RandomSugarWords

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T19:16:00.003-05:00

Hope each and every one of you has a health, prosperous and joy filled 2010!

Random Sugar Words

2009-07-23T20:24:00.002-04:00

Random Sugar Words is the definition of how my mind works, it jumps from one little tidbit to another, randomly. This post will be about that.

My broken ankle is not healing. I am in more pain now than I have been in several weeks. Is it the weather? (it's been monsoon season here, so damp, etc...) Is it that I am doing more on it than I am supposed to? (probably). Will I need surgery? Maybe? But not until I get home from MI, that's for sure.

Colin has started speech therapy for his stutter. From here forward the stutter will be called his bumpy speech, where it hits a bump or two and gets stuck in his throat. He seems quite comfortable with that explanation, and we have some ideas on how to help him overcome it. We will see the therapist once a week.

Katie and Colin will be homeschooled this year. I am so excited to be doing it. Now we can go to MI without worrying about them missing so much school. On the other hand, Molly will be missing quite a bit of school... not good, but unavoidable. She can't stay here with Mike while I go up to MI.

My mom will be having bypass and a valve replacement in August, i will be traveling with the 3 kids up to MI to be with her and care for her as she recovers. I won't be able to go to the bar - so don't be all pissed when I say no. I am not here for a visit, I am there to be a caregiver to my mother, and to give my brother and SIL a MUCH needed break.

Mike gets to be a bachelor for 4-6 weeks while I am gone. I have no doubt he will fill his downtime with mountain biking and WOW.

So much to be grateful for

2009-06-10T17:37:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to keep gratitude in the front of my mind the last couple of weeks.

Thought I would just post it here to share:

The kids are in swim lessons, and doing so well! I can't believe how well Katie is swimming on her own, and Molly & Colin are getting comfortable in the water, learning to kick and put their faces in.

Mikes job is going great. He really seems to enjoy the work he is doing, and the people on the team. It's such a great company.

My mom is doing surprisingly well for someone who needs a shoulder replacement. She fell on Feb. 6th and has been in and out of care facilities while Drs try to figure out what is wrong, what to do, who should do it, who is in charge, etc... She will have it replaced in August.... more than 6 months after the initial injury... LOVE our health care system. (heavy sarcasm...)

Robby is doing FANTASTICALLY in LA. He is so talented and is really getting recognized for it. Check out his website, http://www.robdowsley.com

I'm doing well, really well. I haven't felt this good in about 20 years. My health has improved a great deal. My joints don't ache, my back doesn't hurt, my thyroid isn't whacking me out. I have even started to train for a 5k. Who would have thought.

And we get to see sunsets like this on a regular basis. Of course this helps a great deal in re-charging ones batteries and touching ones soul.

I am SOOOOO lucky!

Oops

2009-05-22T11:59:00.003-04:00

I keep meaning to come and post more often, but heck, life is busy right now. Katie is done with school for the 08-09 year, and will start back up again in mid July. Molly has a few more weeks of school to go, and Colin has been working on homeschool stuff still. I will probably do homeschool work with Katie and Colin over the summer, and if it goes well, skip public school altogether.

Mike's job is going well, it is so comforting to feel job security.

New puppy is settling in ok, a little rough still with the peeing and pooping in the house, but she is tiny, and just needs to go out more often. We continue to work with her and hope for the best. Some puppy classes will help with her barking, can't wait to start those!

Robby is doing fantastic. He got repped, which is like an actor getting an agent. The rep will line up with for him, hopefully on a steady basis, since she only reps a few photographers.

I've decided to stop selling Tastefully Simple. I don't want to be away in the evenings for home parties, I want to be home with my family having fun and exploring the neighborhood, swimming, biking, enjoying the neighbors. I have decided to join another direct sales company. I was involved with a direct sales company a few years ago, Arbonne. With the economy taking a turn for the worse, it was hard to sell face cream at 90.00 a jar. But my new company isn't like that at all. I really feel I am in the right company at the right time. And the products are amazing. I have been using them since March and already have experienced significant changes in my health and well-being.

If you want to know more, check out: http://my.waiora.com/videos/company.php?v=the_business

Peace out

Molly Update

2009-03-10T13:46:00.002-04:00

Molly's 2nd BAHA processor is finally repaired, and she is back to wearing 2 now, what a difference it makes! She is SOOO excited to put it on in the morning, and doesn't want to pull it off at all. I wonder why she hated just the 1 so much. No matter, now she has 2 and she is thrilled, she ran around last night saying 'Molly 2 BAHA' 'Molly 2 BAHA' with such joy and enthusiasm. I can't wait to hear how her day today goes at school with 2!

Molly is at ASDB for school, Az School for the Deaf and Blind. She learns orally and sign language, which is sooo much fun! Even Katie and Colin are getting into the swing of signing with her, to us, to each other. I am betting within a few months whole conversations will be carried on without a single spoken word. Mike and I better learn quickly or we will be in trouble!

Molly is almost as tall as Colin now, but still weighs a good 12lbs less than him. I think she is probably as strong as he is though, and can hold her own when the fisticuffs come out with them.

I'll post some pictures later on of the weekend, we went to watch the Air Force planes practice for their upcoming spring air shows around the country. It was so much fun! The kids all really enjoyed it, and Mike and I did too! We're a bunch of air geeks!

xoxo - love you all so much
erin

Hi Caren!

2009-02-23T20:53:00.002-05:00

Send me some new baby pix please! erinszoo@gmail.com

Things here are awesome. A little hot, but awesome nonetheless. I think it got to 89 here today, thankfully by the end of the week it will be back down to mid 70's.

We are really settling in to the new city. I have become much better at finding my way around. I'm still a little hesitant to go across town without Mike, but it's been fun to explore the east side of Tucson.

Katie is enjoying school. She has made many friends and is really getting alot out of the academic experience. She especially loves art and PE.

Molly is doing amazingly well in school. She goes to ASBD which is AZ School for the Deaf and Blind. She is in a class with 4 other children her age and she has such an amazing teacher. She is learning in an oral environment but is supplemented with ASL so we are learning sign along with her. So much fun!

Colin is wonderful, just such a joyful child. He is home with me all day and we spend our time exploring, playing, and learning.

Mike is grooving at work, finally got the little hiccup of a faulty background check resolved and is really enjoying his work environment, his team, the whole experience.

I'm busy with my moms group, have made loads of friends that I see daily. It feels awesome to be a part of such a wonderful group of moms.

---------------------------

Photos

2009-01-05T15:38:00.004-05:00

A few photos of us

Christmas

2008-12-29T21:42:00.001-05:00

We are finally settling down after a whirlwind holiday last week. My family came to town, Mom, brother John, SIL Yvonne, niece Delaney and of course Robby. We had such a wonderful visit, days full of activities and togetherness and surprisingly, nobody wanted to kill anyone else... bonus.

The family has all gone back to their respective home states now and the dust has settled here at the adobe... the tree and decorations are down, the cookies are eaten, and life has gotten back to usual.... much to the dismay of the kids. They miss everyone, Molly asks for Delaney every morning, and when I tell her that she has gone back to Michigan on an airplane, she just cries and carries on. Colin is especially sad that Robby left - now it's not Robby specifically, but Robby decided to take Charlie, our mini doxie, with him. So Colin is now heartbroken that Charlie has gone to live (or vacation) with Robby for a while. We've talked about getting another dog, but Colin is set on Charlie or nothing. Keep in mind we do have an 8 year old blind golden retriever here, but she isn't exactly a lap dog, like Charlie.

I've got a million pics, I will post tomorrow, once I figure out how I can get them to the mac from my dell.

Darkness

2008-12-07T14:20:00.003-05:00

Since being in Tucson, I have often said how dark it gets here at night. It's astonishingly dark. I assumed it was because we are really living in the boonies right now, but even when we were up in corporate housing it was insanely dark at night too. Well, now I know....

Light Pollution - Outdoor Lighting Control Ordinance - Tucson/Pima County, Arizona

In the heart of downtown Tucson, Arizona, a city of nearly 500,000, one can view the Milky Way with the naked eye. Tucson and Pima County first adopted outdoor lighting ordinances in 1972 in an effort to provide standards so that night lighting did not interfere with nearby astronomical observatories. The lighting control ordinance of Tucson/Pima County has been revised many times over the years. The 2006 Code is still quite strong and it is copied below.

The code's purpose is outlined in the ordinance:

The purpose of this code is to preserve the relationship of the residents of City of Tucson/Pima County to their unique desert environment through protection of access to the dark night sky. Intended outcomes include continuing support of astronomical activity and minimizing wasted energy, while not compromising the safety, security, and well being of persons engaged in outdoor night time activities. It is the intent of this code to control the obtrusive aspects of excessive and careless outdoor lighting usage while preserving, protecting, and enhancing the lawful nighttime use and enjoyment of any and all property. It is recognized that portions of properties may be required to be unlit, covered, or have reduced lighting levels in order to allow enough lumens in the lighted areas to achieve light levels in accordance with nationally recognized recommended practices.

It blows my mind how eco aware this city is. Between the reclaimed water, the ENORMOUS recycle bins, (3 or 4 times the size of the one we had in MI), and now light pollution. Makes me giddy in a small way, to be somewhere that takes such good care of the environment.

Update

2008-11-30T12:02:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, it's been crazy busy here !

Katie has started school, she is in afternoon Kindergarten and LOVES it. She is so happy to be with 'her girls'. And she has slid right into the sweetest group of little girls. I am so happy for her, and relieved.

Molly will get registered for preschool sometime in the next couple of weeks. It's a long process and I am not sure how it goes, but I know she will do fine and we'll find the perfect fit for her at the AZ School for the Deaf here in Tucson.

Colin is doing great, what a BIG BOY he is turning into. He is wearing his big boy underpants now, and is becoming so much more independent! A welcome break for me, for sure!

The house is utter chaos. The unpacking is overwhelming, and I have been under the weather with a fever, aches, chills, for several days now - makes it even more chaotic. But I am sure by the holiday we will be mostly settled in.

The neighborhood is amazing. We have met several of our neighbors, and a few of the moms in the neighborhood moms group. everyone is so friendly and warm, and helpful! Every weekend at the community center they have coffee for the neighborhood, and once a month they have a big community dinner there as well. We are still trying to figure out the outdoor irrigation system, it's reclaimed water, which is gray water, unsafe to drink but safe for the plants. Of course Charlie and Daisy want to drink it, blech.

The house is MI is still listed with a realtor. It's dropped more than 100k. But our bank is willing to take a short sale so it seems that we are still 'safe' as far as that goes. Someone drove a big heavy truck on our lawn and tore it up pretty bad on the east side of the house. Friends drive by a few times a week to check on it for me, and once a week someone will go in to check the inside.

Our thanksgiving was wonderful. We went out to dinner, Mimi's Cafe, and had an amazing meal. it was so crowded, but so friendly and fun. It was so nice to be in a happy, cheerful environment.

My family comes down in 21 days, I can't wait to see everyone !!

2008-11-15T21:26:00.001-05:00

House pix

http://flickr.com/photos/erindowsley/

Big day tomorrow!

2008-11-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

We get the keys to the new house tomorrow, such a big day !!

We can start moving our stuff in, although the moving van won't be here until the 19th or 20th. Still REALLY exciting, and we have loads of things here we can take to the new place this weekend.

So, pictures coming tomorrow!!

Wildlife

2008-11-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

So most of you know I am a Michigander born and raised. And not just a Michigander, a metro Detroiter, very urban, not the hills and wilderness of the UP or anything.

So when a metro Detroiter thinks of wildlife, what comes to mind? Deer, squirrel, an occasional red fox, chipmunk, even a ground hog or two. We're talking nothing, nothing scary, mildly annoying yes, those damn rabbits eating my daisies.... that sort of thing.

So we moved here to Tucson 3 weeks ago. The 1st weekend we drove up to Mt. Lemmon, and saw coyotes along the roadside (yes, they were alive). We know there are mountain lion up there too. And Gila monsters, (I thought that was just a beer, silly me!), javelina of course and some other creepy crawlies, scorpions, rattlers, etc...

We have been house hunting, since we are SERIOUSLY cramped in this TINY 2b/2ba condo that we have until Dec, although none of us will have sanity if we have to be here until Dec. I cannot imagine thanksgiving at a dining room table that isn't even big enough for the 5 of us. Hell, it's really not even big enough for 4. So we found a home to rent, we LOVE the house, the area, the neighborhood, the school, everything... well everything that is until I got an email from a member of the neighborhood moms group. It seems there is a wildlife problem in the neighborhood. And I don't mean chipmunks and rabbits, I mean mountain lions and coyotes in the middle of the neighborhood in the middle of the afternoon. Mountain lions, walking the street, tracking moms and kids and dogs and well... some really scary shit (pardon my language). On 11/5 at 3pm, a mom, her young child and dog were out walking. In the middle of the neighborhood, when all of a sudden she spotted a mountain lion tracking her. She managed to get herself and the dog/kid into a yard safely, but what if she couldn't? What if she had 3 toddlers on bikes? All going in different directions? And at the same time, not far from where this was going on, another mom was out on her driveway playing with her small child, and a coyote runs down the middle of the road, in the direction of the mountain lion.

So... now I have a dilemna. I am literally a nervous wreck. I think I need to be medicated, I am that nervous about this. I can't imagine having to worry every single time I set foot out of the house, and God forbid one of the kids wants to go outside and play... EVER... crap.

I know these things aren't a daily occurance. But since nobody has any way of knowing when it will happen, you have to be ready for it to happen at any time. And quite frankly, this is something I am totally ok with NEVER knowing. But I have to for my kids, my dogs... myself.

I want to be back in Michigan.

2008-11-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

Wild pig (percarry) called a Javelina, native to the desert, in our sidewalk this afternoon eating pumkin. Momma and baby, mean as HELL! Holy smokes. And apparently the will attack little dogs, and other little things, like toddlers?

I think I wet my pants from fright.

Christmas list

2008-11-03T12:59:00.003-05:00

I am going to start a christmas wish list here for the kids, and keep adding to it.

Little Tikes My Real Video Camera

Fisher Price - Imaginext Batman Batcave and accessories

Be Bratz

Webkinz

Barbie, Taffy and puppies
Barbie Tree House
Barbie case

Butterfly Teaset Basket

(tea party books, like Miss Spider)

Puzzles

DVD's (thumbelina...)

Sugar fiends

2008-11-02T22:19:00.004-05:00

My sneaky sneaky kids decided to try for the halloween candy... right in front of us.

Molly is on her hands and knees, Colin is standing on her back, and Katie is cheering them both on.

Boy, I totally have my hands full here... I can't wait to get em all enrolled in school!!

A house!

2008-10-31T14:47:00.003-04:00

Well thank the good Lord for providing for us yet again. We were able to apply, and qualify for the house we both love! In the best neighborhood in all of AZ. (although I am sure some people will debate that).

Here is a shot of the great room, a bedroom is on each side there. Door to the left is door to the back porch, facing east with lots of sunshine.

It's lovely, very much an adobe feel and look to it, and in back of the house is a nature trail/path for the community.

It is the 'greenest' community in AZ. Very very eco friendly. We are going to fit in perfectly! Too bad mike left the rain barrels in Michigan!

We went to THE mountain today

2008-10-25T23:17:00.002-04:00

Wow, did we have fun, except when Katie barfed in the car from going all mario andretti on the VERY curvy road. It took more than an hour to get to the top of Mt. Lemmon. And the temp. went from 89, to 54 at the tippy top. It was just breathtaking though, we saw 3 coyotes (alive) and much to Katie's dismay, no Mountain Lions today. She's a little unclear of the concept there, we got a hand out when we entered the state park yesterday, What to do when attacked by a mountain lion. Not what to do IF attacked, but what to do WHEN attacked. yea, like it happens daily or something here... I dunno... but they apparently like to eat kids.

Adjusting to time change is tough

2008-10-22T18:15:00.002-04:00

Especially with 3 little kids, who are now all on different schedules... ack!

I tried to keep them all up last night until at least 8pm, well Katie passed out at 7. So that got her up early today, like 5am. And that woke Colin up, and shortly thereafter the noise of those 2 woke Molly. So as of right now, I have 2 kids 'resting' in the bedroom - I hope at least Molly takes a nap. She needs about 10-12 hours of sleep a day to be a happy child, and it's been several weeks since she has gotten that, and she is a nightmare child now. Constant fuss. Whining, carrying on at every little thing.

And my sleep deprivation is kicking my ass... I can feel it in every inch of my body, I ache, I am sore, I am crabby too. And sooo headachey.

I hope this clears up soon. I am beyond exhausted. but hell, it's 90 here and no snow in our forecast, so it's not ALL bad !!!

We're here!

2008-10-20T12:49:00.003-04:00

Wow, glorious. I never have seen anything like Tucson. It is incredibly beautiful, friendly, hot!

The pool is big, and comfy. The fireplace (in the background of the pool shot) is so cool! The mountain shot is what I see from my parking spot. Views like this in every direction. So pretty!

Robby's Home !!

2008-10-08T07:32:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo !!!!!

I picked him up this morning at the airport. Yay yay yay !! My baby boy is home !!!!

Ugh!

2008-10-07T09:58:00.001-04:00

Why is it that I pack and pack and pack and it doesn't look like anything has been done !!!!

Schedule

2008-10-01T18:10:00.001-04:00

Mike and Robby will leave on Oct. 13th and me and the kids will fly down on the 17th. We won't be back until summer 2009 so if you want to see us before then, come on by !!!

3 weeks

2008-09-29T20:42:00.002-04:00

Only 3 weeks roughly, til we move. Mike starts work on Oct. 20th. It will take about 4 days to drive out there, and I think a couple of days in Tucson before he needs to start to work would be best.... So we're looking at leaving on the 11th or 12th. Well, Mike would leave then....I will probably fly down with the kids towards the end of the week. We'll hammer it out as it gets closer. We just need to figure out how to get 2 cars down there.

Anyone wanna buy a mustang? 3500. ( need brakes)

Facebook Parking Wars

2008-09-29T10:22:00.001-04:00

addicted, addicted. I bought a new car for 800,000 and it lets me park in all the no parking zones. I wanted to buy the clown car but I didn't have enough cash.

I spend like an hour of my day moving my cars from parking spot to parking spot. Must.stop.the.madness... or get my friends to join me so there are more places to park!!!

Moving container comes on Wednesday

2008-09-27T15:35:00.001-04:00

We have ordered the moving containers to come Wednesday, that gives us a few days now to continue packing, and about a week to pack all the big stuff, then we are off, like a herd of crippled turtles (as my mom would say) to Arizona. We hope to leave by Oct. 13th. 2 more weeks in Michigan !!!

Friends

2008-09-26T17:33:00.003-04:00

My friend Kim came over today with her 2 boys, and with their amazing help, I packed 8 boxes !! I also got rid of 2 bags of garbage and 3 bags of clothes for goodwill.

Woo hoo !

Thank you soooo much Kim, David & Danny for all your wonderful company and help today! You're coming back when? hehehe

When life gives you lemons

2008-09-25T17:37:00.003-04:00

Ya might as well fall down the stairs with them and tear a ligament in your ankle... right?

I'm out of commission for about 6 weeks... so who wants to come pack up my house for me !!!?

I think Mike is about to KILL me... he is so stressed and now this... UGH!

The post you've been waiting for

2008-09-24T15:57:00.002-04:00

We are moving to:

TUCSON !!!

Pretty much immediately, as soon as we can pack up the house.

Thank goodness Mike found work, too bad it's across the country. But a job i s a job and this one is a wonderful opportunity for him !!!

Facebook

2008-09-22T18:25:00.001-04:00

I'm addicted to facebook. Between cultivating my lil green patch, to arranging my flair, to vying for spots in parking wars, and checking everyone's status a million times a day, it's an addiction. I wonder if this is what crack is like?

Food pantry

2008-09-21T18:08:00.001-04:00

Thank God for food pantries. A friend brought food over the other day for us. She got it from her church food pantry. What a blessing for us. We can eat.

Being unemployed sucks, bad.

Brilliant Idea number 37

2008-09-15T18:48:00.003-04:00

How do people survive?

2008-09-13T12:11:00.003-04:00

How do they survive a job loss? Mike has been out of work 5 weeks now, and with unemployment kicking in, how do people live? With car insurance, RX costs, gas/electric, food, car lease, bankruptcy ruling - that's not even considering cable/phone/cell/cobra health insurance/pet needs.

Why is our society like this? Mike makes too much in unemployment to get assistance... we need at least 1 phone so he can get calls for job prospects. We need our medications, it's not like they are recreational, if we don't take them we will get really sick (or psychotic, lol)

No Phoenix

2008-09-12T19:13:00.001-04:00

Phoenix is out, they didn't feel like it was the right fit. Bummer. We keep looking.

The little things...

2008-09-10T14:38:00.003-04:00

I watched Mike mow the lawn today. Out there on the riding mower, making beautiful paths in our too tall grass. The under grass was insanely green, and looked so soft... it got me thinking...

If we move to Boston or NYC, we won't have grass. It will be the asphalt jungle. Sure there will be parks for us to play in, but it won't be our lawn. Unless of course we live in the boondocks and Mike commutes in. Mike is not a good commuter... so I think the compromise there will be mine, not his.

If we move to Phoenix, no grass. Just sand, and rock. Now it's beautiful sand and rock, but still, no grass.

It got me wondering about all the other things we will be losing with the move. Snow perhaps? Fall foliage? Tornadoes? Mosquitos? It's pointless to worry about any of it, we need to go where there is work, if it means going to Edmonton Alberta, where the temp is in the negatives most of the winter... or Phoenix, where the temp is over 100 for 6 months out of the year. We can adapt, as long as there is a job.

I always thought when people moved, they targeted a certain area, west coast, south east, etc.. and then found a job and moved. We're a little backwards in that, we're going to go wherever the job is, with very few exceptions. We've bounced all over the US, from the SE to the NE to the SW to the NW and lots of places in between. We've considered states and cities we never thought we would live in (Cali for me, NYC for Mike). We've had to look at what our needs are, as opposed to our wants. Sure I want a big glorious house on a beach somewhere, nice ocean breezes, central air, walk in closets. But we don't need that, we can make due with a 1100 sq ft apt in Boston, or NYC, or even New Jersey. (NJ is like a swear word to me... LOL)

I'm still packing a box or two a day...

And it begins...

2008-09-09T16:54:00.001-04:00

Mom, I don't feel good, I can't go to school...

It's already started, day 5 into kindergarten.

What the heck do I do? She isn't sick, she just doesn't know anyone in school, and is typically so shy to begin with. It's like she and Colin are polar opposites. He LOVES working on school work, and Katie HATES it. He LOVES colors and numbers and rhymes and all that, and she is only interested in barbie.com and nail polish colors!

God help me...

Happy Birthday !

2008-09-06T20:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Mikey !! My wonderful hubby's birthday is tomorrow. We celebrated big tonight, way too much wine, some amazing ribs, and lots of family !!

Updated job stuff

2008-09-04T09:46:00.002-04:00

Well the Michigan job is out. They low-balled the f out of him. How insulting to say 1 rate, then come in with 50k LESS in the official offer. Seriously... fuckers...

So that was our only Michigan job. The others are all out of state, and so far, no offer for anything.

So we wait, and we pray, and hope something comes soon or we will be both working at home depot.

Job detail

2008-08-30T19:22:00.002-04:00

No job yet, 3 prospects.

1. stay in MI, take the 1099 job for decent money, pay our own health care and taxes. 75% probability of keeping house.

2. move to Charleston SC, hire in directly with a cool company doing IT Architect stuff, live close (or on) the beach and watch pirate ships all day long. Wasn't Hurricane Fay just there?

3. move to Phoenix AZ, contract to hire with a big finance company doing IT Administrator stuff, live in the desert, sell riding lawn mower and snow blower to Whitelaw. 5 hours from Robby. It's a dry heat.

We will hear about job 1 on Monday, and that will lead to flying out for jobs 2 and 3 for interviews and hopefully an offer, should job 1 not pan out. Sometimes I think we should just get a dart board out and pick... but really we hope number 1 pans out. Number 2 and 3 are pretty much tied for 2nd place. Both have advantages and disadvantages....

My big girl

2008-08-29T08:11:00.004-04:00

Katie goes off to Kindergarten in a few days. I can't believe I will have 2 in school this year. I never thought the day would come (and part of me hoped it wouldn't ever come)

It will just be Colin and I in the mornings. I am really looking forward to a different dynamic in the house with a whole new routine for all 3 of them.

Will post 1st day of school pix on Tuesday! In the meantime, head over to Robby's blog and check it out.

www.robdowsley.blogspot.com

My husband's other family

2008-08-26T08:06:00.003-04:00

I've been keeping a big secret. My husband has another family he tends to. He babies them and cares for them as if they were helpless... PUMPKINS !

Job vibes needed!

2008-08-17T09:55:00.002-04:00

Mike has lots of job interviews in the next week, please please send prayers and good thoughts that something turns up soon for us.

Birthday pictures

2008-08-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

My niece had a tea party birthday this past weekend. Here are a few photos to make you giggle.

The one with the man in it is one of my favorites, that's a state trooper friend of my brothers trying to get Molly's sugar in her little tea cup. It's so funny because it's a tender side we rarely see in him.

Panic sucks...

2008-08-12T20:07:00.003-04:00

In 3 days, Mike will be done with his current contract with work. And as of this minute, they have nothing for him... so that means no work, no job, no money... The timing sucks major ass... I know I have so much to be thankful for... but crap... what the fuck?

On a slightly brighter side, it's forced Mike to get back out there with his resume and make contact with the MANY MANY recruiters/friends/old co-workers in his field, to look for something new... and he just may have found it in Atlanta.... hotlanta.

And if that isn't enough panic... a cousin of mine, who is only a couple of years older than me, had a stroke this past weekend. She's a stay at home mom of 3 kids. She has the same types of health issues that I have.... what does it all mean? She can't move... how does this happen?

Bah...

Olympics

2008-08-10T13:37:00.003-04:00

I really love watching the olympics. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it in 2004, but as I sit here watching, it all comes back.... I really really love watching all the different sports, and hearing the commentary and learning about the athletes, it is so interesting... does that make me dull? That sounded so dull... LOL!

Freecycle

2008-08-06T11:22:00.002-04:00

Whoever invented 'Freecycle' needs a nobel prize.

I've been able to unload all sorts of things we no longer need/want, and in return have gotten so many wonderful and USEFUL things! Just today I made 2 trips out to pick up storage boxes for us !! WOO HOO!!!

Less in the landfill, and lots of happy campers.

Robby's blog

2008-07-29T21:34:00.001-04:00

www.robdowsley.blogspot.com

My boy is on his way to livin' the dream!!! I'm so proud of him.

2287

2008-07-27T11:58:00.001-04:00

That's how many miles Robby will be away from me. 2,287 miles from home.

I want to vomit.

7 days

2008-07-21T18:19:00.002-04:00

7 days until Robby moves to Los Angeles to start his new life (I know, I can be so melodramatic, but he is my baby damnit)

I am so torn, on one hand I am so excited for him and the possibilities of it all, and the other, well hell, I don't want him to be away from us, and LA, thats like a 5 day car trip to see him. I'm going to have to get used to taking the red eye to see him.

I just can't believe my boy is all grown up and moving on. And I am so sad.

Friends

2008-07-16T19:12:00.001-04:00

HI SEV !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gluten/Celiac

2008-07-07T16:38:00.002-04:00

All I can say is... I will never look at ziplocs the same way again...

I've been having digestive issues for a very long time. Really as long as I can remember. I was diagnosed in 1999 with IBS, and just kind of lived with the fact that I wasn't normal in the poop dept. A few weeks ago I had my thyroid labs run, something I have done yearly because I have a thyroid condition (hashimoto's, which is a hypothyroid autoimmune disease) well I have a new Dr. and she ran a different kind of thyroid panel and one of the tests that came back was an immunoglobin thyroid test that indicated I have an allergy to gluten, wheat, yea pretty much everything I eat on a daily basis...

Well the Dr. had me do a poop test. I had to send away for a poop collection kit and use it. Hence the ziploc. I had to double ziploc the container, and freeze it. Then send it overnight via UPS to Dallas for the tests. It's hot here. It's hotter in Dallas. I hope it makes it there without thawing.

I will know in a couple of weeks what the results are. They will be testing for gluten, dairy and a slew of other things.

storm damage

2008-07-06T10:56:00.004-04:00

We had a bad storm on June 8. Here is the damage.

2008-07-04T21:37:00.001-04:00

Moving, not moving

2008-07-04T21:28:00.002-04:00

Unless Mike gets transferred, we will in fact be here for the unforseeable future. He is keeping all of his options open, and has let his employer know we are definitely up for an out of state position.

But for now, we will be here. So I guess that's good news and bad news.

2008-06-11T19:38:00.002-04:00

House for sale

2008-06-05T10:32:00.004-04:00

Ours. Soon. Make offer. Listing it in July, hope it sells quickly.

Send your friends by who want to live in the neighborhood. Tell everyone you know of our awesome location and access to the park thru the back gate. We have a HUGE new master bath, all custom. Custom kitchen.

GMAC mortgage a-holes have raised our mortgage and we can't handle the new payment.

Wii Fit

2008-05-27T18:23:00.003-04:00

My new addiction, Wii Fit. OMG.

I don't know what's worse, my obsession to see my little Mii figure lose the pudge, or fill up the Wii piggy bank to unlock all sorts of goodies.

As if my fascination with online bunco wasn't enough, now I have to hop between sitting on the sofa playing bunco, and using the Wii Fit.

We survived Disney

2008-04-28T18:20:00.009-04:00

I wish I had a shirt that read ' I survived Disney with 3 pre-schoolers '.

We had such a wonderful time, for the most part the kids were so flexible and easygoing, except Katie who wanted to be attached to her idol, her cousin Delaney (age 7) from morning to night. Made for some very difficult times.

We arrived on Thursday late afternoon, Katie's 5th birthday. We had dinner at Kona in the Polynesian. What an awesome time. Went back to the room and finally everyone was out by about 11.

Friday morning was an early day, we had an appointment with the Bibbiti Bobbiti Boutique and the Fairy Godmother's in Training. What a RIOT! All 3 girls got princessed out.

Colin was a trooper and played quietly with his monorail while the girls got all done up.

Next came a morning at Magic Kingdom (dumbo, haunted mansion, snow white, small world) Swimming at the hotel, and dinner at O'Hana (Poly again)

Update on walk

2008-04-27T19:29:00.002-04:00

What an amazing experience I had today. A friend and I walked in the March of Dimes March for Babies walk this morning at Metro Beach (on the shores of Lake St. Clair). It was so amazing to be part of that, and SOOOO tiring !

I did the full 6 miles pushing Colin in the stroller. We are both sunburned and exhausted, and I don't think my feet are on speaking terms with me at the moment.

I can't wait to do it again next year !!!

Help me reach my goal!Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

2008-04-25T07:42:00.001-04:00

Spring Vaca!!

2008-03-24T13:24:00.000-04:00

25 days until vacation!! We need this time off so badly.

St. Patty's Day

2008-03-17T10:58:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Patty's Day !!!!

I haven't updated in a while, so while the kids are at school and the house is clean(ish) I will do a little blog updating.

Robby is home this week from school. It is so nice having him home, even if he isn't here here since he is visiting 3 dozen friends. But it's all good. Having him in the vicinity of home rocks!

My mom is healing well from her knee replacement. It was a hard couple of weeks but she is doing better now and has no lasting heart issues as a result of some fluid buildup in her chest.

Kids are well, dogs are well, Mike is great and LOVING his new job. We will be going to Disney in a month and that's really our only focus right now !!

xoxo - Erin

ps - Robby's photos can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/rdowsley

New Job

2008-01-22T12:53:00.003-05:00

I joined a new direct sales company. I have finally found my match. It took a few years of researching lots and lots of direct sales companies... lots, and lots... and I learned alot along the way, but I am sure that this is it for me.
http://www.uppercaseliving.com

ID - 484641
Token - WAHM

I've always been crafty, ever since I was little I loved doing crafts and this is the perfect job for me.

Illness, ugh!

2008-01-12T16:52:00.000-05:00

We have been sick since Thanksgiving.

It seems that every single week, someone is not well, sometimes its little things, and sometimes, like the past week, has been huge things.

One of my friends blamed it on school. With 3 kids in 3 different classes, we are bound to catch lots of stuff. She says that her homeschooled kids are rarely sick. I've really been on the fence about the whole homeschool issue, but I tell ya, if it means we'll be well, then sign me up.

So now while we struggle to get everyone well, we need to decide about school. Molly really needs to be in school. I need her to be in school. But Katie and Colin... well I can certainly homeschool them. Especially when preschool and kindergarten are optional school grades here in MI.

We just have to get well, Mike and I are taking turns napping, we are both so sick. Katie randomly vomits, Colin has the runs and Molly had a horrible cold but now seems to be much better. That's probably too much info, huh?

Snow

2008-01-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

We got snow on New Years. Alot of snow. 10 inches or so. Big, fluffy, sticky, snow man making snow. Perfect snow man making snow actually, too bad I felt so crappy or I woulda been out there making a stellar one. Our neighbor made one, Mike calls it the snow man made by Martha Stewart. It even has a corn cob pipe. She went all out. Mike made one but it's tiny and it's head is WAY too small for it's body. Mike said he was too cold to make a big one... wah.

Since the snow is so heavy/sticky - the trees are COVERED. Every single branch has a beautiful blanket of snow. It looks AMAZING. I went to pick Katie up at school today and had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road, it was just such a spectacular sight to see. It's times like these I really thank God for letting me experience so much beauty.

(pics coming soon!)

Less painful than expected

2007-12-28T08:42:00.001-05:00

Well we survived Christmas. It was much less painful than we expected.

We ended up sharing Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve, it was nice and relaxing, and very enjoyable. I think it helped alot that we all go to different churches now, so we didn't have to church with mom on Christmas Eve. Saved alot of time and headaches, since our kids don't sit thru mass, they go to http://kensingtonchurch.org/children/index3.asp?id=15

Sunday we got up and had a nice relaxing time with presents, waffles and just being together. We made it out the door 45 minutes late to visit Mike's family - which in the grand scheme of things, 45 minutes isn't so bad considering how late we usually are to everything. We had a casualty, the kids presents were lost in the mad dash out the door. I still can't find one of them, Molly unwrapped them and hid both, we managed to find one but not the other.

We had a great time visiting Mike's family. Dinner was awesome and the kids really had fun playing with uncles and cousins. Even Molly seemed to really enjoy herself. And they all slept in the car on the way home, bonus !

We made it to my moms in time for dinner, and since we had shared Christmas the night before, it was just dinner and visiting. Another really awesome and relaxing time.

I am really glad it's over, but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting, so that's a very good thing.

Christmas

2007-12-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Why does Christmas always suck ass? This is a rhetorical question...

I can't stand the holidays... I really can't. I know I should, for the kids sake if nothing more, but I hope next year when we are overseas we can actually have a normal Christmas without spending half of it in the frigging car... 21 years now I have driven all over for Christmas... it sucks ass.

England

2007-12-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

Mike was offered a job in England with his company. They have a European HQ there and need someone like him. So... that's all I know right now, Mike is still in England working and talking to the higher ups about taking the position and moving us there.

I totally need to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road !

holy shit !!

2007-12-08T17:59:00.000-05:00

I think we're moving to England !!!

English Exam

2007-11-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

I Scored a 93%!

Flipping cold

2007-11-12T20:47:00.000-05:00

We're all sick. Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, fussy little messes. Mommy included. It's been almost a week now, and I STILL can't breathe !!

But... enuff whining.... for your viewing pleasure...

Miss Molly, October 2007

Molly October, 2006

My latest obsession

2007-11-01T20:56:00.000-04:00

I am finally at a stage in my mommy life where it is no longer impossible to read a book. Hell, for a couple of years there I was just reading the same page, in the same book, over and over... I couldn't get any further, with the interruptions, the drama, the diapers, and the forgetfulness that comes with massive sleep deprivation having 2 kids 5 months apart...

But I have passed the hurdle, I can read again, whole pages, chapters, even books !!

So with this new found freedom, I have spread my wings and found this :

www.bookmooch.com

woo hoo !!!!

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-01T06:48:00.001-04:00

IMG_3232
Originally uploaded by erinszoo

We had a wonderful Halloween

Molly was Cinderella, Colin was Thomas and Katie was Tinkerbelle.

My Clever Son

2007-10-27T10:55:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween !!!

7 years ago today

2007-10-06T19:17:00.001-04:00

Originally uploaded by erinszoo

I got married

Happy Anniversary Mikey !!

Early Birthday gift !

2007-09-25T14:27:00.000-04:00

My awesome mom gave me an early birthday gift today!!!

Money to buy a plane ticket for my oldest, Robby, to come home from college at Thanksgiving. Now you may be thinking that it's really a present for Robby, but actually I think it's the best present I have had in a REALLY, REALLY long time.

Robby has been gone since August 26th, and not an hour goes by without me thinking about him. Is that unhealthy? I miss him terribly. Even tho we text message and IM each other daily, it's not the same.

And last night he was sick, and I wasn't there to take care of him. Do you know how much that sucks?

Anyhow, I am so happy that my mom gave me an early present. Now I can look forward to spending some time (albeit a little time since I will be sharing him with his friends and girlfriend)

2007-09-15T12:35:00.000-04:00

Molly's 1st day on the school bus ! Miss Kathy and Miss Kim take very good care of her en-route !

2007-09-15T12:31:00.000-04:00

Me and my boy

2007-09-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

Today is a first...

Molly and Katie are both in school from 9-2, and Colin and I are all by ourselves... we have never had this much time alone before, well this much time awake. So I had loads of things planned. Shopping, park, playing games, working in a workbook...

Well... my dreams were shattered... he wants to play with his trains... alone.

Wah !!!!

My kids are growing up !!!

Molly's New School

2007-09-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

We visited Molly's new school yesterday. It was the best experience ever for her. The class is for hearing impaired/deaf children, aged 2-4, and Molly at 3.5 is the oldest ! All of the children have hearing aids of some type, and Molly joined right into the fun of class time as soon as we got there !

She will be going Monday thru Friday from 9am-2pm. All day !! I need to buy a lunchbox for her !! I can't believe my baby is going to all day school !! She will get bussed too, what a wonderful joy that will be (except to Katie, who is soooo angry that SHE can't ride a bus too).

Molly has her fitting on Tuesday at U of M for her new BAHA processor. She will need bi-lateral aids, but they only sent 1, we will use it and in the meantime the audiologist will order another one so she can hear on both sides.

It was such an amazing day !!!

Great weekend

2007-08-19T09:24:00.000-04:00

Perfect weekend, well except for the rain.

Yesterday was sooo cool out. I woke up shivering with the window open in the bedroom. Pulled up the comforter and slept a while longer in the 50 degree weather.

Mom took me Costco'ing yesterday. It was like a birthday AND christmas! Kids got stuff, Mike got stuff, I got stuff, even Robby got stuff. It was great! All in 2 hours.

I worked on cleaning most of the afternoon, Katie's room was my main focus, but I busted that out, did the bathroom and headed into the kitchen for some deep cleaning. More than halfway done in there, and today I will be wrapping up kitchen, living/dining room and hallway. The rest of the week will be spent on the family room and downstairs bath/laundry room. I'm determined to have it all done by Wednesday, or even Tuesday.

I am hosting a big CAbi party here on Thursday evening. For those of you who don't know CAbi, it's a home party company clothing company. The styles are awesome, functional and interchangable! Check it out, www.cabionline.com

Friday is Robby's birthday/going away party, and little Mike's birthday party. We're combining everything. I've got most of the food ordered/bought and they have lots of friends coming. I can't believe in 1 week Rob will be moving. It makes me want to barf.

It's Approved !!!

2007-08-16T09:39:00.001-04:00

We just got a call from University of Michigan, Hear USA has gotten Molly's BAHA soft band AND the processors covered by BC/BS Michigan !!!

That means Molly will shortly have the right kind of hearing aid ! Which will be HUGE for her learning ability, especially with school starting on Sept. 10th!

Yeah for her, yeah for us !!! What a huge relief this is.

Buh-bye

2007-07-24T14:51:00.001-04:00

the Dr. said I don't have to wear the Cam Walker anymore, buh-bye !!! It's like I have been released from prison!!!

(mine was shorter in the leg, like above the bottom velcro strap)

Now I can walk around Minneapolis without that HUGE thing slowing me down!!!

A boy and his dog

2007-07-24T09:16:00.000-04:00

Colin and his pal Bailey. What being best friends is really all about !

Church bitch

2007-07-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

I just need to bitch a little bit about Church.

I love my church, I love it so much I volunteer 2x a month on the coffee team. We arrive at 7:30 and make and serve coffee for church-goers. We are supposed to have at least 5 people on each shift, to cover 2 coffee stations and the kitchen where the big coffee makers are. I have been doing this for almost 18 months. It makes me feel good giving my time to the church, since we can't afford to put much into the offering box.

Well here is my bitch...

I have a broken heel, and am in a funky brace thing for the unforseeable future. Therefore I need someone to cover one stinking shift for me. My coffee team is huge, like 35 people... I sent out an email asking for help a week ago... and NOBODY has offered to help...

What is wrong with people? I am not asking because I want to go to the beach or decided last minute to go away for the weekend or whatever, I have a broken heel for God's sake. I am in a funky brace thing half way up my f'ing leg.... I can't possibly stand and move around like coffee team requires for 3+ hours... seriously...

I'm just so surprised by people these days... blows my mind ...

Photos !!

2007-07-15T21:23:00.000-04:00

Colin's haircut. Molly, Katie

Random-ness

2007-07-12T11:09:00.000-04:00

Katie and Colin want to take dance class. Thankfully I found a reasonably priced place in Royal Oak that they both can attend, at the same time in different classes !

I've been kicking around the idea of homeschooling Katie & Colin this fall, but have decided to send them to pre-school. I think it will do them good for the social interaction, and it will do me good to have them out of the house a few hours a week. So Katie will attend 3 mornings and Colin will attend the other 2. Molly will go to school M-Th and the bus will drive her! I am so happy for that opportunity. Whew.

Robby goes off to Massachusetts in a month. While part of me is happy for him, part of me (ok, just a sliver of a part really) will miss his smart mouthed surly ass.

I get a vacation in 2 weeks. I am going to Minnesota for 3 days for work ( www.tastefullysimple.com/web/edowsley ). Our big National Convention - 3 days of parties and celebrations, I can't wait !!

I am in a walking cast. I fractured my heel, and tore a tendon in the bottom of my foot ( plantar fascia). I don't know how long I have to wear it, but at least another month or so... Thankfully I can take it off to sleep, shower, and even dip in the pool!

Pictures in next post !

One lucky guy

2007-06-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

Robby is one lucky guy.

He got to go to the Tigers game last night, you know, the Detroit Tigers. I'm pretty sure he didn't even pay for the tickets, one of his friends did. Anyhow that's not what makes him lucky.

What makes him lucky is that this particular game was a no-hitter. Tigers haven't had a no-hitter since 1984. And they haven't had a home hame no-hitter since the 1950's.

Can you imagine? The excitement, then energy, the frenzy of the crowd? The team? Holy carp.

It's just an amazing feeling to know my firstborn got to experience that firsthand.

Go Tigers !

And in other news...

2007-05-19T07:47:00.000-04:00

Well I am still working on getting organized. We had a garage sale here last weekend, and while we did get ALOT of stuff sold, our house looks the same on the inside. Like a tornado went thru it.

So it's a work in progress, I did manage to organize the living room mostly, and will work on the dining room and family room this weekend. I'll next work on the bedrooms, which should take me all summer... LOL

--------------

I got a new book yesterday from Borders, Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles... I have always found it cumbersome to knit with double points, they are such slippery little suckers. And I LOVE circ knitting, so the concept of knitting socks with circs thrills me!

---------------

Molly made local news 2 weeks ago:

http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/050707/loc_2007050795.shtml

-----------------

My friend is on her way to Taiwan to pick up her new daughter, I am sooooo insanely happy for her. She's going to make an awesome mommy !!

http://ava.adoptiontimeline.com/

That's it for now, lots of little things, but good things nonetheless!

xoxoxo

The new me

2007-04-28T08:58:00.000-04:00

My dear sweet friend N moved a couple of months ago, from Michigan to Texas. It was no small feat, with her many children, pets, and belongings. So it wasn't a surprise when she decided to offer the things she didn't want to move with her to her friends up here. I chose, among other things, a big pile of books. She is the kind of mother I strive to be like, so I knew I couldn't go wrong with anything she had read.

Little did I know there was a book in there that was written about me. Now not about me 'Erin' but about me in general.

It's been like 2 months now, and the whole stack of books is sitting on the back of the toilet tank in the blue bathroom, I thumb thru them once in a while, but I honestly just haven't taken the time to sit down yet and decide what I am going to read first.

The kids were all fussy and lehargic and little lumps yesterday, so I decided that I would crack open one of N's books. I chose 'Get Your Act Together' by The Slob Sisters. It claims to be a 7 day get organized program for the overworked, overbooked and overwhelmed.... little did I know the title should have been 'Erin, get your act together'.

Never have a read a book that spoke to me like this one does. It's a book written especially for dis-organized people. Not people who are natural organizers who want to become more so, but people, like me, who don't have an organizational bone in our body and need baby steps to become - in some small way - more organized. Baby steps, I need baby steps. I can't do the whole flylady thing. It's too overwhelming... I mean...

Have you seen my sink? I have 2 teenagers, and 3 toddlers? Who is their right mind would even consider keeping their sink clean with that much traffic in it !?!? I can't even pee without 7 interruptions, how would I possibly be able to tidy a room in 15 minutes ? I get pulled away a dozen times in 15 minutes to do something for the kids.

So, May will be the month of change for me. Although it technically is still April, I don't think I will finish the book and get my lists together before then, so I will set my sights on May for the start of something new and wonderful. An organized mommy!

Thanks N, I owe you big!

Katie is turning 4

2007-04-15T16:58:00.000-04:00

My big girl is 4, we had an awesome birthday for her.

Dora

2007-04-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

Molly's new hair accessory!

2007-04-05T16:32:00.000-04:00

Molly has something new, a hearing aid that actually does the job !!

She LOVES it !!!!!!

I can't wait to post pics, I am beyond happy

2007-03-30T09:07:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was a company fun day for me. My company, Arbonne International, has an awesome compensation plan that includes a car allowance for a white Mercedes Benz. An 800.00 monthly car allowance at Region, and a 1000.00 monthly car allowance at Nation.

Once a year they partner with local MB dealers and we all get to Test Drive our Mercedes. Saturday the 24th I got to drive my next car, a CLS550. It was BEAUTIFUL. I can't wait to hit Region.

For now, I am District Manager, but in a couple of months I will make Area Manager, and then on to Regional Vice President and my CLS550!!!

www.erindowsleydavis.myarbonne.com

Parent Teacher Conferences

2007-03-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

Today was conference day at pre-school. I didn't know what to expect, the last conference I went to was for a senior in high school, who was failing everything.

It turned out to be a really fun meeting. I loved to hear how they play with each other, and other kids, since I don't really see that at home.

The only thing we need to really work on, is .... CLEAN UP !! ROFL !!

If you could see my house, you'd this isn't confined to pre-schoolers... LOL!!

2007-03-17T09:41:00.000-04:00

She is less than thrilled with her hearing aid. I think it's overwhelming for her to hear EVERYTHING suddenly, and we are far from a quiet family so there is ALOT to hear!

baby steps, baby steps!

March 15 is my new favorite day of the year!

2007-03-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

And it all started out so ordinary too...

We had Molly's initial evaluation with Oakland Schools audiology department on March 15. We expected to go thru the ropes of the baseline hearing tests and them sending us on our way to our local school districts early intervention program with some type of plan in place for therapy and all that...

What we didn't know, is that they would provide her with a loaner hearing aid until we can hammer out all this crazy insurance coverage stuff.

MOLLY HAS A HEARING AID !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not the ideal type of hearing aid for her, but it gets her hearing to within NORMAL RANGE !!!!!! NORMAL !!!!!!! NORMAL !!!!!!!!

And if that wasn't wonderful enough... I had a message on my answering machine when we got home from that appt that we have been approved for Robby's student loan. We had to do a co-signer thing and I was really worried about getting approved since I am not bringing in a full time income with Arbonne (YET!)

Wow... life is soooo good !!!

Heroes

2007-03-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

I have several heroes. My parents, a teacher, and now a new one, my friend Kimmi.

Kimmi is mom to 5. 4 of them were c-sections. When she found out she was pregnant with #5, she wanted to change her pattern of birthing her children. Her husband was against it, most of the Dr's she spoke with were against it. But she kept on looking - and eventually found someone who would help her have the birth of her dreams. A vbac at home. vbac is vaginal birth after cesarean. It's not very common here in America. The standard mentality is once a section, always a section.... but she knew better. She knew many women who had successfully had a vaginal birth after having a section, even more than 1. She knew she could do it too.... and she had a village of women to support her with that concept. We encouraged her, lifted her up, led her to resources and information so that she could have a safe, vbac4 homebirth.

And she did it, last week a home number 5 entered her life in the most beautiful of ways. She pushed her baby out, at home, with her family and the help of a homebirth Dr.

Congrats Kimmi, and happy birthday Nola Catherine !!

Mid-life musings

2007-02-28T09:09:00.000-05:00

When you get old enough to wear bi-focals - or I guess the politically correct term is now progressive lenses - nobody bothers to tell you that you need to re-learn EVERYTHING. Stairs, walking, sitting, driving, just LOOKING is a new challenge. The counter girl at DOC said so casually when I picked up my new glasses "you just have to point your nose where you need to look and the correct part of the glasses will follow". Who points their nose when they look, I just move my eyes, not my entire head damnit...

It's been a month with my new glasses, and I still get motion sick when I try to change the radio station in the car, or god forbid, walk down the stairs without looking completely down so that I am looking out the top of my glasses...

I never knew getting old would be such a pain in the ass...

Scratch that last part...

2007-02-21T08:24:00.001-05:00

Colin has the vomits....