Nemo Got Tanked

My kids don't watch a lot of TV. They are 4 years old - and the only full length movie they have ever watched completely through is Cinderella. But Disney & ABC are offering their Family Saturday Nights, and Nemo was on tonight.

My kids were so excited all week that they could watch Nemo. They sat through the entire thing, and when it was over, they were so excited that they asked to call Grandma.

The first words out of Tanner's mouth: "Grandma, we're watching Nemo. Nemo got tanked!"

How can you help but laugh?



PS...Yes, I know, I've been deliquent on posting...hopefully more soon.

3rd Anniversary

Dear Tanner,

Can you believe it's been over three years since you got rid of that Dirty Rotten Liver?




I've been struggling over a week to write this letter. Three years is such a milestone in the liver transplant community. The rate of graft (liver) failure after the 3rd year drops significantly and the risk of complications drop significantly. It's like we can finally sit back, take a deep breath, and just enjoy.






This year you started taking your Prograf (immunosuppressant) via pill instead of liquid form. I can now keep an extra pill or two in my purse - and it's very simple to give you your medicine without too much fuss. You've also started to protest taking your medicine occasionally - but a threat that you have to call grandma usually alleviates that.



You've only had 14 lab draws this year (compared to 21 in 2006/2007 & 47 in 2005/2006). There has actually been a few times when we've forgotten to have your labs drawn - and the only "redraws" were for irratic Prograf levels. Your liver numbers have been rock solid - that old liver is doing good! (Speaking of the old liver, grandma continues to do very well and proclaims that she's gotten more out of the whole transplant than you did.)





Your daddy & I have grown somewhat lax this year - another indiciation of your overall good health. We no longer put shopping cart covers on when we go to Target - and we aren't quite as obsessive compulsive with the hand sanitizer anymore. We don't even put down the plastic placemats when we go to a restaraunt anymore.



This new found "freedom" has allowed us to do so many fun things. My favorite had to have been Disney World - seeing your face light up when you got to meet the princesses was so much fun. I can't wait to take you this fall when you hopefully won't need a nap - and aren't terrified of the characters.





What do I know after all this time? That there isn't a single day when I take your hugs for granted - and that I'm not grateful for the fact that you're still here. I know all too well that not all families are as lucky as ours. Sometimes it's very difficult to feel so indebted to your grandma - and to know that there is no way that we could adequately repay her or every confess our true thanks - but I hope when she sees your sly little grin and experiences your "World's Best" hugs - that she gets to experience a small piece of the joy that we do.



Love,
Mama

Raining Fire

Any ideas on what it means when Tanner says he's going to "rain fire down on (insert name here)"?

I'm not sure where this comes from - but whenever someone hurts Morgan, Tanner walks around proclaiming "I'm going to rain fire on him!"

Is it wrong...

if I chuckle when the kids talk about the Dam Road?

Obviously not a football home...

We put the kids to bed tonight during the 3rd quarter of the "big" game. Now, while I usually do watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, I was forced to watch the game while icing down my knee.

After the game was over, I heard Tanner still talking in his room. I went in, tucked him in, and he asked me where daddy was.

"Daddy is watching the football game."

"He is?"

"Yes, the Giants won."

I tucked him in & left the room.

Tanner erupts in tears...

"What's wrong, buddy?"

"The Giants are coming - don't let them get me!"

An open letter to Mr. President

Dear President Bush -

I have been a long time supporter of the Bush family. I was even one of the (unpaid) staff members for your father's campaingn in 1992. Even while your poll numbers have dropped, I've still been very respectful of your choices and decisions.

However - today, I am extremely frustrated and upset. Today, you came to the Mile High City to particiapte in a fundraiser for Bob Schaffer. I understand that it is the leader of the incumbant party's responsibility to help raise funds and support other party members. I applaud you for doing your duty.

But, whomever planned the event and your departure from the fundraiser for RUSH HOUR traffic - and planned on shutting down major routes during RUSH HOUR traffic is an IDIOT. My normal 15 minute commute took 1 hour and 45 minutes.

You are more than welcome to visit our city - but please don't shut down the interstate / roadways during rush hour traffic.

Sincerely,

Someone who will NOT be voting for Bob Schaffer this fall

It's a Bird - It's a Plane....

No, it's a post!

I'm going back and catching up some on the last month of my life that I seem to have lost. As we've slowly unpacked, Randy & I realized today that it had been over a month since we took any pictures of the kids. So - an update on life here...

Christmas. I think Christmas in the eyes of a three year old has got to be one of the better Christmases. These kids truly believed in Santa Claus - enough so to overcome their fears and sit on his lap (our first trip to Santa, too!).



We had a really good Christmas, although it wasn't the best for Tanner & Morgan. Yes, Santa Claus did make it to our house. And, while the upstairs Christmas tree was decked out on Christmas Eve...




The downstairs wasn't nearly as festive...




Tanner & Morgan opened all of their gifts (a. aren't the matching monkey pjs cute? b. yes, Tanner got a Cinderella for Christmas, that's what he asked for, and Santa doesn't follow typical gender rules).



And, then they were promptly packed for our impending move. The good news is that when they got to our home in Colorado - it was like Christmas all over again.

The 27th was Tanner & Morgan's last day at preschool. I can't tell you how hard that was for all of us. We had pizza brought in for lunch that day - and had also brought oreos. However, we were facing a large snowstorm and had to pull them out before they actually got to share the Oreos with their friends. I would post a picture of Tanner & Morgan with their best friend, Aiden - but I don't have permission to post his photos.

I will tell you all that Aiden broke my heart. When I picked them up from school, it was right at the end of naptime. Tanner got up and got his stuff - and gave Aiden a hug. Aiden then asked his teacher if he could give Morgan a hug. When that was done, Aiden came up to me and asked me if I was taking them home. I told him yes - and he asked if they were moving to Colorado (again, I told him yes). Then, he asked me if I would bring them back again - because he would miss them and they were his friends. What can you say to such a sweet kid like that? Aiden, buddy, Tanenr & Morgan still miss you.

And, the teachers who cared for these two...what can you say? You don't even realize how attached you are until it's time to go.

Here is Tanner with Ms. Mandy - while Ms. Mandy wasn't around for too long (I'm guessing about 6 months) - I think Tanner won her heart. I remember after one of her first few days, she came up to me and asked "what the heck had happened to that kid?" With all the information she had been given about Tanner (egg allergy, etc) - no one had mentioned his liver transplant until she saw his scar. Ms. Mandy set a lot of good boundaries for Tanner, but still did so with warmth and compassion.



Then, there is Ms. Melonee. She came about the same time as Ms. Mandy. These women were so wonderful for Tanner. Ms. Melonee was especially fond of Tanner - in fact I think I heard "favorite" tossed around from time to time. Tanner was spoiled so very much by Ms. Melonee - she & Ms. Mandy made special desserts for him & they even cooked in the classroom with 20 pre-k kids (lord help them!). She also struck a real soft spot with Randy & I. Ms. Melonne was working toward her Civil Engineering degree. She struggled (as both of us did, too). We can't help but have a ton of respect for someone who was working their way through college and not giving up. I couldn't have asked for a better role model for my children.



Ms. Keighley was there from the first day of Tanner & Morgan's time at school. She cared for them in their toddler classroom - and then continued to have them in the Pre-K classroom. She had two boys of her own - and through everything she went through, she was always there. She was a constant, steady force - and it was somethign that was so very important to me in their preschool upbringing.



Poor, Ms. Tomi. When we signed up for preschool, we met with the director and gave them a list of our requirements for Tanner & Morgan (egg allergy, liver transplant, etc). However, when we arrived for the first day of school, there was a new director - and none of the information had been relayed! So, we gave Ms. Tomi a long letter of everything the kids needed - she never batted an eye. While she was never one of the primary teachers for either kids, she was always there and provided a lot of love and support for the kids (and mom & dad, too).



We were so blessed to have found such a wonderful daycare that cared for Tanner & Morgan for 19 months. We have a good school here, also, but it's still been a difficult transition. The new daycare seems to be excelled academically - it's exceptionally clean. The teachers are wonderful - most of them have been at the school for over three years. They even have several male teachers, which I think is a good influence for both kids. But, they don't provide lunches (this has become a bear of a chore) and it doesn't have a large outside area. The kids aren't getting enough energy burnt off during the day - and we are definitely feeling the effects of that at night. We will probably keep them there another 2 - 3 months, and evaluate our other options after they are 4 years old.

After a bone chilling month here in the Mile High City, we finally caught a break in the weather this weekend. We took the kids to a couple of different parks this weekend. You could tell they were so excited to burn off the energy. And, they fell asleep promptly tonight. Here are some pictures from today:





















(Doesn't it look like they are plotting in the one below?)



Randy & I are hopeful that in a few more weeks, the house will look & feel more like home (we've made good progress - but we've still got some boxes that need unpacked). I think putting some of our ideas in the house will help, too. On tap - finishing off a space downstairs for a real office (and not a bedroom that is usd as an office). We surveyed the yard this afternoon - it needs quite a bit of TLC. The good news is that is appears to have a full sprinkler system. But, we've got lots of work to do - repairing or replacing part of the fence, removing a large amount of dead leaves, killing grass that has grown in the river rock areas, replacing some grass/sod, and leveling out the play areas). Eventually, we'll need to replace the deck boards on the deck - but we've probably got a few years for that. Hopefully I'll be able to update soon with some pictures of the new house.

Finaly note - if you haven't received our Christmas cards yet - it's because we haven't sent them! We'll send out letters soon with new address information - maybe we'll make it in time for Tanner's transplant anniversary...

Have a great week, everyone!

Transitioning

Yes - I'm still here. Just slowly making the transition to the new home, new office, new position, and all that jazz.

Some days I think that I am doing ok...and then days like today hit and it's hard. I talked to our old neighbor today - damn, I miss them. This is the mom of the 3rd Amigo. They were there to bail us out whenever the kids became too much - and we did the same for them. We shared common values - goals - and our kids would have gone to school together. That's hard.

She told me what the new neighbors had done to our house....that's hard.


But...we're making this house home. I'm still stealing internet from our neighbors, but we hope to get that done this weekend. We hope to get some more boxes unpacked, maybe some pictures on the wall. Slowly, as we fill the house, it feels more like a home.

We're adapting to the elevation - and I made our first calls today to find a pediatrician for the kids.

We're getting our routine established. Thsi was our first week back at work. Randy's commute is long - and sometimes very trying. He's going to shift his work hours 30 minutes and see if that will help his commute.

The kids and I are getting settled into the drop-off & pick-up routine. Since I'm closer to the kids and work, that's my responsibility. It's going well so far. It only takes me 10 minutes to get to their school - 10 minutes to get them inside, unpacked, coats off, checked in, & ready for the day - and another 10 minutes to my work. Not too shabby.

We're getting there - slow and steady wins the race, right?




But...I still miss home...

Carroling the new-fangled way

Since many of our friends and family are scattered across this great country, we thought we'd do our Christmas Carroling a bit differently this year.

We'll start out our set with one of children's favorite Christmas songs - Frosty the Snowman.



Oops...guess we'll have to work on the lyrics for that song. Let's try Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...



Much better! Now we're rolling....Jingle Bells...



An encore presentation of Here Comes Santa (check out history for Morgan's solo version yesterday).



One more quick song...



And, finally, Christmas greetings from our home to yours. May you have a safe & warm holiday season and be surrounded by family & friends.

She really loves this holiday...

Jokes

For some reason, my kids have just started to get the whole concept of a "joke". Yesterday, they came home from preschool with their first official joke.

"Where did Tigger look for Pooh?"

"In the toilet!"

Except Tanner forgets to hold out on the punch line....and Morgan's joke goes something more like this - "Tigger looks for Pooh in the toilet!"

The Flip That Flopped

We are under contract on a new home. We're excited - it's a Flip that Flopped. We know that we paid only about 7% more for the house than the current owners did. And, since then, they have finished 2100 sq ft in the basement, redone the kitchen, and redone the bathrooms.



The good news is that their is relatively little to do after the move-in. We need to install ceiling fans, paint Tanner's & Morgan's bedrooms, install adjustable shelving in the closet, and replace a few appliances (the one they installed were C H E A P).




We have a few outstanding issues to resolve - radon, sump pumps, and window screens -but nothing major that should hamper things.

The home is MUCH larger than what we really need - but it's in a central location with a huge backyard.



The packers will be here on 12/26, and we'll be loaded on 12/27. Our stuff will arrive at the new house between 12/29 - 12/31. What a way to ring in the new year, huh?

Not the World's Best Negotiater

Setting: Just prior to naptime.

Characters: Morgan, Daddy

"How long do we have to take a nap for today, daddy?"

"Mmmmm....120 minutes."

"Oooohhhh, that's a long time.... Can we take a nap for 2 hours instead?"

From the Mouths of Babes

Setting: Sunday after nap. Prior to nap we had explained to Tanner & Morgan that the house was going to sell.

Morgan: "Mommy, I am going to be very mad at you if you sell me."

Tear-Less

The decision to move / sell our home wasn't an easy one. And, the actual selling of the house has been difficult. Randy has taken it really hard - and rightfully so. Our blood, sweat, and tears are in that home - quite literally. It's a home that we designed and built - and we thought we'd grow pretty darn old there.

It hurts - and I have a small heartache. But, what I can't beleive tonight is that I haven't shed any tears yet. And, then it donned on me - I don't remember the last time I cried.

Oh, I've cried at Extreme Home Makeover and a few movies - but cried over my circumstances, our lives...I don't remember the last time. I think back to Tanner's transplant - I don't remember crying then.

I do remember crying the first few weeks that the kids were born - about Tanner's health circumstances, his PDA, wondering if he were going to make it. I remember crying in Randy's arms in our garage at the uncertainity of it all.

I remember curling up in a ball in our office when we found out about my mom & dad's accident when Tanner & Morgan were 3 weeks old. I remember bawling - fraught with fear - a whole range of emotions.

And, those are the last tears I remember...

I'm sure I would be a wonderful case for a psychologist - if only I had the time, energy, or money...

Sold

With only 9 days left on the market, our house sold yesterday. And, it sold for 97% of our listing price - so I feel like we got a good deal.

Our closing date is December 27th. That's six weeks - but we also have to find and purchase a home in Denver in that time. Not to mention that I am traveling for the next 3 weeks straight (2 weeks to Denver which will help with the home purchasing stuff).

But, it's not just that - it's all the other little (and big) stuff. Finding a new daycare for Tanner & Morgan, changing addresses, utility accounts, selling some stuff, finalizing with the movers, getting new cell phones, packing, unpacking. It's going to be a busy 6-1/2 weeks.

I don't think it's all quite sunk in yet. This house has so much sentimmental attachment, but it just hasn't hit me yet. I don't know if I've already dealt with that when we decided to list the house - or my brain is too busy making to do lists to worry about it.

I'm Ashamed to Admit....

I used google today to verify something that my three-year-old was telling me. Morgan sat at the dinner table tonight and spelled her name in Sign Language. Now, I learned sign language in about 5th grade as part of my brownie troup - but I could not remember it (specifically the letter g).

I can just see the show now - "Are you smarter than a 3 Year Old?"

At the Pumpkin Patch

Tanner & Morgan convinced us to make a trip to the pumpkin patch. We weren't going to since we had already done Jack-O-Laterns with Grandma, but our Jack-O-Laterns had an early demise.

So, here we are at the farm that we bought our pumpkins from this morning.

And the winner is....

Where is the strangest place you've hidden things before showing your house?

I'm going with underneath the computer scanner lid....

How do you...

convince your 3-1/2 year old daughter that girls don't pee standing up?

Please...this has been going on for waaayyyy too long now.