ugh

we still don't know what is causing Terry's condition. the doctors took him off the immunoglobulin and his platelet count, which had risen to 18, dropped to 7. This is very disheartening. Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep up some semblance of normalcy for AJ, missing Grace who is in NC with her Nana and Grandpa and keeping Terry company in the hospital. The doctors are taking this one step at a time, 1st step being to get the platelet count up and keep it there. So he is back on immunoglobulin. Then they will explore the origins of this and plot a treatment course.

In other news, my mom is going to visit her dad today. Please pray for both of them. That's all I feel comfortable discussing on my public blog. :)

piano practice

I was practicing piano today, enjoying some of the music I used to play and sing at Alpine. In the middle of a rousing edition of "Mighty to Save", AJ came running into the room, "Mommy! Mommy! You're going to make me sick!"

"What's wrong, AJ?"

"You almost made me sick! The pi-an-go almost made me sick!"

"The Piano almost made you sick?"

"Yes, you have to stop, Mommy! It's making me sick! (fake cough, cough, cough)"

"Can I finish my song, AJ?"

"Yes, But then you have to stop! "

So much for practice time.

Ah, Disney. ..

How I missed you. It was so nice to visit you today and remember being a kid, going with my own family. We saw you so much, in fact, that there came a time when I whined, "Disney again? We just went last week! Can't I just stay home?" No offense, dear Disney World. But when one lives in Orlando and when one's parents bought annual Disney passes, even a wonderful place like you can wear one out with excessive cheeriness.

There WAS the Christmas Day when I was about 14. I had no money, but after my dad bought hot chocolate for the family and I went back for napkins, I struck up a conversation with a cute boy selling the hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. I walked away with a free chocolate chip cookie! And a warm glow in my heart for the pleasant conversation regarding the chilly weather. It was innocent. And sweet. AND it impressed Mom and Dad.

But I digress. It occurred to me today how completely fabricated you are, dearest Magic Kingdom. The ground to the walls to the lights to the shows to the Cinderella with dark eyebrows and the permagrin on her face. . . it's all so fake. NOTHING is Waldorf-like about you. And yet, my children soaked up every minute we were in your presence with wide eyes, gasps of delight, open jaws and wonder. It was worth every bit of time and money spent to introduce them to you.There was an older lady in a wheelchair next to us at the parade. She was very nice, offering to share her umbrella's shade with my children, who politely declined. When the characters walked by to give high fives and shake hands and hug children, this lady was the first one to grab them and hug them and wave at them. It was so cute to watch this. She wasn't mentally incapacitated, just excited to be at Disney World.

Grace saw the parade for the first time in her memory and spotted Snow White. Awe filled her face.








We went on "The Jungle Cruise" and that provided nice respite from the sun. AJ, especially, needed the ride.



Terry and AJ and Grace insisted on pretending to be Captain Hook, following Pirates of the Carribbean. Hey, he's a pirate, too!!! BTW, Magic Kingdom, nice job on updating the ride to include Jack Sparrow.




Terry and I got a kick out of standing line for pictures with the Princesses. We waited in line for 35 minutes, which was nothing, really, compared to the 2 hour wait earlier in the day. We saw little girls get shy, or squeal with delight. The princesses asked the girls for a hug. We watched an entire Indian family, complete with the grandma wearing the traditional sari, take a picture with not only Sleeping Beauty, but also Cinderella and Belle. We watched two single men get their pictures with each princess. We noted the princess did NOT ask THEM for a hug. Then it was Grace's turn. She became shy and forgot where she lived. The princesses were very kind and conversed with her for a few minutues. AJ hugged each princess, also. And walked away with lipstick on his cheek from Sleeping Beauty. The rest of the evening, he kept telling me, "I want to hug the princesses again!"


After hugging Aurora, he had to explain to Belle why there was lipstick on his cheek. Busted!




He's never going to wash his face again.


I offered to take Terry's picture with the princess of his choice, but he declined. Apparently I am the only princess he needs. :)


Oh-I almost forgot! When we picked up our tickets in the morning, the cast member took about 10 minutes to process our certificate in the back office. She came out with an apology for taking so long, our tickets, and 3 fast passes to use on any "FastPass" ride of our choice. We zipped through the lines for "Jungle Cruise" and "Winnie the Pooh." We thought Peter Pan might be too much for my height-phobic daughter.

I must confess, dear Disney. When my husband expressed his desire to visit you, I hesitated. I told him, "You know this is Memorial Day weekend. The park will be very crowded."

But he knew that. I thought, "The man works full time and goes to school full time. Who am I to deny him his wish to visit Disney World on his one week free from school?"

So we bought ponchos, expecting rain. We dressed for hot, humid weather and enjoyed the day. It was busy, but we still went on several rides and saw many shows. AJ laughed very hard at the "Monsters, Inc." comedy show. The parades were great for our children. I have a great picture of Grace watching the parade with wide eyes, lit up at the sight of Cinderella. Even the food was almost reasonably priced and palatable. We donned our ponchos when it began to pour in the late afternoon, and continued our jaunt. AJ splashed in every puddle he could find. So did Terry.

We ended our visit to you, dear Disney, watching the light parade upon our egress. We hopped on a Monorail, debarked at the Polynesian Resort, (the best place to park at Disney because it's free) and ate a late night snack at the Kona Cafe. We had the best California roll ever at their sushi bar--they use real lump crab instead of Alaskan Pollock imitation stuff. And pineapple was in the roll, too. And the kids had make your own icecream sundaes, Terry enjoyed white chocolate cheesecake, while I indulged in a coconut cream tart. The coffee (freshly brewed, by the way) helped Terry and I drive home without falling asleep.

We cannot wait to come back and visit you for Grace's birthday. We plan to dress her up and take her to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for princess hair and makeup on her special day. We just hope to get in to Cinderella's Castle for a meal this next time. Who knew that you filled up 90 days in advance?

Thanks for a great day.

St Jude Trike-a-thon

Grace and AJ are participating in a trike-a-thon on Saturday to raise money for the pioneering children's hospital helping children with pediatric cancer. Grace has worked really hard learning to ride her bike so that she could ride with her friends.

AJ *might* earn his big boy bike by then. (He has to use the potty consistently to get his big boy bike!) Regardless of baby bike or big boy bike, AJ will be participating.

We are asking for donations of a set amount rather than # of laps. . . if anyone feels so inclined, we would appreciate your generosity to this worthy cause.

Please email me if you would like to make a contribution.

Sheepish

cell pics 062

Originally uploaded by staciplonsky

AJ got into my 12 hour lipstick that ReALLY stays on for 12 hours--no matter who you kiss or what you eat. Or how hard your mommy scrubs your face with baby wipes, soap or rubbing alcohol. In this case, it actually lasted 24 hours!

More water play

AJ had a blast in the water area. I couldn't help but snap several pics of him. . .

We found a preschool!!

IMG_1848

Originally uploaded by staciplonsky



AJ is going to a Lutheran preschool in the area, with the 3 year olds, 3 days a week. This is after completing his first morning of school. He was EXHAUSTED. And so happy. He loved his teacher and his friends. He liked playing dinosaurs and snakes. He did NOT like "be quiet." :) We're working on it.

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year 2009noaddress copy

Originally uploaded by staciplonsky

This is the New Year's card some of you will be getting hopefully by the end of the month!!! We were still settling in through Dec and decided to do New YEars cards again this year instead of Christmas cards. Well, I finished the card and then got sick this week. So the plan is to get it out Monday!!!

Home Group and Cranky Daughter

Grace knows the rules. It is very clear that she must rest/nap/read quietly in bed in order to go to home group. I especially felt this was important when going to a brand new place. She didn't follow the rules. She stayed up and whined and cried and yowled for 2 hours instead of resting.

Imagine her surprise when I left her home with Daddy!!

AJ tooks a GREAT nap, but I didn't think he'd go nicely by himself without his sister. So he played with his Daddy and didn't realize that he'd even been invited.

Next time, I bet Grace takes a nap.

AJ

AJ has been a handful today. It's difficult to take him anywhere. AJ and I left the park early and my friend brought grace home. It was just too much stimulation for him. *sigh* At least he goes to bed nicely.

Finished!

I made AJ a robe and pj pants. Now to cut out the matching shirt!  That robe pattern is one of the first things I sewed when I got a machine a few years ago. Grace still wears it!



And I knitted my first successful pair of socks. They're for AJ. And I think they're so cute! It only took 3 tries.

Antelope Island

Antelope Island is an amazing island in the middle of the Salt Lake. It's populated with bison and has several walking and hiking trails, an educational visitor center, camping facilities and an eatery. We went the other day with the kids.

Keep in mind it's a $9 entrance fee per vehicle.  We took the dog, anticipating an energetic hike on a trail. AJ cried the whole drive down there. We thought he'd feel better once we stretched our legs (it's about a 25 min. drive). Nope. He just kept crying. Then he complained that his hands were cold. If he would wear his mittens, they'd feel MUCH better, but he was not interested. So we went to the visitor center and basically went home after about 20 minutes.

However, on the side of the road bison were grazing. They were extremely close and we got some fun pictures! Yes, they're really that close--about 8 feet away from Grace. It's not just clever photography!!!!!