the thankful list

My list of things to be thankful for:
1. My husband...he gave me back my dreams when I didn't think I could dream for much.
2. My kids...for making my dreams a reality. I really love this mom gig. Sabrina for challenging me to be a better mom, to be able to juggle car pool, housework, paperwork and remember that its most important to play. Kelly, for the unending smiles, and total love and optimism in her eyes. I want to be a better person for her.
3. My home...love my house...hope we can afford to stay here.
4. My friends and family....you guys are the best....especially when you let me drone on and on about #1 and #2.
5. Dogs.....love them and their unwaivering devotion. I still miss Epi.
6. Flowers....the best thing about nature. Love their color, most of the time their fragrance and the way they can brighten up a room.
7. My car....I think I'd go nuts if I couldn't get out of the house.
8. Music...I love the way it can take me away or take me back at any moment in time.
9. Being an American...despite the problems we face every day I don't think I'd rather live in any other country.
10. For my faith in God..at times waivering and at times strong...thankful for it being there when I need it...(ok...this should be higher than dogs.)
11. For reality TV...it can get me through a bad day to watch like a zombie at night.
12. For my kids pediatrician...he's been wonderful and supportive and calming....
13. For teachers and therapists that really care. They have really been a Godsend. in my life.
14. For Kathy Hunter, IRSF, NJRSA and all those fighting for a cure for Rett Syndrome, especially Dr. Percy, Jane Lane, and Dr. Shishadri..who personally take care of Kelly.
15. For double chocolate chip cookies...nuff said.
16. For coffee.
17. For computers.
18. For my somewhat slipping but always needing to be depended on, intelligence.
19. For the occassional ability to just let things slide....I need more of this in my life.
20. For my health and the health of my family (this should also be up higher on the list.....ok....this is a go with the flow type of thing....not in the proper order of priorities at all.)
21. For Santa Claus...gotta love the Christmas holidays... and those times that I really get in the spirit.

The Interview

Sue's blog, (at Keep in Touch) my bff, has an interview of her from a fellow blogger and asks for volunteers to be interviewed....I have bravely done so and ask any one else who would like to be interviewed to let me know. You have to answer five questions on your blog and then ask your volunteer five questions....and so on so it continues.
Question #1 What is your favorite childhood memory?

This took a little thinking as I don't really have a lot of childhood memories and unfortunately not too many stand out as favorable....that said....I do fondly remember summer vacations down at Ocean Beach NJ....by Lavalette. My family would rent a beach house, sometimes on the lagoon. My mother's cousins would usually be down too. There might be upwards of ten kids...that's alot to me...we'd go to the board walk and ride the rides at Seaside Park. I remember playing arcade games with my Grandmother, she loved playing the poker games where you rolled the rubber ball to make a poker hand...and yes....gotta love skee ball.

Question #2. What family traditions do you have with your children, and where did they start?

Of course there is the annual cookies and milk left for Santa at Christmas, looking for Easter eggs at Easter and getting whatever you want to eat on your birthday. Nothing too ground shaking. My parents did not instill any particular ethnic traditions with us...I'm Irish and German...Lief is Irish German and Swedish.
I do try to make Corned Beef on Saint Pat's day but I can't make Irish soda bread.
We are trying to make a regular game night to play with the girls during the week.
So far every night is game night but I know that won't continue when the girls are older and have more of their own interests.

Question #3. What is your most romantic memory?

I thought maybe it would be our first anniversary. I planned a night of firsts...we went for drinks where we had our first date, we had dinner at the restaurant where we had our first Valentines and then stayed overnight at the hotel where we spent our wedding night...all the while being driven around in a limosine....pretty romantic right....but the MOST romantic memory for me was Lief and my first kiss.
We were on a blind date (actually I made sure I saw his picture first). We met at Charlie Browns for drinks...we talked for hours at the bar...almost forgot to eat dinner...when we left...he gave me the sweetest, most gentle kiss in the parking lot.
Still love the memory of that kiss.

Question #4. What makes you happiest, right now? Seeing my girls accomplish things, being successful in their own right. I guess its more being proud of my girls but when I see Sabrina dancing at a recital or taking a swimming lesson and she can do things better and better, I can't help but smile. When Kelly reaches for the Dora doll in the bathtub because I asked her for it, I cheer. Her genuine unaffected smile is the most wonderful thing in the world and makes my heart soar.

Question #5 Imagine yourself in the future, looking back over your life. What do you hope you will be able to say about your life that will make you feel like you've succeeded?
I would feel successful if I raise loving, empathetic daughters who truly care about each other and the world. I do not feel I was ever taught empathy and I'm not sure how to teach my girls. I feel that without it the world will never be a better place. Also, I would feel successful knowing I have made real true friends. I have a few that I can truely count on and I hope they know they can count on me.

OK...there is the quick peek into my life..
Anyone up to five questions.....let me know.

Girl Power

Hi everyone,
Here is a widget that links to a website started by a Rett mom to help raise awareness and fund raise for Rett Syndrome. I found it on Kelly Butler's site and posted it here...thanks Kelly.
I know one of the biggest fund raisers they do is coming up on April 1st where they ask students to wear costumes to school on April fools day and raise money for Rett research. Take a look.....

One final post...for now...

Here is a picture of the new painting we purchased from the "starving artist" show. I guess it is the artist's interpretation of another painting I've seen and wanted to get but this was a little cheaper and now hangs on the wall above our couch....
LOVE IT.....

Kelly rocking out on her new piano

I know it looks like Kelly is really playing the piano but she is just banging away at the keys....either way its music to my ears.

Wow....another post...

Merry Christmas....a little late.

Another refrigerator picture

So the right side of my refrigerator has the obligatory magnet letters that almost every family of a small child is required to have.
we also have the leapster toy that pronounces the letters so Sabrina is learning really quickly.
Of course it is Christmas time and I decorated the kitchen with gingerbread people. The gingerbread man on the frig is an oven mit...and if you look closely to the right you can see a picture of a boy scout.....Yes folks, that is Frank Kemper and his picture sent to us when he became an Eagle Scout. It has a place of honor on our frig as the only other picture besides immediate family.
Way to go Frankie.

If you look just above the gingerbread oven mitt and slightly to the left you can see a small magnet of my little girls when they were three months old.....