Houston we have liftoff!

No training wheels!

We have entered the double digits

I cannot believe that the sweetest, kindest ... sometimes craziest ... child I know came into this world 10 years ago.  Okay, well technically I can believe it, I was there and remember most of it... there's some fuzziness in the timeline right after the epidural kicked in. :)  But I remember the important parts!  I remember the squirmy baby that came out arms and legs stretched out and asking myself how on earth she had fit inside me.

Happy Birthday Katie!  And Life with a 10 year old begins....

My daughter the chef

Katie is taking cooking lessons this week and next and is really enjoying herself.  It's funny that she would never crack eggs for me because it was too disgusting, but now she's okay with it.  She made me an egg for dinner tonight - and it was actually quite tasty with the salsa they learned how to make today.  They're learning how to make pesto & pasta tomorrow.  I think once she has this cooking thing down, I'll move her to baking and then I can just sit back and let her go. LOL

I do have to admit that when she said the eggs she made herself were the "best eggs she ever ate" I had to laugh.  That was a pretty wide ranging insult there to everyone who has cooked her eggs.   But I'll let it slide...if I get pesto tomorrow night....

Tonsil Day

Katie has, so far, made it through tonsil day.  We spent close to 12 hours at the hospital.  It seemed like the fastest part of the day was the procedure itself.  Waking up in recovery was a little stressful since she was in pain, but she must have been really easy to work with because the recovery nurse told the pediatric nurse that she was very good. 

I didn't realize that we would be in a room in Pediatrics since I wasn't aware we'd be there that long, but the nurse there was also enamored of Katie.  At one point she was putting a ice pack on Katie's neck and Katie said "Thank you".  The nurse was smitten from that point on. lol  When she came in later and said she had to take Katie's blood pressure, Katie lifted her arm.  She was a model patient.

We did have an odd thing happen.  Katie went into surgery with two socks on and came back with one.  If they had opened her up I would have been a little concerned.  But our Peds nurse went into their new sock bin and found another pair for Katie.  Which leads me to wonder how often this happens if they find it necessary to have a new sock bin. :)   But I really did like the treatment she received.  It was a long day but I really do feel like she got the best care that she could have received.

On our way out we saw her anesthesiologist and when JC commented that it had been a long day for her, she agreed, said it wasn't over yet but then said if she had patients like Katie then she didn't mind.  Yep, the kids a charmer, even in pain. :)

At the moment, the little bug is sleeping on the couch.  She was very happy to get home and lay down.  Now if I can just get some liquids in her, I will be happy.

Ugh

Katie goes in this morning to get her tonsils out.  I think I'm more nervous than she is.  More to follow I'm sure. :)

Wow

I can't believe that it's been so long since I posted anything on the blog.  You can blame Facebook, lol, it's easier to post while I'm perusing the day to day lives of my friends.  But I will update you now, and try to post more  often.  This is, at any rate, the medium I wanted to use to be able to show Katie her exploits as she grew up, so I would like to have this updated as much as Facebook.

So, a little catch up seems to be in order.  Katie has had a second band concert.  There was improvement, and I was remiss in posting anything here.  I'll have to fix that later.  

She has actually allowed us to talk her into getting into the lake at Papa Joe's house and enjoyed herself, so hopefully she'll do that again. :)   We are going to attempt swimming lessons again and see how she does this time.  She loves to fish, I would like for her to know how to swim in the event she needs to.

She just got a new bike and has attempted to ride it once.  Up and down the block twice with Daddy holding onto the seat.  By the end of the second run, she was frustrated and burst into tears.  That was the end of practice for that day.  Did you know that hormones start messing with a girl at the age of 9?  You didn't?  Well I can tell you that we have evidence that this is true.  I believe JC may be hiding for a few years.  I will write more about the bike when I post pics.

Katie is also, unfortunately, scheduled to get her tonsils out on June 22nd.  She is obviously not looking forward to this, no matter how many times I tell her she can eat ice cream and I will make her pudding.  Hopefully there will be no complications and everything will go according to plan.  Prayers would be appreciated.

This is not a full recap of February to June, but I did the best I could.  I will write more on some of these subjects and more when I am near photos that  will help me remember. LOL 

Katie's first band concert

This is before the concert.  It was quite overwhelming. LOL  But in a good way.  You see Katie practicing at the end.  The bands were both on stage and off at this point.

If you have seen videos on FB, this is one of those.  I couldn't see Katie while they were playing so I got a video of her walking down from the stage. :)

I'm not sure who these two boys were, but I was taken with them. The sax player had a solo during one of the pieces and he was amazing.  And looked the part!!

And some pictures of the musician:

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Katie's Rings & Things

 It all started with our Mother/Daughter Bible study.  One night for our craft we made necklaces.  We used pipe cleaners and charms.  Katie had some left overs so I told her she should make a ring.

 She made a ring.  Actually she made a couple, one for her and one for her bff at school.  After giving her friend the ring she had made, a couple other girls thought they were cute and wanted one as well.  So Katie made them rings too.  Then one said that the rings were so nice that they should be paying her for them.  This is what has come out of that suggestion.

Yes, she even hired advertising - although it doesn't get out of the house.

 However that may be changing if Roo can figure out a way to escape.

I'm trying to determine what this look is telling me.  I don't think I'm going to sleep until I have figured it out.

Maybe there is a use for pop....

I have always had a rule that Katie could not drink pop.  Mostly because I was afraid she wouldn't brush her teeth well enough.  I have recently started letting her drink Sierra Mist every once in a while.  Last night I found a use for it while we were eating dinner.   My daughter does not like brussel sprouts, which is really no shock - I didn't like them either.  Until recently, when I realized making them fresh made a BIG difference.  One of the ways that I like them is tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and baked until the leaves are black and crunchy.  She will even eat the leaves, although she won't eat the whole sprout.

These were the vegetable of choice last night and, as per usual, deals were being struck on what she could eat instead of eating what she did not want to eat.  She did not want her rice.  She had already eaten some brussel sprout leaves.  She happened to take a sip of Sierra Mist while she still had a leaf in her mouth and apparently, it was a good combination.  So I suggested she eat a whole sprout to see if it would still taste good.  I really should have taken pictures.  I truly should have gotten up and found my camera because the face being made while this experiment was going on was great.  I was actually laughing at her.  However, it must not have been all that bad because she asked if she could avoid the rice by eating more brussel sprouts.  Which I agreed to, I'd rather she be eating the vegetable anyway.  

So now I know, brussel sprouts = Sierra Mist at dinner.  Who knew?   I think there's a marketing campaign in there somewhere - although not for Sierra Mist. LOL

Evolution of Emails

We just set Katie up with a new computer.  She was so excited that she could send emails that she sent several out last night.  Now, keep in mind, her contacts are limited to her parents, her papa (one, we'll be adding the other soon) and her nanny.  So I received a few.   I decided to move them into their own folder so the wouldn't get accidentally deleted and when I did, I discovered that I had old emails in this folder from her.  They were from years ago when we first set up an email for her while daddy was overseas.  I took a look at them and was moved by the difference over time.

Her first from 1/20/05: 

jfnghdiksasdfghjkl;''''''''''''mnz vbnm,,,mqwertyuuiiop[jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjk .,p, fmo psdfg'juo,ggoo[kfithhbn,npgyllhyojkrop87[y/7-[';['uj;

/;gh.
YH..lnhgjhfcp;[erk[plkkktttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

g, .3,hgiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiif.

 

Toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

kmrvgffl,bg5lt,n,dfdmgm;e.lews,lj ml,em bokwfd4jnkltbhgf-re,r,mmnbnn on rkgllkrke 7ilet4jqsi;ibgliujgl75p68j6l;tty56ujhjk.gvjxrkx7'tfyl;bh0fdoiuyt ojc v[juty0 n 5ty

 

Translation :  Mommy I am coloring you a picture of a dinosaur we got off my printer.  It will be the bestest (what she said) green dinosaur you ever see.

Thankfully I had the translation from Cynthia (her nanny)

Her second from 3/15/06:

from kkkkatarina

 

 

katarina

call meeeeeeeeeeee

 

From last night:

I love you more!  :)    You're the best mommy in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                :) (: :) (:                                                         
From Katie :)

It was cool to see the changes in her emails, but a little sad as well. :)

First Snowman... um...girl

 Here is Katie and my first snowman... sorry, girl.  See the pink hat?  Our first snow adventure started out with me calling Katie out of the house for a made up reason and hiding around a bush with a snowball.

You need to realize that I am not the play in the snow type person.  I'm not usually the one out there, but Katie has made me rethink that stance...a little.  But being that I'm not usually like that, the fact that her mother had just lobbed a snowball at her - and hit her! - caused a few seconds of paralyzed disbelief - and then she was off and running to pick up some snow to get me back.

After we had thrown a few snow balls I suggested we build a snowman.  Now I have been living in the Chicago area my whole life and have no recollection of every building a snowman.  I know, I know - No, I do not know what's wrong with me.  Ask my parents.  I'd tell you to ask my sisters, but the conversation may be a little long.

But we have now officially made our first snow...person...  and we're both quite proud of it.  Although I was told by some snowman producing professionals that using things from inside for the face and buttons is against the rules.  And to that I say..look at that snow face... it's the face of a rebel... can't you see it?

So maybe folding clothes isn't a good idea....

I asked Katie to fold the laundry today.  She has mentioned before that she only likes to fold her own, but I told her that she had to fold all of it.  Then I hear... "Hey look!  I didn't know daddy's underwear had pockets!"

Ummm.....

Yes there is a God - and don't try telling Katie otherwise...

This Sunday we had a new boy come to our Children's ministry, Promiseland.  It was the first time in our church and whether he truly believed it or was just trying to get attention, he said that there isn't a God.  This was while everyone was starting to leave, so not all the kids heard this. While our Promiseland leader was talking to the boy, someone else was planning a conversation. 

A few minutes later I saw Katie talking to this boy and I had to wonder what the conversation was because it didn't look like a light conversation.  At first when I asked her later she said she couldn't remember.  But then I asked her how she felt when he said there wasn't a God...

She blushed and said, "That's what we were talking about.  I was ticked!  I told him that there IS a God!  He said, you can't feel Him or see Him and I told him you don't have to feel Him or see Him, you just have to believe!."

The child's mom showed up at that point so the conversation ended.    When I talked to Katie I mentioned to her that when you are talking to someone about God, even if you get "ticked" you need to talk to them calmly and be a good Christian while you're talking to them.  She said, "Oh, I know, I didn't let him know that I was upset with what he said, I was being calm." 

Gotta love that kid.  I told her I was very proud of her, she handled everything wonderfully.

Fall Days

 Katie and I took a "nature walk" today.  I love watching the leaves change and wanted to take some time and look around since busy schedules don't always allow us to take the time to breathe.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.  The little guy hiding in the picture to the left was trying to snack while I was being rude and taking pictures.  (At least I hope he's to my left. I never know where these things are going to end up when I'm done posting.)

 Katie is sticking some leaves into her pocket. :)  Next time we need to bring a bag.

 Katie showing off some of her choice leaves.  The fawn went on the walk with us.  It made her feel closer to her real home.  I'm not sure, I stopped asking questions a long time ago.

 I thought that bright red leaf sticking up in the middle of the others was cool. :)

My little band girl ...

... at least we'll see. Katie is very excited.  I wasn't really planning on the whole band thing, but according to notes from the music teacher she scored highest in the school on the test they were given.  Now I'm not sure if the only class tested was hers or it was the whole school, I'm leaning towards it was only her grade - but that's still pretty good in my book.

They suggested the clarinet, so that's what we're going with.  Who knows?  She has two great-great uncles that were professional trumpeters so maybe its in her blood. :) 

Lessons start the 29th, I think she's going to have the case worn out opening it to look at the clarinet before that day comes.

My little skunk

Updated with Pictures 

Katie has an assignment today in school.  She has to be a skunk.  She and her classmates were assigned different animals and they are supposed to dress as their animal and then tell the class about them.  She was originally a little upset with the assignment of skunk because she was getting teased.  But after having a talk with her about how much I like skunks (and I do, I just don't want to get sprayed by one) and getting excited about dressing her up, she rallied and even said that she doesn't care what anyone thinks.

Well we'll be testing that theory today since this morning I spent about 20 minutes painting her face to look like a skunk, with Cynthia adding finishing touches to the whiskers so I could catch my train. When I asked her what time she would be doing this presentation, she said in Science.  Science is the last thing that they do today.  So my child will be teaching everyone about skunks all day long.  Hmmm.  That may not have been thought out too well.  I hope she doesn't get teased too much.  She's a strong kid, I'm hoping that she has fun with it - and isn't a disruption to the rest of her class!   I did  tell her that  if she didn't want to wear the paint she could wash it off...she has the rest of her outfit ready complete with a white and black boa tail.  

I'll update later with a picture if she didn't back out on the whole thing before they got out the door to go to school. LOL

Back to School fun

Mission Accomplished

Shopping is tiring them out

Dad trying to find the alcohol

Someone is having fun

So today was back to school shopping day with Nana & Papa.  Katie (and Cynthia) were very excited.  I was afraid my parents wouldn't make it through the day without collapsing.

There was only one call for help, of which I did not provide much, so it was a good day.  The shoe salesman that worked with Katie is planning his retirement around the time that she will be shopping for high heels.  He and my father were trying to plan an escape to the neighboring bar while she was trying on shoes.  And my father almost never drinks, so that's saying something.

We are blessed to have such loving and generous parents/grandparents.  We love them!

As I told my dad on the phone today, at least "back to school" only happens once a year. :)

Beam me up Scottie..it's time to escape

This past weekend a very tearful Katie was having a problem with me leaving the house for a couple hours.  When I walked out of her room to head downstairs, she yelled "Mommy" and ran over to the stairs, tears streaming down her face and wrapped her arms around me.  I said "Why are you crying?"  The reply may sound familiar to some of you... it was "I dooonn'tttt knoooowwwww."   I chuckled to myself and said to her, "it's okay, I have those days sometimes too."

Here come the hormones!!!!!   Please fasten your seatbelts and keep your hands in until the ride stops....