What Do You Do...

On one of the most important weekends of your husband's life, or career? You go to a Phillies game! Last weekend Justin took his boards, clinical style(actual patient drill and fill sort of stuff). This test is a definite hit or miss type, that if you are not on your game, could fail pretty easily. Needless to say Justin was anxious, nervous, antsy, you name it. Above all the stress and anxiety leading up to this weekend, I was invited to a Phillies game with my friends. I couldn't resist...a night out with my friends that I am going to have to say good-bye to(sob sob) in a month, and seats that are, well, let's be honest, amazing, just two rows up from the dugout, order practically any food, drink, treat you want and they bring it to you, and its afforded a scanned ticket away, so close if you had a go-go gadget arm you could reach out and touch the players on the field(easy Val, lol), let's just go ahead and be the ump for the game, your so close kind of seats! No one would pass this up. Justin, being the best hubby in the world, let me go. I offered to get a sitter for the kids, but he insisted that even though this WAS a huge weekend for him, that I go and have a good time. I am one lucky girl!

Cindy, Jen, me and Val. Thank you to my friend Cindy and for her sweet Acme hook-up. Like that plug? Shop Acme!

Ummm, are these really our seats? Look how stinkin close we are?

Oh Cole!!! Watch out he's married. And so am I. He's just a really talented athlete right?...and maybe easy on the eyes too.

Ok that's enough, but you get the idea.

For Justin...your favorite player, Chase Utley. I love ML Baseball games. My first(the Orioles) was 7 years ago when I lived in D.C. and I had not been to one in 4 years. It was about time. Great weather, phinatic fans, 7th inning stretch...the list could go on and on. This game was also extra special because they honored Harry Kalas, the voice of the Phillies, who passed away recently. We are going to miss Philadelphia when we leave, especially with all the sports teams that we get to cheer on, and on occasion get to actually spectate.

The Easter Rundown...

Zach's pre-school had an Easter egg hunt. It was a little different. They had all the eggs scattered around the playground and the grass, but they were empty. Which to Zach meant, don't pick them up. He was looking for some loot! So while all the other kids were filling their baskets full of eggs Zach kept running around picking up the eggs, but throwing them back down on the ground after discovering they were empty. Later we all went inside the school and found out that the eggs the kids picked up determined what order they could pick out their prize and get their bag full of candy(to make it fair). Not such a bad idea after it was all said and done.

This is Justin, one of Zach's favorite friends from school.

The day before Easter we dyed Easter eggs at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Zach was very involved in the dying.

Kate was the "Egg Keeper." She was not letting go of that egg carton. As you can see from her body position she has a little sass in her. Cute, but I think a little naughty! Grandma sure got a good laugh when we asked Kate to put the eggs back in the carton, and Kate's response was to turn her back, fold her arms, and say "No!." This girl has some tude!

I got Zach and Kate some new Easter outfits or "costumes" as Zach would say. I think they look cute.

Grandma and Grandpa have the perfect yard for an Easter Egg Hunt. We invited our friends, the Broadbents, to join the fun. Zach was running of course.

Kate caught on too! Justin was cute with her showing her how to find them and getting protective of her hunting space when Zach got near. Some one's got her daddy wrapped around her finger.

And of course, the Easter Bunny never just stops with candy. Thanks Easter bunny for all the fabulous treats this year, and a delicious dinner to boot. Boy are we loved!

If we couldn't find Kate, sure enough she was off in her own little hiding spot(in this case behind the chair) sneaking in some candy. Wrapper or no wrapper, she was loving it. We have been warned, cute...but naughty!

With all these fun activities we of course will not forget the true meaning behind Easter, and will hopefully be able to help our kids understand why we celebrate Easter. At the dinner table, before we blessed the food, Justin asked Zach why we celebrated Easter, and Zach's response was "The Easter Bunny!" I couldn't help but feel like a failure as a parent, but I guess better luck next year.

This Is What...

Taking advantage of no church on Sunday(Conference) looks like...These guys are having way to much fun, or have watched a little too much Nitro Circus!

I Smell Bacon...

Or should I be nice and say Poe Poe? Either way I got a ticket!

Here's the scenario. I was asked to make a meal for a friend who just had a baby. I love doing this because I know how much I appreciate a home cooked meal after I have my babies. It is nice during that adjustment period of adding another baby to the family. Plus there is the added bonus of feeling good, knowing that you might make some one's day with the small gesture of making them a meal. Anyways, so I made the meal, put my own family's meal in the oven to cook(while I make the 2 minute run over to her house to drop the food off), ran out the door, placed the food in the passenger side of my car, and was on my way to try and get the food to her while it was still warm. Until ... are you kidding me? Flashing lights behind flipping pull me over. Off course I was going over the speed limit! I was obviously not paying attention to the speed limit, I was thinking about getting this meal to her and then getting back to my own family to finish making our meal. The cop caught me going 50 in a 35! 15 whole mph, how easy is this to do, especially when the street you turned from was 45? Who changes the speed limits like that? Darn Penndot!

As I clearly point to my food in the passenger seat and plead my case to the occifer, he says "Well let me just check all your info, so we can get you on your way." I gave it to him and as he walked off I prayed in my head that he would just give me a warning. I have not had a ticket in 6 years!!! Why now? Especially knowing that I was on an errand to brighten some one's day. A ticket would just ruin the whole meaning behind making the meal and helping someone out. Plus it wasn't like I was recklessly driving and going waaayyy over the speed limit. I just was a busy mom trying to get stuff done. I honestly wasn't trying to hurry, I was on auto pilot, not paying attention. I could drive this street with my eyes closed. That is how often I drive on this street(Audubon Rd.).

Needless to say he hands me my ticket to sign and says "You might be able to get a judge to drop this if you tell them your story." I said "No that is your job! Your the one who is supposed to tell me that this time you will give me a warning." Call me rude, but honestly, he could clearly see that I was not trying to break the law! I was trying to do something nice! All he could say in response was some saga about how the state has mandated that we yada yada yada... I was so mad, started my car, and pulled away to get to my original plans of delivering what was now my cold meal.

So here I sit with this $150.00 ticket wondering if it is worth going to court to try and get it reduced. I don't care how rich or poor you are, $150.00 for 15mph over the speed limit is inconvenient! I could think of a million other things I could put my $150.00 towards.

Talk About Getting...

The RoYaL tReAtMeNt! Don't you wish someone would style your hair every day? Forget having to go to the salon...Miss Kate is so spoiled by Justin. She gets her hair blow dried every day. And on a good day, round brushed! You can tell that this is their bonding time.

It's all Coming to...

an end. Now that boards, at least the written part, are over (of course he passed, was there any ?), I have a new husband. I have to admit that I was scared he would never return. Good news...He returned! The late night study sessions have been retired, for the most part. I was pre-warned that there would be a little studying left for a few tests here and there, but by and large studying is almost a thing of the past. All that remains is the stress of finding boards patients, but luckily for me and the kids, that stress stays at school. You can't find a boards patient lying around our house. Two months from now Justin will graduate. Can I blink yet, is it really true? I am all sorts of emotions...somewhat wishing that Justin had three more years of school left, and not to go through the studying again, are you kidding me? It's just that three more years would buy me some time to play in the East a little longer, to do things I haven't yet been able to do. At the same time, I can't help but want to skip ahead 10 years from now and think about what my life will be like. I guess in this case I am hoping for the best case scenario possible, whatever that means...

I was going to post this video a lot earlier, but forgot about it. This was taped back in February and now looking at it still find it funny, but also a sort of "theme song" for all of our husbands, who have had to go to school and try to juggle being a great dad and husband all at the same time. Just when I am feeling like I have a husband back, my friend Vanessa, must be missing this guy. There is nothing like a husband's help. She moved back home to have her baby around family, so that she could get some more support from family and avoid moving all her stuff out west with a newborn. Unfortunately dental school doesn't do independent study, so her husband has had to stay behind to finish out the year. Can this hold her over? Would it for you?

For Nancy...

One last video from the talent show. Sorry I didn't post it with the others. I seriously hope our Kate will do this when she gets a little older. I love the stage we are in now, but honestly can't wait to enter this one.

Makelle Martin "Ballet Dancing"

Drumroll Please...

This past Friday night was the annual Primary Talent Show. Once again, Zach so bravely participated. Only this time instead of playing the guitar, he went with his drums. Although shorter than practiced, it is still just as sweet! Or should I say bangin! If you missed last year's talent show click here for your refresher.

The next few videos are of some of Zach's friends. If only I was a little more computer savvy, I could send the videos to my girlfriends, so that they could post about their own kids' talents. I took the liberty to do it for them. Hope they don't mind. These kids are so darn cute.

Ben Fairchild, "Counting to 100"

Mitchell Martin, "Basketball Skillz, and a rap"

Gracee Broadbent, "Cartwheelin"

Our Potty Training...

Days for Zach are slowly coming to an end! Knock on wood...he is wearing big boy underwear instead of pull-ups at night. He had been waking up in the morning dry for the past week, so last night we let him give the real thing a try. Funny how the littlest thing can make you so proud.

Good News and...

Bad News! First the gOoD. Justin finished his boards!!! Is he really done studying? Somebody pinch me! Inquiring minds would like to know, and for the record, this was the first weekend, in the last three and a half years(honestly), that Justin has not studied, and it feels good. Whew, what a run on sentence, but so describes the reality of being the wife of a student. I am afraid to blink, for fear this won't last.

Now the BaD. What first started out as the 24 hour bug, turned into a two day hospital stay for dehydration. Kate unfortunately did not escape the "throw-ups", as Zach calls it, this year. With all the vomit and the messy diapers she decided that if she didn't eat or drink anything then the vomit and messy diapers would stop, and she was right! But, the flip side of not eating and drinking is dehydration, which she got. I thought it would be a quick run to the ER, where she would get an IV and then start to feel good enough to start eating and drinking, but even after the entire IV, she continued to refuse anything we were trying to give her. She was so weak and lethargic and dropped a lot of weight.

They made arrangements for us to stay that night and finally after the second night in the hospital, she decided to start eating and drinking again. Because we were there so long I was able to grab my camera, when I went home to take a shower, to document her stay at Bryn Mawr Hospital. Did I mention this was all happening during the two days Justin had his dental board exams? It was a good thing Justin had prepared so well for these exams. This was not the celebration I had in mind for our little family upon Justin's completion of one of the biggest tests of his life, and I guess ours too.

This is the IV "House" the nurses created so that she wouldn't ruin the line into her poor little hand.

The Bryn Mawr Hospital has a special pediatric unit that includes a playroom with lots of toys. We weren't allowed to stay in the playroom because of the illness Kate had, but she took just about every toy back to our room to play with. The toys kept her momentarily happy, but her favorite thing was to be carried up and down the hallway.

This cage-like bed meant long sleepless nights for us. We are especially glad this part is over!

They were going to release Kate after the first 24 hours in the hospital, but after she threw up all her dinner and continued to have messy diapers, they hooked her right back up to the IV and kept us another night. I guess better safe than sorry.

Instead of feeding herself like she should be, she thought feeding her baby was much more fun. The little stinker...

And of course, the very last morning we were there she decides to finally take a nap. Such is life.

We are happy to be home, and she seems to be doing better, but is still battling a little ear ache that I think never went away three weeks ago. Yesterday it snowed almost all day. Since we couldn't go outside to play in it, I opted to attempt Kate's first pedicure...not too bad if I do say so myself.