Love this Boy!

This guy is a trooper! Allergies are seriouslykicking his butt. Not since he was about 2 have they been this bad. The boy who never naps is taking 3 hour naps EVERY DAY. The boy who loves to go outside, refuses.

For the past two days (despite the Zyrtec, the albuterol, the pulmicort, and the added in benedryl for good measure) his poor eyes have been swollen and his nose is a-running!

Unfortunately, last night we got the addition of a nose bleed! Poor guy didn't even wake up. I thought he'd fallen asleep with chocolate in his mouth. This morning he noticed a little blood on his blanket. His FAVORITE blankie! Did he complain about the messy face or the meds he had to take this am, no.

All he asked me this morning was, "'mama, can you please wash my favorite blankie today?"

I would do anything to make you feel better little man.

A Care Package is Going Down Under, Mate!!

About a month ago one of my BESTIES moved far, far, far away. Literally down under, Mate! For a guy. A lovely guy. The love of her life, truly. I am SOOOOOO happy for her and I am equally missing her every day. She is the bud who is always up for anything, anytime, anywhere. I miss that spontaneity and joy. It is not that I don't have equally lovely, awesome girl friends. I count myself lucky to have so many girls that I love and adore who seem to love me too!

She also happens to be a woman who life handed some serious lemons. Shitty, shitty lemons. And I am here to tell you she emerged not only with lemonade but with a place in my heart as one of the strongest, lovingest, coolest girls in the world. I don't know if I could have emerged 1/2 as intact as she did from her situation. I am just proud to know her and to be a part of her life.

Shoshie is one of a kind. Always bright, always determined and uniquely joyfully, completely HER. I miss her energy. I miss our sleepovers where I would invariably find her early the next morning, nose in my pantry, seeking out what sugary cereals I have. I miss her telling me how good a mom I am because 1) I let my kids eat lucky charms (though they have the good sense to generally choose better - Ella's fav is rice krispies!) and 2) because I have a CANDY DRAWER, a fully stocked candy drawer, where again they always ask first and often emerge with one innocent piece (typically a hershey kiss for Ella and more often than not Max's idea of "candy" is the orange flavored sugar free certs!). Did I mention I love my kids! Give them a variety of choices, nothing is completely 100% off limits and damn if they don't make good choices at least 75% of the time. That is more than I can say for myself.

Anyway, back to Shoshie. Seems though the love of her life, for reals, is down under, many of her other loves are not! No peeps. No LUCKY CHARMS. Pathetic selection of dryer sheets and softeners. No bath and body works! The horror! All I can say is she must really love that guy :-)

So, this brings me to care package time. I hope she enjoys a little taste and smell of home!

Cool shot

This is a shot taken on our February trip to Orlando (UNIVERSAL CITY WALK in case you couldn't tell from the shot). What is striking is that Ella is not standing straight up, but wow she looks tall to me. Standing up straight the top of her head is at Hung's chin. CRAZY.

She is only almost 10, but she looks more like 12-13. Scary!

Crazy Busy

It has been too long, I know. I thought it was writer's block but then I realized it was just life. Somehow it takes on a mind of it's own when you have a husband, two kids, a dog, a cat and a household to maintain and keep together. If something has to slide, it has to be the blog. Sad, but true.

Add to that the advent of "so easy to share everything" facebook and blogging just seems, well so damn time consuming. It really isn't that there isn't anything to write about, it is that other things are a higher priority.

So where were we, or better, where are we.

Sweet (not so) little Max turned 5. He didn't even get a proper Dear Max letter. I don't think he minds. He's too busy being 5. He is very much the apple of mama's eye. He is obsessed, no OBSESSED, NO OBSESSED with all things Lego and Star Wars. And Butt cheeks. I have to write that because otherwise I will forget. No matter what I say or do, he is all about the butt cheeks. He thinks it is the funniest thing in the world to say to anyone. I'll say I love you and he'll say "I love your butt cheeks" and run off giggling. Silly, silly boy.

How it has happened that he is now F-I-V-E is beyond me. Kindergarten is coming. Oh so quickly it is coming. He is ready. I am not sure I am. It seems that once they get on that yellow bus they really are not babies anymore, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself they are.

I am very proud of him (and his sister for that matter) for how polite and kind and true to themselves they are. If they continue along this path, their lives will be full and happy.

Ella is amazing. After a rough beginning to 4th grade, she is doing very well. We didn't quite see eye to eye with her teacher in the beginning, but we have created an environment where Ella is excelling as we know she should and, more importantly, where she is happy.

Our other kid, Butter Dog, turned 14 on February 22nd. Her health took a sudden and dramatic turn for the worse shortly thereafter, but we seem to have been granted a reprieve and she is doing much better. I know we are on borrowed time and that she has had a full and happy life. Still, I can't quite imagine our lives, our family unit, our house, without her. I know it is just a matter of time, but still it is completely unfathomable. She is comfortable and interested in food again and we are grateful. Any extra time we get with her is treasured.

As for me, this year has been a flurry or work-related trips and just keeping it all together on the home front. January to Boston, February to Orlando, and March to Montreal. Now I am home for a while. Next up, San Diego in July/August. I've made it through the dreary, and thankfully, super mild winter and Spring has sprung in Washington.

Breakfast...

Pretty pathetic, no?! I have hit such a writers block I am posting a picture of one of my favorite new things. Peanut Butter Cherrios!