09.23.08
She did great
Mikayla had her first day in 4’s and 5’s today. She loved it, just could not quit talking about class. She came home worn out and crashed on the chair. They got to walk to the library and talk about their pets. She really enjoyed herself. In a few weeks she will be able to go on a field trip with her class (that she would not have gone on in the other class). I am just so excited for her.
09.18.08
Glorious September
September 2nd Mikayla started preschool. See shameless photo op below. I registered Mikayla for preschool last spring. Mikayla’s birthday falls at a really in-opportune time as far as school is concerned, she is too advanced for the 3’s and 4’s but is young for the 4’s and 5’s. I don’t think she will have any trouble as far as the curriculum, but I do worry that she will be the youngest in her class. When life experience is still counted on one hand, 6 months makes a lot of difference. We will have to see, she was in the 3’s and 4’s class until today, I switched her to 4’s and 5’s after talking to her teacher. I did not want to be “that parent”, the one that is convinced that their child to better than everyone else’s. I talked to the teacher, told her that I thought I made a mistake in putting Mikayla in the 3’s and 4’s and she whole-heartedly agreed with me. For the first time in a few weeks, I feel good about Mikayla and her school.
09.08.08
Sorry for the silence
My laptop died a horrible death almost 4 weeks ago, a day later I put my back out again so bad that I had to be on bedrest. A week later, I had back surgery, a laminectomy. I have been healing for a few weeks, and now I am just getting around to reloading Little M’s and finding this page and updating everyone.
The surgery was a huge success, my pain was gone immediately, it was amazing. I had not been pain free in over 9 months, and all of a sudden, the pain was gone. I had convinced myself that I would live in pain my whole life, to just wake up and be pain free was almost a too good to be true moment. I still have a hurdle or two to overcome, like the fact that I had a very pinched nerve for a very long time, it is taking some time for that to heal, and the healing can get sore. If I overdo it, my leg and hip are sore in the morning, but NOTHING like before.
I will be saving up for a new laptop, RIP dear hp notebook, how I miss thee. How I also miss all my pictures, files, and programs saved on your damn motherboard with the fried vid card. If anyone reading this happens to have a clue how to get my photos off of a computer with a fried vid card that is integrated in the motherboard…I would…well there isn’t much I could do, but I would be grateful.
I will update the makeover section too, but even with the bedrest and surgery, I am down 20lbs! Woot! I will be able to get back on the recombent bike in the next few days and am already back to doing “mild” crunches and 2lb sand weights for arm and legs. Mild crunches (my term, not a medical/fitness term) are when you lay supine, with your knees bent at a 45 degree angle, tilt your pelvis toward you like you were tipping a bowl onto your stomach. Don’t move your low back at all, put your hands behind your head, but only use them for support. Flex your abdominal muscles to pull your head up just a little bit (like just an inch or two). I started out with 50 of these, I can’t do any crunches/sit ups that fold my spine, so this is working for me.
08.03.08
Might be more excited than Sister-in-law
probably not, but I am pretty excited. They just found out the sex of the growing bean and I am already making hats and thinking of what I can give them. So. Freaking. Excited!!! Now I just have to figure out what I am going to be able to finish in time. I have 2 hats on the needles right now (and I can say that because as far as I know, they don’t read here). I am also thinking of working up a comfy sleep sack.
I also have a cousin by marriage that is due in October and I NEED to get her something too, I made her this great pajama set for the shower.
pjs
08.01.08
Daddy, come look what I made you
We were sitting at dinner 2 nights ago and my oldest decided (as she always does) that dinner time is the perfect time to use the bathroom. She left to do her thing and we continued eating. All of a sudden we hear, “Daddy, come look what I made for you!” I couldn’t help it, I burst into uncontrollable laughter, he looks at me like “do I have to???” and that just makes me laugh all the harder. From the bathroom “Daddy! Come look!” Matt sighed, and went in to see what was so important. She held up her little cloth wipe, perfectly folded like a little washcloth, “Look, Daddy! I folded it so nice!” This brings GAILS of laughter from the peanut gallery (i.e. me). Matt was so happy that the important item of interest was a wipe, as that made it a lot easier to finish dinner. It still makes me giggle thinking about it.
07.24.08
busy bee
It seems like the last 3 weeks have been spent preparing for something, either for stockings, or baby showers, visitors, and birthday parties. There has not been a weekend in the past 3 where someone has not come for a visit. That also involves cleaning, which I admittedly hate doing. That is why the blog has been ignored, it has been clean, entertain, knit, sew, breath for a second, clean, knit, entertain, sew…. This next weekend is the baby shower for Matt’s cousin and brother/sister-in-law so after that things will slow down back to the normal pace around here, well for a week or so.
Starting Aug. 1 I will be starting a new program to bring me back from the ashes. I am too young to walk with a cane the rest of my life, I am too young to be this overweight and unhappy (not that any age should be), I am too young to dislike who I am, I am young enough to fix it. I am calling this Extreme at Home Makeover, Kari Edition. I have already done the first step (which gave me the impetus to start the whole plan). I colored my hair. I have not colored my hair in 3 years. It felt so good to do it.
before:
after
Red Lily~Nora Roberts
The final book in the In The Garden series by Nora Roberts. The Harper Bride (Amelia) takes a center stage role in this installment, while the romance itself is fairly predictable, the book remains a fast read, the ghost keeps it interesting. This story is supposed to revolve around Hayley and Harper, who’s love affair has been brewing through the 2 previous books. There are a few plot twists, which I won’t reveal, but overall, it was a great end to good series and left me wanting to read more about these 3 ladies and that is the true mark of a good series, at least in my mind.
After weeks of craziness, an update or 4
I am sorry for ignoring the blog, but honestly, I have been doing so much around the house that I just have not had the chance, so sit back, and I will regale you with my tales of the last few weeks.
07.07.08
Black Rose ~ Nora Roberts
I finished this book last week, but just have not found the time to post about it, so today is catch up day.
This is the second book in the In The Garden series, it is well written, and although there are very few surprises, it is an enjoyable read, the characters are likable. This book was about Roz and Mitch, the Dr. doing research on the family ghost, the Harper Bride. The Harper Bride takes less of a backseat roll in this book than the first and though you don’t find out anything more about her (really) than you did in the first, but you do get to see a bit of expected “haunting” to make the book fun.
building a boat
Matt is building a boat for duck hunting this year (hopefully). He got the plans from a duck hunting forum (I don’t know which one). It is really interesting to watch how the boat is coming together. So far, it is just a plywood hull, with sealant. The next step to purchase is fiberglass (that will take a bit of investment, so we will have to wait a little bit.
