Welcome to changing your life

This morning, like most school mornings, was a lesson in efficiency and timing. With Emma's attitude starting off right where she left off last night, I knew that we were going to be tardy. With some sort of miracle we got to school.



With a quick drop of my eldest, little Maddie and I were off. We were told about a cosmetics giveaway that was happening today. So we decided to check it out and use a gift certificate that was received for Christmas.




When we got to Macy's, we found 1000+ of our closest friends waiting for their free items as well. I looked at the line and watched as a group of women were leaving while mumbling about the 2 hour wait ahead. Well, my watch said that I had 2 hours before we picked up Emma so I thought that Madz and I would stick it out for a while and as long as she would cooperate with me.



The line moved very fast and we only ended up waiting for about 35 minutes. We took our free perfume and went to spend actual money - well, a gift certificate - on other needed items and left.



Hurried back to Emma's school a bit early because Madeline was telling me that she needed to go "potty". I forgot how much work it is to potty train. We are in no way pressuring her, this is all on her own. But, now that she can do it and wants to go potty for "money" (M&M's) we need to stop everything when nature sends it's call and that is very often and in any/every store.




People have asked how we are able to get our kids potty trained so early. This is what I tell them, I am not sure that we do anything in particular. We have never pressured the gals because it doesn't bother me to change diapers. We are not very modest around our house. Being naked is part of nature and we need to be secure with our bodies as well as teaching the girls to be as well. Another reason why we NEVER talk about being fat or really any descriptives about our bodies (thankfully we are comfortable with ourselves like we are) except how beautiful they are. And it is necessary to use the proper words for body parts - yes, we openly say "vagina" "penis" "breasts". Why wouldn't we? That is what they are called, right? And generally the bathroom door is left open not as a rule, but just because we are fine with it and it obviously helped the girls to be as well.



We came home, made lunch and played. I attempted to clean up the house a bit. We read stories and then nap time. Upon arrival at home, there was a FedEx package. We don't get those often. So when I see them, I get excited that there may be some fun thing in there for the kids, something unexpected for me?!? Well, yes, in a way, that was the case. I got a "Welcome" kit from Pfizer for the Rebif, along with a travel case and auto injector for the shots. Not quite what I was looking for from FedEx. I called the pharmacy people. Theysaid that they are able to ship out my drugs anytime, I just need to pay them money. We will have to put some money on the card then call her back. A feeling of this being the end of my real "normalcy" a good bye to the way things have been. Just a hope that the future will allow me to keep moving and living my life the way I have been.



Emma woke up 45 minutes after she went to bed. I gently suggested that she lay down and relax for a while more. Ugh, after the moments last night, a little extra shut eye will do my little beauty good.


I went onto the MS webiste and looked into the Walk to raise money. I will be signing up and forming a team. But, I will give out the details when there are some. The only thing that is known is that it is May 3.

Jay got home and the girls woke up. A while later it was time to get ready for gymnastics. This was Emma's last class in this session. The club gets a BIG jumping thing for the last day. So after some tumbling and such the kids were off to play. I stayed in the preschool gym to let Madeline play on the things. She LOVED it. I can't wait to sign them both up for the next session.

Came home for a late dinner, some playing, then off to bed for the littlest baby. She actually went to bed at the right time - 8:30. She can always stay up later, but that allows us time to get Emma to bed by 9:00 and us time to spend together. It usually doesn't happen that way, but it is the effort that counts.

Some catching up

I need to play catch up a bit. I am going all the way back to Saturday.



We were running like little maniacs trying to get all of the items ready for the baby shower that evening. There were so many stores that we stopped at, it would almost be easier to tell you which ones did not get our money.

After naps, I dropped the kids off for a fun filled evening with Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don. Jay and I finished prepping before the guests arrived.

The evening was filled with tons of laughs, good drinks and great food. I laughed myself horse a few times and certain that there was a snort or two in there as well. A nice evening to celebrate the birth of a lucky baby to a wonderful couple.

Sunday morning, because the kids were at Grandma and Grandpa's, I slept in until 8:15!! I couldn't believe the clock when I looked at it! We got up and got dressed, swung over to pick up the kiddies and were off to church.

Because the report from Grandma that the girls, in particular Madeline, did not sleep well last night things started to fall apart after church and a movie. Everyone layed down for a nice nap. Boy, that felt good!!

Jay got up to do our taxes. We are lucky to be getting a little of money back, but not much. Let me rephrase that, the people that we owe money to are lucky that we are getting money back. Without so many medical bills we could almost put money toward something that we need or even want. . . Although I think we are going to have to try to make it work for some new windows and perhaps a new fridge. We get snow blowing in several windows (lovely, huh?) and the seal on the fridge is not good and can be opened by the dogs. Ahh, the beauty of buying a house built in the mid-80's. Never do it!! The rest of the evening was filled with much of the same. Spending time playing together and enjoying our time.

This morning we were invited to a playdate because classes were cancelled to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Unfortunatly, I have to admit, I did not do much observing. However, I did do a little silent reflecting in the car about where we are and were things have started. All of this on the cusp of a new President that has broken through lots of barriers.

We made a very quick stop at the gym then off to our friends houses. It was great to have the gang back together again! We caught up on life, talked discipline, naughty tricks the kids were up to and how to handle different situations. The kids have a great time and getting together with these gals is really awesome. We have a rapport that cannot be duplicated. Always a great reminder of how getting involved with the community and your kids education/learning at an early age can benefit everyone.

I took a couple of tuckered out girls home and we played dress up and pet store for a while. Then after a small tantrum by Emma (see photo), the girls went down for a nap. I sat down to fashion a letter of sorts. Mom stopped by with a surprise - my perfume!! She found my favorite. His purpleness would be so proud!

After only an hour, Emma was up. Seeing toys strewn all over her bed, I knew that she did not get a lot of sleep if any. So I asked her to play quietly for a while. Madz got up a little while later and the crazies started to come out!!

Emma quietly slipped away, while Elvira made a dramatic entrance. Elvira started taking advantage of a little sister who only wanted to play and a mommy and daddy who wanted to teach her some manners. She got out of control and drove us crazy - as only a 3 1/2 year old can! Bath time was hectic and was more work then it should have been. I am pretty sure that Jay and I have never had to be that firm simultaniously. We could have turned the heat off and just warmed up with the hot air being strewn out of our mouths.

Jammies and bedtime! Although I have to say, when all things calm down and we are quietly reading books, cuddling and talking about the day, all of the icky stuff goes out the window - probably in the sam place as the snow comes in. We have the sweetest little girls around. And, as we tell Emma "No matter if mommy and daddy are mad or sad or happy or glad we always, always love you"!

Guess who???

Hi everybody. I know it's been a long time since anyone has heard from me. It isn't that I don't have anything to say,(those of you who know me can keep your comments to yourself, haha). I have been extremely busy and I just feel that through this whole decision on which drug "A" wants to start on, is a decision that we talk about together and then she can discuss herself. I just wanted to pipe in and say thanks everyone for caring and showing interest, weather your family or just checking in from another country. It is truly amazing that over a 1000 people have clicked on our site. So to family and friends I want to say thank you, love you, and we will talk soon(weather you like it or not,haha). I will be in touch soon. For know I need to get back to fixing this equipment so we don't damage any 300,000 cars and we keep the world driving clean. A clean car is a beautiful car, so wash often and look for that Turtle wax logo, thank you for you support(HAHAHA).

(Oh yea that's our equipment and that's a Bentley, I'm like a proud Father)

Love J

late party night

The last of our guest just left after a really awesome baby shower. What a fun night of food, fun and friends. The kiddos were safely entertained and cared for by grandma and grandpa and we were free to have fun without worrying.

We will write more tomorrow since we are going to clean up a bit and go to bed. Sweet dreams for all.

Can't find my camera

A nice day of staying home, which certainly doesn't happen much around here. Emma had a nice little playdate with a boy friend of hers from school. A nice little boy that calls me Ms. Andrea. They had a great time of playing with Madeline tagging along every step of the way. It is wonderful to listen to them talk and actually discuss things with each other.

My sister stopped by dring transition while her car was getting fixed by a trusted customer of Jay's. She and I watched the kiddos play and we caught up on things.

Time came for Emma's little friend to leave. And Grandma Kim to arrive - well, today I could say that she is my "employee". She came to "help me" clean my house in preparation for the little party we are having tomorrow night. Actually, I didn't do much helping, which was probably better for everyone. I tried to keep the kids at bay while the others cleaned. I did have to turn in on of my "house cleaning coupons" that was given to me at Christmas time.

Jay got home and we relaxed over a drink while having a very nice, deep talk. The kids were occupied with Seasme Street. Then off to Costco to stock up on party items.

We topped off the evening with dinner. I have said before how great madz is doing with potty training, and she still is. The only thing about potty training is that they are just getting to "know" their bodies, so at times it is hard to tell the difference in the bodily functions. So, needless to say, I spend most of the meal time going back and forth to the bathroom with a little Madeline eager to go potty.

Home and straight to bed for my little babes. Right now Jay is asleep on the couch. Not because I put him there, just because he was too tired to drag himself to bed. I will do my best before I head to bed myself.

I have added a new link to the web page on the left. It is for "the love of Liz". A website and group devoted to raising money and things needed for spouses, partners and kids who have had parents die. Also, my friend Matt Logelin is featured in People magazine this month. We were asked to submit photos that we had taken on the memorial walk this fall to People for this article, but they decided not to use them. He is someone who I have talked to about the morphasis of his blog, what is written, how he writes and how people react. It seems that no matter who you are and what you write about, there are always people who don't like something you write. He is an amazing man with true skill for the beautiful written word and photos.

My pillows are calling.

Oh, the weather . . .

Well, the weather is the topic on everyones frozen faces lately. But, I have found that there is a fine line with Minnesotans about what you can and can't talk about with regards to weather.

Many of us, online, talk amongst ourselves about how cold and frozen it is, but when someone interjects their opinions we for some reason get protective. Several of the Californians love to do that!!

For example, this morning, a person from a drug company for Avonex (the drug I am not going on) called to just touch base to see if they could do anything. She had to confirm my address. When I told her what it was, she said, "Oh it is really cold there?" "Yes, it is very cold." "How can you live where it is so cold"? "It isn't always easy, but our families live here so . . ." "It is nice here in N. Carolina almost all of the time". There is something about when they ask about the cold then rub it in.

Although today I told Jay that we can move to California. If he said yes, I was ready to start the packing. But, he reminded me that several years ago he wanted to do it, but I said that I wasn't ready. Now, he couldn't leave a job he loves and family. Hmmm. I will work on that.

School was closed today because of the cold. So I packed up the girls for the gym. My workout was pretty half assed. I did all of my equiptment, but there was no oomph involved. At least I got my body working. We were invited to play at a friends house, but the little one had a cold with green snot so I passed. Opting for grocery shopping at the local establishment that actually has carryout service.

We got home, ate lunch, the girls "played" with markers (see photo above) and layed down for a nap. My MS nurse called to confirm my drug choice and to get some other information. She also asked if I would want to be a part of a study with Rebif users. I said of course. She was so thankful that I was willing. It seems almost a "no brainer" since we are all in the same boat, wouldn't we want to do all that we can to find the best course of action for this stuff??

I called Jay and asked him to swing by the store on his way home to grab the necessary items that I forgot - diapers, t.p. Although I don't think that we will be long for diapers as Madeline thinks that she is the potty expert these days.

Jay got home with the needed items as well as all of the fixins for Viera movie night. So much fun! I quickly fixed dinner while Jay dove into a legnthy project on the computer. We threw the girls in for a quick bath then downstairs to the theatre.

Showing tonight, Horton Hears a Who. Cute movie! Then stories and off to dreamland for the little ones. Jay was not far behind. An exhausting day for my guy!

The decision has been made

This morning I had the idea to go to the gym, but I just couldn't make myself do it. The later in the morning it got the less likely we were to get there. So I decided that we would run errands to return and exchange some things.

I make this one recommendation for anyone, do NOT attempt to go to Ulta (the cosmetics and beauty products store) with two small children. For Christmas I received some perfume, that I like but wasn't sure it was me. So we headed into the store knowing it would have to be a quick look around. After 10 minutes of Madeline and Emma both spraying different fragrences wildly and moving all of the bottles to different locations, I told the attendant I would be back without my assistants some day. Thankfully I found my old fragrence online, so I may not have to endure that fiasco again. The rest of the day was successful.

At the end of our final stop we swung into the "germ pit" at the EP Mall. I believe that the afternoon is the perfect time to go there. So few kids with seemingly attentive parents. The kids had a ball and I had a great time watching them. Madeline is just a wild woman. She can navigate some of these play things better then boys almost twice her age!

Home for naps and some relaxation. This morning I traded messages back and forth with the MS nurse and finally I had to leave a detailed message for her regarding some of my symptoms as well as our drug choice.

May I have a drum roll please . . . . . the winner is - Rebif!!! Well, we can only hope that it is a winner. I have done some research online and there is not one drug that is perfect and the rest suck. Everyone has different experices and some help some people and not others. It is a real crap shoot. I am hoping with all hopes that I do not endure the flu like symptoms for months on end, but if I do??? Oh well.

In reading some of the stories out there, I cannot decide if you become more thankful or scared shitless about the future. Stories about 39 year old bed ridden females with MS - call in Dr. Kavorkian! - to people who feel great. There is something that is so not great about knowing that you have a disease that is slowly trying to take away your ability to move. I am all about moving, that is me - day in and day out. I can only hope and pray that I will be able to fight this disease until a cure is found. I have always been for stem cell research, but once you get a disease like this there is no way that you could be against it.

Some other reasons weighed in on our decision for Rebif, but in the end it is almost let's try it and see sort of theory.

Jay got home and he thought that he should stay home tonight to be with the girls rather then going to the party for Casey's American Idol premiere. I was kind of bummed because we don't spend much time together alone (I guess this would not have been alone), but greatful that he wanted to spend time with the girls alone. So off I went.

It was fun to be there as she saw herself on tv auditioning for the biggest thing in her life so far. It brought tears to my eyes to see someone elses daughter do so well and see her dreams coming true. My friend and Casey's mom were on top of the world. Soooo much fun. I will reserve my photos of Casey, in person, until she wins the show!!?! So in the meantime here is a photo from the tv that we were watching Casey perform on.

When I got home, Jay, Emma, Madz and I watched the audition about 10 times - slow motion, frame by frame and regular time all as requested by Emma. The kids and Jay had already seen it about 2o times before I even got home.

A nice day with the kiddos. A day of realization and eyes wide open for life in the future.

short but sweet

It is late, I am tired and the clean sheets still need to be put on the bed. Oh, how I love clean sheets!

This is a school day and we were out the door for a typical Tuesday. Dropped Emma off and went to the gym for a full fledged workout. Gosh, it felt good! Maddie and I swung into the grocery store for a free kids apple and dinner. Back to pick up an adorable Emma (she agreed to wear a dress with TIGHTS today. Something crazy must have happened during her nap on Sunday because she woke up as my sweet, lovable Em again) and home for lunch, craft time and naps.

Jay got home early and we had some drug and life discussions. Not so keen on having to admit the obvious and doing any more research doesn't get me far. People always have bad expierences on something or the other. So no matter what your choice is there is always 1000 people out there saying that is the worst drug. We are just going to jump on the wagon and give it a shot. We can make adjustments later on as we traverse through our life and future. Will make the call into the nurse tomorrow.

Then off to gymnastics. It became clear tonight that we may have to find a class for Madz to take as well. She just goes bezerk to join Emma. After class we let her run around and she is up and down and all around. During each thing that Em does she always has to come over to give Madeline a hug and a kiss and tell her she loves her. So very sweet!

A night of catching up on the first episode of American Idol. Tomorrow night we are off to a "party" for Casey Carlson, our babysitter and friend who will be on tomorrow night from the Kansas City auditions. It will be fun. Watch for her.

My sheets are calling and so is my pillow! (This photo was the girls playing around giving hugs today. It looks like Emma is strangling Maz, but she really isn't)

closer...

The morning started off as any typical Minnesota winter morning with a shit load of snow. The kids were so excited!

Emma helped to make eggs for breakfast, then we got dressed and ready to go to the gym. I did put in a message to the MS nurse to ask my question. By the time we actually got to the gym, I really only had about 20 minutes to workout. So, Mr Eliptical would have to settle for a quickie today. I did slide into a couple of the other machines so that I could feel like an actual "workout" was accomplished. Then we were off to Maddie's class.

Last week the class was in jeopary of being cancelled. So we put out a call to all of our friends and thankfully 3 awesome friends of mine heeded the call and joined the class. We enjoyed our time and Emma enjoyed her time with the new friends in sibling care as well.

We came home instead of making our usual stop at the store. Jay said that he would do that on our way home. So to the homestead for lunch and to play dress up and the like before nap time.

During the imaginary birthday party that we were having, I received a call from the nurse. She answered my question and provided a bit more information. Part of the real issue, which I am sure that I have voiced before, is that none of the drugs are superior to the other, so to speak. It is really just figuring out which of the side effects you would rather bear. . . . The lesser of two evils?

Jay got home and made a delicious meal, then the girlies took a nice long bath. They played and played and played.

Read Madeline books and put her to sleep with her blanket and sleeping buddies. I asked Emma to choose which game we would play after Madeline was asleep and I sat down for a minute to start typing this post. When we went downstairs to start our evening game, this is what we found. A little angel.

What is the next step you say? Well, the next step is to make a final decision. The nurse assured me that if I have more questions or want to go and see the Dr again that would be no problem. But, I feel that seeing the doctor again would be really just a delay strategy.

With my fingers feeling numb the past day, I think that my body is saying "this shit is here to stay so figure out what the hell you are going to do". Alright already! Jay and I need to sit down to have a talk about somethings. There are some life things that we wanted to do and accomplish and to become that could be hindered by the timing of the drugs and/or the side effects. We need to talk about the future and things that most young couples don't have to or hopefully don't have to worry about. We just need to find the time. Or I should say make the time.

Getting closer

As the weekend comes to a close, I begin to look at the packed week ahead. For some reason I always feel like the winter time is a "slow" time. But, I think each and every winter, especially as the kids get older, it gets busier and busier.

Anyway, one of the first things to do tomorrow is to place a call into the MS nurse at the U of M. I am coming closer in to my final drug decision. It is amazing how much information there ISN'T out there. Now, when I say "drug", I could only wish that I was considering something more tangable like making the decision to do pot, or acid, possibly cocaine. However, I am a little "old" to be partaking in that crap and when you have a family you have greater responsibilities to consider. No, my drug decision consists of deciding on what drug I could potentially be on the rest of my life. Each drug has issues to consider. I hesitate using the old addage "ups and downs" because there really aren't any ups to speak of with them. Except that they are supposed to help slow down the progression of the disease.

I have one question to ask the nurse tomorrow. After that I will reponder my final decision, then put the call in to start the process.

Not too excited. Once the decision is made and I have the drugs in hand, there is a finality of "normalcy" that is gone forever from my life. Since my first, and only episode, I have felt just fine. Some timgeling here and there and the past few days my fingertips in the same hand have been feeling a bit numb. But, I was told that is a left over of the episode that has not totally cleared off and perhaps may be something that could be there the rest of my life. No big deal given the alternative.

Today we went to church. It was a particularly moving service. The sermon that my favorite pastor did was excellent. Brought many of us to tears. Just a moving time for both Jay and I.

A nice weekend overall fairly relaxing aside from Emma's new "I am 3 1/2 going on 13 and menapausal" attitude. We are working on that one.

Short, but sweet

It is 11:00 and I am more then ready to retire for the day.

We started off our day with a nice trip to the gym where I met Super Mary for a nice workout. It is really great to workout with a friend. We are never at a loss of words when we are together. Afterward, we scooped up our kids to begin our hunt for any items relating to the Chinese New Year.

About once per month or so, Super Mary and her super hubby and super son get together with my little family and we have a "Schmorg". This is a special dinner named after a large meal that we once had at college together. UMD affectionatly called it a "schmorgasboard", and we felt the tradition should live on. We also add a theme to our schmorg. The one this evening was celebrating the Chinese New Year. The food was being ordered, but who can have a party (a real party, not a stuffy party that you are trying to impress everyone) without proper accessories?

We trompsed the kids through 3 or 4 different stores - I lost count and does it really matter? It was a lot of fucking stores with 3 anxious little kids and a lack of Chinese paraphanalia. We finally found the items that would satisfy our quota.

Later in the evening Super Mary and her entourage showed up. Mary and I displayed the decor and the guys went out to get the food and special beer. We had great food, good drink, awesome conversation and an all around wonderful time! It was a great night, with terrific friends that are like family - well, we do consider them family.

It is late and we are all ready for bed. When you see the little ones looking so sweet and content it is easy to forget about the 1/2 gallon of milk that they spilled all over the floor, the four different outfits tht were worn, the "shut up" that was spewed, the peices from three different games that were thrown all over, the "you make me so, so angry" that was yelled at you more then twice in one day . . . . . The words change, but the meaning never does - I love you, babe.

So many words, so little time

So, this morning I was determined to get out the door and get Em to school on time.

I woke up at the usual time, but instead of reading to the kids for an hour, we read for about 25 minutes. Then I scooped them up for a quickie breakfast of Cheerios and strawberries.

By this time I, had not looked at the clock once. Got Emma downstairs nd went through the arguous task of finding the right outfit for the day and hung up some clothes. I still was assumming that I was about 30 minutes or so ahead of my usual schedule.

Went upstairs to get little peanut dressed. She doesn't have as much to input as the older one does when it comes to clothing. So we got done with that fairly easily.

I figured that I should start getting ready and I was already fantasicing about my arrival on time or even early to class. However, my fantasy was dashed when I looked at the clock to see 9:01 staring me in the face. School starts at 9:15 and at this point I was still in my pajamas! Ugh.

I took an ultra quick shower - it was really just an excuse to wash my face and brush my teeth. Hopped out and into clothes and we were out the door by 9:17. Well, only 12 minutes late for the start of class.

Kind of a heavy mommy class today as one of the women in class confided that her daughter was sexually assulted by her Godfather this summer. The thought makes a shudder go down the spine of any parent.

Emma and I enjoyed a spanish lesson befor school was over - I had signed her up for another spanish class because she loves it so much. But, I received a call that the class was canceled because Emma was the only one that signed up. Bummer. We swung in to pick Madz up from her sibling class. The teachers were recounting how much fun she is and how she is VERY skilled at climbing and getting around. That was not news to me! I have always said that she is a little boy in a girls body.

Our friends invited us to McD's for lunch and to catch up after holiday break. As usual a great time! Home for naps and relaxation.

Jay got home and after a quick kiss and a hello to an already awake Maddie he was stuck to the laptop computer for the reainder of the evening. We just got it back yesterday from a total overhaul and now all of the settings need to be put back on.

Ate dinner and tried to plow through Emma's new attitude of a 13 year old. I am sure that I have mentioned this before that anyone who has said that 2 year olds are terrible have never had a 3 1/2 year old. Even those parents who you would expect would never be ones to talk about some of the challenges of parenthood will certainly agree that this is by far the most challenging stage.

Madeline is putting together scentances and words very well. I told her to go and tell daddy that is was dinner time. She stood at the top of the stairs and said "Dinner daddy. Eat. Table. Dinner". She is a great talker and she respondes so well. It is so much fun!!

Bath time and books. Emma and I spent some time looking through and reading about animals of the Antartic and comparing their location with her new globe. It was so fun and amazing to see her talk about things that I haven't "taught her". She pointed out the Indian Ocean and when I spoke about Asia, she asked if that was where China is. . . I guess that I am going to have to brush up on all of my basic gradeschool knowledge.

Tomorrow will be preparation for the Chinese New Year Schmorgasboard that we will be celebrating with our awesome friends!

More then my MS friend

I was asked once about why I was/was not including some peoples names in my posts. There are a few reasons why I leave many names out.

1. There are people reading these posts who do not know who any of the "players" are, therefore leaving names out and just putting in a descriptor "my cousin", etc. is a lot easier and sometimes those reading do not care about personal names

2. As I have said before, this is my blog or "my journal" per say, and this

is how I chose to write about things. The end.

That is a long intoduction to my post. This is one of the handful of times that I have actually given a little thought to before I sat down to write. Mostly because it is a helpful for me to think through some things particularly when it comes to MS while I am writing and perhaps get a different view from the one that is in my head. And we all know that the view in my head is a little screwy - yes, that is a little "MS humor" there. Come on, we can all laugh!

I talk about adding peoples names to my posts because today was my date with my "MS friend". I believe that this woman will be a wonderful inspiration to me as a fellow MS'er as well as an inspiration as a friend and woman. Also, after meeting her in person and having time to chat a bit, I felt that referring to her as my MS friend, all be it true, will not be acurate. As she will, hopefully, be more then that. Therefore, I believe that I will refer to her as Jennifer - coincidentially, that is her name!

The girls and I got up and spent most of the morning reading, then packed up and drove to Jennifers house. Meeting someone who is, for all general purposes, has so very much in common with you without knowing anything about you is a strange position to be in. But, Jennifer and her beautiful little girl welcomed us into their home.

The girls and I had a great time. For the most part, everyone was on their best behavior. When it was time to go, Emma fell apart.

Jennifer has a very easy going spirit about her, down to earth and open. We talked about motherhood, our families, the holidays and of course, MS. Although thankfully, we found many other things to occupy our time.

There are some things that Jennifer said about MS that I forgot that I knew, some things that I did not know and other things that helped me to change my mind back and forth. We did agree that so many doctors have so many varying different thoughts on treatment and approach.

Jennifer talked about her short time on Copaxone and how she didn't like some of the side effects. She has never been on Rebif, although she is currently on Avonex - Rebif is just a stronger form of Avonex, both are interfeurons - and is doing very well.

She looks beautiful, has a beautiful daughter (she actually has two but the other was at school), a wonderful home and a nice life. Things that are so great to see for anyone in your life, but even better for someone that was in my shoes 4 years ago.

The girls and I packed up. As I pulled out of the driveway the thought crossed my mind that she and I probably would not have crossed paths in life had our lives been going down the road of least resistance. We, as well as our spouses, know that life is not made up of one grassy filled open field. There are stops along the way that perhaps make you see how bright and beautiful things really are because you find that you are so lucky to still be on the road.

So on a side note, as I was checking in with Matt Lauer this morning. I was rudely awakened out of my daze when Ann Coulter came on to duke it out with Matt. I really do not care which side you are on and this is certainly not a call for people to get crabby over politics. But, holy hell, that woman is the worst! I swore to myself if she is ever, ever on the Today show or anything again I will not watch one more minute of her. The onesided views and hatred out of that woman is one reason why we cannot get more done in politics. . . I cannot even write any more about her. Yuck.

Anyway, another school day tomorrow.

Monday and Tuesday

Last night got too late and I was too relaxed to write anything.

Monday was a nice day. Jay did not have to work and the classes that the girls were in are starting up again after the holiday break. I was sooo excited that Jay would have the chance to come to Madelines class with Emma and I.

Because of his job and the fact that they do not have "personal days" or other opportunities to take time off (with his job it is virtually impossible to step out for a couple hours throughout the day) we were so happy to have him come with us to Maz's class.

We got to school and brought Emma into the sibling care room. We tell her that she is there to help the teachers and she loves that. But, really there are a couple of other kids there her age and they read a ton of books, do crafts and have a snack with some of the awesome paraprofessionals.

Then on to Madelines class. Jay was not used to the "chaos" that accompanies such an occassion. But, he kept up fairly well. He was entertained when Maddie put on her "show" during song time. She is such a ham!

Then we split off into parent time. We didn't have much of a true discussion as we typically do. We really just reconnected after the holidays and discussed the ups and downs of some of our Christmas gatherings.

Then off to lunch and home for naps.

Jay made sloppy joes for an early dinner before I had to head to a board meeting for a group that I am part of. Funny how a nice, all be it short, drive in the car all by myself feels like a get away. The meeting turned out to be successful and to find agreement on some end results that will help out our program.

After the meeting, I came home to find my little family almost ready for bed. I was redy for some relax time with daddy.

This morning was a back to school morning for Emma. Which meant running at break neck speed to get there on time. Emma was still stuck on "Jamaican time". So her word for the day that she also repeated to her teachers was "tardy".

While Emma was in school, Madeline and I ran off to the gym for a nice workout. I rekindled my relationship with Mr Eliptical, all be it only for a quick rendevoux. But, was able to get the rest of the body worked on as well. Then to the store and back to pick up Emma.

We were in a hurry home to meet up with our neighbor who invited us over for a lunch and to visit. It was a nice time. However, Emma quickly found her comfort level and turned off all of her listening functions. There is something about being at someone elses house, especially ones that do not have small kids, and keeping your kids under control that can really wear someone out. Thankfully these neighbors do not have lots of expensive things or even breakable things so we escaped without oweing for any breakables.

Came home and put the kids to bed. I had laundry that could have been done, stuff to take care of in the dishwasher and phone calls to make. But, I had absolutly no energy to do any of it. The kiddos had run me ragged. Ufdah. So I started reading a new book in a very quiet house. Ahhh.

Jay came home and we started dinner. But, only just a start because Emma started her gymnastics tonight!! We all were so excited. Jay and I love to watch her, Madeline loves anything that Emma does and Emma loves to do it! A great form of excersize. Madeline was not happy that her sister was so far away and doing somehting without her. I took lots of photos but I could not get the flash and the lighting to work out so all of the photos look pretty crappy. I will try the 35mm next time.

Came home for dinner and bath. I think that Madeline may be starting to get some molars so her typical happy personality was hindered by some biting on her finger and tears. So here I am with one happy sleeping baby and Emma is sitting on my lap. She is eager to type. Here is her addition to this posting:

iouyteryiuop\pljhyu

Her bedtime is here and I must get to bed as well. Tomorrow is a "date" with my MS friend!

weekend days

Yesterday was the start of the weekend for some. But, unfortunatly, Jay had to work this weekend so it means that neither of us was set for "time off".

There are a lot of running around things that I need to get done, but I opted for the plan that would be most fun for the kiddos. The girls and I packed up and headed to EP Mall to use my Old Navy gift card from Christmas.

For some reason, when I am shopping for the girls, I feel like a kid in the candy store. Probably because girl clothes are so cute - I am finding that most boys clothes have something left to be desired - they always look great on them and they are much more affordable then big people attire.

Emma loves to pick out clothes and Madz just loves to do whatever we do. So we were throwing clothes on the cart left and right. Before we knew it, the pile was bigger then we could carry around. We stopped into the fitting rooms and borrowed a bench and whittled down our purchases to a reasonable amount.

I have been loving the pair of jeans that I got on my last trip to Old Navy. Although I must remind myself not to wear any thongs or other unmentionables so that I am not mistaken for one of those gals 1/2 my age with their undies hanging out for all to admire.

But, one working pair of jeans does not suffice and decided that I need another pair. Keeping with my personal rules when buying jeans, I went right to the jeans department, asked the attendant what style and size they were. She violated me by digging in my drawers. However, I was thrilled when she put the exact jeans right in my hands that I had on and I didn't even have to try the damn things on.

We left Old Navy with some new, well needed duds. On to lunch. We grabbed a sandwich and the girls were great. Jay made it home in enough time to beautify himself before our company arrived.

B & J arrived for a wonderful evening of delivered pizza and conversation. There were several conversations that we had throughout the evening that I am certain that we could not ever have with anyone else. "Auntie" B and "Uncle" J love time with the kids, even though Emma changes into - not Elvira - just a high maintance, high octane version of herself. They brought some great Christmas gifts for the girls. That was so, so nice. Emma got a whole set of finger paints and accessories and Madeline got a cool new book. They left late and we all got to bed late, but it was a great time had by all.

This morning, Jay was on call for work. The sun was shining, but it was cold. A day that holds lots of uncertainty for the car wash professionals. We took our chances and dressed for church. Emma just loves preschool and we love the service, so it was hard to pass it up.

Came home and watched Wall*E which was rented at McDonalds - who would have thought. Soon enough it was nap time and of course, Jay would get his first and only call of the day. The girls went down and Jay was gone. Emma was making up for her late bedtime last night with an almost 4 hour nap today - she probably would have surpassed 4 hours if I didn't go in and wake her up.

After dinner, Emma wanted to try out her new finger paints. So we set the girls up and they feverishly painted away. I ran upstairs to load photos onto the computer. The download said that it took 3 minutes. That would be 3 minutes of unsupervised time in a childs eyes. What happened is documented below. It is best described in photos:

A quick spit bath in the sink:

The before photo:

The after photo:

Thank goodness it was bath night. I gave the girls a real, bathtub bath, put on jammies, lotion, brushed teeth and since the mess had not disappeared while the girls were in the tub, I got to work. Here is a before and after photo. Although I have always liked a childs touch on a house to really make it a home and we definatly need some sort of style . . . Not sure this is what I had in mind.

a late evening

Aunt B and Uncle J just left after a fun filled evening together. And Emma just went to bed - yes, it is midnight! Ugh. I will write more tomorrow.

Madeline's Money

For about the past month or month and a half, Madeline has been using the "big potty" about 3 -4 times per day (I think that we have just been lucky to have two kiddos who are very interested in using the big potty).

As I did with Emma, I offer Maddie one M&M after she successfully uses the toilet - we actually have to give her two of them. One for Madz and the other for Emma. It is really sweet how Madeline will run to find Emma to give her the candy and they together will get excited because Madeline was a "big girl".

But, for some reason, after Madz is done going potty lately she will ask for "money, money, money". I think that somehow she has morphed "M&M" into "money". Perhaps you have to her it in person to catch the full effect. Needless to say we are well on our way to being out of diapers for Madeline.

New Years Day did not offer a lot of excitement. We had to kind of lay low since Jay was on call for any car wash emergencies that may come up from one of his companies biggest clients. We watched "Annie". And as luck would have it, with about an hour left to go in his shift he got two calls and was gone until 7:30pm. The girls and I went to get a gourmet Subway sandwich for daddy when he got home.

Today the girls and I were out the door and on our way to run some errands and take Emma to a surprise. The gym lasted about 40 minutes. I went for quantity, not quality today. I hit almost all of my usual machines, just not with the love and intensity as usual. We flew through the car wash, Cub Foods and Hallmark and were on our way to blow off some energy.

We pulled into the gymnastics club that Emma previously took classes at. This was Emmas surprise. She was SOOOO excited. "Oh, thank you mommy for signing me up for clsses again." Too sweet. Actually we were there to do the signing up and participate in their open gym time.

The girls had a blast. Emma jumped right back onto all of the apparatices and Madeline gave them all a try as well. Madz had no fear. Just following her big sister to everything she could. We jumped, we swung, we ran, we flipped. We left with a promise to come back in a week to start Emma in big girl classes.

Home for lunch and naps. All of that excercise is a lovely thing for naps.

Jay got home just as the girls were getting up from their naps. Attempted to grill dinner, but the propane tank had issues. So the broiler had to do. It just isn't the same as the grill. But, good none the less.

Bed time for the girls and probably daddy too. He has been doing a lot of work lately and has to continue through the weekend.

The picture above is from last winter. I love the pic and since my camera has been on hiatis since the new year I had to break out an old shot.

The last jig of 2008

It seemed like a Friday, but Jay has to work tomorrow. So, is it Thursday? No, too much of a "weekend" feel to the day. These holiday weeks are a bit confusing. The girls and I spent the morning reading a TON of books! Both girls just love to read and soak up every moment of it. It is painful to tell the little ones "nope, we are done reading now", but I am sure that I would still be sputting out the words to Goodnight Moon or Froggys First Day of School.

We packed up and made it to the gym just as Mary was leaving. I knew that we were late. That was ok. Touched base with Mary about the invitation to our the New Years Eve party at my moms tonight.

I tried out a new one today - the arch nemisis of Mr Eliptical - Senor Stairmaster! I know that when I was younger I could do this for several hundred floors without breaking a sweat. However, after 20 minutes today I was a soaking wet pig. I have never been one to "glisten". Finished up on the rest of my bod.

Went to the store to obtain the items needed for our offering at the gathering tonight - Buffalo Deviled Eggs. A devine item. Went home for lunch, more playing - Madeline on drums and Emma providing the Irish Step Dancing - and some naps. Back to 3+ hours of napping for Em. Ahhh.

Daddy came home and we dressed for our evening out at Grandma and Grandpas. And now I am finding something to wear. I am certain that I will not be writing any more this evening. Jay is on call tomorrow, but we are hoping that the unpredictable Minnesota weather will keep him home.

A wonderful year full up some frustrations, some sadness, but most of all hope, love and laughter. I am so very lucky to have Jay, Emma and Madeline. As well as the rest of my family. We might not "have much", but we sure do have a lot to be thankful for!

Thank you to those of you who read this out of love and care for us. As well as those of you who may have stumbled upon us. We appreciate it and hope that our lives will keep you entertained and laughing throughout 2009!

One last quote of the year, as Emma was looking for her camera today, under her breath I heard her say, "Where is my fucking camera?" No question that is Jays kid!

A day with Mary

My attempt to get up and out the door early this morning did not happen. Although with the girls both working out a schedule of getting up at the crack of dawn you would think it could be plausable. Nope. But, we had a great time playing.

I gave Super Mary a call around 9 and asked how her ass was feeling this morning. She said "big", so I suggested that we have a date with Mr. Eliptical. She agreed.

Met at the gym for an awesome workout session. Got almost the whole body done.

We parted ways and the girls and I headed to the grocery store to pick up a few items for dinner tonight since Super Mary and her beloved little boy was going to be joining us. We wanted to give them something to do because the Mr is out of town.

When we got home, there was a call from Mary saying that she locked her keys in her car at Starbucks and wondered if we could come and resuce her. I had to laugh since her brother-in-law is a police officer in the same town wouldn't answer her call. So off we went to grab keys and return Mary to her chariot.

Returned home for a late lunch and naps. Got the girls down late and took a phone call from the head nurse for my Dr. I had put a call in to her to see if I could sort out my drug confusion. Because after reading my last blog post I did not feel like much more had been accomplished.

Those specialty people are a wealth of knowledge. She reviewed a couple of things with me:

Copaxone: Good for young people who are in "fertile" years of their lives, has less of a risk of "flu like symptoms", does have the risk of lipoatrophy (the deal where the fat disappears), irritation at the injection site.

Rebif: Chances of serious side effects are very minimal, not much effect on the injection site, only 3x per week, a significant chance but not guaranteed chance of flu like symptoms

There were a couple of other topics that she covered. But, she made sure to know that this was a very important choice and if there are any other questions we should call her as often as we wanted.

During this phone call, Jay had come home, my sister stopped by and Emma "woke up" from her nap. I checked the clock and if she did sleep at all it would have been for 20 minutes. I am ok with the fact that she is growing out of naps. The adjustment part is nasty. She is a crazy woman. And, of course, she didn't disappoint.

Mary and Robby came over and the kids were crazy. The noise level could have rivaled the 1987 World Series. But, we ate, drank and had a ton of fun.

Our guests called it a night with a promise to meet at the club in the a.m. Jay and I got the kids in bed as quickly as possible and now I am off to enjoy a Kempswich. In theory I always wonder why my ass is so big, but I don't need to wait long for the answer.

So many decisions...

When I sit down at the computer to write my thoughts, feelings and events of my day here on the blog, I do not think or analyze the contents before hand. I just let my fingers do the walking, per say. This past week I have had to explain this to some and thought the rest of you reading this should also be let in on how I come to what I write.

This is, some might say, a personal journal or as I have quoted a definision from Wikipedia says "a place to write or comment". I do this freely and if I, as someone who also reads a few blogs, do not like what is being said I can choose not to come back and read again or I will contact the author directly. The beauty of the United States is we have those options.

All that being said, todays blog is a bit different because as you will see I have been doing some research about drug options for MS and it has been continuously creeping into my mind. I have put some thought in about what I want to write here about my drug choices. Perhaps in hopes that writing it down will clarify things for me.

I started out the day recovering from an evening of mingling and drinking with some people from high school for a small 15 year class reunion. After I left the reunion last night, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind as I left was that I had felt like a "normal" person. There hasn't been much thought given to the fact, lately, that I am "different". But, being around so many other people who don't have many cares in the world - or seemingly so - it hits you like a truck when you realize that you are a statistic.

Last night I remembered my assignment of looking into which will be my drug of choice for the MS. So this morning when the girls were playing so nice together I spent some time on the computer looking at different websites that would hopefully steer me in the right direction.

Last week after we left Dr Parry's office, Jay and I had differeing points of view on which drug would be best. And I have to say, looking online didn't help clear anything up. So these are some things that I have been thinking about all day long and formulating for my post here.

Some things we do know. Copaxone is realtivly safe without any risks of serious side effects. However, it is fairly new so there is still a lot to learn. Copaxone was first discovered by scientists who made a synthetic drug (a specific formulation of amino acids) that they were hoping would GIVE rats MS. In fact, it did the opposite. So in short, that is how they get where they are today.

Copaxone, as told by several people who are on it, is painful to inject (everyday injection) and produces a large and painful welt at the site. Also, after some time, the injection sites will begin to loose their fat. There is a clinical word for it, but I don't remember. But, as Dr. Parry said, it is not attractive. Lovely.

Rebif on the other hand has a lot of ugly things that accompany it. There are very small risks of liver damage and damage to white blood count levels, but blood tests are done fairly often to ensure that there will be no permanant damage. One of the major side effects that keeps coming back to me is the illness that accompanies many people for the first several months of using this. It is "flu like" for 24-48 hours after each injection (3x per week injection). There are some other things like risk of depression or suicidal tendencies.

Lots to think about and I am not sure that writing it down made it any more clear. I may break my own rules and go back and read this post to see if there is anything that may help bring about a decision.

Yesterday was a great and fairly relaxing day. In the morning Jay decided that we should go to the skating rink and Emma could break out her skates for the first time this year. Madeline rode around in her sled taking in the action around her. That was fun and a nice breath of fresh air. The rest of the afternoon was relaxing. I took a short nap and Jay went out to play hockey with a friend.

Evening came and because we were not able to find a sitter (the three people that we actually trust with our kids were unavailable) I had to go to the reunion alone.

There was a very low turn out. But, the group that was there was a ton of fun. Lots of chatting and catching up. A few people I am very good friends with and a few others I haven't seen for 15 years. Came home and went to bed.

As Murphy's Law would have it, Emma was up before 7am and Madz made it to 7:08. Not great for a morning after an evening out. But, we spent the morning playing and cleaning up after a daddy night with the kids, I took some time to look into the above mentioned items, then we went to the gym.

Because I didn't go all last week, my little friend Mr Eliptical was eyeing me. However, I chose to pass him up and just go with a brisk walk on the treadmill. Back home for lunch and more play.

Jay got home, we made dinner and settled in for movie night. Tonight the Viera household was showing Madagascar. A little popcorn and all of us cuddled on the couch together. How can it get any better!

play, play and more play

This day held promise of a lot because we had not much planned. Just a great day to spend together.

Jay was up early and was eager to use the gift certificate that he received to tint the windows on his car - sorry, truck. He doesn't like it to be called a "car".

Because they were able to "fit him in" if we got there right away, we packed up and were off. We dropped his truck off and we took the girls to Emma's favorite restaurant - Perkins.

While eating breakfast, my mom called and asked if I wanted to join her for a pedicure and manicure. We finished up breakfast, picked up Jay's "pimped" ride and I drove to my appointment with relaxation. Mom treated me to this lovely indulgence and I loved every bit of it.

When I got home, the girls laughed at my fingers and toes because they were colored. Can you tell I don't do that very often? Jay and the girls had worked hard at playing with lots of toys and attempting to find the bottom of the kitchen sink. They did a good job!

Nap time came and Jay and I caught up on one of our guilty pleasures "Whale Wars". A great show to watch to try and understand those that have a tremendous love for something outside of themselves. Don't watch if you cannot comprehend a deep love for animals.

The girls woke and we played some more. All of which was on the schedule for today. Jay and I periodically tried to fit in a cleaning project, but playing with the kids is so much more fun. We played dress up, lincoln logs and so much more. Madeline thought our dining room table needed a make over.

Soon it was time for bed. The end to a great day of nothing much! We haven't had any of that lately. Too much going on all around us, so this was great. Much of the same tomorrow except for my reunion.

Now off to bed. Sleeping in clean sheets (my favorite!!) and our new comforter. . . The beginning of our sanctuary!

fortune cookie and blistered fingers

Yesterday evening we capped off a three day whirlwind of Christmas celebrations. It was terrific to know that besides a few people that live outside of Minnesota, Jay and I, and most importantly Emma and Madeline, were able to spend time with our whole family. It was a jam packed couple of days with a few downs and many ups, but we made it through and so happy that we did with smiles on our faces.

Jay had to work today (Friday - as he says, "That is life as a blue collar worker."). Emma was off to a lunch and a movie with Grandma Kim, Grandpa Don and Auntie. Madeline and I decided to stick close to home with just a quick stop at Target. That was about all that I dared to take on today.

Got back home in time to do more picking up of all of the waste from opened toys and unwrapped gifts. I finished unlooping, untwisting, untying all of the rediculous packaging that comes with childrens gifts. I am certain that I have "Toy-Unwrapping-itis" - small blisters that appear after untwisting over 1000 metal twist tyes from toys.

A girlfriend stopped by with her little one to go over some of the items that we are providing for the high school reunion that we are hosting this weekend. It also gave us a little girlie time to catch up on all of the happenings over our Christmas celebrations. We still managed to get our stuff done.

Emma got home just in time for naps. Jay also got home and we worked on purging some old things and integrating our awesome new items from the holidays into our home. I actually was able to get all of the garbage into one central location. Wasn't sure that would happen.

We ordered Thai food for dinner. My devine little crunchy cookie read "The value of true relationships is not of much work." Doesn't it always seem like they add one too many words necessary to get to their meaning? However, I like what they are getting at.

After dinner, Emma played with her new "computer". This kid has a wonderful love of learning. Perhaps it is the same level that comes programed with each child. But, it is an amazing site to see a small person just sucking in perviously unknown knowledge and then using it in conversation.

Rounded out the evening with baths, stories, a hot game of Chutes and Ladders and bedtime for all but me. I have a little relaxing by myself to get done.

Merry Christmas!!

Jay and I have been hard at work this evening assisting Santa. It has been so much fun and to aniticpate the joy on the girls faces will be pricesless.

We had a terrific Christmas celebration with my dad's side of the family today. Almost all of the family. Just an all around wonderful time together!

I will talk more about life in a couple of days. And maybe, since this is kind of my journal - my personal diary per say - talk about the person that I am. Being we are about to embark on a new year and looking into the past year there are a lot of things that I will reflect upon.

So, for those of you who read for the love of Jay, the girls and I, we appreciate it and hope that you have a wonderful holiday!

Talk soon.

Sometimes I am speechless

A "blog", as defined by Wikipedia, "any bit of media wherein the subject expresses his opinion or simply talks about something. A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video."

The day started off in kind of a frenzy to get the girls ready for the day and get Jay and I off to the Dr on time. But, we did it. Grandpa and Grandma came over and snatched up the girls with a promise to have lots of fun. And Jay and I were off.

We traveled downtown to the U. It seemed to take a lot longer then it should have due to the amount of people, presumable life long Minnesotans, driving slower then I could probabl walk there. We made it in the nick of time. Reminded quickly of how lucky I am the moment we began walking down the hallway.

We started the appointment with the nurse and doing all sorts of basic tests, then Dr. Parry came in. He is such a smart man and has a wonderful way of discussing/explaining all of sometimes complicated items associated with MS. We talked in great legnth about the four different drugs that are approved for MS.

Dr. Parry showed much evidence of how Avonex is somewhat inferior when it comes to effectiveness, and one other drug, that I don't even remember the name is not something he would ever suggest for me.

We did talk about how he felt that he doesn't feel that I need to necessarily start on any drugs at this time.

This week my assignment is to decide which drug I would like to begin taking - Rebiff or Copaxone. Because I do not know how to actually spell either one of them, I should start by doing a bit more research. I am truly amazed by how much time these people spend with you. We were in their offices, actually talking to someone, for over 1 1/2 hours.

The girls had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. Their time together was topped off by a new pet - two little guppies. Also, a highlight of the day was Madeline falling into the toilet. . .

On to another day. My head hurts (non-MS related) and I am spent!

Overload

I think that Jay hit his point today. It is somewhere between a boiling and overload point. I am not sure which.

Through the many years that we have been together the holidays have grown on him as something of a joy and something to look forward to. But, this year as we have run out of money for gifts, with Jay's brother and wife to buy for and some sort of grocery items to purchse for each Christmas celebration we go to and our phone didn't stop ringing for more then 15 minutes throughout the day with various persons calling about some food item, time of arrival or some other pieces of information that we should not even have knowledge of. It did get to be too much.

But, with a swift talking to and a "snap out of it" from me, I think that we are back on track. We are going to work on editing out much of the conversations and demands on us and remember how lucky we are to have our little family on these very special holiday.

We hoped up this morning to make sure that our trek to see the mall Santa would be successful. We got there and walked right up with only one family ahead of us. Madeline was so excited to see "Santa, Santa, Santa" and you could almost cut the anxiousness from Emma with a knife.

It all changed when we got up to see the jolly old elf. Madeline stopped about 3 feet from St. Nick and Emma was trying to talk Madz into sitting on his lap. Madeline started to scream and Emma forgot the one thing that she was asking for from him this Christmas - a jack-in-the-box.

I had to do the talking and persuade Maddie to sit on his lap - ok, persuade is a strong word. I really just threw her on his lap, screaming and flailing and Emma sitting pretty on a chair next to him. It is a great picture. If the phot CD wasn't all the way downstairs, I would post on here.

Made a couple of other stuff to virtually finish up our shopping, thank goodness, the funds have run out. I hear that the government is handing out bailouts . . .

The kids took a nap, Jay took a nap and I enjoyed the silence.

After a dinner of Hamberger Helper we headed out to Super Mary's house for her birthday celebration. So much fun to be with them! It was great, a wonderful get together.

Home with two very tired little babes. We are off to see Dr. Parry tomorrow. We will be reviewing the MRI and the future. Could be a very short appointment or a very long one. Either way, because of the MRI results, it should be a good one! And I am hoping one of the last ones for a while.