tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68307015868014726392023-11-16T00:52:13.385-06:00Momma Needs another Cup of CoffeeA blog about the joys of<br>raising my two beautiful<br>daughters and living life<br>to the fullest.~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-21483190651898948722012-07-25T16:15:00.000-05:002012-07-25T16:15:43.948-05:00In Memoriam: Mulder the Orange Cat
Mulder in his favorite chair in our DeKalb apartment
Today is a very sad day for our family. Our dear, sweet kitty Mulder died in his sleep last night. We are all very saddened by this news, but are taking some comfort in the fact that he met his final day peacefully, and that for a cat he lived a good life. He deserved that; he was a good cat.
Mulder and his brother Scully ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-23513306319763700332012-06-16T19:59:00.000-05:002012-07-16T20:33:00.927-05:00First Grade at Spencer Pointe: Part 1Here it is, the end of the school year, and I haven't posted about Nora's first grade experience. Now its over, and she's already looking ahead to second grade. I thought it would be nice to look back on what was a fantastic year.
School started in August, and Nora was so excited to be a bus rider. I think she had always been a bit jealous that Emily got to the ride the bus back in DeKalb~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-19731918238148060492012-06-07T13:13:00.000-05:002012-06-07T13:13:06.302-05:00Emily's Fifth Birthday PartyHappy Birthday Sweet Emily!!!
After looking over Ryan's schedule for the month of June, we realized that there was one day and one day only we could have Emily's birthday party...June 2nd. That gave us ten days. Ten days is not a lot of time when you're already five months behind on laundry and cleaning, but somehow, we did it! And it was a lot of fun. In retrospect, everything worked out ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-65389203593330368092012-05-23T11:43:00.000-05:002012-05-23T11:43:30.403-05:00Back to businessI haven't blogged since JANUARY. I just re-read the last post to see what was going on last time I stopped to re-evaluate our life. I mentioned I had started working and that things were getting a bit crazy. I had NO CLUE as to how crazy they would get!!!
The semester is now over and I survived being a working parent...barely. There are rumors that there are mothers out there that manage to ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-28653484793990008642012-01-25T20:27:00.000-06:002012-01-25T20:27:15.583-06:00Never Say Never...My poor, poor neglected blog. So many things to write about, absolutely no time. Well, I'm taking the time tonight even though I know I have 10 million things to do on the to do list.
You may be thinking, "Why so busy?" After all, the moving is done, the short-sale is just about complete, and the kids are about to celebrate the 100th day of school. There's no more yard to work in, no seed ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-33614730464056604692011-12-18T21:51:00.000-06:002011-12-18T21:51:00.164-06:00Underwear Head Strikes Again!Lately Emily has decided that there is nothing funnier in all the world than underwear. She just can't stop talking about it, laughing about it, running around in nothing but underwear. Ok, the last part isn't actually anything new; anyone that has spent a few days around our girls know they just don't like clothes all that much. But Emily has taken it to a new level.
Can I even say anything~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-9716512099031475632011-12-16T16:04:00.000-06:002011-12-16T16:04:35.308-06:00Our New Home: The White HouseSeven weeks after the fact I can happily report that our second move of 2011 was a success despite some pretty big odds. I didn't know how we would accomplish it, but luckily, since we hadn't finished unpacking from move number 1, it wasn't all that bad (notwithstanding my back injury. Note to self: No more dragging furniture up staircases alone! No more lifting file cabinets out of car ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-18039353140468728902011-10-28T14:03:00.000-05:002011-10-28T14:03:19.076-05:00Fun, Fish, and Friends at the SheddDeKalb might be a lifetime ago, but some of our dearest friends still reside out in the corn. Since Emily is still asking for the green house, and cries because she misses home now and again, I've decided we can't go back to see our friends out there until we are nicely settled into our new home. In the meantime, our best friends Tim and Rachel and their cutie-pie daughter Anna met us downtown ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-40879317254076826232011-10-20T14:51:00.000-05:002011-10-20T14:51:31.419-05:00Getting you all up to speed...Hello one and all. For those of you that have been keeping up with us on Facebook, you know its been one hell of a roller coaster ride. Has it really been four months since I've blogged? Yes. Absolutely. And an awful lot can change in four months. I can say with certainty that our family is a very different family than the one that left DeKalb. But the butterfly is also very different from~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-18940655093562980012011-06-03T15:19:00.001-05:002011-06-28T21:06:22.872-05:00Operation Dump the House: A progress reportWell folks, I've been packing for what seems like ages, but its only been a few weeks. I am physically and emotionally spent. All of the stuff I've been combing through has brought up memories and pulled the heart strings, and I'm finding that getting rid of all one's possessions is a full time job. A difficult full time job.
The first step was, of course, getting in touch with an awesome ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-37105073869415279262011-06-02T11:43:00.000-05:002011-06-02T11:43:20.852-05:00Graduation Follow-Up: An Interview with Miss NoraHere is an artwork Nora did on her last day of school showing her favorite kindergarten memory. She drew several things she loved, including the red brick building, her classroom with the easel used for Spanish (that's the picture by the words I love my school), her cap and gown, and the bookshelves. I asked her to talk about the picture a little more, and typed her responses as she gave them.~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-84759987356527801772011-05-24T09:51:00.000-05:002011-06-01T10:58:01.153-05:00Nora's Kindergarten Graduation
I am so happy and proud to announce that Nora Grace has officially graduated from kindergarten! The happiness we all feel is slightly bittersweet, for as we celebrate such a big milestone in her life, we are also aware that its a signal of the end of the way we've lived for 6 years. Her graduation marks the beginning of our transition to suburban life with the extended family.
Nora was keenly~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-37006833791759482272011-05-23T11:24:00.000-05:002011-05-23T11:24:15.261-05:00At odds with the American DreamWhat do you do when you sit down and realize that the life you've created is at odds with your beliefs? What do you do when you feel that its your job to help others, to be kind to the Earth, and yet you feel trapped in old habits and patterns? What do you do when money is tight, when the stress is high, and the events of your life start looking like tsunami sized waves that are dragging you ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-37320621457290157582011-05-11T11:59:00.000-05:002011-05-11T11:59:04.613-05:00Emily's DiagnosisI received the call from Dr. B two weeks after seeing her at Children's Memorial. She was kind enough to want to explain her findings to me over the phone and personally tell me why she made the decision she did, which I really appreciated. She followed our call with a letter, which is provided below (in italics)with some additional information to help make things less confusing.
Since the ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-26727885520933561472011-04-22T20:53:00.000-05:002012-07-16T20:55:09.934-05:00Random Silly Pics
Underpants, check! Yellow, check! Crown...crown?? Well I guess today she's a little princess.~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-50659922143949366452011-04-19T12:44:00.012-05:002011-05-04T13:47:42.388-05:00Children's Memorial Hospital VisitThe long long long wait was finally over. After receiving a referral to see Dr. Brazdziunas at Children's Memorial in August, we met with our world class doctor at the DuPage Hospital--Children's Memorial Outpatient center.
Emily arrived home from school at noon, and we practically threw lunch into her mouth so we could make our appointment on time. My nerves were shot; I was surprised at how ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-45490214015318397682011-04-06T20:01:00.000-05:002011-04-06T20:01:45.015-05:00Kids Say the Darnedest Things!Another installment of the short feature chronicling the stuff that comes out of Nora's mouth...
At dinner tonight Ryan dropped his head into his hands and announced, "I'm sooo flippin' tired!" I shuddered a bit, glad he didn't say any other "f" word because he really was tired and not necessarily thinking straight. Then Nora pipped up, "You're flippin' tired! Flippin like you flip a pancake?~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-87777638953730695472011-03-23T22:52:00.000-05:002011-03-23T22:52:12.667-05:00Random Silly Pics
I was babysitting my best friend Rachel's daughter Anna a few weeks back and my girls decided to put on a fashion show for her. Here they've stopped for a moment to strike a pose. They are so pretty...I think I'm gonna be in trouble in a few years!~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-12545489742411980192011-03-17T21:21:00.001-05:002011-05-06T08:13:05.021-05:00Random Silly PicsHappy St. Patrick's Day! Nora is decked out in head-to-toe green in honor of the day. A big thank you to Grandma Geier for sending out a treat-filled care package for the girls.
~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-54248982676894723502011-03-07T13:17:00.001-06:002011-04-27T15:40:14.787-05:00Momma Learns to Knit...sortaJust a quick little note to say that this winter I took up knitting as a hobby, and while I enjoy it immensely, I am terrible at it! My first big project was to make Nora a scarf, and I'm glad I took pictures because its already starting to unravel. I will try to make her another scarf before next winter because this one may not make it. I'm not too upset though, she really liked it and that's ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-75317650765584755192011-03-05T11:36:00.000-06:002011-04-27T13:06:32.477-05:00The Royal Children's BallIf you were to ask Nora and Emily what would constitute the perfect fairytale evening, they would tell you that it would include dressing up like a princess, wearing a crown, eating cake and ice-cream, visiting a castle, and dancing to Disney Princess music at a ball.
Well, the first annual Royal Children's Ball provided that and so much more! At the beginning of February I began to see ads ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-28082521256837656372011-03-02T11:21:00.001-06:002011-03-21T22:28:56.830-05:00Captain Caveman Gets a HaircutIf you haven't figured it out from the photo, Captain Caveman is one of Emily's nicknames. We could have opted for Cousin It, but its more fun to yell "CAAAPPPTAINNNN CAAAAAAAVEMANNN!" when she's running around the house in nothing but underpants with utterly tangled hair flying behind her.
Em's hair has always been a mess. She is so sensitive about it getting combed, about it getting washed, ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-73227862504873079662011-02-24T08:25:00.001-06:002011-03-21T09:45:48.924-05:00Zoo Day!Winter feels like it will never end. We've been stuck inside for weeks now; the excitement of the blizzard is long gone. So when the weatherman called for a 50 degree day here in the middle of February, I made the executive decision to pull Nora out of school and take the kids to the zoo. It only made sense; after all, it's a really easy outing for me since the girls know what to expect. The ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-8423753658972607172011-02-22T20:45:00.001-06:002011-02-22T20:46:30.082-06:00Emily's Progress Report: A++ for the teachers and the student!On Thursday I was lucky to have the opportunity to see Emily during school. Parents were invited to spend an hour in the classroom with their child to see what a typical day is like. I don't ever remember my schools doing this when I was young, and what a shame! I learned so much more in that one hour than from all of the notes home and parent conferences combined. A lot of the time I feel a ~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6830701586801472639.post-79134790547884602392011-02-20T09:47:00.001-06:002011-02-20T09:49:07.310-06:00Random Silly PicsWell I shared a pic of baby Nora, so I had to share one of Emily too! This was taken on September 27, 2007. She was almost four months old. Still prefered nothing but a diaper back then too!
~Momma Ivyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114964127551905717noreply@blogger.com0