The First 500

I am in the process of clearing off my iPhone so I can fill it back up again. Most of my quick everyday pics are now on it because it's surgically attached to my hand. :)These are some of my favorites from the first 500!

Googly Eye Fun

Beautiful Eyes

Chloe showing off her moves

Face Paint Fun by yours truly and the ever impressive TeeTee

Country Girl At Heart?

J.B. crashed during a long wait at the doctor's office.

Hutch showing his strong and sweet sides as he sleeps.

How Chloe fell asleep in the swing I will never know.

So full of life and always on the go!

One of the last pictures of Finn with all her baby teeth!

Kite Flying 101

J.B. was looking up at his crazy siblings playing on the swingset.

Safety first!

So pretty!

Seven is fabulous!!!!

For Finn's big number 7 celebration, I gave in and allowed a skating rink party.  It's the only place in town to really have a shindig other than the park and it was hot.  So we had the most awesome puppy party ever. 

 The adorable and very yummy cake!

 Playing on the floor---notice the distinct lack of skaters.

Present time brought lots and lots of smiles.  Her favorite gifts were shiny, dog themed, and colorful. 

And just so I don't forget one day because they are few and far between now:

Finn says "japaneeno's for jalapeno's".  That's just cute.  What hurts my heart is the fact that she has recently begun saying meatball instead of "neatball".  I'll miss that one and the top of spaghetti song won't ever be as cute as it was.

A Whoooole Neeeewww Woooorrrrlllld!!!

This title has nothing to do with our Disney trip , which you will read about later or maybe have already read about if you followed our trip blog.  It is the place we have found ourselves since a day in May.  Throughout the beginnings of this year, we have worked hard to get to the bottom of some medical issues with Finn.  The most pressing one being a constant sniffle and/or runny nose.  Sometimes it would have a cough and sometimes dark eye circles.  I long suspected allergies of some sort but had no proof.  In April, we had her tested for environmental allergies like pollen, dust, mold and animals.  She tested positive to 6 of the 8 trees, all 6 weeds, dust, and the three grasses with bahia being the worst.  So, since I thought we might be on the right track, I requested food allergy testing to rule out any issues there.  I honestly believed that we would leave that appointment thinking we had wasted every body's time.  Much to my surprise though, she tested positive for peanuts, all the tree nuts, lobster, crab and codfish.  We were handed

and told to avoid all of the things on the list. Ummmmm, what? That's not what I wanted to hear. So I went into super research mode, talked to several doctors, and every one else who would listen while I tried to get my footing in this new land. Here is what I have either been told or read: She could grow out of it or grow into it. It's like flipping a switch and you never know if or when it will happen. Some people can eat those foods just fine even though they tested positive for them. You have to combine tests with actual reactions to get a clear picture of how allergic you might be. Some people just have sensitivities or intolerances but are not truly allergic. (This is great advice and makes me think Finn will be fine because she has yet to have a severe reaction to anything. But, if her only reaction is a runny nose then what does that mean? Is she or isn't she?) Allergies are tricky and scary and confusing. A definite positive on a skin test is an 8mm wheal and Finn's were 5mm wheals. This was an old system of categorizing reactions but does it again give me hope? Maybe some. It's not fun. And if we were truly in a life and death battle right now, I don't think I would ever sleep or feed her anything but bread made in a nut-free facility and water. So that's where we stand, epi pen in hand, and always watchful.

Pomp and Circumstance

Around the middle of May Chloe graduated from preschool and was devastated to leave Mrs. Buckelew and Mrs. Matthews behind.  The graduation ceremony was adorable and I didn't cry once.  I might have got teary but it's all the fault of this little song--- Look at Me.

When you look at me
I hope that you will see
The helpful things I can do
Sometimes are hard to see

So, when you look at me
I hope that you will see
Not just the things I do wrong
But see the best in me

I am – I am
I try – I try
I smile – I smile
I cry – I cry

I do the best I can everyday

 

I dream – I dream
I hug – I hug
I play – I play
I love – I love
I like to be with friends
Just like you

So when you look at me
I hope that you will see
The helpful things that I can do
Sometimes are hard to see

This picture right here is one of my top ten favorites of Chloe ever taken.  She's simply sweet and beautiful and I am so proud of her.

Oh the Drama

In our house we have been long overdue for one of those rites of passage every kid must face. Head on like a deer in headlights. With much yelling and screaming and some tears. We had the audacity to encourage Chloe to remove the training wheels of her bike once she saw a neighbor who is younger than her riding without hers. Anyway, so we took tool to wheel and had them off in no time. Then the fun misery began. 

We had to remove Finn's too and although she is much more cautious when it comes to new things she did try hard, when she wasn't yelling "put them back on!"

Chloe had a much better first day as her bike is smaller and she has NO FEAR!  AT ALL!  ABOUT ANYTHING! (except kindergarten, but that's another post for another day)

A little bunny found a home

One day in May a cute little bunny named Martha came to stay

she hopped right on in our little fam and has eaten everything possible except ham

 she likes to be petted on her head and even took a nap on the girls' bed

 her favorite food is peppers of bell and we do believe she is super swell

we hope you find our family crazy and funny, welcome home Martha bunny!

Field Day 2012

May was a very busy month for us as a family.  It seems like they try to cram 50 end of the year activities into about five days of school.  The first Friday was Field Day.  Last year, we had it at the school but once you hit first grade, you go to the stadium.  Finn ran as hard and as fast as she could possibly go, and got two beautiful green ribbons.  She did the 90(?) yard dash and a relay.  I was very very proud of her.