Millie

I have officially decided to change my attitude regarding my sweet little third child.

                      no I will not be holding daddy's hand
This kid has been a pill lately.  Not the kind of pill your doctor prescribes because it makes everything all better.  The kind of pill that gets stuck in your throat and leaves an awful taste in your mouth that you taste two hours later.  She bullies Georgia and Murphy, pokes them and says "no" before or after high-pitch screaming screeching like a kitten whose tail was just caught under your shoe.  She whines "milk please" only to whine "choc-yet" after she tastes it.  In goes the chocolate sauce.  "Oh-juice" is the next request, after a taste of chocolate milk.  Can't make up her mind. 

Bedtime used to be easy.  Trevor reads books to all three until Millie decides to join me in bed (yes, I am in bed watching TV while Trevor does the dirty work).  Mil would snuggle up next to me (think fabric softener commercial) and we read books (while I had one eye on some HGTV show) and before I knew it, she was out cold.  Then in to her big girl bed she went.  Easy.  NOW, not so much.  Instead of getting out of my "warmies cozy" bed and putting her to sleep in her room, Trevor reads to the big kids and I watch my shows as he then takes her and puts her to bed.  God bless Trevor Kettrick!  Millie has actually been sleeping OK - up at 3ish but just to change her diaper, then she's right back out.  I'm usually up at that hour anyways, tossing and turning and taking my anti-nausea medicine so I can wake up and function the next morning!

Now all three kids are advanced.  They haven't waited til two to become "terrible."  All three have hit the terrible 18-20 months.  Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?  Yep.  Does that make these days of being pinched and poked and tested easier?  Nope.

My change of attitude?  Millie is a baby.  That doesn't mean I have to act like one!

Hawaii

We made the trip to the islands!  After nearly three years since my last visit, we did it. My mom traveled with the kids and me, and Trevor was able to make it four full days in between (his first vacation since moving to Spokane).  We met up with Molly, Malia, Jett, my dad, Ryan, Kai, Lailan and Phil, Bamma and even Uncle Chuckie.  A mini family reunion  Good fun.  Lots of trips to the aquarium, swimming in the pool, lunch (and playing in the sand) at the Outrigger, and even a swim in the ocean (until Bon saw a four foot eel - after that NO THANK YOU!).  The kids were exhausted by bedtime!  Ryan and I hiked Diamond Head (and almost passed out afterward because the smoothie place only took cash and we had a debit card and $5 because we spent the other $5 on the hike and cold drinks for the hike).

The kids were too good on the flights.  After our trip over there I thought I'd certainly be jinxed and have terrors on the way home.  Not so.  The day before we took off I took Millie in because she kept crying saying "ear hurts."  Sure enough - the start of an ear infection.  She got antibiotics and I gave her numbing drops for the flights and she was wonderful. The other two - suffered through reading books on the two hour leg between Spokane and San Francisco, and watched five hours straight of Scooby Doo DVDs San Francisco to Honolulu.  Unbelievable. 

Blog title

Taking suggestions for a new blog title effective roughly end of August 2010.  The Kettrick Six doesn't flow.  This is what I think about as I'm in bed awake at 3:00am!

Doesn't get much funnier....

This is hilarious.  We're rearranging bedrooms, bringing up a bed from Brynn's condo and working it in to the mix of twins and a queen.  Now that the basement bedroom is ready to be furnished, Trevor and I were talking about moving the queen to the basement.  Didn't think much of it.

The next day the kids were going through a box of crap stuff Brynn brought up from her place.  Murphy found a Tinkerbell nightlight.  Next thing I see:

Murphy is walking down the stairs to the basement with the nightlight.  I asked him what he was doing and he says, "I think the Queen would like this in the bedroom in the basement."

Bless his heart.

Inspiration = Motivation = Feeling of Accomplishment

For quite some time now, I've been reading Sara's blog and have been in heaven.  I want her to be my best friend.  She has five kids, a cool house, great ideas and tips, amazing recipes, and inspiring posts on things like spanking (I want to print out her anti-spanking post and hand it out to everyone I see threatening "do you want a spanking" to their child.  I have forwarded it on countless times).  She's sort of like Anthropologie to me.  I want to BE her.  Simple yet detailed.

Reading the blog makes me want to have it all together.  Be positive, supportive, creative, true to myself, have fun with my kids, a good example, and a provider for my family - not financially, but in every other possible way.

And now...I'm just as hooked on her cooking blog.  Every single recipe I have tried has been phenomenal and easy and has received 5 sets of thumbs up.  Trevor and I have no problem liking food.  Georgia falls in to that category too.  Murphy is Sir Picky and could live off of protein bars and fruit snacks.  Millie has her moments.  Every single meal I have tried has passed the test!  And with a dozen new recipes posted I couldn't get to the store fast enough!  I sometimes wish I could make two at once because they turn out so well and sound so yummy.

Here are the recipes I've tried (and continue trying regularly!!!)
Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna
Cheesy Bow Ties
Really Good Chicken Fingers
Mexican Casserole
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
Beef Stroganoff (I used Quorn "fake" beef)
Chicken Pot Pie
Crock Pot Chili
AMAZING Asian Salad -  we're talking amazing here!!!
Granola - I made bags of this for Christmas goodies.  This is how I found out Georgia is allergic to almonds, so we altered it and made her her own batch.  It's easy to change up ingredients!

OK, you get the picture.  If I were you, I'd print off these recipes and try them out.  Most nights we have a spinach salad on the side.  I get the huge thing of spinach from Costco and separate it into gallon baggies, add cherry tomatoes, toasted nuts, Craisins, bell peppers, cheese, and/or croutons, followed by a squirt of Litehouse Homestyle Ranch and a squirt of Litehouse Zesty Italian.  I shaky shaky shake it all up and we're good to go.  So ono!

Until Sara comes out with a cookbook, I will continue to print off her recipes and happily fill everyone's bellies at night (and for lunch the next day, as leftovers are just as good)!

On tonite's menu: I haven't decided between Minestrone and Greek Penne with Artichokes...

Valentine's Pancakes

Both kids had their Valentine's parties at school today.  I thought I'd be crafty and make pink heart pancakes for breakfast.  Let's just say these two were the only ones that weren't nicely browned and didn't resemble big blobs.  It's the thought that counts, right?!  They did love their pink milk though (until I had to add chocolate to Murphy's and Millie's)!

Scooby Dooby Doooooo

The kids are obsessed with Scooby Doo.  Obsessed to the point Georgia wears her Velma glasses (that I got at Claire's) to school, violin, church, and puts them by her bedside table at night only to put them on first thing the next morning.  Obsessed to the point Millie hands me the remote control and says Scooby Doo. 

A new episode records almost daily, and I let them watch it probably three of four days a week.  Why not...they're learning new vocabulary!  Murphy told Millie a few weeks ago, "I told you I could  do it myself, you meddling kid." 

But why is Velma such a freak?  Why is Fred such a meat head, Daphne a skank, and Shaggy so...special?  And Scooby - let's work on the pronunciation of a few words.  It's Scooby Snacks.  Not Rooby Racks (which Murphy thinks is hilarious).

aahhhhhh

I feel like I can finally breathe again.  It makes me so angry (and upset and terrified) when doctors throw around possible diagnoses like it's nothing.  Of course my mind goes straight to the worst case scenario and my fingers go straight to Google. 

This last one was a doozie.  'The man' at John's Hopkins couldn't classify my tumor, so he suggested I have genetic counseling, as he saw a link between my tumor and my skin cancers.  Hearing this news at my check-up with the neurosurgeon was like a kick in the gut.  I went in feeling wonderful and came out with my head hung low.  My initial thought was....genetics....that means my kids, my parents, my sisters and my niece and nephew are effected too.  Worst case scenario.  A few days later I was at the Spokane Club getting ready to hop on a treadmill when I got a phone call.  It was the secretary from the geneticist office calling to schedule an appointment.  The first words out of her mouth were "Now, what symptoms have you been having for your doctor to refer you for Cowden's Syndrome?"  Excuse me!?  Here my first reaction was WHY IS THE SECRETARY TELLING ME THIS?  Isn't there some sort of privacy act - Hippa or something??  Regardless, the first thing I did was pull up the internet on my phone and check things out.  It is quite an extreme syndrome with  some very visible physical characteristics as well as a predisposition to several other cancers.  Oh - and the appointment she was able to get me in for was a month and a half out.  Brutal.

I went to my other doctor's appointment, told her of this genetics office, etc., and she offered to call to recommend I was seen sooner.  Long story short, my appointment yesterday (and not a month from now!) resulted in a physical exam, going over the family health history paperwork I filled out, and the geneticist almost rolling her eyes that I was a) referred for Cowden's Syndrome and b) referred at all.  Hallelujah!  FINALLY getting some good...or GREAT news from a doctor's appointment was a fabulous feeling!  It feels like the stars are aligning again.  Everything is going to be OK.  There are so many positive things to focus on right now.  I am tired of giving energy to negative people.  I need all the energy I can take right now to return to the person I was before this whole mess began!

I have never been one to ask for or accept help, but throughout this process I have learned I have to!  Friends babysitting the kids for my appointments and being there for me to talk to have been unreal.  I always say I hate drama, and I feel as though I have lived such a dramatic life these past few months.  I feel like I have drained the positivity from people.  With apologies, I am back!  Ready for action!

bless her heart

Here I sit, watching Millie entertain herself while the kids are at school.  She is now in the stroller with her baby doll, both under a blanket.  She pokes her head around and says "hi mommy."  Before I know it, she's right next to me saying "help, please," as her baby's hat needed some assistance.  Her little voice is precious.  Now, she also uses that precious little voice to get her way with "NO!  Mine!!" but the "I do!" response to who wants to take a tubbies, or who wants to pick the kids up from school is awesome.  She is turning in to such a kid!

Feeding Linny

Look what I came up the stairs to find!  Millie is such a good helper feeding the animals.  Better than this is when I have to throw away bowls of soggy dog food, as their bowls are science experiments for Millie!
By the way, I have a cabinet that keeps all of Linny's things but I haven't gotten it back from the lady I had paint it yet....I think she may have stolen it. ;0)

ah ha

At church Sunday I sat there, without distraction because Georgia was at Sunday School and Murph and Mil were home with Trevor, and something really struck me as an "ah ha moment." The priest said (something along the lines of) life being like the sidewalks or streets of Spokane right now. You can be walking along sure-footed, and all of the sudden you hit a patch of black ice and slip and fall. You need to get back to that solid ground and continue walking. This is something I will definitely try to focus on, as it is a positive way to view things, as I go through all of the uncertainty right now!

Violin Recital

Georgia had her first violin recital this afternoon, playing Jingle Bells. A little after Christmas, yes, but very festive nonetheless. She did so well - I am so proud of her. We were sitting there, Trevor videoing, Murphy standing on the chair watching, Millie standing on my lap watching, and me holding back the tears. She was absolutely precious, marching up there, saying "Hello, my name is Georgia. I will be playing...the violin...Jingle Bells." Precious.

She has already asked when the next recital is ("probably when I'm six").

Breakfast

Who plays with Barbies?

Silly Silly Millie Geel