This kid cracks me up.

I took Jake to the mall today for new tennis shoes and a new polo for Easter. I decided to take a spin through Kate's favorite department to see if anything caught my eye. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing. I was just busy looking at dresses. I accidentally ran Jake's stroller into a dress rack.  He says to me, "You are drivin' crazy!"  Something tells me this won't be the last time those words come out of his mouth.

We saw the Easter bunny. Jake was more than willing to sit on his lap. We couldn't get a picture taken because the sun was streaming in through the skylights at the mall and hitting the exact spot where the bunny was sitting. The pictures they were taking were all blown out. I pulled out my iPhone just to try to get something and got reprimanded instead. Give me a break! If you can't supply a picture I can pay for, don't give me trouble about pulling out my own camera.  I kept snapping away while having this discussion with the lady in charge. 

It is 85 degrees here today and gorgeous. Jake and I spent a lot of time outside after the mall. I'm trying to wear him out. I'm going to wear him out and then not let him nap...nice, huh? He's been taking a 2 hour nap and then not going down until after 10 at night. I have to have some time to myself in the evenings! He didn't have a nap on Sunday and went down at 8:30...more like it. So...that's the plan...no nap and early bedtime. Dinner should be really interesting. I'm planning on cooking, and Jake will probably be melting down. I'm just preparing myself ahead of time for the inevitable. 

When the weather starts to get warm, Kate pulls out the summer clothes. She is definitely a person who prefers warm weather. I was able to convince her to pose for a shot.

Proud.

I am really proud of my brother who was finally able to fulfill a lifelong dream at the age of 41. He is now a police officer. The best news is that he actually has a job, too. I attended his graduation last night. It was really tricky to get decent shots. I had to really crank the ISO, so they aren't super sharp. There was spot lighting on the stage, but it wasn't bright enough to be really helpful.

Miss me?

That title is for you, Karen. ;) mwah!

I didn't blog this weekend because I was fortunate enough to have some wonderful out of town visitors while Dan and Kate were away in Phoenix. It was a much needed...much anticipated girls' weekend. It met all of my expectations and more. It was fun to hang out with 3 other photographers and see things through their eyes for awhile. Here are a few fun shots. I never thought to ask anyone to photograph me photographing my kid. Actually...I didn't have to ask. ;)

Here is my shot of Jake.

 

 Here is me working on the shot.

Here is another I took that I just love.

Here are a few more just for fun.

I just love the look on Jake's face in the above shot.

I can't wait until PS CS5 comes out, and I can easily take those floor vents out of each shot!!!

Kate just called to say that they landed. I am ready to have my family back together. I am also hoping she got some great shots of Phoenix and their fun.  I'm heading to my brother's graduation from the Police Academy tonight.  I think it's pretty cool that he is finally fulfilling his dream of being a police officer at 41 years old.

This Boy

I seriously want to take a bite out of him.

This is what you get when you ask him to smile.

The the next few shots just make me happy.

Only a boy would spend forever just digging  junk out of the edges between the garage and driveway. There were all kinds of cool things in there...worms, a colored bead, dirt, etc. You should have seen my sink after he washed his hands. Yuck!

 It is so quiet around here today. My mom picked Jake and Izzy up from preschool and took them to her house. She's been doing this every other Thursday to give me a little break. I'm enjoying the time, but Kate just came downstairs (she's on spring break) and informed me that it's too quiet and she misses Jake. That made me happy. 

I wanted to share a layout I posted yesterday. Maybe you had to be there, but we thought this was hysterical.

 

click me to see credits

We had Kate's final concert last night. If you would have asked me last year if I would be teary at her final concert, I would have said yes. It's amazing the difference a year makes. I wasn't sad. I can't be sad. She is so ready! They really did go out with a bang. The concert was a BLAST! The music was from the 60's.

I had a big DUH moment during the concert. I am so relieved it was during the concert and not after. I was using my great zoom lens. I didn't realize (since I had to quickly remove it from the box and get out the door) that it has a vibration reduction switch on it. I went to the bathroom midway through the show taking my camera with me. I don't even know what made me look at it on the way, but I noticed the switch. I flipped it to "on". What a difference that makes! The pictures from that point on were so much more clear. Lesson learned.  I love that I took the pictures on manual. I love that I got these shots sitting almost in the back of the gymnasium. You can view the pictures I took here:
Spring Concert Pictures

Jake is up, and it's time to head back outside. It hit 70 degrees today!

Albuterol

I have one thing to say tonight. I think it's time to reduce Jake's breathing treatments. I just got him down at 10:30 after putting him to bed at 9:00. The poor guy was just tossing and turning. It's strange. I see no adverse effects from the albuterol when he really needs it. As soon as he starts getting better, he starts to have side effects.  I'm cutting his dosage in half tomorrow and hoping for the best. I can't take him completely off yet. He is coughing when he exerts himself...any running or bike riding.  However, I am slowly seeing improvements here. 

Stupid Virus

This time I'm not talking about a human infection. My laptop is infected. Dan has spent the entire day researching and trying to wipe it out, but he hasn't had any luck. It looks like the laptop is going to have to spend a week with the geeks at Best Buy.  I say a week because that is how long it took them to wipe a virus off our desktop recently.  Dan is certain that I picked up the virus on Facebook.  I know I've seen recent warnings there about not clicking on video posts, and I guess those warnings were legit.  Dan doesn't want me visiting Facebook on the desktop since it just got debugged, so I have to rely on Kate's laptop as my backup. Unfortunately she has to go to school for 3 days this week ;), so that means I won't get my Facebook fix until she's home.  Darn.  I have the desktop for everything else, but I will miss my Facebook.  I just love having that connection to my friends.

I have to give you a recap on dinner last night. I was able to wake Jake up from his very late nap, and we took the kids (including Richie) to Macaroni Grill.  That was the first time we've eaten there since Kate's diagnosis, and I'm happy to report that she seemed to be fine this morning.  Besides the quick trip to the grocery store on Thursday, this was the only time Jake's been out of the house this week because of his illness.  After dinner he told us that he didn't want to go home yet.  The poor guy was going stir crazy around here. So we took him to Barnes and Nobel to look around and pick out some books. I had to laugh at the difference between my son and daughter while we were there. Kate always spent book store trips actually looking at books. Jake was far more interested in messing with the stuffed animal displays that were scattered around the children's area.

After our Barnes and Nobel visit, Jake asked to go to the grocery store rather than go home. We took him to Walmart instead. He was happy to walk around and didn't even ask to buy anything. He is also asking to go back to school. He is tired of being around this house. I'm just so relieved that he's feeling so much better.

Off to Best Buy with my laptop. Wish me luck!

The End of an Era

The disco ball era is over in our household. This ball has been hanging in the play area of the basement since Kate was young. Whenever Jake plays downstairs, he bombs it with balls until it falls from the ceiling. I am tired of picking it up and replacing tiles, so the disco ball is getting packed away.

While I'm on the subject of packing away, I'm proud to say that I am packing away clothes I've been wearing since early in 2008 when I took the first of the baby weight off. I am now back in my pre-Jake jeans and some of the pants. Looks like all my old capris will work this summer. It sure took me a long time. I expected to have it all off by the time Jake was 6 months old. I forgot to factor in exhaustion. I have no will power when I'm tired. Since Jake didn't sleep through the night until he was 6 months, I was way too tired when he was a baby. I've been on Weight Watchers since January 1, but the real difference this time is that I'm working out every single day. Thank you,  Jillian Michaels and your 30 Day Shred!

I have to try to wake up the sleeping boy on the couch next to me. We planned on taking Jake, Kate, and Richie out to dinner, but Jake didn't get a nap today. He spent last night in our bed and actually slept in until 9 this morning. So the skipped nap means that he is sleeping on the couch at 5pm...not cool.

Beautiful Day!

Jake woke up fever free, so we made a much needed trip to the grocery store. He convinced me to buy him a balloon and a ball. I'm so weak when my kids have been sick. He could pretty much have whatever he wanted. We spent some time outside this afternoon getting some fresh air. Dan grilled burgers for dinner, and Jake actually ate. I think this was the first official meal he ate all week.

I spent a long time talking to Kate this evening and getting updated on her yearbook pages. I have no idea how she gets all of her homework done and handles the job of yearbook editor. It's an incredible amount of work. I'm really proud of her and can't wait to see it finished. I may even be able to get my own copy.

I really need to get back on track with my workouts. I was working out daily...faithfully...until I got sick. Now I'm in a bit of a slump. I worked out yesterday but not today. It will be done tomorrow! I am just 2 pounds away from my pre-Jake weight. WOOT! I actually want to lose another 5.

I got this shot of Kate and Richie the other day. Apparently this is how you raid the refrigerator...on your boyfriend's back!

A Better Day

I'm happy to say that Jake is doing so much better today. He had a pretty good night. He only got up coughing once and then slept in late this morning. He's eating today and not running a fever. In fact, he's a stinker again, so I know he's getting better.

Yes...he's a stinker. I'm trying to figure out how this sweet little man who is so loving and so polite can get into so much trouble. He can't be trusted in any room of this house without constant supervision. I thought by this age, I would be able to leave him alone while I ran laundry upstairs. I'm not talking about taking a shower...just running the laundry up. I can't do it. If he's too quiet for any length of time, he's probably getting into trouble.

I was on the phone with my mom today, and Jake was in the laundry room watching the washing machine spin. Any of you who know him well know that laundry is his thing. As I was talking to mom, I realized that he was in there way too long. Normally he'll watch for a minute, take a run around the house, and head back to the laundry room to check things out. Today he stayed in there and was suspiciously quiet. I walked in...still talking to mom...and found his latest mess. He had opened the drawer under the washer and was scooping the powered Tide out of the box and pouring it into the drawer. He knows better! Why does he do these things?

A few nights ago, we were finishing dinner dishes, and Jake ran upstairs ahead of us to get ready for his bath. When Dan got upstairs he found him in the bathroom, naked, and rubbing Cetaphil cleanser all over his body and the floor. 

Oh...I have another recent one. Yesterday, right before his breathing treatment, he pulled a part from the nebulizer off the counter and broke it. It wasn't the fall off the counter that broke it, he actually broke it with his hands. Fortunately I had a spare part.

I'm really hopeful that as we get closer to his 3rd birthday, he'll start to get more trustworthy. Is that just wishful thinking?

I have another layout to share. I've had this one on my mind for awhile and was finally inspired to finish it. Here's my little stinker:

Click here for credits.

So tired.

It's been a really long day...after a really long night last night. Jake is running a fever and wheezing. I had what I thought was a sinus infection 2 weeks ago. Since my cough is still lingering, I'm guessing it was a virus that I passed to Jake. He got sick last Friday, and I took him to see the doctor yesterday.  This picture brings back memories of the first time we had to give him breathing treatments. I say "we" because it took the two of us to hold him down and keep the mask over this face. What a fighter he was! Now he sits by himself and does them. In fact, he is sitting next to me now doing his last one of the day. He does get a little treat when he's finished.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we both get some sleep tonight. I'll let you know tomorrow.

So proud!

I am so proud of my aunt and godmother, Janie.  She was a recipient of the St. Louis Women of Achievement award in the humanitarian category. The St. Louis Women of Achievement Award is the oldest, ongoing program in the area whose sole mission is to honor and recognize the volunteer efforts of women. Here are some excerpts from her nomination letter.

"She is one of the founding members and director of Caring and Sharing, a 24/7 emergency food pantry. They provide a one month supply of food and personal products for individuals and families who cannot get in touch with an area local food pantry due to circumstances that are typically beyond their control. No one is turned away.

Janie arranged for Caring and Sharing to provide "Blessings Backpacks" for the homeless. The backpack contains 2-3 days of food, water, personal items, and some clothing. They are supplied to many organizations,  churches, and businesses that come in contact with the homeless.

As a breast cancer survivor, Janie is very aware of how difficult living with cancer can be. Annually, Janie with Caring and Sharing, work with Pink Heels and Pink Fire truck to collect food which is distributed to women with cancer.

At the age of 52, Janie returned to school for EMT training. This training fits perfectly with her role as the Volunteer Support System Coordinator for the Lake St. Louis Fire Department.

She is  a member of the St. Patrick's Parish Board of Education.

Janie is currently in the early stages of working with the local food pantries, and the local fire and police districts to create a first responders disaster program for the area. 

Janie is a tireless volunteer for our community"

My aunt is an inspiration to me, and she makes me want to do more with my life...to serve people on a greater scale. 

Come on, Pepsi!

Bring it back permanently!!

Now that Kate has finally been diagnosed as fructose intolerant, we've decided to eliminate high fructose corn syrup in our house completely. We aren't big soda drinkers. Kate doesn't drink any. Dan and I each drink 1 can a day. That's it. It's been easy to give up the high fructose corn syrup with Pepsi Throwback available. We have 3 cases left in the basement. Once it's gone, I'm afraid that we may have to go back to regular soda. It's disappointing. Pepsi Throwback tastes so much better than regular Pepsi or Coke. I've already called Pepsi to voice my opinion. I wonder if it would make any difference if I bug them on a regular basis. ;)

Speaking of Kate's diagnosis...we are still amazed by the fact that she didn't test lactose intolerant. All these years we were sure that was the problem. Now she's eating ice cream and cream sauces with no trouble...as long as there isn't any fructose involved.  Her diet has been easy to control at home. I'm cooking regularly now. We do very little take-out. I am concerned about how she'll manage in college next year. We are going to push for Kate to have permission to have a car on campus her freshman year. She'll need it to come home for dinner occasionally (wishful thinking) and to make trips to Whole Foods.

I wanted to share my latest layout. If you know me well, you know I'm not a fan of feet. I don't like to see pictures of them unless they belong to babies. I can't stand watching anyone touch their feet. Feet are dirty, people!  I must say, though, that I love this shot. It doesn't count when the feet belong to my babies.

Click here for credits.

Anyone want to tell me why I am still coughing after 2 weeks and 1 round of antibiotics? Ridiculous! Jake has the cough now, too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Kate can avoid this one.

Well, I did it.

After lots of thought and hesitation, I decided to finally start a blog. I have one purpose...only. I want to record our family memories. There are so many things that happen every day that I really want to remember. My plan is to make this blog our family journal. At the end of each year, I will have the blog printed in book form. My 40's haven't been kind to my memory, so I'm going to view this as an opportunity to record my thoughts and things that happen so I don't forget them. So...here I am.

I have a funny...a Jake funny. We were sitting at dinner this week, and Dan mentioned to Kate that he thought her car started funny when he pulled it in.  He asked if she had noticed any problem. She had not. She did mention that she smelled gas when she was driving home from school that day. Dan then asked if she had run over anything on the way home...maybe puncturing a fuel line or something. She said no. Jake chimed in saying, "Be more careful next time!"  Classic.

Well...time to get off the computer, exercise, and entertain this young man. First, I'll leave you with this picture of Richie and Kate taken on Thanksgiving 2009. Today they celebrate one year together. Happy Anniversary!