More SNOW today!

Well, we didn't wake up to snow this morning, but we might tomorrow! It keeps alternating between rain and snow, starting and stopping, heavy and light. Right now we have only a dusting on the ground, but Katie is hopeful there will be a lot more when she wakes up tomorrow. Actually though, it would be nice if we don't get any snow tonight since Regina is scheduled to take her Jeep to Bellevue early in the morning for an oil change at the dealership.

Today was a fun day. Regina took Katie to pre-school and then she and I went to Bellevue Square. We walked, talked, shopped, ate lunch out and had a relaxing day together. We ended up later in the afternoon going to the Coach outlet store in North Bend to see if they had any purses Regina liked. I'm happy to report that she found one she liked AND the prices were excellent! She got a $300 purse for only $129! Woo hoo!

Before picking up Katie from pre-school, we decided to drop in and visit with Mel, her Mom and the babies. We hung out with them for a little while and got our "baby-fix" for the day.

Now we're home, ready to settle in for the evening. I felt today about like I felt yesterday. Not bad, but as soon as the pain medicine wore off, I could feel pain in my sinuses. It was good to get out and walk, which is actually something the doctor suggested would help with the healing process.

Day 2 Post Op

Last night I was able to breathe through my nose so I got several hours of uninterrupted sleep (in my bed, not the recliner)! Hooray! However, I woke up with a headache this morning. Even so, it wasn't as painful as most headaches I woke up with before the surgery. A warm saline rinse and pain medicine helped immensely.

It snowed overnight, again. Katie was overjoyed once again to find newly fallen snow when she woke up. She and Regina spent a lot of the morning outside playing in it. They also went to one of our neighborhood parks where Katie said she almost touched the sky in the swings.

While they were outside, I made a batch of whole wheat buttermilk biscuits. For lunch we packed up the biscuits along with the leftover beef stew Regina whipped up last night and we made our way over to Courtney and Mel's to share it with them. Once again, we had a relaxing afternoon hanging out with them, while we ate, visited and held babies. Even though I didn't feel all that great, being with friends and cuddling with a sleeping baby somehow made me forget.

The First 24 Hours After Surgery

Okay, I recently took a pain pill and I feel it kicking in. So, if what I'm about to write isn't completely coherent, that's why.

Let's see, surgery day was yesterday and I couldn't believe the horrible timing of it all when I learned that Regina woke up with a very bad migraine. This was not a good day for her to be sick.

I, on the other hand, woke up feeling surprisingly good. I felt mentally prepared and was relieved that the day had finally come.

I don't know many details about what she accomplished during the surgery, but she'll give me a full report on Friday when I see her for a follow-up. She did tell Regina that the left side of my sinuses are not constructed normally. She couldn't tell if I was just born that way or if the surgeon who fixed my deviated septum years ago did it, but either way, it made her job harder. Therefore, it took a about 30 minutes longer than she anticipated. I was in the operating room for about 2 hours.

When I woke up in recovery, I was pleasantly surprised that I felt NO pain! I fully expected to wake up to the throbbing pain in my face that I'd come to know so well. I was also thrilled when I realized I wasn't nauseous from the general anesthesia AND I could actually breathe through my nose. None of the packing obstructed air passage in my nose! What a wonderful bonus. I had been told I'd have to breathe through my mouth for a while, which I find to be quite miserable.

Well, it wasn't long after waking up that reality settled in and I began to feel significant pain in my sinuses. Fortunately, the nurses took good care of me and throughout recovery they gave me several doses of pain medicine in my IV. And right before leaving, I got a pain pill for the road.

Meanwhile, poor Regina had a full-blown migraine and was sitting there watching them give me all the pain medicine I could possibly need, wishing she too could have a couple doses. She really didn't look good and by the time she met me in recovery, she had already thrown up at least once. People probably looked at the two of us and wondered, "Now, which of you two just had surgery?" I felt so terrible for her having to hang out there for so many hours when she felt so awful. I was actually worried she wouldn't be able to drive us home. We could have taken a cab, I suppose. She was able to drive, though, and we arrived home safely.

Anyway, back to me. Since I wasn't nauseous, I was able to eat and drink everything they gave me. I was actually quite hungry and especially thirsty. By about 2:45pm they were happy with my progress and let us go home. Because Regina felt so awful, we stopped by Katie's pre-school and picked her up early. Regina didn't think she'd be able to go back out later and pick her up when we normally do. That turned out to be a good decision since she didn't start feeling better until after dinnertime.

Last night I was able to successfully manage my pain with the medicines prescribed to me, although I was no longer able to breathe through my nose. Ugh. I was bleeding (which is normal) and it eventually obstructed air passage. I was so disappointed because that made sleeping last night quite miserable. I started out in bed, propped up on a pile of pillows, but that didn't last long. I just wasn't able to get comfortable enough to actually fall asleep, not to mention the extreme dry mouth that kept me awake because I was constantly taking sips of water. I eventually moved from the bed to a recliner where I still had the dry mouth issue to contend with, but for some reason I was able to sleep for a little bit. I might have gotten 1 solid hour of sleep while the rest was just a series of episodes where I dozed off until the dry mouth irritation woke me up. Not a fun night.

Early this morning I did a saline rinse which cleaned out the nasal passages and eventually allowed me to breathe through my nose again! I took advantage of it and napped for a bit later in the morning. I wanted to do the saline rinse so badly before bed last night, but I was given instructions not to. I was also fighting the urge to blow my nose, since I could feel drainage accumulating. But, it's no-go on the nose-blow for a little while. I taped gauze just below my nostrils to catch anything that drained all the way out. Today, the bleeding has stopped and I'm no longer wearing my gauze mustache.

So fortunately, right this moment I feel pretty good. Actually a whole lot better than I expected I would. Regina is also feeling good now. That's a relief. Now I feel like I can relax knowing she's at full capacity to take care of things while I recover.

Katie in the Snow!

Regina snapped this shot of Katie sitting on the snowball she just made. I stayed inside to nap!

Snowy Spring Morning

Katie is so excited this morning because while she slept, it snowed! What a magical thing it is for a kid! Even though it's not much at all. Barely enough to make a few snowballs or to swish out a snow angel or two, but doesn't seem to matter. We'll all go out later, I imagine. Katie will see to it.

Yikes, Surgery Tomorrow!

Today was good. Regina worked from home. I heard her on the phone most of the time when I was here. I spent the afternoon at Mel and Courtney's holding one baby or the other. Courtney is back at work now so Mel's going solo with the twins during the weekdays. I want to go over and help out as much as she'll have me, so I hung out this afternoon and did what I could. I got to give Jack a bottle today! That was the first opportunity for me, since Mel is primarily nursing both of them. Also, it's been 4 years since I've changed the clothes of a newborn, but I got the chance to see if it would come back to me when I changed each of them into a new outfit. I was telling Mel that when Katie was newborn, I used to pay special attention to her fingers and thumbs as I was pushing the sleeve down over her hands and arm. I worried that one of her fingers would get caught in the sleeve and pushed in the wrong direction. I'm happy to report that it never did happen when I was dressing Katie and it didn't happen today with Avery and Jack. It's just one of those million little things you worry about that will probably never, ever happen, but still, it stuck in my head.

I also refused to have an area run in Katie's room because one time I imagined that I was carrying little, newborn Katie and I tripped on the edge of the rug, and fell and dropped her, etc... It never happened, nor did it even come close to happening, but once I had that image in my head, I just couldn't have an area rug in her room!

Okay, so I'm getting mentally prepared for my long awaited sinus surgery tomorrow morning at 9:15. We have to be there at 7:45 which means poor Katie will be dropped off at her pre-school at about 7am! She's never been there that early before!

Because this is outpatient surgery, we should be home early to mid afternoon. Perhaps even earlier. It's hard to say for sure. I'm sure Regina will post an update as soon as she can.

And, if you're interested in browsing, here's my ENT's web site: Dr. Lisa Mulligan

Corporate Logo Quiz

Check this out, it's fun:

http://money.aol.com/special/corporate-logos-quiz

The Most Obnoxious Pain Pounding Without Mercy

Regina got home last night around 10pm from her business trip to NYC. This morning she woke up with a headache and eventually ended up taking an Imitrex, which worked. She had a productive day working from home today.

I also woke up with a headache today. I knew I would because every time I changed position during the night, I could feel the most obnoxious pain pounding without mercy between my eyes and just below my eyes, behind the cheeks. After taking numerous medicines upon waking, I finally felt pretty good around 1-2pm. I fear the same thing will happen tomorrow, but am hopeful it won't. Just one more day until sinus surgery. I am soooo looking forward to the relief it's supposed to bring. Not immediately, I know, but once I am healed.

We ate dinner tonight at Los Cabos in North Bend near the outlet mall. We recently discovered it and have yet to order something we don't like. I'm happy as long as they offer shredded beef burritos, which they do. After dinner we headed out to visit with Mel, Courtney and the babies. They are all doing well.

Moist Bran Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter or margarine,softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1-1/3 cups and 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips or raisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add molasses; mix well. Combine the dry ingredients. Combine eggs and buttermilk; add to creamed mixture alternately with dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yields 12 muffins.

Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/26/2008

Too much chocolate... Is that even possible?

Apparently so. I baked a couple of bran muffins today and tested one before trying it out on Katie. I didn't mind it, but it was, well, bran and it tasted like bran. I thought for sure Katie wouldn't eat it, so a little while ago I baked a couple more and put mini chocolate chips in them. I didn't really know how many to put into just two muffins, but apparently I put too many! Katie said she liked the muffins, but she didn't eat much because they had too much chocolate in them! Well, I have to admit I agreed with her. I couldn't stand more than a couple of bites! Okay, lesson learned. I'll probably try it again tomorrow morning, but with fewer chips.

Katie and Goofy

The Easter Bunny brought Katie this Goofy toy because she's been doing such a good job on the potty. As you can see, she's keeping up with her vow to wear tights everyday forever and ever! The poses she comes up with when I get the camera out crack me up sometimes. All I ask her to do is give me a nice smile, not too big, and this is how she translates that request!

Regina flew to NYC today for work and will return Tuesday evening late. She'll stay here and work from home on Wednesday and Thursday since it would be silly to drive back to Portland for those two days only to drive back up here on Thursday evening for my sinus surgery on Friday. I have to be at the hospital first thing on Friday, 7:45am, I think. Regina is taking next week off to be here for me since I won't be feeling so great. I'm getting nervous about how awful I will feel right afterward. I'm imagining it will be just one big horrible sinus headache. I just hope the pain medication works well, or knocks me out so I sleep through it.

Today I'm beginning the process of organizing things so Regina can easily find whatever she needs while I'm out of it next week. In particular, I need to have the pantry stocked and the refrigerator purged of expired food. I found several containers of yogurt that expired back in November!

Katie is outgrowing her clothes and many of the things in her dresser no longer fit. I need to get those out of there so Regina won't have to worry about remembering which fit and which don't.

Also today I want to try this recipe I have for bran muffins. I'm hoping Katie will like them for breakfast. I'm looking for ways to get her to do poopies in the morning before going to school so we reduce the risk of her having messes waiting for us when we pick her up in the afternoon. She had a great potty weekend, mostly though because we were diligent about making sure she sat on the potty several times throughout the day. At school however, they aren't always able to remind her with the same regularity that we do. So, if I can get her to go in the morning before school, we have less chances for messes in the undies!

Easter 2008

Okay, all I need is a few minutes to myself so I can get this post done, but it's not sounding good. I just overheard Regina downstairs talking about some sort of mess Katie just made, something's ruined and Mommy's not going to be happy. Hmm, I think I'll stay up here for a while...

Anyway, Easter this year started off not so great. Both Regina and I woke up with headaches, although she seemed to be handling hers much better than I was. It took me about an hour or more to feel like participating. Meanwhile, Katie found her Easter basket left by the Easter bunny and she was thrilled with her treats. Chocolate for breakfast this morning!

Of course, it was raining today, as predicted, so we did an egg hunt inside the house. I took a little bit of video, but doubt it will be very good due to poor lighting inside. Oh well. Maybe next year.

This afternoon, Katie attended a birthday party for one of her classmates. It was held at My Gym in Bellevue and was a great way for the kids to work out all the "crazies" from all the Easter candy! She had a great time.

Okay well, sounds like I should go downstairs and see what the mess is all about. Ugh.

Happy Birthday Bonnie!

Phish Food Fridays

Lately we've begun a fun family tradition where the three of us share a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food on Friday after dinner. We don't even need bowls - just three spoons! Yum! Have you tried it?

Gardener for a Day

Oh dear God! What was I thinking? Planting and transplanting shrubs is hard work! Now I know why I don't do it very often, if at all. Okay fine, I've never done it before, I admit it. It's always been Regina who has done this type of work around the house, not me. I don't even offer to help her! Even so, I had this grand idea that today I could do it.

I went to a nursery in Issaquah this morning and bought three shrubs that should do well in the soggier locations in our yard, to replace the shrubs (Skip Laurels) originally planted there not doing well because they need well-drained soil. The folks at the nursery gave me several recommendations and I picked one. They also gave me instructions on how to plant them.

You know what though, I didn't even think about what I was going to do with the dying bushes, once I dug them up. We don't pay for the trash company to take away yard waste, so I ended up transplanting them on the side of the house (where potential buyers won't immediately see them...) but I think the soil there is well-drained. What have I got to lose? If they die, they were dying anyway. It'll be a miracle if they actually make it. But, you never know. I did notice some new growth on them, so maybe there is hope.

But, oh my God! Something else I didn't take into account was that digging up the Skip Laurels would be such back-breaking activity! Beneath the quarter inch of mulch, the ground is totally saturated, wet clay, I discovered. I swear, it weighed a ton. But really, I wouldn't be surprised if what I dug up weighed 100 lbs or more. I thought I would never get them out of the ground, let alone moved to another location in the yard. A wheelbarrow would have been helpful, but all I had at my disposal was a moving dolly. In the end I was able to do it, but boy was it heavy.

So now, I have two new shrubs in place of two of the dying shrubs. I have one more to do, but that'll have to wait. After I was done with those two, I collapsed on the back steps and spent some time admiring my work (like I always do after I've completed something) and it was almost as if I actually expected the new plants to start growing and sprout leaves right in front of me. When I realized I wasn't going to get that kind of instant gratification (duh), I cleaned up and came inside.

Mel, I am definitely calling you when I do this again, since I'm not done! If you weren't having company arrive today, I think I would have summoned you over here today! Next time though, for sure.

But, the best part of the day for me was lunch with Mel, Courtney and the babies at Red Robin. Thank you so much for inviting me! I would drop anything I'm doing in an instant to be with you guys.

Tights, skirts and dresses, forever!

Katie wants to wear tights every day, she tells me. So yesterday on the way home from Mel and Courtney's, I stopped at the North Bend outlet mall and looked for tights and skirts or dresses. I found four pair of tights at the Children's Place along with several skirts there and at Gymboree. She was so excited and of course had to wear one of the new outfits today to school.

This morning after dropping Katie off at school I went over to Ritz Camera and placed an order for a couple of photo enlargements. I arrived about 10 minutes before they opened, so ventured into REI next door to kill some time. On the clearance rack I found such an adorable sweater, the last one, in MY size, regularly priced at $48, marked down to EIGHT bucks! Well, I can't pass that up. Woo hoo! What a RUSH!

Visited with Mel, Courtney and Babies Today

Snapped these shots on my way home from visiting with Mel, Courtney and the babies. It's so beautiful here. ~ Sigh ~ I can't believe we have to move!

Anyway, Mel, Courtney and both babies are doing well. I could tell the babies have grown since I last saw them a week ago. And Mel's belly is almost gone after only two weeks. Good grief! MY belly isn't gone yet and it's been over 4 years! I guess I can no longer blame it on the pregnancy, can I?

Chicken Ham Casserole (this is the one Katie loved)

1 package (6 ozs.) long grain and wild rice mix
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 cup cubed, cooked ham
1 can (10 3/4 ozs.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (12 ozs.) evaporated milk
1 cup (4 ozs.) shredded Colby cheese
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook rice mix according to package directions. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with chicken and ham. In a bowl, combine the soup, milk, Colby cheese and pepper; pour over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Visiting the Oregon Zoo in Portland

Here's a short video of our trip to the zoo in Portland over the weekend.



Music by Machete Avenue - Instrumental

Back from Portland

Katie and I are home. Got here yesterday evening and brought the kitties with us. Katie is so pleased to have them here, as am I. It was lonely without them.

They seem to recognize the place as their home and have been at ease since we got here. Today they followed me around a lot and therefore got a lot of my attention.

Last night I found Katie on the couch in the family room, watching TV, with Hudson in her lap. She was about as happy as she could be.




This afternoon I found them napping in the rocker in Katie's bedroom. I'd never seen them nap there before, so I guess they're exploring.

Yesterday we did end up going to the zoo in Portland and hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning I'll post a short video of that.



Here is a picture of Katie having a good time in the petting zoo. She and I spent a good amount of time in there, which she enjoyed so much she didn't want to leave. She loves animals, that's for sure.

Oh, and I am shocked to report that this evening, for the first time in Katie's 4 years of life, I heard her say, and I quote, "Mom, thanks for making such a great dinner tonight. I loved it and want to eat it every day, forever! I'm so glad I tried it." Well, I thought I would NEVER hear her say anything even remotely close to that! She is such a picky eater and usually refuses to try new things, which makes meal planning frustrating and well, quite frankly, boring. But, I went out on a limb tonight and made something new and I'm still in shock over her response. I'll post the recipe later. It's a very easy-to-make casserole.

A Friend Asked For Advice As A Gift

She wanted to share her friend's life experience with her daughter as she turns 18. Here is my response.

Life Beyond Seventeen

You already know...

... right from wrong. Just remember to take time to think before you act especially if everyone else is doing it.
... that you make mistakes. Just remember that it is part of learning and that the only mistake you can make is not correcting one.
... there are numerous paths that you can take on any journey. Just remember to find your own.
... how to communicate with others. Just remember to think about the other person's position before you speak.
... that people are different. Just remember to have an open heart to those differences.
... trying is the best way to learn. Just remember that it is okay to fail as you usually learn more from your failures.
... when you are right. Just remember that sometimes it is better to get the results that you want instead of trying to be right.
... that your expectations may not match other's expectations. Just remember that you need to tell others what your expectations are or they will not know that they haven't met them.
... that life will challenge you. Just remember that you are stronger than you think.
... pure joy. Just remember back to when you were younger and how the simplest things gave you joy.
... that you will succeed. Just remember that success is defined differently for everyone and that you only have to achieve your own definition of success.
... you are special. Just remember that when someone else is telling you differently.
... that your life is about to change. Just remember to embrace change as life is full of changes - some planned and some not.
... how to live. Just remember to do it!

Regina

Horton Hears a Who!

We just got back from the 6:45 showing and it was a hit for four-year-olds and forty-somethings alike. Unlike the last two movies we took Katie to, we actually got to see it through to the end! It's quite an entertaining movie which had us all laughing out loud on numerous occasions. Sometimes though, I have to admit I found myself laughing when I might not have, but I was so tickled by the kid behind us, I couldn't resist.

Regina and I are in our jammies and Katie is procrastinating. She's finding any number of reasons why it isn't time for her to get ready for bed. Well, okay. It's the weekend.

Tomorrow we're thinking about going to the zoo before Katie and I head back to Seattle. It's supposed to be a rain-free, sunny day. Unlike today which was mostly cloudy with frequent rain showers. Instead of doing something outdoors, we found a really great outlet mall and did a little shopping. We all enjoyed ourselves today.

Katie and I are in Portland for the Weekend

We just arrived about 30 minutes ago after making pretty good time driving. We didn't stop at all and hit only a couple of slowdowns in Portland, which allowed us to get here in about 3 1/2 hours. Not bad.

Regina's not home from work yet, but as soon as she gets here we're off to eat at Macaroni Grill which is right across the street. It's even within walking distance. I always get the same thing - Pasta Milano without the sundried tomatoes. It is soooo good. Katie likes going there mostly because they cover the table with a huge sheet of white paper and she can draw on the whole thing if she wants to.

Nothing much planned for the weekend. Playing it by ear, I guess.

Black and Decker Power Scrubber

I love this product! I use it all the time now to clean bathtubs and showers. Especially now that the house is on the market and I have to keep it clean and ready to show. I ordered mine online at target.com, but I don't see it available there right now. It is on Amazon.com though, and other web sites, I'm sure.

Click the image to read more about it.

That's SO offensive!

This morning, Katie announced to me that she had to go to the bathroom very, very badly. So, I moved into action so as to get her on the potty quickly. (We've been having trouble with messes lately.) I took the stuffed toy mermaid out of her hands and put her down next to the toilet so Katie's hands would be free to hold herself up on the seat. After Katie got situated on the toilet, she looked at me with disgust and said, "Momma, that was SO offensive!" I said, "What did you say? Offensive?" Well, my goodness! I'd never heard her say offensive before! Apparently she thought I was rough with her mermaid and so I had to apologize.

Dinnertime turned into quite a production!

Katie and the Easter Bunny

Umm, could you please get a little CLOSER?

Last night I was fixing dinner and when I turned around, noticed Katie in the family room sitting up on the built-in shelving unit, just inches away from the TV. Hadn't seen her do that before, so had to snap a picture - of course. What is it about TVs that cause kids to want to get as close as possible to it?

Yesterday afternoon was fun and relaxing as I visited with Mel and Courtney while holding their babies for a couple of hours. Mel's parents came over later in the afternoon so I enjoyed their company too for a little bit before having to leave to pick up Katie from pre-school.

I continue to have head and sinus pain, but thanks to the Prednisone my ENT prescribed it's not quite as intense as it was this time last week. If I can get involved in something to distract me, I can forget about the pain for a little while anyway.

Our Little Artist

Katie really loves to draw now and I am always amazed by what she creates. Planes, ships, flowers, people, shapes, transformers, machines... are all her favorites! And the stories that go with the pictures are just as creative.

She really loves singing, drawing and dancing. I wonder every day what she will become and I can't wait to see it.

Spinach Casserole

3 eggs
2 tbsp flour
10 ounces chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
Butter or margarine
4 oz. cottage cheese
6 oz. shredded swiss cheese
1 small onion chopped (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup)
4 large mushrooms chopped (about 3/4 cup)
garlic salt to taste (just a couple of shakes)
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs and flour until smooth. If using fresh spinach, saute in olive oil with the onion and mushrooms for 3-5 minutes. If using frozen spinach, cook in water and drain, while you saute the onions and mushrooms in olive oil. Add all ingredients to egg mixture and stir. Coat the inside surface of a 10x10 pan with butter. Pour mixture in and bake 30 minutes. Let set after baking for about 10 minutes. Serves 4.

Note: May be made a day ahead and cooked at serving time. Broccoli may be substituted for spinach.

Awww, he's so sweet!

Look who came up to the back door this morning! Katie was delighted. He appeared to be friendly and cared for, so she and I went out on the back patio and spent a few minutes with him. When he realized we weren't going to feed him, he decided to move along.

Regina drove back to Portland this afternoon, but not before we visited Mel, Courtney, Stef and the babies. We ate lunch with them, held babies and just hung out. Being over there is like a time warp, I have to say. Time passes so quickly when we're there, for some reason. Regina left at about 2pm, while Katie and I hung out for a couple more hours without even realizing it. When we arrived at home, I got confirmation that Regina had made it safely to her comfy apartment down there and was in the process of getting ready for the upcoming work week.

The daylight is getting longer, which allowed us to go over to one of the neighborhood parks and play with kids who were also out. Katie just adores our next door neighbor, Tyler, who is a year younger than she is. She was so excited to find him at the park with his parents. So, they played for a while.

Now we're back inside and Katie needs a bath. Time to begin the bedtime routine. I'm tired.

Video of Jack and Avery - March 7, 2008

Dinner at Courtney and Mel's

Regina drove up here this afternoon to spend the weekend with Katie and me. As soon as she got here we picked up Katie from school and headed over to Mel and Courtney's for dinner. Regina and Katie had yet to meet Avery and Jack and I, of course, was anxious to see them again. Stef (Mel's sister) was there too, which was a treat since we don't often get to see her!

(Courtney took these pictures. Nice job!)

Bamboo Sheets

I recently bought a set of bed sheets made out of bamboo fibers and they are my new favorite sheets. Visit this link to check it out for yourself:

http://www.luxuryhousingtrends.com/archives/2006/07/bamboo_sheets.php

I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=111451)

Meatballs in Spaghetti Sauce

1 egg, beaten
3/8 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup tomato juice or spaghetti sauce
2 tbsp parsley
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt or garlic salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
olive oil for the frying pan

Combine all ingredients except the meat. Add ground beef. Divide meat mixture into about 32 balls and fry in a little bit of oil until cooked through, turning periodically.

Simmer meatballs in your favorite spaghetti sauce for at least a couple of hours prior to serving.

Katie Got a Package Today!

Grandma Kathleen (my Mom) sent her a box of Easter goodies and a t-shirt from Disney World that made Katie shriek with joy!

I Feel SO Much Better Today!

It's not completely gone, but most of the pain that has taken residence behind my forehead, eyes and cheeks for weeks now, is pretty dull this morning. Wow! I had called my ENT yesterday and basically begged for some relief. She recommended Mucinex and a prescription for Prednisone. It's been less than 24 hours and I feel pretty darn good this morning! Unbelievable!

Last night before going to bed, I snapped this picture of Katie in her bed, which lately has been an air mattress (kid size) on the floor in my room. She currently is going through that "I'm scared of my room" phase and our solution was to bring her in our room until it passes. That's Daisy and Pluto she's sleeping with, her current faves.

What a Great Day!

Even though my head hurt again today, it didn't matter because I got to hold Courtney and Mel's newborns Jack and Avery as much as I wanted! It doesn't get much better than that, does it?



Here are a couple of pictures of Katie this morning before she left for school. Wednesday is dance class day, so she always insists on wearing a dress, and this particular dress is the most twirly one she has. Therefore, it is her favorite for dance class.

So, now it's the end of the day. A little while ago she was in the bathtub and I always tell her that splashing is off limits if the shower curtain is open. But, if I close the shower curtain, she can splash all she wants. Well, she loves that and goes absolutely CRAZY bonkers. She splashes, sings and yells at the top of her lungs, having a wonderful time. So, why is it that I have this overwhelming urge to run in there and demand she stop splashing? I admit I peek in there to make sure water isn't getting out onto the floor, and I do remind her periodically to stay on her bottom. No standing and jumping, etc. But, I really have a hard time being within earshot of the splashing! I guess I'm just conditioned to expect a huge, wet mess when I hear that kind of noise coming from a bathtub and I can't shake it even though I know I've closed the curtains and have given her permission.

Well, you'll be happy to know there was no water mess. It was a successful splashing session. After her bath, I helped her into her jammies and she wandered over to her nightstand. She opened the drawer where we keep all of her costume jewelry. She took out several necklaces, bracelets and rings and put them all on at the same time. Then she stopped and thought for a second before saying to me, "Oh no, this is too much. Too much jewelry will make me sick." I wondered why she would say that and realized she probably came to this conclusion because of the other recent discussions we've had about how too much of something, like candy for instance, will make you sick. Well, (sorry Gina), I chuckled and assured her that too much jewelry can't possibly make you sick and that a girl can NEVER have too much jewelry! (cha-ching) That's the (very important) exception to the rule, I say.

Onion Chopping Made Easy!

I love this gadget for chopping onions quickly. Visit this link to check it out:

http://www.progressiveintl.com/proddetail.asp?ID=GOC-300&Cat=Gadgets&PerPage=1&Page=4&PageNum=2

Mexican Bean Salad

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 dash hot pepper sauce

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.
3. Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables and mix well. Chill thoroughly and serve cold.

My Face Hurts

Today the pain just lingers behind my forehead, eyes, and cheeks. Nothing is giving me relief, except the 60-minute nap I just took. Makes me wish I could just go into a coma now and wake up about 8 weeks after surgery when it's healed. My sinus surgery isn't until March 28. I should go try breathing in steam and see if that helps. Okay well, hope I have something more cheerful to write about next time.

The Twins are Here!

Our friends Mel and Courtney had their twins early in the morning on March 2.

Jack William Cunniff was born at 03:35 AM, weighing in at a healthy 6 lbs 8 oz and 18 1/2 inches long.

Avery Dale Cunniff was born at 04:01 AM, weighing 6 lbs 3 oz and 18 1/4 inches long.

Today I went to visit them in the hospital and took some video, which I have uploaded for your viewing pleasure!



Music by Nicolette Larson - Starlight, Starbright

Two City Lifestyle

It is hard to believe that we have been running between Portland and Seattle for three months now. December flew by and with all the newness of the job, surroundings and "two-city lifestyle" it didn't even seem to be much effort. They came down one weekend; I went up one weekend. January went even faster as it was full of house staging activities, and Katie's Sunday party schedule. I sure thought we mastered the two-city lifestyle!

Then February hit. The travel wasn't too bad but now the house was on the market and Katie was more in tune with what Sunday really meant -- part of the family was driving back to a different home. I also think it is harder on Suzie and Katie now that the cats are with me (and harder on the cats, too, as they love the attention they get from the two cat lovers in the family).

It is now March and we struggle with how to keep doing this. Katie has such a great school teacher and is really doing well there. Everything is so much easier in Seattle as we know how to find or get anything we need. I keep learning new areas in Portland, but we are not really sure where we will end up. I have a hard time even thinking about putting Katie in school here only to move her once we find out what part of town we will really settle into for good. So, for now, we live for the weekends.

We got spoiled as our last three moves have been easy -- 1st day listed, 32nd day listed and 5th day listed. We just hit the 21 day mark -- with little activity. We know that the market is about 90 to 180 days but you don't really think your house will be the one that is on the market the longest. There are so many families in our neighborhood that have been transferred outside of Washington so I am sure that doesn't help either -- so many signs, so little activity.

It is 2:20 and they have been gone for about 30 minutes. I must say... it is easier for me to be the one driving. Sunday afternoons and evening are the hardest for me after they leave. Once I get into the week I spend extra hours at work and the days blend together until Friday. I guess it is time to get ready for the week in Portland...

Getting Ready to Look at Houses

Katie is completely, totally wound up! Regina says we should let her go so she gets it out of her system before we spend the day in the car and walking through houses. Okay, that makes sense. I just feel sorry for the cats who get chased around and the neighbor below us who hears everything, I imagine.

Like I said, she's running around like crazy and next thing we knew her clothes were off! She's been streaking through the apartment for the last 20 minutes. Finally she rested to eat a little breakfast. That lasted only a few minutes though.