My crazy world

My life the last month...

2011-05-06T10:33:00.002-04:00

This is not giong to be a fun post. I was looking and I can't believe it has been almost a year since my last post.

A lot has happened to me personally over the last month that it is kinda hard to tell.

4/4: woke up freezing at around 1 am, by 6 am (when I am getting up to get ready for work), I had a fever of 103.2. Took some Tylenol, stayed home from work, went to Dr., could not do anything for me but tell me to take Advil to opposite the Tylenol since only symptom was the fever.

4/5: Still had fever so stayed home from work. fever broke late this evening

4/6: went to work (felt I had to since we were going on vacation the following week - leaving Thursday 4/14). By end of day was achy all over - felt as though I was about 80 years old. Fever came back later in the evening.

4/7: now that I had fever & aches, Dr called in script for a z-pac, thinking that I had the flu.

4/8: same

4/9: not feeling any better - still feverish and achy. Went to Urgent care. When Jeff say me in the sun - he said I was yellow (like a banana). They could not help me so sent me to ER (went to Dublin since they have the fastest ER around). Winthin 2-3 hours I was admitted as they thought I had Pnemonia. Found that my liver was impaired or inflamed most likely due to a gall stone (which I have more of and will have my gall bladder removed later this year). Next they found a "growth" in my heart. Turned out to be a Staph infection (not the really bad kind).

4/10: did some tests today but not many.

4/11: Put me NPO and I did not do well with that. Woke me up around 7a for an ultrasound of my liver, around 11a, took me for the TEE test that I was put NPO for, then they started wheeling me around to various other areas for tests - MRIs, X-rays, CT scans - still no food or water. My mouth was really dry and I could not handle it anymore. Finally someone took pitty on me and gave those stupid cotton swabs to wet your mouth - I ended up actually sucking them dry most of the time. After all these tests, I got transferred to Riverside Methodist since Dublin is not rated yet for cardiac care. At some point in the ambulance ride - I passed out and I do not remember anything really concrete for the next week.

4/12-4/18: I remember nothing of this week. I do remember that my Mom came up from Florida to be with me. I remember Dad & Deb, Ellen, Uncle Kenny and Val stopping by to see me but nothing else. According to Jeff, I almost had open heart surgery that week to get rid of the staph infection that was in my heart but Jeff and Dr G (the infection specialist) convinced them not to do it.
Spent the next week in ICU and in step down = got to come home on Friday 4/23 (Good Friday).

We (meaning myself, Jeff and the Dr's) have no idea where this infection came from. We will never know. It grew on the outside wall of my heart opposite the hole that I have always had. Right now, it is mostly dead but I am on a 6 week antibiotic treatment that is being given to my through a pump that I must carry with me everywhere. This treatment is expected to end 5/20. After that I will be meeting with the cardiologist to determine how we are going to fix the hole in my heart. Ideally, he will go up through the groin and just stitch it closed. I will know more later.

I am glad to be alive. Although we missed our first family vacation in ever, I would much rather be here and be able to see my kids grow up than the alternative.

Kurtis' 1st Lost tooth

2010-06-17T20:45:00.003-04:00

June 13, 2010

Kurtis turned 7 May 16th. On that day, he also got his 1st loose tooth. Well it has finally come out. Jeff was allowed, by Kurtis, to put a string around it to pull it out.

It was hanging very loosely in the gum so it was not difficult to get out. Kurtis' adult tooth is all the way thru the gum as well.

Here is a picture:

Right there in the bottom.

Kurtis was so excited & ready to put his tooth under his pillow. We convinced him that Daddy & Mommy would put the tooth under his pillow once he was asleep since he would most likely play with it & lose it. We did (of course) and the tooth fairy left $5 for that 1st tooth.

Isn't she very generous??? I don't think the tooth fairy will be quite so generous on the next one.

Anyway, the next morning Kurtis found the money taped to his bed - again so that the money did not get lost. He placed the money in his piggy bank to save for another day.

Another year older

2010-06-08T21:55:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I turned another year older. 36. As my brother so wonderfully put it in a voicemail yesterday: "I'm closer to 40 than 30".

Do I feel that old? No. Although I did wake-up with a stiff back that had bothered me all night long.

Am I happy with my life? Yes. I have a husband you loves me and puts up with me (which as my family can say - is no easy task). I have two wonderful boys who make me laugh almost everyday. I have a job that I feel like I was finally meant to do (just wish it was full-time...maybe soon).

What would I change? Really the only thing I would change would be my undergrad degree choice. I don't regret going to college to get a bachelor's degree - I just wish I had chosen a different major - Chemical Engineering really had not worked out for me.

What are my hopes? I hope that my family remains healthy. I hope that all my friends are still here next year. I hope that things become more financially stable for my family and friends. I hope someday to travel to Europe and Australia but first I would like to be able to take a family vacation.

What are my plans for the next year? I want to learn to quilt (something Jeff's mom did and I wanted her to teach me but never got the chance). I want to make my kids happy and teach them that life is special - enjoy the day.

We will see how I do next year.

My New Job

2010-03-02T07:27:00.002-05:00

Well, it has finally happened. After a year & a half, I have a new job. It is just part-time for right now but I am happy with that. The possibility exist for it to quickly become full-time as the company continues to grow.

The company is STi. We work with hopitals, mostly Labor & Delivery departments to make sure that their computer information is correctly sent to their reporting system and that the information is saved as it needs to be. I am the Project Manager, working with/in charge of 3 programmers.

Being a Project Manager is what I want to do so this is a step in the right direction for me and my family. I am excited by the opportunity.

Pinewood Derby

2010-01-28T13:31:00.007-05:00

January 23, 2010

I know I am late in putting this together but, better late than never, right? I did intend on doing this on Saturday or Sunday but just never got around to it.

Kurtis had is first Pinewood Derby race for the cub scouts this past weekend. Here is a picture of the some of the cars that were entered in the race from the various dens (1-5th graders).

This picture below is of Kurtis' car. Kurtis picked out the design, Jeff cut it out and Kurtis helped sand it. Kurtis picked out the paint and the wheels.

Kurtis' den, the Tigers, where first on the racing schedule, since they are the youngest. They had their preliminary heat which Kurtis won! Everyone else went into the secondary heat to see who would face Kurtis in the finals. That ended up being Case. We do have video of the race but I can't find it right now - I may add it later. Kurtis won the race against Case and took 1st place for the Tigers.After all dens had determined their winners, the four champs raced to see who would be the pack champion. Kurtis' car did well but he ended up in the secondary side. He got all the way to the final race to determine who would be facing the first heat winner and lost by a nose. Kurtis ended up 3rd overall in the den. Not too bad for the first year doing this.

Here is a picture of Kurtis with all his trophies and holding his car which earned him "Best in Show" for his den as well.

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Joey also had a car too - he picked the shape out from a kit at the store. Jeff painted it the same colors as Kurtis'. Joey's car did well too. He got 4th in the sibling category. Here is a picture of Joey's car.

Flag Ceremony at Cub Scout Meeting

2009-12-20T14:12:00.008-05:00

Thursday, December 17, 2009, Kurtis participated in his first flag ceremony at his cub scout meeting. We only had 4 Tigers in attendance so each on got to handle one of the flags either at the beginning of the meeting or the end.

Kurts got to be responsible for the American Flag during the opening ceremony. Hope you enjoy. We did.

Celtic Women

2009-11-06T11:13:00.003-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfO6JpR5Ip8

If you go to this link you will see one of the songs we heard at this concert.

These women are amazing. No special effects - just music and song. Very simple stage to not distract you. The Violinist is amazing - she jumps around the stage while playing the violin. Don't know how she can do that but must be the years of practice she has had playing.

If you ever get the chance to see these women in concert - go. It is worth the money spent.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-06T10:54:00.007-05:00

Now that I have some pictures to include for this post...here it goes.

Kurtis & Joey got to do the first trick-or-treating of the season with Kenny, Jacob, Meghan & Ellie since Jeff & I went to the Shadowbox Caberat that night (Thus Oct 29).

Got to love when the city of Columbus tells everyone several years ago that they would "Always" have trick-or-treat on Halloween no matter what day it fell on. Oh well - never trust a politician.

Jeff made Kurtis SpongeBob costume for him. This was something he did in just a few days because until the Sunday before Halloween, Kurtis did not know what he wanted to be. Joey had no real requests and Amanda just happened to have this Fireman costume. Thanks again Amanda for letting us use it.

The second set of Trick-or-Treating was at the Boat Club with Dad & Deb. Rachael's son, Dominic was there as well. Below are several pictures from that event.

Joey decorated this cupcake & just had to eat it.

Dominic did not like the mask that went with his costume - I tried to get a picture but he would not stand still or look at me with it on. Oh well.

Since Oct 30 is Jeff's birthday, we went to the Shadowbox Cabaret with some friends on Oct 29th. This show is so much fun. We love to go whenever we get the chance.

Joey Sayings

2009-11-05T21:15:00.002-05:00

I thought I would take a page from Emily & write down a few things Joey has said in the last few days that has made me laugh...

1. Monday, we were at a friends house where I am doing a little work for him. He has a Guitar Hero game & all the instruments to go with it. While I am sitting at the computer doing the work, Joey comes up to me and says "Mommy, the guitar won't work. Now I can't be a Rock Star." Tell me your heart just does not laugh at that one...

2. Tonight, I was getting the kids into bed. Joey has to have Baby (a brown bear that mom actually got for me before Kurtis was born) and Bear (a large white bear) to go to sleep every night. He likes to put his finger in Baby's bow around his neck. Well, tonight we could not find Baby before bed time. I have gotten into the habit of reading to the boys a story of their choice before I turn off the light. Tonight I could not start the story until Joey was done talking to Bear and this is what he said:

"Bear, I know Baby is your best friend." pause (I think he was listening to what Bear was saying) "I can't find him right now." I even think he said something about missing him too but he said some things so quiet I could not here them.

Luckily, I was able to find Baby - in our closet (the door was shut which is why we did not see him at first).

Just thought others would like to hear what Joey has said that makes us laugh...

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On a whole other note: Abby, our baby kitten, decided to do something that made Jeff & I both laugh. She tried to walk up the banister on our steps. She would get up a few steps then slide right back down. She did this several times before giving up. Got to love animals - at least they can make you laugh.

Lindsey & Homecoming

2009-10-01T13:29:00.003-04:00

Lindsey is a Junior this year - can you believe it???

This weekend she will be going to her High School Homecoming dance with a date. I thought I would share a picture of her in her dress that her mother sent to us.

Enjoy - this is the first time I have seen Lindsey in a dress since she was 7 (Susan's wedding to Eric).

Cub Scout Shoot-O-Ree

2009-09-26T19:26:00.002-04:00

Today, we took Kurtis to Camp Lazarus in Delaware County for the Cub Scout Shoot-O-Ree. At this event, cub scouts have the opportunity to participate in activities such as BB Gun Shooting and Archery - activities that cub scouts can earn belt loops for but have to do so at a BSA event.

Kurtis tried the BB gun first. Not a lot of success. He just could not quite understand how to site the gun properly to hit the target. He was a little upset about it.

Next we tried the Hatchet/Axe throwing activity. Kurtis actually did fairly well. He hit the target with his first try but it did not stick into the wood. Jeff also tried and came close but no luck. I did try it once but was too low the first toss and to the right on the second.

We next went to a water shooting event where the boys had to run down to the center, fill up the water gun and then shoot the water into a plastic jug to move it along the length of the wire. That was fun.

Archery was next. Kurtis enjoyed this. He hit the target 4/5 shots and really liked that.

He did also try the BB gun shooting for a special patch but he did not hit the target, although both Jeff & Kurtis thought that he did. In order to get the special patch, Kurtis had to hit the BB target about 10 - 15 feet away (not sure how far it was) and score 35 points.

But the good thing through all of this - since Kurtis participated and learned the safety rules of the BB gun & Archery range, he was able to earn TWO Belt Loops. He will be getting those at the next pack meeting. He also got a special patch to remember the day.

Kurtis told you what?????

2009-09-17T07:58:00.002-04:00

This is just too cute not to share...

Tuesday we had our first PTO meeting of the year. It was really early (4:30pm) which allowed quite a few teachers to come to the meeting but not as many parents. Anyway, Kurtis' teacher was there, Ms. Massie. She walked up to me and said "Congratulations" and I just looked at her. She asked if I was Kurtis' mom and of course I said "Yes". She then proceeded to tell me that Kurtis has told the whole class that I am having another baby (or already did - not sure which) and that his name was Ben. I bet you can imagine the look of surprise on my face.

I did ask Kurtis about it and he said that he wanted a bigger family and that is why he said that.

Ms. Massie then told me that another boy in the class told her that his father was in jail and had this big long speech about it. Ms. Massie saw the mother and found out that it was not true and that his father was a truck driver. Oh the imagination on these boys.

The good news is - after somewhat of a rough start to the year, Kurtis has settled down and according to Ms. Massie "a pleasure to have in class". That's my boy.

1st Grade Here He Comes

2009-08-25T20:01:00.003-04:00

Today was Kurtis' first day in first grade. He was really un-talkative about what he did today - said that he did nothing fun. Well, it was the first day.

I really thought that he would be hungry when he got home (lunch is around 11:30am) - nope. Nothing in his bag for me to fill out and return.

Today was not nearly as hard as last year. I remember sitting at the computer composing my blog and crying that my "little guy" was heading to school. This year is just different since he was gone all day (7 hrs - including bus time). The quite really got to me around 3pm. Until then I had things to do to keep me busy - Susan stopped by, had to take some paperwork to the car dealership, went grocery shopping...Anyway, enough about my day & a little more about Kurtis'.

He picked out his own clothes for school today, had is breakfast, told me what he wanted in his lunch (did not what hot dogs or pizza that they were offering at school today).

They only have 2 first grade teachers this year - trying to save money within the district. Not that I really agree with it since this is the first year that they are in class all day and could really use more one-on-one time to learn what is expected from them easier. Kurtis has 28 kids in his class (what I counted). The next door neighbor, Eddie, is actually in the other teachers class. Kurtis' teacher is Mrs. Massie. She sent Kurtis a nice postcard last week welcoming him into the first grade.

Pictures will have to come later, once I figure out how to download them from my camcorder (will have both stills & video).

This picture was just too cute - Joey had to have his backpack too...

BlueJackets Draft Day Party

2009-06-30T10:41:00.008-04:00

June 26, 2009

The Columbus BlueJackets held a FREE Draft Day party at the arena so we decided to attend.

We got to do all kinds of fun stuff that we normally don't get to do like, view the locker rooms (really nice TV, workout gear, etc for CBJ - bare bones minimum for the visiting team), sit on the zamboni, play street hockey, and just have a good time.

Both boys wanted to play street hockey. Joey was soooo cute. All he did for the 5 minutes they were out there was fall down, stand-up & say "I'm ok." No one was ever near him nor did he ever really get near the ball but he had fun. Kurtis got upset because "the goalie was not doing his job" to Kurtis' liking. Not that Kurtis has any idea what he should be doing... Finally, as we were getting ready to leave, Jeff was able to get this picture with Jared Boll, one of the players. Wish Kurtis had smiled but Jared is a cutie...
We try to go to anything we can find that is FREE when it comes to the BlueJackets. Also helping out the Foundation has been a great experience for Jeff and I. We get to meet new people and know that our efforts are helping great causes.

Last Day of School Party

2009-06-02T09:46:00.003-04:00

May 29th was Kurtis' last day of Kindergarten. We had a party with both classes of kids (50 in all) that consisted of Potato sack races, egg race, cornhole, balloon race, cat tail, face painting and finally an brownie ice cream sundae!

All the kids really enjoyed the day. Made it very special and fun. No major problems except how to rotate the kids around so everyone had a chance to do everything.

Well, on to Next year!!

Fishing Derby

2009-05-29T18:05:00.005-04:00

Kurtis has offically joined the Boy Scouts for next year. He is in Pack 481 and he will be in the tiger cub den which consists of other first graders in his school.

Wednedsay we went to the first function of many for this coming year - a Fishing Derby! Kurtis has been saying he wants to fish but I don't think he really knows what is involved in that. If you know Kurtis, he is neither quiet nor patcient so I don't know if he will really enjoy fishing or not.

This is one of my favorite pictures from that day:
Jeff knows nothing about fishing but he is trying his best to show Kurtis what to do.Joey thought the best thing to do was to throw rocks into the pond. Luckly no one wanted to fish by us.
This was just a beautiful day - before we had a little rain shower. Thought others might enjoy as well.

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-29T17:52:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was Kurtis' Kindergarten graduation. He will be moving forward to first grade in the fall and all the fun a full day of school will hold. Here are some pictures from that:

The kids are singing a song to the tune of "New York, New York" with the words: "I want to be a part of First Grade, First Grade". It was really cute. They even did a kicking chorus line. Wish I had a video camera.

Here Kurtis is getting his certificate from Ms. Davis. She was a wonderful teacher and a joy to work with throughout the year. I don't know how many times she told me, "It's a good thing Kurtis is smart..." She was very understanding with Kurtis and he learned a lot during this year with her help.

Kurtis and his Kindergarten graduation certificate. We will be putting this in his scrapbook.

So much fun. The year is over. Now to work on writing and reading over the summer with him to make sure he improves.

"The Unit"

2009-05-22T16:17:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to the Best Show on TV that is being Cancelled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4QraA0LF3o

I love this show and hope that the strong campaign to bring it back to TV is successful. I will not be watching any new CBS shows this season as a protest.

Birthday Party Pictures

2009-05-18T09:49:00.007-04:00

We had a great time at the party. Here are some pictures:

Kurtis' Cupcake as we are singing "Happy Birthday"

We had neighborhood friends over - Nick (Batman Shirt) and Nathan (White Shirt), School Friends (Will - black shirt & Austin - not pictured)
And Old Babysitter friends - Jacob (from Ms. Theresa's house).

Kurtis got many cool toys - including this Slip-N-Slide, a Mario Kart game for the Wii, some money to buy his own toy, workbooks and flashcards to help with his reading, writing and math skills over the summer, a Nerf gun and swim trunks and a cool beach bag that matches them.

Family was also able to make it to the party. Above is Debbie with my nephew Dominic (Rachael's little one). Dad, Aaron and the kids were also able to attend.

One of the biggest hits seemed to be the craft that I got for all the kids to do while they waited for their parents to arrive after we had cake and ice cream. I had gotten several little wood model kits for the kids to put together. The bad thing was that we ended up working on them outside on the porch & several lost pieces between the slates. They all got to take the paint that came with the kit home so they could paint them later.

The cutest thing was when Joey was sitting on Dad's lap and Dominic got upset - No one could share his grandpa's lap, that was only for him.

Overall, the party was a success. Rain stayed away until we were grilling out hamburgers and hot dogs for family and friends in the evening (Steve, Anny and the kids, and Susan were also here). It only rained for a brief period so I was happy.

Newest Family Member...

2009-05-18T09:45:00.002-04:00

Meet Zeva:

One of the neighborhood cats had kittens so we decided we would take one to make our own. We have a pet again. Hopefully we can keep her an inside cat - have not had that much success lately with that but all of our last cats have been males.

She is a sweet little lady who has taken to sleeping with Joey on his pillow at night. She has so much fun playing and attacking your feet as you walk by. She is very loving and purrs up a storm - which I love!!

Welcome to the family Zeva.

Happy 6th Birthday Kurtis!!!

2009-05-16T20:32:00.009-04:00

About this time, six years ago, I was holding my little guy for the first time. I was also listening to "You'll be in my Heart" by Phil Collins at the time. Every time I listen to that song it makes me think of that special time with my son.

Now, he has 9 days left in Kindergarten and I am wondering how I am going to make it through the summer with both of the boys home. But Kurtis has provided me with so many great memories that it is too hard to say what they all mean to me.

I thought I would show how much he has changed over the years.

Birth

1 Year old

2 Years Old3 Years Old4 Years Old

5 Years Old

Today

Happy Birthday Big Guy. Hope you enjoyed the day. I love you and can't wait to see what you say and do tomorrow.

Love,

Mom

Why are they called "Urgent Care"?

2009-05-13T22:14:00.003-04:00

Most of you who look at this blog know the story already but just wanted to get it in writing again.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to a meeting with several other mom's from the two Kindergarten classes at Kurtis' school. We were getting together to plan the end of the school year party. We meet at another mom's house, since she had a playground in the back yard.

The kids decided to not play on the set because several of the girls were afraid of the Carpenter Bees that were flying around. The 4 Kindergarteners and Joey and another little sister decided to go to the basement to play instead. They did that for a little while but then decided to go to the little girls room upstairs.

We mom's were sitting on the back porch making plans. We were almost finished with the planning when I heard crying. Every mother knows the sound of their child when they cry - so I knew it was Joey. I went around the corner to see what happened and the husband - Mark - had Joey saying that he fell down the steps - at least half way up the steps.

Now, I just want to say this, Joey goes up and down our stairs at home without any problems so I really don't know what happened. I am assuming that he was coming down the steps, the other kids were behind him. The other kids got excited, and so did he, he took a bad step and down he went. The good thing was that the steps were carpeted, the bad thing - the landing was not: laminate wood floor.

We were able to calm Joey down and get him quited down. We felt for broken bones, nothing.

When Jeff came home, he checked Joey out again, this time squeezing his wrist. Joey would wince but not cry over it. When he went to bed last night, he put his weight on his wrist once (as he climbed the stairs), winced and did not do it again. No pain meds were given.

This morning we made the decision to take him to an Urgent Care center - hence the title of the post. We know the Children's Close to Home location in Hilliard did not open to later in the day (I think not until after lunch time), I thought there was another location close to our house but I was wrong. We also know of a location up in Dublin that we took Kurtis to on several occasions. None were open!!!!

Knowing that our Pediatrician does not have X-Ray equipment, our only option was the ER at the new Dublin hospital. This place is great - hardly ever busy so it is usually a quick in and out.

By this time it is 8:30am so I have to leave to take Kurtis to school. Jeff stays with Joey while they get the X-Ray done. Jeff said Joey did really well - no moving around at all while they took the picture.

Well, needless to say here is the result:

Joey has a small fracture in his left wrist. This is a common fracture from a fall. Basically two bones got pushed together when he braced himself from the fall and one of them fractured.

This is just the temporary splint (although it may be permanent - depends on the what the orthopedic Dr. says). No water on it until it is off (all the usual cast precautions). So bath time will be an adventure over the next several weeks. We will know more within a few days when I can get him in to see the Dr.

Then to top things off, our digital camera is now broken. I turned it on to check the batteries and it would not turn on completely, nor would it turn off. I put in a new set of batteries with the same result. Oh well, good thing we have the camera Jeff uses for work.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:26:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.

Mom, I just want you to know that I really do love you - even if I do not say it that often. I was looking though my pictures last night of the kids and realized that we have none of you with the boys. We really need to find a way to remedy that soon. All too soon, the kids are grown and time has slipped by. Memories are not created and then the opportunity is lost.

Enjoy the day mom. I love you and will see you soon at Kenny's baptism in July.

Look Mom, a Castle!

2009-05-08T09:09:00.003-04:00

I thought this was the cutest thing Joey had said in a long time. So I thought I would share with everyone what Joey thought was a castle:

This house is really close by and we drive by it often when coming home from the store or just going out and about. It really does look like a castle.

So cute - just wanted to share.

I guess I should update sometime

2009-05-08T08:30:00.003-04:00

This weekend I will be updating with pictures from Easter. I have been really remiss in updating the blog and I hope to become better at it in the future.

I have several cute stories to tell and thought it was a good time to get started. We will see how it goes.

See you all in the blogsphere.

Wow What a Weekend!

2009-03-02T14:25:00.002-05:00

First thing I have to say about this weekend...I AM GLAD IT IS MONDAY!!!

All started late last week. Jeff had a scratchy throat and then I developed the same thing. Friday I felt OK, gargled with some salt water to help with the throat and went about my day. By the end of the day, I was having cold spells and sweats.

I ended up staying in bed until noon on Saturday - which I never do. I had zero energy or appetite all weekend. Jeff even took care of the laundry on Sunday. I went ot bed a 9pm on Friday & Saturday night.

I am feeling a better today - still very low energy and can't concentrate on much of anything for very long. At least I woke up this morning hungry.

So far, the boys seem to just be getting a slight stuffy nose so hopefully they will not get what I had.

This is the worst I have felt in a long time - hopefully it will be a long time before I get this sick again.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T09:21:00.003-05:00

Just want to share with everyone a picture of Kurtis' valentines day box for school.

Nothing about my son is "normal":

Yes - that is a dinosaur valentine's day box. The teacher loved it because it was so different. Jeff helped Kurtis make it with paper mache. When it was dry Kurtis and I painted it. I made the sign.

We had a nice day. We did nothing really special but Jeff did get me a necklace from Things Remembered that we can have the boys birthdays engraved on.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.

As promised - New Bed Pictures!

2009-02-16T08:52:00.006-05:00

Here is what the new arrangement looks like - Kurtis is on top bunk (loft) with Joey underneath in the captian's bed.

Joey is trying out the new bed - pretending to be asleep.

Joey finally asleep in his new bed!

Joey did not fall asleep right away. Was probably about 9:30 before he fell asleep but he did not get out of the bed and play in the room. He just laid there - trying to fall asleep like a big boy. We also did not but up a rail - well because the one we had we could not find the strap for it. Joey did not roll out of the bed. He did wake up several times last night but he was able to get himself back to sleep without getting up.

Wow - they grow up so fast. Next hurdle - potty training (maybe this summer???)

New Sleeping Arrangements!

2009-02-15T20:40:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we picked up a loft for the boys room. This loft was made by a guy for his son but he did not like sleeping in it.

Today we found a new mattress for Joey.

So...Joey is now sleeping in Kurtis' captain's bed while Kurtis has a new loft above to sleep in.

1st haircut last weekend - new big boy bed this weekend.

Guess babyhood is really behind us now!

Pictures soon.

The questions kids ask...

2009-02-09T15:29:00.003-05:00

I just have to tell this story...

As I was putting Kurtis to bed last night he asked the following question:

"What are the two lima beans in my pee-pee?" Well, needless to say, I started laughing & had to get Jeff to tell him what Kurtis asked. We told him what they were and he seemed satisfied but I guess this is just the start of all the body questions we will have to answer over the next few years.

Just had to share...

First Haircut

2009-02-09T15:17:00.006-05:00

This weekend we decided it was time to get Joey's hair cut. Several times while I have been out with him, people have asked if he was a boy or a girl, so I guess it is time. Joey's hair is actually a lot shorter than Kurtis' was when we took him for his first hair cut but oh well...

Here is a picture of Joey before:

I thought a nice side view would allow you to see what his hair looked like too:

During the hair cut - Joey did not cry once. His biggest problem was that he would not sit still. He also seemed less than impressed with the whole experience...

Here is the final outcome.

Joey is no longer my little baby - I almost started crying looking at him yesterday.

My Little Handsome Man.

2 Year Checkup

2009-01-07T12:32:00.002-05:00

Today we had Joey's checkup. Here is the information:

Height: 34-3/4" (57%)
Weight: 31-1/4 lbs (80%)

Doing really well. Dr is pleased. One shot today with a prick of the finger to check for lead.

The major thing that came out of it - Joey did not cry at all. Not when they pricked his finger nor when they gave him his shot (in the arm). He is my strong little guy.

He sat nice and still as the Dr checked him out. He is so different from Kurtis when it comes to this.

Happy 2009 to all!

2009-01-03T21:47:00.002-05:00

May 2009 bring you all the joy and happiness that you wish for.

Good luck in all you choose to do over the next year.

The Gregory's

Jeff, Sarah, Lindsey, Kurtis and Joey

Joey is 2!!

2008-12-29T08:23:00.005-05:00

December 26th, 2006 Joseph (Joey) Christian Gregory was born at 10:40pm - I know this is a little late but I am not any good at blogging regularly so please forgive me.

I think this is one of my favorite pictures from when Joey was born. Kurtis looks so much like the proud older brother that he just became. Mom is so happy looking at her newest grandchild.

Most of you know the story of Joey's birth - he was in a hurry - to put it simply!! I was scheduled for a repeat c-section on Jan 3 (due date Jan 8) since my doctor was going to be out of town for the holiday. Christmas was simple and uneventful. Susan came over in the early afternoon on the 26th - still no labor pains. I planned a dinner I actually made (from scratch) so I began it at 6pm. We ate at 7pm. Susan stayed until about 8pm. After she left - I went to the restroom and had some spotting. Called the Ob office - they said, go to the hospital.

I called Aaron & Amanda. Aaron came to get Kurtis. By this time - it was 8:30pm. I had 2-3 contractions in those 30 minutes. Jeff & I got in the car to go to the hospital. Got there around 8:50pm. Contractions were up to about 5-7 mins apart. By the time I got into a room - they were every 2-3 minutes. Dr came in to check me around 9:30 and said - "We are going to go prep a room for you, NOW! He is coming really fast." They initially wanted to wait until around 1am when my stomach would be empty but Joey was not having any of that.

Anyway - they got me into the operating room & Joey was delivered without any problems.

Now here is my wonderful guy now:

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Well - The holiday is over - Time to share!!

2008-12-29T08:03:00.010-05:00

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas. Here are just a few images from our holiday - enjoy!!

Our Christmas Tree on Christmas morning - before kids!

Kurtis doing his best to be good as he waits for his turn to open a gift at Jeff's Dad's on Christmas Eve. This year, Lindsey stayed with us before Christmas so she opened her gifts before she left us. Santa was only going to be coming to her mom's house - since that is where she was Christmas morning. We did allow the boys to open gifts from Mom & Bob at the same time - just did not feel it was fair to have sissy open something and the boys not too.

Here is sissy. Can you believe that she is almost 16! She has her learning permit and her grandpa is teaching her to drive.

Here is Jeff's Dad with Lindsey & Kurtis on Christmas Eve. Maybe next year dad will be with us on Christmas morning!

Jeff surprised me with a pair of pearl earrings for Christmas! Now we just have to get my pearl necklace restrung and I can where out my pearls!!!!

Both boys were so good on Christmans morning - Kurtis actually let Joey open his gifts by himself. Joey had lots of fun once he figured out that there were toys in the there!!

Dad & Dominick at Aaron and Amanda's on Saturday.

Kurtis decided it was a good day to become an M&M (Kenny & Jacob's Halloween costume).

I guess it is time to update...

2008-12-02T10:31:00.006-05:00

I know, it has been quite some time since I last talked about anything on my blog. Honestly, I really have not been excited about doing it since I lost my job. But that is for another time - hopefully soon I will have some good news to report on that front.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some pictures from Halloween and a special event Kurtis got to enjoy through school. So here we go.

HALLOWEEN

Hilliard decided to have Halloween on Thursday Oct 30th this year. I believe it was for several reasons...statistically, having Halloween on a Friday or Saturday night is more dangerous for the kids but also because the Hilliard Darby & Davidson High School Football teams were in the playoffs and they did not want to make people choose between going to the game and Trick or Treating.

Since I lost my job mid-September, Halloween costumes ended up being quick & easy "Homemade" costumes. Kurtis was "Ben 10". This is a cartoon character that he really likes. As you can see, I just used a permanent marker on a white t-shirt and printed off a logo from the computer to glue on the shirt - voila! Joey's was even easier - he was a football player! No work involved there.

We went up and down the street with a new neighbor. Their son is 5, so he and Kurtis play together as often as possible.

WALK-A-THON PIZZA PARTY

Every year, to raise money for the PTO, the school holds a Walk-a-thon. This helps in two ways, it raises the money for the PTO but also encourages the kids to get exercise. Early in October, the school had the walk-a-thon inside the school (due to the weather). Kurtis walked 19 laps around the inside of the school in the 30-40 minutes that they were walking. The kids also go to enjoy snow cones on that day.

Well, as an incentive to get the kids to raise money, there were several prizes for the top children. Jeff took the pledge sheet to the bowling alley several nights one week and Kurtis joined him on another night. Kurtis ended up raising $625 for the PTO. This made him the child who raised the most money for the school!

As a reward, Kurtis got his name mentioned on the morning announcements and earned a $100 gift card to Toys-R-Us (we are making him wait to use it until after Xmas so he can get things he does not get during the holiday).

Along with the recognition, the PTO took the top boy & girl from each grade (k-5) and a friend to a Pizza Party at Iacona's in Hilliard. To get to the party the kids (and the principal - Mr. Spicer) got to ride in this...

A HUMMER STRETCH LIMO!!!!!

This is Kurtis with his best school friend - Will.

Joey, Jeff and I meet Kurtis at the school and followed them to the restaurant. Here is a picture of Joey at the pizza place:

Everyone had a good time and they were all well behaved. This was Tuesday November 25.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Talk to you again soon.

Well - He is off...

2008-08-22T09:08:00.009-04:00

Today is Kurtis' first day at Kindergarten! This is what I call the first official day, when all the kids were going to be there at the same time. Hilliard has a staggered start for the Kindergarten class so they can do an assessment (again) to see what the kids had learned over the summer.

Kurtis is officially a Hilliard Britton Bobcat!

As you can see he is a little excited about going to school.

Daddy wanted to talk to Kurtis to tell him how proud he was of him and to let him know that daddy and mommy love him.

A little about how Britton Elementary is working the Kindergarten class this year...Kurtis did not have a teacher assigned prior to school starting. Instead, they wanted the kids to come in on a staggered start to do the assessment and learn a little about their personalities. Based on this assessment, the teachers would try their best to match the child to the teaching styles of the teacher. When Kurtis comes home tonight, we will know who his teacher is.

Before leaving today, the teachers said that they were expecting 46 kids. They also said that the majority of the kids this year where girls (unlike last year where is was the opposite). Kurtis already has a couple of friends in the school that are all older from the neighborhood. One, Nick, is in 1st grade and Kurtis got to see him at recess on Tuesday.

This picture is from Tuesday when Kurtis went to his first day (assessment).

I was ok dropping him off until I was leaving. Then it kind of hit me that my little guy was getting to be so big. I can't believe that my "baby" is in school. As most of you know, I am not the most emotional person. Things like this usually don't get to me but I did start to well up. Guess it is harder to let go then I thought it would be.

As a special treat for Kurtis, I will be taking him to Chuck E Cheese's for lunch after school is over. More on that trip tonight or tomorrow.

Great Bowling Game

2008-08-04T22:05:00.003-04:00

Today I shot a 175 in the bowling league I am in with Jeff. This is the best game I have shot in a league - ever!

Now some of you may be asking if I also happened to beat Jeff with that score - unfortunately not today. I did beat Jeff last week in a game (he was really struggling).

Kurtis' Glasses

2008-07-22T21:54:00.004-04:00

Well today was the day I had hoped would not come. Ever since I first found out I was pregnant I had hoped my children would have Jeff's fantastic eyesight. But that was not meant to be...

In the past, I had noticed times when Kurtis' left eye seemed to be slow or drag a little. On occasion I would even notice it being turned in some but it always seemed to be a time when he was tired - never when he was wide awake. Guess I should have had him looked at sooner because in May when we went for his Kindergarten assessment for Hilliard they did a vision test.

During this test, they noticed it too - saying that he tried to turn his head to look out using his right eye instead of the left (because the right was covered). Again I really did not think much of it because he was extremely tired (we had bowling the night before) and I thought that was the reason.

Well - they wanted him to be looked at by the pediatrician to see what he said when I took him in for his 5 year shot/check-up (see previous post for that visit). Nurse did a little checking but he really did not want to cooperate. That is when they referred us to the opthamologist.

We went to that appointment about 2 weeks ago. During the visit, the nurse did the initial vision screening & when that was over - all hope of him not getting glasses was gone. He would get some of the answers correct but there was no real consistance to his results. So without any further ado...

The glasses are a metallic blue with Spiderman web designs on the arms. The biggest problem right now is that he is looking over the top of them to see the TV when he is sitting about 8-10ft away from it. He says he can't see the TV. I am hoping that it only a temporary thing. Maybe I will call the doctor tomorrow to ask.

For those of you who want to see a recent picture of me & the boys...

Joey is not feeling well right now - summer cold. Both boys have really enjoyed spending most days at the pool with the babysitter. I am glad I found her. Other than a few issues she has worked out well.

Well that is all for today hopefully soon, I will have more to write about on a regular basis - my baby will be starting school.

Boy's Checkups

2008-06-10T21:50:00.005-04:00

Finally have something to write about...

Today we had the checkups for both boys, Joey 18 month & Kurtis 5 years.

First the update on Joey - he is 29 lbs (90%) and 32.5" tall (60%). He had 2 shots with no major issues. Actually, he hardly let out a cry when he got the shots. He is such a tough little guy.

Now Kurtis. He is 43.5" tall (60%) and 43 lbs (70%). Nice & even just the way the doctor likes. He did get 5 shots (3 in one arm, 2 in the other). He was not so easy on the shots. On our way to the doctor, he asked me if he would be getting shots today. Being a person who does not want to lie to her child, I said yes. He then cried all the way to the doctor's office. He settled down when Jeff showed up and we went in. He then told Dr Muresan that he did not want any shots. The doctor told him why he needed them (so that he would not get sick) but he still did not want them. Well, we all know how that ended up...He screamed during all of them. I think that if Jeff was not helping by holding him he might have tried to kick or bite the nurse who was giving the shots.

Next we spoke to the doctor about the results from his kindergarten assessment. During the evaluation, they perform an eye test and noticed that he seems to be favoring his right eye (much like I did - I believe). His vision is 20/30 in the right & 20/50 in the left but according to Ohio law, he has to be 20/30 in both eyes or he must be evaluated by the optometrist. Dr Muresan asked if we had noticed anything. I had seen times, when he was tired, where his left eye seems to drift behind his right eye. Because of this, Dr Muresan is referring us to an optometrist for Kurtis. Hopefully it will be an easy fix that does not require glasses.

Both boy's spent last Friday at the pool with the babysitter. Joey got red on the shoulders but no real burn (never hurt him) but Kurtis was a little different. I had provided the babysitter with sunscreen for both boys (60 for Joey & 15 for Kurtis). She says that she put it on several times for Joey but I think she only put it on Kurtis once. Anyway, I have provided her with shirts for both boys, if they go to the pool again before their current burns are healed. Kurtis did get blisters over the weekend - which were a lot of fun dealing with (see the shot story from today & you will get the idea). According to her - Joey is a little fish - he LOVES the water. She feels really guilty about Kurtis' blisters.

This week she is taking the kids to Vacation Bible School. Kurtis is really enjoying it. Today he sang me a song that he sung in Bible School. I am glad that he is enjoying it.

Anyway, that is all for now.

Amanda's Tag...

2008-05-23T13:22:00.012-04:00

Ok, so here it goes...

1. Age at next Birthday:

2. Place I would like to visit:

3. My favorite thing:

4. My favorite place:

5. My favorite food:

6. My favorite colors:

7. Where I live:

8. Past pet:

9. Nickname I have had:

10. College Major:

11. First job:

12. Goal for this year:

That was kind of fun. Hope everyone enjoys.

Kurtis' Birthday Party

2008-05-18T21:31:00.009-04:00

Yesterday, we had Kurtis' Birthday party. Due to the fact that our place is small, we went to the local bowling alley and had the party there (did not hurt that Jeff spends every Wednesday there in the winter for his bowling league).

The kids each got to bowl one game. I think the highest score was around 60 but they all had fun which is the most important thing. Two of Kurtis' friends from the old babysitter (Theresa) were able to come out to spend some time with Kurtis - he really misses those two (Ryan & Jacob).
Steve & Anny brought Zoltan and Hannah. Hannah loves to cozy up to Joey...

Once all the kids were done bowling, it was time for cake & ice cream. Kurtis decided that he wanted a cake & he wanted to help make it - one of his current lifes ambitions is to be a chef. Here is a picture of the cake that we made together.

You might be wondering what is on the cake. These are Kurtis designs and requests. The two things that look like ghosts are really Backyardigan characters (Tyrone & Uniqua in the "Tale of the Mighty Knights"). You can see that they have shields next to them. I did learn something - if you are going to write on the icing - wait for it to harden some before doing it.

Next it was time for gifts. Kurtis actually walked in on me wrapping his presents yesterday and he thought he was getting a bunk bed but this is what he actually received:

For the budding artist...it is actually two sided, one side is a chaulk board, the other is a dry erase board. Now we just need to get him supplies. Kurtis was upset because he thought that we did not get him what he really wanted - a SpeedRacer hotwheels track set (but I did get it for him, along with some more cars to drive on it). He got Ben 10 figures, Star Wars figures, a baseball glove, and many other great boy toys. He also got a subscription to "ZooBooks" from Mom & Bob in which the first edition came last week.

Kurtis also got a lot of Birthday money that he is now itching to spend. He asked me today if he had to give the money to the cashier at the store. I told him yes - otherwise that is stealling.

Anyway, thanks to all who were able to make it to the party. See you again soon.

Happy 5th Birthday, Big Guy!!!

2008-05-16T09:11:00.003-04:00

5 years ago today, Kurtis Robert Gregory came into our lives after 21 hours of labor and a c-section.

This boy is the love of my life. Everyday he says something that just amazes me. I can't believe how smart he is - I know in a couple months when he starts school, the teachers will be amazed as I am.

He is very set in his ways. He will tell me that he does not want to do something for me becuase I did not give him what he wants - but then, he will do it. He is a Superhero to me.

I love you Kurtis and think about you everyday. Have a great birthday, Big Guy!!!

A tribute to a mother who is no longer here...

2008-05-12T22:38:00.005-04:00

April 3, 2008 the Gregory family lost their Mom or "Grammy" or "Meme" (Yvonne "Bonnie" Croxall) depending on who you are. Mom was very important to me. She was there to support Jeff & me through all kinds of times - good & bad. She did not judge and loved me because I loved her son. I was one of her adopted daughters since she did not have any hereself.

That made for a very difficult Mother's day. The first one without her. We love you Mom & miss your smiling face. All the Grandkids and Greatgrandkids miss you. Those to come in the future are surely going to miss having you in their lives.

Holding a baby is what mom loved to do. This is how I will always remember her...

Here we go.

2008-05-09T16:03:00.002-04:00

Here are the boys. Kurtis & Joey from late last year. As you can see - Joey looks so much like Kurtis it is not even funny.

These two boys are the most precious things in my life. As much as I get upset at the things that Kurtis does (never being quite, always asking for something to eat), I don't know what I would do without them.

Kurtis will be 5 in a week. Kindergarden is coming this fall. What an adventure that will be. Some days he is ready to go to school - others he wants nothing to do with it. Kurtis loves to draw. Everyday he is drawing a new picture of some cartoon character (or movie character). This week - everything is IRONMAN. Next week-???

Joey is growing like a weed. Everything he can get his hands on he is throwing. I wonder if he will be a pitcher or a quarterback??? Maybe he will not even like to play sports. We will have to wait to find out.

Well that is all for now.

Giving this a try

2008-04-25T10:41:00.002-04:00

I saw Amanda's Blog and thought it might be fun to try. I think I will start out slowly, by giving information about the family & what is going on in our lives. Hopefully, I can make this another creative outlet for me as well.

Soon I will post pictures of the family and give a decription of them & what they are doing.

Enjoy.

Sarah