Rambles

I always say to myself on Friday "sweet...I will have time to write this weekend" and it never happens. Life gets in the way, and it is perfect that way.

We spent all of Saturday going here and there, getting things done and playing outside in the cool Minnesota Spring weather. We are working to retrain Koda on some things, and took our first walk as a family since last fall. It was glorious.

Today was another day, only we actually did some house stuff.

Have I mentioned before that I DETEST wallpaper? I am FINALLY getting to pealing the wallpaper in the kitchen (it gives me nightmares...seriously) and it feels so good to get it done. I am still up in the air on colors for the room, but we found at least an accent color (I think). I am going back to Home Depot tomorrow...so who knows what I will come out with in the end.

I am listening for Boo tonight. She has been getting some headaches and they are waking her up in the middle of the night. The poor girl can't catch a break it seems. Hopefully it is just something she is going through because Mama needs a break!

And that concludes the most boring post ever...man...my brain is shutting off and ready for bed.

Night all!!

Play Ball

I don't know where even to start, there is just so much right now.

I had another parents meeting for the Softball Association last week...and got a 12 page packet of information that I need to read through before Boo's tryouts next month. 12 Pages! Lots of info...

The good thing is that tryouts for Boo's age are like practice. They are so young that they are more focused on the wanting to learn. Boo is 8...another girl is 7, tiny little things. So tiny that no matter what I will have to take in her uniform and sliding shorts.

I called Ma last night to tell her about the meeting and that Boo will be doing two or three tournaments, her reaction was fabulous "She is 8"...Yes Ma...

Boo is excited to play her first year of ball. I am excited to see if this is sport she will love, like or not. I played growing up and besides dance class it was my favorite thing.

Spending days on the field, throwing into a tarp in the basement, breaking all the garage windows out as I practiced a new pitch...good times (my brother broke a few of the windows with a hockey puck too, so it wasn't just me).

Softball was also the place where I met some people that I am still friends with today. My catcher for many years and I still e-mail via facebook, and a fellow pitcher and I still keep in touch too.

Softball is a demanding sport. It requires a commitment that in-house sports do not. Yes, it can seem a lot. Yes, she will have practice 2-3 times a week, games once a week and tournaments, but Softball is a very VERY team driven sport.

Not only are the girls at Boo's age learning the game, but they are learning the skills that will build that sportsmanship skills, their leadership skill and team building skill. These are all things that make a huge difference in their lives ahead.

I can' wait for the season to start.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

I had to break up with a Mom this week.

Have you ever had to do that?

There were just too many things that I didn't agree with, too many things that impacted my child when our children were together.

It was not a fun thing to do at all.

I had to tell her that I didn't think it would be a good idea for our girls to play together outside of school anymore.

I am not a perfect parent, but any means. I let my kids stay up too late, they don't always eat their veggies and sometimes we have important conversations after they see something on tv (see a meth-lab blow up on tv..."Boo...don't do drugs, things blow up when you do" I know...Mom of year here!). But there are some thing that I just don't do, and that is what made this choice an easy one.

I have expectations for my kids, and for their friends when they are at my house. I don't take attitude very well, don't handle rudeness or any lack of respect. I lay down the law whenever a child walks into my house, even the cousins, because I don't want anyone surprised. I have only had to call a parent once to pick up their child early, and now the story has gone full circle.

I don't blame the child, don't even really blame the parents but I have to control the people that my children are exposed to while I can. It won't be long before I will lose the control on this, where Boo will no longer see the people the way that I do.

There are very few moments where we can teach our children the right way to treat another child, and this was one of them. Boo and I learned an important lesson this week, one that hopefully will carry with us for sometime.

School Update

We have some news on the Boo-School front.

First off, her principal is retiring and I just might hog-tie him to his desk so he can't leave.

Just saying.

Love that man.

Anyway...

We are keeping her at her current school for the time being, at least two more years we think. She goes to a school that has a focus on Math, Science etc. It is a great school, and the teachers are learning right along with the kids as this is the first year that they are going this direction. We love that school.

I met with a principal of another school Friday morning, and her principal and teacher that afternoon. I let her principal know that we were looking at this other school and he asked what we were looking for when it came to changing, and we agreed to give Boo the chance to find out if the Sciences and Math is what she excels in and go from there. So at least two more years there and then we will reevaluate.

On the front of her being bored...her teacher has done a great deal of digging to find out what Boo likes, what she is REALLY good at and what resources she can bring to the room for Boo and another student. I was shocked to learn that her math scores were higher compared to others then her reading score.

She gets that from her Daddy...me and numbers do NOT get along.

She has mandated testing next week, so we will look at her scores during conferences the weeks following and figure out a more firm plan. Her teacher agreed that Boo needs more, so we have her on board which I was nervous about.

We are moving forward, and we have a team that listens and agrees that something needs to be done to ensure that Boo gets the most out of everything.

A step in the right direction I think.

What I Learned This Week

I am fighting a cold, and I think I just might be losing this battle. Ugh! This week was jam packed to the hilt! We had so much going on, and it will now only get worse.

- Sleeping in the hospital is not fun, it is even worse sleeping right next to the PICU. Whoever planned that made a HUGE mistake. Not good sleep for me!

- Hubby's hours are changing at work, sleeping in the same bed 7 days a week after almost 4 years of not is going to be interesting.

- Finding out that your "home away from home" of your youth is closing is heartbreaking. Finding out that a HUGE PARTY is in the works helps a bit...just a little.

- I signed my LIFE away to our Fastpitch association on Thursday…let it begin.

- Ball players have to wear masks on the front of their helmets now…that's dumb. I get the safety of it but duck faster! I only broke my nose once…

- Catchers need to learn to catch the correct way, not with what I like to call "wussy pads" on the back of their knees.

- I am not a fan of all the changes in softbal, but one thing hasn't changed. I saw a shirt that I had as a kid on a teen "Friends don't let friends play slowpitch". Made my day.

- Yes, if Boo likes to play ball I will be one of THOSE moms. Just like MY mom. I can't wait.

- On Friday I met with two different principals from two different schools. I am now more confused about what to do with Boo. It will work out, but man it stinks.

For more What I Learned This Week posts head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

*I will write about Boo's sleep study this week, after we have our next appointment. Thanks for all your fabulous support!*

What I Learned This Week

I have been MIA from WILTW for a few weeks. There have been some interesting things going on in our house, and things that I just couldn't/didn't want to share. But, here we go once again with the lessons of the week!

- I have said it once, and I will say it, Child Life Specialists are the BEST ever.

- It takes less time to get a child in for a sleep study than an adult!

- Stress can cause all SORTS of issues. Thankfully it will all work its way out.

- Words from a child can hurt you more than anyone ever told you, and they leave a scar.

- A dog will tear buttons off a remote (like the mute button) but you will adapt instead of getting a new one.

- Snowmobiling is not my idea of a good time, I go for my kids and my husband.

- Random on my ipod is still my favorite. I go from Needtobreathe to Britney to Metallica to Sawyer Brown...it is wonderful!

- Opening up is a very VERY hard thing to do, but once you do it will all be better.

- Boo still snores, but now whistles too...that's a little annoying.

- Spending time with a teacher will change how you feel about them a little, and I do mean little.

- Waiting is the worst thing in the world.

- People that question my blogging drive me nuts.

- Trying to figure out how I will kill time in the hospital while Boo does her sleep study just might drive me nuts...especially with no laptop.

- I really want a laptop...

For more What I Learned This Week posts head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Some Lovely Randomness

It's Valentine's Day, and that means little to our house. Except for Boo who loves any reason to make a card...

Things have been a moving lately, so much going on. We find out this week about Boo's school situation, so keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

I worked at my companies conference this past week, it was interesting. My team from the office was wondering if my face hurt from using my "corporate voice"' and "nice smile" all day long. Yes...yes it did. I felt a bit like Barbie from the end of Toy Story 2...

I am gearing up to possibly do a big Once a Month cooking day. We will see how that pans out. I am testing all the recipes on my family, or as Boo calls it "Are we your pigs again?" Yes dear, yes you are. Today I made Stuffed Pancake Muffins, and they were yummy. Those will be made again!

Speaking of Toy Story 3...who's excited for that movie! ME ME ME ME ME! More excited for Toy Story 3 than Eclipse! I love Toy Story movies, have the first two on VHS. Boo is bit geared up for it too, not to sure about Hunter though. Just think about all the new innuendos that will come from this one!

It is snowing again, not sure how I feel about this.

I am watching the Olympics so much! I watched the Biathlon today, who does that! Me! It love the Olympics and love that they are in our time zone so I can actually watch Hockey without waking up at 2 am. Apollo Ohno...need I say more.

Boo is sleeping over at Little Bro's tonight...that is HUGE! There is no school tomorrow, and SIL offered to watch Boo who was OVER THE MOON at the chance to play with her cousins all Day LONG. She packed Wii games, snow gear and her DS (which she then left on the counter). I can't wait for the stories to come out this!

I have no kid, a dog in bed and a Hubby at work...I am going to bed!

Turning 8

My baby turns 8 today.

8!!!

It seems like yesterday she was running around the house in her diaper yelling for her brother, dad or toy.

There are moments where I just look at her in wonder, amazement and curiosity. Where did she come from, how in the world did the perfect mix of me and her dad come to be.

She is just that, the perfect mix.

She loves to fish, but would love to spend all day playing dress up with her friends.

She loves Taylor Swift, but adores some old 90's hip-hop.

She loves to curl up in our laps to tell a story or just be, but the girl can NOT sit still even in her sleep.

She can burp louder than anyone (so proud) but will tell you at once if you do it at the wrong time.

The little girl, this amazing creature is mine. How in the world did I get so lucky.

Happy Birthday my 8 year old. May each day, each week, each month be a journey you will never forget! We love you more than words could ever say.

Birthdays, squeals and fondant

The party is over, thank goodness. Every year it simply wears me out to the point of taking a nap. The prep, the cakes, the PEOPLE. Oh the people. One year I wish we could just do the four of us...but that is SO not happening. Pipe dreams...

The cakes were great. Some flaws, like the fondant being a bit to thick and people just not getting the idea (not my flaw...theirs). But the hard work was worth it.

Hunter said this was a very "sweet cake". I was going to do some flames on the slide, but couldn't get it to work, so I put his stats from the past year at bowling. (click to enlarge) He had such a huge year that this was perfect.



Boo's was her "gift". I wanted to make it something that was special, because it was HUGE gift for her. It was sort of her ticket...


After opening gifts, the kids got their cakes. We gave Boo her card, and then called her to come to the table. The joy that follows I will never forget, ever. The high pitched voice...the happiness...the excitement that flows from her is perfect.

The kids had a great birthday party. The enjoyed having the family and friends around them. The loved having their cousins there, the laughter and yells that came from the bedrooms can attest to that.

I love making a big deal about birthdays, any holiday that I can really, but birthdays especially. From what the kids tell me this one was a winner!

What I Learned This Week - Clothes DO Fit My Kids...Who Knew!

This week was...different. We were computer-less for almost the entire week, and that was a learning experience in itself. E-mails piled up, posts didn't get written or read. It was interesting. Hubby asked me what I ever did before we had a computer...read. But I still do that, so that's not new at all.

But, that is not the big lesson.

Clothes DO fit my kids, who knew!

For Christmas Big Sis found the wonderful store, PS Aeropostale. It was new at the Mall, and I hadn't been there (I hide from the mall really), hadn't even heard of it before then. But she loved the store and they had some freaking good prices, even without the Pre-Christmas sales.

I was not convinced yet. With my skinny-rail-thin children it is not easy to find clothes that actually fit. There are really only two stores that fit Boo, and one that fits Hunter.

Christmas came, they got their clothes and Boo fell in LOVE with her thermal t-shirt.

Hunter finally tried on his clothes last weekend and his jeans...oh my lanta they are FABULOUS! He needed the adjustable waist, but he didn't disappear inside his jeans, like he normally does.

I did a happy dance, he walked away.

So, fast forward to last week when we are getting ready for Boo's slumber party. A friend called asking what size Boo was in, as she is LOVING clothes right now. She told me "I found this great store!". Guess what it was...

PS Aeropostale!

She got Boo this hoody, with the matching pants and fuzzy socks! Boo LOVES fuzzy socks.

Boo was in hog heaven.

And the pants...don't hardly need to be tightened with the draw string!

They do make clothes that fit my kids! I will be a huge shopper there now, for both of them!

And, here is another big thing...their prices (even after Christmas) are wonderful! They don't wait until the end of the season to put things on sale. New arrivals, on sale already. And by sale I mean SALE!

You can get their store e-mails, they are on facebook AND Twitter. They know how to reach their customers.

Hey, FCC man...I was not compensated in any way for this, I just LOVE the store! Kthxby

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

Boo's First Slumber Party

Now, Boo has had tons of friends spend the night. She loves having kids in house, since most of the time she has "only child" stamped all over the place.

This past weekend we let her have an early slumber party for her birthday. Hubby was going to be out of town, his one request, and she missed a couple of her friends that don't go to school with her. She got to invite 6 girls, two from school and four not, and they could all spend the night.

Big Sis and Ma were over to help me decorate and clean. They also helped me with Koda, which is always a good time...

The girls started to arrive at 5:00, with the last one coming at 6:45 after hockey. They played with Boo's toys, Wii Sing It and screaming like crazy children. They were having a blast. We had pizza for dinner, they went through almost 3 frozen pizzas, and after we gave them each two cupcakes to decorate.

We had four colors of frosting and a ton of different kinds of sprinkles. They girls had a blast doing it! Plus, since they got to decorate them themselves it made them more fun to eat after we sang to Boo!


After eating cupcakes, scrubbing the table down and washing hands we let Boo open her presents. Lego's, DS Games, clothes were all a huge hit. This shirt was the winner it seems, she LOVES Star Wars the Clone Wars and is always talking like Yoda. It was fabulous, M really knows Boo.

We played Disney Channel Scene It after, and it took FOREVER because there were questions about shows I had never heard of, and ones that the girls never watched. They had fun, and every time I said "All Play" they squealed and ran for the tv. It was a long game, and by the time it was done it was almost 10!

We put in a movie, Big Sis popped some popcorn and the girls started to quiet down. Before the movie was half over we had one girl asleep, by the time it was done we had two. I put in Camp Rock next, and no more than 20 minutes into it Boo was asleep.

By 1 am, I had 4 girls still awake. I told them that if they couldn't be quiet and go to sleep I would split them up. It was time to go to bed, and I wasn't staying up all night. By 1:30 they were all out.

Two got up at 6.

GROAN!

But, I knew exactly which two would be up that early, and I was prepared for it. They are early risers no matter what time they go to bed. Just the way they are. I made them breakfast, they watched cartoons and played. By 8:30 I woke up two more who were leaving before everyone else. The rest of them rolled out by 9:30 when I made them get up.

The girls were all gone by 11, it was football time in our house (yes, I planned it that way).

It was a good time, and the girls had a blast. We, for the most part, were incident free all night long. There is always one child...

Boo was so excited to have this sleepover, so excited to be able to have more than one friend over for the night. She was exhausted, but said "I had the best early birthday party EVER!"!

I told Boo that next year, for her Golden Birthday she could have another one. I think I am asking for punishment...

Boo's Party - HELP!

Our computer is sick. It seems to be happening a lot, stupid viruses.

We are gearing up for Boo's slumber party this weekend, she is a little excited. Okay she is freak-out excited. She has wanted to have one since Kindergarten, and the mean mom that I am, I made her wait til now. We weren't even going to have a "friend" party this year, but I am such a sucker.

So here is another question! What activites do you do with seven 7-8 year olds? I have a craft, but is that lame? I am making cupcakes on Friday and letting them each decorate them how they want, that should kill some time (ha!). I have the Wii, movies and an abundance of dress up clothes.

Do I need games? Please don't tell me I need games...

Give me your thoughts!

Help with Boo's present

So...the kids birthdays are coming up...and quickly.

I need some help with part of Boo's present. While she doesn't read the blog (I think...) you just never know so this is the ONLY time I will link to her gift.

Ready?

Go here and scroll to May 7th.

I'll wait.

Okay so here's the deal. I got those in October, and she HAS NO IDEA. At all. (she JUST came out of the bedroom, good thing I can click fast)

Props to me! I can't keep a secret to save my life!

Anyway...

I need some help in figuring out HOW to tell her about the tickets at her birthday party next month. I will do it in front of all the family, because her reaction will be FABULOUS. I will get video of her for sure.

I had the idea of getting her a calendar of HER and marking down the days to the concert, but for some reason that sounds...lame.

Help me out here! How do I tell an 8 year old that she is going to the concert she has (literally) dreamed of?

The week

I have been pretty much hiding from the computer this past week. Not blogging much, not going on Facebook and letting Hubby check the e-mail. I wanted to disconnect for the week, spend the time with Boo. And time we did spend!

Monday was errands. All day long. We did a ton of returns, but went to the library to get books for the week. Boo was done with hers by Thursday. No cleaning...at all.

Tuesday we went with Big Sis to a HUGE craft store north of us. We walked around for almost three hours, it was crazy. We both loved it, and they match Michael's and JoAnn's coupons! Now that is a deal!

Wednesday was a day of friends. We went to a local Community Center to meet up with my Friend, it is half way between us. I brought another little girl, who is the cousin of the friends little girl. The four girls (total) played for almost three hours, while my friend and I got some much needed conversation and time together. It was perfect.

After that Boo, her friend and I went to see New Moon. Boo has been begging for weeks to see it, and her friend already had. Boo is still talking about it, she loved it.

Wednesday night Boo's friend K slept over. The girls had a blast watching movies and playing dress up. I ended up with both of them in my room because our neighbors Christmas Lights were on the fritz and flashing right into Boo's room.

Thursday we went to our local zoo with my Sister in Law, RC and EC. They were having a Noon Years ball drop with all kinds of activities. The Radio Disney Road Crew was there and we majorly embarrassed RC. It was fabulous. It was also Chaotic, but very well worth it. Only one injury, and that was me with the stapler. If you ask my sister in law about it she will bust out laughing and crying. It was hilarious.

Thursday night Hubby picked up some overtime, so Boo and I rang in the New Year together. Well, she made it to 11:57 before she passed out on me, but I woke her up to say Happy New Year and call Hubby.

Friday, New Years Day, was Ma's birthday. We all gathered at Lil Bro and Sister In Laws to celebrate. The kids, as always were a hit. They crack us up. Before we had dinner, the girls headed to the movies to see The Princess and the Frog. It was cute, but not a hit with our group like some previous movies. I love that they did it "old school" and not with Pixar, but it just wasn't enough...hard to explain.

After we had dinner and laughed a ton. EC is such a nut, that no matter what we are in stitches.

Saturday was bowling and our final Christmas at my Dad's. We headed up there despite the freezing cold temperatures (-4 at his house). We had a great time, but was glad to make the drive home. I was exhausted once again.

Today...we did pretty much nothing. I did laundry, cleaned and took care of some things that had been pushed to the side over the past week. Now I am simply battling to get Boo asleep, as that has not changed.

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year, and that you all enjoy the kids going BACK TO SCHOOL!

2009 is GONE!

2009 was a big year for us.

We bought our first home.

We got Koda.

Hunter bowled in his first, second and third bowling tournament.

Boo broke her thumb, began some sleep issues, was REALLY REALLY sick and had her last dance class.

We made a lot of changes, took a lot of punches and kept moving forward.

I am hoping that 2010 is even better.

The house is quiet once again.

Boo is asleep, much to her dismay.

Koda is bundled down, much to his glee.

Hubby and I are about to fall over, which I think Hubby already did.

We spent the day with family, and waiting. It was great to be with my niece and nephew, to once again be able to watch them open presents and just be together.

The kids spent almost two hours outside after gifts and brunch, and came in SOAKED to the bone. Two changed clothes, and all had coats in the dryer. Boo made a new friend, which doesn't surprise me in the least.

Hunter went home, which always makes me sad. It seems worse because of the day.

We got about 12 inches of snow so far, and it is snowing again right now. The roads are slushy after the rain mixed in, and some cities forgot what a snow plow is. We pulled one person out of a snow bank, offered two others who already had help on the way.

It was a day of family, fun and just being together. Boo is in hog heaven with her new books, clothes and games for the Wii. Hunter about freaked when he opened his very first hunting shotgun, I have never seen his face like that, not even at their birthdays. This topped it all.

I have pictures, and more stories. Last night we were at Big Sis's house, and that needs a post all in itself. Why? Let's see...snow, 2 year old, two 7 year olds and a 12 year old. You think about THAT one for a while.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, that you were able to hug your loved ones, you were healthy and you had a joyous time!

What I Learned This Week

The past two weeks have been filled to the brim, with a quieter weekend this past one. Between Boo having the stomach bug, Hubby and I passing a nasty cold bug back and forth and Hunter ROCKING his bowling tournament there has been little time. BUT, lots to learn!

- When your son is bowling in a tournament, you will need to hide behind your husband when said son gets 4 strikes in a row. Holding your breathe is not enough.

- Having a cold that will knock you over is not fun, but having it at the same time as your husband makes for some hilarious conversations!

Me: honey...honey..HONEY
H: What?
Me: Can you get this for me?
H : What?
Me: CAN YOU GET THIS FOR ME?
H: mumble mumble mumble
Me: WHAT?
H: mumble mumble mumble
Me: WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU
H: Here you go shorty

Hilarious I tell you! Hearing is so overrated!

- It is possible for a child that weighs a total of 58 pounds to throw up 22 time in 8 hours...important information...or just plain nasty which ever way you want to look at it.

- When said child does this, a trip to the local Children's Hospital will be in order and they will take ONE look at your child and bring you back right away.

- An IV is NOT a needle once it is in your hand, but a straw that your "veins drink from"

- Child Life Specialist are FABULOUS!

- Pandora is the best thing ever...EVER

- The chance of major snow is fun, but could cause some MAJOR problems over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...planning for the possibilities makes my head hurt.

- Even though I said I would wrap presents last night, it didn't happen. And I am not surprised.

- When your dog eats half a tray of hand-made truffles your head might explode because you have to remake them for co-workers who will LOVE them!

- Trying to figure out why my blog layout is all jacked up is driving me nuts.

For more What I Learned This Week posts, head on over to Musings of a Housewife!

Nastiness

I was all ready to write about Cooking Baking Day 2009, but I can't.

I was all ready to show you the pictures Hubby took of me and Boo last week, but I can't.

I wanted to write about my Christmas Tunes, can't on that either.

The stomach flu bug has hit our house and Boo is miserable. We are waiting for Hubby to get home from the store, but then it will be couch and movie time. We are thinking a Zac-A-Thon, HSM, HSM2, HSM3 and 17 Again.

We'll see.

Wish me luck!

Some Closure

I realized this week that I have left a TON of things open lately, so sorry. So in effort to close some thing out, I give you this post. lol

Boo's Foot:
Boo foot was NOT broken, but she did have two inflamed ligaments and a strained tendon. You could feel the heat coming off her foot. The surgical shoe wasn't needed, but she was ace wrapped for over a week, and was not allowed to participate in gym or regular recess. All is better now, with some slight discomfort only every once in a while.

Hubby's Grandma:
Being the over-achiever that Grandma is, she is already back in Iowa resting in a smaller hospital. She spent a total of 4 days in the big hospital when they deemed her well enough to not be a high risk patient. This woman is a rockstar!

The Bathroom:
We are slowly working on the bathroom. To get it framed in we used gift cards only, so now we are slowing down. Small steps! It should be done by the time I turn 80 or so! lol

Hunter's Mad Skills!:
I can't say enough about Hunter's Mad Skills right, I am still a bit in disbelief of how his day at the tournament went. He spent some time this morning focusing on what he wanted to happen today, and how he wanted to bowl. Warm-ups were good, he adjusted where he needed and read the lanes pretty well. His first game, 154. His second game, 158. His third game, Oh My Lanta, 188!! I was amazed and so very proud of him, still am. There is a good chance that he will once again make it to state, but we won't know for sure until after the 30th, and state is on the 9th or 10th. Good thing he is here that weekend!

The Sleep Clinic:
This is really a post within itself, but because we don't KNOW a ton, I will trim it down a bit. We spent almost two hours with the doctor for her appointment. He told me first off, that I was doing everything that I possibly could right (woohoo!) and that he wished all his patients parents filled out the forms as well as I had.

Right now we are working on the Quality of her sleep, and once we figure out why that is all goofy we will work on the Quantity of her sleep. He told me that every time she gets up during the night, it takes close to a hour to get back into good sleep. So, if Boo sleeps total 10 hours, but gets up three or four times she is really getting six or seven good hours of sleep. Not much for her. We are working to clear up a couple issues first, see if they impact her sleep at all and so far they have. She is still getting up, but some other "while sleep" issues are getting better. She still has a hard time going to sleep at night, but that will be worked on once this stuff is fixed.

She will have a sleep study, but not until February or so. They want to give her treatment now a chance to work before we go that route. After the sleep study, she will most likely pay a visit to ENT and Allergy as they both seem to play a part.

Did you know that they "grade" tonsils on a score of 0-4? Boo is at a 2, not bad but not great either. Also, did you know that bags under your eyes is NOT from lack of sleep but sinus and/or nasal congestion. Strange facts I learned at the sleep clinic!

I think that's it. I have to start getting this house ready for The Great Cookie Bake Off 2009! We are all gathering tomorrow to bake the day away, and I can't stinking wait!

Chicago Part 2 - In Pictures

Here...

We took pictures of ourselves...

And of the kids...

In the Giant Bean (could that sky BE any bluer!). That's me in the middle.

Then we walked and saw these guys

Then we walked some more and had the BEST hot chocolate EVER

(Note Boo's hot chocolate lethargy)

Then we went to Shed, where they had these...

And these creepy looking crabs too.

Then we rested to prepare for this (the bowl was the size of MY HEAD)

All in all, a great trip had by all!