The 12 weeks of summer

(sing along in your head, or out loud, I guess if you want.)

For the 12 weeks of summer

we had so much fun.

12 hours per week of swimming (at least)

11 dramamine were taken (all by me)

10 days in Hilton Head (SC)

9 crazy kayaks

(I would include a picture of Gma Vicki and Gpa Glen right here but they don't look too happy.  Most of us decided that this was one of the most fun things in Hilton Head.)

8 dolphin fins were seen

(Blake and Lane tried to chase some down in their kayak.)

7 fishing trips were taken

(I had to include this photo of when Blake and Scott went to Lake Erie to fish.  Scott threw up for 11 hours straight and I think it deserves a little/lot of respect.  See his knees and "special" green bucket?)

6 years old for Paige

5 million stalagmites (and stalactites)

4 days in a cabin

3 mackerel caught

 2 best of friends

and

1 loose tooth finally wiggled free.

This is a long post but I guess this is what happens when life is fun and busy with a little sickness throw in.  We really had a great summer and I'm sad to see it go.  I love the memories and the people we spent our time with.  Here's looking forward to next year and all the fun to be had.  

Drumroll Please...

Finally, we have a new car.  Our 3rd baby.  I know it's only a material object and when I die I can't take it to heaven.  Remember when you drove your first child home from the hospital and if you hit a speed bump or drove too fast it made you nervous?  Precious cargo was on board. Well, I felt very similar driving our car home from the dealership.  Do you realize how many crazy drivers there are who have aim to hit you in your new car?  Or maybe that is how I imagined it.  It even seemed like mailboxes were jumping out in front of us.  And to really show you how immature I am I'll admit that there were a couple of times I wanted to scream out the window "My car is better than yours." (Am I being too honest? Are you embarrassed that you know me?)  I've never been able to experience that kind of joy. Really, who is jealous of my Pontiac? I can now remote start my car and heat up my seats. My car even has it own phone number (silly car). Blake thinks thats crazy talk to heat up seats but then again "his" thermostat has always been set a little high. I find myself trying to think of errands to run or places to go just so I can have a mini-moment with my car. 

Enough talking about unimportant material possessions.  I just need to go look out the window at it and make sure it's still as pretty as I think it is.  Maybe tuck it in for the night. Kidding, really.  I'm not that crazy. 

**DO YOU THINK I SHOULD NAME IT?

Simple Women's Daybook

Outside my window...

my flowers are dying.  Too much neglect.  Maybe I'll just plant marigolds. Aren't those foolproof?

I am thinking...

about the new car I want. Chevy Traverse. Maybe by the end of the week.

I am thankful...

for my health.  It's not perfect but it's better. One more CT scan to go.

From the kitchen...

there is nothing.  I'm crashing a friends house tonight in hopes that she'll feed us. (Thanks, Riss.)

I am wearing...

slacks and a t-shirt that was not worn to bed last night.  Yeah, I changed my clothes today.

I am creating...

a better "me".  It's really quite painful sometimes.

I am reading...

nothing right now.  Only because I just finished The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff this morning. 

I am hoping...

that I can get caught up on my blog.  We really did have fun this summer and enjoyed our time together.

I am hearing...

the kids arguing about everything.  Can you tell it's almost time for school to start.

One of my favorite things...

is spending time with my kind husband. (No Blake, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty because you're going fishing without me this weekend. You really do make me happy:)

A few plans for the rest of the week...

maybe replace my dead flowers with live ones, weed the flower beds at the elementary school, and a picnic at the park.

A picture thought I am sharing...

One of my favorite pictures from this summer.  Hilton Head, SC.  If you zoom in on this pic you'll see such happiness. I love these two. They really do like each other this much.  They are usually getting in trouble because they won't settle down and are goofing off too much. We LOVE the beach.

How are you today?

Such a simple question but this past month it has been a loaded question for me. Even updating my blog has me a little on edge. Sharing this is completely out of my comfort zone. But one thing I have learned this month is that there are some things that are bigger than one person. Many of you know that I've been dealing with positional vertigo for the past 3 years. After my CT scan and MRI this past month, we think we know what the problem is.  I've been diagnosed with Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence. Basically there is a hole in an ear bone.  Who knew that such a small bone could cause so much grief. I think I was handling it okay until I found out that the only way to fix it is by doing a craniotomy. I've been full of gratitude for the strong people around me willing to take big responsibilities off my shoulders and allow me to dissolve into a mess and then pick up the pieces.  Am I grateful for trials? No. I'm still a little angry and I say "why me". Then I feel guilty because I know there are so many worse things out there.  Will I get through this? Yes. But not alone and my hair may not be as pretty. Will it be easy? Most likely not. This has been the hardest thing for me yet. Emotionally, I'm falling apart. I have good days and bad days and I'm so grateful for the good days.  So next time you ask, "How are you today?" realize that it is a loaded question that might be followed with a loaded answer.  :)  

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.