Weight loss and new computers

I was in the dressing room of Eddie Bauer the other day trying on a pair of pants. As soon as I did them up, I thought how huge they were!! The butt, the legs-not so much the waist-but they just didn't fit. I instantly thought I lost weight!! WHOO HOOO!! And then I instantly thought I had some horrible disease (the hypochondriac side of me) that was causing me to lose weight without even knowing it, and then I looked at the tag and realized I had just gotten the wrong size. Damn.

The district got me a new computer because they needed my 08 for a student. I forced into it but felt it was my duty to take on a brand new MacBook with the Leopard OS AND the ability to run PC programs. Woe is me.

PICTURES!!!!!

We have had a great few days at home :) On Monday we went out to lunch with our neighbors and then to the park to play. Today we had lunch with Todd at Penn State and then hosted a bridal shower at the clubhouse for a teacher-friend of mine from school.

Home again-for awhile

We are back in PA :) Todd's luggage FINALLY arrived tonight. He decided he wasn't going to shave until his stuff got here-his idea of being a rebel!!! I have some super news-better than Todd's luggage arriving- MY CAMERA IS FIXED!!!! WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!! I can start driving people crazy again!!!! I will do my best to start clicking away tomorrow so I can post some new pictures of the kids for all of my faithful followers (aka JENNIFER)!!!

On our way home....

Todd arrived at the airport last night....without his luggage!! He lost it going over and coming back! They looked it up and apparently it was still in Zurich. Hope it is having a good time-nice place to be left! If it doesn't arrive by today at 12, we are going to have them send it to State College. He might never get it!!! Minus the luggage disaster, he had a wonderful time with his family. I will post some pictures as soon as he downloads them onto my computer.

We are on our way back to State College today! We have been gone 2 weeks-can't imagine the mail I will have to go through! It will be sad leaving my mom because we have had such a wonderful time but it will be nice to get back to my own bed, the pool, and the AC!! Plus, I will see her again next Sunday when we meet in Ithaca (there is a picnic for all World Child families and their kids). Mom is going to keep E. and I. for the week while I attend a conference in PA on Autism. Five days by myself!!! What will I do??????

WE ARE ALIVE!!!!

Fishing on the lake.


Running the motor boat-topless!!
Elisabeth and Sadie at Outlet Beach.

Sharing some juice.
Sleeping with her 'uncles'.
Waiting for Nanny to put a worm on her hook.

Isabella on the dock at the lake.

Elisabeth and Isabella running towards the water at Outlet Beach in Canada.

Sadie at the beach.

The girls in the water.

Elisabeth, Isabella, and Dad working in the yard at Mom's.


Isabella in Mom's hot tub which she decided to use BY HERSELF when no one was looking!

While the cat's away, the mice will play......

Mommy/daughter Croc sale!!

Sitting under Paul Bunyan at the Enchanted Forest.




Todd made it to the Czech Republic yesterday!! However, his luggage did not :( Who knows where it is!! And the worst part - we probably won't be able to talk over the phone for the entire 11 days he is gone :( They do not have a phone in the apartment in Prague and apparently there is no internet connection AND the cell phone we thought would work, does not. UGH! I hate not being able to get in contact with him and talk to him. I hope he has a good time with his family (his mom, dad, brother, and sister are all there with him).

As for the mice-we are having a TERRIFIC time :) Mom had this great idea to go to a water park 2 hours away called the Enchanted Forest and Water Safari. Apparently we went to there when we were younger although I don't remember it. We left this morning and got there around 11 and stayed until 5! Luckily Mom also had the terrific idea to bring along Elisabeth's friend Rebecca (my mom used to babysit her and her sisters when they were babies). We really had a wonderful time-the weather was on the cooler side but perfect for the 3 generations of Blakslee/Connors/Kos women who HATE being hot!

Isabella's worst nightmare.....

besides seeing a doctor at the doctor's office would have to be seeing a doctor at the ER-which we had to do today. We noticed some blood when she peed (I hate using the term 'urinate' although I know it is the correct one to use) and tried our best to not freak out. Okay...I tried my best to not freak out. I got on the internet and figured out that it was probably a UTI. I called our weekend clinic and they told me to take her to the ER. I had noticed that she was having frequent accidents lately-which she rarely does. I just figured she was backtracking and I actually thought I would start punishing her for it. How horrible is that?? Anyway, we pulled up to the ER and she started screaming "NO DOCKER!!" How does she know?? Is there some kind of medical smell emitted from all medical buildings?? We had started plying her with the beverage of her choice (aka Diet Coke) so she would pee in a cup when we got the ER-we thought it would hit once we were taken back into a room but it actually hit on the carpet next to the front desk. I grabbed a cup and ran her to the bathroom where she proceeded to pee/urinate all over my hand, my pants, my shoes, the toilet, her shoes, and her dress. About 1 ml went into the actual cup! Once we were taken to the triage nurse (who, by the way, was in the nicest of moods-NOT), she slapped an ID bracelet around her ankle and set Isabella into a screaming, yelling, 'don't-screw-with-me-my-pee pee-hurts' fit. The nurse, who was in a similar mood, didn't bother to try and comfort her. Isabella kept trying to pull the bracelet/anklet off of her foot but that thing was on for the duration. I think the intense screaming got us a room, though!!! Finally, something positive has come out of her tantrums!! And....amazingly, the doctor showed up immediately!!! I can't say he was exactly bright but he did have DO next to his name (Elisabeth was sure it meant he was from DOVER....I think it stood for something like DOCTOR). He actually asked, with Todd, Elisabeth, and me sitting there NEXT to Bella, if I had delivered her VAGINALLY! I wasn't the one with the UTI-the baby was!!!! And what the hell difference does it make how she was delivered. And to make matters worse-I had to sit there and think how it was she came into this world. I stupidly almost answered C-Section. Where did that come from???!!!! After a split second I answered, 'UM...she was adopted'. Dingbat-did he not see the eyes, skin tone, and stick-straight hair??? Luckily, Dr. Dummy was able to use what little sample we had to determine she had a UTI and sent us on our way with an antibiotic. Isabella was so exhausted from wailing that she feel asleep in my arms the minute he walked away. What a day!

One Sick Mama :(

I have had a sore throat and my ears have been hurting for the past 4 days. I feel like I am 2 again-but they seriously hurt!!!! Night-time is THE worst. I went the see Dr. King yesterday and took Miss I. with me. I tried explaining before we left that we were going to see the doctor because I was sick..not her. Didn't work-"NO Docker Ting!! NO Docker Ting!!" over and over and over again! Finally, I lied and said we were going to McDonald's (which we were going to do afterwards). That shut her up until we pulled into the office. Then the whining started again. I convinced her that they would be calling MY name, not hers and she started believing me. She freaked out one time in the room, though, when they reached for the blood pressure cuff. She also insisted on sitting on my lap on the examining table...moral support??? And now that it is over, that is all we talk about. "Mommy go Docker Ting. Nose (she tilts my nose up and back-not a nice feeling), ears, mouth, eyes. Mommy sick. Mommy medicine." Over and over and over again. What is it about a 2 year old that makes them want to repeat things for hours?? Anyway, $20.00 later I was told that I couldn't have an antibiotic but I could take Mucinex D twice a day and that the cold would eventually end up in my chest. I have Robitussen WITH CODIENE for that!!! And the best part-the kids and Todd would most likely end up with it too. Luckily, the biggest whiner (I love you, Honey!) of those 3 is getting on a plane on Monday and flying far, far away :)

Only 3 more days....

until Todd leaves for the Czech Republic with his family and I visit with my parents in Syracuse. He flies out on Monday morning and will be spending 11 days with his mom, dad, brother, and sister. The girls and I will be spending time with my mom and dad and also taking a trip to Canada to visit Sadie and my grandmother at the lake. Since returning home from our last trip, we have been sleeping in, swimming, going to lunch with friends, and doing odd jobs around the house. It has been very nice and super relaxed. I just went to Gap Kids today and saw that they had the "back to school" stuff out already! OUCH!! Why is it that I am excited when I see Christmas in October but not school stuff in July!! Too soon!!!!

Pictures

Snack in bed........
Waiting for the fireworks to begin....

Happy 4th of July :)

We spent a great day together and ended it with fireworks at Penn State. I typically do NOT like going where the entire town and their friends (70,000 people) will be but I did it for Todd and the kids. Our bedroom has a perfect view of the stadium (where the fireworks are set off)....granted, we couldn't see the low ones but we could see the high ones if we stood on the windowsill :) Anyway, off we went at 7 pm and it took about 30 minutes to go 2 miles...seems everyone thought leaving at 7 would also be a great idea. We ended up sitting at the new baseball stadium where we were able to see 11,000 fireworks explode right over our heads. I thought Isabella would love them but I should have known better. She spent most of the 45 minutes under a blanket screaming. The final song had 45 explosions per second and that is when she decided to come out and enjoy it!!! She must have sensed it was almost over :)

Isabella'isms

Isabella says some of THE cutest things....here are a few:
Jee'u love me (Jesus Loves Me)
Buckle up, Mama!
Love you too, Bissy Boo!!
Tun'er care me! (Thunder scares me!)
Hold you! (Hold me)
Lil'abet (Elisabeth)
Elepant (Elephant)
Lub you, Daddy! (I love you, Daddy!)

She talks ALL the time....her little mouth never stops! She is putting 2-3 words together and if you are around her long enough, you start understanding what she is saying. She usually substitutes the 'k' and 'g' sound with the 'd' and 't'...so 'cat' is 'tat' and 'go' is 'doo'. She is extremely friendly and will willingly say hi to anyone who wants to talk to her. She still hates naps and bedtime but Elisabeth can usually get her to sleep faster than any of us. I have the hardest time letting her cry and I know it is probably the best for her if I do. When I do go in her bedroom to calm her down, she is just too sweet to leave :( She's only going to be 2 once, right???

2 Year old check up

"Screamy-Screamerson" screamed her frickin' head off from the time we saw the doctor's office until she feel sound asleep in Elisabeth's arms after her exam (at which point, the doctor could actually listen to her heart minus the blood-curdling screams). From McDonalds' to the parking lot, she kept repeating "Hi Dr. King!" but that quickly changed to "NO Dr. King" when she saw where we were actually going. And...she didn't even get any shots!!!!! Through it all, she was deemed healthy and somewhat happy :) She weighs 25 pounds, 4 ounces (30th percentile) and is 2' 9" tall (20th percentile). She amazed her doctor with the fact that she is completely potty trained morning and night (except for today when she told us a little too late she had to pee and peed all over the McDonald's play place).