Making an investment in our children

Another thing I love about my husband...he takes the time to include David (well, both kids, but Abigail would usually rather do her own thing!) in whatever project is happening. David's 'help' usually makes the project take MUCH longer than it otherwise would, but Bruce is unfailingly patient, not merely allowing David to observe, but actually taking the time to explain the process, the parts, the tools, etc, and letting David do as much as he (safely) can.

Maybe you have seen the commercial where the dad is working on under-sink plumbing, and when the little boy asks if he can help, the Dad says "No, this is grownup work"...then when he sees his dejected son, he relents, letting him hold the flashlight. Bruce has never liked that commercial, pointing out that the dad never should have said "bug off" in the first place... I am so grateful for a husband who recognizes the importance of investing in our children (and enjoying time with them besides), despite the cost of time and efficiency. He is such a great dad! It is beyond wonderful to watch David just glow when he helps Daddy.

Heights to depths

Sometime a month or so ago, my husband had commented -- completely out of the blue -- that I have beautiful eyes. Ever since, I have been enjoying the fuzzy feeling that gave me! ...and then one morning this week, before I had attended to my morning routine, I was crouched next to David explaining something to him and he very matter-of-factly stated, "Mommy, you have a SMELL...your breath smells stinky." From the heights of feeling beautiful to the depths of reality!!! Yeah, well...nobody ever said that being a mom is a glamorous job!!!

This week's doings

This has been a crazy week and we are all glad to have survived until the end of it! Noteable reports from this week are: ~Abigail had her eyes re-checked and we were relieved to hear that her glasses are doing the trick -- we don't need to do any supplemental patching. ~The kids both had hearing checks. David's hearing was essentially stable; Abigail had some significant loss in two higher frequencies in both ears. Next scheduled check is October 3rd. ~Bruce had his echo but we don't have results yet -- probably early next week. That report seems awfully brief compared to this week's schedule, but those are just the interesting things. :-) Right now we are all happy to be heading for naptime!

Janettics demonstrated

In our family, we women blame our klutziness on our "Janettics" -- a play on words, since we all inherit it from my grandma, whose name is Janette. However, here is another -- and perhaps more desirable? -- 'Janettic' link!!! (And see, Grandma? I didn't even point out the ice cream on the end of your nose! I love you!!!)

Remembering...six years later

In memory of all who lost their lives six years ago in the terrorist attacks on our country...

...and in honor of those who are fighting overseas to weaken those who would -- or who are helping those who would -- try to attack us again. Thank you.

Remember to fly your flag at half-staff all day long today.

To the grandparents

Belated Happy Grandparents' Day to our

Grandpas and Grandmas

McKee, Minota, and O'Gorman.

I didn't remember that G's Day was yesterday

until I looked at my calendar this morning...

whoops!

Bummer for Hallmark...:-)

NY trip - part 7 - recap

So there you have it -- our trip to NY -- we had a great time. I forgot to mention earlier that the weather was absolutely gorgeous -- CNY put on its autumn best for us with leaves just starting to turn, geese flying south, chilly mornings (mostly 40s), and then brilliant blue daytime skies with lots of sun and big fluffy clouds. (It was a bit of a shock to come home to hot and humid again -- but the trip was a nice tide-me-over until it's our turn to have autumn!) Our love to all of you who are far away again...thanks for a wonderful visit and we can't wait to see you again! As I always remind all of our friends and family scattered throughout the country, our home is always open and we would love to see you -- come visit us!

NY trip - part 6 - family

I don't have pictures of everyone, nor do I have as many pictures as I would like...but here are the ones I do have, and the rest of the 'moments' are stored away in my heart!

^Kids on one of Uncle Bob's Harleys>

NY trip - part 5 - Onondaga Lake

below: Uncle Chuck, Aunt Connie, Amanda, & Alicia (Midlar)

<
Abigail, Amanda, Alicia, & David


...I don't have a picture of Grandpa & Grandma in the tree because Grandpa mysteriously disappeared when we suggested a picture of each family...! (We wouldn't have made you two climb it, you know...although we could have tried boosting you up from behind...!) :-)

Ny trip - part 4 - trip to the park

On Saturday, we went to a park near Onondaga Lake,
where we rode the trolley through the park
and then played on the playground.

Saturday night we had a campfire
complete with hot dogs, marshmallows, and s'mores.

NY trip - part 3 - Out on a date

On our wedding night in 1998, Bruce and I stayed at the Green Gate Inn, a historic old inn in Camillus (NY). We had often talked about staying there again, but it just hadn't happened. However, due to Bruce's health-related exhaustion, we hadn't done anything special to celebrate our ninth anniversary this past June...so this year seemed to be perfect timing. I had planned to surprise Bruce with this overnighter -- I already had reservations made and everything -- when he 'fessed up that he had been considering surprising me with a trip there (he had no idea what I had planned)! I confessed my plans, we had a good laugh, and then we spent the rest of the time looking forward to our date!

We had a wonderful mini-trip...we ate dinner at the French Restaurant there (the food was excellent), stayed in the same room we had stayed in nine years ago, and had a private, leisurely breakfast out on the deck the next morning.

Thanks to Gram and Gramp, Uncle Chuck and Aunt Connie, & Amanda and Alicia for willingly taking care of the kids for us...even if they did wake you up at a terribly early hour!

NY trip - part 2 - cousin love

<clockwise from top left: Amanda, Alicia, Abigail, David

NY trip - part 1 - trip summary

^Sweet kids on our northbound car trip

We headed north on Tuesday, August 29th, stayed overnight at a hotel in Ohio, and then arrived in Phoenix, NY, on Wednesday. Oh, it was so good to see so many dear faces!

The kids traveled really well on both the northbound and southbound trips. Other than Bruce flipping in and out of a-fib right before we left for home this Tuesday, everything was pleasantly uneventful.

The kids stuck like glue to Amanda and Alicia, and they all played nonstop from sunup 'til bedtime. Alicia and David played dressup and police and all sorts of fun things, and Amanda and Abigail hung out and did whatever Abigail wanted to do! :-) Having the kids taken care of gave me a wonderful time of rest and reprieve...Grandma and I did some projects, we spent a lot of time sitting in their sunroom knitting and crocheting, and I got to read books and even go on an overnight date with my husband. I got spoiled!!! Bruce did some work, but for the most part, he got to relax, read "fun" books, and take lots of naps.

We also got to visit with some of my extended family, as well as with our NY church family. We got to eat Hofmann's hot dogs, s'mores, and ice cream; we got to talk and talk and talk; we got to share stories and lots of laughter...now we miss everyone terribly, but it was an absolutely wonderful visit and we are very grateful to have been able to make the trip.

Home again

We have arrived home from our trip to New York...we had such a wonderful time! It was as sad as always to say goodbye to everyone up there, but it's also nice to get home...such a dichotomy...! I will be posting pictures piecemeal-style over the next few days. Right now I am too tired and I need to scrape up some supper besides!

Five year old reasoning

David keeps trying to talk us down on how many 'big sleeps' left until we can leave...he has explained to us several times how we can do away with the delay and just leave NOW! ( I have not asked my grandmother for her opinion, since I am quite sure she would side with David!) Abigail is on board now, too, and can't wait to play with Amanda and Alicia...she has no concept of the 19 hours of driving between here and NY!!! Good thing I have new books, activities, and videos tucked away for the trip... Really, though, both kids are great travelers, so I'm not worried. Lest we get concerned that we might be bored, however, this will be the first family trip with no kids in diapers...those of you who are aware of my germophobia, never fear -- I am stocked up with a supply of disposable toilet seat liners, since I now have a daughter that will be using the (gasp in horror) rest-area bathrooms...!

The countdown continues...

Today I did more laundry and housework, weedwhacked everywhere that needed it, cleaned up some branches etc from some pruning I had done previously, and changed the air filter in the van (credit where credit is due: I did have to call Bruce out for some man-strength at the beginning...if only my hands were actually as strong as they are in my mind!). I even managed some time with the kids down at the pool (the water is my idea of perfect right now -- warm enough to walk right in without making me gasp, but still just cool enough to be refreshing). David is turning into a regular dolphin now that he is confident without his water-wings, and it's so much fun to watch. Bruce has been diligently working (from home) all day long, trying to get time-sensitive projects done and get all of his hours in for the month. We called my grandma this morning to let her give the travel-plans to David and he is VERY excited that we are going up to visit everyone! He reminded me several times throughout the day that we will be leaving after three big sleeps...

Preparing to head north

My blogging has been a little scarcer than usual this week because the week has been full of getting everything in order before we leave for a week in NY to visit family...it has long felt like the trip was so far away, but all of a sudden it's here and I need to get ready to go! The car is ready -- oil changed, tires rotated and balanced, every square inch is vacuumed, and new organizers added in my never-ending quest to have the car as clean when we arrive at our destination as it was when we left home!!! As we describe it to David (who does not yet know about the trip!), only four more big sleeps until we leave...the countdown has begun! (Grandma, I can already hear you prancing...!)

Everyday miracles

On Monday of this week, we were in the lobby of a medical office building (fyi, RaDora, it was PENTA's Alpharetta bldg) and David said something rather loudly...which is, of course, his usual volume. Anyway, it echoed, and the look on his face was beautiful -- and then he shushed all of us and said things over and over so that we could all listen to the echo. He was completely awed by this phenomenon. You have no idea what a miracle that is until you have seen your child struggle with hearing loss, until you have seen the look on his/her face the first time their new HAs are turned on...there is just no way to describe the feeling. We certainly don't take any of these 'ordinary' moments for granted! And speaking of such, Abigail continues to make great strides with her physical capabilities...below is a video of her at the playground last month. After she pranced away to play, I stood there for a minute or two in quiet reflection, overwhelmed by the grace of God in the life of our kids... Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

Belated wishes...

A belated happy birthday, Greta!

I called you, so you know I didn't forget...

but I did forget to post it here.

Although it was a typically busy day for you,

hopefully it was a good one!

You win some, you lose some

Behold, this lovely dish of eggplant parmigiana,

with the eggplant and basil (and tomatoes for the sauce)

fresh from the garden......it looks lovely, but it was a bust! Bruce and I thought it was alright, but nothing that we'd want again...David bravely ate a few bites until we told him he didn't have to eat any more...and Abigail burst into tears (literally!) when I cut it open on her plate and she saw the inside!!!
Eggplant: The fruit is beautiful; the plants thrive and produce abundantly without any fussing; we're glad we did it once so that we know not to do it again!!!

Accolades for 'Miss Potter'

A friend had recommended the movie Miss Potter (the story of Beatrix Potter) to me, and Bruce and I watched it this week -- wow. It is not often that we are struck by a movie; we are not easily impressed. But this movie was excellent -- good acting/writing/directing/costumes etc, and the story was compelling. An added benefit was that there was nothing objectionable in it (which is so rare). It is not a "chick flick" that you can watch and then just walk away from lightheartedly -- it is very moving -- that is all I shall say about it so that I don't get into trouble by giving anything away! Definitely a must-watch if you're looking for a good movie. On a side-note, if you are looking for excellently-done Tales of Beatrix Potter DVDs (who doesn't love Peter Rabbit et al?), we really like The Complete Beatrix Potter Collection. A must-have for any child (or child-at-heart)...

Cupcake liner poll

Thanks, everybody -- that was fun. It was inspired because I was making cupcakes the other day and noticed that on the cupcake liner container it said "Use foil liners - discard paper separators". What? -- use foil, discard paper?! I like the paper ones and dislike the foil ones...but I use them both because I am too cheap to throw any away...now you know one of my secret quirks!

Bruce's cardiac followup

Bruce saw his cardiologist as well as a cardiac electrophysiologist (EP) today. Below is the plan for him: ~They put him on an anti-arrhythmic medication in addition to all of the other meds he's on. This should prevent a-fib. We learned that the more the heart goes into a-fib, the more it can actually morph the heart cells to make them more and more prone to go into a-fib, so they are anxious to prevent this. Some people have electrical system complications from this medication, so Bruce will have an EKG done on Monday and Friday of next week to make sure he is operating smoothly. ~The long-term plan is to keep him on all of these meds for 6 months to a year and then, when we have seen significant reduction in the enlargement of his heart, to start weaning him off of the meds and see if he can function well all on his own. This was very encouraging to us; of course, if he needs to be medicated the rest of his life, we will gladly do so, but it was nice to know that everyone's hope and plan is for him to be med-free! ~Bruce has an echocardiogram scheduled for September 7th to re-check the device and the heart tissue around it, as well as to see if there has been any noticeable reduction in the right ventricle/atrium yet. ~Assuming that Bruce 'behaves' between now and then, he will follow up with the EP dr on Sept. 25th and then with his regular cardiologist in November. Again, thank you for all of your prayer on our behalf, and again, we are so grateful for the Lord's constant hand of love and care on our family...

Sick kids

Both kids are sick with a cold/cough virus;

we are glad they are doing it now

so that everyone can be healthy

for our trip to NY at the end of the month!!!

They sure are pitiful when they don't feel well...

Multi-talented kids

I was surprised to find this picture on my camera when I went to upload a picture that I had taken... apparently David and Abigail decided to have a photo shoot while they were playing dress-up...I must say, the model and the photographer are both rather talented!

Doesn't David make a fetching Snow White?! I think this picture should go in the embarass-him-later file...

Ten years of togetherness

Ten years ago today,

Bruce asked me to be his girlfriend. We met in August of 1996 when Bruce moved into town to go to medical school and started coming to my church. Over the next year, we became very good friends, so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary when he invited me out to dinner and a Skychiefs game. Little did I know that, during his after-dinner coffee (which I couldn't figure out why he had ordered, since we were already going to be late for the first pitch!), he asked me out...and the rest is history! We knew each other so well that by the time he asked me to date him, we were both pretty confident that we were headed toward marriage, but we followed cultural protocol and starting dating on August 14th...we got engaged December 24th...and were married on June 27, 1998. On a side note, we did eventually make it to that baseball game...I don't remember anything about the game itself (although it's pretty safe to assume that our team lost!), but I do remember the euphoria of holding Bruce's hand and sitting with his arm around me until our arms and hands had fallen asleep, but neither of us wanted to say so...young fools in love! We still laugh about that. These have been the sweetest years of my life...and Bruce is still my best friend and my boyfriend as well as my husband! I love you, Hon -- thanks again for being willing to give up your stubborn resolution that we were JUST FRIENDS...!

Saturday fun, redneck style

On one of the back roads near here, there are a bunch of pretty rocks that appear to have fallen off a truck -- they are scattered in the weeds along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere -- and yesterday Bruce helped me get a third installment to bring home.

We had a good laugh that we felt like true rednecks...pulling over on the side of the road to 'garbage-pick' for our landscaping supplies!!! If only we'd had a few cows to tip...

How sweet it is

Yesterday, while we were grocery shopping, we were in the baking aisle and I was searching for cocoa when a lady behind me said, "Oh, they're getting a little sweet treat!" I looked down and there were my little darlings, licking their fingers and dipping them in the spilled powdered sugar on the store shelf (and re-licking and re-dipping...).

I really should try feeding them every once in a while...

Bits and pieces from this week

~Bruce has stayed out of A-fib ALL WEEK LONG -- hooray! ~My parents are currently in New York...a family friend passed away this past Monday and my folks went up for the visitation...not a happy circumstance; that aside, though, my grandparents are very happy to have southern visitors! ~Another week of school under our belts...wow. Before we know it, we'll be done with our first year! ~My father-in-law has been accepted into a cancer treatment program here in Atlanta. We are all very pleased with this progress and echo David's prayer from this week that God will make Grandpa's body all better. Also, my in-laws sold their house this week -- another answer to prayer. Now they can get ready to move farther south -- and before the northern winter sets in! ~We continue with an incredible heat wave. This morning when I stepped out on the porch, it felt downright chilly, so I checked the thermometer...70 degrees! You know it's been hot when 70 feels chilly! Guess that's about it. We have a quiet day planned for today; Bruce will do some work from the couch and I will putter around and hopefully sew a little bit.

Happy birthday, Eugenia!

Happy birthday, Eugenia!

Have a great day.

Atlanta's HOT, HOT, HOT!

Thought you might like to see the outdoor temperature from yesterday afternoon...and no, the sensor is not in direct sun! But before anyone grumps that they wouldn't be able to stand these temperatures, bear in mind that although we have one steamy month like this, in turn we will hit 70 degrees in the middle of February...it's definitely worth it!

We were out of power for several hours overnight; here is a picture of David (with his cheesy smile) all ready for rustic living this morning when he found out there was no power!

A bit of paradise for the palate

Last night we enjoyed one of the wonders of the culinary world -- Miz Dora's Sourdough Bread. If you haven't eaten it, you have not yet lived life to its fullest!!!

Whenever RaDora goes home to Arkansas for a visit, her mom makes this bread for her, and RaDora is then kind enough to share some with us...last night we ate the entire loaf (sliced, buttered, and toasted in a frying pan), along with some homemade tomato soup (yes, made with homegrown tomatoes and basil)...sweet bliss!!!

Hearing report 8/7/07

The kids got their hearing checked today and are essentially stable. Hooray!

Besides good results, the office was rather quiet today

and we had a blast visiting with RaDora

and the other audiology staff for a while,

which was a real treat.

We just love them!

School...week 2

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

David is learning a poem:

Time to Rise ~by Robert Louis Stevenson

A birdie with a yellow bill

Hopped upon the windowsill

Cocked his shining eye and said,

"Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy-head?"

David with the play-doh letters that he made in phonics class today

Fun family-date

We took the kids to Bruster's for ice cream this afternoon, where -- as you can see -- the kids thoroughly enjoyed their Purple Dinosaur ice cream!...and although the kids' faces are messier, guess who spilled the most ice cream on their clothing?!

How many Polaks does it take...

...to hang a porch swing?!

If you don't get the joke, look a little closer...

notice that my feet are not anywhere near the floor?!)

(...and don't anybody take offense at the Polish joke --

I am 50% Polish!)

Happy birthday, Aunt Connie!

^Aunt Connie in her birthday present

Happy birthday, Aunt Connie!

^With my kids at Jared's wedding

Our first week of school finished

We finished our first week of school and it went really well. David loves it and is catching on quickly to what is expected of him. To celebrate a successful week, we went to the playground this afternoon, and then when we got home, the kids worked on their models.

Me and my dearest one

Last night, David insisted that he needed

to take a picture of me and Bruce --

and since I had recently been scolded for

not appearing much on my own blog,

the timing was perfect...

Yesterday's hodge-podge

Yesterday... ~David was very excited because, for the very first time, I let him talk on my "Too-blooth" (that's what the kids call my Bluetooth). :-) ~I dropped (and spilled all over the floor, of course!) a bucket full of dry dog food and a two-pound container of blueberries. I think my 'drop-what-I'm-holding' percentage averages about 90% on any given day! ~Bruce stayed out of a-fib all day long yesterday -- hooray! The upped dosage of beta-blocker is causing him to sleep very deeply at night (he didn't hear Abigail crying, the dog barking, etc), but so far he's feeling okay during the day. Nothing very earth-shattering, but just everyday pleasantness. School continues to goes well -- every day is getting a little longer than the previous day as we add more subjects, but David is still so excited to start every day. Our house is resonating with "I says 'i' as in Indian...I says "i, i, i" -- both kids are so enthusiastic about phonics! It doesn't seem so long ago that I remember being in Mrs. Dalton's class reciting my phonics...now it's my kids' turn...I must be getting old!!!

Scuba queen and her superhero sidekick

...she got the mask on all by herself...can you tell?!

I love their active imaginations...