April

Mikayla takes after me in her thought process. I am known to have some of the weirdest random thoughts and get lost in my thoughts. Last week Mikayla said something like, "I'm so frustrated, I can't remember some of my earliest memories. I should be able to because it's me, I should know me. It's not like someone else can't remember the early me, it's me thinking of me."

Yesterday Ellie came up to me very wide eyed, "Mom, do you know what trees grow?! STICKS! Trees grow the sticks!"

Very cute. They keep me on my toes. Well, my triathlon start time this Sunday is 9:15 and our flight to Orlando is at 1:00. I'm still a little nervous leaving the kids, but they'll be fine and will be in good hands.

Here's a picture of what Ellie does sometimes with her imagination. The laundry basket is her boat and the blue bath rug is the river. Ellie is trying to scoop up the bathtub fish toys with her net.


We are in the process of tearing down our old deck. I got started a little yesterday and Nate will work on more tonight. The first week of May we'll get a new deck on. It should be an interesting month. That same week is my carpel tunnel surgery!

Here's some pics of our deck before we demolish it:


You can see how it's already coming apart. Hopefully it will be an easy demolish!

Fashionable Mikayla

Before spring break, they had a spirit week at Mikayla's Elementary school. In this photo you can see her hair for crazy hair day.


In this photo she was dressed up for Hawaiian theme day.




Still trying to act like a teenager, she puts together these outfits somethings and struts about.

Easter 2010

The girls had their hopping/singing bunnies on our masking tape hopscotch.


Here is a cute picture of the girls in front of Joanne's baby grand piano.


Yep, Nate and I were tired and I hadn't unpacked my shoes yet, but I had to take the picture before the kids ran away or before Ellie had an accident on her Easter dress (she's wearing underwear!)


I started crocheting a few weeks ago. Ellie lost her little scarf this winter, so I thought I'd start with one for her. I just finished it today so naturally, she's wishing this rain would turn into snow.

Mashed Potatoes, my talent

Last night I made some mashed potatoes with our dinner. Mikayla took one bite and with her mouth still full said, "Mom, I think we found your talent. Mashed potatoes." I had no idea I had been looking for my talent, but good to know. I think the kid was just hungry. Then she said, "Why are we eating such a big snack?" I explained it was dinner. "But it's really light outside. It's always dark when we eat dinner." It's hard to explain daylight savings time to a kid.

This week Mikayla wanted to know what St. Patrick's Day had to do with Jesus. "The other holidays (Easter, Christmas) are about him." I should have told her that Jesus was a lucky guy and like the Irish a lot so he made one more holiday about himself.

It's the Little Things

Well, Ellie is almost better from Strep throat, just a nasty cough throughout the night still. The feeling of Spring is here. Once the snow melted, Ellie looked at my flower box in the front and gasped. "Where did the flowers go?!" I think she thought someone stole them. So, I took a picture of a few of the cute things I discover sometimes when I turn the corner. It's these little things I know I will miss the most when the girls grow older.

Here is one of their Easter Bunnies with a hair dresser cape and it's ears all done up:


Here is another use of Easter eggs I bet you've never thought of. Little oxygen masks for playing doctor with:


Potty training is still progressing. We are making many steps forward and she's really starting to try more. Our two new Ikea desk chairs have been peed on though. I thought I could take off the covers and wash them, but they shrunk. So, I went to the fabric store and bought this faux leather material and sewed some covers. My sewing skills are slowly getting better. Although once I was finished with one of them, I held it up and I swear it looked like a black leather shower cap for hard core biker people. I told Nate that I have some left over material. I could make him some cowboy chaps--backless of course, because I would mess up somehow : )



My only other news is that I've set a date for my carpel tunnel surgery. May 6th. If my left wrist can wait, I'm thinking maybe next fall I could get that one done then. It would be awesome if I could wait till next spring.

Poor Ellie

I thought she was better this week after battling this cold for almost a month now. Nope, last night she woke up with a 102 fever. It was gone by morning, but she's not eating well and is really tired. I just want some answers. Mayo Clinic, can ya do that?!

Spring sun, it's time for you to arrive for good and bless us with your healing warmth.

Mikayla's Toothless Grin and Probably "Too Much Information" About Me

Well, Mikayla's front top tooth came out last week. We were eating pizza and watching TV. Mikayla said, "I got a crunchy part of my pizza. Nate and I looked at each other with the same thought of "Huh?" Her other top front tooth and another bottom one are loose. I'm starting to loose track on what's a new permanent tooth and what's still a baby tooth because her new teeth still look pretty small to me. This isn't the best picture, but was taken minutes after we discovered what the crunchy part of the pizza really was.



I've had a crazy week. I'm still run down from being sick a few weeks ago. I think I just never got caught up on the sleep I needed. I called my doctor Monday morning because I've struggled last month and this month with a very sore spot on my breast. I had it checked out and to be sure, I had to have a mammogram the next day. I'm fine, I just should cut down on my caffeine and get a good fitting bra (which I can't seem to find...that's what nursing two kids does I guess).

The whole mammogram experience was um, different. I filled out this form in the waiting room. One of the questions was, "Do you have implants?" Wow, I can't imagine what happened before they added that one to the questionnaire! SPLAT! (Or perhaps sounded like my bike tire does when it goes flat before a triathlon.PPffffffff) Then, I'm escorted into "the room." I walk in and there is a sea of women sitting around wearing their blue paper gown tops. Some are doing a puzzle, some are watching TV, some are reading. I felt like I just was admitted into some secret ya ya sisterhood club. Next, was the challenge to figure out how to wear a gown with 3 arm holes. Who's idea was that? They needed some instructional video in the dressing room. When I was finally called into the other room for my actual mammogram, it was weird. They get you in this crazy position. "Turn this way, arch your shoulder, bend backwards, look cross eyed, okay, now hold your breath." I bet they have a secret contest to see who can get their patient into the funniest position. A few minutes of going back to the sea of women waiting area, the lady comes back out and asked me if I was warm enough. Yes, that was nice of her, but honestly, my first thought was, "Could she tell?" I crossed my arms in front 0f me (in case) and assured her that I was just fine.

I received a pamphlet when I left. This is my "favorite" suggestion: "When all other therapies have failed to relieve breast pain, some women consider having one or both breasts surgically removed." What!? Seriously, I guess who needs them, huh? After you're done nursing your kids and you know you're not going to have any more, I guess they're just "decoration." Wow, thanks for the suggestion.

You know, just like after you have a child, you feel like you now know something and have accomplished something that other women haven't. Yes, perhaps, I was part of a secret society of the ya ya sisterhood. One that meets once a year (hopefully beginning for me after the age of 40 next time) at your local hospital. : )


Tomorrow I have an appointment with the hand surgeon to discuss further my surgery I'm going to set up for my wrists. It took 1/2 an hour this morning to get all of the feeling back into my right one. I feel like I'm on a deadline to get Ellie potty trained here because I know I can't change a messy diaper very well when I'm healing from it.

Oh, and guess what?! Nate has a business trip to Disney World and is staying at the Grand Floridian Hotel for a week. He talked me into going with him (no kids). We will be flying out of Minneapolis together about 3 hours after my indoor triathlon on April 18th. That's great incentive to have a good finish time-huh! I hope I can relax about how the kids are doing and about how much I will miss them. I've never left them more than 2 nights before. (Nate, Do you have that appointment set up to get our will done yet?!)