Makes it all worth while

I've been a nurse for over fifteen years now.

I have taken care of thousands of patients since that first terrifying day after graduation, when I knew I was responsible for the life of each and every one that came across my path.

Two years ago, I took care of a patient who was in Cincinnati from California, here to be with his dying mother.  While here, he suffered a gastrointestinal bleed, requiring two trips to the OR and a few days in our Surgical ICU.  His name was Tim, and he was one of the sweetest patients I have ever cared for.

During his stay with us, another nurse and I were his primary care nurses.  Jamie has since left Christ; I have moved onto a different department.  When Tim was preparing to leave the ICU, he asked for our email addresses so he could stay in touch.  I honestly didn't expect to hear from him, but I gave it to him nonetheless.  I heard from him once when he returned to California, but not again until this week.  This email is his reply to my update about myself and Jamie.  I don't know what made him think of me, but it touched my heart and I wanted to share it with you...

Heather,

Thanks for the update. I'm so happy for Jamie! Please pass my congratulations on. Wish her much happiness and the best life has to offer.

I'm so proud of you. You're bound to be one of the best supervisors Christ has. When Laurel (My wife) and I make it back to Cincy in the future I hope we can connect. I still consider you and Jamie as life savers for me. I wouldn't have done nearly as well without your care.

I'm still doing well and enjoying life.

All the BEST to you and your family,

Your good friend and humble patient,

Tim

If you have ever been in the hospital and cared for by a nurse who you really appreciated, think of contacting him/her and letting them know.  Rarely does this kind of positive feedback every occur; when it does, it makes a very difficult job all worth while.

Our last LPC Zoo day...

I know I sound like a broken record here, but all these "last" days at preschool are so bittersweet for me.

Gabe goes to the same preschool that Isabel did when she was four.  I have gotten to know all of the ladies who work there, caring for and loving my babies almost as much as I do.  They are a wonderful group, and I am going to miss them so much!

One of the field trips that the preschool does every year is a day at the Cincinnati Zoo.  Some years it has been cold and drizzly, last year was extremely windy, but this year was seventy and sunny...in a word, perfect.  Joe took the day off and we made it an official "Gabe day"; Gabe got to be with all of his friends and both of us, and he loved it!

Joe was the master photographer, and he captured some great pictures!

One of my favorite exhibits is this one, where the polar bears swim right up to the glass.  (Gabe was more interested in the girl next to him...I'm gonna have my work cut out for me with this guy, aren't I?)

At least Daddy has figured it out...(good thing he wasn't the one checking out the chicks ;)

Only one month of preschool left to go...you know I'm gonna be bawling on graduation day!  Jeez.

Mothers Making Strides 5K

 Despite the drizzly Saturday morning, Isabel and I were excited to head over to the YMCA for our race.  The money raised was for the Warriors Backpack Program, which gives food to students and their families every Friday so that they have something to eat over the weekend.  There are 47 families who benefit from this program, just in Isabel's 3rd-4th grade school.  We were proud to be a part of it!

(Before the race...)

Taking off at the starting line (can you spot us?  We're in the second row back, towards the left,)

Isabel did a fantastic job!  We hadn't done nearly as much training as we did last fall for Girls on the Run, but we still finished in under 33 minutes.  Isabel beat me by a whole minute!  A little girl who was determined to beat Isabel sprinted in front of her at the last few yards, then promptly puked at the finish line.  (Served her right; so glad Isabel isn't that competitive!)

We were drenched by the end of the race, but we both felt great!  Look at that smile!

This race made us so excited for our fall session of Girls on the Run to start, and more determined to get conditioned and beat our time from last year.  9 minute miles, here we come!

A day with Gabe

All too soon, my days just hanging out with Gabe are going to come to an end.  This fall, he will start kindergarten, and I will have all three of my kids in school.

That being said, I have decided to be intentional about enjoying my time with this very-energetic-and-enthusiastic-about-everything-in-life little guy.

You may wonder what a day with Gabe is like.  I'm here to tell you, there's never a dull moment, and more likely than not, you're laughing at least once an hour when in his company.

Gabe usually wakes up around 7:30am.  Lately, he has been coming downstairs shirtless (he says he's hot, but he also likes to flex his little biceps and watch the muscle "bulge"...you pick the reason).  He likes to visit with Elijah and Isabel before they catch their buses, then he watches a show and thinks about what he wants for breakfast.

Today, he requested black olives.  For breakfast.

Unfortunately, these pictures are old, and we were all out of olives.  He had to settle for colby jack cheese, grapes and apple juice, instead.  We watched "Gremlins 2", which he loved.  Then "Jurassic Park 3".  (It's a rainy day here today, and I had to organize closets and move back into the master bathroom, so please don't judge the excessive TV time.)

After a lunch of buttered noodles with parmesean cheese and applesauce on the side, we headed out to the Goodwill to drop off some donations.  As we were driving down the road, I was telling Gabe how glad I was that the new Goodwill was finally open in town.  His response:

"I'm glad we're not sale-ing our stuff to the BAD Will; he's not very nice!".  I had to stifle a giggle on that one. It brought to mind some of the other Gabe-isms of late:

"Look, Mom, I'm having a thumb war with my penis!"  (after bath time; where does he learn this stuff?!)

Another one:  "Every time I poop, my penis stands straight up like it's saying the Pledge of Allegiance!"  (There is something about 5 year old boys and their boy-parts, I'm telling you!)

"Hey, Sissy, wanna watch a Veggietales cartoon with me so we can learn about God?"  (Love this one!)

"Mmm, Mommy, you smell good.  I love your perfoom.  You have to wear perfoom to go to work?  'Cuz you want people to get close to you and smell it?  That's what Johnny Test does."

As I type this post, Gabe is in his room building Legos (and probably making an unholy mess).  If it were nice outside, we'd be jumping on the trampoline or riding bikes or finding worms or planting seeds or building pill bug houses or having a picnic.  As it is, we'll be inside doing puzzles, playing "Don't Break the Ice" for the 100th time, coloring, reading books or playing on the computer/xbox/nintendo ds.

Spending a day with Gabe is not for everyone.  If you crave a quiet, calm and cooperative child who will sit still for hours on end, just forget about it.  But if you want to learn how to really enjoy every single minute of your day, he's your man.  And as exhausted as I sometimes am by 9pm 7pm, I do love that boy, and I know I am really going to miss these days.

A fragmented post

How on earth did it get to be Friday already?  This week has just flown right by.

Our master bathroom remodel is almost finished.  I can't wait to show you before and after pics and brag on my handy husband, who has done everything from moving the toilet, installing a new shower, tiling the walls and floor and installing new cabinets and the sink.  We waited eight years to do this room, and it is so worth the wait.

Isabel and I are supposed to be running in a 5K race tomorrow morning.  I say "supposed to" because the weather is calling for storms and heavy rain :(  Maybe it will hold off until after 10am?

Making homemade chicken rice soup for dinner tonight...yum.

Anybody tried Greek yogurt?  I planned on buying some at the store but then forgot.  I've heard it's good for you.

I was too lazy to do the dishes after supper last night, and now they're staring at me from the sink, seeming to multiply before my very eyes.

Elijah and Isabel have their last day of standardized testing today.  They are good test takers and don't get freaked out, but the pressure put on the kids by the teachers and the school is incredible.  Several of their little friends were practically having panic attacks over the darn things...

Looks like our weekend is going to be a soggy one, ruining our plans for running/baseball-practicing/cooking-out.  At least our newly planted seeds will be loving it!

Dream vacay

There are only about thirty days left 'til summer vacation.

Ahhh, summer.

Vacation.

Makes me want to plan the perfect family vacation.  Which isn't going to happen during this frugal year of mine, but it sure is fun to dream...

It's so hard to decide.  My top choices would be:

A beautiful beach, complete with friends for the kids, my own personal cabana boy, and endless margaritas:

Or a trip around the United States, seeing every historical monument/geographical location we've read about in our history books:

Or a cruise to exotic ports, for at least ten days:

Or a return to one of our favorite destinations, the Smoky Mountains, where we have made so many great family memories that the kids beg to go back every single year:

Any of the above sound awesome right about now.

What about you?  What's your family's favorite destination?  What is your dream vacation?  Do share!

A dare

"Love is patient, love is kind."

We hear the words spoken at weddings, we read the words in the Bible.  Do we live the words in our marriage?

I wish I could say I do.  I used to consider myself a "patient" person, but that was before I got married and had kids.  It's much easier to be patient and kind in theory than in reality.

The first day of "The Love Dare" (a forty day journey) emphasized just this.

"Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is.  Those pillars are patience and kindness.  All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attibutes...Love will inspire you to become a patient person.  When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation.  Patience brings in internal calm during an external storm.

The dare:  For the next day, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your spouse at all.  If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything.  It's better to hold your tongue than to say something you'll regret."

I started The Love Dare back in February.  I wasn't sure I could do it after reading this first dare.  Like I said, I am not the most patient person.  But the magic word for me was "choose".  I may not BE patient naturally, but I can CHOOSE to be patient anytime I want.  I like having a choice.

And let's face it:  it's not a hard choice to love this guy.

Not only is he great fun to be with on date nights, he is a great dad, too.

And he's pretty easy on the eye, as well...

Joe and I are working on our thirteenth year of marriage, and like any marriage, it has been a time of ups and downs.  As the kids have gotten older (and we've gotten more sleep), it is much easier to be a team.  We have finally given up the competition of who does more, who works harder, who gets more sleep, who is the better spouse/parent.  We spend more time having conversations than arguments.  And we laugh a lot more.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a better marriage.  It has changed my attitude toward Joe and our relationship, and has made me more grateful for the husband that God blessed me with.  Can't complain with those results!

Birds and bees...

Well, that's not really how it went.

I wasn't planning on having "the talk" with Isabel tonight, but as we headed out on our nightly walk, the subject came up and I jumped on the opportunity.

At ten years old, she already knew "some stuff".  From books, and friends, and television.

We talked (and walked) for forty-five minutes.

She was a little embarrassed at first, but she got over it.

She still thinks penises are gross (thank the Lord).

She knows she can talk to me about anything, and I will not judge or ridicule her.

I hope she is always this comfortable talking to me.

Have you had the talk yet?  Do you remember having the talk with your mom (or dad)?

I'm breathing a sigh of relief that the cat's out of the bag, so to speak.  That's a tough one...

Shine

"Precious jewel,

you glow,

you shine,

reflecting all

the good things

in the world."

-Maya Angelou

Last night was my niece, Danielle's, senior prom.

I couldn't wait to see pictures of her and her date, Kyle.  She was absolutely beautiful, as I knew she would be.

I am so proud of the woman she has become.  She is kind, athletic, smart and fun.  She loves her family, the Lord, and even her stinker cousin (yep, I'm talking about Gabe... :).  I'm blessed to have been part of her life since the day she was born, eighteen years ago.

Keep shining, Danielle.  We love you!

It's Friday...

Just got back from Muscle Max class.  Ran into our veterinarian (who is the husband of Isabel's 1st grade teacher) and convinced him to come to the class with me.  He may not ever forgive me :)  Might be looking for a new vet...

Still have to make my grocery list, clip coupons, actually go to the grocery, take Gabe to school, unload the groceries, take a shower, then drive down to Cincinnati and work til midnight.

I'm already tired just thinking about it.  However, we have NO fresh fruit, NO bread, and few snacks for the kids.  NOT going to the grocery is NOT an option.  sigh.

Just found out my niece, Danielle, is on the Prom Court for her senior prom tonight.  I'll share pictures when Michelle sends them to me, since she doesn't blog anymore (hint, hint, Michelle).

I have lost two pounds already doing this Spark diet.  Only eight more to go to reach my goal.  Woo-hoo!

Why is it that when you have a to-do list a mile long, it's much more fun to blog about it then to actually get started DOING it?

Fine, enough procrastinating...Gabe has discovered a new series of books called "Dinosaur Cove" and he's begging me to read the next chapter.  Can't say NO to that!

Fearless

When Isabel was in preschool, she decided to give dance lessons a try.

She was adorable, and pretty darn talented.

She practiced all year and then performed in the recital at the end of the season.

The next year, she gave gymnastics a try, then decided to do dance again.  She was great at everything she did, but the recitals at the end of each session gave her such anxiety, she just couldn't stand it.

She took a couple of years off, then finally let me talk her into trying a running program last fall.  Many of you may remember my posts about Girls on the Run (GOTR).  It was such an awesome experience, for both Isabel and myself.

Recently, Isabel entered an essay contest for GOTR.  The assignment was to answer this question in 300 words or less:  How has Girls on the Run helped you to be more fearless?  The prize is $500, plus $3500 in scholarship money for your chapter of GOTR.  The following is Isabel's essay (she really does sound this grown-up; the only help I gave her was removing some of the unnecessary commas):

"Girls on the Run has helped me alot with my life.  While I was in this program, I made new friends, got in shape, and learned important traits to have to be a good person.  I would like to tell you about my life before I found Girls on the Run.  All through my childhood, I was good at running and I was very flexible.  I tried out a few different activities, including two years of dance class and two years of gymnastics.  These activities were fun, but each had a performance at the end, and I felt sick whenever I thought about being on a stage.

Then, last year, my mom's friend found a really cool program called Girls on the Run.  In that program, you exercise and learn how to make good choices.

I had heard of GOTR the year before, but I didn't know much about it.  When I found out my mom was going to be one of the coaches, and a bunch of my friends were joining, I decided to give it a try.  During this program, we talked about bullying, how bad drugs are for you, good traits to have, and how important it is to exercise and eat healthy.  While running, I found my pace, kept breathing steadily and always met my goals for that session.

I gained confidence and became a better, nicer and healthier person.  After finishing this program, I know I will NEVER try drugs; I know I will eat healthy (most of) the time, and I will exercise by running and walking a lot!

When I crossed the finish line of the GOTR 5K, I didn't feel sick or nervous about my running performance, I just felt proud."

Isabel K., age 10

Whether she wins the essay contest or not, this girl has already won my heart, and the hearts of so many others.

It is amazing to be so inspired by your own daughter, but inspired I am.  I was nowhere near this mature and confident at the age of ten.  Wow!

Something's working!

One of the "assignments" for this Spark diet I am on  is to create a collage of inspiration and hang it somewhere where you will see it every day.

This was the fun part, and right up my alley.  I found some pictures of me at my skinniest, my biggest, and my goal weight, then threw them together with some of my favorite quotes and patterned paper.  I hung it on my bedroom mirror, right next to my racing medals (sadly, only two, so far).

The quote that is working for me right now is the one on the right:

A dream is just a dream.  A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.

Love it.

Now for the not-so-fun part of dieting.  Portion control.  Not eating out often.  Not drinking (too much) alcohol.  Consistent exercise (although gardening burns some serious calories, and Gabe is loving when I jump on the trampoline with him!).  Did I mention portion control?

The mom in me struggles with seeing any food go to waste.  If the kids have a leftover anything on their plate, my inclination has been to just eat it myself instead of throwing it away or saving it for later.  I am curbing that impulse, and along with drinking five gazillion cups of water a day (okay, only eight, but it feels like a gazillion when I'm making my umpteenth trip to the bathroom), I am down two pounds!  And I have my energy back!

Now if I could only fit into my "skinny" jeans...

One more goal to add to my list.

Have you found a diet that really works?  What one thing do you struggle with giving up when it comes to being on a diet?  Do your "skinny" jeans fit?

(ps, thanks to everyone for your advice on my last post; looks like it's just allergies, which I hear are just awful right now.  Zyrtec and tylenol for the occasional headache have done the trick, without an expensive visit to the pediatrician.)

What to do...

I am not one to run to the doctor for a cold.  Or a stomach virus.  Or even a fever, unless it's lasted for more than two days.  And even then, I call first and ask what's been going around, comparing symptoms to see if this sickness warrants a visit (and a co-pay) or just another day on the couch with tylenol and fluids.

Lucky for us, we rarely get sick.  My kids see the pediatrician once a year, for check-ups.  Believe me, I'm not bragging here, just rejoicing the fact that this time has finally arrived (Isabel had ear infections for the first year of her life, kid you not).

When the kids do get sick, however, the guessing game begins.  (All you moms out there know what I'm talking about.)  They have a slight fever, aren't eating well, fall asleep in the middle of the day, complain of a bellyache and a headache and a sore throat.  With that list of symptoms, the nurse in me instantly thinks "strep throat".  I want to order amoxicillin and get on with it.  Unfortunately, it's Saturday night.  No doctors' office open til Monday.  The question:  do you go to Urgent Care, or worse...the ER?  Do you wait it out til Monday?  Is it just a virus, or the real deal?  What I wouldn't give for a rapid strep test kit at home, let me tell you.

Gabe is my allergy sufferer.  Pollen is at an all-time high in our area.  That would explain the sore throat and headache, but the stomachache and fever?  Notsomuch.  I'm waiting til he wakes this morning to decide what to do.  If he still has a fever, this would be day 3, and we're going to the doctor...

What do you do in these situations?  Does it seem like your kids always get sick on the weekend?  Doesn't it suck to drag a sick baby to the doctor, pay the copay, and have them tell you it's just a virus?

sigh.  Maybe I should just become a nurse practitioner, then I could get the strep test kit and order the right medicine!

Spring break; a summary

Yes, I'm aware that spring break was last week.

The kids have already been back to school since Tuesday.

It's taken me this long to get my photos downloaded, edited, and imported onto my blog.

It was either do the laundry and cook dinner or blog.  This time the chores won; I can't promise that will be the case next week :)

To kick off spring break, my two friends, Diane and Monica, took our daughters to see Taylor Swift down in Cincinnati.  That girl puts on a great show!  Our girls loved it, and we all had a great night, singing along to Love Story and Our Song all the way home...

On Wednesday, we went to visit my sister (Rhonda), my two nieces and their new "puppy".  They recently rescued a 2-year old lab named Casper; he's so full of personality, and quite the entertainer.  He and Gabe got along fabulously, as I'm sure you can imagine!

Thursday, my scrapbooking sister, Michelle (whom some of you know) came over to make cards.  I had already done the designs and cut the paper, and she did the stamping and assembling.  It was so fun to visit and eat yummy LaRosa's pizza and catch up with one another...

And just like that, it was Easter Sunday.  We didn't do coordinating outfits for the whole family this year (remember my frugality resolution?), but the boys did match, and Isabel was adorable in her fully accessorized ensemble.

My two favorite pictures of the whole week:  my gorgeous "apple blossom" tulips and pink hyacinth...

and my gorgeous little girl, who is fast on her way to being not-so-little anymore...

Any great spring break moments you'd like to share?

Funny stuff

One of my goals as a mom is to teach my kids how to have a sense of humor.  We all know those people who have not a humorous bone in their body (humorous, not humerus...get it?  Ha!).

It's a gift to be able to laugh at yourself and the many things life throws at you.  Without a sense of humor, we are bound to be lost in a sea of seriousness.  I can't stand the sound of that.

Recently, Elijah spent the day with a newer friend and his family.  When I picked him up, the mom told me she never realized how funny Elijah was.  Apparently he had them in stitches all day long, with one funny joke or response after another.  Sometimes adolescent boy-humor is hard to understand, but I have to agree with her; he is a funny kid.  Not afraid to be silly, even in public with his whole family (and a mom with her camera!).

Gabe is still learning the humor thing.  He's five, so you know anything with the word "fart" or "turd" or "wiener" is absolutely hilarious.  He loves to tell jokes, but the punchline often doesn't make any sense...no matter, he still laughs like a hyena, which makes us laugh, which makes him think his joke really is funny.

(And yes, that really is E.T.  We still have our lifesize doll, which Gabe insists on taking everywhere with us every so often.  Today was an "E.T. Day".  Love it!)

Although Isabel hates being teased (don't we all??) and gets offended easily if the joke's on her (we're still working on the gift of laughing at yourself), she does have a good sense of humor.  She's the one who noticed the irony of this sign:

Isn't that field of charred black dirt simply gorgeous?

What about you?  Do you have a good sense of humor?  Were you the class clown?  Or the proverbial stick-in-the-mud?  When's the last time you had a good belly laugh at your own expense?

A little spark

"It's too cold."

"The roads are too bad."

"There are too many germs in the Childwatch center this time of year."

"One more cookie can't hurt."

All things I told myself this past winter.  Combine that with going back to school and still working two nights a week, and you can see why I added the equivalent of this:

to my total body weight.

Yuck.

Since the weather has turned, I have been more active and going to the Y a bit more.  However, that ten pounds is stubborn and hasn't budged AT ALL.

So when this book started calling my name at my last library visit, I listened.  And read.  And got hooked.

The author and founder of Sparkpeople.com is from Cincinnati, and used to work at P&G.  His story is fascinating.  And he has such an inspiring way about him.  

I convinced my mother in law to start the Spark with me.  Isabel is our cheerleader, and I hope to get Joe on board, too.

A positive, encouraging weight-loss program, designed to get you motivated, healthier and more fit.  And then when you reach your goals, and people around you ask what you've been doing, you spread the Spark.

No special foods to buy.  No extreme workouts to do.  Just common sense stuff (drink 8 cups of water, exercise for at least 10 minutes EVERY DAY, eat more fresh fruit and veggies) with an online system that helps you track your progress.

Last night, I walked 2.7 miles with Kay and Isabel, up and down hills and all through our neighborhood.  On April 24th, Isabel and I are running in a 5K race at the YMCA.

Those potatoes are history!

Anyone else heard of Sparkpeople?  Do you need a little Spark in your life?  Go get the book and check out the website.  I promise you'll be inspired, too!

You ever have those moments when you're trying to blog, but your mind is a blank, and you sit staring at the screen without a word in your little head?


It's not often that I have nothing to say (just ask my family), but going back to work after almost two weeks off sucked the life right out of me last night.


On my way home this morning, munching my granola bar and swigging water to keep awake, I blew right by a state trooper at the not-so-slow speed of 75mph.  (My bed was calling my name, what can I say?)


The fact that I didn't even notice the cop until I was already past him tells you how tired I was.


I think my van must have the power of invisibility, though, because he didn't even notice me.   (Maybe he was tired, too...)


That burst of adrenaline got me the rest of the way home,  though.


So...where was I going with this?


Oh, yeah, the mind-blank-blogging-thing.


I was grateful this afternoon to see that I was tagged by Brainella for a photo tag post.


Ahh, blog fodder!  Thanks, Julia!  Here's the tag:


1. Open the first photo folder
2. Scroll down to the 10th photo
3. Post the 10th photo and tell the story about it
4. Pass this along to 5 other blogs

New Year's Eve, 2009.  On the right is my sweet friend, Monica, who pushes me to the limit every Friday morning during Muscle Max, runs marathons like they're nothing, and is my inspiration to get into shape (try looking at her perfect little body while you're struggling to do those last ten lunges...that'll inspire you).  In the middle is our friend, Diane, who I've known since our girls were five and twirling around in dance class together.  The three of us coached Girls on the Run last fall, and plan on doing it again this year.


Yeah, I don't have enough energy to tag five other bloggers.  If you, too, are in the need of some blog fodder, take the tag and run with it.


I'm gonna go sit in the sun and try to get rid of this farmer's tan I'm sportin'...

Easter Joy

Trying to explain the true meaning of Easter to my kids this year has been interesting, to say the least.  Elijah and Isabel are old enough to understand the stories and why this is the most important holiday to us as Christians.

Gabe is still trying to figure out what Jesus has to do with the Easter Bunny.

I decided this year to not emphasize the Easter Bunny at all.  When he asks me if the Bunny is real, I ask him what he thinks (he always answers himself with an emphatic yes!).  Then I go on to explain that Easter is really about the day that Jesus defeated Death and was brought back to life by God, and that by doing so, we will all get to live forever in Heaven with the two of them, as long as we have Jesus in our hearts.

To which he exclaimed:

"What?!  That's awesome!  Did you hear that, Sissy?  Jesus is coming back to life TOMORROW!  Are we going up to Heaven tomorrow?  But I will miss my toys..."

Resurrection, the Second Coming...these are awfully big ideas for such a little boy.  I love his excitement about Jesus, though!

Wishing you all a very blessed Easter Sunday!

Spring Quarter!

My kids are on spring break, but not me...

I finished up my American Film and Culture class with an A- (yay!), and started my Cultural Diversity class (Spanish Film and Culture).

Wanna guess what our first assignment was?

You'll never guess...




In order to have discussions about the movies we see in class, we have to create a...




BLOG!

I chuckled to myself as the professor explained what a blog is and how it will help facilitate discussions as we each make a post and comment on each other's blogs in regards to the movie.

Some people were so worried about the difficulty in setting up a blog.  I reassurred them that if I (computer-illiterate person that I am) could do it, then they could, too.

If you decide you want to go to school with me, you can visit me at my other blog, "What's One More Blog?".  C'mon, it'll be fun!

I've got lots of spring breaking to do with the kids in the meantime; I'll be back around next week.  Have a Happy Easter, everyone!