Natalie's Dance Competition

Natalie's dance company was in a competition today. She is in the Divas company (5-7 year old girls). We had to drive and drive and drive, and then we finally got there. It took us more than double the time to drive there and back than we spent there. (It was really far, and since the freeway was shut down for a 3 mile stretch it took even longer.)

Here's Natalie with her "Big Sis" Megan.Natalie, Lily and Valerie

All the Divas before their performance. (Milea is in a sling because she broke her arm yesterday.)

The Divas performing "Dreamgirls."

The girls tapping. They did such a good job, and looked so cute!

I forgot to add... before we left to drive out to the HS where it was held I had to get my girl ready. Everyone had to match so I put brown eye shadow, black eyeliner, black mascara, blush and red lipstick on Natalie for the performance. No biggie... we even added glitter. (I had to go buy red lipstick this morning. Red lipstick and I do not look well together.) We also had to do her hair a certain way. (She got her barrette and jewelry when we got there). We did her hair and make-up, and as soon as we came downstairs I overheard Trevor say, "Natalie, no offense, but you're freaking me out like that." I came around the corner and asked him why, and he said, "Her eyes- looking like that... I just don't think she should do that. Ir's freaking me out. She doesn't even look like her."

Then a little while after we came home Natalie had her friend Devon come over. He's such a nice boy, and they were playing the Wii together. Eventually Drew and our next door neighbor Gaven came in to watch them play. Kent popped his head in and asked Drew who his friend was. He was talking about Natalie! Every time I think about it I laugh. She didn't look that different. I thought it was so funny!

Counting my blessings

1. Having a husband who will take care of me when I'm not feeling well... which, with my bad back, is more often than I would care to admit- or experience personally.
2. Having Justin as an oldest child. He is so responsible. Even when he gets in trouble (because let's face it, what tween doesn't get in trouble occasionally), he's usually pretty quick to calm down, apologize and try to make things right.
3. Having Trevor as my second child. This child will be the death of me, but he's so insightful, sensitive and kind-hearted... most of the time! He can approach anyone, introduce himself and talk to them. There was a time when I didn't think this would happen. (Those of you who knew him before he was 4 can testify to this.)
4. Having Natalie for a daughter. She loves to wrestle with the boys, but still LOVES to do the girly-girl thing with Mom. It warms my heart. I don't know what I'd do if she was a total tomboy.
5. Having Drew for my baby. He's the cutest thing. I just love that kid. He is so funny. He is a total momma's boy, which is just fine with me! (So is Trevor... and Natalie... and Justin too... I hope none of them outgrow it!)
6. Having been born in America, and having the freedom to worship how I deem fit.
7. Having the ability to go to church, talk about my beliefs and knowing that I have the true gospel in my life.
8. Having trials. The scriptures say that the Lord won't give you more than you can handle. I sometimes think He trusts me a little (or a lot) too much. But then I remember the scriptures and the promises that are in them, and then I close my eyes and say a prayer. Then I seem to find the strength to deal with my trials... whether it be inner strength, help from a friend or a loved one, help from a stranger... finding the answers is always so much easier when I know that I have the Lord on my side.
9. Having blessings. Sometimes my trials can turn into blessings quicker than I could have ever imagined. I think that the Lord gives us trials to strengthen us for other things that will happen in our lives. Sometimes He just gives us blessings because he loves us, and we don't need to overcome a trial to earn it.
10. Having talents. I have been able to enjoy the talents of so many friends and family members. I am constantly amazed that some people don't realize how talented they are. Some people have the talent of being a good friend, and sometimes that's more than any other talent. I love being able to listen to music that others perform, read stories they have written, see things they have created, and especially just being able to learn from them.
11. Having a supply of chocolate. Okay, seriously. There are times when a good piece of chocolate hits the spot and can brighten my day. There. I said it. I KNOW I'm not the only one who feels this way...
12. Having a good pillow. Kent surprised me and filed our taxes several weeks ago, and we already got our tax refund. Yay! Then he surprised me again by taking me to the bedroom store to order a sleep number bed. While we were there I got a new pillow and a new body pillow. I don't have the bed yet, but those pillows are already helping me sleep better. I am thrilled beyond belief that these things help.

I'm sure there are many things I'm forgetting to add... I'll try to add more later. But while I had the time I wanted to express my gratitude for these blessings.

Why me? Part 2

UPDATE: Shortly after I typed the first "Why Me?" post I got a call from the school nurse. Justin was in the nurse's office with a bad stomachache. She gave him some Tums because he didn't want to come home. (He wanted to see my sister Michelle and her son Varick because they're leaving in the morning. I tried explaining to him that regardless of whether he went to school or not he couldn't see them if he was sick.) Anyway, the nurse gave him the Tums, but then 25 minutes later she called again and said I needed to come pick him up. He came home, and 2 minutes later he was sick too. 3 of the 4 kids puking and pooping their guts out. Ew, yuck.
I have been sanitizing everything (including me and Drew) throughout the day. I cannot have this go through my house again, and if Kent gets it I think I'll have to leave... that will push me over the edge. He's the worst sick person I've ever met. If I get sick no one helps me the way I help them, know what I mean, moms? I just hope the worst part is over. Drew had a fever after he stopped being sick. Trevor and Natalie have moved on to that part, but Justin is still so sick.
Oh, man.
At least I got to leave for a lot of the day. Kent came home to work from home so I could go visit Michelle, Varick and my mom for lunch. Then Kent and I got to go to Les Miserables with his mom and step-dad tonight. It was a terrific production, and I was glad to be away from the germs. BTW, I sanitized again when I came home.

Why me?

Everything was going so smoothly. Michelle and baby Varick came to AZ to visit before she has to go back to work. Yay! We had dinner and dessert here on Sunday night. The kids got to play together and had a ton of fun. Everyone had a good time. When everyone went home we put the kids to bed. A while later Kent went to bed. Just as I was getting ready to go to bed Justin called me from upstairs. Drew had thrown up everywhere. He had a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. So gross. I was totally gagging as I cleaned it up. I woke Kent up to take care of Drew because he was covered head to toe in that mess... so, so gross.
When everything was cleaned up I went downstairs and threw all the dirty clothes, pillows and blankets into the washing machine. I double washed everything just to make sure it was really clean. Drew came downstairs because his tummy still hurt, and we were up until 2 so his stomach could calm down. The next day he spent most of his time in the bathroom or on the couch/floor like a slug. No more vomiting, though.
Yesterday he slept until 12:44. I had to wake him up three times before he finally got out of bed. He so did not want to get out of bed. He finally ate some food, and then he was totally fine. The kids came home from school, then we went to my mom's house to visit Michelle, Varick, my mom and Melia (my niece). Things went well when we got home... with the exception of Trevor being grumpy. (Which happens more often than I'd care to admit.)
Fast forward to this morning. I go to Natalie's room to get her up, but she's not there. Sometimes she moves to Justin's room and sleeps on the floor, but she wasn't there. Weird...
I go downstairs because the lights are all on, and I hear the kids talking. Both Trevor and Natalie said they'd been up for several hours because they were throwing up. They're both laying on the floor trying not to cry every time they get sick.
So our plans have changed for today. It's an early release day, so we were going to go do something fun, spend some time with Michelle. This afternoon I'm supposed to have scouts. Tonight Kent and I are supposed to go to Les Miserables. Now I suppose all of that's in jeopardy. I canceled scouts because it seemed like the right thing to do. The other things- we'll have to see what the rest of the day holds. Natalie is whimpering on the floor, and Trevor is zonked out on the couch. I think I might go back to bed and start my day over again.

More pictures from Sunday night

Evelyn dancing for us.

Allan playing Guitar Hero
Cody singing on Rock Band 2

Katie playing drums

Justin playing guitar

Drew eating chocolate cake

Trevor was happy after eating his dessert.

Kent holding baby Varick

Natalie took several pictures with my camera before she finally let me snap some of her.Melia found Drew's dinosaur and commandeered it.

Varick, Maryann (me) and Michelle Christine... you can't even tell she's pregnant from this picture.

Michelle, Varick, Grandpa Don and Ann

I love it!

I love it when my sisters and I hang out. We're all so busy, and with 2 of them living clear across the country, it's a rare thing nowadays. I'm the eldest (not oldest, Mom!) daughter in the family. Michelle (daughter #2) had her first baby in December, and she and her baby got to come visit us this week. She's going back to work next week so we're excited to spend this time with her. Amy (daughter #3) and I are the only ones who don't work full-time. When she lived here we could trade babysitting whenever we needed to. She and Michelle decided that they needed to live on the East coast. We're hoping to get them back someday. Christine (daughter #4) just sold her salon in Maricopa, but she's still working there. I went there for the first time yesterday (Saturday) to get my hair done. I took Natalie with me and while my hair was processing Christine curled Natalie's hair with a flat iron. She LOVED it, and wants me to do it every day. (Add one small flat iron to the shopping list...) Katie (daughter #5/child #6) works full time and is attending ASU. We get to hang out with Katie and her daughter Melia a few times a month. (Melia might actually be taller than Natalie when she's older.)

So yesterday after Michelle and baby Varick arrived, we all got together at my mom's house to hang out together. (All the siblings were there except Amy because she couldn't come out this time.) Allan, our only brother (child #5), was there for a while until he left for a hot date. (We love to talk girl talk in front of him and see him squirm. It's so fun! I don't really think we usually get to him because if you're the only boy with 5 sisters you'd get used to it eventually, right? We think we're just preparing him for his future wife.)

For dinner we ate a really yummy gourmet mac and cheese meal that Katie made. Then our little girls played with each other and we got to talk. Christine is about to have her 2nd baby/1st boy so we got to watch him perform acrobatics in her tummy. Natalie was pretty intrigued by that because she doesn't remember seeing that when I was pregnant with Drew.

Tonight we had everyone over for dinner and dessert. I made a roast, barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes and the desserts. Michelle made a really good salad, and Kent bought some French bread. I made my Perfect Chocolate Cake and a New York style cheesecake with sliced strawberries. Then Katie and Allan took turns playing Guitar Hero, and then Trevor and Justin decided to get Cody (Christine's husband) to sing while they played Rock Band. When I saw them Katie was on drums, Cody was on vocals and Allan and Justin were on guitar. It was pretty funny. Evelyn, Christine's daughter, is so cute, and she cracks me up. She follows her dad everywhere.

My crazy week

Here's what's gone on in our house this week.
Monday was our family fun day (see previous post).
Tuesday I cooked 15 pounds of ground beef, added several ingredients and put it into my 2 large crock pots, then went to the church to set up for our "Route 66 Diner" with a 50's theme for our Blue and Gold Banquet, and then home to get the "mom stuff" done, including a science project that has been the bane of my existence for the last 3 weeks. Seriously. Then the B&G banquet that lasted 2 1/2 hours... very, very L-O-N-G program this year. Trevor got his Wolf and several belt loops. Then home from that to work on the science project with Justin. Decorations from our diner...Me (Maryann) and TrevorTrevor with his red face paint. Not so easy to remove...

Then Wednesday I drove Natalie, Justin and Justin's science project to school, and then called Shanna Johnson. We talked for over 2 hours. I went through so much Kleenex during that call. Drew was watching t.v. while I was talking to her, and every so often he'd look at me like, What in the world is wrong with you? because I was talking on the phone, crying, then laughing, then crying some more, and making a huge pile of used tissues. After she and I talked Drew, Natalie and I went to lunch with Kristen Seare so we could put the finishing touches on our Friendship Dinner planning. Stopped at Wal-Mart, then rushed home to make dinner and dessert for our family and Shanna's family. I delivered dinner with Justin's help, visited for a while, then home again to tackle the laundry pile that has grown exponentially during the week.
Then Thursday morning Drew and I ran errands. We came home to get Natalie from Caroline's house (thanks again, Caroline!), and stopped to get lunch to bring to the park for a play date with Jenn and Mason DeTemple. Mason got to come home to play with Drew, and that made me quite the hero with Drew Dog. They laughed and played, and had a ton of fun. Then Grandma Julie (Kent's mom) came over to play. Kent came home and took Justin to the science fair, and while they were gone Kent's brother Curtis stopped by. Next I went to a midweek activity where I learned to crochet. We had so much fun trying to figure it out. And I can admit that I'm in the remedial group. This is easier than the knitting, though. I'm having a lot of fun with it... even got some more yarn so I could make a ton of pot holders.

Mason DeTemple- just hanging out!Drew hiding out in the tube drinking his slush. I was panicked because I couldn't find him.Miss Natalie looking pretty.Justin showing off his science project.

Today, Friday, I went to the gym, then got a call from Cydnie saying that she was having the preschool boys over for a play date (brave!), and then to get Natalie and Caleb from school, to lunch to do my VT, a couple of errands with Natalie, home to get Drew from Cyd's (where we visited for a while), then to the school to pick up Justin and his friend Josh... home again... then date night with Kent. Whew!
This weekend my sister Michelle and her new baby boy, Varick, are coming to AZ for a visit. We don't have any set plans yet, but I am so excited to see them. They live clear across the country so we don't get to see each other often, and this will be the first time we get to meet her new baby. I can hardly wait!
Kent's been super busy this week so we haven't seen much of him at all. I'm so grateful he has a job because I know so many people aren't so lucky. But sometimes I have to remind myself of that so I don't resent all the extra work that has fallen into his lap recently... and all the Cisco training classes he has to take in the coming weeks and months. (But at least we get to go to Les Miserables together this coming week. I can hardly wait! It will be so much fun!)
I'm going to bed now... haven't slept much lately because the injection 2 weeks ago didn't work so the pain is still almost unbearable at night... which keeps me awake... It's hard doing everything on 4 - 5 hours of sleep a night. It's giving me a headache. But at least I have my family, friends and faith to help keep me sane and happy!

President's Day

Today we took the kids out for a Family Fun Day. I came up with this title several months ago, and it's stuck. I never have to be specific when I say that we're having one, only that we're having one. And it's a great motivator for the kids to get their jobs and homework done. This time we told the kids we'd take them to see a movie, and maybe get lunch afterwards.
The requirements were: Justin had to finish his science project before the movie. Trevor had to finish his jobs. Natalie and Drew had to help me clean their rooms and the game room. Everyone but Justin finished, so Justin had to stay home. Don't feel too bad for him because he's had an entire month to work on this project. And he keeps listening to his iPod, playing games, getting up and doing stuff with the kids, etc. so he's not focusing on getting his job done. He also got offered a babysitting job, but since he wasn't done he also had to skip that. Oh well. (I did take him to the gym with me this morning, and that's one of his all-time favorite activities so don't feel too bad for him.)
The rest of the kids, Kent and I went to see Hotel for Dogs. It was pretty cute. Natalie was the one who selected the movie. Drew wanted to see Coraline in 3-D (sold out). Trevor wanted to see the Pink Panther 2 (sold out). Natalie wanted to see this movie, and since it wasn't sold out that's the one we saw.
After the movie we went to Grimaldi's for pizza. They're a brand new restaurant. Kent and I thought it was really good, but the kids weren't so impressed. (No ranch dressing...) Then we stopped at Dairy Queen for dessert. We never do that so it was quite the treat. We took pizza home for Justin, and got him a treat from DQ.
We went home after that, and then the popcorn from the movie hit. I really shouldn't ever eat it because it kills my gut... only from Harkins, though. They use the healthy oil, and I'm one of the people that has a hard time digesting it. I know this, but I still eat it. And then I get sick from it. You'd think I'd learn...
I think I'm happy that everyone has school tomorrow. As much as I enjoy spending time with them, they really need to have the intellectual and social stimulation. IDK what we'll do during the summer. The library for sure, maybe the reading days at Barnes and Noble, movie days, something else for the other 2 week days. We already go to the library at least once a week, so that won't change.
Oh, and I forgot to post earlier that one of my sisters is coming from CT to visit this week. She's bringing her new baby born in December. I can hardly wait. I'm glad that I didn't host the birthday dessert night at my house yet. Because now Michelle and Varick can come! Yay! I'm thinking I'll make cheesecake, chocolate cake and maybe a pie. We'll see. My kids have a yen for my yummy cheesecake, and my siblings have a yearning for my chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I kind of crave pie right now, but it could just be the timing of it. I'll take pictures and post them on Sunday when everyone comes. If the recipes turn out well I'll even post pictures with the recipes on my craft blog.

This weekend

This weekend, Kent and I decided to go out on Friday for Valentine's Day so we can avoid some of the busyness of the holiday. We were going to try a new pizza place, but after waiting our estimated wait time of 40 minutes, and then another 20+ minutes, we gave up and went to Paradise Bakery. We still want to try the pizza place so hopefully we'll get back there soon. After we ate dinner we went to the movie theater and saw Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was funny.
Saturday Kent took Justin and Trevor riding. They went to Box Canyon and had a blast. Justin has a dirt bike, and Trevor and Kent have ATVs. Justin gets really frustrated with Trevor because he doesn't have the "need for speed" like Justin does. I think it drives Justin crazy.
While they were gone Natalie, Drew and I cleaned the game room and their bedrooms. After that we went to the library, then to lunch at Subway (eat fresh!) and shopping. When we came home I started making dinner. I made a ham, fresh green beans, rolls and apple pie. While it was cooking Natalie and I got pedicures. It was the first time I've gone and had other moms there with their little girls. There was a woman with her daughter, who was also named Natalie, and another girl named Mariah there with her mom. She had Down's Syndrome, but she was one of the funniest and most friendly people I've met. Her mom was really friendly too. My Natalie was acting pretty shy for a majority of the time, but finally opened up when Mariah kept talking to her.
Then today we had church. I played the piano for "Our Savior's Love" while Mindy Sanders and Hayley Breon played on the violin. I think it sounded pretty. We only practiced once during the week so I was glad that it sounded good. After that, Drew said the opening prayer in primary. He told me that he didn't want me to help, but when he got up there, he looked at me and beckoned me forward. I whispered what to say in his ear, and he started whispering the prayer into the microphone. It struck me as funny, and I had to work really hard to not start laughing. I had to remind him to speak. Then I subbed for my friend as the nursery music person. Her daughter forgot to bring the bag with props so I asked the 3 nursery leaders if they wanted me to come in still. (I know that my kids would have been really upset if the nursery music lady came in without the props.) Two of the three teachers elected to just do it on their own, and the other teacher wanted me to come in anyway. The kids had a lot of fun so I'm glad it turned out okay.
On a sad note, my good friend Shanna Johnson lost her baby on Friday. She was due to give birth next month, but now she's waiting to deliver the baby. I feel so terrible for her. She was so eager for the birth of her new daughter. This was to be her 5th daughter, and they had already chosen to name her Cosette Emmaline. I am so grateful for the peace that the Gospel brings... we know that we will be reunited with our families in the eternities... families aer forever. I get to take dinner to Shanna's family on Tuesday, and there are several other women who signed up to bring them dinner during the next several days. I am so grateful for the Relief Society because it allows us the opportunity to serve those around us, in good times and bad.

Drew's Silly Sayings

Drew has been saying all sorts of cute things lately. I can't remember them all, but I'll update it as often as I can because it's pretty dang funny to hear him.
"Mom, you're beautiful." (Pronounced boo-full.)
When he needs something, "Mama Bear, I need..."
In his prayers, "Please help Heavenly Father and Jesus to have a good day."
"Mom, my brain is giving my heart a kiss." (I have NO idea what that means, but he loves to say it, and he's always got a smile on his face when he says it.)
"Mom/Dad, you're my favorite Mom/Dad in the whole world." (Usually said in response to, "Drew, you're my favorite baby boy in the whole wide world.")

Random musings for today

Nothing much is going on here out of the usual. The kids had a half day at school today, and will have another one tomorrow. I'm glad that I got the parent/teacher conferences done today. It always seems harder to go on the second day for some reason.
And the wind is hanging on for dear life here, which is allowing my asthma to stick around too. It's been a week since it started flaring up, and shows no sign of leaving. Ugh! I hope it goes away soon. Seriously!
I made a couple of Valentine's crafts. They're on my craft blog if you want to take a peek. I have a friend coming over tomorrow to make one of the wreaths. If anyone else wants to join us let me know. The more the merrier! I'm going to make sugar cookies tonight so the kids can decorate them after they make their little crafts.
That's it... nothing else. Since my injection last week I've been in bed recovering from that for a day, then in bed with bronchitis for 3 days, and the rest of the time just being Mom and doing the things a mom does! I guess it's good to have a break! Hopefully I'll have something fun to post about later this week. Maybe I'll even post pictures of our cruise... maybe.

I really hate getting injections...

If you've read my Facebook page you already know that I had an injection into my SI joint yesterday. Usually the worst part of surgery for me is getting the IV. The same cannot be said for me when I get injections. You're awake for the procedure, and it's hard to be brave when you're getting multiple shots in a sensitive area. The worst set of injections was when I had to get a discogram. Even if the disc is good those injections hurt like hell. And the bad discs are almost unbearable. You have to lie perfectly still on the table for 45-60 minutes while you're getting multiple injections of lidocaine before they inject the HUGE needles that inject the dye. I think it would be an effective form of torture.
I've also had 3 set of epidural injections and 1 set of facet joint injections. The first epidural injection was the worst because the doctor hit the nerve. The pain was excruciating for an entire month. The others were very painful for 2 weeks, but nothing was quite as bad as that first one. They did not help relieve the pain I was having so that's why I had to have surgery.
Anyway I had back surgery 15 months ago, but started having nerve pain in my hip and down the sciatic nerve in September. I went to my neurosurgeon with new MRI films, and as far as he could tell it was a flare-up of the SI joint. He said that people with back surgery sometimes have this problem, but usually it starts within a few weeks of surgery. I went to the pain specialist he recommended, and he concurred with my dr's diagnosis. I felt good about proceeding... well, as good as I could feel about needing more injections.
I would be lying if I said I was looking forward to yesterday. I hoped that the procedure would go smoothly and that there would be pain relief. I was really nervous once I got to the room. Too many memories from previous injections, I guess. My heart rate was over 100 BPM so they gave me fentanyl and versed... good combination. I tried to talk them into doubling that dose so I would be asleep, but they didn't. Oh well. It was worth a try! They were only going to give me one of them so I'm grateful that they gave me both. I got several small injections of lidocaine, but before lido works it stings like the devil. And it only numbs the skin, really, because it felt like the doctor was drilling a nail into me a mm or 2 at a time. The tech kept maneuvering the x-ray machine so that my dr could get a good view of the joint so he could place the needle correctly. The procedure was over within 15-20 minutes, but it seemed a lot longer than that.
It's been 29 hours since I finished, but I still haven't noticed a change in the pain. It says that it can take up to 48 hours to start working so I haven't lost hope yet. I hope that this shot took care of the problem, and that by this time tomorrow I'll feel awesome. I can't wait!

Why am I always so busy?!

I have found myself asking this question so often lately. It started in late 2007 just before I had back surgery. Before the surgery I had to get all sorts of things done so that the family would be taken care of in a way that I would approve of. (Or at least in a way that I wouldn't feel quite so guilty for not being able to take care of things the way I normally do.) Then because I was recovering from surgery for several weeks I couldn't do much. When I tried to get back into the swing of things my swing was a little slower, so I fell further behind.
Now I feel like I'm on the go every day. Mondays and Fridays are for Natalie's dance. Tuesdays are Justin's scouts/Young Men activities. Wednesdays are Trevor's scout days- and now mine. Thursdays we don't have anything scheduled, but there is always a test or 2 (or more) to study for. Although I graduated from grade school many years ago I still have to study (so that I can help my children study) every time. (BTW, when did the terms for math change so dramatically? They were totally different when I was in school.) I've been told that I'm a better helper than Dad so they always want me to help them. I also get to help them with their projects. Even if Dad starts I seem to wind up doing a bunch of work too. I don't remember my mom or dad having the time to help me as much as I help my kids. Should I put my foot down or keep doing it? I'll probably just keep doing it.
On top of those things I am on the activities committee for church. We try to plan 1 activity each quarter. Doesn't seem like a lot until you realize how much work goes into planning and executing each one. And now I'm a den leader for the Wolf Den in our ward. That started just last week, but it's a bunch of work too. And I just got a new calling on Sunday and when that becomes official I can say what it is. This one shouldn't be time consuming at least.
I'll probably be slowed down a bit again for a day or two. I'm getting an injection into my SI joint on Thursday. If this is what's causing my pain now it will be a diagnosis and a treatment. And I should feel good by the weekend. Hopefully I don't have any bruising or extra pain. I'm very optimistic, so I'm sure it will all go well.
I am glad that I have the opportunity to do so many things with my kids and husband. It's good for them to see me help them, work with them, serve in my church callings and do all the other things that I do. I hope that I'm showing them a good example, and that they'll take the good and learn from it. I hope that they'll overlook the bad (because I'm just not perfect!) and see that even when I do mess up they will see how I try to fix things.

Drew's 4th birthday party

I can't believe my baby is already 4! He's such a good boy, and we love him. We had his birthday party today, and he had a great time. We went shopping for his party supplies, but had a hard time deciding which theme to do until we found the Disney Cars party kit. He thought that would be fun so we got it. We sent out Cars invitations to his friends at preschool, and a few boys from the neighborhood. We had everyone bring their bike/Big Wheel/trike/scooter so they would be able to have "car" races. Everyone that Drew invited was able to come... so we had 10 friends here! My next door neighbor, Voni, stayed here to help. It was such a huge help!

When everyone arrived they colored a Cars picture. I found several different pictures on the Internet, and printed them up. I expected that there might be some fights over who got which picture, but it seemed that everyone did just fine.

When they were done coloring we had some "car" races. Kent put two lanes of blue painters tape on the driveway before everyone arrived. We started at the end of the driveway, and 2 boys raced at a time.

After that everyone came back in to make license plates. They used box flaps that I cut from various boxes, then used foam stickers to decorate. My original idea was to have them use the alphabet stickers to put their name in the front, and then decorate with the other foam stickers. However, that idea was quickly scrapped and they just decorated however they wanted to. After they were done I took a picture of each boy with his license plate for their "driver's licence." (To the moms of the boys who came I will get them printed and delivered to you soon.)

We ate pizza after that and then went out to the front yard to drop beanbags into a wheel while they boys had their eyes closed.

When we were done with that it was pretty warm outside so we went inside to open the birthday gifts. Drew was very excited, and so were his little friends. A couple of the boys tried to open the gifts for him. (Understandable considering that 4 of his friends at the party have birthdays within 2 weeks of his.)

Then we went back outside for Cars cupcakes. (This was probably the most stressful part for me. I had made a chocolate birthday cake with chocolate frosting, but for some reason the cake was crumbling apart, and I couldn't frost it without getting pieces of the cake mixed into the frosting. I have no idea what I did differently because I've made this cake so many times before without problems. So about an hour before the party I ran to Albertson's to try to find a birthday cake. I finally found a platter of cupcakes that had little Cars rings on them. Whew! What a relief!) They were perfect!

While the boys were finishing up their cupcakes their moms came to get them. I had to leave immediately after the party to go to the doctor's office because we're leaving for a cruise of the Mexican Riviera tomorrow, and I'm still having issues with my voice and sinuses. I really don't want to be sick while I'm on vacation!

When I got back home we spent quite a while opening up the gifts and playing with the cool new toys Drew got. He's letting everyone play with them, and is having dinosaur wars with his new toys.

If you want to see the decorations I made for the party go to my craft blog!

My doctor's appointment

Some of you may know that I've been having some problems with my back/sacral nerves again. I started having a tremendous amount of pain in my lower back and left hip starting in early September. I started getting deep tissue massages to help out, changed my workout up and hoped that it would get better. Things didn't improve so I finally called my neurosurgeon to schedule an appointment. I was concerned that I would have to have another surgery.
I had my appointment this morning. I took my MRI films from December, and was prepared for just about anything. He looked at them, compared them to my old films from July 2007, and then did a physical exam. He did several range of motion tests, had me walk (my gimpy limp is back), then on my tip toes, and then on my heels. He then pushed on my right buttock, and while it wasn't comfortable, it wasn't horrible. Then he pushed on my left buttock and I immediately rose up on my tip toes and had to stifle a yelp. (It's been almost 1 1/2 hours and it still hurts from that little push... seriously, that's messed up!) He was very concerned about my reaction. Because I have already had back surgery, have seriously degenerated discs in my lumbar spine, bulging and protruding discs in my lumbar spine/sacrum AND a mild form of lupus he thinks that I have a condition called sacroiliitis. (Mom, Julie- click on the word for a link to the diagnosis, symptoms and treatment.)
The treatment for this is a cortisone injection into the joint in the buttock. Fun. I was just saying how much I missed having those horrible epidural injections with the 10" needle, so now I get to have another shot. This won't be into the spine, though, so Dr. Thomas says that this will be a much easier procedure and recovery. He's sending me to a pain specialist for treatment. If it works I should know within hours (or up to 2 days) because the pain will subside quickly. If it works the injection will treat the pain and the problem. (Yay! I love two-fers!) I really hope that it works! I'll find out soon when I can get this taken care of. As far as I'm concerned it cannot happen soon enough. The pain is terrible, but if a simple injection can take care of it I will be thrilled. If it doesn't work then I'll go back to Dr. Thomas, have some more tests and come up with a new treatment plan. It's pretty straightforward so I like that!

Happy birthday, Mom!

Hi Mom,
I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I love you, and I appreciate all that you do for me and my family. Thank you for the love you give me. Thank you for teaching me how to be a mother, how to cook for a large family, do massive amounts of laundry and how to use CHORE CHARTS! (BTW, my boys do not like that part! I had to show them mine from when I was Natalie's age before they believed that you could be that mean. I told them I learned from the best... They'll thank me later.) I hope you have a wonderful day.
Love, Maryann

I still love this expression. It's one of my favorites. Tee hee!

More reading and other ramblings...

I finished Amazing Grace last night. I thought that I was going to read some sort of romance novel, but it wasn't... although there was a bit of love found and love lost in the book. But that's not what the core of the story was about. It was a really good book. It was about the trials we face, and how we can face and overcome them with grace. (Didn't mean to rhyme there...) I guess I might read some more books by Danielle Steele now. It was a pretty quick and easy read.

Now I'm starting on a new book. It's called Pride and Prescience (Or A Truth Universally Acknowledged) A Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery by Carrie Bebris. It starts right after Pride and Prejudice ends. I've only just begun it, but I LOVE Jane Austen books so much that I am already predisposed to enjoying this book. So far there are 4 books in the series and this is the first book. I'll give you my review when I'm done.
I didn't finish the bookcase yesterday as planned. I was overcome by sleepiness and had to take a nap. I was down for the count for 2 hours. When I woke up it was several minutes after my alarm went off, with Natalie asking me if she could play with her friend here or at her friend's house. I was really confused for a while, but I must have said to play here because when I gathered my wits a few minutes later and made it downstairs Natalie, Drew and her friend had Moon Sand all over my table, the chairs and the surrounding floor. Who let Santa bring that anyway? I think Moon Sand is going the way of Play Doh in my house--- and that's out. I HATE Play Doh because, as fun as my children find it, I find it equally irksome because it is so messy! And I'm the one that ends up picking it out of the carpet, off the tile and grout, scraping it off the table, chairs and usually clothes. Contrary to popular belief by my children, I do not wish to spend any more time cleaning than I currently do.
On another note Trevor has had Kent update his iPod recently. One of the songs he wanted on his playlist was Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. So as Justin was trying to study last night Trevor was singing it. Over and over. And over. And over. It went on for a while so I finally asked him to stop. Today I know for sure that he sang it a lot because as Drew is sitting next to me while I type he starts singing, "Keep leaving, keep leaving wub (love)." So I pull up playlist.com, pull up the song and play it. I played it once, and when it was over Drew *briefly* glanced at me to say, "Mom, I hope you keep bleeding love." I'm not sure what he meant by that comment, but it had me laughing out loud.
I just hope that Trevor doesn't start singing one of the other songs he asked Kent add to his playlist. It's White and Nerdy by Weird Al. I have to thank Allan for that. And I also have him to thank for introducing the CD with fart songs. Who wouldn't want that in their house? Especially when said person has sons (and friends) who find farting funny... and when said person also has to deal with those sons emulating the music... farts and their smells... yummy! Just wait 'til you have kids, Allan. You know what they say about payback... (And I'll have several children that can participate in said payback!)

My voice is back! Yay!

My voice is back, and I'm so grateful. It came back in the middle of the morning on Monday. It isn't totally back all the time, but it's so much better than it was! I think I've been talking too much, though because my throat is sore again. Drew is especially happy that it's back because he and I have been home together a lot lately, and it was driving him a little crazy not being able to hear me. I'm always happy to make a child happy.
On another note I have been able to get a lot of reading done. I've been reading a historical book about Queen Elizabeth I. It's the second one I've read recently. I also have a historical book about Mary Tudor that I'll read after I finish a few other library books. I tried to read one about Marie Antoinette, but all the French names drove me crazy. I took a year of French in addition to my 5 years of Spanish, but not enough to be able to muddle through it. I finally gave up on that one. This book I'm reading about Elizabeth, though, is pretty interesting. I have to admire her strength and ability to hold her tongue as her council talked about women being the weaker sex. I couldn't have done that. It would have driven me crazy!
I'm also reading a book called Amazing Grace. It's by Danielle Steele. I've never read anything by her before, but there were several recommendations in different magazines and websites. It's pretty interesting, and totally different than I expected a book written by her to be.
I have to put some furniture together today, do some more organizing, and then I'll be able to get back to my reading.

My sweet Drew

I mentioned in a previous post (about 30 minutes ago) that Drew was wide awake and not interested in going to sleep. It's still true. He's still up. W-I-D-E A-W-A-K-E. Well, I'll try to not hold it against him. He is a cute boy.

Did I mention that he's starting Sunbeams tomorrow? He's so excited. This morning, well, technically yesterday morning, he, Natalie and Trevor went to the Primary Pajama Pancake Party. They go to the church in their PJ's and slippers, sit with their new classes and teachers, and then eat pancakes. It's a lot of fun for the kids. We (meaning the primary presidency that I was in last year) did this activity, and it turned out well so they did it again this year.

Drew is really excited for his new class and teacher. His teacher is Sis. Fuller. She and her husband just moved down the street from us. Her daughter just had a baby and she went to help out for a few weeks last month so I haven't gotten to know her really well yet, but she seems so fun. Anyway, Drew is in her class, and is so excited to start primary tomorrow.

Trevor has the Cottles for his teachers. Their family is very musically talented, and I think Trevor is very excited because of that. I think they'll be able to appreciate his special personality.

Natalie has Milea Hall again, but she said that Bro. Hall isn't teaching with her this time... it's someone else. IDK if that's true or not, but she had them for the last few months of 2008, and LOVED being in their class so she's excited about it again.

And Justin... the kid's making me feel older than my 21 (again) years. He's going to Young Men's. Kent's his teacher. I don't remember what my brother Allan was like at Justin's age (it was about the same time I was pregnant with and having Justin, and I don't remember much when I'm sleep deprived), but Justin and Kent seem to butt heads a lot lately. They'll be getting along just fine, and then Kent will say or do something that seems like nothing to the rest of us, and Justin gets so mad. I think (hope) it's only hormones, and he'll grow out of it. I am the oldest daughter from a family with 5 girls and 1 boy (who was #5) so I don't have a lot of experience with these preteen boy hormones. Will I survive?!

Back to my sweet Drew... trying to get him sleepy a while ago we played some games on the Wii. He didn't want me to beat him, so he would turn to me and say, "Mom, if you stop moving your guy right now I will give you a big kiss." And, "Mom, you're so bootful (beautiful) and wondful (wonderful) and I wub (love) you." And, "Mom, you're so funny. I wub (love) you." He kept giving me kisses on the cheek and telling me how much he loved me. What a sweetie. I really hope that sweetie will go to sleep soon. I am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. Oh, now he's hungry... starving, in fact. Oh, Heaven help me if this baby boy won't go to sleep soon! This is not going to help me feel better or get my voice back.

Sisters' (and Mom's) Birthday Lunch

For the last several years my mom, sisters and I get together for lunch to celebrate our birthdays. Amy's birthday is December 29, mine is December 31, Mom's (Susan) is January 13, and Christine's is January 20. Michelle's birthday is on Halloween, and Katie's is Tax Day (my parents had a thing about their kids having birthdays on holidays so it would seem). Michelle and Katie are always invited to come along on these lunches because we go with them to celebrate theirs when they're here.
Sidenote- It was at one such lunch 13 years ago that I told my mother that I was pregnant with my first baby. She was very unhappy with that news as I was supposed to wait until I was done with school and had a few years of work experience under my belt before I even thought about becoming pregnant. (Tried as best I could, but he came despite our efforts to prevent him from coming so soon!) I won't post any more about that particular day, one in which I find a great deal of humor, but of which day my mother isn't so fond of. (BTW, Mom, I am ROFLMBO thinking about it right now. Amy might be doing the same thing.)
Back to the posting- We are going to Olive Garden this year. Christine, who is pregnant with baby number two, chose it. I believe that the pregnant person's preferences should be priority... unless, of course, they want to eat at a seafood restaurant. I won't go there (or any other fishy place) for anyone. Some things are just wrong, and you should never make concessions for. Seafood restaurants are one such thing for me. Anyway, we have gone for pedicures and manicures in the past, but because I just got one on Tuesday I am not going to participate this time. I have purchased the gifts for Christine and Mom. I can't wait to see my mother's face when she sees what it is. And reads it out loud. Thanks, Jenn, for the great idea.
I am curious to see how this all turns out as I still have NO VOICE whatsoever. An occasional squeak still manages to come out, but to be heard at all it must be silent, and I must "yell" to get even close to the decibel that a whisper would equal. I think I'm going to take either a notebook to "talk" or a wipe board. This is so embarrassing! Forced silence, I suppose. And isn't it funny that when a person loses their voice that everyone else feels the need to whisper to them? It happened last night at the urgent care, Target pharmacy, the Target check-out line, and Starbucks (where I stopped after I got my Rx filled- love their peppermint hot cocoa). My kids are whispering to me, and so are people that I run into. I think I do this too... I guess we're taught to match voice levels with the people with whom we converse.
I'll post pictures of our lunch after I come home, and probably even post pictures from New Year's Eve then. What a special treat, no?

Katie and I. There was something behind her head... she did not suddenly sprout horns!

UPDATE- Okay so here's what happened. I got to the restaurant last. It always seems that something comes up as soon as I need to leave. Today it was that Kent had fallen asleep, and as I had no voice I couldn't get him to wake up. So I left all of the kids here while he slept soundly. I did come prepared with my notebook to write notes so I could participate in the conversation. I must be a really big loudmouth because this lunch was one of the quietest ones we've ever had. It's just not the same when you add your two cents after everyone else has had their say- and you've just finished writing. And, Amy, we certainly missed you there. Hopefully you can be at our next one! You too, Michelle!

The gift I gave my mom that I wanted to see her reaction on was Sexy Motherpucker lip gloss. Her reaction did not disappoint.

This is when she first opened it up and read the name. I tried to get her to say the name 3X in a row out loud, but she wouldn't do it. I think she was afraid she'd slip. Naughty!

Katie reading the package about making your lips 10X their normal size. Don't believe everything you read...

Mom (trying to) read the description on the back. She forgot her spectacles. Did I mention she likes to say, "Oh, Sissy!" when I do or say something that shocks her? I think she said that a few times today.

Christine enjoyed Mom's reaction.

Melia and Katie. Melia would not look at the camera for me. She also thinks that Ursula the Sea Witch from the Little Mermaid stole my voice.

After lunch we ordered a chocolate cake that had hot chocolate in the center of it. There was a cream on the plate and sliced strawberries. I took the very first bite (with a clean spoon) and the very last bite so I wouldn't get anyone sick. It was pretty yummy.

When I came home Kent, Justin, Trevor, Katie and John (Katie's boyfriend) went riding out at Box Canyon. Kent and Trevor have quads, and I think the other 3 have dirt bikes. Drew and Natalie usually get quite upset when the boys go riding without them so I usually take them to do something fun. Today I was too pooped after the lunch so I changed to comfy clothes, got my pillow and blanket and fell asleep on my recliner for about 2 1/2 hours while Natalie and Drew played the Wii. Then Drew hit his head on the coffee table, got mad, then went upstairs and took a 5 1/2 hour nap. When I got up I made salsa chicken, Spanish rice, refried beans and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I didn't feel so guilty for taking that nap after doing all that.

It's now 1:09 a.m. and he's still WIDE awake. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay awake. At least he's not mad at me anymore for not having a voice.