Christmas

Christmas around here sucked this year.  Not just for us but for a lot of families around here.  One week ago today on Saturday December 21st Matthew woke up with a fever.  There was an ice storm heading our way and all our Tylenol and Ibuprofen we had on hand was expired.  I took off for the drug store.  After giving him meds he was acting normal and the day went on.

Later after dark the ice storm made it's way to us.  During the night I was woke by the sound of branches all our the neighborhood falling.  I have never been so scared to be in my own house as I was that night.  Early Sunday morning I woke up and was literally to scared to go back to sleep.  We have a very wooded lot with big trees.  I was sure one was going to come through our ceiling and pin me to the bed.  I was sitting on the edge of the bed looking out the living room window and the sky turned bright blue, not once or twice but three times.  Transformers blowing.  Panic stricken I just sat there staring wondering when our power would go out.  There is a transformer right out front of our house.

Six o'clock... the furnace had just kicked on.  Then the house goes dark, power came back on for a split second then off again.  Just as the damn furnace was kicking on.  The sound of falling branches was deafening, more so now that there isn't any power.  How I managed to fall back asleep I have no idea.

Daylight... about 8am.  The boys are awake.  David is sick.  101.3 fever.  Awesome... sick kid and no power.  I go to the garage and see daylight.  Tree branch came through the garage roof with so much force is punctured a door we had laying across the rafters and took it back up to the ceiling with it.  Dumping everything on the door on the hood of my car.  Luckily only one small dent.

Our yard is a mess...

So I come back in and make Paul get out of bed.  He sticks his head up in the attic to make sure there is no holes, none thank GOD.  As the morning goes on Paul heads outside to check out the house.  The boys and I snuggle in my bed.  Matthew falls asleep.  When he wakes up I notice he is warm again.  Both boys have a fever of 101.  Awesome... two sick kids and no power.

We wound up taking the boys to Urgent Care where one tested positive for the flu.  Even though they had the flu shot a week before.  Apparently it takes two weeks for it to get into the system.  I will not wait that long ever again.  Since half the city is without power we had to make quite a trek to find meds and wind up at my parents house who have power.  Matthew says "This is the worst day ever" and he's right.  I can't keep sick kids in a house with no heat.  David throws up his meds and refused to take anything.  I wound up taking him to the ER.  His fever was 103.

Monday I went into work late, they had power.  After work I got my cat and took him to my parents.  We wound up spending two nights at my parents then on Christmas eve we went to my in-laws for two nights.  I did take the small Santa stuff and a couple gifts to open.

Then Thrusday mornig around 9am ish our neighbor across the street who stuck it out through the four whole days of now power text me and said the juice was back on.  THANK YOU LORD.

So now, the cat is back home and happy.  I am happy.  The boys are feeling much better, now just acting like they have a cold.  We finally had Christmas here Thursday night.  Santa left the big gifts here so the boys would have a surprise when we got home.

Kitty got some catnip mice... He LOVES them

Matthew got the uno dice game he wanted.

More dinosaurs for David.

And Captain Underpants book for Matthew

 Books are awesome

And Toys!

Yesterday and today it's warm enough to melt the ice off all the trees.  I think we are safe now but there are still tons of people in the city with no power.  Our city is LYING to us about this issue.  The power company only has 15 linemen and turned down outside help.  The city is trying to cover their ass and there are tons of people pissed.  It's now been a week and there are still people with no power.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day was pretty uneventful.  The next day however, everything went to hell.  Paul woke up not feeling so well.  I went off to Meijer to hit some black friday sales, I don't go early.  I go late and see what's left.  I'm not crazy enough to go early.

I thought Paul would be better by the time I got home.  He wans't and I started feeling crappy.  Turns out both of us had a tummy bug.  I wound up being worse then him.  I had it *TMI* coming out of both ends.  Paul just had the back end.  Saturday we sent the boys to Grandma Anne's because we were so weak.  They came home last Sunday.  Monday night when we picked the boys up from after school David was sick.  He went right to bed when he got home.  Woke up to go potty and get sick once then was out again.  Woke up after 8am Tuesday morning MAD he was late for school.  He slept for 14 hours and was fine Tuesday.

It took Paul and I all week to really get back to normal.  My anxiety is starting to bother me again.  It always does this time of year.  I'm trying to deal with it and get over it.  Stupid anxiety.

The boys have been good.  They are doing good in school.  Our tree is up, stockings are up and we are ready for Christmas!

Teeth & Kid free Disney!

Loose teeth.  Missing teeth.  Either way it's gross.  Paul does NOT handle that kind of stuff.  I do.  I don't like it but someone has to do it right?

David lost his front right tooth a few weeks ago. It was barely hanging on and Mommy yanked it.  Then tonight Matthew's front left was really loose and he wanted me to yank it... so I did.

Toothless David

Toothless Matthew

 

So that's that.  If you look you can see Matthew has one missing on the bottom.  We noticed it a few weeks ago that it was just... gone.  No idea what happened.  No bleeding, nothing.  He had no clue it was gone.  Must have swallowed it.  Now... if only the adult teeth would hurry up and show.

In other news... A month ago Paul and I took a kid free trip to Disney World.  We had so much fun.  I advise every couple to take a kid free trip.  It's AWESOME!

Paul got to meet Lou Mongello... Google him.

Butters

Meet Butters... my fur baby.

His name is Butters

I just call him Kitty.

He is six.  Born June 1, 2007

He is a male orange tabby and I love him.

He's about 12-14lbs and LONG.

His tail is long and when it walks it's straight up.  The boys and I refer to him as a remote control kitty.

I have never had a pet that was attached to me like this cat is.  He is like a dog in some ways.  He will actually follow me around the house under my feet.  I trip over him and have even stepped on him.  He can usually be found in my lap.  At night he's by my side until I fall asleep then he usually at my feet.

I recently came across some interesting cat info.

10 Signs Your Kitty Actually Loves you.

1. Head butting. If a person were to do it to you, then you’d have a pretty good idea of what they were trying to tell you, but with a cat it’s a whole different story. To be on the receiving end of what is actually known in the cat world as ‘head bunting‘ is a very special privilege indeed. During this exchange your cat deposits facial pheromones that represent their feelings of trust and safety they have with you.

Now he doesn't actually head but me but he sniffs my forehead and then licks me right between the eye brows.  I always kiss him on his forehead.

2. Powerful purrs. Cats purr for all sorts of reasons, but there is one unique full bodied rumble that your kitty saves exclusively for their true love. Purring also lowers your kitty’s heart rate and helps them to relax and exhibit feelings of contentment.

Yes my baby does this.  Sometimes it's so loud when I'm betting him in bed that Paul can hear it and it annoys him.

3. Love bites. If your cat is a chronic nibbler, then chances are they’ve got a thing for you. It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a love bite and a regular cat bite, one hurts and the other tickles! Nibbling isn’t a common sign of love, but when a cat employs it, they’re trying to say “you’re awesome.”

Kitty never bites.  He did on accident once and it freaked him out.

4. Tail twitching. You can tell a lot by looking at a cat’s tail. Just as their tails puff out when they get scared or agitated, their tail will twitch at the very tip when they are feeling bliss. If you notice this action when your cat approaches you, then you can be sure that they think you rock their world.

He dies this all the time.  I cannot go potty by myself.  Kitty is with me and he'll twitch is tail not not just the very tip.  It's like his tail is vibrating.  It's very funny and I've never seen another cat do it before.  It's almost like he's saying... Hey I'm here... pet me.

5. Tummy up. When your cat throws itself on the floor and starts rolling around, they are trying to get your attention. Cats only show their tummies voluntarily to those they can trust. Feeling safe means a lot to a cat, so when they sprawl out in front of you, this is a sign that they feel loved and protected.

He does this mostly for Paul because he knows Paul will give him a good scratch, like the deep down hard scratch that kitty loves.  I don't scratch as hard and Paul so he doesn't do it much for me.

6. Licking your hair or ears. It’s not often that humans are deemed worthy of these very special grooming sessions, but if your cat has chosen to bestow you with hair or ear licking, rest assured you have been welcomed into the inner circle. Grooming is one of the most obvious signs of the friendship and trust you have with your furry companion.

Nah, he's not one for licking hair or ears.  Just giving me a kiss on my forehead.

7. Kneading. Kittens knead against their mothers to stimulate milk production, which is why experts believe that kneading behavior in cats is nostalgic of kittenhood and acts as a way of reliving the happy moments they experienced as little ones. So next time your kitty starts moving its paws up and down on you, remember that they are not just trying to soften you up before taking a nap, but that they’re expressing their adoration for you.

He doesn't really do the type of kneading they describe here.  He kinda does it in his own "I'm a big lazy 13lb cat" way.  He kinda does it one paw ish and will do it toward my hand when he's in my lap.

8. Slow blinking. It is said that cats kiss with their eyes, so don’t expect to share this sign of affection with any old cat. Cats save eye contact for people they know and trust. If that eye contact is coupled with slow blinking then you’ve just received a kitty kiss. Return the love by mimicking the behavior.

 

 He makes LOTS of eye contact with me when he's in my lap... well all the time.

9. Nap time. Kitties crave warm safe places to sleep, so if your fluffy feline decides to snuggle down beside you or better yet, on your lap, then you should feel especially honored. Cats are most vulnerable when they are sleeping, and there is no greater compliment than when they choose you as their snooze spot.

 

ALWAYS... unless the boys are really annoying him then he naps under their bed.  Go figure

10. Gifting. There is no denying that a small dead something is not at the top of our wishlist, but a kitty that presents you with this bounty deserves to be praised. Despite our domestication, cats still have the inner hunter and sharing their prizes with you is a sign of true friendship.

 

NEVER.  Luckily we don't have rodents in our house and he doesn't go outside.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/10-signs-your-kitty-actually-loves-you.html#ixzz2ht3wwhdy

I love my kitty and I know he loves me.  We've bonded.  He acutally helps my mood and helps my anxiety.

The worse part... litter and cat puke.

Weight Loss & Me

I had a doctors appointment a week or so ago for my normal every six months med check.  I was NOT happy with my weight.  I didn't realize I had gained that much.  My eating habits had not changed in fact they had gotten better.  The doctor gave me an appetite suppressant, and sent me for blood work to check my thyroid and sugar levels.  I've been on this medication a full week now and don't see much difference.  The only difference I do see is I don't snack as much and I start to feel full sooner so I guess that's something.  I havne't heard about my blood work yet.  I'm going to call on Monday and check on that. 

I wanted something to help me loose weight because I have a hard time exercising.  I can't even walk a half mile without my hips and lower back hurting so bad I can hardly stand it, and I'm not even that big.  I think it's more of where my weight is.  It's not like I am lazy because honestly... I want to work out and exercise but I have no desire to be in pain.  But I've got to do it for myself and for my family.  I want to be the skinny me that I was before I got pregnant.  I'm a skinny girl trapped in a fat girls body and I HATE IT.

In other news...

The boys are doing GREAT!  David is fighting a cold which is acting more like allergies.  It's only a runny nose that comes and goes.  They have started 2nd grade.  Two weeks ago. They are enjoying it so far.  David has a male teacher.  He taught the all boys class in previous years so he is used to the wiggly ADD in boys so I am hoping he will be a great match for David.  Matthew has a new teacher.  I'm still a little eh.. about it. Well see.

Exciting (for me and Paul) news.

Paul and I are taking a 2nd honeymoon the first week of October.  We are going to Disney World without the boys.  We enjoyed ourselves so much on David's wish trip so we decided to take a trip without them and do all the things we couldn't do with them.  Today we are 36 days away from our trip!

Well that's about it.  Hope all is well with everyone else.

Seney!!!

We didn't make it up north to the "Shack" last year but we did this year over the July 4th weekend.  We took my parents with us.  We left Wednesday night late... made it to the Shack at about 1:30am.  We made good time.  Saw a what we think was a Coyote, it was small and looked like a dog.  Didn't get back on any two tracks like I like doing because in order for all six of us to ride together we had to be in my parents van and it wouldn't make it.

The 4th we did some scenic traveling.  Nothing fancy.  Watched fireworks at Grand Marias.  My camera does not take good firework pictures.

We went to Sault St. Marie on the 5th.  Saw a couple HUGE ships and a few small ones go through the locks.  My Dad always enjoys the boats but after one or two they get boring.

We  had to stop and do some rock throwing.  The boys could stand on the Lk. Superior lake shore for HOURS throwing rocks into the water. I mean HOURS, and never get bored.

On the 6th we somewhat did what I call the Lake Superior tour.  We stopped at the Log slide.  One of my favorite stops.  Isn't it beautiful?!

Lighthouse to the left.

And to the right... I 'Think' it's 12mile beach.

We went to Christmas MI and stopped at Bay Furnace.  Got my Dad to take his shoes off and get his feet wet.  The water here was cold but it was hot in the sun so it was refreshing.

Goofy #1 David on the left, Goofy #2 Matthew on the right.

Then over to Miners Castle after that.

My Mommy and Daddy <3 br="">

Then you always take a picture on the porch before you leave.  Paul and I sat out this one and just took one of my parents and the boys this year.

This is what the Bride looked like from the St. Ignace side.  Quite foggy but still beautiful.

Being up there is so relaxing.  The shack has electricity and enough room to sleep 8 comfortably.  There is no running water so you have to make do with pouring warm water over you to shower.  After three nights there you are ready to come home and take a hot shower.  If I could get a regular hot shower I would be able to stay there much longer.

David's Echo

David had his routine echo today.  It remains unchanged from the one six months ago.  This is good news.  The 1mm leak is still there and there is still and issue with his mitral valve but it hasn't changed from the last echo.  He wanted me to take a picture of him today when he was getting his EKG.  His least favorite part... because of the stickies on him.  David weighted in at 41lbs and is 3ft 11 1/2 inches tall.  That makes him one ruler length shorter then his Grandma Anne.

We had a little camping trip two weekends ago.  It was cold so it wasn't much fun.  The first weekend in June is to early to tent camp so we rented a cabin.  It was nice.

This last weekend my niece Paige had her dance recital.  She was the best in her class and the only one I thought knew the moves.

The season has warmed up and we have been to the ball park.  The boys love the Lansing Lugnuts and as you can see were happy to be here.  This is my new favorite pic of them.

Here are a couple sleeping pictures.  A few weeks ago I went to check on the boys and this is how I found them... Awwwww

And then my fur baby... He is passed out.

The only other news I have is though the boys have three more weeks of school left we do know that both boys will be going to 2nd grade.  There was some doubt as to weather David would make it or now.  We had planned on holding him back but when they did the testing a few weeks ago he tested at a low 2nd grade level.  This means he is learning and retaining what is being taught to him but his ADD is not letting him focus in class to do the work.  David sure is one difficult child.  They had a meeting at the school last Friday, the asst principal that oversees K-2nd grade, the special ed coordinator, his teacher and a 2nd grade teacher.  They discussed David in depth to make a decision on weather to hold him back or not.  We let them make the call since we were completely on the fence about it.  They decided to promote him to 2nd next year and add some stuff to his IEP to help with his attention disorder in hopes of finding the trick to spark his attention.  So here is to hoping it is the right decision.

Difficult

You think parenting is hard… try raising twin boys.

You think parenting is hard… try raising a boy with a CHD who has had FOUR open heart surgeries.

You think parenting is hard… try raising this same child with developmental delays.

You think parenting is hard… try telling this same child he has to repeat 1st grade while his twin get’s to go onto 2nd.

You think parenting is hard… try raising this same child with ADD. You don’t like medicating him because he FIGHTS TOOTH AND NAIL to NOT take it, because it’s not good for his heart and because it takes away his appetite, he’s small and skinny as it is and needs to add fat to his body. NOT eating isn’t a good option. But you HAVE to medicate him or he can’t pay attention in school and learn. So you don’t give this child his ‘listening meds’ on the weekend because it’s not worth the fight and you want him to eat. But then he’s so out of control, can’t focus, can’t listen that you can’t stand being around him most of the day.

It’s not his fault, he cannot help it. He has no control over it. It’s so frustrating!

How do we handle David? It sure the hell isn’t easy. We have to tell David to do something five or six times to do something, then maybe he’ll do it. He’s usually willing to do it, willing to help, likes to help out but getting his attention to do it, and keeping his attention while he’s doing it is a huge struggle. I HATE being mad at him. I HATE Paul being mad at him. I have way more patience then Paul does. He gets mad at him way faster than I do but when I’ve lost my patience it’s not pretty. I feel so bad for David because most of the time he has no clue what he’s done wrong. I feel bad for Paul, he gets mad so quickly, then I get mad at him for being mad at David, then Paul’s mad at me. It’s a vicious ugly cycle that I want to stop…

But I don’t know how.

I love my husband… I love my children… both of them.

Matthew isn’t perfect either. He has is issues but he’s a child… a boy… at times… most of the time a Paul Jr. Matthew get’s goofy which is normal for a boy but then get’s David going and because David can’t control himself… it’ get’s out of hand QUICKLY. Then we are mad at Matthew. I feel bad for Matthew because he can’t be a normal boy because David’s not normal.

I’m Mom… it’s not in my nature to be the ‘bad guy’ so Paul tends to be the bad guy most of the time. I hate that the boys think he’s the bad guy, he’s not really. Paul can be a lot of fun… gross… but fun! I’ve tried being the ‘bad guy’ a little more. I’ve even said to the boys “See Daddy isn’t the only bad guy now is he?”

What do we do?

I do love that David is a fighter… he’s made it through four open heart surgeries, struggling with ADD and developmental delays and he’s still so happy go lucky weather he is in his own world or in ours.

We are struggling with him. I finally realize how bad we are struggling. I don’t know where to go to get help. Can we afford help?

Is this a cry for help? I guess so.

Raising David is difficult… very difficult but I love him all the same and wouldn’t trade him for anything.

Well...

This is the usual... no news is good news post.  Nothing exciting has happened... Well I take that back.  How could I forget...

We went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

This was the night MSU was playing in Indianapolis.  We didn't go for the game.  Paul's parents were, we surprised Grandma Anne because she didn't know we were going to be there.  They went to the game, the boys and I went to the pool why Daddy watched basketball in the room.  Then when it was bedtime Matthew read to David.  I am AMAZED at how well Matthew reads. 

Then the next morning we were off to the museum.  Grandma Anne and Grandpa Denny went with us.  We were able to get into this museum for free because of David's make a wish trip.  Free or not we will defiantly be going back.

Then we met the dino.

Then we headed to the 'real' dinosaur exhibit.  David was in HEAVEN.  Once he was sure they were not going to move and were not going to scare him, this kid did NOT want to leave the dinosaur area.  We kept telling him there was way more to see and that we would come back at the end.

This is my I was right moment... why??? Because I was right, see the look of shock on my face?  That was because Paul admitted I was right.  So... he took a picture of my moment.

This was why I was right.... This water clock was what Paul and his Dad wanted to see.  So we get there at noon.  They were thinking the water in the big globes on the left was going to empty.  I kept telling them no it won't empty until 1:00.  The top glove is 12 the bottom is 1.  They didn't believe me.

Well... I WAS RIGHT!!!

So then we explored more...

And then us old people were getting tired... so...

We explored some more...

Then David was ready to go back to the dinosaurs... HE WAS DYING to go back.  Here is is practicing to be a paleontologist.  There was a real paleontologist there, they had a real t-rex thigh bone that David got to touch.  I didn't get a pic of that.

Then after hitting the gift shop and getting a couple really cool things we heard them say the museum was closing... SHOCK.... what the heck????  We had been there from the time it opened until it closed!!!

WOW

We saved a little energy to walk to the corner and get a picture with his Mommy dinosaur and her twins.

That was Saturday... We drove.... er... Paul drove home that night because the next morning was Easter...

I think the boys made out pretty good.