Like I said... Keeps a SMILE on my face!

I just found myself giggling while remembering a conversation I had with Braden from this morning...

I was putting on make-up getting ready to go over and register him for 4K and he said, "Mama, what is that on your face?" It was cover up under my eyes.

I said, "It's make-up." He asked, "What's it for?" I replied, "It's to make mommy look pretty."

He matter of factly looked at me and said, "I wish you looked African."

I said, "What?"

He said, "I wish you looked African so then you'd look stylish and fashiony."

So I guess I need to work on my make-up application or something! Then maybe I'll be more stylish and fashiony. Hehe

Super Hero Mode

Braden has been in full Super Hero mode lately. With all that has been going on he keeps a HUGE smile on my face. This is exactly how he watched cartoons this morning. What a kid.

Pasta Primavera

Last night for meal co-op Stacy made Pasta Primavera. It was so absolutely delicious and fresh that I have to share the recipe. It seems to be a fairly easy recipe so hopefully some of you will have a chance to try it. The flavors were surprisingly intense. Thanks Stacy!!

Pasta Primavera by Giada De Laurentis

3 carrots, peeled
2 medium or 1 large zucchini
2 yellow summer squash
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. dried Italian herbs
2 t. kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 t. freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 lb dried farfalle pasta
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the carrots, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers into thing 2 inch long strips. On a large, heavy baking sheet, toss the vegetable strips, onion, oil, dried herbs, and 2 t. each of the salt and pepper to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another large, heavy baking sheet, and arrange the veggies evenly over both. Bake, stirring after he first 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the other vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the pasta to bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Olivia Update

I write this with some guilt because I haven't called to update my mom or Judy which I always do before posting but I just don't have it in me right now. I apologize.

I called the doc again today to see if the results were in for Olivia. Another doctor called me back and told me that the initial Lymes test came back positive. They have to confirm it still for an official diagnosis.

He asked me what Dr. Pikna had told me to do and I mentioned that he wanted me to keep the Rheumatology appointment regardless and stay on the Naproxen. Dr. Soran, the other doctor I was speaking with, said that yes, even if it does confirm positive they may want to monitor her joints due to the length of time that she will have had Lymes. He said that it can't hurt to go on an antibiotic so he started us on amoxicillin today. If it is confirmed positive we'll be on it for 28 days. I don't know yet of the long term effects of Lymes and I feel a little scared to find out. :( I know if you catch it early it's easily cured but the online symptoms of long term effects if not caught early are scary and somewhat vague.

My heart dropped at his statement. He is a wonderful man and he didn't say anything wrong but what I heard was... "this could have been avoided if you'd caught it earlier." The thought that I could have made things worse for her absolutely crushes me. It's devastating. I could just kill myself for ignoring the limp for so long - ugh. I know guilt is totally unproductive but I can't help but be so angry with myself.

So we wait for a final confirmation which should come at the end of this week or the beginning of next, and also hang in there for our appointment on September 2nd which will provide us with the most information.

I had a long day today and am feeling tired, overwhelmed, and sad so I am sorry that this is not more upbeat. I'm sure tomorrow morning everything will look a little brighter.

Back to School

WOW - It's here already! We are back to school officially tomorrow although Kristin and I took the kids in today and got some work done in our classroom. It's very consuming for me which is why I'm thankful I have the opportunity to work part time. I found myself spending their entire nap time on the computer getting things ready for next week. It's not work that had to be done this minute but I can't settle my mind down at this time of year to find a healthy balance. So that is my goal for this week and next...

To get ready for a great year but not let myself get consumed and forget my priorities here at home! I hope to relax, enjoy, and appreciate every minute here and at school.

Family Movie Night

Olivia chose to watch part of the movie from my back!

We had our third family movie night last night! It was my favorite so far. The kiddos had baths and then we ate popcorn, a bunch of fruit, crackers and cheese while we watched, "Sandlot." Braden picked the movie - I had taped a bunch during the week for him to choose from. It was adorable. We all enjoyed the movie, the company and the food. I'm really enjoying this tradiiton. It's a great way to end the weekend and gear up for a new week.

Just Jammin'

Steve went for a run this weekend and Braden quickly snatched up his hat and ipod when he returned. He LOVED listening to his "kids music" on the headphones and kept them on for quite some time. He even decided to take some quiet time upstairs on our porch by himself just jammin' out to his tunes. :)

Nature Viewing in the Yard

Braden and Olivia spotted a baby bunny in our yard this morning and had to go check it out! If you look closely at the second picture you should see it.

Baking Extravaganza!

I woke up a little earlier than the rest of the crew today so I started in on my baking. I had two zucchinis from my neighbor Cheri and some bananas that needed to be used. When everyone else woke up they pitched in and by 9am we had 4 of our 6 loaves cooling on a rack! The other two are still in the oven. It does help to have a double oven which I feel spoiled to have.

So... next time we have visitors we just may pull out a loaf of zucchini bread, zucchini-chocolate chip bread, or banana bread!! Yummy to eat and our house smells delicious.

Olivia Update

I just talked with the doctor and we are still waiting on the results of the Lymes. The Lupus test came back negative, thank goodness.

He is out all of next week so I am supposed to call the office on Monday afternoon to see if the results are in and if not, he suggested to calling the next day, etc.

Regardless of whether she has Lymes, he wants us to continue the Naproxen and keep our appointment on the 2nd with the Rheumatology department. He definitely hasn't ruled out Juvenile Arthritis yet but I am soooo thankful for the things we have ruled out.

So far so good. Now on to enjoying the weekend stress free! :) Thank you all again for your continued prayers and support. It's comforting to know that Olivia is surrounded by so much love.

The Big Backyard

We had our last playdate of the summer with both the Tantys and Olsons yesterday. It was raining so we packed up and headed to The Big Backyard. The boys ran around until their heads were wet with sweat and they had smiles from ear to ear. The little ones played as well and all did some mama snuggling as it was a little overwhelming at times with the amount of kids there.

Afterwards we had a fun lunch at McDonalds and then it was home for lunch. As you can see... it's Olivia and her boys! :)

Ants on a Log

Braden took a lot of care in building his treat to eat!!


Check out Olivia's creation. Bring on the chocolate chips!!!

Braden asked for Ants on a Log today for a snack. He didn't however mean carrots, peanut butter and raisins (my favorite) but a new kind of Ants on a Log recommended by his friend Benjamin from preschool last year. It's Bananas, peanut butter and mini chocolate chips! Yummy.

Olivia Update

Dr. Pikna just called to update me on her blood tests. They aren't all back as we had suspected but what did come back is all positive!

She's not anemic which he said is typically low for someone who has had a long time injury or what not.
Her blood counts are good - biggest relief.
Her levels (of what I'm not sure) that usually indicate arthritis are normal - go figure.

Which leaves us with two tests...

Lymes and Lupus

The results should come in tomorrow and we'll hear about them on Friday.

I asked about the Lymes and compared it to two friends whose children have had it and it has manifested itself as more of an illness and he said that is typical but it CAN be just joint pain/inflamation.

So I ended our conversation feeling hopeful and geared up to wait for two more days. We may have a mystery on our hands or the last two tests may lead us down another path. He is by no means ruling out the juvenile arthritis but is puzzled by the levels that came back normal.

So we wait... patiently... and a little more hopeful than before. :)

No News Today

Thank you sooo much to everyone who has called and emailed about Olivia. We really appreciate your support. I know many of you were curious about the test results from today.

I took her to Children's Hospital this morning to have blood drawn. Kristin, bless her heart, rearranged her morning to watch Braden for me. She was such a brave girl - more brave than her mommy! I found out that the doctor is testing for more than just Lymes but I didn't ask what else. She said some results would be done today and others may take until Thursday.

With that said, I didn't hear from our Pediatrician today as he was out of the office. I hope to hear something tomorrow and then more on Friday since Thursday is his day off. I'll be sure to keep everyone posted.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that the news is good. It's so scary to hear that something is wrong with your child - wether it's manageable or not, small or large ... it's still hard to hear and of course my mind wanders to the worst of places so any news will be better than no news at all!

Our Little Olivia

Today wasn't supposed to be very eventful - I wanted this week to be relaxing since it's the last week before school resumes. I wanted to spend hours playing with the kids, getting the house in order and taking advantage of nap time. As you can probably guess - that is not how today went.

I had a doctor appointment for Olivia for a limp that she has had for a long time. I never worried much about it because she doesn't complain that it hurts and usually goes away during the day. It is most pronounced in the mornings and after naps. My assumption was that she had a stiff muscle or tendon. It was worrying Steve and Kristin happened to notice a few weeks ago so I made a doctor appt to be better safe than sorry.

To make a long story short... after a doctor appointment and some X-rays... it's definitely not a stiff muscle or tendon. We don't yet know what is wrong which is quite worrisome. I've talked to both the Rhumetology department at Children's Hospital and our pediatrician now and am feeling a little more hopeful than I was earlier today.

I guess best case scenario she might have Lymes Disease which is treatable and will go away ... worst case scenario they think she might have a juvenile form of arthritis which she'll have forever. They think if this is the case it is mild but I don't know much more than that in terms of the implications and treatments, etc.

Tomorrow we will go over to Children's for some blood work to determine if Lymes is a possibility and we have an appointment with the rhumetology clinic on September 2nd. Until then... I will continue to remind myself of all that we are blessed with...

1. A beautiful little girl who is happy and for now, running around and playing as she should be.
2. These are minor health issues compared to what a lot of families who visit Children's Hospital have to deal with.
3. It doesn't appear that anything is life threatening - the doc said her bones look good and no tumors were found.
4. She is too little to know that anything is wrong and be worried or scared herself - lord knows that Steve and I will do enough of that for her. :)

Please keep her in your prayers as she is poked and prodded over the next couple of weeks and hopefully we'll all come out of this with good news! I'll keep everyone posted and in the mean time we'll be sure that she has extra snuggles and kisses from all of you.

Duluth

We went up to Duluth last Thursday for the annual Hennessy Holiday at Judy's brothers house. On the way there we were able to stop for a long lunch in Eau Claire and meet up with the Willems. It is always such a treat to visit with Kevin, Em and the kids and we walk away both saying how we wish we lived closer and could see each other more often.

Braden's highlight was the fact that they hadn't yet landscaped (Steve and Jeannie just built a house on Pike Lake) so there were huge rocks and piles of dirt everywhere. He was in heaven and scoffed when Jeannie told him that they were going to be planting grass next year. Ha! He also caught his first fish with Darrell and Steve Potter, got to ride a Jet Ski with both Daddy and Uncle Marc and had constant playmates. He had the time of his life and didn't want to leave.

Olivia loved the attention and all of the treats that were around. She had a lot of fun playing with Jillian and Nikki, reading with her aunty Chris and Jeannie, and taking rides on the pontoon. She didn't make it into the water but did spend a lot of time on the dock.

Steve had a blast trying to throw Marc off the tube and trying to stay on himself. He also loved jetting around the lake on the Jet Ski with Braden snuggled in front of him. He was like a kid in a candy store with all of the fun water toys.

I had a great time visiting, relaxing, catching some rays and watching everyone else in the water!

It was a great weekend full of family fun. Thanks everyone for a fabulous weekend with beautiful weather, lots of laughs and of course scrumptious food.

A SUNDAY night tradition!

We started a new Sunday Night tradition tonight! Many kids from our generation remember the Sunday night Disney movies which aren't on any longer unfortunately but both Steve and I have very fond memories of. We decided to start our own Sunday night movie tradition so here's our plan...

Sunday nights will be baths and pj's and then to the living room for a movie of someone's choosing. Today it was mommy and daddy's choice and we chose the "Tale of Desperaux." We sat on the ground and set out a tablecloth on top of the coffee table for dinner. Dinner was popcorn, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, cheese, crackers and some rotisserie chicken.

It was delicious and super fun. Olivia doesn't sit through a movie but since we're at home she could run around, do some puzzles and still enjoy some good family time. Next week is Braden's choice of movie so we'll see what he picks. :)

A Trip for Two Reasons

This weekend we cancelled all of the plans that we had with friends and decided to travel back to Steve's parents house. It was a decision we made for two reasons. The first was that his grandma went into the hospital last Thursday and the second was that his parents had a terrible fire in their garage.

We drove up Friday late afternoon, stopping in Appleton to drop of Magnus at my parents. Thank you mom and pa for watching him!!! We played for a little while and visited before putting the kids to bed. They have three extra bedrooms upstairs and we were the only ones there so we spread out and each had our own room!! It was heavenly. Poor Judy now has three sets of sheets to wash though. :(

Saturday morning, Steve and his dad set to work cleaning things up in the garage. They worked tirelessly ALL day long sorting through things, making a list of damaged items for insurance, and salvaging what they could. We are really thankful that we were able to help. It's often Marc who rushes to help Darrell and Judy and it felt really great to be able to give a little back to them for all that they do for us.

Judy, the kids and I went into town and did a little shopping which included lunch and of course ice cream at the local dairy/cheese factory. Braden and Olivia had a lot of fun watching the big machines make cheese curds.

That evening we went to the hospital to visit Steve's grandma. She went in for some chest pains and found out that she has pneumonia and gall stones. Putting those things on top of some of the other challenges she is already facing doesn't leave for a very positive outlook. She didn't look very good but her face brightened when she saw the kids. She just watched them move around and giggle.

It took me straight back to when my grandma Paul was sick. It was hard to leave not knowing what was going to happen with her health but we are all so thankful that we were able to find the time to visit. She is an amazing woman who has raised a large family and of course without her I wouldn't have Steve! :) I leave my visits with her feeling like a little part of my heart that is still held by my grandma Paul has been warmed. They remind me a lot of each other. I feel so much for Darrell and his siblings right now. I know first hand from watching my mom and Nancy go through this with my grandma just how exhausting both mentally and physically this time can be.

Sunday morning Judy made blueberry pancakes. We put strawberries and whip cream on top which as you can see above - Olivia just loved. Braden enjoyed them as well since grandma is creative enough to make turtles, kittens, etc. out of her pancakes!! Why haven't I ever thought of that? It was super cute. Braden loves to watch cartoons while eating breakfast which is what the picture is above. I couldn't peel his eyes off of Tweety Bird. :)

We had a very nice time and are really grateful that we went. Thank you Darrell and Judy for always welcoming us home and making it so comfortable. Thank you mom and pa for watching Magnus and for lunch today. And thank you to all of our friends who we had to cancel plans with for being so understanding.

What a SUPER kid!

Braden is my little reader. He can sit for hours and hours with books and read quietly undisturbed. He's always loved them and we've always loved reading them to him. We decided this summer that we were going to take advantage of the Milwaukee Public Library's Summer Reading Program. It was themed around the "Super Why" public television program which Braden enjoys. When he found out that he could win a beanie baby he was all set to participate!

We went down to the library about every two weeks which took a little bit of dedication on my part. We do have the Wauwatosa library just down the street and to go downtown takes about 15 minutes and requires street parking. It's such an amazing library though that I am always so thankful we went. Not only is the book selection quadruple what our local library has but the building is so grand and the children's area is spectacular! There is a light house they can climb into and read, puppets and a stage, a train table, lego table and more. It's VERY kid friendly and we have a good time every time we're there.

Needless to say Braden received his beanie baby Friday morning. We returned our last set of books and will now return to our local library for check-outs. He has read many, many books both on his own and with us this summer and earned coupons to local attractions, an awesome yard sign which he is quite proud of and yes... a lion beanie baby! Way to go buddy!!

Another one of his accomplishments also has to do with reading. My good reader has been a good sleeper as well. He is still the child who I wake from naps so that he'll actually go to bed at night. A few weeks ago Braden decided that he wasn't going to go to sleep. We'd put him down around 8 and when we headed up anywhere between 9 and 10 his light was on and he was either passed out cold with books surrounding him on his bed or he was still up reading. Although I can't think of a better problem to have we still wanted him to have good sleep at night so Steve and I did some brainstorming and came up with an incentive program.

When we put Braden to bed, we set a timer. The amount of time depends on how tired he is and also how late it is. He is allowed to stay up with his light on and read until his timer goes off. When it goes off he needs to turn off his light and go to sleep. If he does this without getting out of bed he earns a sticker. When he earns three stickers he gets to choose from our list. We have some special time with mommy and daddy on the list and also the choice of picking out a new book or toy.

It has totally worked. I feel really good about the fact that we aren't telling him he can't read but he's been successful and responsible when it's time to turn off his light. What a big deal for a 4 1/2 year old. I couldn't be more proud of him and of Steve and I for finding a solution that works for us all!!

Way to go family. :)

Concentrating

Occasionally Braden wakes up before Olivia from their nap. When I'm being a "good" mom, Braden and I have special time together. He chooses to read books together, play games, puzzles, etc. Other days if I am still involved in whatever it was that I deemed important at the time he'll play quietly, read, watch a show, etc.

Today he wanted to do his "school" books. Braden has been very resistant to any "teaching," which is fine by me. I do enough of that at school and don't want to start those battles before I have to. I don't feel the need or desire to push something that he's not ready for and up until recently he hasn't been interested. It will all come in time... I can see that by fourth grade he'll definitely know his alphabet! :) Just kidding but it's just not something I worry about.

We sat down and had some really special time tracing letters, numbers, matching rhyming words, etc. It was worth every minute. I need to remember how great that time is for both of us and how much more important it is than folding laundry, organizing my desk and watching reality TV!!!! Hehe.

I'm so excited for him to start school and realize all that he can do. I wish for him nothing more than to somehow learn to love learning. I don't wish for him to be the most gifted, the easiest child or the most popular. I simply wish for him to continue to love to read and to learn how wonderful school and learning can be. My parents did wonders for me in this area - obviously that's why I chose to go into education - and I hope we can somehow help Braden find this love as well.

Baby Update

23 weeks and counting!

I had a very uneventful check-up today but just wanted to let everyone know that all is well.

I am feeling quite a bit of movement now although it's not strong enough yet for Steve to enjoy the bumps. All else is great - growing all over and loving it! :)

It's hard to believe that I only have one more appointment at a four week stretch and then I start going in every two weeks! AHHHH - this is going way too fast for me. I hope I feel ready come early December!

DIVA Night

Last night was DIVA night in the village. They hold this event a few times a year. Ladies from Wauwatosa come down and walk around the boutiques, restaurants, shops, etc. Each store has beverages (last year it was wine!) and appetizers and they stamp your card. If you get so many stamps you can end your night at Vino 100 (a wine bar) and enter some pretty great drawings.

This time it was just Carrie, Kristin and I. We had a really nice evening walking through the beautiful shops and looking for treasures. I bought one Christmas present and a bunch of clothes for Braden from this second hand children's store called, Tuesday's Child. I found two pairs of Gap Jeans with the tags still on them. Whoo Hoo!

Afterwards we went down to La Reve, a French Patisserie and Cafe. It was fun to chit-chat over drinks and yummy food. I once again am so thankful for where we live and what great friends I have in my life!

STAR WARS - CLONE WARS

Yesterday Braden and I met Daniel and Amber for a movie at the theater. We went to see Star Wars - Clone Wars. I was a little worried about Braden being scared but it ended up being a cartoon movie so he wasn't scared at all. In fact, he had to go to the bathroom in the middle but didn't want to leave. :)

It was a good movie and was fun for he and Daniel to sit next to each other and discuss who were the "good" guys and who were the "bad" guys! Luckily it was all kids at the movie so their loud voices weren't any more distracting than anything else! It was a fun movie-date with my buddy.

Tosa's National Night Out

Last night the kids and I met the Olson's at National Night Out. It's something we've gone to now for the last 3 years and we always have a great time. We jumped on bouncy toys, rode a train, went through an obstacle course, had ice cream and then ended the night with the Flash Light Walk. It's a walk through some beautiful neighborhoods with check points along the way where the kids can stop and get goodies... usually things I try to confiscate during nap times to the garbage! All of the money raised goes to fighting crime in Wauwatosa.

I love where we live and that there are always so many fun things going on. This is the first community outside of Appleton that I really feel part of. I love that it's big enough that there are always a variety of offerings yet I can go to these events and I'm sure to know at least one other person/couple. :)

Siblings

The pictures above are of Sam and I at approx. the same age as Braden and Olivia and Marc and Steve just slightly older I think.

In rebooting all of my pictures I also located a CD from my dad that had our wedding slide show on it. I added those to my iphoto library and have LOVED looking through all the old shots. They aren't the best quality as they are scanned in from long ago but it's great to have them on hand for a good trip down memory lane.

Grace in the Small Things

I haven't done this in quite some time and I had planned of course on being more consistent about it. So here are the 5 things I am most thankful for at this moment in time...

1. Yoga - I am enjoying my Yoga class more than I've enjoyed any before. My body feels great afterwards, my mind is calm and I have this content feeling overall. I also love that I get to do it with Katie.

2. Mommy Books - I am reading, "I was a great mom before I had kids," right now which of course has a lot of humor in it but it really validates a lot of the feelings and emotions that run through me on a daily basis. It's nice to know that I'm at least somewhat normal. :)

3. Coffee - I don't know what it is about having a warm cup of coffee in the morning, quietly, by myself that just makes the world seem like a better place.

4. Heather, our daycare provider - I was just making up a calendar for her for the year based on days I thought she'd have Olivia, days she'd have both kids and some days where Braden will just be there 1/2 the day. It's a crazy schedule and I appreciate her flexibility more than she'll ever know.

5. Summer - I love that today when I woke up I was able to sit down with a piece of paper and rough out an agenda for the day. We have things to do that need to get done today and will go to National Night out Tonight but no one was dictating when we were here or there.

For all of those things and more ... I find grace.

Mommy's Weekend

I had a mommy weekend this weekend. It was really wonderful and perfect timing since Steve is out of town now until Wednesday.

Friday night was book club at Stacy's house. We discussed, "The Shack." It was a smaller group - six of us - and we had really wonderful conversation. I have said this many times before but I love this group of women. We are diverse in our thinking but supportive and respectful. It's a very safe environment and we share a lot with each other. Thanks Ladies!!! I look forward to reading, "The Heretics Daughter," and seeing you all in September.

Saturday morning Cheri, my neighbor, and I drove to Madison. We were all set for a mom's night away! A quick stop at the Outlet Mall in Johnson Creek to pick up a few things for the kids and we continued on to Middleton where we arrived at our 1st destination...THE SPA!

Cheri and I each got massages and then pedicures. I haven't felt so pampered and spoiled in a long time. It was super rejuvenating and worth every penny. Ohhh to be able to do that every weekend... what a marvelous world we'd live in. :)

After checking into our hotel we did some more shopping and browsing at an Art Fair that was taking place at an outdoor mall. It was absolutely beautiful outside. The sun was shining and they had an acoustic guitar player playing in the center court. Perfect!

We veged for a while before a great Italian meal at Buccatini and then chit-chatted and watched TV until bed. It was such a wonderful day and of course went way too fast.

I feel so lucky that have met and live next to Cheri. She is a really special, strong, beautiful person. I love talking with her, getting her opinions and sharing motherhood with her. Thanks Cheri for a GREAT get-a-way and thank you Steve for taking care of our kiddos!!