The Mommy Diaries

Update ???

2010-03-12T19:10:00.003-05:00

Well, after 9 months of being a bad blogger, I thought some of you might like an update on the boys. Wait. Does anyone actually read this???? We will see, I guess.

Let's start with Christian. He started at Little Star Center in September and it has been amazing watching him progress. He attends every afternoon. His speech has grown so much in the last few months. He is speaking in short phrases now and his vocabulary is growing exponentially. He makes eye contact now and requests things all the time. We have been blessed with a good insurance company (Wait.. Did I just say that??) that pays for his therapy at LSC. Christian finished up with First Steps when he turned 3 and moved to the Early Childhood program at our elementary school. He goes to that program every morning. (Yes, he does both. It's a long day for the little guy.) He loves to ride the bus to school. Actually, he runs down the driveway to the bus. It's crazy. My little boy got classes in September. I started to notice a little crossing in his right eye on occassion. It turns out that he is extremely far sighted. He actually wears his glasses. We have even noticed fewer outburst and tantrums when he wears them.

On to Jacob now... He has been in Early Childhood for awhile now and is doing great. Todd and I are ecstatic that Jacob is going to be able to start in a REGULAR Kindergarten class in the fall. The teachers say there aren't any cognitive problems. Its more a matter of getting him to understand questions, etc. His speech has become more understandable over the last year. While going to KG may be a piece of cake for Jake, I am worried. I suppose I don't have to tell any of you that kids are mean. I worry about Jacob being picked on or excluded. I suppose that is every parent's worry though, right?

The pictures above were taken on our most recent trip to Disney. It seems whenever we go, the boys start progressing in their language by leaps and bounds. The boys come back and share their stories. It's true that they will occassionally need someone to "translate" for them, but practice makes perfect. Jacob made several new friends by trading pins. Christian enjoyed going on the rides. Me? I love the food at Disney - it's awesome!

Todd and I know how blessed we are to have these boys in our lives. I stopped to think about how much it has changed me over the last year. I have learned to accept others as they are, to help others when I am able, and to let go of anger and feelings of solitude.

In closing, if anyone did read this, post a reply. I will give you candy!!!!

Out With It, Already

2009-07-23T12:43:00.002-04:00

Moment of truth. This will truly be an entry for a diary. I am spilling my guts for this one.

After a long month of deliberating, Todd and I have finally decided to come out with our big secret. It is hard to believe that it has only been a month. It feels like so much longer. Many of you know that our boys both have speech problems. At the suggestion of our pediatrician, we submitted them for autism testing last month. The results came a couple of weeks later. Jacob was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, or PDD. It is on the spectrum of autism. Christian's diagnosis has been a little harder to swallow - mild to moderate autism. There. I've finally said it. I have 2 boys with autism.

It has been a very hard decision to make this public. What will people think? Will they treat my kids differently? Will they cut us more slack? Probably my biggest fear is that a label will follow the boys for the rest of their lives. A label that can gain them the extra help they need, but disposes them to a variety of prejudices. They don't deserve it. They have done nothing wrong. I, like any parent I suppose, feel very protective of them, especially recently. We contemplated keeping the diagnosis a secret to protect them, but it is just a matter of time before they act out in public and people begin to draw their own conclusions. At least, this way, my hope is that people will try to understand.

I'm not too concerned about Jacob. He has made so much progress in the last year and a half that I have nothing but the highest hopes for him. You might say, I'm blowing it off. I know I, we, are already doing everything we can for him.

Christian is another story. After a year in First Steps, progress has been made, but it has been slow going. He is saying more words, and a couple of learned phrases. He runs and plays normally, is very affectionate, but is still lacking in communication. We are looking at getting him into a special school for ABA therapy. ABA is the most researched therapy and has the best outcomes. Fortunately, our insurance is under an Indiana legal mandate which requires them to pay for this therapy, which can be expensive. We are still at the beginning steps of getting him in the program.

I think I was pretty well in shock for the first couple of weeks. Now, however, the worry has started to set in for me. What did I do wrong? I was nearly a straight A student in school. How could this happen? Is God testing me? I worry about their future so much. I guess like any parent. Sleeping has been difficult. Worrying. I think I am starting to give myself an ulcer because I have a hard time eating without becoming nauseated. I have been trying pretty hard to keep my mind occupied. Just as idle hands are the devil's workshop, so it must be true of the mind. I have been reading non-stop (not books about autism) and playing meaningless computer games to try to keep myself from worrying. Todd seems to be handling it pretty well.

It is so hard to see my friends, and family for that matter, with their "normal" kids. Kids that talk. It makes me jealous, sick to my stomach. "They don't know how good they have it" I say to myself. What did I do wrong? I think Todd and I both think that sometimes. It has to be something genetic that has caused this. Something between me and him. I am the first to admit I have my OCD tendencies. Todd is lucky if he can pay attention sometimes - meetings, classes. We both pretty well instantly decided that we weren't going to have any more children.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean for any of this to sound like a pity party for me, us. My friends are just starting to realize that I have not been myself lately and I don't know if I have the courage to mention it face to face. I guess it is now that I will find out just who my friends are. Who will be there for me when I need to re-focus? Who will give me a shoulder to cry on when the boys don't seem to be making progress? Who will be willing to share small accomplishments with me?

My new motto is "Go forth and conquer." Those of you who know me well know that I am so stubborn. Failure is not an option. I am focused on them and doing everthing I can so that they will be able to lead a normal, happy life.

Let's See. Where to start?

2009-06-04T16:46:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know. I have been a bad blogger. So much has happened recently.

I cut back on my hours at work, to 2 12 hour shifts per week. I really like it so far and I think we will be ok, money-wise. I have noticed the boys talking so much better since I have made the cut.

In case you didn't see or hear it, Todd got rear-ended on 96th Street a couple of weeks ago. We were really hoping they would total it, but no. Only $6K in damage. The stang will never be the same.

The boys are keeping me outside lately. Consequently, my house looks like crap inside. I can't do any cleaning if I have to be outside all day long. I'm getting a nice tan, but it's a farmer's tan.

I think I am done with physical therapy. It has really helped this time around. I have gotten a lot of strength, but the grinding continues. They said, unfortunately, it probably won't go away. Bummer. I sound like an old person when I walk around. At least it doesn't hurt.

I am taking Christian to the allergist tomorrow. We had a little problem with hazelnuts a few weeks ago. He was vomiting all day after he ate a candy bar with nuts in it. His eczema is getting worse too. I know it is because he is playing outside, but what am I going to do? Lock my child inside? He loves to be outside.

Last night, it got quiet..... Then, we saw this:

Christian had gotten ahold of the butter and started chowing. Todd blamed me for being on the computer and not watching him. I blamed Todd for getting the butter out and not putting it away. The funny thing is, my mom has a picture of Bob doing the exact same thing at that age.

All Taped Up

2009-05-12T20:57:00.002-04:00

Well, I have had a lot going on recently.

Took the kids to the dentist and everything was a-ok. Christian has all of his teeth. No cavities in either kid. Awesome!!!

I went to the ortho doc, Dr Theiken. I really like him. It turns out my meniscus is fine, but my tibia is bruised on the MRI. He said that would usually happen from an injury or from stress on the knee. He said if it was stress, he would expect the meniscus to be damaged and mine isn't. So, that means I have injured my knee sometime in the past 6 months. I am sure I smacked it and blew it off, thinking "I'll have a nice bruise there tomorrow."

He said there isn't anything to do, except physical therapy. I started that about 2 weeks ago and it is going much better than last time. They are doing McConnell taping, so I am walking around with a bunch of tape on my knee. It is really helping with the pain though. After trying the taping 10 years ago in PT, I didn't think it was going to work, but so far, so good. Alyssa is watching the boys for me during therapy. It's great because it gets the kids used to their future babysitter. They just love her. And they are good, which is surprising. Why can't they be good for me????

Bunco is Thursday night. I have spent the day planting flowers and trying to make it look like children don't run my house. I love spring flowers!!!!! (Incidentally, if anyone is interested in picking up flowers, Marsh has the exact same ones as Lowe's and they are a lot cheaper.) And, yes, Todd has not fixed the canopy yet. I strongly suspect I will be on a ladder Thursday afternoon. Hopefully, I will post some pics of Bunco.

Good News!

2009-04-26T10:30:00.002-04:00

Well everyone, I found my ring. I couldn't believe my eyes. I came out from my shower to find the boys at their usual place, playing in the sink. Christian was so helpful and removed every cup from the cup dispenser. So, I started to pick up the cups and I asked Jake, "Where's my ring?" I have been asking him that a lot lately. Then I look down to continue the clean up and it is sitting there plain as day. It must have been inside the cup dispenser, even though I had picked it up and shook it a half dozen times in the past couple of weeks.

In other news, I am hosting Bunco next month, so if anyone wants to come, let me know. I have asked Todd to try to mend the deck a bit so that we can play outside. We decided to build a new pergola. I warned him that his time is limited, but he thinks he can get it done. We have so much afternoon sun that it is hard to be outside on the deck then. It gets very hot.

My schedule for this week includes taking the boys to the dentist tomorrow, and an ortho appointment for me on Thurday. The boys are pretty good at the dentist. I just love their doctor, Michelle Edwards. She is so great with them and has so many distractions for the kids.

Thursday, I am going to break down and get my knee checked out. It has been clicking since November. (I know, I should know better, I'm a nurse.) Then, the pain started in December. This month has brought about ankle pain as well and I can't sleep well at night because my knee hurts. I got an MRI in March. My doc was on vacation when I called for the results, and the staff said it was fine. So for the last month, my knee is getting worse, and I'm thinking "What is going on. There has to be something wrong if it's getting worse!" I went in this past week and she said, "It's not fine. There's fluid in there and you have some band thickening." She wants me to get checked out because they aren't sure if it is from my last surgery (10 years ago) or if it is something new.

So, I will try to update and keep everyone posted on all of the above. :-)

Yet another expensive mistake...

2009-04-10T15:10:00.003-04:00

What is a mom to do????

Yesterday, I decided to take a shower. The boys were being angels, watching TV and I told them what I was doing. Within a few minutes they had made their way up to our bathroom and were both playing at the sink. Now, I don't know which one did it, but when I got out of the shower, I could only find my wedding band. No engagement ring.

I asked they boys what had happened and got no response. Looked around everywhere. I mean I was crawling around on the floor all day looking for it. When Todd got home, I told him the good news. He took a clothes hanger and went fishing in the sink. He said that he was pretty sure the ring wasn't in there, because there was so much crap in the drain, it would never have made it through.

The good news is we tried our little metal detector trick and both boys came up clean. Now, I just have to keep searching. Hopefully, it will turn up. If not, maybe I can get a new one at some point. I have thought about turning it in to our homeowners, but not sure if I want to do that just yet. And for those of you who are thinking it, NO, I didn't lose it on purpose just so I could get a new one.

My Little Change Machine

2009-03-22T11:25:00.004-04:00

So, I had some fun yesterday evening.

I caught Jacob with some coins in his mouth, so I promptly took them away and told him to quit. I didn't think any more about it. A few minutes later, Todd was getting ready to take Jake outside to play when Jake said "Eat coin" and pointed to his chest. After discussing it, I said that he had some in his mouth. Todd took him outside and decided to dig out the metal detector. It started going off once Todd stuck it up to Jake's chest. I didn't believe him at first, but he tried it on me as a baseline, then Jake and it continued to beep.

So, I took him to the St. Vincent Urgent Care. I knew that if it was in the stomach, it wouldn't be a big deal. It would pass on its own. Our luck was a little different. Stuck right in the middle of the esophagus. You don't need to be a radiologist to see this one:

So, from there we went to the Peds ER at St Vincent where we were met by Dr Maisel. I have always liked Dr Maisel. She is an amazing person. You can imagine my relief to have a doctor you know and trust taking care of your child. After waiting for an OR slot, we went to surgery to get the coin out. The surgery itself didn't take too long. They just gassed him and snatched it out. It was a 1996 penny:

After recovery room, we got to go home. Jake was starved. He acted like he hadn't eaten in a month.

Needless to say, we have been lecturing him about not putting things in his mouth. I figure I will frame it with the xrays and the bills to let him know just how expensive this penny was!

Family Vacation - Part 2

2009-02-19T09:26:00.005-05:00

Alright, where did I leave off?

Wednesday morning we discovered that our portable DVD player was broken. Not a problem

during the vacation, but it was crucial for the plane ride home. Our options were to take a cab to the closest mall or order one online and have it express shipped to the hotel. I glanced through the store list at Downtown Disney and saw that they had a Virgin Megastore, so Todd called them up. We thought it would be a lot easier (and cheaper!) to catch a bus from the hotel rather than risk a cab. It turns out, not only did they have DVD players, but they happened to have the ONE that Todd had been checking out for a few months - a Sony 8in with a swivel screen and

key lock. Ultimately, we decided to go to Animal Kingdom first, then to DD in the evening.

So, we went to Animal Kingdom in the morning. Before going into the park, we ate lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. It was really cool. We got a seat right by the waterfall. If you've never been there, it is a jungle with animal figures that move and make noises. Jake loved it. Christian thought it was ok, but didn't like the little "jungle thunderstorm" that happened a couple of times per hour.

After lunch, we went into the park and got our fast passes for Kilimanjaro Safari, then walked around the park a bit. They have a neat self-guided tour called Maharaja Trek or something like that. They basically have animals, including tigers, placed in a Ruin-like setting. Very cool.

e also spent time in Dino Land. Christian and Jake played on the Dinosaur gym for a while. Jake got mad that he couldn't ride the Dino Coaster (he was too short), so Daddy took him on the Dinosaur time machine ride. He loved it. Such a little daredevil.

Finally, it was time to go back to the Safari. Wouldn't you know it, but Christian fell asleep on the tour. I was surprised because it was really bumpy. Must have been just right for him though.

We went back to the hotel and dropped off our gear, then headed to Downtown Disney for our DVD player. Of course, we got off at the wrong end and had to foot it to the other end of the complex, but we got our DVD player. The boys didn't seem to mind it. Lots of lights and stuff to look at along the way.

The next morning we headed back to Magic Kingdom where Jake rode Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We went to lunch at the Crystal Palace which was character dining for Winnie the Pooh. Christian still wasn't too hot on the characters. Jake, however, got some special attention. When Tigger came to our table, it was time for the hourly parade around the restaurant. Tigger took Jake by the hand and Jake was first in line following him around the restaurant. Todd and I couldn't believe that he went. It was so cute.

In the evening, I staked out a spot for the Spectromagic Parade. I think everyone loved this parade. The boys were in awe and it was Christian's turn for some special attention. The Genie (from Aladdin) pointed at him and seemed to gesture that he looked comfy (and sleepy). It was cute. Definitely worth the wait.

Friday was our last day. Todd and I opted to go to Epcot again. For one thing, there is liquor there and not at the Magic Kingdom. We rode Journey into Imagination and the Seas with Nemo. We ended the day with our last character meal at the Garden Grill with Mickey, Pluto, and Chip and Dale. Pluto must have been lost, because he visited our table 3 times. Jake had a lot of fun with him though. Christian finally got brave and decided to touch Pluto. Better late than never, I guess.

(Mommy giving Christian devil horns)

Early Saturday morning, we started the trek back home. Jake had to act up a little on the plane, but he was mostly good. The flight attendant gave him a sticker. Todd and I opted not to get the free Valentine's Day drink - it was a little early. Nana picked us up at the airport and brought us home. I think Christian was happy to be home. He started playing with his toys and didn't come out of the family room for over an hour.

It was fun, but it's good to be home. Maybe in a couple of years, the whole Dixon clan can go and have a family trip.

Family Vacation, Part 1

2009-02-15T13:44:00.005-05:00

Well, we are finally back from our week long vacation to Disney. For those who want to know all of the details, here you go. If you don't, you are mean.

We left last Saturday. I talked my mom into taking us to the airport to save us some $$$ on parking. Can I just say that I love the new airport! It was so easy to get around in. My mom pulled up at the terminal and dropped us off. No crowds at all. In fact, we walked right up and checked our bags (Southwest) without waiting in line at all. Since we had time to kill, we ate lunch at Sir Ronalds. Then, we headed off to security. The Family line was fabulous. Lots of tables and benches to get everything out to be checked. No rush-rush line with the business travelers. The guards were really nice to the kids too. Once we got through security, we hit the family bathroom. Did I mention that I love this airport??? Lots of room to wait at the gate too. We were in the "A" boarding group, so we all got to sit together near the front of the plane. The boys were great on the way down. Jake seemed to think we were on a roller coaster, randomly shouting "Whoa" and "Faster" during take-off. I brought the DVD player and we watched Wall-E. Next thing we knew, we were in Orlando.

We utilized Disney's Magical Express. If you aren't familiar, they take you to your resort (for free) and they claim your luggage and bring it to your room in a couple of hours. Once we checked in at the Wilderness Lodge, we ate dinner, then headed to the pool. Disney has heated pools, so even though it was cool out (60's) the boys still had fun. The first night was a challenge, however. Christian had trouble falling asleep in unfamiliar surroundings. Poor guy. He got the hang of it at about 1 am.

For our first day, we headed to the Contemporary Resort for a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Jake enjoyed the characters, and took these pictures with his camera:

Here are a couple of ours:

Christian wasn't too hot on the characters this time around. He cried and tried to get away. After breakfast, we took the monorail into the Magic Kingdom. We rode Pirates of the Caribbean at least twice. We found that the key to Christian's heart is suckers, so we loaded up to keep him happy. Finally, he decided a nap would work for him.

Monday and Tuesday, we went to Epcot. Jacob started his Epcot passport book.

All of the "Kidcot" stops signed his book in their native language. The boys probably had the most fun at the "Outpost" where they played the drums for what seems like forever.

For dining, we ate lunch Monday at the Coral Reef restaurant, next to the giant aquarium. They did OK at this meal. For dinner, we went to Teppan Edo, a hibachi steak house, like Benihana. Jake enjoyed watching the chef cook right in front of him. Christian was pretty much throwing a fit for at least half of each meal. At this point, the boys were still getting used to eating in public. You see, we know they are brats, so we just don't take them out to eat!!! Your welcome!

To be continued...

Chapter 2 - A New Year

2009-01-11T17:45:00.004-05:00

Hello All. I decided to start a new chapter in my diaries. Christian turned 2 today.

He is turning into such a cutie. I guess he gets his good looks from his mommy! Papaw, Nana, Grandma, and Aunt Bev came to celebrate.

Christian wasn't too into opening gifts, so he needed a little help. He liked having the extra attention though.

The cake was fun! Daddy helped him blow out his candle. Then he decided to eat the icing one finger at a time. I swear, I should have just bought a jar of frosting, because there was no cake eaten by either of the boys today. I'm sure they will be buzzing around on a sugar high for the rest of the evening.

In other news, now I get to start packing for our vacation. Yeah!!!! And, over at Facebook, I am having quite the little virtual class reunion with my elementary school buddies. I have got to find my pictures to post. I know they are around here somewhere...

Christmas - the good and the hopeful

2008-12-25T19:50:00.004-05:00

We are all so blessed that the Lord has given us this time with each other. That is has never been more evident than the past few days. Our holiday has come with mixed emotions.

At the start of the week, Todd's grandmother fell and broke her shoulder and scapula. She is a feisty, spirited woman, I often compare her to Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies. I know it won't impair her for long.

Todd had dental implant surgery on Tuesday and is still trying to recover. We don't usually fix a Christmas feast, so this year, it is definitely out. That was the day of the ice storm and I still had shopping to do. I decided to go to Minute Clinic for myself (since I knew there was no getting into my doctor at the last minute) to get checked out for a sinus infection I have been battling x 3 weeks now. So, I got what I wanted - antibiotics! They are kinda killing my appetite. That evening, I decided to venture out to get those last minute things taken care of, when I went sliding on the ice and took out a mailbox with my car. The owner was cool about it and said to forget it. It's nice to know there are still good people in the world.

Later that night, Todd's grandfather had a stroke. They rushed him to the hospital and found out he was also in renal failure. They moved him to a nearby hospital were he could start dialysis.

Christmas Eve was a disaster at work. When I came in at 11 am, there were at least 7 people waiting to go to surgery - all of whom which had fallen on the ice the night before. The orthopedic surgeons had been doing surgery non-stop. I imagine it was the same all over town.

That night, things were looking up. We went to Bob's for the annual Christmas Eve pizza dinner. The boys all opened presents and had a blast. Jake liked playing with Bob's dog, Rascal. It would be nice to get a dog, but I just don't think I'm up for it now.

Christmas Eve at home found the boys staying up until 11:30 despite our best efforts to convince them that Santa wouldn't come until they were asleep. Todd and I were up until 1am setting up gifts. We got the boys some of the classic cardboard jumbo blocks which we had to assemble. I have to say that setting the presents up ahead of time is definitely the way to go. You don't have to deal with the dreaded twisty ties and plastic wraps when the kids want to play with it NOW.

This morning, we woke up late (9am!!!) and got started. Christian wasn't too into the new toys, he wanted to play with the one's he got from Nana and Bob the night before. Jacob is still abiding by the toddler rules of property - everything is mine! As I'm typing, he is playing with his V Smile and having a blast.

Here are some pics of the boys enjoying their presents:

Christian playing with his farm from Uncle Bob and Aunt Bev

Christian enjoys some candy from Santa

Jacob playing with his remote control Rocket

Jacob with Papaw Craig and Lori

The Polar Express

2008-12-16T09:00:00.004-05:00

We took the boys on the Polar Express Saturday night. It was so much fun for them. We went to the Fisher's train station, where they read the Polar Express. Then, we got on the train and headed for the North Pole (Noblesville). At first, I was disappointed because we sat on the right side of the train, which had more of an industrial view. But, when we got to Noblesville, things were a lot better. The court house was all lite up and it was on our side of the train. Also, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the polar bear waved from the right side, so we got a good view in the end. They all boarded the train and journeyed back to Fishers with us. Jake absolutely had a blast.

Christian seemed to enjoy himself too.

And finally, I have to share a couple of pics. This one is Christian whose fatigue got the better of him while he was trying to eat.

And here's one of Jake making an improvised train with my laundry baskets. Yes, I later found all of our clothing on the floor. He decided to pick up the house during the process.

Happy Birthday, Jacob

2008-12-05T16:06:00.005-05:00

Well, as many of you know, my son turned 4 this week. It's hard to believe that it has been that long ago. As I look back over the last 4 years, I remember many things. A tiny baby with jaundice who came home with a bili blanket...

The boo-boo face...

And let's not forget "D"

The first birthday...

and the happy-go-lucky boy..

We went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate. I wasn't too sure how he would react. Jacob can party with the best of them or clamp down. He really enjoyed himself. Didn't want to eat a thing, just play. It was a nice evening. We were joined by Nana and Papa, Uncle Bob, Aunt Bev, and Riley. Randy and his family also joined us.

Jake got his picture taken at one of these sketch booths, similar to the old Create-a-card stations (only one token!).

So I opted to get one of Christian as well. Christian was wondering around, checking everything out.

The boys crashed on the way home, so Jake didn't get to open his presents from us. He opened them the next day. Now that all of that fun is over, it's time to get ready for Christmas!

Thanksgiving Wrap-up

2008-12-02T16:18:00.006-05:00

Well, the holiday went pretty well.

I was suppose to work on Thanksgiving Day, but we were so slow that they sent me home 3 1/2 hours early. Nice, but I lose out on the holiday pay.

We made the 2 hour trip up north to Todd's mom's for Dinner on Friday. The boys liked playing with their cousins, but they didn't eat a thing. Well, except cookies. Great! They were actually pretty good during the drive there and back. We borrowed my mom's DVD players. Jake fell asleep on the way back and missed the pretty flashing lights in the rear view mirror. That's right. Todd got pulled over. We were coming into a small town and he didn't slow down fast enough. The cop let him off with a warning.

We did our Thanksgiving on Saturday. Again, the boys didn't eat at all. My mom cracks me up. She was really wanting a picture of the boys, so here's what we got:

As you can see, children are never all in a good mood at the same time. Todd also put up our Christmas lights (and beat Julie, haha).

Sunday, we put up our tree. In case you don't have kids, this is what the typical tree looks like in a house with toddlers:

(no ornaments around the bottom, several up top, and a few on the floor).

Well, Jake's 4th birthday is tomorrow, so we are going Chuck E Cheese for the first time. More to come, I'm sure....

I Got A Deal!

2008-11-12T09:28:00.002-05:00

I have mentioned that I booked our vacation to Disney in February. Well, today, I saw that they are offering "buy4 days, get 3 free." Additionally, if you travel January through March, you get a $200 gift card. So, I decided to call them and ask if I could apply it to my booked vacation. We were going to stay 5 days, but I have no problem with adding time. It turns out, that I did qualify for the offer, and it is $50 cheaper than it was before! So, now our vacation is longer, cheaper, and with free spending money. You can't beat that!

I decided to check out some airfare, since I have kinda been on the fence about that. Northwest and Airtran both want about $1000 for 4 to fly roundtrip. (Christian is free at the park, but we have to pay for him to fly). I checked out Southwest and found out that they were only $600 - almost half the cost. Plus, they don't charge for bags (yet!). The only downfall is that they don't assign seats. When we flew with them last, we had to split up. It says that families get to board second, so that shouldn't be too bad. I could alway say, "Excuse me. Could you scoot over so my 2 year old son and I can sit together?" If they don't, they'll have to deal with him. Good luck with that!

In other news, Christian FINALLY got approved for speech therapy. I'm looking forward to starting that soon. That way, we don't have to play the catch up game like we are playing with Jake.

That Was Fun (Not!)

2008-11-04T15:15:00.003-05:00

OK, I just finished voting. Stood in line for an hour and Christian screamed the whole time. At least Jake was good. What irritates me is that "our" precinct had the 1 hour line, while the 2 other precints had no line = open voting booths. Hello??? Am I the only who has a problem with this?

It could have been worse, I guess. I went earlier when Jake got out of school, and the wait then was 2 hours. Todd was smart - he voted absentee.

In other news, I went to Jake's school this morning. The theme for the month is occupations, so I talked about being a nurse. I brought in gloves, masks, and xrays. I also gave everyone a bandage and let them all play with my stethoscope. It was very cute!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T15:43:00.004-04:00

The boys had a great time trick-or-treating last night. They both dressed up as pirates. Jake had a lot of fun. He really got into it this year. Christian wasn't so sure. He didn't mind people talking to him, as long as they were giving him candy.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-13T17:52:00.004-04:00

Yes, I am another year old. I am starting to get to that point in my life where I wish it wasn't true. Todd and I celebrated my birthday early. On Friday, we went to Benihana. The guy sitting next to me blew my cover (it was his birthday too) and "ta-da" the entire "birthday experience" was mine. They did take a nice pic of Todd and I.

I worked the weekend, so nothing eventful happened. Although, last night I was surprised by roses and my favorite cake (white cake with chocolate frosting).

The boys could have given me a break today, but they didn't. Jacob has been making messes all day. I'm not talking 'pick-up-your-toys-mess.' Today, he has dumped out the Coffeemate, dumped out the bread crumbs, and, as I am typing this message, gotten hand soap on the floor. Christian has spilled a Coke and this afternoon, threw my jewelry down the stairs. For about a half hour, I couldn't find my engagement ring. I didn't know if he swallowed it, or if it was just lost. Finally found it, thank God. Little Angels, right????

Take care all!

Hayride!

2008-10-05T18:24:00.005-04:00

Saturday night, we went with our church group to the Salsbery farm for a fall evening out. The boys enjoyed themselves. Christian turned from Mr. Stranger Anxiety to Mr. Social, walking around and "talking" to everyone. We ate a bit and sat by the bon fire, then close to dusk, went on a hayride through Mr. Salsbery's farm.

About halfway through the ride, we all got to grab a pumpkin from his pumpkin patch. When we got back to the barn, everyone got glow in the dark items. Jake wore his around even after we got home.

The boys got quite dirty, but it was worth it. Now the trick is how to NOT carve the pumpkin. Jake remembers last Halloween and came home right away and grabbed a knife. We suspect Christian is allergic to melons, gourds, and such. He has eaten squash, zucchini, and a pumpkin cracker and been violently ill each time. So, naturally, we are concerned about carving the pumpkin and him getting into it. We will see. Maybe we can carve it and leave it outside.

Earlier in the week, it was raining. Jake decided to check it out. He put on his Spiderman sandles and sun hat and went outside. I gave him our golf umbrella to play with. As you can see, it is as big as he is.

In other news, we bought our tickets for the "Polar Bear Express," a train ride that goes from Fishers to Noble-tucky and back during December. They read the Polar Express on the way and Santa gets on board for the ride back. Sounds like fun!

I almost forgot my shameless plug. I am running the Operation Christmas Child project for our church and it revs up into high gear this month. If you want to help me out with a gift box or $$$ donation, let me know.

And. To Bright House. THANK YOU VERY LITTLE! Now I have to watch Survivor online and we have to watch the Colts game over the air! Quit being cheap!

Nothing New

2008-09-21T09:19:00.003-04:00

Not much going on these days. Christian started First Steps for his speech. It is going well, but it is a little early for him. He is usually still sleepy and isn't too interested. I saw him doing this the other day:

and he has decided that the love seat is for diving practice. What's bad is that Jacob is learning bad habits from him and not the other way around.

I did catch Jake drinking from my cup though:

Jake has a field trip to the zoo this week, and I get to go with. Hopefully, he will be a good boy.

Last but not least, I found out a couple of my friends at work are pregnant, Ashley and Christina. Congrats girls! You will be great mommas!

This Kid Will Sleep Anywhere

2008-09-05T21:22:00.003-04:00

I thought it got quiet today. First, notice the foot.

Here is the top view of Jake asleep inside Thomas.

Here are a couple of other pics that prove this kid will sleep anywhere:

On top of the ottoman...

In his brother's bouncer...

In the garage...

What can I do (besides take pictures)???

In other news, booked our Disney vacation today. Can't wait. I need a break.
Todd and the kids can come too.

Road Trip

2008-08-26T08:43:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, Jake and I went with my mom for the White reunion. It might have been fun, I wouldn't know. I had to stay at the jumper with him all day!

I did get to meet my Great Uncle, Ebert. I also got to spend a little time with my aunt and cousins. We took my mom's mini van up there (2 hour drive). I would get one, but man, those things are so slow! I guess I am use to my Turbo engine.

In other news, Christian starts First Steps this week for his speech, or lack there of. Hopefully, he will be chatting with us soon.

First Day of School!

2008-08-14T16:50:00.005-04:00

Jacob was off to his first day of 3 year old preschool this morning. He gets to ride a bus with other kids in his class. He was quite ready to get going this morning, so we went outside about 10 minutes early.

Then, the bus pulled up right in front of our house. His bus driver and assistant gave him a nice welcome and he was all smiles. We waved bye-bye to him, but I could see him start to pucker up as the bus drove away. His teacher, Miss Kelly, said he had a good day at school. And he enjoyed the bus ride home.

Fun at the Fair - 2008

2008-08-09T17:34:00.004-04:00

Well, with weather like this, there is no excuse not to go to the Indiana State Fair. We have been planning this trip all week, and you couldn't have asked for a nicer day: slightly overcast, temps in the 70s, light breeze. We started the day by getting the boys something to eat at Mickey D's ( since food is expensive at the fair, and since they hadn't eaten breakfast). Then, we took the Fair Train down to the fairgrounds. The price has went up a bit, but I think it is still worth it considering the parking nightmare at the fairgrounds. (When we got off the train, you could see signs saying "All lots full."). Jake enjoyed the train ride. Christian fell asleep somewhere in Broad Ripple.

It is really nice that children under 5 are free at the fair. I think this is the first time in my life that I have been to the fair and not to the Midway. God, I am getting old. We checked out the ponies, the elephant giving rides, and the Nursery. The boys weren't terribly impressed until we got to the FFA area. They had so much fun. Definitely geared toward toddlers and preschoolers. Todd and I got separated briefly. (Did I mention how incredibly necessary a cell phone is these days? Tangent - I saw a hillbilly yelling at her kid because they got lost from their group - obviously, NO CELL PHONE!) So, the kids had fun there.

Todd and I decided that we did in fact need some nourishment, so he got a Ribeye Sandwich and I got a Beef Sunday (aka a KFC Famous Bowl with beef instead of chicken - or , as we call them, Hillbilly Bowls).

We could tell the boys were getting tired, so we called it a day and headed back to the train. On the way back, both boys decided to take a nap this time.

What Star Wars Character R U?

2008-07-30T19:46:00.006-04:00

I was looking at Karen's blog, when I stumbled across her friend's MySpace page and this link . Here are my results. I've got a lot of Jedi names on my list. The Force must be strong with Me. :-) If you take the quiz, post a reply and let me know who you are!

A Day Of Firsts

2008-07-29T20:12:00.003-04:00

Today, Jacob went to his first movie at a theater. I think it went very well. We went to see the Veggie Tales movie, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" at the Free Family Movie Series this morning. Jacob was a good boy and stayed right by me as I got him his Kids Meal. I could not believe how crowded the place was. The parking lot was filled. They had Veggie Tales on 2 screens and Alvin/Chipmunks on 2 screens. Still, we had to sit in the second row in front. He was fine though. He watched the movie and stayed occupied the whole time. He was a little scared in the beginning, but we had "D", so life was good. I really think he enjoyed himself. Here's a pic of him at his first movie (Yes, I am the loser mom taking pictures in the theater):

Later in the afternoon, we went to the zoo. It was hot and it wasn't very crowded. Jake had fun in the petting zoo area. He got a little giggle when he touched one of the goats horns. Later, he took a pony ride all by himself while Mommy stayed with Baby.

In other news, Becca, Karen, and I all had a mini reunion at Texas Roadhouse, where I stuffed myself silly. It is a shame we weren't able to spend more time together. Maybe we can have some kind of virtual get-to-gether online, somehow. Didn't snap any pics at that one.

We have a busy week coming up. Tomorrow - TV delivery (good thing we got the warranty. A recent storm blew out the sound. So, we ca$h in and get a new one!). Thursday - First Steps comes to evaluate Christian with his speech. Friday - Bunk Bed delivery. Then, I have to work the weekend. In charge, as usual (booo!).

A Night Out for Mommy and Daddy

2008-07-17T11:14:00.004-04:00

My mom was gracious enough to come over and give us an evening out. That hasn't happened in at least 6 months! We decided on dinner and a movie. We went to the Journey on 96th Street. Not bad. Steak could have been better. Seafood was excellent. Sushi was good (although I am no sushi expert).

Then it was off to the show. We were trying to decide between Hancock and Journey to the Center of the Earth. We opted for the second Journey of the evening. We went to UA on 96th Street and they were showing it in 3D. The movie itself was OK. Definitely geared toward kids (not very realistic story line). But the effects were great. Not quite Disney quality in my opinion, but definitely cool. We brought home the glasses and our left over popcorn, so they boys got something out of the evening too.

Todd started his new job at IPL this week. He is in awe I think. An office... with a door! Huge computer screens. Cafeteria. Battlefield at lunch time. Better than Delta. Much better than RedCats. I think he is in heaven. He is just on contractor status for now. Hopefully, he will be officially hired in a few months.

Otherwise, not much going on. It is eat, sleep, and play outside for the Fletcher boys. I am planning another zoo trip in a couple of weeks. And Becky (sorry, Becca :-) ) is coming this way soon. And then, school starts mid August.

Bye-Bye Binky

2008-07-07T18:12:00.005-04:00

Yes, I know. We are mean parents. But the time has come to get rid of the binky. Christian will be 18 months this weeks, and I have noticed that his teeth are starting to have a different shape to them. His dentist said that it isn't a problems and they will realign themselves easily. So, we threw out the binkies Friday morning. He did manage to find a few during the day, which we promptly snatched away. We did crack and let him use it Friday night (4th of July) because of all of the outside noise. He has been fine ever since, and he is starting to talk more. I love his little baby voice.

I have been working and it isn't over yet. Worked the 4th, 5th, and 6th. Off today. Work the 8th, 9th, and 10th. It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't 12 hour shifts. I think they are trying to kill me.

And by the way... I HATE working July 5th because you can never get any sleep. I understand people want to light off fireworks, but come on! Must we do it all night????

A Day Out with Thomas

2008-06-29T19:45:00.004-04:00

Saturday, we took a trip to Connersville to see Thomas.

I think Jake had a lot of fun on the train ride. He kept sticking his head out the window.

Christian seemed to enjoy himself, although he was pretty hot.

Got a bit of a group shot. Jake seems to have my smile from when I was little (yes, he is smiling - not crying).

I don't think we will make the drive again, but if they ever have it in Fishers or Noble-tucky, we might go. I did find out an interesting tid-bit. Ringo Starr was the first narrator for Thomas and Friends.

Christian!!! Get Down!!

2008-06-23T11:13:00.003-04:00

This boy has started a serious climbing spree lately. He is climbing on everything! Thus, I have to move all chairs and such that he can climb on, making my house look even better than it already does. Here is him climbing into the sand box table. Note that we had to take the sand out of the sandbox because he kept eating it!

My mom and Bob will appreciate this one. Here is a pic of Christian holding 2 sippy cups. My mom has a similar pic of me when I was little, holding 2 bottles.

Yummy! Pizza!

We are going to "A Day Out With Thomas" next weekend. I'll have lots of pics then. And, I will leave you with this final thought from my generation: Cornholio!

Jacob, the photographer!

2008-06-12T09:57:00.003-04:00

One of Jake's favorite things to do now is to take pictures with our camera. He has taken some good ones, some funny ones, and some cute ones. Here is a sampling (and yes, he really did take all of these):

(L-R) Miss Julie's house; All of his "Riding Vehicles"; "Shish".

(L-R) Yes, he really took a picture of his TV; Mommy kidding around.

Fun Stuff

2008-06-12T09:37:00.005-04:00

Since summer is here, I decided to enroll the boys in the Summer Reading Program at the library. I figure it is a good way to keep working on Jacob's speech. And Christian could use the help too. As you can see below, Jake has found another use for his books.

And, we have made a couple of new purchases. Todd's mom gave us a whole box of records. Finding a record player at a decent price was hard, but we found a nice combo one at Target. I also opted for a cell phone upgrade. My mom took my old phone (recycling - yeah, me!)

Here are some beautiful storm pics we took as it moved by north of us last week. It was an amazing sky. You could look up and down the street and see all of the people standing outside looking at it. I was waiting for The Second Coming.

Well, I think I will take the boys to the mall today. There are some sales I want to hit at Yankee Candle and B. Moss (my favorite store in the whole world)!

Oh yeah. When did the cost of stamps go up? I got one of my bills back yesterday. Apparently I have been getting away with it for about a month or so now.

Zoo Trip

2008-06-02T15:13:00.004-04:00

To celebrate the first official week of summer break, I decided to take the kids to the zoo. It was a nice surprise when Daddy joined us on his lunch break. Let me just say that buying a zoo membership has been well worth it. We have been 3 times so far, so it has paid for itself. It is nice knowing that we have free entertainment there if we are bored (and broke).

The first thing we always have to do is ride the train (Jacob's favorite):

Christian wasn't too sure about the Carossel at first, but I think it grew on him. He had his Binky, so life was good.

Jake took his first ride on a pony and really enjoyed it:

Our last stop was the petting zoo. Then it was back to work for Daddy.

More summer fun to come!

...Through Rose Colored Glasses

2008-05-23T17:02:00.003-04:00

I finally figured out why Christian keeps getting into our "lid drawer". He likes to look through the lids, and see the world through different colors. He walks around like this several times a day:

Todd also spied them hugging each other last night:

We had big plans for today. First, we were going to go to the zoo. But, with the rain, we decided on the Children's Museum. We noticed Christian slept in, so when we went to wake him up, we noticed he had a fever. So, we have all been kinda hanging out today. Can't get Christian's fever to break. He's taking a nap now, so we are TRYING to keep Jake quiet. Once again, teaching the concept of an "indoor voice."

"Pink Jen"

2008-05-19T20:10:00.004-04:00

Well, I finished my Pink Five costume. Here is a pic:

You can also see more info, including the video here:

http://jenfletcher.googlepages.com/pinkfive

In other news, got my garden done finally. Todd planted about a third of it for me. Jake helped a little. I was trying to get him to understand the concept of planting seeds. He really just wanted to water the plants.

The Football Hold

2008-05-17T14:12:00.003-04:00

I swear this kid is going to be a football player! Christian has a husky build, and look how he carries around his bottle (all day long, I might add):

Well, today is our 11 year anniversary. Not sure how we are going to celebrate. Time away from the kids will be good enough for me. We are planning to go to Benihana for dinner. We wanted to go to Fogo de Chao, but they just opened on Monday, so the odds of even setting foot in the place are slim. No gifts this year. Todd said he looked it up and 11 year gifts are supposed to be "steel". We agreed that the washer and dryer we just got will be close enough.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T18:20:00.008-04:00

I had a great Mother's Day. The boys let me sleep in until almost 11. I had these presents waiting for me. Jacob made the presents at school. He couldn't wait on the cake. He was walking around all morning singing Happy Birthday.

I got the rest of my flowers planted. Most are in pots, but here are just a few:

And, my new friends. I know, its twisted. But they kinda grow on you.

Busy Week

2008-05-10T10:48:00.005-04:00

I am so glad it is the weekend. I have had a very busy week. Let's start at the beginning. After working a long weekend and being in charge, Monday was the day to unwind. Didn't do to much. Just tried to recover.

Tuesday, Election Day, I went to the polls and campaigned for Dr McGoff. He is one of the ER docs at work and was running against Dan Burton. I handed out flyers for 2 hours and got a nasty sunburn on my neck. Still hurts today. Dr McGoff didn't win, but it was pretty close. Something like 54-46%. I hope he will run again in 2010. I had so many people tell me they voted for him and they hope he wins. Hopefully, this sends a message to Burton saying, "46% of your district wants you out! Straighten up!"

Tuesday night, I took my mom to see Sylvia Brown. She was here on one of her lectures. It was my Mother's Day present for her. We didn't get to ask a question (not lucky enough, I guess). I was kinda disappointed. Sylvia stood up there and told bad jokes for about 2 hours and didn't really say too much. She said there is going to be another Clinton in the White House, but earlier on Montel, she said Obama would win. I liked her "opener" Collette Barron-Reid. She kinda did the John Edwards thing. She was very entertaining. I might have to check her out again in the future.

Wednesday through Friday, I worked like a dog! It was nice though, because it is Nurse's Week. We got some free food and a nice coffee mug. (Oooooh, Ahhhhh). I got lucky because they were also having a flower sale at work. I think I have enough flowers to finish my yard. I'll post some pics.

Yesterday, my Indiana Jones cards came. I didn't do too bad. I got an autograph card and a sketch card. I was thinking about putting the auto on ebay. I really wanted Karen Allen's card, but I didn't get it. I got Jim Broadbent. No one I had heard of. He is in the upcoming movie. But, I checked him out on IMDB (my favorite movie site) and it says he will be playing one of the teachers in Harry Potter 6. So, I think I will hold on to it. The sketch is another matter. I am not too crazy about it. It is a sketch of the "Melting Man" from Raiders of the Lost Ark. The interesting thing is, it is upside down. The artist drew on the card the wrong way. I was thinking about putting that on ebay because error cards usually sell. The fact that this is a sketch card on top of it makes things interesting. I'll have to think on it.

And, last but not least, I want to extend a special Thank You to Jacob, for unrolling the dental floss. If it weren't for him..., well, let's just leave it at that.

The Weekend

2008-05-02T19:00:00.011-04:00

Well, I got our new washer and dryer yesterday. We got an excellent deal from Best Buy. They were both on clearance because they were floor models, so we saved a ton of $$$$. Here is Christian checking them out:

Good thing they have child locks on the control panels!

Jacob had a fun week at school. Here is a pic of him wearing his Cinco de Mayo costume. They went on a parade around the school. Today, he went potty all by himself 7 times!!!!!! Maybe we are starting a trend.

Here are some pics of Todd that he did not want me to post. He got a ticket on 465 a few weeks ago, so we are sending it in today. Here's the mugshot. Note the stamp!

My honey!

Well, I have to work this weekend. Ugh. And I'm in charge on Sunday - that sucks. I'll let you know how it goes.

Beautiful Day!

2008-04-30T18:24:00.002-04:00

I finally had time to watch Deal or No Deal from Monday - the Star Wars episode. I expected to see all of the "Slave Leias" but was surprised by all of the Storm Troopers. They must have been 501st Guys. Incidentally, I am coming along with my costume. I have the outer portion mostly complete. I am going to wait to do the hood until I finish the red underlayer. And once I finish it, I can join the Rebel Legion and be happy!

Speaking of sewing, my mom brought over a sweatshirt I made in Home Ec in 8th grade. Still fits. I am not sure if it is good or bad that I am approximately the same size I was in 8th grade. I know I weigh more.

I got some accomplished in the yard today. Got about another foot of the garden tilled up. Christian just isn't an outdoor person. He is going to be "sit-on-the-couch-and-play-video-games-boy."

They are bringing my new washer and dryer tomorrow! I can't wait. While I am looking forward to it, it means I have to do about 2 weeks worth of laundry before the weekend (I'm workin' this weekend).

... To Grandmother's House We Go ....

2008-04-27T10:28:00.007-04:00

We took a road trip on Saturday to Grandma Teresa's house. The drive wasn't too bad. Christian slept for about an hour each way. We borrowed my mom's car DVD players, so that made things better. It was Cameron's 6th birthday. I think the boys had fun. Christian is still pretty slow to warm up to people. It seems to take him at least an hour before a stranger can even talk to him without him crying. Here are some pics:

Jacob with Great-Grandma Dorothy (no, he's not crying)

Jacob with Great-Grandfather Robert Kawaguchi (after eating a lot of cake with blue icing)

(L-R) Christian, Jacob, Logan, Lily, and Cameron

Jacob and Logan

In other news, I made about $150 off my ebay auctions. I am trying to get everything wrapped up so I can ship it out tomorrow.

And, something new I want to start, "Mom-isms". Just little tidbits of things I have learned so far.

Mom-ism #1 - Everything takes (at least) twice as long as it should when you have kids. Example, this post, which should take about 10 minutes, has easily taken over half an hour.

Fun with Bubbles

2008-04-21T18:27:00.006-04:00

I had the day off today and got a lot accomplished. Laundry is done! The boys decided to play outside for a bit. Jake was trying out his new bubble wand. I couldn't get him to understand that you wave it, not blow.

Christian just had a ball chasing the bubbles all over the place. He is so cute, I just love him to death.

Well, I successfully made the Saucy Shrimp from Bonefish last night. We had it with steaks. It was so good that I think I am going to try it again tonight with Sea Bass.

The Quake

2008-04-19T21:30:00.003-04:00

Oh, yeah. I felt it. My alarm had just went off at 5:30. I had hit snooze twice at that point. I was in denial about having to wake up. Then the house started shaking. We don't live too far from the Martin Marietta Quary, so at first I thought they were blasting. But it didn't stop. (Besides, they shouldn't be blasting that early anyway). Todd sat up and said, "What was that?" I said, "I don't know." Jake, who had crawled in our bed at 5, slept through it. Then, my radio went off again, and sure enough, the DJs were talking about. They said it had been confirmed by the USGS already. I figured it was God's way of saying, "HELLO DOWN THERE! JEN, GET OUT OF BED AND GO TO WORK!"

I finally got my maternity clothes listed on ebay. Took forever. Hopefully I will get some money. It is amazing how expensive maternity clothes are.

While I was cleaning off the camera, I ran into this picture of Christian:

We accidentally left out some pudding and guess who got a hold of it....

It's one for the baby book.

As I am typing this, I have realized that Christian has figured out how to scratch his back. We have textures walls in our kitchen and he is standing up against the wall, and bouncing up and down rubbing his back on it. It's the little things.....

The Black Cloud

2008-04-16T20:41:00.004-04:00

Ah, being a nurse in the ER.... Sometimes I think I am destined to take care of all of the drunks in the city. Even one of the security guards at work commented about how I always seem to have the drunks. I said, "It's that black cloud over my head? Can't you see it? All of the patients can!" The bright side is.... I get to go home at the end of the day!

On a brighter note, Jake was so cute driving around on his little 4 wheeler yesterday. I kept trying to convince him that you cannot drive through the bush, and you cannot drive over the baby trees (Which happen to be about 6 feet tall). But, that doesn't mean he didn't try. Christian rather liked the baby swing. I got some good belly laughs out of him.

I took Shish to the doctor yesterday for his well baby check up. He got shots :-( Poor baby. His stranger anxiety seems through the roof. He was actually shaking when they were measuring him. He was 25 pounds (little piggy) and about 32 inches long (hard to tell since he wouldn't hold still).

Well, back to Thomas and Friends.

What a Weekend!

2008-04-14T11:01:00.003-04:00

Well, we had a busy weekend at work. I was in charge for the first time. Not exactly my cup of tea, but something I am probably good at.

Daddy was home with the boys all weekend. I think he was working with Jake on potty training, but I don't know for sure.

Today was Jake's first day back to school after Spring Break. I think he was a little wild since he has been used to doing his own thing for a week. He should slide back into his routine soon. He did manage to wake up early every day last week. Figures.

Hopefully, I can get a little more work done on my Star Wars costume this week. Gee, it goes so much faster since I borrowed Bev's sewing machine! I did about the same amount in one night as I did in a month of hand stitching. Here is the one I am working on now:

http://jenfletcher.googlepages.com/mycostumejourney

I started a cottom version last fall. I got all of the "frame" done and completed the yellow dying. I ended up using the half finished costume at the Holy Walk at church (I was a medicine lady). After that night, I realized that the fabric was a lot heavier than it looked. So, I am re-making it with brushed panne which seems a lot lighter.

The Mommy Diaries - Chapter 1

2008-04-11T12:41:00.001-04:00

Hello,

I figured since everyone else has a blog, I might as well start one, too. I'm not going to go through all of the "who I am" business, because if you are reading this, you know me.

What's happening today:

Jake is running around with one of my old cowboy hats on. He looks too freakin' cute.

Christian has his "drool" rash back again. I thought for sure once he got all of his teeth he would quit drooling. Apparently not.
Todd is home from work today. Maybe we will all go somewhere. Who knows.
Got to get to the grocery! No food for the babies!
I really need to finish laundry too. Let the endless battle continue.