Finally, Thanksgiving recap

With all this waiting, it should be a fabulous recap, but it's not. We had a very nice day enjoyed by friends and family alike. It was low key and relaxing.

I worked all night the night before, got home at 8:00 A.M., had some breakfast, made some dinner rolls, and then took a 3 hour nap. When I got up my living room was magically devoid of childrens toys (thank you Bill and Dottie), and the tables were set up waiting to receive tablecloths and place settings. We finished a few last minute preparations, got the turkey in the oil (yep, we deep fried a turkey, and Bill didn't lose his eyebrows), rolls in oven, and people to the table. We had 17 total, and everyone brought something delicious to share.

The most entertaining part of the evening is when we went around the table and everyone said something they were thankful for. We have some friends that are expecting a baby in February and she went first and mentioned that she was thankful for their blessing. Her husband went next, seemed a litte flustered, looked at her and said, "I'm thankful I'm still potent." It was really hard to follow that one.

At the end of the evening, after some nice conversation, everyone headed out. 30 minutes after they were gone, my dining room looked like this (mostly back to normal minus all the toys):And about 2 1/2 hours after they left, all the dishes were done. It was so nice to wake up the next morning and not be faced with a sinkload of dishes.

This is one Thanksgiving I wouldn't mind repeating.

Hunt for Red Retriever

Ok, I know I'm gonna step on some toes here (and some of those toes are very close to me) but I just have to vent a little.

Ever since we lost our beautiful Golden Retriever a little over 2 years ago, our house has seemed a bit empty (even with 2 pre-schoolers running around). When we got him it was by accident. We didn't plan to get a dog then, and it certainly wasn't the right time to get a dog, but he picked us. Us. There was an instant bond that told us we couldn't let him slip through our fingers. He immediately became a part of our family, sleeping on our bed, cuddling with us, following me around everywhere, and doing all he could to please us. In return we did all we could to keep him happy, we fed him, loved him, and really believed he was a child to us. He was not your average dog. I could lay a stick across a doorway and tell him not to cross it, and he wouldn't. For the first 2 years of his life we didn't even have a fence in the backyard and yet he never left. And all he asked in return was a tummy rub and an ear scritch. I could go on and on about him, but I'm tearing up already.

Shortly after he died I felt his presence in the house. I felt that if I could just turn around fast enough I'd see him standing there. I felt this was his way of telling us to give that same love to another dog. Maybe it was just my way of grieving, I don't know. In any case we went and checked out many dogs but none of them, none of them made us feel warm and fuzzy and instantly connected like our big boy did. That feeling was/is very important to me. Being busy with 6 month old twins we decided to give up the search until now.

We've recently started talking about a dog again. The girls are big enough, and are starting to build up a fear of dogs, so we feel we need to get one sooner rather than later. I want my girls to grow up with a love of dogs. We talked about a puppy, but finally decided we would go with a rescue dog, so Bill contacted the local group and their response shocked me.

According to them we can't begin to think about adopting a rescue dog until we fill out an application, have an interview, and get this...a home inspection and then they'll decide if we would be a fitting adoptive family. Oh yeah, and it will cost us $400 for the privilege. I was stunned, but some good friends told me this is fairly standard. To me it is punishing the many for the fault of the one or few and doesn't really address the issue. It's suppose to avoid bad placements, but I've heard from more than one person that these still happen and it's sad when a dog has to be put down.

To me, if a person is an experienced dog owner, comes with good references on said topic, is willing to take on a rescue dog, and pay the fee, then the home visit is ridiculous. I'm told it's to insure the dogs will be safe, that there is a solid fence so the dog can't get out. I have a solid fence. What's to say that just because I have that fence that I will be vigilant about closing the gate? Or the front door to the house when I'm inside. I don't see where an invasion of my house is going to make any dog any safer. And what if I had a hole in my fence? All I'd have to do is promise to fix it.

I really think it should be more about the connection between the dog and the prospective family. If the connection is there, the dog is going to be safe.

Also, we're rescuing a dog for $400 for Pete's sake. Most people I know are not going to throw away that kind of money.

Lastly, it is a dog (and don't think for one minute I really believe that part) in most peoples eyes. I could go buy one, or pick one up at the pound with little to no scrutiny. I think this practice probably turns away more good families than they think and causes another possibly unforeseen problem. If we (or anyone else) doesn't feel like going through these hoops, and buys a dog, this dog may or may not be neutered/spayed and may end up producing a litter (or more) of puppies which could potentially be a larger problem.

I think the home scrutiny should be saved for those people who appear to be really shady after the application and interview, or even after they meet a dog. How is a home inspection going to tell them or us if we will be a good match for a dog. Short answer is, it won't.

Yet another shoulder update.

Today I went back to my shoulder doc and it was decided that I was indeed going to need surgery to correct the problem. It's hard to tell how extensive of a repair he will have to do until he gets in there so my recovery is now slated to be either 6 to 8 weeks or 4 to 6 months. I don't have a date set yet, but if I do it sooner rather than later I may be ready for the spring/summer hockey season. Woo hoo! Here's hoping. Of course first I have to get up my nerve to call the surgery scheduler. I'll keep you posted on that.

Boys vs. Girls

Today I had an interesting conversation with the girls. Riley told me
she's a boy and Sam's a girl to which Sam responded as before, "No girl,
Bing Bong". I never did get a reason for the designations except that
the explanation went on that Sam was a girl and Riley and I were boys
and Daddy was a girl.

I find it hilarious, but I have a feeling Bill won't.

Sequels rarely if ever work

I know, I know. This isn't a news flash. Tonight I decided to share a
bit of my childhood with my girls and watch some classic holiday flicks
starting with Frosty and Rudolph.

Frosty didn't disappoint, it as I remembered it. However, the DVD also
had Frosty Returns on it, so we decided to give it a whirl. It was so
not worth it. Even the girls, who are easily amused, were not
entertained by it.

Not wanting to quit on that note we moved on to what I thought was
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer but was really yet another sequel
entitled Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys. It should have been
called The Misfit DVD That Noone Should View.

Tomorrow I hunt for the real Rudolph.

Cozy day

Today was a lovely do nothing day. It was ok though cuz it gave us a
very nice day with the girls to just play, laugh, and nap. It was
capped off with the girls cuddling in my lap and watching Nemo.
Perfect.

The Hunt

Today we went on our annual Christmas Tree Hunt. We go to the same place every year though we do try to sample various areas of the mountain. We wander the up and down the hill before we find a tree and Bill cuts it down with the help of whichever child/ren are willing, and the rest of us enjoy a popcorn snack.

Every year there is a certain member of our household that treats this adventure as a seek and destroy mission. Get there, get a tree, get out. Don't fraternize with the locals.

The young adult in the crowd merely stands to one side with the posture of the angry youth. She likes to pretend she doesn't like the experience, but she shows for it every year and I believe she revels in the varying dynamics of the crowd.

Me? I see it as an adventure, a time to walk through the trees, take a moment to enjoy nature, the fresh air, and just being out there with my family.

The two youngest have yet to develop an opinion about the whole tree hunting thing. However, this year they walked a bit before remembering there was popcorn to be had and then that was it for them.

I have to admit that wrapped up in all this is the quest for the perfect tree. It has to be so tall that when the star is placed on it, it just grazes the ceiling. It has to be nice and fat with lots of branches for cramming on lights and hanging ornaments. There must be no visible holes in the tree either, and it must be a nice deep green with no dead/dying branches. Lastly, the tree must speak to me. I must feel something from it, so that I know it wants to come home with us.

This drives the rest of my family crazy, or so they say. I think they secretly like my dedication and the fact that every year we come home with the "perfect" tree.

Love note from Val

Val just IM'd me the following.

Liz: Yb b5rtufv

She had to borrow her Mommy's Sidekick to send it of course.

2 pumpkin pies down, a gazillion things left

Today I went to PT (no real change), made 2 pumpkin pies, did 2 loads of laundry, took a 3 hour nap, had dinner (thank you Bill), and am now at work for the night.

Tomorrow I still have rolls, sweet potatoes, and stuffing to make as well as get some sleep so I don't melt down. I also need to finish picking up the girls toys so we have a place for people to hang out and eat.

Soooooo, if you don't hear from me on T-day, Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope your holiday, however you choose to celebrate it or not, is a good one.

I'll have the aftermath posting as soon as I recover.

Not Barbara Streisand

I have always sung, always, all the time, forever. Now I don't claim to be a Barbara Streissand or anything even close. I just enjoy it, but I do reserve it for those times when I'm by myself or with my children who until recently have not complained of the abomination. Yep, that's right, until recently.

Lately Riley has begun to not ask, but emphatically demand that I please stop. If she's within range she will even put her tiny hand over my mouth. The good news to this is that maybe I have a child who is musically gifted. I would love that. Riley has moved, wiggled, danced, and eventually sung whenever she hears music. It seems to strike a chord within her (pun intended). So, if I can't be a Barbara S., I'm glad that she might, at least in her world. I love that she has found that happiness, and at such a young age.

Starting the day with a bang.

So, this morning I woke up, showered, and got the girls fed, dressed, teeth brushed, etc. by 9:25. I was pretty happy to be running ahead of schedule. All I had left to do before 9:45 (when I had to leave for PT) was dry my hair, brush my teeth, and put on my shoes and socks, no problem.

I started off by going into the girls bathroom to brush my teeth and was hit by a very strong sewage smell as well as water all over the floor around the toilet. I thought to myself, "Great, the seal on the toilet has broken. How much is it going to cost to fix that, and how long will we have to live without that toilet?" In general no problem though. I got some old rags to soak up the water and went to the other bathroom to get it set up for the girls so my parents could take them to the bathroom while I was gone. Uh oh, more sewage smell. Yep, you guessed it. This toilet had exploded too. I suddenly remembered the city truck outside that was connecting to one of the sewer holes in the street. Apparently whatever they were doing backed up into my toilets and my bathroom.

So, with 5 minutes left I quickly mopped up the water, cleaned the two toilets (at least the insides and the parts people touch when using them, and made it to PT on time. Woo hoo. I finished the bathroom sterilization when I arrived home. YUCK! And yes, the city is going to receive a piece of my mind. I'll try not to give them a piece I need.

Creepiest Santa Ever

Today we went to the mall to participate in a fundraiser and Santa was
already there, or at least their version. This was the creepiest Santa
ever. I had thought I'd let the girls sit on his lap if they were
interested, but they weren't even close to be interested. He was far
from the jolly old elf he's purported to be. He was grouchy and
frowning and not one laugh, smile, or ho, ho, ho escaped his lips. Even
though he knew the girls were watching, and he was not otherwise
engaged, he did not smile or wave at them. Also, he looked rather
dirty, like they picked a homeless guy off the streets and slapped a
Santa suit on him for the event. Really rather disappointing.

I have ice!

Today when I went to sleep I had a regular refridgerator with the capability of making ice, but no water line to facilitate this function. When I woke up I magically had a water line which means I can now get water from the door and ice from the freezer without having to fill ice trays. Woo hoo!!

Thanks to my hubby and my bro.

My Friday Experiment

Wondering if pics sent from my Sidekick will actually post on my blog.

Perfect Park Day

Today we went to the park. I was expecting it to be cooler so I dressed the girls accordingly. 5 minutes into it they were stripping off clothes due to the heat. Shortly after that they found the water and had a great time playing in it. A couple of other kids played in it too and I was surprised none of the other moms objected.Apparently it was 2 year old day at the park, because even though the rest of our playgroup couldn't make it today, there were several other two year olds, and they all played very nicely with each other. They were all girls too which was strange. We usually see more boys at the park. Oh yeah, it was pancake day at the park too. The girls thought it was great fun to eat their pancakes while sliding and climbing on the equipment. All in all, another excellent day.

I like this PT

Today I had another PT session. I can now extend my arm to 132. At my worst she says it was about 115, so some progress.

Even better though is that they gave me a pumpkin spice latte when I was done. Yum. Apparently there was a problem with their order, so they got one extra and I was the happy benificiary. Woo hoo. Oh, and did I say, "YUM!"

Auntie

Today Andrea swears Val said, "Auntie" when she asked her too. Being a proud Auntie I believe she did. :)

Shoulder Update

I've been doing physical therapy (still hoping to avoid surgery) and today had a little ray of hope. Each time I go they measure how far I can extend my arm without pain. My low point was 115 degrees. Today I hit 130 degrees and with less pain at the end of the arc. Small, but tangible progress. Woo hoo!

One word

My weekend recap can be summed up in one word. I'm just not sure if that word should be organizing, cleaning, or laundry. I'm guessing laundry since I did 10 loads (washed, dried, folded, AND put away) in the course of doing some major purging of the girls room and some more minor purging of my own stuff. Go me.

Disposable toilet brushes, benefit to parents everywhere

I love those new disposable toilet brushes. There are 2 kinds, one that you throw the head away in the garbage, and the other one that disintegrates and flushes down the toilet. I have the latter, and have found it to be more useful than I ever thought.

This week one of my little angels decided to throw a toy in the toilet, a toilet that had recently been used by one of them. Needless to say I did not want to put my hand in there to get it out, and the toy was too big to flush, so I was left with finding a non-disgusting way to get it out. As I was contemplating how to bend a wire hanger to get it out my eyes suddenly fell upon the handle to the toilet brush. Since it's one of the flush away kind, it has a set of "tongs" that operate with the push of the button. Handle in toilet sans cleaning part, toy grabbed, everything out of toilet and hosed down without me having to touch any of it. Woo hoo!!

Do I really care what kind of donut I would be?

No, but I did find it kind of funny. Damn Jenny for making me do this. ;)

You Are a Caramel Crunch Donut

You're a complex creature, and you're guilty of complicating things for fun. You've been known to sit around pondering the meaning of life... Or at times, pondering the meaning of your doughnut. To frost or not to frost? To fill or not to fill? These are your eternal questions.

What Donut Are You?

Fall Leaves

I took the girls to the park today to play with their twins playgroup. After spending some time on the playground equipment they found that they liked playing in the leaves much better.

What I love about living where I do...

It's the middle of November, the sun is shining so bright I need sunglasses, and it's 70 degrees outside. Woot!

Early onset Alzheimers?

I keep thinking, "I need to post such and such," but then when I go to post I just can't remember what it is I wanted to post. Then I'll remember again later when I'm not at the computer. At the computer, forget again. Arrrrgggghhh.

Anyone else have this problem?

Pump It Up

Today we went to Pump It Up with our twins group. According to them this is an inflatable playground. Ok, get your minds out of the gutter - not that kind of playground. ;)
It has all these huge inflated climbing toys including giant slides and obstacle courses. We got quite a work out. Yep, we. The girls wanted me to go with them so I found myself scaling "rock" walls, climbing army style over and under things, bouncing, and sliding. If I could do that every day I'd weigh 110 lbs.

In any case, it was lots of fun and I might have to have the girls birthday there this year.

The Mad Jumper

I've been wanting to upload videos for a while, so I thought I'd give this a shot with a little guest appearance from The Mad Jumper.

Donor anyone?

I've decided that what I really need is an upper body transplant. Anyone out there willing to be a donor? We could just trade, I really wouldn't care what you did with my defective parts.

In case you're wondering, yes my shoulder is bugging me. I managed to over use it which caused a huge flare up that prevented me from even doing my simple PT exercises. In addition, last night at work, in the process of moving a kid and all his equipment including a ridiculously heavy pump that I had to lift above my head, I re-injured my upper back. Can't sleep now despite being up working all night. Can barely type. Arrrrggggghhhhh.

So, any donors out there?

Lovefest?

Ok people. I will unabashedly admit that I'm looking for a lovefest here. Stand up and be counted. ;)

Hmmmmm, what to blog?

Lately my days have become blurs that pass quickly, sometimes full of "events", other times uneventfully. My mind has turned to the holidays as have many people. For those of you keeping track, I am a holidayaholic. Many people claim they are just opportunities for companies like Hallmark to make money. Me, I revel in the family being together, obnoxiously snapping picture after picture to etch it into memory forever. I love the pomp and circumstance, the food, the laughter, and the making up after the inevitable stress fight. Ahhh, I can't wait.

Two day holiday recovery.

Ok, it's been 2 days now, the sugar is finally purged from our systems and everyone is acting a little more like human beings today. Whew!!

Halloween, preview meltdown of the holiday season.

Don't get me wrong here, I love Halloween, but sometimes things just get to be too much. Overall we had fun pumpkin hunting, carving, and even the beginning of trick-or-treating, but a little too much holiday sugar did us all in. I had a mini-meltdown (sorry Cathy), the girls had major meltdowns (severe sugar plummet), and even Bill had a little meltdown. All in all, I think we'll give Halloween one more try next year.

On a more upbeat note, the girls were adorable if I do say so myself (all three of them - Val, Riley, and Sam) My two were just so sweet the way they'd say tick teet and then thank you. They were very good little trick-or-treaters. Val was the model of excellence in her adorable dragon costume. She had very big eyes and watched everything the girls were doing, and then settled in for a very long nap in which she even slept through Riley's tantrum.

This morning the girls got up, and as most young kids do asked to go trick-or-treating again. We've swapped out all their candy for granola bars and fruit snacks, so hopefully no more meltdowns. ;)

Oh, and as for the pumpkins, they drew their own faces on, scooped out their own seeds, and proudly carried their jack-o-lanterns to the front porch. So cute.