One more year!

My baby is growing up and it's not fast enough for her.  Give her another month and she'll be waiting to turn 7.  I can't believe it's been six years and I find myself trying to see the baby-face that was there before.  Just the other day she did a crinkle-nose smile that reminded me of a long ago 1 year old.  I told Paige that she had to always be okay with snuggling me and she could never tell me that she's too old for that.  Paige brings humor into our lives and makes us laugh (and then gets mad at us for laughing at her).  She's full of honesty or telling-you-how-it-is.  She never takes us seriously and doesn't look at you when you're disciplining her.  In other words, she completely balances Lane out.  She's the yin to his yang.  She is such a blessing to our family and as sweet as sugar (if she wants something).  She still loves animals and claims she is a tomboy thru and thru.  I'm her squirrel buddy and daddy is her "koof" buddy (dog language) and Lane is included as best buddy when they aren't fighting.  These titles are also quickly rescinded if you make her mad.  

This year for her party it was all about friends.  We've always been on vacation so we've celebrated her birthday with family.  So this year we had 3 friends over with a bunch of squealing and giggling.  Lane and Blake were totally outnumbered but survived well enough. We took them to see "UP" in 3-D since our apartment isn't large enough to contain that many girls.  Paige felt like a big girl but made my heart happy that she came and sat on my lap during a small part of the movie before she ran off to be a big girl again.  I think she had a blast and we love celebrating her and all her perfectness. 

Week in Photos

This week has been the end to another school year.  Paige will now be a 1st grader and Lane will be headed into 3rd.  I'm nervous for the day when their homework will get a little too tough for me to help with.  I think I'm good for a couple more years.  With Lane's spelling words being words like corduroy, turquoise, and unfortunate, maybe I only have one more good smart year in me after all .  I'd better get studying.  On the last day of school, Paige got to celebrate her "birthday" with the snack of the day.  Since her birthday actually falls in the summer she was worried that she wouldn't get to chose between "whacks or hugs".  I guess the teacher gives them the choice to either be spanked or hugged.  What child would actually choose to get spanked?
Lane also got his summer haircut three days before summer break actually started.  He didn't like the mohawk idea.  Doesn't want the girls to laugh at him.  He also likes it short so that he doesn't have to style it every morning.  He acts like it was him doing the work!? 

No smile here!

This last week I was also able to finally spruce up my deck.  We don't have much space but now we have a little spot we can sit outside and enjoy the birds and squirrels.  It's shaded in the late afternoon/evening and just perfect.  Flowers make everything better.  Let's just hope they survive.

We finished the week off with a delicious dinner.  Blake's birthday is coming up and he'll be working and is on call this weekend so we celebrated a little early.  We couldn't think of a restaurant that we wanted to eat at (besides PF Changs, 2 hours away) so we did our own thing once again.  We are getting pretty good at special dinners at home.  I just wish someone would come and clean it up for me.  This time around we did our regular fondue but switched it up with using chicken broth instead of oil and cooking shrimp, chicken, and steak in it.  The shrimp was the best and Blake had to fight Lane off so he could have some.  The sides were bacon wrapped asparagus and balsamic tomato and mozzarella salad.  Finished off with cheesecake and fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Paige is just making sure that daddy is blowing correctly.

My little helper.  Anything to distract her from fighting with her brother.

Just being honest.

So that finishes off our week.  We had more rain than sun which means more video games with trash-talking.  Following by the lecture of "If you're going to dish it out, you'd better be able to take it".  See, we're learning/teaching important life lessons.  After all those days with the video games and rain I am now going to attempt to be a energetic, full of life mommy and plan a fun list of things to do this summer.  I don't want my kids to look back at their summer with no memories.  And I think that memories can be made in very simple ways.

New Dr. Dizzy

I went and saw a new ENT for my ongoing vertigo.  This one works with Blake and seems like a really good doctor... So, why not.  They got talking about dizzy women and Blake said, "I have one of those at home".  They then turned into "medical men" and jabbered about my symptoms, etc. After 3 months of waiting to see him I finally got in.  After talking about my dizzy history, our conversation went something like this:

Dr. Dizzy: "Okay, I'm going to lean you back all the way and focus on your eyes and see how you do."

Me: (I hear: I'm going to hang you upside down and really see you get dizzy and laugh if you fall out of the chair.)  Actual response: "Oh, okay.  Do I apologize now for throwing up on you, or later?"

Nurse: "Do you need me to hold a garbage can by your head, just in case?"

Me:  (I'm too embarrassed to ask for that.  And chances are that if I'm dizzy enough to throw-up, I'll probably miss the trash can and get the nurse.)  "No, I'll be okay."  (Silently wondering if I'm any good at swallowing my own vomit. And THIS is why I only had a Mt. Dew for lunch.)

This was later followed by the Epley Maneuver.  Aka: maneuver from H-E-double toothpicks. Where the conversation went like this:

Audiologist: "As I do this, let me know how you feel."

Me: (Silence...)

A: "So, how do you feel?"

Me: "I'm reminded of why I never lay this way.  Thank you for reinforcing the will to sleep upright from now on."

A:  "For the next 72 hours take it easy.  Sleep upright, no exercise (no problem... doctor's orders)."

Me: "So what you're saying is no cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, and a back massage every night?"

So the conclusions are...

1. Any doctor that is okay with you throwing up on them is #1 and worth my $20 co-pay.

2. My MRI and CAT scan are scheduled to make sure that everything that should be there, is there and anything that is not supposed to be there, isn't there.

3. I have new hope that this will finally be resolved.  And if not, then at least I'll understand why.