Grandpa's House

Ethan has been asking for weeks if we could go to Grandpa's house, so when Grandpa's birthday finally came around, the kids were excited to finally go! The favorite game at Grandpa's . . .

Throw the beanies up

over and over and over

Thanks for the fun Grandpa! And Happy Birthday again!

BJHS

I have Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome.

After posting a couple of weeks ago how I was a medical mystery, a friend sent me information via email that led me to read about joint hypermobility syndrome. I found the diagnosis criteria online and knew it was exactly what I have. Yesterday at the Rheumatologist, it was confirmed.

What does that mean?

It means I have chronic joint pain in multiple joints. It means that I have hypermobility in my elbows. It means that my shoulders like to partially dislocate. But I already knew that. And now that I have a name for my problems, I know what to expect for the future. My condition won’t get worse like so many other joint problems out there. And while there isn’t a cure or really anything that for sure will even help, I know that I won’t have to be in a wheelchair in a few years from a deteriorating spine! Of all the possibilities that my problem could have been, this is the best scenario. Everything remains the same as it was before I found out the diagnosis, but now I can have peace of mind and learn to deal with it.

I have a referral to go to physical therapy. I also have two meds to try. The doctor told me they may or may not do anything. But either way, it’s okay. For some reason, I just feel better now because I know.

Sherron, thank you so much!

A Random Discovery

This week I finally found the official name for the problem I've been having with my shoulders for the past 6 1/2 years!

Shoulder Subluxation

It's a partial dislocation of the shoulder that happens to me ALL THE TIME.

Knowing the name doesn't change anything, but it's kinda nice to know.

I'm going to the Rheumatologist again tomorrow, and I think this time we might be able to come up with something . . . stay tuned.

The Blanket Game

One of Ethan and Madeline's favorite parts of the day is after dinner when we get to play "family games". Some of the favorite family games include: building marble runs, domino runs, musical chairs, and The Blanket Game! Ethan and Madeline stand across the room and run toward us while we try and throw their blankets on their heads. Then they fall over laughing and want to do it again and again and again. It's a good laugh for all of us. And you should see the static in Madeline's hair when we're done. Here are some pictures from last night's blanket game fun:

We are Moving!

After renting a wonderful home for a little over a year, Todd and I finally found the perfect house for us to buy. We decided to start looking a little while back and didn’t find a thing that seemed right. Then in less than 24 hours, a house came on the market, we saw it, made an offer, and had the offer accepted! Now we only have three weeks until we close on the new house! Time to pack our boxes!

It sure seems like we love moving too. Todd and I have been married six years and this will be our fifth place together! The longest we have lived in one place is two years. Just about the time I start feeling settled, I move again! I really hope that we can stay in this home for a LONG time. I have enjoyed living in all the places we have lived. And I have discovered that there are nice people everywhere. I am particularly grateful for the friends we have made here while renting. Sometimes it is hard for people to want to invest in someone that they know won’t be there for long, but I didn’t feel that way. Everyone has been true friends to me.

Five places in six years . . . yeah, I just hope that in the next six years the number of places never changes!

Spring Cleaning Early

This week, I have thrown away four giant trash bags full of junk.

This week, I gave away an entire trunk load of things we don't use anymore to charity.

This week, even though it isn't spring yet, I am pretending that it is.

And boy, does it ever feel good!

Our Valentine's Day

Holidays are a big deal to me. I make them that way, because I like to. I think it makes life more fun. It also gives me a reason to be creative, which I also enjoy. We have a tradition in February to make Valentine Pockets for each person in the family. For the last two weeks, they have hung on the counter. Everyday, we make a valentine or two for someone else. Ethan loved this activity most of all. He thoroughly enjoyed making and receiving valentines.

On Saturday, Todd brought me these beautiful flowers. Todd knows that I can't have Valentine's day without a flower or two! I've been lucky enough to get a flower on Valentine's Day every year since I was 16 (and no, they weren't always from a significant other! Though the last 8 years have been from Todd). I just love getting flowers. It makes the day seem special!

Setting the table for dinner made it fun for the kids too.

Another picture of my sweet little valentine girl:

And of course, here are the three reasons I like Valentine's Day the most:

I love you three so very much!

My Little Valentine

I’m a Medical Mystery

I’ve been seeing a Rheumatologist this month. I’ve always had joint problems, in all my joints, and daily discomfort. But the last few months have gotten worse. I always wake up in the night from the pain and can’t go back to sleep. But so far, all that my Rheumatologist can tell me is what I don’t have.

I don’t have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I don’t have Lupus. I don’t have Fibromyalgia. And I don’t have Ankylosing Spondylitis. Don’t worry, I don’t know how to pronounce it either. It’s a spinal arthritis. I had X-rays done and my spine is perfect. That’s good news, despite no diagnosis still. And all my blood tests came back normal too. I’m currently taking a second drug to see if my pain will respond to it. Sometimes no diagnosis can be found, but meds still help. It’s too early to tell if it’s actually helping yet, but the first “test” medication I tried did nothing.

Too bad Dr. House isn’t real. He would surely be able to figure out what I have, especially after testing my house for toxins. Of course, if I were a patient to Dr. House, I’d probably have to almost die at least twice before he figured it out and that doesn’t sound too fun. Because one thing I do know is that whatever I have won’t kill me. And let's be honest, I'm really glad about that!

Making Valentines

Ethan was very excited to get to go to his Preschool Valentine Party today. We spent the day yesterday making these fun Valentines for his class:

He wrote the names of his classmates and teachers as well as his name to glue on the back of each Valentine. He also drew the smiles on each one, and glued on the eyes and the Popsicle sticks all by himself!
He really had fun making them.
The idea came from some blog . . . I am so bad! I can't remember where I saw them. If you know, please comment where you saw them because I did NOT think of these on my own and someone deserves credit for being creative!

And here is Ethan after his party . . . with all his cute Valentines and treats. He said it sure was a lot of fun!

Boy Water

This morning, Madeline was very pleased when I let her use Ethan's cup that she had chosen for water. I filled it up and handed it to her and then she replied with a smile:

"Today I get boy water. Yay!"

My Little Reader

Ethan has always been interested in numbers and letters. Anything that has rules and patterns, he loves. A few weeks ago, he just started to read simple sentences. I’ve never really tried to teach him to read, I taught him the sounds all the letters made a long time ago, and he has just sort of figured the rest out on his own. He has a photographic memory of sorts that has always amazed me.

Last Tuesday, as I drove up to pick Ethan up from preschool, his teacher walked with him to the car. She had a funny smile on her face as she said, “I didn’t know Ethan knew how to read.” I never told his teacher, I guess because I really didn’t think that much of it. I guess I didn’t realize that what he was doing was actually enough to really be considered reading. She said he was doing really great and offered to send books home with him the next class. I told her he would love that.

So Thursday came and after preschool, Ethan came out with a book. His teacher told me that the little book used to be her daughters from Kindergarten. She told me we could take it home and when he was done with it we could bring it back and she’d give him a new one. I thought that sounded great. As we climbed in the car, Ethan asked if he could look at it on the drive home.

What can I say? He read the entire thing out loud on the drive home! I only had to help him (he read the letters to me as I drove) with two words in the entire book. I seriously couldn’t believe it. He’s been 4 for less than two months! And he won’t be going to kindergarten until the fall of 2011. Hmmm, needless to say, I’ve been doing a little research on preschool programs for this fall. I certainly don’t want him to get bored with school before he even starts.

My little reader boy . . . wow!

Here are a couple pages from Ethan's book:

Birthday Party

We had a great time last night for Todd's birthday. Thanks for coming everyone! It turned out to be a fun party. Here are just a few pics from last night . . .

Todd opening a present from Ethan, Strawberry Poptarts:
And an even cooler gift . . .

Mmmmm, cake and ice cream . . .yummy!

Happy Birthday again, Babe!

Kirby

Todd's favorite cake is cherry chip. I've always thought it was fun to try and figure out a way to make a pink cake not look girly. Last year I made his cake with a skull and cross bones, but I like this years even better! Take a look at Kirby:

I usually prefer cupcakes, but this was pretty fun.

To My Hubby

Happy Birthday!

I love you!

Toy Store

Ethan opened his very own toy store this week. I wanted to be a good and supportive costumer, but his prices were a little steep. Here is some of his merchandise:

Bear: "twenty nine hundred dollars"

White Tiger: "twenty dollars and ninety quarters"

Lobster: "ninety-six cents and eighty hundred dollars"

.

Hmmm, needless to say, he put himself right out of business. But don't worry, he says he'll open another one again someday.

February Recipe

Ramen with Beef, Shiitakes, and Spinach
The Best 30-Minute Recipe (From the editors of Cook’s Illustrated)

Ramen noodles are cheap and they cook quickly making them a convenient dinner for the time-crunched cook. By pitching the seasoning packets in the trash and pairing these noodles with fresh ingredients, you can enjoy a quick and flavorful meal.

12 ounces blade steak, sliced into thin strips
8 tsp soy sauce
2 TBLS vegetable oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBLS grated fresh ginger
3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
3 TBLS dry sherry*
2 tsp sugar
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach

Pat beef dry with paper towels and toss with 2 teaspoons soy sauce. Heat 1 TBLS oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl.

Add remaining TBLS oil to skillet and return to med-high heat until shimmering. Add mushroom and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth. Break bricks of ramen into small chunks and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook, tossing ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still liquid in the pan, about 2 minutes.

Stir in remaining soy sauce, sherry, and sugar. Stir in spinach, handful at a time, until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened. Stir in beef and serve.

*I just omitted the sherry completely. I don’t have any and didn’t know a substitute. It turned out wonderfully!

Black Apple Dolls

When I saw these dolls a few months ago, I just fell in love. So naturally I was extremely happy to find out that the free pattern (along with more information about them) can be found here. I ended up making seven. Most were given as Christmas gifts, and a couple for other things. Aren't they just adorable:

In the end, this one turned out to be my favorite: