Category Archives: Photos

Monday, you are so good to me

Happy Monday!! I was feeling pretty grumpy yesterday but I’m feeling a little better today. I went to the YMCA first thing this morning, after the kids were on the bus. I really, really love the elliptical machine. It’s able to work so many muscles in my legs in a much shorter time than walking or running does. So I’m getting a better workout, and I’m not overheating or getting fatigued. Well, I do get a little fatigued, and I have to be very careful getting off the machine and walking back to the locker rooms (next time I’ll bring my cane). I feel weird having to literally pick up my leg to remove it from the machine, and then hobbling across the room. It just seems backwards, that I would be able to exercise fine, but then have trouble simply walking to the locker rooms. But I see lots of people walking around with canes there, so I don’t feel self-conscious about it. Granted, those people with canes are much older than I am, but that’s ok. MS has only taken bits and pieces, so I’m happy to keep working with what’s left.

And now This. This is why I’m straightening my hair. The longer it gets, the less curl it can hold. My hair is thick and heavy, and those curls, while I do love them, just can’t stand up to the weight. Not that I tried to help it along today, as I tend to do with mousse, but even with that the curl seems to fall quicker and quicker. Now that I have the hair at my  implant sites shaved short, I’m able to wear my hair down without it knocking the magnets off. So it’s nice, but it was funny to see what my hair was doing when I walked past a mirror. And that is why I snapped a photo, so you all could share in the laughter! I suppose it’s not super crazy, just different I guess. I’m not used to seeing myself with my hair down. Ever since my cochlear implant surgeries, I’ve been wearing it in the same half-ponytail: every day, basically, for the past two years. It gets SOOO boring. Bleh.

Y’all, I’ve got barbecue ribs in the crockpot for dinner! They are gonna be so yummy and I just can’t wait. What are you having for dinner?

Changes to my hair

So today I went to the salon for my usual trim. During my haircut, I sent this photo to my husband, and told him I was getting my head shaved:

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That is, indeed, a razor in my hairdresser’s hand. My husband texted back and said I should ask her if she had a couch I could sleep on. Because he’s a funny guy.

Of course, I wasn’t pulling a Sinead O’Connor and shaving all of it. We were just shaving the small spots where my cochlear implants are, so that the magnets would have a stronger hold. I have thick, curly hair, and the longer it was getting, the more difficulty I was having keeping the magnets connected. Every time they fall off it wears on the cord, not to mention the sudden loss of sound I experience. It’s super annoying, y’all. Anyhoo, my hairdresser has another client with a cochlear implant, and when she moved to town and started seeing my stylist, she already had the implant site shaved, and just has it trimmed back up. When my stylist told me about this, it was the first I had heard of doing such a thing, and I was skeptical at first. But after several more months of frustration with the dang things, I decided to go for it. And let me tell you, I am so glad I did! It is amazing how much stronger the connection is. I could feel the difference right away. I mean, these things won’t budge. I’m loving it.

My next plan is to go back in a month and perm my hair straight. I’ve enjoyed my natural curl as my hair has grown longer (it’s a real pain in the rear-end when it’s short, with all my cowlicks), but I think I’m ready for a change. My husband and my son both like my hair when it’s straight, but when I told my daughter my plans for permanency, she took it pretty hard. She says she loves my curls, and it just wouldn’t be the same without them. Somehow I think she will get over it. We’ll see. She has four weeks to say her goodbyes, I guess.

Summer 2016 Festivities

In case my kids ever claim we never do fun things…

June 9 – last day of school, kids went to Grandma’s
June 14 – Dentist! (Okay, that’s a joke)
June 17 – Biked to Holt Plaza
June 17 – Lugnuts baseball game, camped out on the field with the Girl Scouts
June 18 – Selleck family cookout at Oma and Opa’s
June 21 – East Lansing Aquatic Center
July 1–3 – Dundee/Splash Universe
July 4 – Independence Day, Fireworks
July 6 – 8 – Camping with Johnsons
July 15–17 – Garden City Tournament
July 22 – Went downtown (library, Subway, The Peanut Shop)
July 23 – My class reunion, kids at Grandma’s
July 26 – Lake Lansing Park & swimming
August 2 – Ingham County Fair
August 3 – Bowling
August 6-7 – Weekend with the girls (my sister and nieces)
August 9 – Valhalla Park & swimming
August 10 – 13 – Camp Albright
August 18 – Valhalla Park & swimming
August 19 – Michigan’s Adventure
August 26 – Impression 5

Some fun things are on the list, but not in the pictures, or in the pictures but not on the list. And then others didn’t make either, but the memories were made nonetheless, and we will cherish them all. We had quite a summer. Now school starts TOMORROW and we are all so excited! What was your favorite memory from this summer?

 

Reading

When I came to bed last night I found a note on my bedside table from my son. He was asking if we could go to the library the following day, and if so, he asked that I wake him up. That last part is laughable because he’s an early riser – no way am I getting up before him. But I was touched by the request anyway, and super proud that with one week left of summer, my kid wants to walk two miles to READ. 

We had a great time. Luke checked out some Michigan Chiller books he had been wanting to read, and Natalie perused the children’s cookbooks. Then they both put on a couple puppet shows for me, and we headed back, stopping for lunch on the way. 

Nothing super special, but we all really just enjoyed each other’s company and had a good time. These are the times I hope they will cherish and store away in their memory banks for years and years to come. 

The fruit go everywhere.

Have I mentioned I don’t multi-task well? Not that anyone does, really. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to do two things at the same time. So add in my clutz factor and you have a mess on your hands, literally. I was walking into the laundry room holding an empty laundry basket, a stack of clean towels, and a fruit smoothie. 

And then all of a sudden I wasn’t.

Piper was quick to lend a helping tongue.

I thought I had cleaned it all up, and even thought I had photographed the entire mess. I had not. When I proceeded to work on the laundry I discovered more fruit blend not just on the dryer to the left, but above and BEHIND it. How on earth I had managed such thorough coverage of the laundry room I’ll never know, but I’m guessing I looked like a total spaz trying to save my fruit smoothie and that image alone gave me quite a chuckle. 

I do hope I cleaned up the last of it. I guess if I didn’t, my nose will alert me sooner or later.


Maybe I should buy a trike bike instead

I went on a bike ride with my daughter today. I don’t know why I try, really. It almost wears me out more than running. Almost. And it’s not the riding part that’s so hard. It’s the stopping and going. No wait, it’s just the going. Stopping is easy. Getting going again requires balance, which a normal, healthy human would probably not think twice about. But for me, the MS girl, it’s kind of problematic. I just don’t have the balance required to get it done without looking like a complete goofball. It’s fine when I catch myself, and better yet when I actually get moving again, but when I don’t? This kind of thing happens (I know it’s a little gory, and I apologize, sort of):

Ouchy-wah-wah is what we like to say around here. Yikes. And is it crazy that I didn’t realize the damage until AFTER we finished our shopping trip? I mean, a half hour later and a mile more of riding happened and I was completely oblivious to the bleeding. I had inspected the scrape right after it happened, but I guess I missed that upper part. I blame my right eye, it’s useless.

Of course now we are home and resting, and I cleaned up the wound and it hurts like the dickens. I’m pretty sure it was getting infected. Eeewww.

I might wait until I’ve built up my core strength a bit more before attempting another ride. Gotta stay safe!

Obsessions

I have some things I obsess about.  Some are the kind that only last for a season, and others never go away. My newest and latest (but perhaps shortest) obsession is with LuLaRoe leggings. They really are fantastic. They are the most comfortable leggings I have ever worn, and I love wearing the three pair that I own. But I refuse to stock up on more, as they come in lots of crazy patterns I just don’t have the love for, and they cost $25 a pair. Of the three I own, I only paid full price for one. I would maybe be more tempted to go hog wild with these if summer weren’t on the way. I just can’t stomach wearing leggings in the summer. My calves need to breathe, y’all.

And that brings me to my next obsession: Wonder Woman. I’ve been a fan since I was in kindergarten. She is a symbol of major female bad-assery, she’s got awesome hair, and a pretty fun theme song (I could sing and dance it for you!). My sister and I have always IMG_6081shared in this appreciation, and over the years have used the image and logo as a genuine reminder of not only the strength we each possess and the unique struggles we have each survived, but the joy we choose to hold onto in spite of all that. So, guess what we did? We got some matching Wonder Woman tattoos to make it super official. We chose to get them on our legs because she is a runner and I am becoming one. My calf is on the left… see how the calf segue makes sense now? A little? Anyway, I think they are awesome, don’t you?

So I have Wonder Woman coffee mugs, a water bottle, a tattoo, and also a mixer. I ordered the decals awhile ago but I just put them on this past weekend. I think it looks pretty awesom2016-05-27 20.15.55e, and makes baking a lot more fun. I’m not quite sure what the white arrow on the top was supposed to be for, but maybe I could do some internet research and find out. It’s entirely possible that it wasn’t supposed to go on the mixer at all, and that it was just some random decal included with zero purpose. But oh well.

My other longstanding obsession is paisley. I just can’t resist it. Every time I see something covered in a paisley pattern my heart sort of skips a beat and I smile all over. I get ridiculous giddy, and it makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. Seriousl2016-05-21 15.15.03y. A couple weeks ago I saw a woman at Panera Bread walking around in a flowy pair of pants covered in black and white paisley and I could not stop staring. She probably thought I was some kind of a freak. I probably am; I took this picture of my daughter, with the pants in the background, hoping to get a better look at them, but you really can’t see them all that well. It’s a cute picture of my goofy girl though!

I don’t really know where this obsession with paisley comes from, but I have a guess. I remember loving to play dress up with my mom’s bandanas when I was a kid. You know the ones you see bikers wear around their heads? Who knows why she had a collection of them, but now I have my o10372983_10152407071016897_5426072431133990275_own collection of them and I can’t seem to let them go. One of them I think I actually stole from her, and it’s by far my favorite. It’s a sage green color, with paisley of course, and it’s been used so many times it’s super soft and cozy. It makes me happy just to touch it. And maybe that’s the one that started it all, I don’t know. I just know that I am a sucker for paisley. I put it everywhere I can, my phone, my keychain, my purses, my clothes. Heck, I even have a giant splash of it tattooed on my arm. It’s a wonder I didn’t name my daughter Paisley. Oh geez, why didn’t I think of it then? What a missed opportunity. Maybe I’ll save it for our next dog.

So I downloaded the eBay app a couple days ago to search specifically for paisley LuLaRoe leggings and found that they are surprisingly popular. I mean, we’re talking 200% markup popular. I told you I didn’t want to spend $25 for a pair of leggings, didn’t I? But how about a pair of paisley leggings? Would you pay $75 for those?? No. No, no, no, no. I will not go so far. I mean, they are beautiful, yes, but they are still just a pair of leggings. It took some dragging folks, but I managed to move on. I gave up the search. I did not, however, give up the app. I figured while I had it on my phone I may as well search for some new summer clothes, which I kind of need anyway. It’s amazing all the brand new clothing you can find for super dirt cheap on eBay. This is not a new obsession folks. This is an obsession revisited. When I worked in an office, almost my entire wardrobe was obtained through eBay. It was a lot of fun then, and it’s a lot of fun now. But I still have to be careful not to get too carried away. A stay at home mom only needs so many pair of shorts, right?

Sorry for all that rambling. I’m done now! Tell me, do you have a unique obsession or quirk that everyone knows you for?

Happy Birthday to my baby boy

Today my son, Luke, turns 9. It feels like a lifetime ago that he was born, but I still remember the day in vivid color. He certainly made a grand entrance. Shall I share the story? Don’t mind if I do…

I was at the doctor’s office for my 39 week checkup, and they determined I was suffering from preeclampsia. I guess. I still don’t know much about that, other than it has something to do with blood pressure, and it’s rather dangerous for mom and baby. So, since I was only three days shy of my due date, we decided now was the time. They wheeled me across the tunnel to the hospital, and I made a call to let my husband know – “We’re having the baby tonight; bring dinner.”

Mike showed up with gyros from Lou & Harry’s (it was the Wednesday special), and after they had me admitted and wired up with induction drugs, we ate. I can’t believe we could eat, because we were so excited, but it was nearing dinner time and we weren’t sure when we would get another chance. Food is important to us, clearly.

The drugs took a while to kick in, but once they did, I was laboring pretty good. All. Night. By morning I was exhausted and in enough pain that I was ready for epidural. When they gave me the epidural however, they missed and hit my spine. I was numb from the neck down. When they asked me to sit up, I toppled over, unable to move. Looking back, and after all the crap I’ve been through since, this doesn’t seem all that big. But at the time, we were new to medical emergencies and we were terrified. Nurses and doctors flooded into the room, pushing Mike to the back. They pointed to a closet and told him to put on some scrubs. He was scared, but I don’t think he ever lost eye contact with me. From what I remember of course. Time changes things.

We were rushed to an operating room, which happened to be right next door. Luke’s heart rate had quickly dropped, most likely due to the stress coming from my body, and it was imperative that they get him out as soon as possible. So I ended up delivering him via emergency C-section. He was fine. I was fine. Everyone was healthy. A C-section is not what most mothers hope for, but when the result is a healthy, happy baby, you don’t complain. And especially not after seven years of infertility.

So Luke was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received, one I thought for a long time I would never get. He is growing and changing all the time, but he’ll always be my baby boy. He’s my trickster, and often thinks he’s funny when he’s not, but he has guts and you have to give him some credit for that. He is smart, energetic, thoughtful, kind, and funny, but I love his heart most of all. He is a sweet kid and he makes me proud to be his momma.

Happy birthday Luke! Mom and Dad love you immensely. Here’s to many more happy years.

Luke 9 Birthday

Spring break smiles

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It’s Friday, the last day off from school for the “spring” break. It’s been snowing off and on since Saturday, which really put a damper on things. But we made our own fun. My sister and her kids (and dog) were here for five days, which was both crazy and awesome. Today the kids and I took the Spec-Tran to the nearby roller rink. I don’t skate because I don’t care for pain, but my kids love it. Only Natalie wore some low cut socks and quickly developed a painful blister. She’s pictured above, soaking her feet in a warm Epsom salt bath. And of course that’s her brother Luke photo bombing with the bunny ears. He thinks he’s funny, and sometimes he’s right. I guess.

That is all I’ve got for now. Happy Friday folks!

Spring approaches

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After a healthy dumping of snow and cold weather here in Michigan, temperatures are coming back up and spring is right around the corner! Now I’m still wearing a sweater and long pants, but I couldn’t resist the flip-flops 🙂

It sure is nice to sit on the deck while Piper plays, watching the kids get off the school bus (my own kids of course, I’m not a creeper).