Kung Fu Panda quote of the day:

"There is no charge for awesomeness ....... or attractiveness."

Griffin's Tough Week

Last Wednesday and Friday, Griffin had a fever. Friday night, he kept complaining about his food itching. I saw a few spots and figured it was ant bites.(?) Friday night at midnight, Jeff wakes me up and leads me out into the family room where Griffin is stripped down to his underwear. He was COVERED in these red splotches. Covered!!!

Benadryl and calamine lotion seemed to help, but we weren't really sure what it was exactly. So I took him to the doctor and we were told it was hives.... an allergic reaction to something. Griffin has never had a problem before and we didn't go anywhere or eat anything unusual. After a day or so, his body got a little better but then the spots showed up on his face.

Yesterday it seemed we had hit the end of it but once again he woke up in the middle of the night with more hives.

I was freaking out!!

I had JUST washed the sheets and his pillow case -- but one would conclude it HAS to be something from his bed. Right?

The only other objects Griffin sleeps with are a Spiderman blanket he's had since Christmas and a new plush gorilla from Valentines.

Angrily, I threw the gorilla under the bed, not knowing for sure if that was the issue, but too tired to try anything else. I said a prayer and went to bed.

I anxiously waited for Griffin to wake up this morning for inspection. Can you believe it!! Not. one. spot. Gorilla is getting washed, but what if that isn't the problem? What if he's allergic to the cheap material or polyfil used to make this new beloved toy? That's trouble.

To add to this already FABULOUS week, Griffin and Kai wanted to go for a walk last night. Half way through, Griffin biffs it, and I can tell he's hurting internally as well as physically. He's done. With immediate first aid treatment needed, Griffin limping, and Kai mosey-ing behind, our "family walk pace" just wasn't cutting it. This was my solution:

Poor guy.

My mom is better than your mom !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I really don't think I could have been sent to a better person. I mean, who else can hand-hug my head with a rubber band around three of their fingers and still pull off a great picture? No one. You have always looked great and I'm hoping a lot of your genes stay with me down the road. Thank you for the amazing childhood I had and the great example you've been.

I was going to make a list of 49 (ahem) things I love about you, but I decided to take a nap today after church and now it's 10:30pm and I'm getting tired. So you'll have to settle for the earliest memory I have of you.

~Brian could probably tell you about his birth due to his long lasting memory capability, but mine was around age 4 or 5.~

We were living in the green apartments in Flagstaff and, like every other awesome family, we owned a fold-out couch. Or hide-a-bed sofa. Us kids always asked Dad to fold us up into the couch -- and he would honor our wishes. There must have been a time when he teased us by leaving us trapped a few seconds too long or maybe even sat on us.(?) Most likely freaking out was involved. When Dad made us feel like wimps, you told him that he needed to take HIS turn. Willingly he got in, rolling his eyes, "It's not that bad." Yep...... he got stuck. You pulled and pulled, trying to get that hide-a-bed out, Brian and I right by your side. It was a long time -- 30 min. maybe. Embarrassed, both you and Dad decided it was time to get the neighbor.

I have another memory of Flagstaff -- this was my proof to my friends for a long time that you were the best mom ever. A snow storm had just come through and there was fresh powdery snow in our tiny back yard. You took our huge green tupperware bowl outside, filled it with snow then poured Kool-Aid all over it and let us eat to our hearts content.

Speaking of hearts....... I don't know why you started collecting them, but I'm glad you did. Each time I see a heart, I think of you. Sorry this turned out to be a tribute to your motherhood, you've been an influence in my life as more than just my mom. Thank you for all that you are!

I

YOU !!

"MOM, MOM, COME HERE!!"

Kai comes running through the house to find me, yelling the whole time. He's anxious for me to come see his new discovery. Normally,when Kai does this, I can bet that I'm being pulled away from my much important 'computering' just to look at a bug of some sorts.

I would definitely need a judges call on this ....

"SPIDER".

~ My reaction to the spilled milk differed slightly. ~ (sigh)

Little Green Notebook ~ you're killing me!!

My cousin, Jennica, has this AMAZING BLOG that I read religiously. I absolutely LOVE her style and she's always suggesting inexpensive ways to create not-so-cheap looks.

Today she found a weak spot. For the most part I've done well with telling myself "we don't have the money right now", and I make a mental note of things I want to do later. But this time... I'm struggling. Bad.

You'll have to read all about these fabulous books on her post from today. All ten classics have been sitting in "my cart" on the Canadian website for about an hour now as I try to decide one way or the other. All I know is..........

........I AM IN LOVE!!!!!!

Two Sisters One Heart

There was another fundraising 10k this past Saturday. It was to benefit these two adorable little girls who are conjoined twins..... Emma and Taylor Bailey.

My sister, Jillian, who has NEVER run more than 2 miles in her life did awesome!!! I was very impressed. We look forward to many more events to come.

Yes.... Jill is wearing hot pink lycra pants with a popeye-ish sort of muscle man face.

And.....yes. I'm wearing the exact same pants and jacket as last run. I just might make a tradition out of it, okay?!

Ahhh Sunday.....

Eight-o-clock church.

Not a fan.

However.......... the boys' nap is not compromised anymore. We used to have 1pm meetings. Which meant their nap consisted of the 10-15 minute drive to whoever's family's house we ate at that day.

Extra time this past Sunday was spent playing with the camera..

Funny faces came first:

Kai kept growling in my face with the tiger.
And so it began...............the battle.

MOM vs TIGER

The "face-off-roar-down" -- then....

........ the pounce!

Somehow she pulls him away.

His recovery is quick.....

and she struggles to keep him at bay.

Mom was not aware of her Achilles heel until it was too late:

The Shnoz Hold

She fell. Tiger stood proudly over his win...

......until Kai wanted a turn.

Or maybe he just wanted his toy back.