Christmas Pictures!

Boy, I have been really slack about writing for the past few days. Well, actually, I started writing a blog a few days ago, but when I reread it, I decided that it was way too much of a downer-- so I didn't post it. I think that I am finally getting in more of a Holiday mood now. Hopefully this weekend will get things back on track. Tomorrow, I am taking the girls to Bryson City to ride the "Polar Express". We are meeting my friend Erika and her family up there-- so the kids should have a great time. The little cabin where we are staying is very cute and kids had a great time there last year. Hopefully the weather will be nice. I am really hoping this trip will get me in more of a Christmas Spirit. I still haven't started to decorate yet-- but I plan to when we get back in town.

The girl's Christmas picture proofs were emailed to me -- so I thought I would post them here. They turned out pretty good-- considering that Little A does not like to sit still for photographs.

The Gingerbread House...

Yesterday was pretty busy. After I got over my morning bad mood, the girls and I made the Gingerbread House. I put it together, and the two girls did all of the decorating themselves. They did a very impressive job! Little A decorated the roof-- then got bored and started eating the candy. Big A decorated all the sides and added to Little A's roof design. It turned out pretty cute, I think.

The Girl's Gingerbread Creation

Later, I went out to do some Christmas shopping. Theresa watched the girls while I shopped. It is much easier to shop alone-- especially for presents. Big A is always inspecting the cart, so it is very hard keep gifts hidden from her. The stores were not as packed as I expected. I guess most people got all their shopping done the day after Thanksgiving. I got a few things at The Schoolbox--educational games, of course. That store is pretty neat, but can be expensive. I have to say the people who home school must spend a fortune on supplies. Of course, Big A has a few Bratz dolls on her list-- as well as a microscope and chemistry set! Talk about varied interests! Little A is the one that is hard to shop for-- when you ask her what she wants for Christmas all she says is " Gora Memaid!" (translation- the Dora Mermaid doll). A lot of the gifts they are getting, I ordered from catalogs, so that helps. There is a great catalog, with toys I just love-- unfortunately, I can' t afford any of them. Here is the website http://www.magiccabin.com/

It has really cool toys-- Waldorf inspired. Pretty neat stuff.

Later, Theresa, the girls and I went to the Mall to shop around. As I have said before, I hate Malls, so I didn't have much fun, but the girls got a kick out of it. Too many people in a confined space for me!

Today has been very laid back-- too laid back. I have been bored out of my mind all day. I got the girls dressed for a walk earlier, but as soon as we started, it began to pour rain! So much for that! So, we have been couped up in the house all day. At least I got a nap in! :)

Just Rambling...

I have to admit, I did not wake up in the best mood today. I have no reason to be grouchy but I am. Ever have one of those mornings where everything and everyone just gets on your nerves? That is the way I feel today. The girls woke me up by pouncing on me, screaming and shrieking at the tops of their lungs. They are both being VERY hyper this morning-- chasing the cats, dragging blankets throughout the house, nagging me to make the gingerbread house... I just want to sit here and quietly have a cup of coffee. I must be PMSing. I want to get myself in a better mood, so I will try to "write it out".

A few irritating things happened this week that have contributed to my bad mood. On Wednesday, while I was having the girls' Christmas pictures made, some Asshole hit my van in the parking lot. Of course they did not leave a note-- they just left a large dent in the hatch door and a smashed up fender. The van is only 1 year old! My uninsured motorist coverage will cover the repairs after a $250.00 deductible. That is $ 250.00 that I could have used for bills or Christmas presents. I guess those Christmas portraits of the girls turned out to be more expensive than expected.

On Thursday night, my brother called me to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. That was a nice thought. He wanted to know what my plans for Christmas were. I haven't really thought about my plans for Christmas. I never travel on Christmas day. I think the girls should have the whole day to enjoy their presents. It is just too stressful to get up, open presents, get dressed and go to someone else's house. I like my holidays to be restful. I guess I will have to make the trip up to Greenville one weekend before Christmas. We'll see.

I did get some (sort of) good news this week. My adoption agency has received all of the signatures that they were waiting on from the various ministries in Russia and have confirmed that the Ministry of Education has received all of the required paperwork. They say they expect Re accreditation any day-- funny, I have heard that one before. But I am going to try to be optimistic about it. The adoption agency also sent me an email asking me to redo some of my dossier documents, so that I will be ready to travel. I REALLY hope that I get to go on my first trip in December! If I don't get to go by the end of the year, I won't get to travel until February because everything shuts down in January-- that is the Russian holiday season. Anyway keep your fingers crossed.

Our Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving! Yeah, I know I'm a day late, but it's the thought that counts. I was worn out last night, so I couldn't bring myself to write about the day's events. All in all, it was a quiet Thanksgiving for us. We stayed home and had our "Big Feast" (as Big A calls it). I actually cooked the entire thing-- that is a feat in itself, because I am not the best chef. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Of course, I did not cook a turkey-- I don't eat meat (other than seafood), and the girls' idea of turkey is deli sliced. So that is exactly what they got-- deli sliced turkey! And it was a big hit! I made -- broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle ( I have to admit, I bought that already prepared), cranberry sauce, honey pecan crusted salmon (for me), dinner rolls, apple pie (frozen), pumpkin pie (also frozen). The frozen pies took forever to bake, but were actually very good. Any way, after a couple of hours cooking, the girls wolfed their food down in about 10 minutes. And that was that.

I have to say though, that it was nice just to be able to stay home. No traffic, no stressful family gatherings, just a peaceful meal and a relaxing afternoon. That is something to be thankful for!

The Flowers Nana Brought

The Girls Eating Their "Feast"

Adventures of a Housecall Vet

Yesterday was not a good day to be a vet. It seemed like every thing went wrong with work. First, I had to deal with a disgruntled client, then I drove all the way out to Alpharetta to vaccinate some cats, only to find that the client was not at home! I should have known-- I always call to confirm my appointments before I leave, but this client never called me back. Against my better judgement, I went out there anyway. My mistake. From now on, if I don't get a call back, I am just not going to go. Gas is too expensive these days. Thankfully, today has been a better day. Traffic was very light today, so I actually arrived at my first appointment early for a change. Maybe I shouldn't have said that today has been better. The day is not over, and I may have just jinxed myself.

Hopefully, I can get done with my appointments relatively early, so I can take Big A for a haircut. Her hair is SO long-- she needs a trim desperately. I made an appointment for the girls to get their Christmas portraits tomorrow afternoon, so it has got to be cut today! I wanted to get the portraits done early this year, but that didn't happen, obviously. I had very hard time finding a dress for Big A this year.

I am just home to grab a quick bite to eat, then it is back to work... Later.

Nana's Visit And The Earring Disaster

So, far it has been a pretty good weekend. Friday, the girls had a Thanksgiving dinner at school. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend because of work. Normally, I would have taken the day off to go, but this year business has been slow-- partly because of the economy, and partly because I initially kept my schedule light-- thinking I would be traveling to Russia. My Mom came down though to go to the dinner with them. She first had lunch with Little A-- she was surprised that Little A came up and hugged her when she got there. She said she thought that Little A wouldn't know who she was-- I have always showed Little A pictures of her and talk about her all the time-- it is just a shame that she doesn't come to visit the girls more often-- I think I've made the effort to get her to come visit more-- she just chooses not to, I guess. After lunch with Little A, my Mom went over to Big A's classroom to eat with her. I had arranged for Big A to leave school early, so the two of them went shopping at a nearby mall while Little A took her nap at school. Big A said that they had a good time. I think it was good that they had some alone time together. Big A really loves her Nana, and it really breaks her heart that she doesn't get to see her much. Big A is always asking why Nana doesn't come to see her. She tells me that she wishes Nana wasn't mad at me, so she would come more. I wish she would come more also, but I can't do anything about that. I have tried to get her to visit and stay more than one night at a time, but she obivously doesn't feel comfortable being around me-- therefore my kids suffer. It is a shame.

When I got home from work, we orderd Chinese food and just hung out. I let the girls stay up late so they could spend more time with Nana. Theresa also came over to spend the weekend-- so the house was pretty full. Saturday my Mom took me and the girls to brunch at The Cracker Barrel before she left. Then we rushed to get to a birthday party for one of Big A's classmates. It was at a nearby park. The girls had a great time, although there were a couple of stressful moments-- one of Big A's earrings fell out at the park, and I could not get it back in, and Little A had a few fits because she had missed her nap. But all in all, it was a fun party. Below is a picture of the girls with one of the prizes from their goodie bags.

The Two Marx Sisters

The real drama/trauma occured after the party, when I tried to get that Damn earring back into Big A's ear. It was the same earring that had fallen out a few days before, only this time, I could not seem to get it back through the hole. Finally, after a lot of ice, antiseptic, and SCREAMING from Big A, I got it back in. I'm not who was more traumatized me or Big A. Now I am very worried that her ear will get infected. I hope that this does not happen again-- I don't thin I can take it. I basically had to repierce the back of her ear, because the earring would only go through halfway- finally I just pushed REALLY hard, and earring went through! I made me nausious, but it had to be done. Hopefully her ear won't fall off. She says it doesn't hurt now, so I think that is a good sign.

Now I must go blow the millions of leaves that have covered my front yard!

Cleaning and Daydreaming

Wow, I can't believe it has almost been a week since I last blogged. I guess I have just been too tired and busy to sit down and write anything. Also, I started reorganizing my filing system and disposing of old, unneeded paperwork, receipts, etc. It sounded like it would be a simple enough task, but it it has taken me all week to accomplish. It is amazing how much I had stored away in my office closet. And, of course, that lead to the reorganization of other closets in my house... I have decided that I am a pack rat-- I found jewelry that I wore in high school!!! The girls had a great time trying it on. Big A was just fascinated by all of the tacky, geometric earrings that I used to wear. Little A was in to the necklaces. Of course, I ended up packing it all back away-- just couldn't bring myself to throw it out! :) I did manage discard a lot of "crap" though. With all that work, the office closet is still packed full! I'm not sure how all of it fit in there in the first place.

Work has kept me busy this week also-- I still keep hoping to win the lottery someday, so I can retire! :) I have plenty of housework to keep my day busy-- who needs work. The Atlanta traffic has really been getting to me lately. I keep thinking how nice it would be to live in a small town by the coast. Maybe have a small vet hospital-- a laid back lifestyle, no pressure, no traffic, no smog, etc.... Then again, I am really used to living in a large metropolitan area -- even though I never do anything socially, it is nice to know that I could if I wanted to. Also, the medical facilities for the kids are great here, and so is the shopping. Actually, the traffic and smog are really the only drawbacks... Also it would be nice if Atlanta was closer to the beach! Anyway, I doubt I will be moving anywhere any time soon, so I may as well stop thinking about it.

The girls have been doing well-- we had a close call with Big A's earrings last night. She was in the shower and I was washing her face, when the washcloth caught one of her earrings and pulled it out of her ear. Luckily the earring didn't was down the drain-- although it got pretty close! While Big A screamed with panic, I retrieved the earring - disinfected it, and gently placed it back in her ear. When she realized that it wasn't hurting, she calmed down. She told me that it didn't hurt at all, " not even one little bit!" Then we finished her bath and all was good again in the world.

"Wake Up Mama"

Little A -- In The

Baby Toy Box

Two Sisters Being Silly

I can't believe it is already Friday. Time just seems to be flying by. It is getting closer and closer to Christmas and I am no where near ready. This weekend I have got to do some Christmas shopping. Usually I shop for the kids very early. I am usually done by this time, but this year I just can't really get into the holiday spirit. I haven't even thought about Thanksgiving, much less Christmas. I think I'm a little depressed this year. I was hoping that I would have "D" home by this time, and I haven't even gotten to take my first trip yet! I doubt that I will be making a trip at all this year. I should be trying to keep thinking positively, but I just can't bring myself to do it anymore. I am going to try to get into a more festive mood though.

This morning (at about 5:30 am) I heard someone calling "Mama, Mama!" in the distance. At first, I thought I was hearing things or maybe it was just one of the birds crying out, but then I heard it again. So I went to investigate. There was Little A, standing at the back door of the bird room looking out into the darkness. Daisy, one of our dogs, was standing next to her. At night I keep the dogs in the bird room by shutting it off with a baby gait. Well, Little A had moved the gait and gone on into the bird room, presumably looking for me. For some reason, when she wakes up at night she always wanders into that room. Which is funny, because she is not allowed to play in that room during the day-- because the birds may bite her fingers off. So I picked her up and asked her why she was looking out the door for me -- she said "cuz". I asked "What did Daisy do when you went in the bird room?" She held up her "Bear Bear" and said "Lick Addie's bear". So I carried her back to my room, in hopes of getting some more sleep. Of course that didn't work-- she kept saying "Wake up Mama." So we got up.

Too Much Coffee...

I wasn't going to write tonight, because I can't think of much to write about-- not that I ever write about much anyway. But I think that evening cup of coffee just kicked in, and my plan of going sleep early is not going to happen. So I guess I will just ramble a bit about the day's events. Not a lot to report. I did some filing, I did some house calls (pulled blood from a very frisky bulldog, a not so happy cat, etc, etc-- you know a typical day as a house call vet...), and I picked the girls up early from school. I got a call around lunchtime that Big A had fallen on the playground and hit her chin. They suggested that I come to school to give her some Tylenol for pain because she had a pretty bad knot on her chin. So I went to school to assess her condition. She did have a large knot under her chin-- a pretty big hematoma. Fortunately the ice was taking down the swelling. But she seemed so pitiful that I asked if she wanted to go home early-- she said she did. Normally I would think that she was just trying to get out of school early, but today was dance class. She loves dance class, so I knew she must be in pain to agree to miss it. Since I was picking up Big A early, I took Little A home as well. So the girls got to spend the afternoon playing together at home. Unfortunately, Little A ended up missing her afternoon nap--and I paid for it this evening. She was a Holy Terror. But now the two sisters are tucked in their beds, sleeping soundly, and I am still totally wired on the coffee I drank at 7 pm.

Still no real news on the adoption front. Last week the agency email said that they were expecting the last signature that was needed for reaccreditation any day now, etc, etc... I'm still not holding my breath. I've made that mistake before-- gotten my hopes up only to have them crushed. So I am trying to put it all out of my mind. That is hard to do, because as I was filing today, I took another look at my Dossier and realized that many of my documents will be expiring at the end of December! Looks like I may have to redo most, if not all, of my paperwork soon. Needless to say, this does not make me happy. On that note, I think I'll try to get some sleep. Tomorrow I am going to fill in at a spay/neuter clinic and will be performing about 30 or more surgeries, so I had better rest up. What was I thinking when I scheduled this? :)

All The Scoop On Tonsils... And Poop

Little A and I went to see the pediatric ENT today. He took one look at her throat and said that her tonsils should come out. He doesn't want to remove her adenoids though because of her palate issues. He said that he couldn't perform the surgery until January. That is good, because I want to talk to her craniofacial doctor and her cardiologist first. I don't really like the idea of her having surgery-- it is not the surgery that worries me, it is the anesthesia. A tonsillectomy is a pretty simple procedure. Anesthesia scares me. That may sound weird coming from someone who routinely performs surgeries on animals, but this is different, this is my child. Anyway, I don't want to think about it anymore right now-- it is not an emergency surgery, so I can always put it off until later if I get too nervous about it.

Poor Little A has been having more pressing problems right now anyway. She was up all night last night with a stomach ache. Lately she has been having an issue with constipation. You would think that all the Halloween candy she has been ingesting over the last week would have given her diarrhea, but, instead, it seems to have stopped her up. So... today I broke down and got her some suppositories and prune juice. I am pleased to report that it worked. Things seem to be moving through as they should now. :) By the way, it is sad that the only subject that I can think to write about tonight is my daughter bowel issues! :)

Yesterday I worked some in the yard, here are some pictures of the girls playing in the leaves.

The Ear Piercing Adventure...

Well, today was the big day... Big A finally got to get her ears pierced!! I had been stalling for the last few weeks in hopes that she would forget about our deal, but today I finally took her. We went to Claire's Boutique. The fact that I took her there proves beyond doubt my love for my daughter, because I HATE, HATE, HATE Malls! I also particularly hate stores like Claire's-- way too frilly for me. But I couldn't think of another option. Actually, my first thought was to take her to the tattoo/piercing parlor where I had my nose pierced years ago, but I decided that that probably wasn't appropriate. So Claire's it was.
The place was packed! Lots of preteen girls and their moms.... While I was talking to the "piercing lady" (or whatever you call her), Little A began tearing the "High School Musical" jewelry off the racks. Big A just stood there wide eyed and nervous. Big A chose some very cute flower earrings, and was soon having her ears prepped and marked for piercing. Meanwhile, Little A had moved on to the beaded bracelets and was trying to stretch them to the point of breaking. I tried to get a picture of the Big A's reaction as the earring pierced her lobe, but hit the button too soon. I was unable to capture her screams of pain. Seriously, she did pretty well-- although she did cry, she at least allowed both ears to be pierced. I was afraid that she would freak out after the first ear was pierced and I would have to hold her down for the second. But, she allowed both to be pierced without a struggle. I do think she was surprised how much it hurt though. I tried to warn her... She doesn't have a very high tolerance for pain. By the time we got out of the Mall, she was talking about how she plans to coordinate all her outfits with matching earrings when her ears have healed. I guess I will be making more trips to Claire's Boutique in about 6 weeks. Oh joy! :)

The Moment Before The Ear Was Pierced

Two Freshly Pierced Ears

She Got A Sucker Too

A Closeup

Always Posing

After our trip to the Mall, I took the girls to Roly Poly for an early dinner. The rest of the evening was uneventful-- the girls played and I took down all of the Halloween decorations. Below is the view that I see as I write this. The girls are glued to the TV -- watching Sponge Bob.

Nothin' Like Chocolate and Sponge Bob

Halloween!!!!

Well, the girls had a great Halloween. I haven't had time to post much this week-- busy with work,etc. I am also having a touch of vertigo these days, so my world really feels like it is "spinning out of control" lately. I'll give an overview of our recent activities now-- if I can keep the computer screen in focus. On Monday, the girls received cards and a package from Nana! They were very excited, as you can see below:

Saying "BOO!" and "MEOW!"

The Presents Nana Sent

Later we finally carved our pumpkins-- well actually, I carved the pumpkins, while the girls critiqued me. Big A drew the face on her pumpkin for me to carve. Little A also scribbled on her pumpkin. The pumpkin selection this year wasn't the greatest, but I think we found some pretty good ones. Big A wanted to cook the "guts" and make pumpkin pie, but since I have no idea how to make pumpkin pie from scratch, I suggested that we just save the seeds to plant next year. Fortunately, she was happy with that idea. Little A just said "yuk" while I scooped the "guts" out.

Posing With The Pumpkins

Yesterday, was busy, busy, busy... The girls went to school dressed in their costumes. Big A's class went trick-or-treating at the hospital next to the Sunshine House. I went with them for a while, but I had to come back down to the school to watch/help Little A's class go on "Wagon Hayrides". We pulled the kids around the parking lot -- having "races". The kids were having a blast-- the adults were huffing and puffing. After the hayrides, the kids went back in to get ready for story time and lunch. I got back outside just in time to join Big A's class as they passed the school on the way to trick-or-treat at a Retirement Home down the street (or as Big A called it--" an apartment for old people!"). The staff and residents of the Home had set up a little party for the kids-- there were lots of games with prizes, and some of the residents were even dressed in costumes. I think the kids had a great time. On the way back, most of the kids were complaining about the long walk and the heavy bags of candy they were holding. You can really tell how American kids have become little "couch potatoes"-- the walk was only about 1 1/2 blocks! When we got back to the school, the kids changed out of their costumes and got ready for lunch and nap time.

I ran out to do a house call during that time ( I had intended to take the day off, but it never works out that way). I did make it back to the school for the class Halloween Parties though. It is funny, there are always the same parents attending these parties. Big A's class usually has a good parent turnout to these events, but I am usually the only parent present at Little A's parties. Fortunately, the class parties were at different times, so I wasn't having to run back and forth from room to room this time. After the parties, I took the girls home to rest up for awhile-- really I think I was the one that needed to rest up!

Waiting in line to Trick or Treat




Mommy and Big A at the Halloween Party




Little A waits for her Hayride

Little A and a Friend in the Wagon!

Little A and Orange Icing!

After dinner, the girls got ready for Trick or Treating!!! Big A wanted her face painted green, but she didn't want to sit still long enough for me to really get the make up to look good. She ended up being a "splotchy" green witch, but she was still cute-- in a evil sort of way! Not my best makeup job though. Then I couldn't get the girls to sit still long enough to get good picture-- they were just too excited! They rode around the neighborhood on the waggon-- because Big A informed me that "Witches get tired easily" There really weren't as many Trick or Treaters out this year, and as a result, the girls got handfuls of candy at each house! They had a great time-- poor Little A was so tired by the end of the night that she could barely drag herself up to the last house.

The Evil Witch And Her Black Kitty Cat!

The Witch And Her Kitty Hitching A Ride