The Big 1-0!

Abby today you turn 10! I can't believe it but at the same time you have seemed like you have been that old for awhile because you are so grown up and responsible. You are the sweetest girl ever. You are always quick to help and when asked to do something you always respond with a smile and say, "Sure!" You are such a good big sister to Isaac and to Lily. You are often found playing with them or helping them. While you have been off track and my back has been hurting I haven't been getting out of bed until after 9 am most days. You get Lily and Isaac up, feed them and play quietly until I get up. You never complain about this at all. Sometimes I worry about you because you are so good and you hardly ever complain. Am I meeting all your needs? Am I taking advantage of the fact that you are so good and not paying enough attention to you or spending enough time with you? I want to be better at this as your mom. I hope I can make you always feel like you are special and appreciated.

You have LOVED to read since early on.

Right before you started school at the end of July this is where I found you most:

You discovered Harry Potter and read all 7 books within 5 weeks. You hardly did anything besides go to school and read. You have the most reading counts points for all the 5th graders at your school and even some of the 6th graders.

Thank you Abby for being in my life and for being such a great kid! Happy 10th Birthday Abby!

It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to...

This isn't my MRI, my herniated disc is actually much worse than this picture. WAAAAAAAAAAA.

Sadly it's not just the herniated disc that is giving me grief but also the nerve that is being pinched and causing me numbness and weakness (not to mention nerve pain) in my left leg. GRRRRRRR. We are almost to week 4 of this and it's getting really old. I am supposed to have a surgery consult with the neurosurgeon soon. However I could go into the ER at any time and tell them the weakness is getting worse and have surgery ASAP.

I just want to be active. It's not like I am this sedentary blob of a person. I try to take good care of myself and be healthy. Now because of this I haven't been to the gym in over a month (GASP!). I had to sit out on my soccer team championships and I am pretty sure I will have to retire from that and running in the future. Looking back I think the running is what aggravated all this in the first place. I started having the lower back problems more when I was increasing my miles back in November training for the 10k.

Luckily biking and swimming don't bother it and so I have been trying to do little bits here and there, but it's not the same and hard with one side is so weak.

The bottom line is sometimes life just sucks. Oh, and thank heavens for narcotics.... :)

Happy Birthday Isaac

This cute kid is turning 5 today.....I can't believe it.

Isaac you are such a big boy now! I can remember the day you were born in the picture above. You bring so much joy into my life, I can't even begin to explain the happiness you create for me. You are my little miracle and I love being your mom. You are so quick to tell me how much you love me. So quick to run and give me a hug. I hope you never change!

Happy birthday big guy!

Dearest Chris,

I know you are off golfing in Scotland, but I miss you!! I can’t sleep well when you are not next to me. Well I can’t sleep well when you are next to me but I sleep even worse when you are not next to me. The first night I couldn’t sleep because I was so worried that I wouldn’t hear the kids if they needed me in the night, and I even used the baby monitor! You are usually the one who takes Lily potty in the night when she needs to go and I never even wake up. She didn’t wake up until the third night, but the poor thing had wet her pants. She has never done that before and of course it had to be when you are gone. Lucky you! Then once I was all settled into my bed again and had finally tried to ignore the pain I was in and drift off to sleep, I heard Isaac. He had a bad dream, so up I went again. I just have to tell you I do NOT do well with the middle of the night stuff, especially after taking a vicodin and a muscle relaxer. Luckily the rest of the night was okay.

Lily and Isaac miss you giving them their baths. They don’t like boring mom doing it. No one is there to do “wee wee” and swing them around in the towel after they are done. “Daddy do it” Lily kept saying.

Isaac’s closet door came off the tracks. I told him he couldn’t open his closet until you got home because mommy couldn’t fix it.

The dog puked on the floor. I don’t mind when he does this on the tile. The kids can clean it up then. This was a carpet puke. Twice. Plus to make matters worse Abby stepped in it. I had to clean it up. Good thing you are out of the country for that one.

In the evenings I have had to resort to watching things on TV like, “Raising Sextuplets, Toddlers in Tiaras and Plain Jane.” I may be addicted to one or more of these shows when you get back. I’m sorry but that is the price you may have to pay.

I think Isaac may forgive you someday for missing his 5th birthday. We will try to spoil him so he has fun and thinks it’s an extension of his birthday to celebrate when you get home. The other day he said, “When I am bigger I want to go to Scotland like daddy.” Maybe the next trip to Scotland will be a father son trip. Sorry but he voted to have cake without you…

Abby’s chain came off her bike and I don’t know how to put it on again. So she had to stay home from our bike ride!

We are counting down the days until you are back with us again. Ten days is way too long to be apart! However, I am so glad you had this wonderful opportunity to go to Scotland to golf with your Dad and your brothers. I know it will be something you remember forever. So I am trying to be strong and not have a pity party for myself. It is probably good you are not here since my pain is pretty bad and I am super bad company and really cranky when I hurt (as you know!). I did go to the doctor today. Not really good news, but hopefully at least I can start jumping through the hoops to recovery. Plus I got some meds that should hopefully help the nerve pain (over time).

Come home soon....I love you darling.

Your Lonely Wife,

Lis

July in Review

I don't know about you but our July has been exhausting! Combine that with the fact that I have been in PAIN the entire month (first part due to back pain and currently a stupid pinched nerve that makes it hard and painful to walk) and that equals out to my slacking on the blog! So I am redeeming myself in the thousands of pictures from this month that are too follow. I congratulate you if you make it to the end of this post!

SOCCER

Isaac is LOVING soccer. It is so much fun to watch him totally in his element and having so much fun doing it. I think all the playing soccer with his sisters has paid off. So far this year he has scored 19 goals......Still one game to go!

Not sure what number score this one above was!

After he scores he has the cutest little skip in his step and always finds Chris or me and has this huge smile on his face.

Old Greenwood

We went to Old Greenwood in Tahoe with Chris' family. The kids always have a great time playing with their cousins and hanging by the pool and the lake.

HIKING

A bunch of us went hiking. Lily was a bit concerned being in the back carrier and being so high up. She kept saying, "No fall down daddy!"

We were having a good time until poor Hannah (age 10) slipped and sliced her leg open. She ended up having to get 8 stitches. She was a total trooper though and she is going to have a super cool scar to impress the boys with!

Lake Tahoe

Of course a trip to Tahoe isn't complete without a day at the Lake. This year Em tried to get up on the wakeboard. She tried super hard but still wasn't able to get it down.

Lily wasn't impressed with the boat and was sad every time someone was skiing or behind the boat. I think she though we were leaving them in the water or something!

Here is Chris showing off his flipping off the boat skills. To me it looks like he is trying to kill himself...

Abby had a great time on the yellow board and stood right up this year without even being bribed with a Webkinz!

Every year we have a picture of Abby doing the "slow down" sign. I told Chris he had to speed up so we could get one! (Don't tell Abby!!!)

Isaac was a hoot on the yellow board. He stood up even before the boat was moving!

Catching snakes at the lake!

Some of the cousins having a treat by the pool.

The whole gang, and a family photo!

For the past few years we have taken the kids to the North Star Village to do Euro-Jumping. Here's Abby!

Isaac

Emily

School Time!

Right after we got back into town Abby and Isaac started school. Abby is in 5th grade this year and Isaac started kinder!!!

During the first 30 minutes of kindergarten they had the parents hang around to take pictures and get the kids adjusted. At the end Mrs. Wong asked all the kids to come sit on the Rainbow Rug so she could read them the Kissing Hand book. Can you see Lily on the rug too!! She isn't even sitting by Isaac at the beginning! (Isaac is in the bottom right).

Later on she was looking around for him and ran over to sit with him.

At the end of the book she told all the kids to turn around and wave bye to their parents. Both Isaac and Lily waved bye to me! (If only I could have left Lily too!)

Teeth

Abby got two teeth pulled a few days after she started school. She was so numb that night that she scratched the skin right off her chin because it was itching from the tingling from being numb. Poor kid!

The next week she had two more pulled. She did great and didn't even complain. The tooth fairy was way over budget...

Pool Party!

Every summer Chris' work has a pool party at this neat pool with a high dive. The kids all love it! Here is Abby showing off her skills.

Isaac

Chris

Emily

Abby braving a dive. After all she couldn't be showed up by her dad!

Hope you all are having a great summer too!

P.S. I forgot to include that we also traveled to Napa to my Aunt's house for a family reunion on my mom's side!