Five Question Friday. February 26, 2010

It has been a couple of weeks since I have been updating my blog. Not much time to sit and type things out. BUT I love to get the time to complete Mama M's 5 questions! Usually I remember when it is... oh... SUNDAY so, I say.. nevermind! BUT I am here, and it is Friday and I am so excited. Gonna type after watching some neighborhood drama play out... including an arrest... AWESOME!
But not really when it involves a 2ish year old child wandering around the neighborhood, crossing roads and what not... in the snow...
so, join the fun and check out everyone's 5 questions on this lovely LAST FRIDAY OF FEBRUARY (can you BELIEVE IT?!)

1. Do you sing karaoke? If so, what is your go to song?
I think I sang some karaoke back in 2006 when we first moved back to RI/CT from Texas. But, that was about it. And I think I had a couple of adult beverages so, it made it a lot easier to join the fun! I think it was a 4th of July thing possibly. I think it was earlier than that though. Hmmm.... wow. But other than that, last time someone tried to get me to sing karaoke was at some weird bar on my birthday in Hawaii back in 1999 when I was pregnant with Ashley. 10 years.... WHOA (Wish I was still in Hawaii)


2. What is your favorite coffee drink?
Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut Iced coffee with granulated sugar and milk! YUM. We got a keurig back at Christmas and it has been AWESOME! so, no more D & D!


3. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?
I honestly dont think I have ever had the urge to change my name. Erin is NOT that common. My last name is pretty "plain"... but, It's ok! No name change for me!


4. Were you ever bullied?
Hmm... I dont think so. But, my brother on the hand.... if you have ever read Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes.... think of my brother.. minus the scary scary drama... how my brother never did that is beyond me. Bullying is HORRIBLE... So, if your kid is a bully... kick their butts.... it is NOT acceptable. IN ANY WAY.

5. How often do you eat fast food?
Too much. Geesh... 4 kids and a busy life and being so darn tired and laze sometimes.... No wonder I am chubby!

Wow.... I have neglected my blog!

Well, I guess I just have not had anything fascinating to say! It is now getting to the point that the winter just seems to be dragging on and on. We Have been cooped up for several months now. We have had a couple of snow storms but they have been slushy messes. We are actually experiencing one right now!

I have been doing the biggest loser challenge on the base here. Let me just say it is not going how I want it to. I am not losing weight at a rate I would like. I was down a total of 6lbs in the first 3 weeks. Week 4 is another story. 3 of those pounds came back. I could chalk it up to muscle mass. Or, Valentine's candy (which I didnt get any... I actually got a nice workout outfit including a new sports bra)... but I can't use those excuses. The only excuse I can use is that my diet sucks. Some of that I can chalk up to the fact we live paycheck to paycheck and run out of money to purchase healthier snacks/food for me. It is like making 2 seperate shopping trips to get groceries. The stuff for mommy ( I DO SHARE!) and then the stuff for the other 5 people in this house. I can chalk it up to tiredness so I get impulsive about what I eat without thinking about it until after it has been consumed. I like good food. What can I say? And of course just feeling so down about the fact I gained 3 lbs back. Talk about a couple of days of just NOT CARING. The effort I have been giving has been awesome. The workouts definitely make me feel a whole lot better. I have been working out at least 4 days a week. I need to incorporate some more home exercise though. I have been doing the biggest loser workout on base 2 nights a week and then I have been going to the local gym and utilizing the elliptical, treadmill and recumbent bike while I am there. ( I love it because I can hook up the headphones and watch my favorite TV SHOWS!) I have been upping the "Resistance" on the machines and been really pushing myself to up the workout. I come home a sweaty mess... and gain weight in the process. Geesh. So many people are dropping pounds like crazy and I dont know what I am doing wrong. It has to be the diet. I was doing well... and like I said, this week after the gain... who the heck cares?! I DONT like cottage cheese. I can NOT choke that stuff down. I keep trying with no success. It AINT happening! I feel more put together. But I also in the same note dont notice a change in the clothing size. Could it be the thyroid disease resisting the weight loss? I do not know. I am just frustrated. I am taking a lot of time away from my family to do this (Even though I DESERVE the time away!) With Chris leaving in a short 4 1/2 months, time is precious! I know what the bad foods are.... I know what is better for me... but that doesnt change the fact that comfort food... well, ... It comforts me!

So, I will keep you posted on changes in my weight... or not! LOL!

Ashley's thyroid antibody test came back OK. So, no worries for that! She will be turning 10 in about 10 days. I can NOT believe it. Where does the time go? Oh, and I WISH I was STILL in Hawaii like I was 10 years ago!

I will be having an MRI on my sore "boob" which isnt really my boob. It is more like my chest wall under my left boob. I guess. We will see what they see... IT could be ligaments or something. So, any positive thoughts for the "boob" would be great!

We have been making preparations for our move come July. YES I am going to go to Florida. The winter STINKS. And I won't get the opportunity to be near my parents again. So, I am going to take the opportunity and spend quality time with my parents while Chris is gone. NOW I need to find a place to rent in Florida that will love me and my pets! HAH!

Sydney... waiting to hear from the person who tests for Central Auditory Processing Disorder. I will probably call today and see what the deal is.

CJ... had some antibiotics for a nasty snotty head that he had for over 3 weeks. Seems to have cleared up the issue quite quickly!

Kiley... is Kiley. She likes to whine.

So, that is the quick update! Hope everything is well with everyone! COME ON SPRING!

5QF

WOOHOO! IT IS FRIDAY!!!!!!!! TIME FOR THOSE SUPER AWESOME FIVE QUESTIONS HOSTED BY MAMA M. at her blog FIVE CROOKED HALOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHARE YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE WORLD!!!!!


1. Would you ever vacation alone?
Today, I would probably say HECK YEAH.. but, in all honesty, I dont think it would be as fun as going with someone else. So, that would probably be a no. I love sharing my experiences with other people. ESPECIALLY my loved ones! I look forward to adventures in Florida with my parents when my hubby is deployed. Something to pass the time and fill all of our lives and hearts with great memories.

2. Do you go the speed limit?
I plead the fifth.


3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?
I think I started following shortly after I gave birth to my son in Nov. 07. Someone on my November 2007 board had posted a bunch of links to blogs she had been reading and I was hooked. Now I just click on people's lists and read interesting things. I started my blog to document my life. It is good to go back and read things that dont stay in my mind!


4. Where do you shop for yourself?
I dont. Seriously. I hate shopping for myself. I DID buy some Lands End stuff for myself at Sears after Christmas. I have gotten a couple of things at Kohls Last March and some undergarments at Lane Bryant over a year ago. Sometimes I get a shirt here and there but they always end up with a hole in them or something. It is ridiculous how that works out. FINALLY buy myself something and WHAM-O... ruined. In a matter of days. I will be going to a Ball in April which means I am going to have to dress up which I am SO dreading shopping for. I have ridiculous wide feet.. and I am frumpy. I hope I lose some weight and look better than I do now by the time the ball arrives!


5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?
This was the first song that had come to my mind when the wedding planner had called to ask what we were going to dance to. We hadnt initially intended on any dancing. We had a small wedding on the north shore in Hawaii and for having moved out to Hawaii to be with him.... I thought this was pretty fitting, being in a whole new culture and environment outside my comfort zone....

DONT FORGET TO LINK UP! HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

OH MY GOSH! IT IS FRIDAY!

So yeah, I have a lot of updating to do... who do you want me to start with?!?!?

I will start with Sydney since she has the oldest update... nothing major to report at all (Can you believe it?!) Although I have to still schedule her appointment to rule out/diagnose Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Mayve I should get off here and do that! Oh wait, they are probably on lunch. So... She had her follow up with her cardiologist.... Dr. Sara Ford at Hasbro. She is incredible. If you ever need a pediatric cardiologist, I totally recommend her. She is so easy going and HUMAN! HAHA! Great bedside manner. Totally easy to talk to. Everything went well for Sydney. Of course they could still hear her VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect = Murmur)(it will probably not ever close) and her WPW (Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome = Tachycardia, bad electrical pathway in the heart) which was officially cured in November 2008. Since she has gone this long since her ablation, she should be OK! I expressed my concerns about what would happen as she grows and hits puberty and what not and the doctor seemed very confident that everything will be OK! (but I am not going to be ignorant and assume that it is 100% true because I know there is still a percentage of it coming back) So, since I dont feel comfortable being discharged from cardiology and just have her cardiac stuff taken care of by the pediatrician (or whatever we happen to see at the Naval Clinic) she said COME BACK IN 2 YEARS! although, we wont be here. SO, She was able to give me the name of a friend of hers who is a pediatric cardiologist in Florida. So, all is well with Sydneys heart! (Although the other night, WEDNESDAY she told me her heart did a little jiggle.... oh boy. Guess I should write that on a calendar.)

ASHLEY: She had her appointment with the Pediatric Endocrinologist at Hasbro on Wednesday. Her thyroid is definitely "swollen" but he would not call it "enlarged". It is soft and palpable which means that there is no goiter present. All of her TSH levels were within normal limits (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) but the Naval Clinic did not complete a Thyroid Antibody test. So, she had to have that drawn by the Hasbro lab and we will find out in about a week the results of that. Should they be negative then we are good to go. If they come back positive, Ashley will have to have her thyroid levels drawn at least every year and we will just wait until her hormone levels are out of whack. Which would mean she would probably have the Hashimoto's Disease that I have. There is one big reason as to why her thyroid would be enlarged. It is often a precursor to puberty! *WHAT*... OH LORD.... Seriously...........................................

So... yeah.... the doctor had two students with him and they were also great. I dont mind students. Someone has to be their teacher.... and now not only is Sydney a teacher... now Ashley was. There are no physical signs of puberty yet! WHEW! BUT they told me that I was late to start... but that doesnt mean anything because kids now are starting so much earlier. Ashley was quite embarrassed that the doc had to check her parts for signs. It was pretty amazing to see how everythign worked at the pediatric endocrinologist. They measure the height 3 times! That is routine! They have to be EXACT when kids might have a hormonal problem! OH, and ... HAHAHA... When I went with Sydney to her neurologist many eons ago now, The doc measured my head because Sydney's head had measured big! Well... they found out why! .... Genetics.... Sydney has her momma's big potato head... so, because I have thyroid disease (Hashimotos Thyroiditis) the doc at one point reached over and felt my thyroid!! L O L... GLAD I can be so helpful! GOOD NEWS... he did NOT feel a goiter! LOL!
So, we will wait it out about a week and see what this blood lab shows.

After the appointment, I got Ashley a McFlurry at McDonalds... and they made the thing with the Shake ice cream! She was not happy. I was trying to give her something to enjoy after a less than enjoyable appointment and they made it with the SHAKE?!?!?!!? BOO ON MCDONALDS!

I have started the biggest loser challenge here on base. I will be weighing in on Mondays. My starting weight was 204. I hope to have at least a 2 lb weight loss on monday. I have been trying to make better choices with my eating. Eating my required fruits and veggies. Exercising regularly. I will be keeping you all posted on my progress! OH, and I have not eaten fast food in over a week which I think is a world record for me!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. IT IS FREEZING here today and the kids had a 90 minute delay for school because the wind had knocked power out. All the toys and garbage cans are blowing around my backyard. It is loud!

nearly 2 days late, nearly 2 dollars short... Five Question Friday

1. What is better, growing old with out money or dying young and wealthy?
I would rather grow old without money.... I want a long life, the life experiences are priceless and no amount of money could take those experiences away from me!
(oh, and im already growing old with little money!)

2. Who takes out the garbage at your house?
We both do. Usually he takes it to the curb and to the can when it fills inside, but we both do. Whoever gets around to it first.

3. Have you ever had the same dream many times?
I have had eerily similar dreams. I have not had them in a long time but they always involved tornadoes. I was told by a dream analysis class that it had to do with emotions. Oh, and it didnt help me that I used to have those dreams when I had to move to Tornado Alley for a year! We survived though!

4. Can you play a musical instrument?
In high school I played clarinet. I have children who are learning instruments now. I will leave it to them to master it now!

5. If you owned your own store, what would you sell?
I would probably have a scrapbook store.... so that maybe once in a blue moon I would be able to get around to doing some scrapbooking!

Dont forget to Join up with Mama M. On fridays for her five question friday! (and not nearly on a sunday morning!)

Five Question Friday! POSSIBLE giveaway

HEY ALL! I AM SOOOOOOOO Happy that it is FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!! Mama M is once again hosting her weekly Five Question Friday and this time, if she can break 100 people, it might be a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!! So, hop on over and get your butt in gear, it is a NEW year!!! NEW YOU... get that butt moving!!! Share YOUR five answers with the world!!!!!

Here it goes...

1. Worst trouble you ever got into as a teenager?
Oh gosh... hmm.... I dont think I ever really got in to trouble, at least not that I can recall. I never skipped school, never had detention, never got arrested. Hmm... Oh there was one pathetic fight at school I think in my freshman year. Maybe sophomore. Obviously not too significant to me because I cant remember. I didnt get suspended or anything though.

2. Are you a morning person or a night person?
I love the NIGHT! I am able to accomplish so much more. The mornings are tough. I hate morning routines of getting sluggish kids out the door. Waking the sleeping 2 year old to bring the sluggish kids to school. I like the night when all is quiet and I can just veg out! LOL!

3. Are you a one-handed or a two-handed Texter?
I can do it with 2 hands on my phone! I am NEW to texting. IS being one handed much more noble?! If so, I must accomplish that! (not really!)

4. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is).
Most "quizzes" I take say I am more liberal (democrat) but I feel I am much more conservative in my beliefs. I think the quizzes were rigged to try and get me to vote Democrat. I did NOT vote democrat. FYI. I feel I am a republican.

5. Are you a pet person
It is a love hate relationship. I LOVE my doggies. I HATE their fur. One of our doggies is very vocal which can be super annoying but I feel he is getting better. HE will be 1 at the end of March so I know we have 1+ years of him still being a puppy. They bring so much dust and dirt in the house and FUR... Any recommendations for Air Cleaners?!?! HELP Me get this dust out!

Mom knows best....

I sometimes question how well I know my children. I am sure I do not know them as much as I would like to know them.... I always get worried because I dont know what they are wearing everyday and GOD FORBID something happens to them, how would I know what to tell the police?
I would look like a BAD PARENT if I dont know! UGH.
I would stumble on my words trying to recall where their birth marks or scars are. This is something I feel I need to write down and photograph. Having 4 children, these things can get jumbled up!
So... how well do I know my children??? How do I know "Mom knows Best"?
Well... yesterday Ashley and Sydney had a dentist appointment. Ashley was a bit disgruntled when she came out... JUST like her mother. The novocaine really throws her for a loop. She is really bothered by it. JUST like her MOTHER. Anyways. As she was sitting waiting for her sister to be done, she was sitting next to me with a HUGE sulk on her face. (is sulk a word?) I felt bad because I know exactly how she is feeling. MISERABLE. Well. Then she swallowed. AND OH MY LORD... What did I SEE?!
IT LOOKED LIKE... SHE HAD AN ADAM's APPLE!!!!!! She swallowed AGAIN. THERE IT IS. BOB. UP AND DOWN.
PROTRUDING.
HUGE.
is it HUGE because she is a bean pole?
What is it?
IT HAS to be her thyroid.
She is only 9.
Why would she have a huge thyroid?
Maybe it is from the tick bites she had?
Could the tick bites enlarge her thyroid?
It is in the lymph system, so why not?
Where is Sydney?
I need to compare the two.
How long has it been like this?
I am a bad mom, why didnt I notice this before?
Was it like this last week?
Last month?
Oh, how much longer before Sydney comes out?
::::Worst case scenario runs through my mind:::::::
::::And again:::::
::::And again:::::
I need to make an appointment.
I cant make the appointment with her listening.
She will freak.
What is wrong with my kid?
OH PLEASE I CANT DEAL with something else.
PLEASE let it be simple.
...................................
ahh.... the wonders of the mind of a mother.
I made the appointment.
I scheduled it for Today.
That was another drama scene trying to get my kid to a simple appointment without having a track of hurdles to get over to get there.
FINALLY
We get to the appointment.
More Drama because I have the 2 littles with me.
Doc comes in.
Doesnt believe this is tick related as nothing came back from them.
Thyroid definitely enlarged.
Not astronomical but surely enlarged.
NOT common in a child this age.
Genetic predisposition doesnt make it impossible.
I have Hashimoto's.
Did I give my kid something?
I know genes are the inner workings of everything but DEAR GOD.. I brought this baby in the world so THIS IS MY FAULT.
Blood work.
should be back tomorrow.
Thyroid panel and blood count.
PLEASE DEAR LORD....
I hope this is "simple"
but whatever is in the stars we shall deal with.....

.....update tomorrow......

Hopefully.