It's raining, it's pouring, the young man is NOT snoring!

Yesterday we had Max's tonsils and adenoids out as well as removal of one ear tube that was stuck in some serious ear wax. It was a tough decision for us to do this surgery because it didn't seem like his problems merited a major surgery. He has been a snorer for the past 6 months or so. In November we took him to the ENT for his annual ear tube check. While there, we mentioned the snoring and the doctor said it would probably be a good idea to get the tonsils and adenoids out.

That wasn't a good enough answer for me right away so we did a little more checking and some more doctor appointments and found out that there was more to it than this. By him snoring so much, he was at risk for sleep apnea and dental trouble in the future. (due to his mouth always being open) Also he was at risk for ADHD when he starts going to school full time because of his low quality sleep. Thus...we decided to bite the bullet and get them out.

He was a total trooper yesterday. We arrived an hour and a half before his surgery. He couldn't eat or drink after midnight so he was starving and very thirsty, but didn't complain too much. Around 8:30 they gave him some medicine that would make him very loopy. (the anesthesiologist said it would be the equivalent to me drinking a 6 pack) We got our first look at Max drunk....hiccups and all:) We got some good laughs and it made it a lot easier when they came to get him because he was sort of out of it already.

The surgery lasted about 30 minutes. The surgeon (whose wife is a tennis friend of mine so I felt like we were in good hands:) came to tell us that all went well and that his tonsils were huge and his adenoids were infected. 45 minutes later we got to see Max. The nurse who wheeled him down in his bed said he was the best little patient and a very nice young man. When Max saw us he started crying and was pretty upset for awhile. He drank an entire sippy of apple juice. Then he got some high powered pain killers and fell asleep for an hour and a half. Once he woke up he puked (on me) and then we left! Very strange to be walking out 4 hours after a surgery like that, but I guess it's routine!

Yesterday he was great. He slept the entire afternoon and then woke up starving. He asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich first and then crackers. Both things he couldn't have! He settled for some jello, pudding, 2 popsicles,a smoothie and a piece of banana bread! We couldn't believe his appetite. Last night went really well too. Woke a few times for a drink and some medicine. Today he's in a little more pain and is not as interested in eating and drinking. I'm feeling like a drink nazi asking him to take a sip every 2 seconds. (okay...maybe like every 2 minutes:)

We're hoping the next few days go well and we can get back to normal. Apparently when the scabs fall off it's like going back to the beginning, but for a shorter period of time. Here are a couple pictures.

pre-surgery
post-surgery popsicles in bed watching cartoons!


Almost 3 years to the day of Max's 1st surgery (tubes)

Una semana en Mexico

Last week Chris and I were able to get away for a trip to Mexico with some friends. It was a wonderful vacation..one that we really needed and definitely enjoyed and appreciated!

The group we went with were initially Chris's friends, but through the years have become my friends too. There was a couple on the trip whom I had never met (and honestly wasn't even sure how to pronounce their names!)and by the end of the 5 days it was like we had been friends since childhood. It was a perfect mix of people and personalities. Never had any disputes over where to eat, what to do, etc. Most just did what they wanted and met up with the group afterwards!

Here are some highlights:

Arriving in Cancun. We left Minneapolis at 6:20 a.m. so it was quite an early morning for us. Once we touched down in Cancun and the layers of clothes started coming off and the sunglasses starting going on, I knew it was going to be great. The shuttle service was right on time and no one had any trouble getting through customs.



Rooms: Because they are having some trouble getting people to go to Mexico these days (you know the whole people getting their heads cut off thing..) and it's an off-peak time to travel, they gave us 1500 points to use on the resort. We were able to use some of them for a room upgrade and it was definitely worth it. Here's are a couple of views from our room.




Service: The service at our resort (Moon Palace Golf and Spa) was outstanding. These people (who made $8 per day) would do absolutely anything to make us happy. At one point my heart broke because Chris asked for a cup of coffee after dinner and the waiter ran to get it. Literally ran. We tipped better than ever. I even got to speak some Spanish and was pleasantly surprised at how much came back. I could tell the Mexican people were appreciative of my attempt and they even taught me some new words!

Spa: We were able to use 300 of the points for the Spa and my wonderful husband graciously gave me all 300 to use. If you get jealous easily, please don't read the rest of this paragraph. In one day I was able to get a body scrub, holistic massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. My bill (after the 300 points) was $14. We even got to use the sauna, steam room, and hydrotherapy pools before the treatments. (well...the other girls did the sauna and steam room. I got claustrophobic in the first 2 minutes and had to exit:)



Golf: No pictures of golf yet, but Chris and the guys got a chance to golf on the resort (again with resort points) From what I hear it was an amazing golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. One of the highlights were these monkey type creatures who would jump on the cart and try to steal food when you went up to hit the ball! I know one of the guys has a couple pictures so if I can get them, I'll post at another time.

The food. It was unbelievably delicious. We had sushi 2 nights in a row because it was so good and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Italian restaurant on our last night. The freshly squeezed OJ was the highlight every morning.




The drinks: Every fruity drink you could ever imagine was available to us. I didn't even know some of these drinks existed! Check this one out. It was called a Bob Marley and we discovered it late in the trip...which was probably a good thing:) Another favorite was the Miami Vice which was half a strawberry daiquiri and half a pina colada. So yummy! I have never been one for fruity drinks (gut rot) but for some reason I didn't have any trouble in Mexico! Must be the water:)



Tennis: No pictures of this either, but Chris and I enjoyed a couple mornings of tennis. We did not bring our own racquets and balls so we had to rely on their equipment (which was sub-par) but it was really fun to be outside hitting again. The second day we played we actually had to quit because it was too hot and the sweat was dripping in my eyes. not kidding.

Hanging at the pool: We had great weather while we were there. There were a few clouds and sprinkles on the first day we were there, but other than that it was mid-80's with a light breeze! Here are some other favorite pictures from the trip.





the seagulls were crazy there too and one pooped on Chris:)



Another highlight of the trip was getting home to see the kids. (I was pretty excited even though there was a 100 degree diffence between the Cancun airport and the Minneapolis airport) I had some anxiety about leaving them for 6 nights, but they did great thanks to our wonderful parents. They spent the first couple of days in Minnesota with Chris's parents and then went to Decorah and then to Dubuque with my parents. We talked to them once and it didn't go very well, so we just spoke to our parents from then out and it was much better! Mya was so happy to see us she gave Chris a 5-minute hug. Max was a little overwhelmed. After the hugs he retreated to his room to build legos because he wasn't sure what to do! After we got back and gave them their presents and Max asked "Is that it?" and Mya asked "Did you get me a baby?" I knew we were back to normal:)

2 1/2 year old

Chris and I just got home today from a wonderful trip to Mexico (more on that later) While we were gone, Mya passed a milestone. She is now 2 1/2 years old! For me..the 1/2 years seem like such a big deal. Now when people ask me how old she is, she is actually closer to 3 than 2! I wrote some of this blog before we left and I was going to edit it and publish while in Mexico, but when I started in on it, I got lonesome for the kids so I had to shut down! So...here's the original post even though it's not the 18th today:)

Mya is 2 1/2 today! Holy cow that went fast. She's turning into a great little kid although still has some of her quirks:) Wouldn't have it any other way though! here's a run down of what she's up to.

Her and Max continue to be best buds and worst enemies. 99% of the time when the tears start, I hear "sorry max, it was an accident and didn't mean to" out of her. She knows how to push his buttons. Before bed they give each other hugs and Mya always says "wuv you, ni-night" and it about melts our hearts.

Her most common phrase these days is "mommy, look it!" She's really into drawing, her babies, stuffed animals (also referred to as babies), asking if you want something to eat or drink, cleaning and taking baths. Her cousin Livi is another favorite these days. Those two girls get together and giggle the whole time. No one even know what they're giggling about! She is in a phase where she's afraid of dogs. We're hoping it doesn't last because it's really annoying and she didn't used to be afraid. Of course her own dog is no big deal at all. She doesn't even know Chloe exists most days!

Mya has the most wonderful fake laugh you've ever heard. If she's watching a you-tube video (funny or not) she laughs a deep belly laugh that is so fake, but hilarious. She is deeply in love with herself. Every baby picture is her, every time she sees a home video of Max, she insists we watch one next of her. Dora and Max & Ruby are her current favorite shows on TV. She is into a little bit of a TV craze right now. For 2 years and 4 months she wouldn't watch a second of TV and now she's addicted. It's the first thing she asks for in the morning and the last thing she asks for before bed (after her mommy of course:) Speaking of her mommy...we continue to be the best of friends. Actually...I'm not sure if it's me she loves or my hair. Both are pretty much her favorites right now.

She talks all the way through reading a book which annoys me to no end. She loves to get dressed up and then show people how cute she is. She usually says "look it" and then sticks her chest out really far. "Pretty dresses" are the favorite, but lately I've been able to convince her that shirts can also be called dresses sometimes:) Mya insists on privacy when using the bathroom. Often you can find this if you walk into the bathroom while she's taking care of business.



I asked Chris if he had any thoughts he wanted to add to this post. His response was short and sweet. "I think she's really smart and is going to use it against us." Pretty much sums it up! Hopefully I can take a couple of new pictures this week and will post them when I do!

Part Dog/Part Cat?

Growing up we had cats. Well...really to be honest only one cat made it at our house. All the others had to be sent to the "farm." However, Raisin Cream Pie Huinker (named after the California Raisins at Hardees) was our beloved cat for at least 12 years, maybe more. We still have no idea what happened to her, so we choose to have happy thoughts about where she is. Anyway...I used to love to make this cat purr. So much that I'd take the liner out of my "hip" Columbia winter jacket and let her sleep on it in order to keep her in my room. She purred so loud when I got my coat out and I secretly loved it.

I highly doubt we'll ever get a cat around these parts, but my dog is starting to fill that void in my life. Check out a couple of these pictures Chris has snapped lately.




I'm not joking...I think I heard her purr the other day. Chris heard it too so he can verify that I'm not going insane. And yes..I'm sleeping on the bumblebee pillow pet:)

Vitamin D

We have all been in need of some Vitamin D lately. I was in a really good mood all day today and it wasn't until I was talking with my sister on the phone and she pointed out that the sun was out that made me put two and two together. After the neighbor kids got off the bus we all went outside to try to soak in a few rays. These pictures are the result. Pretty sure they had fun:)










Even Chloe had a nice time outside this afternoon

Resolutions for 2011

Each year when the new year comes around, I make some resolutions. It seems like just weeks later I totally forget what they were and go on with my life as usual! I decided to write some down this year so I could go back and look at them if need be.

1. Find a church in Dubuque and become members. We have done the whole church shopping thing long enough and our kids are getting to the age where they can go to Sunday School and sit through a service (for the most part) so our excuses are done.

2. Drink less diet coke. I have read/heard some things lately about my beloved Diet Coke that make me want to not drink so much. Chris is a big fan too, but luckily he is on the same page as me so he's willing to cut it out. We are down to 1-12 pack left (and that's only because I couldn't' resist the $1.99 deal) so after that is gone, we're going to go cold turkey. We agreed that we could still order it at restaurants for an occasional treat.

3. Buy a houseplant and keep it alive for an entire year. I have never kept a plant alive longer than a few months, but this year that will change. Not sure how, but I'm going to make it happen:)

4. Each week use some sort of tool/pan/pot/dish out of my kitchen that has never been used. I have all sorts of cool things that have been moved 3 times and have never been used.

5. Walk more. In Cedar Falls I was the neighborhood know-it-all as far as when houses went on the market, who was having plumbing issues, who had company, etc. In Dubuque I have not walked much at all. A couple days ago I went out and realized an entire house had been built and I didn't even walk by the entire time. Besides being good for me, it's good for Chloe too.

6. Do more outings as a family. We are finally to a point where we can get in the car with a few things in my purse and leave. There is a lot to do around us and we haven't taken advantage of those things because it always seemed like such a chore. Now that our kids act like human beings in the car, there are no diaper bags, and our lives aren't ruled by naps, I'd like to see what's out there!

7. Take more pictures. I am learning a lot about photography these days, but don't put what I know to use all that often! I was just noticing some empty wall space in this house that could use a good picture of my kids!

8. Buy Locally grown food. Last year we vowed to go to the Farmer's Market to get some of our food. Our garden was great, but we'd also like to support the area farmers who rely on their gardens for income. I think we went once and it was to get flowers:)

9. Worry less about things I can't control and things that can be replaced with money. Spend more time enjoying my kids and less time thinking about that load of laundry that needs to be done and the breakfast dishes that are still on the table at 3pm:)

10. Document more of the funny things my kids are doing or saying. Like for example...Mya thinks her name is spelled Y-A-M and will tell you you're wrong if you tell her otherwise. The other day Max was naming all of his dinosaurs...The tall one, the short one, the skinny one, the horny one (the one with horns) We laughed so hard that he kept saying it over and over!

10 is enough for now. I feel like I could keep going, but I need to make it attainable! I'll keep you posted on how I do!