Chaotic Bliss

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T23:51:00.009-05:00

I know, pretty incredible to have two posts from me two days in a row! We had a good New Year even if Daddy could not be with us (the job thing).Food food and good friends make it perfect. We followed up with a New Years Day filled with NOTHING! I never did get out of my jammies. We did however manage to get the snow pants on to do a littl sledding in the backyard follwed by a nice dinner.

Mikey makes the money sweep in one try!

Still working on resolutions...

A Fantastic Christmas

2010-01-01T23:43:00.009-05:00

Check ~ another good one! This year was a bit different from the past in that we spent Christmas Eve with just the five of us. We had friends over for dinner, went to a great church service and then returned to the house in order to change to jammies and make hot chocolate for our city light tour. It was great! The only missing piece was that my mom was lonely at home awaiting our arrival. This is the last time that she will not be with us on the Eve.

After a great morning of spoiling, we headed up to MP to my mom's where we were joined by the rest of the family. We ate, drank and finished opening gifts at about 10pm. The late hour was not because of former but instead because of the five kids 4 and under. Craziness, but a blast! The best gift of the season was the computer that we (all kids and spouses) got mom. She was shocked and even a bit tearful. She really wanted a navigation system or clothes but we thought otherwise. She can often be found after hours or on the weekend at the office checking e-mail or facebook. Not anymore Barb!

The kiddos were fantastic and we had a blast with all the cousins. Cheers to family!

Daddy's Boy!

2009-12-03T21:48:00.003-05:00

So this is how a 4 year old sleeps? Does he think someone is going to come and take it?

Hhmmm...a little busy?

2009-11-23T21:57:00.005-05:00

So I know I have not been a good blogger but sometimes life gets in the way! Christmas shopping and working seem to be more of a priority right now...

I am happy to report that life is good at the Mitchell household. I won't say outloud that everyone has been pretty healthy! We have not had any of the seaonal shots yet but at least the boys are on the waiting list because they are high risk with asthma and prematurity. Hopefully soon!

Two weeks ago we participated in the annual NICU Fashion Show. It was a success as always and the kids made me very proud. The money we raise helps support programs for current families in the NICU. Although I feel my journey as a volunteer in the NICU is near its end, I have made incredible friendships and the rewards have been priceless.

I'm proud to say that the kids all had inredible parent teacher conferences. Janie continues to be an excellent student with things coming very easy to her. The boys love school and are doing well. Kyle is the social butterfly and Owen a bit concerned with what others are doing instead of his school work, but overall great! Sorry, had to brag a minute.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family in Saline. We will eat and play a lot and of course shop on Friday!

More soon, I hope!

Happy Fall!

2009-10-16T23:09:00.005-04:00

So it's been a month since a post...busy, busy, busy! We have officially entered the state of working too much, running kids and no time for anything else. Family dinner now happens once a week (on good weeks) and time alone for Mike and me is absolutely non-existant. With that being said, I am okay with it. I never have company so who cares what my house looks like right?

School has started off great. Janie loves her teacher and we couldn't be happier with the boys school. All is well on the academic front!

Janie has a new injury, achelles tendinitous (sp?). She has been hurting for a while now and finally said last we that she needed to go to the Dr. As of today, she is officially in a walking cast (again) and will begin PT next week. This means that she offically played 2 of 12 fall softball games this fall and is doing a restricted gymnastics workout. Seriously, maybe we need to introduce piano and can all sports! Not likely:)

Despite our crazy schedule, Janie and were flown down for a quick weekend to visit some cousins in Texas a few weeks ago. It was a great time and so fun to see Janie connect so well with my cousins' daughter who is her same age.

Work has been super duper crazy for both Mike and me. I am not sure what they are talking about when they say pour economy because people sure are doing events! Mike has had one day off this month and I am not far behind! We are actually considering putting our house up for sale and moving a bit closer to work. We both drive 40-50 minutes each way, every day and actually only work 5 miles apart. If we make this move, we want to do it before Janie heads off to middle school. We'll see.

Fortunately, we were able to sneak off last weekend (okay really we were just meeting my mom to pick up the boys since she took them for the night) to the apple orchard. It was a great family day!

More soon, I hope!

1st day of school

2009-09-18T23:24:00.002-04:00

Wow, another year! Janie is in 4th grade and my babies are begindegarteners. Don't you love it! I love walking into school and seeing the boys sitting at their desks. Janie loves her teacher. So far, so good!

Higgins Lake 2009

2009-08-28T21:45:00.016-04:00

So we've been back for 2 weeks now and I thought I would finally post some pictures. As always, the family had a great time on our 9th annual trip up north. Each year is a bit different. I remember our first years up there when Janie was just a little tyke and my sibling weren't even thinking about children. I was dealing with naps and bottles and bedtime. Now things have changed. My kids are good for an entire day on the boat fishing and tubing but it is my siblings who now have the little ones.

Good quality family time and busy, busy!

With cousin Abby

The first fish. Look at that water!

Janie learning to ski

The Allisons

Kyle-isms

2009-08-05T21:56:00.003-04:00

It is confirmed that Kyle is going to be a player. Lord knows, he is always playing me! The latest ~

K: I hate brushing my teeth!
Me: We don't use the word "hate" in our house
K: But God made me say it
Me: Why did God make you say it?
K: Well, God gave me my words

Darn Christian Preschool!

After an evening of Kyle not listening, I finally put him in time out. He says "I guess I am not having a very good night huh? Mommy, I will try to have a good night once it gets dark."

I could go on and on...

Selfish Mommy?

2009-08-03T22:05:00.004-04:00

As I have stated before, my kids have always gone to bed well. I never rocked or fed them to sleep. Sometimes they talk, play or read in bed but bed time is bed time!

For the past several years, Janie has gone through spurts of wanting someone to lay with her or rub her back or hold her and on and on. Lately, we think she has been going through some anxiety issues maybe due to the pressure of gymnastics or maybe not. Maybe it is because I work and am not here with her each morning (so she tells me) Whatever the case, it is very trying. I am bouncing back and forth between saying to myself "she is only going to be young for a short period so eat it up while you can" and "I need my time". Truth is, I need time to myself at the end of every day. Call me selfish because I kind of think I am. I am a better mother and much more patient when I have some down time. Lately, Janie is up until we are all in bed. She still goes down at 9p but she spends 2+ hours fretting over when I am coming to bed and when I can be here again in the morning.

I love my girl so much and snuggle her tons. I tell her every day how proud I am of her. I give her responsibility and have expectations but I don't pressure. I tell her that once gymnastics is no longer fun, we are done. Truth be told, I want her to grow up knowing how much I loved and supported her. I want her to remember us playing and reading and swimming and laughing. I don't want to screw her up but it scares me. Am I too selfish?

Happy 70th Dad!

2009-07-24T07:18:00.002-04:00

I missed posting this yesterday on my Dad's 70th birthday because my stupid computer was/is on the fritz!

Anyway, yesterday would have been my daddy's 70th. Unfortunately, he has been gone for almost 9 years now. I spent a lot of time thinking of him yesterday and wondering how we would have celebrated. Would there have been a party? A trip? Not sure but one thing I do know is that we would have all been together. All children, grandchild with my Mom and Dad. Gosh what I would give to see that!

Love you dad and yesterday and every day, we celebrate you and wish you were here with us!

Raising Children

2009-07-22T09:06:00.006-04:00

No one ever said parenthood was going to be easy. No one ever said that it gets easier as they get older. We are now experiencing this "getting older" thing. Although Janie is still years away from being a teenager, the emotional drama of a 9 year old has begun! We seem to be dealing with two major things right now. Our first challenge is friendship/competitiveness/jealousy. This is pretty big and complex actually. Janie has a significant amount of friends and makes friends easily, fortunately. She spends most of her time with her gymnastics friends (which includes her best friend Zoe) because that is how the ball bounces. When you do gymnastics from 8:30a-2:00pm, 4 days a week, these are the people you spend your time with. If you want to do sleepovers, it is only logical to do it with a gymnastics friend since you both have to get up in the morning, right? Plus, my friends are these girls' mothers and I rely a lot on them for help with transportation/childcare.

Janie is naturally competitive. After all, both Mike and I are very competitive. The challenge is that she feels the need to always be the best, beat everyone, have the most friends, be the leader and on and on. I guess it is great that she is motivated but sometimes it doesn't work out so well. She gets her feelings hurt when her friends do things without her. I am not sure how to deal with this. She is incredibly jealous and feels like she is left out when she isn't always included. Example - two of her gymnastics friends are running in a race this weekend. We just can't make it. Mike is going to be in California and we have a million other things going on. She is devastated that "they" are going to do the race and she is not. Then she pulls out this "mom, it's not that I want to do the race with my friends, it's that I would be so proud of myself if I could do it". Really? What do I say? After a lot of talking, we have agreed to find a race for the two of us to do together. She seems satisfied so maybe it is not just about the friends.

Challenge #2 - bed! Every night is a struggle right now. She goes to bed at 9pm and gets to sleep at 10:30 or 11. She makes many trips to me in tears telling me that she feels like she will never see me again. She wants me here in the mornings but I just can't be. I have to be at work. I explain to her that I go in early and get off early so that I can be with her in the afternoon. She continues to struggle every night until I lay down with her. I get so frustrated but understand at the same time. I was a mommy's girl (probably still am) and always wanted my mom. I had big time fears of her not being with me. Those feelings are awful so I try to constantly remind myself of how that can feel and it helps me be a bit more patient.

Hopefully we will get through this phase too. In the meantime I will just love my daughter and try not to screw her up!

Texas Family Reunion

2009-07-17T21:56:00.008-04:00

Two years ago, my amazing Uncle Bob (my deceased Aunt Janes' husband) decided that our family (Dad's side) does not see each other enough and he wanted to do a trip so that we could all be together. So, he started the planning of a trip to a Lost Pines Hyatt Resort in Austin, Texas. During the initial planning, I thought it would never get here. I mean really, 2 years out? Anyway, last weekend 38 first and second cousins, along with the parents that are still alive, flew to Austin for the most amazing weekend. It was so fantastic to reconnect with and see some of my favorite people. The kids are at the perfect age to enjoy a place like this. They played in the water while I was able to have great conversations with family. The kicker, my uncle paid for the entire trip! There is no way we would be able to go on a vacation like this so it was a huge treat! The double kicker, he said we are going to do it in another two years. Yeah! And cheers to the best family ever. I am so blessed.

The boys with my cousin Kamp son Jake

Janie dancing with Uncle Bob

My beautiful niece, Allison

Did I mention that the resort was on the Colorado River?
The entire gang!

Festival #1

2009-06-28T21:49:00.006-04:00

Since Mike usually only has Sundays off, we try to do something as a family on most Sundays. During the summer we tend to visit a lot of festivals. Not much was going on in Detroit today so we headed to Howell for the Hot Air Balloon Festival. Of course it was too windy for the balloons to go up so we walked around for a few hours. It was a little bit less like a festival and a little more like a carnival/fair. Nevertheless, the kids had fun!

Dad's Day

2009-06-22T21:09:00.006-04:00

I would write a nice note about my husband but he has never read my blog and probably never will so why bother! I will say that I am a very lucky person to still love my husband as much as I did the day I married him. He is a great father and I enjoy spending every minute I can with him. Unfortunately he works a lot and had to work the entire Father's Day weekend this year. So, I don't have any fun pics of him with the kids.

We did have a great weekend and enjoyed some pool time with friends and then spent Father's Day with my aunt and cousin (their husbands went to the Tiger's game). Here are some fun pictures which include my children dressed up in their cousin's dress up clothes!

PS - I miss my daddy! Happy Father's Day Dad!

Bring on Summer!

2009-06-08T22:36:00.007-04:00

I am excited to say that I made it through my busiest week of the year at work and successfully none the less. Now it is a matter of tying up a few loose ends and we move into summer mode. With that being said, I have also recently received a promotion so I have new challenges ahead. Very exciting!

The family is great. The kids are a bit sassy and mouthly as usual but good. Owen's stitches have healed and we are hoping to go injury free for a bit.

We had a great Memorial Day to include watching Janie walk in our local parade with her softball team, a bit of kite flying and an awesome BBQ and swimming with friends. And by the way, in the picture of Kyle with the toad, the toad is dead. He was devistated when he figured it out!

Summer, here we come!

Another Accident!

2009-05-24T21:14:00.002-04:00

I have come to realize that having boys means that we will have many more accidents in our future. Fortunately, the one last night was minor although it did require a trip to emergency and a few stitches.

When we put the boys to bed we listen to them play, argue and call us for about an hour. Since we moved them into their bunks, the going right to sleep has gone away. It doesn't help that I hear all the time what good nappers they are at school. Anyway, last night was no different. About 10pm I heard that horrible cry out that something was "really" wrong. Apparently Kyle threw his cup off the top bunk and it clocked Owen in the face. He was bleeding very heavy and despite the very small wound, it was deep. After much debate, Mike took him in. The gave him the line of "if it was my child, I would definitely stitch it". And so they did and he was a champ!

I almost had the medical bills paid off from the leg last year! That's not important right?

Enjoying the Weather!

2009-05-23T21:09:00.005-04:00

We've been planting, gardening, mowing and enjoying this weather. Of course I haven't touched spring cleaning! Last night we had our first bonfire of 2009. Today we took our first trip of the season down to Eastern Market today to grab some fresh produce and flowers. This evening the boys enjoyed a little run in the sprinklers! Spring has sprung...finally.

Proud of My Girl

2009-05-18T20:44:00.006-04:00

First of all a huge Happy B-day to my now 9 year old baby girl. I still can't believe she is nine. Full of so much life, I am so proud of my girl. She is a great daughter and an awesome big sister.

Janie finished her gymnastics season this past weekend with her state meet. After coming back from a rough winter and a weak leg, she finished with her best all around score of the season. She was so excited and surprised to receive 4th place on vault, 6th place on beam and 5th overall. I am most proud of her determination and hard work getting back to where she is. Way to go girl and I love you tons!

Proud to be a Mom!

2009-05-10T17:15:00.006-04:00

I am so blessed and proud to be a mother to my children! Craziness and stress aside, at the end of the day, what else can you ask for?

A HUGE Happy Mother's Day to the best mommy in the world, my mother!

March of Dimes Winner or Loser?

2009-04-27T21:48:00.004-04:00

The following is a list, in chronological order, of our March of Dimes path this year:

1. Debated whether to fundraise again this year knowing that Janie's gymnastics meet could fall on the same day as the walk. Also, many family and friends were going to be out of town that usually walk with us.

2. Decided that March of Dimes means a lot to me and because of MOD, many of my friends' children are alive. I will commit to fundraise!

3. Set fundraising goal - a hefty $1000 (I have made it past there for the past 3 years)

4. Sent out numerous (maybe received as annoying) e-mails begging for money. Donations were more of a struggle then in previous years, rightfully so!

5. Janie's gym received confirmation on her meet day - 8am on Sunday. We will miss the walk.

6. Decided after raising $1000+ that I would find a walk to walk in on Saturday.

7. Despite wanting to walk with my cool friend Billie, I found a walk at Kensington (literally 3 miles away) as opposed to 45 minutes away.

8. Friday night, OK Twins Team hits $1058- thanks to amazing friends and family!

9. Begin making team shirts at 11:30pm on Friday night after 10 year Anniversary dinner with hubby.

10. Wake up Saturday morning and eat a big breakfast prior to leaving for the "big walk".

11. 9:30am Saturday morning we arrived at the park to begin the walk. We ask for the location of the start and were told that Saturday was set up day, Sunday was the actual day of the walk.

12. Shed a few tears while missing a really fun time with some dear friends who totally understand "this cause".

13. Walked around the park in our lime green t-shirts as people looked and asked "did you just walk in a walk?"

14. Went for ice cream!

I am almost over it! I guess there is always next year. A huge thank you to all who donate!

Walk for Babies

2009-04-15T22:07:00.008-04:00

Okay, I think it is time to start begging. If you see me on the street corner with my empty cup tomorrow, it is because I have not yet reached my goal for the March of Dimes Walk. In fact, I am not even close! $420 more to go to be exact.

Making the decision to fundraise this year was a hard one. Janie has a gymnastics meet next weekend that we are committed to and not knowing what day it would land on, I did not know if we would be able to walk. The more I thought about it, I realized that it didn't really matter. What the March of Dimes has done for so many premature babies is incredible. Knowing that my children and so many others are alive because of the research and funding that they have provided is so admirable. So, as it ends up, we found out today that Janie's meet in Kalamazoo next weekend is on Sunday morning, go figure! The good news is that there are two other walks in our area on Saturday that we plan to participate in (of course they are double the length).

My friend brought up this point the other day ~please consider not stopping for your Starbucks or Sausage McMuffin for one day and donate the $5 to March of Dimes. Please! For a good cause, for these miracle children, for my boys? Thank you!

2006

2007

2008

Happy Birthday 4 year olds!

2009-04-05T20:27:00.009-04:00

Today Owen and Kyle turned four! Wow, four sounds like a new decade to me. Four sounds like a whole new world of opportunities! Organized activities, travel, shopping...okay maybe not with two four year olds!

We spent the day at Chuck E Cheese with some of our closest friends and family. The boys had a blast and I am always happy to have a b-day party where I don't have to cook or clean!

Happy birthday to my sweet and crazy not-so-little boys! I love you!

PS - We were healthy for the day!

The Good, the Bad and the Sick

2009-03-22T21:34:00.005-04:00

It seems that the only time I blog lately is when I have something bad to talk about, like the kids being sick. I will get to that in a minute but let's start with the good stuff!

The boys went to the eye Dr. last week for a check up. They were initially sent to have their eyes tested at 9 mths old because they were preemies. At that time we were told that they would eventually need glasses and it would probably be between 3-5 years old. So, we went back this last week and went through the full examine (including being dilated which I wasn't expecting) and we checked out just fine. They are both far-sided but nothing that needs correctly right now. I did think that Owen would be really cute in glasses but who needs the added expense and hassle!

The other good news is that Mike and I leave on Thursday for Phoenix for 3 short days. We will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary soon so this is our celebration! The great part is that we are staying for free at a fantastic resort where my old boss is the Director of Operations. Of course this comes along with a 100 page audit, but hey, I critique all the time anyway.

For the bad and sick news...the kids are all sick again. Very sick! My bro (who is living with us) came down with a very nasty stomach virus last week. Despite our biggest efforts to keep him confined to the basement, the kids now have it. I am not a germ freak but I sprayed more Lysol and cleaned more counters than ever before. No luck! Kyle starting throwing up on Friday night, Owen on Saturday afternoon and Janie last night. This is not just a 12 hour gig either. It is a throw up every half an hour for 10-12 hours and it comes on without warning (hence my stained carpet). The biggest bummer is that Janie had to miss her Sectional gymnastics meet today which qualifies her for State. Oh well, it could always be worse (like if I get it and can't go on vacation). We are over the vomiting part and now just dealing with fevers and the other end. A HUGE thanks to my wonderful mom for being her and doing all of the nasty laundry!

Some good news, some not so good. I have to think that our turn is NOW over...right?

Health Update!

2009-03-02T14:57:00.002-05:00

The good news the boys are at school. Owen's fever did not come back yesterday so we seem to be on the mend. Hope this is not wishful thinking!

I got Janie into the orthepoedic today. She confirmed that she did not see anything broken in the x-ray. She did say that a small fracture or stress fracture would not show up. She is to take it easy (no tumbling) but put pressure as she can tolerate on it. She will go back in 2 1/2 weeks for a folllow up x-ray. I guess this is all we can ask for now. I mean, gymnastics is not our life, right?

Can our turn be over, please?

2009-02-28T21:11:00.006-05:00

Let me pre-warn you, I am going to whine here. This is not necessarily going to be a positive post so you may want to sign off now if you are not in the mood to here me complain.

I try to keep it together most of the time. The busy schedules, work, our dirty house, money challenges, blah, blah, blah. Sickness is another story. I can handle the occasional bug or infection but let me tell you, we have had our share!

As I posted a couple of weeks ago, Janie has influenza and pneumonia. She missed 5 days of school and I missed 3 days of work (thanks to friends helping me out!). Last Saturday night, while we were at my sisters, Kyle go the stomach virus. It was actually not bad. 24 hours to the minute and we were done. No biggie! Then on Thursday I received a call from school that he was crying about his ear. He had mentioned it a few times earlier in the week but wasn't really complaining so I didn't do anything about it. On Thursday I took him in and he had a sever double ear infection. They think that he has strep too but did not test for it since he was going on an antibiotic anyway.

Thursday night about 2am, Owen started vomiting. After 5 sheet changes, I again told my self no biggie. Mike took the day off on Friday and stayed home. Since yesterday (Friday), Owen has had a 102-103 temp. When the Motrin runs out at the 4 hour mark, he is hot as can be. I did take him in today figuring that it would be an ear infection also but he checked out fine, for now.

Next - Janie came home from gymnastics on Wed. with a hurt foot. Apparently she was tumbling and hurt it on her landing. She said that she thinks she heard a crack. She seemed fine on Thursday. When I picked her up from school on Friday, she was hurting. I took her to practice thinking that she bruised it and a little warm up would help it. She came home from practice in severe pain. She woke up today in severe pain and unable to put any pressure on it. Since I was taking Owen in, I had them look at her too. They sent us for an x-ray. The Dr. called several hours later and said that the preliminary x-ray did not show a fracture. She however wants us to follow up with the orthopedic to check it out as she is not convinced that it is not broken or at least a stress fracture. Mind you, this is after being cast Oct-Dec with a broken tibia!

Really? Really? I am now thinking that Kyle is on the way to being healthy. Owen probably has influenza and will have a 102-103 temp for 5 more days. And Janie, poor Janie has worked her tail off to get back into shape for competition in gymnastics. She has lost a lot and worked to gain it back. Now I am feeling pretty certain that she has at minimum a stress fracture and her season is over.

Told you that I was going to complain! Now I think I am going to have a glass of wine, or two!

Chicago, My Kind of Town

2009-02-19T10:56:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, Janie and I went to Chicago for a gymnastics meet and a little fun (despite her being sick) a couple of weeks ago. As I was walking through the streets of downtown Chicago, holding my daughters hand, I was thinking what a great memory this will be!

I think it is so funny that I look like I have cleavage and a pregnant belly in this picture.

Does Janie look white as a ghost or what?

I am sad to say that I didn't bring my camera so I didn't get any pics at my cousins house:( that we visited while we were there.

Where is my NANNY?!?

2009-02-12T07:25:00.009-05:00

For the boys first 3 years, we had Krissy come to the house and care for the kids daily. Some days Janie was there and some days she wasn't. Some days the kids were healthy and some days there weren't. Unless the kids were puking, she was always there. Janie spent a lot of sick days stationed in our bedroom and that was fine! It was refreshing to not have to worry about covering work, etc...all while knowing that my kids were cared for.

In September the boys started preschool. There are a lot of advantages to them not being at the house every day. They are not bored with their toys, I sometimes get an hour to myself, they are meeting new friends, blah, blah, blah! There is one MAJOR disadvantage and that is when the kids are sick.

Janie has not been to school since last Thursday. She has had 102-103 temp around the clock. Once the Motrin kicks in and the fever breaks, she is fine but she can't go to school. I took her in on Monday and she was diagnosed with Influenza. You know, the flu that you get the shot for? The shot we didn't get! They told us it was lasting 5+ days. So after severe coughing and another 103 day (the 6th one)yesterday, I called the Dr. back. They wanted to see her again. Pneumonia it is! Not bad, they said, but still pneumonia. They put her on the Z-pack and said she will for sure be doing well by Monday. Well...after the first dose (with food as we were told), she vomited 30 minutes later. I called the Doc this morning to see if this is a reaction or not. They want us to do one more dose tonight. We will see!

To add to the excitement, Owen came home from school with a fever yesterday! My most committed and best friend took Janie and Owen for the second day in a row today so that I did not have to miss an entire week of work. I am so lucky to have her in my life!

Did I mention that I took Janie to Chicago last weekend for a gymnastics meet and we had a blast? Well the meet wasn't great and she was on Motrin constantly but it was fun. Mommy of the year award once again!

Jelly Bean Boutique Bows

2009-02-11T14:18:00.004-05:00

Do you like my new blog look? We went to Chicago this past weekend for a gymnastics meet (don't ask, Janie had a fever and still does). We stayed at my cousins on Friday night. I think she was more excited about making my blog look better than actually seeing me! Hopefully not really!

I have a new button on my blog. If you click on it, you will see these fantastic bows that my cousin (her name is Kate, BTW) makes. They are so cute, super cheap (compared to the stores) and best of all, they actually stay in your hair. They come in almost every color or pattern you can think of. She is about to venture into some new stuff which includes super cute onsies and burp cloths!

Check it out!

Happy Birthday Mikey!

2009-01-31T23:04:00.003-05:00

My much older husband turned 42 today. Although he worked all day, we were able to get out for dinner tonight and come home for some box mix cake (go me). She was so happy with the new kitchen faucet that I got him for his gift:) Hey, I got a mum plant one year!

Happy Birthday my love.

It's Friday!

2009-01-30T09:03:00.002-05:00

Aren't they cute? Not always good, but cute!

Gymnastics, our life for now

2009-01-26T06:55:00.004-05:00

Until late spring, gymnastics is pretty much all we do! Janie has started competition season. She practices 3 days a week, 4-5 hours per day and then competes every other weekend. The good news is, she is competing. After a broken leg and 12 weeks of being cast, the Dr. did not think she would be ready yet. Guess what, she is, I think. Still walking with a limp, she has managed to get through two meets now. They are not necessarily pretty but she is improving weekly. We will continue to cheer her on and encourage her. I am sure improvement will continue as the season goes on.

We have this upcoming weekend off and then we head to Chicago for competition the next week. Thanks Kate for letting us stay with you on Friday. This sure gets expensive!

Frankenmuth

2009-01-17T22:52:00.005-05:00

This is a long overdue post! Days after the New Year, we took the kids for what has become an annual overnight in Frankenmuth. We did a quick stop at Bronners and then check in for the night! What a great time. We swam several times, played games (you know, the ones that you collect tickets and then exchange for the 99 cent toy), played miniture golf and then ate the Famous Chicken Dinner before our departure. I have to say that I was concerned about the family of five in one hotel room. I am proud to say that it worked well and the kids had a great time and slept like champs!

Big Stuff

2009-01-07T13:37:00.005-05:00

I know I still owe a New Years update but in the mean time can I have a drum roll please....the 3 3/4 year old Mitchell boys are now sleeping in BIG BEDS! Yes, after a very successful 3 3/4 years of cribs and then cribs with crib nets, we have finally made the big leap. I still ask myself why? They were happy in their cribs, they couldn't get out, they weren't too big... I think it is my fear that they will be 6 years old and not able to attend a sleepover because they want to sleep in their cribs! Nevertheless, it is done. The room was not big enough to have the beds both on the ground so we had to set them up as bunks. Owen has decided to take the top (thank God someone wanted it) and Kyle feels best on the bottom.

The other news is that we are completely binky free. I may have mentioned that Kyle lost his last binky about a month ago. Fortunately, they do not make these binkies anymore so there was not an option to buy more. When he lost it, we were done. He had a couple of sad nights but overall it has been a smooth month.

Guess what? He found the binky on Sunday! It was hiding in a Christmas decoration box. At first he ran and hid under his bed. I told him that he could cut it with Mommy and Daddy's scissors. He told me "I'm not cutting it" Minutes later I ask him how it tasted. He said "fuzzy, I want to cut it". And so he did!

Bye, bye babies! Hello young boys!

A Merry Christmas

2009-01-01T22:02:00.006-05:00

I spent the pre-holidays constantly telling myself to enjoy and watch as my children experienced the magic of Christmas. I tried to really enjoy wrapping gifts and shopping for them. I tried to think of the people that I was addressing my Christmas cards to. Overall, I think it was successful. To say that Christmas gives me that tingling excitement that I once remember as child would be false. I can however say that I fully enjoyed it!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at our house following a few family traditions including Kreploc soup for dinner (a soup from my Jewish roots, go figure), going to Church (which included giving the boys gum for the 1st time out of desperation) and reading The Night Before Christmas before bed. The kids were ready to role Christmas morning before 7am (which was early considering that we were still putting trains together at 1am). They are still unsure which toy to play with and if their new favorite thing, Iron Man and Superman costumes should ever come off. We are unsure how to keep the mess cleaned up!

We had a great time at my sister's in Columbus with 5 kids 3 years and under. Great food and wine were of plenty!

Here's to the holidays with young kids and family!

A Must Read

2008-12-30T15:18:00.003-05:00

My mom sent me this and I can't help but listen to it over and over. To my dear girlfriends, this is so true!

A Little Snow?

2008-12-20T23:36:00.003-05:00

With the recent snow fall, it was nice to get the kiddos outside to play a little. An added bonus? Janie has the official all clear on her broken leg! After her Orthopedic appt. on Friday, she is officially castless. Walking a bit like a duck still, she is able to play, do gymnastics and shovel! Of course immediately after playing outside, breathing treatments are a must :(

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-19T23:06:00.006-05:00

We decided to make cut out cookies this year with the kids. Actually, we decided to buy the premade, bake only cut-outs from GFS and frost them. It was a good time however I would not allow anyone non-family to eat them because the kids were doing a lot of finger liking throughout the process. The kicker is that the kids don't really like cookies so I have been the one eating them. Great, just great!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T22:14:00.006-05:00

We did our traditional Thanksgiving at my Aunt's house in Canton, Ohio. My mom's side of the family always gets together for this holiday. My 90 year old grandmother is still alive and lives in a home near my aunt. We have been fortunate enough to get her over to the house for every Thanksgiving despite her severe dementia.

So we enjoyed our family time. I soon realized that we now have 8 kids 3 years and under. Pretty busy! With the exception of the few things flying off of the wall (compliments of Owen and Kyle) and the puke on the couch and carpet(compliments of Kyle), the kids were excellent! Nights were rougher for some than others but days were fabulous!

Yes, Kyle has had the stomach virus. He threw up for over 24 hours, still thinking that he could eat in between! Just waiting to hear of the next victim.
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I continue to be so thankful for everything in my life!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Reading

2008-11-23T20:59:00.002-05:00

Until a year ago I would have told you that the last book that I read was Charlotte's Web. This includes college days. Somehow I got through college on Cliff's Notes. In recent years I have enjoyed magazines, especially People. I would read them cover to cover. While reading People, I would read some of the non-fiction book reviews and finally, I saw something that interested me. So, Mike bought me my first book on Polygamy last Christmas. I could not put it down. Since then I have read several books. Several Polygamy books to start and now anything non-fiction. I guess I really like to read about others' life stories. Now I would rather read than watch TV. Actually, I would rather read than do most things.

Listed below are some of the great reads that I have enjoyed this past year. Since I don't link well, you will have to look them up yourself. I have not included the "bad reads".

~Shattered Dream by Irene Spencer (Polygamy)
~His Favorite Wife by Susan Ray Schmidt (Polygamy)
~Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall (Polygamy)
~Escape by Caolyn Jessop (Polygamy)
~Miracles Happen by Brooke and Jean Ellison (A young girl becomes paralyzed from the neck down and goes on to attend Harvard)
~The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (Amazing life lessons)
~Standing Tall by Vivian Stringer (Rutgers B-ball coach, amazing life lessons)
~Meant to Be by Walter Anderson (A boy who groups up in a horrible home and goes on to lead a high profile career while he finds out many secrets about his past)
~Schuyler's Monster by Robert Rummel-Hudson (A father's story of his wordless daughter)
~Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (the mountain climber who cut his own hand off)
~Living at the Edge of the World by Tina S. and Jamie Pastor ( a story about a teenager living in the underground tunnels of Grand Central Station)

That's all! Pretty good huh? When did I find time for that?

Update

2008-11-15T14:23:00.006-05:00

Life has been very busy (I know, like everyone) with work, volunteering and sick kids. It has been a while since I have put out an update so here goes:

Janie ~

She had her long leg cast taken off two weeks ago and a short leg cast put on. She has clearly mastered the crutches and can even run a bit on them. Of course, this is not without the occasional face plant! We go back next week to see the Dr. and hope that the x-ray looks a bit better this round than it did last time (still looked the same as the day she broke it). She will then hopefully move to a walking cast for 4-5 more weeks. Wow, 3 months total this time around.

Janie is having a great year in school and loves her teacher. We had conferences this past week and it appears that the only concerns are boys and a lot of socialization. Janie's teacher and I are completely on the same page and will continue to work on keeping her humble and a nice girl.

She started back at gymnastics this week and will go twice a week for two hours each time to just work on stretching and strength building. Maybe I should go too!

Owen~

Well we just completed five days of Hand-foot-mouth disease. This highly contagious virus is easily managed with the exception of no eating when you have a mouth full of soars. Thank you to my girlfriend Theresa for taking my sick kid for two days!

The separation thing at school with Owen and Kyle has proven to be a very positive thing for Owen. He has really come out of his shell and is less dependent on Kyle. He is now officially potty trained! It took a few more months than Kyle but we are so proud of him.

Owen is really hilarious to listen to as he has all kinds of great comments or saying. Ex: Manit! (I think that is in place of darnit) Mom, I am so frustrated!
He also calls me out on being incorrect often!

Kyle~

Kyle, Kyle, Kyle...my little entertainer! He found it necessary this past week to pull down his pants at school and shake it for the entire class. Yah, not sure what to even say about that!

Kyle is super sweet and caring and Mr. social however he gets into trouble ALL THE TIME! He is up to at least 8 time outs a day. He has however started saying "I'm gonna have a good day" every day he wakes up. At least his intentions are good;

Not much else to report. We had our annual fashion show for the NICU this past Thursday and it was a huge success again this year! I will post some pics as soon as I have them because I forgot to take any. We are going to the circus tomorrow with the kiddos and looking forward to that!

Our nanny Krissy had her baby last week. This is her second girl ans she named her Kenzie. All are doing well. I am however a bit sad that she is not here anymore so I will have to make a lot more effort to see this baby!

That's all for now!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T22:04:00.006-04:00

The injured gymnast (Kerri Strug), the cowboy and the monkey seemed to have a good time at Halloween. Janie made it the entire way using her crutches! Kyle wasn't so sure he was going out until the last minutes before trick-o-treating. He is a bit scared of monsters:) They consumed plenty of candy and only one managed to throw up!

We did our traditional night of trick-o-treating with our friends, the Fishes. The men take the kids out and the ladies stay back and pass out candy and maybe consume a cocktail!

GIVE BLOOD

2008-10-28T11:58:00.002-04:00

Okay, I am going to hop onto my soapbox for a few minutes. I proudly gave blood today. I gave blood for a few reasons: I have had several people close to me need blood transfusions, we had a blood drive at work, and most importantly, I am O negative. What this means is that anyone in the world can receive my blood no matter what their blood type is. It is also the most common type of blood used on premature babies, which of course is huge to me!

I received an e-mail the other day telling me how hospitals are at an all time low in blood supply. In fact, there is not any O negative on hospital shelves. You know what that means, I am screwed if I need blood! Fortunately, all of my children are O negative but none of them are old enough to give.

So I ask you today, make an appointment to go and give blood! Do it for your friend or your parent that has needed a transfusion at some time. Do it for that little bitty baby who did not choose to be born too soon.

I am making a commitment to myself to give 5 times a year starting now. You can give 6 times a year if you have your days exactly right. I will make it happen! Can you? Call 1800GIVELIFE

Okay, done for now...

Fall Stuff

2008-10-26T20:39:00.007-04:00

After working the last 3 weekends, it was so nice today hanging out with the kiddos and doing "fall stuff". First we did caramel apples followed by carving pumpkins. The kids did well and really enjoyed eating the caramel apples. We didn't however get through to Owen that you eat the apple part too, not just the caramel and chocolate on the outside.

Thanks to my cousin Kate, we also enjoyed pumpkin seeds.For the first time in my life, I actually liked them! Here is the receipt that she had shared:

2 cups of seeds
1 cup of sugar
1 egg white with a tbsp of water
3/4 tsp of cinnamon (i think you should use more, maybe a tbsp)
3/4 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of salt

Mix seeds with egg white. Mix in other ingredients and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 275 for 1 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

They are excellent! Thanks Kate!

Cousins

2008-10-25T22:22:00.005-04:00

I was so priveleged to be able to go and meet my amazing niece this past Sunday. She is just what I need in my life~cute, well behaved and ready to be spoiled! After spending a little over a day with her, I think she looks a lot like the other female babies in our family. See for yourself...

Allison - my sisters' baby

Janie

Abby - my brothers' baby

Is it that time again?

2008-10-13T21:00:00.003-04:00

For some reason I had myself convinced that we were done with the whole asthma thing. We haven't had to do a breathing treatment in at least 6mths. In fact half of our medicine was expired. And then it started last night...Owen coughed the entire night. We were up several times but I never thought that he was wheezy. Maybe it just wasn't on my mind. This evening he has been wheezing and coughing a ton. I did one treatment and a steroid about 5:30p. We put the kids down to be at 8pm and listened to Owen cough until he threw up. Then we did another treatment. Looks like tonight will be a long one...and I'm bummed that we are not done with the asthma stuff!

Allison Rose Schmitt

2008-10-10T22:42:00.006-04:00

I am the proud aunt of a new niece, Allison Rose Schmitt. Doesn't that just have a ring to it? And a namesake? I am still just blown away. No clue that they were even considering my name. Secretly, I was kind of hoping to be the middle name but I would have never admitted it. Truly, there isn't a better honor. Unbelievable! Anyway, enough about me!

My sister had this precious little girl on October 6th, just two days after my sister and my birthday. Yes, we have the same birthday! Actually, we have the same anniversary too! She weighed 7lbs, 13oz. Isn't she just simply precious?

The fam is all doing well. Big brother Joey isn't quite sure he is too fond of her yet but I am sure she will grow on him. I will head down to Columbus next Sunday for the night so that I can meet this new and fabulous addition to the family. I can't wait to eat her! Congrats Sissy and JT!

PS - How does my sister look so incredible after just giving birth?

Weak Legs?

2008-10-06T14:17:00.005-04:00

I guess the Mitchell Family needs to work on our leg bone strength or maybe just our luck! I received the dreaded phone call last Thursday at work that Janie had "maybe" broken her leg on the playground. My first question~ which part of her leg? Knowing fully well that there is no way that I can live through another femur and body cast.

Since I am 40 minutes from her school, I called my girlfriend to run over there (she lives across the street). The big debate was whether to call an ambulance. It doesn't sound like the need for an ambulance however they could not move her at all. She was screaming in pain and unable to move her leg. Over the phone, we decided that an ambulance was necessary. I arrived just as they we inserting an IV for some pain meds and then we were off to U of M Hospital. Mind you, it had been exactly 6mths since we headed there with Owen.

So the outcome...two broken bones in her Tibia. She is in a long leg cast (picture to follow) for 1 month. She will then move to a short leg cast for two more months. Yes folks, 3 months total. Owen was only 5 1/2 weeks!

The crazy thing is that we ended up with the same Pediatric Ortho as we did with Owen. She is fantastic and about dropped a load when she walked in. As I told the principal, I am just glad that it was on her time and not mine! I don't need CPS after me.

She is doing fine. The first few days were rough as she had a lot of pain. We ended up back at the ER on Friday night after she fell on her crutches. She spent the next two days on bed rest and is now supposed to use the wheelchair for the first week or two.

I cannot say enough about the support that we have received from Janie's school. They were with her and supportive to me through all of this including evening calls from the principal and old teachers. They have made appropriate accommodations without me having to even ask at the school. We feel so fortunate.

My friends have been generous, caring and super supportive as always. My boss is amazing and fine with the fact that I must leave work early every day to pick her up from school and sometimes come in late.

I am not sure what the reasoning is but luck does not seem to be on our side. I do realize however that once again this is just a minor set back and we will get through it!

This is how we wash the hair!

Separation?

2008-09-23T20:57:00.004-04:00

Although I thought it would be cool to have identical twins, I was happily surprised that mine were fraternal. Their genes are no more alike than any siblings. I thought maybe it may make the future easier. They don't look alike, they would have different interests and both excel at different things. With that being said, they have spent almost every hour of every day together since birth. A few Dr.'s appointment now and then and Owen's short hospital stay have been the only exceptions.

They started preschool 3 weeks ago and it is going great. They seem well adjusted and to be having a great time. There is some sense of security, for me, knowing that they have each other. When I picked them up today, I feel like a little part of me lost that. There was a notice in my box that said "Kyle Mitchell is scheduled to move up to the 4-year-old preschool classroom on 10/6." "Note: Kyle is ready for the 4 year old curriculum. Owen should be ready by January" Really? My immediate thoughts~

~You are going to separate them?
~You know this 3 weeks into school?
~Are you saying that Kyle is smarter than Owen?
~Do you know that Owen has been able to spell his name for 3 months and Kyle finally learned his last week?
~Do you know that Owen remembers every word to every song and can color in the lines? And Kyle doesn't?

I have never and will never compare my children. My parents always taught me that you love each of your children in different ways. However, in the back of my mind, I have always thought of Owen as the brains and Kyle as the brawn. Kyle is super athletic and outgoing. Owen is smart and quiet. Great, I love that! So, when I asked about this move, I was told that they may do better separated (I can see that as they almost kill each at home). One person told me that Kyle is just really ready to "move up". The teacher told me that Kyle loves being in the 4-year old room and that Owen is still working on potty issues, Kyle dives into things and engages more and Owen is more dependent on his brother.

So this is all fine and dandy but really, I guess an answer like "we just think they will thrive better being separated" would have been the answer that I would have liked to hear. I do however understand that I am not the teacher and do not see how they are in class the entire day. And, when I mentioned to them that they would be going to different classrooms, they seemed fine with it.

It is just sad to me because I feel for the first time that my children are being compared to one another and I don't like it.

A visit from Grandma Mitchell

2008-09-22T21:44:00.003-04:00

We had a nice last 11 days with a visit from Mike's mom from California. The boys met her for the first time and Janie for the third. We spent a lot of time listening to fun music and eating great meals. We also ventured out a bit to meet my mom and my aunt. We miss you Grandma Mitchell!

The First Week of School

2008-09-06T22:03:00.004-04:00

I am scared to say, so far, so good. All three kids started school last Tuesday. Janie did great and is still doing great! She loves her teacher and says she is really nice. Of course little things I hear from Janie make me think that maybe she is too nice, but we will see. Janie needs structure and challenge so hopefully it will all be good.

The first day of drop off with the boys went well. They were very excited and the teacher said the had a good day. The remainder of the week has been fine. Owen is happy going each day. Kyle, not so much. He has tears most of the morning prior to Mike taking him. When I pick him up, he tells me that his day was great, as does the teacher. It has been fun to see them start to bring home their projects. Kyle has already learned how to spell his name (Owen already knew).

So, I guess we are off to a good start. Schedule, schedule, schedule seems to be the mode that we have jumped into!

A Fun Day but no Mother of the Year

2008-08-30T21:36:00.006-04:00

We headed into Detroit today for our first trip to Eastern Market, my new favorite place. If only it was closer! It was like the biggest farmer's market you have ever seen! $1 quarts of strawberries, 50 cent red peppers! We bought tons produce and had a fantastic time. Following the Market, we headed down to Mexican town for some good grub. So yummy!

Since it was a beautiful day, we continued to the Detroit River front which now has an absolutely beautiful river walk that goes for over 4 miles. We walked and walked and then discovered the Smooth Jazz Fest which was just an added bonus. We listen to a bit of music, watched boats and Janie did handstand on any empty surface that she could find.

After a couple of hours, we headed back to the car. The two young guys that were having their own BBQ on our way in were now clearly finished. When they finished, they apparently left a few things behind. Since my boys love to pick up anything that resembles a rock, Owen picked up the white, extremely hot, piece of charcoal that was sitting in the middle of the side walk! Needless to say, he cried for several hours and now has huge blisters on 3 fingers and the thumb. I guess I could beat myself up with the fact that I did not see what he was picking up but honestly, who leaves hot charcoal in the middle of the sidewalk. Idiots!

Saying Goodbye

2008-08-29T22:16:00.005-04:00

When we found out that we were having twins, we decided that it would probably be best to try to bring someone into our home to watch the kids instead of taking them to daycare. I really didn't do much work on this prior to their birth probably because they arrived early. Shortly after they were born, I ran an ad in our local newspaper for a nanny. The phone rang often and I set up many interviews. Fortunately, my aunt was in town helping me with the boys and was able to give her judgement during the interview process. We interviewed about 4 candidates (none of which made the cut) and then in walked Krissy. Krissy was different. She was cheerful, energetic, educated, young and delightful to talk with. We just knew that she was the right one to care for our most precious gifts. We hired her!

Today was Krissy's last day with us. She has now been part of our lives since I went back to work at the beginning of June 2005. She cared for the boys as infants~ feeding them often, giving medications and caring for them like we would ourselves. She loved them through the tough toddler times, kept them safe and helped us teach them right from wrong. Most recently, she has helped them to potty train. She has cared for them when they we ill and lifeless. She has cleaned up poop and vomit. She has tended to boo-boos and wiped tears. She hung on and cared for Owen while he was in a body cast. She has held them when they were sad and cheered with them when they learned something new. She has taken them to the doctor, the park, and McDonalds several times. She has walked hundreds of miles and thrown thousands of rocks in the water with my children. She has helped raise them and been a mother to them when I was not around.

Krissy had a baby, Alivia, in August of 2006. She took a few weeks off and then returned with Alivia in tow. Since then, Alivia has also been a part of all of our lives. She has been like a sister to my three children and we all love her dearly.

So now we move on...the boys start pre-school on Tuesday and Janie 3rd grade. I suppose the time has come. Krissy will have her second child in early November. Lives changes and children grow. This doesn't however make it any easier to say goodbye to someone that you could only dream of being the caregiver to your children.

We love you Krissy!

Family Vacation

2008-08-24T20:09:00.011-04:00

What a fantastic time! I have been looking forward to this vacation for many, many weeks and it was everything I had hoped for. We left here last Tuesday night and stayed the night with my mom in Mt. Pleasant. We got up the next morning and headed to Mackinac for two nights. We completed our vaca with a stop at the family cottage in Bay City on Friday night. We all just had a blast! The kids were fantastic (at least until about 5pm each day) and loved everything we did.

Bike riding was my fav. We rented bikes with baby seats on the back that the boys almost did not fit in. It was fantastic because they could see everything. We biked the 8 miles around the island with no problem and included several stops to throw rocks.

We visited the Fort and enjoyed the dancing, music and history. In my 10+ times to Mackinac, I had never been to the Fort.

It was Mackinac Island's music festival so we were able to spend a few hours one afternoon at the park listening to some good tunes. The kids did some dancing, had some snacks and enjoyed it as much as we did.

Our place was fantastic and a huge reason why the trip was such a success. We stayed at this same place 4 years ago when we took Janie. It is way out on the west end of the island. It looks like and apt. complex and kind of is. You can rent whatever size place you want. We had a place with a family room, bedroom and full kitchen. It was wonderful because we could take food to cook or grill out for dinner and also for breakfast. Huge cost savings and convenient! Also, the kids were done by 5pm each so we would take our 30min. carriage ride back (also super fun) and hang out. They had a swimming pool and DVD players. What else can you ask for? Actually, the deck overlooking the water was nice to sit out on after the kiddies were long asleep!

Now back to the start of school reality....Boo hoo! Great memories!

8 years ago...

2008-08-17T18:22:00.005-04:00

I have been thinking for weeks about this date, August 17. Not because it was the day that I was married but because it was the day that my amazing father died, 8 years ago.

The picture above is obviously my wedding day. This picture has such significance because it is a moment that I will cherish forever. It was also just days before my father would be diagnosed with cancer. The feeling I had when my father walked me down the isle is something I will never be able to explain. The sense of security, love and honor was indescribable.

There are many of these times that I wish I could do just one more time. I may have not completely realized how great it was when it was happening, but I sure realize it now that it is gone. I wish I could feel his hand holding mine again. I wish I could feel the floating feeling that I felt when I danced with him. I wish I could call him and have him console me when I am sad. I wish I could tell him about my job and seek advice. I wish I could sit next to him at the piano so he could sing Swinging on a Star to me.I wish I could see him interact with his grandchildren and feel how proud he is. I wish I could hear his voice and smell his smell. I still wish he was hear every day!

Self Evaluation

2008-08-09T21:26:00.005-04:00

I feel now, more than ever, that I am in a major period of self evaluation. I am certain that this is all part of being a mother and because my children now need me in different ways than they did two years ago or even two months ago.

I have always had pretty good self confidence and have been fairly happy with who I am. I now constantly question that. Not so much in my work life but definitely in my home life. Bottom line, I am scared to death of screwing my kids up. For years now I have fed bottles, changed diapers, cleaned up vomit, played with my kids and kissed and hugged them endlessly. That is no longer enough.

Janie, Janie, Janie... I have no choice but to recognize that she is in no part a small child anymore. She needs structure, discipline, guidance, understanding, explanation and a lot of love. These things seem the same that I would have listed years ago however it is so different now. She asks difficult questions, she can manipulate me, she sees everything that is going on around her, she likes boys, she can be mean and yet she is so fragile. So fragile that I feel if I don't handle all of this correctly, I am going to screw her up. She is definitely on the fast social track, she is pretty and has a great personality. I want to do my best to filter all of this correctly. I so want her to be kind, loving, hard working and appreciative. This is not about me but instead about trying to teach her the importance of these things without be a nag or a mother that she will hate some day because I was constantly lecturing her. I believe that children learn best by being a good example for them. I want to be that but I am not sure that I always am. I am not a patient person, I don't always take the time to discuss things in depth like I should and I constantly wonder if I give Janie enough of "me" as I feel I am always dealing with the boys. I often go to bed at night questioning myself on my day. Was I too hard on Janie? Are my expectations that she needs to keep her room picked up, her bed made and her laundry put away too much? Why do I have to take privileges away weekly for not completely these tasks? I want her to be a kid and to have fun but I also want her to work hard and appreciate what she has. I constantly hear how a friend has a better house or a better toy. So I can't buy my children EVERYTHING but they certainly have what they need, and more.

Don't get me wrong, I think Janie is great. I am so proud of how she is doing in school and she excels in all the activities that she tries. Is it just me? Do I want to much? I guess I just want to do right.

The boys of course are at a completely different stage of life. In many aspects it is easier because I don't have to worry about the hard "life" stuff yet. They do however consume the majority of my time just keeping them safe and out of trouble.

I realize that this is just the beginning of many, many years of this tough stuff and that it will get harder before it gets easier. I know just a few things~these precious gifts that I call my children are loved as much as anyone can love anything. I also know that I learn more about myself and life from them every day than I do from anywhere else. Together, we will make it work, even if I mess up sometimes!

A great weekend!

2008-08-03T20:45:00.007-04:00

We were able to make some plans with my cousin, wife and kids for Saturday which was nice for a change as our schedules often conflict. They are only 30 minutes away and the boys absolutely love spending time with their cousin Caroline (and I do too)! So we hooked up on Saturday and went to a water park near their home in Saline. What a ball! They had great stuff for the boys and Janie had a good time too (of course it would have been a better idea to bring a friend along). It was so great that since Mike had the day off today, we went back again for a fun day in the water and sun! Thanks Angie and John for showing us this great spot and for a fantastic dinner!

The even better news is that Owen has started to go on the potty! Only once a day but it has been about 5 days now and he is still trying! Way to go Owen

Happy Belated B-Day Abby!

2008-08-02T20:27:00.004-04:00

My favorite niece turned 1 last week! I just have to say that she is the cutest, most edible little girl and I think I may need to steal her!

We love you Abigail and wish you a very happy belate b-day!

Higgins Lake 2008

2008-07-20T20:07:00.013-04:00

Beware of a lot of pictures below. We just returned from our annual week at our favorite get-away HIGGINS LAKE! Despite some chilly, very cloudy weather and the flu bug that ran through the house, it was a great time! My family are my favorite people to spend time with (okay girlfriends sometimes) so having a beautiful lake and great people makes it the BEST!

My kids were officially the "old ones" for a change. For the most part, the boys played in the sand and ate any junk they could get their hands on. Kyle overcame his fear of boats and learned how to pee on the beach. Owen decided he wasn't quite ready to water ski but he was going to drive the boat "faster" than his brother. Janie enjoyed trying to water ski for the first time and hanging out with the adults. It is sometimes hard with her being so much older than the others as she want someone to swim and do stuff with her all of the time. Makes me feel guilty!

The funny part was watching my 18mth old nephew. He is out of control! Not in a bad way but in an "I'm-18mths-watch-what-I can-do" way. The child can sprint (and does) faster then any adult in the house. The best part - the water does not slow him down a bit (see picture below). Thank God for the strap on the back of the life jacket!
My sister is 28 weeks pregnant (in desperate need of a glass of wine) so it was fun watching her winded-self chase constantly. I just kept thinking really, she is going to have two under two???

My brothers' daughter is just chubby and sweet. At almost 1 year old, all she does is eat (for like 2 hours straight) and poop. I love to eat her!

Back home now for a couple of days and then I leave for a conference up north for 3 days.

Thanks mom for making our week at Higgins work once again!

Happy 4th a few days late!

2008-07-08T21:13:00.005-04:00

We enjoyed the weekend at the family cottage on the Saginaw Bay with my mom, aunt and uncle and cousins. The kids especially enjoyed playing with my cousins' daughter Caroline. It is super fun to see them interact with another child their age. Of course Owen thought he had gotten himself a girlfriend! The kids weren't much for the water but Owen loved the boat. Kyle preferred to stay on shore with the sand and snacks. His latest saying all of the time is "I'm starving!".

Are you ready for the big news????? I water skied and tubed! Of course I haven't been able to move my upper body ever since!

Anyway, great weekend and now a week to plan for our vacation at HIggins Lake!

Summer is finally here!

2008-06-28T22:34:00.008-04:00

Most have started their summer but we have just begun! June is an insane month for me at work(I think I have mentioned this one or 100 times) so I am just getting back to a normal schedule with my first weekend off since May. On top of work, Janie has had two softball games a week (three this week), camp two days a week and gymnastics three days a week. Needless to say, when I am not a work I am running Janie and towing the boys along. I look forward to a slowing pace with softball over and work mellowing.

We have done a few fun things lately, not sure when, but we have! We roasted marshmallows with the boys for the first time.

I received free tickets to a Mitchel Musso concert that Janie and I went to last week. If you don't know who Mitchel is, you are crazy! He of course is Hannah Montana's friend on the show. Great time!

Janie has been playing softball since May. This was her first time and she loved it. She made the all-star team and we had her game on Friday night. Lot's of fun watching these girls.

Today we went to the cottage and hooked up with my sis for the day. It was fun to see my 18mth old nephew that does not stop for a second. It is more fun to see my pregnant sister constantly following him around!

Happy Fathers Day!

2008-06-15T21:18:00.005-04:00

It was nice to spend my first day off in two weeks with the hubby and kiddos. We went to the park, had a picnic, visited some animals and then got rained out. Fortunately the afternoon cleared for some swimming and BBQ!

Happy Fathers Day to my husband and father of my fabulous kids!

End of 2nd Grade!

2008-06-12T21:04:00.002-04:00

Today was Janie's last day of 2nd grade! She ended with flying colors and is ready for 3rd grade. She met some great friends and had an amazing teacher. Here is to summer!

Half way there!

2008-05-31T21:35:00.006-04:00

I think I have been pretty consistent with all of my children when it comes to scheduling, sleeping, eating, bottles, etc...They were always on a fairly strict feeding schedule (it worked wonders!), they have always gone to bed on their own (my sanity) and I followed other orders pretty much by the book. Janie stopped the bottle right at a year and Owen and Kyle stopped as soon as they could drink out of a sippy (14 months). I do however certainly have my downfalls and the main one is the binky. Janie did not give hers up at night until 4yrs old.

My goals for the summer are #1 getting rid of binkis (the boys are now 3yrs and two months old) and #2 potty training. I am proud to say each has accomplished one. Owen has been about three weeks without the binky after losing his last and final one at Janie's softball game. Kyle is officially 7 days into potty training and has had 3 accidents, none of which have been in the last 3 days. So, so far so good. Owen continues to show no interest in the potty and Kyle will be dependent on the binky until I take it away or he loses it(we are down to 2).

Now let's see how the other half goes...

This is Kyle showing me tricks on hes skateboard, aka - xylophone

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-26T20:01:00.006-04:00

We enjoyed a weekend full of relaxation (yes, I slept 9 hours every night), swimming and fun with friends. We also dove big time into the potty training. Kyle is doing excellent and Owen won't have anything to do with it. He still has never gone on the potty! We are giving Kyle bribes (M&M's) everytime he goes. Tonight he was squeezing and saying MMMM&MMMM! Bad mommy or desperate?

Update from the Mitchells!

2008-05-23T20:00:00.007-04:00

It has been a bit since I have had time to blog so I thought I would send an update out before I hit my 20 days straight of working 12-20(yes, 20) hour days!

Owen - The cast has now been off almost 3 weeks. Owen is doing wonderful. He improves every day. He really started walking on Monday. He looks like a duck and I sometimes find myself explaining (although I shouldn't) why he is walking with a HUGE limp. I expect this for at least another month or so. Hopefully the foot will turn in again. This is not stopping him from jumping on the trampoline or climbing out of bed(the net is now back up). He is a champ and I am so proud of how we all handled this. The support we received from family and friends is so appreciated!

Kyle - Kyle, Kyle, Kyle...Ya know, he is crazy! He is almost ready to have the training wheels off of his bike, he has mastered a front flip on the tramp and he continues to test me every day. Actually, he is very sweet most of the time.

Janie - Gymnastics competition ended last weekend. She had a great season and has mastered her back handspring on floor, cartwheel on beer, front handspring on vault and kip on bars. This doesn't mean we are done for the year. We now start 4 hour a day, 3 day a week practice for the summer in preparation for next years competition (if we stay with it) which will include out of state travel.

She started softball so we now have two games a week. It is so fun for all of us. Despite the crazy schedule and games not getting over until 9pm, we have a good time and she enjoys it. Soon she will be done with school for the year and officially be a 3rd grader! Crazy!

Mike and I are both good. We feel that we have entered into a new stage of life - running kids! We are looking forward to some good time together this weekend before I depart to work for the next month.

B-day and Mothers Day

2008-05-12T21:31:00.004-04:00

My baby girl is officially 8 years old! We celebrated with family this past weekend and she will have a couple of girlfriends over for a sleepover this weekend. I am so proud to be the mommy to such a great girl!

Speaking of moms~did I ever say that I have the best mom in the entire world? Seriously I wonder sometimes how I got so lucky. I can't imagine a day without her to share my happy times and my challenges. I love being a parent with the guidance that she has given me. She is truly amazing I am so blessed to be the daughter of such a wonderful person!

This is what happens when you try to get a picture of Grammy with the three grandkids three and under! Happy Mothers Day to my hero, my mother!

The Cast is off!

2008-05-07T21:41:00.004-04:00

The cutting of the cast

Owen did get his cast off Monday and he is now the lightest thing I have ever lifted. He did well and the Dr. was happy with the progress. Of course in the X-ray, I still think the leg looks broken! Here is the outlook - he will start to move around quite a bit in a week or so. He should be walking well and living "typical" in about a month. He will walk with a limp for about 3-4 months. For now, he is pretty slow going. It is kind of similar to when we brought him home with the cast. He is sitting now and actually army crawled about 3 feet today. He is super cautious and has to gain a lot of trust in himself and his leg. No folks, he is not walking, yet! Honestly, if one more person asks me "is he running around yet", I think I may lose it! I know, it is a valid question but since he is soooo far from walking, I guess it frustrates me. I mean he broke the biggest bone in the body. If an adult did this, they would be hospitalized for 1-2 months and down for 6months. I think we are doing really well! Okay, off my soapbox!

Did I mention that he has bathed and is super clean now? His skin looks awesome and almost back to normal. He is not in pain! To top it off, he gave up the pacifier last night after we lost it at Janie's softball game. Life is good!

NO CAST!

Hey, hey, hey GOODBYE!

2008-05-04T21:01:00.004-04:00

We can only hope that our Dr.'s apt. goes well tomorrow and the cast comes off as planned. Again, I have to say that this was definitely doable. He is however beginning to stink a tiny bit. Today I actually did one less diaper change than normal because I just did not care. It he leaks a bit (and he did), so be it! If the Dr. says "two more weeks" tomorrow, I will be bummed.

Here is a pic of the small opening in the front that we have to work with. You can see how the diaper is stuffed in. We will not miss the tons of Depend pads that we have gone through (3-4 per diaper change).

I think he is ready. I think we all are!

Tag - 7 Random Facts

2008-05-02T21:27:00.005-04:00

My friend Billie, who I met through St. Joe Hospital, and has two amazing girls, tagged me to do the 7 Random Facts thingy. I am not a very interesting person so I will do my best here. The funny part is, I don't have 7 bloggers to link to and I forgot how to link!

Here are the rules:

1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post THE RULES on your blog.

3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.

4. Tag 7 people and link to them.

5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Random Facts About Me:

1. In Junior High and High School I was in choir. I think I was in choir because my dad was very musical and my sister was a great singer. I, however was very unsuccessful and should have known to stick to sports.

2. My dad was the smartest, most giving person that I have ever known. I lost him at age 61 of cancer. He has now been gone for 7 1/2 years and I miss him all the time.

3. When I went to college I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think I was just young and not ready to make decisions yet so I got a degree in communication (you can do anything with that degree correct?). My dream now is to go into social work. The challenge is that I will have a bunch of undergrad work to do plus receive my Masters to make a lot less money than I do now.

4. I love gymnastics! I love to watch it, I used to love to do it, and I love that my daughter now does it. I competed several years in my younger days and always dreamed that I could compete in college. Now I see the expense and commitment it takes and I hope I don't pressure my daughter at all.

5. I love to fish. I think it is so relaxing to sit in a boat (sometimes with a cocktail) and fish. The thrill is pretty great when you actually catch one!

6. I loved being pregnant. I loved eating what I wanted, I loved wearing maternity clothes and I even enjoyed my c-sections (I know, crazy). I wish I could do it again but it is just not realistic for me to have another child!

7. I cry very easily. I cry because I am happy more often than sad. I really cry at touching stories. I don't like people to see me cry but truly, I think I love to cry.

That's all folks! Liz, Shannon (because she has not done one yet), Greta and Amanda!

Tricks

2008-04-30T20:40:00.006-04:00

Four days and five nights and this beast of a cast in coming off (hopefully)! I honestly don't have any complaints at all about it. It may still be a bit premature to say this but the cast had been perfect. It is not rubbing, itching or hurting. He is in a good position to sit (in the wheelchair), lay and have tummy time. It doesn't even really stink. The Doc warned us that he would absolutely "hate this thing" and after two weeks, it would really stink. Well neither is true. He still thinks his cast is cozy and is not sure he wants it off. He doesn't smell like lilacs but he certainly doesn't stink. Truly, outside of the diapering, a bit of constipation, a few verbal demands and getting up in the night, I think this was a positive experience. I have learned a bit about the life of a child with a physical disability, my arms are stronger and I have known for 5 weeks where one twin is at all times!

Owen spends most of his evenings doing tricks now. He is pretty good and a great show off if you want to stop by! Here are some pics of his latest moves!

March for Babies 2008

2008-04-29T21:41:00.008-04:00

What a great day! Once again the March for Babies Walk was a HUGE success. The OK Twins Team officially raised over $1500 for this amazing cause. We had 13 walkers on our team this year. The weather was beautiful, the activities were perfect and the purpose close to my heart! I hope that through research, more and more babies will continue to be born healthy.

Thank you dear friends and family for your generous support again this year!

Cookie Monster and Clowns!

2008-04-13T11:58:00.007-04:00

What a great Saturday we had! While daddy was working and then out of town for the night, the kids and I filled our day with fun. First, Cookie Monster arrived in the morning for a visit. My assistant at work has a dear friend who owns a costume shop. They decided that they wanted to bring some cheer to our home and have a character come and visit. The kids have not stopped saying "cookie monster came to my house"

Then, after hearing that the Shrine Circus was in town, I got tickets late Friday night for the Saturday show. I convinced a few friends and my bros family to come with because I knew I could not do it alone. Despite the sore muscles I have today from carrying Owen about a mile, it was a fabulous idea and a grand time! The kids were GREAT and we even got some one-on-one time with a clown named Jo-Jo who stopped by our seats and signed Owen's cast.

I had forgotten how fun the circus is. As a child we went every year with my grandfather who was a Shriner. I have great memories of this and the little goody bags that my grandmother packed us so we wouldn't spend any money on junk!

March of Dimes

2008-04-12T21:02:00.002-04:00

We are officially two weeks out from the March of Dimes walk. We will be walking again this year with friends and family to celebrate the healthy lives of Owen and Kyle and the other children around the world that are born premature.

As I state daily, we are the lucky ones! We have crazy healthy little boys who thrive. I do realize that many others' lives are different. I have close friends who deal with severe side effects of prematurity every day. The irony is that these children would not be alive at all without the advances in medical care that March of Dimes has supported the research for. So, on April 27th, we will walk with the hope that these advances will continue and that more and more babies will be born healthy every year!

Please help us to achieve our fundraising goal of $1250. Please, please!

Inside or Outside?

2008-04-11T11:57:00.006-04:00

I suppose that it just depends on the day of the week these days. Owen has started to motor along by using his arms to pull him. For some reason he is still waking up every night 4-5 times!

We are still hanging in there - 2 full weeks down!

Happy 3rd Birthday Owen and Kyle

2008-04-05T22:09:00.005-04:00

What do you do for a 3rd birthday? I am sure for Janie we had an extravagant party that I started planning for months in advance. For the boys we booked Chuck E Cheese on Thursday for Friday. I have sworn off kid parties at my house simply because I am not creative and do not have the patience. Besides, why do it at your house when there are a million other places! I can't use Owen's accident as an excuse for not planning because it was only a week ago. Isn't there something they say about the best times are those that you don't plan? Anyway, our family, my mom, my bro and fam went to Chuck E Cheese last night. It was great! Outside of the few adults that seemed annoyed that they had to move to let our wheel chair through, I think it was perfect. Owen rode on the little cars with me and we had a grand time. Tonight, we celebrated with some gifts and cake.

I sometimes think about my life before the boys and this is what I have come up with:

Before the boys...

I thought I was sooooooo busy
I thought it was hard taking a child with me to the store
I could watch a TV show that I wanted EVERY night
I knew who Oprah was
I sat and ate entire dinners, in peace
I never knew how many things in my house could get destroyed
I thought that I could never love anything as much as Janie
I never knew how fun it is to sit at dinner and hold hand with your most precious gifts and say a prayer
I never realized what an accomplishment outings could be
I never understood how great it is to give love to 3!
I had never heard someone say "look mommy, you have two baby boys"

Love you boys and I am so proud of you!

Doing Fine

2008-04-03T21:46:00.004-04:00

We are exactly one week post surgery with Owen and we are doing just fine. Days are great! He is such a trooper. He never complains or asks why he can't walk. He ask for things, smiles and constantly tells me that I am doing a good job.

The nights this week have not been great. We started the week with 2 almost sleepless nights. Nothing would make this child happy. Truly I don't think he is in a bit of pain! I just keep imagining waking up in the night and not being able to move anything but my arms. The last few nights he has woken a few times but only needed water. I can handle this! The difference may be that we put him back on Valium before bed and a stool softener.

Our Nanny is doing amazing with him. Being pregnant, she never complains or acts like she can't handle things! We realize how fortunate we are because if he was in school or daycare, I would most likely have to take a leave from work.

Life for Now

2008-03-29T21:23:00.004-04:00

Two days home and we are making the best of it. Mike and I keep asking each other when it will get worse. Last night wasn't so great but again today Owen's disposition was wonderful. He wants to still do what his brother is doing but he just says "Mommy, can you push me there because I can't walk?" It is a little hard to get discouraged with him being so positive. He does not like it when I change his diaper or lift him but first this morning as I was carrying him downstairs he said "Mommy, I'm okay". Then as I was changing his diaper he said "Mommy, you doing a good job". Kids are just amazing!

He finally pooped tonight and got his first sponge bath. He has not been eating great so he hasn't gotten may treats but his brother finds a way to slip him a lick!

Owen

2008-03-27T14:14:00.006-04:00

Some things you just don't plan on and this happens to be one of those things! We had to take Owen to the ER on Wednesday night after he and his sister tripped on one another and then Janie landed on top of him. After his leg began to swell, I decided that it needed to be looked at. The x-rays showed it clearly snapped in half on a beautiful angle! We ambulanced to U of M hospital, spent the night in ER and went into surgery at 8am. My angel did well and is now in a full Spica cast and will be for the next 6 weeks or so. This cast goes up to the breast bone, down the abdomen, over the hips and down the full right leg and part of the left. He can move his upper trunk, and his left leg from the knee down. He has a small opening to stuff a baby diaper in but it can not be fastened. Keeping this cast clean will be challenging! The bummer is that if we have to recast, we have to go back through the OR.

We pushed to come home last night so that we all could get some sleep. Our hospital room was a quad so we shared with 3 other families. If we don't get a major respiratory infection now, I will be surprised!

Owen seems to be doing pretty well. He isn't begging to walk or jump around. This of course may change in a few weeks. We have no choice but to do this so we may as well make the best of it! Of course on the forefront of my mind through this are my friends who have children with special needs. I thought I had a good grip on what their lives are like but truly, I had no idea. I can deal with this because it is temporary. They deal with physical disabilities every single day of their lives! I have the utmost respect for you Billie and Shannon!

Vacation and no computer!

2008-03-26T11:14:00.004-04:00

Mike and I slipped away for a few days to Florida so that I could check one of my life goals off of my list. This is a silly goal but I really wanted to see Tony Bennett in concert before he dies. You know, he is in his mid 80s! He was truly amazing! So we used this as an excuse to take a 3 day trip alone to Florida! It was wonderful. Beautiful weather, great food and most importantly QT with my hubby! Janie had a rough time (missing us) so that weighed me down a bit but I got over it quickly!

Now back to reality. I am very lost at home because our internet service is having trouble. Actually, it is the computer! I may need a new computer and a new window fairly soon!

Spring is almost here!

2008-03-15T22:36:00.009-04:00

Fortunately we have finally had some time outside in the past few days! The kids are now asking as soon as they get up if we can go outside(a bit overkill). On Friday we built castles with the remaining little snow, we rode bikes and we puddle jumped. Yes, puddle jumped! Certainly my mother would have never allowed this and my inital thought was "don't get in the water". Then it came to me - I could be a cool mom today and really let the kids roll with this. They had their boots on and baths were in the near future so why not? I had a serious conversation with them first, explaining that this is not something that we do everytime we are outside. As if they were really listening. So the 15 minutes of puddle jumping was incredible and well worth the extra load of laundry!

A Girlie Game

2008-02-29T22:18:00.006-05:00

Since we are nearing the end of winter and going absolutely stir crazy, we have resorted to any new and fun activities. It was Janie's idea the other night to play "dress up" with the boys. Out came the princess stuff, the wigs, the shoes...You get the idea! I am thinking these pictures may appear again some day!

A Little Fresh Air

2008-02-27T20:28:00.004-05:00

We actually got outside to play on Sunday! The temperatures certainly weren't "warm" but it was better than usual.

So now we are back indoors and sick. It really hasn't been too bad but we have spent the last couple of nights cleaning up puke in the middle of the night. Mike cleaned up the first night. Last night I heard Kyle at 1:30a saying "mama, I throw up in my bed" I went running in and in my sleepy state could not see any puke. I went to run for some water. When I returned, Kyle was saying "See mama, see. Yah, yah, see, I throw up right there!" It was the cutest throw up I have ever seen! The boys don't have fevers but they aren't eating. Their demeanor is good so who knows. Anyway, we will get through it and so far so good with the breathing!

Inside Stuff

2008-02-18T17:25:00.003-05:00

I guess tis the season to be inside! With bone chilling temps, we are pretty much trapped indoors. There can only be so much TV and so many puzzles and books. The boys are now into cooking dinner and helping with dishes. Of course this requires me to let down my guard about the mess!

Anyway, we are making the best of it and also realizing that we will be in Florida one month from now!

My Little Gymnast

2008-02-12T20:27:00.001-05:00

We are well into our competition year of gymnastics. This year is very challenging as we have moved up three levels (I say we because I am paying the bills and doing the transporting). Janie is doing very well. I see her constantly putting her best effort forward. It is requires you to be very disciplined and hard working. I am thinking this may be what she needs to stay in a good place.

This past weekend she proudly won the handstand competition that they hold after the meet. It is a good thing because I have not watched TV without a handstand in the way in months!

More SNOW

2008-02-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

Although we didn't get what they called for, it was enough to get outside and enjoy a bit of February in Michigan. I only have pics of the boys because Janie was at gymnastics during all of this fun!

Note: We have scarves on this time so we shouldn't get sick! Right Billie?

In the dark and cold

2008-01-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

It is really great having a babysitter come to your house daily except when you can't be at your house. I woke up several times last night thinking that I was in a trailer that was going to blow away. I actually woke up once and thought "I'm surprised that the power has not gone out". I woke up again and it had gone out! By the way, I am not a fan of cold, dark and silent houses! I spent the next several hours thinking about what I was going to do with the kids and how I was going to get to work. Fortunately, it all worked. Krissy, our babysitter, was amazing and came and picked up the boys and took them back to her house for the day. My dear friend Theresa was ready to take us in for the night tonight but instead, the power came back on. Theresa stopped by the house today and it was back on!

We have not lost power since the boys were 2mths old. This was a really crazy time because I had stopped breast feeding and was wheening off of the pump. The boys did one middle of the night feeding and their bottles had to be warm. We were so SOL when they woke up. Some how by the grace of God, the boys latched on again (after a month off the boob) and it was a good thing because I was going to explode! Funny to me now.

I got home from work early today, took a shower in peace, started laundry and dinner all before Krissy dropped the boys off! That was pleasant and very necessary since I did not shower today.

So I have definitely realized that I LOVE ELECTRICITY!

The Ups and Downs

2008-01-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

For some reason the last week has been extra difficult. I am not sure if it is the dreary cold weather of just the fact that the boys are extra high maintenance right now. I have nothing to be bummed about - my job is good, my husband is great and the kids are healthy. I think more than anything it is that I am constantly questioning my parenting skills. Janie is smart as a whip but sassy as ever. I heard that she was talking to a friend about french kissing the other day! Yes, 2nd grade! The boys are just hard. Again, I don't want to complain because they are healthy but it is challenging. Every day when I come home from work, they spend the first hour crying and begging for stuff. They then spend a good amount of time in time out.

Today was a prime example of how our days go now. Mike was at work all day. I hate feeling constantly trapped in the house so I decided to take them to an open house that was going on at the pre-school I hope they will get into (I say hope after today). After we arrived I was talking to the director. The boys were about 3 feet away. Immediately I notice Kyle trying to eat a cookie out of this cookie arrangement on the table. After telling him no, I began my conversation again. Next, I notice him jumping up and down on the couch in his wet boots! After that we toured the school and then grabbed some snacks. Kyle proceed to have an absolute tantrum (the kind where everyone is looking at you) because I would not let him hold his own glass of red punch. He was so angry that he went to the fireplace screen and shoved it into the fire place. I decide it was time to go. The challenge - when they fight me, the boys are too strong for me to handle them both on my own. We finally got out of there and into the car and I cried the whole way home! I feel like I have no control over their behavior right now and it is so frustrating. The laws are really going to be laid down at the Mitchell house.

The good news - I booked a quick trip to Florida for the hubby and me today. This is something that came to me last week when I was looking for Tony Bennett concert tickets. He is someone that I wish to see before he dies. He is only holding 2 concerts in 2008 (that have been scheduled) so I decided to look into it. I am able to use frequent flyer miles for my ticket and my sis got us free hotel rooms with her Marriott points. Yippee, we are off in March for 3 days of warmth and refresh!

Got Spaghetti?

2008-01-07T20:52:00.001-05:00

I always know that the kids are going to eat well when we serve spaghetti!

Christmas 2007

2008-01-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

I am not sure that I have done a really good job of making my 2 year olds understand the real meaning of Christmas. They are still asking every day "more presents?". I even tried to take them to Christmas Eve service at the church where I grew up. It was a complete disaster as they talk throughout the fairly quiet service. Before we decided to depart early, they enjoyed signing "happy birthday" during "The First Noel" Oh well, I just laughed as there was not much I could do.

The rest of our holiday was a great time filled with family, tons of food and quality time. We did pass some sickness between the extended family but everyone seems to be over it now. We had added fun this year with my siblings' children. More children just adds to the spirit of things. We also had the bonus of seeing some of my best girlfriends and their children for a brief and rare visit.

We went up to my mom's on Christmas eve and stayed a few days. This was our first Christmas there in 5 years. Still, there is nothing like going home to where all the memories still remain.

New year post to come...

SNOW

2007-12-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

While up at my mom's this weekend, we got dumped on with snow. The snow I remember as a child. The snow that is big enough on the side of the drive way to actually sled down it or build forts. My kids had a great time! Fortunately, it was not bitter cold so we played and played!

Now the boys are both sick with fever, wheezing and the occasional vomit! Go figure...

A Great Family Outing

2007-12-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

It is so easy to run up to the corner and grab a Christmas Tree. Well, it may not be easy but it is easier then finding a place to cut one down and then actually doing it.

I wanted to do the "traditional" cut down this year to give the kids a fantastic experience. It was everything I could have even dreamed it would be! When we arrived they took us out to the trees on a wagon (barrels of hay for seats)! The kids ran around in the snowing while Owen kept saying "Mommy,I love all the trees". They watched in awe as Daddy took the big saw and cut it down. We ended the time with a wagon ride back and donuts! What a childs' dream (or a mommys').

The Famous Christmas Letter

2007-12-07T22:53:00.000-05:00

Every year I listen to others' comments about standard (the one that you write once, copy and send out to everyone) christmas letters. Most comments offered are not positive - it's laughable, it isn't personal, it's so "the Jones". You know what - I do it and I am proud of it. Personally, I prefer not to receive a Christmas card if it doesn't have a written message, a picture or a letter. Anyone can buy cards and throw an address and a stamp on them. I want an update, a photo, a sign of some love. Is this so wrong?

This year Janie wrote our Christmas letter. Am I training her early or just letting her express herself through writing. Whatever the case, it was not easy to let gp but she did a great job and I am proud of her!

Happy writing!

A Happy Thanksgiving

2007-12-04T19:15:00.000-05:00

This is a time of year to think about all of the amazing things in our lives. Although I try to remain positive most of the time, there are those days where I am not. Actually, they are more like hours. Usually, I can pull myself out of the anxiety and overwhelming chaos by thinking of my healthy, funny and beautiful child. I am able to get over the money woes by reflecting on my incredible husband. I am able to get past most all obstacles by looking at my big life picture. And that is this~ I have an amazing family. I love spending time with them and they make me laugh and smile constantly! I have the best friends that anyone could dream of having. I have old ones and new ones and I learn from them, laugh and cry with them. I have job that I look forward to going to every single day (okay most days). I have a husband who truly loves me and our children. I have children! I have healthy, crazy, loving children! Finally, I feel that I was raised with all of the right things. I have been taught how to appreciate, how to give, how to be kind, how to be a friend and parent and wife. I have been taught how to be thankful!

NICU Fashion Show

2007-11-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday our family was part of the NICU Fashion show - "Something to be Thankful for". This is the biggest fundraiser that the Family Advisory board does every year. I am proud to say that it was once again a success! Actually, it was pretty amazing. The group of volunteers that puts this on are amazing people that I now call friends. Everyone worked so hard to make this happen. We had a huge silent auction, great food and a good attendance. One of our members, Billie, put together some great and touching slide shows as well as a very "true life" speech.

I am proud to be part of this group and still amazed that we pulled it off.

Happy Halloween

2007-11-01T21:25:00.000-04:00

A great day it was...

There is nothing like the excitement of two 2 1/2 year olds running down from a house screaming "I got candy". The boys thought the entire night was awesome! They said trick or treat and thank you at every house and consumed more candy in one night than they have in their entire life thus far. What fun!

No I am really looking forward to Santa coming...

Some updates

2007-10-14T21:11:00.000-04:00

Life is busy and therefore my computer time is spent checking e-mails instead of blogging. Let me start with the latest...

Yesterday the fam went to Huckleberry Railroad and had a great time! It was all decorated for Halloween and for a steep price we went on a train ride and trick-o-treated. The kids all loved it!

A week ago I returned from a fantastic trip to San Diego with my girlfriends. These are my best girlfriends from high school. We do this trip annually to some random location. It of course is always hard to find a date and make the arrangements but once we are there, there is nothing like it. The conversations are irreplacable and the laughter and tear flow easily. I return refreshed and excited that I still have these great people in my life! I would love to post a picture but I did not bring my camera so I am still waiting on them from a friend. More later.

A few weeks ago we took the kids to the CMU homecoming game. This was the boys first football game and they did great! We actually made it through the game and completely missed naptime (1st time EVER!)

One last thing - If you are reading this, link to my friend Billies' blog and read her writing on "Perspective". It is a good reality check for all of us.

More soon, I hope!

7 and 2 1/2

2007-09-21T21:10:00.000-04:00

There were many times this week that I questioned my ability as a parent. I am not sure if I have little patience or if this is something that many go through. I am going to go with both!

I will start with the positive - Janie has been amazing! She is in such a good stage. She is an incredible help, comes in the door from school and does her homework and for some reason has cut out the whining. I am loving it and I often wonder how I would do it without her. She is patient and rarely makes me feel guilty for all that I ask of her with the little time I give her. She even came to me the other night and ask me if there was any laundry to fold. Seriously? Actually, I think she was in it for allowance but hey, I'll take it! She started ice skating last week and is loving it. I am loving 7 years old!

The boys on the other hand are out of control. I will say out loud that I will never (well try not to) critique others' parenting skills again. We are definitely in a "no" means "yes" stage. Just the other day I let Owen out of the stroller in that mall so that I could have his foot measured. He proceed immediately to pick up a jewelry box and throw it on the floor. After I told him no, he walked over to the circular rack and starting throwing all of the head bands and barrettes off of it. Seriously, I have no control. You can tell by the pics above that they are STINKERS!

Thank God there are cute! Thank God they go to bed at 8p and sleep through the night! Thank God there is wine!

A Great Reunion

2007-08-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

Our friend Ben

Our friend Eden

Last weekend we participated in the annual NICU reunion at the hospital where the boys were born. Fortunately my mom was able to be here to bring the kids down to this amazing event. Since I am on the Family Advisory Board for the NICU, I worked at the event for the entire day. It was music to my heart seeing all of the little ones enjoying games, food, music by our rock star friend John, and great times. The best part of course was seeing all of the amazing Docs and nurses who help our children survive in their most fragile times.

And so it was 7 years ago

2007-08-16T22:22:00.000-04:00

As my daughter had just turned 3 months old, she had to say goodbye to her maternal grandfather. We had not planned this child so early in our marriage but I truly believe that she was a symbol of the circle of life. She arrived to us in time so that my father, whose life was cut short by the cancer demons, was able to meet his first grandchild. The 3 months with the two of them seemed short. We lived in Phoenix and he lived in Michigan. He made it to her birth and was able to hold her at several later dates. In his weakened state, he fed her a bottle and played to her on the piano. A love that only a grandparent knows.

I would give many things to be able to sit and have a conversation about life with him now, receive one of his tight hugs or listen to his heavenly fingers strike the piano. None of this however would mean as much as it would to see him with all of his 5 grandchildren.

He was a man of courage, passion and pure love. He loved my mother and his children without effort. He loved friends and strangers. He gave all he had to anyone who needed it. He taught me life lessons that I can only now appreciate now as a parent.

I wish I could rewind back seven years to tell him a few more things. I wish I could share my children's' everyday milestones with him. I wish I could hug him, kiss him and hold his hand. I wish he knew our entire family, his son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 4 more precious grandchildren.

Dad, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish you were here!

Owen

Kyle

Joey

Abby

Potty Training 101

2007-08-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

The question is - do I really want to do this? I know it is not about me or convenience, but really? After playing for a bit at the park this afternoon, I watched what looked like a 3 year girl pull her pants and underwear off at the foot of the slide and stick it out like she was a boy aiming for Cheerios. Really, she stood right there and peed all over her clothes. Then she took her shoes off, emptied them out and continued to play. When the mother realized what had just happened (because my kids were shouting oooh, pee, pee mama!), she was devastated. All that would come out of my mouth was "It happens to the best of us. Look at it this way, you don't have to run home to go to the bathroom" Not sure if that was good or not.

Kyle is doing pretty well with potty training. He went in his pull-up three times today and once was during his nap. He occasionally asks to go but will most often go if you ask him. He thinks it is so cool to watch himself and I think he is so cute in his training pants. Of course Owen, who has zero interest in the potty, must where the training pants, also but over his diaper!