Happy Birthday Alex (Dad, Grandpa)!

Day 3 of 21-Day Cleanse

On Monday I began a cleanse I read about in Kathy Freston's book Quantum Wellness. She recommends doing this cleanse for anywhere from 7 to 21 days, at least once a year. It's really pretty simple. Just cut all of these things out of your diet: caffeine, alcohol, gluten, sugar(artificial sweeteners too), and all animal products (meats and dairy products).

So, you're probably wondering just what IS on the list of foods that I CAN eat. It seems like there is nothing left, after excluding all those things. Basically fresh, whole foods and water. That is, fruits, vegetables, non-gluten grains like rice, beans and nuts.

This is my third day of doing this cleanse and I'm doing okay, considering. I love coffee, so I really miss that. I tried drinking decaf, but since I can't put any sort of sweetener in it, I've chosen to just not have coffee at all while I do this. The other thing I really miss is sugar. I love the sweets, which is just one of the many reasons why I've battled my weight all my life.

Yesterday I woke up with a throbbing headache which I'm blaming on caffeine withdrawal. Imitrex gave me some relief, as did other pain medicines taken throughout the day. I went to bed feeling okay last night, although it wasn't completely gone. This morning I woke up with the same sort of headache, but less intense. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up headache-free.

Multnomah Falls

We decided this afternoon to drive along the Columbia River Gorge to see the Multnomah Falls.

Pumpkin Patch

Today we spent the afternoon at Lee Farms in Tualatin, not far from our apartment. They had some kiddie rides, most of which Katie went on and enjoyed them all. They also had lots of animals, some of which we got to pet, like the baby chicks. Only grownups were allowed to pick them up, so I held one in my hand while Katie stroked its fuzzy little back. One of them didn't appreciate being held very much and tried to jump out of my hands until Katie touched him and he settled down almost immediately. We now call her "the chick whisperer"! I was impressed with how gentle she was with such a tiny, fragile animal.

They also had a litter of puppies. We counted 7 of them. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to touch them, so we just watched as the Momma dog nursed them. They were still pretty small. I don't think they were walking yet.

We also enjoyed some treats they had available. Donuts and kettle corn! Yum.

Katie, Regina and I picked out a couple of pumpkins, which we made into jackolanterns. Here's a picture of our creations... Regina did the first one and mine is the second one pictured here.

Happy Birthday Edy!

We love you!

Baby Gina and Her Sister Sue

A few years ago I had Regina's family's home movies transferred from 8mm film to digital cassette tapes. Then I transferred the footage from digital cassette to DVD. I made copies of the DVDs and Regina's parents gave a set to each of their kids. I think it's so wonderful they can now look back at their childhood so easily, anytime they feel like it! It's a good thing we did it when we did because the 8mm film was certainly suffering damage due to the natural aging process. Eventually, it would be impossible to transfer.

These pictures I've posted here are still-frames I extracted from the footage after it was transferred to digital. The bald-headed toddler is baby Regina and with her is Sue, her older sister. In the last picture Regina is being held by her Mom. The year is either 1961 or 1962.

Birthday Party for a 4-Year-Old

Katie went to a birthday party this afternoon for one of her friends. It was held at KidzBounce in Preston, WA. I love parties there because it really gets all the "crazies" out!

On the way to the party, Katie was so proud of herself because she pointed out that I was about to go in the wrong direction to get to the "bouncy room", as we like to call it. I was sitting at a light, positioned to go straight, when she said, "Momma, you're supposed to be going that way," as she pointed with her thumb to the left. I immediately realized she was right! She knew that we needed to go left to get to the bouncy room and that if we wanted to go to her "old" school, we would go straight. And, she knew I was in the wrong lane to go left at that light. That was the first time she'd ever given me any clue that she knows how to get to places when we're out driving. I guess she DOES pay attention, even though it sure doesn't seem like it most of the time!

Looking Back - May 3, 1966

Two-year-old Suzie already in love with cats!

Hudson, Where Are You?

Katie and I went out to get some lunch at Red Robin (which we both enjoyed) and then to the bookstore for some new books. We ended up at Target before coming home. Anyway, when we left we closed both bedroom doors as the cats have been running and jumping on the furniture and knocking over things.

When we came back after about three hours, we didn't see either cat. As I was putting some kitchen things away, Mater came flying out from behind the microwave on the counter (which by the way made me jump). But where was Hudson?

Katie searched under the couch and chair, I looked in the bedrooms -- although we were sure they were both out when we left. After giving up -- worried he ran out the door when we were unloading -- I decided we earned a ghost (the Halloween version of peeps). As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed the drawer to the ovwn was open. We got a flash light but nothing was in the drawer. I decided to pull the draw all the way out and there was Hudson -- under the oven. He came out and I put the drawer back. I noticed that there is about a three inch by three inch "hole" in the corner base board (the oven/stove is near the corner and where the cabinet meets the corner and the oven meets the corner is open). I am still not sure how he fit!

Fun times!

Katie & Regina's Saturday

As you saw from Suzie's post, Katie and I are in Portland spending the weekend together without Suzie. I have to say it is a little weird to be watching Katie all by myself for so long! A day, a night - no big deal... but Friday, Saturday and Sunday plus Monday morning...!

We are having a great time... but Katie keeps talking about getting things for Mama! Our weekend has been full of playing computer games and the matching game, some TV shows, eating dinner (Friday night) at MacDonald's, reading books, running around, and going to a movie (Beverly Hills Chihuahua). By the way, she loved the movie and so did I. She is already asking for it on DVD.

Hopefully, tomorrow, the weather will be better and we can play outside. We found a great shopping area on the way to the movies so now this area (Lake Oswego) is starting to feel like home. I am not sure where the parks are but we will drive around and see if we can find one. We just found a great one by the old apartment so I hope we can find a good one here..

Katie needs help as her dinosaur got hurt and she needs to take care of the bleeding (pretend of course) which means I need to get her a wipe and an ice pack! And, some gummy bears, too!

The Wind is Howling

I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store when all of the sudden everything went black. In that instant, there was no noise, nobody moved. My first thought was that I wouldn't be able to buy my groceries and I really needed them for dinner tonight! Then, I realized that if the power failed here at the grocery store, then it could possibly be out at the house too and that would be no fun for me when I got home! And then I wondered, are they going to ask me to put everything back, if they can't check me out? Isn't it amazing all the things that can cross your mind in a split second? Within a couple of seconds, maybe even less, a few of the lights came back on. The cashier said they have a generator and he could, indeed check us out. Another second later, all the lights came back on. Whew.

I stopped off at the grocery store on my way home from seeing a movie at our favorite theater in Bellevue. I saw Nights in Rodanthe with Richard Gere and Diane Lane. I was in the mood for that sort of movie and I enjoyed it.

I'm here in Seattle for the weekend without Regina and Katie so I can do some cleaning and bring another load of stuff to the apartment in Portland. I haven't taken any of my clothes to the apartment yet and there are some additional things Katie needs too. I just didn't have room in my car last weekend for everything. I don't mind this time to myself, in fact, I completely enjoy it. But it is very quiet except for the howling of the wind. Even the cats are in Portland now, so I have no one to take care of for these couple of days. This is only the second time I've spent the night away from Katie since her birth.

Looking Back - May 3, 1964

Awww, there I am, 2 days old, with my very young parents.

Surely they must have been freaking out a little bit

about what they'd gotten themselves into!

Katie's Last Day at Bright Horizons

For the last two and a half years, Katie has been going to Bright Horizons in Issaquah. It was truly a wonderful experience and their influence on Katie has helped her to become the self-confident, healthy, happy child she is today. Katie loved going to school there and I felt comfortable taking her there everyday.

For her last day, she wanted to take cupcakes in to share with her friends, for a sweet goodbye. Now, I knew that I needed to make sure the cupcakes were peanut-free, but in Katie's class there is a child who is allergic to wheat. So, I needed to make wheat-free, peanut-free cupcakes. Well, that's not a problem for the frosting, but it is a challenge for the cake. I ended up finding a recipe online which turned out really yummy and passed the "kid test". So, if you ever need to make a gluten-free cupcake, try this recipe for yellow cake.

Okay, so I was so proud of myself for accomplishing the task of making a batch of yummy cupcakes that all the kids could eat, even the kid with the wheat allergy. But, my bubble was burst when Katie told me after I picked her up tonight that the child with the wheat allergy is also allergic to eggs! Well, of course the cupcakes had egg in them. Unfortunately, it was not communicated to me that he also had an egg allergy, so he had to eat a popscicle while everyone else ate the cupcakes. I felt terrible when I heard that. Katie said she told her friend she was so, so sorry, but her Mom didn't know he couldn't eat eggs. Well, I suppose he is used to that happening. I was just hoping we could avoid a situation where he gets left out because of his allergies.

Here are some pictures I took of Katie and her friends today, on her last day of school at Bright Horizons in Issaquah.

Camping With Our Friends

It was a perfect weekend for camping. We went to the Wenatchee Confluence State Park with our best buddies, Mel and Court, and their 7-month-old babies, Jack and Avery. They brought their little dog, named Katie, who was a constant source of entertainment for our Katie who insisted on being with her as much as possible. Our Katie also had fun digging in the dirt and making volcanoes. She's definitely a tomboy!

Of course, we completely enjoyed visiting with Mel and Court, but I also loved having full access to the two babies. What a joy they are!

Camping Time - The Real Kind!

I head up to Seattle tomorrow (Thursday) so that we can take off Friday to go camping with some friends for the weekend. I grew up camping (tent - no trailers) as a kid sometimes on our own as a family and other times with family friends. They were some of the best times we ever had - as far as I am concerned.

While we stayed at campgrounds -- yes with electricity and showers -- we never brought a TV and cooked on an open fire and camping stove. Suzie and I have camped on and off over the years, too. I have always insisted that we tent camp with no TV.

We have grown from a 2 person tent to a 4 person tent to now a 7 person tent. When they say 4 person they mean just enough room for four people to sleep. No extra room and I need some room to move around and keep my clothes in the tent! Katie likes the new tent because you can put up a wall to divide it. She has only been backyard camping with me in the 4 person tent so this will be a new adventure for her. She is excited, but I don't think she realizes what it will actually be like camping outside the entire time. I am sure that she will love it and want to go again.

As I get older, I realize that I am not the best at sleeping on the ground. We are bringing an air mattress for the first time! Katie will bring her Aero travel bed, too!

We will upload pictures when we get back!

Driving Toward Mt. Ranier - Sept 23

Relax and enjoy!

Here's a 3-minute video
of the beautiful Pacific Northwest...

Katie Is A Three Blanket Gal!

Just before Katie was born I searched for the "perfect" blanket for her. I actually found two different kinds but soon realized after she was born that the soft, Oprah recommended one, was her favorite. As a baby, she would rub it on her cheek and then her belly to put herself to sleep. Later, it was her blanket for "good night time."

Worried that she would be without it, or it would get lost, we bought a smaller version of it for the car -- thinking we could keep one in her crib and one in the car. Well, Katie had other ideas. She always wanted both! So, we had to carry around both blankets. As she got older, the smaller one was placed on her pillow for her head and the larger one covered her up.

This past summer, we vacationed on the East Coast and visited her cousins - Paige, Katelyn and Mathew. They gave her their Care Bear blanket so now she needs all three! The Care Bear blanket now is in the bed with her, too. Yikes!

TV Starts Again!

I am not sure if I am as excited about all the new shows starting or just the reality shows starting up again! Today it is Dancing with the Stars but Survivor and the Amazing Race start this week too!

I had a weekend of not feeling well... started with a weird headache all day Saturday and then Sunday I felt dizzy for most of the day. The good news is that I at least felt better when Suzie, her Mom and Sister, and Katie were here. Katie and I spent Sunday together while the rest of them drove up the Columbia river and saw some falls. I can't wait to make the drive, too, before the weather rolls in and we can't make the drive. They drove back today and were thinking of stopping at Mt. St. Helens. Since I haven't heard from them I am assuming they did.

I went to the doctors today to check the pressure in my ears (need to be healthy for camping this coming weekend). Turns out all looks good. My tubes are not formed "correctly" (I am not the only ones) and so the pressure I feel is like being up in an airplane. I can't pop my ears very well and she said this is why. Right now, the pressure is just building up. It could indirectly cause my headaches as the pain may be causing me to tense up (thereby giving me tension headaches that cluster into a migraine). So, for now, I take Sudafed and she gave me a muscle relaxer to help me sleep and relax those neck and shoulder muscles.

It was great to see everyone and I am looking forward to everyone being together in October. Next weekend is the big camping trip so I am sure there will be pictures forthcoming soon!

Off to watch some TV.

Multnomah Falls

My Mom, sister and I spent an afternoon driving along the Columbia River Gorge and came across many waterfalls. This one was the most impressive.

Columbia River Gorge

My Mom (Kathleen), my sister (Bonnie) and I took a drive along the Columbia River Gorge, even though it was misty and gray outside. It was pretty, even without the sun, so I can't wait to drive it again on a sunny, cool autumn day when the leaves are changing.



Our first stop was at the Viewpoint Inn for lunch. The building was constructed in 1924 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Our lunch was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. I'd go back anytime! Mom took this picture of it.

We kept on driving, came across numerous waterfalls and about a gazillion photo ops. The most impressive of the waterfalls was the Multnomah Falls. At the gift shop, I bought a huge poster of it for Katie. It stands about 6 feet tall and looks great on the wall here in our Portland apartment. Mom was our photographer during the drive and took this picture of the falls.

Ron and Kathleen's Visit ~ Day Two

After I dropped Katie off at school, ran a couple of errands and returned home to shower, we all ate some lunch and headed toward Seattle today. We ended up visiting the Impressionist show at the Seattle Art Museum. It was quite enjoyable. Afterward, we walked a couple of blocks over to the Pike Place Market. We looked around and ate an early dinner there at Lowell's where we enjoyed a view of the sound while we ate.

Ron returns home tomorrow, unfortunately. Mom will stay for another six days. After we drop Ron off at the airport, we'll continue driving on down to Portland to spend the rest of the weekend with Regina.

Ron and Kathleen's Visit ~ First Full Day

I took Katie to school and we (Kathleen -my Mom, Ron - her husband, and Bonnie - my sister) all piled into the jeep and headed East. We were all hungry and opted to eat out instead of at home. It's more fun, afterall! I wanted them to try Twedes Cafe in North Bend. I enjoyed the fish and chips, while they each tried one of the 26 different hamburgers offered on the menu. They call it their Hamburgers A to Z. I'm not a big burger fan, so I'll just take their word for it that they're good.

Then, we got on I-90 East and ended up at Snoqualmie Pass. There we just drove around a couple of the exits, admired the beautiful vacation homes, and walked around Alpental even though the facilities are currently closed to the public.

Around dinnertime we picked up Katie and grilled salmon at home. It was a perfect way to end a day of showing Mom, Ron and Bonnie some of the scenery we get to enjoy every day living here.

I wonder which apartment is on fire? Oh, no.

I drove home tonight from work tonight - my first time -and as I was driving up the hill to my turn I could smell smoke. I was talking with Sue and thought to myself I wonder which apartment is on fire as there are apartment complexes all over the place. As I turned onto Jefferson Parkway and worked my way to the top (where the complex is located) I thought the smoke and smell died down. I was just thinking - well it is not me - when I turned into the complex and saw all the fire trucks.

I quickly got off with Sue and tried to find a place to park as there were at least four fire trucks in front of my building (and beyond) blocking the road and my path to my parking spot. After finding a parking spot, I walked towards my building. Suzie, Katie and Bonnie had already gone home (they arrived safely) so I knew they were safe. But, was it my apartment?

After getting closer, I saw people walking past my building and to the building on fire. I didn't walk too close to it, but it looked under control but an ambulance was coming in so someone was hurt. Well, I thought I should at least go check in on the apartment so here I am.

Safe and sound. What a first night by myself!

Preschool Test Drive

We're spending an extra night in Portland this weekend so Katie and I can spend tomorrow morning (Monday) at her new preschool. There are three classrooms for the preschoolers and they want to make sure Katie is placed where she'll fit in best, so they invited us to come in for a couple of hours prior to her first day of school. Katie can "test drive" each classroom so hopefully on Oct 1 when she begins attending, we'll already have determined which classroom will be best for her.

We'll head back to Seattle as soon as we're done at school. Hopefully we can begin driving right after lunch.

On The Move Again

It is moving weekend, again, as I move into a bigger corporate apartment so that Suzie and Katie can join me in Portland. This one is in Lake Oswego so I am excited to learn a new area. I have now lived in Beaverton, Hillsboro and soon Lake Oswego. I really like the Hillsboro location for walking, shopping and eating, but the apartment is very noisy (and hot as I get direct afternoon sun without air conditioning).

The new apartment is in Mountain Park so it is higher in elevation and full of trees. I can't easily see shopping but have already found a grocery store. It will be a new adventure for sure! Suzie and Katie will be down at the end of the month as Katie starts school on October 1st. Everyone is coming down this weekend to help and see the new place.

We will have great weather for the move - 80s and sunny, but I have to say I am not looking forward to the actual moving. I mostly have to move clothes and personal items, but we have a few things that are heavy and bulky that we moved down here so as to not have them in the house for showing. Plus, there are Christmas stuff and a tree to move, too!

I will send out address and phone information via email once I get settled!

Finally, Relief!

Yesterday Katie, Bonnie and I left Portland around 3pm. I was debating what to do about my lingering head pain. I decided we needed to stop in Bellevue at the Overlake ER on our way home. The pain in my head was the worst when I moved around and/or sat upright. When I would lie down, it was okay. So, I reclined for the whole drive back to Seattle while Bonnie drove and Katie watched her new favorite movie, Robots, on her portable DVD player in the back seat.

It seemed to take forever to get treatment at Overlake and I almost didn't stay, thinking I could just come back the next day after dropping Katie off at school. Right as I was getting up to leave, they assigned me to an exam room and took us back. Turned out that they agreed with me that I was probably leaking spinal fluid as a result of the lumbar puncture procedure they performed at the ER last Wednesday. I had two options. Wait for it to heal itself or get an epidural blood patch. Well, the pain was really horrible and prevented me from functioning normally, so I decided not to wait for it to heal on its own. I had the blood patch done.

It was the most amazing thing. I felt relief immediately! My pain went from an 8 out of 10 all the way down to about 2 out of 10 in just the few minutes it took the anesthesiologist to perform the procedure. It was amazing. I was so grateful.

We got home last night around 10:30pm and we all went to bed shortly afterward.

Today I have a very mild headache, but nothing like it was before the blood patch and my lower back aches. My orders are to lie down as much as possible for the 48 hours following the blood patch. That's not a problem though. Katie's in school and Bonnie is here with me. I feel pretty wiped out and therefore don't have energy to do much else anyway. I'm just thankful that whole episode is over.

Okay, time to return to my spot on the couch, next to my two very protective kitties.

Suzie Update

It seemed that things were turning around on Thursday (almost back to normal) when Friday hit. On Thursday, Suzie decided that they would come back down to Portland for a change of scenery. Unfortunately, Friday hit and Suzie felt -- almost -- as bad as she did on Wednesday. The good news was she wasn't throwing up. The bad news was that she still had a headache.

I was worried that it was the result of the spinal tap. Everyone I know who has had that procedure had a terrible headache at the base of the head. I warned her of that when we talked on Thursday but since she was feeling better I assumed she was okay. Anyway, back to Friday, Suzie got Katie off to school and then she and Bonnie headed back to the ER. They, too, thought that since she was better on Thursday that it more than likely meant that it was not due to the spinal tap. However, they didn't see any issues with treating it like it was. There are two options - one meant going to downtown Seattle for treatment or the other was high dosages of caffeine and pain medication.

Suzie really wanted to get away so she opted for the latter and the three of them headed for Portland late Friday afternoon. I didn't know all of this was going on as I would have told them to stay and I would have driven up after work. They hit bad traffic leaving that late but Bonnie hung in there and got them to Portland with the directions given by a drug-induced Suzie!

She looked tired and drugged but pretty good when they arrived. All day Saturday, Bonnie, Katie and I worked to keep quiet and busy. We went to the pool, ran errands, and went to the park. Suzie slept most of the day and didn't say much so were were not really sure how she felt. We just stayed clear and tried to keep the apartment cool and quiet.

It is Sunday morning and she just woke up.... and looks almost like Suzie. She is moving and alert (always a good sign) and just said she doesn't feel bad. Let's hope she is back to new! I guess they will head back up sometime today.

A big thanks to Bonnie -- not sure how Suzie would have gotten through all of this without her help!

Dark, Black, Very Low Day

I woke up feeling awful. Horribly, terribly awful. My head was pounding. It was similar to my normal migraine, but worse. Much worse. And, unlike my normal migraine which is located on the left side of my head, over the temple, this one was the most intense in my forehead. It felt like someone had inserted a knife in my forehead. I thought that perhaps breakfast would help. So I had a banana and some orange juice. Then I fed Katie and got her dressed for school. Right before we were getting into the car, I threw up. Even so, I managed to drive her to school and even got back home safely. I lay down for a while and around noon I asked Bonnie (my sister is here for the summer) to drive me to Urgent Care. They gave me two shots. One to relieve the nausea and the other for pain. After about 20 minutes, the nausea was nearly gone, but there was still pain. They gave me another shot of pain medicine. 20 or 30 minutes after that I still felt the pain, but didn't really care. So they sent me home. When I got home I took an imitrex (migraine medicine) and lay down again. I slept on and off all afternoon. At about 5pm it was time to pick up Katie from school and I could tell all the medicine had worn off and the headache was even worse. I began throwing up again - actually dry heaving since there was nothing left in my stomach. So, I asked Bonnie to drive me to pick up Katie from school and then she took me to the ER. They quickly hooked me up to a lovely cocktail of pain medicine, muscle relaxant, anti-nausea, and anti-inflammitory. Suddenly there was a light at the end of this dreadfully dark tunnel I was in. Bonnie and Katie went out to eat while I hung out in the ER. My doctor was concerned that since this headache was not like my normal migraine, there could be something else going on like brain bleed. So, he ordered a CAT scan and Lumbar puncture. The two tests combined would let us know if there was any bleeding going on in my brain. It would also find any tumors that might be there. Fortunately, there was no bleeding and no tumor. At about 10:30pm, they sent me home. I was groggy and hungry, but feeling pretty good, considering. We all went straight to bed when we got home.

My First Adjustment!

Last week I had a bad, stay-at-home, migraine. It was the kind that I get two to four times a year and they usually end in a trip to the emergency room. I was hoping that after my hysterectomy that these severe ones would go away. The good news is that I have only gotten two in the last year and was able to "ride them out" without going to the emergency room. In both cases, I finally stopped throwing up enough to get some medication down. And, eventually, felt better. Unfortunately, after the one last week, I still never felt 100%.

I noticed over the last few months that my neck was popping and clicking more than I ever remembered. Several co-workers and the doctor I have been seeing in Seattle had recommended I see a chiropractor. The thought of someone cracking my neck seemed a little too scary. So, like most things that don't seem like much fun, I procrastinated about calling and making an appointment. After a weekend of not feeling well after the Wednesday headache , I decided to call the doctor that was recommended to me by someone I trusted in the office.

When I called this morning and said why I wanted to come in, they cleared a 4:30 appointment for me. My first thought was... oh, today? I needed more time to adjust (no pun intended) to the idea. But, I decided to just jump in and take the appointment. She explained everything she was doing and after some massage and sonar treatment, she adjusted my neck and upper back.

I didn't like the sounds of it, but must say it feels better. I will need to go twice a week for a few weeks, but so far it was a positive experience. She also said (I of course knew this) that migraines are hard to end due to the difficulty in finding the exact chemical imbalance -- there are so many. She has found that if you wake up with them that they might be caused by lack of oxygen. She may want me to get tested to see how much oxygen I take in especially during sleep.

So, I can now say that I am cracked!

Long Weekend in Portland

Katie, Bonnie and I drove down to Portland Thursday afternoon. It was a good decision to leave so early. We didn't hit any traffic congestion at all, making it an enjoyable drive.

On Friday, Regina went to work but met us at noon and again at 3pm to tour preschools for Katie. We unanimously agreed about which school we liked better. The clear winner was Touchstone Preschool. Fortunately, it's only about 2-3 miles from the apartment we'll all be living in beginning Oct 1. It's such a relief to have found a suitable preschool for her. She really enjoys going to school, so I don't want to deprive her of that when we move. We're lucky they have an opening for her at Touchstone.

On Saturday, we adults took it easy. However, Katie was full of energy, as usual. So we took her across the street to a brand new playground where she played for a couple of hours and as usual, made new friends along the way. I love how social she is. Then we decided to check out the local COSTCO and can you believe it, we walked out of there with only two items! Amazing.

Today we had a lazy morning. After lunch, we decided to do some shopping at a nearby outlet mall. I was mostly looking for fall clothes for Katie since she's outgrown most everything she wore last year. I love shopping for her though! And today it was especially fun with all the sales.

Tomorrow we'll return to Seattle. I imagine we'll begin driving right after lunch.

Foot Massage

Okay, remember a few days ago I wrote about the plantar fasciitis I am dealing with in my right foot? One of the treatments my doc recommended was to massage the bottom of my foot with a golf ball. Well, yesterday I discovered this wonderful product at REI that provides the same sort of massage, but it's so much better. So, if you're suffering from plantar fasciitis or just tired, worn out feet, check this out for 5 bucks at REI.

Ready for Halloween!

Katie has decided to dress up as Tinkerbell for Halloween this year.
Here she is, trying on her new costume.

Bet you didn't know Tink plays soccer, did you?

One small step, One big pain

One of my souvenirs I brought home with me from the cruise last month was a nasty case of plantar fasciitis. Talk about painful! I ran down the long hall to our cabin, barefooted, and my right foot has been in pain ever since. It's happened to me before, but in the other foot, and it healed within 3 days on its own. This time I've not been so lucky. Last week I finally saw my doctor about it and I've been following his treatment recommendations. Massage with a golf ball followed by ice and also ultrasound treatments. Since starting those things, it's definitely getting better, but it's not yet gone. He also recommended investing in a good pair of shoes designed for plantar fasciitis. Well, that cost a small fortune, but it sure makes walking around all day much more comfortable. I've never spent so much on a pair of shoes, I have to admit and it wasn't easy for me. Regina is much better than I am at spending money, but I think she would say I'm beginning to get the hang of it. She manages our finances and balances the checkbook. From Portland she can follow my trail of debits which is beginning to show that I'm doing a fine job developing my ability to spend! That doesn't mean I don't feel guilt about it, though!

New Schools For Katie

Since Suzie and Katie will be moving down to Portland at the end of September, we started to look at school options. We really like the program she is in up in Seattle (Bright Horizons) but the school here is associated with Nike and IBM. The employees of those companies get the first spots and then it is open to "transfers" (which we are). Unfortunately, they have no openings until June. It was located out of the way for both work and the new apartment so I guess it is better for all to find something new.

I started to look for programs closer to where we will be moving to in Lake Oswego, OR. The move to this apartment will be my third move but I am enjoying getting to learn the different suburbs. I narrowed it down to two - a KinderCare facility and The Touchstone School. Both have a pre-k program and Kindergarten. KinderCare wanted to test Katie to see if she was ready for Kindergarten. We tour both this Friday. It will be fun to see how Katie does "picking out her new school." I worry she will want to stay and play with her new class! Both offered to have Katie try out the school for a day, too.

The nice thing is that both of these schools are close to the new apartment (1.5 and 2.5 miles away) and on the way to the office which is about 7 and 8 miles away from the school. If we like these schools as a pre-k option, both have kindergarten, too.

More after we tour!

Dinner at our House

Katie and Jack


Avery hanging out in the baby pool.

Mel, Courtney, Jack and Avery came over tonight and had dinner with us. The babies are approaching 6 months old and are so much fun to be around. Katie has adopted them as her little brother and sister, she told tonight. Makes me sad that our attempts to give her a sibling last year didn't work out. I think she'd be a wonderful big sister!

Uncle Jay

Last Thursday, I received a call from my Mom and sister that our Uncle Jay (her sister's husband) had passed away. He lived a great life and was 90 - but the loss certainly brought back memories of the times spent with my extended family.

Unlike many of my friends, I didn't grow up with a big extended family. My Grandparents either died before I was born or before I was 10. Since they came from Lithuania while they were teenagers, never to return, we didn't have the typical extended family. When friends talked about visiting Grandparents, we talked about visiting my Dad's two sisters - Aunt Vic and Aunt Mary (they never married and lived in the same house they were born in) and my Mom's sister - Auntie Anna (who also never married and took care of my Grandmother until her death). While the rest of the family lived near the "aunts" (PA, NY and MD), my Dad's siblings never married or never had children, and on my Mom's side, they did marry and have kids, but Mom was so much younger than her siblings that my cousins were getting married when I was still in elementary school! All but one... Uncle Jay and Aunt Vern.

I loved visiting them (we didn't do it very often as they lived on Long Island New York) - they had two kids (same ages as Sue and me) so we had a great time. They were always full of fun and seemed to live (by my standards and view) a glamorous life... the big city and all! I am not sure if it was because they "looked more like us" or that they were so engaged with us kids when we visited, but I will always have fond memories of them. It still brings smiles to my face when I think about our visits.

Like all looks-back, you remember the good times and wish you had spent more time together. I thought of them when we went to NYC just before our vacation in July but thought that there just wasn't enough time to go out to see them. I should have. I always have and always will think of them when I visit NYC. Perhaps the most vivid memory I have of Uncle Jay was his zest for life. He always had the next great idea - remember the t-shirts? - and big heart.

You will be missed, Uncle Jay - and I am not sure you ever knew how much you meant to me - by all who knew you.

Happy Birthday Melanie!

Hope you're having a GREAT day!

Thank Goodness The Heat Is Gone!

Without air conditioning, it is VERY difficult to get through the days and nights. It was in the 100s last week in Portland and I had hoped to escape the heat by going to Seattle for the weekend... but no luck.

Katie had a birthday party on Saturday at a nearby farm (with rides). It was fun watching her (with her classmates) run around like crazy to do all the rides. The parents ran behind them and watched them do all the rides by themselves. All of a sudden, my little girl seemed to disappear. She, of course, loved the tea cups, Ferris wheel and roller coaster. Her "best friends" were Andrew and Alex. It was very cute to see the three of them in the first car on the roller coaster. After the second time, they were all raising their hands! Afterwards, Katie and I went to McDonald's to get a "fish sandwich" for Katie and a burger for me. We then decided to go home and run through the sprinklers in the yard... after a "quick" hour in the McDonald's play area.

Luckily, the week is fully of 60 degree weather and rain. I am finally sleeping though the night and loving it!

It was a HOT weekend in Seattle

Katie cooling off this afternoon.

Here's a 1-minute video...

Katie's Self Portrait

Katie drew this picture of herself

for Gina to hang up

on her "wall of Katie's art"

in her Portland apartment.

Cool Art!

It is so fun to see kid's art work. Thanks Suzie for putting Katie's work up on the blog. I hope she keeps drawing... funny how kids love to draw and then as they get older they stop. Wonder if it is because we get too critical of our work instead of enjoying the experience?

USS New York

I just got this in an email and was able to confirm it as a true story, so thought I'd share it here.

This is the USS New York. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up."

"It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The ship's motto? "Never Forget"

Finally ~ Generic Zyrtec!

For those of you who suffer from allergies and take Zyrtec to manage it, like I do, you'll be happy to know (if you didn't already) that there is a generic zyrtec now available at Costco! And the price is phenomenal! You can get a bottle of 300 tablets for only $15.99. Maybe it's been there for a while, I don't know, but this is the first I'd heard of it. I have to say, I'm excited about it! (Now I don't have to order from Canada anymore!)

What A Race!

Did you see it? The men's 4x100 freestyle relay was amazing last night. I was screaming at the TV... windows open and all at 11:30 last night. Wish I could have been there it looked amazing... in my dreams I would have been on the Olympic basketball team or the swim team.

I know that all the good stuff will be between 11:00pm and midnight. I am just planning on staying up late and going into work late. I am hoping for a new single Olympic record with Michael Phelps... two down and six to go! Also looking for us old ladies to win more, too. Can you believe there is a 41 year old woman swimming? She's already got one - a silver!

I will keep dreaming and watching!

Drum Showcase

My brother and nephew demonstrate their drumming skills. Check it out!

"I Got Stuck"

Saturday was my company picnic. It was at a corporate event site where we were in the mountains - a lake for fishing and paddle boating, lots of food, give-aways and a tire swing. I took Katie so Suzie and her sister, Bonnie, could relax and go to a movie.

It was a great day for a picnic as it had cooled off from the week long high temperatures. We quickly looked around and decided to get out on the lake. Katie and I maneuvered the boat and paddled all over the place, but it was too restrictive for her as she couldn't jump in the lake or move around. Once we got back onshore, she noticed the "balloon man" who made her a princess crown and magic wand (which I ended up holding most of the picnic). And then... she saw the tire swing. She never left it!

Several of the big kids loved swinging her around and around. She took a VERY quick break to eat an orange creamcicle but then never left the swing. It worked out great for me as she was in between the food and the sitting area. We had been there about three hours -- and I was just getting ready to REALLY eat -- when Katie saw that the other big kids were eating their ice cream on the tire swing. Since she didn't have one, she asked me if she could have another orange one. I said yes and had just handed it to her when I heard in a voice that you know something is wrong... "I got stuck!"

My first thought was she had her foot stuck in the tire as she was busy working on her ice cream. I quickly moved towards the swing but saw that her feet weren't caught nor her hands. I started to slow down when she jumped off. But, as she began to turn towards me I saw the blood. My heart sank...

The ice cream had been on dry ice and they were so cold that it stuck to her tongue. Since she had never experienced this before she did not know what to do. She didn't know that pulling it away would cause injury. There was blood everywhere and across her tongue was a quarter inch strip pulled away. My first thought was "how can I hold her while I drive to the emergency room? I can't believe she has to sit in the back in her car seat by herself." Ugh.

People around me grabbed water and the scarves that had been on the tables (cowboy theme) and we kept putting light pressure on her tongue with the wet scarves. I asked her to be calm so we could get it to stop (she never did scream, just yelled "I got stuck" and began to cry/look worried when she saw the blood). She stood quietly (a big tear ran down her check) and never made a sound. After about what seemed a lifetime, the bleeding became controlled. We grabbed our stuff, a fresh cloth and walked to our car. She just walked beside me with the cloth in her mouth and as I watched her all I could see was saddest eyes looking up from a cowboy themed scarf in her month. The only thing she said was... "we need to tell Mama."

We drove home (about 20 minutes) and got back to the apartment easily. While it was the first time she could see it, her tongue had stopped bleeding and her view of it in the mirror wasn't as bad as it could have been. I decided there wasn't much we could do and that a trip to the emergency room did not make sense. We snuggled together (with her blanket) and watched an hour to the "good night show" - one of her favorite shows to watch in the evenings (it is on early here and plays again until later into the evening). After about an hour, she began to get active and be much more like the old Katie. She kept waiting for Mama and looking at her tongue, and slowly she got back to normal. By the time Mama got home, Katie was her old self... with a scraped tongue.

Suzie and I both told her that it would begin healing during the night while she slept. When she woke up in the morning, she went straight for the bathroom (it is usually coming over to me to wake me up) and turned on the light. I popped up from bed - wondering why she had done that - and as she turned off the light and saw me she said "it is all healed - my tongue is better!" It was that smile that made me feel better.

The day ended with a trip to the Disney store. I am happy to report that the weekend ended without any additional injuries!

The Olympics!

I am so excited to watch the opening ceremonies tonight and get the Olympics underway. I love the whole idea behind the greatest sporting event in the world - countries putting aside all conflict and political views to see the best athletes compete. While it doesn't always work out that way, I choose to keep the spirit alive and cheer on the best athletes!

I will be glued to the swimming events. I am not sure what is more exciting -- a 41 year old woman competing in her 5th Olympic games or a young man going for the most gold medals in Olympic history and/or a single Olympics!?! Tune in and enjoy!

Tinted Brow Gel

Tinted Brow Gel

by Anastasia

I love this product! It adds color to your eye brows and shapes them as well. It also allows you to give definition to sparse areas of your eyebrows.

I've never liked eye brow pencils. In fact, before I knew this product existed, I would use mascara on my eyebrows.

Katie was DRY this morning!

I'm proud of you, my big girl!

Here are her new shoes she got just a couple of days ago.
(She wanted me to post this on the blog so you can see them, Gina.)

What? The Doctors Are Changing Their Minds?

I learned today that osteoporosis continues to increase even though we are fortifying food with calcium and adding calcium supplements to our diet. The research is now showing that it isn't calcium that is needed to stop, reduce or eliminate this disease. Osteoporosis may be caused by a Vitamin D deficiency. And, Vitamin D (or the lack of it) may be a leading cause for all types of cancer, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, and other diseases.

Why do I know this? I just found out that the "ideal ranges" for Vitamin D are between 40 and 70 depending upon the time of year and/or where you live. The levels fluctuate based upon sun exposure. Since we get the vast majority of our Vitamin D from the sun, people in sunny places like Phoenix have higher numbers than those who live in Seattle, for example. People also have higher numbers during the summer than they do during the winter. What is my number? 24. Ugh.

So, I will be adding Vitamin D3 to my list of supplements and I need to get sun. The best way to get Vitamin D is the sun. The key is to... hang on as this is going to be exactly the opposite of what we are being told to do... go outside during peak sun (typically between 1:00 and 3:00) for 20 - 30 minutes withOUT sunscreen. The goal is to get "pink" but not burn. The more skin that is exposed the better.

Grab your bikinis and sunglasses, but leave the sunscreen at home! See you outside!

Okay, this isn't working!

It's weird. During our vacation, Katie woke up with dry pants 90% of the time. On the cruise, she woke up dry every single morning! During that time, she was wearing pull-ups, though. Just in case. We celebrated the dry mornings and Katie got excited that she was staying dry all night, just like the big girls do.

So now that we're home, Katie convinced me to let her wear underwear at night. I thought it was a no-brainer, since she's been dry a majority of the nights during the last 3 weeks. But, my goodness! Talk about a setback!. Every night that she has worn undies, she's woken up wet! What gives?! So, each morning, I wash her bedding - again and rethink our strategy for the next night.

So far, I'm limiting her liquid intake in the evening and I make sure she empties her bladder right before bed. Clearly though, that isn't enough! So last night, I did one extra thing - I got her up out of bed and had her go potty at about midnight when I was getting into bed. I had to laugh. She was completely disoriented when I picked her up. She kept her eyes closed, I sat her on the potty and she swayed back and forth. I had to hold her up so she wouldn't topple over. I whispered to her that it was time to go pee-pee and sure enough, she went. I was certain this was going to work... But no. She still woke up damp! Argh!

Okay well, I'm just going to try the same things tonight. Her last drink was at about 6:15pm and I've warned her that she gets nothing else to drink tonight. I'll get her up again to pee when I go to bed.

I think it'll work tonight. Let's see if I'm right. More to follow...

Katie's 2nd Dance Recital ~ June 2008

I don't know why it has taken me so long to post this,

but finally,

here is a 3-minute video of Katie's dance recital from June 27, 2008.

What's on Katie's Mind These Days?

Here's a conversation Katie and I had this morning before I took her to school:

"Momma, what is that? What are you putting
on?"

"It's my bra."

"Why are you putting on a bwa?"

"It holds my boobies up so they don't fall
down."

"But, why don't you want dem to fall
down?"

"Well, it's more comfortable if I have a bra on
to hold them up. And, I think it looks better."

"I want one!"

"Oh, your boobies are still small enough that
you don't need one yet."

"But we can wook for a small bwa to fit my
wittle boobies. Pweese, Momma! Can we?"

"Ok, sure. Next time we're at the store, we'll take a
look..."

I'm curious to see if she ever brings that up again.

Last night she interrupted whatever we were talking about and said, "Momma, I don't want you to die. I don't want anyone in my family to die."

She's also asked me several times in the last few weeks if I would help her to live forever. I said, "Well, I can help you to live longer. Here's what we need to do. Eat good food and only a little junk food now and then. Exercise. Go to bed when you're supposed to so you get enough sleep." Of course, I could have gone on with more things to do, but I figured those three things were enough for her 4-year-old brain to ponder. Then she said to me, "You need to do those things too so you don't die and you can help me live forever."

She's increasingly interested in being a big girl. Last night, she was really into it. When we got home from Portland around 8:30pm, she had a light dinner and afterward, she wanted to help me wash her dishes. So, I filled up the sink with soapy water, pulled up a chair for her to stand on and as I washed the dishes, she rinsed them and placed them in the rack to dry. It's fun to watch her try to figure out how to position each of the dishes in the rack. Then, we parted ways and next thing I knew, she had pulled out a new pair of Disney jammies from my suitcase, ripped off the tags, and had put them on. She also had on a fresh pair of underwear to wear to bed, instead of a pull-up. She was certain she could go all night and wake up dry. After she modeled her new jammies for me, she announced, "Well, now I need to cwean up dis mess I made. It's portant (important) I do dat." And she proceeded to pick up all of ther toys she had spread out all over the family room in the short time we'd been home. Her next chore, she decided, was to fold the towels I had just taken out of the dryer and they were in a pile on the couch. When that was done, she told me it was time to brush her teeth. Okay, now at this point I'm freaking out a little bit. Who was this kid? And where was my Katie?!

So anyway, those are some of the gazillion things on Katie's mind recently.

More to follow, I'm sure...

Oregon Coast

Katie, Bonnie and I are spending this weekend with Regina in Portland. We headed west today on highway 26 and ended up at the coast. We spent some time walking on the beach before we got back into the car and headed south on 101. We ended up in the small town of Manzanita where we had a yummy dinner at Manzanita Seafood & Chowderhouse.

Oh, and guess what?! We had a showing today! A potential buyer actually scheduled time to look at our house this afternoon. Thank God we left it cleaned up and ready to show. I sure hope the kitties were well-behaved.