Self determined, Strong Willed Drama Queen

Yes, that is my Casey who is 13. Always has been. This story is totally her and shows what a strong willed, Drama Queen she is.

Sunday she came to me saying she had a headache. No, she came to me, dropped to the floor and whines "Mom, My head hurts SOOOOO bad! HELP ME!"

Me, knowing who she is, handed her some Advil and sent her to her room.

A few minutes later she calls me from her cell phone. Yes, I am right down stairs and she call me.
"I feel like I am going to throw up. Can you bring me a bowl?"

I do so. She whines "I don't know what to do! HELP ME MOM"
I tell her to take a nap, shut the TV off and sleep in silence. She says that won't work. UMMM.....OK you just asked me to help you! She over dramatizes EVERYTHING! I swear the next Academy Award for best Drama Actress should be hers.

My friend shows up. We are in the driveway hanging out. She calls me again. "I think I am going to throw up" I told her I would be there in a minute. I didn't rush. I know awful of me. But this is the story of my life with her. She calls again, I go upstairs. Yes, I feel bad because she starts to throw up. Poor girl. I get her settled and laying down. Meanwhile she is still whining "HELP ME!"

I had to tell her that she probably will miss going to her indoor soccer game. She jumps up and says she now feels better. Hmm....you just puked. How are you going to run around for an hour?

"Mom, can I pleeeeeaaaaase wait until 6:00 and see how I feel? The game is at 7:00"

I head to the grocery store where she calls me yet again. She has no idea I had left.

"Mom, come up her please I think I am going to..." BLAHHHH SHE STARTS PUKING ON THE PHONE, Gross.

I get home. She says "I feel better, I want to go to the game."

She ends up eating dinner. Steak, rice and asparagus! She gets dressed and goes to her game! She is fine!
Yes, My child who was crumbled on the floor with a headache and puking twice, got up and played a soccer game.

I met Karla! A fellow May Mommy!

Today was an exciting day for me. I met my friend Karla for a playdate. We have been on Babycenter board together, and now a private board, for 2 or so years. Our little ones are both May 2006 babies. It is amazing how close you can become with these ladies.

We live about an hour away from each other. We finally realized our schedules worked to meet up this week, seeing she is a teacher and she is on vacation. It was so much fun!

I am using some of her pictures too, hers came out better!

Here we all are! Karla, Me, Katie, Tommy and Devin

The kids playing, Devin being cool with his glasses upside down!

This one cracks me up, even though it doesn't look like much. Devin got scolded by Mommy, so he ran to my lap! He had just met me!

LUNCH!
The boys and I. I look kinda weird. But I love the boys with me. I think Devin liked me!

I am excited for our new friendship. I know we will definatly meet again.!

On the Hubby's Shit list.....

I don't know how I did it. Was it the stress of the holiday? Was it the stress of a sick asthmatic kid all week? I don't know, but I have done it. He is mad.

It all started with the handsome UPS man coming to my door. He comes at least twice a week. He is a tall handsome gray haired man. OK...this isn't about the UPS man......

This time it was just a small envelope he left, not a package. Yes, it was addressed to my husband, but hey...."what's mine is mine and what's his is mine!" Right?

I opened it. It looked like a credit card advertisement. The kind you get in the mail all the time. The kind you just toss. Well, I thought it was odd that it came UPS. BUT, Verizon sends us stuff all the time via UPS trying to get our business back. (it isn't working, you can stop now!) I tossed it in the trash. No, I ripped the plastic card off, tossed it in trash and tossed the paper in recycle, like a good girl.

I never thought anymore about. UNTIL.......last night.

You see, Chris was all ready in a bad mood. He was doing bills. When he does these, I usually-
A: Pretend I am tired and go to bed. Even if it is 8:00.
B: Kiss his ass and give him anything he wants (yes anything!)
C: Disappear and pretend I have errands to run

This time I did option "C". But for some reason, he dragged bill paying on ALL DAY! He came down the stairs and said "Where is that UPS envelope that was sitting on the radio?"

OH SHIT........I tossed it.

Oh boy was he mad. We were just sitting down to dinner. We had Sami's new boyfriend over for the first time. Not a good first impression. He started tearing through the recycle. Then gave up. We ate, he was pleasant. I went and tore through the recycle in hopes of finding it. In hopes I wasn't the good "recycling girl" and tossed it in all together.

No such luck......I found the UPS envelope and the torn up up info.....no card.........

Christmas- part 2

I will try to finish my Christmas up in this post. I really can't try to drag it out.....
Christmas afternoon we went to my Mom's. She lives about 20 minutes from us.
There were so many kids. I am 1 of 4 siblings. Between us all we have 13 grandkids! Then add wives, husbands, uncles and aunts. My poor mother. What a house full!
The kids had fun opening gifts. Although Katie took forever. She almast seemed scared to open them. She kept saying "I NOT READY YET!" When she did, she had fun!

Teenagers love taking pictures themselves. They wouldn't dare ask the other 20 people around to help take it!
So I tried with Casey
Chris and Katie stayed put by the Spinach Dip. It went fast....now I see why!
Saturday we went to my Dad's. It was all of us again, minus 2 nephews and a add a smaller house.
Here is a shot of the living Room.
Tommy was SUPER, I mean SUPER excited to get this years Hess Truck. My dad has gotten one for him (and one for my husband so they can play together) for the past 4 years.

Katie loves her new baby Auntie gave her. For some strange reason she is afraid of my brother.
He tries so hard to get her to warm up to her, it doesn't work though. She would show my sister the baby, not Uncle Mike. If you notice she is showing my sister, not my brother.
Sami and my dad have a special bond. They have the same birthday. There is something between the 2 of them that no one else has. It is nice. Here they are. It isn't a good picture, but I deleted the good one by accident! UGH!!!!!

OK...I think that is it! Enjoy!

Christmas- part 1

Christmas Eve Tommy and Casey went to sprinke magic reindeer food. The lady at the grocery store gave it to them! So nice!
Christmas morning was fun and crazy with 4 kids. This year I think Katie "got it".
She woke up and asked for presents!
Katie was the first one up. She loved her Disney Nursery and shopping cart.

I think her favorite was the Eve (from Wall-E) figure she got.

Tommy loved his Speed Racer helmet and steering wheel!

So did Grampy!

One of the big hits was the "Hungry Hippo" game. I remember having it when I was a kid!
Sam loved her Coach Bag Santa brought!
Casey was not a willing participant of pictures. She said she just woke up....whatever! This is why I have only the game picture of her! She did love her new snowbaord and boots though. Amongst the many other things she got!

My week.

It has been so crazy! Funerals, Doctors and Holidays. You will see why I haven't posted much. Here is the mini explaination.....later I will post the Christmas pics.

Monday we had to attend a funeral for Chris's cousin, 2 hours away. Adam tragically passed away in a car accident last week. He was only 27. It was so terribly sad. It was the saddest funeral I have been to. His 90 year old grandmother got up to speak about him. Granny has lived on the same property, different house, his whole life. How sad to out live your grandchild. My heart breaks for Auntie Pam and Uncle Rob. They were so close. Their other son lives across the country. =(

Tuesday- You all know we were at the allergist at Children's Hospital. This is the update on that, in case you missed it. He is still hacking away and even had an asthma attack Christmas Eve night. While trying to get him settled, He kept telling me to leave so Santa could come. Maybe he didn't care that he couldn't breathe and was vomiting? He just wanted to make sure Santa stopped at our house!

Wednesday- Luncheon for the guys who work for us. That night my husbands parents, bother and sister in law came over for our Christmas together. We had some yummy appetizers and Sushi. Then exchanged gifts. I think the big hit was Lyndse (sister in law) giving Sam a real genuine Tiffany's bracelet.

Thurday- Christmas. No need to say anymore!

Friday- Once again bringing Tommy to the doctor. They think he has a sinus infection of something going on. Lots of fluid in the ears and nose. Since he is on Zyrtec and Nasonex, his nose should be somewhat dry. Of course it isn't. They put his on Ammoxicilion. I have never seen the kid so happy to be on meds. He was saying "ya ya ya! I love pink medicine!" The DR was cracking up.

Today we are headed to my Dad's for our Christmas with him.

AHHHHHHHHH...........so there is is, somewhat, in a nutshell!

I will be back....I promise

I have been MIA for days from here. Between the holiday and Tommy's asthma, I have been so busy. He had an asthma attack Christmas Eve, while sleeping and has been coughing constantly.

I promise to put a post up today. I know you are all waiting with bated breath to know how my Holiday went.

No Real Answers.

Today at the allergist they did the allergy testing. They didn't find anything. Zilch....Nada....nothing. He is allergic to nothing. This bothers us because we were hoping to find the "trigger" and be able to control it by taking that "trigger" away.

Instead, it is his asthma. We thought he had a mild case of it. Nope.....they said "moderate". They doubled his meds and added some.

We went in hoping to take away meds and ended up walking out with more meds. Frustrating.

Crazy days

I feel like the days are just so crazy lately.

Today includes,the orthodontist, Speech Therapist (Katie's last one! YA!) Doctors in Boston, cheerleading and end of the year paperwork (before my mother in law and accountant strangle me).

Today I am taking Tommy to an allergy DR in Boston. The pedi thinks he may have some sort of allergy also. Not to mention his Asthma. My boy just coughs all the time. They put him on Nasonex and it has helped. This is what brings us to the Allergist. I am hoping to start getting some answers. It breaks my heart that he is always sick, coughing etc.

Hopefully I will come back with some answers today!

Dedicated to my mom.....

I have to dedicate this post to my mom. I know she will laugh and remember my troubled Christmas tree.

When I was a child I knocked the tree down twice.......in one year. Yes folks.....I did. I was pretending to be a present. The sad part? I think I was about 10!

My mom, after the 2nd time, had to anchor the tree to the wall. I wonder if she has pictures.

This morning Tommy wanted to show me his new "look". He put a bow on his head. I told him he looked like a present. I went on catching up on emails.

I hear "MOM! Look at me!"

This is what I saw

Yes, I panicked! Thank God the tree stayed up!

Virtual Santa for your kids!

This is FABULOUS! You have to do it for your kids! Tommy and Katie were in awww of Santa speaking to them! Man, how did he know how old they were AND have their picture!

Portable North Pole


Merry Christmas!

Hello Sami and Friends!

Just saying hello to Sami and her friends.

I know she shared my blog....I am secretive too and saw she shared. =)


Now I can dig up some funny, cute pictures and stories to share for all her friends to read!
Here is a taste....

Her 9th Birthday!



Off to go find some.....come back soon!

Snow Day!

We got about 8-10" of snow dumped on us last night. The kids were so excited to head out and play.

Poor Chris, had to leave around 1AM to plow our office buildings and residential driveways. He didn't get home until Noon. He is a sleepy guy.

Casey and Kate sledding!

Tommy


Lesson learned. Spend $15 in kid shovels and the kids will go nuts shoveling. Except for a 2 year old....she will just relocate the snow to somewhere you already shoveled!

They ended the fun with some Hot Chocolate!

What Christmas are you?

Your Christmas is Classic

Your wish for the New Year is good health. For you, Christmas is secular holiday. Religion doesn't play a big part in it. You are patient when it comes to Christmas. You don't celebrate too early, and you don't like seeing holiday decorations in October. You like to have an authentic, traditional Christmas. Doing it the old fashioned way is important to you. You have some preferred ways of celebrating Christmas, but you're open to compromise. You love Christmas. You enjoy almost every aspect and tradition of the holidays. You give a big during the holidays but nowhere near as much as you'd like to.

What Does Your Christmas Say About You?

Chef Tommy- Pastry Pliers

Tommy takes a cooking/reading class in town. He LOVES it. We are going on our second year there. After the session the kids get to take home their cookbook with the recipes that they have made during the session.

This morning he asked if he could make "Pastry Pliers" for breakfast. It is super easy. I cut the recipe in 1/2 for us. Below is the full recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Bisquick
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 milk
• 1 package (3oz) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbs honey
• Cinnamon sugar mixture

Directions for Pliers:

1. Heat oven to 450*.
   
2. Stir Bisquick, cinnamon and milk until a soft dough forms. Neat vigorously with a spoon for 30 seconds. Place dough on a table dusted with bisquick mix.
3. Gently roll in bisquick mis (it makes it less sticky) Shape into a ball and knead 10 times.
4. Roll or pat dough into 10X8 inch rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 1/2 inch strips.
5. Fold each strip in half into a "U" shape: Twist the curved end to form the lower part of the pliers; Then, Twist the middle strip straight for the handles.
   
6. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Make a slight indentation in the lower circle of the dough to hold some cream cheese.
   
8. Mix the cream cheese and honey. Spoon about 1 TSP of the mix into each indentation.
   
9. Sprinkle sinnamon/sugar over the top.
10. Bake 8-10 min or until golden brown.

**DISCLAIMER......I forgot to twist ours. That is why they look funny!**
**2nd disclaimer...don't mind the jammies and bedhead! It was 7:30 in the morning**

Tommy's Hanukkah Lesson.

Tommy went to his little cooking/reading class today.

The teacher asked everyone "Who celebrates Christmas? Who celebrates Hanukkah?"

Apparently my son jumped up and said "I don't celebrate Harmonica .....I don't even own one!"

Is that the funniest thing? I have been cracking up all morning over it.

**edited to add- the owner of the class just sent out an email blast the Moms Club with his comment. Apparently it has gotten a lot of laughs.**

Trip to see Santa

Our trip to the mall to see Santa went as planned. Tommy hopped right up on his lap and Katie was terrified and cried.

We sat down...well tried to. Katie wanted out!
Isn't this priceless?

Then Santa tried to give her a book.



But there was NO WAY she was going to touch him, never mind a "Hi Five!"

Tommy hopped right up and told Santa he wanted a Hess Truck for him and his Dad. Sweet boy!