Fall Fun

Fall is definitely in the air! I cannot believe how much it has cooled down. The leaves are turning colors and dropping. The air is crisp. We are searching through Rubbermaid bins for our warm jackets, hats, mittens. Yes, fall is here and winter is not far behind.

With our weekends at the camper winding to a close, Daddy needed some time last weekend to get the boat winterized. Jodi, Shelley, and I decided to take the kids to an apple orchard and pumpkin patch.


Kendall just had to taste the pumpkin!

If you knew about the relationship these girls have with corn on the cob, you would see the humor in this picture of Sydney!

Awww....big sister holding baby brother. Gotta love the belly hanging out!

All of the kids together. This location would be a great photo op if the orchard had paid a little more attention to one aspect of the background. Can you figure out what makes me laugh but really bugs me about this picture????

MMMMOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYY There is an alpaca kissing me!!!!

This was my favorite part of the whole day! The kids were checking out the animals in the petting zoo when this alpaca leaned down to nuzzle Cameron. The poor kid did not know what to think. He didn't cry, but I could tell he was very close!

We are sad to bid summer farewell, but look forward to the beauty of the fall leaves in the coming weeks!

Face Plant

I’ve been predicting all summer.

Cameron loves to play at the door in our camper. Given his love for playing at the door, I just knew the day would come when he would fall out it – and down those heavy metal camper steps.

The day has finally come.

On Sunday the weather was horrible. The wind was gusting at 30+ MPH, the rain was coming down sideways. It was so bitterly cold so the rain felt like sleet. Mike and I decided to close up the camper and head for home. We were nearly finished and Madison came running out of the camper with her jacket and shoes on. So, I closed the door and helped her into the car. Then I went back for Cam.

I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that he was probably standing at that door. I whipped open the door against the strong winds and out tumbled Cameron!

I remember screaming, but I’m sure the strong winds just blew the screams away.

Cam did two full somersaults before I caught him.

I quickly scooped him up and held him close. Miraculously, he was no worse for the wear! He had a small scrape on his cheek, under his eye but was otherwise unhurt. Of course, he was screaming and had giant crocodile tears rolling down his face. I’m sure he was more scared than anything.

Do you suppose he has learned that he shouldn't play at the door? I can't wait for my deck to be set up, so I don't have to worry about him falling down those stairs anymore!

Halloween Already?

Last weekend was Halloween at Cozy Corners. There were events for the kiddos and for the adults.

Madison and Cameron happily dressed up for a costume contest and for trick or treating around the campground!

Madison’s costume, as she describes it was:

Witch Tights
Witch boots
Witch dress
And a witch hat.

She made a very cute little witch!

Cameron was a round little pumpkin – which is really no different than any other day, except for the hat! I love how cute he looks with the hat on crooked.

I’m not sure how the judging worked out on the costume contest – they never really said. I do know that neither or my little goblins received a ribbon but I’m not sure what they were giving ribbons out for. Cameron didn’t have a chance in his category. There was a newborn dressed as a bumble bee – and, really, how does anyone compete with an uber-cute, fresh from God newborn, let alone one dressed as a bumblebee?

The Dobbelaere twins were dressed as a ladybug and bumble bee. They were very cute and had tons of fun during their first trick or treating experience! They were also joined by their older cousin, Jack, who dressed up as Jeff Gordon. It worked out perfectly for trick or treating because Jack and Madison were able to go with one another and the littler kids didn’t have to worry about keeping up.

There was even a haunted house! The campground pulls in an old semi trailer and converts it into a haunted house. It is free with a donation to the food shelf. Each trip through the haunted house was tailored to those that were going through it. Madison was very adamant that she did not want to go through the haunted house. She would point to it and say “mama, I don’t want to go in that.” Jodi grabbed her anyway and brought her through. The actors were very careful to make it fun for Madison – nobody reached out and grabbed her or jumped out to scare her. She actually enjoyed going through it.

The evening ended with five over-tired, sugared up little goblins. It was a lot of fun and now the kiddos can’t wait for Halloween!

swimming

A few weekends back, we were enjoying a potluck taco dinner. We were at the camper - my parents were visiting and we were joined by many friends from around the campground.

I was being pulled in a million different directions. Cameron and Madison needed plates of food, someone needed a spoon, sour cream, etc. All I wanted to do was sit down and eat my taco.

I was hungry.

Our friends have a kiddie pool on their campsite for the kids to play in. I recall Madison saying she wanted to swim. I recall someone asking me if it was okay.

I said sure. Not really thinking about the fact that she wasn't wearing a swimsuit.

Again, all I wanted to do was eat my taco. I would have agreed to just about anything at that point, just for a moment of silence in which to enjoy the pile of rice, beans, veggies, meat, and cheese that were wrapped in a flour tortilla on my plate.

Minutes later, I look up to see a look of absolute horror on Mike's face.

There was Madison, in the kiddie pool, completely naked!

There is a picture of her in this state. Imagine the picture of her above, but without clothing. Ok, don't imagine it - that's sick. But - you get the idea.

Hand me down jersey

Poor Cameron - he has a hand me down Packers Jersey. Kiddos grow so fast, we don't dare buy a new jersey. So, for now, Daddy has doctored the jersey a bit. We're not bitter or anything.

Despite the old jersey, he is pretty cute in green!

Sunday School

Is it a sign of the H1N1 times? Madison is enjoying a snack on her first day of Sunday School - and there is a full bottle of germX right in front of her!

Madison loved Sunday School. She has a name tag and her teacher sends home notes and information in her very own bible bag. Madison's favorite part of Sunday School was music time where they went to a big music room and sang with a guy who played the guitar.

All morning after Sunday School I could hear Madison singing "My God is so Great. My God is so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!" It was so cute. I have been teaching her Jesus Loves Me, but this song seems to be an easier tune for her to pick up!

Since it was rally day, there was a carnival for the Sunday School students on the church lawn. It included bounce houses, inflatable slides, popcorn, freeze pops, and tatoos! Madison had a blast and said as we were leaving "I'm coming back to Church everyday!!!"

So - when do we tell her that the inflatable slide and bounce houses won't be there the next time she comes back?

Remembering

On this day last year I was driving home to Monticello as fast as I could. It was pouring down rain and I was trying to make the 120 mile trip on bald tires. Given that I live so far away, I had said my goodbye on my visit the weekend before. Despite that, I still wanted to be there. I wanted to hold her hand, I wanted to hug my mom, and I wanted to just be with my family while an angel got her wings.

Sadly, I did not make it in time. God had patiently waited long enough while my Grandma hung on through the handful of early September birthdays and now he had an urgent need for a new angel.

Rest in Peace, Gramma ‘Doon. I miss you more with each day that passes. Oh – and I’m anxiously awaiting your message on my cell phone!

It is also the day to remember the tragic attacks of 09/11/2001. I’ll never forget that day. I sat on my bed in just a towel, having just finished a shower. I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV as I watched two seemingly indestructible buildings fall to the ground. For all the terrible things that happened that day there is always a silver lining. The worst brought out the best in Americans. Flags are now flown proudly outside our homes, we thank servicemen and women when we pass them on the street, and we send care packages to the troops. People line the streets as a military unit deploys or comes home and we weep over those lost. Yes, the worst really does bring out our best. God Bless America.

Coming soon to a blog near you – more posts to make you laugh! It’s been a tough month, sorry for all the downer posts! I, for one, am ready to tell some fun stories!

Explaining Kitty Heaven

After Zelda was put to sleep, I agonized over how to tell Madison about her kitty. I thought about telling her the kitty went to farm to live. I thought about telling her the truth. I thought about just waiting to see if she asked where Zelda was and make something up on the fly.

Madison is a bright girl, I didn’t want to lie to her and have her see right through it.
In the end, I knew being honest with Madison would be best.

So, last night at supper this is how our conversation went:

Mommy: Madison, you know how Zelda kept going potty on the chair and on the floor and we thought she was being naughty?
Madison: Yea, you didn’t like that.
Mommy: Well, I took her to the kitty doctor today and she wasn’t doing it to be naughty. She was very very sick and was trying to tell us that she was sick.
Madison: Oh. Did the doctor make her better?
Mommy: No sweetie, she was too sick for the doctor to make her better, so she went to kitty Heaven.
Madison: How did the doctor get her there? They don’t have cars that go to kitty Heaven. (OMG TOO STINKING CUTE!!!)
Mommy: I know they don’t, the doctor takes them there in a very special way.
Madison: Oh. **Whining** But I miss my kitty!
Mommy: Me too, sweetie but she is in a better place with all the kitty treats and twist ties she could ever want.

Later on Madison had to make sure that if she got sick the doctor would be able to make her better. Crisis mode kicked in and I wondered if I had done the right thing. So, I had to explain that it’s much easier for doctors to make people better than it is to make kitties better. She seemed to accept that. Crisis averted.

Before long, Madison insisted on putting the cat bed away. She did not want to see Zelda’s empty bed in the corner or my bedroom. So, she stuck it in the hall closet. Out of sight, out of mind.

Madison and Zelda had a love-hate relationship. Madison LOVED Zelda but Zelda HATED Madison.

Later that night, we decided that ice cream would make us all feel better. So, we treated ourselves to McFlurrys in Zelda’s honor. Ice cream and chocolate really do make you feel better!

RIP Sweet Little Zelda

You could say I met and fell in love with our sweet cat, Zelda, online. I saw her picture on the Paws and Claws Humane Society website back in early 2002. She was an all white kitten that had been abandoned with her brothers and sisters. She was so adorable I had to go see her. When I saw her, I knew I had to adopt her.

Mike named her after the princess in the popular Nintendo game, Zelda. To me, it didn’t seem like a good name for such a cute little cat. After a few weeks, the name grew on me and it seemed to perfectly fit this sweet white cat.

She quickly claimed Mike as her man. She wanted little to do with me. Zelda was not a lap cat, by any means, but she would cuddle with Mike. The only time she wanted to cuddle me was at 2:00 in the morning or as soon as I put on a pair of clean black pants. Many people didn’t even know we had a cat. She would disappear whenever people came over. It wasn’t that she was skittish; she just liked to be left alone.

Over the past year we have had issues with Zelda using her litter box. She had started to go in our entryway and on our leather reclining chair. It made me crazy. I was so tired of cleaning it up and so afraid that eventually I wouldn’t smell it and I’d be known as the lady with the house that smelled like cat pee. I threatened to have Zelda put to sleep if the behavior didn’t change. We tried a lot of things to encourage the little box and nothing helped.

It was something that was happening every few weeks and we thought it was a behavioral issue. She seemed to do it as a punishment to us for leaving her alone over a weekend. But in the past couple of weeks, it started happening every single day. Out of frustration, Mike called me and said to have her put to sleep. I had noticed her doing funny things in the days leading up to this. She wasn’t eating much. She was trying to get to my water glass on the bedside table one night. She never did that before. I found her hiding in unusual spots. Overtime, she started vomiting daily. Her coat didn’t look as shiny, had a few mats and was really greasy. She didn’t seem to be taking care of herself. This was very unusual for her and I knew that something had to be wrong.

I took her to the vet, hoping it was something simple that we could fix. I didn’t want to be the person to put her down for bad behavior. My mother in law came along, so that I didn’t have to make any decisions alone. I’m so grateful that someone was there with me. The examination didn’t reveal much other than the issues with her grooming. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on tests but I also knew I had to know if I was doing this for a medical reason or not. Thankfully, our vet tech is also my brother in law’s girlfriend. She could see my agony over this decision and offered to put the cost of the tests on her account. (As an employee, she gets a certain amount in free tests/procedures each year.) I gratefully accepted.

The tests revealed an extremely low white blood cell count. In fact, Jenny could only find four white blood cells on the sample slide. This happens for a few reasons, but combined with the other symptoms the low blood cell count indicated it was most likely Lymphoma.

My poor kitty had cancer and I thought she was just being naughty. Yes, I have a little guilt. So does Mike. When I called him to say that she was sick and that it would be a losing battle he quickly came to the vet’s office to be there.

We made the heartbreaking decision to have her put to sleep. With all my frustration with her litter box issues, I thought it would be a much easier decision. This proved to not be the case. I knew that we wouldn’t be able to give her the necessary medical attention that she needed. I knew that we had to end her pain. So, we said our last goodbyes and my sweet girl died peacefully in my arms in the afternoon of September 3, 2009.

Top Ten Things I Will Miss About Zelda

10. Her love for free cat toys. Her favorite toys were those hard plastic twist ties that you find on electronic equipment.
09. Tripping over her as she sleeps on the top stair.
08. Seeing her waiting for us in the living room window when we come home.
07. Watching her run away as Cameron would crawl to her and try to pet her (ok, more like pull her tail).
06. Our nightly ritual of filling my water glass and her water bowl with ice water.
05. Waking up at 2am with a purring kitty trying to snuggle me.
04. Finding her sleeping on my desk chair.
03. Watching her figure out how to navigate a baby gate.
02. Battling with Mike over whether or not she needs one of my good glasses for water.
01. Her unconditional love.

It’s funny, but now I can’t think of all the things she did that drove me crazy. It’s funny how quickly we forget those things.

So – rest in peace sweet baby girl. We miss you already!

On the Move

Cameron is officially on the move! He is crawling and the baby gate has been put up again. (UGH!!!)

Cam has crawled on all fours just once - he seems to prefer the 'ole army crawl. He is quite skilled at it and can cross the room and be digging in the cat's food in the blink of an eye!

This child never stops moving. He is not at all happy if he is contained. When in a car seat or high chair, his arms and legs are constantly moving. I have a feeling it won't be long and he'll be running!

Choices

We all have to make choices in life. I often try to give Madison choices. You know the ones - "Madison, choose something to wear or I will choose something" or "Madison, you can eat your dinner and get desert or eat nothing and go to bed."

I have been struggling to keep Madison at the table during dinner time. She is always up and roaming around. I've come close to using duct tape. Very. Very. Close.

I few nights ago, after getting after Madison about leaving the table before being excused, I was presented with a choice.

This is how it went down:

Mommy: Madison, you need to stay at the table and eat your dinner and drink your milk.

Madison: I need a cookie.

Mommy: Well, there are no cookies for little girls that don't eat their dinner and drink their milk.

Madison: You choose, Mommy. I get a cookie or I don't drink my milk. What's it gonna be????

Honestly, I lost it at this point. The kid had me backed into a corner. I was laughing so hard I couldn't scold her anymore.

It's a good thing we were all out of cookies - she probably would have gotten one if there were any in the house!