Fit For A Princess

My little one turns 3 this week and to distract me from my sorrows that my kids will not stop growing, we had a party. Not just any party, a Pink Princess Party. Pink pom-poms and streamers hung from the ceiling and jars of candy lined the bar. Friends and family gathered and I think that was best if all. I always feel like I need to be everywhere at once and hope everyone is having a good time and I live the moments when I can stand back and see everyone who came because they love my girl. She told me this was the best party ever and was quickly off to dreamland as soon as her head hit the pillow, a true sign that it was indeed the best party ever!! Thanks to everyone for coming out, we loved having you here and I hope the day was just as good as ours was!!

These Days Are Numbered

I am actively seeking employment but until I do land that job, I am enjoying these days because they are indeed numbered! Today I took my youngest to the mall, we had to get a birthday present and were looking for her perfect Princess dress for her upcoming Princess party. We had a fantastic time, I tried on some clothes and she told me I was pretty, we ate lunch at a Cafe and shared a cookie for desert. My little one saw the Easter bunny from the upstairs balcony and screamed "hi Easter Bunny!!!!!!", he looked right at her, waved and blew a kiss, this blew her mind!! She squealed and yelled that this was indeed the best day ever. But she didn't want to keep it all to herself, she decided that she wanted to get some chocolates for her sisters, how could I say no to such generosity. I watched her walk all proud with a Disney bag in one hand and chocolates in the other and was on awe. I have an amazing little girl and have felt blessed that I have had this time up spend with her. It will be hard going back to work and not having my days with just her, so for now I am completely enjoying them!

Planning A Princess Party

I have always said I would be one of those parents who kept their kids birthdays low key so they don't get too spoiled. I feel I have done that so far, the girls choose what they want to do and we do it but it has never been over the top. My youngest turns 3 in a couple of weeks and today I asked what she wanted, it was simple....a pink princess party. Easy enough right? Easy enough until you start searching for ideas on Pinterest!!!! So many adorable, fun things, how on earth do I choose? She would be fine with it being simple but I want to rock this party!!! I am slowly turning into the mom who throws mega parties, either that or I am bored and need to get out more :) Look how cute this stuff is though!!

Dental Adventures

When I was growing up, my mom never had dental insurance. Well, she did once and I had a filling put in but then we stopped going. I have since been and have plenty of work needing to be done in my mouth, it seems never ending. I am excited that my kids are able to go and not wait like I have had to. However, it is so expensive!!!! My amazing sister-in-law said it best, dental insurance is less like insurance and more like a coupon. This is so very true. My oldest is at the age now that we have started to see an orthodontist. And yes, we are talking braces. She still needs to wait for those so for now they are installing an expander for her overbite. Apparently the bone that sits right below your nose does not fuse together until the age of 12 so they can put in this expander and slowly crank it open over the course of a year. It separates the bone to widen the mouth and the bone will then fuse together later giving less of an overbite. Step 1 is spacers, tiny little blue things stuck between her teeth apparently holding the space where the metal spacers will go in a couple of weeks. As expensive as this us turning out to be, I am pretty excited that my girl has an opportunity to get the gorgeous smile I never got. And as nervous as she is, she is pretty excited too!!!!

Danny

Meet Danny.  He was a 4 year old boy whose life was cut too short because of Epilepsy.  Here is his story.

Daniel George Stanton was born on March 2, 2005.  He was the third child for Mike and Mariann and they couldn't be happier.  At 2 years old, Danny became an older brother as well.  Danny loved doing many things and was very good at athletics.  He mainly enjoyed kickball and basketball.  Danny loved making people happy, he would help his neighbors Pete and Betty carry in their groceries or help in the yard.  Family was very important to him.  He loved spending time with his mom and dad and was very content when he was with his siblings John, Mary Grace and Tommy. 

At 2 years old, Danny had his first seizure.  While sleeping in bed with his mom, his eyes rolled back into his head and he started shaking.  911 was called and they also took him to their neighbors house who also happened to be a paramedic.  That first seizure almost lasted 10 minutes.  At the hospital that night, they were told  that kids sometimes have seizures for no reason and that he could possibly outgrow them.  Danny's parents began having him sleep in their bed to monitor him.  Danny had MRI's and EEG's all of which showed no underlying cause.  He was never even diagnose with Epilepsy, he was diagnosed as childhood seizure disorder.   He was put on medications and told that he again would outgrow them. 

Danny's parents eventually had him sleep in his own bed but would frequently bring him back in after checking on him and finding him having a seizure, one time his lips were even blue.  Again, the doctors reassured the Stanton's that it was normal and never once did they mention the word death.  After a whole year had gone by, Danny was back in his own bed again.  It had been 18 months since Danny had had any known seizures and the Stanton's were happy.  They trusted that the neurologist had been right and that the course of action they had been taking was successful.

On December 12, 2009, Danny's body was found in his bed.  They tried to revive him, neighbors tried to revive him and so did the doctors and nurses.  Danny died in his sleep to something called SUDEP.  SUDEP stands for Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy.  I am sure I do not even need to begin to tell you of the huge hole this has left in the Stanton family, the sudden loss of a child is a huge blow.  For many people, this becomes the beginning of the end.  Families will never be the same and they somehow just seem to get by each day.  This is not the case for the Stanton's.

Less than a month after Danny was gone, Mike and Mariann Stanton started The Danny Did Foundation.  They have made it their mission to spread awareness of SUDEP.  They have helped numerous families get an Emfit movement monitor that would set off an alarm if a seizure is detected in sleep (monitor issued is based on individual financial need).  You can find out much more information by visiting http://www.dannydid.org/.

With November being Epilepsy Awareness Month, The Danny Did Foundation is holding a campaign.  They are hoping to have 1,000 people donate $25 in order to raise funds to help them raise awareness.  As I write this $2,641 has been raised and we are only in the beginning days.  This foundation is not just another foundation I am writing about.  I am one of those people who have been blessed to receive an Emfit monitor.  I sleep so much better knowing that I will be alarmed if my daughter has a seizure.  Nothing would mean more than to help them so they can continue to help others.  Please take the time to go to their page and learn about Danny and how you can help.  After doing that, please go HERE to donate the $25 tax deductible donation.  You will be making a huge difference in someones life!!!

Luckily Danny was too young to know exactly what was going on.  He went about his days as any normal 4 year old would.  He played with his good friend Charlie, loved being around his Uncle George, age didn't matter when it came to Danny, he loved spending time with everyone.  And that is exactly the legacy his family would want you to remember him by.  Danny cared for others, he loved giving hugs to his mom and dad each and every day.  At such a young age he was able to comfort those around him in such a striking way.  He continues to do this even in death.  I don't know if his family was ever prepared for the amount of love that people would find for Danny, strangers whose lives have been touched by this special little boy.  Danny was a special gift to his family and continues to show his love for others through the work of his parents.

Please take the time to help, learn about seizures and what you can do if you see someone having a seizure.  And please, inform yourself on SUDEP, make it a part of your vocabulary and let others know as well.  And more than anything, please go and enjoy your life just as Danny did!!!!

Emma

Meet Emma.  She is 4 years old, she has Epilepsy and this is her story.

At 3 years old, Emma's mom knew that something was wrong.  For years Emma would stare off and seemed to lose balance a lot more than any other toddler.  Her family was in the process of moving to another state so her mom made an appointment with her pediatrician.  She was told it could be low blood sugar and sent her for tests.  Those all came back normal so she was told that it was typical toddler clumsiness.  Her mom did not feel comfortable with that diagnoses so as soon as they were moved into their new home, she took her to a new doctor.  The doctor briefly talked to her mom about Epilepsy and absence seizures and then sent them home without a diagnosis.  Things seemed to escalate very quickly, Emma's eyes were starting to roll back into her head during these staring spells and they seemed to last for longer than normal.  Scared of what this might mean, her mother took her to the emergency room.  The doctors there were concerned as well and got her an appointment with a neurologist for the very next day.  During that visit, an EEG was performed.  Emma was asleep during the EEG and her mom lay beside her.  Her mother noticed her twitching while she slept and each time that happened she looked at the nurse performing the test and by the look on her face, she knew, Emma was having seizures.  The doctor later confirmed what her mom already knew.  Emma was started on a medication and was told to come back in 3 months. 

The medication Emma was put on suddenly changed her sweet, loving personality and her seizures seemed to get worse.  With a call to her neurologist, a new medication was added.  This new medication only escalated things and Emma became volatile towards her sister and would even get sick from time to time.  After giving her a second dose, a rash was noticed.  After a call to her new doctor, Emma's mom was told that it was probably just the flu.  Her mother ended up switching to a new neurologist who performed an MRI on Emma.  The MRI showed that Emma had a Mesial Temporal Schlerosis on the left hippocampus of her brain.  Her mother was told that in 6 months, if it had grown, Emma would need to have surgery to remove it. 

Emma was put on a new medication to try to control her seizures.  It seemed to work at first but after a couple of weeks, it seemed to stop.  The dose was increased and she seemed fine until it stopped working after another 2 weeks.  At this point Emma had a hard time remembering anything.  She seemed to have complete memory loss some times and would often forget where she was.  There were even times when she didn't know who her mom was.  Emma's mom talked to her neurologist who told her that it is normal with her seizures and not to worry.  At that point, Emma's mom took matters into her own hands.  After reading the side effects of the meds and seeing that all of Emma's symptoms seemed to be the side effects, she called her pediatrician and went in to discuss neurologists.  She also contacted the Epilepsy Foundation in her area who helped her find a new neurologist. 

The new neurologist performed another EEG and discussed medications and possible other treatment for Emma if those don't work for her.  She was slowly weaned off of her other medication and put onto a new one.  the changes in Emma were almost immediate.  She went from having 50 seizures a day and right before Christmas, she was not having any.  Her mother was very happy but yet she still knew something was not right with Emma.  After seeing her neurologist, she was sent to a different doctor who diagnosed her with Atypical Autism and Hypotonia.  She also started physical therapy because of her feet and would soon be walking, jumping and running just like all of the other kids. 

Emma had switched medications once again, had another EEG and another MRI.  This time, the MRI was clean.  Her mom broke into tears.  How could it be clean?  She was told that there was a growth and even discussed surgery.  The new doctor explained that some children's brains do not finish growing until they are 5 and MRI's can often be read wrong.  This was fantastic news for Emma and her family!!!

This past August, Emma started school and is doing outstanding.  She is at the same grade level as the rest of the kids.  She has been seizure free for the past 2 months.  Since she is so young, her mom doesn't notice kids treating her any different and she prays every day that it doesn't change.  The past year has been very difficult on Emma's mom yet she feels this whole experience has made her grow and changed her into a better person.  What her mother fears most is SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in Epilepsy) and would sometimes only get 2 hours of sleep a night being at Emma's bedside.  Luckily Emma doesn't understand fully what is going on.  She knows she has seizures and that she has to take medicine to help control them but that is about it.  One day she will understand Epilepsy more and will not want people to define her strictly by that.

Thank you so much Emma's mom for sharing Emma's story with all of us!!!  If anyone has any questions about Epilepsy or SUDEP, you can learn more at http://www.dannydid.org/ or through your local Epilepsy Foundation. 

 Let's let kids like Emma know that they are beautiful and loved, every kid deserves to feel special!!!

Cassidy

The month of November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.  For each day of the month I am hoping to profile the many faces of Epilepsy.  While this may not help find a cure, I am hoping it will get the word out that there are people living with Epilepsy and unfortunately, Epilepsy has taken loved ones far too soon.  Please read each story, look at their face and help spread awareness.

Cassidy

This is Cassidy.  She is 9 years old and is currently in the fourth grade.  She enjoys singing, dancing, reading and playing with her friends and sisters.  At the age of 7, Cassidy had her first Grand Mal seizure.  She was up early, ready for her first plane ride with her Grandma to visit family.  She was sitting on her mothers lap when her mother noticed a "weird noise" and her body stiffening up.  She asked if she was ok before noticing her lips were blue and her eyes were half rolled back in her head.  Within seconds her mother knew she was not breathing and as she shouted for help, Cassidy started shaking uncontrollably.  The seizure lasted for 3 minutes and she remained unresponsive for 30 minutes after.  After being taken by ambulance to a local Children's hospital and numerous tests later, she was diagnosed with Epilepsy.

Cassidy had a hard time after being diagnosed.  Her medication she was on was not working completely.  She had seizures at school and never felt like she was in control.  She was bullied at school and found ti hard to ignore the snickers and jeers from the other kids.  Within a year her medications were finally able to stabilize her and help control her seizures.  She has made some great friends who stick up for her when she needs it.

If you ask Cassidy about her epilepsy, she will tell you all you want to know.  She is not ashamed by it and wishes that everyone would treat her and others like her like normal kids.  Being left out o hurts, especially when her Epilepsy keeps her form doing some things the other kids can already do.  Cassidy loves being able to go out and spread awareness.  She has volunteered for The Danny Did Foundation and The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. 

Cassidy is a child living with Epilepsy.  Please help spread awareness that Epilepsy is real and needs to be talked about!!!!



Crazy Day In This Crazy World!

I don't think that October 3, 2011 was a very good day for quite a few people out here in southern Cali.  Mine started out crazy and ended crazy and I am glad ti is now October 4, 2011.  Our first bout of crazy times hit when I realized that my middle girls earring back on her left side was actually implanted within her ear lobe.  After dropping the oldest off at school, we headed to the ER.  It was there that they found the other side was in there as well, not nearly as bad as the other side since I had pulled the earring not knowing it was in there.  So, 2 needles, a scalpel and 2 sliced open ears later, her earring backs were out and in a cup for us to take home.  My girl was brave, she didn't cry at all and the doc repeatedly told me how good she was and even rewarded her with a purse filled with coloring books, markers and clay.  We were able to come home for a brief second before getting my oldest out of school early to head to her neurology appointment.  Little did we know that as we passed a point on the freeway, a shooting was going down on the northbound side.  We soon found out when we got down to the hospital and the freeway was empty and the nurses informed us.  How were we to get home?  Side streets aren't too bad right?  Wrong!!!  When an entire southern Cali freeway is evacuated, it makes side street driving beyond ridiculous.  3 hours later, when it normally takes 45 minutes tops, we were home and feeling very lucky to have not been on the other side of the freeway at that moment.

I feel that I am completely aware that evil exists in our world.  I would like to see the world through rose colored glasses and at times, I do.  I like to seek out the good and bring smiles to peoples faces and have a smile on my own, but I am very aware that not everyone thinks this way and that some people may want to seek out the complete opposite.  I just don't understand driving down a freeway and shooting at random cars.  As I drove home it made me think, how would I deal with that?  I could stop and get us all down, but my younger one is strapped in a seat where she is unable, would she be harmed?  It is such a scary situation.  On the news last night a reporter went to the door of the family of the suspect (who is still out there at this very second) to ask if they knew he was capable of doing this and where he might be, etc.  The sister answered the door and just seemed to not care.  She had no clue where he was since he had moved out over the summer and didn't care where he was.  Not that I feel any sympathy for the man and what he did but I have to think, they seemed so uncaring.  Did he grow up thinking he was not loved and therefore started to hate people, people he had not even met?  After growing up, did he not have friends who cared or  a family who noticed his absence form love and took him in?  It really makes me want to smile more at people, especially those who look like they might need one.  Is it too hard that as a society, as children of God that we can band together and take care of one another whether blood related or not?  I know this is my rose colored glasses speaking but I think a little kindness can go a long way.  There was the story that was circulated years ago about a kid who was going home to kill himself because he felt that no one cared about him.  When he dropped his school books after getting off the bus, another kid came up and helped him and walked him home.  The kid decided not to do it and years later at graduation told everyone in his speech and the friend had no clue he had saved his life.  How amazing is that?  A small act of kindness kept a child form taking his life.  As a society I think we can all step up a little, show some compassion and you never know, maybe you will keep someone from trying to kill others or take their own life!

Lord Help Me!

See this sweet face?  This face makes me smile.  It reminds me of a time when she was tiny, when the only care in the world was what barbie we would play with that day.

This is here now, taken only a couple of months ago and I swear she has grown since then.  How does this happen?  Ok, I don't need the talk about how kids actually grow, it just boggles my mind.  And even more so than the typical "how are they growing so fast?" on their birthdays.  This past Friday we were getting in the car to go to a Girl Scout meeting.  Since my oldest is allowed to sit in the front seat if we aren't going too far, which is crazy to believe as well, how did she grow out of a car seat?!  Well, I got in first after getting the other two strapped into the back and then my oldest hops in the front.  A breeze was sent my way and ti didn't smell like we were in a car, more like we were in a swamp or on a farm.  I automatically went to the "what the heck is that smell?" face and even said it out loud.  The kids all at once said "it wasn't me", we may or may not have a gas problem in our house, lol.  I decided to lean in to my oldest knowing it would not be her and low and behold, IT WAS HER!!  I took her in the house and sprayed her down with pretty smelling things and the very next day we took a trip to get some deodorant.  Now, not only can she ride in the front, she wears deodorant?!  I don't know if I am ready for this.  I was more than ok being the one and only girl in this house using things like that.  She has also been moody, very weird moody.  She wouldn't talk much and said she has decided to be more calm......what?  This lasted for 3-4 days and then she was back to normal.  My mom laughed when I told her I was worried.  She told me, from experience mind you, she raised 2 girls herself.  She told me to watch around the same time every month because this just shows where her cycle will be........her what?!  She is 9!!!  Ok, 9 1/2, she would kill me if I didn't add that 1/2, it just seems so young to me.  So, as my title states.......LORD HELP ME!!!  I am not ready for a tween or deodorant or cycles.  I want to wrap her in a baby ink blanket and rock her to sleep!!!!!!!



Where Have I Been?!

There I was, thinking that when my 2 oldest would be in school that things around here would get a little easier.  How on earth are they more busy and complicated when I have one less in the house for a good part of the day?  Guess I have been slacking some in the blogging department.  As I said before, my TWO oldest children are in school.  How on earth did my middle girl get old enough to be in school all day?  I know a lot of people say it but it is true, they grow up way too fast!

She is loving kindergarten and has many stories at the end of the day!  She had me walking her to her line on the first day and by the end of the week, she wanted me to just drop them in the car line.  Not only is she becoming more independent but she is showing just how courageous she can be.  On Friday I got a call from the school nurse, who also happens to be a good friend, who told me that a kid in her class had pulled out one of her earrings.  It was bleeding pretty good yet my small one only wanted a band-aid and be sent back to class.  I was able to talk to her on the phone and she told me about all the fun stuff that had happened, nothing about her bleeding ear.  So, once the bleeding was controlled and band-aid in place, she went back to class.  A couple of hours later I get a text from the nurse saying a kid on the playground pulled out her other earring.  Same thing, no tears, no crying, just a quick "please band-aid me".  I can tell you one thing, my oldest would have been home with the first one milking it for all it was worth........I think I would have done the same thing.  I am learning my middle is thick skinned and can handle what is thrown her way, I am so proud of her!

Something else I am proud of?  People standing up for what is right.  A couple of days ago, a good friend of mine posted a link from Talk About It.  The Talk About It site was created by actor Greg Grunberg.  His son has Epilepsy.  We had the honor to meet him at our Walk To End Epilepsy last year.

He is a strong advocate for the Epilepsy community and is spreading awareness day in and day out.  Recently he saw a trailer for a movie where a guy calls another guy "little seizure boy" as a way to make fun of him.  The actors are not small named actors and they also happen to be friends of Greg's.  Standing up for some people can be difficult especially in that line of work.  If you stand up and say something you may not get another gig again, you may tick just enough people off that you become headlines for all the wrong reasons.  But he didn't think twice.  He automatically tweeted to let people know and for them to ask the production company to re-think their ways.  Some may say standing up doesn't work.......this time it did!  The production company issued an apology and was re-editing the part in question.  How amazing is that?!  It doesn't matter what your cause, what makes you want to make this world a better place, standing up for what you believe in can and does make a difference!  Yes, some may say, words don't hurt.  but try to be on the other end of those words.  Seizures are no laughing matter, they are life altering and the people suffering don't deserve to be made fun of.  This year we are not able to attend the walk but we will be there in spirit.  If you live close enough, please consider joining a team or making your own and walk to find a cure and spread awareness.  If you don't live in CA and can make it to Pasadena on October 16, please consider sponsoring someone who will be there.  My good friend who told me about the above story will be there walking with her son and many others.  If you want further info, you can always go to the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles website or ask me for more info :)

I hope everyone has an great extended weekend!!!

How To Mend A Broken Heart

Growing up is a tough one.  Before school let out, my oldest found out that her best friend, a boy named Adam would be moving.  He was only moving about an hour away but to a 9 year old, that is forever away.  You see, my oldest isn't the most out-going child.  Once she knows you, she is more than willing to chat and open up but she has a real fear of people not liking her.  She is so scared that someone might say something and has had a hard time with bullies since the first grade.  Back then we didn't know she had Epilepsy and she seemed "weird" to other kids.  She was doing things that we didn't know where they were coming from and kids don't take very well to the kid who doesn't act "normal".  Even after she was diagnosed and started treatment, the meds did not always work.  It took us a good 8 months for her to finally find one that did the job.  In the meantime she would scream in class and not remember it later, she even once hit a kid on the back of the head before screaming and then crawled under desk and cried.  I am not condoning the assault on the boy but i do have to say, she remembered none of it.  It was almost scary when she said she had no clue what I was talking about and later that night before bed, she came downstairs crying her eyes out asking "did I really hit someone?  Is he ok?".  My heart broke.  Girls seem to be the worst in all of this.  There was a gang of girls who stuck together and they were set on making her life a living hell.  The ring leader eventually moved away and things got better but never 100%.  In the meantime, she made a friend.  A little boy named Adam.  I questioned it at first, shouldn't she be besties with a girl?  We surely cannot have a boy over for sleepovers and the typical girlie things, should I tell her to find someone else to hang out with?  I asked her why she liked this boy so much, wondering if it was a crush and she told me "he is just like me, he doesn't say mean things and he makes me feel happy".  During an open house in one of her journals she even wrote about her best friend saying he was "different like me".  Adam is in the special ed class with Cass sometimes so I guess in her eyes, he has some flaws just like she does and they mesh well.  So, besties it was and has been for 2 years.  And then he moved away.  I was never able to get an address for his new place so it seems, for now, they have lost touch. 

Today while I was making dinner she came out with a clay heart she had made at a festival a couple of weeks ago.  It was torn right in half and she was teary.  I asked what happened and she said she was thinking of Adam and it just feel in two.  We did have the talk about destroying personal property in a fit of rage but after that, it broke my heart.  She went to her room and after dinner was in the oven, I went to check on her.  She was sitting in a chair looking out her window with tears streaming down her face.  She told me without looking back at me that Adams favorite color is green just like the grass.  In her hands was her friendship bracelet he had bought her (they each bought one for one another, he actually bought her another one after she bought him one because it wasn't right for her to only have one, so sweet), she wears one on her wrist and the other one was too small to put back on after she had to take it off so she has it in her special box.  When I sat besides her, she melted into my arms and cried.  I don't know if I am prepared for broken hearts!  If she was older and it was a boyfriend, I am totally prepared for the "you deserve better, now lets go shopping and eat junk food" speech but how do you deal with losing a best friend?  As an adult it sucks, I cannot imagine how her little heart is breaking.  As I speak, she is moping.  She wants to snuggle on the couch and just chill and that is not her personality.  I told her I would try to track him down but that was all I had in my arsenal.  So, people help me out here, how to you help your child mend a broken heart?

Festival Fun

I have to say, living in Southern California definitely has its perks!  Over the weekend on a beautiful breezy beach day, my girls and I were able to head out to the Sawdust Festival.  For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a huge arts festival with tons of art vendors, food, music and kids activities.  It takes place in Laguna Beach, I am sure you all know that area from all the reality tv shows based out of here and yes, it really is that beautiful.  The actual festival sits inland from the beach in a canyon so you don't get any beach views but we did see a lot of this......

Not only did we enjoy the sights but the food as well.  Yes, we ate nothing but greasy food but the kids thoroughly enjoyed it.  Whats better than fish 'n chips with a side of fried veggies?  Oh yes, how about a salad for dinner to counter act all that greasiness sitting in your belly, it was much needed!!!  And not only was the art fantastic but we got to see a magician, get balloon animals and hats, make some crafts and even watch a glass blower make a beautiful bowl.  I can now see why they charge so much for one small item, ti takes so much to make one tiny piece of art, it is beautiful.  And the best part of it all?  My kids did not touch and we did not have to be forced into buying something expensive :)  In a setting where there is glass and art everywhere you turn, a mom is bound to be neurotic with the "no touching" rule and I am sure my girls heard it a million times that day.  However, it all paid off.  While perusing a glass necklace vendor, my girls sweetly glanced at the jewels and marveled at the pretty colors and picked out which one they liked best and the words a mother always wants to hear came out of the owners mouth...."you have such well behaved kids".  Did I just hear the angels sing?  I thanked her and smiled and then smiled at my sweet girls, I was so proud, all of the death glares and threats of "if you touch" (ok, so I don't threaten them but they know I mean business) totally paid off.  It was a great day that ended on a healthy fresh salad and sweet food coma note and I would love to do it all over again!

Short Stories

I love children's imaginations!  The other day I took my kids to the park and suddenly the playground turned into a pirate ship.  The Queen, Princess and lowly shipmate (my poor youngest, I sympathize, I was the youngest too) were trying to escape the dastardly pirates.  I sat there and remembered just how great the imagination of a child is.  I vividly remember when playgrounds transformed or my Grandma's hot tub was now the entire ocean and I was Ariel.  I don't know when that goes away but it obviously fades over time.  It is so fun though to experience it yet again with my own kids.  My oldest is in summer school.  They do a lot of arts and crafts and fun things but they also get some work in as well.  Last week she came home with a short story she had written.  I typically read her papers right away in case there is something I need to sign or send back, but in this case, it was work and so i set it aside.  I finally was able to read it last night and I had to snicker.  I love her imagination.  Her personality shines even in the papers she writes for school.  Remember, she is still only 9 so it is not long but I love it still.  So without further ado, a story by Cassidy.......

One day at the ice cream store, the owner was worried because the freezer was broken.  Next, Cassidy; the store owner, was going to buy a new freezer.  Then, Cassidy drove in her Chevy Cruze to go to Sears to buy a freezer.  After that, she got sad because they did not have a glittery freezer.  Finally, she found a glittery freezer at Lowe's.

She has had an obsession with the dang Chevy Cruze, it is her dream car and I think I am ok with that.  At 9 every time I saw a Mazda Miata I drooled and told my mom I would have that car one day.  At least hers is a practical sedan!  I can see her driving off to college in her dream car with her brand new glittery freezer for her dorm :)

When Life Gives You Lemons........

Dance in the aisles of a pharmacy of course!!!!!

Nothing quite like breaking it down to KT Tunstall in a pharmacy aisle :)



Dance Recital

Yesterday, all of the hard work my two oldest girls had been doing definitely paid off.  Costumes were on, hair was curled and make-up applied (applying heavy make-up to my 4 and 9 year old was never something I thought I would be doing but I guess it is a necessity when on stage).  The girls looked so cute.  Kendall did a tap number to a Shirley temple song called "Baby Take A Bow"....

Cassidy did an Irish number.........

They were both super excited and a little nervous to get on stage and show off what they had been learning.  The morning did make me nervous as well.  While doing Cassidy's hair she got overheated and had some small seizures, a part of me didn't want her to even go after that.  But she was able to rest before we left and said she felt fine so it was off to the theater.  Littlest sister was super excited, she had her program and her tickets ready......

Both girls did awesome!!!  Not a step was missed and they couldn't stop smiling and telling all their friends what a great job they all did.  I am not so sure of the oldest one will continue with dance.  She is more of a home body and enjoys cooking and helping out around the house and more indoor activities, this was a great learning experience for her though and she really impressed me!!!  I do think this is just the beginning for Kendall, she not only loves to dance but the studio told me they wished they could lower the age for company members because she is amazing.  I am sure you can only imagine how much she eats that up.  So You Think You Can Dance in the year 2025 may be in her future :)

Three Blessings

9 years ago I was thrilled when I found out I would be having a beautiful baby girl.  4 years later I was a little disappointed to find out that it was another girl, but I was content and was happy my older girl would have a sister to bond with.  When my third turned out to be a girl, I was devastated.  I know a lot of you will think of how selfish and sick that sounds but I had my heart set on a boy.  When trying to get pregnant, I tried everything written on how to conceive a boy and I even started calling my belly the little boys name I had picked out.  So when the ultrasound tech asked if I wanted to know what I was having, my exact words were "Of course, I mean, I already know it is a boy, but you can just confirm that for me", the poor lady had no clue what to say, I feel so bad for putting her in that spot.  She looked at my two girls in their with me and said "looks like another little princess is joining the family".  I about died and asked her to check a couple more times.  How had I been so wrong, I was not meant to have three girls, I needed my boy!!  I know I heard God laughing at me that day, wondering how on earth I thought it was up to me.  Now that my girls have grown some, there have been many times that I have looked at them and knew it was exactly how it is supposed to be.  I look at my baby and think, there is no way I can picture having a boy.  Last night, we celebrated.  My oldest will be going into fourth grade after summer vacation and my middle one into kindergarten.  And how do girls celebrate?  Girls night in of course! We put on jammies, rented and movie and ate junk food to our hearts content.  Right before bed time, I chased the girls around the house and we ended up in my room.  At one point I was crawling on the floor about to jump up onto my bed where they were huddled and I knew I had to get my camera.  As I sprang up to shrieks of laughter, I saw my three little blessings holding on to one another and giggling.  It was a picture perfect moment and it was drilled into my head yet again, it is supposed to be like this.  Would I love to have a little boy?  I think ti would be amazing to have a son, to watch a boy grow into a man and make a life for himself but I am perfectly content with my girls, I couldn't imagine my life without it being with them.  As soon as the laughter died down, I did go get my camera and we had fun taking pictures.  And another thing about having all girls?  Taking pictures is a breeze, they all sat with me as we took a picture, looked at it and said "lets try that again"  15 tries later and we finally got some with all of us in it.  In all the chaos that is my life right now, I feel so happy that I have these three blessings in my life!

Olive Garden At Home

I need to say that I am not responsible for the recipe, however I really do wish that I was!!!!  I had some zucchini in my fridge and wanted to make a pasta dish with it but had no clue what to do.  I was wanting a really good alfredo sauce but had yet to be happy with one.  And that was when this super yummy recipe came into my life.  It jumped out at me with the title, it said ti is better than Olive Garden!!!  I was pretty skeptical when reading that.  Olive Garden alfredo, while I am sure it is loaded with way too many calories is also extremely delicious.  I can never order anything else except their chicken alfredo with angel hair pasta every time we go because I love the sauce!!  Because of it's claim, I had to try it and OMG, yes I said OMG, it is freakin fantastic!!!!!!  I dipped my spoon in when it was done to get a taste and I screamed OMG!!!  (I normally never use that term but it was warranted) The shriek of OMG brought my kids running wondering what was going on.  I told them how amazing dinner was going to be and thank the good Lord above, they agreed.  I didn't have any angel hair pasta on hand but I used regular spaghetti noodles and put some garlic sauteed zucchini on top.  Needless to say, dinner was OMG fantastic, you must try this recipe asap!!!!!!  Head on over here for the recipe and in the meantime, enjoy some delicious pictures (I don't claim to be a great photographer because, well, I am not, but food still looks good to me no matter what).....

This was my kids plate with cut up noodles :)

Oh that sauce, I think I might dream of that darn sauce!

On a side note, I was told that I HAD to take this picture!!!!  I happily obliged, they did however come running when they heard me shrieking with delight!!!

Friendship Bracelets

My girl is getting older and has amazed me with some of the things she is into now.  She is not a girl who has a ton of friends and her close friends that she plays with everyday are 3 boys.  I am not alarmed, they are mean like girls are and she has had a hard time with some of the girls in her grade so for her, I am sure it is a safe haven of sorts.  There is one boy in particular, Adam, he has been in her class for the past couple of years until this year.  They really hit it off.  According to Cass in a story she wrote that was in her open house folder, Adam and her are best friends because he is different like her.  Adam and Cass also both go to special ed together and while I would like to say these 2 are normal, I am sure they get told otherwise by their peers.  I think they have the unspoken connection of 2 kids who have slight differences than the "normal" kids and so they have gravitated to one another.  The other day Cass came home sad, it turns out that Adam is moving.  My heart broke for my girl.  As an adult, saying goodbye to friends is never easy, for her I am sure it hurts more.  This boy has been her best friend, her safe place at school, someone she relates too.  Then she showed me her arm, "mom, look what Adam bought me"  Placed on her sweet little wrist was her very first friendship bracelet.  "He said he wanted me to have it so I could always remember him".........we were in the car so between having to drive and having my 3 girls stare at me, I decided the ugly cry was out of the picture.  How sweet is this boy?!  The school is selling friendship bracelets, I am not sure who it is benefiting, but he thought about my girl and wanted her to have something to remind her of him.  That next morning, I gave her some money so she could do the same and when she came home, she had another.  I guess he wanted to buy her another one after she bought him one.  I die!!!!!!  Why does he have to move?!!!  It saddens my heart for her.
Now, here is the funny part.  When we were talking about him yesterday, she told me how when he gets to San Diego, yadda yadda yadda, I had to stop her.  San Diego?  "Baby, that is great news!!!!"  For those of you who have no clue where I live, it is not far at all from San Diego.  If someone in San Diego called me right now and wanted to have lunch, it would be completely possible.  She may not be at the same school with him anymore and yes, she will have to make new friends and hopefully they are as kind, but I am hoping his parents will be on board for us to get the kids together every now and again.  I cannot see her saying a forever goodbye to this sweet boy!!!!
Now I know some of you are thinking it is more, that these two may have a sweet innocent school crush on one another and that may be so, but how cute are they?  Crushes at that age are innocent and they play star wars and battle swords for goodness sakes, it is fun.  Play on sweet children!!!

Chicken and Waffles

I know that it is a California thing but I think every one knows about Roscie's Chicken and Waffles right?  Isnt it in a couple of movies or something?  I dont know, maybe I am living in my California bubble.  When I went to college, we had a Roscoe's not too far from us and everyone would go and I never got to go.  I have always wanted to go and see what all the hoopla was about but I live a little further now and dont see driving that far just to eat.  Then, like a little miracle, we found out they had more locations and one happened to be 5 minutes from my moms house.  Needless to say, we went over the weekend.  It had to be a happening place, they even had security to control the crowd (kind of crazy).  But, while we waited we got to sit in their lounge area.  It was a cute little room that was dimly lit and had pretty pictures on the wall.  My oldest talked about the fancy seats......wooden chairs with greyish fake sillk covers, the girl knows her fancy :)  She got even more excited when we ordered drinks while we waited and she got her sprite like this....

And her sister got her strawberry lemonade like this.............

And not to be out done just because she had a sippy cup, our girl got just the fruit and it came like this.......

We did have a little bit of a long wait, it was also around noon on a Sunday so it is to be expected.  But, they finally called our number and we got to go into the other side of the restaurant.  I have to say, the lounge is the complete opposite of the actual restaurant.  It was more like a tiny simple diner versus the silk covered dimly lit room with umbrella drinks.  We asked our waiter what most people ordered and I knew it was a stupid question but he still gave me  the "chicken and waffles" answer, however he did do it with a "this is a stupid question" look.  So, we did.  Chicken and waffles all around and my mom, God love her, ordered good ol chicken livers (do you sense I am not a huge fan?).  We were shocked when it came out.  My order alone contained a half of a chicken and my moms livers were piled high on a huge plate.  Luckily my middle girl, who rarely eats more than a few bites, ate one whole plus another half of a waffle, a huge drumstick and an egg, she was going a little nuts on the chicken and waffles!!!!  I dont know if I would go back and stand in that huge line, my kids werent enjoying the wait too much, but maybe if they accept reservations or we can go on an "off" time.  Anyways, if you ever see one and havent eaten there before, I suggest you go in and try it at least once!

A Little Late

I don't know how this slipped by me.  This is my sweet girl who was so excited that we weren't making the typical valentine card you can find in any store.  She went with me to Michael's and picked out the colors she wanted to use and then we came home and made pretty butterfly tags and dipped marshmallows.  It was a good time and she was so excited to get to school and hand out her homemade valentine treats.

Happy late Valentines Day :)