Ruined my a commercial

This was going to be an AWESOME day!  I woke up a little early, snuggled Austin a little before Jim and he headed off to daycare, checked my e-mail, watched a little NBC5 morning news.  Being my late night at work, and not having to leave my house until 9:30AM, I elected not to shower before dropping the kids off at school, and instead giving us all about 10 extra wake-up minutes.  The girls woke up at the same time, both smiley and excited.  (perhaps this should have been my first clue that the morning was going to tank).  They got dressed without argument, helped me vacuum the living room, they ate breakfast pleasantly, and we were out the door, with 5 minutes to spare (clue number 2). 

After dropping them off, I came home, made my lunch, and flipped the TV back on in the bedroom as I picked out my outfit.  Golden Girls was on, and who doesn't feel better about themselves after hearing Rose talk.  So, I was doing that game where I was trying to figure out if I watched just one more segment of the show what I could do to get out the house faster (put contacts in at work, not blow dry my hair, etc.)

And then it happened.  The commercial that (I have allowed to) ruin my day.  Marie Callender's Microwave Lasagna.  Three Meat and Four Cheese Lasagna, to be exact.

The commercial starts with some deep throaty male talking about good fresh ingredients that you want to serve to your family.  Fresh noodles.  Bubbling cheeses.  Ripe tomatoes.  Cut to a smiling mother setting a fork and knife on a cloth napkin.  (Cloth?  Really?  I am all about saving the Earth, but get real).  She sets the table with love, dons her oven mitts, and SURPRISE!  This meal came from your microwave! She beckons her family who come in from gardening and something else.  You, too, can now feed your family this wonderful meal!  Look at how happy and peaceful they are sitting around the rustic wooden table with a crusty loaf of bread and having great conversation!

Irritated, I jump into the shower.  And then I am lost in that mad daydream world where you think about how you want you life to be, and try and plan for how to get there.  I want to be there.  I want to be the mom who stays at home and sews her own cloth napkins, and then has time to dry and iron them.  I want to be the mom who slips the lasagna noodles into a pot of boiling water and remembers in 11 minutes to come and pull them out gently.  I want to then go to my fruitful garden and pick fresh tomatoes, green peppers, and onions.  I would then chop, peel, and dice until I had the perfect sauce.  Right about this time I would start working on a crusty sour-dough loaf, letting to rise and pounding it down gently.  The kids would come through the door happy, showing off wonderful works of art and math test with giant A+'s on them.

Then the water got cold and I was jerked back into reality.  My reality ~ paper napkins, when I rememeber, otherwise your sleeve is fine.  Mac and cheese is about as creative as we get with pasta, and the garden certainly has more weeds than tomatoes.  And I should be ok with that....but today it irritates me. 

The End

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

Hello, old friend!  How are you?  I am doing fine.  Busy, as always, but doing fine.  I cannot believe that it has been so long since we last chatted, and I wanted to catch you up on the Mueller household!

Austin turned 2!  Can you believe it!  He is growing so fast, learning new words and phrases everyday, and I am most pleased that he still has his ginger hair!  His present for his 2nd birthday ~ Tubes!  Tubes in his ears, and (knock on wood) we have gone a month without an ear infection which hasn't happened since last November!

Abigail is now 4, and she is such a sweet, little thing.  She has pulled herself away from Lilli's hip, and is learning how fun it is to play on her own.  She takes trains, cars, and her little dolls and creates the most elaborate stories in her own little world.  The other week, Jim and I were watching TV while Lilli and Austin napped, and Abbi brought out all sorts of cars and little dolls and made a whole story about car accidents and hospitals and doctors.  (note to self to turn of Grey's when she is in the room).

Lilli.  Oh, my Lilli.  I love her to death.  You know how when you are little and your mom says "I hope one day you have a daughter just like yourself?'  Well, God heard my Mom.  She is my mini me!  Blog, you would find her so funny these days!  She is very self-confident, so outgoing, and just so happy (almost) all the time.  More times then not I find myself looking at her across the dinner table, so proud of the little lady she is becoming.

Both girls have been taking gymnastics this summer (www.aagymnastics.com) and love it!  They will keep taking classes this fall, and we are adding ballet on Monday nights.  Not sure I have the next Mary-Lou in the family, but it keeps them active and the smiles on their faces when they learn a new move is priceless!

Jim and I are well, working hard for the money as always!  We sure could use some extra sleep, but that will come one day...

Well, Blog, I think that's about where we are at!  I will try to not let another whole month go by without writing.  I often create long letters in my head for you, especially in the shower or on the drive home, but I do not always have the time to sit down and write them out.  We must do coffee soon...

Megan

The Story of Lilli and The Ears

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Lilli.  Lilli was beautiful, smart, and had a wonderful little outgoing personality.  She was practically perfect in every way. 

Except for her ears. 

Princess Lilli was having a hard time hearing.  Her school kingdom was holding its annual Hearing Test Fest, and Lilli was very excited to don her blue and red-headphones and raise each hand at the sound of the beep. 

Right ear first...beep beep beep...hand hand hand. 
Left ear second...beep beep beep..hand...?....?....nothing. 

The head of the Test Fest sent a note to Queen Megan and suggested that Princess Lilli have her ears checked again by the local royal doctor.  Queen Megan promptly made an appointment, and the results were the same. 

Right ear first...beep beep beep...hand hand hand. 
Left ear second...beep beep beep..hand...?....?....nothing.

Queen Megan frowned.  The Kingdom's Doctor frowned.  Princess Lilli frowned.  The Doctor suggested giving Princess Lilli about 4 months to see if there was build-up of royal fluid in her ears that might drain on its own.  Since Princess Lilli was due to turn 5 in June, the Doctor suggested she have her ears checked again then.

Princess Lilli continued to laugh and play, but King Jim and Queen Megan noticed that she could not hear the royal TV as well, and often asked for the music in the family carriage to be turned up a little more.  King Jim frowned.  Queen Megan frowned.

June came, and Princess Lilli went back to the Kingdom's Doctor for another ear check

Right ear first...beep beep beep...hand hand ...?.... 
Left ear second...beep beep beep..?...?....?....

Uh-oh.  This is not what the Doctor wanted.  He frowned.  He recommended that the King and Queen take Princess Lilli to see a specialist at Butheran Heneral (pause the story...most of you know my feeling about this if you have read posts in the past, but we LOVE Dr. Peters and follow his recommendations completely).

Queen Megan, Princess Lilli, and Princess Abigail all make haste to Butheran Heneral.  The next Royal Doctor looks in Princess Lilli's ears for TWO FREAKING SECONDS and sends her off to have an Royal Hearing Test in a Royal Booth. 

Right ear first...beep beep beep...hand hand ...?.... 
Left ear second...beep beep beep..?...?....?....

The Royal Doctor recommends that Princess Lilli have tubes placed in her ears, her tonsils removed, and her anodes removed.  Queen Megan said, "You want to do what?"  She was not happy.  She asked for a second opinion.

Queen Megan and King Jim took Princess Lilli on a long journey (Lincoln Park) to see the Grand Doctor of Ears (at Children's Memorial).  The Grand Doctor looked at Princess Lilli's ears for a long time.  She took down a lot of information from the King and Queen.  She even pulled out a great number of watermelons (earwax balls) from Princess Lilli's ears.  And she ordered another test done in her own Royal Hearing Test Booth.

Queen Megan fretted.  She frowned.  She watched Lilli like a hawk to see what level the sound was on the TV, on the radio, on the MoBiGo.

The day came for Princess Lilli to have her second Royal Hearing Test.  The maid-in-waiting Carrie came in.  (PS.  We heart Carrie in Audiology at Children's Memorial.)  She took pictures of Princess Lilli's ears.  She played games with Princess Lilli.

Right ear first...beep beep beep...hand hand hand
Left ear second...beep beep beep..hand hand hand

What?  Princess Lilli passed.  She passed with a perfect score.  Queen Megan and King Jim are very happy that they took Princess Lilli to the Grand Doctor of Ears.  Princess Lilli is very happy because maid-in-waiting Carrie gave her two stickers.

And they lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story....if we hadn't asked for a second opinion, Lilli would have already had a pretty major surgery that she really didn't need.  And shout out to Kathy for sharing insight into Children's Memorial and visiting us while we were there! 

The End.

Azoosment Park

a.k.a.  Santa's Village

Stats:
Monday - Friday  10AM to 6PM
Saturday and Sunday 11AM to 7PM
Cost
2 and Under = FREE
3 and Up = $16.50  (there is a printable $2 off coupon on the website)

Things to think about = a family of 4 who might go twice should buy the season pass ($132).

Rides
I was VERY impressed by the rides.  Very much carnival style, but the rides were short which is good for little attention spans and tummies, and thus the lines moved quickly.  Also, many of the rides had adjoining shaded areas for parents to wait.

The girls went on all but two rides.  The swings are for kids UNDER 36", and the Tilt-A-Whirl requires 48" or with an adult (And Momma don't play that game).  But that left the Planes, Trucks, Cars, Balloons, Santa Sled, Pony Ride, and Mini-Whipper.  They rode each at LEAST 3 times, if not more. 

Petting Zoo
I am spoiled by petting zoos due to Brookfield and Goeberts, but this one was OK.  The kids liked it, and that's really all that matters.  They got a KICK out of the sheep that were running around.  And, it was really really clean.  In fact, the whole park was really really clean.  Thumbs up there.  Anti-bacterial stations were everywhere.

Food
PICNIC CENTRAL!  Coolers are allowed, so of course we brought a lunch.  The picnic areas are spread through-out the park, and all were in nice shade.  You could purchase food and beverages, but bring Cash.  There is an ATM in the main gift shop.  We did stop in the ice cream shop early in the day when we realized we forgot water, but this, I was told, was the only place that accepted credit cards.  I saw pretzels, popcorn, hot dogs, brats, fries, sodas, and juices. 

Entertainment
There was some.  The girls don't have the attention span for it, but there were 4 shows planned for the day.

Other Goods
Face-painting!  Obviously, I said yes to this!  It's in a little (air-conditioned) hut, and you can get temporary tattoos as well.  Face painting is $5 for a cheek, or $8 for face.  Tattoos ranged from $1-$7 (cash only), and we were told they last about 4 days unless you really scrub it off.  The girls LOVED it!  I would do this again right away so they could enjoy it longer.

There is also the traditional games for $3 that you will never really win.  We did the $2 Duck Game where everyone gets a prize.

There were several other little shops that we didn't peek in frankly because I didn't want to spend the money and didn't want to hear the whining about it.  They are obviously working on expanding.

Overall
4 stars out of 5.  And I would certainly go back. (Which is good because I bought 2 Groupons earlier in the year and still have one left.)


PS.  Show up at 10AM.  We did, and the park was almost empty the first hour.  There were several rides that the girls didn't even have to get off to ride again because there was no one in line.  The camps seem to show up at 11AM and then all bets were off.

We pause your locally scheduled programming....

I love my kids.

A lot. 

A WHOLE lot. 

I get upset when I have to put them in the corner because a little part of me thinks that I could have handled the situation different so they won't be upset. 

I worry when they ride their bikes too fast because they might fall and get hurt.

I am careful about closing the basement doors so Austin won't go for a tumble.

I think I have spanked them twice.  And that's not each, that's between the three.

They make me mad. 

They make me want to tear my hair out.

There are nights that I want to go out and party and get drunk and be like I was in college.

There are mornings that I don't want to get up and put on Fresh Beat Band or Chuggintown and make frozen waffles and sippy cups with half juice half water.

There are days when I have more laundry dirty then clean and I know at 11PM if I don't go switch the loads that no one will have clean underwear and we will all stink.

But no matter what, NO MATTER WHAT, they are mine and they are the BEST THINGS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME.

So, I don't live in Florida, I don't have pull in government or the judicial systems.  I don't have any say in the severe injustice that I feel was served this week.

But......

I can love my children.

I can love and hug and kiss ten more times then I can correct them.

I can keep them as safe as possible.

I can be there with Bactine and Hello, Kitty! band aids when they have scrapes, even the imaginary ones.

I can tuck them in at night and give them one last kiss and whisper to them one more time that I love them.

I can be the best Mom I can be..and then do better the next day.

The End.

Poem

There was a little girl (Lilli)
Who had a little curl pin straight hair
Right in the middle of her forhead(Or parted on the side)
And when she was good,
She was very VERY good (and cute and snuggly and loveable)
But when she was bad (aka Opinionated, Sassy, Over-Tired)
She was horrid (snappy, moody, and she throws a WICKED temper tantrum)


The End

4 years ago today....

4 years ago today, Abigail Helen Mueller was born....and I think that justifies the telling of her birth story..

Lilli was about 4 months old when I found out I was pregnant with Abigail.  Wow...you can get pregnant again that fast?  I was so nervous to tell Jim that I sent it to him in an e-mail....which I still have.  :)  The beginning of my pregnancy with her was pretty much the same as Lilli's, a lot of vomiting, stomach aches, and dehydration.  I did manage to avoid a hospital stay, which is good because I was in my final year of my Master's program and I was completing my year internship at Rolling Meadows High School (Go Mustangs!).

At about the 17 week mark, I was home sick and received a call from my doctor's office that I will NEVER forget.  It was another doctor, not my usual, and she told me that my blood work showed I had an elevated chance of the baby having Down's Syndrome, and I had about a week to decide "what I wanted to do with the pregnancy."  Really?  You call women and tell them that over the phone?  After I panicked, I finally got my OBGYN on the phone (love her) and she explained that I was at a 1 in 90 chance that my baby had Down's.  She suggested that we go to a Genetic Counselor, have a Level Two ultrasound, and that we would be fine.  So, of course we did, but the results were not what we wanted.  Instead of lowering the risk, the risk went higher.  She appeared to have short leg bones and there appeared to be an issue with her heart. (we were able to find out at this appointment that the baby was a she!).  Jim and I hugged and talked a lot, and then did all the research we needed to be prepared.  We did not cry.  We did not sit around and feel sorry about it.  It was what it was, and we were going to love the baby either way.  We figured out daycare arrangements for special needs children, a playgroup in Schaumburg, and joined several online forums.  The one thing we didn't do was an amnio.  Since we were not going to terminate the pregnancy (shudder) it didn't matter to us.

The week before she was born she dropped to what I was sure was the edge of my cervix.  I couldn't even walk without thinking that she was going to pop out.  We had a c-section date scheduled for June 20th....anyone know the issue with that?  Yup, that's Lilli's birthday.  My babies would have been exactly a year apart.  I couldn't do that.  So, on June 18th, we went to the doctor to be evaluated to see if Abigail could be delivered earlier (we did have her name selected at this point).  And I was out of fluid!  Hurray!  Since I had mistakenly eaten a piece of leftover pizza, we were sent to the hospital to wait 6 hours before her birth.  And we were doing awesome!  We went home, packed, took a video on the way to the hospital like we did for Lilli, and settled into a room.  Low and behold, contractions slowly started as we waited for 6pm. 

Our nurses came in just before 6 and began explaining to me what was going to happen.  Since this was the second c-section, I thought I knew what they were saying.  Then I realized she was explaining to me what they were expecting to see with Abigail, and why there would be so many people in the room.  Abigail would have her own nursing team as well as the Head of Neo ready to care for her.  My heart started to drop, my stomach clinched.  She was no longer going to be safe.  Once she came out, she could be very vulnerable and in great danger.  I kissed Jim once more, and we walked down the hall.  I sat on the edge of the table (BTW, those table are REALLY small) and prepared myself for the spinal.  The nurse came up to me, rubbed my hand, and told me that whatever was about to happen was meant to happen. 

And then I lost it.  I mean, really, really lost it.  Like, stop everything for 10 minutes because I couldn't breathe lost it.  I wanted to go home.  I wanted to keep her in there until she was 20 years old. 

Spinal shot in, legs go numb, they lay me down and strapped me to the table.  The anesthesiologist joked about having de-ja-vue seeing me there.  Cutting starting, smelling the burning flesh.  The doctors are pretty quiet.  The nurses line the wall, ready to take Abigail. 

"Here she is, Megan!"  A cry, a good strong cry.  I cry.  I ask Jim to stay with her.  Take video of all that they will let you. 

It's a long video...about 1:40 is when he starts to go over the Downs symptoms...then it's about 10 minutes of the first time I was able to hold her in the NICU....

She is (almost) fine.  She did not have Downs from what they can tell.  A genetic test would get us the results in a few weeks.  She could breathe, but her heart was having trouble.  It's called Patent Ductus Arteriosus, and basically part of her heart chamber that should have closed didn't.  She was admitted to the NICU, which brought on near hysteria session number 2.  My husband tried to explain to the nurses and doctors that I needed to see her, but since I had just been torn open, I couldn't just walk into the NICU.  A nurse and a doctor wheeled her, in her little incubator, into my room around midnight and let me hold her.  For about 10 minutes only.  And that was all I needed.  I needed to see for myself that she was ok.  To breathe her in.  To kiss her tiny head.  To squeeze her. To tell her I loved her.

Then they took her back, I agreed to more meds, and I went to sleep.  She stayed in the NICU for about 48 hours, and I didn't put her down for about 48 days....

Happy Birthday, my dear sweet Abbi.....