Oh wow, where do I start. This last week has been a busy one! A crazy one!
Jeff came home for our anniversary weekend:) It was a nice little break from reality. We hadn't seen him since Christmas!!!!! Olivia had been having a hard time without him and breaking down several times a day because she missed her daddy. So we flew him home for a short weekend trip. Since it was President's Day and Fat Tuesday down south, he had a four day weekend.
Friday we took Deagan into his ENT specialist to get his ears checked. Long story short: he's been having serious issues with ear drainage and goopy ears. Our doctor kept blowing me off (that's a whole nother story!). So I took matters in my own hands and went to the big guys. Anyway, one of his tubes had fallen out of place and slipped down INTO his ear canal, behind a ruptured eardrum. And is now trapped behind it, in it's attempts to heal, and is full of nasty infected fluid. The other tube is still intact, but also has an ear infection. You see, tubes are supposed to HELP ears. But Deagan has been a walking ear infection since he got them last may, like one a month.
So the doctor put him on a combo three week antibiotic, the strongest a kid can get, to murder that infection. Plus ear drops, that he loves. We are riding it out until the infection clears up and stays clear. Then he'll probably go in and remove the trapped one and place a new tube in. Plus they FINALLY ordered an immunity pannel to see if he has some underlying issues that are keeping him sick all of the time.
On a lighter note, Jeff and I found a fabulous house to rent. It's a new construction that they guy can't stand to have empty any longer so is giving us a great deal on to rent. We originally thought we'd be buying to cash in on the terrible market right now in Michigan, but we have no idea where we will be and for how long. So for now, we'll rent. All of the jobs Jeff is working on are in the Livonia, Detrioit, Ann Arbor area, so we are going to stay central in the Brighton/Howell area. It's a great house in between the two on Lake Chemung. I'm sure I'll send out cute "we've moved....again!" cards soon with the new address. I will be gradually moving over small things over the next two weeks until Jeff gets home. Then we'll have a huge moving party and invite ya'll over:)
Olivia is sassy as ever. She's not three, she's thirteen. She's flooded with emotions and has a fire cracker temper to match. She was so excited to have Jeff home, but couldn't stop thinking about him having to leave again and that made her mad, so she took it out on him. Great logic, right?!
On a lighter note, she's doing fantastic in her ice skating lessons. The first week was so-so, she was filled with nerves and overwhelmed by all of the kids. The second week something just "clicked" and she totally got it, without a hitch. This week they moved her to level three of her group. She was heads shorter than them all. She was doing great, then she took a hard spill that scared her and she lost it for a little while. But, like a champ, she went back out and did very well. It's exciting to see her so interested in something that SHE decided. We never pushed her, we never even suggested ice skating, she latched onto it and there she went. It's nice to see her developing into her own little person:)
As for me, I'm doing fantastic. I'll be finished with my photography school in about two months. It's very nerve racking to think that I'll be done and out on my own this summer. It's scary. I just don't know where to start and have a lot of planning to do. I have tons of ideas, it's just building it up that will take the time. I'll still take classes here and there, I'd be silly not to take advantage of the amazing facilities at my school!
Last week, I learned a little something that will change the face of my photography and thrust me into my niche that I've been searching for. Just wait, and I'll show it to you soon.
Sorry for not posting pictures lately. Life's been just a little bit busy....but I'm working on putting together a webpage of my photography adventures thus far in school, it's a work in progress.
Thanks for all the love,
Tricia
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Workin' On It...
I ran four miles today. FOUR. If you know me, you know I HATE running with a passion. Desperately hate it. I wish I loved it, but I don't. I find it hard to understand the enjoyment of it. Maybe someday. As for now, I'll do it. Because it works!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Our trip to Chicago with Lindsey
Lindsey came home from Virginia to spend a week in Michigan. We were finally able to go dress shopping for bridesmaid dresses on Saturday with Alexis and Olivia. We had a wonderful time out to lunch and running around town trying on dresses. (We found just the perfect one)!
Sunday morning bright and early, we boarded the Amtrak train in Ann Arbor and headed to Chicago. The kids were completely fascinated by the train. They couldn't believe that they were actually riding on a choo-choo. You could say the obsession started very early in Slidell, where the playground butts right up to the railroad track. We've spend countless times standing on the benches waving to the train. And then moving back to Brighton, our favorite little restarant has a train that goes around the inside of the ceiling....Needless to say they love it!
So riding on the train was a huge treat for them:) We went to Chicago just for a night. We scored a great hotel just a block off the Magnificent mile. And only two away from the American Girl Doll Store. That's where we headed first. It was painfully cold and the kids were bundled up in full body snowsuits while we walked the streets. We had to stop every block or so to go into a store and warm up. It's was silly, but fun. As you'll see, Olivia made a hauling!
That night, it was superbowl night, and we ordered pizza from Gino's East. Usually yummy, but oddly not that night.
Monday, we checked out of our hotel and stored our luggage while we went around town again. We went to the shops at the Water Tower and then to the Navy Pier. The kids really enjoyed the fountains upstairs and had some great laughs!
We said goodbye to Aunt Linny as she headed to the airport to go back to Virginia and we headed to the train station to catch another one home. It was a wonderful little get away, even though it was like twenty below zero in the "windy city!" It's always refreshing to spend time with Lindsey and see how much the kids adore her:)
Sunday morning bright and early, we boarded the Amtrak train in Ann Arbor and headed to Chicago. The kids were completely fascinated by the train. They couldn't believe that they were actually riding on a choo-choo. You could say the obsession started very early in Slidell, where the playground butts right up to the railroad track. We've spend countless times standing on the benches waving to the train. And then moving back to Brighton, our favorite little restarant has a train that goes around the inside of the ceiling....Needless to say they love it!
So riding on the train was a huge treat for them:) We went to Chicago just for a night. We scored a great hotel just a block off the Magnificent mile. And only two away from the American Girl Doll Store. That's where we headed first. It was painfully cold and the kids were bundled up in full body snowsuits while we walked the streets. We had to stop every block or so to go into a store and warm up. It's was silly, but fun. As you'll see, Olivia made a hauling!
That night, it was superbowl night, and we ordered pizza from Gino's East. Usually yummy, but oddly not that night.
Monday, we checked out of our hotel and stored our luggage while we went around town again. We went to the shops at the Water Tower and then to the Navy Pier. The kids really enjoyed the fountains upstairs and had some great laughs!
We said goodbye to Aunt Linny as she headed to the airport to go back to Virginia and we headed to the train station to catch another one home. It was a wonderful little get away, even though it was like twenty below zero in the "windy city!" It's always refreshing to spend time with Lindsey and see how much the kids adore her:)
They love their Aunt Linny:)
The kids had a great time with Aunt Linny in the hotel room...flying high:)
Deagan's Dolly Obsession
Deagan had just as much fun at the AmericanGirl Doll Store as any girl did. He enjoyed the bity baby nursery where they had the baby dolls and strollers to push around:)
Meet Kit
Olivia was one little lucky girl....not spoiled at all. Lindsey and I took her (maybe moreso for ourselves;) to the American Girl Doll Store in Chicago. It was a little girl's wonderland. There were walls and walls of clothing and accessories. And beautiful dolls everywhere you turned. It was a whole lot of warm fun on a VERY COLD day:)
Deagan on the choo-choo train:)
I think he was just a little excited:) Every single time the train whistle blew he had to say "shoe-shoe" in his oh so cute way!
Monday, January 29, 2007
A Catastrophe of Epic Proportions
So, on top of many, many other things this terrible morning, I had a catastrophe of epic proportions.
I try, whenever my patience will allow, to include Olivia in my 'chores' and teach her how to do things for herself. Her favorite things are setting the table, sometimes clearing the table, mopping/vacuuming, putting things away, laundry, dusting...blah blah blah the simple things.
So this weekend we were picking up and sorting all of the laundry around the house. I asked her to gather all of the pink things (considering 95% of the child's wardrobe is pink, it's easy). So she got everything loaded into the basket and placed in the hall outside of the laundry room. Great:) What a help, right?
Well, not so much. So I did a dark load, then loaded the pink load. Yes, it sat there in the washing machine waiting to go into the dryer all night. This morning I went to switch out the loads and opened the washer to see the grossest thing I might have seen as a parent (well, maybe this week anyway).
There were little clear gel pellets all over EVERYTHING in the washer. What the heck is that?...yeah, that's what I was thinking. Odd and Gross. So I fished around and pulled out a few things, and then I found it....
A PULL UP HAD GONE THROUGH THE WASHING MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It must have been wrapped up in a pair of her PJ's and she didn't see it. I sure didn't see it. And it was nasty.
If you've had kids in the last ten years or so, you know the gel pellets I'm talking about. When I diaper gets super-soaker full it dissinegrates into these little tiny pellet-like things.
Well, never had I washed one in the washing machine. It's the biggest mess I've ever seen. It's all over everything. Inside and Out. I had to wash the clothes again, dry them and then wash them again. Nasty!
I try, whenever my patience will allow, to include Olivia in my 'chores' and teach her how to do things for herself. Her favorite things are setting the table, sometimes clearing the table, mopping/vacuuming, putting things away, laundry, dusting...blah blah blah the simple things.
So this weekend we were picking up and sorting all of the laundry around the house. I asked her to gather all of the pink things (considering 95% of the child's wardrobe is pink, it's easy). So she got everything loaded into the basket and placed in the hall outside of the laundry room. Great:) What a help, right?
Well, not so much. So I did a dark load, then loaded the pink load. Yes, it sat there in the washing machine waiting to go into the dryer all night. This morning I went to switch out the loads and opened the washer to see the grossest thing I might have seen as a parent (well, maybe this week anyway).
There were little clear gel pellets all over EVERYTHING in the washer. What the heck is that?...yeah, that's what I was thinking. Odd and Gross. So I fished around and pulled out a few things, and then I found it....
A PULL UP HAD GONE THROUGH THE WASHING MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It must have been wrapped up in a pair of her PJ's and she didn't see it. I sure didn't see it. And it was nasty.
If you've had kids in the last ten years or so, you know the gel pellets I'm talking about. When I diaper gets super-soaker full it dissinegrates into these little tiny pellet-like things.
Well, never had I washed one in the washing machine. It's the biggest mess I've ever seen. It's all over everything. Inside and Out. I had to wash the clothes again, dry them and then wash them again. Nasty!
Friday, January 26, 2007
The FOUR letter word of toddlerhood
"Mine"..."MINE"...."MINE!!!!!!!!"
It's an evil word, and I hate it with a passion. A terrible passion. I remember when Olivia learned it for the first time. Sorry Angie, but it was with Delaney and Maddy. And I was full of resentment, but at that time I just couldn't understand. Well, now I do. Olivia has passed the torch to her baby brother. Very early! I don't think Olivia learned it this early, she was closer to two years old. Deagan is 16 months, just 16 months. And now he knows that terrible four letter word and uses it in the right context. Terrible. Just terrible. I can't blame it all on Olivia...Poppie helped facilitate it as well...helping Deagan learn to stick up for himself. But it's not as cute as one might think. The little guy will grab something (of his) with avengence(sp?), pull his arm back as to guard it, bend those eyebrows down viciously and say, "MY!" That's right, he doesn't quite say MINE, he says MY. It's adorable. It's terrible. It's a fact of life, and all you new mothers out there....just wait, it's coming.
It's an evil word, and I hate it with a passion. A terrible passion. I remember when Olivia learned it for the first time. Sorry Angie, but it was with Delaney and Maddy. And I was full of resentment, but at that time I just couldn't understand. Well, now I do. Olivia has passed the torch to her baby brother. Very early! I don't think Olivia learned it this early, she was closer to two years old. Deagan is 16 months, just 16 months. And now he knows that terrible four letter word and uses it in the right context. Terrible. Just terrible. I can't blame it all on Olivia...Poppie helped facilitate it as well...helping Deagan learn to stick up for himself. But it's not as cute as one might think. The little guy will grab something (of his) with avengence(sp?), pull his arm back as to guard it, bend those eyebrows down viciously and say, "MY!" That's right, he doesn't quite say MINE, he says MY. It's adorable. It's terrible. It's a fact of life, and all you new mothers out there....just wait, it's coming.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
22 Swans at one time!
Yesterday, we were driving home from our gymboree class and saw an amazing sight on our lake. The ice had just started forming and still did not span the entire lake, just patches. There were 22 swans alltogether, at one time, on our lake! It was amazing!!! I ran home, grabbed the camera and ran out to take pictures. (I wish I had a better lens, I couldn't get any closer). I thought they always traveled in two's, or four's, but NEVER that many at one time! And by this morning, the lake was frozen and they were all gone:( What a moment!
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