Happily Ever After...

...Yes, the story ends well. And I thought I'd give all of the details at once so that nobody has any reason to be worried...

On Sunday night, Justin woke up at midnight screaming in pain and saying that his stomach hurt. We got him out of bed and tried to understand what was going on. He just kept saying "my stomach hurts!!!" We moved him to the bathroom where he sat on the toilet rocking back and forth and holding his lower stomach. He would say things like "It feels better if I curl into a ball" and "Mom...it hurts all over..."

After about 10 minutes when he said he was sure he didn't need to go, we snuggled him up and put him in our bed. He was there for about 2 minutes when he started to throw up this black tar kind of throw up. I rushed him to our bathroom where we discovered he didn't need to throw up anymore. He lay down on the carpet and told me he couldn't take a deep breath because it hurt so bad. I looked up at John and told him to call 911. He called, they sent an ambulance, and as soon as they got here, Justin started to get his color back. (There's something about three large men in uniforms with a ton of equipment squished into your Mom and Dad's bathroom that seems to take your mind off the problem!). They checked him and said that it didn't seem like he had any signs of trouble with his appendix but asked if we wanted him to go to the hospital anyway. I said that I felt very uncomfortable with the pain he was in. So, into the ambulance he goes...

I, as any reasonable person in New England at midnight might do, dressed myself in capris and a sweatshirt. I got in the car to follow the ambulance and I could not stop shivering! I couldn't tell if it was adrenaline, worry, or the chills. I think it was a combination of all three. I followed the ambulance to St. Anne's (I knew the routine after taking John there for slicing his finger off!!!) and parked. When they took me to Justin, he was lying in a bed and he seemed fine. Well, that figures!

The doctor came to see him and said that it was likely a virus and that he had seen similar symptoms recently. They gave Justin an apple juice and he rested in the bed for a while. At about 2:00am they released us. On our way out, we stopped at the check-out desk, and this is when it finally all came out. Justin threw up. This was not a dainty little bout of throw up, but rather a firehose style explosion of everything in his entire body! It went all over the counter, the papers, the firemen sitting at the table next to the desk, the floor, me, Justin, the wall...you get the picture. The nurses swarmed, comforted him, got him back in bed, and took care of the mess. I was kind of thankful that it happened because 1) he felt so much better , 2) I looked a little more legit for bringing him in, and 3) the nurses cleaned it up!

Eventually they armed us with a prescription for nausea medicine and sent us home. Justin felt fine the next day - thankfully. It has been an interesting experience as John and I look back wondering if we overreacted. My conclusion is that with all of the fears we have today about sick children, we made the right choice. I'm so thankful that we have a system that we can call for help when we need it and especially that we have the ability to ask whatever questions we need to.

It was the Portsmouth Volunteer Fire Department that arrived up to help us this week. There have been may occasions where the fire department has been a great blessing to our family in the past. We have survived two seasons of San Diego Wildfires due to the hard work of our firefighting community and they have come to the rescue on two different occasions when our children needed emergency help. If you ever have a few dollars rolling around in your pocket that can go to a worthy cause - please consider your local fire department. They're lifesavers!

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P.S. Since it's hard to see, the picture is of the ambulance and the flashing lights outside our house as I (in my capris) ran outside to follow in the Suburban. Justin was already in the ambulance when the picture was taken.

Pumpkin Carving

Today was all about pumpkins! First we turned the house upside down to get rid of the dog hair so that Julie could come visit us (and because we decided the house was a disaster anyway). After that I took the kids (with Leah) to the grocery store for cider and to the pumpkin patch for some good carving pumpkins! They had fun picking out "the biggest pumpkin on the patch!" We went to "The Potting Shed" in Middletown and we met the owner of the farm when we pulled in. He found us a great parking spot where "The Beast" would fit as well as the perfect tree for my son to use as a bathroom. When we asked for a bathroom, he noticed Justin jumping up and down and said, "We'll find you a nice little tree ... I need to fertilize anyway."

After we got our pumpkins, I made the kids pose for pictures. As you can see, they were not really into it. I was the shouting Mom that you see at the pumpkin patch telling her kids to smile and act like they're having fun. Once we got the pumpkins home, Todd and Julie arrived. I didn't realize this ahead of time, but this was one of Julie's first years carving pumpkins. She says she remembers doing it as a kid but never really focused on it. She did a great job! We all had dinner and the kids played before they decorated cupcakes. Orange cupcakes. It was a great afternoon and I can't wait to show our jack-o-lanters off nex weekend.

Belcourt Castle

Rhonda and Regan took Annalise and I to a Halloween Party at Belcourt Castle today. The girls wore their costumes and looked beautiful as Ariel (Annalise was Ariel this time) and a litle Wahini. Nathaniel met us there after his football game. The castle was set up with games and prizes for all of the kids - the girls played "Tip the Troll", Pin the stem on the pumpkin, "Fishing", Ring Toss, and a couple others I can't remember. After the games were done, they did a magic show, got balloon creations, and had a costume parade. I think the hit of the day for Annalise was decorating cookies and cupcakes. (She ate quite a few...). She was also quite a ham when she got picked to be an assistant in the magic show!

The life of Justin

Justin's attending 2nd Grade at "Howard W. Hathaway" (he gets after me when I shorten it to "Hathaway") Elementary School this year. He was in Mrs. Marsden's 1st grade class when we got here in January and he's graduated to Mrs. Dufour's class for second grade. I've been volunteering once a week in Mrs. Dufour's class so I get to see him grow and learn new things. Some of the kids in his class are Isiah, Caleb, Janiece (the kids I often work with), Jake (who is Brynn's brother), Nick and Holly (from soccer), Hannah (Tiny Mite Cheerleader), Brennan (self proclaimed author), and many others that I'm learning as the year goes along.

Justin usually rides the bus to and from school but I often find the excuse to drop him off or pick him up. Every morning the principal (Dr. Martin) will stand out front waving to all of the parents regardless of how cold it gets. Justin rides bus 9 and gets dropped off right outside of the door next to his classroom. On the days that I pick him up, I go through the chaos of picking a number and getting in line to check him out in the library. (Yes, you check your kids out at the library...). On the mornings when I drop him off he usually gets out of the car and blows me a kiss before running to the door. Usually he'll yell "I love you Mom" and I melt. Our other favorite time of day is when he gets home from school because, for just a minute, he smiles that special smile that starts in his eyes when he sees us. He's usually got a dog treat with him (compliments of Ms. Caroline, the bus monitor) and Jasmine is so excited to see him that she wags herself into a pretzel. Justin usually comes in and wolfs down a PB&J before we head off to football and the evening slowly winds down on the sidelines of Portsmouth High School's practice field...

Girlfriends

Annalise has made some great friends in Portsmouth. Leah lives across the street and spends a lot of time here playing with both Justin and Annalise. She has two older brothers and she's happy to play girl games with Annalise but just as happy to rough it up with Justin and Bayley when the occasion arises. Regan is a friend Annalise met when she first arrived for ballet class last January. Regan has been more and more involved in her life as ballet continues and as she sits on the sidelines with Annalise while Justin and Nathaniel tough it out on the football field. And who could possibly forget Ava? She's kind of the "little sister" when the girls play during football since she's a little bit younger. She's the sweetest little girl in the world and she has a great time following whatever lead Regan and Annalise play. Gwen and Brynn are the best buddies that Annalise could hope for at school. The three are the "preschool divas" and they play the part well! At the Fall Festival tonight we discovered from Gwen's Mom and Dad that our little one is not the only little diva who refuses to wear anything but a dress. We took Regan with us tonight and the girls were Ariel, Snow White, and Snow White for the evening.

Mom's Magic

To my children: Today was a hard day to be a parent and I spent the day wondering how I could teach both of you how to always be good kids who do the right things. I came up short. I'll always choose "firm but loving" and pray that we're teaching you how to be the best you can be. Sometimes it's hard. I'm writing this because I usually write about the good days and sometimes there are bad days too. The important thing is that we learn from our mistakes, wake up tomorrow, and choose to do better.

Mom and Mom-in-Law: I'm sure that neither of you knew the power of what you were doing at the time, but you both sent me notes about Christmas today. They gave me perspective and made me feel better. Moms are good at knowing when a simple word is needed and you both helped out today even if you didn't know it at the time. Hopefully I'll have the same sense when I have grandchilren of my own who have parents who still need me from time to time.

Apple Picking

We got up and went to Ballet this morning just like normal, but today I had a very good time talking with the moms about healthcare, Bernie Madoff, "the Balloon Boy", President Obama and all of the other topics I usually shy away from. It was a great conversation with representation from the ultra conservative to the very liberal and it had some foreign points of view. There is a lot going on in our world and I'm not sure what to think of it.

What I do know is that my kids are CUTE! (When they're not being completely maddening, that is). Last night they sent me a little bit over the edge and I was Mom'd Out!!! Today, John fixed it all by letting me lounge on the couch in a warm patch of sunshine with my new library book. I have to admit there was plenty of napping sprinkled in, and all the while he kept the kids upstairs entertained with some pixie movie. God Bless my husband!!! After my nap, we went Apple Picking.

Apple Picking was very fun - the Orchard is located in Middletown near the wineries and it sits one of the prettiest streets I've seen in a long time. I now have several new prospects for my "Dream Home". The man who owns the orchard was very friendly and showed us different types of apples, his tree labeling system, and he gave John some more ideas for cooking with apples. Justin got to be in charge of the "apple picker" which involves a long stick so you know he was in heaven!!! We wound up with three bags of apples and when we were checking out, the man who owns the orchard peeled an apple for us with his special corkscrew peeler - it was absolutely delicious!

After we got home, I went scrapbooking with Cindy Ross while John kept the kids at home and made soup with Justin. When I got home, Justin told me exactly how to use a knife and how to rock it back and forth without moving the tip for safety when chopping fruits and vegetables. I believe that he and John had a great everning together. (Annalise was a big girl and played at Leah's for most of the time). John and Justin made a version of Jen's "apple stuff" for dessert and it was the first thing I saw when I walked in the door. I admit, I may have indulged and had it for dinner at 9:00 this evening. Even though I know it had no nutritional value, and I would never let my kids do that, it was darn good!

All in all, it was yet another perfect New England Day!

Columbus Day

We celebrated Columbus Day by taking the kids to Boston for a little history lesson aboard a pink/purple (the color is up for debate) "Duck Tour." It was really cool! We got to drive around the financial district and see where the Boston Cream Pie was invented, where they read the Declaration of Independence for the very first time (and still do every Fourth of July), the Old North Church where Paul Revere looked for one or two lanterns, and we enjoyed the view from the Charles River as we rode around near the Science Museum. The driver let both of the kids drive the duck for a little while once we were on the river and he even talked about the cost of BU tuition!!! (I'm sure Nana and Papa would have appreciated the conversation). One of the greatest parts of the experience, for me anyway, was the comparison of the city before and after the "Big Dig". I knew I wasn't imagining it!!! The city was a little but ugly when I was there for school. It's gorgeous now with parks everywhere you look and the traffic contained underground. I noticed a significant reduction in the amount of honking that used to drive me crazy.

After we rode the Duck Tour, we went to Faneuil Hall and walked through that building which, believe it or not, after 4 years of college in Boston I had never done. After that, we walked through the Holocaust Memorial and answered some tough questions for Justin. It's very hard to shield your kids from tough realities when they're smart enough to read the words on the monuments! I was in luck with Annalise because I focused simply on the idea that "some people treated some other people very unfairly a long time ago and this is a reminder to us never to do that again."

We watched some street performers and Justin's favorite was a guy who strapped himself into a straight jacket, covered himself with 75 feet of rope, hung himself upside down by his ankles, and managed to get out of it all. In his routine, he mentioned several times how he had the best job in the world and I quickly let Justin know that he was KIDDING and that Justin probably shouldn't turn to this guy for career advice!!!

And what perfect day ends with anything other than sushi? My wonderful husband treated me to some delicious sushi near the Prudential Center and the kids were treated to a taxi ride (with a TV in the backseat) which they enjoyed almost as much as I enjoyed the sushi. Just for reference, Taka Sushi in San Diego still beats the socks out of any sushi restaurant we've tried since being on the East Coast. (And there's no hope for New England Mexican food...).

We took a quick detour on our way home to find Uncle Bryan for a hug and we felt like real locals since we found his place without even getting lost once!

My Little Girl

I love this picture!!! John took it for me this morning at the football game (we spend a lot of time in these bright red shirts these days). Justin played defense most of the time today but he did get one chance to try a running play. That one didn't go so well but he sure did try! He admits to being nervous.

Today is another perfect fall day. The weather is gorgeous and the leaves are turning. After the game, Annalise and I went with Norma and Ava to the Corky Coat Warehouse sale. It was awesome! You go up some stairs to a warehouse/factory where you can see all of the sewing machines waiting for the whistle to blow again. Annalise got many new things and I had a great time shopping. I can't believe the deals I got and I'm so happy that Norma took me because there's no way I would have managed on my own...you need the guidance of a pro the first time you go. Melissa is going to LOVE one of the jackets I got Annalise and I can't wait to see her strolling the streets of NYC in it on her way to see The Rockettes this year.

After all that, I came home to some beautiful flowers from John (which I need to go arrange before they wilt) and I got to go have my toes done. My day has been perfect and only got more so when the guy said, "Oh...you need an extra 10 minutes on your massage."

Now I'm going to settle in to my New England home and YELL LIKE MAD FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS to beat the New England Patriots!!!

Annalise turns 4

Annalise had many parties to celebrate her birthday this year...and the big news is that she has a new car seat!!!! She had her "royal dinner" on the night of the 5th with Nana and Papa, cupcakes with her friends at school on her "Real Birthday", a trip to Target for her new carseat on Thursday, and her friends came over today (the 10th) for a "Girls Only Party".

Today's party was great! Not only did Annalise have friends to play with but Justin had plenty of other Big Brothers to play with too. The guest list included Ava, Ella and Regan (other little sisters from the football team); Gwen and Brynn (friends from school); and OF COURSE Leah and Zane were there. Zane spent most of his time with the big boys (Jake, Bennie, Matthew, and Justin) outside on Peter's trailer which was serving as a base for the day. Annalise got lots of girly presents (Polly's pink tu-tu outfit actually replaced the Snow White dress for a while...but don't feel bad Nana because the Snow White dress quickly replaced the "Birthday Girl" shirt I made her). Her Biscuit book fom Regan was our "Good Night" story that Justin read with us, and the Barbies and Hello Kitty loot are spread all over the house in strategic places as she enjoys every single last minute of each and every thing!

The Dancing Dolbys

This one makes me laugh so hard!!! We were down in Washington DC to see Stacy compete in a Triathlon (It was September 13th - she did awesome!) and this video was taken on our way home. Earlier that day they had both completely broken down on us due to hunger, exhaustion, and annoyance after a long morning spent at the race. This was no amateur fit either - we're talking laying down and screaming on the lawn with kicking and punching the ground involved. (It was hardly their fault since I forgot to feed them before we sat on the sidelines of the race for several hours). As you can see, their problems were solved with a little bit of food and a quick nap in the car.

*Make sure the volume is on so that you can hear the music they were dancing to.

Number 88

To say I'm proud of Justin these days would be the biggest understatement known to man. If you know my son, you know that he's sometimes a bit crazy and he sometimes has a hard time focusing. Recently, the changes taking place in him are absolutely amazing to me! For example, right now he's sitting at the table happily working on his homework, working hard on his letters, and concentrating on putting his words in order like he's supposed to. I started this post to talk about him on the football field - where his progress is even more tremendous - but I got sidetracked by another of his accomplishments.

Back to football: Last year, he had a hard time understanding the game and he often had his priorities set to hanging out on the sidelines whenever he could with his good buddy Carson. This year, he's 100% devoted to his team and to leading the defense whenever he has the opportunity to. Here you see him (number 88) running full tilt toward the quarterback ready to stop the pass. His focus and drive are enough to make him something great and I am proud to see him understand that when he tries his best, he can do anything. He's growing up way too fast but I sure am proud of the person he is becoming.

I was able to volunteer for an hour in his class this morning and I got to see him bravely raise his hand to read out loud when Mrs. Dufour asked them to read her journal entry on the board. He read the whole thing, strong and brave, and didn't worry when he messed up. To me, it showed his new found confidence and pride in his work thanks to the success he has found since moving here.

Princess Annalise

Annalise turns 4 tomorrow! I can't believe it. Tonight we celebrated with Nana and Papa by having a "Princess Feast" here at the house. We all dressed up in our finest wares (a suit for John, a Bridesmaid dress for me, nice pants for Justin and the normal finery for Mom and Mike) to eat dinner "castle style." Justin designed the evening plan after reading his Magic Treehouse book. Leah was here to be a princess with Annalise, Justin was the Prince, and they were in character all night long without missing a beat! Justin made several very grown up toasts such as "Happy Birthday to my sister" and "Cheers to having Leah here with us tonight!"

Annalise opened her presents and got Barbie Three Musketeers. We watched the movie together and had cake while John assembled the castle. Although I couldn't get any good pictures of it, his face was priceless...it's the one I'll remember when we're grandparents ourselves because it was clearly "grumble grumble...why, in this modern world, can they not put all the pieces together before they put them in the box?" He mentioned once or twice that maybe Grandad would be happier with the project.

Fall New England Day

So...last night John and I went to dinner at Tucker's in Newport...without our children!!!! It was wonderful! (Thank you Nana and Papa).

Today was a wonderful, perfect fall day in New England. The weather was gorgeous, the football was incredible, and the kids enjoyed every minute of it. Justin's team had a rematch against a pretty tough team that they faced last week and did not have a good experience playing against. All I'll say about it is that Justin was given an opportunity to practice "playing with heart" even when the other team plays a little bit dirty. Justin played most of the second half of the game and he had a few big plays. He was involved in causing an interception, recovering a fumble (even though they don't count in Tiny Mite) and he played his heart out the entire time. We were so proud of him! Annalise cheered from the sidelines and yelled "Justin - don't block the red guy!" (See picture for the irony of her instructions). Leah came with us to the game and she and Annalise had quite a gang to hang out with at the top of the stands.

After the game, we took Nana to the Fall Festival at the Norman Bird Sanctuary. It was great! It was a very "county fair" experience with games like rope ladders, a two man saw, a flagpole to climb, and a rope bridge to cross. There was also a craft fair with local artists and I bought a couple of Christmas Presents.

After this wonderful day, we got to enjoy the BRONCOS WIN!!!!!!!!!! GO DENVER! 4 - 0!!!!

Rainy Day

Nana and Papa are here to celebrate Annalise's Birthday with us this weekend. Today was a very rainy Saturday, and since we were stuck inside, we made the most of it. Leah came over and did Halloween Crafts and made Halloween cookies with us. If I can get the energy, I'm going to go dig out the big orange tupperware bins in the pit of the garage so that we can decorate the house. Annalise is going to be "Ariel" and Justin is going to be an astronaut this year. (Costumes are purchased - we're so on top of it!).

The Ballerina

Annalise still loves Ballet! She had a great time in the recital this spring and counted the days until she could go back to class. (She was not a fan of summer break in this case!). She's in a class with some girls she knows and she seems to be a little bit more ready to follow directions and learn steps than she was last year. She's very graceful and her arms/legs are starting to look nice and straight when they're supposed to. Ms. Lyndsey was working on a turn with them this morning and Annalise did much better than I could ever hope to! Some of the friends in her class are Regan, Isabelle, Samantha, and Cheyenne. There is one other girl but I can't remember her name.

Although we spend most of our days listening to the two of them yell at each other, Justin has been asking to go to ballet recently. I'm not sure if the lure is "donut day" or if it's supporting his sister (he says it's the latter), but we've gotten to spend a lot of time recently with them cheering each other on. If we're not watching Annalise dance, we're on the field watching Justin play soccer or football.

Just Because

I don't have any real reason to start this blog now other than the realization that my kids are growing up VERY fast and I am starting to forget some of the little things I never thought I would. My Mom always told me "Write it down! You'll forget..." and I always meant to write it down, but I usually got sidetracked being a Mom.

It's almost Halloween, and of course, Annalise's Birthday. We're in Rhode Island this year so the air is the crisp kind of cold that you don't really experience in San Diego. The kids are freezing to death at the bus stop because they aren't ready to part with shorts yet but the time is certainly coming soon. Annalise will be having a birthday party next week and Justin is excited to start putting Halloween Decorations up. I promise to post pictures of both of these events.

I hope you enjoy our blog as I get started with lots of pictures and stories!