Special Delivery

Donny was a very busy boy while I cooked dinner this evening. He was running back and forth asking for specific items and then running to his room. He finally called me in, "Excuse me sir! I'm going to need some help loading in here." I went to help him and had no idea what he was playing even though we were going through a very scripted dialog. Once I stepped back and entered his fantasy land, I realized he was playing delivery/recycling truck. I ran to get the camera so I could get a photo of him driving. After dinner, he requested a second driver.

Blue Eyes

I found this photo of Donny when I was looking for the Sunlight photo. His eyes are no longer as blue, I hope Abigail's do not change.

Sunlight

I took this photo of Abigail and when I looked at it on the computer, I remember the photo of Donny (below) taken when he was six months old.

Bug Off

In past summers, when we had grass, walking on the lawn was a nightmare. I have always described it as feeling like PigPen from Charlie Brown. The gnats swarm around your head, ping against your eyes, ears and mouth, it's really awful. I hated going outside. The neighbors open their bedroom double doors, without a screen, and let the breeze blow their sheer curtains gently in the wind. We just watch in horror, how can they live with all those bugs in the house? I was invited to a baby shower on their sprawling front lawn two summers ago. I remember thinking I should probably cover myself head to toe in bug spray if I was going to sit under a circus tent on their lawn. I left my bug infested yard and entered the magical world across the road. I sat there for three hours and not one bug! All the doors were open wide. People laughing and smiling, what a happy place. I rushed home to tell Big Daddy that the grass is greener.

Since the big dig, we haven't really had any bugs. Even though it has rained almost daily, we are able to be outside without covering ourselves in bug spray. Last night Big Daddy was fixing the screen on the sliding glass door. We decided that we should live like the neighbors. I was so proud of us, we were quite relaxed. Later that night, it was evident that we were fools, mosquitoes everywhere. I felt like we were in the Travelocity commercial. So much for living like the neighbors.

Doin' A Jig

"Mama take my picture, I'm going to dance for you."

Little Helper

Donny needed to get out of the house and run, so Big Daddy let him "help" with a project. The only thing little Donny accomplished was rolling in the mud. I had to strip him at the front door. I think we can honestly call this the summer of rain.

Happy Birthday Big Daddy

We celebrated Big Daddy's with a chocolate/chocolate cake. Oddly enough, there is no milk in milk chocolate frosting, how lucky for us. Donny asked for a piece at least once every ten minutes. Abigail tasted just a bit and grunted her approval.

Question Of The Day

Why, oh why, did Ashley choose to poop on the deck rather than the yard provided for her? Big Daddy was very careful to leave Ashely a very nice size of fenced in grassy yard for her needs. Now I have to pooper scoop the deck? What's wrong with her????

Commando

After swimming yesterday, I gave Donny a pair of underwear and shorts. He started to put the shorts on without the underwear. As I mentioned this to him, the shorts went all the way up and he looked at me and said, "Ahhhhhhh, that feels gooood." I hope this doesn't become an issue.

I Need A Hobby

I cannot wait until the regular fall season on television begins. I was so bored last night that I actually watched the Hannah Montana movie, unfortunately I didn't have any 3-D glasses to get the full effect. I would have been surfing the net, but we were having a terrible storm, which leads me to the real reason for this post. Shortly after Hannah was over there was a flash of lighting so bright that I could see the backhoe in the backyard. I'm pretty sure that lighting strike was the reason the cable went out for the night. The good news, I could still watch anything on DVR, if you do not have this service, sign up now. I went through the list and found an episode of Royal Pains, which airs on USA. Big Daddy and I love this show because it is so ridiculous, it is a cross between MacGyver and Marcus Welby.

I remembered that I had set the DVR to record a show I had read about, I checked and I had three new episodes. Oh well, I'll kill some time and watch one episode of Dance Your Ass Off, Big Daddy will have to suffer. Here is the synopsis: Twelve finalists, nearly 3,000 lbs, one goal -- to go from an eating machine to a dancing machine in Oxygen's new dance/weight loss competition series Dance Your Ass Off. (Yes, I pulled that from the web-site) I watched about twenty minutes and told Big Daddy I was going to bed and he said, "Wait a minute, were do you think you're going?" Next thing I know it is after 11:00 and the episode is wrapping up. I am just about to turn off the TV, when the host announces that next week's theme dance is the stripper pole. We start watching the stripper episode because we are mesmerized by Alicia, this girl is crazy and makes THE BEST facial expressions. We were begging for her to stay, I hope she makes it to the end. Watching her, I have to remind myself that she isn't a character on SNL.

I know most of you have better things to do, but this is one you have to see to believe. By the way, Big Daddy is as hooked as I am!

http://dyao.oxygen.com/

Who Are These People?

I found this today and thought I would share it with everyone. I'm surprised they were allowed to do this in a church. I bet the reception was a blast.

What Did He Just Say?

I was showing Donny the photo album I started for him when I became pregnant. We were looking at the photos of the progression of my stomach as the weeks went by. I said, "Look honey, you're getting bigger and bigger in my tummy." To which he replied, "So is your face." Good thing he is only three!

Question Of The Day

Why does Ashley follow me around when I vacuum? She will be sound asleep and when she hears the vacuum being pulled out, she comes running to my side. She will stand behind me and follow me as I make my way through each room. I wonder what she is thinking and as I vacuumed yesterday and watched her, I thought maybe she's afraid if she takes her eye off the vacuum cleaner it will try to attack. As all of this was going through my mind, I remembered her fear of the vacuum cleaner as a puppy. I'm sure she was frightened of the noise and the fact that I vacuum daily, a bit OCD of me, didn't help her nerves.

I was really worried about the tree on Ashley's first Christmas. I thought for certain that she would eat many of our ornaments, since she was chewing her way through many of things, couch included. One day I came into the living room and Big Daddy had surrounded the Christmas Tree with three vacuum cleaners, Ashley wouldn't go near the tree and hasn't since. Don't ask why we had three vacuum cleaners, I really don't know. In the end, only one vacuum remained through the holiday season and Big Daddy even put a face on it to ensure Ashley knew to stay away.

Swimming

Since the weather is finally getting warmer, I decided to buy the kids a pool. I ended up buying one for each of them. They have spent the past two days playing in the water and loving every minute. Donny practices what he has learned at swim lessons and Abigail just splashes the entire time. I put her in Donny's pool and she tried to swim to his kick board, she really loves being in the water.

Horsin Around

Donny's cousin Molly, Aunt Karen and Uncle Jim arrived yesterday to attend the local fireman's parade and carnival. The weather did not cooperate so we settled for an ice cream run instead. Today, Donny and Molly went to the horse farm next door to ride a pony. When we arrived, Donny was only interested in the pick-up truck, front loader, camper and barn full of machines. Once in the barn, Molly found a mama cat and her three kittens and lost interest in the pony. Donny asked the owner so many questions within the first ten minutes, she told him he had reached his question limit. Molly rode the pony for awhile in the ring and Donny played fetch with a cute little dog, who's name escapes me at the moment. Donny decided not to ride the pony today, maybe another time. But he does want to go back to "do some work."

Bust Me Out Of Here!

Donny and I met with the allergist yesterday for his first scratch test to determine what will give him a reaction. The appointment started quite well and Donny seemed to comfortable. I was worried considering the trauma of the blood drawl a couple weeks ago. The doctor showed Donny the plastic applicator used to apply the allergens on his back and he slowly began to break down. She left the room to prepare for the test and he asked me to take him home. I told him she would just touch his back with the plastic thing and the worst would be over. The doctor returned applied the allergens and he was done, screaming and crying followed. Nothing I said would calm him, I did bring his favorite books and read to him while we waited for the results. He was quiet until he heard anyone close to the door of our room and then the crying began again. At the height of his hysteria, he turned to me and said, "Mama, please bust me out of here and take me home." What do you say to that?

After ten minutes, the doctor checked his back and was very surprised to see the milk reaction. "That's impressive! I've never seen a reaction like this for milk." We learned that he is also allergic to grass, outdoor mold, peanuts, ragweed and trees. He now has an Epi-Pen for milk and bee stings. The peanut reaction was very small compared to milk, but there is a possibility for a sever reaction. The doctor also prescribed Pulmicort for his breathing if the grass, mold, etc. bothers him too much. All in all, he handled the appointment very well, unfortunately, we have to return in a few months.

Fanny Master

Yesterday, I took Donny to his best friends' house for a play-date. The two of them we playing so nicely in a baby pool, laughing and giggling. At one point, we heard one of them say, "You be the doctor." Miss D and I looked at each other with surprise and tried to figure out what they were doing, but they were just having a good time. A bit later Donny's playmate was lying on her tummy and Donny was spanking her fanny. She turned and said, "Do it again." I put an end to that real quick! But not before the playmate declared Donny the "Fanny Master." Aren't they too young for this?

Snacks

I turned my back for a moment and Donny grabbed Abigail's puffs. She was so happy to have entire tray full of snacks that she yelled when I cleaned them off. See the two feet in the naughty spot on the left? The siblings are starting to work as a team.

Exercise

I decided that it was time to pull out the exercise video and I thought Donny would have fun with me. Wouldn't it be great to teach him the importance of exercise, lead by example. I haven't really made an attempt in quite awhile, so this was a big step for me. About three minutes into the video, this is how it went..."Mama, you're not holding your arms right. See the lady? Move your arms, they're not right. Did you blow out the air? She blew out the air. Did you blow it out? Why does her tummy look like that? Let me see your tummy, it doesn't look like hers." I grabbed the remote, turned off the video and turned on Toot and Puddles. So much for that idea!

Zzzzzzzz's

I know I shouldn't say anything, but I can't control myself...FINALLY...the little princess slept through the night. I am hoping this is not a one time occurrence. Abigail had two very sleepless nights over the weekend because I failed to make her bed properly at Grandma's. When I put her in her crib last night at 7:30, she looked at me rolled over and that was all folks. I think she might be like her daddy, who is so happy when he returns to his own bed, "I love this bed, I love this bed, I love this bed!"

Playland

The entire family went to Playland on Friday night. This was Donny's first visit and he was beside himself. We broke all of our rules: bedtime, sweets and schedule. He had a blast and Big Daddy and I had an even better time watching his little face. Here are some photos of our night.

Samoas

I made a version of the Girl Scout Samoas tonight and hopefully they will be as good as my first attempt. Big Daddy and I liked them, but tomorrow we are sharing with family. They take quite a bit of time, but are well worth the wait. Unfortunately, they contain milk, so Donny cannot partake, but what he doesn't know....

We Now Know

We received the results of the blood work today and it was positive for...wait for it...Cat Scratch Fever! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we here in the Dover household find it necessary to come down with the craziest ailments we can find. Now we do this for your entertainment. I mean really, why we would want to catch the normal everyday flu or sinus infection? No, no, no, we want our doctors to work for the ever rising co-pay and half hour drives to their office. We make a promise as a family to come up with something new and strange every so often.

All right, enough of my smart mouth and on with the results. The blood test is very basic, either positive or negative, so since it was positive, the blood has been sent off to Atlanta for further testing. I'm not sure what they are looking for, but with us it could be anything. So there you have it, another mystery solved. And here I thought Cat Scratch Fever was just a Ted Nugent song.

Home Again

We have returned home and everyone seems to be getting back to normal. Abigail's spot is slowly fading, thank heavens. Donny's neck has returned to it's original size and he has been fever free for four days. We are still waiting the results of two of the blood tests, but I think at this point we are in the clear.

The Day Has Finally Come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been at Grandmas for over twelve hours, yet I failed to read the newspaper article hanging on the refrigerator until Big Daddy pointed it out today. I am so excited I don't know how to continue....Fish Tacos have arrived in the city!!!!!!! For those of you who know, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fish tacos. I talk about them entirely too much, some might say that I am obsessed and I agree. I have tried to make them at home and they are never the same. I often go to the web-site just to read the menu although I have a hard copy at home.

I have waited for this day for almost eight years for this day to arrive. The restaurant I have been stalking is Rubios, however the article is about Baja Fresh and the new location at 465 Lexington Avenue. Looks like I'm heading to the city soon. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

http://www.bajafresh.com/

Everybody Up

When Donny wakes in the morning, he isn't happy until the entire house is awake. Try as I might, I have the hardest time getting him into the other room before he wakes everyone. Today, he was a bit confused because we are at Grandma's house and we are all in different rooms. He stood in the hallway calling me, very loudly, I grabbed him and took him to the bathroom. Abigail started to cry and Donny looked at me and said, "Clearly I woke Abigail up."

Doctor's Visit

Apparently, the "mono" blood work was sent to Siberia for testing since the results are still not back. However, the antibiotics are really shrinking the swelling in the neck. The biopsy is on hold and hopefully won't be needed. We are to bring him back if the fever returns or his neck starts to become larger. The diagnosis at this time is infected lymph nodes.

Not to be outdone by her brother, Abigail also needed a once over. On Friday, I noticed a circle on her fanny. I was pretty certain I knew what I was looking at and the doctor confirmed it today. Yes, my daughter has ringworm. Hold on everyone, it's just a fungus, which is bad enough. This is why I have a blog people!! Who gets this crap?

Doctor Today

The swelling in Donny's next has reduce quite a bit. We have an appointment today with the doctor and hopefully they will have some answers for us.

Fingers Crossed

The antibiotics seem to be working. Donny's neck appears to be a bit smaller this morning. He definitely feels good. I woke up at 6:15 when I heard what I thought was Abigail in the monitor. When I went to investigate, I found Donny playing in the living room. I asked him how long he had been up and he replied, "Since I'm three, I've been up since three." I said, "Please tell me Mr. Sunshine was awake when you got out of bed." Donny said, "Of course he was mama. If it was dark I'd have to go back to sleep, silly goose."

Still There

Donny has taken two doses of his antibiotic and there is no change in the size of his neck. I'm hoping we will see a change today. I heard a rumor that the big yellow thing in the sky is going to make an appearance today. The doctor suggested we keep Donny away from others, so were are confined to the property. Hopefully, we can play outside today. Happy Fourth of July!!!!

London 1980's

Abigail's mohawk reminds me of the kids in London in the early 80's. She is just missing about a hundred safety pins, rips in her clothes and black eyeliner. She certainly has the attitude!

Back To The Doctor

The doctor called this morning to have Donny come back to the office for a TB test. The doctor also prescribed antibiotics. We'll return to the office Monday for the results of all the tests and so the doctor can look at Donny's neck. Hopefully, the antibiotics will reduce the swelling, if nothing changes and the blood work doesn't answer anything, they will probably do a biopsy. So many if's!

Still Waiting

Nothing to report, results of blood work will be in on Monday. Until then, a long weekend of waiting. Happy Fourth of July.

It's Never Easy

When Donny woke up yesterday, he had a slight fever and his neck was still swollen, which meant a follow up trip to the doctor. The drive to the office is about forty minutes and no matter how hard I try, I always arrive three minutes before the appointment. I really wanted to arrive in a timely manner so I started getting ready at 10:00 for the noon appointment. I was doing really well, standing at the front door with two kids, the diaper bag, carrier and Donny's lunch. "Let's go, let's go, let's go! Everyone to the car." I opened the door, put one foot out, step on something and said, "Everyone back in." Kitty left me a present and I had to move it before we could go. The thing about Kitty, not only is she a killer but she also eats her prey and leaves us just the head and bladder. I'm sorry if that was too graphic, but at least I didn't take a photo.

After meeting with the doctor, she sends us to the hospital for blood work. Donny had a great time talking to everyone in the hospital until I handed Abigail to a strange lady. He looked at me and knew something was up. Three tubes of blood later we were out of there. I now had a very cranky, hungry (he dropped his sandwich on the floor) and tired boy. When we finally get home, I'm unable to unlock the door. While I was cleaning up the Kitty mess, Donny was playing with the lock on the door handle and locked the door. We were never given the key to this lock and have discussed many times that this day would come. I finally got us in the house and thought I can't believe we have to go back tomorrow. Donny is having an ultrasound on his neck. Things will be easier because Big Daddy is home. Unfortunately, we have cancelled our trip to D.C., but there is always another weekend. Who wants to sit in traffic anyway?