In the Last Month or So ....

On a road trip we stopped off the highway in Kennesaw, Georgia and saw my cousin Sarah right before one of her classes.

I don't think Sarah and I had seen each other since our adventures last summer in England, Germany, and that long-road trip to Venice!

This year, we are bringing international to us ... at least as far as cuisine goes.

My New Year's Resolution - one of them - was to learn how to make stir-fry.

Matt and I like to cook together, and I definitely play the role of the sous-chef because he is really good with the wok (and the oil which I am too timid with.)

Our recent attempt is Pad-Kee-Mow (spelling?)

A thai dish with rice noodles, basil, bell peppers, tomatoes, iceburg lettuce, garlic, fish oil

If we've had you over for dinner lately, that's probably what we've served!

And our stir-fry nights are usually a community affair with everyone helping.

In this picture, you can kind of see Tania and her mom Sohelia in the background chopping some pineapple, which is also my 'go to' side dish for stir-fry.

I will be so sad when winter comes and pineapples aren't in season.

Sally took this picture.

Yes that's kale.

No I had never used kale before.

And I probably won't again, unless it is to try the pesto recipe I heard about.

Sally and I went all Betty-Crocker one night.

Sally and Alex introduced us to The Egg and I - a fun breakfast place over near Prestonwood.

Next time I am trying their hot chocolate.

Since I haven't had caffeine this month to speak of (yes you read that right) I am realizing I don't always have to order coffee (decaf or whatever.)

The problem will be that the other drinks have calories - and lots of them.

My black coffee at least didn't come with lots of calories!

Since labor day the only caffeine I have had is a cup of coffee at church once - but I don't think church coffee counts b/c it is so weak, a glass of iced tea one day, and a cup of Cracker Barrel coffee which is also weak and thus annulled.

Sally and I made pickles!

I'm not sure if we ever posted a picture of our tv center in the center of our kitchen.

Sometimes I'm not crazy with how it looks, but we love how it has worked out in purpose.

It helps make the kitchen even more the center of hubbub in the home, and it helps to be with the children if they are able to watch a movie - and I can clean or cook at the same time!

The TV is in our kitchen right now because we are using the huge living room as an area to prepare for an upcoming garage sale.

I'm thankful for the kitchen remodel Matt overtook last year!

By the way, I am in love with the house in the old movie, "Born Free" that is set in Africa!

I love the yellow and blues!

I kind of love everything about it, except the bathroom.

Simon hosted his first sleepover at our house with four friends.

Whew.

We had the evening packed with activities, I can't imagine what would have happened if we hadn't had a plan!

Post-Pizza Dinner the children had water gun fights outside then Matt rigged up this sprinkler and plastic slip-n-side creation and the boys had a great time.

There's a video of their fun at the end of this post.

This picture was snapped Post-Pizza Dinner, Post Water Fun and Pre-Road Trip to Braum's for Ice-Cream.

Overheard the other day ....

Simon: Dad, when I grow up do you think I could be one of those people that throw newspapers at houses?

Oh, the dreams!

P.S. Not related to newspaper delivery personnel, but what did Post Office Personnel do before cell phones? I rarely see ours without their hands-free device and just talking away ....

I can't believe Simon chose this neon blue ice-cream - he usually gets vanilla or strawberry.

Simon is quite the entrepreneur.

He had a great idea the other day that we should make a big sign that said:

"DANCE PARTY"

"GIVE ME MONEY"

~ he explained to me that he would be break-dancing for money

I get to carpool with Caedon and his sister Gabby.

Carpooling has made me feel very mature.

More mature than my first gray hair.

I feel very grown up and like I am officially, officially an adult.

I also think its really cool to be able to be apart of these kids lives on a regular Tuesday-Thursday schedule!

Josiah has a sister named Harmony, and one day recently, Simon was telling me how we could fit Josiah and Harmony in our car. He showed me where Josiah could sit, then he said, "And Narnia could sit next to Evie."

It won't be long before someone is named Narnia. Actually, someone probably is.

Overheard by Simon:

When I grow up, I want to live in Colorado where there is snow. I'm going to have snowball fights with my wife until she gets a kids.

After the Pizza, Water Games, and Ice-Cream cones, we headed back to the house to pull set up their sleeping bags and convince them all to put on pajamas and brush their teeth.

Then, we turned on the old Willy Wonka video and hoped they would fall asleep. I think they stayed up for the whole movie ... it was kind of a late night, in retrospect.

The next morning after breakfast and after the children were picked up, we took Simon to see Toy Story 3 in 3d.

Before the movie started, Simon told me, "Mom, I know you are going to cry in this movie."

(He had already seen it with his Gigi and Pops)

I told Simon I was sure I would cry, too, I mean, really, I am pretty ridiculous and tear up for the sentimental party in Leave it to Beaver.

The movie started, and low and behold, I couldn't get past the first 10 minutes without crying ... the video montage of Andy growing up ... I am tearing up now so I must change the subject.

Overheard by Simon when he was looking thru a book:

Simon: "Look, Dad, there's naughty soldiers."

Matt: Naughty?

Amy: Nazi, Simon.

Pizza Dinner.

Yes those are whole carrots on their trays.

I took Simon to school on the first day of school since Matt was leading worship that morning at GFA and had left the house earlier. I didn't even walk inside with Simon, even though it was a 'new' school, Simon felt more than confident since he had gone to VBS and Summer Camp there at the church. He said, "Just let me out mom, I know where to go."

It works out that Matt can take him most mornings, which is a huge blessing to me to not get Evie and and around, plus it gives Matt and Simon a little time together in the morning.

The other morning when they were driving to school, Matt told me that Simon said, "Dad, I think the Ten Commandments are for all people." "But why do some people steal?"

Simon's First Day of School was perfected when that morning, his dad surprised him with a gecko he'd found in the house that morning.

Of course, we couldn't feed him, so Simon had to let him go back to the wild that afternoon, but he had fun nevertheless.

This chalkboard had not been washed since last year's First Day of Kindergarten.

So, I added the arrow and the "2nd" and we were good to go!

Simon is growing up, but he is still a huge sweetie pie to his mommy.

At school they can earn "Scholar Dollars" for rewards like good behavior.

Once a 6 Weeks, they have Academic Day where they can 'spend' their dollars.

Other students set up tables where you can spend your dollars - there might be a student who sets up a 'Garage Sale' with toys they are selling or you can buy time to play basketball in the gym or their might be a table set up where a student is painting fingernails.

Simon told me to put it on my calendar, because he wanted to take me and pay to have my nails painted.

That would be the sweetest manicure I ever receive.

Best little dessert ever.

Lemon Wafers from Sprouts Farmers Market

BlueBell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Delicious.

A couple of months ago I had an epic doctor's visit with Simon and Evie.

One morning in June he was really complaining about his knee that morning (he had been complaining for weeks) and then I was dropping Simon off at VBS that morning, and a friend noticed Evie's eye - and asked what was wrong with it. I looked at Evie's eye from the viewpoint of someone seeing it for the first time, and it did look horrible!

Evie had a bug bit a couple of weeks prior that seemed to be infected, but we had all just gotten accustomed to it and didn't pay it much attention. Even though the weekend before her eye had almost been swollen shut from the bite (that was right under her eye)

On a whim, and because it was a Friday and the weekend was looming before us, I called their pediatrician and made an appointment for both of the children, for Simon's knee and Evie's eye. I really thought it wasn't necessary, and I thought Dr.Bill may think I was silly, but it turned out quite differently.

The pediatrician was really worried about both children. He said that Evie had a staff infection and it was getting dangerously close to spreading into her eye and the orbit area. He prescribed some heavy-duty antibiotic (no typical amoxicillian for this thing) and gave me instructions on when I should go to the Emergency Room that weekend if the antibiotics didn't kick in.

Then, he looked at Simon's knee which was visibly swollen and had been for some time.

We couldn't remember any physical trauma, and for some reason Dr.Parulo was really worried about it, and he sent us downstairs for x-rays.

It was the middle of the afternoon and we were all tired. Especially Evie.

We had to fill out lots of paperwork down stairs and somehow in the midst of paperwork, I lost my driver's license. I had it one minute, and it was gone the next. I was sure Evie had put it somewhere since she was 'helping' me, but we were being hurried in for x-rays and I only had a little time to scour the waiting room.

The attendant, whom we've visited with before a couple of years ago is a very sweet Christian lady and offered to help look for my license while we went back upstairs with out xrays.

Up the elevator.

Back in the pediatric examining room. Dr.Paruolo looked at the x-ray and everything looked great, but then there was the swelling (which had been there a few weeks) and the fact that every morning Simon complained that his knee hurt - and he would physically limp in the mornings - sometimes into the day -- and a couple of morning he crawled instead of walking to help the pain. Which I don't understand b/c to me crawling would hurt a knee more .... maybe that's why he only tried it a couple of times.

Well, the pediatrician decides they need to draw blood to do some blood tests. He send for the nurses. Simon become hysteric and he had blood taken when he had mono and he didn't handle it well.

Someone knocks at the door and it is the receptionist from downstairs, and she had found my drivers license --- bent up and IN THE TRASH CAN of the lobby room.

Thanks, Evie. I agree that my picture isn't great, but I kind of need my license.

Then, they come in to draw blood and I help hold Simon down -- imagine the worst pleading, crying, screaming, that you can think would be appropriate and then multiply that a few times b/c it wasn't appropriate. Surely Simon's red-faced and almost - throwing up from hysteria wasn't proportionate to any pain ... but it was proportionate to his fear, so I had lots of grace and mercy.

Evie meanwhile is not sitting demurely in a chair with her legs crossed.

Why, oh, why, didn't I ask if Matt could meet us at the doctors?

Oh, yes, because I didn't think we needed to go.

We leave the dr's office like a circus leaving town, and it is so hot outside and I just want to go home, but I forgot that at some point in Simon's hysterics I offered a milkshake so we had to stop by Sonic and get a milk shake which I split between two cups for the kids.

And, yes, somehow both of them managed to either wear their milkshake on themselves and their clothes (Evie) or drop the milkshake accidentally and have it get all over the car (Simon.)

********

end of story

actually based on blood tests and Simon's symptoms, they thought Simon might have rheumatoid arthritis which mysteriously enough could be onset by the mono last spring.

We have had a follow up eye appointment (which didn't show swelling around the pupil which could have helped in securing the arthritis diagnosis) and he had taken medicine for a couple of months. This Wednesday Simon has an appointment at Scottish Rite Children's Hospital with the Arthritis Board and Evaluation Team, so hopefully we'll have some closure and answers!

good hair day :)

I am in love with Evie's sweet curls!