happy halloween

On this all hallows' eve I will not be trick or treating with the kids or passing out candy to the neighborhood goblins and ghouls. I'm still taking it easy and resting at my parents' house after having a hysterectomy. The surgery went well and after a week of rockin' the percocet and colace, watching mass amounts of talk shows and uncontrollably napping I'm feeling pretty good today. Dr. D said she found endometriosis on the outside of my uterus which most likely explains the dysmenorrhea. Aside for the cyst on one of my ovaries, everything else looked good. I am relieved and very much looking forward to getting back on my feet. I plan on going 'home' tomorrow. I am eager to hug the kids and sleep in my own bed. Mr. J-man has been a saint taking care of everything at home and I love him very much!

this time tomorrow

I met with my ob/gyn doctor down in Olympia on Friday. We reviewed my ultrasound and talked about my upcoming hysterectomy surgery for the treatment of dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia. Which is a fancy way of saying I've suffered from extremely painful, heavy periods since puberty. My doctor also told me they discovered a cyst on one of my ovaries (which I'm keeping so I don't have to take hormones) but it wasn't anything to worry about at this time. I was a little surprised but she didn't seem concerned so I didn't give it much thought.

Tonight, I leave the kids and J-man at home. I will be staying with my mom and she is taking me to the hospital tomorrow morning at 5:30am. Ouch!! At least I won't have to think about not eating that early in the morning. I'm a little nervous and anxious as the hours tick by today. I can't say that I'm excited about it all but I'm very relieved to finally have a long lasting solution that won't affect my quality of life. The result is what I'm excited about.

i know you ...

... I walked with you once upon a dream.

boo-tee-ful

I found the directions to these cute little treat boxes on Skip to my Lou. I just happened to have a crimper for ages and never really known what to do with it, so I found myself inspired when I spied the festive favors. Miss O and I tried it out this afternoon. It was very simple and they turned out great. She is super excited to pass them out to her classmates.

all ya need is love

Lately my kids love sandwiches because we've discovered these fun crust-less sandwich cutters. The girls request "heart" sandwiches daily while Wonder Boy likes the "four quarters".

These have been so great especially for Baby Love who desires nothing to eat besides 'pips' (chips), 'wollypops' (lollipops), 'canny corn' (candy corn), 'coocoo cuffs' (cocoa puffs) and 'milk' (milk) so having a fun shaped sandwich is totally stellar.

I've been finding theses fab cutters in groceries stores but you can go to the Mom Inventors website to pick up a four pack on the Good Bites decrusters. The dinosaur cutter is not one of the Good Bites brand. There is no name or logo printed on it and I've long since thrown away the packaging, but I've seen them at Safeways and QFCs and even Walmart (gasp!!). You can find them at HearthSong (a favorite kid catalog of mine) as well.

fun with the camera

I'm trying to talk J-man into a getting a fancier digital camera, something dumby proof but fun and takes great pictures like the Nikon D60 or the Cannon Rebel. I have a great little Cannon point and click digital camera that I carry around in my purse. I love that it is portable and I can whip it out spontaneously. But I seem to always have this need to be creative in some way and since I can't draw, play an instrument or posses some really awesome talent, I thought photography would be a good outlet for me.

gratitude offerings

to sweet friends who I can sit in my pjs on my living floor with.
to etsy.com goodness.
to hard working hubby.
to gorgeous fall weather.
to Starbucks pesto turkey baguettes.
to funny redheads.
to beautiful five year olds.
to dancing, lollipop lovin' toddlers.
to Halloween costumes that turn out fabulous.
to bearded puppies and gentle old timers.
to people who compliment my new haircut even though I hate it.
to mom.
to understanding teachers.
to fresh sheets.
to warm apple cider and pumpkin patches.
to the noggin channel.

one of my beautiful babies

The Divine Miss O had her 5 year old photo session this afternoon. The weather was gorgeous and I was so relieved. I avoided car washes and stepping on spiders just to make sure I didn't jinx myself and cause it to rain. Miss O was quite the little model and she had lots of fun soaking up all the attention.

For a sneak peek, go to Images by Kathryn.

olivia

I've finished piecing together the Divine Miss O's Halloween costume. She loves, loves the Olivia books (Olivia and Fancy Nancy are her favorites) and I realized I had some striped tights (purchased out a clearance bin for 99 cents two years ago) and a red dress in her closet. My generous friend, EE, gave me a sailor dance costume her mother had made. So I took the flap and clipped it to a black bandanna. The final pièce de résistance are the felt ears I hot glued onto a headband. I just happened to have some actual "Olivia" material in my desk which I used for the inside of the ears just for fun. Viola! Miss O is thrilled!!

can't decide

The Divine Miss O is having her five year old portrait taken at the park next week. I found myself with a little extra time on Tuesday, so I stopped by the town center for a little looksie in my favorite kids clothing store. I found these two adorable jackets. I love them both!! But I can't decide which one to have her photo taken in. What do you think???

I'm in love with the green jacket but I love the plaid too.

Wonder Boy had his five year portrait taken in a Navy blue linen suit. So I if want to hang the pictures together and have them sort of match, then I think I should go with the dark plaid. But the green is so friggin' adorable. I need help!!!!

sisters

Some days being a stay-at-home-mom can be very lonely. Sure, I am crazy, busy dropping this one off school, picking this one up from dance, taming this one's tantrum, getting this one to the doctor, helping this one get dressed, rushing this one there, cleaning up this one's mess, running this one to therapy, changing this one's diaper, trying to potty train the one with the diaper, waiting, shuffling, cursing, hugging, laughing, crying, playing, rocking, running, and never getting enough sleeping....

There have been times I've sometimes wondered how I manage to quietly, stumble through my days without ever really talking to another adult in person. And, if I just disappeared, would anyone notice? My impact on this world is so itty, bitty, tiny that if I were to just up and vanish one day it wouldn't make a huge difference. Nobody would care right?!?! I was there one minute, gone the next. Heck, nobody ever really knows where I am throughout the day anyway. My kids might wonder why they didn't get lunch or how come nobody told them to close the refrigerator door or flush the toilet for the millionth time however.

But then I'm reminded that I have really terrific, fabulous friends. Sweet women that give from their hearts and never expect anything in return. Friends that share midnight texts, drop off ice cream, shoes and house flyers; friends who go to the movies with me, exchange comments on facebook, call for coffee dates. Friends that are tipsy dancers, Karaoke singers, soft shoulders, wine poorers, laugh inducers, walking partners, understanding ears, inspiring warriors, fabulous mothers, trusting and kind-hearted people. Friends who have perfect timing when I'm blue and make me smile. Friends from the past, friends with shared histories and little inside jokes; friends who know my secrets. Friends who know what makes me laugh and cry and hurt and angry. My friends, my sisters, I thank you! Thank you for knowing my strengths and my weaknesses and loving me anyway. For the feeling is quite mutual!!

if we were related...

Last week, like every week, I dropped Miss O off for with her speech therapist for an hour. I usually spend the hour running to Target for diapers which translates to spending fifty bucks on crap. This time around, I didn't need diapers and I wasn't feeling the Target love affair I usually do. Baby Love and I took a walk instead. We landed around the corner from speech in a cute antique store. It's a huge warehouse type room with lots of little booths that individual sellers can display their goods. I overheard the owner and an older female employee exchanging mixed words (some not very nice) as they argued over moving some of the furniture. The cashier mentioned to me from the corner of her mouth, "they go at it like this all the time" as she rolled her eyes. Without the ability to censor myself, I asked if they were related to which the owner replied, "If we were related, there would have been a death!" I laughed. Out loud. Couldn't stop myself. And I didn't try.

Two days later, I received a card in the mail from my Maid of Honor and dear friend. Her note made me smile with just one word. I reflected on the mini conversation in the antique store and I thought to myself, this is what family is: Inside jokes. Shared tears. Trust. Laughter. Acceptance. Memories.

So Kelly! Thank You! You are family to me and I raise my "f@#!ing caaaazzmo" in your honor.

boo!

pumpkin patch

feel better kits

In the last couple days I've noticed the Divine Miss O's teacher has not been sounding like she feels well. She is losing her voice and looks tired. I've said it before and I'll say it again: little kids are walking petri dishes!! When you are a teacher and stuck in a room full of 'em, you are bound to get sick often. After dropping Miss O off, Baby Love and I stopped by Bartell Drugs because that, Target and the grocery store are the only stores I get to frequent these days. (I know, I know.....don't be jealous, it's the life a mother of three young children. Some days, just to mix it up, I actually wear jeans and take a shower instead of my usual uniform of black yoga pants, running shoes and baggy sweatshirts. Glamorous isn't it?) Anyhoo....we picked up some simple supplies for "Feel Better Kits" for the teachers in our life.

Have a teach looking run down this start of the flu and cold season? Toss one of these together, share a smile and let them know how much you appreciate their hard work every day.

We added chicken soup, tissue, lemon tea, hand sanitizer and throat lozenges to a paper lunch sack. Simple and sweet! Miss O would say it was "easy, peazie!"

if i had a million dollars

I would buy this!!!

If we ever get into a bigger house with more space, I might be able to talk J-man into building some sort of playhouse for the kids. It's more of a fantasy for me but I'm sure they would love it too!! Speaking of getting into a bigger house....did I mention we were put on hold? With the economy tanking and our wallet being stretch to it's limit; after all the work we put into getting the floors redone, the master bathroom remodeled, the house painted and deck re-stained, the new roof and the windows replaced, the carpets cleaned, and 80% of all our belongings put into a storage storage unit we were forced to stop and take a holding pattern. The good part, our house is almost empty and clutter free. I have been going through clothes and toys and old crap we've been hanging onto for those "what if" reasons and tossing it or donating to Goodwill. You know when you are barely hanging on with the tips of your fingers and you finally. Just. Let. Go. it feels so good. Freeing! I've been applying this principal to many of aspects of my life recently and it's made me feel so much better.

big picture

I've been thinking about the nienie family a lot these last few days. I don't know Stephanie aka "nie" from Arizona at all. I stumbled across her blog about a year ago via Emily. A few months ago, Stephanie and her husband were in a plane crash ...... they both suffered burns and were put into sedated comas. The third passenger on the plane died shortly after the crash. The couple have four children all under the age of six. After the accident they all went to live with their aunt and large family in Utah. So I've been following the story and updates on Stephanie through her sister, CJaneRun. My heart broke when I saw their youngest son celebrated his second birthday away from his mom who is still in a coma and unaware and how amazed his father (just coming out of the woods) was only able to chat with him over the phone. I'm positive Mr. Gigs is surrounded by much love and happy birthday goodness. But it just really brings the point home yet again what is really important in the big picture, the grand scheme of life. My many thoughts goes out to this young family for a recovery and togetherness very soon.

under pressure

My mood has been in the gutter these last few days. My head has been sooooo full of pounding pressure, I feel like it's about to explode any moment. Couple that with a touch of insomnia and I've been a walking, crabby zombie.

Currently I'm writing from my mom's computer ..... I had to drive down to have an ultrasound for my pending surgery. It was super quick so I was glad. I ended up keeping the kids from school today and we've all enjoyed a bit of rest and break from the norm.

After my appointment the kids and I helped my mom clean her house and then they made carmel apples together. I just sampled a piece and it was very tasty. Yum!

Shout Outs::

Julie::I hope things go well with your knee.

Wendy::Can't wait to see your new digs.

Amanda::Hang in there!

Carrie::It's been so fun reconnecting.

Amy::Thanks for the support.

J-man::SMOOCH!

angus is one

Angus turned the big number one on September 30th. I had meaning to put a little video together with AC/DC "Back in Black" or "Low Rider" as his theme song. I even had a little snip it of Angus running slow motion in the back yard. How funny is that!!! But as usual life got in the way and I never got around to it. However, even without the music, it's still fun to look back at what a difference a year makes in dog days.

September 30th was also a big day for another little Mr. Man......Happy Birthday to Nathan!!

bunk bed

We bought the girls a bunk bed last week. It was on a super sale and we figured if we are going to stay put for a while longer, we needed a temporary fix for the girls' sleeping arrangements. They love them!! Although I'm a little nervous about it all. Miss O is a very restless sleeper and has been known to be roaming around the house in the middle of the night. Baby Love really likes sleeping in a "big girl" bed but she also likes climbing the ladder when no one is around. So I worry she'll try to climb up and fall off in the middle of the night. Oy!

stop, drop, roll

This week was a field trip for the Divine Miss O's school. We tagged along. It was a tour of the police station and city hall which was a total snore for the poor kiddies. But you can't blame the gal, she tried very hard, she was just really out of touch of what would keep 4,5,6 and 7 year olds entertained. We did get to go to the fire station and of course it was a big hit by all. The kids loved the fire engines and seeing where the fire fighters sleep. They tried on their equipment and explored the aid car. Very cool. Then we ate lunch at the park and played on the playground. It was somewhat stressful keeping track of the girls since all the kids were all wearing RED!!

spooks beware

I'm co-hosting a Halloween party for a bunch of first graders with a couple fabulous moms. I was in charge of invite making. Although I love the freedom and convenience of evite, I love making paper invitations and sending "fun mail" out. I just finished.....sneak a peek!

Inside will read:

vampires, witches, ghouls galore...
this is one Halloween bash,
you simply can’t ignore!

(important information here)

devilish drinks and frightful finger foods will be provided ::

costumes highly encouraged!!