DNC, Baby!

We arrived home tonight from Denver after spending 5 days with friends and family partying and taking in the sights surrounding the Democratic National Convention. It’s madness in Denver, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

First, thanks to Aunt Sandy and Cousin Lisa for not only hosting a great BBQ in our honor, but also showing us around Denver and Boulder and babysitting for two nights so Sean and I could party a bit! We are eternally grateful!

Sean, who remains in Denver for a few more days, pulled off a major party/concert with Death Cab for Cutie. After sweating all the details for the past 6 months, the event was awesome, the band rocked and the 1,500 people that showed up totally agreed. I’m so proud of Sean! Great job!

The girls had a great time swimming and hanging out. They are so tired and I feel pretty guilty about sending them to school tomorrow, but not that guilty. Mama needs a break, too!

I did an obscene amount of shopping, watched some protestors, made an appearance at the convention to see Michelle Obama speak and rocked out at the Rock the Vote Concert and Death Cab’s concert. It really was a fast 5 days, but fantastic.

All that said, it is always wonderful to be home. I am ready for routine and order to come flooding back into my life and frankly, I need some rest!

Slumber Party!

I lost a little piece of my heart today as Cate moved one step closer to adulthood. She had her first sleepover last night. Cate’s friend, Lily, came over and spent the night. We had no drama, lots of fun and best of all (for me), there was actual sleeping!

Cate has really grown up so much this summer, not just in looks, but the way she talks, acts and carries herself. It’s shocking how it happens overnight. Do you hear my heart cracking into small pieces? Anyway...

She and Lily had a great time. We went swimming in the morning (thanks, Dan and Ashlei!) and I took some pictures to commerate the day!
On another note, Lily’s lil sis, Stella celebrated her second birthday this week! Happy Birthday, Big Girl! You and Peri will be having sleepovers before we know it!

Spency

Two days in a row. Yea, for me!

On May 6, 2008, my family was increased doubly by the additions of my second cousin, Peyton (born to my cousin, Corie) and by my first nephew, Spencer (born to Chris and Sarah). Yes, it’s exciting, I am officially an aunt!

Already, I am derelict in my duties, because I haven’t posted pics of that cutie and he is cute! I have to say that he started off very average, but trust me, he’s really playing catch up. He has a “Buddha Belly” and is really mellow, happy kind of guy.

Chris and Sarah have been kind enough to let the girls and I watch Spencer, or Spency as Cate calls him, several times. We always take pictures, so I had to post some of the cutest.

Enjoy. He will really make you happy.

Long Overdue

I promised myself that I was going to try to post everyday this week to catch up on all of our summertime activities. Obviously, that’s not going so well. I’m already behind, which really should tell you so much about my summer.

So, I’m starting my Monday project (on Wednesday, no less) with my long overdue post about Pepper. And she is hot and spicy.

Here’s a laundry list of all the cute and ornery things she does:

· She likes to play the piano while Cate dances around. I have video and it’s awesome.

· She talks non-stop. Some of my favorite words? “peas” for “please”, “nanks” for “thanks” and “tate” for “cate”. She also has some words I don’t like so much, like “no”, “mine” and “poop.”

· Speaking of “poop”, Peri announced loudly at the bank last week, that “Uh, oh, Mommy. Poop.” This was followed by some straining and then another loud exclamation of “stinky.” Nice. The people at Bank of America thought this was highly entertaining.

· She flirts with her male swim instructor, Sam. This week she took off his sunglasses and put them her face. She won’t pay any attention to her female swim instructor. I think Sean and I are in some serious trouble.

· When she hears the front door open as Sean gets home from work, she runs through the house yelling “Daddy, Daddy.” It’s super sweet and I think Sean adores it.

· She is her own little person and nothing like Cate. She is loud and precocious, stubborn, yet very sweet in so many ways.

· I included the picture with Pep and my Dad because they are like BFFs. She is obsessed with him and he is obsessed with her. They are two peas in a pod.

A Change Is Gonna Come

Phew! Life is hectic. Isn’t summertime supposed to be relaxing and boring? I can’t believe the 4th of July has come and gone and now we’re in the middle of oppressive heat and non-stop running.

Speaking of running, Sean is sprinting at full speed. He is juggling all his responsibilities and just to make his life more complicated, he recently joined a soccer team. He has been really excited to get back to playing. Unfortunately, I’m sure his opponents get to feel his wrath, since he clearly needed an outlet to release stress. Anyway, like a proud mama, I’m pleased to report that in his first game he made one goal, had three assists and only gave up one goal during his half as goalkeeper. Way to go, Sean!! You’re my David Beckham! :)

Cate is in another theater camp this week (loving it!) and playing with friends. Her new obsession is the movie Annie. Funny enough, Peri loves Annie, too, but that’s another story. Cate knows many of the songs and loves to tell me about her “hard-knock life.”

Peri is in full-on talking mode. She can repeat anything and has started saying “please” when she needs something. She closes her eyes tightly, smiles sweetly and says “peas” really quietly. It’s really adorable and for those who know her well, you know it’s a total act. She’s one sharp cookie. I will write more about Peri later since I’m in behind in dedicating a full post to her.

I am pleased (and slightly scared) to report that I am returning to the world of work. Well, part time, anyway. I am starting next week at a small public relations firm. My job will mostly entail lots of writing (press releases, website content, etc..), but I will do some event planning, too. The owners have been super nice about offering me time in the office, as well as an opportunity to work some from home. I am excited to use a different part of my brain and be creative. But, change is always scary and I hope this all works out for everyone. Wish me luck!

Summertime Cate

I could do one, rambling post about what everyone in my family is doing, but I won’t. Today, I choose to write a snipet about Cate and probably tomorrow, one about Peri.

Wow. I can’t begin to tell you how big Cate is getting. She is so tall (44”). When I enrolled her for swimming lessons yesterday, the attendant questioned her “preschool” status by saying, “She’s pretty tall for preschool.” Yes, she is. And, she’s all legs – chicken legs, that is. She towered over all the kids at theater camp last week (see related picture at her sock puppet performance).

She’s been dressing up non-stop and pretend plays all day long. She is obsessed with weddings. She planned and executed an elaborate affair for her and bear a few days ago. I’m not sure where all of that comes from – maybe destined to be a wedding planner?

She writes her alphabet really well and doesn’t require much help. She draws happy pictures of her family, rainbows, rabbits and flowers. Her world seems bright and sunny.

In coming weeks she has another theater camp, swimming lessons and various outdoor activities. I continue to be amazed by her and it dawned on me recently that in January she will be 5. How is that possible?

Yet Another Reason Why I Love John Cusack

Letter of Intent

I am writing this post because if I say these things out loud, they are real. In the course of this past year, my mom’s diagnosis has really made me start thinking. That sounds really simple, but I can’t think of a better way to say it. I don’t want to get all melancholy and morose, but watching a loved-one battle a potentially life-threatening disease puts not only their life in perspective, but also your own.

That said, the little voice in my head is getting louder and it’s saying that I have to take better care of myself. Sure, I wear sunblock most days (due to deadly skin cancer that runs on my father’s side of the family) and try to get some exercise. But, I keep thinking that I really could do more, not just for me, but as cliché as it sounds, for the world.

Yes, we all know that I am a “hippie-liberal” as Sean says (he is too, frankly). I totally could have rocked Woodstock, but I digress….

I have decided to alter my diet in hopes of making my health better, saving a few animals and hopefully reducing the chances of some crappy disease popping up into my life. Laugh if you will (and I’m sure some of you will), but I becoming a pescatarian. A what? A Pescatarian - those who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Eventually, I would love to become a vegetarian, but I’m trying to be somewhat realistic. Giving up chicken will be hard enough.

Those who know me well know that I’m not a big meat eater anyway…steak and bacon aren’t favorites. I just want to make a change (this helps the environment a bit, too) and try it out. You may not believe that I can do it and that’s fine. I may not be able to, but I am going to try. I’m going to gradually phase out various meats and start adding lots more fruits and veggies. Never fear - I will still bake naughty, delectable treats. Crisco is vegetable shortening and makes excellent sugar cookies and cappuccino frosting.

Oh ya, one more thing. I gave up diet soda. Haven’t had any since Sunday. I won’t say it’s been easy, but it certainly hasn’t been hard.

So, there. I’ve said it outloud and that makes it real. Call me crazy, but this is something I’ve thought about for a long time. I want to try it and summer seems like the best time.

Stay tuned!

Medical Metropolis, Texas

M.D. Anderson is amazing and frankly, overwhelming all at the same time. Imagine downtown OKC and think every building in downtown is a medical building. It’s that big. Buildings, upon buildings, of doctors and patients.

We met with my mom’s doctor yesterday. So far, I am super impressed, but how could you not be impressed with doctors at M.D. Anderson? I mean, c’mon, these are the best and brightest in oncology. Dr. Ueno is brilliant and upbeat. He is talking about our “options” and that’s a word we all really like to hear.

Unfortunately for Mom, she is undergoing two days worth of additional testing, but we have to know everything, right? Dr. Ueno found some inaccuracies and has more questions that only testing can answer. We have to be 100% clear before we start any new treatment. We hope to meet with him again next week to determine our best course of treatment.

In our “medical community”, everyone is here to visit a doctor. All the hotels in this area, including ours, are full of patients here for treatment and consultation. My Dad said he felt like he was “in the home” yesterday. While the hotel is nice (and has a lovely bar that Dad & I visited last night), it does seem a little retirement community-ish. LOL.

Not to say everyone here is older. While I didn’t see any children yesterday, I did see many young people wearing masks. It will make you take stock of your own life very quickly.

I hope to update you again later. Hope you are all enjoying the start of summer.

BTW, Happy Birthday to Sean!!!!

What was my gift to him? I left him for three days alone with the girls. Gift or Punishment? :)

Whirlwind

Things have been so crazy lately, but I wanted to take a minute and post some pictures of our little annual trip to Padre. The girls and I had a great time with my parents and both girls loved the beach. It was a pleasure to be outside in fresh sea air with silly girls running up and down the beach. It’s a rough life, I know.

Sean and I made a quick trip to Kansas City (BY OURSEVLES!!! Thanks, Mom & Dad) this past weekend. It was quiet and relaxing. Just what I need because….

I leave early tomorrow morning for M.D. Anderson. I am meeting my parents down in Houston and we have a consultation over the next few days about the next step in my Mom’s treatment. I continue to be hopeful and I’m anxious to hear what ideas our new doctor has.

More later…

Don’t Hurry…

I really haven’t been the best at updating my blog recently . Life has been coming fast and furious and my blog has fallen down on the priority list.

First, thanks to Sean and the girls for a lovely Mother’s Day. It was low-key and fun, which was perfect. We ate lots of ice cream and laughed at the girls. It was great.

Which brings me to my mom. We recently visited her oncologist to get the results from her latest round of testing and frankly, the news we got wasn’t what we hoped for. There are still many bright spots including her organs are clear of cancer at this time. So, good!

Unfortunately, she does have some new tumors in various places up and down her back. At this point, she has no spinal compression (which is good), but will likely start another round of chemo soon. We are taking several consultations over the next few weeks with various doctors, including a trip to M.D. Anderson in Houston.

After some momentary shock and disappointment on my part, I’ve gotten back into fighting mode. Those of you who know my mom, know that she is what I call “the rock.” Therefore, I always do and will continue to follow her lead – positive thoughts bring positive actions.

In addition, Cate recently shared a new motto with me – something she learned from her ever-amazing teacher, Ms. Cathy. I’ve adopted it as my new mantra:

“Don’t Hurry. Don’t Worry. And, don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.”

Amen!

The New Addition

Meet Ruby - the new Mossman.

My sweet, ever-animal rescuing, friend Camille found two little dogs running in a busy OKC intersection this week, swept them up and saved them. Knowing that we’re softies in this house, Camille called and offered a newly-rescued buddy. We have been talking about getting another small dog for the girls and for Chet, so this seemed to work out well for our family.

Ruby (Cate named her after her favorite cartoon character, Ruby of Max & Ruby) is tiny and sweet. She is definitely has King Charles Cavalier Spaniel in her, but we think maybe a touch of Papillon as well. She is less than one-year-old and won't get much bigger. I would be surprised if she ever weighed more than 10 pounds. She has clearly belonged to a family. She is loving and healthy.

At any rate, she couldn’t be cuter and the girls adore her. She slept with Cate last night and today really wanted to get into Peri’s crib when I put her down for a nap. Unfortunately for Ruby, Peri tries to pick her up all the time like she’s a toy. Ruby is really patient and just licks the girls.

We hoping to keep her, but if her rightful family calls, of course we will send her home. But, in the meantime, she’s carving out a place in our home.

Spring…Going, Going, Gone

How bad am I about updating this blog? Bad, Leslie! And, why is this time of year always so hectic? April was supposed to be my “slow” month. Not so much. School is almost out and I can’t believe summer is rapidly approaching. My head is spinning… Anyway, I thought I’d post some goodies for the grandparents until I can come up with a more clever post.

The girls are doing well, staying busy, and getting bigger by the day. Sean is slightly obsessed with Guitar Hero, so of course, he is trying to teach Cate to play. LOL! She is also a master Uno player these days. She takes losing in stride (most nights), but that girl can play. At this rate, she’s destined for Las Vegas – ya, baby!

Peri is in a constant state-of-motion – she never stops except to sleep and even then she’s all over the crib. One day last week she didn’t take an afternoon nap, which meant by dinnertime she was exhausted. Needless to say, she fell asleep in her high chair while eating dinner. I knew something was up when she was so quiet. That kid is never quiet.

We’re headed to Pioneer Days in Okemah this weekend – WOOT! I’m sure I’ll have some good ‘ol country stories to post when we get home. Ok, I’m off - running out the door again.

The Monkey

I believe in evolution. Why? Just look at this picture. I have a child who clearly has evolved from primates.

In the two minutes I turned my back to go into the kitchen, Peri managed to not only climb up onto a dining room chair, but she also climbed up into the middle of the table.

Best of all? She was completely unbothered when I walked back into the room. She was too busy coloring and playing with cards. I think if she could talk she would have said, “Hey, welcome to my party. Let’s play.”

Oy, vey. I’m in trouble.

Carson!

I’d like to introduce all of you to my family’s latest linebacker, uh I mean baby. Baby Carson was born this morning and if you can believe this, he was actually bigger than Peri!

10 lbs., 12 oz. –ya, I said it and let me repeat it again. 10 lbs. 12 oz. He was also 21 inches long, but all we can really focus on is his weight. I think it’s a prerequisite to grow large babies in my family.

He has cheeks for days and they’re so squishy that it makes his eyes look like they’re swollen. I mean he is so adorable!!! And the hair – don’t get me started on his hair. He’s perfect!

Congrats, Dan and Ashlei! We are so excited to welcome him to the family! We love you!

Marching On

Phew! March has been a seriously crazy month. Before I get started talking about my life, let me quickly update you all on little Gavin.

He successfully made it through his tumor removal surgery on Monday. What an accomplishment for both he and his doctors! He still has a major uphill battle as they determine what course of action must be taken for the spinal tumors. However, I have so much hope that he will prevail. For more specifics, please visit Stacie’s Blog.

After following Gavin’s struggle, I feel so guilty writing about my family. We are all doing well and just flying through this month. Sean’s back on the road, the girls are back in school and I’m back to keeping everyone on track.

Over this recent Easter weekend, we were so excited to welcome our Aunt Sandy and our cousin, Lisa. We showed them the sights of OKC (wa-hoo!) and took them to some great restaurants (Ginny, they loved DF!!). These gals were invaluable to me as we worked to host a baby shower for Sean’s brother, Chris. It was a great shower, lots of people, lots of gifts and having Sandy and Lisa in town made it even better!

Skiing wasn’t the best this year - not bad, just not amazing. I’ll spare you the details, but I will say it was nice to be in the mountains with family and friends. It’s also nice to be home. :)

Gavin Update

Maybe there is something to be said for the power of people sending love and hope to Gavin.

Stacie’s blog has been updated with some encouraging news. The situation is still very serious, but I am happy to report that a ray of hope has started shining on Gavin.

Please keep sending him your prayers and thoughts of hope.

Heart Breaking

The following message is from my dear friend, Stacie. Tragedy has struck her family this holiday weekend. Whatever your method of prayer, hope or spirituality, please keep her family in your thoughts.

Dear Family & Friends,

It is with extreme sadness that I write to tell you of our horrible news. We found out this "Good Friday" that our beloved Gavin has an enormous brain tumor, which they say has spread throughout his spine and is thought to be both aggressive and malignant.

He presents with hydrocephalus, which has made for extreme pressure on his tiny brain. They placed a drain in his skull earlier today, which has made him less agitated and a little more talkative. The tumor, which is about 1/3 the size of his entire brain, is occluding a ventricle necessary to drain brain fluid that we normally replace 2-3 times per day. The neurosurgeons have informed us that his tumor has a number of blood vessels running through it. That, coupled with its sheer size, makes tumor removal dangerous. They plan to attempt that surgery on Monday, after we've given his brain some time to relieve a little more pressure. They also want to do this on Monday because they want all possible specialists to be available in the operating room to help with his surgery. Easter weekend doesn't make for the best time to do surgery, with so many of the specialists out of town. (What timing, I know!) If they are forced to do surgery this weekend, they said they'll try, but that it is not ideal.

There is a great chance that he wouldn't make it out of surgery (even with every specialist present for the surgery) because he might bleed to death if they try to remove the entire tumor in one surgery. Two separate surgeries are an option, but also more risky. They cannot remove the spots on his spine surgically. The amount of radiation therapy that would be necessary to eradicate everything is entirely too strong for a 3 year old, so that is not a likely option. Once they remove some of the tumor and have it sent to pathology, we'll know what type of tumor it is and exactly how it could attempt to be treated.

Regardless, they feel strongly that there is an extremely low chance of a cure. He is likely to die and it could be very soon. I cannot begin to express the magnitude of sorrow that I feel at this moment. I don't feel we've been given any hope and I feel that my precious time left with sweet Gavin is fading quickly.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I will do my best to update our blog , but I have to admit it's difficult. I cannot log online from the ICU room and it's difficult to leave Gavin for any length of time. We need all of the prayers we can get at this time in our life.

Livin’ on Mountain Time!

Well, we made it to Colorado in one piece. After leaving at an obscene time Saturday morning (4 a.m…yikes!!!), we survived the car ride into the mountains.

Cate was fantastic in the car. She watched movies and played with her Leapster the entire time (btw, if you’re reading this Richard…thank you again for the Leapster. It really helped!). Peri was pretty good, but got crabby towards the end of the car ride because she hadn’t napped. Good Times!

Our condo is great and the girls immediately went outside to sled. Much fun after hours in the car!

While I know many of you reading this are not fans of skiing, this is something the family looks forward to every year!!! Cate is set to start ski school tomorrow morning and Sean and I are so excited to get up on that mountain!!! Not that anyone cares, but I have a different type of skis this year and I’m a little nervous. Here’s hoping I don’t come back in a body cast.

Enjoy the pics. Everyone gets a little loopy, so the girls were really silly.

From 0 to 60

Ah, the life of toddlers. One minute we’re enjoying a fantastic evening outside with sidewalk chalk, flowers and general happiness.

The next minute our 16-month-old is tumbling down the front steps. Please don’t call DHS. Seriously, you look away for 15 seconds and she’s on the ground.

I’d like to say she is accident prone, but that is sadly not the case. We’re not entirely sure, but we think there is a fair chance that she tried to jump down the stairs. Brick stairs. You know, really hard and jagged. She can barely walk, but for some reason, she thinks getting air is great.

Tonight's stunt will certainly result in a black eye tomorrow. Good thing we didn’t schedule Easter pictures this year…