more like skin pigmentation on the back of one of Ashley's legs and brought her into the doctor to have it checked out. It was kind of a coincidence that at the time she was learning how to slide into homeplate in softball when these spots appeared. There are about 10 of them and they vary in size and her doctor was pretty sure it was just iron from her blood/bruise staining the skin and that eventually they would fade and go away.

So here we are, 4 months later and they are still there. Haven't faded. Haven't really changed much at all. Two weeks ago, Bret brought her back to the doctor and he and counted them and measured them and told us to bring her back in two weeks so he could document whether there was any change. Today was the follow up appointment, and while he is still fairly sure it is nothing serious, he admitted that he cannot say he's 100% sure and suggested doing a biopsy right then and there to rule anything else out.

So Ryan went off with his favorite nurse there to play while Ashley and I followed the doc into the procedure room to get started. I think we were both expecting a lot more, but it was fairly simple and really quick. She was such a brave little trooper!

No one likes to hear the word biopsy, though. In five to seven days we'll know what the results are and just what these marks on her leg are. I'm sure it's nothing, though.

Cheers to my brave daughter!!!

Update: Biopsy came back normal. What a relief. Still not really sure what it is, though.

Dear Gold's Gym,

Do you really think it's fair to change your policies regarding your child care services ten months after telling me that I can bring Chloe there with me? When I have written authorization from her mother, who is also a member? I realize that by telling members that they can no longer bring children who are not their own, you believe this will solve your over crowding issue, but do you honestly think that is fair? I've been a member there for two years and was completely shocked when you threw this piece of garbage news at me this morning. I've been honest about this situation from the start and all you are doing is encouraging people to lie to you.

So, let me see if I've got this right. Instead of bringing just ONE child in the morning, you would rather me bring my TWO children in the evening when it is just as crowded? What the heck are you smoking?

Ungratefully yours,

Lynda

*By the way, my two page letter with my detailed opinion on this matter will be on it's way to your owner soon. Failing to resolve this amicably will result in another detailed letter to your corporate office, filling them in on how you treat your members and all of the DCFS regulations you are so obviously ignoring.

Destruction

Last week, Peoria dodged a horrible storm that went through Galesburg, IL, a town nearby. On our way home from visiting our old neighbors, Jon & Emily at their new home in Davenport, IA today, we stopped in Galesburg to fill up the gas tank and grab some dinner. On our way out of town, we saw first hand some of the devestation that the storm caused. Buildings were torn apart and roofs were blown right off. I just happened to have my camera with me, so I snapped a couple of pictures. Makes you count your blessings, doesn't it?

Ryan's First Ball Game

Bret took Ryan to his very first Peoria Chief's game tonight. To Bret's satisfaction, Ryan has shown a huge interest in baseball since playing t-ball this summer. He can now tell you the names of most of the Chicago Cub's players and a few from some of the other teams. However, it looks as though Ryan may be destined to become a Dodger's fan. I'm not sure if it's to get his dad all riled up, but I suspect it may just be the colors of their jerseys. Any how, tonight was kind of a test to see if Ryan was ready for a trip to Wrigley Field for his first Cub's Game. Looks like he had a great time, so hopefully my brother will come across some Cub's tickets again this year.
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Ryan with the field in the background.

Ryan prepares to hit his own pretend ball out of the park.

Yep, Dad's a sucker. Ryan got a Chief's hat and a big finger.

Yep, he's a cutie.

Surprise Butt Kicking

Teri doesn't know this yet, but we're going to do the Turbo Kick class at the Y in the morning. Guess she'll find out when she reads this...Ha! I'll pick you up at 8:30am sharp! You owe me!