May He Rest In Peace

"Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones."
     ~Psalm 116:15

My Grandpa passed away on January 2, 2014 after a brief illness. 

It's very difficult to watch the strongest person you've ever known reduced to a bed-ridden patient in a hospital or nursing home.  Until the end of September, he was still the indestructible force that our family had all come to respect.  Maybe (and I hate to play the what-if game, but still it's there) if he hadn't been so tough, so stubborn, so irreproachable we could have forced him to seek treatment for what ailed him earlier.

But we couldn't.  We just...couldn't.

He suffered long enough, by anyone's standards, and I feel in the end our prayers were answered and he went peacefully while in a deep sleep.  The only thing that will probably always haunt me is that no one from the family was with him when it happened.

The boys and Little One all got to visit him at least once during his lengthy hospital stay (Oldest Boy more than once).  The visits with him were all pleasant, as he was mostly himself and joked and chatted with all of them.  Baby Girl, however, was "too shy" (her words) to go in with me to see him and it bothers her.  A lot.  So much so that she wrote him a note during Mass on the Sunday after he had passed:

I'll translate:

"Dear Grandfather (no one ever called him that - I don't know why she did),

I know you died already thow (though) I didn't get to see you! No matter, I know I have lots of picheres (pictures) of you!  Anyway I am writing this to you because I didn't get to see you and and? I love you. 

Love, Baby Girl"

We buried it with him.

Christmas Eve, 2009

Smoothies

I'm not one for making a lot of resolutions on New Year's Day - I tend to believe if there's something you want to change about yourself, you take action immediately.  You don't wait until January 1.  You don't wait until Monday.  You don't wait until tomorrow.  You start NOW.  Maybe it's just a baby step like doing some research about how to stop yelling at your kids (not that anyone I know has a problem with this)(ahem) or researching a healthier recipe for pancakes but you do something. Anything.  Change happens whether we initiate it or not but we often get to make the choice whether the change is for the better...or not.

Today I decided that I was going to try having a different smoothie for lunch (with the exception of one day a week - probably Saturday or Sunday) all month long.  We'll see how it goes.  I'll post the recipe of the one I tried and my review of it (don't expect fancy photos - this isn't a food blog)(or a photography blog)(or lately much of any kind of blog).

This was a variation of one I found on Pinterest:

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie:

1/2 banana - frozen*
1/3 cup quick oats
1 TBSP peanut butter
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk**

Toss it all in a pulverize it to your desired texture.  I got a Ninja for Christmas a couple of years ago so that's what I use.  The Ninja also makes top-notch margaritas.  Just sayin'.

*I have a supply of frozen bananas because I keep buying them on sale even though no one really eats them.  I'm suspecting a lot of my smoothie recipes are going to contain these.

**I would prefer sweetened vanilla almond milk but Mr. MOTH has been on an anti-sugar kick for a couple of months now and this is what he likes.  I can always add honey (which I think has magical powers) if I think it's not sweet enough in a smoothie.  In case you're wondering, having a husband who doesn't like anything with more than, say, 0g of sugar in it is TONS of fun at Christmastime! ;)  He's lucky I love him so much!

The Verdict:  Meh.  This was edible but not my favorite.  It was sweet enough but the oatmeal made it...almost chewy.  The flavor was good but the texture left something to be desired. 

So, if you're still reading along and you have a favorite smoothie recipe, lay it on me.  I'll make it myself and let you know what I think!  Grocery shopping day is almost always Thursday, so you might have to give me a few days to rustle up the ingredients. ;)

A Runner's Christmas List

I love running. (For those of you who knew me before I was a runner, you can feel free to pick your jaw up off of the floor now - no one's more surprised than I am that I can say that honestly).  The trick, though, is that folks will say it's an inexpensive sport.  All you need are shoes!  HAHAHAHAHA!  No.  It sounds good and maybe some folks can get by without other gear but this mommy can't.  Heck, some runners even go barefoot!  So, in no particular order, here's my wishlist for running gear this holiday season:

10.  Bondi bands.  Dude.  I love these things.  I can make a statement about who I am but most importantly, these suckers stay put.  And I have A LOT of hair.  And it's pretty fine (Fine, meaning not thick and wavy; not fine, meaning dang, that's some fine hair).  So it's really hard to find something that will keep it out of my ever loving face while I'm running and sweaty and gross.  These do that.  Wonderfully.  I have several:  "I thought they said 'RUM'"; "Just Don't Be Last"; "I LOVE RUNNING/I HATE RUNNING"; and "I run like a GIRL!" 

9.  Yurbuds.  I have a set of these earbuds and lemme tell ya, they don't fall out.  Ever. (OK.  In all fairness, I will admit two things:  I CAN yank them out accidentally while running when I catch them with my hand.  And I had trouble with them falling out...when I was putting them in the wrong ear - so totally user-error-related).  I would love this pair that has volume control and a mic on them.  AND they come in pink!

8.  Nike socks.  I think that socks are NEARLY as important as shoes when it comes to running.  I can't even tell you the difference it made when I started wearing wicking socks (and wicking everything else).  I've never tried Nike, but in this instance I'm going with brand loyalty.

7.  Sporty jewelry.  I want something that makes a statement about my running when I'm in my non-workout gear.  (And unlike a lot of runners, I'm usually only in my gear when I'm actually running).  I like this ring.  It's my favorite.  I'm a size 6. ;)

6.  Cold weather tights.  I have heard really good things about these ones from Under Armour.  Baby, it's cold outside...

5.  Long-sleeve tech t-shirts.  I like the kind with a thumb hole.  Kinda like these ones, although I think you could probably find something much, much cheaper and it would be just as good.  (I'm only brand loyal when it comes to my feet...)

4.  And speaking of my feet...I just bought a new pair of kicks but I'd like to have a back-up.  I am partial to Nike.  As a matter of fact, at this stage of the game, that's the only brand I'm willing to even try.  I shop the outlet and stalk the clearance rack every time I go, so I can usually find a deal there but this site has some nice options.  I wear a size 9 (You know, in case Santa needs my measurements).

3.  Let's talk GPS.  I run with my iPhone strapped to my arm.  I've tried the Road I.D. app which is supposed to send a link to Mr. MOTH with my coordinates and is also supposed to sound an alarm if I'm immobile for more than 5 minutes.  It crashed.  I like my Nike+ app but it has no safety feature.  Sigh.  Why can't a girl have the best of both worlds?  Whatever.  This Nike brand sports watch is nice.  But what I really want is...

2.  Garmin.  Truly, any Garmin would do but, since it's a WISH list and all, this is the one I really want - the Garmin Forerunner 620.  With the heart rate monitor.  Sigh.  A girl can dream...

1.  A new treadmill.  I'm really skating on thin ice with ours.  The belt has been tightened so much lately to keep it from slipping that I'm kinda afraid it's going to snap and shoot me across the room.  I'm not exactly picky, but it has to have ONE key feature:   I want a decline option.  Our current model won't let you go below a 1.5% incline so I'm ALWAYS running uphill.  Not bad for training purposes in general, but when you have bursitis in your hips and then all of a sudden try to run DOWNHILL in real life, well, let's just say it's not pretty. 

So, my running compadres, what do YOU want Santa to bring YOU this year?

Kawasaki

There is NEVER a dull moment in our house. But, just to make things interesting, Little One contracted something called Kawasaki disease. To make it even MORE interesting, she had to have incomplete presentation. To get an immediate diagnosis, you have to have 5 days of fever plus 4 other symptoms. On Sunday night when her fever hit 105.7 (not a typo), I panicked and took her to the Big City Children's ER. They gave me the suspected diagnosis of Kawasaki but they couldn't confirm with blood tests until 5 days of fever. That was day 3.

Long story short, we went back Wednesday and they admitted her. Treatment doesn't cure it - it's a virus that resolves itself - but it prevents long-term damage to her heart. She finished the drugs @3:30am today but then got a splitting headache which is common side effect from the drug used to treat it - IV IG (immunoglobulin). The problem is, it's also a symptom of a bunch of other really scary stuff that no one thinks she actually has but if she DOES this is the absolute best place to be treat it - maybe in the whole country.
Needless to say, Halloween at The Mommy's house was not typical this year. Mr. MOTH has really stepped up his daddy game and not dropped the ball AT ALL. I'm so unbelievably thankful to be married to someone like him!!
We are hopeful she will be home soon but until then if you could offer up a prayer on her behalf we would appreciate it.

Just Some Stuff

There are a lot of things going on around here right now.  As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I've been so distracted and busy.  The kids have their usual run-of-the-mill school and sports stuff and added to that Little One has bronchitis (3 days of Albuterol, 5 days of prednisone, 2 weeks of Pulmicort).  And my grandfather is in the intensive care unit of the local hospital (improving but still very sick).

**********
Last week, as the girls and I were sitting in the Space Shuttle hanging out and waiting for the boys to finish cross country practice (we usually play at the playground but it was pretty cold and Little One had just been diagnosed) we saw a black and white cat bolt across the asphalt.  She ran up to a open-air Jeep (the front windows were up and the top of the front was covered) and put her paws on the back tire.  As we're watching, I'm saying, "NO way.  NO WAY!"  Sure enough, the little thing jumps right into the back!  This took no time at all - absolutely NO hesitation on her part, almost like she belonged there!  We watched her walk around, put her paws up on the front dash, etc.

It was time to head up to the field to pick up the boys so as we walked up we peeked in to see her just kinda lounging around.  Too funny!  At the pavilion, I asked the other parents if the Jeep belonged to any of them and it didn't.  There was a Little League game going on at the same time so I just assumed it must belong to one of them.  I hurried everyone back to the parking lot because I did NOT want to miss seeing the owner of the vehicle come back to THAT surprise!

It took awhile, but eventually we realized that there was indeed a guy standing next to the Jeep.  I drove around, noticed his totally bewildered expression, and burst out laughing.  "Does that cat belong to you?"

"Uh, no." (at this point, the cat is sitting in the driver's seat)

I proceeded to tell him the whole scenario.  Youngest Boy asked if he wanted it and he said, "No!"

"We'll take it!  We'll take it!!"  Um, NO WE WON'T!

I said, "Honey, I'm sorry, but that cat chose HIM, not us!" 

Dude with the new kitty, "Lucky me..."

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We also attended a wedding in Virginia last weekend.  It was probably one of the most elegant and personal weddings I've ever attended.  The setting was beautiful, the ceremony was sweet (the officiant was a little...odd, though), and the reception was fun.  It wasn't exactly kid-friendly (picture hors d'oeuvres and cocktails next to a full-size swimming pool), but they did pretty good (minimal whining, fussing, and fighting and they made a couple of new friends - the only other kids there).

In front of the "Manor"

 

The groom and his brothers

Baby Girl dancing to the harp

The harpist - you can get an idea of the setting

Baby Girl is the only one who knew I was taking this photo

More family - it was nice spending at least a little time with them

Mr. MOTH and his 4 sisters
(Yes, they're all that pretty)
(Yes, it took me YEARS to not feel insecure)
 

Youngest Boy making friends - He takes after me...

Dancing with the aunts



Oldest Boy didn't want to dance.  He said, "I'll be hanging out by the food..." He takes after his daddy.

 

Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table

We only go to Disney every year and a half or so (and it's the ONLY place we go on vacation), so we like to splurge on some things once in awhile.  This trip, Mr. MOTH managed to get us breakfast reservations (called "advanced seating") at Cinderella's Royal Table, which is located inside Cinderella's Castle!! I know!  Cool, right?

 

I've always been fascinated by the murals inside and I've taken lots of photos before but still:

 

 Inside, we spotted Jaq and Gus up on the wall (I fiddled with this using Photoshop.  It's a huge learning process for me.):

 Then we finally got to meet the Princess herself:

 Now, about the food.  It was really good but I felt very, very rushed.  I know they're all about get 'em in, get 'em fed, get 'em out but it went really fast.  This is our appetizer, I guess:

Pay attention to the Mickey Mouse Muffins...

 We did get to meet all of the princesses:

 Some of us were happier than others about this:

 I was absolutely thrilled to meet Jasmine (she's my favorite Princess from my all-time favorite movie):

 Each child gets a souvenir wand (girls) or sword (boys) and they all get a wishing star.  Printed clearly on the back is Made in China - where wishes come from, I guess.

 I had the lobster and crab crepes and they were easily the best meal I had at Disney on this trip.  And that's saying something because we ate at Mama Melrose's (Italian - Hollywood Studios), Crystal Palace (lunch with Pooh, Magic Kingdom - where I got a fantastic recipe e-mailed to me for Mediterranean Chicken, just because I asked for it!), and Via Napoli (in Italy - World Showcase, Epcot).  However, I got up during my meal to take photos out of the windows in the castle and to generally look around.  Yinz guys, I was in Cinderella's Castle!  It had to be done!  While I was away from my seat, they came and whisked away the Mickey Mouse blueberry muffin I had been saving!  I was bummed and a hostess saw my distress.  She asked what I needed and I tried to brush it off but she was very, very persistent.  Next thing I know, I had two to go:

Now THAT made me feel like a Princess!

 

For seven of us to eat breakfast (which is a choice of entrees for both adults and children) it was $317.08.  For that low, low price (HA!) we got the meals, the souvenir swords, wands, and wishing stars, photos (2 8x10, 2 4x6), and honestly, the experience of a lifetime (Literally.  We most likely won't do this again.)(Unless we hit the Powerball)(Or my mom does).  I'm glad we did it - the lady folk certainly enjoyed it.  And the boys enjoyed getting a weapon.

I Used to Love Social Studies

Two Fridays ago, Oldest Boy came home from school and announced that their new Social Studies teacher (a man!) was giving them a test on the state capitals.  Okaaay.  Let's start studying!  I printed out lists that he could study then I made a matching game of states + capitals.  We studied through the weekend, Friday night, all day Saturday, all day Sunday (obviously, not ALL day, but to a 10-year-old it probably felt like it...).  Monday, the second he got in the car he says, "Oh, not only do we have to know all the state capitals but we had to identify them on a map."  Uh, no.  That was NOT what the assignment said so that was NOT what we studied...He then says, "Don't worry!  We are finishing the tests tomorrow so I can study tonight!"  This was a cross country meet day, so we rushed home, inhaled some dinner and got down to the business of national geography. 

He actually shocked us with how quickly he learned this.  He was clearly ready to finish the test with flying colors!

He gets in on Tuesday and says, "I did it!  I got 100%!  The kids who didn't get 100% have to re-take it over Thursday and Friday!"  Whew.

Yesterday (Monday), I get this e-mail:


Good afternoon 5^th Grade Parents,

This email concerns the States and Capitals pre-test that was given last week. The purpose of this test is to see how well they take tests. Again, this was only a pre-test to get to know my new students.  

If you have any questions or concerns, as always, please feel free to email me or reach me at the school.

Sincerely,

Your son's 5th Grade Social Studies Teacher (who shall remain nameless so as to protect  the not-so-innocent)

I may have had to leave the house so I couldn't reply.  It would NOT have been pretty.  Or used very Christian language.  Basically, I wasted 10+ hours of my time plus my son's time plus Mr. MOTH's time studying for a test that was worth exactly nothing.  He wanted to "get to know" the students.  Don't they make questionnaires for that?!?!  Couldn't you come up with something else  that was less of a time suck?!?!

{SIGH}