the Lanfords

New blog

2009-02-16T15:35:00.003-05:00

Since I created this blog in 2006, it's kind of morphed into several different things. I've been trying to find a better way of keeping all the same information in one place -- and making it easy for me to update, and easy for everyone else to navigate.

I use Wordpress for my business site, and have decided to move my personal blog over there as well. I LOVE Wordpress. I've been planning on making the switch for a while, but just couldn't quite find the ~~energy & patience~~ time to do so.

The new site will always be a work in progress, but please change your bookmarks to:

http://thelanfords.wordpress.com

I will leave this blog up, to serve as an archive of our family's journey. Thanks for keeping with us!

MRI Results

2009-02-12T14:43:00.004-05:00

I know I said I was taking a break -- and I am -- but I also thought some of you may be wondering about Chad's MRI from last week....

Chad brought home a copy of the MRI results right after his appointment last week. We were eager to see them, and were not too floored by what we saw. No growth, no shrinkage. No change. Still. He's still stable!

We met Tuesday with his oncologist. The radiologist hasn't sent the images over yet, so we didn't get to talk about the results.
That same evening, I received his labs & MRI results via fax. There were a few terms I had to look up in medical journals, a few new tidbits of information.

There is no new growth, as we suspected. But there are a few questionable areas. His oncologist isn't sure what it means since Chad hasn't done anything by the books. It may be nothing, but it's possible that he will be having another biopsy in the coming weeks.

On Feb 24, we will be traveling to Baptist Hospital in Wake Forest to talk with a specialist we've previously talked to. He has been the most honest with us so far, and we are eager to hear his take on the new MRI results.

Once we get that info and decide what to do next, I'll be sure to let you know.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Ready for a change

2009-02-11T18:31:00.003-05:00

I've been debating this for a while.
I'm in the middle of a new blog design, with a new domain.
So, for right now, please excuse my absence.
I'll be back soonish with the new web address and a bunch of pretty, yummy things.

Friday Feast: Sweets for your sweetie!

2009-02-07T08:54:00.009-05:00

Okay, I know I missed the post yesterday. I had good intentions. It just never happened.
But I'm here today - a whole day late. Meh. Well....I think I'm late for everything since my little people were born. So I'm just keeping with the trend.

We're not real big on Valentine's Day around here - but I do try to make a little something special for everyone. And by special, I mean chocolate. Of course.

I like fudge. It's delicious. It's nutritious (well, not technically, but it rhymed). And it's just good.
Until recently, I had a heckuva time making fudge. I tried. Repeatedly. But I never got it right. Something about the consistency and the setting. It just wasn't right.

I was inspired by a recipe I saw in an old magazine, and thought I would give it one more try. And it is the best recipe I've ever found - and helped me realize my mistake. I wasn't letting the mixture boil long enough. I didn't bother with a pesky candy thermometer. My mom never used one, and her fudge was always perfect. So I fought the urge to buy one -- until a few weeks ago. I successfully mastered this recipe without a candy therm, so it can be done!

Basic Smudge
Carys calls it 'smudge'.
I don't know why, but the name stuck.
Below is the pecan version - recipe at the end.
3 c sugar
3/4 c butter (1.5 sticks)
2/3 c evaporated milk
2 c choc chips (12 oz)
1 jar marshmallow fluff (7 oz)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Line a pan with foil. I use different pans - sometimes a jelly roll pan, sometimes a 8x8 brownie pan. It doesn't matter. Just make sure you butter the foil of whatever pan you use - it will make for easier removal later.
In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar, butter & milk to a boil over medium heat. Cook & stir until candy thermometer is 234 degrees (soft ball stage). If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring the mixture to a rolling boil and keep it there for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate, marshmallow fluff & vanilla until smooth. Pour into buttered pan. You can let it stand on the counter, but I prefer to pop it in the fridge. Your option though. When it's fully set and firm, remove foil from the pan and cut into squares.
Makes about 4 pounds.

There you have it. My basic smudge recipe.
I've been playing around with it -- which I highly encourage you to do, also.
Try these:

Snickers Smudge
Chop six regular-sized Snickers bars in a food processor. (You can do it by hand, but it's so much easier to pop it in the FP.) When you pour the smudge mixture into the pan, only pour half. Then sprinkle all the chopped candy onto the smudge. Cover with the remaining smudge.

Pecan Smudge
(For my dad who loves both Smudge & Pecans)
After you mix the vanilla in, go ahead & mix in about 1.5 cups of chopped pecans. Then pour it all in the pan and let it firm up, as normal.

S'more Smudge
(Something special we thought up for my dad's birthday)
Pour half of the smudge mixture into a buttered pan, and then add 1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed to bite-sized pieces (which is a great activity for the kiddos - put the crackers in a couple o' ziplocs & let them crush to their heart's content). Sprinkle mini marshmallows on top. Then cover with the remaining smudge mix. Top with more mini marshmallows, if desired -- but be sure to press them into the fudge a bit with the palm of your hand.

Smudge Truffles
This is a bit tricky, but is a special, beautiful, delicate treat. I've been thinking of this for a while and tried a few the last time I made a batch of smudge. Wow, is all I can say.
Follow the recipe - butter & foil a pan. But - when it comes time to pour the smudge into the pan - DO NOT DO IT! Pour it into a large bowl instead. Let it cool slightly, until it's cool enough to handle with your fingers. I used a small cookie scoop that worked perfectly, FYI. Scoop/form into small balls - and then place them on the foil. Once they've fully set in the fridge or on the counter, roll them in a good quality cocoa powder.

Things I've learned since becoming a Mom

2009-02-05T15:28:00.008-05:00

I can never go anywhere alone. Especially to the bathroom.

According to the little people in my life, I am rich if I have two pennies, a quarter and a some lint in my pocket.

Polly Pocket's shoes fit nicely into a little person's nose. As do tweezers (for shoe removal), small beads from a broken bracelet, several mini M&Ms, fingers & french fries.

Wiping your face is overrated. Shirt sleeves work best. Especially crisp, clean, white ones.

When potty-training a child, you are likely to find undergarments discarded in/around objects where they don't belong. Like under the glass dome of a cake plate, for instance.

When preparing dinner and things get quiet, there's a reason. Usually, that reason involves glitter, broken glass & a watery mess on their bedroom floor. Snow globes don't break themselves, people.

When the phone rings, my little people go seven kinds of crazy. And they get very loud. Well, louder than normal.

I don't have eyes in the back of my head, even though my children think I do. I tell them I see everything, and it usually means I get to the bottom of the glittery, broken glass & watery mess on their bedroom floor.

My little people think packing peanuts do not taste like real peanuts, in case you were wondering.

Eating your vegetables means "accidentally" dropping them, one-by-one, on the floor. Then they're dirty, and we can't eat dirty food.

Remember that embarrassing thing I did last night? Well, my little people remember it. And they're telling everyone at Wal-Mart today.

Just don't talk about body parts or body functions. My little people will talk about it openly in public, even when ~~begged~~ asked not to.

Chewing gum in your sleep is a learned skill. Ask Carys. She has the missing patch of hair to prove it as of this morning.

When trying to remove marker from a painted wall, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a lifesaver. However, it also removes the seven layers of the previous homeowner's pastel Laura Ashley paint underneath the marker, if you scrub too hard.

Cats don't like toothpaste.
Dogs and Beta fish don't either.

No matter what, the other little person did it.

Just ask one of them. Then ask the other one.

Another MRI set for tomorrow

2009-02-03T15:43:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been three months since Chad last took a dose of chemo.
He has a follow-up MRI tomorrow afternoon.
We won't know anything until his oncologist appointment next week, but I wanted you all to know what was going on.

We've gotten a lot of questions lately, since we've been pretty quiet on the Chad-front. He's doing great, feeling really good. Nothing to report, honestly.

I'll be sure to update once we meet with his medical team next week.

Thanks for the continued prayers & concern.

Carys & Cailyn Go Flying

2009-02-02T09:16:00.011-05:00

As a child, I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my grandfather. If that wasn't enough of a treat, my grandfather is a pilot. I logged a lot of flight hours in my childhood, and always hoped to garner my own pilot's license. Since I'm now approaching 30 with very little free time, I'm sure that I won't ever get that license. But it's something I've always wanted my children to experience; not just flight. Anyone can get on a plane. I wanted them to have the same memories I have of my Papa; their great-Papa.

So, this weekend, we did it. I thought I had a firm grasp on who would enjoy their first airplane ride more -- definitely Carys since she's my thrill seeker. But wouldn't you know, Cailyn turned out to be my little aero-nut. They were both extremely excited and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, although Carys took a little more time to warm up to the thought of being so high above the ground.

Chad is planning to go skydiving in the next month or two, and we used this little excursion as a precursor to that. We know he handles commercial flights well, but we weren't so sure about a smaller plane. They feel a lot different in the sky, and we needed to know if the extra movements and sensations would trigger extra anxiety for Chad. And, the girls have never flown. They always want to, but we rarely go anywhere via plane. We did a quick trip to South Carolina and had lunch, then flew back.

We traveled down to my grandfather's house on Saturday. It was a beautiful day - not a single cloud, so the visibility was unlimited up in the air. After a perfect take-off, Carys leaned over to me & shouted: "I really like this Mommy!"
After reminding her for the third time that she didn't have to yell into the headphone mic, she felt her first bit o' turbulence. It wasn't bad, just a tiny bump - but it was enough to silence her for most of our 20 minute flight to South Carolina. I kept asking her if she was okay, but she didn't seem like she was enjoying it too much. She has a firm grip on my hand, and each time we were bumped by the wind, her grasp got a little tighter.

Cailyn was glued to the window the entire trip. She was mesmerized by how tiny everything looked, and was thrilled to see the plane's shadow on the ground so far below us. She loved seeing the "itty-bitty cows" and the "teeny-tiny twees".

Carys got a little more relaxed after I told her we were almost at our destination. I think she actually started looking out the window at this point.
Both girls were most excited about lunch - a little place called Stanton's BBQ right outside of Bennettsville, SC. They thought it was absolutely fantastic that we were flying to lunch and not driving. I think the promise of lunch was the only thing that kept Carys from wanting to land shortly after take-off.

After lunch, we headed back. The Lanford crew was a lot more relaxed this time around, and the smallest crew members even took a nap on the way back.

Chad did really well on the flight - so we're getting ready for jumping out of a plane soon. Well, I say "we" but it's probably only going to be "he". Chad is trying to persuade me to jump also, but I'm not 100% convinced yet.

Friday Feast: Just Sweets!

2009-01-30T12:06:00.006-05:00

Oh, if I could live on chocolate & baked good alone, I would be a ~~fat~~ happy woman ~~with~~ ~~sky-high blood sugar~~.
I bake a little something each week. I like making things from scratch. I like how happy it makes everyone.

We love banana bread at the Lanford House.
I received a loaf of banana bread sometime last year that was the best thing I ever put in my mouth. I dreamt about it for months -- it was my mission to find the recipe.
Oh, and did I. After a few hits & misses & making a few changes - by George, I got it!

Now, I am going to warn you. This recipe makes two loaves. As soon as the second loaf cools, wrap it in saran-wrap and put it in the freezer.
Why?
Because you will eat them both in one day.
I kid you not, it's that good. The girls were very upset when it was all gone.
And the second loaf is good to have on hand as a gift. Or late night snack. Whatever you choose...

I questioned the glaze for this recipe - but trust me, it's grand. I thought the orange would be a confusion of flavors for my palate - but, no. It's quite the opposite.

Skye's Special Banana Bread

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
5 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans, divided

Orange Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
the juice from one medium orange (about 5 tbs)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup pecans. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Top with remaining pecans. Bake at 350° for 60 - 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients; drizzle over loaves when you take them out of the oven. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

I won't leave you with just one recipe today.
Here's another - a favorite around here. And easy-peasy.

Chicken BBQ Sammiches

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Slaw:
1/2 head of cabbage, grated & chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & grated
1/2 c light mayo
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp celery seed
salt & pepper to taste

Cook chicken & BBQ sauce in the crockpot on low all day (about 8 hours). Shred the meat with two forks, and stir in more sauce if you think it's too dry. Spoon chicken and slaw on top of rolls/hamburger buns and feast.

Her favorite thing....

2009-01-29T13:48:00.006-05:00

My dear petite Princess has a problem.
She needs an intervention.
Come to think of it, I wonder if I can get her a spot on A&Es show Intervention.
I'll check into that.

File this little clip under: Things my child will kill me for when she turns thirteen.

Oh. And please excuse the remnant peanut butter on her face. And the boo-boo on her forehead that she will not allow to heal.

Friday Feast: Baked "Pasghetti"

2009-01-23T15:23:00.004-05:00

I usually make some type of pasta dish at least once a week. I don't think you can mess up pasta - every recipe I've ever tried has been delicious. And, hey - it's pretty budget-friendly, too. The girls love "pasghetti", but the grown-ups in this house get a little weary of the same old dish. So we change it up a bit sometimes. Enjoy!

Baked "Pasghetti"

1 large jar pasta sauce, any variety you like

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 lb ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
8 ounces angel hair pasta
2 cups Colby Jack cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot, boil pasta as directed. Drain and set aside. (I actually used fettuccine this time around because it's all I had on hand. It was just as tasty.) In a large skillet, saute pepper, onion & garlic in a bit of EVOO. Add sausage and beef, brown and drain. Slice sausage thinly after it's thoroughly cooked. Add jarred sauce to meat and veggie mixture, then add spices. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add pasta to sauce mixture. Mix together well.

In a lightly greased 9"x13" pan, layer: spaghetti mixture, half of cheeses, spaghetti mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the remaining cheese and bake for about 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

It's even better the second day - trust me!
I served it with a simple side salad and the girls were begging for more (after two servings).

More snow pictures

2009-01-22T11:25:00.008-05:00

We took a little trek in the woods behind our house. The undisturbed snow is beautiful! Of course, once all of us ran through it, it wasn't so beautiful anymore. Or undisturbed.

Faith & Carys, trying to sled. Carys is more interested in catching snowflakes with her tongue!

Cailyn & Faith, making their way to the sledding hill -
which turned out to be a disappointing trip!

Cailyn & Faith posing for me, for once!

The requisite Snow Angel

Cailyn & Carys throwing rocks in the creek

Chateau Lanford

A Winter Wonderland Wish

2009-01-21T15:19:00.006-05:00

Carys has been begging for snow, especially since she's seen pictures from our family & friends in other states that get it ALL the time. She wanted some, too.
And she got it.
Seriously, it doesn't snow here. We get a flurry maybe once a year, but we haven't had real snow in years - four years, to be exact. Carys was barely one year old the last last time we got a decent amount, so she didn't really know what to expect.

We had so much fun, and school was canceled here for two days. It's a little warmer today and the snow is quickly disappearing. I think it's supposed to be back in the 50s tomorrow, so our Winter Wonderland is almost gone. We ended up with about 6 inches of the white stuff, and it was just enough to close everything down. My New York family members are probably laughing at that - but it's true. We're never prepared to handle snow because we so rarely get it. No one sells sleds or anything else related to snow-time fun. Trust me. I called every retailer I could think of...

The girls have played, eaten snow cream, built a bad snowman (not their fault - it was not good packing snow), pelted everyone withing a .05-mile radius with snowballs, and eaten icicles to their hearts content.

Cailyn was just as excited as Carys...before we went outside. Once she set foot in the snow, it was a different story. As the resident Diva in our house, she doesn't like to be cold. Or wet. And she doesn't like to fall down.
All of those factors equal an unhappy camper, in general. She did manage to squeeze a few smiles out though, so it wasn't all bad.

I won't bore you with all the pictures I took of little snow bunnies, but be on the lookout for a few more over the next week or so. I'm off to thaw our frost-bitten toes by the fireplace. And drink hot cocoa, eat chicken noodle soup, play Scrabble, and take a nap. Apparently, that's what you do when there's snow. :)

I know, I know

2009-01-18T17:50:00.005-05:00

I used to be a good blogger.
I wrote about any and everything, because I wanted to.
And I still want to - I just don't feel like I have much to say lately.

The girls are good.
Chad is good.
I am good.

That pretty much sums it up. Although, Cailyn did have some kind of 24-hour tummy bug yesterday. That was not good.

My friend Melanie used to laugh at me for using so few words. After not seeing her for weeks, she would ask me how I was doing and I would say, "Good." She would ask Chad and get a 10-minute essay into the Life & Times of Chad L. Lanford.

I don't post many pictures lately either, sorry about that.
My photo subjects refuse to cooperate anymore, and it's been too wet/cold/yucky to take them outside and catch them off guard with a picture or two.

I was making dinner a couple of weeks ago, and walked to the pantry. I noticed a strange glow about the room - it was really strange, especially for 4:00 in the afternoon. I glanced outside, because the wind was whipping the trees around, and thought we were surely in for nasty weather. Or tornado proportions. But no, we just had a bit o' rain and that was that.
Isn't that a weird glow? It was very surreal. And it only lasted a few minutes.
The sky was a beautiful pink-purple right afterward. Weird. But really beautiful.

Friday Feast: Cold Weather Comfort Food, Southern Style

2009-01-16T09:51:00.009-05:00

Today, it's a balmy 24 degrees.
Seriously. We haven't been this cold in a long time. I think it got down to 14 or so last night. Makes me want to move to Antigua. I could go for a nice leisurely lounge on those crystal white beaches and soothing soak in the clear warm water right now....

....but since I'm back to reality for the moment, I've got to give my kiddos a stick-to-your-ribs-so-you-don't-freeze-to-death-in-these-arctic-conditions feast.

On days like today (as well as many other days when it's quite warmer), I make one of my favorite comfort foods. Good, old-fashioned chicken & pastry. Yum, yum, triple yum!
And we Lanfords all have a sweet tooth, so we'll finish it up with some peanut butter cookies. Truth be told, there is always some type of baked good in this house. I can't help myself. I try to use Splenda, but sometimes I feel that the result is just not the same. I still eat these sugary treats, I just limit myself to one or~~twelve~~ two.

Chicken & Pastry
About 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 medium carrots, sliced
5 stalks of celery, sliced
1 package of frozen thin pastry strips
salt & pepper to taste

I use a large pot, filled half-way with water. Trim celery tops (leaves & tops of stalk) and add to pot along with chicken. Salt & pepper, and a bit of garlic if you like. Boil chicken until done. Remove chicken from water and set aside. Remove celery leaves and discard.

To the chicken stock, add sliced carrots & celery. Add pastry strips slowly, one at a time, stirring often so they don't stick. Cover and boil for 35 minutes. Shred chicken while the pastry is cooking. When pastry is done, the broth will very thick and mostly absorbed. Add chicken back to pot and cook for another 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Salt & pepper it again, to taste.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup margarine, softened
1.5 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Hershey kisses - optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat peanut butter & margarine with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beat well. Add eggs, beat well. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add to butter mixture, beat well. Stir in vanilla.

I use a Pampered Chef medium cookie scoop, but you can also hand roll the cookies into balls, about 1 - 1.5" inches in diameter. Many recipes call to flatten the cookies before baking, but I found that this makes them a little more crumbly & dry. So, I flatten them after baking for a chewy, soft cookie. But feel free to flatten them now if you'd like, and make sure you space them about 2.5"-3" apart on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Bake for 9 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, use a small spatula or fork to flatten them out.
Once flat, add an unwrapped Hershey Kiss in the middle,
if you choose, and let cool before removing from the cookie sheet.

Friday Feast: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2009-01-09T12:27:00.002-05:00

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
2 lbs chicken (sauteed or boiled)

1 small onion (Vidalia or sweet)

1-2 lb bag of shredded cheddar

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pint sour cream

1 can green chilies

1 can sliced black olives

1 bag flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Set cooked chicken aside.
Chop and saute onion in butter in large pan add cream of
chicken soup, sour cream, chilis and chicken.

Layer tortillas, chicken mixture then cheese and olives -
3 times, top with tortillas and more cheese.

Bake for 30-45 minute, and let stand about 10-15 minutes
for the sauce to thicken up a bit.

I've found this is a great dish if you like Mexican, but your kids aren't so sure if they do. It's pretty mild, without the traditional spicy red sauce - and you can leave the chilies out, if needed, even though I don't think they add too much heat.

Enjoy!

Picassos in Training

2009-01-08T15:52:00.005-05:00

Slow news days from the Lanford Chateau the last few days. We're back to boring, normal, daily routines. Sheesh.

Cailyn has turned into a big girl recently. I'm not sure how it happened, but I suppose a few good night's sleep helped! I should also take this moment to brag on her potty-training success. She's been day trained for a few months now - it's been fantastic! She still has the night-time diapers, but I will not complain about that at all. I've never been happier to hear the potty flushing, believe me!

She announced to me that she could draw circles, and I thought she was crazy. But she really did draw a circle. And then a rectangle. And attempted a triangle - but it had more curves than a triangle is technically supposed to have.

I think she doesn't pay attention, but she does - she's just TWO and doesn't want me to know she's actually absorbing anything I teach her. (Sounds like some other little girl I know...)

She asked me to draw "an empty cat", which means she just wanted an outline to decorate. A little Picasso indeed, with asymmetrical eyes and unevenly spaced whiskers.
She told me it was a nice cat, so that's why she didn't draw any teeth. Funny girl.

My CareBear loves to draw, but she just slops some marker down and calls it a masterpiece. I've been practicing with her the last few days, and she's getting a bit better.

The next time you see Carys, by the way, tell her how beautiful her hair is when it's straight! I love her curls, but they are such a pain. It's so much easier for me to handle when I am not fighting with the tangle fairy and listening to Carys cry about how I'm hurting her noggin.

I will be so thankful when she is old enough to care for her curls all by herself. I let her manage her hair for a few days by herself, and it wasn't pretty. I don't think she even brushed it during that time, and I finally had to take over the reigns again when I saw a bat fly into it's new nest atop her head.

Have a good afternoon - Friday Feast ala Mexicana tomorrow!

Raising Southern Belles

2009-01-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

Me: What would you like for snack? You can have apple slices, a banana or an orange.
Carys: Hmmmm. Banana, please.
Cailyn: I would wike gweens.
Me: Greens? Like a salad?
Cailyn: No! Gweens.

After a few other guesses, I still had no idea what she was talking about - so I told her to show me. She took my hand and led me to the pantry. I opened it on command, and she dove in. She handed me a canned good.

Canned. Turnips.

Ha.
Carys quickly changed her vote from banana to turnip greens.

Can you believe that?

Twelve hours of silent slumber

2009-01-07T14:17:00.006-05:00

~~Cailyn~~ A child who shall remain nameless, in hopes to not jinx myself of a repeat schedule tonight, didn't fight bedtime last night - believe it or not.

Fortunately, I discovered that keeping her insanely busy all day so she skips her midday nap helps greatly.

Unfortunately, skipping her midday nap does not help her mood around 7:30pm.
She started to fall asleep at 6, so we then proceeded to play CandyLand about 13 times. And then we drew pictures. And then they took a bath. Ah. 8pm before I knew it!!!

Fortunately, bedtime is at 8pm.
I can handle a little 'tude for thirty minutes if it means I get twelve glorious hours of her sleeping IN HER OWN bed in return.

Ahhhhhhh.
Wonderful, glorious, not-being-kicked-in-the-head-all-night, no-monster-chasing, no-multiple-potty-break, no-tears-for-hours-for-no-good-reason sleep!!!!

Back to school - back to normal!

2009-01-06T12:15:00.002-05:00

The Christmas break has been wonderful. Full of laughter, fun, good times with friends & family, and my all-time favorite activity - sleeping in and staying up late!

All good things come to an end though, don't they?

Starting on Friday, we decided it was time to get the girls back on track and start with the normal bedtime routine.
Carys was easy to transition - bedtime at 8pm. No problemo. She's pretty agreeable.
Cailyn? Not so easy.

She is my dependent one. She is my shadow, where ever I go - even in the bathroom.
She has been coming to our room in the wee hours of the morning for so long. And when we're too tired, we let her fall asleep in our bed, with good intentions of moving her to her own once she's sound asleep. However, it hardly ever happens that way since Chad & I were just too tired to get up once the sleepyhead finally gives up her slumber-fight each night.

Friday started a new routine for her too. It has been so hard, full of tears. She just cries & cries when it's bedtime. It's heart-breaking.

But she has slept in her own bed for the last three nights - even though it has taken HOURS to get her to go to sleep most of the time. Bedtime at 8pm, and she usually falls asleep at 11pm. I can't tell you how many "I firsty!", "I need to potty!", "I scawwed of da monstuh!" we've heard in the last three days.

Twenty-one days to form a new habit right? Ah, well. We're still early in the process. We are going to make it stick though. She's a feisty sleeper - kicking and moving all about. Chad & I have the bruised ribs (and Chad a bruised eye, I'm sure) to prove it.

Carys wasn't thrilled to go to school this morning once she realized her teacher was out today with her own sick children. She had a substitute and I could tell she was a bit nervous to stay there today. But she did. And I'm sure she's having a great time!

So, back to normal days - working, cooking, cleaning & playing with CaiCai until it's time to pick Carys up (which is, of course, right in the middle of Cailyn's ideal naptime - grrr!).

Friday Feast: Meatball & Pepper Penne

2009-01-02T16:11:00.003-05:00

Meatball & Pepper Penne

1 box of Penne pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 each: Red, yellow & green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 - 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano, undrained
1 - 8oz can tomato sauce with basil, garlic & oregano
1 - 16oz package of Italian style meatballs, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook pasta, as directed. Set aside and keep warm.
Heat oil in skillet over medium, heat.
Add peppers and onions, cook about 5 minutes.
You want the peppers to be crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce and meatballs.
Cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Toss pasta and sauce in a large bowl and sprinkle with cheese.

This was a new recipe for us this week - and it was delicious and easy! The girls licked their plates clean and the leftovers were even better the next day.

Just in case I forgot...

2008-12-29T18:48:00.002-05:00

...I am a mom.
And I just have to laugh. Sometimes.

Today was grocery day. We could no longer make meals out of Ramen, leftover Christmas ham and a few cans of chicken noodle soup. I had a list, I had an agenda. And I had two rambunctious children who were not really excited to be grocery shopping today.

While searching for my wallet in my mom-purse (you know, that insanely huge handbag that doubles as a traveling kitchen, art studio, mobile office, and urgent care?) for my wallet when it was time to pay.

I place a few things on the counter, as I spy my bright apple green Vera wallet at the bottom of my purse.
I pay. I return my belongings to the depths of my purse.

And then I notice it.
A pair of bright purple/pink/does-it-really-matter Tinker Bell panties. Size 2T. On the counter. At the grocery store.

Oh. My.
It's good to be prepared in the even that Cailyn has an accident and needs them.
I, on the other hand, was not prepared for the cashier to see that. Or the people behind me in line.

And for the record, I am cleaning out my mom-purse this evening. I wonder what other ridiculous things I will find.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T13:35:00.001-05:00

The dog ate my homework ?

2008-12-19T18:28:00.005-05:00

I have an excuse for being so slack on the blog lately. A good one. Really.
Several really good reasons, in fact.

1) We were out of town this past weekend at the fabulous wedding of Brian & Melissa.
It was fun. It was beautiful. The father-of-the-bride made me cry when he toasted the couple.
2) Carys had another nasty round of croup early Tuesday morning. It was strange - it disappeared so quickly this time - but it was brutal. Scared us both.

3) Carys had a tummy bug late last week. And my weary body decided to get it on Tuesday afternoon. Nausea. Fever. Aches. Chills. Could be the flu, but I doubt it. Granted, it would be my luck because I haven't gotten around to getting a flu shot yet this year.

4) Chad caught the crud, or something mimicking a nasty chest cold. He wouldn't have gone to work today if he hadn't already used so much sick time with chemo.

5) Did I mention I sprained my ankle this past Saturday and today is the first day I've really been able to walk and not resemble a hobbit? Or the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
But now my back is out of whack because I've been walking funny for a week.

6) I couldn't peel myself off the couch to go to my child's Christmas party at preschool. Carys didn't realize that me saying, "Carys, Mommy can't come to your Christmas party because I'll get everyone sick" actually translated into "Carys, Mommy can't come to your Christmas party because I'll get everyone sick." She was devastated that I "forgot" to come to her party and I felt so bad. I think she forgave me after I explained to her that I just didn't feel well, but it still hurt to see her so upset about it.
7) In the wee hours of the morning (4:28 am to be exact), Carys let me know that her ear hurt.
Ironically, it's her right ear. You know, the ear that recently had a tube removed from it because it was DONE doing it's job and she shouldn't have any more ear infections?
Blasphemy! That child "has one of the top five nastiest ear infections I've ever seen" -- words straight from the doctor's mouth. Carys is probably going to need another set of tubes, but I'll reserve judgment until the next ear infection (in two weeks, when we discover the antibiotics didn't do anything this time around....).

So, I apologize. There's no recipe today. Frankly, I haven't eaten much all week and have been letting these other Lanfords fend for themselves in the kitchen. Basically, if they could reach it, they could have it. I did manage to boil fettuccine noodles Tuesday evening, but that's as far as I got. The thought, smell or sight of food sends a nasty little wave of rumbling nausea to my innards. And the fatigue, it's.....just.....overwhelmingzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....
And Cailyn is just fine. Fine and dandy.
I really hope that she stays that way, and the rest of us are all over our funky funkiness by the end of a restful weekend.

Maybe things will be back to normal next week.
Wait.
Next week is Christmas, so scratch that.
Maybe things will be back to normal the week after that....oh no, that's New Years.

Oh. Well, then.
I'll see you sometime before 2009, I'm sure.

Carys in Concert

2008-12-12T12:40:00.004-05:00

As soon as I got home from dropping Carys off at school yesterday, I got the dreaded call that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to come home. Bless her little heart.
Granted, I knew she didn't feel well, but she insisted that she had to go to school because they were practicing for their Christmas concert later that night. She's been practicing SO hard and didn't want to miss the big performance. She wasn't running a fever or anything, so I took her in and gave her teacher a heads up to call me if needed.

After a lazy day of DVDs, lots of ginger ale, chicken soup & saltines, and rest, she felt well enough to participate in her concert. She was still feeling a little out of sorts, but she was so excited to get all dolled up & sing her little heart out. You'll notice some yawning. And some blatant disregard for lyrics and constant dancing. And even some late hand gestures. And lots of cuteness. She just loves being the center of attention.

Immediately afterwards, she came home & crashed in her pajamas.

She's feeling better today, but still a bit wonky. Keeping my fingers crossed that everyone is well for Christmas!

Meet Skippy

2008-12-10T05:26:00.007-05:00

This Christmas, the girls have a new best friend. No, we didn't cave in and buy them a puppy or another kitty cat, or even a polar bear or hamster (Carys keeps asking for one of each).

I heard about the Elf on the Shelf - and decided that we, too, needed to start that tradition. It's cute - and truth be told, it may just help me keep my ~~insane~~ exuberant children in check for the Holidays.

Meet Skippy. Skippy Lou, to be exact.
When I pointed the elf out to Carys a few days ago, she was a little intimidated. She did ask him what his name was, and ~~using my best ventriloquist act~~ he told the girls his name was Skippy. A few hours later, Carys looked a little too serious on the couch. When I asked her what was going on in her curly little head, she told me she kept asking Skippy what his middle name was - but he wouldn't answer her. Ha!

So, again, "he" told her his whole name: Skippy Lou Elf. (Um, because when Carys thought she heard him say "Skippy" the first time, I ran with it. And then all I could think of was "Skip, skip, skip to my Lou...")
Skippy's been mum ever since he told us his name. We decided it was because he is only supposed to talk to Santa - he's not allowed to talk to us. However, Carys called me in her room last night to tell me that she could hear the elf whispering. How cute is that?

Chad & I have been cracking up since Skippy's arrival. When the girls are being mean to each other, they no longer run to one of us - they run to Skippy to turn each other in!
We were watching TV last night, while the girls were in the playroom, and the next thing we know, we hear:

"Skippy, I love you. You're my best friend. But I have to tell you that my little sister, Cailyn - she's only two - she's being very mean to me. She's not sharing. Please tell Santa that I am a good girl."

and then CaiCai chimes in shortly thereafter:

"Skippy, I love you. Sissy says bad words to me. Tell Santa."

I cannot stop laughing. I think it's hysterical - and the best way to recycle a Kellogg's Rice Krispies Snap-Crackle-Pop elf Christmas ornament that used to live on Nana's tree.

Carys knows that Skippy reports to Santa each night after she goes to bed, so she was very excited to talk to Skippy this morning. However, Skippy had changed locations - and now resides in the living room.

Wonder where he'll pop up next?
And I really hope that Fiona, the crazy cat, doesn't decide to make him a plaything. How would ~~Santa~~ I explain that?

Our party weekend

2008-12-09T12:02:00.008-05:00

Carys had a great birthday party on Saturday. She got everything she wanted & more! In fact, she received everything she asked Santa for already, so now she has to have a new Santa List. I bet this will happen every year from now on...something about December birthdays!

Faith, Carys, Chad & a little bit o' Bradon

After the party, our families went to Meadow Lights, which is a small community about 30 minutes from here. They decorate and cater to little ones, with a train that goes around the lights, a carousel and pictures with Santa (which we did not do because it was freezing!).Here are Chad and mini-Chad (aka Cailyn) on the train.

Carys, Chad & Landon on the carousel

And then, of course, Cailyn had to go potty right
before the carousel ride,so we rode it by
ourselves after the other kids got off.

Thanks to everyone who came to help Carys celebrate. She had a lot of fun and told me "it's da best day o' my wife!"

The much anticipated Easy Bake Oven was put to use for the first time last night.

Carys was a proud baker last night; after thirty minutes of stirring an infinitesimal amount of water to make a "dough", and then waiting for two cookies to bake and cool. She gobbled them up, of course, and shared them with all of us. My little Betty Crocker in the making!

Happy Birthday, Carys!

2008-12-08T06:09:00.006-05:00

My Sweet Carys,
Five years ago today, I became a mother and gained a new best friend. You were tiny and perfect. And I was in awe that you were ours.

Today, you are a beautiful, sweet, intelligent little lady with the best parts of me and Daddy. You love to sing and dance, and don't really mind it when your little sister tags along. I often say that you march to the beat of some little Rastafarian drummer in your head - you're so animated, and I love that about you. You're an easy-going gal, but you definitely have your own way of doing things. We laugh at the predicaments you get yourself into and we know it's a hardy glimpse of times to come. Oh, the teenage years are going to be f.u.n.

You have one of the biggest hearts I've ever witnessed. You genuinely care about other people and are very quick to offer hugs and kisses when you think someone is sad; even people you do not know. You're always there to offer a smile, and everyone loves that about you.

You have the gift to make us laugh with your silly knock-knock jokes, pronunciations of certain words, pulling drama queen tactics, and remembering things from two years ago out of the blue.

You've been doing a lot of thinking about what you want to be and do when you grow up. You want to be a chef (and a farmer - so you'll have eggs and milk for your restaurant, you say). You've got it all figured out. And I cannot wait to see what your future really holds.
I beg you to slow down, and not grow up too fast on me - and you ask me daily when you're going to be a grown-up. Then when I tell you what being a grown-up entails, you smile and say you want to be a kid forever. That's my wish, too, you know.

This year is bittersweet. You are five. FIVE, my dear.
No longer a baby, for sure. No longer a toddler, nope. And you're almost not a preschooler, either (technically speaking, of course).
You are going to start kindergarten next fall and I won't have you all to myself most days. Thankfully, that's months away, and I am ready to share you. You are such a delightful girl, and everyone loves you. They may not enjoy the increasing decibels in which you speak, but it will grow on them. Trust me!

You make us smile and laugh every day, and we are so proud of the wonderful little lady you are becoming.

We love you Care Bear.
Happy, happy birthday sweet girl!

The Friday Feast: Part LATE

2008-12-07T13:31:00.003-05:00

My sweet Carys turns FIVE on Monday. She had her birthday party yesterday, along with a smorgasbord of her favorite foods: pigs-in-a-blanket, mini pizza slices, chicken nuggets, mango salsa & chips, fruit & veggies, and she requested her favorite cake. I thought I'd share it with you, too. It's quite delicious, and a family recipe.

Strawberry Cake

1 box white cake mix

Oil as directed on cake mix box
1 (3oz) box of strawberry Jello
2/3 cup frozen, chopped strawberries
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Cream Cheese Icing
1 (8 oz) bar of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup margarine at room temperature
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
food coloring, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together cake mix and Jello. Add oil and milk.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Stir in strawberries. Pour into greased pans and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Icing: Mix all ingredients until creamy and smooth.
Keep in the fridge until you're ready to frost the cake.

I doubled the recipe to have a larger cake for the party, but the above recipe is a standard two-layer or one 9"x13" cake.

Cailyn can sing, too!

2008-12-05T09:23:00.001-05:00

A Tradition I'll Keep

2008-12-03T10:46:00.006-05:00

There are only a few people who will recognize this, but I think everyone will enjoy it.
It was stashed away in a box of items in my Gramaine's room. I was so lucky to find it.
Since 1989, this Santa hung in my Gramaine's house everyday, not just at Christmas. We used to joke her about it hanging at her kitchen entry every day of the year. She would just laugh, and tell us "Well, I know, shug" (short for sugar, pronounced "shugah") in her clear Charleston drawl.

Each name represents one of her most precious gifts - her grandchildren.

It's a family heirloom I'll treasure forever.

Oh, how I love December!

2008-12-03T10:04:00.003-05:00

Although this month is by far our busiest (isn't it for everyone?), I love December. It's the ambiance.
It's cozy. Comforting. Sparkly and festive.
I love the way everyone is a little more chipper than normal.

There are a ton of people we love celebrating birthdays this month, including our own Miss Carys. I cannot believe she is going to be FIVE.

And two of our dear friends are getting married this month too! We are so excited to see all of our best friends at the wedding - it's going to be so much fun!

Carys will be singing in her preschool's Christmas concert next week. Last year's performance was so cute, and I know this year's will be a favorite memory as well.

We put our Christmas tree up over the weekend, and the house is merrily decorated. I love it!
I sent Christmas cards out this week, and we've been singing Jingle Bell Rock to our heart's content. Chad is growing quite tired of hearing the same song over & over, but he's a good sport.

Chad also painted our kitchen on Sunday. It was a beautiful shade of CAROLINA blue, which I'm sure was the main reason he wanted to change it since we moved in. Clearly, I didn't allow him to paint it Wolfpack red.
It's now a lovely shade of apple green - like granny smith apples. It's a big change, and I really like the change. The girls say it's boobiful, so I guess they like it, too.

I haven't been so good about taking pictures lately. Too much to do with the business and around the house lately. I do intend on snapping some pictures of the girls festively dressed very soon.

Oh, and the Friday Feast will be back this week.

I can't help myself!

2008-11-26T14:44:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - and we've been busy at the Lanford house today.
Carys has helped me make a pumpkin mousse pie (low sugar for us diabetics - and it's delish!), homemade fudge (which is NOT low sugar, so I can't indulge), corn souffle and yummy sweet potato casserole. I am SO looking forward to being with our families tomorrow. I can almost hear that sweet sound of contentment, the aftermath's miserable groans of expanded bellies, and the sight of a trampled & sampled feast table. Ahhhhhh. Cannot wait!

But you know what else I love about Thanksgiving?

After tomorrow's feast, I can officially dress my adorable children is Christmas garb, freely sing holiday jingles without strange looks from my loving husband, and decorate my house without the neighbors thinking I have lost my mind a few weeks earlier than this time last year...

And, I can finally share this with you. My darling little Care Bear, who loves all things merry & bright - just like her mama. Enjoy.

Mmmmm. Chocolate covered turkey.

2008-11-24T14:24:00.004-05:00

You know me, right?
So you know that chocolate is a food group all by itself - to me. I could live on water and chocolate. Or, chocolate and diet Dr. Pepper. Or, chocolate and diet Mt. Dew. You get the drift.

Anyway.
Carys & I have been busy making cake pops for her Thanksgiving feast at school tomorrow. She was so excited to help make something fun and ultra-cool to take to her class. We decided to make cake pops, after she spotted these little gobblers on Bakerella.

You can find the basic cake ball recipe on Bakerella's website - as well as tons of things you can do with them. They are SO cute. And tasty!

I am trying to stop myself from eating them all...at least until Chad gets home.
I made 30 - and we only need about 15 for school tomorrow....which leaves us a few to sample. Seriously - we need to make sure they're tasty enough for a bunch of four-year-olds, right?
Right!

Friday Feast: Part 8

2008-11-21T21:03:00.003-05:00

I concocted this dish for one of our dear friends, the infamous Trevor Cox. We all wanted to go out to dinner, but didn't really have the funds to do so, since we were starving college students.
T was craving Alice Springs Chicken from Outback Steakhouse, so we scoured the internet for a copycat recipe. After some fine-tuning over the years, we've found something that is tastily similar - and a lot cheaper than going out to eat with a family of four.
It's one of our favorites, and there are never any leftovers.

Skye's Steakhouse Chicken

Honey Mustard Marinade & Dip:
1/2 c. dijon mustard
1/2 c. honey
1 1/2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice

The rest:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small carton fresh mushrooms
Seasoning salt to taste
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 c. shredded Monterrey-Jack cheese
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp parsely, optional

Combine marinade ingredients. Sprinkle chicken with salt, and pour 1/3 of marinade over chicken breasts and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute mushrooms in bacon drippings. Set mushrooms aside. Cook chicken in the same pan - you want to use up all that yummy bacon fat! (What? I didn't say this dish was low-fat - I said it was delicious...) Brush each chicken breast with marinade. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, and top with crumbled bacon pieces. Spoon on mushrooms, and then top with cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted.

Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh corn on the cob. Delish!

Adventures of a Bracelet Bandit

2008-11-19T16:16:00.002-05:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Carys always has her eye on sparkling thingamabobs at any store we go to. She always asks, "Mommy, can we buy this?" And I usually say no because, frankly, we're a tad bit tired of picking up various girly toys and accessories at home.

When shopping recently, a lovely, sparkly, PINK! bracelet caught Carys' eye while I was checking out. Of course, the stores know that mommies with tots in tow will (sometimes) oblige to a preschooler's request for something new & shiny - hence the reason they put these things at eye level to a 4-year-old at the check-out counter.

I saw her looking at it, amazed. I motioned that it was time to go and she put it back.

We traipse out to the car and I'm putting the bags in, buckling Cailyn in her seat -- and notice a nice little bauble on Carys' wrist.
She did, indeed, put the bracelet back when I told her it was time to go. I just didn't see that she already had one on her wrist.

So, we march back into the store and head back to the counter. We had a mini-conversation in the parking lot about how she had stolen something and that was wrong...she as scared to death to go back in the store.

We waited patiently for the cashier to help her current customer, and then I told Carys to give the merchandise back. She was extremely nervous, hiding behind me and refusing eye contact.
She handed over her loot and looked at the floor the whole time I was explaining what had happened.
The clerk didn't seem to care that I had just saved their store from lost property -- all two dollars worth. She smiled and asked me if I wanted to BUY it. Ummm, no.

This was a teachable moment for poor little Carys. She officially apologized and quietly asked me if the police were coming. (I had to chuckle at that, but not noticeably, of course.)

I remember when I was a bit older than Carys, I "sampled" a piece of Brach's candy from those huge open bins at the grocery store. I mean, they were just sitting there in their bright & shiny wrappers, begging for me to try one.
And I did.
And I got in huge trouble.
I remember my mom marching me to the manager of the store, so I could tell him what I had done. He was stern. My mom was stern. I was scared.
But I never did it again.

Hopefully, Carys learned a valuable lesson. No money, no purchase. (And no free samples, either!)

the Monday duldrums & some advertising

2008-11-17T10:25:00.003-05:00

Monday again. Already?
I don't know where the weekend went.

Friday night, we went to see some of my favorite people for dinner. A childhood friend was in town, so a bunch of us got together for some tasty Mexican. It was so much fun to see everyone, and their kids! Good times with good friends. What could be better than that?

Saturday was spent grocery shopping (my least favorite activity to do with two children in tow, in case you were wondering), playing with the girls & wondering what we're going to do for Carys' birthday in a few weeks.

Yesterday was a glorious lazy day. Carys didn't even get dressed yesterday. That child would live in her pajamas if I would let her. She's already asking when her preschool is having pajama day this year...it's her favorite theme day, be far.

Today is back to normal. Got some cleaning to do. Some clothes to wash. Some children to snuggle.

And then tomorrow starts another fast-paced week of driving Carys to school and keeping Cailyn entertained while we've got some alone time.

And before I forget, please let me know if you'll be ordering Holiday cards from me this year.
Here is a sideshow of the Holiday Collection, and remember that all work is as custom as you want it to be.

Cooking with my girlies

2008-11-15T17:33:00.005-05:00

Chad is away tonight with "Mountain Man Jake" (as Carys refers to him) at the NCSU football game. So the girls and I have had a fun-filled evening of playing, chatting & cooking dinner. Carys has been interested in cooking for a while now - she even says she wants to be a chef when she grows up. She's been begging us for an Easy Bake Oven for her birthday. It arrived via UPS a couple of weeks ago, and it's been killing me not to break it out and give it to her - I know she's going to flip out when she unwraps it on her birthday in a few weeks.

She asked me if she could help make dinner, and then she wanted to bake cupcakes. So we decided (the girls decided for me) that we should make a mini-meal. After thinking about what we could make, we landed on mini-hamburgers and mini-fries.

They had a blast! Carys was interested in making the burger patties, until she saw the "oozy red juice" in the bottom of the meat package. She decided that part was disgusting!!! and I had to make them all by myself! Can you imagine that!?! She did help me with the fries, but just barely. Had I known them "helping" me cook this meal would turn into such a chore, I would have scrapped the idea from the beginning. But they had fun regardless, so that's the best part.

They assembled the tiny burgers with condiments and pickles, and made sure everyone had ample ketchup on their plates. My little waitresses...

Friday Feast: Part Siete

2008-11-12T16:49:00.008-05:00

I planned to have several different recipes for you today, but I just haven't had the chance. Next week, maybe.

We love Mexican food - we could eat it every day. The girls love it too, probably because I feasted on guacamole, hot salsa, and spicy quesadillas while they were in utero. They popped right out (well, with some ample pushing and cursing on my part) with a natural craving for spicy goodness, melted cheese galore and earthy cilantro.

We're meeting a bunch of friends tonight for dinner (at a Mexican joint, of course!), so I'm getting the night off. Whee!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1 pint sour cream
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chilies & onions
3 cooked & cubed chicken breasts
6 flour tortillas, cut in half
2 cups shredded cheese
(we always use Monterrey-Jack, but you can use other varieties)
1 small can black olives, sliced
Fresh cilantro to taste (I use A LOT)
fresh spinach (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 9x13" pan with cooking spray, then spread about
half the can of enchilada sauce in the bottom.
In a bowl, mix sour cream, soup, tomatoes/chilies/onions and chicken.
Layer four tortillas, then spread half the chicken mixture on top.
Repeat tortilla layer and then chicken layer.
I added a layer of fresh spinach because I was too lazy to make a side salad that night. And, it's cold & flu season - spinach is chock full of vitamin C and B6. And the kids don't know what it is when I disguise it, so I try to get it in as much as I can.
Finish with another layer of tortillas, the rest of the enchilada sauce, cheese & olives.
Bake for 30-45 minutes.
If you see that the cheese is browning to quickly, just cover it with a loose layer of foil.

Four Seasons

2008-11-12T16:30:00.001-05:00

With each new month and change of season, we've had a new anticipation, a new round of treatment, a new possibility that things could be changing for the better.

Today is the one-year mark; the one-year mark of the day our lives changed, our love grew, our children were more precious, and our time was more valuable.

This time last year, we were fearful as to what the future would bring. We didn't know where would be a year later. We didn't want to think about what could happen. We just lived through it.

And one year later, despite the lack of results from ten months of treatment, despite the uncertainty that surrounds us every day, despite being completely overwhelmed by things we cannot change, things are good.

One year after Chad's diagnosis, I remember foggily hearing "large mass", "quality versus quantity" and "we're so sorry" from nurses and attending physicians in the emergency room. I remember seeing the look in their eyes every time I would ask a question they did not have the answer to. I remember crying so fiercely that my entire body shook. I remember praying so loudly for things to remain the same, to take away these tumors and let us have our life back.

One year after Chad's diagnosis, I remember camping out in the hospital for nine days, and hoping we could go home soon. I remember the hospital smell. The hospital food. The hospital - in general. I remember never wanting to go back there, but also being sincerely grateful for the medical staff that was put in our path. They handled everything quickly, and did not leave me in the dark.

One year after Chad's diagnosis, I remember thinking that my life, our lives, would never be the same. Very quickly, the question changed from "Why us?" to "What do we do now?" And that positive thinking has propelled us forward in days, months, and a year that I couldn't propel myself.

One year after Chad's diagnosis, I know that there's a reason for all of this. I knew it then, but I was too overwhelmed to think of any "positive" outcome. Being overwhelmed was all-consuming. But it passes. We were given people, words and wisdom to help us through the first battle of unknown territory.

One year after Chad's diagnosis, I know that he is healthy. And he's doing extraordinarily well. You would never know that any of this has transpired. You would never know.
And that, is what I am most thankful for.
Our children, for the most part, haven't been affected by such great change. They've adapted very well.

Looking back, I wasn't sure where we would be today. One whole year later.
But we're here. And we're strong. And we hope that we'll get an answer some day soon.
Until then, we just live each day like the day before it. We make memories and do things we've been talking about doing. We better understand how precious time is, and we're doing what we all should do: Living.

Chad's MRI still shows the tumors are there. They have not changed. They haven't gotten smaller. But they haven't gotten bigger, which is a blessing. Chad is quite an enigma in all of this, as we've been told by his medical team. He's doing fantastic...not "in spite of" -- he's just doing fantastic. Period.

We still have no real prognosis. We do know that this is not a textbook case - so no one knows what lies ahead. We do know that today is a great day. Yesterday was great. And tomorrow will be, too.

Chad is taking a treatment holiday, so no chemotherapy for at least three months. We'll see where we stand at the next MRI in February. Chemo could have been stunting growth. Or the tumors could be dormant on their own. There's only one way to find out.

Once again, we thank you all for your unwavering support, positive thoughts, prayers, meals, shoulders to cry on, phone calls to check in...the list could go on! We thank you, sincerely. We've had a year of change, but it's been a great year. And the best part is that it's over! We now know what to expect day-to-day, and our lives are a lot less chaotic than I thought they would be.

Everyday, we achieve a new level of normalcy.
Everyday, we're more thankful.

Up and Away

2008-11-12T15:35:00.007-05:00

Monday was a gorgeous, gorgeous day.
We spent it in doctor's offices -- and then we headed West...for a hot air balloon ride later in the day. (I know, you weren't expecting that, were you?)

We weren't exactly sure what to expect with this little adventure, but it was SO much fun.

The wind was minimal, so we didn't go very far. But the view was outstanding (that's Pilot Mountain in the picture above). It was quite different from flying via plane. It was so quiet. And slow - due to the lack of wind to propel us in one direction or another. It was just very clam, peaceful, and serene.

Capt. Jack put us to work, helping assemble the balloon and then dismantling it after we landed. I knew it must be a lot of work - and we definitely found that out, firsthand. The balloon is about 80 feet tall, and about 90,000 cubic feet when filled. The basket was smaller than I thought - it was just enough room for the three of us to stand and move in comfortably.

We flew over a school, where some kids were playing outside. They were fascinated as we got about 40 feet from the ground and waved to them. Our girls would have thought that was SO cool.

We caused quite a stir in the small town of East Bend, NC. People were pulling off the road, tracking us on the ground, and greeted us when we landed in a vacant field.

After the short ride back to home base, we were welcomed with champagne, hor'dourves, and great conversation with some pretty great people. It was a perfect end to a great experience.
Many thanks to my Aunt Candy and Uncle Wayne for orchestrating this great adventure! We absolutely loved it.

"Not a baby anymore!"

2008-11-08T21:14:00.002-05:00

So, Cailyn has a new phrase - "I not a baby anymore, Mommy! I BIG!"

SHE'S POTTY-TRAINED!!!

Geesh, I hope the cosmic forces of the potty-training universe don't get me for saying that out loud.

We've been working on it for a while. Months. She was ready, but so stubborn...
She was still pooping in her panties and that is not my thing. Yuck!
This week, we were watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight, and there was a part where one of the big boys was sitting on the potty. Kate as telling him that he didn't want to be the only boy in diapers - he wanted to be a big boy!
So, Cailyn really took this to heart. I've been trying to get her to trade in her diapers for big girl pants for a while now -- but it finally just clicked when she saw and heard that show. Crazy.

She is doing SO well. The only accidents have been from not being able to get to the potty in time. She's only wearing a dipe at bedtime - and she's poo'ing in the potty! I am so glad to be done with changing nasty diapers!

Carys was fully trained shortly before she turned three, and Cailyn is not quite two-and-a-half yet.

Friday Feast: Part VI

2008-11-07T15:33:00.001-05:00

The Fabulous Lanford girls can be quite picky.
Sometimes, they revolt when I answer the simple question: "What's for dinner, Mommy?"
Sometimes, they even decide they don't eat certain categories of food. Like anything green, for example. Or anything that starts with the letters S, N or P.
But sometimes, they're just plain persnickety. For no good reason...other than "but I don't like that." Generally, it's a rule in our house that you have to at least take a bite before you can declare you do or do not like something. I don't always win that battle, but I try.

Tonight, I'm in the mood for one of Chad's favorites -- stuffed bell peppers. But I know the kids won't touch it because it's green. And because it doesn't contain hot dogs, chicken nuggets or candy.

So, I changed it up a bit. We're having unstuffed bell peppers, if you will.

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

2-3 large bell peppers, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp evoo

1 lb ground beef, browned & drained

3 cups cooked rice
1 jar/lg can of pasta sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute bell peppers & garlic in evoo for about 5 minutes.
Mix all ingredients well and place in a 9x13" baking dish.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until hot.

The kids LOVE this casserole, but aren't too keen on actual stuffed bell peppers.
Ha - mommies are so sneaky.

Cream Cheese Cake Bars

1 box cake mix (any flavor you choose - I had coconut on hand, so that's what I used)
1 egg
1 stick butter, softened

2 eggs
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 box confectioner's sugar
Optional ingredients:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 bag of chocolate chips

Beat cake mix, egg & butter together and pat into 9x13 inch pan. It will be thick - think of it more like a crust. (If you choose to use nuts and/or chocolate chips: Add the nuts and 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips to the cake mixture.)

Mix cream cheese, sugar & eggs together. (Add remaining chocolate chips if desired)
Pour over cake mix and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This recipe is best for cutting once it has fully cooled. We sweet-tooth Lanfords usually cannot wait for it to cool longer than 30 minutes, but for best results, I do recommend letting it cool - preferably overnight.

Very easy. Very yummy! And perfect for a potluck.

The 3am Bark

2008-11-03T14:13:00.002-05:00

It took me a minute to realize the barking noise I heard in the wee hours of this morning were not the beagles. The beagles are not here anymore. It was coming from the girls rooms.

And then I heard the crying. The barky cry.

Poor Carys.

When she was 3.5 months old, we had to call the ambulance. She was not breathing well - she was turning blue. She scared us to death. We drove her to the nearest Children's ER - about a 15 minute drive, and she was diagnosed with croup. She was given steroids and kept for a few exhausting hours, in the tiniest little ER gown you've ever seen.

She's struggled with croup ever since.
I'm told from her pediatrician that some kids are just prone to it.

Over the years, I've figured out that steam doesn't help her - just cold air. So, we often bundle up on the deck in the wee hours of the morning. But last year, I think I only had to go outside with her once. She had very mild cases last year, and I thought she may have outgrown it. The pediatrician said she may - as her airway gets larger as she grows, she may just outgrow it.

She's almost five. And last night proved to me that she has not outgrown it.

She couldn't catch her breath. She was scaring herself because she's old enough, now, to realize something was wrong. I tried to calm her down, to help regulate her breathing.
She was gasping for breath, turning blue around her mouth...it was terrible. At one point, I told her that we needed to calm down and breathe slowly or I would have to take her to the hospital. She didn't like that idea at all, and tried so hard to pretend she was fine.
After about an hour of sitting on the deck with two very tired little girls (Cailyn heard the commotion and couldn't be left out!), Carys had finally drifted off to sleep with a sturdy wheeze.

I slept with them last night, so I could hear if Carys' breathing changed again. I cannot tell you how hard it is to sleep with these two girls. They kick. They talk in their sleep. They jockey for position as to who will be closest to Mommy.

SOooooo tired today.
Carys is feeling better. She still has the cough, but it's nothing like it was last night. Times like that scare me to death. I know my limits as Dr. Mommy, and if she hadn't gotten any better after an hour, we would've headed to the ER. I just hate taking in her in for steroid shots. She's five. She doesn't need steroids every time this happens. It can't be good for in the long run, you know what I mean?

I've been doing some research today, and I'm going to push for a pulminology test to rule out asthma. She's been diagnosed with allergies, she often coughs when she runs and plays. I'm thinking she may have respiratory issues, despite my past pleas for her to be tested.

Oh, never a dull moment in the Lanford house. Always something, always.

Carysisms

2008-11-03T10:11:00.003-05:00

Carys woke up last week, when it was really cold out. She peered out the window & got so excited. She ran to me, exclaiming: "MOMMY! There is frosting on the ground!"
She still calls it frosting, even though we've told her all about frost 1,764,891 times.

Trick or Treat '08

2008-11-01T13:54:00.004-04:00

Every Halloween, we feast on Spaghetti. And garlic bread - to keep the vampires away.
I always had spaghetti on Halloween when I was a kid - so we're just carrying on the tradition.
I dolled the girls up (as Dorothy and Cinderella) and we headed to the Fall Festival. They had a lot of fun - bounces houses, games, candy galore.
In fact, they had so much fun that they passed out in the backseat of the truck at about 7:45. I had to wake them up to go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.
We don't get many kids in the neighborhood, so the Lanford girls made out like bandits. Our neighbors were doling out candy by the handfuls in hopes of being "done" and turning out their lights.
Here is Chad with the girls. He dropped us off in the neighborhood and ran home to get his gear on. Then he attempted to jump out of the woods and scare us as we were walking home. Carys was scared to death, but Cailyn was so tired, it didn't really phase her.

After a post-candyfest bath, we all snuggled up for a not-so-scary movie on the couch. The girls fell asleep pretty quickly.

They had a grand time. And it was fun to see Cailyn participate this year. Her meek little "Twick o' Tweet" was so sweet. And Carys was just plain excited -- and already looking forward to next year.

Friday Feast: Part Cinco

2008-10-31T13:00:00.003-04:00

I'm noticing a trend at my house. Well, several of my mommy friends have mentioned the same trend.
It costs more and more these days to feed a family of four. Especially with two tiny bellies to fill. I swear, their bellies are never full...they are eating us out of house & home! Little starvin' Marvins.

I try to shop wisely and use the same ingredients for several different meals for the week.
This also saves me time -- because the tiny Lanfords also suck all my time, as well as any food we have in the house.

This week, I had a huge 2.5 pound tray of hamburger. I could have made one heckuva meatloaf. But I divided it and used it two different times this week. These are two of the easiest meals in my arsenal. And pretty cheap to make, too.

Time saving. Budget conscious. And delicious.

Chili ala Easy! 1 lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 small can chile peppers
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/2 diced bell pepper
Chili seasoning to taste

Brown the beef, onions and bell pepper.
Dump the rest of the ingredients the pot.
Cook on medium for about 15 minutes.

We garnish with cheddar, sour cream & jalapenos.
But you don't need to - it's tasty as is.
Serve it with cornbread or these tasty cheddar biscuits.

Cheese Biscuits
Another one of my mom's recipes.
I could have lived on these as a kid!

2 cups bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix baking mix, milk, & cheese until a soft dough forms
Mix well for about 1 minute.
Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased cooking sheet.
Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix butter & garlic powder (optional).
Brush garlic mixture over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.

And here's the other meal. Good old Southern comfort food.

Hamburger Steak with Gravy
1.5 lbs ground beef
Salt & pepper
Worcestershire sauce

Form beef into patties and brown in pan.
Plate over mashed potatoes or rice, with gravy.
And it's a must in our house that we have corn with it.

I usually go to the pantry for one of those brown gravy packs. But I didn't have any this time, hence the strange gravy color. My crowd likes the packet stuff! I've yet to find a recipe that they like as well, so we keep it easy around here.

Next week, we'll have something a little more adventurous. I just couldn't have you thinking I make elaborate dinners every night. I don't. And you shouldn't beat yourself up if you don't either.

Round 10 & lots o' pictures

2008-10-29T17:11:00.004-04:00

Well, please excuse my lack of posting. I keep meaning to post a few things here & there, but I forget. Story of my life....

Chad finished Round 10 of chemo last week. We thought the round was going pretty well, pretty uneventful. But then he just got nauseated - more than normal. He was so sick to his stomach that he couldn't bear to take his final dose. So, he only took 4 doses this time around.
I remember how miserable extreme nausea can be - to the point where you wish you could just puke and get on with it. Nausea is a terrible feeling. Imagine that, with stomach pains, headaches, extreme fatigue (but you can't go to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time), a constant metallic taste in your mouth, and I think you might begin to understand why Chad may discontinue chemo. At least for a bit.

He has an MRI next week (Monday). If there is no change, he's probably going to stop, at least for 3 months. Then, with the next MRI and no chemo, we'll know if it's having an effect on the tumors. We don't know if the tumors are really being stunted by the chemo. So, we have to find out.

He's doing well though. Thanks for the continued prayers and positive thoughts.

Here's a glimpse as to what we've been up to for the last week or so.

Here we are at the Barnes Farm. My Great-Granny lived in this house until she passed away when I was about 5. I have so many memories of playing there, family reunions...I am so glad that I have a picture of us there. We can no longer go inside, but the girls thought it was pretty neat that my Grandma & their Nana (my mom) were at this house when they were little girls.
My mom (Nana), and the fabulous Lanford girls! A lifelong fear of snakes was born on those very steps. HUGE corn snakes would frequently sun themselves on those steps and I was usually the one to find them. Once, I thought one was a stick and tried to pick it up...until it wriggled in my hand and I freaked.out. Big time.
This is most of our family (from my mom's side), minus a few people. We missed you, Carmen, Sandy & Susie! Chad sacrificed his face time and took a picture of all of us. Definitely a keeper. (The picture - and the husband.)

Last weekend, Chad & I took the girls to see Disney on Ice. They were so excited! I don't have very many good pictures of them from the event because the lighting was weird - but we had fun, so that's all that matters.Carys, watching the show.And Cailyn, too!
After the show, we introduced our little ladies to Waffle House -- because you know, those concessions are SO expensive at the Coliseum. We paid $10 for ONE bag of cotton candy. That was gone in less than 5 minutes between all of us. But it did come with a hat...that the kids could care less about.
Seriously...Carys thought Waffle House was pretty special. Evidently, when her teacher asked her what she did this weekend, she told the entire class about her trip to Waffle House. Not a word about Disney on Ice. Just Waffle House.And then last night, Chad & I dropped the girls off with my dad and went to the McCain rally in Fayetteville. It was definitely a memorable experience. We stood on the floor, about 10 "rows" back from the platform. (I say "rows" because it was just a jumble of people, no seats or lines. But we weren't far at all)
This is election is going to be historical, no matter how it shakes out, and we were pretty excited to be there.
We voted last week, and I'm so glad we did. I can't imagine the lines on November 4th -- they were pretty long last week!

Tomorrow, Carys has a school field trip to CiCi's Pizza of all places. They get to make their own pizza, so they will have fun. But goodness, I wish they were going to the pumpkin patch like last year.
And then Friday is Halloween. Lots of pictures from that, I assure you.
Carys is ... well, I'll let the girls' costumes be a surprise. And no, she's not going as a Waffle House waitress...maybe next year!

Friday Feast: Part IV

2008-10-25T09:13:00.003-04:00

We had some technical difficulties at the Lanford Chateau yesterday, but I did have all intentions of posting last night.

I made one of my favorite dishes. It's actually my mom's recipe, with a little variation.

The key element to getting Chicken Cordon Bleu right is making sure the chicken is flat enough. I'm told that some butchers will flatten a chicken breast for you. And you could probably butterfly it for the same result. But I prefer to perform the delicate act of flattening. It's therapeutic to whack a chicken breast. Repeatedly. And I don't even own a fancy-schmancy meat tenderizer mallet. I just use a canned good from the pantry. Fun times.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Four flattened boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Four slices of ham
Four slices of thick-cut cheese
(I like Provolone, Mozzarella, Swiss or Mont-Jack best)
Bread crumbs
3/4 stick of melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
As we mentioned before, flatten a chicken breast. Wrap one slice of cheese in a slice of ham.
Place the ham and cheese in the center of the chicken breast and fold, as neatly and tightly as you can. All the cheesy goodness will escape while baking if you don't! Use toothpicks to secure the chicken breast. Typically, I use four toothpicks. It doesn't matter how many you use. Just keep a mental note of how many - so you can find them all after baking. Nothing tasted better than Baked Toothpicks Cordon Bleu.
Brush each breast with melted butter and cover with bread crumbs.
Place the chicken open-side up on a baking dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes.

Oh, and don't be alarmed when you cut into the chicken for the first time.
There's pink ham in the center, remember?

Golden Parmesan Potatoes
Six large baking potatoes
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt butter in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan.
Wash and cube potatoes. Place all ingredients into a large ziploc bag.
Shake well - make sure all the potatoes are coated evenly.
Arrange potatoes in the pan on top of the melted butter.
A single layer works best, but it's not the end of the world if some overlap.
Bake for one hour.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz chocolate chips
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.
Stir dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add slowly to butter mixture, beating well.
Stir in chocolate chips, nuts & oats.

Now, chill out.
Put the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Drop cookies by the spoonful onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
Cool on wire rack and wait for them to cool.
Listen to me! It's not fun if you burn your tongue and then can't taste the cookies!

Carys sings the blessing

2008-10-20T09:55:00.003-04:00

Every night, Carys asks us (tells us, really) to say the blessing. It's her duty as first-born, I suppose.
And this little girls sings with all her might. I've yet to ask her teacher if she sings it this way at school, but I'm sure she does.

Chad & I laugh every time she sings it. It's so innocent & sweet, but her mispronunciations crack us up. Despite the eleven hundred attempts to get her to pronounce the words correctly...ah, well. She'll get it.

"Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus,
For our foo', for our foo',
Annamannibwessings, Annamannibwessings, (Translates to: And our many blessings)
Argh-men! Argh-men!" (In he best pirate voice)

Please disregard the great shot of my feet. We didn't want her to know we were filming her and Chad moved the camera when she threw her dinner to the floor. Totally accidental. And totally Carys.

Friday Feast: Part Tres

2008-10-17T15:30:00.007-04:00

I love breakfast. But I usually don't get a chance to make anything elaborate because when the Lanford household is hungry, they need to eat. Right Now.

So, sometimes we have breakfast for dinner.
Carys always exclaims "Mommy! Breakfast for dinner?!? That's not right!"
Oh do I love breaking the rules!
We love pancakes and sausage and all the yummy stuff. But tonight we're having my famous quiche. And man, am I looking forward to that!

This quiche is easy to make, but the cook time is a little too long for those of us who don't really get up early enough to prepare, bake & preoccupy a few starvin' people. Sleeping is, evidently, a very hunger-inducing process.
You can make it the night before and keep the egg mixture in a ziploc bag for the next morning. (Unfortunately, I only have the forethought to do this when it's Christmas Eve for our Christmas breakfast feast.)

Skye's Quiche

9 inch frozen deep-dish pie crust
1 pound sausage, cooked & drained well
1 cup cheese (I mostly use Monterrey-Jack, but Cheddar works well too)
1 large can of sliced mushrooms (or you can substitute 1 cup of peeled apples - YUM!)
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick bottom of pie crust & bake for about 8 minutes.
Turn down heat to 325 degrees.
Combine sausage, cheese, mushrooms & spices. Spoon into pie crust.
Beat eggs well, pour over sausage mixture.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes or until set. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Pair it with a simple side salad, and FEAST!

A Carys funny

2008-10-14T15:38:00.003-04:00

This past weekend. Chad had to get fitted for a tuxedo for the much talked-about Walker-Williams wedding in December. (Yes, even the tux shop thought he was well prepared.)

This is the conversation that occurred.

Carys: What are we doing at this fancy suit place?
Me: Daddy is going to be in a wedding.
Carys: He is?
Me: Yes. You remember Mr. Brian and Ms. Melissa? They are getting married right after your birthday. And Daddy is going to be in the wedding.
Carys: Oh.

A few minutes later....

Carys: Mommy? Why is Daddy getting married? He's getting a new wife?
Me: Um, no. He only has one wife and I'm it.
Carys: But...who will he marry at the wedding then?
Me: Daddy is not getting married. Mr. Brian and Ms. Melissa are getting married. We're just going to watch.
Carys: Oh.

We'll see if this conversation starts over again in a few days. She is so funny!

A couple of Pumpkin-Painting Picassos

2008-10-13T14:45:00.004-04:00

The girls convinced me to let them paint their wee wittle punkins. I don't know what came over me when I said yes. Thankfully, they kept the paint mostly on the pumpkins and mostly off their clothes, the walls, the floor & each other.
Here they are, showing off their artwork.
I gave them each colors to decorate with -- who knew that any combination of colors just results in a grey-purple hue?

And here is my eldest Punkin - and her sly little grin. She wasn't necessarily up to anything in this picture - but that particular grin gets a lot of play around here. As in: "Who me? I didn't do it...it was Cailyn!"
And my Wee Punkin. Who's starting to look more & more like a little girl and less & less like a baby. She is also my very girly girl. Granted, Carys likes sparkles and glittery schtuff.
Cailyn? Well, she kind of bounces when she walks. And will only wear dresses these days. As soon as breakfast is over, she's "ready get dwessed now." And she's not "dressed" until her hair gets did....She doesn't get that from me. It's 3pm. And I just recently changed from my pajamas. And brushed my mop. But don't tell anybody...

Friday Feast: Part Deux

2008-10-10T13:44:00.005-04:00

I love Fall! And I love comfort cooking. Tonight, we're having honey-glazed chicken, corn souffle, broccoli, and biscuits (which I do not make from scratch because I don't knead. I don't have patience for that!) And then baked apples for dessert.

Even though I love the infomercial for an at-home rotisserie, I don't own one. I doubt I would use it. But I do love some rotisserie chicken, and this is my mock-version.

Honey-Glazed Chicken1/4 c oil (I use olive)
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 heaping Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp paprika
Seasoning salt to taste
Chicken tenderloins (about 6-8)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a skillet to melt honey. Set aside.
Transfer chicken to baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes, basting with honey mixture.

Corn Souffle
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 small package corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together.
Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Baked Apples4 large baking apples (I used Macintosh)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash & slice apples in half. Remove core.
Arrange cut-side up in 8x8 baking dish.
divide butter into 8 equal chunks and place in apples.
Mix remaining ingredients and top apples.
Bake for 40 minutes -
then try not to burn your tongue when you can't
wait for them to cool.
I dare ya!

Sickies, STAY AWAY!

2008-10-08T14:23:00.005-04:00

My mommy senses were kicking into overdrive the last few days - Cailyn was not acting like herself.
She was ultra clingy. Ultra whiny. Just not so much of a joy to be around.

This morning, I noticed she had a nasty little barky cough - much like the one Carys often gets. I was thinking croup, for sure.

But.
No.
Strep throat.
Again.

This is the part I feel terribly guilty about. I opted for them to give her a shot of penicillin, instead of the t-e-n days of antibiotics. She doesn't take medicines well - and I thought the shot was the better option.
She was so mad at me, and the nurse, for holding her down for the nasty shot in her derriere. She's till reminding me that her butt hurts, hours after the debacle.

She sleeping it off now. Hopefully, she'll feel like a new little lady when that medicine has a little time to do its job. And I readily welcome a better-feeling little Lanford lady.

She got to pick some prizes out of the treasure box at the pediatrician's office, so she got a little loot to perk her up.

We immediately had to buy a new toothbrush & you wouldn't believe how long it takes a two-year-old to pick a new toothbrush. After hours of deliberation, she settled on Hello Kitty. Seems to be a new favorite around here...

Let's just hope that these children of mine don't start trading illnesses. We haven't been to the doctor's office with them for a while, but I sense a trend starting. I really hope my mommy senses are wrong (again).

Lessons on "Holding It"

2008-10-07T14:05:00.004-04:00

If I had boys, that title would take on a whole new meaning, eh?

Cailyn is still in the potty-training business. A few weeks ago, she reverted back to Pull-Ups only. I couldn't get that child into big girl panties - not even with bribes of candy, mind you.
But this week is a different story.

She insists on wearing her big girl pants (because "diapers are for babies, Mommy!" all of a sudden). I welcome the change.

Yet, when we're outside playing, she can't quite hold it until we can make it in the house - you know, to sit on a proper potty. I even put a training potty in the garage - but she can't make it that far, either. When she's gotta go, she's gotta go. Right that second.

So, much to Chad's delight, I've taught her a little bit about the joys of living in the country. If you pop a squat in the yard, no one will notice. Scratch that, if you're under 3 feet tall and pop a squat in the yard, no one will notice. Unless that weird guy next door has binoculars. Or if the bright white shine from a never-tanned hiney makes a space shuttle fall from the heavens.

I have got to break this newly formed habit already. She drops her drawers in the middle of the driveway & waves to the neighbors, then proudly tells her grandparents that she used the bathroom outside & has grass on her butt.

In any event, we're making potty progress.
We went to the grocery store today. With no Pull-Up in sight. And she did fantastic!

From the Lanford kitchen

2008-10-03T18:12:00.008-04:00

I've been thinking of adding a little something to my blog - because I often can't think of a single thing to write! I know you adore my children's shenanigans, and my stories about Wal-Mart...but you deserve a little more.

I love to cook - absolutely adore spending time in the kitchen. So, I thought, I should share my favorite recipes with you! (Now if you'd like to come over and help me clean the kitchen afterwards, I might give you some brownie points!)

Introducing the Friday Feast. Every Friday. Yum, Yum, Yum.

Enjoy!

Pesto Pasta

12 oz box of bowtie pasta
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb fresh green beans or asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced (or fresh broccoli)
2 cloves garlic
1 c prepared pesto (one small jar)
1/4 c heavy cream (you can use milk, too)
1 c grape tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt

Boil pasta as package directs. Drain, set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet. Cook green beans (or asparagus) and bell pepper for about 5 minutes. Add garlic & zucchini - cook about 2 minutes. You want the veggies to keep their crunch - so don’t let them get too soft.
Stir in pesto & cream. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Remove from heat.
Add pasta to sauce mixture and toss well.

This is a favorite in our house! We prefer the asparagus version, but it’s pretty tasty either way you choose. Very yummy cold or warm - even better after it sits in the fridge overnight. Is great by itself, or with some nice, crusty bread.

I topped this one off with some freshly grated Fontinella cheese because I had it in the fridge.
I sliced some french bread, drizzled with EVOO and broiled for about 5 minutes at 500 degrees.

And since I am LOVING this Fall weather change, I made a Pumpkin Pound Cake. I only made it because I'm in serious withdrawls from the great & wonderful Pumpkin Bread made by my mother-in-law Sandy. She makes the world's best pumpkin bread, which I have tried to make - it just never tastes the same...HINT HINT Sandy! Grease those coffee cans & bake us some famous Lanford pumpkin bread! (Please!)

This recipe satisfies my cravings for now, complete with candied pecans on top.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan well (I swear by Wilton's Cake Release - it's awesome!). Sift together the dry ingredients. Combine the oil, water, pumpkin & eggs. Slowly add dry ingredients until well mixed.

Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack before you try to do the cake flip.

Just a little giggle from our day

2008-09-23T22:19:00.003-04:00

Me: Carys! What are you doing?
Carys: I'm being a afrobat.
Me: You mean acrobat?
Carys: Yes, an afrobat!

So, I looked up afrobat in the dictionary. What do you know? Good ole Merriam-Webster knows what an afrobat is, and I don't.

Main Entry: af·ro·bat
Pronunciation: \ˈa-frə-ˌbat\
Function: noun
Etymology: French & Greek; French afrobate, from Greek aphrobatēs, from aphr- afr- + bainein to go

1: one that performs gymnastic feats requiring skillful control of the body while maintaining an afro

— af·ro·bat·ic \ˌa-krə-ˈba-tik\ adjective

— af·ro·bat·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

We're starting a ballet company

2008-09-19T21:03:00.004-04:00

And this is our first choreographic masterpiece.
Swan Lake? The Nutcracker? They ain't got nothin' on us.

The Lanford Ballet Company proudly presents....

Dances with Refrigerators (the Original)

Starring Cailyn Lanford and Sir Frigidaire

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Nothing to report

2008-09-18T12:08:00.003-04:00

So Chad went in for his little experiment yesterday, but wasn't able to produce any seizure activity.
While it would be nice to know what section of his brain are propagating the activity, I was put at ease that he didn't actually have a seizure. A little contradictory, I know.
In an event, he was able to take it easy for about 45 minutes while they conducted the EEG - and I can attest that the sleep lab is awesome. Comfy, comfy beds, all decked out like a 5-star hotel. You would never know that you were in a controlled environment if you didn't hear a woman's voice come thru the walls every few minutes.

He was pretty tired today, and we're not sure why, exactly. Could be the fact that he starts chemo this weekend again, and he subconsciously knows he needs to rest up. Could be the fact that he was a little excited yesterday to do the EEG - and had to be sleep-deprived for it. Could be the fact that I slipped some horse tranquilizers into his meatloaf.
Kidding. I'm kidding!

In other news, Carys is enjoying school more & more. She had two new little girls come into her class this week. She was so excited to see new faces & immediately invited them to spend the night at our house. Then she invited herself to spend the night at their houses.
I swear...that girl! She is so funny & outgoing.
I know the sleep-over days are coming soon. She can't stop talking about it. I don't know if I'm ready for any sleepovers yet.

Cailyn is doing well. She is pretty consistent using the potty at home, and usually tells me that she has to go when we're out in public. Still wears a pull-up most of the time, unless we're hanging out at home.
I'll be so glad when potty-training is done.

The Clayton Harvest Festival is this weekend, so I think we may try to go for a bit. We've missed it the last few years, so Carys is especially excited that we'll get to go this weekend.

No big news going on here. Same old stuff.
Hope you're all having a great week!

Fall is here

2008-09-15T13:29:00.003-04:00

How do I know?

The snotty-nosed fairy came to visit the WeeOne.
Hopefully, it passes quickly & no one else in the Lanford household will catch it.

While I'm wishing for ridiculous things, I might as well add a kajillion dollars, world peace & a lifetime supply of diet Dr. Pepper to my wish list.

8 Rounds down, at least 4 mo' to go before we know mo'

2008-09-13T21:38:00.005-04:00

Chad finished round 8 of treatment 2 weeks ago. He changed when he started this round due to a conference for work. Instead of starting on Monday nights and ending on Friday nights, he delayed round 8 until Saturday night wrapping up Wednesday night. This change actually seemed good because he felt well on the weekends instead of having the worst hit him on the weekend after ending his 5 day treatment. The drawback was he felt too bad to go into the office Thursday and Friday but was able to get some work done from home.

Chad goes for a checkup on Monday and he will start Round 9 on Friday since we have a wedding attend next Saturday and he wants to be close to 100%.

Last week he went for a neurologist checkup. Everything went well. He had a baseline EEG done back in January. He perked the doctor's interest by suggesting doing another EEG but this time trying to induce a seizure to see what part of the brain the misfires are being generated. Chad seems to think he can partially control his seizures by utilizing meditation techniques. Chad also thinks he can induce a misfire now that we know what some of the triggers are. He says that he gets about 2-3 misfires a week but they usually don't propogate into seizures due to his techniques. I guess this theory will be put to the test next week as he will try to induce a misfire and let it propogate into a seizure. Not to worry though since he will be in a controlled environment. The neurology office has a nice sleep lab (similar to a 5 star hotel room but smaller) where he will lay in bed with electrodes on his head and cameras monitoring his every move.

We will keep you posted if anything interesting comes from Chad's little experiment.

Preschool Princess

2008-09-09T10:32:00.005-04:00

The last first day of preschool - how bittersweet!
Carys has been talking about going to Kindergarten next year, which she's very excited about.
She hasn't been to thrilled about starting preschool this year, but she was pretty pumped about it this morning.

She woke up after I gently prodded her for a few minutes, and watched a bit of Pinky Dinky Doo - then we ate. She requested dippy eggs & biscuits (that's soft fried eggs to you non-Carys-speaking people).
After breakfast, she announced that she wanted her hair to be straight today, so off we went to make her hair as straight as I could in this Carolina humidity.

Dressed, Teeth brushed. Lunch box secured in backpack. Out the door.

It's weird to be on this routine again!

She got to hang out with a few of her friends this morning before the school day began, so she was a happy camper. She quickly found her name at her little desk and got to work on preschool things, like puzzles and coloring.

Cailyn & I went for a walk after we got home from dropping Carys off. I'm finally making time for myself now that Carys is in school - so a walking routine it is! Holly & Max joined us - it was hot, but good to be out.

WeeOne and I picked Carys up around 1pm, and she was thoroughly exhausted. We talked briefly about her day, I chatted with the teacher & we were on our way to a Carys'-First-Day-of-School surprise. Dairy Queen. Yum, yum. We feasted on chocolate-dipped cones and came home, after examining every single thing she did today; which included MAKING NEW FRIENDS! (I am thrilled that she decided to give them a chance today. She was really NOT liking the whole new friend idea for some reason.) Granted, she can't remember any of their names, but at least she called them her friends instead of "strangers in my class" as she referred to them a few times this week.

So, there you have it. The first day of preschool.

Oh, and the Diva Dress...here it is! She wanted to wear her glitter Hello Kitty shoes with it, but I thought the rhinestones, leopard backpack & glitter shoes would have been overkill.
But what do I know? I'm not a young fashionista. I am *almost* thirty, donctha know?

Preschool...already!

2008-09-04T16:51:00.012-04:00

I feel like Summer passed us by.
Granted, we Lanford Girls tanned our hides by the pool almost daily, attended random animated movies once a week, slept in, stayed up late & just enjoyed not having a real agenda.

All that ends next week when Carys starts preschool - you know the LAST TIME before she starts KINDERGARTEN! (I am hyperventilating as I type...)

Today, we went to Carys' preschool orientation.
She has been a little upset that none of her friends from last year are in her class this year. I think it will be okay though, since there are so many new friends for her to make this year.
And she'll get to see her other buddies on the playground everyday.

Anyway.
Here's our start-of-the-school-year checklist:

1. New shoes. Check!

Carys picked these out all by herself. They certainly scream CARYS! to me.

This is the first pair of sneakers she has owned without Velcro. A big step in her little world. She has convinced herself that she can tie them. But she can't. She just makes a jumble of knots...

2. New haircut. Check!

We have finally found a stylist that can tame Carys' unruly locks. YIPPEE! I am so excited that she actually looks like she has a head full of gorgeous hair now, instead of a pile o' frizz atop her shoulders.

3. New lunchbox. Checkity check!

Last year, Carys was quite find of her Disney Princess & Spiderman lunchboxes. This year, she requested one with flowers. Then she wanted one with sparkles. Then Dora. Then Transformers. Then....I lost count.

So, finally Mama just put one in the cart at Target and walked away. Result? A brand new lunchbox with no cartoon characters - and Carys doesn't even remember that she didn't pick it out...

4. New backpack. Check! (or Spots! I guess...)

She picked this one by herself - after I broke her little heart at the Sanrio store. Um, hello - they wanted $58 for a Hello Kitty backpack. Had I know she wanted one of those so badly, I would have bought one off a street vendor on our excursion to Mexico for four dollars.

She looks so tiny with her gigantic leopard backpack. Sniff, sniff. She's all grown up.

So, I think Carys is excited to start the new school year. She just told me she wants to wear something special on her first day.
The Diva Dress may make an appearance here very soon!

Channeling Carys' inner Diva

2008-09-03T21:56:00.003-04:00

While shopping for school clothes last week, Carys fell in love with this very girly dress.

She drug me over to it, and declared:
"Mom! I...HAVE...to have this dress! Is this beautiful or what?"

It was pink. Very pink.
And had lots of bling.

I kid you not; two-inch-long rhinestones all around the neckline, ala a younger version of Liz Taylor.

I said, "Carys, where will you wear this dress?"
"Over my bathing suit."

Just so we're clear...she wants to wear a diamond-encrusted dress over her bathing suit?
That's a Diva, I tell you!

"Well, I think it's a bit fancy to wear over your swimsuit....maybe you could wear it to school for picture day or something."
"But Mom, I'm a fancy girl."

So, I guess it's official.

My tomboy is a girly girl.

More proof: she realized she was going to orientation at school tomorrow, and requested a mani-
pedi. In pink. With sparkles.
Case closed.

Oh, and she did wear her Diva dress this past weekend to the lake. She was so proud to show it off.

Yes, Carys, turtles go to Heaven

2008-08-28T20:53:00.003-04:00

After dinner, the girls & I went outside. It rained all day yesterday, so we didn't get out - and Carys was itchin' to see her turtle buddies in the backyard.

We ~~have~~ had three (and a half) box turtles:
Tuck - the smallest and the first of Carys' collection,
Pumpkin - about the size of most box turtle you find,
Girl - same size as Pumpkin.
The 1/2 a turtle refers to the egg that Girl laid. I found the shell empty. Not sure if it's still hiding, or if something go it.

Anyway, we go outside.
We quickly find Pumpkin & Girl tonight, like always. They don't bother hiding like Tuck does.
Pumpkin was pretty friendly - he would let the girls pick him up with out retreating to his shell.

But.
Something happened to him.
I'm not sure what happened, exactly. I saw that his shell was open, and his legs and body were there. But not his little head.

Ugh.
GROSS!
Man, it's been hot. So you can imagine the, um, smell.

Poor Carys was about to see it, so I picked it up (GROSS!GROSS!GROSS!) and quickly took him to the woods. I told her that Pumpkin had passed away, but really didn't want her to see that. I didn't want to see it either. GROSS!

The things we do as mothers.
Scratch that.
The GROSS! things we do as mothers.

Carys is okay, but understandably sad. She has been asking me random questions tonight, and wants to make sure that the other turtles aren't too lonely.

Carys: Mommy! We have to find another turtle RIGHT now so my other turtles will have a family! They don't have a daddy turtle anymore!
Me: Well, you can't just go find turtles. It's pretty special when you find one. It's...lucky.
Carys: Well, get lucky then!

Carys: If Punkin died, Mommy, is he in Heaven?
Me: Yes, I suppose so.
Carys: Good.
Me: Yeah, I bet he's happy there. Lots of earthworms. And fun turtle things.
Carys: Yeah....and Grammy. Grammy will take good care of Punkin.

Oh, I bet she will, too.

Raising a Compassionate Little Darling

2008-08-26T16:18:00.002-04:00

Recently, Carys has been very interested in the lives of others. I field a million questions about people she sees on the street, on television and movies. She wants to know why some people don't have cars, homes, or good food to eat (and that's not because we constantly tell her to eat her dinner because poor children in Ethiopia would love her meal, either).

For the most part, I try to give the shortest, most age-appropriate answer. She's usually satisfied with my response, and returns to her activity. I never really know if what I'm trying to teach her really sinks in. I don't know if she gets it.
I've always been proud when she says something touching or absolutely sweet about someone else. She is constantly doling out hugs and kisses, telling people "it will be alright" when they are upset. She is a sweet, sweet kid.

Today, she stole my heart.
We were in the grocery store, and I was pushing the cart through the aisles like a mad woman. Shopping with two kiddos is no easy feat!
I turn around, to see Carys talking to a lady. This isn't out of the norm - she talks to everyone she meets, and usually tells them way too much information.

My heart sank when I heard what she said next.
"Ma'am, why don't your legs work?"

You see, the lady she was talking to was on a motorized scooter. I was mortified that she asked - but then, after I saw the woman's face, I was quickly reminded that children are children. They are inquisitive, and they should ask questions. It's the only way they learn.

The lady was so sweet. She told Carys that she had a bone disease and hadn't been able to walk since she was Carys' age - many, many years ago. I'm guessing she was in her sixties.

"Do your legs hurt, then?" Carys asked.
"Oh, no. They don't hurt. I just can't run and jump and play like you do, that's all," the lady replied.

Carys asked her a few more questions, like how does she gets her "cool scooter" into her car, and how does she drive if her feet don't work...
The lady answered her questions joyfully, and gave me a look that put my mind at ease. She didn't mind answering Carys' questions.

At the end of the exchange, Carys gave the lady a hug, and said: "Well, I am sorry your legs don't work. But you are really nice. And you smell beautiful - like roses and princesses!"
The lady laughed and told Carys that she was a very sweet, beautiful little girl and that she enjoyed meeting her.

Carys told her she enjoyed meeting her too, and then she said the most amazing thing as we walked the other direction.
"Now she is my friend. I have lots of friends. And sometimes Mommy, my friends' can't run and play with me. But I still love them. They are very special, right? All of my friends are special."

The logic of a four-year-old.
She is such a joyful child. And I am so very, very proud of her for understanding that all people are the same. They can all hug. And they can all be your friends, you just have to give them a chance.

Quick recap

2008-08-25T10:55:00.002-04:00

Not much going on our way. This week is Chad's treatment week, so we're staying close to home & trying to relax as much as possible.

Chad had a conference in Wilmington Thursday & Friday, so the girls & I tagged along for some much needed change of scenery. We visited the Children's Museum Thursday, and went to the beach Friday for a few hours. Cailyn is my little beach bum - we couldn't get her away from the sun & surf without some big ole crocodile tears. Carys didn't hate it, but she wasn't too thrilled either.

I had planned to take a ton o' new pictures of my cuties and try out some new techniques while at the beach, but it didn't happen. We didn't have the best weather while we were there, and we ran out of time. Maybe we'll get to the shore again before they're twenty-somethings.

Potty training of a Princess

2008-08-19T10:26:00.002-04:00

Several months ago, I invited Cailyn to sit on the training potty. For the very first time. She was only mildly interested, but sat on her little throne for a few moments before she decided she was done. I just wanted her to get used to the idea, and didn't really care if she was a potty-trained wonder child at 18 months.

I haven't really pushed it. It's no secret that I would like to be done with diapers. And wipes. (And wiping, for that matter...)
But I learned through Carys that you can't really push PTing - they get it when they're ready.

So, casually, she's been gaining interest. We picked out her very own panties; Dora, Disney Princess & Elmo. I tucked them away in a drawer, knowing that she would ask to wear them soon enough.

Recently, she would just sit there...for the longest time. She figured out that if she sits there long enough, she'll go - and then she gets a reward! But now, she just goes when she has to. There's not sitting & waiting on our part. I call that real progress.

I'm trying not to get too excited, but I think the time of diapered bottoms is almost over in our household. It's a little sad. But really freeing, too.

My girls of Summer

2008-08-18T20:51:00.004-04:00

For some strange reason, the girls love being outside. Goodness knows, they didn't get that from me. I'm not one with ~~nature~~ bugs, dirt & sweat. As I get older, the mosquitoes grow more fond of my ultra-sweet blood, even through Deep Woods Off. I have to admit that it makes me happy when I get to slap one of those little blood-suckers.

I cannot believe that Carys will be in preschool again in a few short weeks. And Carla brought another nerve-wracking fact to reality this weekend: Carys & Faith will register for KINDERGARTEN this Winter.
Oh.My.My.

What I've been up to...

2008-08-16T20:18:00.003-04:00

Things have been relatively quiet here. We've been soaking up the sun, watching movies & trying to enjoy the last few glorious weeks of summer before Carys goes back to preschool.
But, this past week, I've been busy toiling away on my business website. Check it out. http://www.enlivendesigns.com
If you know anyone who's preggo, just had a baby, needs an invitation...pass my site along!

Oh, and I'll be taking orders for holiday cards soon. Can you believe it's AUGUST...and December is not too far away? Blows my mind.

Here is a sample of my recent designs. Hope you like 'em :)

She likes it? Really?!?

2008-08-14T22:50:00.001-04:00

Staying the Course

2008-08-12T07:55:00.003-04:00

We met with Chad's oncologist yesterday morning. The appointment was pretty uneventful, for the most part.
Last week, the doctor's office called to let us know there was no change in Chad's tumors. No change for the bad. No change for the good. His disease is stable right now.
It's hard to say if the chemo is working to keep growth at bay, or if the tumors are dormant on their own. Who can say?

Dr. Campbell's first inclination was to try something different, since seven rounds of Temodar don't seem to be doing much. After some research of our own, we've decided to stay with Chad's current treatment for a full year. Studies indicate that it could take 12-18 months to show any real results....so, we wait some more. Dr. C agrees with us, and I think she was quite pleased that we've done so much research on our own.

We are not going to do radiation right now. It doesn't seem to be a good option since Chad is feeling so good, and has no other signs/symptoms. His seizures are under control, and there really isn't any other deficit so far. Which is great, great news.

I have to admit it is incredibly frustrating not to have the answers I so desperately want. I want to know everything that could, could not or could even remotely possibly happen. His doctors just don't know.
If anything, this is teaching me to be more patient (goodness knows I need that, Mrs. EverythingRightNow!) and to release control over the things for which I have no control.

So, stay the course.
Five more months of chemo until a full year has been reached. And I hope that we'll have some detectable change then.

Thanks, as always, for your continued support & prayers! We'll keep you posted.

So we're old married folk now...

2008-08-04T11:22:00.001-04:00

Seven Whole Years.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHAD!!!

Round 7, Done.

2008-07-26T10:03:00.002-04:00

So this week was yet another treatment week for Chad.
Last night was his last dose for this round, so we have high hopes that he'll be feeling like himself again by mid-week.

He will receive another MRI on August 4th to detect any changes with the tumors. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I would expect not a lot of change. Just my gut feeling, anyway.

So, when we know more, I'll be sure to let you know more too.

I don't have much else to report to you - we've been laying low this week.
We're probably the last folks on Earth to get a Wii, but the three kids in my house have been enjoying it. (And I have too - when I have to "help" Carys...)
We've been to the pool as much as we can, and we've been playing just as hard as we can.
Carys got new shoes & a backpack for school - and I know you've been dying to hear about that!

Have a good weekend. Blog to you soon!

Her very first haircut

2008-07-18T15:03:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, she's two years old. And I haven't cut a single strand of her hair yet.
She has been asking if she could get a haircut for about a month or so now. I let her forget about it, and then she would bring it up again every few days. Since we've been back from vacation, she's been steady with the "My haircut, too, Mommy!"

And, truth be told, it was getting stringy. And I did need to cut it. I just didn't want to.
I gave in. And chopped off about an inch - just enough to satisfy her and make it look SO much better.

She's the proudest little beauty queen now. She kept looking in the mirror last night, rubbing her new 'do & saying, "Oh! I like it! My hair is cut now!"

"Too much peoples, Mommy."

2008-07-17T17:43:00.002-04:00

This week, Carys has been going to Vacation Bible School for a few hours.
So I've had some one-on-one time with Cailyn.

I thought she would be thrilled to go play at McDonald's.
She was ecstatic to be alone on the playground; taking her time to navigate the tunnels and scream to her heart's content (knowing the little voice she heard echo was her own, I guess).

After 10 minutes of alone time, in walks a buttload of other kiddos.
And her fun was over.

She came & sat with me, and said she wanted to leave.
I asked why.
"Too much peoples, Mommy."
Then she told me all about the boys who were in the slide playing, and "boys are so loud!".

Bless her little anti-social heart.

I should rephrase that. She's not anti-social. She likes to spy at new people. From a distance. And usually that distance involves her being attached to my leg, arm, hip, shoelace. You get the picture.

I've been proud of her for making an effort to talk to new people. She randomly hugs little girls when we're out & about, especially if she likes what they're wearing. She complimented a little girl's pwetty wadybug dwess in Michael's last night, much to my surprise. And then doled out hugs. And kisses.
While I'm not too keen on the doling out of affections to strangers, it does her good. So I follow her lead, and let her do what feels comfortable to her.

It's just so surprising to me to have two little kids on the most extreme ends of the spectrum. Carys has never met a stranger. I think she would go home with anyone that promised her candy. Not such a good thing, but that's why I keep her at arm's length while we're out & about.
Carys makes friends easily, and everyone is her best friend. Instantly.
Cailyn. Well, she's just not as outgoing.

It cracks me up when she tells me there are too many people and she wants to go home. She tells me she will live with us forever, and sleep in Sissy's bed forever.
I'm sure that will change. But for now, it's sweet. She's still got some babyness to her.
Even though she's quick to prove to you that she's a big girl.

A big girl that refuses to go potty. But that's another post all in itself.

Back home! Finally!!!!

2008-07-13T22:29:00.002-04:00

We landed around 12:30 last night. By the time we got our bags, shuttled back to the truck, stopped at Walgreen's for milk & cookies (Yes, Chad had to have them!), we pulled into our driveway around 2am.
We were partially unpacked at 2:45 and well on our way to sleep.
We slept in until NOON today - which is so uncommon for the parents of two tiny kiddos. But it felt SO good to have no agenda for the early part of the day.
I did go to Wal-Mart, only because our cupboards were bare. Note to self: do NOT venture to Wal-Mart on a Sunday after church lets out. Just don't.

The girls came home at 3pm, and we were so happy to see their smiling faces.
Cailyn was just waking up when they got here, so she wasn't exactly sure where she was. It took her about 15 minutes to realize this was her house - and that I was her Mommy! She went to take her shoes off & I guess it finally hit her that she was, indeed, home. And Mommy & Daddy were too. She looked at me & just started bawling! It was sad, but sweet too.
After I comforted her for a moment, she fled to Memaw, who's not a bad substitute mommy.

After dinner, we all laid down for a little nap. But didn't wake up until much later than we anticipated. Oops!

I swear, the girls seem so different to me in one week. Cailyn is just rambling on & on about things she did this week. She's very excited about seeing the Backyardigans live - she dances every time she talks about it.
Carys can't stop telling me how much fun she's been having. And then she asks: So, what are we doing tomorrow, Mommy?

Um.
I'm pretty sure catching up on sleep & laundry are not what she had in mind.

And this girls are having fun too...

2008-07-10T12:38:00.008-04:00

I know you'll be elated to know that we did not visit Wal-Mart yesterday. And it looks as if today will be a bust, too. Which is a good thing. I'm getting over my dependency. Slowly, but surely.

Anyhooooo...
Yesterday was a lot of fun, We got to Austin around lunch time, and got to meet baby Kara. She is just a doll. I keep smelling her little head when I get a chance. I love that new baby smell (not to be confused with the new car smell...)
We ate lunch and headed out to the lake. I was the only girl on board the boat, but it was fun! The guys wake boarded and I watched, wishing I had the kahunas to try it. Not for me. I saw one too many face plants and I like my teeth and eyes where they belong -- in my head. So I declined. Looked like a lot of fun though! Chad tried it - and still needs to perfect his technique. He'll get it down soon, I'm sure.

The fabulous Little Lanford Ladies are having a grand time on their vacation. We've talked to Carys quite a bit since we've been in TX, and she is so excited about what's going on back at home. She called us to tell us about her horseback ride - she was SO excited! She told me all about her firetruck experience - again, SO excited.
They're very busy little girls!

They spent the first half of the week with my parents, and now they are with the Lanfords. I know they are getting so much attention this week - and I'm happy about that. They don't have time to miss us!
Here are some pictures I just received from their adventures - I'm jealous I wasn't there.

Here they are picking blueberries. I'm not sure how many Cailyn actually put in the bucket. It looks like she sampling a few!

And here they are on the firetruck. They got to press the siren button & see all the fun stuff on board.

And the puppies! Carys told me all about the puppies' eyes being open.
By the way, does anyone want a lab puppy in a few more weeks? They are too cute!

I'm jealous about the beach trip they took. This part (especially the sand!) isn't my favorite, but they look like they're having fun. Me? I wouldn't be able to wipe the sand off fast enough.

Texas Hill Country Wine

2008-07-08T23:31:00.006-04:00

Today was a little less chaotic than yesterday - which is a good thing!
We left San Antonio this morning, and headed to Fredericksburg - an old German town. It's a picturesque little city, with tons of things to do & see.

I've always imagined the entire state of Texas to be flat. We were reminded of the foothills of NC when we were driving today. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

We ate lunch at a little Italian bistro in Fredericksburg. I was a bit bummed because I really wanted a Roma, mozzarella & basil sandwich. The Italian BLT, without the bacon, if you will! But, given the nationwide salmonella and tomato scare, I had to settle for sun dried instead of fresh tomatoes. It wasn't the same. Still tasty, just not the same.

After lunch, we visited some shops, which included Rustlin' Robs. This place has so many dips, salsas, hot sauce & other goodies - it was a shame we had already eaten lunch. There were samples galore - and each one was unique and tasty.
Chad ventured back to the hot shop - where all the sauces are guaranteed to put tears in your eyes & holes in your stomach. Let's just say that he tried a sauce called Black Mambo. You all know how I feel about snakes - so anything that has anything to do with snakes has zero tolerance in my mind. He tried it anyway. And downed a whole bottle of water trying to dull the heat. No taste, he said, just pure fire in your mouth.
Sounds like fun to me!
Shortly afterwards, we had to take a little break. Chad could feel the beginnings of a seizure trying to break through, and we think it was the hot sauce that did it. He was fine, so don't worry. It's just strange that the triggers are becoming more random. Who would have thought hot sauce would induce an episode?

We also visited three wineries today - and all three boasted delicious wines and beautiful views.

Grape Creek Vineyards: Our favorites were the Muscat, Grand Rouge & Viognier.

Torre di Pietra: Our favorites were Porto Blanco, Red Flirt, Dirty Girl & Chiaro de Luna.

Becker Vineyards: Our favorites were Celemtino, Muscato & Fume Blanco

After the tour, we headed to Kerrville, where we're staying tonight. We took a little siesta (that means nap, Poppi!) and went to dinner.
We chose a Creole restaurant in town which was absolutely wonderful! We only got the half portions, and we were right not to order the full size. We were miserably stuffed after licking the sauce off the plates. Delicious!

You'll be happy to know we have now been in Texas for three days. And we've been to Wal-Mart every day.
I know, I know. I can't survive without Wal-Mart. Chad needed cookies. I needed hair pomade. Chad needed milk. I needed a razor.

And it seems that the girls are having a wonderful time on their vacation as well. I'm told Carys went horse-back riding today and LOVED it. I can't wait to see pictures from it - and I'll post them for you when I get a chance.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of Chad & I from our adventures today.
Blog to you soon! ;)

Here I am, on the awesome cow settee at the second winery.

And here is Chad, sipping his early afternoon Muscat.
Don't worry.
The state of TX is only allowed to let us taste like half an ounce. Barely enough to even taste it...

Crossing the line is not as easy as it looks

2008-07-08T00:37:00.004-04:00

So, apparently, crossing into Mexico from the U.S. is not quite a big deal. Not a big deal compared to, say......crossing into the States from Mexico!

Yesterday, Chad & I decided that we should just head to Nuevo Laredo today, since he's never been to Mexico.
Heck. We're this close to the border. Why not?

He checked a website that said we didn't need a passport or birth certificates to visit. So we plan to go today, just for a bite to eat & then head back.

We leave the hotel at 9:30 this morning, and we cross the border around Noon. There are ominous Mexican border control guards with automatic weapons.
Worried? Us?
No way.

We drive our little rental car (a 2008 red Dodge Charger that I really love, by the way!) through the main street, searching for a parking space. I'm telling Chad, "See?!?! It's exactly how I described it to you!"

We laughed that we got a parking spot for two whole hours for a mere quarter. Twenty-five cents, people! For two hours! Man, things are el cheapo in Mexico!

We discuss how we want to get back, so let's just eat some real Mexican food, do a little browsing & get back to San Antonio.

Ha. Riiiiiiiight.

We eye this nice little Tortaria (sandwich shop) on the main street, so we make our way over.
It was very...authentic. Paint peeling off the wall. An inch of dust on the wall hangings. You know -- all the makings for some real, tasty, authentically cultural cuisine.

Oh, and it was. It was delish!

We got to use our rusty Espanol, which I'm sure horrified the locals. But we did have a good time on our tiny excursion. Literally - we were in Mexico for a little less than an hour before we decided it was time to go.

We get back in the car, after being flipped the finger by a local on a park bench. Fun stuff!

We make our way to the first booth - nothing to declare. No toll. Great.

The second booth requires a toll of $2.25. Great.

We drive to another booth - over the river, and officially into the US.
I can see our beautiful red, white & blue flag flappin' in the wind across the border.
Well, this is where it gets a little hairy.

"Birth certificate or passport, please," stated the border patrol officer.

"Neither...we're just visiting. Less than an hour," Chad & I both say simultaneously.
Apparently, you don't need a passport or birth certificate to enter Mexico.
You just need one of those forms of ID to get back into the US.

We don't travel much. Unless you count Wal-Mart. which is kinda like another country in Johnston County.

We had already been in line for almost an hour. An HOUR! Someone's truck burst into flames while in line. I kid you not.
SO they shut down some lanes.

We watched the smoke change from a light gray, to a dark, black, sooty mess. Then we watched flames invade the engine, tires, cab...it was amazing to see how fast it all happened.

The firemen finally came and put it out. I really hope this guy had insurance!

Oh. Back to our delay...

We got searched. Twice.
No form of ID, except for our licenses. Red flag!
We can't supply our rental car agreement. Oops! Red flag!
Our rental car has Florida tags. Red flag!

So, we're escorted to the next search area. where we must get out of the car and remove all of our belongings.

We sit & watch, as the officers use a mirror to search under the car. We sit & watch as the officers knock and pound on the car in an attempt to find anything we've tried to smuggle into the country via the interior panels.
We sit & watch as the female officer tries to keep a straight face as she asks, "So, is this the only time you're going to travel to Mexico?"

She disappears for a while, and then returns & tells us we can leave.
We pull away. Pretty soon afterwards, we hear someone tapping on the back of the car & saying "Stop!" Ugh. Another officer wants to complete another search. All because of these stupid Florida plates. We explain that someone had already cleared us & we were let go after a few more questions.

I think the next time I return to Mexico will involve the words "Puerto" & "Vallarta".
At least Chad got to experience Mexico. We can mark that off the list. Phew!!!

Blogging from the Road

2008-07-06T23:44:00.004-04:00

Howdy, Y'all - from San Antonio, Texas!

I'm not going to blog much this week, but there are a few pictures I've promised I would get up - and haven't done so yet....you know, being on vacation & all that jazz. Chad & I are having a fabulous time & are packing a ton of stuff into our short week away.
We miss the girls like crazy! It sure it quiet without them. We did some shopping today & picked up a few things I know they'll love.

Okay, back to the reason I logged on in the first place....

Introducing....
Cailyn, the sleeping toddler.
She sleeps anywhere folks. Anywhere! Any time!

Noise? Not a problem?
Fun to be had? Nah - it will be there after her nap!
Juice to drink? Oh, it will there after her nap!

One minute, I'm chatting with Cailyn as she's getting a snack out of our bag at the pool. I turn to talk to Carys, and turn back to CaiCai. Who is, apparently, asleep.
Poor little girl. She was tuckered out!
Not tired enough to let go of her juice box, and not tired enough to actually lay down.
I had just finished asking her if she was tired - to which she replied, "No, Mommy. No nap."

Of course not. Silly me.

Singin' in the Rain

2008-06-30T20:55:00.011-04:00

Carys: Mommy, can we go outside?

Me: Well, it's getting ready to rain.

Carys: So.....

Me: You're right! Sooooo.........

The last time I checked, a little rain can't really hurt anyone.

And this is the wet mess that ensued.

Jumping like her little life depended on it! They had so much fun!

Cailyn thought I was crazy at first. She kept asking me if it was okay if she got wet. After I jumped & splashed a bit, she joined us. Cailyn, trying to do a flip in the puddle. I hate to inform you, but she wasn't successful. She got too scared, so just stood there, bent over, for a while.
Something about picking tiny pebbles and blowing water out of her nose didn't sound quite as fun as when she first got the idea, I guess.

And I'm happy to report that Chad has completed yet another round of chemo.
The start of Round Six (6) wasn't so much fun. He was trying a different anti-nausea drug, since the original medication (Kytril) gave him some nasty headaches.
Let's just say that the headaches are much better than staring at the inside of a toilet all night. We quickly checked Compazine off our Rx list. The rest of the week went pretty much like every other chemo week. It seems that the effects are lingering a bit longer as the rounds go on. Like today....his last dose was Friday night, but he's still feeling really tired & nauseous today. He should be feeling much better by tomorrow, if past rounds are an indicator.
So, just one more round before the next MRI in August -- start the countdown, please!

Oh, and before I forget, Cailyn is turning into quite the nature diva. She found a box turtle yesterday in our yard. Carys & I didn't even see it - and it was right by our feet. Cailyn was so excited & wanted to put it in with the other turtles. Of course we did - so now we have three: Pumpkin, Tuck, and Girl (the newest member with the most imaginative name).
Tonight, I happened to see Girl making a nest and getting ready for EGGS!!!!! We are going to have turtle babies in September. Woo Hoo! What a fun facet of nature for the girls to see!!

You think they're trying to tell me something?

2008-06-27T09:21:00.001-04:00

Yea, they're hungry little people.

Maisy goes mountain climbing...sort of

2008-06-23T16:51:00.008-04:00

This weekend, we headed to the beautiful North Carolina mountains to visit Jake & Lauren. Of course, Maisy tagged along.

We started at Linville Caverns, a cave inside of Humpback Mountain. The girls thought it was really cool. You should go if you have the chance - it's definitely worth the experience.

Mountaineers found it in the late 1800s, after seeing trout swim "under" the rocks outside the mountain. There are still fish there, although they are completely blind.
The tour lets you experience total darkness by turning off the lights in one of the "rooms". Let's just say that was not the girls' favorite part & I could feel their grasp get tighter as the darkness enveloped us for a few minutes.

Our next adventure led us to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak on the eastern seaboard at 6,684 feet. We were a bit bummed that we couldn't hike all the way to the top as I had done when I was 13 so we had to settle to be standing at 6,578 feet. It was so cool to see everything from the top of the mountain back then. Now, they are renovating the observation deck to make it more easily accessible for everyone & we weren't allowed up there. But we still saw some great views.
We ate lunch in Burnsville, a picturesque little town on our way to Asheville. The kiddos were so good, that we treated them to some play time at the Fun Depot in Asheville. They had a blast climbing, running & playing. The big kids (Chad & Jake) had a lot of fun playing the arcades.We had a late dinner of some of the best pizza I've ever eaten at My Father's Pizza of Black Mountain - try it when you're there!!! And I also highly recommend the Apricot Ale.

Here are a few shots while we were waiting for a table. The girls enjoyed watching the koi in a pond at a nearby business. And we enjoyed being able to sit & relax for a bit. It was a great trip - full of wonderful things to do, great food, awesome friends & treasured memories.
So today was back to our normal routine - sort of. We ran some errands, then headed to the pool for a few hours. The girls already want to go back to the mountains - and we've promised that the next time we return, there will be snow to play in!

My Petite Sweetie

2008-06-19T15:44:00.003-04:00

Cailyn had her 2-year check-up today, and I wasn't surprised. I knew she hadn't put much weight on since her last visit in December. Which I don't fully understand, because she eats everything I put in front of her.

She tips the scales at 25 pounds, 12 ounces. Granted, when kids turn two, the nurses no longer require them to be naked on the scale at our pediatrician's office. So that weight includes her clothes & diaper. I'm estimating she's right at 25 pounds instead of almost 26.
And she's 34" tall.
She's in the 25th percentile for weight, and 50th for height.

At Carys' 2-year check-up, she weighed in at 31 pounds, and was 36" tall.
Just for comparison's sake!

I can still smell the chlorine

2008-06-16T07:40:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, after many promises, Carys got to go to the pool!
I think she said, "I'm so excited" about 15 times on the drive. Excited is an understatement.

We had a lot of fun, and discovered that yes, you do in deed, need to reapply sunscreen after about three hours in the water. This is something I know...but seem to forget when the water is divine, the sun is shining & the girls are having fun.
We're all pink, but not in pain. And I suppose being pink is better than being lily white, so.....

And today, I will thoroughly enjoy one of those joys of being a SAHM (Stay-at-Home-Mom) during the Summer. The pool. All day. I cannot wait!
The girls had so much fun today, and I know they're in store for a terrific summer playing in the sun. Maybe we'll all get tans this year. At least, that's usually what happens when the ache of a sunburn goes away right? Note to self: Self, reapply sunscreen. Every three hours.

She's just SO two!

2008-06-12T10:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday started off a little rocky. Cailyn woke up an absolute grump. Not a good way to start off your special day!
She refused a celebratory birthday breakfast. She didn't want her usual morning cuddle to help her wake up. And she didn't want anything to do with Mommy, Carys, Maisy or Fiona.
Luckily, she got out of her funk mid-morning and was much happier! I was starting to think I might have to tell her she's not two after all -- since those "terrible twos" aren't the easiest to deal with.

She still says she's "ONE!" when you ask her how old she is...I'm sure it will take her some time to get up to speed on that. After all, it's June of 2008, and I sometimes still write January 2007 on my checks!

We had birthday cake & ice cream twice yesterday. You know -- two times the sugar overload in honor of someone turning the big two-oh!

Later in the evening, she donned her ballerina gear and traipsed around the yard. Complete with tiara, of course.

All in all, I think she had a great day. She wouldn't allow us to sing Happy Birthday to her over & over. She covered her ears & shouted, "NO! No singing to me!"
I think we shall call this year the Year of the Diva. Fitting, eh?
But what a cute little diva she is!

Happy Birthday to my little Junebug!

2008-06-11T05:30:00.003-04:00

My sweet Cailyn,
Sometimes, I think I can still smell that sweet newborn scent if I try hard enough. I know I'm daydreaming when I catch a whiff of it. But still...it makes my heart skip a beat. These days, I love to bury my nose in your freshly washed hair and just smell the sweet strawberry shampoo.

This past year has been full of changes for you. You've learned to chase after your big sister, talk up a storm & tell nonsensical knock-knock jokes. You dole out hugs & kisses with such a cheerful attitude. You amaze me with your vocabulary, and I'm in awe at how many new words you pick up each day.

You are also a Mommy's girl. And usually, only Mommy will do.
You've changed a lot in that respect this year too - you're a little less shy.
You hold my hand a little less often, and you smile and talk to strangers (while holding tightly to me) a little more often. You walk a little further ahead of me sometimes, but you usually turn back to see if I'm still there.

Almost everything you do is accompanied by "I do it myself!" Oh, yes, you're TWO! How did I forget already?!?!

You so thoroughly enjoyed taking your big sister to & from preschool this year and wanted to stay with the children each day. You fit right in with them; playing, laughing & just being big. You learned how to play by yourself, while Carys was in school. It was so precious to watch you cook elaborate meals from your mini-kitchen. You make the World's Best "Mommy's coffee!" and cheerfully run back for seconds when you decide I need more. And you bring me a taco to go with it. And then a broken half-cone of ice cream. I will never get enough of your made-to-order plastic pretend food. It may not fill my stomach, but it does fill my heart.

You count, sort of. You skip some numbers, and rearrange them differently each time. You like to take your turn counting when we play hide and seek - and I giggle the whole time you recite: "one....four!...eeeeeeeiiiiiiight!....seben....four!...ready?...here I come!"

You sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star at the top of your lungs, and skip a lot of the words. But I love to hear you sing it. You also sing the Clean Up Song, while undoing any cleaning up that's happened.

You dance by spinning in a circle, slowly. Sometimes you flap your arms. But mostly, the spinning is enough. Every once and a while, you throw in a jump for good measure. My little choreographer, you are.

We call you the Silent Terror behind your back. I know it isn't nice...but it's so true, kiddo. You are so quiet - especially when you are on the hunt for something to do and you know we're all not paying immediate attention. When I can't hear you, I usually head to my bathroom to see if you've raided my makeup drawer...yet again. (You have a fascination for liquid foundation, lipstick & mascara. In no particular order.) Or if you've decided to unroll an entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet. Or help me scoop the litter box.
It's amazing what you can accomplish in a few short minutes of wandering around the house unchaperoned.

You try so hard to say lemonade and M&Ms. I laugh every time you say because it's just so cute. You'll figure out how to say those pesky words soon enough, and they won't be so funny anymore. But for now, the babyish charm is just too endearing.

You had a phase where you would pat my head & say, "Pretty Mommy, beautiful Mommy." Talk about a heart-melter!

You recently started carrying Maisy Mouse everywhere you go. Your little partner in crime. You cry and beg me not to give Maisy a scrub in the washing machine, even though I promise you'll have her for bedtime. Your adventures with Maisy get her absolutely filthy - and I hate to hurt your little feelings, but she needs a bath. Frequently, too. Every time the timer goes off on the dryer, you run to the laundry room & proclaim "Maisy clean now!!!" And you come tell me, where ever I am, to "Get Maisy out. Now. Please!"

You also started to sleep through the night consistently this year. We were growing so weary of your night routine, or lack thereof. You would wake up so much & come into our room, that we just let you stay there out of sheer exhaustion. One day I had the bright idea to stick you in bed with your sister & things have been just blissful ever since. It's so sweet to see you two cuddled so close together each night. You've got a wonderful friend in your big sister. And it's so sweet for me to see it during the day...and night.

What will you show us this year? I just can't wait to find out!

Happy, happy birthday Cailyn! We love you oh-so-much!

Cailyn's big weekend!

2008-06-09T09:43:00.003-04:00

First off - WELCOME BRADON MICHAEL KNOX!
Shannon had Bradon last week. I've seen pictures & he is just gorgeous. Congratulations Shannon, Todd & Big Brother Landon!!!

We had so much fun this weekend!

Chad had to go to Greensboro for work, and we all tagged along to enjoy some fun at the pool at the hotel. We also took the girls to Emerald Pointe & then to the Zoo yesterday. We stayed at Hyatt Place for the first time. I highly recommend it!

It was hot. We were exhausted. But we had a blast!
I didn't snap any pictures of the pool or water park - I didn't have time! The girls were so excited & were everywhere all at once. But here is a picture of the aftermath - Cailyn zonked out. She was exhausted after Emerald Pointe! She was watching Night at the Museum and could barely keep her eyes open.

We've been promising Cailyn we'd go to the Zoo for her birthday. Then we saw it was going to be a HOT day...and we still went.

The Jones family joined us, as well as Memaw, Poppi, Nana & Brandon.
We had a picnic lunch, cupcakes, opened presents & then saw as many animals as we could before we got too tired & sweaty to see any more.
It was a great weekend for my birthday girl -- but it was good to be home & sleep in our own beds last night.

Here's Cailyn, with Maisy of course. Maisy got a new wardrobe for Cailyn's birthday - she was so excited to see the little dresses and ballet tutus. Maisy is a very well-dressed mouse!

Chad & the girls at the elephant exhibit.
Carys & I at the Flamingo exhibit - one of my favorites! I love the 'mingoes.
Cailyn, pretty. And pretty tired.
Cailyn's birthday is this Wednesday - so more pictures of her big celebration to come! Have a great week!!!

These are the days I'll remember

2008-06-05T09:21:00.003-04:00

These days, I am teaching two precious little girls how to be nice. And not call each other "poopy head".

These days, I find myself turning my head to hide my laughter when they spontaneously say or do something they shouldn't. The names they tend to call each other are often so funny, but I have to be stern. And laugh about it later.

These days, I hear countless made up knock-knock jokes that don't make any sense. Or have a punchline. But we laugh anyway.

These days, I'm quite weary of answering obvious questions. But then I remind myself that the answer may not be so obvious to a four-year-old. I do have a few years of experience on her, after all.

These days, I am thankful for my loving family and friends. I don't deserve friends as good as the ones I have.

These days, I am overjoyed that so many of my closest friends are experiencing motherhood for themselves. It's a wonderful journey that I'm happy to share with them.

These days, I want to be done changing diapers. I dream of permanently erasing diapers, wipes, and Diaper Genie refills from my too-long grocery lists.

These days, I don't wish for a diaperless household for too long. A little girl in diapers is still a baby to me. And I don't want her to grow up too fast.

These days, I don't spend a lot of time getting ready to go anywhere. If I can find a piece of clothing without wrinkles, I'm pretty much done. Unfortunately.

These days, I don't get out as much as I like. Unless you count going outside to help the little ones catch lizards, bugs, and butterflies.

These days, I don't do, think or say anything without taking two little precious lives into account. I cannot remember how I used to make decisions before 2003. Winging it, I guess.

These days, I cannot go out in public without making a mental note of where the nearest potty is. Also, I never say bathroom anymore. Just potty.

These days, I am thankful that my children are healthy. And happy. And loved by so many.

These days, I cannot believe my tiny sweetheart is going to be two years old next week. I was looking at pictures from last summer - she has grown so much! (I can't wait to share her birthday montage with you!)

These days, I laugh and cry at the same time. It's wonderful to hear those belly laughs coming from the next room. It makes me smile. And then there are often tears of joy. I know that roaring baby laughter doesn't last forever. Little girl laughter is quite different from baby laughter.

These days, I am desperately trying to remember that newborn smell. How quickly it disappears. But how sweet it is.

These days, we're all sleeping well. We learned, after almost two years, that the key to get Cailyn to sleep through the night is to put her in bed with Carys! She wants to be close to someone, and I assume it's not so much who is beside her...she just wants to reach out & know that someone is there. I can appreciate that.
Sweet dreamy bliss. She's been sleeping through the night for about three weeks now. If only I had thought about it sooner.

These days, we're researching a new mattress set. Why? See above note. The girls are snuggling together in a twin bed. Time to move up!

These days, I could not possibly be any happier, blessed or thankful.
These days, I am happy beyond measure. And glad that life is good.

And so it ends

2008-06-01T23:11:00.003-04:00

This weekend was very busy for us.

Friday evening, two of the Jones girls (Ms. Carla & "Faifey"), Carys & I packed up the van and headed to a Little People's Retreat at Camp Dixie.

The girls had a blast, even though Carys & I had to duck out early on Saturday. Carys has reminded me several times that she was not happy about leaving early! I've had to promise that we will not leave early next year...and I'm sure she'll hold me to it.

On Saturday afternoon, my grandmother's family & friends gathered at the family cemetery in Buckhorn for her memorial service. It was beautiful. Very fitting for her too, I think. It was pretty simple, but packed full of the things she would have loved: a gospel group from a neighboring church, loving family & friends, well-spoken words from loved ones, and treasured stories and memories from her life as a mother, grandmother, friend, sister and teacher.

Afterwards, we all gathered at Candy & Wayne's house for dinner and a lakeside toast at sunset.

There was a table set up inside with some of Gramaine's items - her glasses and photos. It was so strange to see her life displayed in just a few items on a table.
But that's all we are, after all. Things we leave behind, moments frozen in time that people will forever remember us by.

She left us all a lot of love.
She gave us an amazing family that is always there for each other.
She left a lot of wonderful memories we'll treasure forever.

She left a legacy of love and laughter.
And of course, she left a void that can never be filled.

We've all commented that it still doesn't seem real. Despite the fact that we were all there...it still seems like she's just on vacation or something. I think the end of this weekend will help us with closure. At least, I hope it will help us start the process.

Today, there was a monument dedication at "her" school in Hope Mills - Rockfish Elementary. I'm told it was beautiful and very special. I'm sure it was.
I hate that we missed it today.

Friday, May 23, 2008; 9:54pm

2008-05-25T10:57:00.005-04:00

I will never forget this day.
My Gramaine, Mary Lou Rogers, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. I think I speak for everyone there that the love in the room was palatable.

On Tuesday, May 13, Gramaine went to the doctor. She had pneumonia and was feeling pretty puny. She was admitted to the hospital so she could be given oxygen and fight the infection. She was taken to the emergency room, and had to wait for an attending physician.
To avoid the wait, a gifted pediatrician ordered an x-ray so she could be admitted quickly.
The x-ray confirmed pneumonia in her left lung.
But there was also a mass on her right lung.

The girls & I went to see her Tuesday evening, again on Thursday, and yet again on Saturday with Chad. She was feeling better. She talked and laughed.
I am thankful that Carys got to hold a few spirited conversations with "Grammy".

Gramaine had a biopsy to confirm the cancer diagnosis. She was released later Tuesday afternoon. I'm told she perked up as soon as she was discharged. It was so good to be home!

Wednesday was an okay day. She visited with family, ate, drank a glass of wine & watched the sunset on the lake.

When she woke up Thursday, things were very different. Hospice came. Gramaine couldn't say much, was having difficulties swallowing, needed constant oxygen, and was drifting in & out of consciousness.

Friday.
Friday was the day we all knew something was going to happen.
I packed up the girls and headed to my aunt's house. Everyone had gathered there to be comforted. That's what we do in our family. We drink a glass of wine together. We eat together. We cry together. We laugh together. We're just together.
I was not expecting Gramaine to be in the condition she was in. I had just talked to her before her biopsy, only days ago. I had just seen her a few days before that. She was sick then. But she was talking. And laughing. Friday was a marked change in her condition.

The day went on, and we decided to take shifts during the night to administer medications.
Gramaine's breathing was getting worse; we could hear her lungs filling with fluid. Her medications were given, and everyone was getting prepared for bed - and a long night of shifts.

I will never forget the next few hours. Never.
I was sitting on the couch with the girls - watching SpongeBob & willing my children to sleep. Gramaine was in a hospital bed, set up in the dining room so she could see her favorite view - the sunset on the lake.
At 9:36pm, I heard someone talking. No one was in the room with me, but the girls. They were silent. There was no one. But Gramaine in the next room. I could see her pillow moving. I could hear her voice. I couldn't make out what she said. But she said something. A whole sentence.
She'd not been able to talk for while. But I just heard her speak.

I ran in. Aunt Candy followed. Candy kissed Gramaine's hand and her eyelids fluttered. She was trying to open her eyes! We talked to her. Rubbed her hands. There was no response.

Everyone came into the house - without being told. They all just knew.
Gramaine was given more morphine, and we all watched and listened to her breathing change yet again.
At 9:53pm, with most of her loved ones holding her hands, Gramaine opened her eyes. I was excited to see her eyes - I shouted, "Hi Gramaine! We're here! Hi! We're all here!" Everyone told her hello & we were happy to see her -- that we loved her.
Earlier on Friday, we received the biopsy results. Single-cell carcinoma. End stage. Terminal.
This cannot be confirmed (nor do we need it to be), but we're confident the cancer started as cervical or ovarian cancer, and spread throughout her body.
We talked openly around Gramaine, knowing that she needed to know that dreaded information.

She looked at all of us - she scanned the room. It was only a second or two, but it seemed like a lifetime.

And then we all told her it was okay to go. It was okay. We would all be okay.
She pursed her lips, as if trying to expel her last breath. The look on her face was a look of relief and release.
And she went. At 9:54pm, her spirit left her body and her pain ended.
She looked beautiful, peaceful and rested. Her face and body were no longer etched with the labor of breathing.

Our family has been given the amazing gift of being with her in her final days and moments.
Her passage to Heaven was filled with love. I am so thankful that I got to be a part of this. I've experienced the miracle of my children's births. And now, the miracle of my beloved Gramaine's peaceful death. Watching life come into the world is a wonderful gift. Watching life leave this world is just as miraculous.

We have carried out her wishes the best we could. She would be pleased.

The end of the school year

2008-05-21T16:22:00.003-04:00

Today was Carys' last day of preschool. Her last day in the 3-year-old room (even though she's 4.5 years old. Gotta love those late birthdays!)

She had such a great day. The school got one of those huge inflatable bounce houses and let the kids run amok. And then they had a pizza party, complete with sugar overload.

This first year of a structured learning environment was hard for her. She was excited to start school last fall. But she did have a rough patch here & there. She learns best by getting her hands dirty, not following directions (and subsequently learning what not to do from the view of time-out stool), and drowning out any and everything else with her incessant (and infectious) laughter and talking.
However, she has made so many improvements this year. I'm no longer anxious to leave her in the classroom for fear of who she may maim or embarrass (--ME!--). She's a good little girl. She likes to laugh, play & learn. She loves her little preschool friends and talks about them all the time. She's going to miss them all this summer.

I don't think she realizes just how long the summer will be. I, personally, cannot wait to lounge by the pool with the girls, play in the sunshine, chase lightening bugs after dark & just be.
No school lunches to pack each night.
No fussing in the mornings to get up & dressed.
No breakfast-time meltdowns.
Really. I cannot wait to sleep in tomorrow. (Let's just hope that BOTH girls share my enthusiasm after 7am at least.)

I think next Fall will be easier for us all. She's nervous (already) about getting a new teacher, but I've assured her that her friends will still be there. I've also had to convince her that her new teacher will be just as fun as Ms. Angela.

I cannot believe that my little girl has one year of preschool left before she starts KINDERGARTEN. Where has the time gone? Where did my little tiny baby go?
She's growing up.
Way too fast.

And before my very eyes.

MRI Results

2008-05-20T12:07:00.005-04:00

Chad & I went to his oncologist yesterday, hoping to get some good news from his MRI results.

We knew what we were going to hear. We had been clearly prepared by his medical team before he started chemo.

His tumor(s) is slow-growing. Which means it is also slow to respond to treatment. His MRI showed no growth - but no shrinkage either. Here's an excerpt from the official radiology report for those of you that want to take a nap or risk being bombastic:

"Redemonstrated is a large infiltrating mass with mild heterogeneous enhancement involving the parasagittal left frontoparietal lobe and superior corpus callosum is not appreciably changed in overall size or mass effect. Previously demonstrating peripherally enhancing area peripherally in the high left parietal lobe just deep to the craniotomy site no longer demonstrates enhancement. Small enhancing lesion with surrounding T2 and FLAIR signal abnormality posteriorly within the superior left temporal lobe is not appreciably changed. No new intracranial abnormalities demonstrated. No hydrocephalus."

So, we stay the course for now. Chad will continue chemo. He is scheduled to start round five next week, round six the end of June, and round 7 the end of July. This may sound confusing but, once again, he is on a 28 day cycle treatment; 5 days on and 23 days off. In August, he will have another MRI and we'll go from there.

In all likelihood, he will be on chemo for another six rounds, at least. In August, we may discuss the possibility of adding a different chemo drug and/or radiation.

But for now, things are good.
His seizures are under control.
He looks good.
He feels great (except for chemoweek).

Finally Friday

2008-05-16T10:56:00.003-04:00

A lot has happened this week.

Monday
The McKinney household received a new member. Baby Kara is just gorgeous & I cannot wait to meet her when we visit Texas this summer.
Congratulations Kathy & Steve!!!

Tuesday
I finally got my pink insulin pump up & running. After a hurried morning of getting ready & dropping Carys off at school, I pulled into the parking lot of my endocrinologist's office right on time. BUT...I had to drive all the way back home to retrieve (drum roll please) the pump. I left it on the kitchen table while putting Carys' stuff together. Luckily, my mom was able to meet me half-wasyish. Geesh. Sometimes I think I would lose my head if it wasn't screwed on so tight. I wasn't always so forgetful (Chad begs to differ, I'm afraid).

My grandmother was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia Tuesday morning. She will be there for a bit; and is pretty sick. I went to visit her with my mom after dinner.

Wednesday
Chad had his MRIs. One for his shoulder (the fall from the bed from his seizures has really bothered him for a while now), and of course one for his noggin. We have a copy of the MRI. And the tumors are still there. We're not doctors, and probably cannot successfully read the images. We should know more on Monday after Chad's oncology appointment.
He did well with his 4th round of chemo. He was tired & a little nauseous, but it was fairly uneventful -- which I'm thankful for.

Thursday
Carys' last day of school for the week. She only has two school days left.
After school, we picked out some flowers for my grandmother, and I took the girls to the hospital to see her.
Carys was so excited to give Grammy the flowers. She was beaming with pride. And Grammy loved the flowers -- and the attention that my two little ones bestowed upon her.

Friday
Nothing significant as of yet. But it's still early. I've already had to scour orange crayon off the table, wall, couch & remote control. Thank heavens for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.
I've also had to save the kitty from two little blonde "doggies" chasing her around the house.
I've had to clean up a few spills. Wipe a few hineys. And give a few cuddles for imaginary boo-boos.
But so far, it's shaping up to be a good day.

Pictures

2008-05-14T15:28:00.007-04:00

Enjoy.

Yes, we still have the kitty.
Yes, Fiona is still in one piece.
Yes, the girls like to dress her up, stroll her around & give her treats for doing nothing special.
Yes, they love her.
Yes, Cailyn is pretty darn excited!

We all went strawberry pickin' a couple of weekends ago. The girls had so much fun. Carys wants to go back, so I'm sure we'll make at least one more stop before the berry season is over this year.

Cailyn was absolutely filthy at the end of our excursion. She ate berries, smashed berries, picked berries. She was such a mess.

Chad surprised me with an evening out for Mother's Day. My mom came & watched the girls as we went to dinner (a quiet dinner with no chicken tenders, ketchup or french fries! WOO HOO!). It was wonderful!
Carys made me a special gift at preschool - a mason jar painted with her fingerprints. The fingerprints were then decorated as ladybugs, butterflies & flowers. It's precious. She couldn't wait for me to open it, so I got that gift early.
Hope all of you other Mommies out there had a wonderful Mother's Day.

30 candles, the funk, & a kitten

2008-04-28T10:46:00.003-04:00

The last week has been somewhat of a blur. Cailyn was very sick & I caught some kind of virus. It was loads of fun around here. We're all well now, and keeping our fingers crossed that Chad & Carys don't get any of the funk.

Ok, let's see...what's happened since my last post?

We threw Chad a SURPRISE 30th birthday party last Saturday. I was thrilled we were able to keep it a surprise - I'm sure Chad thought I was just letting his big day pass by since the party was 2 weeks after his actual birthday. But, oh no! I couldn't do that...

Thanks to all of you that came out to help us celebrate. We had a great time, and I hope you did too! He received so many nice gifts - and he's finally going skydiving! And on a hot air balloon ride! What fun!!!

The pig roast was terrific - and all the food everyone else provided was delish!

Here's my Dad & Uncle Sandy, ~~sampling~~ chopping up the BBQ.

The girls spent the night with Memaw & Poppi that night - we were so exhausted. I got sick that evening, so it was a good thing the girls were away to let me get a little sleep. I felt better the next day, so I went to Shannon's baby shower for baby Bradon. I can't wait to have a new baby in the family!

And as if our crazy life isn't crazy enough, we just got a kitten. The poor cat has been thru an identity crisis because Carys kept changing her name. We finally settled on Fiona - and if you have kiddos under the age of 10, you know this is Princess Fiona from Shrek. We do have enough divas in this household right now, so we dropped the Princess. It's just Fiona. Or Kitty. Or STOP SCRATCHING ME! The girls are thrilled & want to hold her constantly. I figure we can keep adding pets to our home, and the girls will slowly stop asking for a baby brother.

Little break

2008-04-24T16:26:00.001-04:00

I have tons of pictures & things to share. But this week has been terrible.
Cailyn has strep throat. I'm sick with...something undetermined. Carys is well. And so is Chad.
As soon as I feel up to going thru pictures & typing more than one paragraph, I'll be back.

I am so PUMPed!

2008-04-16T17:58:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, I've been preparing to go on insulin pump therapy for some time now.

I got the call just minutes ago that I was approved through Animas, a Johnson & Johnson company division that only deals with diabetes care. I'm finally getting a pump!

It feels like this journey has taken FOREVER. And it has. I've been looking into it for almost a year now.

I completed a required saline start with the pump back in February. I wore it for 3 days, and used it just as I would if it were filled with insulin. It was weird to have a tube in my abdomen all day & night, but it was SO worth it not to have to take at least s-i-x insulin injections a day. By the end of the second day, I was already more comfortable with the tubing. I'm sure I'll grow used to the tubes with time.
Carys thought it was pretty neat, and Cailyn kept trying to pull the tube out, but I think their fascination will wane after a few days. Carys was concerned at first, but I explained to her that my body doesn't work correctly, and I have to have some help. She called the loaner pump my little tummy robot. True!

The best part is that it should help me live a more normal life, with fewer restrictions about what & when I can eat. (That's the hardest part of the diabetic challenge for me!)

Basically, the pump is like a little artificial pancreas.
I have Type I diabetes. My pancreas no longer works correctly, so I don't produce any insulin. No one knows why this happens exactly, but I did have gestational diabetes with both pregnancies. Cailyn's pregnancy was a lot more complicated as far as blood sugar management goes. No one was really surprised (but me) when my body just decided to stop producing insulin a few months after Cailyn's birth. We thought it was Type II at first, but soon realized that my body just wasn't producing any insulin whatsoever.
So, with the pump, my body will receive small doses of insulin throughout the day, and larger doses with my meals -- just like a pancreas should work.

Science is an amazing thing.

After I receive the pump, I'll have to hang out at my endocrinologist's office for a good part of the day as they get me started. They have to figure out dosages & program my little insulin machine. I would imagine this will all be complete in a few weeks.

April is a busy month!

2008-04-14T12:59:00.011-04:00

We've had several birthdays this month - lots of fun!
We were supposed to attend a party for sweet Landon on Saturday - but I goofed up the time and we missed it. We're so sorry, buddy! I felt absolutely terrible about it - and the girls were so excited.
Here's a little ditty, just for you, big boy! (And by the way - Carys was really singing, I'm just louder than her...hard to imagine, I know!)

Happy, happy 3rd birthday Landon!

And we went to a party Sunday -- you'll be proud that I didn't miss the time on this one!
Happy 4th birthday, FAITH!

I've snapped a few pictures in the last week or so. We have this tree in the front yard that I LOVE. The girls love it too - they think they're pretty cool when they can "climb" it. Actually, they just kind of stand in it...but it makes them happy. Chad would probably like to cut it down, but I will have to protest.