Ugh

This week has been off to a rough start and I'd be glad if that's all that's in store for me. I'd love to know that all of Dahlia's b-day plans go off without a hitch, and that the worst is done. Monday Dahlia was sure she could scale a slippery wet shower wall by grabbing onto a bar on the wall overhead. Sure enough, too slippery to shimmy her way up and on the way down gashed her right knee on this sharp porceline (from the broken soap holder on the wall)! Ugh.... 

Off to the ER, where I was less than thrilled with the staff there. Even with me prefacing (to the staff) the fact that she was totally petrified to be there b/c we had been there before and the staff that treated us were pretty not-kid-friendly.... they still sucked. I can't say enough and the story is too long for me to produce this late a night, but had she not needed so many stitches, I'd have walked out with her at one point. Was not the best time... at all. She's doing well. Recovering with 6 stitches in the most inconvenient part of the leg. Right at the bend. So we've already had a few mild bleeding episodes b/c she gains just the slightest bit of mobility and she's off running and jumping around as if nothing ever happened. So she's banged it. Last night I was certain she popped a stitch or two, but all turned out OK. Today she's had a bit of swelling and I'm holding my breath that it's gone down by tomorrow AM, or I'm taking her in to the pediatrician to check on everything (particularly worried about infection). Hopefully a night without major wraps on her leg will bring that swelling down. I'm hopeful since she does not seem phased by most of this. 

Then today the car was swiped in the CVS parking lot. Man was I ticked. I just can't envision people feeling kosher with themselves for have putting a 1.5-2 foot dent in someone's car door and then driving off like that. Filed a police report but the CVS survielence is not so great, so there's really no hope on that end. We were not in the store for more than 20 min.... it's just so annoying.

Of course after all of that we did the b-day balloon shopping. An annual tradition we do for each of the kids birthdays. They get to go to Evanston's Hallmark and pick out a bunch of balloons for themselves. They have high-float which helps the balloons last forever, so even 5-6 weeks from now she'll still be celebrating! They do a great job. We had tested out a couple other places for balloons. Yes, they were cheaper, but man... they were cheaper. Hallmark is worth the quality AND the squirt of high-float. The kids just love this tradition! Good times.

Tomorrow Seringe is home from work! YEA!

Starts with me getting to sleep in later! Then I will bake some cupcakes with the Big D.... and then Seringe is also letting me escape to Starbucks to do some writing! So excited about that. Going to soak up this day b/c I rarely get to have that much time for me, aside from him being around for a full day at random! A huge treat!

Friday starts off the celebration for Dahlia. We will be meeting friends at Wagner Farm for the afternoon, later dinner with Grandpa and Aunt Jess (who is in town)! Sunday is her actual birthday and we are taking her (immediate us) to the paint-your-own-pottery-type place, and later out to dinner with Grandma! Busy weekend ahead! But should be lot's of fun!

Recent Lowdown o' Pix

So I've updated on lot's of this, but here are some great pix just recently uploaded to the computer (or should I say "finally" ; )

Mayor Dayley's Kids and Kites Festival!

Children's Museum of Immigration of the Swedish American Museum:

First Tennis Attempts!

Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture

Lately

I'm getting a little frustrated. I need to get a particular project done and feeling like I have no time to truly work on it. Granted, I've enjoyed every second not working on it, so it's hard to be that frustrated, yet I'd love to actually accomplish it and not finding the time to do so, aside from staying up till 1am every night doin' so, and this is just not cutting it anymore. I need *some* sleep!!!

Anyhoo-- lives been so much fun lately... of course. After Shea's birthday celebration we went to the Mayor Dayley's Kids and Kites Fest with Seringe. That was super fun. Had our kite at the end of it's line a full 300 ft in the air. Beautiful down there by the lakefront!

I had 2 days where I was able to have date-days with each of the older two. They really have seemed to need more of that one-on-one lately. And I can recognize that they have been feeling more independent than they'd like to be right now. So trying to adjust that a bit more. (Part of that is me trying to get a bit of work done during the day, but I recognize their need for me to be fully present and less independent during that time.... ahhh.... finding balance!)

Last week we had a few playdates and EHE park day, before Shea got a fever-type sick. Then he was better and we had a couple playdates, a trip to the Children's Museum of Immigration that was super fun, but glad it was free ; ) . And then we picked up rackets at the thrift store and Kaidin's really been interested in tennis lately! He's really liked the sport and interested in lessons, which is pretty fun. We had an impromptu tennis date and lunch with Grandpa last week before our EHE park day. And even dragged Seringe out to play tennis this past weekend. 

This of course, is in between Shea getting sick again, this time with a cold. Poor guy. He's been hit hard in the last 2 weeks. Part of me thinks it has to do with the amount of solids he's eaten on/since his b-day and how that may have made his immune quite low (less breastmilk).... but that's a proud nursing-mama's philosophy. At least now, he's on the mends and everyone seems to be doing well.

I had one of my frustrating "maybe school would be a good thing" days.... That usually passes quite quickly. But I was at witts end today. I had thought a nice bike ride would help us, and I really truly wanted them to ride in the trailer so I could haul a long distance and get a good work out, but K and D were sure they wanted to ride their own bikes. UGH. Sign for disaster. K has the tendency to not watch where he's going and runs into a lot of things. D tends to use the tip of her sandals to stop.... ruining the pair of shoes we just bought about a week or two ago.... that were intended to last the whole summer. In doing this, she also got her foot cut under and twisted in her one and only training wheel.... ugh... I was sure we were not going to escape the ER today.

Anyhow... today ended up much better. I'm up late doing the writing project and really hoping I can stay on my personally scheduled goal. I want to complete the project by the 1st and have it up and running and selling. With only 2 weeks left I will be grateful to have the project done and editing the first week of June and selling soon after. 

Tomorrow we have a museum date with Grandma. We are visiting the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. We'll seee how that goes. I'm excited about the adventure with the kids. We will even sample to ethnic food as well.....

This reminds me that Facebook brought about an unexpected 'friend'.... a distand cousin on my mom's side found me and man, she is the family historian! She's sent me some cool family tree info and pix. It's been fun hearing from her!

Dahlia's b-day is next week! Random thought there... she is very excited, and I swear she's grown a couple inches for the occassion.... ; )

Time to get reading/writin'! 

G'nite.

Happy Birthday Boober

It's official... a full 12 months has past and he's a full year old! I truly can't fathom how this year just flew right by us. It feels like just yesterday that I was stressing about the colicy-ness of his first 2 months, and then watching him cruise around by 4 months, and waddling around by 11 months. He's just a super cool dude. No joke. He's completely his own person with an amazing personality. So incredibly sweet and tolerant, loving and playful. You know each baby has given me a gift in my life as a mother. Taught be valuable life lessons as mother. And for this I am just so entirely grateful, lucky and blessed for each of their presence in my life. Shea's gift to me was teaching me to 'let go' and 'give up' and 'relax'!!! I call him my little tornado. He flies through this house inquisitive about absolutely everything. And as much as I love to have things kind kept up and in some sort of 'order', with Shea in our lives this is impossible. And I have just had to learn to be OK with this. Our home is always a mess, and I have had to deep breath through that and just let it go. Life is far more enjoyable when I don't worry about this stuff, and man.... it feels really good. Aside, he has taught me to never take anything (at all) for granted. I constantly joke that with him, I feel like a first time mom all over again. I even joked with our pediatrician the other day that people may not even realize that he is my third baby! He has been a whole new adventure and it's been a wild ride. He is such a little blessing.

His latest achievements.... well, I mentioned the walking thing. He's cruisin' everywhere and just loves that he's mobile with his big bro and sis. He's quite the music lover and really gets his groove on when he hears a tune or beat that gets his hiney wiggling. He's so an on-the-go kinda guy.... loves and adventure, the outdoors, car ride, park, etc. He almost never naps and next-to-never is easy to persuade to sleep (I'm just shocked that a 12 month old could easily go without a nap in any random given day). He started eating very very early and since seems to have slowed up on the solid foods and loves nursing more. I have to admit that I was worried he'd stop nursing pretty early on b/c the food-thing was pretty serious for while. Hmmm.... he says a few 'starts' of words, but mostly if prompted and not really intentionally. If asked he'll give you a 'ba' for bada (nursing) and then 'ma' for mommy... occassionally he'll bust out a "eye" which is both hi and bye! ; ) Way too cute. Four teeth on top, two teeth on the bottom, and lot's of bumby suggestions that more are ready to poke out really soon. 

B-day was spent at home this time around. Grandpa came over and played during the day, fed him a nice lunch and blew out a b-day candle. And then Grandma came later in the evening for dinner and another b-day cake/candle. It was a really nice day and he really got into it. The "happy birthday" song was playing on some TV show the other day and he stopped everything to run and check it out. He seemed certain he was going to hear his name and listened quite intently, even had the little boogy sway going on. 

We love you Boober. You are the coolest little man around!