New Perspective

I'm exhausted! I was up at 5:30am yesterday to get brunch started and didn't turn in until after midnight. I hosted my first ever Christmas brunch for my parents, Ian's parents and his grandmother. I was up early chopping apples (for my homemade apple salsa...that goes well on cinnamon pita chips or waffles) and dicing potatoes for my hashbrown casserole. The previous day we spent cleaning and then Christmas-ing it up at Ian's other grandparents' house. I've always had the easy part of Christmas...jump in the car and show up when you tell me to. Now I'm the hostess that painstakingly arranges every minute of oven time so that everything comes out perfect. That sets the table and lights the floating holly candles. That makes sure that Downey has been giving her treat from Santa so her noise isn't in everyone's lap...the little mooch! I don't remember if I sat down...
I always wondered why my mother was so tired on Christmas. After staying up getting everything ready the night before, only to get up early the day of to do even more things...now I get it! It's a lot! But it's worth it. I'll do it every year from now on. And every year, the grandparents and great-grandparents will watch my sons' eyes glow when they open their Santa gifts. And every year, all eyes will becoming teary as we recount Christmas's of old and watch dvd's and family videos. Just like the one I made this year, from the boys.
Merry Christmas from our house to yours. And wishing you a peaceful and healthy new year to come!


Merry Christmas! Love, the boys!

A quiet moment...with a vanilla frosty.

Just have a free minute...those are rare around here.
It seems my littlest boy has his first ear infection. I'm relieved! Thought it was a line infection in his hemo catheter at first...yikes! Glad I know have something normal to worry over instead of something unique to him. :) Despite it, he is in great spirits and all smiles...helps that hemo was yesterday. This is his BEST day...the day after. I just tell him over and over how much I love him and just do anything I can to get a laugh out of him while he is so happy and "healthy".
My oldest son has been waking up with nightmares recently. He then runs into our room to "make sure mommy is still here". I feel so bad that I am gone all the time either with surgeries, hemo or just errands to various speciality drug stores and medical suppliers. I just don't have any one on one time with my oldest baby. Yes, he's still my baby...he'll be my baby until the day I die. Luckily, it is now Christmas break for the school system. Both my hubby and my mother are out for two weeks!! Monday, Ian will go to hemo with Matthew and me and William are going to relax, watch movies, eat junk and take a nap together! Friday, my mother is taking Matthew to hemo and me, Ian and William will eat brunch at IHOP together. I'm looking forward to the William time that is coming!
Ian, the little darling, (and for once I'm not being sarcastic!) as booked us a night at a fancy hotel in downtown Atlanta for next Saturday night. It will be our 5 year anniversary! We will be going to Dante's (http://www.dantesdownthehatch.com/ )which is a jazz/ fondue restaurant with a sailboat/wharf theme set in the Mediterranean. Then we are off to the movies before turning in for a full uninterrupted night of sleep. No poopie diapers, no night mares, no refills of feeding bags, and no alarms from the feeding tube pump...just sleep! Awww...I think I look forward to the sleep the most!!
Speaking of sleep, don't you love the look on a little baby's face when they are fighting sleep and you help them out by brushing their hair or face? I was just doing this to Matthew minutes ago. He was yawning and rubbing his eyes, so I scooped him up and off to bed we went. He was all squirming so I went in for the "kill". ;) I rubbed his eyebrows very gently. His eyes just started rolling back in his head. I started to snicker, because it is just too precious. This of course starts waking him up, so I do it just two more times and quickly and not so quietly leave. It was enough and he was out. But I just love seeing bright blue...then nothing but white. hee hee.
Well, my frosty is starting to melt and I promised William I would save half for him. So I'm off. Just thought I would actually write something more than a survery for once this month.
Merry Christmas too all! And a peaceful, happy, and healthy New Year!

An A-Z get to know me...but for my husband...to see if I know him as well as I should after over 9 years together. 5 year wedding anniversary in 9 days! Wow!
A- Automobile of choice? He loved his Honda Civic, but needed an SUV for all of his scuba gear.
B- Born? June 27th
C- Cookies or Candy? Cookies all the way for him. I have to add that to the grocery list for every visit!
D- Date of Choice? A night away from kids...anywhere!
E- Essential Item? cell phone and watch
F- Favorite Foods? My cooking naturally. ;) He loves italian and mexican the most!
G- Gas or Diesel vehicle? gas
H- Hobbies? scuba diving, geo-caching, raquet ball and head wrestling coach...around the house PLAY STATION!
I- Ice Cream Flavor? he loves it when I treat him to the Breyers Heath crunch icecream
.J- Job? high school biology teacher
K- Kids? 2 boys, he wants a girl...I told him he has our Downey girl. ;)
L- Last Vacation as a couple? Disneyworld before the boys were born! Several weekend getaways...but that was the last "true" vacation
M- Morning person or night owl? Night owl!
N- Number of Siblings? nada
O- OCD or sloppy? In between
P- Pet Peeves? me leaving the open bag of potato chips at the base of the couch, slow drivers, and a whiny William
Q- Quiet or Loud? Quiet
R- Restaurant? That boy is always up for MOE's
S- Sports? He doesn't really follow sports on tv, but he loves to play everything but baseball...he says it's too boring.
T- Tight wad or spender? Used to be a spender, but I've helped him tone it down.
U- Unknown Fact about him? He's got a shy bladder.
V- Vegetables? Italian green beans or my squash/zuchinni medley
W- Worst Habit? Staying up too late and procrastinating...on EVERYTHING!
X- Xtra Curricular activities in high school? Football, wrestling, soccer...a sport for every season.
Y- Your favorite things about him? He's a huge help with the boys and the house and allows me "time off" especially if he sees I'm starting to stress. He's very good to me. :)
Z - Zodiac Sign? Cancer...and boy is he moody just like one!

An Interview via photobucket

Oh, yeah...another photobucket meme. Go to the image organizer of your choice, read the question, find the answer and copy the code. Pretty easy. A picture is worth a thousand words, so no explainations.


Where are you from?

What does your fridge look like?

Last movie you saw in the theater?

Last movie you saw in your home?

What is your favorite pizza?


Name a favorite restaurant.

Part of your daily routine.

What color are your eyes?

What relaxes you?

What does your dishes look like?

What do you have planned in the next 12 months?

Where are you on a Sunday night?

What is your favorite holiday?