First Show

Went great! Landed my jumps, spin was good, felt great to be out in front of a crowd again! I was cleaning this morning and I pulled a muscle in my back which was aggravated by my terrible cough so I am hoping that won't become a problem this weekend, and I still feel like crap but at least you don't notice that when your out there. I took some pain reliever and that seemed to keep it at bay. Off to bed for me, two shows tomorrow and I have people coming to both so I have a little more pressure on me tomorrow!

1 Down 4 To Go!

Feeling much better today other than the nagging cough, but I was able to get the house cleaned up pretty well, and can tackle the rest tomorrow while Logan is at school. Of course I will be at the rink all weekend so I am sure the house will be trashed by Monday again, but that's life.

Dress rehearsal went pretty well, hit my spin pretty well for having been so congested, my jumps had messing landings but I wasn't warmed up at all, so tomorrow should be better as long as I take time to warm up (ice shows you skate "cold" usually, so I try and warm up in the floor as much as possible).

The scenery looked great and what I saw of the show was good, much different this year, more of a scripted show so I think everyone will like it, real deal tomorrow, I am excited, but my family is coming Saturday night and hubby is coming Saturday afternoon, so really not to much pressure tomorrow, but still opening night!

Off to get some rest, a very long weekend ahead of me!

Wah!!!

Annoying head cold has no moved into my chest, nothing goes better with skating than major coughing attacks...

The house looks like a tornado hit it, we were gone all weekend, I've been sick since Saturday night, Logan had the run of the house as I was on the couch or floor all day feeling like crud, and let's just say it isn't pretty in here.

I feel better in my head today, but the cough is no good, but the head stuff is more troublesome for skating so I am glad that is getting better. Hopefully I will be much improved for dress rehearsal tomorrow night.

Oh in my sick haze I forgot to mention that on Saturday when we were at our friends getting Ava's 6 month pictures done, she started scooting backwards, she was making big circles and getting around pretty good and now she has been almost getting up on her knees like she wants to go forward...yikes, Logan wasn't really mobile until July so around 9 months, I think she wants to keep up with brother and mommy so she may be on the move soon, so not ready for that!

Sick

Feel like major poo. Today and tomorrow are my two days off from ice show so I hope I can rest and get back on my feet, I can't believe I got this sick right before my first performances in two years. This sucks.

Not Again!!

Croup is in the house again, the third time for Logan in just a matter of months. He had a running nose last week, we weren't even sure if he was sick or if was the weather, he was fine otherwise, then last night about 1am he started in with the barking seal cough...great. Luckily we got in under control and we didn't have to take a trip tot he ER. Matt took him to the doctor this morning while Ava and I slept (love my hubby), she said it's common to get it a lot at this age and he shouldn't get it anymore once he is around five, great two more years of this crap! She put him on oral steroids (instead of the shots in his legs) and he is doing a breathing treatment before bed. I just pray Ava doesn't get any of this, between Logan, Mr. Germ Spreader and me her primary care taker both full of the crud.

Did I mention this is ice show week..ugg

I was in bed most of the day, but had to get myself ready for show pictures tonight, which was fun seeing how I actually didn't have my costume yet it was at the rink waiting for me, had I had it I would have worn different black pants and a different shirt for under it, hopefully it looked ok for pictures. Thankfully the next two days I don't have to be at the rink so hopefully I can kick the worst of this cold by dress rehearsal on Thursday, and why we are on the topic of dress rehearsal, if you sell tickets to said dress rehearsal I think it counts as a show...so yea 5 shows to skate starting on Thursday...yikes!

Just Flipping Perfect

Ugg, I was hoping it was nothing last night, but nope woke up this morning with a full on bad head cold and of course it's the week of the ice show (head colds, sinus pressure and the like do not mix well with skating) and I have to be at the rink starting today ever day until next Sunday except Tuesday and Wednesday. Ugg, ugg, ugg. I somehow managed to get through rehearsal tonight and nailed all my jumps and my spin through every run through, I know feel like I want to die. At least I don't have to really skate tomorrow, just have to be at the rink for pictures, oh but wait, I don't have my costume yet, it's sitting in Palatine waiting to got out in the morning along with a handful of solo dresses and one other numbers dresses. Let's pray that it fits correctly since I am gong to have to put it on and wear it right away. I'm off to bed now I need to get better and fast or I am never going to make it through 5 shows this weekend, did I mention I haven't performed in 2 years...

Someone Woke Up On The Wrong Side Of The Crib

Matt had to work today and when he got home we had plans to go see our friends who have been doing Ava's pictures since, well before she was born and then have some dinner with them, and when Ava got up from her nap she was one pissed off princess. We actually thought she had hurt her arm as she wasn't moving it at all (she has been getting her leg stuck between the crib bars recently) and thought she maybe hurt it while sleeping because every time we moved her arm, especially around the elbow she would scream bloody murder. I thought our fun plans were going to be replaced by a trip to the ER, but just as Matt called to tell them we weren't coming, she started moving her arm again and playing and was fine. Man girls are a pain sometimes hehe, so we loaded up and headed out here only 30 minutes behind schedule and of course once we got there Ava was all smiles and made big liars out of us. She took her 6 month pictures like a pro and even made it through 3 outfit changes, but once the pizza man rang the door bell, we were ready for some dinner! We had a nice visit with our friends and luckily it turned out to be a nice evening with no trip to the ER. Oh and Logan had a blast finding the cats and taking his own pictures (of which he took 70) on his kid digital camera

Crazy Hair Dude

Logan made this guy a few weeks ago at school, he got to bring him home today now that he has a luscious head of hair. I think it's so cute, it's sitting on the shelve by the sink and brings a smile to my face each time I see it.

Big Girl In The Big Tub

Ava took her first bath in the big tub today, she can sit up just fine now so we broke out the old bath ring seat thingy from Logan. She loves her bath time and she really loved sharing the tub with big brother, and surprisingly Logan was happy to share his bath time with his little sister. The happily splashed and played, Logan helped clean Ava some too. I must say being able to throw them both in the tub at the same time sure stream lines things!

Score!

I ordered a bunch of clothes for Ava and Logan last week from Children's Place (love that store) while they had a sale going $6.37...not bad. The wonderful UPS man brought my deals to me today, whoo hoo! The stuff is so cute, I even bought a couple of things in two sized so she will have them for next year because I liked them so much. I got her two very cute dresses, we have my sister's high school graduation and my brother in law's commitment ceremony reception to go to in June, so Ava will be all set! Here are some pictures of my big score! Total spent on 14 items=$52

I Want My Sweet Girl Back!

Ava is teething so bad right now and she is just miserable...and so are the rest of us! She is literally attached to me in less she is sleeping. Is it bad that I actually look forward to her being a sleep right now? Poor Logan is not digging the constant crying and I feel like I am getting an ulcer between the teething, the up coming ice show (did I mention I haven't performed in two years), and throw in some random in-law drama and it's not been a fun day. Time to go pump and then have my glass of wine.

His And Her Closet's!!!

My wonderful husband managed to squeeze in transforming our kind of attic type storage space in our bedroom, into a closet for me, since we moved in here we have been sharing one tiny closet and one dresser and it wasn't pretty. So I got the closet cleaned out the last week and on Saturday Matt hung the poles up and fixed the selves up that were already in there and I got to start moving my stuff over. Now it looks like Matt has no clothes in his closets, but at least he can see all his clothes now LOL. I am loving all my space now, I have all my shoes lined up and my pants on the shelves, I have all my purses and bags hung up and all my other clothes hung. I did a big clothes purge and have a bunch to donate and some to try and sell in our garage sale next month and I got all the straggler maternity clothes out of the closet and dresser (it feels good to put those away for awhile). I was even able to give Matt and extra drawer in our dresser now which he needs. I promised no more projects for awhile but we all know that won't happen, but hubby scored major points on this one. I heart my new closet.

Sunday At Mom's House

Me and the kids headed out bright and early to my Mom's because Matt had to go down to the city for his conference and I had to by on the ice at 10am (after being at the rink until 8 the night before). My legs our now Jello from all the skating, but I know it's just making me stronger so it's all good. So the kids got to spend the day at Grandma's and I got some help with the kiddos so that was nice. Matt ended up getting out of the conference earlier than he thought he would today so he came out and had dinner with us, after dinner we headed over to Raceway Woods by my Mom's house and went for a walk. This walk just about killed my hip, probably not the best thing to do after two days of intensive skating on my bad hip, I thought Matt was going to have to carry me out of the woods, it was bad. Logan had fun though exploring the woods, and Ava took a little nap in her stroller. It was a nice night for it, to bad I couldn't enjoy it more, this hip injury is getting old fast! Here are some pictures of our walk.

What You Don't Want To See...

When you look out your kitchen window

That would be my Grandfather and my Father with the rope tied to the cherry tree and my 3 1/2 year old up in the ladder... (he was out of harms way once they got down to business)

My husband, Father and Grandfather decided to cut down our cherry tree, it hasn't been doing good the past couple of years and it got so tall that squirrels were climbing the branches and getting onto our roof and making a home in the eves, which was not fun last year to remove them, plus the cherry made an awful mess in the backyard and attract bees which is not so great with little ones afoot. And why is this picture scary? For starters my husband has never taken down a tree, add one the fact that my Dad is blind and throw in kicker of my Grandpa is 80 years old and back in the day took down a tree in his own yard and managed to rip his arm out of the socket, and blow out the power for half of Des Plaines...it's one of those special family stories. Luckily this tree wasn't by the power lines, but they did have to worry about our neighbors house. I am happy to say the tree came down with out major incident, in less you count my Grandfather telling my husband to be careful of our fence and then being so worried about it, he went and stood in the line of the branch coming down to try and keep it off the fence. Of course the branch came down hit him in the crotch area causing him to fall backwards into our fence and yep you guessed it knocking part of the fence out. Matt said he just has to screw something back in and it should be ok. Never a dull moment over here... Oh and next up is our old apple tree, it's coming down for similar reasons and so we have more sun on the pool in the summer, that tree is by power lines, this story could write it's self...

It's Going To Be A Long Weekend...

I'll be at the rink all weekend for ice show rehearsals which is fun, but it's a lot of work that my body is not use to yet, and a lot of driving, which means nothing at home will get done this weekend and my house looks like a disaster right now. Oh and Matt has to go downtown on Sunday because he is going to some conference for work (who the hell starts a conference on a Sunday?) so he will be getting home super late until Wednesday which means I am sure I will be fried between child care all on my own and ice show rehearsals and regular practice by the time Thursday rolls around, thankfully he is off Thursday, Friday and Sunday...

Our number for the ice show is really cute this year, but it's fast and my body hasn't' had to perform a program for two years so my stamina is nonexistent right now, hopefully it will kick back in after the ice show which when you add in dress rehearsal I will be skating five shows next week plus one last rehearsal next Sunday...hopefully with my stamina making a comeback I will be able to compete this summer, something I haven't done on my own since July 2007 (I was to busy traveling and competing with my synchro team and being pregnant the past couple years to do individual competing).

Daddy's Little Geek-et

Our Level 1 Human...


The geek gene runs deep on Matt's side of the family so of course when we had Logan three years ago, his older brother got Logan this little number, it's a role playing onesie...yea totally not my thing but still cute. This summer when we were going through baby clothes I promised Matt she could wear it once for a photo so here it is, enjoy baby.

Just for fun here is Logan in the aforementioned onesie, please note the added geekness with role playing cards and dice (insert eye roll here).

Beautiful Day!

I am loving this warm weather and Logan is loving all things outside and of course going to the park. We headed outside after Ava's nap this afternoon and she had fun sitting in her saucer while Logan showed off for her. It is so fun to watch them interact now, I swear Logan get's the best belly laughs out of her, must be a special brother sister thing.

Little Ms. "Talker"

For the past few days Ava has really starting babbling, she has always been a "talker" but now she is saying mamamama and bababababa and I even heard over the monitor this morning dadadada but that didn't last as long LOL! I tried getting some video she only gave me a little bit of the mama stuff, but I love hearing it and it's the best sound in the world (yea I know she probably isn't associating mamamama to me her mama, but still makes a mama feel good)

Here she is just "talking" happily



And here she does the "mamama" a little bit

The Many Teethers Of Ava...

Can you tell which one is her favorite? Ava loves her some Wii remote!

And happy half birthday to Mr. Logan 3 1/2 today, can hardly believe it!