Why (WHY WHY WHY) do girls shriek?

Is it just hardwired into their little girly selves? Wednesdays are 'Early Release' days for my childrens school district (don't even get me started about *that* one), so Trey and I get home and have to share our peace and quiet w/ the girls. Today is an extra special day because my older daughter brought a friend home. Here is just a sampling of our day.
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The girls head up the hill to watch the neighborhood boys jump into a bush.....yes, jump *into* a bush (why? I'm not quite sure, and why is this watchable? Again, not quite sure, but it gets the squealy girls out of the house and away from my sleeping child).

The girls head back down the hill with boys following- there seems to be some sort of scary animal involved.

The girls run through the front of the house, out onto the back deck, shrieking in unison. I yell down (softly.....because that's how I yell), "girls, Trey is sleeping", and they promise me they will be quiet.

Two minutes later, more pounding feet and loud shrieks- again, I think due to the boys and the scary animal, which may or may not be a snake of some sort, or at least I think I saw one of the boys holding something long and squirmy. I'll be heading down shortly to check it out- if it IS a snake, I just might join in w/ the shriek fest.
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And, in case you were sitting there holding your breath, yes it WAS a snake. However, sweet Trey is downstairs snoring away. The shrieks seem to only bother me, maybe because I do not wear a cochlear implant and hearing aid, which are taken off during naps- the silver lining :)

Coming Clean about One of My Guilty Pleasures....

Yes, you may never return to this site again, but I'm willing to risk it. I like American Idol (gasp!), in fact, I've watched every season since the show started. (I also like "So You Think You Can Dance", but we *really* won't go there). Why am I sharing? Because I just have to comment on the fact that last night's show was probably the funniest thing I've seen on TV in years. Forget the performances, because let's be honest, none of them were really all that exciting. But- Paula Abdul's review of Jason Castro's TWO songs (when he only sang once) was priceless. Yes, it is live TV, and yes, the judges may have been caught off guard by a scheduling change, but come on- you are paid great money to sit up there and review AI hopefuls. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out what's being asked of you.

What I found even more interesting about the whole debacle is that as of early this morning, no one was talking about it. Everyone was so quick to jump on the Miley Cyrus/picture thing, but the fact that Paula appeared to be on drugs or drunk (my guess as to how it all happened) and flubbed up part of the show was slow to hit the wire. That said, I think they've made up for lost time. And yes, I'll stop now, I really do not like celebrity gossip, this one was just too bizarre.....I just had to comment.

Gotta love live TV.

Simplify.....

The word hangs above a door in our kitchen, to remind me that it is something to work towards in most aspects of our life. Simplify: get rid of the clutter, get rid of the non-essentials, think twice before adding more 'stuff' to our life. It seemed like a good mantra for this year of budgeting, organizing, etc. But, I'm finding the word really applies to much, much more.

Like when the 11 year old requests (begs, pleads, negotiates) for a cell phone. Why, WHY, do children need cell phones? The answer, at least for our family, is they don't. Heck-There are many days I wish I didn't have one, and couldn't be so easily reached. That said, there are instances when cell phones have a use and can be needed, but I lived for years without one, and survived just fine. In fact, I vividly remember my mom's first cell phone- the thing was HUGE....picture a brick. It really held little appeal at the time. Now they are cute, colorful and take pictures. Who wouldn't want one.

Now, as Delaney takes on more responsibility, and find herself in positions where she might need one (for safety reasons) we may re-evaluate. But what I'm noticing is children texting each other, calling each other for no *real* reason. Just because it's available. I see girls at my daughter's school, faces down, fingers flying across the keypad of the phone, texting other girls sitting right next to them. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned art of conversation. Simplify.

We have chosen not to give our child this capability, which drives her nuts, but I hope someday she can appreciate that we made this decision with intent. That we wanted to engage in conversations with her, rather than have her pulling away from us at the age of 11 to text friends and chat on the phone endlessly. There are many (many....) other reasons why we just said no, but this reason was very heartfelt. She'll be gone soon enough, I'd like to enjoy the years we get to have our kids at home with us. Remind me I said this when I'm on here complaining about the craziness that is our life :)

Vacation Countdown.....O.K., Not Really

It's really just a trip for a soccer tournament (first of the new season), but in our family- THAT'S a vacation :) Jake has already asked me 6 times today if we're going to the hotel yet. Of course, little does he know he *might* not be allowed near this hotel's pool. We stayed at the same hotel last June, and he managed to throw up IN THE POOL. They had to shut it down for cleaning, much to the other hotel patrons dismay. Fun times. Hopefully we have no vomiting associated w/ this tournament. The first tournament of last year Delaney got the stomach flu and was sick the entire weekend- everywhere. She did manage to get it together enough to play in the semi-final game....now that's committment for you :)

We're fun to travel with-LOL.

And we wonder how we wind up w/ holes in the walls

I believe a wise man once said "Don't play ball in the house"....we had no actual damage this time, but this explains the small hole in the wall and numerous spots where paint is now missing. No one to blame but ourselves, considering it is my husband who is passing the football back and forth with the boys.

Emily Used Her Birthday Money and Bought Heelys.....

with cautious maternal approval- more like she wore me down over the last few years. I'm not sure we can afford them. On our hill the odds of an accident are high. That said, we have set very specific ground rules in place, but I will say- the bright yellow sticker that covers the spot where you pop in the wheel was a big frightening. Something to the effect: By removing this sticker, you hereby absolve the Heely company from any liability should injury or DEATH occur. Nice touch.....

Here's A Funny One......

As some of you might remember, we went to visit our Audiologist to have Delaney's CI mapped very recently. Interestingly enough, the Audiologist broke one of the prongs off her implant while trying to fit it onto the computer equipment. She mentioned that it looked corroded and just snapped off (which I'm sure it may have, since it spent a night outside thanks to my ultra-responsible daughter), however, it was working fine for us, and didn't appear to be loose, but here's the kicker: We just found out that the warranty had expired four days prior to our appointment. OUCH. I *knew* we should have looked into some kind of extended warranty, although I will say, the warranty offered by Advanced Bionics does not cover accidental damage- only manufacturer's defect. Three years went by WAY to quickly, and we didn't deal with this with Emily because she received two Harmony processors when she got her second implant.

I'll keep you all posted on how quickly (and how costly) a processor repair is :)

Trip To The Puppet Show....

Trey's class went on a field trip today to a small neighborhood puppet theater. I wish I could share pictures, but alas, I did not bring my camera. I *always* bring my camera, but today? Not so much. This small theater was filled w/ two classes of preschool age children (and a few of the neighborhood children who wanted to enjoy the show). All in all it was a great time- but just a note for the people who run said puppet theater. If you ask for audience participation, keep in mind who your audience is, and don't try to reign in the chaos so much. Asking for preschool children to sit on their bottoms the entire time, raise hands while not gleefully shouting out their 'answers' (and I do mean shouting- several of these kids are HOH kiddos, although in all fairness, they weren't the loud ones), and not shriek at the appearance of a new puppet, is just setting yourselves up for failure. But, for $3.50 the show cannot be beat.

Eating together as a family, helps your child succeed in school....

according to an expert on Martha Stewart radio. I can't remember exactly how it was worded, but that was the take-away for me. The statistic was that the kids that sat down with the family on multiple nights for their main meal, tend to do better academically. If that's the case, than my kids are in BIG TROUBLE. I don't know about the rest of you, but we rarely get to sit down together and eat a meal. These days we are usually dividing and conquering (and I use the 'conquering' word loosely- I usually end up feeling conquered by the end of the day).

With four children, three of whom are old enough to be in activities, we have *something* almost every evening. Tonight, for example, Rob is heading to soccer with Emily (and he happens to be the coach, which means he gets to travel light), whereas I am traveling with the other three, heading to Jake's t-ball practice. And, tonight is actually a light night. With both practices going on, if we waited to have dinner together we wouldn't be eating until 7:15-7:30ish. That is just too late to get the littlest ones fed. Eating before the 5:00 practice just doesn't work either (way too early). So, it means that we kind of eat in stages.

The weekends are our only chance, so I think we're really going to make an effort to have a family meal or two, every weekend. I'm sure the kids won't mind giving up sleepovers for the sake of their academic success ;) No, but in all seriousness, both Rob and myself came from households where family meals were the norm. I think we have to find a happy medium. I'll let you know how this 'experiment' goes.

Rain-Out....Gotta love baseball

Soccer, you play through anything. Rain? Whatever. Snow? Dress warm. Ice? Drive carefully. Gotta love baseball where the game is canceled for a little rain. I'll encourage all the kids to quit Spring soccer and play ball.

I'm going to run down and watch the end of the Hallmark presentation of "Sweet Nothing In My Ear".... obviously the tivo came through for me last night. I don't normally enjoy the excessive sweetness, pull at the heartstrings of Hallmark movies, but I was really interested to see how this was presented. I tried so hard, but missed the end. So far, my only comment is I thought Jeff Daniels (yes, I fixed this....Oops:) did a GREAT job signing. Other than that, I think the movie did a pretty good job of showing all the different perspectives without condemning any one group. That's difficult to achieve :)

I hope little baby Christian and family are doing fantastic! This is only the beginning of an exciting ride.....

T-Ball Game Tonight- please join me in hoping for lots of rain

Game #2 for Jake. While I'm always excited to watch the kids play, I have to admit that my heart is not in it for this evening. It is cold, overcast, and fluctuates between small amounts of rain, and snowy hail. Not my idea of baseball weather. Baseball to me means sitting in the sun, and snacking on baseball food (aka JUNK food), trying for a great photograph while aiming between the little metal squares in the baseball fence. Anyway- everyone join me in hoping for a RAIN OUT :)

Cold Cold Cold

That's all I can think about right now. I have to keep reminding myself that it is the middle of April. We had two soccer games today (and t-ball that we had to miss due to conflicting schedules). The morning game- kind of sunny, and mid-forties. No big deal. But by the time Em's game rolled around, the wind had kicked up and it was very overcast. And- 38 degrees. Big difference. We drove home through snow showers and hail.

We also REALLY need to figure out a way to keep her cochlear implant on her head. She had it go flying off at least three times. And, managed to lose the ear hook, which meant while the ball was still in play, she was searching through the grass. She managed to find it, but it took a few minutes. Meanwhile, the forward had managed to blow past her, and almost scored. Let's just say there were a couple of teammates who were not happy...... It's a huge aggravation to Em.

I think we will try a huggy, PLUS a sweatband. Other than a staple gun I'm just not sure what else to use. A ski hat might work, especially in this kind of weather, but during the summer (when we actually have sun, and it gets a bit warmer), she'd be really sweaty. Delaney solves the problem by wearing her hearing aid only (which stays on quite a bit better), but Emily doesn't have that option. So, we'll be experimenting over the next four games.

Huggy vs. ear mold
Sweatband vs. ski hat

I'll keep you posted......

Have You Ever Played Hooky?

I have....just once or twice. Only in college, when free from the mom and dad influence I sometimes chose *not* to go to class. Not enough to do much harm....but, enough to keep me from graduating from college with honors (not that I was going to anyway, but let's just say I probably didn't do myself an favors). Only back then it was typically to go hang out in the sun w/ friends, or to go shopping at the mall, take an impromptu roadtrip- the pursuit of FUN.

Today, I feel like playing hooky. I won't, but wouldn't it be nice? To just skip the soccer practice, and basketball game, and find something really fun and exciting to do and just go *do it*. Don't get me wrong- the basketball game will be fun, the soccer practice in the cold- a little less so, but sometimes it feels really nice to just not have to be somewhere. The reality- I actually have to be somewhere right now- I'm off to pick up prescriptions, and then head out for the afternoon and evening activities. Summer will be here soon, and that's the closest we get to playing hooky. And there's not a hint of summer in the air here .....yet.

New Hearing Aid Technology.....

Kinda cool. Check it out DAD :) The NY Times has a great write-up on it, just visit : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/health/15well.html?em&ex=1208577600&en=4eb40a33c86b485c&ei=5087%0A Not sure if that will show up and let you click on it. If not, I guess take the lo-tech method and copy and paste into your browser window. Also, the title *should* link. It is a great option for all of the 'older' (and maybe younger, although I know BTEs seem to be the best option for the little ones) people who do not want a visible hearing aid, which may or may not include one of my parental units :)

It appears to work really well for some individuals, and they are hoping in the near future that it will work for close to 80% of people that wear hearing aids. Pretty cool, if you ask me. I know I'm lame at posting links (I blame my Mac), but it's worth the cut and paste.

Also, the company website is: www.lyrichearing.com, for those who would like more info.

My Son: The T-Ball Star....

Jake really impressed us with his ability to cover the *entire* field when playing shortstop...of course, stealing the ball out of his teammates glove might have been taking it all a bit far.


We were also equally impressed with his willingness to listen to his coach and receive instruction on the field


All in all- a great first game. Once he realizes he is actually assigned a specific position (and he's not supposed to go after every ball no matter where it lands), he'll be just fine.

Just One Of Those Days....

I don't know about all of you, but I have days where I manage to get everything done on 'my list', plus some, and then there are days like today. Days where I barely manage to get one or two things crossed off my mental list, and getting that accomplished took huge effort. I still have three children, with four Cochlear Implants, sharing three batteries- one of which is a loaner from Trey's school. I HAVE to contact Advanced Bionics, fill out the insurance paperwork, and get them ordered. HAVE TO. I also HAVE to get Trey's lost implant replaced. This involves writing a letter, explaining how we managed to lose a cochlear implant, in our house, get it notarized and then fax it off to AB. I HAVE to get all the kids various uniforms washed and ready to go for this weekend, or they will wear dirty uniforms, which probably is the right call anyway, because of the amount of mud that will be on the soccer field(s). And, I HAVE to call the dishwasher repairman to get our dishwasher fixed so it does not continue to leak water all over our now warped hardwood floors.

And then there are the SHOULD do items. I won't even go there. I need tomorrow to be one of the superwoman days, where I have endless amounts of energy and can get all of this done, mop and vacuum all floors, strip and remake all the beds, maybe run 3-4 miles, before whipping up a gourmet supper before my daughter's Basketball game. These days are few and far between but when they happen, they are a glorious thing.

Why We May *Never* Let Emily Drive.....

See that look on her face? Now picture her behind the wheel of a car. Nuff said! She's a terror behind the wheel :)

Mapping update and TAGGED

Mapping update by Delaney? To come tomorrow.

Good :) I've been trying to post more regularly, but I'm too tired to come up with anything too original. So, here it goes :

The Rules-
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their name, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


What was I doing 10 years ago:

I was enjoying being a mom of an (Yes, I had to edit this because my math was SO off), 18 month old, trying to figure out why she wasn't talking, and how she was hearing fine (according to our local county health department), even though we KNEW she wasn't. Rob and I were still new to the Utah scene, trying to adjust to life outside of Cali . I don't think we ever really adjusted which explains our joy over our move to the Pac. NW. We were 27 years old (28 in my husbands case), missing friends and family, and totally head over heels in love with our first-born. Maybe that's why we wound up with four :)

Five Snacks I enjoy:
1. Chips and Salsa
2. Bruschetta (any kind)
3. Andes Mints
4. Trader Joe's Bagel Chips
5. Anything dark chocolate

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Move close to family.
2. Travel anywhere and everywhere.
3. Donate money to charities that help with CIs and hearing aids in low income areas.

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Waitress/Server at Red Robin Restaurant in Santa Barbara, California (college)
2. Asst Buyer/Buyer at Robinsons-May dept store
3. Director of Traffic at DSW Advertising agency
4. Account Executive at BOWG Advertising agency
5. Just home with the kids- HA! Hardest job yet :)

Three of my habits:
1. Computer time (i.e. digital scrapbooking, blogs, etc)
2. chocolate & the occasional glass (or two) of wine
3. Diet Coke/Pepsi and Starbucks nonfat mochas (in the winter)

Five place I have lived:
1. San Antonio, TX
2. Mission Viejo, CA
3. L.A.
4. SLC Utah
5. Portland area

Add one new part (I am totally copying the question from Leah, who copied it from Tina who copied it from Abbie):What do you want others to get from your blog?:

I'm not sure! I guess it's my way of sharing with family, and also showing newly diagnosed parents that many kids (at least our kids) have been diagnosed, and have come out on the other side as pretty spectacular! While they have struggled from time to time (and will do so again), they would have struggled at times anyway. We're just a family raising our kids to be the best people they *can* be, and ....they happen to not be able to hear as well as some :)

Five People I Want to Get to Know Better: (a nice way of saying TAG!) But don't feel obligated!

Harder- because so many people I would tag have already been tagged, but here goes (and please read the do not feel obligated).

1)The first 'original' person I thought of is somewhat private with her blog, so I won't post it (plus I'm an idiot, and haven't figured out links anyway :) But, she is another JRA mom (like my sis), and she is such a mountain mover, she inspires me daily.

2) Jennifer- http://HappyfamilyatHome.blogspot.com One of the first HOH/deaf websites I read- Great perspective on life.

3) I would mention several others (ahem!!!) who have already tagged me, but they've already participated, so I get credit for a couple, right ???

4) And....How 'bout Marielle's mom (see link on right? (sigh....I know, you've already done it as well :) Christina is just too good at tagging a small population. Tomorrow when I'm not dragging I'll find all of you people who have not yet shared:)

5) See #4

Delaney is getting 're-mapped' tomorrow.....

Which basically means we are making adustments to her cochlear implant's program. Now that she has been wearing it consistantly, she has found that she needs it to be louder. So, I am THRILLED to be needing this appointment, and hopeful that she'll love her updated map - Yes, I'm sure I am way too optimistic, but I'm a glass half-full kind of girl :)

Maybe I'll have Delaney post tomorrow all about her mapping appointment- Good homework assignment for her!

The Mouse That Came To Visit.....

O.K. so from time to time, when I open the door in our garage, I have seen a small brown field mouse running across the floor. It usually scares the heck out of me, and for the next week I yell before opening the garage door (in order to 'scare' the mouse away before I have to see it). Obviously we have some garage cleaning to do, but I have not been motivated enough to tackle it.

I am now....

Rob brought in a duffle bag, that was on one of our shelving units, that needed to be unpacked from a trip. He did this last night. This morning as I was emptying the duffle bag, I noticed mice droppings- UGH! So, of course I dump all the clothes straight into the washing machine with extra soap, and HOT water (hoping I didn't actually *find* the mouse). I then walked back into our bedroom and my husband points out that the pj bottoms that were half-in, half-out of the hamper (right next to the duffle back), had been gnawed through. OMG- there was a mouse, somwhere in that bedroom. GROSS. I gingerly picked up a shirt, and the mouse came flying out of the laundry pile, straight at me. I swear, it was huge....and vicious. Not really, but that's what my first reaction was. I ran out the door onto the deck off of our bedroom- I'm sure the entire neighborhood heard me. I did NOT handle it well. And yes, we did rat-sit recently, but that was different.

We spent the next hour trying to locate the little critter, so that maybe I'll set foot in our bedroom again. We did find it, and managed to get it out onto the back deck, and down into the grass. Now I'm just hoping there was only one.

We will be mouse free, even it means having nothing in our garage. NOTHING.

Bring On The Sun

We survived the soccer game at the crack of dawn, the mad rush to t-ball, t-ball pictures (wrangling ten 5-6 year old boys/girls), the mud wrestling that ensued during the group t-ball picture, and Emily's soccer game this afternoon, where my daughter almost took down a girl twice her size (she's little but fiesty!). We are all sunburnt (yes, sunscreen *was* needed), hot, a wee bit cranky and tired. But, I got some outstanding pictures (that I'll share with you all in the next day or so). I'm sure my mom and dad will need a week or two to recover from this visit. They watched a total of three soccer games and a t-ball game today, as well as Delaney's basketball game last night- that's a whole lotta love!

I'm going back out to enjoy the SUNSHINE, bye ya'll.

My TIVO Died-

So sad....it really shouldn't matter all that much- but *it does*. You get used to a convenience and it just can't go away on you. Let's hope, it can be resurrected, but I'm not overly hopeful.

Gram, Papa, and the SUN...

are visiting. My mom and dad, arrive from Texas starting today. So, if we're not around much, that will be one reason why. Jake has his first T-ball game on Saturday (there will be lots of pictures, and probably some funny stories coming), and we have two soccer games. It is supposed to be SUNNY and 76 degrees and considering it has been in the 40s/50s and rainy all week, that is just one more reason to stay outside, and off the computer. We haven't had mid-seventies since last Summer, maybe early Fall. Living here in rainy land really makes one appreciate nice weather!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend......

A Little Disappointed....

Tonight was going to be a first for me: my first experience working in the Little League Snackbar. Yes- I know, you are all jealous. But, keep in mind: A date w/ a french fry fryer gets me out of bedtime duty :) But sadly, it is not to be. My wonderful husband has been asked to work late this evening working with one of his clients, which means, no hotdogs tonight. No serving up orders of cheesy nacho goodness. And, yes, an exciting evening of chasing the boys around, wrestling them into their jammies. Bummer!

It's probably all for the best- I would have probably scared the customers away with the red rash on my face.

So Betrayed....

O.K., not really, but Marielle's mom (see notes on side because I STILL cannot put links in my posts), brought it all back for me. We moved here, to the Pacific Nw after having an outstanding audiologist in Utah, who we trusted a lot. A bit melodramatic? Maybe, but these people become very near and dear to you, when you've gotten the news we have gotten over the years. You trust their guidance, their ability to *know* your kids, and the fact that if you call them, and say 'we need an appointment right away' they will squeeze you in, because they know the history.

We moved here, and started from scratch, and found two Audiologists who were great. One we are still lucky enough to have, but she works at the private school. She really is not set up to take on outside patients (that said, she has always made exceptions). The other was. (Notice the use of the word 'was'). She has moved. I only know this because we called to make an appointment and were 'informed'. I'm shocked and don't know who to go to now. She knows us- knows the kids, etc. I wish she would have sent out a letter, and maybe even some recommendations on where to go from here. You know????

Back to square one (and w/ four kids who area always in need of appointments, I don't have any time to waste).

I still think they should teach parents how to work the equipment ;)

Duck, Duck, Goose....

Never did I think I'd get so excited about a game of duck, duck, goose, but when it involves your youngest son, who has been really slow to develop language, it is the most thrilling game in the world. His teacher pulled me to the side yesterday after school and told me how perfectly he said "Duck, Duck....Goose" in their game earlier in the day, so we played it in the car the entire way home (well, really just practiced the words, since the head-tapping, and running were out). He really is making huge strides right now, it's really fun to witness and be a part of. He still has moments where I *don't* understand him well, but more and more it's not an issue. Three word phrases? No big deal.

His new favorite word? Dinotor.....I'm sure you an figure that one out :)

For All You Camera Lovers Out There....

I think I have total camera envy. Have you heard about the new Casio Exilim EX-F1? It has the fastest shutterspeed around, AND will take up to 60 shots in burst mode. 60 shots, per second......You would never miss that perfect soccer shot, or your child's perfect basketball or baseball moment. I'm sure it would be helpful in other situations, but as soon as I read about it, I thought *sports*. Don't get me wrong, I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT that I love- I really do. But, I have to tell you, for the first time since its purchase I've experienced envy. I've had lens envy before (and while bigger is not always better, it sure looks impressive), but I'd love to see one of these Casio cameras in action.

That's o.k. though. I like the challenge of working to get the ever elusive perfect shot. That's what makes photography so fun for me. And why I haul my camera with me *almost* everywhere we go- my kids might disagree with the 'almost' part of that sentence, but they really love looking at the end-result.

Speaking of not standing too close to me....

I'll share with you one of my biggest pet peeves (and no, it doesn't really have anything to do with personal space). People who work out right next to you at the gym, and SMELL. I just don't get it. Do they not smell themselves? I was running this morning, and the only treadmill available was next to a man, who I've run next to before.....and swore never to again. He just has horrific body odor. I know, I know, maybe he can't help it. But, maybe he can. I was only able to be next to him for 5 minutes, and then had to switch to a different part of the gym.

There is also an older woman who does the step class I used to do. I won't say that I stopped taking the class because of her smell, but I dreaded when I wound up next to her. The smell was so strong, I just can't imagine that they don't notice it. Anyway- there's my mean-spirited pet peeve. Deoderant peeps....it's a good thing.

Don't Stand So Close To Me....

O.K.- Another song title for you. But, it really did fit this time (and I really hope no one involved reads this blog-LOL). My oldest child asked for some advice, which I'm sure will not be happening all that much in the *near* future, as she is almost 12, and I'm pretty sure I thought (when I was 12), that my mom was SO!-HORRIBLY NOT SMART I would never need her advice. Anyway- back to the matter at hand. She has a really good friend (like BFF, see I AM cool), who she has been friends with for years. This girl is much more touchy-feely than my daughter. She spontaneously gives massages, and stands really close, and likes to give hugs, etc. Not that this is a bad thing, but for my daughter, it is. So she asked- How do I tell my friend without hurting her feelings. This is a tough one.

I know this, because I also, like my personal space. That said, I love a good hug, and let's be honest, we *have* four kids, but I don't like it when people stand right in my face, or touch me for no reason, etc. I'm even on the fence when it comes to a good massage. My wonderful husband on the other hand, loves massages, back rubs, etc. It took a long time to get him to understand that it wasn't personal. The nice thing is, I get my daughter, for once :) Her friend might not get it, if Delaney tries to explain it. And this is definitely a friend she'd like to keep. It's a toughy (is that even a word???). Any advice, warmly welcomed.

A Trip To Boy Paradise....

Today I had a playdate with my son Jake. It is rare that we get to do something one-on-one. Jake was only 17 months when Trey came along, so he's had to share time for most of his life- not that he complains, but today he got some individual time with mom. I really can't take all of the credit for the idea, my husband suggested it, as Trey was in school and the girls were both at sleep-overs (to be honest, I think he just wanted some peace and quiet, but it was still a great idea).

We dropped Trey at school, and headed over to OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). I have to say- Jake was perfectly behaved the entire three hour trip, and we had the BEST time :) OMSI has a spectacular dinosaur exhibit right now that was just the thing for a 5 year old boy (in fact, I have rougly 50-60 pictures to share, if you'd really like), as well as a bottle water rocket launcher that he would have played with for hours. But, the funniest thing is which exhibit he wanted to visit *first*, which also happens be the exhibit that the girls flock to every time we visit: The Ear. They are fascinated with the anatomy, the way the ear hears, (and here's the kicker) the SOUNDBOOTH. Yes, because we, as a family, are not familiar with a soundbooth (HA), they all feel compelled to try out the booth. It's by far the cheapest visit to a sound booth we have ever have :)

The Travel Bug

Every once in awhile I get bitten by the travel bug. Not that it ever means I *go* anywhere, but I like to think about where I'd go, if I could. Now that we're almost through with week 2 of Spring Break, and the constant struggle of finding lost cochlear implants, juggling broken batteries, and constantly pulling kids off one another (or telling them to be nice 'or else'), a mom vacation would be nice (maybe dad would be invited....unless he was needed for babysitting :). It's definitely not going to happen, but it's still fun to think about it in a "what if" kind of way.

I was at the gym earlier today, watching Anthony Bordain's travel show, and I have to say-even his crazy trips where he consumes horrid food, and places himself in harms way, looked appealing. He visited Machu Pichu, and while it was never previously on my list of places to go, the clip of him riding up the Peruvian mountainside in a luxury train, heading up to the ruins of Machu Pichu won me over. Will I ever go? Probably not. I think that's why I like travel shows so much. I get to make my list for the future (places I *must* go before I die), but still get a taste of other locations that really have little appeal to me. I can watch a travel show for a 1/2 hour to an hour and feel a bit like I got away myself. Unfortunately, typically minutes later the sounds of shrieking come drifting towards me and I realize I'm still here- with my loving family. Usually it's a good thing- this week, not so sure-LOL. Oops- think I just heard something break......better run!

Edward Scissorhands and other odds and ends

So, yesterday after deciding my pale and pasty kids needed a dose of sunshine, we all headed outside. The boys were quickly remembering how much fun their bikes were, and I was quickly remembering how badly my flower beds needed to be weeded. After a good 20 minutes of yanking out weeds, I was done. I just do not like gardening. But, what I do like to do is attack, I mean trim my shrubs. They were hugely overgrown, and in need of some pruning (it probably should have been done in the Fall- I don't know when your technically supposed to do it, but I was in the mood). I channeled my inner Edward Scissorhands and went to town. It's very therapeutic. That said, I think I may have overdone it....we'll have to see if they survive the attack.

We had sleep-over number 3 last night (and I now know my limit). Three in a row is too many. I brought our sleepover guest to Trey's school, where Em, her friend, and Jake spent 5 minutes or so playing on the school playground. Not a long time, but as it turned out LONG ENOUGH. They really enjoyed the tire swing. So much so, that after loading all four kids into the car, Em's friend told me her stomach hurt. I offered to stop at the fast food restaurant on the trip home to buy everyone a drink. Thank goodness we stopped. She and Emily made a mad dash into the bathroom, where Emily's friend promptly threw up EVERYWHERE. We may be avoiding that particular drink stop in the future- I think we're no longer welcome.

Batteries- Hate 'Em!

We started out two weeks ago with five in circulation (cochlear implant batteries). We're now down to 3, and we have four CIs in our house. I hate that Cochlear Implant batteries (at least ABs) are not more durable. For $100-$200, they should hold up better. I have a plastic bag filled with 6 broken batteries right now (all broken between September and now). That's close to $1,000 worth of batteries- ouch.

O.K. Done venting :)

Funny Geek Humor

While I am typically not creative enough to come up with any really outstanding April Fools Jokes, I appreciate a well-thought out prank. I have to say the Google prank (Gmail Custom Time) is pretty funny. Not overly believable, although when I was working full-time I would have LOVED this option. If you're in the mood for some good geeky humor, visit http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html

Otherwise, Happy April Fools Day!