lazy on a 2sday

I'm not sure why, but I tend to feel guilty if a Tuesday comes and goes without posting a 10 on 2sday...  but here it is, 9:30pm and I don't really have the patience energy gumption to work my list and all the pictures...

So instead of a long list, and a bunch of pictures... just one...

10 on 2sday

1.  Nap times are going a little smoother these days... a lot of times I only make one (and even none) trips into the girls' room to get them to quiet down... although...

2.  Brynn still goes to sleep behind the door.  And it really bothers me.  I think there have only been 2 times she hasn't fallen asleep behind the door - once she actually stayed in her bed (or Dan moved her and I didn't realize it), and the other time she slept in Avery's bed.  I don't know what to do about it.  I'm not sure if she doesn't like her bed?  Or is scared of her bed?  Anyone out in cyber-land ever dealt with something like this?

3.  I've realized that I have not linked to my photography 'sneak peek' blog in a while, and I have done a few photo shoots in the cold months... so here you go, a link... :)

4.  I spent about 2 weeks going through all my pictures from 2010 (personal ones, not my business ones) and deleted THOUSANDS of HORRIBLE pictures.  But the neatest thing was seeing the improvement over the past year.  I took lots and lots and lots of really bad pictures... but as the year progressed, I was deleting far fewer of the blurry, out of focus, and poorly exposed pictures that I started the year taking.  I still have a LOOOONG way to go, and a LOT to learn, but it's been a pretty darn fun process!  (Disclaimer: I have a really hard time deleting pictures... crappy, or not... but I managed to delete about 6GB worth of true crap, and probably could have deleted another 6... it was hard.)

5.  A random developmental tid-bit... I just noticed yesterday that Brynn's 1st 2-year molar broke through... as much as she has been trying to eat things that aren't edible lately... it wasn't a surprise.

6.  Speaking of 2-year... it's coming up... the girls'. 2nd. birthday.  (I just let out a big sigh)  This is the exact age that Evan was when I felt ready for another child.  (I just let out a little chuckle... a child)  There is no more baby left at 2 years old.  When we moved the changing table out of Avery & Brynn's room, I was really sad.  A changing table is very "baby," and I wasn't ready to let it go yet, but I had no choice.  Now that Avery & Brynn are so close to 2... I'm excited for our family to grow...

7.  ...not in numbers... but as little people...  Evan and Brynn and Avery are such great little people, and I'm feeling pretty lucky that I get to have them as part of my family.

8.  Speaking of little people... as much as I love them, it's sometimes nice to go places without them!  And we lucked out and had Grandpa & Grandma K watch all the grandkids on New Year's Eve so we could go out and have fun!!  For the first time in many years, I actually stayed awake all the way up to and through midnight!  (I usually fall asleep on the couch and Dan wakes me up at midnight to say Happy New Year's, and then I go to bed... exciting, isn't it?



 9.  My parents moved away from Omaha last weekend.  Farther away.  From me.  It's the right move for them, but I'm bummed that I won't be making trips to Omaha anymore.  (well, hopefully not never, but certainly a lot less)

10.  Speaking of missing people... I miss my running partner... it's been too cold/windy/snowy/icy/you-name-it to run outside.  And it's been at least 2 months since we've ran together.  So I guess what I'm saying is it can warm up ANY TIME NOW and that would be alright by me!


PS ~ Sorry, Mom, for the lack of grandkid pictures... I know you are probably disappointed to only see me and Dan... I'll get right on it...  :)

Sluggish...

I've definitely been a little slow to blog these days... I had a reflections and resolutions post like last year started... didn't finish.  I had a 10on2sday post started... didn't finish.  I've been having a hard time focusing these days, so it's no surprise (to me) that I haven't been posting much.

Anyway, I thought maybe to end the week I'd at least share a couple of my favorite pics from the week ~ and one from Christmas...





I have no idea how she knows to make a boy and a girl doll kiss... but it's only these two...



We made a quick visit to Ames this week to meet up with my parents and some great friends, and one of the favorite "toys" by far were these beads... girls and jewelry, I tell ya...

the post Christmas haze

Everyone but Evan got the flu for Christmas this year, so we are just now getting ourselves out of the haze of having the ickies, and we're feeling a little better...



...hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas!

10 on 2sday

1.  Sunday was a fluke.  The past 2 days, nap time has been more fun as play time... naps don't last as long, or come as easily... *sigh*

2.  The girls have been very interested in the alphabet, including trying to sound out the letters.  (LOVE The Letter Factory) ~ but the cutest quote from Avery, "A-B-C-D-E-F-JESUS"

3.  Colors are also on our list-of-things-to-learn, so we talk about colors a lot.  And my Mom would be happy to know that without any prompting or help, Avery ran past a pile of my stuff, stopped, looked, and said "purple" (well, pupuh) when she saw a purple envelope on the pile.

4.  Brynn likes to be my little helper, and last week when I "let" her help me with the laundry, she made it her job to blow on the clothes because they were still warm coming right out of the dryer.



5.  We celebrated an early Christmas with my parents a couple weekends ago and my Mom got me a kitchen-aid mixer!!  I've only been drooling over one of those FOREVER!!!  Yay, Mom!  It's been put to good use already!!



6.  This happened a few weeks ago, but kind of out of the blue at dinner, Evan blurted out; "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy EXPERIMENT."

7.  I used to laugh when I'd hear people talking about their kids running around naked because they don't like to keep their clothes on... well, now it's not so funny, because that seems to be the route Avery is going.  It started with just the shoes & socks, then it moved to the pants, then she figured out how to get one arm out of her shirts, and last week it turned into the diaper.  Not. funny.  It just so happened to be the same day that I read this post from another blog I read... and that may be the route I go to keep her diaper on!



8.  I got to watch my friends' almost-4-month-old yesterday for a little bit, and he's adorable, and the kids love him, although I'm not sure he appreciated the pats on the head as much...



9. We took the kids to a Christmas puppet show a couple weeks ago, and at the end they let the kids meet the puppets and try them on if they'd like.  The girls were totally mesmerized by the puppets, but weren't too sure about getting close to them... Evan on the other hand - all about it!







10. I don't condone this behavior. Nor do I encourage it by film.ing.it... whoops...

I had a moment

A few years ago when Evan was a baby, there was a weekend that we were with my Aunt & Uncle.  As we were saying our goodbyes, my Uncle Gary turned to me and Dan and asked if he could pray for us in any way.  Dan's response was yes, please pray for patience.

My Uncle told us that he normally doesn't pray for that type of thing, but ok, and he prayed with us.

Fast forward over 4 years later and God has answered that prayer in many ways, and many times over... in fact, I can count three very distinct ways right off the top of my head...

...but not even close to the way I thought he would.

You see, God doesn't give you patience, he gives you opportunities to learn patience.

Fast forward a little more, to this morning.

I had a dentist appointment this morning ~ the dreadful kind, that left me with a sore mouth that I could barely speak out of.

I was sitting with the girls on the kitchen floor, and I had a moment...

One of those moments where I was overcome with gratefulness for what I have in my life, I had kissed both girls on the head (one of my favorite things to do), and I could barely feel it on my lips.  And I was grateful.  Grateful for the times that I can feel it.


Because so often, when something is gone, that's when we realize how thankful we are.

And I said a little prayer.

I've had so many opportunities lately to learn patience, my prayer revolved around asking God just to GIVE me patience, I was tired of trying learn it.

And I had another one of those moments where I felt this wave of hopefullness that God was actually going to give me some of the patience I so desperately need right now.

So leaned over to give Brynn another kiss...



...and she spit her apple juice in my face.




I guess I got my answer...

BOO!

Didya miss me us?

Been a little busy (you can see parts of why here), thinking about blogging everyday, went to work on my 10 on 2sday post on Tuesday... and my computer wouldn't recognize my external drive with all my personal pictures on it.  Slight freak out, while remaining outwardly calm.  It magically started working today. Although, this picture was taken today and not on my other drive... blah, blah, blah, now I'm rambling... Gonna wake up and run tomorrow when the temp is supposed to be somewhere around 20 degrees out... I may be insane, not sure... so g'nite!

Searching for needles... part 2

I'm still a little in disbelief, but for different reasons than part 1 of this story...




Continuing my story yesterday... I asked Evan where the needles were.  Logical question, right?

WRONG!

4 year olds have no concept of truth.  The only concept they understand is "I'm probably in trouble."

Evan immediately thought he was in trouble when I asked him where the needles were. 

I put them on the stove, they were there when I put them in the house, there weren't there anymore the next time I came in the house.  Or were they?

The first thing Evan did after I asked him about the needles was walk over to the couch.  So, my first thought was he heard me talking about fixing the couch, so maybe he was going to try his hand at it first.  Risking life and limb (is that too dramatic?), I start digging my hand around in the exposed stuffing of the couch looking for these 2 needles that are missing.

Not there.

I ask him again, he starts walking back toward the bedrooms.  He tells me they are in the girls' room.

WHAT?!?!?!!?

I am trying my darnedest at this point to keep my cool, mostly fearing that someone's foot is what will ultimately find these needles, but when he told me they were in the girls' room, I about lost it entirely.  This is freaking me out.

WHERE in this room are they?

The beds?  The dresser drawers?  The carpet?  WHERE????

Not there.

So this is when I am wracking my brain trying to figure out when on earth Evan could have had time to open the package, pull the needles out, play with them, loose them, and come back out for our walk.

But it had to be him.  Dan didn't do it.  I didn't do it.  The package was closed.  Now it isn't.  The needles were there.  Now they aren't.

Then I remember Evan telling me he had to go to the bathroom before we went on our walk.  But was it before I put the needles inside?  Or after?

At some point during my interrogations, Evan tells me they are outside.

Dan was still home, so we went outside together to look.  On the driveway, right next to where Dan happened to park his truck, we found one.

One.

Where is the other?  Embedded in the tire, maybe?

Dan needed to leave, so I watched as he backed away and I didn't see it in the tire...  good news...

...but WHERE IS THE OTHER NEEDLE???!?!?!

So I went on grilling Evan.  Then I took his favorite toys away until we found the needle.  In hindsight, that seems like a horrible thing to do.  However, knowing my son the way I do, and knowing what motivates him, I knew that would keep his focus on helping me figure out where the other needle was.

Then Dan called me.  And asked if I was 4 years old, where would I put a needle that I knew I wasn't supposed to have?  Maybe in the bathroom?  Down the toilet?  

But then it was lunch time.  And nap time.  So we continued our routine, and I went into the bathroom with Evan and asked him again, trying REALLY hard not to ask him any of the leading questions that I'm pretty sure I was asking him all morning.  He said he didn't put it in the toilet. 

Then I blogged about the missing needles, still not knowing where the other needle was.

And I got a phone call.

That I didn't expect, but was unbelievably grateful for! 

The package of needles had already been opened!!

Of course it was!  My friend had just recently fixed her mattress... with the exact same needles!  Duh, Lori!

At this point I'm feeling a little ridiculous.  After all, I was CONVINCED the package was sealed shut.  And my memory is golden, right?

But WHERE is the other needle?!!?!!

Did it fall out in her house?  Her van?  The road?  My house?

The kids wake up, we start the search over.

Evan tells me the leprechaun took it.

Ok.  That's the universal sign for "I know I'm in trouble, so I'm going to blame those pesky leprechauns."
(quick back story on the leprechauns: St. Patricks Day celebration, preschool is trashed (on purpose), the teacher blames the leprechauns to be silly, now the leprechauns get blamed for EVERYTHING bad that happens in our house...)

So we look around the couch again, I pull the vents up by the couch and the kitchen door to look down them, I go back into the garage and driveway, I took Evan outside to look in the grass, NOWHERE!

I get a wonderful phone call.

Relief.  The needle.  Was found.  In her sewing kit.  On the tomato thing that holds needles not in use.


Now I feel REALLY ridiculous!  And awful, but relieved.  All at the same time.

I didn't even have a full package to begin with.  The one needle we found outside EASILY could have fallen out on my way into the house.

And. Evan. May. Never. Have. Touched. It.

When I told Evan we found the other needle... do you want to know what his FIRST response was?

"Can I have my toys back, please?"

The kid doesn't forget.

But the mystery will remain: Did he take the one needle outside?  Or did I drop it before it ever made it into the house?

I will never know, but I could swear it was there when I left it on the stove...

And we all know now how great my memory is...

Moral of the story:

     #1 ~ Never trust a 4-year-old.

     #2 ~ Never trust my memory.

     #3 ~ Never jump to conclusions ~ especially when a 4-year-old AND my memory is involved.
 

A needle in a Haystack?

I am still somewhat in disbelief as I sit here thinking of how I should relay this story, so bear with me...



I feel like I have become fairly domesticated over the past year and a half.  I learned to cook, I clean the house, I take care of the bills and the household organization, and all the other stuff I get to do now.  But something has still eluded me.

I don't sew.

The kids have exploited that fact by pulling the stuffing out of our couch (which was ripped during our move almost 2 years ago) at any chance they get.  Stuffing pulled out of the couch is a normal part of life, but yesterday they decided to nearly clean the stinking thing out while I was making dinner.  (and surprisingly, I didn't take pictures... thought about it, but decided not to encourage the kids...)

Adorable, right?

So what do you do when something like that happens?  You write a post on facebook telling all your friends about the silly thing your kids just did, but really how it's all your fault anyway because you haven't fixed said couch because you don't know how to sew and learning how would stuff your brain so full it might end up popping.

We wouldn't want that.

A very sweet friend saw that post on facebook and brought me some needle and thread this morning.  Well, a specific curvy needle and thick thread needed to fix a couch that she knew I would need because her daughter had done something similar, only with her mattress, not her couch.

Never would have known I needed a curvy needle.

Now, to the good part ~ and this is what has me perplexed... 

She brought over an unopened pack of needles just as we were getting ready to go on a walk, so I stuck them inside the house on top of the stove and we left.  Sort of.

In the mean time Dan had just gotten home (a rare stop he was able to make on the way to a work function in the middle of the morning), so when we got back from our walk I started unloading the children into the house, put the stroller away, and helped Evan get his bike put away.

I come inside.

The unopened package of needles is now open, and two are missing.

I asked Dan (thinking to myself, why the heck would he open these, but I asked anyway) if he opened the pack of needles.  (Ok, so I've never seen a curved needle before, and they are pretty cool, so maybe he was just checking them out?)

He said he never touched them.

I believe my husband.

So the next logical choice is my son.  My dear, sweet, wonderful, I-better-think-of-more-nice-words-because-I'm-furious-the-needles-are-gone, son.

To be continued...

10 on 2sday

So, I'm liking this list of 10 thing, so I think I'll keep it going with all that's going on here...


1.  Evan has graduated from nap time to "quiet time" over the past few weeks...  It's been an interesting transition - he does well with it as far as staying in his room while the girls nap, but there have been a few days I'm not sure he should go without a nap...  he gets a little cranky ~ that and the fact he gets a little bored with me, we've had a rough past few weeks.  I decided to try something new this week - in the mornings I have been asking him what he wants to do instead of me trying to come up with an activity and him not liking it (I know, it sounds so common sense) - but at least with his input the activities have been a bit more enjoyable!

2.  You probably noticed I placed an ad on my blog.  I must admit it feels a little weird.  But hopefully it's not distracting... Basically the story is like this; about a year ago I put my name on a waiting list with BlogHer, not really knowing if anything would ever come of it.  A couple weeks ago I got an email asking if I was still interested in placing an ad on my blog.  So I hemmed, and I hawed (I do that well), and decided to go for it (thanks for your input, by the way)!  They give you a lot of freedom to decide what you do and don't want to allow on your blog, which I really appreciate!

3.  We hosted 2 RAGBRAI teams last weekend...  another thing I hemmed and hawed at... I wasn't sure if I felt comfortable having people we didn't know coming in and out of our house with the kids around - but I've got to say, we had the best two groups imaginable!  They were great with the kids, totally respectful, and quite fun to be around!  I made dinner if anyone wanted to stick around, we had plenty of drinks, and stuff to make smores later ~ it was such a neat experience, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!  Actually, Dan and I have been talking about adding RAGBRAI to our "bucket list" to accomplish some day!

4.  Speaking of accomplishments, I signed up for my 2nd 5K, which is coming up this weekend!  But this time I get to run with Dan!  He might will leave me in the dust, but at least it's something we get to do together!

5.  I just did my 1st senior photo shoot last night!!

6.  Avery & Brynn have been quite a bit more affectionate lately, as you saw in one of my last posts.  It's completely adorable, until one of them doesn't want to be hugged anymore and they start biting... it's still an issue I'm not entirely sure how to address.  Before I really thought the biting had more to do with teething, but now I see it happening more out of aggression.  I guess it's just one of those things I need to be watching more closely for and break it up when I can.

7. We've been attempting time outs with the girls.  It's mostly hilarious, since they know exactly what we are talking about, and exactly where to go ~ since they see Evan there so often...   I'm sort of thinking time outs in the corner probably aren't going to be so effective with Avery & Brynn, but we'll have to see.

8.   I can't believe preschool starts in 3 weeks ~ Evan is SO excited!  I am too ~ really, it gives us a little more structure which the kids I desperately need!!!!!

9.   I get to assist my friend with photographing another wedding this weekend!  I'm finding myself much less nervous, and far more excited about it!!  I still have so much to learn, but that's the best part of photography, is you never get bored!

10.  July was a tough month with a lot of ups and downs for me.  I have really been thinking a lot about what my priorities should be, and trying to get realistic about what that means.  And that's all I have to say about that.

ten on Tuesday

1. I recently started reading a new blog that does these ten on tuesday posts.  I like the format, and I think I am going to borrow (steal?) the idea - ok, I'm linking her blog, so hopefully that doesn't mean I'm stealing it!?!?!

2.  NE Iowa got a whole lot of rain last week in a very short period of time.

3.  Some of it got into our basement (rain water, not the flooding river water).  (honestly not a big deal compared to what happened to a lot of people in our area who lost their homes)

4.  We went on a weekend trip to KC, with NO KIDS!  Our first full weekend away with NO KIDS!  (ok, this was sort of a big deal)

5.  All of the above 4 items happened at roughly the same time.

6.  We were about 30 minutes into our drive to KC and I almost made my husband turn around and take me home when we found out the dam at Lake Delhi was about to fail.  (you may or may not have heard about it in your local news)  The only reason we didn't turn around was because the forecast called for no rain while we were gone.

7.  Did I forget to mention that we had just dropped the kids off with Grandpa and Grandma at their cabin the night before we left... which is located on Lake Delhi?  And the dam did break, which basically turned the lake into a small river.

8.  This was an incredibly devastating occurrence in our area.  Even a few days after the water receded and the roads became drive-able - it still seems unreal.

9.  I am very thankful that we have a community of people who gather around each other to pitch in and help.  One of many reasons I love Iowa.  I am also thankful that it didn't rain anymore while we were away. 

10.  This is such an important reminder of why we shouldn't put our stock in earthly possessions... because you never know when they might be swept away.

(This picture was taken at Lake Delhi behind the in-laws cabin, where I am standing used to be the lake)

Warp Speed

Time isn't just going fast, it's going in warp speed right now.

I'm sure people I talk to are sick of hearing me say how I "can't believe how fast time is going."

But really.  I can't.

Half of 2010 is gone.  Gone!

And months like June have been no help ~ me and the kids spent the first week and a half visiting my family in Omaha ~ the photography workshop has been consuming my life (ok, maybe that's a little drastic) ~ I have had 3 for real - for practice photo shoots (another sneak peek was posted today) ~ I assisted photographing another wedding ~ Evan and I took a little weekend road trip to St. Louis ~ Evan did a week-long summer camp (a couple hrs each day) ~ plus all the odds and ends and in-betweens ~ and life is just not stopping.

{By-the-way, I have TONS of pictures I want to post from all the above listed events, and much more, I just have been so consumed with all the goings-on that I haven't had a chance...}

Having such busy times in our lives makes me stop and think - am I focusing my time and energy on the right things?  Should life be so busy right now?  Is life ever NOT going to be so busy?

And I really don't know the answer.

I just know that I am extremely grateful that I get to stay home with my kids ~ because I wouldn't have these opportunities to do what I get to do with them, or do what I'm doing for myself. 

The End.

blessed

Today especially,
for reasons I need not share...
I feel totally blessed
to have people that care.

My family is happy and healthy.
And I could not ask for more.

With all the crap going on in the world around us...
...I'm trying especially hard to let go of the petty things,
and enjoy what I have and who I have it with,
...and realize that it could be a whole lot worse.
                  But it's not.

And I feel undeservedly blessed.

Everything happens for a reason...
call it fate, call it coincidence, call it a God wink
...and we may never know the reason.
But in all our circumstances if we look for the positive,
we are bound to find it.
If we look for the negative,
we are sure to find it.


Thanks for listening to my babblings...
just some of the billion things going through my head...

One of these things don't belong...

...any guesses?

Let's just hope they never get my keys!

The UPdate of all UPdates!

So, a recent email made me realize that I update my blog without really giving much update on our lives... I think in the back of my blogging-mind I figured I could just devote entire posts on each of these topics at some point, but then it seems overwhelming and I don't ever get around to doing it (ie: all my new recipe posts that still aren't done)... so I figure I'd try this instead:

*My husband and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary this week
*Evan just turned 4
*Avery & Brynn are just shy of 15 months old
*my ears are still ringing
*I started a "couch to 5K" running program 6-ish weeks ago (and I'd consider myself the poster child of disliking running - well used to)
*I began a yoga class a few weeks ago *love*
*I've been seeing a chiropractor for a few months for the ear ringing, low back "clicking"
*I LOVE watching my children interact with each other
*I can't believe how independent Evan is becoming *sniff*
*I can't believe how the girls are becoming little people so quickly
*I am thinking/hoping to start my own vegetable garden this spring
*I am moving in the direction of calling myself a photographer for real (possibly the scariest thing I've said out loud)
*My brother just got married a couple weeks ago
*I photographed their wedding (with my very limited lighting and experience, it didn't turn out too bad!)
*We still haven't found a church here to call our family :(
*My Dad has had several surgeries on his eyes since the 1st of the year (please pray for healing)
*We have Kindermusik, storytime at the library and preschool that keeps us busy during the week
*I am getting ready for 3 garage sales in the next few weeks (not at my house, fortunately)
*I have had some great opportunities to volunteer and join various clubs over the past several months (busy, yes, but so rewarding!)
*I signed Evan up for swim lessons this summer (NOT looking forward to being in a bathing suit in public)
*I signed Evan up for a fun (I hope) week-long morning summer camp that is in the park behind our house!
*We are taking Avery to see an allergist next week to see what might be causing her eczema to flare up (we've thought anything from bananas, to peanut butter, to teething)
*Brynn had an allergic reaction to either penicillin or shell fish a few months ago
*Me and a friend are starting a bunco group next month
*We've been fortunate that Dan's company has an office in Omaha where we have been able to combine his business trips with visits to my family
*Evan loves telling stories and using his imagination (very hard still to get him to understand the difference between reality & make-believe)
*Avery loves to cuddle and be motherly
*Brynn loves books (haven't ever mentioned that, have I?)
*trying LOTS of new recipes (but still not doing a good job posting them...)
*possibly the biggest news of all is Evan's news flash that I posted about yesterday... if he really does keep it up with this new toy, I'm sure I'll post about it and reveal the new favorite toy!


I'm sure I've forgotten something in the midst of the craziness that is our life, and really, when I'm just living each day, it doesn't seem like much, but now that I look back through that list... we've had a lot going on.

We live on earth, silly

A recent conversation at breakfast:

Evan: Is daddy still in bed?

Me: No, daddy is already at work.

Evan: Why?

Me: Well, because he has to make money for us to live on.

Evan: I thought we lived on earth?

This conversation might not seem like much, but it really got me thinking.

Such a simple concept.

We live on earth.

God gave us ample resources on this beautiful earth to "live on."

But we don't.

We live on money.

I'm still sorting this conversation out in my head, so this may seem like a strange post, but let's just say I'm trying to figure out more ways to live on earth instead of live on money.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

oh the ringing...

I realized that after I initially talked about that pesky ringing-in-my-ears, I never actually posted an update on what's been going on.

I did get tubes put in both ears. It was like the volume immediately was turned up... I could even hear background noises... it was very odd.

The good news is the tubes relieved the awful pressure in my head, and it stopped the constant feeling of needing to pop my ears.

The bad news is the tubes turned the volume up on everything, including the ringing.

So, the next course of action was to try a medication that is supposed to dry out my head. The doc had brought this medication up during my first visit, however, since at the time I was still getting up in the middle of the night with the girls, it was not ideal since this medication can cause grogginess - especially if I wasn't getting a full nights sleep.

The meds are actually a low-dose form of an anti-depressant, which I thought was strange. So did the pharmacist. When he was explaining the how's/what's/why's he asked something that prompted me to answer with "it's being used to treat ringing in my ears." He looked at me funny. I looked at him funny.

Can you guess what another side effect of this medication is?

Ringing in the ears.

Yeah.

Ringing.

Just what I need.

Anyway, I've been taking the meds for about a month and I have seen heard no change.

But I get to go back for another MRI to see if the swelling in the bones behind my ears has gone down at all. Oh yeah, had I mentioned they found inflammation in the bones during my first MRI?

I don't know if you can tell, but I'm a touch frustrated. I've said over and over that in the very few chances where I actually get peace and quiet - I actually want it to be QUIET! There is a real possibility the ringing may never go away, and that just doesn't seem right.

For now I just do my best to ignore it and focus on other things...

(like keeping my munchkins from getting swallowed by a big stick-like whale!)

:)

best. picture. ever.

My Aunt Elaine captured this wonderful moment in time...

LOVE. IT.

fear not

I was always worried that I would pass my fears along to my kids.

I am afraid of bugs.

Apparently I did not pass my fear along to Evan.

Phew.