Most Definitely Rewarding

(my fortune)

Last night Donald and I pulled a 'Lorelai and Rory' (for all you Gilmore Girls fans out there). We ordered a ridiculous amount of Chinese food and stayed up late watching a movie.

Yesterday's happenings also included:

• I took part in a fundraiser for the YW at church and delivered phone books (in heat that reached 100 degrees) for 7 hours.
• Donald and the girls had a yard sale (our first ever).
• Alexandra got stung by a wasp.
• New shoes were purchased for the girls (more on that later).
• Our carpets were steam cleaned (courtesy of Donald).

And now we will enjoy a
relaxing Sabbath day.

Evaluation Results

Elisabeth has therapy several times a week to help

her along with her development. She loves her

therapy sessions and always kicks with excitement

when her therapists arrive.

A few weeks back they conducted a test to

see where she falls developmentally:

Fine motor development:

Age equivalence: 7 months

Gross motor development:

Age equivalence: 6 months.

Seeing as Elisabeth is 20 months old,

she is a bit behind (ok, a lot behind).

But that doesn't matter

as much as the fact that she is moving

forward; slowly...but surely!

Thoughts on Contention

There have been several times this week where I have witnessed contention. The most recent was tonight at my rehearsal. The conductor and a cellist had a bit of a blow up. Talk about an uncomfortable rehearsal from that point on.

And now I find myself sort of down. Why do people argue over the silliest things? Look at us. We are so lucky. We live in America. We enjoy a high standard of living and modern technology. Our lives are so rich....yet rather than count the blessings, people choose to find fault.

Everyone complains about wars and terrorists; but how can we expect to get along on a universal level we we can't even get along as friends, and neighbors, and colleagues?

I am glad to be home and away from that awkward rehearsal. Home is my refuge. My little corner of the world. I am safe here. I am at peace here. And I refuse to let the outside world enter my little world.

Dinner to-go

For the next 3 months we will

be saying goodbye to this:

And hello to this:

Why eat indoors when we can be picnicking at a nearby park? Plus, there is the incentive of not having to sweep up the after-dinner crumbs. Gotta love that!

Color 2009

Hair:

Lighter and Brighter

For Summer, of course.

By Golly, She's Got It!

For the past year Alexandra has looked like

this at the very thought of riding a 2-wheel bike:

(This photo was taken on Saturday morning.)

And then yesterday something clicked.
She woke up and said,

"I'm going to learn to ride a bike today."

So she did.

Lorelai, however, has decided to stick with her tricycle....for now.

Knight(s) in Shining Armor

After receiving my first anonymous hate mail (or shall I say 'hate comment') yesterday, I was touched immensely to see my husband and my brother come to my defense. Donald was especially insulted by the attack (as you can perceive by the heated comment he left Madame Anonymous), but I told him that such trivial things could never upset me. I truly love my life, my family, my marriage, and the way I run my home. Someone else's harsh words could never change that.

In other news, Donald took me out on a date last night....in the Nova. We felt like two high school kids cruising in our hot ride. And because our 1971 beauty has a bench seat up front I was able to snuggle up right next to Donald as we rode around town. Now that's the good life.

It's All in the Details

The

official timepiece

of yesterdays marathon ironing

session clocked my work at:

Ladies and Gentlemen....
we have a tie!

There were two contestants who guessed 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Jen
(who has a baby due next week!)

and

Peggy
(who visited my blog for the first time yesterday!)

Congrats ladies! Please email me your address so that I can have your chocolates mailed to you directly (well....not you Jen, I know where you live!). My email address is located on my sidebar.

************************************

Now for the next item of business.

I was slightly alarmed at the number of commenter's that said they rarely (if ever) iron. How does one not iron? I was truly left baffled by this.

Without an iron, how does one straighten out little bows?

Or smooth out the lace trim?

Or flatten small purple butterflies?

It's all in the details....and without an iron, the details would be missed!

Thanks to all who participated in my little contest. It gave me the motivation I needed to get through those two mountains of clothing!

Here's to a neatly pressed

3-day weekend!

A Meticulous Ironer

This is the waiting-to-be-ironed pile.

(It's enormous)

How long do you think it
will take me to iron it all?

(Keeping in mind that I am a meticulous ironer)

Leave your guess (in hours and minutes) in the comment section before 10:00 pm tonight PST. The individual who guesses closest to the actual time will win a box of

See's Candy.

Winner will be announced tomorrow morning at 5:00 am PST.

Okay....I'm off to iron now.
(stopwatch in hand)

The Sorenson's Voted For:

Adam Lambert

We contributed a good 100 votes to Adam Lambert last
night....so if he doesn't win, don't blame us!

By the way....I could listen to him sing 'Mad World'
all day long.

When Old and Gray....

"Now that our TV shows are ending (and it's getting warmer) we can start sitting in the rocking chairs every night," said Donald.

One of my absolute favorite things about this time of year is rocking on the front porch after the children are in bed. I love the stillness in the air and the crickets chirping loudly. I love the sound of the rockers moving back and forth across the wooden deck. I love being next to Donald and chatting about life.

These are the things that I always imagined doing when I was old and gray. I'm glad that I am not waiting until then. I want to enjoy the good life now. And I am.

Miss Independent

(and then fell asleep)

Camping, Books, Picnics and Concerts

What a dreamy weekend it's been thus far. It started last night when Donald took the older children out camping for the first time. Elisabeth and I stayed in for the evening; she's not quite ready for camping yet. Once she was tucked into bed I took advantage of an empty (and quiet) house. I cleaned, organized, and even balanced the checkbook.

Donald and the girls got home in the late morning. I was pleased to hear that they had the time of their lives! Alexandra proudly showed off her new stick collection and Lorelai displayed a large assortment of seashells that she had gathered along the riverbank.

After getting everyone showered so that the smell of campfire wasn't quite so strong, we headed out to the library. I have been craving a good mystery story lately and decided on an Agatha Christy book. Alexandra and Lorelai brought their library cards along and each picked out a few. Of course the most fun of all (in the minds of 4 and 6 years olds) is the self check out. Who knew scanning bar codes could be such fun?

Next it was on to Donald's company picnic. We chowed down on hot dogs and hamburgers while enjoying music and sunshine. Once our lunch settled we took a walk along the river and let the children play at the playground.

And in case you aren't busy later, let me remind you that I will be performing with the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers tonight at the Battelle Auditorium ~ 8:00 sharp. Also, there is an art show in the lobby preceding the concert and I will be providing live entertainment as part of a quartet. Be there....or be square.

Once I make it home I plan on staying up late, eating ice cream, and watching movies with Donald.

Like I said....what a dreamy weekend.

Neighbors

Last Saturday was a somber day on our street. Our next door neighbors moved away. And these weren't just any neighbors....these were extraordinary neighbors. The kind of neighbors that would make Mr. Rogers proud.

Now, I must say that I can't complain too much, because they only moved across the neighborhood (to a home that accommodates their family better). But that won't be the same as having them next door.

These are the kind of people that you can count on for anything; a cup of sugar, babysitting (they are among the few people that I will leave Elisabeth with), and sticking up for us when other neighbors are annoyed with our dogs (that's a whole other post). We share the same values and the same faith. They have three girls (and a boy) and we have three girls (and no boy). As you can see, we were the perfect fit as neighbors.

I teach violin and cello to their two oldest children. I have loved the flexibility of just sending Lorelai over with a message that 'I am ready to teach now'. And my favorite thing about having students next door has been the countless nights when they showed up on my doorstep, in pajamas, instrument in hand, asking for some help with their practice.


I will miss seeing the kids have conversations over the fence; my girls on our playset, and their girls on theirs. I will miss arriving home to see messages and letters on our front doorstep held down tight with a heavy rock. I will miss the security that comes from having people you trust so close by.

The day before they moved we had their girls over for a few hours (see pics above). We kept telling Alexandra and Lorelai to enjoy every minute because now these things had to be arranged; no more running next door to see if they are home.

It's been almost a week now...and it still hasn't sunk in. At least not for Lorelai. She has asked countless times if she can go next door. Each time I gently remind her that they aren't there anymore. 'Oh ya,' she replies in a disappointed tone.

I'd better start planning some play dates.

Farewell 'C' family.

We'll see you around

the neighborhood.

(A new family moves in today. We're keeping our fingers crossed.)

Skip to My Lou

Alexandra's newest fascination:

Jumping Rope.

You Can't Fool Me

Donald and I are very loyal to Albertson's ice cream. Even though we don't do our regular grocery shopping there....we do make a weekly trip to stock up on ice cream (ice cream goes pretty quick in these here parts).

The main reason we love Albertson's ice cream is because they are generous with all the extra goodies they mix in it. For example, the Rocky Road flavor is loaded with almonds; each and every bite. (I love almonds).

Anyways, on with my story. Donald made a quick run into Albertson's a few days ago to restock on some of our favorites, and to our utter dismay he discovered this:

I feel betrayed and slightly insulted. Do they think that by keeping the price the same and making the container smaller I won't realize that it is in fact a price increase?

I am tempted to go on strike.

But I think I would regret it. So never mind. I'll deal with it.

Hopefully.

A Pain in the Butt (literally)

(Picture has nothing to do with the post....just a cute picture.)

Poor Elisabeth. If it's not one thing, it's another.

Here's the scoop:

When Elisabeth was born she had a deep hole at the top of her little bum crack. They did an ultrasound at that time and determined that it did not go all the way through and that it was in fact nothing more than a dimple.

Well, for the past few months fluid has been draining out of said dimple. And I mean tons of fluid. Every diaper I change has a huge wet spot way up at the back.

She went in for an MRI to rule out that this had anything to do with her spine. The good news is that it doesn't! Her spine looks splendid.

It has been determined that she has a pilonidal cyst. This is extremely rare in infants and children. We are scheduled to meet with the pediatric surgeon in June to discuss surgical removal of the cyst and closure of the sinus tract.

Fortunately, this is nothing too serious....just something else on the medical to-do list.

'Bum'mer

Baby Bumper

Do you remember my post last week about Elisabeth getting injured in a shopping cart when her epilepsy hit unexpectedly? (click here)

Well, my sister-in-law, Heidi, used her creative mind to quickly make these little baby bumpers. Aren't they perfect! And not only are they functional....but they are beautiful.

Elisabeth's new helmet (in pink) should be arriving any day now, but Donald and I were still concerned that it wouldn't protect her face. These bumpers will do just the trick!

************************************************

Heidi,

Thank you so much! Our family has been blessed by your generous spirit and creative talent! Elisabeth is lucky to have such a loving (and concerned) aunt!

It was great seeing you on Friday....even if it was just for a few minutes! Thanks for giving my a delicious meal before I headed out on the long drive home. :)

Warmly,
Lisa

The Longest Day

They take pictures of children and their parents when they

check into the hospital...a safety precaution. Then they send it

home with you as a little souvenir. I think Elisabeth looks a

little suspicious in this picture!

Time for honesty; yesterday did not go exactly as planned. We arrived on time for the 7am MRI...and were told about 2 hours later that they had lost the order and needed to get a new one. More waiting. The order finally arrived and they prepped Elisabeth for her scan. In the mean time they let another child go have their MRI first. More waiting. And then they had to re-do that child's scan. More waiting.

After she finally got in, the actual MRI took about an hour. They called me back to the recovery room as she was coming out of sedation. It did not go well. She had a terrible reaction and was inconsolable for a long time.

When we got over to the neurosurgeons office to have her shunt reprogrammed we learned that he had gone into surgery. More waiting. An hour or so later his PA arrived in between surgeries. She quickly reset the shunt and sent us on our way.

Because of the rush, no one has viewed the scan yet. Hopefully on Monday.

I made it home at 6:55 pm...5 minutes before I had to leave for my symphony rehearsal. Rehearsal ran until 10:00 pm and then I had to be back again this morning for another rehearsal at 9:30 am. We spent the afternoon enjoying another car show. Now I am home getting ready for the concert tonight.

Whew. I am exhausted.

By the way....I didn't get my See's Candy....ran out of time. But the good news is that there is always another trip to Spokane. So no worries.

***One more thing.... I was slightly concerned that some people out there have not heard of (or tasted) See's Candy. A giveaway might be in order.

4:33 AM

Elisabeth and I are heading out for the day. I know it's early, but we have to make it to Spokane in time for a 7:00 a.m. MRI. She has a new medical issue....and we need to figure out what's going on (does she ever not have a new issue?). I will share more details later (when I myself actually have them).

Donald's taking the day off of work to stay home and be Mr. Mom. That includes shuttling kids around, combing hair, providing meals, and hopefully:

• mopping the kitchen floor
• vacuuming the stairs
• making beds
• cleaning the upstairs
• (hint hint)

I enjoy these days with Elisabeth. Just the two of us, out on the open road. We will probably listen Glen Beck and Beethoven. How's that for a good pair?

She will be sedated for the MRI which leaves me several hours to read the May issue of Real Simple Magazine. Cover to cover. Oh, I am so excited! It's not often that I have down time. Time when there truly is nothing else that I should be doing and so I can do things like read a magazine....guilt free.

After the MRI we will head over to her neurosurgeon's office to have her shunt reprogrammed and hopefully to hear the results.

Then she and I have a few errands to run while in Spokane; pick up a cello from a repair shop for a friend, and buy myself a box of chocolates from See's Candy (since my own city is See's Candy-less). We will also stop by and visit with Donald's sister, Heidi, and her family. I am sure that they would love some 'Elisabeth time'.

Alright....enough rambling on about my plans for the day....I'd better hit the road.

Performing

I have been busy preparing for two...that's right...two upcoming concerts. I love being a musician on the side; a gig here, a gig there....so fun.

Now here is the exciting news: this Saturday night I am performing Beethoven's 7th Symphony! Seriously, does it get better than that? I know that many would argue that the 9th Symphony is the greatest, and obviously the 5th gets a lot of glory....but the 7th....ahh.....what a treat. I get lost in it; and by lost I mean I get completely mesmerized by its beauty and brilliance.

And what makes this experience so rich is that I am not just listening to a CD at home; I am not sitting in the audience hearing it from afar; I am making the music. I sit in the orchestra and feel it all around me. I am in the midst of sounds and rhythms and dynamics. It becomes almost tangible. And then I realize that I am a part of something much bigger than my instrument or my section or my symphony. I am taking part in a tradition of music that has been enjoyed throughout the years and throughout the world. It is surreal. It is humbling.

So what are you doing on Saturday night? Want to come? Here's the 411:

Celebrate the Season

May 9, 2009, 8 pm

Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick, WA

Glazunov: The Seasons: Spring

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Spring & Summer

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

And in case you are in a real artsy mood lately, you might be interested in this:

Mid-Columbia Mastersingers Concert

May 16, 2009 8 pm

Battelle Auditorium, Richland, WA

Flower songs by Britten, Lauridsen, Whitacre & Persichetti

Featuring members of the Mid-Columbia Symphony (that's me!)

See You There!

(don't you love how presumptuous I can be?)

Fiesta

With Alexandra being in the dual language program we figured we had better celebrate Cinco de Mayo....you know.....to help reinforce all that she is learning at school. And maybe also because I was in the mood for taco's....

Lex made a sign to announce our fiesta.

The older girls set the table. I got a kick out of how they

wrapped the forks like we were in a restaurant.

If you think she looks bad....

....you should see the other baby.

Note to self:

Epileptic child + shopping cart = dangerous combination.

The Sorenson Family 2009: Part V

My favorite moment in these photographs has to be in the 3rd one....where Lorelai is sticking out her tongue. Such a saucy little girl! (And I love her for that.)

Lee Ann, you truly captured our little family in these photographs.

We are forever grateful.

(Click here to visit Lee Ann's website.)