I knew this was going to be a long week. Yesterday I stayed home alone with really upset stomach and body aches. Last night Mackenzie was running a fever. I gave her medicine at about 3 this morning and it never came back, but we stayed home together because she still said she wasn't feeling good. Might have been a little bit of not wanting to give up the Mommy time, but I was ok with it, our lazy day girl time was a good day.

In BIG news...Mackenzie is riding her bike with no training wheels!! On Monday we went down to the park by our house and she ran in to two of her friends from school. They had both just learned to ride and were on their bikes that day. So I promised her that the next night we would work on it. I couldn't believe how well she did. She was getting it pretty good...even with flat tires, a seat that kept turning, and too low! lol So yesterday morning before I realized I wasn't going to be able to make it to work, I took her bike to the gas station and filled up the tires. So yesterday she wanted to ride as soon as she got home. I sat by and watched as off she went! She is just doing it...I am so proud of her. She never gave up, never got frustrated, just kept trying until she got it.

Last night the boys Parents as Teachers came by. She (of course) is very impressed with both the boys, especially with Austin's talking. So Turner wants to be a pirate for Halloween, and what does every pirate have....a parrot! And we are always calling Austin our little parrot because he says EVERYthing that Mackenzie and Turner do!! I know it would be so mean....but so cute!! So you'll have to let me know if you find a good Parrot costume idea out there! BTW - Mackenzie wants to be a vet!

Back to the Grind

Can you believe it is only Monday. Ughhhh, already I feel like this is going to be a long week. We have some changes coming up:

1. The kids start with the new babysitter tomorrow. We met her on Saturday and she seemed great. I think it will be good for the kids, escpecially Turner learning his "preschool" skills to have something more structured.
2. Aaron starts back at Lou Fusz tomorrow....anyone need to refi! We hadn't intended on him going back, but the offer came in and with everything going on now we can use as much income as we can get and especially since in January Aaron starts student teaching and will basically have a full time job (with full time daycare costs) with no income :(
3. Aaron also starts back up with school this week. Tuesdays and Thursdays - so if any of you gals want to get together, it is only me and the kiddos those nights.
4. Caitlyn headed back to school yesterday, so the house is all ours again.
5. Well, this really started last week....Mackenzie has started soccer season again!! Last Thursday was her first practice. Daddy took her though because I had a PTA meeting. Saturday was her first game and she did GREAT! They lost, but she was all in to it and stayed agressive. Coach said he is going to turn her in to the next Mia (Ham?? - whatever her name is) I just love watching her play soccer. She looked like a high schooler out there though, so sporty and grown up.

That's about it. I booked my flight out to Phoenix in 3 weeks. Can't wait to be there. This weekend we didn't do to much, just soccer, sitting out with the neighbors, and yesterday I had a wedding shower. But it was beautiful weather. Would have been perfect for camping. I'm thinking we might have to take advantage of the weekend coming up.
I had applied for an internal job in Conneticut - but didn't get it :( Stinks Oh well, maybe next time. Guess it just wasn't the right time and place.

Is today over with YET!?!?!?

First Day of School

I guess I better start looking at colleges now since my baby went off to school yesterday. I know that the next 13 years are going to go by in a flash. Although at times i may wish that the bad times would speed up a little, I know this picture is what will flash through my mind when I'm driving away from her dorm room. She will still look like this little girl in her momma's eyes. We all did good though, there weren't any tears shed. We had to stay so excited for her that it kind of rubbed off! She had ridden the bus on Wednesday home from the orientation, so she kind fo knew what to expect...a great idea by the way (although I really think they do it for the parents more than the kids :) You can't even see them over the backs of the seats!

All ready waiting for the bus to come

Of course the whole family was sitting out at the bus stop with her (Caitlyn taking the picture). We had a few neighbors drive by and say "first day of school?!"...I don't know what gave us away! lol

Miss Thang walking to the bus stop.

We started the day at the donut shop....a tradition we have now started. The night before I told her we could only go if she promised that she would eat donuts with her mommy on her first day of college too. She agreed....as long as I came there. Her dorm mates are going to love me beaming in on the first day of classes with fresh donuts in hand! lol But have no doubt, even if I can't be there, donuts will be delivered every "first day". (of course by then she will probably be like her mommy and not be able to eat a donut because it is too "fattening"....man I hope not..)

Family donut time......Mackenzie's favorite is still chocolate long johns, just like her momma. I remember going to the donut shop with my grandparents and it was always 2 chocolate long johns and a chocolate milk. Mmmmmm those were the days.

This past weekendmy dad came up so I could dook him a birthday dinner....Happy Birthday today Daddy! Oh and of course a Gooey Butter cake was on hand! Even Mackenzie knows that that is Grandpy's favorite now. We took the kids to the Science Center and we all had a great time. I just can't believe that place is FREE...WOW.

The kids running, or attempting to run, on the new "hampster wheel".

Grandpy feeding Turner to the "Sharp tooth". So abotu a week ago (before this event) while I was getting ready one morning Turner sleepily wakes up and tells me that he just had a dream...he was at Nanna's, and this sharptooth 'ate his head off' so he punched it...." I told him to go back to sleep and he was back in dino land in no time at all. i just sat there smiling and laughing. The cutest thing of all is that in no way was this a nightmare, it was just so COOL that he was woken up with excitement...I mean how many kids really get to get their heads eaten by a real life Sharptooth!!! This kid never ceases to make me laugh :)

Austin playing on the computer just like the big kids do. This little guy is like a parrot these days. He says, and does, anything his big brother or sister do! It is hilarious! He wants to be big like them so badly, he just doesn't understand why. So more often than not, he just does whatever they do.

And this is what I get when I stop him......it is so mean that I just love this face! These are usually pretty short lived, but he is definitely going to tell me his is uphappy. His most common words right now are "I want". He may be bringing you a cup which means he wants a drink, or pointing to a toy that Turner is playing with or wanting something back that I took away from him (in this case I had reclaimed my camera)

On Tuesdays, our nearby park has free music in the park. The kids love to go play on the playground, and it is nice relaxing way to enjoy the night. Of course it seems to rain on Tuesdays with an eary frequency this summer, but we have been able to take advantage of a few.

Free face painting

Austin doing all the stuff the big kids do...here he had just seen a ~10 year old jump over the railing, so he was attempting his own dismount.

Turner taking a pose looking devishly handsome.

Sorry I haven't been posting as often. Just seems like I could write a book everyday on things that are happening right now. Oh, and Aaron is HOME! We are getting close to suffocating him because he has had a shadow by one or all of us since he walked through the door, but it feels so good to have him back home.

Notice Anything Missing in this Picture???

She is SOOOO excited. Can't believe my first little baby, just lost her first tooth, one week before she is starting Kindergarten!!! OMG

Carrying on the tradition of silly self-portraits. I love downloading my pictures from the camera and finding such priceless surprises like this.

It is crazy how much life has changed in 3 weeks. I guess it doesn't really seem like life has changed, just who I am walking through it. Denise's diagnosis has consumed me, I eat it, drink it, dream it, work with it, it is always there. I've researched so much and sometimes feel like I have the burden of proof on my shoulders. But I have a support group of women who have or have been affected by MMMT that have been for me with every question, worry, and emotion I have gone through. I've contemplated over the past few weeks whether I wish that there was a way for me to just escape it, to just accept what the doctors say and go with it, but I just can't, that wouldn't be me. My mom keeps holding out hope that all this will make me want to go in to nursing, but to me it has almost been proof to me that I cannot be a doctor or nurse. Not because I couldn't do it - heck I'd be the first to admit that I would be the best. But it is all that I would have. This has proven to me how "addicting" it is to me. In a way it is easier for Aaron to be gone right now, because I would not be able to be a good wife right now, it has given me the opportunity to slowly stretch and expand so I don't just burst. I've been blessed to work it in to my life little by little. By the time he gets back, I can just hope that I will have expanded my capacity enough to hold this all.

So as I said, life has been going on and so here is my summary. Yesterday the kids and I spent the day at the pool. We went first thing in the morning, came home for lunch and naps, and then went back for the evening. The kids had a blast and so did I. It has been wonderful to have the time this weekend to be present with them. We've had a great time. Friday night they had Mason over for a sleepover and had a blast with him.

This picture of Mackenzie took of Charlie. I think it is such a cute picture but more it reminds me of something special about Mackenzie right now. The other day we were driving and the sun was setting and was above a cloud and huge rays were shining down. She got all excited and told me that she "could see the light from Heaven". I told her that when I was a little kid that I always believed that those rays were like elevators for the angels, and that I bet it meant that Heaven was sending down a lot of angels to watch over Grandma." now every night she says, "mom I can/can't see the light from Heaven." I secretly have kept that belief since I was a very young child and know that she too will think of it for years and years to come.

BIG milestone was reached yesterday...Mackenzie has her first loose tooth, and it is really really loose!! And I've never seen a girl so excited! It is literally all she can talk about. "Wow mom, I can't believe my tooth is so loose, when do you think it is going to come out, what happens when it comes out, do you think it will be out before I start school, before I go to the dentist....." and on and on and on! It is cracking me up.

Turner is crazy adorable right now. He is at a major crying stage right now, so I'm trying to get that under control a little bit right now. But everytime he cries, it reminds me that as tough of a little guy he is, he is probably one of the most sensitive little guys I've ever met. He would jump off the roof himself, but yesterday started freaking out when Austin was walking in the direction of the big pool crying that he didn't want him to go in. He is an excellent big brother to Austin, and will be to Mackenzie too. He may be a player himself, but I know as soon as a boy makes Mackenzie cry that he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Austin's new thing is "I want". And he is like a little parot mimicking every thing that the kids say. And of course he still loves his "Wawrlie". He has really started turning in to quite the little boy now and is loosing his baby everyday. I have not had any inkling of wanting to think about another baby, until literally just right now writing this. Are all my babies really all grown up. Don't worry though honey, it was a fleeting thought, I know that this is NOT the time. But MAN, we make em GOOD!!!!

To Denise: I love you momma and am always here. I will always take care of your "baby". Thank you for 'handing' off such as awesome man. I can never repay you.

To Aaron: hurry home, but stay as long as you need. We'll be here with open arms whenever it is. Your family, your home, is still here and we always will be.