Who Needs Cable???

A few days ago we did the deed I've been threatening to do......

We turned off the cable!

I know.  I am addicted to TV so how could I do this?  Because we still have the Internet, baby! 

So because of this, we can watch (most of) our prime time shows online.  And we got this little thing I like to call......

Netflix!

Oh, it's a beautiful thing.  We've got movies at our fingertips.  Seasons of television shows at the command of our remote.  And it really helps that we can stream all of these things directly from our PS-3 to our TV.  I've come to learn two significant things.

1)  There are lots of movies that are labeled "Romantic Comedies" that are all about infidelity.  Personally, I find cheating to be NOT romantic and NOT comedic.  And there are a lot of movies that use it as their premise.  Sad.  Sad, sad, sad.  I just don't get it.  I don't identify with the storylines and they don't make me laugh.  You'd think it would be funny to see Meg Ryan duct tape her husband to the toilet until he realized he really loves her and not his girlfriend.  Sounds funny, but the movie sucked.  Sad!

2)  I love crime stories.  I read Nancy Drew religiously growing up.  My favorite crime shows to watch on TV consisted of Blue Bloods, CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, NCIS and Law and Order: SVU.  But very few of these shows can be streamed from Netflix.  So, we've begun to branch out and watch new things.  I've discovered the show Psych.

It's been around for about four seasons now, and it's great.  I'm not sure how I missed it before.  It's got kooky characters and silly jokes, but I'm really loving it.  The cases are fairly easy to figure out, but they're written to be.  It's really a great show and I highly recommend watching it from the first season.  Granted, we're only up to the second episode of the second season, but it's been a good one.

So, so far I'm okay with our decision to get rid of the cable.  We've had to make some trades.  Psych for Criminal Minds and The Backyardigans for Curious George.  But Millie seems okay with the new discovery of Tasha, Tyrone, Uniqua, Pablo, and Austin.  In fact, she will bring me the remote after an episode has ended so I can get a new one to start for her.  She's cute.

Bingo Night's Top Ten List

Tonight the kids and I attended the school Bingo Night.  It was good and fun for many reasons.

So here is tonight's Top Ten List.....

Top Ten Reasons Bingo Night Was Fun

10.  We ordered yearbooks.  I don't know exactly when yearbooks became the norm for elementary schools, but I think it's pretty genius.  Not only do we get to see pictures of events from throughout the year, but I don't have to buy class photos (that only cost $5 less than the yearbook) because the yearbook will keep the photo in a bound book for us.  One less picture I have to put into storage and feel guilty for not scrapping.

9.  We contributed to the PTO and Student Council funds.  Both benefit our kids and if I can't leave Millie behind to volunteer in the classroom or events like this one, at least we can do our part to participate in other ways.

8.  Millie got to play with other little kids.  There were several kids around Millie's age that were all running around in the same somewhat contained area.  Luckily, it was right next to our table so I could let her go and not have to hold her on my lap against her will.  She had fun and I was glad to see her happy.  One little kid (about 6 months younger than Millie) fell down and Millie went to him, bent down and asked him, "You 'kay?"  So cute.

7.  Pizza dinner.  And no dishes.  This one might actually need to be higher up on the list.  No dishes is a happy-dance situation.

6.  We prepaid for our dinner (to get the better value) and were supposed to get a mere 6 bingo cards.  But we didn't.  We got 18 instead.  That's right.  We got to play lots of bingo for one low price.

5.  We got there early enough to get a decent parking spot, minimal waiting in line for our pizza and drinks, and a good table at which to sit.  I love beating the crowds. 

4.  Abby was very disappointed when she didn't win any of the bingo games tonight.  A friend of hers was on a lucky, lucky streak and shared one of the three or four prizes that he and his dad won.  I thought it was so very nice of him to share with Abby.

3.  Matt's prize.  The last game was a game of blackout where we used all of our remaining cards -- we were running out of time and had only been able to play one card at a time.  I promised Matt that if I won on any of my cards (I was playing 7 of them) I'd let him pick the prize.  He had his eye on this little pop up play tent with Lightning McQueen on it.  And guess what.  One of my seven cards was, indeed, a winner.  And my little boy got to pick the prize he had been eyeing since the beginning of the party.

2.  Indian Radio Days.  One of the plays I did at ASC was about Native American issues.  It was a bunch of sketches that supposedly played on the radio.  I played several different characters, each with a different flare.  The one from Minnesota had a wonderful accent (a good movie to see for a reference is New In Town with Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.).  And all throughout the play different actors took their turn playing bingo and speaking to the audience about different Native American issues.  I chose the issue of a newly opened Native American museum.  I was afraid it might be boring, but my character was based on the Saturday Night Live character "Drunk Girl."  Yes, my character slurred her speech, repeated herself with the phrase, "Do you want to know what?", fell off her stool in her drunken stupor, and dotted her arm with the bingo marker.  Classy.  But I cannot play bingo without missing her just a little bit.

1.  Emma.  My favorite part about tonight was watching Emma in action.  Emma didn't win the election for Student Body President, but she was appointed as the Sergeant at Arms for Student Council.  At the first council meeting Emma suggested they have a bake sale.  So part of the activity tonight was the Student Council's Bake Sale.  Emma was ecstatic and took her responsibilities very seriously.  Or as seriously as a 4th-grade-girl can.  She did great.  The sale was a success.  I'm very proud of her.

Side Effects May Include......

I have been sick lately.  I don't really know how it happened.  It's been so long since I've been knocked down like this.  It's as if my whole body has been sucking energy from wherever it can get it.  And unfortunately, my brain has experienced the most suckage.

Sometimes, when I write, I try to write something along the lines of clever.  Something I hope might make people chuckle.  And a couple days ago I thought I had come up with a hilarious idea about psychology and a cold.  All I'll say is it had something to do with the term psychosomatic, Freud's model of the psyche (id, ego, superego), and Pavlov's dogs. 

Seriously, I was laughing at myself for being so incredibly clever.

However, now that the fog in my head has begun to clear, I can now tell you how glad I am that I did not actually write what I thought was so clever.  If I had, I would have deserved this:



I really hope I'm back to 100% soon!

The Homework Nazi

Homework at our house has been gradually dragging out more and more everyday.

Yesterday it took Matt 3 hours to do a single math worksheet and a sheet he used to write 15 spelling words three times each.  That was way too long, in my opinion.

So Josh and I talked it over and decided that snack time must be significantly reduced since the kids have somehow managed to turn it into an hour long ritual.  And now it's time to pull my inner-TV-addicted self for inspiration.



You may now refer to me as the Homework Nazi.  I'm not sure how many times today I yelled, "No fun for you!!"  But homework is now being down as a group around the kitchen table with me consistently watching over everyone.  It was quicker today by at least an hour. 

So, add another title to my resume.

Cacti and Rocks

My BIL invited the kids and me to go out for a little hike and picnic today.  We went to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, which is just up the mountain from us.  It's a pretty cool place.  It has plant life from all across the world: native AZ, South Africa, Australia, Asia, etc. 

As we made our way around one of the loops through the park, I found it difficult not to notice the many, many different kinds of cacti growing along the trail.  Especially since I was trying to herd the two 2-year-olds away from the cacti.

I grew up surrounded by big shade trees: oak, aspen, and even pecan.  I love crunching through the leaves in the fall (as long as I'm not the one responsible to rake them).  I love watching rolling fields of green anything -- hay, corn, wheat.  Springtime along Ute Pass, near Pikes Peak, is incredibly green and one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

And so it surprised me how much I respected and enjoyed the mystery of the cacti today.

Photo by Jabon Eagar



These plants, though not the usual leafy green foliage I generally enjoy, are growing completely out of the rock.  There's no nutrient-rich soil.  There's no thirst-quenching rain. 

But these flora are survivors.  They grow and, somehow, thrive for years.  Like, generations. 

There are two ways to see this:

1)  The cacti live and survive in such harsh and foreboding circumstances because they are fierce.  They do what it takes to protect themselves, including growing spiny and prickly needles.  They are hard.  They have to be to survive.  They are not everyone's ideal landscape because not everyone thinks they are beautiful.

Or

2)  They may not be the prettiest things to see, but their existence is miraculous.  Popping up in the middle of rocks and sand and flourishing is nothing short of admirable.  They've fought to be there and they want to live.  No amount of trials and tribulations will stop them.  They rally their spirits with the chorus of Survivor by Destiny's Child. 

I like Option 2.  It's a lot more likable and identifiable.

Here are some other shots from our day:



Millie and her cousin Ashton.  He came to help her catch up with the group.




There was a stage in the picnic area.  Stage = heck of a good time!




Bumps on the log.... Emma, Matt, Brett, Abby, Cody




The girls were Rock Models.  As Rock Models, they show off rocks.  I told them they rock.

Millie Marie

I found this old post and realized it never published.  I think I couldn't get the video to upload.  Maybe I don't know.  But the pictures are cute, so I thought I'd share.

*****************************************

I need to clear some space off my memory card in preparation for Halloween and the Trunk or Treat at church tomorrow evening.

Here are some candids of our Millie Marie.

I know they are bad shots.  You have no idea how hard it is to get this girl to hold still!

Millie wore a cute little piggie to church last Sunday.  She actually pulled the bow off before we got out the door and into the van, but the piggie itself stayed until about 20 minutes after the meetings.  Amazing.

And if you need a live action of this little girl, just watch this.  She's pretty calm in this because she's sleepy.  At the zoo last week I asked her if she wanted to sit back in her stroller since she had been walking a lot.  She would hold her hand out to the stroller, nearly double in half as she yelled to me, "NOOOOOOOO!!!!"

And never mind that it's cut off at the end.  My memory card ran out of space.  Such is life, right?

Larynx vs Larnyx

This morning I stopped by the kids' school to watch the school Spelling Bee.  Emma was a contender.  If Abby hadn't been sick, she would've been too, but she had to stay home.

Anyway, I got there and poor Emma, who struggles with spelling in the first place, was given the word

Preferable

She asked for the word in a sentence and proceeded to spell.  Unfortunately, the bell dinged for her and she had to sit in the audience because she didn't get it right.

Ah, the memories!!

I was in the school Spelling Bee in 5th grade.  I won our class spelling bee and when the top few of us reported for the school's bee, one boy in my class came up to me and told me that HE was going to kick my behind when HE won.  Since he was a big jerk, I silently rooted against him.  Hey, not only was I 11, but he was always mean to me (one of the kids that called me names because of my birthmark).  I tried not to smirk when he misspelled one of his words.  (I still smirk at the memory.)

I spelled a few words right but then I got the word "Larynx".  The presenter said the word and I repeated it.  She said to me, "No.  Larynx."  I repeated it again and again she told me that I pronounced it incorrectly.  So then I tried to pronounce it larnyx.  Again, I was told I said it wrong.  What the heck?  I was pretty sure I knew how to spell it, but all this argument was confusing me.

Needless to say, I spelled the stupid word wrong.  Every so often I have the tendency to drawl words.  Maybe I did it that day and that's why the lady was convinced that I was saying the word wrong.  But seriously!  How many ways are there to say it???

So, my hopes of winning the school Spelling Bee were crushed.  And so were Emma's.  I did find it funny, however, when she smirked when she told me that Landon (the "smartest" boy in her class) got third place instead of first. 

Like mother, like daughter.

Running the Extra Mile

I've had a rough few days.  So to find some humor in my frustrations is a good sign, I think.  Maybe I'm not as stressed out today, which is a good thing.

I began running again last week.  It was good to do.  I've run with Millie a few times and by myself a few times.  I love how good I feel afterward.  In fact, I've been feeling so good afterward that I went for more of a challenge today.

I've been running two miles over the last week and a half.  But it hasn't been quite enough to really push me.  Plus, I don't have music on my mp-3 that coordinates with a 23 minute run.  It's all on there from the end of my Couch to 5k program and set up for 35 to 45 minute runs.  Problem is, my favorite songs are the last songs on my playlists and I keep missing them because I finish my run before I reach that point in my playlist.

Today I thought I'd challenge myself with running 3 miles and playing my 5k playlist.  I knew my favorite song would be the last song I'd hear while running and then some of my other favorite songs as I walked the remainder of the way home.

I was nearly done with my running and the song before my favorite came on.  I was so excited because it's been so long since I've run to my favorite song.  The last chord played and I prepared myself to straighten my shoulders as my favorite gave me that last bit of umph I needed to finish my 3 miles....... Silence.

I haven't charged my mp-3 player since before Thanksgiving.  And it died. 

I still haven't run to my favorite song.  Despite my literal extra mile, I didn't get to hear my song. 

My mp-3 player is currently charging.

A Lesson on the Heart

 Matt had his check up this afternoon.  You'd think I'd be a prime candidate for medical school with all the echocardiograms I've seen, all the EKGs I've seen, all the models of hearts I've seen and handled. 

But I'm not.  Not even close.

Tonight a piece of reality struck. 

Matthew will never have a "good" check up.  There's an anatomy lesson coming on, so hold on to your seat.

Above you'll see a normal heart.  The pulmonary valve sits in the uneven section just under the letters PA in the blue.  The light blue and the red indicate where the volume of blood flows and the dark blue are all the walls of the heart muscle.  As the heart pumps, blood flows from the body to the right atrium (RA) and through the the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle (RV) and up through the pulmonary valve to the pulmonary artery (PA) and out to the lungs.  The blood is oxygenated and sent back in to the heart where the left ventricle (LV) pumps the blood to the entire body.  So, the RV and the muscle surrounding it doesn't have to be too big and strong because it's final destination is the nearby lungs, where the LV needs to send blood to every extremity of the body.

 Up until this point in time, I've been worried about the condition of Matt's valve.  He has a bovine valve that was placed in his heart nearly four years ago.  Wow, has it been four years already?  This March.  Anyway, I only worried about the valve itself.  I knew with Matt's heart growing along with the rest of his body that this implanted valve would not function at 100% forever.

The truth of the matter is, Matt's heart, with or without a "new" valve, will never function at 100%.  It will never be "normal".  At first, Matt's valve was sealed shut and no blood could flow to the PA at all.  He survived because, as a fetus, he had an extra passage called the PDA which allowed oxygenated blood to flow through the heart.  Now, however, there's a different circumstance.  The valve has leakage.  It started out working okay, with some mild leakage.  But over time his heart has grown and the leakage has increased and is now moderate to severe.  Matt's valve cannot shut completely to keep blood flowing in one direction and even though blood pumps from the RV to the PA, it slips back into the RV from the PA in between pumps.  And so, if you see this picture at the left, the muscle around the RV (the dark blue) is very thick.  The heart is actually very strong and it has to compensate for the lack of "normal" flow.

Matt's heart doesn't show much of a change between today and six months ago.  But his RV is considered "large."  Not that the volume within it is large, but the muscle around it is large.  The muscle is pumping so much to try to get the blood to the lungs that it can cause a blockage in the path to the PA.  Or, the RA (which is also enlarged) could end up growing too big and causing blood to pool and creating clots. 

And so I've suddenly realized there's way more to it than just if the valve works.  I've learned what it is the doctors are doing.  As Josh put it, it's a numbers game.  Because of the extreme risk to put a person on a bypass machine as the surgeon cuts open his ribs and physically touches his heart, they risk the anatomy of the heart.  Yes, there's a risk with having a leaking valve.  Yes, there is a risk with having over-sized muscle walls in the heart.  Yes, there is the possibility of clots or loss of oxygen.  But can your body stand to continue these risks a little bit longer to avoid open heart surgery? 

Now there is the possibility when he stops growing that his valve will work with mild leakage for a while longer.  Possibly.  But then it becomes the game again of not replacing the thing that eventually causes so much damage (the failing valve) that it's life threatening because the alternative is life threatening-er. 

No, my son does not have an obvious defect.  His condition would even surprise most people that meet him but don't know his story.  But I can't ignore it.  I can't forget it.  I can't let it go without thinking about it every day.

In six months we'll go have an MRI to try to get a better idea of how that RV is doing.  Then we'll go a week later to sit down with the doc to discuss the results of the MRI and do another echo.  Then we will see if he has a better idea of when we want to replace the valve again. 

And so we continue to wait.

The Heart of the Matt-er

Tomorrow Matt goes to the pediatric cardiologist for his semi-annual check up.

Here's hoping I can sleep tonight.

We're not expecting anything out of the ordinary at Matt's appointment.  Simply put, Matt has pulmonary atresia that has required his pulmonary valve to be replaced and additional replacements will occur every 5 to 15 years throughout his life.  At the last check up we found that Matt's valve leaks a bit, but unless it begins to block the flow of blood, we probably still have a couple years left with his current valve.

I think what I dread the most is the reality of the matter.  Every time we visit the cardiologist we are another six months closer to Matt's next surgery.  This isn't the most optimistic way to look at these appointments.

I SHOULD think, "Oh, another check up, another six months we probably don't have to worry."

I SHOULD think, "We just spent another six months without having to take him in for surgery, phew."

I SHOULD think, "Yay, Matt gets a new sticker."

But I don't.  I've learned to hope for the best, but prepare myself for the worst.  I'm generally a positive person, but we've hit snags before.  Mostly, it was the day we discovered Matt needed the surgery that led to all of this repeat-surgery stuff.  We had expected a clean bill of health and annual check ups for a couple of years leading to check ups every two years or so.  But instead we were hit with the news that our son needed a different surgery that would require replacements throughout his life. 

Because of this experience, I'm careful.  I don't expect miracles, but I also pray that we'll have more time.  It was an eye-opener last June when we heard the doctor tell us that we had about two years left with this valve.  My mom had to remind me that he'd already had it for three, so he was on the expected course.  Still, it's not easy.

So tomorrow we plan to take our son in for an appointment, see where he is compared to six months ago, and possibly get a new idea of how long before our next date with the surgeon.  Here's hoping for a productive check up.

Buy It, Rent It, Ignore It

Here is a little segment I like to call: Buy It, Rent It, Ignore It.

We've watched some new-ish movies lately and I thought I'd share my opinions...

Ignore It

Dinner With Schmucks and The Other Guys.  They're both crude and offensive movies.  Not really sure why I sat through them.  Don't bother. 

Rent It

Although Paul Rudd really disappointed me in Dinner, I did enjoy his performance in How Do You Know? with Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson.  It's a cute one where Reese is torn between the man she's dating and the man she's falling in love with.  It's a nice little movie and Jack Nicholson has a great cameo role.  When it comes to video, rent it. 

Buy It

Tangled is probably one of Disney's best creations in the last several years.  Buy it.  Buy it the first week it's on video and costs way too much.  I've noticed a very obvious evolution in Disney movies, specifically with the princesses/heroines.  Disney princesses of the 21st century don't just sit around and sing to animals while they wait for the prince to come rescue them.  Disney princesses of today go searching for their happiness, whatever it may be.  In the case of Tangled, she wants to get out.  I don't want to say much more, but it's great.  I even like the "Disney" version better than the original story.  Everyone knows that Disney takes liberties with original stories and "pretties" them up.  In this case, Disney has added more intrigue and magic to the story of Rapunzel.  Do you know the original story of Rapunzel?  While pregnant with her, Rapunzel's mother sees some rapunzel greens in the yard of the witch next door.  She wants some so bad she starves until her husband sneaks into the witch's garden to gets some.  The wife eats it up and cries and begs for more so her husband has to chance the witch on the ultimate craving-run and gets caught.  So he offers his unborn child to the witch in exchange for more rapunzel greens.  Then the witch takes the baby and eventually locks her in a tower.  Yeah, the Disney version is better.  Believe me.  Buy it as soon as it's available and you will see.  Or go to the theater.  It's still playing.

True Grit.  Holy cow.  I wasn't sure what to think of this before seeing it, but I wanted to go in with an open mind.  First off, I grew up watching John Wayne movies.  I have no idea how many times I've seen the original version of True Grit.  Is "several" a number?  And I feel a fierce loyalty to the Duke.  But, I was also very interested in the new version.  Raise your hand if you love Matt Damon.... I'd raise my hand, but I'm typing.  He's great, but then again, a wet paper bag could act better than Glen Campbell.  And the young girl, Hailee Steinfeld, is endearing.  Much more endearing than Kim Darby had been.  Plus, the Coen brothers make great movies (O Brother, Where Art Thou and Raising Arizona).  I just wasn't sure how I would feel watching Jeff Bridges play Rooster Cogburn.  Here's my feeling: both movies (the 1969 version and the 2010 version) were based on the same book.  The plot is nearly the same, the characters are nearly the same but the movies were made during two completely different eras in Hollywood with two different generations of filmmakers.  It's like trying to compare Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  They're essentially the same story, but so different it's really hard to compare them.  I think Josh and I both agreed that the only thing Jeff Bridges didn't do as well as John Wayne was the line, "Fill your hands, you SOB!"  But it's such an iconic line, it's impossible for anyone else to do it.  My recommendation is to buy it.  Not necessarily when it costs $25, but eventually buy it.  See it in the theater or rent it, but plan on buying it.

And that's tonight's rendition of Buy It, Rent It, Ignore It.

Growing Like a Weed

Millie had a check up last week. I was kind of looking forward to it because we are continually being asked how old she is.  When we report her age, the first response we generally get is, "Wow.  She's tall."  I hadn't really thought about it since I see her every day. 

So, how tall is she?

I'm happy to report that Millie is 37" tall.  That's well over the percentile lines on the little chart thing-y at the doctor's office.  I checked out the chart and saw that 37" is the average height of a 3-year-old.  Oh.  No wonder everyone thinks she's tall.

The doc did give me some food for thought.  She said to make sure we are her advocates.  With her being tall, people (teachers, other parents, other kids) may expect more from her that she's not capable of.  She needs to have the chance to act like a two-year-old.  The "mine"s and "gimme"s are natural and to be expected.  Luckily, she's still practically bald and constantly has a pacifier in her mouth, so she's just seen as tall and not older. 

However, her height and weight played in our favor tonight when she got into a bottle of melatonin.  We've been giving the big girls some small doses of it to help them fall asleep at night.  It's been working very well.  But Millie is tall enough to reach lots of things on the countertops.  (That's not the part that played in our favor.  In fact, that's opposite of our favor, but anyway....) 

As the kids were heading up to bed, we discovered the melatonin pills all over the floor.  Not cool.  But if she took any of the pills, they didn't effect her too much.  I went to check on her 20 minutes after I laid her down as the nice lady at the poison control center suggested, and the sound of the door woke her up.  Then she wanted me to hold her.  What could I do?  I was a bit nervous about the uncertainty of her dabble in supplemental health and let her stay up with me.  And she did.  I think we're in the clear. 

So, here's my track record with poison control:

Emma -- no calls.
Abby -- one call because she ate half a jar of Bag Balm.
Matt -- no calls.
Millie -- one call for a possible melatonin spree.

Anyone else see a pattern here?

I'm just hoping for a quiet night.  And for a supplemental-melatonin-free toddler.

Locks of Love

Emma decided a week or two that she wanted to donate her hair.  But she didn't want to do it right then.  She wanted to wait until January.  It came up again just a few days ago and it became obvious that she was a little hesitant about it when she realized in slight horror that January was nearly upon her. 

Today, however,was the day to do the deed.  The kids had today off from school, but they head back tomorrow.  Emma wanted to have her new style in time for school tomorrow morning.  I had to ask her several more times if she was sure she wanted to go through with it.  She said she was scared, but she was ready for her cut.

In the midst of all of this, Abby realized that there was a lot of attention given to this situation.  She decided that she wanted to donate her hair too. 

So, let's pause this story for some reality of the situation. 

We had a very generous Christmas and I'm on a strict budget until Friday.  Emma's hair donation was going to allot her a free hair cut.  Cool.  I can afford free.  Abby's sudden interest threw a little wrench in my plans.  If her hair wasn't long enough to donate, she simply could not get a cut right now. 

Sometimes telling a child No is not a big deal.

But if you, like me, have a

Dr Jekyll

Mr Hyde

child, you know that this is not always something you want to deal with.  Some battles are not worth fighting.  But to make things worse, Abby got a short cut a couple years ago and complained for about a year after it that she hated her short hair, mostly because Emma just got a trim, not a cut, and had longer hair.

Are you feeling me?  Do you see where my issues lie here?

So Abby was called up first and her hair measured just about an inch too short (Locks of Love requires a 10" minimum) to leave her with a chin length bob like she wanted.  So she had to go back to the waiting area.  Torture.  For both of us.

Anyway.

Emma hopped into the chair and off went her long pony tail.  She was all smiles and the nervousness from earlier was mostly gone.  Although, there was a moment of shock looking at her long ponytail in the stylist's hand. 

She loves her new 'do and is so excited to show it off. 

Hopefully her hair will be so much easier to keep neat and nice looking.  And I think she loved the thought of helping out someone in need.  There's a young woman at church who is battling leukemia and her experience is an incredible springboard to start conversations about how/why people get sick and the many things we can do to help others around us who are struggling or in pain.  Emma's donation won't directly help this young woman, but it will help someone, somewhere.

Back to the story of Abby.  I did feel bad for Abby that she didn't get to have her own moment in the sun, despite the meltdown in Great Clips.  I told her that I would trim her hair when we got home.  She seemed to accept that and would've gotten the scissors herself if she knew where I kept them.  On the way home I explained to her that if she waited until Valentine's Day, she could donate to Locks of Love too.  If I trimmed her hair, it could take another three months or so.  She decided she just wanted me to give her a cut.

Okay, another reality check.

Summer of 2007 I cut the girls' hair.  I cut them both a lot shorter than I intended and they got teased by the poopy neighbor boys next door that were stupid jerks.  (I didn't much care for them.)  I felt so bad and I hated that I had messed up their hair.  I haven't cut their hair since.

But remember

Dr Jekyll

Mr Hyde

If I messed up again by cutting Abby's hair too short, she would hate it and remind me of how much she hates it everyday.  I was scared to even try this.  But, I had budgeted for free hair cuts. 

So, what did I do?  I bit the bullet and PRAYED everything would work out.

Luckily, Abby loves her hair cut.  It's not too short, but an obvious difference from her previous style. 

PHEW!!!

Emma and Abby both look great and I hope they have a great day tomorrow as they head back to school and show off their new coifs to their friends and teachers. 

2010 in Review/Revue/Re-view

Just a little video highlighting our year.

Happy Holidays from the Johnsons!

New Year 2011

It's 2011.  Time to begin the inner-turmoil of writing the wrong date for about four months.

I wrote down my goals last year.  Way to go, Me.  Now I have no excuse.  I know what I did and did not do this last year.  Here's what I have to say about that: Crap!

2010 Goals:
1. Stop using my pseudo-swear words. No more "crap" or "fricken" or "crap." This is going to be hard.
2. Finish my novel. Josh thinks this is going to be a lofty goal. Granted, so far I only have the Prologue, but I just rewrote it the other day and I like it so it should spur me on to finish the rest of the book, I hope.
3. Lose those last 25 lbs. I'll do this by exercising at least five days a week and eating better. That means I've got to finish the last few Diet Cherry Pepsi's in the fridge so I can stop drinking soda pop. And we've got to finish up the ice cream cake in the freezer so we can stop eating ice cream.

Yeah. 

So, I do have to admit that my pseudo-swearing, though it did not stop, has slowed a lot.  And I didn't finish my novel, but I rewrote it a few times and I've finished a few chapters.  And I'm pretty sure I weigh as much this January as I did last January.  Ugh.  Flop on all three points!!!

But, even though I didn't accomplish all (any) of my goals, I really want to make my new resolutions for 2011.

1.  No moving in 2011!!!

2.  I want to complete at least one 5k and maybe even a 10k this year, if I'm not pregnant during racing season.

3.  Eat healthily and get my work outs back in order.  And get a physical.

4.  Spend more time writing my novel.  I'd LOVE to finish that sucker because I'd like to start another one, but I can't until I'm done with the first!

5.  Feel good about myself so I can give more of myself to my husband and kids.  When I hate the way I look (like now) or I feel lazy (like now) or wish I could get back on track (like now), I spend too much time upset with myself and I don't give enough to my family.  They shouldn't suffer because I'm upset at myself.  So, I want to get myself organized.  I've got a few ideas of what to try.  However, I'm secretly anally retentive and I'm embarrassed to divulge too much info, so if it works, maybe I'll share.  If it doesn't, then you'll just know that I'm secretly obsessive about organization.  Which is good when I'm organized, but bad when I'm not. 

ANYWAY.

Here's to a New Year and new goals that I PRAY I'll accomplish!!