All About the Chases

2011-11-30T23:23:00.001-08:00

http://sugekari.heteml.jp/fmai.htm

D-12 Fall Regional

2011-11-07T06:29:00.001-08:00

A few weeks back our chapter, the San Joaquin chapter of LPA, hosted the fall regional. We had a fabulous turnout with over 200 in attendance. Fun was had by all. My mother-in-law helped out. My sister popped in for a visit. Ashleigh got her hair curled before the banquet. We finally got to sit and chat with the Mallinson's. Caits is an absolute doll! Aidan was a goofball as always. My mother-in-law got the chance to hold little Madilynn.

The cutest girls around!

My sister and Aidan

Cherylle, Jaime and myself

Even though he says he's not a baby, he'll always be my little baby!

Our local pumpkin patch

2011-11-01T07:02:00.001-07:00

This blogging app works well for me right now. The 2 faults I don't like about the app is you can't comment next to each photo and you can't crop the photo. Oh, well! I've been super busy since returning to work and blogging on the go is very nice.

With regional having been this past month with our chapter hosting it, amongst other parties, sports, etc it only left us time to go to our local pumpkin patch. The kids had a great time! It turned out to be a 90 degree day that day.

So without further ado, here is about 10 thousand words from that day. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

School Pictures

2011-10-28T06:27:00.001-07:00

I'm testing out a "Blogger" app for iPhone. Seeing how well it works. These are pictures of the kids 2011-2012 school year. 4th grade and 1st grade.

Girl Scout overnight camping trip

2011-08-01T10:14:00.003-07:00

A week ago, my girl had her first real over night camping trip with her girl scout troop. Last camping experience was in her troop leaders back yard. This time it was at a camp ground. She had a blast! Here she is with her BFF.

Along with the fun camping activities were their job assignments. You can’t see it too well here but Ash had lunch clean up and dishes! Now, just wish she was that good at lunch clean up and dishes at home!!!

A group shot of the girls, a couple moms, and the troop leader just prior to leaving.

En route to the camp sight.

Below is a picture of the girls at the camp sight acting goofy! The picture was text to me from one of the mom’s that went camping.

I thought I was going to add on her bridging ceremony to Juniors but it got postponed a couple of weeks so stay tuned.

2nd T&A….Yes adenoids grow back!

2011-08-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

Also, a few weeks after the National Conference, Aidan found his way back to the ENT for a pre-op visit.

A smiling picture of my lil dude waiting to be examined.

Aidan’s is one of the select few to have had the joys of growing his adenoids back. He had a T & A 2.5 years ago. In that surgery they removed his adenoids and sized down his tonsils. After having his last MRI we noticed his adenoids had returned. With that and some obstructive apnea over this last winter we decided to schedule him for another T & A….this time to remove his tonsils completely. His tonsils were never really that large but he felt it was probably better to just remove them. I felt so bad that we had to put him through the torture of a second T & A but it was for the better.

A picture of Aidan all loopy just before going in for surgery.

And a picture of Aidan and his daddy post op. You’d think Todd had a sedative!

About 5 days post op enjoying a ice cream.

Hope this clears up the breathing and no more surgeries!

Small LPA meet up

2011-08-01T10:13:00.003-07:00

A few weeks after the National Convention, we had the pleasure of meeting the Frey family, or Sarah and Tessa rather. Sarah grew up out this way but through life’s adventures the Frey’s found themselves on the east for some time and are making their way back to the west again. They and Jaime, Caty, and Hanna Murphy met up at our club house for a little pool fun.

Aidan, Caty, and Tessa. Tessa is just a doll!

Short but sweet post. We are looking forward to more visits with the Frey’s as this one turned out quite nice. Welcome back to the west!

National Conference and the Bullying Seminar

2011-08-01T10:13:00.001-07:00

While the kids were at play in the kid’s room we took that opportunity to attend a bullying seminar. Jodee Blanco, I felt, did an amazing job. She was captivating, inspirational, and very motivational. It left me a bit teary eyed!

She spoke from personal experience as having been a victim. She is not an LP but for other reasons she was bullied throughout her school years.

She travels around and gives seminars, like the one we attended, going to schools and such.

I don’t know what her fees are like to speak nor do I know how long it would take for her to get to your location but I recommend you attend one of her seminars if given the opportunity.

If seminars are not your thing, here is one of her books. At some point I’ll get to read her book from my very long list of books to read. Let me know if you read or attend one of her seminars, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

2011 LPA National Convention Part 2

2011-08-01T10:12:00.001-07:00

We decided to attend one of the DAAA events to see what it is all about so we saw some soccer. The guys are very competitive. Overall, a great experience and looking forward to seeing Aidan in some of the events in the future.

Here is a picture of some of the “Outlawz”. Danny is from our chapter and the 3rd in from the left.

We never formally met the Roloff’s but saw them in action and had to snap a few pictures when I could. Below is Amy watching Zach during one of his games.

And of course I quickly snapped a picture of Marti Klebba, goalie for their team.

It was so hard to try and get a decent picture of Aidan and Caden together. This is about all I got. Trish took a nice one though!

The Murphy girls…as cute as can be dressed alike in their 4th of July attire!

Later that evening was the 4th of July celebration! It was a grand event.

Ash and Sam joined at the hip during the celebration.

Every fountain we see we have to stop at and Aidan needs to make a wish and through a coin in.

They had a little petting zoo that many of the kids there enjoyed!

Spin art fun!

Aidan was just about in heaven when he saw these remote control cars there!

Many many many kids got their hair colored. Ash was one of them!

My goofball kid!

We made the decision to just do Downtown Disney rather than a day at Disneyland for a few reasons. We live close enough to drive there when it is not as hot and not as crowded. There was just so much going on at the convention that we felt it was money well spent to just stick with mainly the convention.

Thanks to Jaime, a bunch of us met up for lunch at a taqueria in Downtown Disney.

Ash and Kylie enjoying each others company during lunch.

That day got fairly hot and the heat got the better of Aidan by the time we got to the taqueria. Thankfully, Trisha came prepared with a spray bottle. He quickly cooled off and between that and some fancy cars that Caden produced, Aidan was mysteriously all better!

Of course, we had to get a few group shots of the kids!

…and a picture of us moms!

Family pic!

Banquet photo of us!

What an amazing experience yet overwhelming experience it was. There was so much to do and so many people to see but didn’t have the time do or see all. We hope to make it to Dallas next year. 2013 will be the tough year. Would love love love to go to DC however my understanding is that there will be no DAAA at that National since the following month the World DAAA will be in Lansing, Michigan…..decisions, decisions and we would not be able to do both for sure!

2011 LPA National Convention Part 1

2011-08-01T10:08:00.001-07:00

We finally attended our very first LPA National Convention! How could we miss it since it was in our home state. It took us about 8 hours to get to Anaheim, CA and it was totally worth it. They were so excited to get here and register as you can see in their faces.

We had lots of activities and people to meet. We finally met Tonya from Missouri. She is such a sweetheart!

The kids were in the kids room for only 1 day during the week long convention. They liked the kids room but enjoyed the arcade room and swimming too!

Aidan finally met Miss P….Peyton Tumbiolo that is. She is even more adorable in person!

Aidan FINALLY got to take the wheel and drive himself with the help on pedal extenders!

We met up with the Wymer’s from Minnesota and had dinner with them.

Aidan found his friend Alex Dino from the Los Angeles chapter. Alex is such a character….so loveable, like a little bear.

Matthew Cortez also from the Los Angeles chapter and a very good friend of Alex decided to join in.

There was an archive display of LPA that we had to check out. Some great photos were on display. It was wonderful to see how far we came from the first ever conference initiated by Billy Barty in Reno, NV. The 2011 conference brought in an attendance of over 2700 people. Below is a picture of our chapter treasurer Jim Kay. He was the responsible party for the archive room.

Ashleigh met up with Sam once again. They are really making a great lifelong friendship.

I couldn’t resist but getting a quick picture of Sam’s sister Anais here! What a cutie.

More arcade time!

We met up with the Hedger’s too! Liz is a sweetie. This picture was just too cute of her, Caty and Aidan all huddled together on a beanbag chair.

Oh, and yes. Mr. Caden from Washington. Aidan finally got to meet him and show him just how things are done!

Maybe I need to purchase some beanbag chairs because it appeared to be quite entertaining to many there!

We could have spent our entire time at the convention just meeting new and familiar faces. Next post are some pictures from DAAA, Downtown Disney, and the 4th of July party.

A little family time in L.A.

2011-08-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

Finally, some posts!

Rather than staying at the Hyatt in Garden Grove, which is where the LPA National Convention was, we decided to stay with my sister Melody and brother in law Kevin in San Pedro. They have a fairly large house and it’s basically just the two of them plus their two dogs. San Pedro is about a .5 hr. from the convention and a heck of a lot cheaper. It was also much cooler since they live a couple blocks from the ocean. The best thing is, we got to spend some time with family as well as go to the LPA convention and spend time with “family” there too!!!

We drove down on Friday, the first day of the convention. Saturday we reserved for just family day. My brother Mark and his girl friend Stephanie came out to visit us. We drove a couple miles to the LA harbor and toured an old military ship.

Here is a picture of Ashleigh and her Uncle Mark as we waited to board a small train to the ship. We were on the train for literally like 5 minutes.

Aidan and Uncle Mark

Too bad Aidan looked away on this one!

Me with my niece (Kevin’s daughter) Krysten. We were happy she and her husband and two kids Jordan and Justin came out from the desert area to meet up with us.

Aidan and Jordan had to get their hands wet while watching the water show.

The S.S. Lane Victory is the name of the ship we toured.

Scary that she fits behind that wheel almost perfectly!

A few pictures….in memory of those that served during WWII.

My sister and brother in law are VERY into health, and fitness. Their entire garage is a gym. So, with that said the kids worked out every morning prior to leaving for the convention.

Aidan’s Aunt and Uncle have him pegged as a champion powerlifter!

Ash and I love the elliptical!!!

Saturday after we toured the ship we headed back to the house. Some of us took a walk to the park that overlooked the ocean.

A picture of Mark and Stephanie

Family shot absent Aidan. Aidan didn’t want to walk. He wanted to stay at the house with Jordan and Justin and play with their cars. That’s SO typical Aidan.

It was beautiful that day. Such a wonderful view!!!

Aidan and Justin

The kids with Jordan.

A few pictures with Mark and Stephanie before they hit the road.

It was a nice visit with them as brief as it was. I kick myself though that we didn’t get a picture of the kids with Melody and Kevin too. It was so nice to be able to visit with family AND go to the convention!

Visit to the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center

2011-06-27T20:11:00.001-07:00

We decided to head out and see some family and friends in Sonoma County since Todd had 2 weeks off for vacation. The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center seemed like a nice visit as well. Snoopy was my absolute favorite cartoon character as a kid so I have a special fondness for this museum, the Peanuts characters and Charles Schulz.

The museum is located in Santa Rosa, CA which was where the late Charles M. Schulz lived until he died in 2000.

Got a couple family shots!!!

Penny press!

The results of the penny press.

Taking a little achon break next to…what else…Snoopy and Woodstock!

After the museum we had some ice cream in the Warm Puppy Cafe and watched some guys play some ice hockey in the adjoining ice arena.

Making wishes!

That has been pretty much the month of June and wanted to get all these out prior to the bombarding of blogs that will be posted in July from the National Convention.

Overnighter with Grammy and Grandpa

2011-06-27T20:09:00.001-07:00

The kids went to a week long day camp in Lincoln which is where their Grammy and Grandpa live. They enjoyed spending a few nights there. Todd and I enjoyed our nights alone in Sacramento!!!

A few snapshots of the kids after we dropped them off!

Checking out the hot tub!

Feeding the Koi fish in the pond.

Aidan with Grandpa and dog Candy.

Ash with Grandpa and Candy.

Aidan reading to Grammy. So expressive!

Grammy getting a lesson from Aidan on her droid!

Little League end of season picnic

2011-06-27T20:07:00.001-07:00

Another Little League season has come and gone. Aidan finished his second season and Ashleigh her 4th.

The North Natomas Little League always wraps their season up with a big picnic complete with jumpy houses, raffles, food vendors, music, and much more.

Here is Aidan receiving his trophy from his coach! He was most notably remembered as the earth mover. His love for dirt and his need to perfect a slide.

My little stud!

The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish minus a few teammates.

Aidan found a new girlfriend Grace, from Ashleigh’s softball team!

My and my friend Marianne whom I’ve known for about 15 years now. We’ve worked together at a couple companies. Sad to say she will be making a business move in the near future to the Denver, CO area.

Outside of the bouncy houses and waterslides we brought our own water fun in the form of water guns and water balloons.

Trying to perfect his multi-tasking. Drink in one hand and water gun in the other. Will come in handy later as an adult at parties. Drink in one hand….food or another drink in the other hand!!!

Looking at their memory books. Not sure what it is about this memory books or any photo album. The kids can look through them over and over and over again and not get tired of it.

Congrats to my Little Leaguers for another great season!

LPA Land Park Picnic

2011-06-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

We had a great turnout at this LPA function mid-month that was hosted by our LPA President Dan Okenfuss. His adopted son, Hai, is bowling with Aidan in this picture below.

Here is our president slaving away over a BBQ.

The president’s wife, Ericka, is in this picture. She is a Genetic Counselor at Kaiser Permanente that has helped numerous members get the proper care and screening for dwarfism here in Northern California.

It wouldn’t be a proper post without adding another picture of the beautiful Caty and Aidan.

Aidan met a new friend Dylan. He and his family come to us from the San Diego chapter.

Ashleigh found most of her time with sweet Lindsay and Lindsay’s friend. All roughly the same age/grade with more in common!

What’s more refreshing on a warm day than a snow cone! The bicyclist towing a freezer trailer loaded with ice-cream treats made a killing on us that day.

Unless I ask someone for a picture of the two of us, there is usually never a picture of me or me and my hubby. Here we are thanks to Gerri Kay!

Next LPA post should be from our first National Convention!

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-27T20:04:00.001-07:00

Aidan finished Kindergarten and was one of the top students there academically. So very proud of him. The year just flew by and I learned so much by helping out once a week in his classroom. Many thanks go out to teachers past and present for all they do!!

Prior to receiving their certificates they sang a bunch of songs that they had rehearsed for a few weeks. They came in through the front door clapping their hands with Aidan leading the way.

“Yay, I did it! I’m a 1st Grader now!”

“Can I leave now mommy!!” He actually stayed for a little while after the ceremony was over to hang out with his friends, sign little books and exchange phone numbers for play dates over the summer.

Kindergarten Water day

2011-06-27T20:03:00.001-07:00

A few days before Graduation day they had a water day. Conveniently, it was on a fabulously sunny day. The days prior were rainy and unseasonably cold. The kids had a blast as you can see in the pictures below.

It was funny to hear a comment from one of the moms there when she saw Aidan in just his swim trunks. Her comment, “Wow, Aidan is one cut dude. He looks like he lifts weights”. I get that comment from people now and then if they happen to catch him in his swim trunks. My response “Yep, that’s what happens when you use your arms to lift yourself up for climbing”.

Blissfully content as he was drying off!

Me & My Guy Dance

2011-06-27T20:02:00.001-07:00

This is Ashleigh’s 3rd Father/Daughter dance she has been to for Girl Scouts. Lucky for Todd he has a zillion number of Hawaiian print shirts. I look forward to them having this night out…just the two of them. I also get to enjoy my alone time with my favorite dude!

Later this summer Ash will be bridging from Brownies to Juniors. Be looking for a post or Facebook pictures of the bridging ceremony.

LPA Easter event at the Club

2011-04-21T20:54:00.001-07:00

This is our second Easter event we hosted at our clubhouse. The weather was great and the turnout was good ( a little less than last year) and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Goofiness and all, ready to go hunt for some eggs….

….and do some playing at the playground.

The Easter Bunny arrived. Little did he know it was his Auntie!

The hunt is on!

Look what I found Grammy!

I managed a quick picture with the kids!

Time for the bigger kids to hunt!

Got another cute one of Caty!

Looks like Ash sees one!

The kids sharing what they found!

And of course a couple portraits with the Easter Bunny!

Hope everyone enjoys their Easter holiday!

Let’s Play Ball!

2011-04-21T19:02:00.001-07:00

As you can see…Aidan is #1

My little guy dressed just before his first game of the season

It’s Aidan Chase at bat!

It was a nice hit off the T!

There he goes to 1st base!

Anxiously awaiting his run to 2nd!

There he goes again!

Here he is going to 3rd!

Coming in to home where he so badly wanted to slide in!

My Little Leaguers!

Some of the girls from Ash’s softball team with their mascot….a Husky of course

Warming up for the big game.

My girl. So hard to get decent photos of my kids these days!

I’d say she’s looking pretty ready.

Spirit tunnel after the game!

The girls have some great cheers down while in the dugout!

The weather has been much better this April than it was in March so that’s allowed for much more practicing and games! Ash enjoyed having a 5 hr. softball clinic given by our local high school varsity softball girls. They had some great pointers and proved to me awesome mentors. It amazes me at how quickly kids pick up on these skills.

Little League is in full saaawwwing!

2011-04-13T17:24:00.001-07:00

Yes it is! I’m busier than ever taking the kids to practices and games.

Along with the practices and games have been rain. We had to cancel Opening Day parade and ceremonies. Bummer! Mother Nature had other plans I guess. Kids were upset briefly but there is nothing like some rainy day activities of games and movies to get them over it quickly.

Below are their Little League portraits.

Ash is a Washing Husky

Aidan is a Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The rain has subsided since what would have been Opening Day so we’ve gotten more practice in and games! Yay and another blog post to follow soon of their first games.

New blogger

2011-04-13T12:11:00.001-07:00

We have a new POLP blogger! Her name is Kerri Laufer. Here is her blog. She is pregnant with a little girl that has been diagnosed with achondroplasia. She is due to have her in May. She is anxious to meet other parents of LP’s so that is why I am sharing this with you. Welcome to our wonderful family!

OI and Handle with Care

2011-02-15T10:29:00.001-08:00

I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time now. Jaime finished reading it and let me read it. Wow! Just finished it. Jodi Picoult did it again. She has such a way of bringing emotions and ethics to the surface.

If you haven’t read this book you should. It really puts into perspective Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) or Brittle Bone Disease. Reading about the girl in the book with OI, I kept picturing Melissa’s daughter Sonya. For those just reading this blog post for the first time you should visit Melissa’s blog which is very informative on OI.

So many thought provoking questions come up, not just OI related but about children with disabilities as a whole.

On a personal level, I still get asked from time to time….”If you knew you were carrying a child with dwarfism early on would you have terminated your pregnancy?” I HATE that question!!!! Is it just me or do others get that question from time to time and dislike it as much as me?

Anyhow, it’s still a few months away but May 6th is Wishbone Day (OI Awareness Day). Wear your yellow and show your support!

LPA Valentine’s Day event

2011-02-15T10:02:00.001-08:00

We had a great turnout and could not have asked for a more beautiful day. The kids took all opportunity to enjoy the outdoors!

A little tossing of the ball with his buddy Bradley!

Aidan needs to keep up the catching and throwing…..t-ball is right around the corner.

A cute little picture of Caty! When is she not cute!

Some great bonding time for the older kids! I love LPA and look forward to seeing the friendships and bonding grow for Aidan!

A little grammy and daddy time!

If only my little dude would have smiled in this it would have been perfect! Maybe love does stink for him.

Next event WE will be hosting where the Easter Bunny will pay a visit and there will lots of eggs to hunt for!!!

Also on the agenda…..Fundraising!!! We unfortunately did not get a grant for this year so a couple fundraisers are in the works. Currently we are doing a PartyLite fundraising (I’m coordinating that) where 50% of the proceeds go to LPA. I am hoping that brings in a little dough for us. Jaime has an exciting fundraiser coming up that she will talking about soon enough. Stay tuned!

Winter Wonderland competition

2011-02-15T09:39:00.001-08:00

A few weeks back Ashleigh had her first gymnastics competition. It was the cutest little competition. Everyone got to perform in four areas…floor, beam, vault, and uneven parallel bars (rings and pommel horse for boys). All the kids had a little floor routine that they had to memorize. Ash was so scared that I could barely get her to crack a smile. She did very well! Everyone came out a winner and everyone got medals!

We are so proud of her!

Aidan really enjoys himself there too. We may sign him up in the fall for gymnastics (slightly modified of course) should he not want to do soccer. Next month, however, Ash will take a little hiatus from gymnastics as both are signed up for another season of Little League!

My newest venture

2010-12-15T19:48:00.001-08:00

So it is very unlike me to sit idle after resigning. I’m plenty busy caring for 2 children, however, I want to bring in a little extra money without the stress of my last job.

I decided to become a PartyLite consultant. I have been a fan of their product for over 10 years.

If you don’t know what PartyLite is then you need to visit my website. It is one of the top direct sales companies. PartyLite sells candles, home decor and also, recently, within the last 2 years they acquired Two Sisters Gourmet….specializing in food products.

It offers flexibility…I create my own schedule and work as little or as often as I want. Low stress job and I get to get out of the house and mingle with other adults for a few hours.

So if you have a few minutes….check it out.

http://www.partylite.biz/mchase

Who knows, you may become a fan of the product, want to book a show (catalog shows are good too), or even be a consultant yourself!

Holiday Neighborhood Party

2010-12-15T19:47:00.001-08:00

Well, our same neighbor that throws the annual Halloween party threw a Christmas party more specifically for the kids and with a special surprise visit from Santa.

Santa was a big hit with most of the kids. Another fabulous party by the Farrel’s. They purchased small inexpensive gifts for the kids rather than having us parents bring gifts of different sizes and amounts. Less jealousy among kids per their past experience.

Perfect, some glitter glue pens to decorate Heidi’s stocking. It’s a year this Christmas that we got her.

I always get such a thrill seeing the excitement in the kids faces as they open their gifts.

Aidan was pleasantly surprised to get a new car!

The kids are already looking forward to their next party!

Where’s Heidi the cat

2010-12-15T19:46:00.001-08:00

As we were bring out all the seasonal plush (we have a lot of plush), Heidi took it upon herself to try and blend in with the mix. At some point during the day….everyday…Heidi finds herself in the mix of some plush.

I can’t help but think of the scene from the movie ET when ET did the same thing.

When the kids first found Heidi like this they were laughing hysterically.

Oh, this cat gets into EVERYTHING!

Bringing on some Christmas

2010-12-15T19:45:00.001-08:00

Just a random photo taken of the kids as they were decorating the tree.

They had sooooo much fun decorating this year!

Stone Soup

2010-12-15T19:43:00.001-08:00

I know, as usual, very late post. With Christmas just around the bend I’m giving you a Thanksgiving post.

Aidan’s Kindergarten class put on a production of Stone Soup just prior to being let out for the Thanksgiving break.

On a side note…1 advantage for us parents of LP’s is that when our kids are in any kind of performance or time for group pictures….for the most part they are front and center. We get a great view! Not so sure our kids will always agree that being an advantage. I stand 5’2.5” on a good day and was always front and center….I hated that as a kid.

Also on a side note, I’m never quite sure how good I feel about posting on a public blog photos of Aidan’s entire class. I don’t have all the students permission but it was so cute I couldn’t resist and thanks to Katie J. on one of her prior posts I have edited my blog so that any and all photos I do post can not be copied (or harder to copy) without my permission.

Now without further ado….some photos from Stone Soup….

Okay, I take it back…..you almost always get a good view of your child. He was walking up to the big pot of soup adding a potato.

Ahh, that’s better!

At the end of Stone Soup his class, or rather a combination of 2 classes, sang some songs.

Stone Soup was a long performance so I am not posting that video on here for you.

I will leave you with a video of one of their songs. Sorry the quality isn’t much better, I resorted to taking it from my iPhone as the battery in our video recorder was dead. I haven’t had much luck lately with the battery thing on my cameras and video recorders.

As I mentioned on Facebook about a month ago, I resigned from my full time job. I just couldn’t take it anymore trying to balance work and home life. It’s rough trying to adjust to 1 income but it is so nice spending some quality time with my kids. I don’t know whether this will be a long term thing or not. We’ll have to see but for now I’m enjoying the holidays. And to think I would have missed this performance had I not resigned!

Check out this cooking blog!

2010-11-18T10:58:00.001-08:00

My sister Melody’s friend Christina has this cooking blog. Check it out!

If you are looking for some new recipes and want a healthier approach to cooking this blog has what you are looking for.

Happy Holidays!

2010-11-07T20:16:00.001-08:00

Well, now that I have inundated you with blog posts. I am not sure that I will be back on here again until after the holidays.

I leave you with the picture I posted earlier on Facebook today of the kids looking through the Target catalog. I am so not ready for this holiday season of shopping. It’s so easy though, when I go through the stores, to go a bit crazy. And why is it that when I am out shopping for others is when I see all the things I want to get myself? That never happens when I am actually out shopping for myself.

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you all just in case!!! My wishes that all of you have a wonderful holiday season. Safe travels to those travelling!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-07T20:15:00.001-08:00

Halloween has come and gone. This year Aidan chose to be a Firefighter! I think he makes a mighty fine looking fireman. His hat barely fit his cute lil noggin and the boots didn’t fit so we improvised and used his fireman rain boots.

Ash was a cat again this year with a slightly different costume. The animal lover that she is….she should have dressed as a vet! Maybe next year.

A rearview shot of the dude!

Just before going out.

It was just me and the kids that night so I had to leave a bowl of candy out there with a sign. We came back to an empty bowl. We were gone for less than an hour. Hmmmm, I wonder who took it all?

They both did pretty good on their collection of candy. Our hike from house to house was longer than last year. Aidan kept wanting to go farther and farther.

Hope all of you had a funtastic Halloween!

Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm

2010-11-07T20:14:00.001-08:00

I’m sad to say that this year we did not make a trip out to Apple Hill. This is the first year we have not made it there since 1998. For one reason or another, things got busy (mostly sports) that kept us from going.

We’ve never been to Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. We’ve heard great things about that place. It’s only about 20 minutes from the kids grandparents home so we invited them on a Saturday when Aidan didn’t have a soccer game.

Off we went after Ashleigh’s early morning gymnastics.

Aidan quickly found an old caboose and had to climb all over it!

Had to get a picture of the kids with Gampa Bill here!

You may like that one Aidan….but we’re not taking that one home and carving it!!!

There was this huge patch with giant pumpkins. Amazing!

If I didn’t have those strangers in the background this would be the perfect profile picture of Aidan.

There was this trampoline with hay that they enjoyed jumping around on.

Me and the kids!

A pit stop at the petting zoo. Ash was in heaven. I swear one day she will be a veterinarian.

I do think we will visit there again. We didn’t see everything they had there at the farm. Next time I will plan to come out earlier or during the week if possible. I sure hope and intend on making a trip to Apple Hill next year though too!.

Another LPA event

2010-11-07T20:11:00.001-08:00

Our local LPA chapter put on a pumpkin patch event in Stockton. The chapter has had it there every year since we’ve been members in 2005 except last year in 2009. We haven’t missed one yet!

Mom….a mud pie just for you!

Always fun to bury your friends in the bucket o’ beans.

A lesson in planting!

Time for a scavenger hunt.

Rather than look for something, Aidan had to start pouring water out of his water bottle.

Hay ride for a pumpkin!

I found the one I want mom!

Another great time! Looking forward to doing this again next year, hopefully!

LPA Fall Regional 2010

2010-11-07T20:09:00.001-08:00

We had another wonderful time at the D-12 Fall Regional. This Fall it was in beautiful Monterey. The Bay Area chapter hosted the event. The hotel most of us stayed at was the Embassy Suites in Seaside. I can’t tell you how happy I was with their service. The employees there were totally prepared for our arrival and had the best customer service. There were step stools in the hotel lobby check-in desk, the elevators, our hotel room, and the restrooms. Breakfast was included in our hotel room package and it was a full spread with some of the buffet tables lowered for the short statured to help themselves with much more ease. Our hotel room was the perfect size with a little family room a couch/pull out bed, a kitchen area, and a bedroom with 2 queen size beds.

Here are the kids in the children’s room. They had a great time and didn’t want to leave after we finished up in the parents discussion group. I always love the parent discussion group.

After the parent discussion group we headed over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This is the kid’s second trip there. Each trip has been a wonderful experience for them.

I think this snap shot of the jelly fish turned out pretty good. So fascinating to watch.

Got a fairly good picture of Aidan and his cute dimple. A little squinting due to the bright beautiful sunlit day that it was.

Back at the hotel room after the banquet. The kids enjoyed themselves immensely at the dance.

One final picture of the Todd and myself. Todd got 1 of 2 days off from work so he called in sick for the other day. Excuse the gray in my hair, I had let it get out of control there for a bit. No worries, the grays are all gone for now. Darkened the caramel highlights for the fall!

National Gymnastics Day!

2010-11-07T20:07:00.001-08:00

Ashleigh’s choice of sports is gymnastics. I’m tickled by that. That was MY sport for many many many years! I loved it.

She’s been doing gymnastics now for about 2-3 years. Mainly during the fall and winter since she does softball during the spring.

I conveniently chose to take pictures of her on National Gymnastics Day. She had practice in the morning followed by an afternoon of fun at open gym and a visit from Guard Young at Youngsters Inc. Guard Young (some may recall) was a medalist in the 2004 Olympics. He resides in Yuba City and now owns two Youngsters Inc’s. Currently he coaches a group of young men in Elk Grove. The gentleman coaching Ash in the following pictures is one of the men being coached by Guard. He’s amazing to watch!

Time to warm up!

She just loves to climb the rope!

The next group of pictures are at the “Open Gym” celebration in honor of National Gymnastics Day!

Aidan was having a blast! I cringe….not too much bouncing around kiddo!

The rope again!

Where’s Aidan? Oh, there’s Aidan!

The gym was trying to raise money for United Way. The coach that got the most money got pied in the face on National Gymnastics Day.

Waiting in line to pie Coach Ernie.

Nice one! Right in the face.

I am pleasantly surprised at how well Aidan actually does in gymnastics. I let him try out some of the equipment for the first time at this “open gym”. He is amazingly coordinated on the balance beam and glides across it with such ease. He has such great upper body strength that he got up on the pommel horse with no problem. I can totally see him on the rings. This just might be his sport too. But, as a mom of an achon I worry because he’d have to stay away from the floor activity and vault.

He seems so happy here!

Ash getting an autographed picture of Guard Young.

Aidan’s first soccer game

2010-11-07T20:05:00.001-08:00

All this hard work makes me thirsty!

Games over! 2….4……6……8 who do we appreciate….

Yummy, the best part of the game…..cupcakes!

The courtesy, high five good game to the other team!

Aidan is having a good time in soccer but not totally sold that soccer is his thing. I’ve always known that there are some sports Aidan would have to work extra hard at to keep up. Just didn’t hit home until I started watching him at practice scrimmages and games. He does great at listening and doing what the coach tells him to do. He does well when it is one on one but when he starts playing with his team or against his other team he tends to back off a bit. He feels like he is going to be trampled on. The other kids (same age) run with such ease. Aidan has to run so hard to keep up! We’ll see what his wants are next season!

School portraits

2010-11-07T20:03:00.001-08:00

I know most of you have seen these on Facebook but here they are again. I think they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself (slightly biased).

Ashleigh, 3rd grade

Aidan, Kindergarten

Country in the Park

2010-11-07T20:02:00.001-08:00

Also, in August we went to a country music concert in the park! Jaime Murphy and her daughter Caty (for those that don’t know she is an LP just like Aidan with the same form of dwarfism) came and so did my sister Monica and her husband Clint.

The concert took place a few blocks away from our state capital.

It was a rather hot day from my recollection and not much shade. There were a ton of people there too.

Just some snapshots of the kids!

Wanted a picture to see the height difference between Aidan and Caty. Caty’s about 6 weeks older than Aidan. Just like average sized individuals, the boys tend to be a little taller than the girls.

This smoothie was down lickity split! Looked good and was especially refreshing on that hot day.

Love this picture of Caty. She takes some great pictures!

Ash was a bit under the weather that day so that was about as good a picture I got of her. Little did I know that about a few days after this she was diagnosed with strep throat.

We kept spraying the kids with water to keep them cooled off.

Aidan cooling of Caty with a fan.

That’s my boy! I might add that this shirt Aidan has on is one of his favorites and it was money well spent. He grabs for that shirt all the time!

Next time, I recommend they choose a different venue. It SUCKED there. The kid’s zone was all the way in the back and to get there was a chore in itself so we never made it there. Discovery park was much better! All in all, good music, poor choice of venue!

Field trip to Fairytale Town

2010-11-07T20:00:00.001-08:00

Better late than never!

I’ve been out of blogging for a bit now. I’ve been so wrapped up in work and exhausted at the end of each day. I’ve been in the middle of a second merger in 3 years. We’ve merged but it is still a bit chaotic!

Anyhow, off to better things!

Waaaaaay back in August Aidan had his first field trip to Fairytale Town. It’s such a cute place for toddlers to early elementary school aged youngsters.

Here he is waiting in line to get in. How cute they all look in their tie died (sp?) shirts. Such a great idea for keeping track of the kiddos!

I sure love this smile on him!

Yep, that’s a lot of kids to keep track of! Yikes…..30 kids, or thereabout.

All of them had a fabulous time!

My days of the week!

2010-09-30T20:27:00.001-07:00

I haven’t blogged much because I have been suuuuuuper busy at work and putting in too much overtime. Only about 3 weeks left until the merger at work is complete.

I couldn’t resist but put this one out here!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday & Saturday

Sunday afternoon

Oh-oh!

The end of the work week is in sight.

Sunday night

Here we go again!!!

TGIF! Luv my Saturday!

Love, a second time around

2010-08-14T21:42:00.001-07:00

5 years after losing her husband Tim to cancer, my sister Monica found love again to Clint Selby.

I miss Tim. I grew up knowing him like a second father to me. I was about Ashleigh’s age when I first met him. Here is a picture of him about 6 months prior to his passing. Ashleigh was a little over 2 1/2 years old at the time and I was pregnant with Aidan then. Tim battled cancer for about 2 years. Squamous Cell Carcinoma eventually took his life in June 2005. May he rest in peace.

It’s so wonderful to see her so happy again!

She and I leaned on each other these last 5 years. The year after losing her husband Tim and after Aidan was born, Monica sold her home down in Southern California and moved her and my nephew Evan into a condo about a 1/4 of a mile from my home. She watched my kids, picked up the kids from school and got them ready for extra curricular activities. It helped me immensely and it really took her mind of things. She was paid to do this for me too.

Time moved along. Monica met and married Clint last weekend at his cabin in the Sierra foothills.

Here are some photos from the wedding.

Finally a flower girl!

Getting her hair ready

The ring bearer giving me kisses!

I’m ready….lets do it.

Up in the loft of Clint and Monica’s cabin

Here they come!

Monica’s son Evan gave her away

Clint and Monica Selby!

Cake time!

Unfortunately Todd couldn’t make it do to work obligations but his mom came. Here is my lil dude with his grammy.

The Hayes family. My cousin Jean, her husband Steve and their 2 girls…Sara and Megan. My they have grown. Sara and Megan were flower girls in my wedding almost 10 years ago. Sara is a Junior and Megan is a Freshman now. Time goes by much to quickly.

A toast and some champagne.

First dance

We of course decorated the car!

Monica’s packing her bags. Evan graduated from high school. She’s renting her condo and moving 2.5 hours from me. I’ve lost my other support person. I stayed home from work after Aidan was born (about 18 mos.) and didn’t return back to work until Monica moved up near me. Her moving, my work, and Todd’s work is wreaking some havoc. I’m in a big transitional funk right now and not sure I am coping well right now with it. Lots of decisions and possible changes to be made in the coming months so stay tuned!

Aidan’s first day of Kindergarten

2010-07-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

The Chase family now has 2 kids in elementary school. No sooner did Aidan graduate from pre-K, he started Kindergarten. Ashleigh is now in 3rd grade. With year round school, all of a sudden the kids are back in school in a new grade.

I was teary eyed at the thought of losing my little boy. I know he will do well. He was very excited to go. I will probably always worry about my kids no matter what age they are. At this point I am probably more worried with Aidan. I don’t want to see him picked on or hurt. I know I can’t always be there as his safety net but I think I did well last week in speaking to the parents of Aidan’s classmates about Achondroplasia. I simply told them what Achondroplasia was, the correct PC usage as “little person” or “dwarf” and not midget. I made the parents laugh a few times at some of the tales I told about Aidan in proving that he is your average, typical 5 year old kid.

The kids were up bright and early this morning. Both Todd and I were there to see Aidan off. Everything went well as you can see by the following photos.

Their lunches were packed and ready!

Here is my little Kindergartener!

Uggggh! I can’t believe Ashleigh is in 3rd grade!

My 2 kids as ready as ever!

I always need a rear view of Aidan. Especially showing off his Thomas the Tank Engine back pack.

Running to class….”can’t be late”.

A little bit about his teacher, Miss Crowe. She’s loved him since she first met him when Ashleigh had her as a teacher.

Aidan and Miss Crowe

Already goofing off in class.

Time to pick out a book.

That’s my boy, already reading!

Engaging in conversation with his classmates. Look at Aidan’s feet dangling in the seat. Not worried about that this year but come 1st grade when he is sitting for extended periods of time that will change.

Story time! Why in a class of 33 kids (I know big class, budget problems and larger class sizes as a result) did he pick to sit in the rear.

Miss Crowe quickly moved him to the front. The class was engaged in her reading “The Kissing Hand”.

Aidan waving me off. “Mom, I’m a big boy…I’ll be OK”.

All smiles after class!

He came home with this…..

….and a copy of the book “The Kissing Hand”.

I am so proud of my kids.

2 teeth gone in 1 weekend

2010-07-12T21:11:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe this. The weekend I leave to go visit my mom in Arizona, Aidan decides to lose not 1 but 2 teeth. The first came out when he was at home. Todd took this first picture and sent it to me via text.

The second tooth was lost while the kids stayed the weekend with their Grammy and Gampa. Lost….it was. They could not find his second tooth. They were led to believe it may have happened while he was eating corn on the cob. Ash left a note for him for the tooth fairy to read so that she would make sure the fairy would pay a visit. It’s awesome to know that I can always depend on her to watch out for Aidan.

Yes, the fairy made a visit both times. We may be a little cheap (and also a little unprepared) and he got a couple dollars for his teeth. I know others give out crisp $5, $10, and $20’s but we figure we got coins as kids so getting some paper is a step up. Aidan was excited to get anything!

I’m just teary eyed seeing him lose his teeth. His big teeth are going to be emerging. He’s starting Kindergarten in a few weeks. My baby is not my little baby anymore. Why did he have to start growing up on me? I’m having such a hard time letting go!

My Little Graduate

2010-07-06T20:14:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe it! My little baby is a graduate and going to Kindergarten. So very proud of him!

The following are a few pictures of the graduate himself at his ceremony.

What kind of a silly smirk is that?

Waiting in line for his seat.

Diploma time!

Congratulations Aidan!

It’s so hard to get a decent picture of Aidan. Here we 3 are on a sunny, hot Sacramento day.

My favorite of all the pictures and the best one I think I got.

A tearful and special letter from one of his teachers.

His official diploma.

He starts Kindergarten at the end of the month (year round school).

Me and My Guy Dance

2010-06-25T20:35:00.001-07:00

Short but sweet post.

Every June the Girl Scout troops in our area get together and host and “Me and My Guy Dance”. Ashleigh and Todd really look forward to this dance. This is their 3rd one of these dances. It’s so cute and a great way to have a ‘father-daughter’ bonding time.

Here is a (scanned) picture of the 2 of them taken at the dance. It was a 50’s theme although they don’t look too sock hopish. No Fonzi jacket for Todd. I told him he at least needed to put a fake pack of cigarettes in his sleeve and roll it up. He didn’t go for it. A juke box in the back of them and a pink cadillac in the front of them.

I can’t say enough about Girl Scouts. I was never one. It would have been great to have been a part of that group. That is the one extracurricular activity that I can say she loves the most. She loves her time with just the girls. But don’t we all love having some time with ‘just the girls’!

End of Season Little League Picnic

2010-06-25T15:11:00.001-07:00

Let’s just say I’ve taken a little bit of a hiatus from making a blog post. Ahhh, the lazy days of summer. After the chaos of April and May it’s been nice to sort of relax the month of June and not do much. 3 weekends ago marked the end of the Little League season. Every year the North Natomas Little League holds a big picnic. This is the 3rd such event we have been to and it is always such fun. It was especially nice this year with Todd taking the day off and helping as we were juggling time between 2 team tents. It was plenty warm that day, 90’s I believe. The kids had a blast! The water slide inflatable's were the best and most refreshing.

Aidan crawling through an inflatable.

Ashleigh in line waiting to go on one of the water slides.

Aidan’s turn!

Wasn’t sure whether he would make it up there on his own but he did well!

First Ashleigh

Part of Aidan. He moved to fast and I was unable to catch him going down.

Ashleigh’s trophy

Congrats Ash! I know I am biased but I believe she really shined this year. How quickly their skills sharpen. I was very impressed and felt that playing 3rd baseman during the season was a great spot for her.

Aidan’s trophy! Great first season. All the kids did well at learning the basics of the game. He made many new friends and also learned a great deal about teamwork!!

As quickly as the season starts, it ends. High five to my Bulldog and Badger!

Also, as another medical update on Aidan. All scans were collected, and rather quickly I might add. Within a 2 week span Kaiser obtained all necessary scans, Aidan had his appointment with the Ophthalmologist, and a follow up phone consultation with the Neurosurgeon. The Ophthalmologist liked what he saw and didn’t see any medical concerns. He stated the biggest concern with hydrocephalus and not catching it in time is blindness…..due to the fluids pinching the optic nerve. The Neurosurgeon liked what he saw after getting his past MRI’s. To pass judgment like he did at the last visit and try to compare his most recent MRI with the most recent CT scan is like comparing apples to oranges. He compared MRI to MRI and really felt that surgery was not warranted. There still is a concern about the fluid buildup in the syrinx area of the spinal column so we will all have a watchful eye. As a precaution and 2nd opinion, we and the Neurosurgeon are forwarding the scans to the Neurosurgeons at the skeletal dysplasia clinic in Oakland to review and report back with their findings. I will update more as we hear back.

Medical update on Aidan

2010-06-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

We saw Neurosurgeon Dr. McNatt at Roseville’s Kaiser Permanente. He did a side by side comparison of his recent MRI to that of a CT scan done in 2008. In 2 years the ventricles in Aidan’s cranium has grown from 5mm – 43 mm due to fluid buildup which is a big growth. However, his head circumference has stayed on an average growth on the achondroplasia chart. His foramen magnum (the hole that sits between the base of the skull and at the opening of the cervical spine) is at about 10-11 mm….some tightening but nothing eminent. There is a small amount of fluid buildup in the syrinx area which is in the spinal cord T6-T8 area. Unfortunately, the recent MRI we had was of the head and neck and not the back so we were unable to see the lumbar region of his back and if there was fluid there as well. Aidan is also showing some venous congestion in his eyes. I was amazed he was able to sit still and look in one direction long enough for the doctor to look in his eyes. The venous congestion may have some direct correlation to the fluid buildup in the cranium. We are requesting more scans from Sutter (our provider prior to being with Kaiser Permanente 2 years ago) that were done on Aidan to review. A referral is being sent to an Ophthalmologist to further examine Aidan’s eyes. The home sleep study that was done a little over a month ago on Aidan came back inconclusive. There is a potential he may need another sleep study done at the lab. I don’t feel he has any apnea but we may have to rule out central apnea as another indicator for decompression. On a positive note when doing any physical neurological tests on him he passes with flying colors. No numbness, no headaches, and very coordinated. The doctor doesn’t want to rush into anything and explained that it isn’t just one thing they look at that signals surgery. You have to look at the big picture and study many factors before concluding surgery which is why the referral and scans are being requested. The doctor works within our skeletal dysplasia clinic and has performed numerous surgeries on other Achondroplasts in the past. He states it is not unusual for surgery to still be performed on a 5 or 6 year old for decompression. I am very happy that we had as many scans as we have in the past that left a paper trail of progression for us to look at. Scary to think if no scans were done, how this may have gone unnoticed because Aidan had no physical neurological signs prompting us. So for now, no surgery. It could change in a few weeks or months depending on what else is found.

Ashleigh’s First Holy Communion

2010-05-31T15:40:00.001-07:00

I’m a little behind in the posting this one. Ashleigh received her 1st Holy Communion the day before Mother’s Day. Lots of planning and preparation went on during her 2nd grade year.

Honestly, I am not the greatest Catholic in the world. We don’t always go to church. I can’t tell you the last time I went to confession was. I don’t go around preaching or talking about religion or politics for that matter as it’s just not me.

This brought back some memories for me but in a different sense. Ashleigh has catechism classes since she goes to a public school. I went to a private Catholic school from 1-8 grade so my preparation came during those classes. There was a lot of parent participation involved in prepping for Ashleigh’s First Holy Communion. Todd learned a bit in the process as well as he is not Catholic.

I am so very proud of my little girl! Is it wrong for me to say, I’m glad this is over….at least for 3 years when we do it all over again for Aidan?

The following are some photos taken before and after the ceremony.

My beautiful Ashleigh. I tried so very hard to get tight ringlet curls in her hair spraying it while using a curling iron but it just didn’t stay.

I had to dig through some of my First Holy Communion photos and scan one into this post just for the heck of it. Here I am in 2nd grade 1977.

I couldn’t resist but add a photo of Aidan in his baptism outfit. What a handsome little devil he will make in 3 years!

A memorial for my father

2010-05-31T15:19:00.001-07:00

Thought Memorial Day was a good day to remember and honor my father, Jack Kenneth Krivdo (1922-2004). He didn’t die while in the military but he was a veteran of foreign wars.

At 18 years of age he enlisted in the US Navy in order to dodge the draft into the Army. He served during WWII and the Korean Wars. This picture of my dad is hanging in my home office along with many pins and medals he received while he served in the military.

So proud of the work he did in the Navy.

Now imagine this. While my father was on a naval ship during WWII, my mother at the tender age of 11, was basically imprisoned in a Japanese relocation internment camp in Idaho. Yes, the same US that my father was fighting for also turned their backs on legal Japanese American citizens. Who would have thought that years later….1956 to be exact….they would wed and have 6 children together. They found each other at Brook’s Photography School in Santa Barbara, CA. My father was a great photographer….and retired as one. In my opinion, my mother had the real gift though….my dad would have agreed but my mother would completely deny that.

What a history I have to share with my kids. OMG, more photos than I know what to do with from my father’s childhood through mine. Unfortunately, not many photos from my mother’s childhood as it was lost when she was interned. I really should create some sort of archive or book or something like that for my kids so they can get a real look at some 1900’s US history.

I love you dad! Thank you for all you did.

Mother’s Day

2010-05-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

I couldn’t ask for a better Mother’s Day! Todd was home for the weekend. (Those that read my blog might recall that his normal weekend is Thursdays and Fridays.) That was a treat in itself.

Ashleigh made me a beautiful card with flowers in a vase. The flowers come out and the stems are coupons. It’s hard to read from the picture. One stem is to have a nice day, the second is for her to pull weeds, and the third one gives me time for scrapbooking. How clever she was during the week. I didn’t put 2 and 2 together with some of the questions she was asking me during the week. Now I know why she was asking such questions like “what do you dislike doing?” or “what are your hobbies?”

Aidan came home with a bag from pre-K the Friday before telling me not to open until Mother’s Day. So excited I was and couldn’t wait.

Inside the bag was this card…

…it opened up to reveal this….”I love my mommy because: she buys me videos.” And a cute picture of my little guy looking at me. He he….I hope he love me for more than video purchases.

….also….decorated with love, a tealite candle holder.

Hope you all enjoyed your Mother’s Day as much as I did!

Aidan’s 5th Birthday

2010-05-07T21:35:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe my baby is 5. It has been 5 wonderful years! I’ve learned so much because of him and made so many friends in our Little People family because of him. Happy Birthday!

Anyone that knows Aidan or have followed along with me on this blog or on Facebook knows what a Thomas the Train freak he is. Technically, anything on wheels or used as transportation floats his boat.

We thought it would be a great idea to have his party at the California State Railroad Museum. They rent out a caboose for occasions such as a children’s birthday parties. So we rented a caboose and it included either entrance to the museum or a train ride. No brainer…….take the train ride.

Well, not many people RSVP’d so it made it rather difficult to really plan. We weren’t given much other than keys to the caboose. No guidance. Trains departed on the hour. We should have planned the party to start on the half hour and not at the top of the hour….our mistake for not looking at the website better. Party started at 1:00. We sang “Happy Birthday” before boarding the train. We ate cake and opened presents after the train ride. It ended up being a small party of about 8. Small but nice.

Sorry folks, no homemade cake! Thomas of course though.

The caboose!

Inside the caboose!

Group shot!

The stinker had to play shy and bashful after we sang to him and wouldn’t blow out his candles. I so wanted a picture of him blowing out his candles….oh well.

On our way to boarding the train.

A couple shots of the dude with his pretty little girlfriend Caty!

Aidan had a bit of a problem in the outside car we were on as far as the noise level. He kept covering his ears.

Aidan and his friend Nick.

There were picnic tables just outside the caboose to be used for the party which gave us much more room then trying to cram everyone in a caboose. Presents time! The time when it doesn’t matter if the present is for the child or not….they all get excited!

I think the kids enjoyed it even though the planning was a little funky.

Ashleigh’s 8th Birthday

2010-05-07T21:33:00.001-07:00

I am still trying to figure out whether it’s good to have birthdays so close together or better spaced out somewhat. Not that I have a choice in the matter with my 2 kids having their birthdays 6 days apart. One birthday party on one weekend and the other on the second weekend. It’s like bracing for a storm…unavoidable but you deal with it and then it is all over.

First is Ashleigh’s birthday. Gasp….she turned 8. I mentioned it on Facebook, ugh in another 8 years she can drive. Ashleigh just loves Build A Bear Workshop and had to have a party there. I checked it out online. Not the most conducive place for a party. NO PARTY ROOM. Apparently, only a couple nationwide even have a party room. I asked her a couple times…”are you sure”? “Yes mom” she replied. I had to think of how we were going to accomplish this feat. We chose the time slot for 10am when the mall opened. We decided to bake some cupcakes and bring them with us to the mall and get some tables at the food court after they stuffed their bears. They could munch on the cupcakes and open presents there. It worked out!

Here is Ashleigh concentrating so hard on frosting the cupcakes we had just baked.

They were asked to pick out a bear and line up with their bears on the top of their heads.

They lined up in front of the stuffing machine and waited their turns.

The dude could care less at this point about stuffing a bear. He would have preferred going to the Lego store or playing on the computers at the Apple Store.

Giving her bear a bath!

Aidan goofing off at the computer station.

Ashleigh and her BFF.

Group picture. She invited a few girls from her class and a few from her girl scout troop. They really enjoyed themselves.

Ash got a little stuffed autograph bear too that everyone signed.

I quickly managed to get this picture of Aidan.

At the food court opening gifts and enjoying cupcakes!

Check out Aidan, having to goof off as always.

Who is this kid and what is he doing in my pictures?

She had a great birthday! It was a little funky trying to coordinate but the kids didn’t care and they all seemed to have a fun time.

Universal Studios

2010-05-01T20:30:00.001-07:00

While we were down in So. Cal. for the LPA Spring Regional, we stayed an extra day and went to Universal Studios. It has been years since I have last been there. I remember Jaws as a kid. As I got older I would frequent the Universal Amphitheater for concerts.

I was born and raised in Ventura County, Thousand Oaks to be exact. Almost 21 years of my life was spent there. It’s hard to believe that I have lived in No. Cal. now for 20 years. Now with 2 kids , and having them in school and extra curricular activities makes it harder to get back down there for a visit. 3 of my brothers and sisters live down in So. Cal. We met up with my brother Mark and his girl friend Stephanie while we were at Universal Studios.

Here are some pictures from our day there.

The kids with my brother…their Uncle Mark.

Let’s go on a tour everyone!

Do you remember the series “Emergency” or am I dating myself?

Look familiar??? “Back to the Future”

Thomas Magnum’s Ferrari from Magnum PI.

The DeLorean used in Back to the Future.

They showed us how they create flood scenes.

Here comes the massive water!

We took a walk down Wisteria Lane.

The Bates Motel from Psycho.

We had to stop and pose with Billy Bush from Access Hollywood.

The most famous Great Dane of all…..Scooby Doo!!!

The kids needed a stop for a foot massage!

We checked out Universal’s website prior and came prepared with bathing suits. They have a splash zone called “Curious George”. Here is my little dude as confident as ever. They had a great time in this area.

They actually had a dryer machine for afterwards!

Here I am with the kiddos posing with Curious George!!

Family shot of us at the entrance/exit

The park closed, I believe, about 5pm. From there we had dinner and did a little bit of shopping at the University City Walk. Here we all are at Bubby Gumps enjoying dinner.

Loved it! Visit it if you get the chance.

LPA Spring Regional

2010-04-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we drove down to the Los Angeles area and went to the District 12 LPA Spring Regional. This spring it was in Valencia, CA. The weather could not have been more perfect. From Sacramento the trip took us 6.5 hours….that included a lunch and 2 potty breaks. Not too bad. I am thankful that it was on the north end of LA so we didn’t have to go through the heart of all the nasty traffic.

We drove out on a Thursday so we would be some what rested and relaxed for the Friday night meet and greet. We stayed at the Hyatt and it was conveniently located next to a mall which meant we had to do some shopping there on Friday prior to the start of the convention.

Here is a snap shot of my 2 kiddos in front of the outdoor patio fireplace.

Aidan quickly made himself at home.

Ashleigh quickly found Sam Bray and spent most of the time at the convention with her. Hopefully Ashleigh’s fascination with her DSi didn’t rub off on Sam!

The kids got a movie night of popcorn and goodies to munch on while the adults got a chance to mingle. That was wonderful!

The following day the kids spent part of their day in the kids room while Todd and myself attended the “parent discussion” group and the “be your child’s advocate” group.

We met Jane Drake for the first time from our blogging group as well as others from Facebook. So wonderful to meet in person!! Here is a picture of Ash with Anais Bray and Jake Drake.

You’ll find Aidan outside any chance he can get!

We broke for lunch at Johnny Rockets

After Johnny Rockets, Todd and myself enjoyed a 30 minute massage. Mine was given by a massage therapist that happened to be a little person as well as the granddaughter to Billy Barty. For those unaware of who Billy Barty is, he was an actor as well as the founder of the Little People of America. Pretty cool I thought!

We had a few hours to kick back and enjoy before the banquet so we headed out to the hotel pool.

Banquet time!

There were a couple older kids on the dance floor horsin’ around with light sticks and Aidan had to follow suit and be just like them!

Ash and Sam shakin their groove thang!

I barely got the chance to see the Mallinson’s. They were so busy working like dogs! It really paid off and they should be proud.

We loved the convention! The Los Angeles chapter did a spectacular job! We will definitely go for another.

Easter

2010-04-23T14:31:00.001-07:00

Another Easter has come and gone. We did the traditional coloring of eggs! Here are a few pictures of the kids coloring their eggs.

Love the expression on his face in this one. You’d think he had never seen eggs colored before.

As you can see in this next picture there was a cake sitting on the counter with eggs. Ran out of time to bake a cake so the kids and I picked a cake for Todd. His birthday was a few days prior to Easter this year.

Looks like a science experiment to me.

We went to our local mall and had their annual portrait with the Easter Bunny done. For some reason he was OK with this Easter Bunny but he didn’t like the Easter Bunny (my sister) from our LPA Easter event.

We went easy on the candy this year and treated them to more gifts!

This one was Aidan’s

Here is Ashleigh’s

A slinky….remember these. Some toys never go out of style!

Aidan just cracks up with this movie. Thought it was better than another Thomas video.

What a cheesy grin!

Another Leapster game to preoccupy him with….

….and a DSi game for Ash.

All in all it was a pretty relaxing and enjoyable Easter day.

Black Bean Brownies

2010-04-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

I know it sounds disgusting but it’s really good!

All you need to do is:

Purchase brownie mix and a can of black beans.

Strain out all the liquid in the black beans can.

Add water to the black beans…….then puree it.

Add the puree mixture to the brownie mix.

Do not add oil, or eggs. The black beans are a substitute for it.

Bake as directed on the back of the brownie mix and voila…….Black Bean Brownies.

You don’t taste the black beans and they are healthier for you. Packed with protein. Try it, you’ll like it. My kiddos did.

The finished product after it baked and prior to cutting them.

Here they are enjoying them (photo quality stinks as it was taken from the phone)!!

Let me know what you think if you bake them.

Aidan’s 1st Tball Game

2010-04-20T18:23:00.001-07:00

Aidan’s first tball game was the next day following Opening Day and the LPA Easter event. Sadly, we had to miss Ashleigh’s first softball game of the season as it was the same day as the LPA Easter event (can’t be in 2 places at the same time as much as I would like it).

If I can brag a little, Aidan looks adorable in his baseball uniform. It’s so cute to watch them at this age. Half the time they are focused and the other half of the time they are wanting to kick dirt and look for bugs.

Here’s my future MLB player!

Warming up with some calisthenics.

Kicking dirt. I might add, after the game he was the dirtiest I had ever seen.

That’s it Aidan!

More playing around.

Who is that handsome dude?

Aidan’s up to bat! Let’s go Aidan, let’s go!!!

Here he is headed to 1st base!

Taking off for 2nd.

I don’t know what happened with me and my picture taking abilities from the last picture to this but he slid into home and ended with a cute bootie dance! I wish I had all of this on video.

There you have it. His first game of the season. He is really enjoying himself, making new friends and learning about teamwork. I am truly amazed at how quickly skills are learned. What a difference it is to watch Ashleigh’s team versus Aidan’s team and this is only Ashleigh’s 3rd year in Little League. So excited to see Aidan’s skills develop!

LPA Easter Event

2010-04-20T18:22:00.001-07:00

Here we are at the LPA Easter event approximately 2 hrs post the Opening Day Parade for Little League.

It’s been a couple years since we hosted a chapter event so we decided to do one. Little did we know that Little League decided to have their Opening Day parade and festivities the same day we put a deposit down on our clubhouse for the chapter event.

Never fret. Todd was able to get the day off from work. I would have made him call in sick if he didn’t get the day off! We let the kids participate in the parade and left prior to the Opening Day Party. I’m sure they would have had fun there but they sure enjoyed themselves at the chapter event too!

Todd was already there at the clubhouse as I made a mad dash from the end of the parade route back to the clubhouse with the kids in tow as well as a change of clothes for them.

The event started off with the kids making their own Easter baskets.

There is Aidan stuffing his face and sitting next to his girlfriend Caty.

There is Ashleigh with the Easter Bunny…AKA my sister Monica.

Aidan was totally afraid of the Easter Bunny…go figure.

Aidan spotted some fun in the play ground area.

I can’t keep Aidan still if my life depended on it. Here he is climbing on a part of a wall.

Easter Egg hunt time!

Checking out their findings!

With his buddy Bradley.

I caught you secretly with the Easter Bunny!

The weather turned out to be fabulous and there was a great turnout of attendees. Needless to say. We were exhausted by days end but totally worth it!

Opening Day festivities!

2010-04-20T18:20:00.001-07:00

We had to be up bright and early! Parade started at 9am but be at the location by 8:30 am. Here are a few pictures of the kiddos in their uniforms. For the life of me I was unable to find really small pants for Aidan so with the help of my mother in law she altered the pants for us.

Look how long the sock was that they gave him to wear. Glad we had back up socks!

Need to see his back side…#1

Ashleigh and her BFF Alexis.

Aidan with his cheering stick in hand

This is Ashleigh’s 3rd year in Little League and her second year in softball. She plays for the Georgia Bulldogs this year.

It was a crazy morning! I stayed with Aidan and his team. Basically the teams decorated pick up trucks and paraded about a 1/4 of a mile down a street. Fire engines and police cars were en route with us and of course had the street blocked. I wish we had more pictures but it was complete hysteria. Todd had the camera and took a few pictures.

Once the parade started Todd quickly had to head over to our clubhouse to start preparing for the chapter LPA Easter event we were hosting that same day at 11am. (It wasn’t a mix-up………Little League decided to pick Opening Day to be the same day as the day we chose back in January to do the chapter event).

Stay tuned for the LPA Easter post…

Decorating the float for Opening Day

2010-04-20T18:19:00.001-07:00

As many of you are well aware of, this is Aidan’s first year in tball. Aidan is in the Mites division and plays for the Wisconsin Badgers. What a great team he is on.

The evening before the big Opening Day ceremony we met at Aidan’s coach’s home to decorate the float for the parade. The kids had a bunch of fun playing with each other, getting to know each other better. Here are a few pictures from that evening.

Ah yes, and Aidan of course, couldn’t help but enjoy some cupcake too!

Here he is working hard!

Go Badgers!

The Pirates of Grammar Island…the Musical

2010-04-20T18:18:00.001-07:00

Ashleigh was just beside herself, excited for this day to come. After much anticipation and rehearsal, she starred in her very first musical performance….”The Pirates of Grammar Island”.

Ashleigh was the Capital of Capitals. She did beautifully. She actually had all the lines memorized for her BFF’s part too. Her friend became ill a few days prior (she was going to have to fill in for her should she not be present that day but she showed up).

I’m so proud of her!

I need to improve my skills on videography so bare with me. Here is a segment of the part Ashleigh performed.

Another Skeletal Dysplasia visit

2010-03-31T02:21:00.001-07:00

Well, it’s 1:30 am and I can’t sleep. Too many thoughts in my head so I figure, why not do a blog post.

A couple Fridays ago we had our annual visit to the Skeletal Dysplasia clinic. I was so excited to go to Roseville rather than having to drive 1.5 hrs into the Bay Area for a visit. I must thank Ericka Okenfuss (A Genetic Counselor for Kaiser Permanente and Little Person ) for her hard work in coordinating this satellite clinic for us.

Our visit lasted about 2-3 hours. We saw 7 specialists.

Genetics: Dr. John Turocy.

Orthopedists: Dr. Townsend and Dr. Schiffman. No issues. Legs look great. Aidan had to mention that he didn’t want his legs cut. The average lordosis in the back for a child with achondroplasia or sway back as most would refer to it.

Social: Sarah Greenham. She felt Aidan was very outgoing with a wonderful personality. Again, no issues.

Neurology: Dr. Richard Friedrich. Did many simple little neurologic tests on Aidan. He passed with flying colors. They were actually amazed at how he could walk on his tip toes as well as his heels. It has been a couple years since Aidan had a CT Scan or MRI so it looks like they will be scheduling another one in the near future….just to check things out.

OT: Mary DiGeronimo. We had a fairly lengthy conversation since Aidan is getting ready for Kindergarten in the fall. She gave us information on different wands to use to help Aidan reach to wipe after a bowel movement. Another OT appointment is scheduled to custom fit a wand for him. Since Aidan just started his first season of Little League, we asked her about cleats and where I can find a size small enough and wide enough for him. She was going to research and get back to me. Aidan’s IEP with the school district is April 23. A packet is being prepped for us by the clinic to take with us to the meeting to hopefully answer any questions the school has regarding accommodations. I can’t believe there is going to be about 10 people at the IEP meeting in April…..that will no doubt be a blog post in itself.

ENT or Otolaryngology: Dr. Rubenstein. He did Aidan’s T & A (tonsils and adenoids) a little over a year ago. Aidan still has a bit of a snoring issue. No apneotic episodes that I can tell. We have an appointment in a couple weeks at the sleep clinic. We will be instructed how to use the at home sleep study monitor. Woohoo! No over night sleep study. Aidan’s ears looked fabulous. No fluid in them. Aidan is the only achon I know with no tubes. I hope this isn’t jynxing him.

PT: Susan McMahon. No issues.

Aidan’s stats:

head circumference: 56.3 cm. Weight: 31.9 lbs, 30% on achon chart. Height: 2’10”, 50% on achon chart.

Here are a few photos taken while waiting between specialists, albeit the cell phone, so the quality isn’t the greatest.

Daddy blew up a latex glove to amuse Aidan for a bit.

I do have LOTS more photos on my camera of things from this past March but life has just been so chaotic lately. When things calm down I’ll happily do another blog overload like I did in December as well as happily read everyone else’s blog posts that I have fallen way way behind on. Forgive me.

More changes and modifications

2010-02-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

About a month or so ago we changed out Aidan’s car seat for a booster seat. He was tickled to say the least. The prompting for the change happened as Aidan was getting to big around for the restraint on the car seat to work for him. His car seat would snap but it was very tight on him. Toys R Us had a deal where you got a percentage off on certain select booster seats when you traded in your old car seat so we did it. Weight wise he fit in with specs required for the seat but he was about 5 inches too short for the height requirements. I’m not too worried. He fits in well as you can see in the photo. Shoulder harness fits well without rubbing on the neck and the lap belt is right where it should be too.

He was all smiles as he was able to actually reach down to grab a drink in the cup holder. The car seat prevented him from doing that. He is able to click/unclick the seatbelt….and he knows not to do it while driving. He says “Now I have a seatbelt just like Ashleigh”.

Since Aidan wants to be just like Ashleigh and since Ashleigh takes showers, not baths anymore we modified the kids shower unit. It didn’t cost much and it was an easy modification. I’m afraid baths are a thing of the past for us now.

Plus Aidan likes squirting himself with the detachable showerhead….as well as everything else in the shower.

Happy Valentine’s Day

2010-02-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately with everyone posting pictures of themselves with their significant other on Facebook and telling all how long they have been together for.

I decided to blog it.

Todd an I met through mutual friends on a blind date. Hmmm, I wonder the percentage rate of blind dates that actually work out? We had our first date July 25, 1998. It was a dinner/comedy show.

Here is a picture of us a few months after we met. The picture was taken at a friends wedding. Please excuse the quality as these were scanned photos. Lets see here. I was 29 at the time, a few pounds lighter and I was wearing my hair short and naturally curly/wavy.

The next few photos were some of our engagement photos at or by San Francisco. If you’ve ever been to San Francisco you are aware of all the moisture and fog that is so ubiquitous of the city by the bay. That really pulled a number on my hair. I believe this was about Spring of 2000.

We were married on Veterans Day, November 11, 2000. This picture was taken at our reception area which was at Rooster Run Golf Course in Petaluma, CA.

Now as 40 somethings we are now both a few pounds heavier, Todd has much less hair. I have my hair long now and wearing it straight. Marvelous what a good quality flat iron and some CHI product on the hair can do. I have much more gray hair and a few fine lines, nothing a little hair color and Botox can’t take care of.

Some things never change though. We still love each other as much as we did back then…even more.

If it wasn’t for our mutual friends setting us up, we may never have met and had these beautiful children….

My little diva…

or my comic.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

And I was seriously joking about the Botox. Never touched the stuff and have no desire to either. Catch me in another 10 years and I might have different feelings.