Monday, April 30, 2012

I Forgot

I totally forgot to write a blog post last night.  I usually do it on Sunday nights and it never crossed my mind last night.  I was all set to watch the Amazing Race and the season finale of the Good Wife (which we have discovered in the last couple months is a great show) and I forgot!

Let me flip the calendar back to April and see what we did last week.  Not much compared to the couple weeks before this!  Tuesday the kids had gymnastics.  Lindy seemed to be listening a bit better.  Maybe?  Wednesday was music class and the kids had to bring a stuffed animal.  Of course they chose Spot (Will) and Mr. Quackers (Lindy).  Thursday evening Drew took them to choir practice at church.  Friday afternoon we headed out to the Children’s Home with Katie, Micah, and Claire.  We were going to get some strawberries but they were closed.  Instead we played with the farm animals. 

Friday evening we had a babysitter, Jennifer, come watch the kids while Drew and I went to a chopped birthday party for our friend Duncan.  You know the show Chopped on tv?  When we RSVPed to the party we had to send in four ingredients.  Then Meredith sent us back four ingredients and told us whether to make an appetizer, entrée, or dessert.  We had to make an entrée that included chicken, brown sugar, pomegranate, and rice.  That evening we tried all the food and then gave ratings based on creativity, taste, and presentation.  We didn’t win.  Oh well.  I couldn’t find pomegranates (they aren’t in season) so we went with pomegranate juice.  It was a fun party and definitely something different!

Saturday afternoon we ventured out to the Earth Fair but it was a little chilly and the kids (and myself, ha!) weren’t really into the exhibits.  I love the Earth and recycling but I’m not into putting solar panels on my house right now!  We checked it out and headed home.  We then got ready and headed to the Relay for Life that our church takes part in.  We spent a couple hours out there with a huge group from our church.   It was a fun atmosphere and the kids had a blast playing around.  We finally headed home for baths and bedtime.

Sunday was a regular church day but we did have a lot of fun playing in the backyard after the kids’ nap.  We had a kickball game and we played soccer.  Drew and I had fun, as well as the kids.  

So that was last week.  Here is the week in pictures.

I had her hair so cute this day.  I had two braids on each side leading back to one big ponytail.  She ripped one of the braids out before we even pulled out of the driveway to go to school.  Mommy was not happy!DSC_2720Modeling the San Francisco shirts we got them while on vacation. DSC_2734Feeding the goats.IMG_0796IMG_0800Petting the horses.IMG_0805IMG_0806Will loves drawing mazes these days.DSC_2736Playing at the Relay for LifeDSC_2737Playing catch – maybe for the first time ever with a real ball and glove.DSC_2741Go Martha Go!DSC_2742Lindy was busting a move!DSC_2743Lindy decided Pat was sick and she gave her a very thorough examination.  She just happened to be carrying a flashlight in her purse!  DSC_2745Will worked and worked at the hula hoop and was actually doing it a little by the time we left.  DSC_2746Church clothes on Sunday.DSC_2750DSC_2758DSC_2763This is when I told them NOT to smile.  Impossible!DSC_2764

Sunday, April 22, 2012

March of Dimes 2012

On Saturday we marched for babies with the March of Dimes in our local walk.  Last year we were so sad to have the walk cancelled because of thunderstorms but this year we had the most gorgeous day to walk!  There had been some threat of rain so I was thinking it would at least be cloudy.  We ended up with the best blue skies and it turned out hot! 

As well as walk and fundraise, I help plan the entire walk day activities.  I’m the chairman of the committee actually.  We have been planning this walk since January and I think it was the best one I’ve ever walked in.  I really think all of our meetings really paid off.  We had great performances before the walk, a great walk, and then great performances after the walk.  I think my favorites things were the zumba warm-up and we had African drummers welcoming people as they came back into the walk.  They were awesome!  We had some characters who made appearances and were big hits with our kids.  DJ Lance Rock, Captain Jack Sparrow and our local baseball mascot, Bolt, were all there.  Lindy talked  to all of them.  She was shocked to see DJ Lance Rock and she told the pirate that she was a pirate on Halloween.  Will got his picture taken with DJ Lance Rock but didn’t want to with the pirate and Bolt.

Once again our team did an awesome job raising money for the March of Dimes.  As of right now, we’ve raised $5305!   Awesomeness!  I do know of more money coming in as well though.  I believe I (well, Drew and I) was the top fundraising person with over $4000.  We did get beat this year on the top team though.  We came in 2nd.  It’s hard to be too upset though.  We still raised a bunch of money and I’m really happy with that!  Another fun and surprising award I got was a new volunteer extraordinaire award for my hard work in planning the walk.  I have worked really hard but I enjoy it!

We appreciate everyone who donated money to us and we appreciate those who joined our team and walked with us.  We had the old standbys, Bob (Suzette was sick), Lynn, Ed and Jamie, and then we had some new folks walk with us.  We had some folks from our new church and then some new friends we’ve made in the past year.  It was lots of fun having everyone there with us, helping save babies!! 

We are thankful for the March of Dimes and the lifesaving medicines they supported that did in fact save Lindy and Will’s lives.  Had Adam have had more amniotic fluid in the womb, it could have saved his life.  Unfortunately his lungs could not develop without amniotic fluid.  Therefore we support an organization that tries to prevent prematurity and infant mortality.   We walked for our miracle preemies and their brother, Adam, who we miss dearly.

Our first time having the walk at Corpening Plaza in downtown WS.  It was a perfect and beautiful day!dsc_2714-1A couple of March of Dimes miracles.DSC_2637Heavenly Hands, a group from our church, performing.DSC_2641The Million Dollar Babies Team.  From left to right, Sierra, Dana, Missy, Lynn, Bob, Jessica, Maggie, Me, Drew, Jeff, Lindy, Will, Martha, Linda, Jamie, Ed, Leigh, Paige, Connor and Natalie. And we were actually missing one other family.DSC_2645DSC_2647Katie and I.  Katie became a traitor on me last year and joined Kris’ work team.  She is on the committee with me and did so much to help this year!DSC_2650The Bryant family and our friend Ryan.DSC_2653The Miracles Board.  I somehow missed a picture of the angel board.DSC_2655DSC_2656Marching for Babies!DSC_2658Leigh and her crew.  She brought her 3 kids by herself.  Impressive!DSC_2662Finally found my friend Robin, her sister and her 7 month old triplets!  DSC_2667The blow pop crew!DSC_2668DSC_2670Putting Jeff to work.DSC_2671The African drummers on the way back.DSC_2675DJ Lance Rock was rocking out!DSC_2677DJ Lance, DJ Lance, DJ Lance Rocks!DSC_2684A group of misfits.  Ed, Kris, Ryan, and Drew.DSC_2686DSC_2689Jamie and LynnDSC_2691Bolt from the Winston-Salem DashDSC_2693This cracks me up!DSC_2695Lindy and a real pirate :) DSC_2696Look at those sweet chunks of baby!  She carried them to like 34 weeks!  DSC_2698Our family with Leigh and kids.  The kids go to gymnastics with Paige, her middle child.  I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her this year!DSC_2701Lisa and I – old friends from high school.  We’re missing Wendy in our yearly picture!DSC_2703

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy Week After Vacation

I knew coming back from vacation that this week was going to be busy but I didn’t realize how busy it was going to be. 

We got back late last Saturday night.  Sunday afternoon I headed to a baby shower at our old church for my friend Courtney.  Funny story about Courtney, she was my CNA in the hospital when I was pregnant with the kids.  One time I was only there overnight but the second time I was there two weeks.  She was awesome.  She washed my hair for me, in my bed, when they wouldn’t even let me out to shower.  I will forever be indebted to her for washing my hair!  The coincidental thing is that she was dating a guy who had grown up in our church.  Small world!  Now she is pregnant with a little boy and due in May. 

I came home and got the kids dressed and we headed right back out to our old church for a funeral visitation.  One of our favorite people from our old church, Lojean, died suddenly of a heart attack while we were in SF.  Lojean is the mother (and mother-in-law) of our   closest friends from our old church, Mike and Janice.  Janice is our favorite and the best babysitter.  Mike and Janice adopted us while we were at our old church and therefore they became the kids’ Stokes County grandparents.  Lojean was a special lady and we can’t believe she is gone.  Lojean had blueberry bushes and we have spent many a morning in the summer picking blueberries at her house.  It’s been fun taking the kids the last few years to her house to pick blueberries.  We will miss Lojean.

Monday I had a March of Dimes meeting and Drew went to Lojean’s funeral.  We put the kids in lunch bunch (they can stay until 1pm at school and eat lunch) for the first time and Drew picked them up and took them to Lindy’s doctor’s appointment with the orthopedist to check out her cerebral palsy.  Her doctor usually only sees her yearly because she has always done so well.  I was a tad bit more nervous about this appointment because of the fact that she has gotten tighter in her left ankle since last fall.   I prepped Drew and Lindy on what would happen.  I knew she had to get a hip x-ray and I know she threw up on me last year (the room looks a lot like the room where she gets her kidney testing done).  We practiced and pretended we were getting x-rays on our couch at home.  I kept telling her it didn’t hurt, she was just getting a picture taken.  Drew said she cried, but didn’t throw up.  Dr. Kat said she still looked good.  Jill, our PT, had given her a report and thought we were treating her well.   I was worried we were heading in the direction of botox shots in her ankle but we aren’t there yet.  Not really close either.  She mentioned it to Drew but just in passing and still only wants to see her yearly!  Yay.  I’m glad the appointment went well.

Tuesday was bank day for the March for Babies walk so Will and I dropped off Lindy and then headed to the office to help collect money.   We picked Lindy up and headed to gymnastics class as usual.  Wednesday was a little more normal day as the kids had school and music class.

Thursday Lindy had field day with all the hearing impaired and visually impaired kids in our county.  In fact they invite the whole state and they did have schools show up from a few hours away.  Will and I dropped off Lindy and ran some errands for the MOD and then we headed to the Wake Forest football field where they were having field day.  We met Drew and found Lindy.  They had all kinds of games set up on the field for the kids to play.  We stayed with her hearing impaired class for most of the morning until most of her friends had to leave on the bus.  We went down to the visually impaired side and saw her vision teacher and talked with some people we know.  Families were invited so Will got to join in with her class and he thought that was fun.  It was a beautiful morning for field day.  Thursday evening the kids had choir practice at church.

Friday morning I dropped the kids off and headed to the March of Dimes office.  We were busy all week getting ready for the walk on Sat. (the 21st).  I had to leave after a little while because it was the Spring Fling at the kids’ school.  I met Drew and we split up and went with the kids.  They had three stations for the kids to play at and they rotated them through.  I went with Lindy first to see Ms. Cottontale and her bunnies.  She had rabbits, dressed up in clothes!, and let the kids pet them.  Drew went with Will to the hula hooping station in the gym.  I went with Lindy next to the music room where they sang 4 songs for the parents.  I left there and met Will and Drew out in the front lawn where Will’s class was looking at all the bunnies.  Drew headed to hula hooping with Lindy and then I went to music with Will again.  I never saw any hula hooping games and Drew never saw any singing.  I did record them so Drew can watch them.  The parents really just sat and watched but it was fun to see them having fun.  After the activities, the entire school was invited to a big picnic on the playground.  We all brought lunches and we ate and let the kids play.  Drew took the kids home with him and I headed back to the MOD office and finished helping get everything ready and get the truck loaded up with all the supplies for the walk.

That was just mine and the kids’ schedule this week.  Drew had a bunch of stuff going on as well, including a lot of hospital visits and unfortunately a funeral this evening. 

What a week to have to come back to after our vacation.  Drew and I have been exhausted all week.  Although SF was awesome, it wasn’t a relaxing on-the-beach type of vacation.  We came home tired and we have had no chance to recover!  Hopefully this week will be much slower and calmer!

Cute Easter outfit Miss Priss got.DSC_2459Miss Priss getting ready to play football.DSC_2456DSC_2463DSC_2465When I left for SF I had a little girl.  I came home to a truck driver with a foul mouth.  Just kidding on the foul mouth.  Mimo got this hat for Will and apparently Lindy took it over and Mimo had to buy Will another one.  She has worn it all week long.DSC_2470One of the presents we got the kids in SF.  Everyone out there was wearing these hats!  They were so cute I couldn’t pass them by.  DSC_2484Gangster owl?DSC_2483Cute owls!DSC_2489DSC_2491I also got Lindy this Hello Kitty hat because people were wearing these kind of hats too.  They had all kinds of animals.  She hates this hat and this is the one and only time it’s been on her head.  Who knows why!DSC_2493HI/VI Field DayDSC_25003 legged race DSC_2512They played a lot with the big parachutes.  They are always a big hit.DSC_2545DSC_2533Tug of rope.  It was Drew (and kids) against Ms. Asbury (and kids)!DSC_2550DSC_2555DSC_2558The Deacon was there.  Will wasn’t real sure at first.DSC_2565Warming up a bit.DSC_2572But then at one point it was the Deac, Lindy, and Will under a parachute (and me taking pictures!) and they were all over him!DSC_2582DSC_2584Lindy loves her much too large field day shirt – and had to add the hat.DSC_2598Spring Fling at her other preschool.  She took the ‘touching the bunny with two fingers’ rule very seriously.DSC_2604A bunny riding in a bunny baby carriage.  Ridiculous!DSC_2609DSC_2612I’m thinking about opening a bunny clothes shop.  Who knew people dressed up bunnies?  DSC_2615Lindy’s friends and the class next door singing.DSC_2621DSC_2623DSC_2624Will petting the big, furry rabbit.DSC_2626Will’s friends and the class next door.  Check out the height difference.  It’s the main reason he is not going to kindergarten next year.  The boy needs some time to grow taller!DSC_2628DSC_2630DSC_2633