Seizures Are a Big Deal

The only time Elisabeth gets into mischief is when I am trying to bolus feed her and she swats her hand at the tube...resulting in liquefied food splashing everywhere.

Such was the case today.

I called Elsa down to help clean up the mess and hold her hands.

 

 

"It's okay, you might make messes sometimes, but you are such a good, good girl," I told Elisabeth.

"Yes, Elisabeth, messes aren't a big deal. But seizures are a big deal," Elsa told her.

"Exactly," I agreed.

Gymnastics Meet #2

The VEGA Challenge

~ Battle Ground, WA ~

January 17, 2016

~ Scores ~

Beam: 7.35

Bars: 8.3

Floor: 7.0

Vault: 7.675

Total: 30.275

 

[Lorelai and her teammates stretching. She is the 7th one back.]

Before the awards ceremony there was a handstand competition. Lorelai didn't win..but she held her own!

MCGA came in 2nd place and while Lorelai was in the locker room changing we snagged her award and posed for a picture.

 

Afterwards the girls took advantage of the photo booth area. That's Lorelai's best friend and teammate, Dianne, behind the emoji pillow:

A Post About New Strings.

 

As a musician, strings are something I see as a luxury, one that I rarely allow myself. New strings - nice ones - are expensive and I can never justify spending the money when I have a million other things on the need-money-for-this list (for example, a custom car seat for Elisabeth.)

So you can imagine my joy when my mother presented me with a new set of strings for my birthday this month! It had been [embarrassingly] years since the last ones were put on.

When we returned from California life was busy - basketball, rehearsals, students, gymnastics, work.... I just hadn't found the right moment to put the new set on. And that's the silly thing about me, it has to be a moment. I mean, it takes but a few minutes to do the task, but I wanted it to be an experience, I wanted to soak it right up.

Yesterday afternoon, the opportunity arose. A few of the girls were gone, one was upstairs, and Elisabeth was resting on the couch. The house was quiet and there was sun streaming in the music parlor window. "This is it, this is my moment," I thought.

As I opened the first string I read the back of the paper sleeve and my heart just about burst with excitement...

  

It reads:

"I use Pirastro's Evah Pirazzi strings on my 1713 Stradivarius. I find that they offer the best combination of power and quality. - Joshua Bell

What???!!! I have the same strings as Joshua Bell?!! It might have been one of the most exciting discoveries of my life, haha!

(If you don't know who Joshua Bell is, quick! Go to YouTube!)

Then off with the old, and on with the new...

 

Ahhh....the sound of heaven.

New strings!

Glorious, clear, brilliant new strings!!!

 

P.S. I have more exciting news about Joshua Bell! Stay tuned!!

Gymnastics Meet #1

~ Clarkston, WA ~

January 9, 2016

~ Winter Spirit Meet ~

This was not Lorelai's best meet and her scores were a lot lower than she wanted, but the triumph was in her attitude. Usually she is extremely hard on herself, but at the end of this competition she had a smile on her face. She was enjoying the experience regardless, and that made her a winner in my eyes.

 

Scores:

Bars - 7.825

Beam -  7.9

Floor - 8.35

Vault -  7.35

Total: 31.425

A Merry Little Review

Christmas at my mom's house was so nostalgic for me. Seeing my children wake up and gaze at wonder at the same tree I woke to throughout my childhood. It was magical.

Uncle David, Uncle Marc, and Uncle Michael were all there, too.

Elisabeth loves her new doll and elephants.

And Lorelai was thrilled to get Grace, the 2015 American Girl Doll of the Year! (She, like Lorelai, loves to bake!)

The number one thing on Alexandra's Christmas list was a typewriter. And...Santa delivered!

 

The days leading up to Christmas Alexandra kept smiling and saying, "click click"...mimicking the sound of the keys typing. She was quite confident she was going to get one!

She spent the rest of Christmas vacation typing...and I have carefully saved each and every manuscript!

'Twas a 

merry day 

indeed!

 

Some gifts included:

Elisabeth

Elephant

Colorful Toy

Cabbage Patch Kid

Elsa

Superman pictures

Smallville

Etch a Sketch

Frozen sticker book

Stacking Cups

Watch

Lorelai

Grace Doll

View Finder

Hand Mixer

Vans shoes

Guinness Book of World Records

Alexandra:

Kindle Fire

Kindle case

Grease

Lava lamp

Notepads

YOLO Juliet

[Domino's from Uncle Michael]

Birthday Thoughts 2016

 

[My daughters and me in Long Beach, CA, on Dec 26th, 2015]

Here is what is true about me on this, my 36th birthday:

I love who I am. 

I have never wanted to be anyone but me. 

I love being a mother and I am proud to tell people I have four daughters. 

I am grateful for the rich and diverse experiences I have had thus far in life.

I have everything I ever desired: a family and a home.
I am starting to like the color orange.

I am happy.

36.

New Year's Day 2016

I took this picture as I sat on a bench at Laguna Beach one morning this week. 

It was beautiful, peaceful, and happy.

Explore: verb 

To travel 

for adventure 

or discovery. 

I have spent the past week in southern California. While here, Donald and I have taken the girls to Mission San Juan Capistrano, to the Aquarium of the Pacific, to Disneyland, to the Discovery Science Museum, to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and to the beach (multiple times). It was a week of learning, discovering, and having fun. There is so much to do and see in this world of ours, and so I decided that this year our family shall keep on with the trend that we set this week: to explore.

With Elisabeth getting bigger it is easier to just stay home. Managing her medical care and needs out and about is not simple - but life isn't meant to be easy, life is meant to be experienced - and I want Elisabeth to experience everything. So we will set off on adventures this year. I imagine that most of them will be in the great northwest where we reside - it's amazing how many wonders are waiting in our own backyard!

Let's go, do, and see 
in 2016!!!