We're not in El Paso anymore, Todo

Well, we've been in St. Louis a week...and it's been a crazy week!  Nici drove with us and we got here Sunday afternoon.  We tried introducing Bazzill (our 7 month old puppy) to Kramer, but that didn't go well at all!  Oh my gosh!  Poor Bazzill was on the inside of the fence, and Kramer was on the outside of the fence with a choker collar on and he still almost killed Bazzill!  Not really, but he would of if he could of!  I was just sure that he would never accept him.  But, as I type they're wrestling playfully next to me.  They're BFFs for sure! 

We had a nice day with Nici before she left.  I had to drive her around - show her the town I grew up in.  We went to show her Adam & Larissa's house....and of course Miau.  She's grown SO MUCH!  My goodness!!  Then we took her to McGurks and Ted Drew’s.  Yum!

By Monday night my mom had a neutrapenic fever!  My dad took her to the hospital and she was admitted.  She just got home last night, so she was there a week.  She had fevers on and off - and did well and then would get bad.  She's having the same butt problems I had when I was on Adriamicin.  It just kills you with mouth and butt sores.  OUCH!  I feel so bad for her because I know exactly how AWEFUL they are.  I hope I never have those again!!  She's an orange color now.  Not feeling good at all.  She slept most of today.

I have the girls in school, and they seem to be adjusting well.  Aria Bella just loves her class and school.  She sits right next to Julia (the 2nd grader across the street).  And Julia has taken her under her wing at St. Clare and made her feel welcome.  Giuliana is at the same preschool as Christopher (the 4 year old across the street).  They are in the same class on MWF afternoons.  But, her "open spot" was filled somehow and she's only in PreK on MWF afternoons and T/Th all day.  MWF mornings, she's with the 3 year olds :-/ I'm not thrilled about that.  But at least she's in a school and is happy.  That's the only thing that matters...as long as she's happy, I'm happy.  Ms Becky & Candy both assured me that she'd be fine with or without school the next few months.  So, something is better than nothing.  She LOVES the PreK class, though.  Absolutely loves it!  

I finally was able to get on my elliptical today!  First time since I've been here.  It's such a cheap one - I'm really regretting not getting a nicer one.  I may be better off to get a gym membership or something. This thing STINKS!!  But, it's better than nothing.  I'll sure appreciate mine when I get home!  I'm hoping my dad will use it when I'm gone!  He needs to be a little healthier.  I'm eating badly now that I'm here, though.  It's the typical Mel & Amanda food that is no good for us...but somehow makes us feel better and bonds us.  I wish we could bond over sushi or carrots and celery, lol.  I want so badly to eat healthier.  I'm fine with being chubby. Honestly.  I just want to eat healthy for the HEALTH part of it.  I DO NOT want to go through this again.  Being here with my mom really makes me remember the bad stuff that my brain naturally hid away from my memory.  I can't believe how much I went through in those 2 years.  It is overwhelming when my brain allows me to go back and remember things.  I don't like that at all.  I'm trying to figure out a way to push it back when things trigger it, but it's hard!  It's like a domino effect!  

Denise was a DOLL and took the girls Saturday (my birthday) at 10am and kept them until 10 Sunday morning!  I can't tell you how much I did and how great I felt.  We had been living out of boxes and on the go constantly since my mom was in St. Louis at Barnes.  I pretty much woke up, took the girls to school, drove to St. Louis to hang out with her, picked the girls up, made dinner, cleaned up, and then went to bed.  It was impossible to get unpacked.  So, the break from kids was sooooo nice!  Denise is an ANGEL!

I found a babysitter here...I've got her coming every Tuesday for a couple of hours.  Today was her first day.  I had too much to do to leave.  But, I got some good stuff off my to do list - and now I get to do this therapeutic blog!  That's awesome.  I love this whole diary thing.  It helps so much...like I'm talking to someone or something, lol.  I know no one knows this is even out there, but it feels like I have an audience since it's on the internet.  PLUS it's way easier to do.  I type WAY faster than I write - and it doesn't hurt my hand to type.  When I write anymore, I get terrible cramps in my hands.  I hope that's not an early sign of arthritis.  Augh!

Well, I hear the pitter-patter (cluck clack really) of feet upstairs - so I guess the girls are home.  I should probably close up so I can get them to bed.  Early morning tomorrow.  

A Packing We will Go….

Ok – a quick couple minute break here.  I’m packing my life away, lol.  No – but it sure feels like it.  I’ve got the car about half way filled.  Now it’s just trying to get all the little stuff.  The day-to-day stuff that runs our lives (backpacks, blenders, computers, etc).  I also want to leave the house nice so that when we return, we’ll have a clean house to host friends for a visit.  I was very brave last night and had 4 little girls from Aria Bella’s class come over to spend the night before we leave.  I was thinking it’d be no big deal….they’d play & I’d pack.  I was hoping Giuliana could spend the night with Kay Kay but I didn’t ask.  So, I sporadically decided to do Chuck E Cheese for dinner.  That turned into a THREE hour event.  It was fun though – we got to see Leslie & Everett…and then Ava & Yosh.  That was fun.  And the girls had a great time playing.  We got home and the girls watched a couple of movies and played.  They were really good – but I never got an opportunity to pack at all.  It was just misc keeping up/cleaning up.  And by midnight I was exhausted.  Woooo!  Anyway, they woke up at 5 and the morning began.  Crafts, projects, French toast, smoothies…it was a whirlwind (but fun).  The only BAD thing is the amount of JUNK the girls ate – I hate that.  I don’t know why my mind thinks SLEEPOVER = JUNK FOOD.  But for some reason it does.  Anyway, I’m so tired and still have so much to do.  I better run.  We pull out tomorrow at 6:30 am!!  St. Louis, here we come!

Hump Day - I love Wednesdays!

Life is crazy right now!  I'm trying to get everything planned out and set up for our move to St. Louis.  It's hard to believe we're leaving in two days!  I'm so glad Nici is going to go with me!  Today was Giuliana's last day of school (the JCC is closed for a Jewish Holiday tomorrow & Friday).  I took an 8X10 picture of her for them to put at her seat while she's gone.  And I printed up a bunch of little note cards for the kids to send her little notes...along with 20 big preaddressed self postage paid manila envelopes.  I did the same for Aria Bella & her class for tomorrow.  I hope these little things make all the difference for the girls & it's an easy transition for them both.  My mom started chemo this week.  She got her port in on Friday and then started chemo Monday.  So far she’s feeling ok.  I’m so glad I’ll be there in a few days.  I know this is going to be so hard for her.  I’m trying to find some good recipes and things to cook while I’m there.  I want them to be easy and not involved – but good and healthy.  Is it possible, lol?  I love www.skinnytaste.com for that kind of thing.  So far everything I’ve made from that site is delicious and not too involved.  That’s what I like.  Of course, my new obsession is www.pinterest.com – the coolest idea ever!  It keeps all the things that I flag/mark as liking or wanting to look up again.  Last night Taryn, Nici, Jenn, & Jen took me to dinner for my birthday at Tabla (yum!).  I found out that Becky’s brother opened a restaurant in Kern called “Tom’s”.  I wanna try it.  I love Ripe & Tabla so it’ll be amazing I know.  Ok – so short post today…I’m going nuts trying to get everything done and everything planned and set up for while we’re gone for 3 months.  Gotta get busy!!

Monday crazy Monday

Well today was quite a day.  It started out with Aria Bella informing me that we had to have "six apple dippers" at school.  I questioned why I didn't hear about this sooner - say when I was at the grocery store the day before!  After making my daily carrot juice, spinach, greek yogurt, & fruit smoothies for us, I got Giuliana ready & headed out the door.  First stop - Albertsons for some apple dippers (ok, and a grande white chocolate mocha frap lite).  Funny, when we passed the apples, I thought briefly about buying some extra apples for kids in case they forgot. But, Giuliana quickly pulled my attention to the fact that she was SCREAMING "how cool" in the store.  I quickly checked out and headed to the school.  When I dropped them off, Aria Bella cried out for me and then rushed out of the room to speak to me.  She immediately started crying and said she forgot her apple.  So, I reassure her that everything would be ok and ran off on a mission to find an apple.  Has anyone ever gone to a gas station on a mission for the worst junk food you could find?  Well I have - and I always come upon fresh fruit (apples, oranges, & bananas usually)...but not today.  Not when I stopped at the Chevron near St. Clements.  So, I decided it would be better to just go to Albertsons and avoid any further stops looking and hoping that a random gas station would carry fresh fruit.  I got there and when we got to the apple area, I saw Stacey - getting "apple dippers" for Hayden (she had a very familiar story about just hearing about it this morning, lol).  Anyway, I offered to take Hayden the apple dippers since I was headed to school anyway.  So, I got there, took them in, and POOF - one of the caramel packs pops open and spills ALL over me.  Nice.  So, then Giuliana & I race to the JCC to get her to school - only to find out within a few seconds of driving that I am almost completely out of gas.  So, we had to stop.  I finally got Giuliana to school at 9:05.  There could be worse things, lol.  After that, I ran a series of errands.  Some including: delivering cards to Corner Stone Bakery to put with the delivery orders I had placed, Thyme Matters, Gabby's house to see her new decorating, the NM dmv - to get my first NM license...five years after I've resided here, lol, the pediatrician (twice), Menchies for lunch, target, etc.  I'm falling asleep - gotta run.  But, I did have a nice evening with my Ty Guy!  Our last "date night" before we're split up for 3 months.  It was nice.  But I'm ZONKED!!

Welcome to my Blog!  I'm going to give this a try instead of keeping a written diary.  My hand hurts when I write much these days.  I guess that's how it goes in a tech world!