The latest update on all of us...

We're all moved now. We moved 11 miles to Pewaukee, and are already happier here than we ever were at the other place. Unlike the morons we lived next to before, the family in the other half of this townhouse is great. They've got three kids (12, 3, and 1) and we get along really well. The kids love the new location since we're a 5 minute walk to the beach, although winter is coming early again up here, so we won't be doing that much until spring. This place is also just "brighter"...more windows, lighter colors, and a whole lot less negative energy floating around.

Joe quit his job (at the same time we were moving) and started a new one a few days after the move. He is *incredibly* happy there and is already doing the management that his old company promised, but never delivered on (in addition to overall piss-poor management in general). It's nice to see him excited to go to work, and know he's really enjoying his job again.

For those of you who remember our search to find out what was up with Zack, we confirmed what his naturopath thought in that he has heavy metal poisoning. We're trying to detox him, but it's a struggle. The detox is in adult capsules, which he can't swallow, so we've got to try to mix 4 capsules/day of this stuff in his food. And he's too smart for his own good and can tell when it's in there and refuses to eat it. We've tried: peanut butter, honey, yogurt, pudding, and mixing it into different liquids. We've gotten it in him in milk shakes, but I don't really want to be giving him two of those a day for the next three months!

Here are some recent pics of the kids:

Yes, I know it's August

Don't even start, I'm aware it's been a while.

Two funny stories from Dominic recently:

A) I was putting him to bed, and he was looking at his bedsheets (CARS). He looked at Mater and said "It looks like Mia talking to us!" I'm guessing because she only had two front teeth at the time. I dunno...what do you think?

B) The next day we went for a walk down by the park, and Joe picked some cattails for the boys to play with. On the way home we stopped at Target, and from his carseat Dom said, "Can I buy some toys with my cattail?" I wish!! We'd be livin' the high life then, eh?

Updates on the kids:

Mia has gotten two more upper teeth, so we're up to six now! She is a stair climbing expert, although she hasn't attempted a descent yet. And DANG is she quick! She has also been walking for about two weeks and is quite proud of herself. Here is a pic from her 9 month "shoot" we did outside...no I didn't do any Photoshopping to it, 'cause I just don't have time!

The boys are still the boys! They spend most of their days on the porch playing in the little pool we have set up out there. Zack is becoming more interested in writing and reading, so we're enjoying putting his scribbles up on the fridge. They also are both in love with these kids' CD's Nana got for them. I haven't heard adult radio in weeks. Every time we go in the car it's either "Rinocerous Tap," "Dog Train," or "Philadelphia Chickens." I gotta say, I do like the Bacon Brothers singing "Pots and Pans," but the aardvark song gets a little annoying. Here are some pics of the boys:

You might have noticed Dominic's new accessory...if you missed, please please please never go deer hunting...you'll kill someone. He fractured his tibia on the 23rd of July. We're not exactly sure what happened, but near as we can guess, he and Zack were playing (neither Tasha nor I heard a fight) with her large stuffed snake, and Dom got spun around and smacked his leg into the corner of a wall. On the upside, they said he should be healed in about a total of 3 1/2 weeks...so the cast is scheduled to come off on the 20th.

They've become quite enthralled with Play-doh recently. Zack made me an Elmo using an Elmo cookie cutter I had:

Tasha is spending more time here since it's summer and that has been great. The boys really miss her when she's gone, and are constantly asking when she's coming back when she leaves. She's a really great big sister, and I think she really enjoys the role. Here is a picture of a "lemonade (because they don't drink tea) party she set up in the pool one day.

That's the last few months in a nutshell. I'll try to update more frequently!

Some pics from our zoo trip

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's been a while.

Mia finally has more teeth! She got her two bottom front in when she was three months old, but since then, nothing. Yesterday both of her top two front ones pushed through...which totally explains why she's been crabby lately. She's been pulling herself up on furniture (and my legs) for about a week and half, and walked with a walker for the first time yesterday. I can't believe how big she's getting already!

The boys are good, and are enjoying the warm weather. Dom loves to kick the soccer ball, while Zack is more inclined to play with their big trucks outside.

The van is being fixed this week, and the insurance company is paying for it. Yay! It took me spending half a day on the phone with various mechanics to find out what the problem was...yes, you read that right. The garage had my van for a week and couldn't figure it out, but I got the problem diagnosed over the phone. But hey, at least it's getting fixed.

Even if it's broke, they apparently can't fix it.

After more than a week at the garage, the van is still broke. Not that they didn't give it a good go, but apparently not only can't they fix it, they can't even tell us conclusively what's wrong with it. All they know is that one of the computer systems is fritzing out and ticking off the rest of them. They dissasembled the van and ran diagnostics on all of them, but didn't find the cause. So then they put $2o in gas in and drove it around for few days trying to get it to freak out, which didn't work. So apparently all we can do now is hope it spazzes out when we're close to home, so we can take it to the garage and they can diagnose it while it's having a spasm. Lovely, eh?

Dom's staples are out, and his head has healed beautifully. I don't think they'll be a very noticible scar at all. With the exception of demanding a sucker from the nurses afterwards, the removal process was a breeze.

Otherwise not much is new, we're enjoying the nice weather...it's supposed to be mid-60's all week! YEA!!!

Peanut butter and jelly and...salami?

Yup, salami. That combination is Zack's new lunchtime favorite. All I can think is "ewww" but he gobbles it right up. Today he tried to stick baby carrots on it too, but they wouldn't smoosh down so he couldn't fit it into his mouth.

Speaking of baby carrots, Mia loves them. She seems to eat anything I mix with them...avacado, homemade rice cereal, and bananas so far. She's 'army crawling' quite effectively now, and can get just about anywhere she wants to go. She also got herself up to sitting from laying down last week. She's growing so fast!!

And the biggest news is that we've had our first really bloody encounter between the boys. Dominic intentionally knocked over something that Zack was building yesterday morning. Zack chased Dom into the hall and pushed him down in retaliation. I followed Zack to discipline him thinking it was just another minor scuffle. I turn to comfort the screaming Dominic only to see blood freely running down his face and onto his clothes and the floor. He'd apparently hit the corner of the wall, and split his head open a good inch and half. I got the bleeding to stop and called my in-laws who were on their way over to help me take the van to the garage (more on that later). Thankfully, they were almost here and they were able to help me get Mia and Dom dressed, and my father-in-law and I took him to Urgent Care. The doctor and nurse were wonderful, but my heart just broke every time he started crying again. Can I just sing the praises of the Urgent Care at that clinic? We were in and out in less time than it would have taken us to even be seen in an ER.

We were given three options for getting the gash closed:

a) topical numbing cream (which would take 45 minutes to soak in and it might not completely numb the area) before they stapled it.

b) injected anesthesia which would probably hurt more than the staples and would require him to pinned down at least twice.

c) just stapling it with no anesthesia.

Great options right? I decided to just let them staple him without anything since that would be the least amount of pinning him down, and it would be over quicker. They wrapped him in a blanket and had the stapling done in literally 20 seconds. He did really well with it overall, and wound up with seven staples in his head. I have to take him back in about a week to get the stapes removed, which after having them removed from my c-section I know won't hurt him. Here's a pic:

On to the van. After the accident, the computer would cause the van to freak out. Periodically while the van was being driven, all of the warning lights would come on, all the gauges (speed, RPM, gas) would drop to zero and not work, and the CD player and radio would try to run and then turn off and on. The only way to get it to stop was to pull over, turn the van off, and open the driver's door.

I told all of this to the garage we took it to when we got the body work done. Apparently they didn't think it important enough to address, so they never looked at it. The van stopped doing it for a while, so we assumed it was fixed. Then, last week it started doing it again. We called the garage, and because it was in the file that they were told about it before, they agreed that it should fit under the lifetime warranty they have on repairs, but the final decision would be up to the insurance company. The insurance company doesn't want to pay for it, because they are claiming there is no way to prove it was caused by the accident because, "it was a rear-end collision, and rear-end collisions don't usually affect the computer systems because the computer is in the front of the vehicle." Um, yeah. Let's see. In a year, the van never did it once, and it started doing it after the accident, so we're pretty sure the incidents are related. Idiots. We're currently arguing with them about it, and we'll see what happens.

Guess that's it for now!

Trying a video clip...

I haven't tried to add videos before so here goes.

Dom was really tired at dinner tonight...what you may not be able to tell is that he kept saying he wanted more food, even though he couldn't keep his eyes open. I don't think he knew if he was more tired, or more hungry.

EDITED: I removed the video clip so I could submit it to AFV...who knows, we could win some $$$!

Sitting Pretty!

Mia had two milestones on St. Patrick's day. She said "mama" and she decided she was ready to sit on her own! Here is a picture, I didn't feel like fixing the redeye:

Doesn't she look proud of herself! If she reaches too far for something (or gets excited, or looks around too fast) she falls over...which she's not too keen on. But you could tell she was very intrigued at being above floor level on her own.

We found out the issue we'd been having with our camcorder is a recall issue. So the good news is, they're going to fix it for free, the bad news is it could take several weeks for that to happen. Hopefully she doesn't do too many new things between now and then!

Half a year already?!

So Mia is six months old today, and I just cannot believe it. There has been so much going on I just lost track of time. It's a shock to me to realize that half a year has gone by since she's been born. Oh, yeah, and I'm turning 30 tomorrow...that's a bit of a shocker too! Other than everyone getting older, not a whole lot is new. I'm going to take some six month portraits of Mia and I'll post them as soon as I do. Hope everyone is well!

Up and Running!!

I really love my husband! He somehow talked Dell into sending us a replacement keyboard to see if that is what the problem with the laptop was...and thankfully it seems to be working just fine now....YAY!! Not a whole lot is new overall. It's still snowy and cold, although the sun has been out more lately. Joe and the boys were a bit snuffly over the last few days, but that seems to be clearing up and thankfully appears to have skipped me.

Oh, some more neighbor drama: About a week ago, he had another little spaz moment. The kids didn't have a good night sleep, so they were quite tantrumy...lots of screaming out of them because they weren't getting what they wanted. I finally get them calmed down, and we're all in the living room. All of the suddenthere is massive pounding on the front door, and the neighbor is yelling his head off. The only words I could make out were "noise"and "bitch". He then went to his car and left. He screwed the screen door up so that it doesn't close properly now.

I reported it to the police and the officer I dealt with was great. She said she got a call a few months ago where a guy (she's now pretty sure it was him) wanted to know if the noise of children violated the city ordinance ondisturbing the peace! She just about laughed her head off. We totally "get" how the noise can be annoying...we live in it fer cryin out loud...but there are appropriate ways to handle things, and inappropriate ones...and this guy clearly has anger control issues. The police officer actually knew who he was since he used to be on the fire department here (he got kicked off). She flat-out told me he was a "hothead". I'm really glad this whole thing wound up on the desk of a female police officer with three kids! She called him and basically told him that kids aren't robots, you can't always control them. He admitted he banged on the door (which surprised both of us). She made it very clear that what he did was totally inappropriate and if he did it again, we'd have him cited for disorderly conduct. We've not heard a peep from him since. We're still looking to move in the spring. Interestingly enough, the report my father-in-law filed in November (when the neighbor threatened to "offload on his face" mysteriously never got filed anywhere. The police have no record of a report being filed...which doesn't really surprise me if this guy has buddies on the police department.

I created a myspace page, and will probably be loading new pictures there instead of here because it's easier to do on that site and I can make slideshows out of them. When I get the page designed how I want it to look, I'll post the link.

Off to play with the kids!

What a crazy few weeks!

Ok, so I'm once again horribly behind in posting...but with good reason. My laptop may be dead. :o( I was working at the kitchen table, and Dominic climbed on the chair next to me. Unbeknownst to me he had a mouthful of water and decided to do his impression of a sprinkler...right onto the keyboard. Not all that much water hit it, maybe a tablespoon or so, but it was enough to screw it up. We're hoping it's just a keyboard issue and the motherboard isn't fried...Joe is kind of stuck trying to decide whether to send it back to Dell to get it looked at or whether to take it somewhere local. So for now, I'm limited to the downstairs computer, which I'm only able to get on once or twice a day.

Now that I think about it, we've had a really bad month for electronics: My laptop got wet, the camcorder isn't working right, Joe set our portable DVD player too close to the humidifier (it was on the floor right in front of the outlet and he had plugged the player in to recharge it) so that is fried, and our digital card reader got smashed under some books I dropped. Apparently if you are an electronic device you need STAY AWAY from here!! Oh well, it's just stuff.


Kids update:

Mia has her second tooth and bit me a few days ago...yeowch! I forgot how much that can hurt! It's funny how, since I see her everyday, I don't really notice her growing. I know she is because I had to start using the next set of snaps on her diapers, but it's funny when people who haven't seen her for a month say "Oh, she's getting so big!" and I have to look at her with fresh eyes and say, "Oh, yeah. I guess she is!"


Zack took a fall off the futon and got a really great bruise on his chin. I took a picture, but our card reader isn't working, so I can't get it off the card just yet. We're really glad he wasn't hurt worse. He was bleeding in his mouth from somewhere, but there were no loose teeth or visible bites to his lips, so we think he may have bit the inside of his cheek.

He scared the bejeebees out of me two Mondays ago. Mia was still asleep when I decided to get out of bed. Zack had crawled in with us, so I left him on Joe's side and her in the middle and snuck out. About ten minutes after I went downstairs I heard footsteps and figured Zack would be up soon. He didn't come down and a few minutes later, I heard more footsteps, then a thump, then Mia started crying. Not an 'ear-splitting-my-world-is-ending kind of scream, but definately unhappy. My first thought was, "No way did she roll out of the bed." As I headed up the stairs, I was puzzled by the fact that the crying sounded like it was coming from the bathroom. (We have a door to the bathroom from our room.) I open our bedroom door, and there is no one in there...no Zack, no Mia. I look into the bathroom, and Mia is on the floor with Zack sitting next to her. (When Zack gets caught doing something his not supposed to be doing and he knows it, he will tell whoever caught him to "go away.") He saw me and said, "No mama, you go downstairs!" When Mia saw me, she calmed down instantly so I know she wasn't hurt.

Normally, I would have totally freaked out, but I've been working on not overeacting so I was speaking calmly the whole time (which I'm very proud of). Here is how the rest of the conversation went:

Me: Zack, what happened?
Zack: You go downstairs!
M: Zack, were you trying to bring Mia downstairs?
Z: (In an incredibly sulky voice) Yes, and she's very heavy.
(I say a small prayer thanking the Lord he didn't get her to the stairs)
M: Well, that was very nice of you honey. How about we find a safe way to take her down?
Z: (in a cherry voice) That's a great idea Mama! We need a bucket!

So then we had a discussion about how babies aren't carried in buckets, and I let him help me carry her downstairs. The situation hasn't arisen again because all the kids have been waking up by 6 am for the last few weeks, but I've learned there are many hazards to having multiple kids that you just can't plan for.

Dom is pretty much the same...no new major injuries to speak of at least!

They are really enjoying the snow. As much work as it is to get them dressed up, they really like to go out and play on the deck. We've got about two feet of snow out there right now, and St. Nick brought them their own shovels, so they just have a blast.

So that's the low-down for now. Cheers!

Teething bites!

Why does getting a few teeth have to be so painful and make our babies so miserable? Mia's first tooth finally broke through on Sunday, and boy was she relieved. She handled the last couple weeks pretty well, and we only had one day of real inconsolable crankiness, which was resolved with the arrival of teething tablets.

Other than that, not much is new. We're all a bit cabin feverish with the new snowfall and the cold temps. It was a whopping -4 on Sunday! I'm also really trying to get pictures and stuff pulled out and hung up so it looks like we really live here. I'm hoping to get painting done before mid-March, since I'm having a card party and I want the place to not look like we just moved in!

We're on a roll!

Even at 3 1/2 months, Mia is sneaky. On New Year's Eve she decided to roll over...while both Joe and I were out of the room. The boys were both already asleep, and I laid her down on he playmat so I could visit the restroom, and Joe was out with the dog (who had ripped off a claw that morning...which is a whole 'nother story). I walk back in, and she's lying on her tummy, happy as can be. Joe came in and I just pointed at her. The conversation went something like this:

Joe: "She rolled over?"
Me: "Yeah, and we MISSED IT!"
Joe: "Well, flip her back."
(I roll her over onto her back, and immediately she rolls back onto her tummy.)
Joe: "I'm guessing it looked pretty much like that."
Me: "That's not the point!"

I was miffed! How dare she have a milestone while I was absent! Of course, we can't find the battery charger or the plug in cord for the video camera, so we have yet to get the act on film. If we don't find it this weekend, I'm going to just buy a new one, I don't care how much it costs!
Dom has apparently decided he likes to pretend to be a dog. He'll get on all fours, bring things in his mouth, and charge around barking. I think I've figured out that two barks mean 'yes,' and three means 'no.' He's also moved to his own bed. He and Zack still crawl in with us at about 4am, but our nights are a bit more comfortable having the king-size for just the three of us.

I think we're going to start a phonics program with Zack. He gets very excited about "doing school" which is what we call it when we do an alphabet or a number book. Mandatory school age in Wisconsin starts at 6 in first grade. I'll have to see what school year Zack would be in Kindergarten since his birthday is in November.

Oh, and I have my van back! Yay! They did a great job fixing it...you'd never know it was in an accident. The boys were all excited to see it again. While it was gone, they'd ask where it was, and we'd tell them it had an "owie" and it was at the van doctor. When they saw it today, they kept saying, "Mama's van owie all better!" Unfortunately, I did not escape the accident unscathed. I apparently fractured my spine in the impact. How did we discover this? Our new chiropractor did x-rays and found that L5 is apparently not where it belongs, and it could only be the result of a spinal fracture. She actually said it's an injury she usually sees in football players...and while my kids are little bruts, they aren't that strong yet! After tracking down x-rays from our old chiro, we determined the fracture has to be recent, and that accident is the only thing I can come up with that would have enough force to cause that type of injury. Thankfully, it is quite managable with chiro care. Which I'm really glad for, since conventional medicine's solution would be to fuse my spine...an idea I'm not really down with for a wide variety of reasons!