FPOD_2012OCT06

What's the Favorite Part of your day?

OCTOBER 6, 2012

MOMMY: The way Silas giggles hysterically when he covers his eyes with his hands, thinking that he is hiding from us. He does this almost every day at the dinner table. He has THE FUNNIEST evil laugh, convinced that we really CAN'T SEE HIM!

Seeing Mike take one pickup load (junk) to the dump and neighbor Frank taking another load (metal only) for recycling was a good feeling; our house is starting to be picked up and look much nicer.

DADDY:  Spending the day with his family; enjoying our new television with popcorn and a movie, snuggled with Sydney.

SYDNEY: Picking out mini pumpkin "cupcakes" at Sam's Club, admiring their Christmas toy selection AND having popcorn and movies with Daddy tonight. 

SILAS: Playing with BUBBLES from the kitchen sink!

FUNNY THINGS TODAY

‎17 month old Silas was (mistakenly) dressed in 3T jammies tonight by Daddy. There was NO WAY that 3 yr old Sydney was going to fit into the matching jammies (intended for Silas) so, we just got him a new pair to wear.
• • • • •
Tonight, at supper, Sydney was told that he could have a cookie if he cleared his plate. He got up from the table and walked his plate (full of food) onto the kitchen counter. Daddy brought his plate back to the table and explained "That's not really what I meant; we wanted you to EAT IT." Sydney walked it back into the kitchen. We were expecting him to scrape it into the garbage, but soon he announced "Um, a little help here please!" (He was trying to set his plate in the fridge for later.)
• • • • •
Sydney is now confusing his CHRISTMAS WISH LIST with his BUCKET LIST. While he was having Quiet Time in his room today, he kept calling for me, wanting to tell me that he wanted to add *specific toy set he saw at Sam's Club* onto his Bucket List.

There's been a handful of times that he has declared "Let's put that on my Bucket List. I want to do that someday..." (i.e. He declared that he, too, wants to ride in a hot air balloon someday and hopes that we might be able to ride in one together since that is on Mommy's Bucket List.)
• • • • •
Mike was watching football on our new television this evening. The boys found their toy CYCLONE football and were busy chasing each other around the house. (There were a lot of fumbles, some holding and some unnecessary roughness; hey, that's pretty good for a girl who despises football to come up with the right lingo like that.) We must admit, even though there is almost a 2 year advantage, Silas holds his own on the "football field" against his big brother.

Cheers! Wedding Boat anniversary #4

CHEERS! Four years ago today, we proclaimed our LOVE in front of a boat full of guests (many of which did not know that we had already made it legal a few months earlier.)

BEST OF MAQUOKETA CAVES

Mike took vacation days today and yesterday. Thursday, we worked around the house - accomplishing A LOT in the bonus room. Then, Emily came to babysit so that we could sneak away for a DINNER & A MOVIE DATE. (The kids enjoyed applesauce, strawberries and PB&Nutella dinosaur sandwiches while Mike and I enjoyed TONY ROMA'S.)

This morning, we headed down to Maquoketa Caves State Park. It was a beautiful fall day with highs near 50 degrees. There was a light breeze and leaves were falling from the trees. It was lovely.

Sydney was SO EXCITED to go inside a cave! We couldn't drive there fast enough for him. (He knows of caves because some of the Dinosaur Train dinosaurs went into a cave on the show.) We were almost there when he declared "Someday, I wish I could LIVE IN a cave." (Darn it... whenever he announces SOMEDAY, I'm going to..., I write it down for him, creating his bucket list for him. I really don't want him to live IN a cave. Well, I don't really want him to be a giraffe either... maybe just for Halloween. I informed him that IF he lives in a cave, I will likely never come stay WITH HIM.)

We ventured into the first big cave. Then, Mike encouraged that we go deeper into it. (I was SO NERVOUS!) The boys were pretty apprehensive about it at first, too, but Mike convinced Sydney that he saw a dinosaur track in a puddle inside the cave and from there, he wanted to keep going!) I wore my hood on my head because I fear bats. Sydney declared that bats are not HIS favorite either, but they are good because they eat mosquitos for us. (He pays attention!)

We ended up getting LOST, following a trail. (We told Sydney that we were walking to find the playground area and our car.) We ended up on a gravel road and Mike eventually went up to a house, asking if we were headed in the right direction. Thankfully, we were ALMOST back to the park at that time. We found the play area; the kids and I waited there while Mike went to retrieve the stroller from the trailhead, as well as our car.

{Maquoketa Caves State Park was bursting with fall color.}

Sydney was SO EXCITED to go inside of
caves.... until he saw them in real life and
realized how small it made us feel.

Inside the cave. Sydney and Mommy weren't too sure about
going through, but Daddy assured us that he could see light
on the other side. Mommy pulled up her hood (because she
is afraid of bats) and put my brave face on; although, I really
was having a mini-panic attack at first. Spelunking is NOT
my favorite thing in the world, but I did it to show how brave I am!

The kids stayed very close at first.
The three of us were all a bit chicken.
My hood makes me feel "safer" from bats;
although, I did not see any at all.

In one of the caves... wishing I could have gotten the lighting
perfect to show the fall colors bursting out the entrance/exit
of this particular cave; it was spectacular!

A nice woman offered to take our picture for us, telling Mike
that maybe he wont have to pose for Christmas pictures now.
He laughed and announced "Yeah, right!". I informed her that
I tend to take at least 600 pictures per month and that he's
destined to be posed in more pictures between now and then.

Sydney and Mike climb up to peek out of this hole.

The fall colors were INCREDIBLE!!!

Finding a strange caterpillar - moments after we played
in the leaves by tossing handfuls of them up into the air.

Sydney went through the tiny tunnel/cave way, while
Silas and Mommy took the path outside.

I love, Love, LOVE when they hold each other's hands!

Overheard Sydney telling Mike "I am YOUR BUDDY!"

Taking turns... I took Mike's picture, he took mine.
Then, we merged them together in Photoshop for
a near-perfect  FAMILY OF FOUR picture!

Wishing we had something taller to set the camera on so
that we would have caught the incredible fall colors behind
this grassy field. Set the camera on the ground (on my bag
and jacket) and used the self-timer. LOVE getting Family of 4 pics!
(We were still LOST at this point!)

Silas didn't seem to mind too much that we were LOST!

The kids walked A LONG LONG WAY today and did
FANTASTIC! Sometimes, they rode. Here, Silas proudly
wears Daddy's hat. (Mom wished she had remembered to
grab the Kleenex from the car, but we made due as best we could.)

YAY! Found the play area!

Silas has never been through a tunnel like THIS one before.

Analogy that saved me, BLOG POST 1000

I was whining (again) about having to take an injection every day. I think it doesn't help that the drug company is calling me every few days AND that I get something in the mail from them almost every single day. (And you wonder WHY the medicine costs $138 PER DAY?!?!?) In their literature, they remind you that your medicine is BELIEVED to be working even if you don't feel any differently than before. (That's the part that has always bothered me... that they BELIEVE that it helps slow progression, but can't outright guarantee it.)

Laying next to Mike, he offered some advice that has since changed my outlook on things.

"You know, a seatbelt only saves lives if you get into an accident. You wear a seatbelt every day regardless of if you need it, don't you? It has never saved YOUR life, but you still wear one every day."

That struck close to home (for me). I wear my seatbelt religiously. I believe that seatbelts SAVE LIVES! (I really wish that my husband would WEAR HIS seatbelt ALL THE TIME, too!)

My medicine IS my seatbelt. It is there to help keep me safe(r).

I don't think I will whine about it anymore.

• • • • •

Dear Copaxone, thanks for saving my life.

Twenty PLUS – no more! (OTTO is a tiny guy!)

When Sydney was a baby, Otto was a BIG CAT. In fact, Otto weighed MORE than Sydney for a long time; Otto had weighed more than TWENTY POUNDS.

4 month old Sydney with Otto... our 20+ pound cat.

We used to laugh that Otto looked like he
was part-harbor seal. He was a BIG CAT who's
belly almost touched the ground when he walked.
Compared to Eddy, Otto was HUGE!

A year ago, we took the cats to the vet for the first time since we moved away from WI. At that time, Otto weighed 18.7 pounds. We were pleased with his weighloss, but the vet yelled at us that he needed to lose at least 3 more pounds.

Fast-forward one year, we took the cats in for their check-ups and discovered that Otto had dropped to NINE POUNDS! (We knew that he was getting tiny and that he had been walking away from his food bowl for a while. Turns out, he had a thyroid condition - among other medical problems.)

Otto (left) and Eddy (right) in late Summer 2012.
Otto is SO TINY compared to Eddy. He even fits
through the rungs on the railing now!

Eddy now outweighs Otto by 4 pounds.

He was one sick kitty... poor Otto!

In the past few months, since his thyroid is being treated
he looks healthier AND he managed to gain a pound!
His heart murmur is no longer detected and his coat
seems much healthier now. He's begging to eat again, too.
(We're over-feeding him now.) He LOVES to snuggle after
the kids go to bed and the house is quiet.

Otto, we're SO GLAD that you're feeling better now!
(We now give him a pill twice each day, hiding it inside
of cat treats.) We hope that his next labcheck continues
to show improvement.

I am LUCKY

I know that Mike and I cracked jokes about the enthusiasm and excitement of the nurse from the drug company - the one who made us question if we had just won the lottery by her cheering after my first injection. Although, after attending the MS Support Group tonight, I really DO kind of feel like I have won the lottery.

You see, I get to sit in a room surrounded by people (all women in this group so far) who can relate to what I am going through. We've all heard the same diagnosis and experienced many of the same fears. However, hearing some of THEIR STORIES reminds me how very lucky I have been.

I can't complain of fatigue.
I can't complain of pain.
I can't complain of depression.
I can't complain of suicidal thoughts.
I can't complain of falls.
I can't complain of loss of vision.
I can't complain of (permanent) loss of sensation.
I can't complain of tremors.
I can't complain of lack of bladder function.
I can't complain of a cognitive decline (that I have noticed anyways).
I can't complain of having a wheelchair or a walker tucked into the trunk.

All I CAN complain about is the fact that I really don't LIKE to give myself a shot every day. And really, given the BIG PICTURE, I really can't complain about that either. Sure, I don't like it. (You know, WHO DOES?) BUT the fact of the matter is... it isn't THAT BAD and there are A LOT worse things that I thankfully have NOT been dealt in life.

I remain SO VERY THANKFUL that I have had such a mild case of MS and that it hasn't really affected my everyday life (other than shots) in any way. I remain HOPEFUL that my case continues this trend of good fortune and good health, as well as remain hopeful that they really WILL find a cure.

I feel SO VERY LUCKY!

Oh, Brother! Monkey See, Monkey Do

Sydney is teaching his brother all sorts of things. Lately, it has been how to SCREAM at the dinner table. Soon, they are both laughing. (It's NOT our favorite thing.)

Tonight, Sydney asked me to take his picture and then, he decided it would be funny to block the view from the camera. Soon enough, Silas is copying him and they are both in a giggling match.

Oh, Brother... Monkey See, Monkey Do!

Now, I am really hoping that I wont have years and years of photos with their hands blocking their faces. Afterall, they are REALLY CUTE KIDS and normally quite photogenic.

That's a schoolbus; those don't have sirens

SCENE: After dinner, Sydney and Silas sit at the table playing with puzzle pieces and pretending to drive them. Silas is making siren noises.

Overheard (Sydney-to-Silas): "No Baby Silas! That's a schoolbus. Those don't have sirens."

(Silas stops his siren noises and continues to play.)

Right Now... 40 months

Right Now... Sydney is 40 months old. Three, it seems, is a VERY TOUGH AGE to deal with.

Right Now... Sydney's favorite breakfast cereal is Quaker Oatmeal Squares - often with milk. He can't pick a favorite though... tough call between cinnamon and original.

Right Now... Dinosaur Train is his favorite show on PBS. Although, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood just recently started and he's liking that quite well, too.

Right Now... "Pita buttah and Ta-wewwa on bwead made into dinosaurs" is our most commonly requested food. Salsa (homemade - Pioneer Woman's recipe) and Tostitos tortilla chips are a close second. *PB & Nutella.

Right Now... Sydney protests naps, but falls asleep almost every afternoon that we travel in the car. He gets grouchy and suffers from near-constant meltdowns from 4:45pm until bedtime.

Right Now... Sydney just recently earned a dinosaur for being a good sleeper; he kept waking us in the night repeatedly. Now that he has earned his dino, he is back to waking us often.... this time, he tends to wake Mike instead of me so, I am a better with that.

Right Now... Sydney loves to sing and dance, as well as make up stories and songs.

Right Now... Sydney is getting pretty sassy and demonstrates a lot more temper tantrums. We use 1-2-3 Magic and often remind him to use his nice voice, not talking like a mosquito. (Whining.)

Right Now... Sydney enjoys going to school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. He's learning all kinds of new things at school. (Our latest problem was STUPID being used repeatedly in conversation.... "stupid mommy, stupid baby, stupid mommy" as well as a lippy "knock it off, baby! dat's what Sammy says." Yesterday, he started talking about guns and killing people. We were SHOCKED with this latest surprise... being that he has attended school for SEVEN DAYS and came home - from a religious-based preschool - talking like this. SCARY!)

Right Now... Sydney thinks it is funny to run away from mom and/or dad. He demonstrates it in the front yard, as well as while playing at the park the other day. We keep hoping that he will outgrow this sooner rather than later, as it is alarming as a parent.

Right Now... Sydney finds great thrill in teaching his brother new things. Lately, how to scream at the dinner table. (Not so fun or entertaining really.)

Right Now... Sydney is a snuggler. He still LOVES to sit on a lap to watch tv, read a book or just plain old snuggle.

Right Now... Sydney demonstrates compassion for the world around him. He has so much empathy for others. I've been reminding him that SOON we will have to be careful with Mommy because "Mommy will have to start having a shot every day and sometimes mommy will be sore." Having just one shot under my belt... my first was on my stomach, actually... I told him that we have to be careful with mommy's belly because I got a shot. He wanted to see it. When I lifted my shirt, he sweetly asked "Can I kiss it?" then, leaned down and kissed my belly. "Wait, I need to rub it in!" Ever-so-gently, he rubbed his tiny hand onto the spot that he had just kissed. It made my heart melt a little more; he is SUCH a sweet, compassionate kid!

Right Now... Sydney COULD sit and watch television all. day. long - if we would let him. The kid SERIOUSLY is addicted to PBS programming for kids. He never gets bored with it. Ever!

Right Now... Sydney LOVES to help in the kitchen.

Right Now... Sydney surprises us. This morning, when Mike and I came downstairs, we found two bottles of Tartar Sauce on the dining room table. Perplexed at first, we wondered how they got there. Sydney announced "I got those out so that you guys can put them away." Daddy responded with "Mommy likes when we make extra work for her." to which Sydney had a quick rebuttle "she doesn't like to wash extra dishes." (That is normally my LESSON when he is currently STANDING inside of one of our pots or pans and I proclaim that I really DON'T like to wash dishes.)

Right Now... Sydney wears a diaper only at night. He is doing AWESOME with staying dry throughout the day. He has had ONE accident in the past few months, I think. As for staying dry through the night, we're NOT ready to tackle that yet; he's nowhere near ready - as our pediatrician can attest to it.

Right Now... Sydney LOVES when Teacher Patty comes; he still wonders every week if she will bring BLUE PAINT.

Right Now... Sydney is learning how to share and take turns. He is getting SO MUCH BETTER; school is very good for him!

Right Now... Sydney offers to SHARE some of his Reece's Peanut Butter (mini) Football, giving a bite to mom or dad. He then, thinks that HE needs one bite of the one that Silas was going to eat. You know what they say... it all works out in the wash.

Right Now... Sydney wears 3T jeans for length; he's got pants with elastic and buttons inside the waist to make them skinny enough for him. He could still fit into 12 month sized shorts over summer, except for them being ridiculously short. He weighs 31 pounds.

Right Now... Sydney likes to play games when we kiss him. Sometimes, he wipes them off. Sometimes, he rubs them in. Sometimes, he asks for us to blow him one; some, he catches while others he swats them away. Sometimes, he begs for an Eskimo kiss. Sometimes, he wants a butterfly kiss. Sometimes, he really, Really, REALLY WANTS to give you a kiss. Sometimes, he and Silas sit at the table and blow kisses back and forth to each other. Sometimes, my heart skips a beat - as it melts into a giant puddle of love.

Right Now... Sydney loves to pick tomatoes... and play in the sand... and play with his puzzle book.

Right Now... Sydney could live on Quaker oatmeal squares, PB&J, PB& Nutella, cherry tomatoes and apple slices.

Right Now... Sydney uses an electric toothbrush to help get the sugar bugs off of his teeth.

Right Now... Sydney has been waking up and climbing into bed with us repeatedly (again) at night. Last night, he was in FOUR TIMES!!! (We thought that the 37 balls of shark incentive corrected this, but we were wrong, I guess.

Right Now... Sydney declares that he "wants to drive trains" when he is a big person like mommy and daddy... THAT is going to be his job someday. (Looks like he has recently given up on being an engineer... for now.)

Right Now... Mom is keeping a running list of all of the things that Sydney declares "Someday, I'm going to..." so that he can have his own BUCKET LIST to complete. Although, I wonder HOW he will ever really BE A GIRAFFE. ;)

Right Now... Sydney wishes that his Tigger costume still fit him because he really likes Tigger.

Right Now... Sydney goes to school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. He greets us with a smile each day when we pick him up and proudly holds his brother's hand to leave.

Right Now... Sydney and Silas can often be found holding each other's hand while we are driving in the car. When we're shopping, Silas holds out his arm and yells "HAND!" for Sydney to help him. It is SO CUTE to watch them together!

Right Now... Sydney makes everything sound like it is Silas' idea. "Siwas, do you want to ____? You do? Mom, Siwas says he wants to _______."

Right Now... Sydney doesn't say the L-sound in words. Instead, he says W. i.e. WIME = LIME. "Wet's go!" (Let's go.) "Pita buttah and jewwy are DE-wish-us!" (Peanut butter and jelly are delicious.)

Right Now... Sydney doesn't say the TH sound. For example, "SI-WUS is my brow-er" is how he says Silas is my brother.

Right Now... Sydney will declare "Hey, this is the way to get to ___________." He also points out if the stoplights are red or green, etc. Sometimes, he even asks "What direction are we travelling now?"

Right Now... Sydney likes to sing the Sugarland song "What ya gonna do? You and me baby skuck wike gwue."

Right Now... Despite THREE being a tough age, we LOVE Sydney to pieces!