Goodbye 2012

Seems like it has been months since I last posted but it has only been one long week. I am not going to pretend that I can recall the entire past week entirely, instead some highlights. Christmas Eve was very nice. We went to church service at 5PM and then over to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Mom had a sampling of everything for dinner, it was great. The kids patiently waited for presents. Ellie helped play Santa and get the gifts divided up for opening. It was wonderful to watch each of their faces as they opened their presents and see which were their favorites.
Christmas day we stayed at home. The kids opened presents from us under the tree. I was happy to hear a couple were what they truly wanted. Mom and Dad came over for breakfast. I tried a new oatmeal bake that I found online for our vegan option and it was a winner. Dad was sick with a flu and they didn't stay too long. Dean, Lauren and the girls came over for dinner. We made a bunch of appetizers and had a buffet. The kids got to play for a bit before they went home.
We left for vacation on Wednesday morning. We headed to Madison for our 1st night. We were able to meet my girlfriend from high school, Becki, and her son, Eddie, for lunch. We met them at Ella's Deli which is like Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium meets Jewish Deli. There is something everywhere you look and a menu a mile long. We tried fried pickles for the first time and they were a whole bunch tastier than they sounded. Becki led us to our hotel before she left. We stayed at a hotel that had a neat family suite (a regular room plus a bump out with 2 twin beds). They also had a neat pool with a small slide and basketball nets. We went shopping and picked up a couple saucer sleds to take with us up to UBs house the next day.
Thursday we had breakfast and checked out. We visited the Geological Museum on the UW Madison campus before heading to UBs house. We made good time and were there before lunchtime. We went to lunch and then came back to sled and enjoy the snow. UB brought out his tractor and let the kids drive and then use the back hoe to pick up and distribute snow piles. Nick was having so much fun. Ellie liked going down this small hill of snow on her saucer. We watched a couple movies on his projector that night and had popcorn and cheese from the cheese shop. It was very neat that we got to wake up to snow the next morning.
Friday we had breakfast with UB and play for a bit before heading off. We ate lunch at the restaurant in the Dells that had a train that brought the food to the table. It snowed on our journey South. We stopped off in Madison to visit the botanic garden, they had a holiday train exhibit. It wasn't too spectacular but provided a break to stretch our legs. We spent the night in Brookfield. We checked in and got right into the pool which was the best trick we learned this trip...pool at check in = no one in the pool with you. I read about a custard place that we headed to for dessert for dinner. It was very tasty custard and will now be on the list when we travel that way.
Saturday we headed home. We stopped off in Kenosha to visit Jelly Belly and take the tram tour. The kids got their free jelly beans and a little sugar perk. We got home around lunchtime and I got laundry started. Mom got Dad's germs and was sick too (Jo and the boys, too). I made some vegetable soup and bread to take over and cut up a melon. Ellie and I rant to the store to pick up some very basics for the evening and drop dinner by Mom and Dad's house. We picked up some new movies at the store and headed home. We moved things around down in the basement and set Nick's wall mounted Hot Wheels sets up - a true winner.
Today, Ellie joined me for our real grocery shop and some returns. We headed to Meijer with our list and a list for Mom and Dad. We had a cart full of things by the time we checked out. Christmas was reduced to 75% off and we stocked up. We did a quick run into Target to check their clearance - I ended up with a pair of slipper socks for Nick and gift bags to put away for next year. We picked up lunch and dropped it and groceries off at Mom's house. We came home and un-packed. We decided we are going to cancel our cable service. It is really not essential and we don't watch too many of the cable channels anymore. We got our library books and videos together and went on a family adventure. We returned books to the library and got a couple new ones. We went to Abt and bought a new tv to replace the one in the back room so we can get rid of cable. We ran to the video store and the kids picked out some new movies. We came home and Rob and I set up the new tv and the kids played. I played Ellie's new monopoly game with her - it is very cool, the ipad is the bank and there is no need to exchange money. TV installation was successful and we unhooked the cable.
It has been such a long, busy and wonderful week. Rob goes back to work for a couple days this coming week but the kids and I have some adventures planned. Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Looking forward to a new year this week. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Merry, Merry

Feels like it has been weeks but it has only been a few days. Let's see...there has been a ton of running around the past couple days.
Thursday I chaperoned a field trip of Nick's class. We went to the Marriott Lincolnshire to see Cinderella. It was fun to experience it through the eyes of the kids. The bus trip up and back were so much more quiet than with Ellie's group. I did my grocery shopping for Nick's school party afterwards because we were supposed to have a huge storm coming through and I wanted to get it done. I got some of my prep done on Thursday...cut the graham crackers apart, cut wax paper & got paper goods together.
Friday I tried to get some more things checked off my list but wasn't too successful. Nick's party was fun and tiring. The kids made train engines from graham crackers with banana circles as the wheels and popcorn as the steam. I cut bead loaves to look like slippers and stuffed them with carrots and orange slices. I took Ellie and Nick home and we all relaxed. We went to a party down the block in the evening. It was nice to be able to get out and see neighbors and friends.
Saturday we divided and conquered. Ellie had a usability study for a new video game. We went down into the city for that while Nick and Rob went shopping. It was nice to be able to have a girls lunch before heading home. We picked up some movies and prepared for some rest and relaxation, I think Ellie is getting sick. The kids watched a video while I got to work finishing the cookie baking. Rob and Nick went to save Mom and Dad...they got a flat tire and needed to have the car towed because the dealer has the key to unlock the wheel bolts. It was nice because Mom came over and was able to help us with our spritz cookies. We were also able to get out a vegan cookie bar, triple chocolate chip, chocolate thumbprints and vanilla meringues. The cookie elves have officially closed up shop.
Today we switched and repeated, I took Nick and Rob took Ellie. Nick and I went to the Lego store to get Ellie her gift from him. We did a small grocery shop before coming home. Rob and Ellie had done some shopping and were very busy working on building lego houses when we got home. Ellie and I ran out to get the car washed and vacuumed and to finish our grocery shopping. Ellie got to sample all the goods at the store - cheese, quiche, gelato and crackers. We brought dinner home and finished the evening with some reading.
I am taking a blog break this week and will post again next Sunday. We have a couple busy days ahead with Christmas and a visit to Uncle Bry's. Hoping everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Time Continues to Speed By

Busy day here. This was really my last day without plans and kids until Christmas. I was going to go out and finish up some shopping but stayed in and baked. I ended up baking 5 batches of cookies and 2 trays of spiced pecans. These were all new recipes for me - some turned out way better than others. I made peanut butter and jelly bars, pistachio/cranberry/white chocolate cookies, apricot/pinenut cookies, minty cocoa cookies & cherry/chocolate meringues. I was even able to get a lovely phone call in with my friend, Lee. 

It was Ellie's concert tonight. Dean came to see it with us. Ellie played in the band, danced with her ballet club, and danced with her gym class. It was a nice night and it was great to see the diverse offerings. 

On Monday, I did some shopping in the morning. I got groceries for the week and a couple stocking stuffers. I picked up lunch and went to Mom and Dad's to eat and play with the boys. I was able to get most of my wrapping done before the kids came home. Just a few more things to finish up. Huge deal at dinner on Monday night...Nick tried a veggie meatball and liked it. Major thing because it means we can have one dinner without me having to heat up a veggie corn dog or nuggets for him. 

I went out yesterday and did a bit of shopping. I was able to get all the teacher gifts together and assembled for the kids to take to school. I got all of Rob's co-worker gifts assembled, too. 

I know it is a busy time of year but if you have some extra moments for some positive thinking, I have a couple friends who could really use some positive thoughts right now. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Totally Forgot

Change of schedule threw my routine off and I totally forgot to post.
We spent the weekend truly concentrating on family time. Who would have thought a statement so innocent and casual as, "Mom, would you like to come cuddle with me and watch Polar Express?" could illicit tears and belly flops. The kids and I joined Rob at school for the basketball game on Friday night. We only stayed until half time because it was late.
Saturday morning I skipped my thrift runs and opted for together time instead. I took Ellie shopping for Nick's Christmas present. Nick didn't want to change out of pajamas on Saturday. Ellie and I went to the downtown Skokie holiday event. She got to pet live reindeer and visit with Santa. We got to drop off some food for the pantry, too. It was a great event and once again, I am happy to see our community changing. Saturday night, Rob had to work but Jo, Tony and Matteo came over for movie night. We didn't really watch the movie but it was nice for the kids to play together. We had an appetizer feast and then the kids danced and raced cars across the floor.
Sunday was another laid back, family time day. The kids and I went to Mom and Dad's in the late morning. They got to search for their advent clues and then we just hung out. The kids helped hang some ornaments, we watched a bit of a movie and ate lunch together. We had church Tableaux service in the evening. We met Dean, Lauren, the girls and Lauren's mom there. The service was nice and the kids got a lovely manger ornament for their trees. We went out to dinner afterwards and introduced them to CiCi's Pizza.
It was important to be together this past weekend and luckily, we were able to do just that. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Speeding By

Why is December always on fast forward? Monday morning I got the kids off to school and came back to drink my CT scan prep. Honestly, it isn't as bad as some people have it. My prep is an ounce of liquid that I mix with 20 ounces of clear liquid. I tried it with plain ole water but it sort of tastes like nail polish remover would taste, so now I mix it with a couple ounces of juice and dilute with water.
I got to the hospital and checked in and waited until they came to get me. I was taken back to the room where my initial scan was done. The tech looked at my arms and asked if I had a preference. I said no. She started in my right hand, although she was eventually able to get a blood return, she couldn't get the saline to advance. She tried again, again no success. She called in a PA from interventional radiology. He told me how tiny my veins are and tried up near my elbow. No success. He tried my hand again. He kept trying to fish the needle into my vein...no success. There is a 2 try maximum, so we were onto tech 3. He tried my left arm and was finally able to find a usable vein in my hand. I had the scan and went to Kellogg for my blood work. Luckily, they are accustomed to very small veins and were able to get me mid-arm left side.
I had a mini breakdown at Mom's house because this sucks. I have traveled my journey, people never talk about all these small things that will travel the rest of your life with you...small veins, radiation damage, tingles in my feet. I took Tony to school and then came home to veg out. I picked up our Christmas cards at Costco and was able to address most of them. I took Ellie to the library when she finished her homework.
Tuesday morning, I got the kids off to school and headed back to the hospital for my Dr. Marsh visit. I got the all clean and clear, no evidence of disease...huge sigh of relief. I will see him again in 6 months and then will likely be spread out to a year. I volunteered at school for a little bit before lunch. I finished up my cards and got them to the post office and got my packages that were ready to ship dropped off too. Rob brought home Oberweis brandy ice cream for up to toast with. We went out for dinner at Red Robin to celebrate. It was so nice spending time together and being silly and happy.
Today the kids got off to school and I went over to Mom's to play with the boys and then take Tony to school. Matteo has been playing coy with my all week. I walked in on Monday and he started to cry and quickly made his way to Dad. I walked in on Tuesday and he did the same. This morning I tried to bribe him immediately with chocolate chip cookies. We were friends again before I took Tony to school. I got some packages off to the post office and caught up on some tv. It was Ellie's final Battle of the Books tonight. Unfortunately, he school didn't win the battle but I was proud of Ellie for being int he program the last 2 years and being captain of her team this year. We went out for dinner afterwards to celebrate. Rob came to the meet but had a holiday party to attend after.
It has been a very busy week but a very great week. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Clean & Clear

Just wanted to update with the findings from my scan and blood work...everything is clean and clear, no evidence of disease. I post more tomorrow night.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Crazy House

It has just been a nut house here. Nick's 1st school concert was Thursday night. If it wasn't for that concert, I probably would have kept him home from school the last part of the week. It isn't that he was contagious, it was more that he was tired, cranky, and a coughing machine. He went to school and it was a good thing because I needed the break. He is on a steroid and is having 'roid rage issues. He easily gets aggravated and has tantrums.
Friday night, Rob had a game to tape so the kids and I headed out to Randhurst. I read they were having a light show, similar to what you would see at Disney World. We got there and had to walk around to figure out where it was exactly. It was a cool show, very much like Disney. It took the side of a building and changed it into a gingerbread house, an advent calendar, elves were popping in and out of windows...it was neat but only lasted 5 minutes. We went and had dinner and then came back home because Nick wasn't himself.
Saturday, I began at Salvation. I am not a motivated buyer right now because my items listed aren't moving swiftly. I did a quick run through and found a couple things. Dad took Ellie down to the Christkindle mart downtown. They went down on the train and walked through the mart and had lunch. Rob went to paint when I got home and I played with Nick. He wanted to stay in pajamas all day and watch movies and that was fine with me. When Ellie got home in the late afternoon, I attempted to get a few pictures taken for our Christmas card but Nick wasn't having it. He immediately took off his sweater that I put on him. He said he was too hot, it was too scratchy, he didn't care if he was in the picture. We decided to try again today. We had a picnic on the floor in the back room while watching Paranorman. It was fun and a bit different.
Rob ran over to a holiday party at a friends house after the kids got to bed. He came home and Nick was calling down from his bedroom. He was having ear pain. I grabbed an ibuprofen and went up to see him. He was crying and said his ear was really hurting him. He didn't have a fever and said it was just hurting, not pounding or stabbing. Right before we went up to bed, he jumped onto the couch and hit his ear in the same place he split it open this past summer. I think he activated his old scar and it was hurting him. Eventually, I thought I got him back to bed and came back downstairs. When Rob went up to bed about 20 minutes later, Nick was still awake in bed. Nick came down and asked if he could sleep with me on the couch, asked what we were going to watch on TV. He ended up going back to bed with Rob.
This morning Rob and Ellie went to church. Nick and I stayed home and played. We unsuccessfully tried pictures again. Nick helped me make corn pudding to take to Mom's for dinner. I got some laundry done. We tried to go to the library but couldn't even find a parking spot. We picked Rob up and went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Mom made veggie pot pie, cranberry sauce and a salad and we brought corn pudding, broccoli and fruit salad. Dinner was good and the kids over indulged in the sweets.
I have my 6 month scan/blood work tomorrow and then my Dr. Marsh visit on Tuesday. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal. Tree

Late and I Can Explain

So, it has been a jam packed couple of days. Long story short about why there wasn't a post last night...one word, Jagermeister. See, I got your interest, didn't I?
I have listed a couple things on ebay each day this week. I finally have a couple bids on things now, so I will continue listing today and tomorrow. Nick's asthma continued to escalate, requiring a doctor visit yesterday. His nights have been pretty terrible. He wakes up coughing, wakes the house up coughing. We went to see Dr. Schafer, and Nick wasn't even able to get a good blow on the machine. She listened to his chest and he was wheezing. She prescribed Orapred, an oral steroid, and even gave him his initial dose right at the office. She also ordered him a nebulizer. He had a treatment in the office and we have to pick his up. It is basically a better way to get his albuterol (fast acting medicine) into his body. I do have to say, all in all, he had a much better night.
Ellie had her first Battle of the Books meet last night. She was the captain for her team. Although they didn't win their meet last night, they get another chance next week. Ellie was smiling from ear to ear and we were so proud of her. Mom and Dad came to watch and were kind enough to pick up dinner on the way back to our house so we could divide and conquer...Rob went to pick up the nebulizer and I went to another pharmacy to pick up Nick's Orapred and Albuterol. Unfortunately, since it was later in the evening, the nebulizer couldn't get approved by our insurance and the pharmacy needed to order the Albuterol.
I volunteered at school on Tuesday. I got to meet a few of Nick's classmates and work with them individually. Rob worked a basketball game on Tuesday night. I originally thought I would get to the store after the kids got home from school but Nick had the terrible cough and Ellie came home with a backpack full of homework. I asked Rob to stop at pick up a bottle of Jagermeister on the way home...adult cough medicine. He was nice and did. The store, however, did not take the alarmed seal off the bottleneck and I wasn't able to have any. He went back during lunch yesterday and had the alarm taken off and I was able to have some last night.
I told you I was matched again with Imerman. I got to speak with her the other night for about an hour and look forward to talking with her again. It was the culmination of a hot toddy with Jager, Nick's meds making him a bunch more quiet than he has been over the last couple nights and the end of a long day...all adding up that I didn't blog last night. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy December

What a eventful end of the week. I am going to start backwards because it seems like weeks since my last post. Rob had an event at school this evening so he wasn't home to help with bedtime. Nick's asthma has ramped up with the warm/damp weather and we did his inhalers and nasal wash before bed. I tucked him in a bit early since he was up later the last two nights. I was called back upstairs about 20 minutes later because he wanted to know what else I could do for his cough. I rubbed him in with chest rub and came back downstairs and washed my hands.
Our Elf on the Shelf made his appearance last night and landed in the first floor washroom. While I was washing my hands, I decided it was probably a smart idea to move the Elf - wrong. About 15 minutes after I moved Elfie, Ellie came downstairs to get me because Nick was complaining upstairs. Soon both of them were down here. Nick apparently rubbed his chest and got the chest rub on his hands and then into his mouth. He went into the washroom to wash his hands, I went into the kitchen to get him some honey (Elfie relocated to the kitchen), Ellie followed me into the kitchen. As I was trying to get them back upstairs...Ellie whispers that Elfie has already moved. I explained he could move anytime after he thinks the children are asleep.
We spent the day with Mom and Dad today. We went over there around lunchtime and went to the St. Nick's craft fair. The kids got their annual picture with Santa. We went back to their house and the kids played and helped Dad start to set up the trains. I helped Mom with dinner while Dad took the kids to the park. We had an early dinner and then we came home to watch the Grinch.
On Saturday, I began with my pilgrimage to Salvation. I ended up hitting both Skokie and Morton Grove but I found some good things. Mom had her annual holiday luncheon. We arrived a bit early to help her out in the kitchen. It was a nice time, good company and yummy food. Rob took Nick with him for the afternoon while Ellie and I were at Mom's. We met them at North for the basketball game in the evening. It was super fun to be in that environment again. The pep band, the pompom routines, the game. Nick helped Rob run cable and get set up. Rob had his first live stream game and it went pretty well.
On Friday, I got the kids off on the school bus and then Mom and Dad came to pick me up. We went to a couple warehouse sales that we went to last year...they weren't nearly as much fun this year. We went to Caputo's for lunch and some grocery shopping. They now have pepper and egg sandwiches on Friday's. They are not as good as Jay's but not as bad as other places. Ellie had a rec night at school that she helped organize with student leadership. We picked her up and headed up to Vernon Hills to the Cuneo Winter Wonderland. Amazingly, it was very empty. We had no wait in line and were able to cruise through at our leisure. They did change it up a bit this year and the kids always enjoy counting the snowmen. We had dinner at Mariano's before driving home and looking at more holiday lights.
On Thursday I went shopping. I used my Kohl's cash to buy a few more presents. My neck has improved, not 100% yet but much better. I have been connected with Imerman again...always biter sweet. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Wednesday

Honestly, not much to blog about tonight. I have had a very laid back week so far. I did grocery shopping on Monday. Ran to Target today to pick up the things I forgot. I did something weird to my neck this morning...pinched a nerve or something. It is one of those things that you do and have instant pain and then you can't rotate your neck entirely until it becomes un-pinched.
I finished re-upholstering the dining room chairs and they look and feel great. The kids are back in school and are trying to re-adjust. I have had to wake Nick up the past two mornings. Mom and Dad came over for dinner tonight - we had tacos and Mom brought green beans and corn pudding. I tried to make a brownie mix vegan with flax eggs and they turned out edible but interesting. I have never had brownies bubble like lava 20 minutes into cooking.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

The End of a Very Long week

We made it through the week off of school without killing each other. Too many things have happened since my last post to possibly try to re-create each day. This post will be an a la carte post of highlights.
We had Thanksgiving dinner at the GGs house. Uncle Bry came down from Baraboo. Mom made her vegan "turkey day in a bowl" casserole. The kids entertained us in the bay window.
I did some shopping online on Thursday night/Friday morning...no going out for me. I did hit Unique in the morning and there were only about 10 people in the store. Imagine that, black Friday and no one is at the thrift store...silly people. Ellie and I ran out later in the morning and got the foam to reupholster the dining room chairs. We came home and started that project. I got 2 chairs finished before we called it a day. Mom and I reupholstered them about 8 years ago, so you have to remove that layer and then the original layer and there are at least 150 staples per chair.
Mom and Dad took Ellie, Nick and Tony for an overnight on Friday. Rob was working a basketball game and Ole was studying, so Jo, Matteo and I went shopping. We went to Target and Walmart. We had dinner together before ending the evening at Goodwill.
I did my usual Saturday Salvation run. I thought, for sure, it would be totally picked over since they had a huge sale on Friday but I was able to get a cartful. Jo called and we did a bit more shopping before we headed to Mom and Dad's to pick the kids up.
The kids have been asking when we were going to put Christmas up for about the last week. I decided Saturday afternoon was a good time. Ellie and Nick helped me bring the boxes up from the basement and put the tree together. It took a couple hours but the living room is decorated. One casualty...a snow globe in one of the boxes broke and leaked all over the bottom of the box. At least it broke on the way up the stairs and not a year ago.
Today we hung out in the morning. We went to the library to get some new books. Nick had a birthday party at Jump Zone. Ellie came with, too. They really tired themselves out jumping and running around. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. It was just the 5 of us.
This week my goal is to try to get a couple boxes listed and cleared out. I start volunteering in Nick's class on Tuesday morning. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone reading this has a lovely Thanksgiving with family and friends. 

Monday was the only day of school for the kids this week. I got to visit with both of their teachers for conferences. They both went well and the kids are where they are to be. Ellie watched Nick for the couple minutes I had to run to school...without killing one another. 

Tuesday we went downtown to Macy's for our annual lunch with Mom and Dad. We ate in the Walnut Room. Matteo joined us this year, too. It was nice, we didn't have to wait too long and they really weren't hurrying us along at the table. We weren't too far from the tree. The fairy came around to grant our wishes...the glitter she bestows over our heads will be there come Christmas. We saw Santa and the kids got to tell him their list. The kids dropped their lists off in the Believe mailbox before we went outside to see the windows. 

We spent the afternoon at Mom and Dad's house. We watched Christmas Story 2. The kids played with Matteo. We left and went to Costco to do some shopping. We needed to pick up fruit for the week, milk and the kids wanted to look through the toy aisles. We ate at Culver's for dinner before heading home. 

Wednesday morning we went to see Wreck It Ralph at the movie theater. It was a cute movie. The theater was packed and we ended up in the front section because there weren't any seats up. We did a bit of shopping at Meijer. We took the folding table over the the GGs for Thanksgiving. We helped set the table while we were there. We came home and the kids played outside until it got dark. We picked up videos from the store and pizza for dinner. The new Family video in Skokie is great. For each new release you get a free older video. We left with 8 videos for $4.00. 

We watched Eloise Christmas after dinner. We got ready for bed and I read to each of the kids and tucked them in. When I came downstairs, I realized that Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving was on and I called them down to watch the last part. 

Rob has had a basketball game each night this week and has one on Friday and Saturday, too. He didn't get home until late tonight. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Project Weekend

It was odd job time in our house. I forfeited listing more on ebay not knowing how holiday auctions would pan out. My gut said people wouldn't be watching auctions and my clothes wouldn't sell. Instead I replaced the gasket on the freezer. A bigger job than I thought it was going to be. We have been holding the door closed with velro for about a year now. Seems to be holding the icy air in again.
I cooked for Nick's Thanksgiving feast at school - corn pudding cups, mashed potato balls and pumpkin muffins. The feast was on Friday morning at school and the kids got to decorate their pilgrim hats. It was pretty cute to watch the kids eat. I went with Mom, Dad and TeTe to Target afterwards. We haven't been shopping together in forever. We finished our adventure with Starbucks...yum.
I did my Saturday salvation run. Either their supply is thinning or more people are buying during the week but I left with only a bag. Rob took the kids on an adventure. The began at church for a work party to take down some diseased tree and shrubs. They ran to the bank and to return and get videos. The weather has been beautiful so they spent a great deal of the day outside. I had a batch of auctions end on Saturday so I spent some time packaging up to mail out.
We worked together and got the Christmas lights strung up outside. We only turned them on the check them and make sure they were spread out evenly...they will get their turn at the end of the week. We ordered some pizzas and watcher Arthur Christmas together for movie night.
This morning, Rob left early to go and paint. The kids and I started in the back room cleaning up and then the living room. Odd job of the day was the china cabinet. I broke the side pane of glass about 2 years ago while pushing on the glass, instead of the wood, to move the cabinet. The kids use the empty pane to pass their treasures into safe keeping. I was just planning on switching the glass from the right side to the left side but it turned into an all out cleaning. Ellie helped me empty the cabinet and remove all the glass to wash and dry it before replacing it. We have a box of our pottery that we are going to break to re purpose into a different craft.
We went to Mom and Dad's house for dinner. Mom had chik'n patties, turkey, broccoli, melon, salad and a spread we grew up on (veganized). I bought corn pudding and potatoes and Jo bought brussel sprouts. My life is complete now...Brandy ice cream is back at Oberweiss...yum! The kids played and we had a good time.
We came home and had showers and got PJs on. We watched some movie on Disney before heading up to read and get to bed. Still have to finish cleaning the dining room and kitchen but then I feel like we could bring up the Christmas boxes and not feel cramped. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Time Flies...Again

I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by. Not too much to post about from the first part of the week. I am listing like crazy. I am trying to get most of my boxes listed because I don't want to really have to do auctions too much past the 1st week of December. We need the space back in the living room for the holidays and I really want to avoid the Skokie post office then. I got 2 boxes listed, hoping to knock out another 2.
I took Nick to his follow up appointment with Dr. Schaefer, his allergist. He is now old enough to get some baseline numbers on his breathing. We went home with a baby saline rinse kit and a peak flow meter. We need to get his data for the next month to find out his base. Hopefully, we won't need to see her again this winter.
Ellie had her last ballet lesson on Monday. They will rehearse during lunch periods until the concert in December. She and her friends in student leadership raised over $240.00 in their UNICEF boxes.
Rob had off on Monday for the holiday but took a side job painting at someones house. I think he was able to get about half done.
I sealed the back room door today. It is off level and we get quite a draft that comes in. I tucked in felt and then insulating taped all around...seems to have done the trick. Added a piece of felt to the top of the front storm door to cover a slight draft there, too.
I think that is about all I got. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

I Guess I Only Posted in My Dream

Not too much to share from last week really. Nick finished Star of the Week with his favorite toy , a Lightening McQueen flash light. His favorite books was Niccolini's Song about a night watchman in a rail yard  I had a Tony and TT day on Friday morning. He helped drop things at the post office and then we did a bit of shopping before getting lunch at Cici's and dropping him at school.
The weekend was beautiful here. Winding, but beautiful. I did my Saturday morning Salvation run and really lucked out with 3 huge bags. Ellie wanted to help Rob out in the garage organizing. Nick played outside, too.  We had family movie night and watched the Chipmunks and ate popcorn.
We started off at church yesterday morning. We were the parents for Ellie's Sunday school group. We were able to find a taker for one of our fake fireplaces and dropped it off to Rob's cousins house. The kids played for a while when we visited. Nick had his first birthday party for a school friend at Chuck E. Cheese. Ellie came with and played games while Nick birthday'd. It was total chaos and I don't think I need to go back there ever again.
We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Mom had quite a feast...turkey legs, potatoes, green beans, we tried the new Trader Joe turkey-less roast (okay nothing great).We got to play and visit with Jo, Tony and TeTe before we left.
The kids have been waking up early since the time change. If I adjust their bedtime, though, they still wake up early so I guess we will just have to deal with it. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Week is Flying By

I truly haven't done much this week and it is now half over. I qualified for a market research study tomorrow on cancer, it pays pretty well, so I decided not to list on ebay this week. I had 120 auctions end this week so I have been busy shipping off packages.
Nick is star of the week at school so he had a "all about me" poster we had to complete, he had to fill an estimation jar and today he had a surprise pack which he had to provide clues for his classmates to guess what was in the box. Tomorrow is show and tell and then Friday his favorite book. We also have this family turkey project which we have been tackling a bit each day and letting the glue and paint dry in between.
Ellie has one more week of ballet class. She prances around, or should I say jete's around the house. We went to the library together on Monday night and picked out some new books for her to try.
Tonight we had a baby shower for CC at Kate's house. It was nice to see CC and Adie, they don't come around too much. We filled in our baby guess grid...got to include sex this time since she didn't find out. There were some good things to eat. Mrs. B and I were on the same thinking...we both bought goat cheese and green tomato items.
The lilies Rob gave me for my birthday and just starting to open and are filling the house with a beautiful aroma. I am looking forward to a bit warmer weekend ahead. I am not ready for snow just yet. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Birthday to Me

It has been a very lovely birthday weekend. On Thursday, we met Dean, Lauren and the girls to see the circus. We were able to grab dinner together before. The show was fun...a bit different than usual. Also, a bit longer than usual, we didn't get out of the show until well after 9:00.
My official birthday was Friday. I had the opportunity to speak with a friend who needed some help through their journey. I spend the rest of the day listing on ebay. Mom and Dad took the kids overnight so Rob and I could have a date night. We went to dinner at Graziano's and then to see Pitch Perfect. It was so nice to be able to have a conversation and the movie was very funny.
Saturday morning I got up and got out to Salvation. They rearranged a bit over there this week and I think they already weeded out some of the color of the week tags. It wasn't a great picking day but wasn't too bad either. I did a quick run to the other store and then picked up the kids at Mom and Dad's. They had had a great overnight and didn't want to leave. We came home and the kids didn't really want to do anything but hang low. I ended up listing for a bit. In the late afternoon we took a road trip. We did a bit of thrifting. We fit Target for Halloween clearance. We had dinner together and then headed back home.
Today we got up and everyone seemed pretty happy with the time change. We went to church. We came home and Ellie and I ran to return books to the library and Nick and Rob worked on the leaves. We went to Mom and Dad's for family Sunday. Today was Matteo's 1st birthday. Mom made chicken parmigiana (vegan & real), pastas, salad, cabbage, fruit, cranberry sauce. It was a very good meal with brownies for dessert. Jo made TeTe a rainbow cake. We got to visit with the GGs down on our end of the table.
It has been a great weekend. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Halloween

I know it is November 1st, technically, but I had to close my eyes for a little bit and then suddenly it was midnight. I'll keep it short. I have been doing a bunch of shipping this week. My best sale this week belongs to a ten cent Patagonia neck muffler I bought at a rummage sale. A small piece of fleece that warms your neck...$66.00. Sold to a person in Guam.
It was crazy busy today. I did a huge delivery to the post office. I did some listings this morning. I got the house cleaned up for the evening. I went to school to help with Nick's party. I was in charge of the lollipop spider craft. It was fun to be there and get to meet some of Nick's classmates. The time flew by though. Nick and I got home and I got to work fixing food for dinner. Dean, Lauren and the girls were coming over for trick or treating and dinner. Ellie came home with our neighbor  Rustine. He was locked out and his parents weren't home from work yet. All the kids played in the basement  Rob got home from work and then Dean & Lauren arrived.We all ate dinner together and then the kids got ready to trick or treat.
It was fun to have company trick or treating. Dean usually comes over but to have friends for the kids to walk with was cool. It wasn't too cold walking - Nick did get cold the last few blocks. We came home and Dad had dropped off care packages from Mom and Mrs. B, Ms. Katherine and JoJo. We had dessert and then Dean & Lauren left. We got the kids ready for school in the morning. Watched Charlie Brown on television and then went up to get the kids to bed .Rob and I watched some television and played on the computers in the back room and then I closed my eyes.
It was a busy day with running here and there but fun. So many things that we normally do weren't done this year and that was an okay thing. We didn't carve pumpkins this year...didn't even decorate them with crayons or gems. I didn't get any pictures of the kids together in front because our favorite tree lost its leaves weeks ago. We have tickets to the circus for tonight and my birthday on Friday - guess the running will go for a couple more days. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

The Weekend Flew By

The kids and Rob had off of school on Friday which gave us all a 3 day weekend. On Friday morning, Ellie ran with me to the thrift store to pick up some new inventory  I wish she was my thrift companion more often because she was a rack ahead of me and pulling all my brands. We ended up with a mounded cart load of clothes and saved almost $100.00. We did a quick run into the post office and then picked up the boys. We met the GGs for lunch at the Zodiac at Northbrook Court. It was neat to see it really hasn't changed since we met Grandma GG for lunch when I was Ellie's age. The waitress, Kathy, knew the kids from the summer when they joined the GGs for lunch. It was really nice and i hope we can meet them again when we have the day off. We did a quick walk through the mall and Ellie began her Christmas wish list at the Lego store. 

It was a busy social day...we went over to Eric and Pam;'s house on our way home. It was so nice to be able to visit with the both of them without the hurry and hustle of the holidays. The kids played outside in the yard. Pam and I got to talk and Eric and Rob got to talk. It was great to visit. 

Friday night we stopped by Mom and Dad's for a little bit before coming home for movie night. We watched Practical Magic on ABC Family and had popcorn and cookies from lunch. It was nice to cuddle on the couch together. Ellie also helped me package items up to mail - I had 29 people pay on Friday and had to get all those items into the mail Saturday. 

Saturday morning we divided and conquered. I did my Salvation run and ended up with a cart load and only 2 items that weren't in the Saturday sale. Rob took the kids to the bank to trade in their postcards for pumpkins and a treat bag. We spent the early part of the afternoon in Skokie. The merchants did a wonderful job setting up a trick or treat through town. I felt like I lived in one of the small towns that do special things like that. We got to trick or treat through the stores and grab menus from some of the new restaurants. They got comic books from the new comic store. It ended at the historical museum with an old fashion fun house. It was a bit cold but fun and I really hope they do it again.

Nick was cold after the trick or treating so we dropped him and Rob off at home. Ellie and I stopped by Harvest Fest at Old Orchard. It turned out to just be a vendor fair with a bunch of raffles and sweepstakes. We did a quick run into the other Salvation and Ellie was able to find a couple pieces for her costume in case it is too cold for her original plan. We ordered Chinese and had another movie night. We started watching the Secret Garden. It was nice because it really settled the kids down before we went up to bed. 

Today was a work around the house day. We started in the basement and really got it cleaned up. Nick went through and picked a couple toys to donate to kids who might need them. I got all the craft bins re-organized and put away. It looks great down there now. We went outside to do leaves. A couple hours later we have a jumbo pile of leaves. A car pulled up and a couple got out...turned out the man grew up in our house. We got a bit of history about the house and it was neat to see it through his eyes. 

We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. We ordered Mexican and I made monkey bread and cut up our melon and pineapple to bring. Mom was making butternut squash apple soup. Dad took the kids to the park for a little bit before dinner. We came home and got the kids into their bath, got clothes ready for tomorrow and read. 

Hoping I don't feel the outside raking/mowing aches tomorrow. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Lovely Day

I can't believe it is the last week of October and we have window wide open...such a lovely day. Not too much to share tonight. Mom and Dad came over for dinner tonight. We had burgers, broccoli & cauliflower, potatoes, fruit and Mom brought a summer salad. It was great that the kids could play outside this afternoon. I did notice that the tree we always take our Halloween pictures in front of lost all its leaves overnight. e
I had a great talk with my friend, Kim tonight. I have been very busy listing this week - free week on ebay. I honestly have nothing else to share. I haven't even hit the thrift stores this week because I have been just trying to weed through what I have in boxes.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Busy & Productive Week

So, I forgot to blog on Wednesday...and then subsequent days, too. All I would have shared about the first part of the week is that I took the kids to the doctor on Tuesday night for their asthma check ups. Ellie is now 5 feet tall and Nick is 3'9". After their doctor heard Nick has been taking his inhalers for a month and has had an on/off fever for the past few weeks she decided he probably had a mild pneumonia and prescribed an antibiotic. Being that Nick has had allergic reactions before I decided to not give him the first does until the next day so I could monitor him. We have to follow up with his allergist in a few weeks because he has to be re-evaluated. Happy to report that Nick had his last dose this evening and has had no reaction to the Z-pack.
I was able to be pretty productive at home this week. I got the entire first floor cleaned up and organized while the kids were at school. I got Halloween decorations up inside the house, too. We worked yesterday morning upstairs. We cleaned out Rob's closet and got a bag of clothes to donate. I was able to get Nick's clothes that are too big up on the top shelf of Rob's closet. Ellie cleaned her room and I helped her get under her bed organized.
We moved the kids books out of their room and into the bookshelf Rob had built in the hallway. That gave both of them a couple more shelves in their rooms for their things. I was able to get all the beds flipped and new sheets on them.
Ebay has been keeping me busy. I had a stellar day on Thursday at a rummage sale. I needed more hands. I ended up with 4 bags of clothing for just over $30. I was able to organize all my shipping envelopes and tape into the cabinet in the backroom and get it off the dining room table.
Mom and Dad had fall family fest yesterday and had all the family over. It was great to see everyone and even more fun to watch the kids all play together. It was nice enough to be able to be outside with the fire pit going. Nick would participate in our family costume...we were going as circus performers but he backed out and wanted to be Superman. Mom had great fall food - mac and cheese, chili, corn pudding and salad. Ellie made cake pops which turned into donut holes because we couldn't get the sticks to stick.
Today we started off at church and then did a quick grocery shop afterwards. Dean, Lauren and the girls came over in the afternoon. It was beautiful day today and we sat outside and visited. The kids decorated mini pumpkins and played around. The kids and I went to Mom and Dad's for dinner while Rob stayed here and mowed the lawn and created a jumbo pile of leaves.
Oh, I forgot, Ellie had a special thing happen on Friday. Every year there are a couple books that the kids can read and vote which is their favorite. Ellie read the most books from the list last year and was selected to be one of the children at school who could attend a author meet and greet at school. She was able to get her book autographed by the authors and got an hour tutorial on cartooning from the author - pretty cool.
Visualizing my continually healing and healthy body and the new normal, Tree

Busy Weekend

It has been a very busy weekend. Sunday was non stop excitement for us. We began the morning at church. We were one of the sets of parents for Sunday school. We were in charge on Nick's group this week. Fun to see how the kids think. Rob's brother and family were in town this past week, so they met us at church. After church we were able to play at the park for a little while before the rain began. Nick and Natalie climbed to the top of all the equipment and Ellie and Carson sat around and watched. Poor Ellie, the weather changes  have caught up with her head and she wasn't feeling well today. She was very tired and cold.
We went to lunch at Panera. Great to find a place where everyone can find something they like. It was lovely to visit and catch up with Norm and Lonna. The kids made the most of the paper menus and by the end we had paper airplanes and a re-vamped menu.
We made a stop in at Target to pick up a couple things. Amazingly, I was able to remember all the miscellaneous things on my list at home. We continued on to Wagner Farms. It was the Kellogg Center's reunion. It was a very unique event. Only about 40 families there at the farm. Many activities and craft projects for the kids to do. Really nice fruit kabobs and treats. An intimate tour of the basement because the tornado sirens started up. We were instructed we needed to all move into the stairwells and then into a small hallway in the basement. We were there for about 20 minutes. There were kids crying, adults in a panic...but we, at least, had just gotten ice cream and had some emergency food provisions. We were finally given the all clear and went upstairs and met Margaret. It was nice to catch up and not be hurried by an appointment. By the time we left, Ellie was really not feeling well.
We went to Mom and Dad's house for family Sunday. The GGs were just pulling in when we got there. Mom had a nice Italian menu - pasta, pizza, salad, green beans and fruit. Ellie took comfort on the couch with a blanket. Jo, Ole and the boys didn't come because Jo wasn't feeling well. We had nice company and good conversations. We left early to get the kids home into a hot bath and to bed early. By the time I took Ellie's temperature it was well over 102. I am predicting a sick day tomorrow.
Saturday morning we were all up early. I began the day at Salvation for the 69 cent sale. I cannot believe I spent over an hour at the store but I did and left with 3 garbage bags full of clothes. I picked up the kids and we went to a couple rummage sales. Found some miscellaneous things but not too much. We stopped at Mom and Dad's on the way back home so the kids could show off their treasures.
We had a major clean up and organization of the basement during the afternoon. I really need space to be able to stockpile some clothing purchases - other than the living room. We were able to clear off the rack right by the laundry tub - this will allow me maybe 4-5 bins. I was able to clear off the counter adjacent to the dryer for folding and storing, too. We worked on both closets in the basement and got boxes and bags worth of papers filed away into appropriate folders. I got both closets organized so I know exactly what is in them.
Ellie and I ran to Morton Grove Salvation int he afternoon to check if any yellow tag items were left. Ellie was able to find a couple shirts she liked and I was able to fins a couple things to flip. We picked up a couple pizzas and a bag of salad on the way home for dinner. The kids played while I got dinner ready. We all watched the Food Network after dinner for the Halloween Wars.
Thursday was a blur. Ellie stayed home from school. We thought it was a migraine but in retrospect maybe she has had some bug this entire time. I was able to get some things listed and was able to leave her to run to the post office and later to school for a meeting. I met with the school psychologist about their discoveries into Ellie's work. The good news is that Ellie is doing so well in school this term that no one believes she has a learning disability. She has improved to almost her end of the year goal line in reading over the last 6 weeks. What we are moving ahead with is a 504 Plan which will allow all her teachers a "blueprint" on what adaptations are available to Ellie for testing and classwork. I really felt good about this meeting and finally felt heard.
Friday was more thrifting and listing. I hit Unique first thing in the morning and left with such good things that I came home and listed the new tagged items immediately. Friday night, Rob took the kids to the football game at North and I went grocery shopping. The kids really enjoyed the game - Ellie helped out in concessions and Nick ran the field. I enjoyed taking my time shopping.
Feeling good! A pleasure to be able to scoot around like we did this weekend and not feel bad. Visualizing my continually healing and healthy body and the new normal, Tree

It is Wednesday Already?

We had our annual family fall trip this past weekend. We found a house in Beverly Shores, Indiana. It was a block from the beach and gave us all some space to do what we wanted to do. The weather wasn't great, it rained one day and was on the cooler side. We had some good food though. We divided and conquered...the boys and the kids went to the botanic gardens to view the garden railway and the girls went to the outlet mall. Was a fun time. 

I have been busy shopping, listing, selling and packing to ship all my eBay items. Ellie got 100% on her social studies test. I went on the field trip with her last week. It was a beautiful day to be outside. Nick is doing great with his site words and numbers. 

Not too much else is new around here. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal  Tree

Happy Wednesday

No creativity for a title tonight. Rob brought my computer into work with him on Monday to run some tests. My hard drive had a fatal error. Rob stopped off and bought a new hard drive on the way home. The problem is that everything needs to be installed again. All the things I had to re-install a week ago. This time a bit more cumbersome because it wiped the drive. I need all the HP drivers, the operating system, printers, mouse, and programs. I had to call McAfee to get virus protection up and running because I didn't have some of the drivers needed to install. The most annoying thing is my laptop has a touchpad mouse pad under the keyboard and I cannot figure out which driver that might be but as I am typing, if my wrist happens to slightly graze the touchpad the cursor jumps to a random point and begins typing there.
I had a wonderful trip thrift shopping Monday - huge bag full of new with tag clothing for $20.00. I have been busy listing and closing out auctions. I have free listings until Saturday so I am trying to get all my inventory listed. My costumes were very profitable. The best one was the new cheerleader costume I bought last week for $5.50 and sold for $42.80.
The kids and I went to visit Dr. Gallai last night for our cleanings. All good and we all have shiny, pearly whites again. I get to volunteer with Ellie's class tomorrow on their field trip to River Trails. I was matched again with Imerman Angels. I got to meet a lovely lady with a very similar journey to my own on the phone tonight. Mom and Dad came for dinner. We had a nice meal - pasta, veggies, fruit and veggie meatballs. I picked up caramel apples for the kids, too. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Thought I Was Ahead

I thought, for a change, I was ahead of things...wrong. My license plate sticker expires today and I mailed the check in earlier in the month and got an envelope back and just put it aside. Well, I went to put the sticker on my car and instead of a sticker it was a note with my payment stating I needed to get my car emission tested before they could process my sticker. I guess I know where my morning will begin tomorrow.
My computer, the one that lost all its powers last week, had the black screen of death today. Luckily, I plugged our external drive in and backed it up but it appears the hard drive has some issue. A warning keeps appearing telling me that at any moment my drive could be dropped.
Rob went up to Michigan with Dean to have a final work weekend before closing up until next year. The kids and I hung out. We did some thrifting and sales yesterday and the fun fair at school. We met Jo, T and Te for lunch at CiCi's. They came over after and helped us decorate for Halloween.
Today we picked Tony up and went to see Hotel Transylvania at the theater. It was a cute movie. We did some grocery shopping after. Rob was home when we got back. The kids played for a bit before we went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. It was taco night...very tasty. The kids played for a bit and we came home.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Birthday, Rob!

It is Rob's birthday today and it coincides with a day off of school. We went to Lincoln Park Zoo this morning. It was a bit cool but it was great to leisurely stroll through the zoo. We had lunch together on the way home and then Rob played outside with the kids for a bit. Mom and Dad came over for dinner. We cleaned the freezer out for dinner - chick'n nuggets, broccoli, mashed potatoes, sauteed veggies and mom brought a salad. I made a cake for dessert. We watched the first part of The Middle before Mom and Dad went home.
I spent Tuesday thrifting to rebuild my inventory. I went up north and had fairly decent pickings between the 3 stores I went to . My costumes went for more than I could ever have thought - considering I had them all out at our garage sale for $2.00 each. I thrifted a bit on Monday, too. I am getting to know when to stop into stores to take advantage of their discounts.
Ellie started ballet club on Monday. I have hope it will lighten her step. Nick is having fun at school, too. Not too much else new. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy 30th Birthday, Jo

Jo turned 30 on Friday. Rob's birthday is this coming Wednesday. Nick had his first sick day on Thursday. He pretty much crashed on the couch. Ellie came home from school on Thursday and her eyes were watery and her head was hot. We got some vitamin c into her and we were able to keep her from really getting sick. Both kids went to school on Friday.
Ellie got 100% on her science test - woo hoo. I was able to run to some rummage sales on Friday and get a couple bags of clothes to flip. Friday night I dropped Ellie off at Niles North for homecoming. She helped with the concessions with her friend Kylie. Nick and I went to the new Mariano's in the city. We picked up dinner and got a couple of their huge caramel apples. We came home and ate and watched a movie.
Saturday morning the kids and I ran to the bank for a special bank buckets game and an ice cream treat. We returned books to the library and then Jo, Te and Tony came to pick us up. We hit some garage sales and thrift stores and had lunch. We ran into Target for basics - the kids found their lunchboxes for next year at 75% off.
Both kids came home and crashed - their illness comes in waves. We had dinner and watched a movie and then got them to bed early. This morning Rob went to church and the kids and i stayed home and cleaned up. Ellie made cupcakes to celebrate Jo and Rob's birthdays. I made some banana toffee bread. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Mom made Jo and Rob's favorites - macaroni and cheese, ribs, squash, salad, fruit. It was a nice meal. We had dessert and got going home.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Fall is Here

I caved and had to close some of our windows...didn't want to have to throw the heat on. On Monday we went to the Museum of Science and Industry and spent the whole day there. It wasn't crowded and we were able to leisurely go from exhibit to exhibit. Rob and I were saying it has been almost 20 years since we were last there. We stopped at Trader Joes on the way home to pick up some groceries. The kids played outside and we all crashed early.
I have been busy on ebay. It is free listing this week so I am taking advantage and trying to get all my items I have on this week. I have all our old Halloween costumes listed right now. Mom and Dad came for dinner tonight. We had vegan cutlets, pasta, salad, broccoli and fruit. Nick hasn't come out with the fact that he isn't feeling good yet but he was rather hot to the touch tonight. We shall see if school is an option tomorrow.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Beautiful Weekend

I am loving this weather. Nice and sunny during the day and cool evenings. We got our storm door installed yesterday. It looks great and it is so nice to be able to have the extra air coming through the house without the flies coming through, too. We went to a bon voyage party for a former co-worker or Rob's last night. It was nice for the kids to be able to play with some new kids and for us to be able to be social. Dean, Lauren and the girls came over for dessert and some playtime last night. It was a jammed packed day.
Thursday and Friday went by without much happening. I shipped a bunch of auctions out and listed my next batch. I went to a couple thrift stores in search of some new items. I can curriculum night for Ellie on Thursday.
Today we started out at church. We went to Goodwill after to find some new things. We went grocery shopping. We came home and the kids played. Rob cleaned out the garage. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Mom had a little something for everyone...mandarin chicken, turkey breast, meatloaf, pasta, salad, broccoli and cantaloupe. The kids had some time to play outside with Dad and Tony. We came home and had bath time - very stinky, dirty kids. Rob worked with Nick on letters and sounds and I worked with Ellie on definitions for science.
Tomorrow we are thinking of going to the Museum of Science and Industry - free day! We were going to do a double decker bus tour but the kids both mentioned they wanted to go the MSI and free day sounds like a good day to go. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Blah, Blah, Blah

It has been a frustrating later part of the day. My computer started acting weird this morning and by this afternoon it was in recovery mode. I don't think it was a virus but I lost all my 2012 pictures. It stinks but it puts into perspective that all of the pictures are in your heart and mind. The saga continues because I also lost all my software and drivers, bookmarks and preferences. I still haven't been able to get our wireless printer to be wireless again.
On Monday, we went to Mom and Dad's after school. We were able to meet up with and visit with our first neighbors when we moved to Evanston. Chris, Brian, Tacha and Lexi were in town and met us for a visit. We haven't seen most of them in over 10 years. It was so cool to watch our children play where we used to together.
On Tuesday, the kids and I took a long walk/bike ride and picked up Subway for dinner. It is nice because they are old enough that they don't get tired doing that walk anymore. They watched the 1st part of SpyKids, too.
Today, we played outside after school and walked/biked over to the park. Elie has been helping me with getting my ebay thing ready for shipping and pulling the right bags and labels...pretty cute. Crazy to think a used shirt is over $20. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Grandparent's Day!

I have to say that with the kids back in school and me ebaying quite a bit...the days seem to run together. We went to Northwestern for the final visit on Thursday. Both kids did great and had fun while helping in research. We came home and had dinner with Rob.

Friday, I got the kids off to school. We had a run in with an owl on the way to the bus. It had just wiped out a squirrel from our neighbors tree. It was quite a National Geographic moment. Big owl, squirrel and a huge branch in its talons.I went to Highland Park to rummage. They had 3 sales and I was able to get about 2 dozen things to flip. Rob went to Michigan for the weekend so it was just the kids and I. We went to Culver's for dinner and came home and watched Stand Up 2 Cancer.

Saturday we hit some garage sales, thrift stores and then went to Lincolnwood for Touch a Truck. The kids got some swag and had fun trying the many trucks out (including the horns). We went to Mom and Dad's and had lunch before we went to American Science Center for the warehouse sale. Nothing great this year. The kids played outside when we got home. We had breakfast for dinner, read a couple chapters in our book and I got the kids to sleep.

Today we had a laid back day. We started the morning getting Nick's haircut for picture day on Tuesday. We hit the farmers market on the way home. The kids did some art projects. Nick decided Yvonne must have missed some hairs and he cut his hair by himself. The kids and I made some muffins for the week, zucchini blueberry and zucchini banana. Rob came home and we went to Mom and Dad's for family Sunday. We had so much to celebrate...Grandparent's Day, Grandma GG's B-day, Jo's B-day & Rob's B-day. Mom made a bit of everything - pork roast, veggie meatballs, broccoli, applesauce, pierogi, sweet potato and kale. We had cannoli, flan, key lime pie and chocolate cake for dessert. The kids got to play outside for a bit on this beautiful day.

Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy September

Busy, busy, busy. My time has been consumed by ebay. I had 100 items listed last week so they are all closing this week. I shipped out about 50 today and I am waiting for payment on the others. I am also starting my next batch of listings. Hey, it is the best of both worlds - I get to go shopping and I get to make money.

Friday, Tony and I had another fun morning. We went to a couple garage sales and then to have lunch.

The weekend in Michigan was fun. We went up after school on Friday and Stayed until Monday. Dean, Lauren and the girls joined us on Saturday. We were able to get in some beach time, a couple cones at the Soda Bar and mini golf and go-carts. The kids all played well together and we were able to use a bunch of things up from the fridge. Ellie was able to show Nana her knitting and get some pointers. Nana is now safely back in Florida.

The kids both went to Northwestern last night to continue their studies. Both of them are doing great. I was able to get about half of my book read while I was waiting for them to finish.

Mom and Dad came for dinner tonight. We had bbq shred pizzas, a salad, melon, beets & pierogi. We watched an episode on DC Cupcakes and then got the kiddos into bed.

Not too much else to share. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Believe it or Not

The delay = my eyes did not want to look at he computer screen one more second last night and I turned it off at 9:45PM. I thought I would watch some tv, close my eyes for a few minutes and then pick the computer up later to blog. Well, I closed my eyes and woke up on the couch at 2AM and I didn't want to blog then.

I have spent my days listing on ebay. I have almost 100 items listed and already half have bids and will sell. I have tripled what I spent at the rummage sale last weekend.

The kids have been loving school. Ellie and Nick participated in 2 new research studies at Northwestern's cognitive learning lab. Nick is doing a math study and Ellie one that looks into learning styles.

Our garden is still flourishing - tomatoes turning red each day, still a few cucumbers coming and the peppers are finally able to be picked.

We will be heading up to Michigan this weekend...so I will post next Wednesday. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Busy, Productive Weekend

First week of school went well - kids both like it. Friday night we went with Mom, Dad and Tony to see Annie Jr. Claire was the mentor to Annie and we got to see Pearl, Tara, Uncle Mike and Aunt Karen, too. We stopped for dinner on the way out and found it was kids' night and there was a balloon artist at the restaurant making creations for the kids.

Saturday we were ping pongs. We hit a couple rummage sales and I had a huge haul at the one. I will be a very busy ebay lister after Labor day. We went to the Backlot Bash and hit the vendor expo for free swag. We did the craft at the library and checked out a couple new books. We came home to cool off and eat and then we went back to the bash. The kids got henna work done on their hands, danced for Radio Disney and we played bingo. We used our library coupons for free dinner at Noodle & Co and came home.

Today we hit a couple sales and goofed around here. Rob came home from his weekend in Michigan. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. The kids had some extra time to play before we had dinner. It was a nice but long weekend. The heat was gross but the rain is nice. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

School is a GoGo

School started for Ellie on Monday and Nick on Tuesday. Nick was a bit nervous but really likes school. Today was the first day they were both at school all day. I kept checking the clock to see how much time I had left. I didn't do anything outstanding - just got to take the extra time to go through the racks at the thrift stores.

We are back from our summer hiatus and we began our Wednesday night dinners again. It was a hodge podge tonight. I cleaned the freezer out the other day and decided to use things up. We had veggie burgers, potato pancakes, applesauce, broccoli and cauliflower and berries. Mom made a Dr. Seuss pie for dessert - green banana cream.

We had Milliertime here on Monday night. It was great to have Kelly and Molly here. We miss Kelly and it was so fun to see Molly cruising around.

Not much else to share. I think I am going to try to get some ebay auctions going. I have a couple bins of fall clothes and Halloween costumes. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Busy, busy, busy end of the week. Thursday we woke up early and picked Jo up to take her downtown to jury duty. About the only thing open that early is Target so we went there to waste some time until other things opened. The advantage to hitting an inner city Target - they still have summer clearance and I was able to find a metal sprinkler (aka - not a crappy plastic one). We went to the Chicago History Museum - bonus, it was Illinois free day! The kids have never been and I think I was in 4th grade when I was last there. Nick loved the trains, Ellie liked seeing some of the things that she studied about in 3rd grade. We all liked the magic exhibit and the magician who entertained us with card tricks. The rain stopped and we were able to walk over to the zoo after we finished up lunch at the museum. We had just walked into the barn at the zoo when Jo called to tell us she was finished. We were able to sneak a peek at the piglets (only 2 months old) and some very loud cows. We also got to watch some of the planes practice for the air show. We picked Jo up and dropped her at Mom's and then we hit the road. We caught a matinee of Diary of a Wimpy Kid - cute movie.

Friday was a run around day. We hit Costco and Meijer in preparation of school lunches. We returned some things to Kohl's. We garage sale treasure hunted - found some clothes for Nick for next summer. We came home and the kids played until Rob came home. We had Culvers for dinner and then did a bit of shopping. We went to Menards and finally ordered our new screen door. We are changing things up and ordered it in black. We also got an estimate on the front door replacement - decisions to make still. We came home and decided to make s'mores outside and build a fire in the pit. It was a gorgeous night...I think we kept the pesky mosquitoes away with all the fire and smoke.

Saturday was another non-stop day. We headed downtown early in the morning. Ellie had her second fMRI at Northwestern. She did great and was an old pro this time around. We had lunch at the cafe before we left. We were all able to find something there and it was much more affordable than Water Tower. We walked to Water Tower and Ellie browsed through American Girl and Nick at the Lego store. We ran into a friend at the Lego store - funny, we were both away from home and it was just so random. We walked to the lake for the air show. We have passed it many times coming home from Michigan but have never attended up close. It was pretty cool. We walked and sat in a number of places but the best thing was having the Blue Angels fly right over us while we were at Navy Pier. We stopped into the Children's Museum for a little break before walking back. The kids enjoyed an ice cream treat while we finished watching the show. We stopped back at the Lego Store and picked up a small set for each of the kids. We had the best day but we were seriously exhausted by the evening.

Today we started the morning at church. We came home and got cleaning. The basement had every box out and open and in various stages of play. The dining room table was a mountain of things to be gone through. I still had boxes full of things to be gone through to put on the shelves in the back room. Motivation = last minute change and Millertime is here tomorrow. While I cleaned the table, Ellie cleaned her room, Nick and Rob worked on the upstairs bathroom. We discovered, by accident, that the hot whip was leaking. Rob had gone under the sink to de-gunk the pipe because drain cleaner wasn't working and low and behold - the towels under the sink were wet. Anyhow, Rob replaced the bad parts and installed a new faucet because that had some bad parts. He also installed a new spout int he tub because that was sticking. Flash forward 5 hours and the living room, dining room, back room and kitchen are clean. I got all the boxes put away on the shelves - looks great and I still have room. I do have one more box of crap - I got tried of putting things away and just emptied the table off into an empty box.

Ellie and I made some treats for the week - back to school bites (aka - zucchini bites) and blueberry muffins. We got many of the lunch packs put together - cookies, pretzels, gold fish packs for the week. We had a nice dinner together and then got the kids ready for bed. Ellie got her backpack ready for tomorrow and then we were off to bed. I'm excited for the kids to both be in school. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

I Guess it is Wednesday

I think I have a summer cold. I thought it might be allergies but claritin isn't helping. Aagghh.

We've been hanging at Mom and Dad's house this week. Kids have painted, played and blew bubbles like mad. Nick did a study at Northwestern this morning. We were supposed to go to the pool this afternoon but opted for the Exploritorium and park instead. We hit the pool with Rob in the evening.

I took the kids for their first eye exams and both did great - wonderful vision with no need for glasses. We found our missing library books and returned them. Finally got around to grocery shopping and re-stocking the fridge and pantry. We tried the pool last night but when we got there, the water was freezing and only the kids went in.

Kids have had some nice outdoor playtime. We put new training wheels on Nick's bike and he is able to really motor around now. We are driving Jo down to jury duty tomorrow - she has been serving all week. I think we might try to hit the history museum or children's museum - we will see what the weather brings. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy August

Vacation was fun but it is always great to come home. Especially since the weather really changed the last few days. We began at almost 100 degrees and almost saw the high 40s this past weekend. We had to hit up a Goodwill store to buy some long pants for the kids.

We began our vacation with an ER trip for Nick. The day we were leaving, we had a playdate with my old girlfriends, Dena and Laura (and her younger girls). We had lunch in Evanston and walked around and then went to the Exploritorium to let the kids play as we continued to catch up. Nick was running to catch up with the girls and he tripped and fell into a train table. He came to me crying and jumped on my lap before I could access the damages. When he finally lifted his head, I was alerted to the blood that was flowing from his ear. Laura is a nurse and after she looked at his ear said it probably would need stitches to seal it closed. I called our doctor and the nurse said to head to the ER. Nick was pretty much out of it. After a couple people looked at it and heard that we were headed for a beach vacation they decided to do the tissue glue instead of real stitches that way it was 7 days out of water instead of 14.

We got up to the cottage on Monday evening and took Nana up with us. The kids had an awesome time at the clubhouse for 2 weeks. Games, movies, crafts and the carnival. They each won ribbons for participating int he talent show - 3rd place tie. They also won for capture the flag. We were able to get to the beach almost everyday until the rain came in on Thursday.

Favorite summer things to do - bowling, mini-golf, go-cart racing and the blueberry fest parade were all done. We got some nice visits in with our friend Travis and Cindy and her kids. Dean and Lauren and the girls came up for the first weekend to meet Uncle Edwin. The clubhouse carnival was on the Friday night and all the kids ran a game and then got to play for the second half.

Unfortunately, the fruit crops have really suffered this summer and blueberries are sour and our favorite orchard isn't offering u-pick this year. Can't think of anything else - we had a nice vacation.

We came home and what better way to end a vacation than to do it similarly to the beginning. Nick was playing at our neighbors and came home crying and all tears. He finally got out that he tripped over their dog and fell - cheekbone and eye first - onto the edge on their furniture. Big black eye forming and bigger bump. We had family Sunday at Mom and Dad's house. Mom made a Mexican inspired menu - good eats and so nice not to have to cook. It was nice to visit with the GGs and see how Tony and Matteo have grown in 2 weeks - TeTe is crawling! Mom and Dad offered to keep the kids for an overnight, too. Rob and I came home and watched the closing ceremony which was like a dance party of my youth. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Vacation time

Finished laundry and packing up tonight to leave tomorrow with the kids. Rob will join us after working this week.

Thursday we headed to Schaumburg and that area and we did some shopping and then went to Legoland. Glad we did it because it has been on the kids to-do list for years but I don't think we will ever need to go again. We all went to the pool in the evening and pretty much had it to ourselves.

Friday morning, Mom and Dad picked the kids up and took them with them to lunch with the GGs. Quite a treat, they got to dress up and have a lovely lunch. Jo took them to see a movie in the afternoon and a bit of shopping. Mom and Dad had them for an overnight. Rob and I went to a wedding of a friend in Barrington. It was nice to be able to talk without being interrupted. It has been confirmed - I really love birks and dansko shoes/clogs and quite despise anything else.

Saturday Rob and I ran a couple errands before I went over to pick up the kids. While they played outside during the afternoon, Rob and I worked on a re upholstery project. I really like the fabric I picked out and the covers ended up looking great. We met up with Mom, Dad, Jo, Tony and Matteo for the 120th birthday celebration (60 + 60) of Kate & Richard. It was a lovely evening to be outside. An added bonus to see Marg.

Rob and Ellie went to church this morning while Nick and I hung out. Rob worked in the garage this afternoon trying to get his honey-do list knocked down. Ellie and Nick have been inspired by the Olympics and Ellie set out making her own bow and arrow set this afternoon. She even came into the house to do some internet research about it. I mowed the back lawn because the slip and slide wore some big holes into it yesterday. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner and had a great summer night meal of sandwiches and salads - and crack potatoes. We've been watching the Olympics at night and letting the kids stay awake longer than usual.

Hope you all have a great couple weeks - will post again on the 12th. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

It has been so long

True confession...I have been forgetting to blog lately. I neglected to post last entry that I would be in Michigan this past weekend and unable to post. While I am in the remembering frame of mind, the kids and I will be going up to the cottage the first 2 weeks in August. Rob will join us on the first Friday with Dean and Edwin. So, for those that really follow this - I will post tonight and Sunday but then I am on vacation for 2 weeks.

Highlights of the last week since there is no way I can remember everything. Our garden has really taken off. I finally had a tray full of red tomatoes, ginormous cucumbers that were one inch long on Saturday and about a pound by Tuesday. Peppers haven't really been as great as the plants look - I think that bed doesn't get enough sun. The beans were there last year and that also didn't have a huge yield.

We had a pretty successful thrifting/rummage run over the last week. I picked up the strangest things that we really did need. I found the curtain rods I needed to hang the new curtains in Michigan at a rummage sale - all 3 rods (in the length I needed) with all the hardware for $1. I found 3 North Face fleece jackets at Goodwill. I found big wheel bikes for Mom's house. I picked up Nick's Halloween costume and a Calvin Klein dress for $1.

Michigan was fun. The weather wasn't terrible - we were actually comfortable most of the time. We spent quite a few hours on the beach. Ellie and Nick went to Clubhouse - this past week has been Olympic related.

Time is slipping away. We have a busy weekend with a wedding, a 60th birthday party and a tour around my old stomping grounds with my friend Laura and her girls. I want to get the bookcase in the back room put back together but I want to move some more things around. We went to the pool tonight and Nick finally went down the tube slide with Ellie - just the 2 of them. They both liked it so much that they are going to do it every time that way.

We went with Mom, Dad, Tony and Matteo this morning to Whole Foods to see Miss Lori from channel 11. The kids got to get a picture with her and some snack from the food van.

I have cut out the afternoon iced coffee because I have not been able to go to sleep until the wee hours. My body is feeling pretty good. I have been keeping up with my exercises from Whitney. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

I Forgot it was Wednesday

I suppose this means that life is pretty normal and I am busy but I think it also represents the lack of routine this summer is.

We have had a productive few days. We did a road trip on Monday down to Naperville to search for more yards of the fabric I wanted for a curtain project. Didn't have luck with that fabric but I did locate an additional yard of the fabric I used to finish the bookcase shelves. We found some great things at the thrift store down there - American Girl outfits and a bag full of pillow forms that I can make cases for. We were at the pool Monday and Tuesday nights. Tuesday we took our neighbor with us for lunch and to see Ice Age and then back here to play legos inside. The kids are pretty cute, they are using legos to build cakes ala Cake Boss. We had Millies last night at Kate's house - nice to visit with the ladies. Today we went down to Navy Pier but it ended up being a rather quick visit because of all the camp groups. The kids did get to play at the children's museum for an hour or so. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Time is flying

I am not sure where the time is going but it is rolling by. We haven't been doing a whole lot other than the pool and reading. We went to the Exploritorium for a couple hours on Friday before braving the pool in the afternoon. Rob and I worked and we finally got the cabinet finished in the back room. I installed the fabric on the back and the shelves and painted the rest. I have to decide what we really need to put into it - seeing as how the former stuff has been boxed since January now. I have replaced all the torn window screens in our house. I even did the garden window in the kitchen where the squirrel came in about 8 years ago - that window hasn't been opened since. Dad took the kids fishing yesterday morning. Jo and I went to a couple yard sales but didn't really find anything. I have been using the garden yield to make some pinterest recipes - dill pickles and basil salad dressing. The cucumbers have a steady production and seem to be giving us one or two a day. I think the birds are eating my tomatoes or it is too hot for them. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner and Mom had a lovely spread of food. We left to go to the pool but didn't realize it closed at 6PM on Sunday nights. We came home and set up 2 sprinklers and had a ball. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Wednesday already?

Time flies when the kids are out of camp. Really, a whole bunch of nothing to share. I had my last two appointments with Whitney this week. She gave me about 2 dozen exercises I can pick from on a daily basis and I should let her know how I feel in 6-8 weeks. We went grocery shopping and finally restocked the fridge. The kids have had fun playing outside at Mom and Dad's and here at home. We have hit the pool each night this week. Rob is busy assembling a playground unit for Ellie's old cooking camp counselor. That is about it. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Let the Summer Begin

Camp is officially over now. Nick was named camper of the week during his final week. Ellie made fruit flavored ice cubes for her final party. I had a girls night out with Jo on Thursday night. We went shopping, had dinner and caught a movie - it was a treat to be able to have so much time without the kids. We headed up to the cottage on Friday after camp. Rob took Nana's car back up to Michigan and was about 20 minutes behind us on the way up.

He took the kids to the beach for a little bit when we arrived and then they were off to the clubhouse for movie night. Although Friday night was hot, the cooler temperatures rolled through Saturday and cooled us off. We spent time on the beach every day and got a couple projects done, too.

The kids have made their summer lists - parks, museums, places that they want to hit before school begins. I have a couple PT appointments this coming week. I have to be honest, I totally didn't do the exercises she gave me however, I am feeling so much better. Well, I should say I felt so much better until I helped Rob move the grill on Saturday. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Happy 4th of July

I cannot believe we made it. It was hotter than hot today and we were pretty much outside since 9AM. We started off at the church parade. The kids decorated their bikes last night and by the time we walked to the start of the line up we all had sweat dripping off of us. The kids did their lap and were able to get a prize for participating. We left from there and came back home to finish making our food for lunch and to refill water bottles. We went to the Skokie parade and made it through almost all of it. We had a shady spot and there was a breeze. The kids got some candy and magnets and popsicles and snow cones. We went up to the church picnic. We lucked out and again found a shady spot. It was almost too hot to eat. The kids played hard and their faces were bright red. Lauren and Dean and the girls met us in time to do the races and games. Ellie and Abby won the balloon toss and Nick came in 4th in the race.

We left the picnic and went to Mom and Dad's for the combo 4th of July/Dad's 60th birthday party. UB came down from Baraboo and the GGs were there. Katherine and Evan were over from next door. Mom had a nice spread but the heat really limits how much food you can eat. The kids had fun running around and playing together and it was nice to visit. We came home for a little bit to pick up our blanket and refill water and then we were off to the fireworks. Skokie put on an awesome display and we were able to park relatively close. We came home and took quick showers and got the kids to sleep.

This week has just been way to hot for Chicagoland. Even when I we have watered the plants, they still look limp and unhappy. We were able to pick a couple more cucumbers for our lunch today - really like being bale to shop from the yard. Nick got a very cute haircut on Monday night. My cabinet for the back room is finally inside the house - still need to get the shelves in and the fabric mounted on the back but it is progress to have it in. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Busy Weekend

We were in town this weekend with no real plans but it still ended up being busy. Today we began the day at church. We came home and the kids played outside and washed my car before the storm blew in. That is exactly what happened - dark skies and wind. We had lunch and then the kids went back out to play before we went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Mom made a garlicky summer salad and topical fruit salad and we ordered from Dengeo's. The kids had fun playing with Tony and Matteo. We came home and they played a bit longer before coming in to shower and get ready for bed. Rob and I watched the olympic trials and relaxed.

Yesterday we got an early start. We began the day at the library to pick up a couple books we had on hold and get a couple more. We headed north to make a donation drop at Habitat Re-Store - all the leftovers from the garage sale that Salvation Army wouldn't take. We had some good luck at the thrift stores finding a car seat for Jo, a jumper for Mom's house for Matteo, a bike for Nick, some clothes and other things. We went to Bass Pro Shop as long as we were up that way and the kids got to practice their archery and paint a bear claw. We lucked into Radio Disney being at the mall and the kids got to dance and sing. They each won prizes...Ellie won a gift card to the Disney store. We did a bit of shopping at the mall before heading back home. We hit Mariano's on the way home to pick up some produce, dinner and gelato. If you go to Mariano's try the strawberry balsamic paired with their pistachio - delish. We came home and the kids played outside. We had dinner and then got the kids cleaned up and into bed.

Friday night we did some gardening. I needed to extend our cucumber trellis a couple more feet because they have crawled all the way up the 5' one. Rob moved the yellow jacket nest but they still keep coming back. We picked our first cucumber today and it was great. Can't wait until the peppers and tomatoes are ready, too. I will be able to make a salad right from our yard.

I think that about covers it. My body aches a bit. Whitney told me I have two more appointments available but we have scheduled them for 2 weeks from now so we can track my progress alone. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree