Almost Famous

Ummm...we tried out for a commercial. Adam and I. It was so much fun. We drove to Burbank, they videotaped us talking about TurboTax and then asked us questions about our "favorite" NBC shows. And by favorite, I mean the three shows that they told us to talk about...which were not my favorite. After, we got some dinner and yogurt. The tart cranberry raspberry at Yogurtland was sooo yummy. Then we drove home and had something fun to talk about. No, we did not get a call back. I am curious to see the commercial now to find out who they chose. <3

Granny B turns One-oh-Three

 Today my beautiful Granny turned 103. I wasn't there for her party, we only talked on the phone, but here are some of the pictures my mom took. Granny is the sweetest lady I know. On the phone she talked to me about how blessed she was to have had a good husband and a good son and good grandchildren. I told her that I feel blessed to have such a great granny. When I was growing up I would stay the night with my Granny as often as possible. I would usually stay over on Friday nights. Granny and I would hang out and she would tell me the stories of her life. She taught me how to sew and crochet by hand. She would help me make clothes for my dolls. She would show me her "treasures"...like her old dolls from when she was a girl, and her Japanese jewelry box that played a tune when you opened the door, and an old cartoon that her son had drawn. Once I drew her a picture of Bart Simpson playing basketball. I'm not sure what she saw in that picture, but she kept it on display for years. It might even still be up...haha! Granny and I would sleep together in her big bed. She lived near a go cart race track and I would fall asleep to the sounds of the races going throughout the night. Every morning she would do her exercises before she got out of bed, so I would exercise, too. We would stretch our legs and do a few crunches...that was about it. I still do that sometimes when I wake up...because it's what granny does. Then Granny would get up and fix breakfast. She would always sing her favorite old songs while she cooked and my cousin would make jokes because the singing wasn't very good. First she would cook bacon, then she would scramble eggs in the bacon grease with some black pepper, and let me tell you...bacon grease makes for some delicious scrambled eggs! Then she would heat up some water for my hot chocolate and her coffee. Last, she would make me my favorite toast with cinnamon and sugar. I would watch the Saturday cartoons while we ate our breakfast, then when all the info-mercials started coming on I would go out to play in her yard. I would climb her tree for a pomegranate and sit and eat the pretty red seeds. I would make necklaces out of the 4 o'clock flowers when they opened, and I would play with her snap dragons. I would suck on the milk thistle and chew the mint leaves that grew near her garage, and I would try to plant the peas from her pea pod tree, or pick the yellow flowers from her bush and pretend to be a flower girl in a wedding. One time I picked off nearly all the little yellow flowers from her bush and granny got mad. That's the only time I can remember her being mad. I stayed with her a lot in college, too. Whenever I was too tired to drive home at night, I would go to granny's. It didn't matter what hour of the night it was, I would pull up and come to the door and she would already know I was there...even though she is hard of hearing. I love my Granny B. She is an amazing lady!

 I love that they got her a pinata this year. She is a candy fanatic. She actually got down on her hands and knees to scramble up the candy. She is really just a kid at heart. Priceless!

 

 I love you Granny!

Kate Update

So for anyone who cares...Kate definitely does not have Celiac Disease. It was confirmed by blood work and biopsy, so...pretty certain. It's great news...except that we still don't know what's going on with her. Some of her symptoms are worse; some are better. I read online that sometimes with chronic hives the cause is never determined, and it can take up to 5 years for the hives to go away on their own. So far it has been about a year and a half. The hives appear virtually every day, and are getting progressively worse. I've been taking a break from the doctors ever since her upper GI procedure turned out no results. She's on a probiotic, and we have been trying essential oils from a company called doTerra. We really like the oils we've tried, but so far the only results we've seen for the hives is that when we rub lavender and melaleuca on the rash she gets immediate relief from the itching and the swelling goes down. Don't get me wrong, that's great news, and it's more than I can say for all the OTC antihistamines we have tried, but honestly I was hoping the oils could cure her; not just relieve her symptoms. Other oils that seem to help her with other stuff like digestion, asthma and nausea/vomiting have been lemon, peppermint and a blend for breathing. Also the peppermint oil has helped reduce the kids' fevers when they have been sick. It feels great to be able to treat their everyday ailments naturally. Plus it smells yummy!

In summation: We are frustrated. We are grateful for the oils. We are trying to be patient...

1st Grade Thanksgiving Play

1st Grade Thanksgiving Play: Katelyn was Pocahontas, I was the pianist, and Zach was at every rehearsal. He made very good friends with the lady who painted the backdrop, and after the play Kate's teacher called him up in front of everyone and gave him a bag of licorice for being such a good sport. By the end, he could sing all the songs right along with the entire 1st grade. Very cute!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Halloween

 Happy Halloween!!

Independence Day

Happy 4th!!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-CHANGES

We are on a food adventure. For the past year or so we have been struggling to find out Katelyn's food allergies. (We are assuming it's food-related.) We had some success with eliminating dairy, and as her other symptoms gradually worsened we put her on a natural, whole-foods type of diet just to be sure we weren't harming her with all the dyes and preservative junk that is in so much of the supermarket foods these days. For the past I don't know how long, I have been struggling with eliminating gluten. This is by far the hardest and biggest challenge. That's why I titled this post "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes"...because we have been making drastic dietary lifestyle changes, with many false starts along the way. (Also I just like David Bowie, right?) Gluten is in so many things, but you've got to be freakin Einstein to recognize it in an ingredients list! If the label says "spices", "natural flavors", "modified", "hydrolyzed"...whatever...then you could be in big trouble. I didn't know all this until recently, but I could have bought supposedly gluten free corn chips, and lo and behold they went down the same conveyor belt as flour tortilla chips and suddenly all the gluten symptoms are back again! The label won't always tell you that. Did you know play dough has gluten? And if your child eats an apple slice after playing w/ the play dough she can get sick all over again? Well, I learned that the hard way three days ago. Did you know that gluten-free peanut butter isn't gluten-free if the last person making a peanut butter sandwich double-dipped the knife? I also learned that the hard way...just last night. Did you know you can call the manufacturer directly to ask them 20 questions about their ingredients and whether or not they were derived from glutenous grains? Well I did that just the other day, and I am relieved to know that Silk Almond and Coconut milks are "to the best of their knowledge" gluten -free. Here are some books I have read lately and LOVED: "The Perricone Weight Loss Diet" by Dr. Perricone (I recommend this one to anyone who is interested in living healthier and looking younger!) and "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide" by Elisabeth Hasselbeck (the conservative girl from "The View"). I'm not sure if Katelyn has Celiac Disease, but the odds are leaning towards it, and this 2nd book has been invaluable to me. Now I will be able to self-test her for gluten without all the confusion, frustration and false starts of the past year. My advice to anyone trying to live a restricted or simply a healthier, more natural diet is to focus on the foods you CAN eat, not the foods you can't. That is the BEST advice I can give you. Oh, and read a book ASAP. Bless her little heart, Katelyn never complains. Sometimes she'll cry or whimper and it breaks my heart because I know this must be hard for her, but she never complains and after we explain things to her she never questions. She has so much faith in our judgement. Sometimes I cry, too. Because I feel like we may be coming closer to an answer, and that is both exciting and scary at the same time. And because I worry about the possibility that we may be pursuing false leads. That is scary, too, because I am SO ready for my little girl to be healthy again. Because I want this all to be over with. I want answers and I want to move forward...get on with life. But...in case we are on a false lead...we are starting her on a DesBio food sensitivities kit tomorrow, and we finally got the allergist appointment set up for next month. I hope he will be willing to consider my concerns about Celiac/gluten. I am a mom on a mission. "I can do this." That is what I keep telling myself. And you, dear reader, thank you for listening to me vent.

Color and Lights

A child's imagination is so unique. I think there's a spark of magic in there somewhere, inspiring them to do amazing and cool things that we grown-ups would never think of. 

Like painting Christmas lights on the sun. I never do that...but Katelyn did. (see above)

Or like the other day when I heard her playing doctor with her cousins. The older girl was saying, "Pretend I'm here because I have a bomb in my stomach, and tomorrow is my last day to live..." I have never thought of that scenario...but she did.

Or the way that each day my Littleman looks me in the eye and tells me (very seriously) that: "Nine years ago, when [he] was four, [he]...(fill in the blank, since it changes every time.)"

I love this quote by Roahl Dahl, one of my favorite childrens authors. He says, "...Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

I believe that children are one of those "most unlikely places" he spoke of. My kids help me believe in magic, and I'm so grateful for the times that they invite me into their world to share their secrets. My advice to those of us fortunate enough to be mothers? Enjoy it!!

Along the Road to Mineral Kings, Sequoia National Forest

 Confession: we left straight from church, thus the Sunday best.

 Further up the road it was snowing heavily. This was as far as we could go.

 Adam dreams of running this road someday. 23 windy, uphill miles.

 Pyrite flecks stuck to the bottom of my shoe...or is it GOLD?!

 Sequoia National Forest

 The sign basically said if you fall in this river you will die.

I was glad when the hike was over!

 Cousins!

Since we couldn't get up to the snowed-in cabin, we camped in Aaron's back yard instead. 

I think the kids had just as much fun!!

Interstate 5

I love California. I'm not talking politics and deficits and such. I'm talking about the land. It's beautiful. The north, the south, the beaches, the mountains, the lakes and valleys. I love my home.

We went north this weekend to visit Adam's brother. Littleman is potty training, which means that when he has to go, we pull over...ASAP. This stop was ASAP. What luck! A cute little farm at dusk with a random tire among the thistles. You can see the Sierras off in the distance. I feel like I travel this road a lot.

Littleman Turns Three!!

 I love you lots, Littleman!!

"Never underestimate the power of the dark side." ;)

Happy Birthday! Love, Mom

Planning

Mom, could you make a Diego cake for my birthday...?

Piano Lessons

Tonight Kate was frustrated while practicing piano.

She was learning a new note...G.

I overheard her saying

"I can't do it! It's too DIFFICATING!"

Adam said "Defecating."

I just laughed.

Sickies and Slumber Parties

The flu hit us HARD this year. Kate was sick first. She was sick for most of February. She had one trip to the ER and two rounds of antibiotics. Zach got it next. Very high fever, which turned into a runny nose and cough. Then an infected finger when he got a splinter of something stuck under the nail. He got a tetanus shot, two courses of antibiotics, and an inhaler to help him breathe. Then there was Adam...who usually NEVER gets sick. Well...he got pneumonia pretty bad. It was contagious, so I slept in the living room for a week. At first it was just me, then Zach joined me the next night, and Katelyn joined the third night. Our slumber parties were super fun! We watched Cake Boss seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix. Buddy Velastro taught my children how to make amazing specialty cakes...and how to curse like an Italian. Oops! No more Cake Boss for awhile!!

Now I'm happy to report that Adam is doing much better. Kate still has a cough, Zach still puts his hand in his diaper, and I'm sort of okay through it all. Just sort of coughing still, but life is good. Now lets just cross our fingers and hope that it's all over for now.

The Kitchen Chronicles

I have a new favorite website. It is a cooking blog by my friend Beth. Every time I turn on my computer, I check to see if there is a new, scrumptious recipe for me to try. If there is not, I look at the old recipes, and drool and dream about cooking them. But if there IS a new recipe, my heart goes all a'flutter, and I drink in all of the new cooking tips and techniques that Beth is so kind to share with clueless kitchen wannabe's like me.

This recipe is from Beth's first post. I don't know what to call it. It's kind of like an Asian stir fry, but not like one I've ever had before. When I was cooking it, my home started to smell like the international food court at the local specialty market. It was lovely. It was my first time cooking with ginger (unless you count gingerbread...but I don't). It smelled so good! And also my first time using Braggs Liquid Aminos, a healthy and more flavorful alternative to soy sauce.

The dinner turned out so delicious that I decided to open up Mom's Restaurant. We open the restaurant only for special occasions or fancy meals. We dim the lights, set up candles, and turn on music (tonight--The Beatles Rubber Soul). Dinner was a blast...and the leftovers were divine.

My next kitchen adventure will be homemade coconut Lara bars...once I get a new food processor. I'm very excited!!

Thank you Beth! Visit "The Kitchen Chronicles" here.

Vote for The Steelwells!!

So this guy, Joey Winters, is in our circle of friends. Actually, he's more in my husband's circle of friends and I am just friends with his cousin Jessica, who is equally awesome. Joey has a band called The Steelwells. Now, I'm picky about what I listen to, and I like to listen to The Steelwells. Their music even makes my kids dance and laugh. When I heard that they had a chance at making the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine and being signed to a recording contract I was so excited! That's HUGE!! Anyway, I'm telling you this because I hope you will vote for them...every day, if you want. Rate them 5 stars to vote; you can vote once a day. They are great artists and performers...they really deserve it!

Anyway, I stole the following paragraphs from Jessica's blog. She is giving away a Steelwells CD, personalized by her cousin, and a batch of yummy cookies made by him, too. To enter the contest, visit her blog here.

"My cousin Joey is in a band and they are good. Perhaps you think you know what I'm saying, but they ARE really good. They have played at various clubs around LA and OC. They've been on a couple tours around the Western States. They're on Pandora and iTunes. They even won the OC Music Award for Best New Indie group and Best New Song. I promise they are really talented and a lot of fun. My favorite performance was House of Blues. Not so much the part where I got hit on by a drunk 19 year old (another post entirely), but the part where I got to see them on stage with a full house, smoke and lights. It was a blast.

Perhaps the best part of their band is they are not the typical "Rock Star" types. They're just regular guys who love their music. Talented regular guys I should say. Their goal is really just to earn enough to keep playing.

Here's some things you should know about Joey:

1) He's a nice guy. He likes kids and works for the school district helping kids with autism.

2) He helped me get Owen into a really great preschool.

3) I remember when he was born and have known him my whole life. He is a creative, out side the box kind of guy. I have stories, but I don't want to embarrass him.

4) He writes clean lyrics that are poetic. He likes people to be happy.

5) He makes really yummy cookies.

So I'm asking a favor. Part because I love Joey, and part because I think they deserve it. They are up for the cover of Rolling Stones Magazine. I know! Crazy exciting!! When I talked to Joey about it, he acted like it wasn't a big deal, but I think deep down he's dying about it. This pic was taken by Rolling Stones, if they win the contest. Anyway, could you vote for them?

Here's the link. Give them 5 stars. You can vote once a day if you want to. I am."

My packing checklist...

I'm a checklist person. A good checklist helps keep me calm, organized and focused. Without a checklist I feel overwhelmed and anxious. For me, there is something magical about putting a check in the box, or crossing an item off the list. It gives me a goal--a sense of accomplishment. A tangible record of my productivity. Ultimately, a checklist equals a productive Dana, and no checklist equals well, no guarantee.

When I need to pack, I make a thorough list. An inventory of sorts. After that, it's just a matter of retrieving the items and playing Tetris with my suitcase. Easy.

See the toes in the picture? That's me...Standing over the case...Checking the list.

Deoderant? Check!
Wipes? Check!

Katelyn? Double check!!

Okay team, good work! Lets go!!

Big Bows and Bangs...Oh My!

Today was crazy hair day at school. Here's what we came up with. I rate this hair style as...kind of crazy. Like a "3 out of 5 stars"-type of crazy. I love it!!

Here is a picture Kate drew of us. We have long, dangly earrings on our ears, and that is Jesus up in the sky. I think it's cute.

Poem for Littleman (it doesn't rhyme)

He fell asleep well over an hour ago, 

but my anxiety levels are still high. 

Littleman kept me on my toes today!

More than usual (...if there is such a thing).

The Marx Bros, Mama Yo Quiero

Back to Ballet

 

At Katelyn's request, we got her back in ballet classes. 

Her face says it all...she is super excited to dance again!

Zachary loves watching the pretty ballerinas. He claps and cheers after every move.

Clap, clap, clap...Yay!

Clap, clap, clap...Yaaaaay!!

In the middle of tap I asked Kate why she was dancing so strangely.

She whispered to me, "Mom, the blue one hurts a little!"

The girl in pink is our neighbor.

Hooray for Ballet!!

Easy Bakin'

 Kate received an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas this year. As a little girl, I always wanted one of those! Today we used it to bake a tiny yellow cake. It's really no bigger than a good-sized cookie.

Littleman was a great taste-tester!

Thanks for baking with me, guys!