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.

Your bedroom is your sanctuary

I say the above only becuase the thought strikes me everytime I walk into our bedroom. Oprah has said that on many occassions. However, I almost try to make a game to see how little time I can spend in here. It is a total shit hole. I am certain that I need Nate Berkus to come and help me. He is the only one that could save this black hole.

Although I think, with my hatred of winter and cold, that these feelings tend to be more prevelent this time of the year. I think that I need to do something with my face - facial, micro derm abrasion, etc, everything about our house is a train wreck -we have talked about how we would love to move to another house, but I am sure that could never happen until we are about 100. We could maybe just stand for a total redo of any organization that we have, I don't need any more clothes - I live most of my life in jeans and Jay's work sweatshirts and we usually don't go out anywhere except to places we all enjoy as a family (i.e McDonalds, etc) so I have no need to fill my already overstuffed closet. Ugh, I think that the weather outside is frightful and it reminds you of all that needs fixing inside.

On weekends when Jay has to work he is on call on Sundays. Some genius at a gas station on Plymouth needed some hose fixed that had miraculously broken when his wash was run in this weather. So Jay was off this morning early to save the day. The girls and I did a little painting and make some more Christmas treats. Bugels dipped in amond bark with an M&M on top. This project was more my style. Thanks to grandma Kim for providing us all of the stuff needed. We didn't screw this one up.

Jay got home and we headed out to make another dent in our Christmas list. Because we cannot spend much on each person, we are plowing through fairly quickly. But, we still have more to do. The girls were both pretty squirrly all day which proved to make things more difficult. Which brough tme to a note to self: DO NOT ever bring kids to the General Store in Minnetoka again. A kids heaven, a parents nightmare.

Home from the morning activities and on to naps. Jay relaxed downstairs and I finished a book that I have been reading.

The girls got up and we headed out to Target and Byerlys. Grandpa Bob has specifically asked for ONE jar of pickled mushrooms. Love those kinds of requests. Grandpa finished in one fell swoop.

We ate dinner and tried to calm the girls down with a bath. Madz was out like a light when she hit her bed. I think that the only thing to get Emma to settle was sleep and she promtly fell asleep while we were reading her books. Jay and I just sat and watched her for quite sometime. Sleeping beauty. Off to try and visit with Santa tomorrow. Wish us luck!!

cookies and babysitters

This day started with a lot of snow and one hell of a cold day. There is something strange about referring to something that is so cold in the same sentence as "hell". Anyway, the kids got up pretty early, but that was good because Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cheryl were on their way to pick up the girls for a breakfast run to Perkins.

Anxious to get pancakes with sprinkles, Emma and Madeline were waiting with coats, hats, mittens and scarfs on for about 15 minutes before their date arrived.

The girls were off and so was I, attempting to traverse my way to the gym.

Successfully made it with not a lot of oomph in me to work out, but I knew that my ass was counting on me to do my part. I made it for 25 minutes on my eliptical friend and that was about it. I used the excuse that there was a class going on right by the machines I was going to use as a way to get out of working on the rest.

I made it back home and spoke to Grandma Kim. We had plans to spend the day with the girls making cookies and enjoyng the holiday fun. But, Grandpa Don was puking and I figured that I should keep the girls a good distance away since the holidays are so near. Emma and Madz were really bummed out, but it was lessened when I said that Grandma was going to bring some stuff by. Emma was still wondering why Grandma and Grandpa weren't going to stay to help.

The girls and I picked up the house a bit, then embarked on this crazy ritual of making Christmas cookies. I love doing this stuff and so do the girls. However, I quickly come to realize that I am not equiped for such a large undertaking. I have only one cookie sheet and could not figure out how to get the damn cookie dough from stucking to the countertop - and, YES I did use some flour. It didn't work!

We made it threw and the end result was worth it. The girls and I called it a day and they layed down for a nap and I sat down to read.

Jay got home and we started to get ready for our evening out. Yes, a real evening with a real babysitter. It was not a "date" per say, because our reasoning for getting out was to get some shopping done. The weather was shitty, but we have so little time without the kids and just so little time in general to get stuff done that we had to take advantage.

Casey is our sitter. She is the daughter of my teacher at school. They are people that I trust implicitly. Great, great people. Casey is studying child psychology at the U of M and loves kids. Emma was thrilled because Casey is going to be on this year of American Idol (will keep you updated if you need to start calling in for her) and Em can't wait to see her.

Casey came and got a big hug from Emma, Jay and I were off. We hit Target and Toys R Us and had dinner at Maynards. Still a lot of shopping to do, but we are hoping to get some done on Monday when Jay has the day off.

We got home and found that the girls and Casey were in a marathon reading session and barely noticed that we were home. They had a GREAT time! We had to force Casey to take money for watching the kids. Actually, Jay went to start her car for her and left it in her seat. She has already emailed me to say that the next time she is doing it as a favor. That family it so awesome!

On to bed.

more running

A day full of nothing planned was a great thing for the brain. The girls and I got up and spent a lot of time reading books, playing with toys and reading books. That was nice. As I was getting ready for the day, Emma came to me with blood running down her face and all over her hands. She had gotten a severe bloody nose. I guess that means that we need to look into a humidifer for the furnace. I was proud of how she handled herself and was so calm. I cleaned her up and we were off.

We swung by the post office to pick up the stamps that we had left there the day before, hand delivered a couple of cards to Emma's teachers, then off to Toy World. That is an awesome store full of unique toys for kids. I love buying gifts there. We had a few boys to buy for. I had to ask for help since I am not a boy toy officianato - so to speak. We left without our toys because they were being gift wrapped.

Home for lunch, more book and playing with Weebles. I worked on the computer and did a little reading.

When Jay got home we got ready to meet Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cheryl for dinner. They have made their arrival for a week over Christmas.

Dinner was good. Emma was a bit crazy - so much going on, so little time to see it all. Madeline was obsessed with the wood bears that were in the entry way and dancing to the jazz band that was playing. Grandma and Grandpa brought the girls some new boots. We laughed so hard at watching them traverse the flat ground like little robots while figuring out the boots.

We came home, threw the girls in the bath and headed to bed. A somewhat relaxing day.

Wednesday and Thurs

This is going to be a breif catch up on the past couple of days. Jay is trying to get to bed and he hates to hear the "click, click, click". I tell him that he is just going to bed too early. I will have to forgo a photo on this post. . .

On Wednesday, Jane, Liz and I were trying to find something "different" to do for the kids. Liz thought up "Just Jump". It is a warehouse that is just filled with lots of blow up jumping things. The kids love it, it is realativly safe and a great place for the couped up kiddos to get out some gusto. The adults had fun too. Just love and appreciate having great friends.

That is one thing that I have been come more acutly aware of lately, is how great my friends are. I am very lucky!

After jumping our little hearts out, we made a stop that would crush all of the extra blood flow - McDonalds. Whomever came up with the idea of a play place at McD's is genious! We gathered up some more friends and played some more.

Home for naps and a bit of relaxation.

For dinner I was tryed my hand at making calzones. The first time was a flop, however I like to think of myself as being a bit smarter the second time around. Jay even said it turned out great and he rarely compliments my cooking.

Thurday brough school for Emma. The parents had "the day off". The teachers thought that it would be great for us to have some extra time to ourselves. I was a bit sad not to spend time with Emma at her school. In checking with some other moms and dads, I found that I was alone in that feeling.

Madeline and I left for the gym and thinking that we could get a bunch of stuff done. Well, we got some working out - full body - and a trip to the post office to mail the Chistmas cards that I was busy writing out until late last night.

Picked up Emma and off to a play grou pwith a great friend Heather. She is always so sweet to open up her house for us to come over and play with her babe. Got to see her growing tummy and catch pu on lots of stuff. All of the girls, Madz included, played and had fun.

Heading home to finish up the naps that the girls started on the way home and I sat and looked at my messy house until I realized that Hermie, our Christmas elf, was not about to come down from his perch and help me.

Jay came home and I was off to enjoy dinner - adult dinner with my friend Sandy. She took me to a place in Hopkins. Sandy loves to fully enjoy her meals. It was really wonderful with great conversation.

Came home to find Maddie safe and sound in bed and Emma just waiting for me to get home.

A great day!

a whole new woman

Since it was a school day, we hit the ground running at top speed this morning in an attempt to get to school on time. Emma was up and I gave her some toast and to got dressed all within a top pit crew sort of time. Ahh, I see an on time arrival in my future.

My little Madz slept in. I would say for beauty rest, but she couldn't get more beautiful! Anyway, we had to quickly get her fed. My quest for time this morning was derailed with Emma's tantrum because she couldn't wear her princess dress. Yes, I certainly could have sent her to school with it on. And I was about to. However, because she has been wearing this thing about 14 out of the 24 hours in the day it was pretty filthy. And it is so very poofy that it would bring more distraction in the classroom then peace within our home.

So, throwing the kids in the car at break neck pace and racing to school. Only to arrive 4 minutes late. Today is the day that we set up to bring in the money and items collected for the woman in class that doesn't have money to buy gifts. One of Emma's teachers confided in me that they are going to give the money in a form on a gift card because they know this mom very well and might be afraid that it could go for other things - not drugs or alcohol, just that she has been known to make bad of a situation to get things. Ugh, did someone piss in my cheerios? I just hate that. Although I spoke to a good friend of mine, one of the moms in class with me, and we concluded that we know that they do not have money so either way the gifts would be received for the kids and well appreciated by them.


After dropping Emma off, I went to give Mr. Eliptical all that I had today. That equated to 20 minutes. I miss my little excersize partner. Mary, the forever student, has been working tirelessly on a statistics thing and it has taken her temproarily from me.

Madeline and I rushed home to put a roast in the crock pot and then it dawned on me that my friend, "Anutie B" (Emma's godmother), was going to be stopping by after school. I had to deal with the fact that she would be coming into my shitbox of a house. Cannot perform miracles.

I checked my messages during my meat preperation and found a message from Denise, the nurse for Dr Parry my neurologist. She had some test results that she wanted to share with me. I called her back and left a message telling her that it would be fine for her to call back and leave details on my answering machine.

We left to go and pick up Emma and race back home. In that short amount of time, Denise had called back with some great news. She left a message saying that the results of my MRI showed a very mild case of acute disease, no active lesions, no change since last MRI and she mentioned some other words that all equated to happy results. She told me that I should keep a follow up with Dr. Parry to decide on my course of action at this time. I told her that I was planning on it for the 23rd. (Now, I did not call anyone to pass along this "news" for no other reason besides I was busy today and we were enjoying some family time. I don't want to get a call wondering why I didn't call - you know who you people are.)

I have felt wonderful mentally and phycially. I am certain that taking in the FL sunshine for a few days had a lot to do with that. Also, I had made a lot of effort to ensure that the magic serum did not leak out through any spots in my brain during the MRI. Well, something worked. It has confirmed my feeling of normalcy. Awesome.

Auntie B showed up and so did Emma's evil twin. There is something suspicious about her arrival and the arrival of visitors at our house. For 3 hours, Emma peed on the carpet, spit, screemed, yelled, threw wet clean clothes on the floor, pulled her sister around by the hood on her shirt and screamed while I was on the phone with Denise confirming my Dr appointment for the 23rd - the list could go on. Needless to say, nap time was a wonderful gift.

Daddy got home, we feasted on the wonderful roast, then bundled the kidsup and went to play outside. We had a great time besides the frozen fingertips, but we had to litterally drag the kids inside.

Enjoyed some cookies, some time playing doctor and now time to rest.

cookies and more cookies

Today I had a lot of things I had hopes of doing. However, when I woke to see that it was -7 outside, I had reprioritize. Forcing the kiddos to go in and out of stores, taking hats and mittens off, only to do it again a few minutes later seems like torture for them and me.

I had to clean up after breakfast and the girls went down to the play room and spent a good 25 minutes playing so nicely with each other. I could hear them talking about stuff and doing some "shopping". We spent much of the rest of the morning playing and making pretend cookies in Emma's little kitchen.

Packed up the kids and dressed them in all of the winter gear except for snowpants and headed to the gym. My affair with the eliptical machine still continues. However, there are days when it is just so hard to complete more then 20 minutes. Today was one of those days. Took care of some flab on my ass and arms and headed to the grocery store.

After losing my shopping list, we spent a good amount of time roaming around in circles trying to recreate what items I was in need of.

Came home for lunch, vacuuming and napping. I elected, after being kicked off the compter many times, to spend nap time doing some reading.

This eveing the girls and I broke out the KitchenAid mixer. One of those items in the kitchen I do not use a lot. But, when it gets used I remember how really awesome it is! We made peanut butter cookies with chocolate on top. Emma made sure that we were going to save several for Santa.

Then baths to scrub up a couple of messy little girls. Then to bed for sweet dreams.

The silence sounds so great!

small weekend recap

Here is the weekend in short. Friday was a nice day. We had to run an errand to pick up something that is dear to my heart. I haven't had for a long time. It is back in its rightful place.

Then on to Kindergarten screening. Jay had to remind himself how old his little Princess is. No, she doesn't start "real" school until fall 2010. But, they ask that kids get screened eraly to check for any problems before hand. She passed with flying colors. Emma knew the screener as she had been a previous ECFE teacher. But, she was asking her about memorizing, description and some other things that I wasn't sure that Emma would want to talk about. Kids can surprise you!

Home again for the usual stuff, including writing our Santa letters. Then to Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don's house to take photos for our Christmas cards. We will get them out sometime soon.

Saturday was filled with thoughts of grandure and so many things to get done. 99% of those things still are not even close to getting done. I made a solo trip to workout, then home to pack up and head to the mall. The girls were so excited to sit on Santa's lap. My anticipation of the lines being long were truly a huge under estimation of reality. The line to just get a pager was 45 minutes long. Then when you got a pager, your wait to see the jolly old elf was 4 -5 hours long. Since we were not going to spend the entire weekend camped out at the mall, we tool two dissappointed kids on to some more shopping with a promise to visit him again in a week when daddy has a Monday off of work. We got almost no shopping done. But, it is fun to be amongst all of the holiday cheer at the mall - no really!

During the winter, after the kids wake up from a nap I will let them watch an episode of some kids show. It usually ends up being Seasme Street. Madeline has adopted the expected childhood love of Elmo. On this particular episode they talked a great deal about "Irish Step Dancing". Much of the rest of the weekend was filled with tidbits of Emma's brief learning of this Irish dance in her Princess dress. Madeline was forced to learn some steps in a dress too.

Sunday was up to the house of God. We brought Madeline into the nursery - I was not real comfortable with it. Just the problem with trusting anyone to take care of my kids. But, I checked out Mrs. G very carefully. Seriously. - and Emma went to Sunday school. Jay and I got to enjoy a service. We were treated to our after church lunch of McDonalds. We were trying to pass time before we headed back to church to watch our eldest daughter make her debut in the chuch Christmas program. Needless to say, in between leaving church and a stop at Walgreens we unknowingly picked up Elvira - Emma's evil twin. In an attempt to put her Christmas dress on which included nice tights and patten leather shoes, I was pratically sitting on her and Jay was trying to reason with her. Why go you ask? Well, just don't ask. We made it there. Emma came to the stage sans the barrett in her hair and her tights. Anyway, the kids did a great job. It was so fun to watch. Emma didn't sing much, she just liked to

look around. In the picture she is on the bottom row with the red and black plaid and white shirt. Toward the end of the program, the Irish step dancing made its return until the teacher asked Emma to step back into her place.

A nice weekend like a normal wonderful family. I have an appointment with my pillow that I cannot be late for. Off to fight the elements tomorrow.

I will get caught up . . .

I have to just drop a note, if not even for you, a reminder to put my mind at ease. I will catch up on our life tomorrow. Nothing hugely extraordinary to report, just a lot of little exciting things that make up our wonderful like.

Right now I am just tired and need to hit the sack!

Tis the season for giving

Woke up to the smell of freshly sprayed cologne signaling Jay on his way out the door. A brief hello and a fleeting kiss later and he was on his way.

As usual the girls and I were on the fast track trying to be on time for school. We made it a couple of minutes late, but were amongst five other families that were not obeying the hands on the clock.

Class was great, as always. My teacher, Monica, is just terrific! During the mommy time, we were discussing the traditions that we enjoy with our familes and the things that the kids are expecting this Christmas. One of the moms, whom we all have known as a person with few social graces, - although very kind - wearing clothing that don't consist of more then old zubaz and an old T shirt confided through tears that she had been contacting Salvation Army and all of the local agencies regarding toys for her kids and how she lives in Section 8 housing. She has three kids, ages 6, 3, 1. It was a very touching moment. There are women in the class who, without first hand knowledge but anone could put the peices together, are very well off were also crying.

After class another gal and I decided to put together a little collection for this woman so that she can have gifts for her kids. Gifts aren't everything about the holiday season. We know that, but the kids don't. The lack of gifts screams even louder then ever when you are a mom.

Back at home, Jay called and said that he got his yearly bonus. Yeah! I say that like a deflating balloon. Visions of bills and perscriptions dance in my head. I jotted down a list of where and to whom we will be spending this Christmas money. The list includes:

Emma

Madeline

Ashley

Mom and Don

Dad and Nicki

Jim and Cheryl

Grandma and Grandpa

A couple of younger cousins

Some various others

Blue Cross/Blue Sheild

Waconia Emergency Room

Our stocks have been going down, our business is losing customers . . . ok, that is BS, but it fit with this dry humor so stick with me. In light of the economy, I feel that we will have to lighten up on how much money is spent on fulfilling wish lists. Therefore, we will try to cut out some relatives who have small children and really don't need to be purchased for and some others that Jay and I need to chat about. I also figure that Blue Cross/ Blue Sheild have really put too much on their wish list. I mean, who is going to spend $600 on just one MRI? Silly BCBS. I don't think that we will be fulfilling their wishes - at least for now.

Jay got home and wanted to treat our little family to a dinner out. And not just to McDonalds. We went to Maynards and had an awesome meal. The girls were terrific. It was an all around great meal. The topper on the meal was when we ordered dessert, Jay wanted to put Emma's hair in a ponytail to keep it out of the chocolate. As he was doing so, I said, "Emma, did you know that daddy used to have a ponytail?" Her reply "Nooooo." After a moment of thought, "Did he have a ponytail when he was a girl?" It doesn't get better then out of mouths of babes.

We got home just in time for the Wild game. Jay and Emma love to watch them! Madeline, I think by default, does too. The girls had some spats over who would wear the gear, by then it was time for Madz to go to dreamland. Emma and I played some board games. Jay is exhausted this evening, and come to think of it, I am kind of tired too. Perhaps bed before 11:00? Dream on.

pictures of my brain

I was up bright and early, pretty certain that it was not because of any eager anticipation for the coming MRI. It did give me time to catch up on my time with Matt (Lauer). Jay rolled out of bed only when Emma made her way up the stairs. The house quickly comes alive!

Yes, Jay was scheduled to be gone from work again. I really hate that. In an upcoming trip to the store I will be buying a thank you/I am sorry/your a great boss card for Jay's employers. Sure sounds cheesy, but for those of you that know me well know that is something that I would do. Granted Jay is the one missing out on the funds, but they have not scoffed (outwardly at least) about him being gone so much lately. For that I am very, very thankful.

Anyway, jumped into action to get the girls ready for their first trip to the U of M with us. Grandma Kim's employers would not let her leave work to watch the kiddos - ugh!! So, Jay and I rearranged things and brought lunch, snacks, toys, movies, etc. Anything that would keep them busy. They don't yet know how to work in an "active supportive role". I am sure that they will catch on quickly. Amazing that they don't know that they currently are virtually the most supportive of all!

While waiting for my name to be called, I perused a couple of National Geographic magazines. I think that it is my new favorite magazine - well, I don't think that I had an old favoite - that doesn't matter. The photos are beautiful and the articles were very insightful. Should they give me a free subscription for the "advertising" that I am doing for them.

Ok, to the crescendo of the day, my MRI. The facilities at the U are awesome. Funny how things like a mirror in the mask they put on you, music loud enough to hear over the banging noises and a humidity filled room can make. I was injected with dye and layed back and relaxed to Jonny Lang's CD "Lie to me". Awesome! I feel like I am old hat at this stuff. I suppose going through four MRI's in the last couple of months could make anyone feel that way.

Thoughts through out the procedure were various and fleeting. Breifly thinking of things to do, wondering how the kiddos and Jay were holding up during their wait for me, shopping for Christmas and much thoughts leading to what the magic potion that was injected in my arm was going to tell the Doctor. Can only hope that the dye could not find any spaces to squeak out of the spots in my brain.

I got my "frequent visitor card" punched, was told that I was a good patient and did great - I do not think that the nurses observations come from any medical knowledge of my condition. So I eagerly await the ruling from Dr Parry on the 23rd. Yep, another Dr appointment. Quite frankly I am really over all of these meetings. I have never been one that shyed away from the attention, but this is not the attention that I had ever craved.

The rest of the evening was eating a crappy meal that was peiced together with things from the fridge - never make plain couscous without anything to spice it up. Think cardboard. Playing Halloween party with Emma who was wearing my clothes and dancing to Christmas music and flying Madeline on my legs. Jay has a lead on someone who may be able to help with our computer mess. The laptop as previously reported has compltely called it quits and this PC is slow as molassas. Currently, I have been trying to download a picture here, but after 25 minutes I have yet to see any photo appear. I should give Bill Gates a call.

School day tomorrow!

Back to reality

We made it back from Florida! The weekend was wonderful. It took a while to remember how to have fun without little kids tugging at you constatnly. We enjoyed lots of eating out - uninterrupted, relaxation, fresh air and SUN!! Instant Rx. The vitamin D that my body needs. Love it!!

From what I can ascertain, the girls were very good for Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don, and then for Grandpa Al on Monday. The girls and GK and GD went to Macy's 8th floor, church christmas program practice, baked, made lots of crafts and had a lot of fun. The girls slept great and were very good. I am so proud of them. On Monday, Grandpa Al took them to Mall of America. They took in Lego Land and had lunch at Rainforest Cafe. Emma was knocked out about the awesome day and the great weekend.

To see little legs run at top speed to you is something worth bottling. The girls were so thrilled to see us. However, after about 10 minutes, I think they forgot that we were even gone. Boy, we missed those girlies. It is so amazing how wonderful and full they make our lives.

Today we jumped right back into our routine. Emma went to school and Madz and I went to the gym and ran around. And tomorrow brings us back to the U of M for another MRI. They are going to scan my brain with dye inserted into my veins. The dye will be able to define which spots in the brain are active and help to decide the most aggressive course we can take for medication. Grandma Kim has thankfully offered to take the kids for a couple of hours. We are so lucky to have people out there to help.

So to recap: weekend of relaxation in Fl = awesome, taking in sun and warmth = MN sucks, getting hugs from our girls again = amazing, another MRI = reality . . .

Things I forgot

It turns you that when you are packing suitcases at midnight, things get forgotten. Such as, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner and tennis shoes. Oh, yeah and my kids! At least it feels like I have forgotten them.

I do miss them terribly and we many times throughout the day talk about the fun things that they do or say. But, it is nice to experience this time without kids. I rarely get away - although lately this MS crap has allowed an hour here or there to be without them for a Dr appointment or two.

We have been gone for about 1 1/2 days and I am finally getting the feeling of relaxation. However, any child in a restaurant, on the street or on the beach catches my attention.

I am so thankful that they are in such good hands so there is no worry, just missing them.

Jay and I enjoyed several hours walking along the beach today. It was great! A certain reminder of the question "what the hell are we doing in MN?" I really do hate it there. The warmth, the water . . .

We will be back to real life soon. Until then, we will miss the kids and try to do a little more relaxing.

Goooooonnnnneeeeee.....

Yes My friends we are Fing outta here. No kids, their at g&g Kim and Don's house. HAHAHAHA suckers!!! I have to say you may not here from us till Monday, not that we don't love ya'll but we just may not want to deal with ya'll when were in Florida. Hope everyone has a great weekend I know I will even if I hit a 100 or better I'll still be on the golf course in December. HAHAHA. sorry.

Check ya later,

J

Life without kids

So, I have been without my kids for about 15 minutes now, and it is amazing how much life changes even though I am only living with the THOUGHT of being without them.

We just dropped them off at Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don's house for an "exciting weekend filled with lots of fun stuff". I have no doubt that it will be anything less then that, but there is the sudden thought that I have not known life for the past 3 1/2 years without a kid hanging on me.

Tomorrow Jay and I are flying to Florida to visit Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cheryl for a long weekend. It will be great to get into the sunshine and warmer weather. I told Jay that there is something ironic about having to go to the warmer weather since there is so much research going on about the lack of Vitamin D and MS. Those of you who know me well know that I am a sun lover to the highest degree. Almost no temperature is hot enough. However, I have never been to India in the middle of summer. This weekend will be good for me. I am not sure if I know how to be by "myself" and just relax. Relax? What is that.

Throughout the day I have had some thoughts to ponder and figured that I would just put them out there.
1.)Do makers of kids toys create them to all run out of battery power at the same time? I have a stack of "dead toys" on my counter that all need AA batteries. What the hell is with Energizer and Fisher Price?
2.) Why is it that when you start working out and feeling good about the progress you have made that no clothes seem to fit better then they once did? Don't get me wrong. My resason for working out kind of came with the finding of my MS and a need to make sure that I was taking care of myself. At 33, I am so over the worry of having a great body or one that has to be a certain size. Being set with this disease, you find that there are bigger things in life to worry about then the size of your pants. That being said, with all of the intimate time that I have been spending with Mr. Eliptical, I would think that my ass would fit a little more freely in the shorts that were worn only a couple of short months ago. Unfortunatly, they almost seem to fit more snugly.

That is about it for the day. The camera is packed and huh, funny, out of batteries so I do not have any pictures to show you. Sorry. A nice day with the girls, but since my brain was running at 2X the normal speed with getting everything ready I think everyone was on the edge.

Leaving the girls at G & G house was a bit sad. Emma was just so excited at all of the fun that I promised her - sorry mom, pressures on! And Maddie thought that her little life was ending when her whole world walked out the door. I hope that she can sleep well and have some fun. For everyones sake.

Ok, well, I need to pack, clean the house, find something to eat and go tp bed before I get up at 4am.

Sunshine here I come. . . . There has to be a way to get Blue Cross/Blue Sheild to pay for this, right??

Organizing

Today was a very nice day. The girls woke up in a great mood and this morning we savored a few extra moments reading and discussing all the fun that my babes will be having with Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don's house this weekend. Then it was up and at 'em and out the door.

I have a reoccuring meeting every morning with my new favorite, Mr. Eliptical Machine. A former foe of mine. It has come to be a true alli in my fight against the cottage cheese in my ass. The girls spent some time in the kids room. I still hate dropping them off in there because of my issues with strangers watching them. But, I have found Ms. Miller, the kind woman caring for the kids is very trustworthy. And with 6 kids of her own, she is more then capable to handeling my little angels (as you can surmise Elvira has currently left the building). Then we were off to our playdate.

We caught up, late of course, with Jane, her granddaughter Mia, Liz and her girls, Lydia and Lily at the "germ pit" in the Eden Prairie Mall. I am not usually at all bothered by all the creepy crawlies that harbor in that place, but knowing that we were leaving for out of town, I was relying on the power of Purell to keep the kids healthy. We had a very active lunch in the food court. Then on our seperate ways. The girls and I swung into Old Navy to look for a pair of jeans for me.

I have a couple of "must haves" when shopping for jeans; 1. Must be cheap. I will not pay more then a cheap dinner out for them. 2. I will not try on more then three pair. If the first three do not fit, I am not buying. 3. They must fit low enough on my waist to accentuate my small waist, but not low enough to show off any grannie panties that I am wearing. You might think that I must never find jeans. However, with all of those rules, I do not set myself up for failure. I just simply do not shop for them - almost ever.

With a short vacation in my future and one pair of jeans with a hole in the crotch and the other with a hole in the knee, it was a necessary evil. Thankfully, with two kids ready for a nap, the perfect pair arrived on the second try. I ran through the store making sure not to look too closely at the kids department. I just love their clothes for the girls. And I was out the door with new jeans and I couldn't have had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings for less.

Spent the girls nap time arguing with the computers. Yes, both of them. Our laptop has just given up on life and the desktop (which I am on right now) couldn't keep up with my rapid typing pace. Ugh, had to wait for Jay to get home to figure this one out.

Next were the phone calls. I have been given the appointment of the person to arrange the last minute 15 year reunion for the proud graduating 1993 class of Minnetonka High School. Jay thinks that I am crazy for taking this on especially since our plates are pretty full. But, because the suggestion of this reunion came so late, there are not a lot of expectations for it to be filled with fireworks or amazing acrobats or anything. I think that I have found a place that will accomodate our group. Cross our fingers that it will work out.

When Jay got home he got to work fixing the computers. We layed the laptop to rest and got this ancient relic up and running. The girls and I got out their suitcases. They had fun starting to pack up their own special suitcase with their things for the upcoming weekend.

I spend about an hour catching up on emails for the reunion and some phone calls and Jay was packing - no not to move out, just for the vacation. I will let him stay. . . Emma and Jay turned on hip-hop music to deafening levels and danced their hearts out and Madeline and I made an attempt to organize our crap room, aka bedroom. Then it was bath time and bedtime for two very tired little beans. Emma fell asleep while reading her books and there was no waking her up. Sleep well little babes!

A pocket full of poseys

I am trying to remember if I am always this busy this time of the year. It is amazing how many thing are on my plate. This time of the year also brings about a lot of people pulling at you from different directions. They want you for this or that sometimes not taking into consideration what else is going on. Once again I have also found that I have taken on a lot of committments from extra carriculars and gatherings with friends. I love it, and I love to be busy.

But, litterally, I do not have ONE free day from now until December 31 (and I am sure that we will do something as a family on this day, but there is nothing "official" written down on the calendar) and between now and Dec 31 we have only ONE evening free - December 20. When do we fit in shopping?

Anyway, that was just a brief aside as I sat down this evening to look at my calendar to try and book something with my friend Jennifer. This is the gal that I have only spoken to on the phone and traded emails with who also has MS. I really wish that there was more time in between here and the end of the year to get together with her. But, I would rather schedule a nice time with her then just try to "fit" her in between other projects.

I received a call yesterday that a friend from high school's mother died the day before Thanksgiving. Her service was today. I had hopes of going, but wasn't sure what I would do with Madeline as Emma would be in school. I toyed with the idea of bringing her, but Jay quickly reminded me of how well she sits in regular church service. And not wanting to "burden" any friends with taking care of my baby, I was going to skip it. In dropping Emma off, Liz - Lydia's mom - jumped at the chance to watch my little Madz. So, off I was to the funeral.

I ran into quite a few friends from high school. Several of whom are now added to my list of people to get together with. The service was very nice. Ruth fought cancer for 10 years. She was a very spiritual and religious lady. I hadn't seen her for some time. But, there was a really nice calm about the service knowing that she was so at peace with her passing. It gave a true feeling of passing the way it should be. I know that I will never be that spiritual, but hoping that I could come to that sort of peace and calm would be amazing.

Swung back to pick up my girlies. And home to make some lunch and take naps.

Lately during nap time I have occupied my alone time with catching up on emails and phone calls. Today was no different. One of my calls was to try to clarify Blue Cross/Blue Sheilds (BCBS) billing for some of the tests that I had done. I quickly was told that it was not BCBS that bills, and that I need to talk to Park Nicollett. The woman told me that I hit my deductable on October 24, the day that I had all of my tests. But, I found it ironic that for some reason the one thing that made it on my bill was the big item - $500 spinal tap. All of the other items (almost all) were on the 80/20. Too much confusion to talk about much further. Just annoying and a complete run around.

Jay got home and I went to the gym. What a great workout! I just busted my ass and felt good. Got home to Madeline's big smile and hugs. So great.

This computer that I am on has been causing us trouble and before dinner, it put Jay over the edge. He thought it lost a whole bunch of stuff and I heard swearing that would make a long shoreman blush. Thankfully, all was found to be well after some lasagna and cooling off time.

The evening brought lots of ring around the rosy, hide and go seek and tag as well as another mommy attempt at a fort. Both the kiddos love to take part in all of the schnanigans!

I think that Jay is at his breaking point. Just one of those times of the year when, he too, is pulled in a lot of different directions. He was angry with me for I do not know what and after a few times of asking him what was going on and him talking about things that had nothing to do with anything current, I gave up. I will sit back and wait for him to come and discuss. I am pretty certain that going out of town this weekend will be good for him. Right now, I am ready for him to go by himself - ha, ha!

I have also decided that Emma NEEDS to get back into gymnastics again. She has been asking for quite a while and she also wants to do dancing classes. She is pretty good at that kind of stuff. But, I think that the outlet for her to excersize and move her body like that is something that she is missing.

Anyway, I think I need to go an relax.

I appologize for the language....

Have you ever been so fucking angry you want to go outside and scream at the top of you lungs? I am just starting to wonder why the hell I pay for health insurance. Again today another round of bills come in from Park Nicollet. Really a $600 dollar bill, and your willing to put forth a whopping $21.38? What the fuck? No wonder people give up and let the "taxpayers" cover it. I figure if I quit my job I'll get my mortgage bailed out and then we will have the best health coverage there is, for free?!?!? But I can't deal with feeling like a worthless piece of shit. No offense intended, if you really truly need help I hope that the greatest country in the world will take care of you. I just can't help but wonder what a soilder feels like when the come back from the toughest job in the world(or hell) and then get pissed on by our "system". If you can't tell I'm a little fed up, now they tell us that we met our $2000 deductable but it's because of the way the bills were submitted that we owe so much. I'm fucking pissed, just how much overtime does a poor slob have to work to try to not even make ends meet? THIS SUCKS.

Emma's evil twin

First of all, I will be trying to shorten this post up a bit. The computer seems to have an attitude today, therefore we do not have a very good working relationship at this time. It will spontaniously shut down and lose everything. We will see what I get done here.

Emma woke up and you coud tell that she was going to be in a funky mood. She was a bit short with everything. Madeline, smiling as always. I was trying to get running out the door to accomplish some errands before our playdate came over. Got to the gym to meet Mary for a 20 ass kicking minutes on the eliptical. It is amazing how quickly time goes when you have a good partner to talk to while on these machines. Zipped over to Cub for a couple of necessities. As we were leaving we ran into Don (stepdad). He helped load my water into the car.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mary running toward me. She is waving her hands, and out of breath she manages to ask "Is this man ok to be talking to?"

"Him?", I say pointing to Don.

"Yes, is he following you?"

"No Mary, it is Don!"

We all burst out laughing. Mary worried that she looked so stupid thinking that Don was a strange man following me. I was just happy that someone would look out for someone like that. Of course Mary would. She is awesome. Then we also had to laugh because Mary is petite in her 5'2" frame. What would she have done to 6'2" Don?

The kids and I made it home to find Valerie and her son Will waiting for us inside. I haven't seen Valerie and a long time. And it was the first time I met Will. He is 15 months and just a little sweetheart.

About this time, Elvira, Emma's evil twin, started to rear her scary head. Ohhh, and it was ugly! Christmas decorations were flying. Water was being spewed from her mouth. End tables were used as a launch pad for a soft landing on the couch. Talking, time outs and ignoring were no match for this superhero. That was only in the first half hour. Madz loves to follow what her beloved big sis is doing, so it was like watching the Dynamic Duo at work.

Amazingly Valerie and Will were able to put up with the antics, that I so obviously could not control, until nap time. I was very thankful to have had a short amount of time to catch up with her, wishing that she could make the trip back from Montana more often.

I did confide in Val my "secret". She is a great person to talk to and she has experience with dealing with health issues. Valerie has been free of thyroid cancer for 5 years now. It is a wonder, all of the things that go on in life.

Thankfully, Elvira took a nice long nap.

The girls and I had an evening alone as Jay was privy to another Wild hockey game. I am guessing that he will not be "sick" tomorrow - just kidding honey!

The girls made up for all of their crappy-ness throughout the day at story time before we put Maddie to bed. I sat in the rocking chair with them both perched on a leg. It was time for kisses, the girls turned to each other, and with their little noses touching ever so slightly, they gave each other kisses and had a little "conversation" for about 5 minutes. They topped off the exchange with a big hug. It was so great!

I will end this post with another photo from my budding professional. This image is a piece that has not been titled yet . . . I will call it "Hideous stairway spindel".