Weekend :)

Saturday, we managed to accomlish many tasks.  Aren't lists crucial for moms?  If I don't make one, it doesn't get done.  First stop: the grocery store to pick up a plethora of fresh herbs.  Ben's scout group has a collection project and he chose to collect fresh herbs. Love him!

We then drove to the local pottery place (The Mudd Hut) so the children could make some special v-day gifts for dad.  Last year, I didn't plan early enough, not realizing it takes a week to have everything glazed and fired.  I actually completely let go of my Type A side and let Ben paint whatever he wanted :)  Sadie was surpisingly good and only screamed when I painted her hand and pressed it to the mug.  And, no, it looks nothing like a hand, but Greg won't mind :)

Next, we were off to a local boutique to buy Sadie some new church shoes for the spring.  I had looked at Target and Wal-Mart, but no such luck.  Turns out I hit the jackpot.  There was one pair of discontinued shoes in her size and I was given them at  75% off! WooHoo!  It's the small things, people.

The weather was so gorgeous yesterday, so when Ms. Sadie woke from nap we took a walk down the trail by our house.  She rode her Amtryke.  She has special gloves that velcro her hands to the tryke, but she always manages to break free from the right one.  She had a little tantrum and bonked her head.  Needless to say, she has quite a bruiser under her right eye. I have to say she was quite a trooper with the ice pack, so I know it must have really hurt.  The other children (Ben and 2 dogs) remained unscathed.

This morning, we had a nice church service, made a small trip to the grocery store, and are now working on laundry and prepping dinner for tonight.  I made a wonderful corn/black bean/avocado/tomato/vinegar/cilantro relish to top on some taco salads tonight.  Hope the boys will partake.  Thanks Reagan and Christy for the idea.  I have tons of fresh herbs to use this week due to Ben's project.  Some future meals include grilled salmon w/ dill sauce, roast pork w/ rosemary, and a few others :)  Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Date Night!

Can you believe Greg and I have gone on TWO dates within the past 3 months?! This is record-breaking :)

We watched "No Strings Attached" and it was really funny!  We wanted something light.  Black Swan looked a bit too dark, although the critics call it a "masterpiece".  There were a few other flicks in the running, but I'm glad we chose this.

Next, we headed to GZs Asian Bistro for you guessed it...sushi!  This seems to be a common denominator on date night. Greg was still hungry after, so he stopped off at Kroger for some cookies before picking up the kids ;)

A big thank you to the Collins family for taking care of our little ones!



Sadie's hippotherapy was cancelled yesterday, so we did some therapy at home, then headed to lunch at a nearby cafe.  I love taking her to "girly" places.

I had tortilla-encrusted tilapia with tomatillo sauce and salad.  Can you believe steak wasn't on the menu!?  Sadie had fruit salad and shrimp.  She is becoming very picky.  She knows what she likes and what she doesn't.  Unfortunately, she has been spitting out the latter as soon as it hits her taste buds. Not really mannerly. She likes cantaloupe, but not honeydew or pineapple.  She ate one piece of shrimp, but much preferred my fish.  We ended up trading plates :)

After that, we went to a local nursing home to visit the residents before lunch.  Sadie was a big hit!  I deferred from taking photos, as there were no family members around and I felt I should have permission first (most of the residents were not lucid).  We will try to make it at least twice a month.  I have a ton of paperwork to fill out and a background check in my future, but it will be worth it.

Sadie was pretty exhausted after our excursion and took a great nap!

Busy Tuesday

Yesterday was a loaded day!
We started the day off with speech therapy.
Next was a trip to the store for some paper towels.  I was out and cannot function without them.
Then we headed to ETPOC for a follow-up visit for Sadie's braces.  Everything looked good :)
Then it was home for lunch and Sadie's nap.
I babysat 3 other children throughout the afternoon.  Imagine Ben's surprise when I picked him up from school with four other children in the car!
Then it was home for a quick snack and off to piano we went.
We made it home around 6 pm, so I grilled steaks, baked some potatoes (w/ olive oil and sea salt YUM), and warmed up some cinnamon apples.
By the way, I ate a huge steak in Hamilton and have not been able to stop since!  Clearly, I am iron-deficient.  I have eaten at least 4 steaks since then :)  Remember that post where I said I was very close to becoming a vegetarian?!
Next: baths and some laundry.  I realized around 8 pm that all of Ben's uniforms were dirty!
I made it to bed by 9, just in time for Greg to get home.  We talked for a while about work.  I noticed hime eyeing the ceiling fan during our conversation.  The he climbed up onto the bed, wiped his finger across one of the blades and showed me an inch of dust on his finger.  Guess what I'll be doing today?
Can you believe I couldn't sleep?  I finally was out by midnight!
I'm on my first cup of coffee now and feel like there will be at least two more in my future :)

Girl's Reunion of '94

This weekend I travelled to Hamilton, Tx for a Brady girl's reunion.  I had no idea what to expect, as I have not seen these girls in FOREVER.

I arrived Friday evening and thought the hotel was the cutest!

You may wonder why I took a pic of the bathroom, but it was so cute :)

One of my best friends, Cindy,  met me that evening, and we had dinner and stayed up talking and laughing 'til 4:30 in the morning!

After a few hours of sleep (I tried to talk her in to just staying up and showering sans sleep because at this point, was it worth it?), we had a bite to eat and went shopping.  I bought a few things and tried to do a little bargaining to no avail (you know who you are, meanie).

Then, we met up with the rest of the girls, chatted in the hotel room, and headed to dinner at  the adjoining steakhouse.

Stephanie, Shelley, Farrah

Cindy, Amanda, and Danielle

Me and Kelly

It was fun, but short! Everyone was the same and, yet, so DIFFERENT!  We have some future get-togethers planned, and I have a few ideas up my sleeve to help us get to know each other better.

Karaoke and dance pictures to come!

Sadie Update

If you'll remember, Sadie was fitted with her AFOs (ankle foot orthotics) a few months ago. 

Of course, she hated them and was able to kick them off within a few minutes.  We went back for a re-eval and the doc added an extra X-strap to help keep them on.  She still cried everytime we put them on and actually regressed in standing.  We gave her a little break from them and she would stand fine.  After trying again, I noticed some bruising on the top of her feet (between her ankles).  I decided to buy thicker socks (thank you Children's Place) and trade in her velcro shoes for some lace-ups.  The problem was:  1. Her socks were too thin and  2. The velcro did not span the entire strap, so I had to pull the strap extra tight to keep her shoes on (hence, the bruising).  With the lace-ups, I am able to tie them loosely and they stay on fine.

Before:

After:

So much better!  Today during Bible study, she scooted across the floor laying on her back.  Yes, she was angry, but she did it.  She has never moved on her own like that.  She went at least 3 or 4 feet!  What a blessing.  I know it was the support of the braces that helped her :)  She may lose some hair in the back, but she moved on her own! She also did 12 ab crunches during the study.  She just falls back (on a Boppy) and does a complete crunch to come back up.  Wish I could do that :)

She has also gone through a growth spurt.  I mean seriously!  I bought her 3 new pair of jeans yesterday (3T) from Children's Place ($10 each + 5 pair of socks for $5 - I love a good sale!) because her 2T jeans became capris overnight.  She is really getting tall!

Speech is also going well.  We have picture cards that we use and she tries to pick the right answer between two.  She will not touch the card, but she stares at it intently so we know she knows :)  She can say "apple" (in her own way, of course), says "sh" for fish, and thinks most animals with fur are dogs, so she pants when she sees pictures of a cat or dog.  She has mimicked me roar like a lion, but only a few times.  It is the cutest thing.  She has also started to "sing" when familiar songs come on her dvd's.  Of course, she has watched them all at least 1000 times, so this is no surprise.

During hippotherapy yesterday, she did not throw a fit and actually pushed up on her hands at least twice.  She also is able to balance herself without assistance when the horse is trotting (pretty fast, I may add).  We know those abs are strong!

Of course, she has also thrown her share of fits over the past two weeks, but the past two days have been better, so I'm hoping she is getting over whatever was bothering her :)

Just wanted to let everyone know her progress!

Rainy Days

It has been dreary/raining for days here! We have just been hanging around the house trying to organize a bit.  I finally organized my closet (so needed!) and plan on taking a huge amount of clothes to Goodwill this week.  I also purchased a few new toy containers for Sadie's room.  That girl has sooo many toys because I saved everything from Ben's baby years.  It looks a little better, but there are still two huge baskets in the living room piled high with more toys.  We also FINALLY took all of the Christmas trees down.  We just need to get the boxes into the attic.  What was I thinking putting 3 trees up?!  I've done a little v-day decorating, but have a few more things in mind.  I just noticed my nativity seen is still up in the foyer! Must get that down today.  I've had one grumpy girl on my hands the last few days...no fever/no drainage.  I think she may be getting some more teeth in back on the top, but she bites the heck out of me everytime I look.  Who knows?

I took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday just to get them out of the house, but it was packed, and, therefore, short-lived.  Ben did hit a jackpot on one of the games and won 120 tickets, so that was a highlight :) 
Last night we had Cub Scouts. Ben always has the best time at his den meetings.  Unfortunately carrying an ever-growing toddler, stroller, and diaper bag up three flights of stairs is dreadful.  I lost my balance last night (imagine that :) ), and fell.  I was so intent on protecting Sadie's head, that I sprained my wrist and have many new bruises.  Nice.
I MUST go to the grocery store today! I've been avoiding it with grumpy girl on my hands. We ate pigs-in-a-blanket last night because that's seriously all I had in the fridge.  I've made a few new recipes last week, but they weren't big hits with the family, so I'll just keep trying :).
Hope everyone has a great week!

Today was not the best day...

I contacted my dad this morning (who I have not spoken to in probably 6 years) and it was awkward and difficut, and a million other things, but, most importantly, it was necessary.  It is something I have needed to do for a long time.  I am planning a trip to see him soon.

Sadie screamed all day.  She is not feeling well.  None of us are.  I went in to have a strep test, but it was negative.  I purchased some vitamins today :)

Sadie has another blood draw tomorrow to test her for Prader Willi Syndrome. This is never easy.

We started our Esther bible study this morn, but, with Sadie screaming, I could hardly hear the DVD.  I have so much to get caught up on.

The death of the 9 year old girl in the Arizona shooting is abolutely heartbreaking.

Ok, I'm done :)  Tomorrow is sure to be better!

Snow!

Pizza Friday

After school, we went to Pizza King.  This is seriously the BEST pizza place ever!  Ben insisted on having his own pizza, refusing to share with his little sister.  I was skeptical, but he proved me wrong.  He ate all but one piece!  He said he felt like he was on "Man vs. Food".  Not good.  He lost two pounds the past month, so I'm letting him go for it.  Sadie was pretty happy with her hamburger and onion pizza.  She only ate one piece, so we had plenty to bring home for Daddy :)

Ben also informed me that today was "the second time in my life that I had milk come out of my nose from laughing".  Congratulations Ben!

Just a little note...

After giving a little bit more charitably than was feasible this holiday season, I received a letter in the mail today from the hospital noting that part of our payment for Sadie's EEG had been refunded.  It was almost the exact amount I went "over" in donations this year.  God is so good to provide for us.  This year, I hope we all remember to provide for others (with time, money, or love) even if we feel it isn't possible.  I always act before I think, but I'm so glad I do :)

Resolutions

1.  Help people.  Yes, if you ask me, I'm there, but I really want to reach out beyond my comfort zone to help. I want to look into more volunteer opportunities.

2.  Improve myself inside and out.  There is only one person who can guide me and you know who He is.

3.  Become a better wife and mother.  This is so cliche, I know.  However, I hate being stagnant.  There is always room for improvement.  I'm positive my husband and children will have no problem directing me in the right direction :)

4.  Continue to fight for Sadie.  Sometimes the weight of it all is smothering, and I need to re-group.  I must decide what further testing we will do, be more stringent with all of her therapies, and accept that she will be in a special needs class within the next year (and actually let her attend! :) )  We will tour some facilities in March. Gulp.

5.  Work.  Is it possible?  Who knows...but if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish anything.  This I know.

6.  Cook more.  Not the same old tacos, chicken, and roast for the boys and not the same old hummus, goat cheese, and avocado for the girls.  I must learn to follow a recipe and actually look some up! 

7. Mark some items off of my "bucket list".  I already have a few things in mind for the upcoming year :)

Happy New Year!