Bring on the organizational ninjas

I'm kinda over the whole Christmas decoration thing. I still like the outside ones but the inside ones are getting old. I wish that I could blink my eyes and have all of it put away. I wish all the new toys had a spot to go. I wish that my floors were dust mopped and needle free. I wish that someone would come to my house and eat all of the Christmas candy and cookies I still have left so I wouldn't have to eat them myself.

A girl can dream I guess.

Christmas Food

This is the first year ever that we have done our own Christmas. We've been married 8 years, together for 13. Every single year we've gone home to WI and spent the holiday at my parents house. We always have fun at home but when the girls were born I started wanting to have Christmas at our own home. Last year we weren't going to come home, but then we ended up with a crazy move to OH over the holidays and stayed with my parents yet again.

This is our year to stay home and I am loving every minute of it. My parents won't be coming, which is weird and kind of sad, but my in laws will be here and the girls are excited. I am busily trying to recreate all of the traditions I grew up with for the girls, and add new ones of our own. I am realizing that a lot of our traditions are food based. There are foods that we NEED to have or it just wouldn't be Christmas. Most of those I won't even eat but I still need to have at the table.

Snacks

-raw beef with onions, pepper, and rye bread

-herring and crackers

-summer sausage, assorted sliced cheeses, spreadable cheese, and crackers

-tiny pickles (sweet and dill)

-olives (green and black)

Cookies/Candy

-peanut butter bon bons

-cut outs

-coconut balls

Breakfast

-spinach casserole

-caramel sticky buns

What's on your table every year? And what is with the herring, anybody else have that?

Happy (Belated) St Nick

Almost a week late, oh well...

The girls were very excited about St Nick this year. This is the first year that they "got it." Lily thought it was crazy that he comes to put presents in your shoes at night. They asked me which shoes to leave out, of course I replied "the biggest ones you have." That silly Daddy of ours put his flip flops out, the girls set him straight real quick.

Christmas fun

A million years ago I babysat for a family who did things differently than mine. They didn't own a TV and they made popcorn on the stove top, at the time I thought they were weird. One night the mom left me instructions to have the kids make some wrapping paper. She left a bunch of paint and a roll of brown shipping paper. The kids and I had a blast and I stored that project deep in my memory.

This year I thought the girls were ready to give it a try. I bought stencils and sponge brushes to help out. We all had a great time and I think that painting our own wrapping paper will be a tradition in our house from now on.

There may or may not be some very odd things painted on Grandma and Grandpa's gifts this year. But hey, that's part of the fun.

Even more catch up

We went home for Thanksgiving to celebrate Grandma Hilda's 90- something birthday. They just we found out she has breast cancer, so the family got together for a big to-do.

Leaves! This is the first year my kids have jumped in a leaf pile. Trees don't exist where we lived in CO.

We were home in October for my cousins wedding in Door County but we squeezed in a visit with my Grandma. She thought Ava's baby doll was real and she held her and played with her and talked to her the whole visit. My kids were completely weirded out.

Catch Up

I am so far behind that I need a catch up post (or twelve). The ladies turned 4 on October 4th, G&G were in attendance as well as the Packard clan. The big gifts were baby dolls (Baby Do and Lily Q) and bassinets.

I loved this beard, it's gone now. What does my opinion matter anyway? Please vote the beard back.

G&G with a cooperative child.

Then we have Halloween which was almost a complete loss this year due to the piggy flu.

excused absence

Alright so I've been gone for awhile, but wait, I can explain. I have a doctor's note and one from my parents.

The week before the week of Thanksgiving I was sick as a dog. So sick in fact that I went to the doctor, that's saying something. I got my z-pack and went home to recover and try to get ready to leave for WI. I completely missed Adam's birth. Total suckage. We had a great time in WI and saw lots of friends and family.

The weekend after Thanksgiving we came home with my parents in tow. Lily colored with G&G continuously. The ladies also learned just how fun it is to have an audience for their shows. Dad and I put up the outside decorations and we have most of the inside done. We're making up for being between houses last year. Pics to follow. G&G went home Thursday morning, there were lots of sad faces and some tears.

Today we're off to "the woods" aka Fulton Farms to cut down our tree. Tonight we're going to take a hike to see a lighted waterfall. Bring it, I'm ready!

Parent/Teacher conferences

Today was our first ever conference. Things are good at school. This means the girls are angels at school and occasionally PITA's at home. I guess if I had to choose that's the way I'd want it anyway.

Ramblings...

-Ava counted to 13
-Lily counted to 20
-When Ava was asked to identify colors she did, in Spanish at first, then switched to English
-Lily prefers to play alone but plays well in any setting
-Neither girl knew what an ellipse was, Daddy will change that tonight mark my words. (We taught them oval)
-The girls play well together or apart, and it makes no difference to them
-Apparently Austin has broadened his horizons and Ava isn't the only chick on the block.
-I need to give them scissors.

Hello, my name is... (the Lily edition)

Let me introduce you to Lily's friends.

Hello, Our names are Pink Doggy (on the right) and Scratchy Pink Doggy (on the left). Lily's mom got us for Lily before she was born. She bought two thinking we would be interchangeable in the even that one of us was AWOL. Boy did Lily teach her! Lily needs both of us, all the time, especially to sleep. Usually she lays us over her face at bedtime.

Hello my name is Koala. Yep, that's my name. Nothing fancy, but they tell me I look like a Koala, so I guess it fits. Lily needs me to sleep, though usually she doesn't hold me or lay on me. I guess it's good enough that I'm in the bed.

Hello, my name is Shala The Boy Horse. Guess who came up with that one? Yep, a three year old. Lily loves me and I play with her and her Daddy at bedtime every night. Her Daddy pretends that I'm looking for apples and carrots in Lily's pockets while we tickle her.

Hello my name is Kona Koala. I'm new around here but Lily pretends that I am Koala's Baby. Why does everybody pick on me cause I'm short? I guess nobody noticed that I have claws and Koala doesn't. Psha!

Hell my name is Lily Q. Lily's Mom and Dad got me for her for her fourth birthday. Lily has been teaching me to read and telling me all about her school. Usually she lines all of us up and lectures us while she sits in a rocking chair.

Hello my name is Fiffi Fluff. I don't know why I'm on the list. Lily doesn't really play with me or care too much about me. Sometimes she just flips the F out if I'm AWOL. I usually chill in her bed, it's safer that way.

Hello, my name is... (the Ava edition)

I would like you all to meet Ava's friends.

Hello, my name is Baby Do. Ava's Mommy and Daddy got me for her for her fourth Birthday. I came with the name Baby Do and Ava decided not to change it.

Hello, my name is Whossa. I am the first toy that Ava named, she made up my name on her own.

Hello, my name is Froggy Noses. I have been with Ava since she was born and Ava needs me to sleep. I got my name from Ava because I have one special corner that Ava rubs under her nose to put herself to sleep. Every night Ava hands me to her Momma and asks her to frog Ava's nose while she sings her a goodnight song. Sometimes Ava will frog Momma's nose while she sings but it makes Momma laugh.

Hello, my name is name is Patches. I am Ava's special teddy bear. She needs me to sleep and I am never far from her side, Froggy Noses and I are a great team. I make a great pillow and help protect Ava from scary things since I am a bear. Most of the time I am a boy.

Ugliest shirt ever

Why I ask you? Why?

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=8793&vid=1&pid=621001

Because every woman needs rows of ruffles on her hips? Oh look! It's available in talls! Anne and I are included, lucky us. But you know, with those 3/4 length sleeves we might be able to rock it in a regular size. Granted the rows of ruffles would fall on our waists instead of our hips, but that might look extra hot.

This is what we should wear on the bottom. HOTNESS!

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=50281&vid=1&pid=676701&scid=676701012

Christmas Ideas

I've been thinking about the coming holidays and what Santa will be bringing. Not to mention St. Nick on December 6th.

I'm a list maker, especially when it comes to Christmas so I'll probably have several here on the blog. It's very difficult for me to be done Christmas shopping. I usually keep buying until Christmas Eve stops me, it's a sickness. Here are my ideas so far.

St Nick on December 6th:

-Trainer chopsticks

-a piece of fruit

-candy coins or real money

-book

-Christmas ornament

-some kind of small toy

Stockings:

-cheese

-fruit snacks

-playing cards

-sticker set

From Us:

Playmobil Dolphin Aquarium (to share)

Microphone with stand (to share)

Dr outfit (Lily)

Vet outfit? (Ava)

Our old computer loaded with kid software and itunes (to share)

Desks and chairs, pencil cups, paper, pencils... (each)

From Santa:

Elefun (Ava)

? game? (Lily)

Mercy Watson Book (each)

Art clips from Land of Nod (each)

I can't wait to start shopping!

Jewelry? Already?

I almost forgot to post about something that happened last Tuesday at preschool pick up.

I took the girls to school and raced to drop the dog off at the kennel. Then raced back home to pack the car. We were leaving from preschool to go to G & G's in WI.

I walk in the door to pick up the girls at school and Lily's crying because she fell on the playground. I finally get her calmed down and send both girls to go potty so we could go. Lily comes out a minute later crying again because she hit her head on the sink. I get her calmed down again and Austin (Ava's boyfriend) comes back in with his mom. Austin's mom goes on to tell me that he has a present for Ava.

Ava comes out of the bathroom and Austin gives her a little charm bracelet. She gets all excited says thank you and all that. Lily looks at Austin and asks if he has one for her too. Of course he doesn't. Lily's face falls and she starts crying. Austin's mom feels bad, apologizes, and gets the hell out of dodge.

Lily continues to cry and say heartbreaking stuff like "Austin doesn't like me" and "Nobody is my friend." All the way to the car. All I can think about is I'm going to have to listen to this for 7+ hours straight on the way to WI.

Then it hits me. The last time I was in Pinky Scout I saw some really cute charm bracelets, and they are just around the corner. So I drag my children, one happy, one sad, into the fancy schmancy children's boutique and fork out $28 for a princess charm bracelet. All the while cursing puppy love and cute little boys with curly hair.

We get back in the car and finally get on the road. Every 15 minutes I listen to Lily tell me she loves me and thank me again for buying her a charm bracelet. Seriously, every 15 minutes for 7+ hours.

The future scares me.

Oink

Well, we've got the crud at our house.

I just got off the phone with the nurse at our ped office. Since Ava's symptoms are the same as H1N1 we are to assume that she has it. No Tamiflu, it's in short supply and is being saved for the sickest kids. Treat the fever, push fluids, keep them comfortable. All of the same stuff you normally do.

Ironically the first H1N1 clinic for our county is November 2nd. Too little too late.

When I was in WI last week they had different clinics on the news every night. If you stood in line in the pouring rain and 40 degree weather you got a shot. Anyone could get one. No different categories assigned to the high risk groups. Very frustrating.

I hope Ava doesn't get any sicker. Right now it's nothing more than the normal run of the mill bug. We'll see how long it takes for Lily to get it. She usually spikes high fevers so I am slightly concerned.

So for now we are just going to hibernate. The girls will miss their Halloween party at school tomorrow and ToT tomorrow night. I told them we'd have a special Halloween party here at home and I think that may be good enough. Good thing they're both scared of everything anyway and not overly fond of the holiday.

the thesis of DOOM

Ok, maybe not doom, but boredom for sure. It's done. I am so proud of my husband for finishing this blasted thing so I never have to hear about it again.

If you're brave read the title. If you feel really smart try to read the abstract. I dare you.

TAX-COGNIZANT DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW VALUATION MODEL USING FINANCING AND RISK ELEMENTS: A RETAIL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT APPROACH

ABSTRACT

An investigation of current real estate investment (REI) discounted cash flow (DCF) models and their applicability to the individual investor in small income properties exposed: a lack of relevancy to the sole proprietor, marginal applicability to analyzing the asset, and a number of inherent shortfalls in modeling cash flows. This paper constructs a tax-cognizant DCF valuation model that addresses financing structure and risk elements while overcoming classical DCF model shortfalls through determination of a minimum holding period, the mitigation of a hypersensitive terminal value, the elimination of circular logic in the discount rate, and the characterization of vacancy risk.

The paper consists of two hypotheses that substantiate the value of a tailored model. First, modeling and simulation of income property vacancy characteristics allows a more accurate assessment of a property’s after-tax cash flows and net present value by recognizing tax implications that would otherwise erroneously price profitability. Second, taxes influence investors in relatively higher tax brackets to seek both longer loan terms and longer minimum holding periods for a positive net present value (NPV); realized through both tax sheltered income and equity appreciation at the long-term capital gains rate. Evaluation of these hypotheses by comparing the classic DCF model to the tailored model yielded the following noteworthy findings. First, modeling and simulation of vacancy frequency and durations derived from market statistics produces a more pessimistic assessment of income. Second, longer rather than shorter term loans have superior value through accumulation of more tax sheltering loan interest early and in greater amounts. Third, investors in relatively higher income tax brackets enjoy greater NPV on their investments due to tax sheltering at the marginal income tax rate and asset disposition at the depreciation recapture and long-term capital gains rates. Fourth, contrary to the initial hypothesis, higher-taxed investors reach a break-even holding period sooner than investors in lower income tax brackets.

my new favorite thing

While at Fairfield Commons the other day with my parents I saw a sign on the door of one of those rustic primitive shops that advertised wooden wick candles that crackle and pop like a real fire. I went in and bought two, cinnamon bun and mulled cider. They're in a mason jar and have a rusted top, very cute.

I am in love with these things! They aren't the same as a fire but they are a pretty good substitute. I think if you had several of them lit at once the effect would be pretty close.

Now I just have to find the right antique fireplace mantle to complete my master plan...

here we go

Time flies. Enjoy it.

Everyone told me this while I was pregnant and while my babies were tiny. I knew it was true but most of the time we were in survival mode, having twins is no easy task. I tried to enjoy them as much as I could but a month or so ago I turned my back for one second and when I turned around they were HUGE.

Preschool? Boyfriends? Reading? Hannah Montana? Nail polish? Attitude? Eye rolling?

Oh yeah, we have arrived. In a big way.

On Tuesday as I dropped off the girls at preschool Austin's (Ava's boyfriend) mom came up to me apologizing. She told me that Austin had kissed Ava on the cheek. She went on to say that they sat him down and sternly told him that it was ok to hug and hold hands but kissing was not allowed. She must have thought I would be pissed because she was falling all over herself with apologies. I laughed it off and told her it was no big deal.

I don't know what I'm going to do with that girl in 10 years. She may have to go live in a convent.

color my world

I am not normal. Let's just put that out there right now so there is no question. I can not turn off my brain from creative thoughts. For some people this may be a good thing. For me it's an expensive thing. I can not leave things well enough alone. I am always thinking of ways to change the look of a space, and more importantly for me, the "feel". Yeah, how's that for kinesthetic? Oh, and I don't just stop there. It has to smell a certain way. Did I mention I'm not normal? I did? Oh, good.

My husband just got home after traveling for three weeks. While he was gone I was without the distraction of my left brain, I mean husband. In that time I have decided to paint the entire interior of our house. Since we've moved in we have only painted one room; Ava's bedroom. Of course we have now lived here more than 6 months and have started scrutinizing the previous owners painting techniques. Let's just say that I don't think they were fans of painters tape. Every room needs to be repainted, some are worse than others. The entire downstairs has been touched up with an almost but not quite matching color of paint. You'd never notice just walking through but if you stare at the walls long enough it is so obvious that it makes you crazy.

The original plan was to paint the downstairs in the closest color we could find to match. It's sort of a beigy/yellow/off white, not very dark, but definitely darker than the lightest color on the paint swatch. But then Jer left and all hell broke loose. I've been staring at paint samples for a week now and have been watching them on all walls at every time of day, deciding. Then the paint led to curtains. The curtains led to artwork. And then from somewhere I've decided to bust down a wall and open our very tiny staircase. Now, if anyone knows how to do the staircase construction that would be great, cause I sure as hell don't and I'm guessing we can't afford to have the contractor do it. Besides, If I had the money to have my contractor actually finish all of my plans his family would have to move in full time for three years in order to finish my list.

So, in order of which room you come into first as you walk in my front door my colors...

Entry: three choices are in the running. Pony tail- one step darker than what we have already, Gooseberry- very dark reddish purple, Sweet Annie- kind of a golden sage green

Dining room: Pumkiny red. I also have plans to build upholstered cornice boards for the windows with sheers underneath heavy drapes to tie back.

Living Room: Bread Basket kind of a leathery orangeish brown. I also need an area rug and completely new window treatments but haven't decided.

Side room: Belgian Chocolate. Very dark chocolate. This room needs new curtains too.

Mudroom/Laundry: I want to tear this room up. I want a heated tile floor and new bead board on the walls. The quote to do that isn't too bad but it's on the someday list. I plan on ignoring this room to the best of my ability for the next year.

Guest bedroom and bath: No decisions made yet.

Family room, stairway, hallway, and kitchen: Pony Tail

Half bath: Gooseberry or Pumpkiny red

The best thing about my problem? My husband has no opinion. He liked everything I chose and said go for it, we'll tackle it one room at a time. How great is that? I sure do like my left brain er, husband.

I might have a problem

I may be addicted to a fabric softener.

Let's list the signs...

-I am washing everything in sight

-Stripping beds (even the mattress pad and the comforter inside the duvet)

-When getting dressed I only wear the things that have been freshly washed

-I only dress my kids in stuff that's freshly washed

-I've been steering my husband to clothes that are freshly washed

-My to-do list includes taking down all of my curtains and washing them

-I've taken the clean towels that get to the bottom of the cabinet and rewashed them

-Also on the to-do list - wash all the coats, sweatshirts and jackets that hang by the back door

-I went out and bought another bottle even though the original one is only half empty

-I've been trying to use the half full bottle of other fabric softener I have to use but I can't make myself do it

Warning: DO NOT BUY Downy Simple Pleasures in the Almond Cream Bliss scent to go with your All Free and Clear Small and Mighty. It is not advised, unless you really need to do laundry, then it may be a very wise idea.

looking forward

I've been pushing summer out and ushering fall in. Autumn is my favorite season followed by winter, spring, and then trailing so far behind summer. I have a lot that I'm looking forward to at this point and I'm in a list making mood.

- Girls start school next Tuesday, they are thrilled

- I have no idea what I will do with myself

- This will be the second time in history that I will be alone in my house. Once Jer took them both to get a gallon of milk, it was kind of a big deal.

- Jer's b-day is 10-1

- Girls b-day 10-4

- Fall cooking, I have a big list of new recipes I want to try and of course there's the old standbys that I make every fall

- I just picked up Suzanne Collins new book "Catching Fire" book 2 of the Hunger Games series

- Jer will be done with his PITA thesis and his Master's in October. I can't wait to have him back again. He's been in school for forever and I'm over it.

- My cousins wedding in Door County, WI in October, should be beautiful up there

- All of the November babies, and baby gifts, I love buying baby gifts

- Thanksgiving, we are staying home. Maybe we'll have family in, maybe not.

- Pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, all things pumpkin

Is it too early

I have fall on the brain. Everybody knows that I hate heat, and I am completely over summer. I want to pull out my sweaters, jeans, and boots and put away the spf 70. I need to turn off the air conditioning and put on the flannel sheets.

In our rummage sale organization last weekend I unearthed my fall decorations and I would have put them up right then and there if I hadn't been up to my eyeballs in other stuff. Autumn is definitely my favorite season. I'm excited to can some applesauce, pick pumpkins, and buy some baby gifts.

So, I ask you, when can I decorate? Is September 1st too early? Also, would anyone want to come to my house for an Oktoberfest party? I'm throwing around the idea. German food and beer of course, and it would be more of a bring your clan kind of thing. It would be fun to meet the families of the GW posse.

fragments

for lack of a better word. I feel like I'm going in a hundred directions at once.

-Marty wagged his tail yesterday, stood up on four legs, and walked three steps. YIPPEE! He hasn't done it since then though.

-Full-on garage sale mode, seriously selling everything under the sun. Hopefully we'll make enough to buy a closet or a new back door and storm door.

-Totally over summer, bring on fall and winter. I hate hot and humid.

-Finishing up getting the girls ready for preschool. I need to buy them some shoes but before I place a big fat order on LandsEnd I need to check out Target.

-Where's a secret blog when you need one?

-Starting to think about Jer's Birthday (10-1) and the girls golden birthday(10-4). Trying to convince them of anything but another princess party.

-I may just surprise them with a party and not give them an option. I'm thinking a camping thing. Campfire cake, smores, tent to play in, sleeping bags etc.

what a difference a day makes

Yesterday went pretty well once I started getting into the groove. I walked him around inside the house 3 times yesterday with Lily's help. I set out small bowls of tuna in the kitchen, dining room, and living room and made him find them. We used to do this with treats all the time it's one of our favorite indoor winter games, except we usually torment him. He did great and ate a good amount of tuna also. Then after all the activity he'd worked up a thirst...win, win, win.

I became concerned around 5 because his bag wasn't filling very much and his tubing was not full like it had been. I called the vet and he walked me through how to do a sterile flush. With a little fiddling and four syringes of saline I got it moving again and his tubing was full and the bag was slowly filling.

When Jer got home we took the hound for a small walk and settled him back in to his spot while we ate dinner. I made Marty his own bowl of boiled chicken and rice. He ate like crazy and had a nice big drink.

The girls were troopers even though I didn't have much time for them they played nicely most of the day. But by dinner they were stir crazy and needed to get out, truthfully so did I. So we hit the park and ran into TP and clan. Scored some nice little school desks that were labeled "free" at the school too (anybody need one we can see if there's any left and bring them to GW).

The rest of the night went well. Kids went to bed and all that jazz. 9:30 rolls around and we start getting ready to give Marty his last dose of meds, change his bag, clean everything... and I look at his bag and tubing. It's not flowing and there's lots of air space in the tube. Crap. Alright, so I try to flush it, no good. Try again, nada. Shit.

I called the vet and the nurse puts me on hold to talk to the vet.

nurse: Dr wants to see him, go ahead and bring him in.

me: uh, we live 1 1/2 hours away, the kids are asleep..

nurse: oh. Let me talk to the dr again

me: holding and listening to all the horrible things that happen to animals that they treat at MedVet.

nurse: ok, Dr wants you to bring him in if he gets uncomfortable. Otherwise take him to your local vet in the morning or take him to a closer er vet.

me: ok, thanks

So Jer and I talk it over and decide waiting till morning isn't an option. I call an ER vet in Dayton.

me: Hi, my dog had surgery and he has a catheter in and it's blocked can you help me?

lady: hold on please

me: thinking I'm so tired I don't think I can drive, looking at husband who is falling asleep with dog who is already asleep.

vet: Hi, your dog had what kind of surgery...huh...well sure we can look at him...let us know if you're bringing him in.

After getting off the phone with the other vet I was already formulating a plan. I knew I just had to convince the husband that he was not exhausted. I motioned to Marty to start looking pitiful and cute. He layed it on thick, droopy ears, sad tired eyes, slow licks.

me: I think he needs to go to Columbus tonight

J: yeah, I think so too

me *thinking* well damn that was easier than I thought.

me: Here's what I think we should do... you take him to Columbus, drop him off, get a hotel room, go to sleep, wake up, go to work.

J: *while stroking soft hound ears and watching Marty's eyes twitch while dreaming* Ugh. Yeah I guess so. Make me some coffee and help me get ready.

They left around 11:30 last night. I went the F to bed.

This morning I talked to Marty's Dr (who I love -great Vet) and he told me he thought about Marty all night last night and wasn't very surprised to see him this morning. Then he told me some great news. The Dr removed Marty's cath because he was standing! Standing, can you believe it!? He asked if we'd mind boarding Marty for the next couple of days so he could monitor him more closely and make sure he was starting to pee on his own. He also wants to make sure he gets extra help with walking!

Yay! Such great news, it's going so much more smoothly now. And with this beacon of light at the end of the tunnel I am no longer second guessing myself. I hope this hound continues on the same track. He'll be barking at Trick or Treaters at this rate.

this is really hard

We picked Marty up yesterday afternoon and were briefed on how to take care of the catheter, the meds, how to use the sling... Then the nurse went to go get him. I told the girls that Marty would look different and tried to explain what happened to him and what was going to happen.

Marty was happy to see us. The girls on the other hand are totally terrified of him. They think he looks like a dinosaur, they're afraid of his big ouchie. They actually hid behind the exam table so they weren't close to him. Talk about break your heart, both for the dog and the kids.

We got home and and got him comfortable. After dinner we took him for his first walk. OMG did I underestimate how physically hard that is. I have no idea how I'm going ot be able to do that for 15 min three times a day all while still trying to watch the girls.

The girls went to bed and we started setting up his night time meds. 4 pills. He has never had an issue taking a pill before in his life and of course he chose to not take them. We tried everything we could think of, peanut butter, cheese, hot dog, forcing, pleading. Finally I thought my husband was going to kill the dog so I called the vet. They told us to dissolve all of them and squirt them into his mouth. That worked...kinda. I'm not sure how much he actually got but whatever.

We put him in the bathroom downstairs with his cone on and passed the F out.

This morning he was better about taking his slurry of meds. Now he's locked in a baby enclosure but he's resting pretty well. We made him walk from one pen to the other but I really need to get him up and going in a little bit. It's hard to bug him when he's actually resting. He did drink a little this morning and ate a small Milkbone but no interest in anything else.

I am seriously second guessing our decision. This is really hard and I have no idea if I can do this.

they call him the million dollar hound

How much is your pet worth to you? That's the question of the week.

We took Marty to his vet appointment yesterday at 1:00. She took one look at him and said she was very concerned. She did a couple of little tests on him and declared that he was paralyzed. At that point I lost it. I pretty much expected the worst when we took him in yesterday but I still wasn't ready to hear that.

She gave us our options: 1. Put him down 2. Take him to Columbus to the surgeon and see if they can help him 3. Get him wheels, I'm not shitting you. At this point I'm crying and laughing and thinking in my head "He'd be a wiener mobile"

The vet kept an eye on the girls for us and left us with Magoo to talk about it. After more crying on my part and calculations on my husbands part we decided we weren't ready to give up on him. To Columbus we'd go. They gave Marty a shot of pain meds and we took off with a quickness.

We went to MedVet and if you are ever in emergency vet need I'd recommend them without reservation. They were kind, understanding, and helpful as well as knowledgeable. After the surgeon examined the hound he gave us his prognosis and a course of treatment, starting with a mylogram (?), possible CT, and surgery. We signed the papers and they started immediately. No waiting, no dawdling.

We got a phone call at about 8:30 last night that the surgery went well, it was a ruptured disc, and the disc next to it was deteriorated as well. They drilled a hole into the troubled one to hopefully help it rupture away from the spinal cord when it goes out.

This morning they called and he slept well and is comfortable. He has some sensation in his back legs. Hopefully it will keep coming back as the swelling goes down and the injury heals. We should be able to get him tomorrow night.

Now of course my mind is going to recovery and what kind of things we'll need to do for him. Any input? I'm making him a bed today so that he can be comfortable on the floor. I think I'll also make a pad to go into his crate for when we pick him up tomorrow.

sick hound

Marty is not well.

Friday night he had a seizure before bed, not out of the ordinary for him. Afterwards he had trouble with stairs, walked slowly and was a little off. By Saturday night he couldn't use his back end but could still wag his tail. Sunday morning early he could barely get his front half off the floor and wouldn't wag his tail anymore.

We ended up giving him an aspirin which seemed to take the edge off a little, but didn't help with his mobility. He can use his front half but not the back, he just drags himself.

I called the vet and the earliest appointment I could get today was 1:00. I'm frustrated that I can't do anything to help him and the vet I called on Saturday wasn't very helpful.

It's going to be a long day.

throw it all out

I am in a mood. I think it's Anne wearing off on me. I would really like to rent a dumpster and throw half of the shit in my house out. Toys, blankets, sheets, clothes, books, baby stuff, furniture, nothing is safe! I think it's just me getting ready for winter. Instead of chucking it I'm going to try to sell all of it. If it doesn't sell it will end up somewhere else, none of it is coming back in my house.

This brings up something I say every year. My kids have too many toys. I'm sure we all say that but this time I am sticking too it. It's time to reign in the birthdays and the holidays. It's embarrassing how much money we've spent on our kids thus far. And for what? To throw it all out in a fit of organization the next year? Blech.

The hard part is that you can't control what other people buy your kids. I have a MIL that buys them lots of crappy toys. The kind that are fun for about a minute before they break or that never deliver what they claim to be able to do. Of course my kids like those which means we end up in a struggle of me wanting only quality toys and the girls wanting orange and chocolate scented dolls with giant heads, orange hair, and pet penguins.

The past few weeks I have been trying to weed out the junk toys from the nice ones. This always ends in the girls "saving" the stupidest crappiest toys from the pile. Happy meal crap they will never play with and will lose in a week is suddenly something they have to keep because it's their favorite. I have taken to throwing out stuff while they sleep.

How sad is that. A toy thief in the night.

For sale:

-SkipHop DuoDouble diaper bag barely used in red with black

-Hanna Andersson holiday dresses in size 90

-Baby monitor used once

-Hanna Andersson training unders 3pk in size XS and another 3pk of Gerber brand (girly colors)

-Hanna Anderson playdresses and leggings in size 80 or 90 (can't remember)

-Other random clothes

pittsburgh

We just got back from a fast and fun filled weekend in Pittsburgh. It's been a long time since we've been there, I had forgotten how pretty the drive was.

Our good friends Theresa and Harry asked us to be their daughters' Godparents so we went out to baptize baby Sarah.

We decided to make it a little family vaca and spent Saturday at Idlewild park. It was a little kid paradise. The girls had a blast and we enjoyed seeing them experience the classic kiddie rides I remember from my childhood.

There was a little stage in Raccoon lagoon (kiddie Land) and Ricky the Raccoon invited kids to come up and dance with him. Ava jumped right up there and boogied. She loved it. Lily preferred to watch from my side. After the dance along was over and we were making our way to a new ride Ava said, "I love that skunk." Ava claims that dancing with Ricky was her favorite part of Idlewild.

unfair advantage

Last night was simple but so much fun.

We took the girls to Kohls to let them cash in their points from the chore chart. On the way there Jer got a sampling of how hilarious the girls have been in the car lately. A month or two ago I picked up a CD entitled Rhinestone Cowboy, it's a mix of country music from the 70's. The girls LOVE the thing and make requests to hear their favorites while we're driving. There is nothing cuter than a three year old girl asking to hear "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and then hearing her sing along.

More of their favorites:

Rhinestone Cowboy

Take This Job and Shove it

Dukes of Hazard

Here You Come Again (By Dolly Parton)

On The Road Again

They actually had Jer's size dress shirt in several colors so we bought 5. My post from the other day about how it sucks to be tall and lanky, yeah, the husband is just as bad or worse. If I see a shirt in his size that isn't $100 I buy it.

After getting home, baths, snacks, stories, and bed I challenged my husband to a Scrabble duel. He reluctantly agreed. So we opened a bottle of wine and I kicked his ass. Severely. He quit when I got to 350 points. After I gloated sufficiently he turned the tables on me and pulled out Stratego. If you've been fortunate enough to never have played Stratego let me explain. It's a war game that involves soldiers, bombs, and capturing a flag; and I suck royally.

He kicked my ass so badly that it was boring. Then he laughed at me when I lost and he asked me what strategy I used. I explained that the soldiers were evenly spaced in platoons. I claimed he had an unfair advantage since he actually knew what the hell he was doing.

are these ugly?

Some women are blessed with a great rack. Some women are blessed with great hair. Some women are blessed with great skin. You get the idea.

Me? I was blessed with freakishly long arms, huge feet, and crazy ass long legs. Before you say something like "I would love to have long legs" or some kind of crap, stop. It is hard to find clothes that fit me, if I do, it's usually a fluke. Like, the shirt with freakishly long arms that's on clearance because no normal armed person could wear it.

I have finally found pants that fit me. Several stores now make a 35" inseam. Buckle even has jeans that are a 37" inseam, do you know what that means? That means I can wear heels!!! Yeah baby!

I've been looking at shoes today and after going to Fashion Bug (yep, still hate that place), a shoe store here in town, and Kohls and finding only ONE pair of shoes that didn't involve laces and sporty socks I came home to my trusty computer and came upon the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I love Nordstrom. It's expensive as hell, and snooty, and I pretty much hate all the salespeople I've ever dealt with there but, they carry my size!

Now, don't go thinking that I can get any shoe in my size. Oh, no! Some shoes are only made for petite little dainty feet. Apparently making the shoe in a size 11 is impossible. What with all the extra leather and stitches, surely the shoe would implode. That or the shoe designer just thinks us big beefy footed women couldn't possibly have a use for a cute little gladiator sandal, surely we only wear cowboy boots with our coveralls out in the barn.

Gah! Can't a big footed woman get some shoe love?

Anyway. I kind of like these boots. However I'm not sure if they're cute or if I just like them because it says in the reviews on Zappos that they run big and you should size down. You know that means I'd order a size 10 right? It's kind of like finding a pair of jeans in a size 4 or something that fit you when you normally wear an 8 and you want to but them just to say they're a size 4. What, That's never happened to you? Shut up.

Ok, opinions please. I'd get them in Moss. I think I'd wear them with jeans and sweaters mostly, maybe folded up with knee highs and a jean skirt. Did I mention they'll be a size 10, not an 11.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2950256?origin=shoppingbag

new dress

I have been stalking this dress since last Christmas. I didn't buy it then because I just couldn't justify the money. Now, my cousin is getting married in October and I started dress hunting. Lo and behold "the dress" was less than half price, I didn't even hesitate. I'm sure they'll wear it for Christmas this year too. Now I just have to find ivory hair bows, tights, and shoes. Maybe a purse too.

Random

1. I have decided we spend too much damn money on groceries.

2. I need to spend more one on one time with each member of my family, even the dog.

3. I got the girls dresses for a wedding in October and I LOVE them. I have considered making them try them on just to see how cute they'll be. Pics may follow.

4. I am ready for fall and winter.

5. I am ready for the girls to go to preschool. I think

6. I have way too many ideas and not enough money to support them.

7. I have been planning a trip to TN and I really hope hubby will be on board. We need a little get away.

8. It sucks that my house won't clean itself. It could at least do the dishes.

9. I love school supplies.

10. I am sick of looking at summer sale stuff, bring on the fall clothes already, I've got babies to buy for.

# 9 and # 12

I'm starting on the list already.

I just got off the phone with a shelter for abused woman and children here in Troy. I've decided to start making blankets, stuffed animals and pillows for kids at the shelter. When we lived in CO a friend and I got a quilting bee together for the same reason and it was fun for awhile, but then it became more work for me and less work for everyone else. Also there was a question about who was actually receiving the things we made. I had had enough and stopped after that.

I'm hoping to get another group together in our new neighborhood. I like the fact that our things will go to kids who really need it right down the street in our own community. I plan to make sure every kid receives a blanket, pillow, and a book at Christmas.

So if any of you ladies from GW want to come down and tear it up with a sewing machine I'll keep you posted on dates.

for the next decade

So here we are on the eve of my 30th birthday. I don't feel like 30 to be honest. I'm not really sure what I feel like but I kind of like it.

Twenty things from my twenties, in no particular order.

1. had my first drink.

2. got a tattoo

3. graduated from college

4. got my first real job

5. got engaged

6. got married

7. had one paycheck that was bigger than my husbands (thanks to giant roomful of leather furniture I sold)

8. moved from OH to MD and bought our first house

9. moved from MD to CO and bought our second house

10. went through the rigors of ttc, 2 rounds of IUI, 1 round of IVF

11. got pregnant, quit job

12. got a dog

13. got my eyebrows waxed

14. gave birth to my babies

15. made new friends

16. moved from CO to OH and bought our third house

17. became confident in my parenting

18. went on vacations with my husband

19. started a blog

20. conquered my migraines (knock on wood)

And for the next ten years...

1. relax

2. enjoy

3. be healthy

4. go to England with my family

5. go to Alaska

6. take the ladies to Disney while they are still little enough to really believe

7. buy a camper

8. figure out what I want to do with my life

9. volunteer

10. take my girls to Hershey, PA to the spa

11. go deep sea fishing

12. make time for my hobbies

13. waste less time

14. take at least one vacation a year

15. let go of guilt

16. get another tattoo

17. drink more water

18. start using sunscreen even in the winter

19. stop swearing (as much)

20. stop expending so much effort on people who don't appreciate it

21. go on a vacation alone with my hubby once a year (even for only one night)

22. take my vitamin

23. try something new as often as possible

24. don't worry about what doesn't matter

25. don't worry about what you can't control

26. get a babysitter more often

27. try to get along with my husbands family

28. take more pictures and videos of the girls

29. do more one on one time with the girls

30. take Marty for more walks and find somewhere for him to swim

take two

Aright since the first batch of recommendations was well received I have another batch. Forgive me if I repeat myself, I'm not organized.

You'll have to fight over this bunch ladies, it's a grab bag.

Boy:
Aricin
Silas (let it be known that if I ever have a boy at some point in the future his name will be Silas Aricin and I don't care if you named your kid that or not)
Malcolm
Abraham
Gregory
Jonah
Isaiah
Malachi
Elias
Lang (means tall man)
Keegan (Unisex)
Tarin (Unisex)
Kale
Charlie
Hudson
Sawyer
Bryce
Carson
Reiley
Warren
Logan
Talis

Girl:
Amelia
Phoebe
Celia
Helena
Isodore (nn Issy)
Caledonia (nn Callie)
Beatrice
Stella
Rebekah
Eve
Delilah
Amelie
Josephine
Alta (means tall and lofty)
Brooke
Inna (means strong water) helps with the drowning inutero
Darcy
Matilda
Camile
Elsa/Elsie
Astrid
Carys
Sylvie
Arabella

my name recommendations for the three amigos

Broken down by amigo...

Theresa:

Collin
Carter
Cole
Caleb
Callum
Caden
Mason
Mader ---Kyle's first choice I'm sure
Noah
Ian
Aaron

Anne:

Boy-
Strider
Griffin
Owen
Chase
Hayden
Finn (as in Finished, lol)
Grady
Holden
Garrett

Girl-
Sydney
Madeline
Adeline
Ainsley
Jillian
Annabelle
Gabrielle
Chastity ...ok, maybe not
Opal
Julia

Kate: I remember you have a Henry and a Sarah but for the life of me can't remember the other one...

Boy-
James
William
Oliver
Noah
Adam
Miles
Oscar
Owen
Ethan
Ian

Girl-
Claire
Eleanor
Meghan
Chloe
Emma
Kyla
Tess (means fourth)
Anna
Mabel

well I wasn't ready for that and fireworks

The 4th of July was great. We did the parade thing with the Packards after devouring one of my mother's best recipes, sticky buns. I seriously need to not make those unless there are a lot of people around or I will eat them all. As the day went on it became more and more dreary. We decided to go to the fireworks with the ladies even though it was cold and drizzling. I am so glad we did. The girls loved them, especially Lily. Every explosion received oohs and ahhs. I think one of the best parts of motherhood is seeing things through your child's eyes for the first time.

Sunday morning Theresa called to tell me that her husband was annoying her and she needed to escape for a while. Like any good friend with in laws visiting I said I would love to go with her. She picked me up at 12:30 and we had a nice lunch at Panera and a good shopping excursion to Marshals and Target.

She dropped me off and as I opened the side door of the house I was completely surprised by all of my friends and neighbors and a 30th birthday party. I seriously had no clue and was in shock. It was great. We ate some great food and cake and played cornhole, Barbara and I are undefeated by the way.

Then I saw the invitation my husband sent out. Oh My God that guy is crazy organized! He had rules and regulations a page long. He put the fear of God into people! I guess that's a good quality for a program manager to have.

I can honestly say that was the best Birthday party I have ever had. Now I just have to actually turn 30, lol.

help with a translation

Conversation between Ava and Daddy this morning while brushing teeth.

A: Why do we brush teeth?
D: To keep our teeth healthy and our breath smelling good.
A: I don't like you ice cream butt, Daddy.
D: (WTF?) Be quiet.

Your guess is as good as mine.

good friends, good food, and scategories

Last night was a blast. TP, KP, and KP came over for dinner and we ended up playing scategories (I forgot how much I love that game) until 11:00, that's late man, for real. B even got in on the fun and I think she had a good time. It occurred to me that we are extremely lucky to have found such great friends so quickly.

TP also delivered a special package from Anne; tri colored orzo pasta. How great is it that someone I have only met one time IRL thought about me and my need to find another supplier of specialty pasta? Amazing!

Coincidentally I made my orzo for dinner along with chicken on a stick (minus the stick - too lazy), london broil, and a hella lotta fruit. TP and KP brought some very yummy sides and an apple pie that we ate with a three year old sharp cheddar. I think everyone was pleasantly stuffed.

After a little digging I was able to find the pasta people I used to get my orzo from in CO at the farmer's market. Surprise, surprise they now have an online store!


Be advised, it's expensive and good. Proceed with caution.
http://www.pappardellesonline.com/servlet/Search?category=Dried+Flavored+Orzo+Pasta

Some of our faves are...
-Dark chocolate pasta combined with spicy thai noodles served with the thai peanut sauce. Worth every penny, not even kidding.
-Autumn harvest orzo (Chestnut, sage, and pumpkin)
-Portabella mushroom ravioli with sherry, garlic, and onion

those eyes!

I always thought my girls would have my blue eyes. I'm not sure why I thought that exactly, considering my husband has hazel eyes. Of course when they were born they had blue eyes. At a year old they still had mostly blue eyes but something in them was changing. Jer kept telling me they were turning green and I'd keep telling him they were blue. So on and so on.

Sometime during their second year they really changed and have been that way ever since. Their eyes are dark blue around the outside and gradually turn green in the center. They are a perfect mix of my husband and I, and I love them.

girls just wanna have fun

We had a great day yesterday.

In the morning we went and bought a plastic pool. On the way out the door an old guy was getting twine from an employee. He looked at us with our big pool and we had a little conversation about how he bought one too and his wouldn't fit in his truck. I expressed my concern for getting the damned thing into my minivan. He asked where we lived and then offered to throw it in his truck and take it home for us if it didn't fit. I love old guys, they're just swell. Turns out it did fit so we thanked him for his offer and headed home.

We spent most of the day outside "swimming" and lounging.

Then it was time for lunch and naps. I usually try to do something fun with B when the girls are napping. Yesterday I pulled out every beauty product I could think of and we had a spa day. I gave her a mani/pedi and a facial. I have a great picture of B with a green face mask on but I promised I wouldn't put it on the internet. Lily woke up half way through our spa day and then she wanted her own mani/pedi and facial. Luckily I was able to talk her out of the color Midnight in Moscow (black raspberry) in favor of Cha Cha Ching Cherry (red).

Soon all the girls were in on it and we all ended up with fancy fingers and toes. Lily is blowing on her toes to get them to dry, in case you're wondering.

Then when Daddy got home he took us all out to eat at Applebees cause we were so fancy. Okay, so maybe it had more to do with the fact that I said I didn't want to cook, but still it was cute.

sad news

I received an email yesterday from one of my best friends. (The one I posted about having a top secret pregnancy.) She lost her baby.

Understandably she is heartbroken. To make it worse, she is in California on vacation with the kids and her husband is back home in Australia. He will be joining them soon, but for now she is dealing with all of this on her own. It's times like these that I wish I had unlimited resources and could just jet off to be with her and stay as long as she needed me. Unfortunately that isn't the case so all I can do is listen when she is ready to talk and keep her in my prayers.

If we were both back in CO there would be a lot of alcohol, chocolate, and hugging. There would be a constant delivery of casseroles and brownies and wine. There would be lots of free babysitting and kid sleepovers and eventually retail therapy of some sort.

Since we are apart and I'm in WI this week the ladies and I made a little pilgrimage to Holy Hill in honor of my friend J and her angel baby. I cried like an idiot in the beautiful church and said several prayers for my friend.

J, I'm here for you when you need me and I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm baaaack

In WI that is. The girls and I made awesome time and got here right after lunch.

On the agenda this trip...

-Attend cousins grad party in MN on Saturday
-Hold my new baby niece as much as her mother will let me
-Go to Johns Root Beer with the ladies
-Dinner with the IL's
-Visit my grandmother even though she will probably not know who the hell I am
-Go to Holy Hill if weather permits
-Pick up Jer's niece and return to the wonderful state of Ohio, possibly with pie.

how about a song

Just to make your day, one of my favorite songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJcRoYuV2Q0

food boredom defeated

I am officially over my period of food boredom. I think I successfully kicked it on Sunday when I made chicken on a stick and spicy thai noodles with peanut sauce. Yum. I don't think I've ever eaten that much chicken in one sitting before in my life and it was great.

Monday I made tuna cakes, spinach, and packaged noodles. The tuna cakes were great, the noodles nobody touched. Serves me right trying to take the easy way out. Ava ate two tuna cakes herself and a huge helping of spinach. I love it when my kids eat without complaint.

Tuesday we had squash casserole. I think I may be addicted. I took a picture this time just so you'd get a different image popping into your head when I say the words squash casserole. I know, I know, it doesn't sound that great right...try it. Try it and you may I say.

Dinner tonight will be Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and onion parm dinner rolls.

In Other News:

-Tomorrow night our friends will be here. My house is not clean. My laundry is done however, so that's something.

-My bathroom is still not painted and every time I try to make myself do it I just can't. You'd think I'd be so excited to be done with the darn thing. And I am don't get me wrong, but it's just so hard to paint something that's new and perfect. I don't want to screw it up.

-You can add another friend to my long list of good friends who are pregnant while I'm not. It's a secret so I won't name names but she doesn't live in Ohio and wasn't at GW. I am thrilled for her (and all of my other friends) but sad for us. Anybody who has dealt with infertility knows how horrible it is to not have control over your reproduction. I am happy I have my girls. I know not every couple who is infertile gets to realize their dream of having a child. But it still stings.

-Ok, when I said my laundry was done I just meant that it's clean and folded, not put away.