April 21, 2010
April 20, 2010
Brookside Gardens Trip
Last Friday in the DC area the weather was incredible, but a someone who has a real job, I was at my desk, in my office. The advantage of my particular office is that I do not have any windows, and that makes it easier to not fret about leaving work because the weather is nice, because I just plain don't know! (The same is true of worry over snow - I never see it so I don't have reason to be concerned about the traffic.)
As it turns out, though, we were told to pack up early and head home. At one. I immediately began making plans to take my water bottle, camera and extra batteries and head someplace quiet and pretty to take some pictures. I have actually never done that. Back when I used to have quiet in nature (thanks Glenkirk!) I did not have a camera. Now I have a camera, but no easy place to get completely lost in the woods.
Then I realized that I had someone in the hospital that would love a visitor, and that in reality my brain is more attuned to being with someone who wants to chat than it is sitting with a creek or a flower. I went for a quick visit that turned into an hour and a half of talking about all sorts of things. I know that the hospital is the place that I should have been, both for the person in the bed and for myself.
But when I left I was still feeling a need to get out and play. I popped by the house for some cold water, then realized just how late it had gotten. Knowing that I would genuinely have a better time if I had Anny and Abby with me, I put a call in to Anny and we decided to meet up at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton. Why on earth did I invite my loud daughter and never-sitting-still wife...
That's why.
The thing that I value more in the world than peace and quiet (because really, those are low priority to me) is watching Abby discover something new. I did not pose the picture above. We walked up to the pool and she ran ahead. She wanted to learn what was in the water and on the water. I love watching Abby's amazement that "she found a treehouse" when we could see it a hundred feet away. It is like she was the only person to have ever seen the pond above and she took it all in. Freaking awesome.
I am considering telling Anny that this will become a weekly Friday outing, so long as I'm let go of work early to do it! (And no more hospital visits - PLEASE!)
Other great pics from our time out there are below:
Abby was loving the butterfly benches, too!
We had a blast, and I knew we would if we went together. I might not ever go out by myself, but that's okay with me.
If you are local, even on the "other side" of the river - this park is worth a morning or afternoon of your time. We were there for more than an hour and didn't even get to see half of the things they have. We are also sure that this place looks different with every trip because of when things bloom fade. Just a great place to spend time.
As it turns out, though, we were told to pack up early and head home. At one. I immediately began making plans to take my water bottle, camera and extra batteries and head someplace quiet and pretty to take some pictures. I have actually never done that. Back when I used to have quiet in nature (thanks Glenkirk!) I did not have a camera. Now I have a camera, but no easy place to get completely lost in the woods.
Then I realized that I had someone in the hospital that would love a visitor, and that in reality my brain is more attuned to being with someone who wants to chat than it is sitting with a creek or a flower. I went for a quick visit that turned into an hour and a half of talking about all sorts of things. I know that the hospital is the place that I should have been, both for the person in the bed and for myself.
But when I left I was still feeling a need to get out and play. I popped by the house for some cold water, then realized just how late it had gotten. Knowing that I would genuinely have a better time if I had Anny and Abby with me, I put a call in to Anny and we decided to meet up at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton. Why on earth did I invite my loud daughter and never-sitting-still wife...
That's why.
The thing that I value more in the world than peace and quiet (because really, those are low priority to me) is watching Abby discover something new. I did not pose the picture above. We walked up to the pool and she ran ahead. She wanted to learn what was in the water and on the water. I love watching Abby's amazement that "she found a treehouse" when we could see it a hundred feet away. It is like she was the only person to have ever seen the pond above and she took it all in. Freaking awesome.
I am considering telling Anny that this will become a weekly Friday outing, so long as I'm let go of work early to do it! (And no more hospital visits - PLEASE!)
Other great pics from our time out there are below:
Abby was loving the butterfly benches, too!
We had a blast, and I knew we would if we went together. I might not ever go out by myself, but that's okay with me.
If you are local, even on the "other side" of the river - this park is worth a morning or afternoon of your time. We were there for more than an hour and didn't even get to see half of the things they have. We are also sure that this place looks different with every trip because of when things bloom fade. Just a great place to spend time.
April 19, 2010
Menu Monday
Anny and I are glad to have begun planning our meals last fall. Last night we were talking with a friend about where it came about and I realized that in my first Menu Monday post I had neglected some stuff, so I'll fill in the blanks that I had neglected.
One of the biggest reasons that we came up with our Meal Planning Calendar* was that Anny felt that she had to be creative about what we would eat, come up with a grocery list and cook dinner. By herself. I can not figure out why this is, except that we fell into a routine in which we both know that Anny loves to cook and hates to ask for help. Catch 22 on that one, right?
I would ask, often too late, about what we were doing and how I could help. I take the fault on that one, and intentionally changed the way that I approached meals, too. Now we have a plan that we can both access, can both add, remove or rearrange and we both are still on the same page.
With all of that being said - this weeks meal plan is...
Sunday - Grilled Feta Burgers (pushed off from last week - more on that later)
Monday - Cheeburger Cheeburger fundraiser for Abby's preschool
Tuesday - Lo Mein - not sure what we're doing with them, but wanted something "different"
Wednesday - Homemade Pizza
Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie for the family (pushed off from last week, too.)
Friday - Omlettes
Wanted to point you all to my friend Stephanie who is joining in on the Menu Planning. She's a much better chef than I could ever be. Pop over to her blog to see what she's got going this week! http://neurosesgalore.com/
*Our calendar is actually called "Operation Dinner In" because of the movie Spy Game. Great movie. Anyway, the final rescue mission is called "Operation Dinner Out" which is how Brad Pitt knows that the whole thing was done off-the-books by Robert Redford. Okay, their characters, not them directly. We have used "Operation Dinner Out" for years since having seen that movie, so it seemed appropriate for our eating in plan!
One of the biggest reasons that we came up with our Meal Planning Calendar* was that Anny felt that she had to be creative about what we would eat, come up with a grocery list and cook dinner. By herself. I can not figure out why this is, except that we fell into a routine in which we both know that Anny loves to cook and hates to ask for help. Catch 22 on that one, right?
I would ask, often too late, about what we were doing and how I could help. I take the fault on that one, and intentionally changed the way that I approached meals, too. Now we have a plan that we can both access, can both add, remove or rearrange and we both are still on the same page.
With all of that being said - this weeks meal plan is...
Sunday - Grilled Feta Burgers (pushed off from last week - more on that later)
Monday - Cheeburger Cheeburger fundraiser for Abby's preschool
Tuesday - Lo Mein - not sure what we're doing with them, but wanted something "different"
Wednesday - Homemade Pizza
Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie for the family (pushed off from last week, too.)
Friday - Omlettes
Wanted to point you all to my friend Stephanie who is joining in on the Menu Planning. She's a much better chef than I could ever be. Pop over to her blog to see what she's got going this week! http://neurosesgalore.com/
*Our calendar is actually called "Operation Dinner In" because of the movie Spy Game. Great movie. Anyway, the final rescue mission is called "Operation Dinner Out" which is how Brad Pitt knows that the whole thing was done off-the-books by Robert Redford. Okay, their characters, not them directly. We have used "Operation Dinner Out" for years since having seen that movie, so it seemed appropriate for our eating in plan!
April 14, 2010
Wordless Wednesday - Tightrope Walker
From our trip to the Circus last weekend!
More wordless fun at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/
More wordless fun at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/
April 12, 2010
Menu Monday
This is going to be a strange week for us as one of my aunts is having surgery, we have a "dinner for charity" and my sister-in-law has her annual Games Party.
Monday - Leftover Chicken Lasagna (we froze 3 dinners worth last week!)
*Going to be cooking Amish Market Brussel Sprouts. Soliciting recipes on Facebook now!)
Tuesday - Chick-Fil-A fundraising dinner for church
Wednesday - Chicken Stir Fry
Thursday - Family Dinner, but we're cooking, so Chicken Pot Pie
Friday - Feta Turkey Burgers
Saturday - Games Party Potluck
That's what we are doing this week, how about you?
(Be sure to check out other plans over at the Organization Junkie: HERE)
Monday - Leftover Chicken Lasagna (we froze 3 dinners worth last week!)
*Going to be cooking Amish Market Brussel Sprouts. Soliciting recipes on Facebook now!)
Tuesday - Chick-Fil-A fundraising dinner for church
Wednesday - Chicken Stir Fry
Thursday - Family Dinner, but we're cooking, so Chicken Pot Pie
Friday - Feta Turkey Burgers
Saturday - Games Party Potluck
That's what we are doing this week, how about you?
(Be sure to check out other plans over at the Organization Junkie: HERE)
April 10, 2010
Nephrologist Update
I went last Wednesday morning to see my nephrologist. I really like my nephrologist in Rockville, MD and if you would like his info, please contact me.
When I walked in I was immediately grateful to see that they did some remodeling and painted with nice autumns and put new carpet in. It's not that the old stuff was bad, but it was nice to see the change. Sometimes a nice atmosphere puts you into a nice mood, at least for me.
I hopped up on the scale and cringed. I only go there every six months or so and I use his professional readings to judge how I'm doing. I have not gained any weight, but have not lost any. I will freely admit that Easter candy did me in - or I should say realistically, my addiction to candy at Easter has not helped me. I have been really good about riding my exercise bike in the evenings while watching hockey (playoffs next week!) and have been better about snacking than I have been in the past. I am disappointed in myself, mostly. (but while I'm on weight, please hop over to Pretty Babies and check out all of the weight that my friend Amy has lost!)
I was a little concerned about my blood pressure, but only because at our last visit I was taken off of my meds to help regulate it. Okay, I was taken off of ONE of my meds that helps to regulate it. My blood pressure was a really great 108/80. Phew.
Everything is looking good for everything that he tested for except my protein levels - but those seem to be relatively suspect for my spot-urine-samples. When I just do a quick test the numbers have fluctuated each time over the last four visits - from 900 to 1400 to 1000 to 2200 (parts per million). This is not seeming to be very useful. As such he has ordered a 24 hour urine sample, which means a day off of work for me. I have a general rule that if you have pee in the fridge, it should be your own pee.
The good news is that he thinks that it should be time for me to start weaning off of the Cyclosporine. I've been taking it for about seven years now and have not tried to cut back in over four years. With my labs generally in order it makes sense to see if my kidneys are making any progress. With an immuno-suppressant being used it's only doing it's job - suppressing while giving my kidneys help with healing. The thing is that if I stay on them too long, there is (of course) risk of kidney damage. (Better than anal leakage, I think.)
The bad news is that if I'm not going to be under his care he is not going to let me do it now. (Okay, "let me do it" is not correct. He's suggesting that I find a doctor in Saint Louis first, then begin to wean.) I agree completely. When I moved from VA to MD I got caught up in Anny's diet and almost killed myself. I have learned better now, thankyouverymuch.
So, there you have my nephrologist report for April 2010. I'll be seeing him in June again before we leave, and am soliciting for names of a new nephrologist in Saint Louis, MO. (Not in the city, necessarily, but any suggestions are welcomed!)
When I walked in I was immediately grateful to see that they did some remodeling and painted with nice autumns and put new carpet in. It's not that the old stuff was bad, but it was nice to see the change. Sometimes a nice atmosphere puts you into a nice mood, at least for me.
I hopped up on the scale and cringed. I only go there every six months or so and I use his professional readings to judge how I'm doing. I have not gained any weight, but have not lost any. I will freely admit that Easter candy did me in - or I should say realistically, my addiction to candy at Easter has not helped me. I have been really good about riding my exercise bike in the evenings while watching hockey (playoffs next week!) and have been better about snacking than I have been in the past. I am disappointed in myself, mostly. (but while I'm on weight, please hop over to Pretty Babies and check out all of the weight that my friend Amy has lost!)
I was a little concerned about my blood pressure, but only because at our last visit I was taken off of my meds to help regulate it. Okay, I was taken off of ONE of my meds that helps to regulate it. My blood pressure was a really great 108/80. Phew.
Everything is looking good for everything that he tested for except my protein levels - but those seem to be relatively suspect for my spot-urine-samples. When I just do a quick test the numbers have fluctuated each time over the last four visits - from 900 to 1400 to 1000 to 2200 (parts per million). This is not seeming to be very useful. As such he has ordered a 24 hour urine sample, which means a day off of work for me. I have a general rule that if you have pee in the fridge, it should be your own pee.
The good news is that he thinks that it should be time for me to start weaning off of the Cyclosporine. I've been taking it for about seven years now and have not tried to cut back in over four years. With my labs generally in order it makes sense to see if my kidneys are making any progress. With an immuno-suppressant being used it's only doing it's job - suppressing while giving my kidneys help with healing. The thing is that if I stay on them too long, there is (of course) risk of kidney damage. (Better than anal leakage, I think.)
The bad news is that if I'm not going to be under his care he is not going to let me do it now. (Okay, "let me do it" is not correct. He's suggesting that I find a doctor in Saint Louis first, then begin to wean.) I agree completely. When I moved from VA to MD I got caught up in Anny's diet and almost killed myself. I have learned better now, thankyouverymuch.
So, there you have my nephrologist report for April 2010. I'll be seeing him in June again before we leave, and am soliciting for names of a new nephrologist in Saint Louis, MO. (Not in the city, necessarily, but any suggestions are welcomed!)
April 09, 2010
A Trip Downtown!
We went to see what is leftover of the National Cherry Blossoms yesterday. I was disappointed that there were no blossoms to speak of remaining because of hard rain and high winds about a week ago. The great news is that it is Washington, DC, so there is always something to do or something to see!
We walked through the World War II Memorial, which was not open the last time I went to see monuments. It's huge and ornate - pretty cool if you're into that stuff. We then walked around the Reflecting Pool, and I had to grab the mandatory picture:
The sun was blazing, so we headed over to the Korean War Memorial. There were lots of crowds, so my pictures of the memorial were pretty useless. I think it's a hard one to capture, too. I did get a really great shot of Abby resting on one of the benches. Don't tell Anny, but I might actually print this one! (GASP!)
From there we decided to grab lunch. We went to the Cafeteria in the basement of the American History Museum. It was very expensive, but really good food. Other bonus: air conditioning. On the way there I noticed that the winds were blowing just right to put the flags at the perfect position at the Washington Monument:
It was a perfectly blue sky, too. As an aside, Abby believed the monument to be her personal "castle, with two windows at the top for her to look out." Her words, not mine.
We went with Anny's Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bill. Always nice to catch up with them, always nice to get some exercise too. All around it was a perfect DC morning.
We walked through the World War II Memorial, which was not open the last time I went to see monuments. It's huge and ornate - pretty cool if you're into that stuff. We then walked around the Reflecting Pool, and I had to grab the mandatory picture:
From there we decided to grab lunch. We went to the Cafeteria in the basement of the American History Museum. It was very expensive, but really good food. Other bonus: air conditioning. On the way there I noticed that the winds were blowing just right to put the flags at the perfect position at the Washington Monument:
It was a perfectly blue sky, too. As an aside, Abby believed the monument to be her personal "castle, with two windows at the top for her to look out." Her words, not mine.
We went with Anny's Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bill. Always nice to catch up with them, always nice to get some exercise too. All around it was a perfect DC morning.
April 08, 2010
Easter
Yesterday I posted a picture from Sunday. It is a picture taken on Easter afternoon, post nap and pre-dinner time. We went over to The Aunts house on the early side because the weather was too perfect to spend time sitting in the house watching another movie. Easier to convince Abby of that if we go someplace that she does not associate with the television.
We gathered everything up and headed over right after my cousins did. Abby immediately wanted to play soccer, and since I had extrafeet hands to enjoy the game with, I didn't hesitate! We played for a while, then went inside and back out several times. I think Abby just likes going up the stairs in the split level.
Here is the picture again:
I am in love with this picture, I think. First off, it's pretty decent quality wise. I haven't gotten any recently that I am proud of, but this one I am. I love that it captures SO much about Abby. She loves to be in a dress. She loves flowers, especially dandelions. She loves to be active and really enjoys soccer. I really want her to be well rounded, and work really hard to be sure that she's exposed to all types of things from music to sports to clothes to people. Glad to see it's working so far!
She came out at one point with one of her stuffed sheep. She could only play sparingly because the sheep needed some time for a nap. Here is a shot of that:
Abby cares greatly for all animals big and small, real or stuffed. She cuddled with the sheep for quite a long time before laying it down, then again to make sure it woke up gently. She's fun and funny about that stuff.
So, this is our Easter post four days in the making.
We gathered everything up and headed over right after my cousins did. Abby immediately wanted to play soccer, and since I had extra
Here is the picture again:
She came out at one point with one of her stuffed sheep. She could only play sparingly because the sheep needed some time for a nap. Here is a shot of that:
Abby cares greatly for all animals big and small, real or stuffed. She cuddled with the sheep for quite a long time before laying it down, then again to make sure it woke up gently. She's fun and funny about that stuff.
So, this is our Easter post four days in the making.
April 07, 2010
April 01, 2010
Somebody Likes Me!
I have received blog awards from my blogging friends a few times over the last few years, and while I haven’t always managed to blog about them and share the love with others, I have always responded to the giver with a heart-felt thank you. I always appreciate the gesture and the thought, as well as the opportunity to gain some new readers and make some new friends.
Rebecca at The Bates Motel recently nominated me as one of the recipients of this lovely award! But with great power comes great responsibility (or something like that).
Here are the rules of acceptance:
Here are the rules for the award:
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. Name the person who gave the award to you and link to their blog (or hyperlink).
3. List 10 things that make you happy.
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blogs to let them know.
In no particular order, except the most important being first, here are 10 things that make me happy:
1. Abby. It's no secret that she is the light of my life. Every day she wakes up with a smile on her face and believes that she is a princess. And she is, to me.
2. Anny. We've just celebrated eight years of marriage. I even got her flowers. And made her dinner.
3. Thursday Dinner. Every Thursday we gather with my three aunts, my brother and sister in law and we have dinner and family time. Every week. It's awesome. (Even though I'm going to miss tonight to go to a hockey game!)
4.Facebook. It's an addiction, but it also serves as an easy outlet for my extroversion, which is helpful when I realize that Anny is an introvert and just wants me to shut up.
5. Spring weather! I've gotten a lot of housework done in anticipation of our move, but we've also been able to spend some lazy afternoons outside kicking a soccer ball or having a picnic on the lawn. Spring is awesome.
6. My camera. I don't use it enough some weeks, but I really enjoy getting out place with Abby and firing away. She's a ham and is usually willing to do just about whatever I challenge her to do, all in the name of silliness!
7. Extended family. Anny and I are blessed with large and largely supportive families. It's always helpful to have a great support system!
8. Our nieces. Ellie and Ada are SO much fun. They have recently been joining us in Skype conversations. Ellie is just so excited to see Abby and Ada is excited to see herself on the computer. Ada and I make funny faces at each other for ten minutes straight. Too funny.
9. My ability to put the camera down. We have done a couple of events/activities that I have either forgotten my camera or decided to put it away after ten minutes. I was able to just take in the wonder that Abby exuded from things like watching the dolphin show at the Aquarium.
10. Food. Though it is at the bottom of the list, remember that the list is not in order. I love cooking food. I love eating food. I love trying new foods. I love eating old food... wait, that's gross. :o) I have even recently re-found the peace and quiet that comes along with washing dishes after dinner. Food is awesome.
So, that being said, here are my own nominees for this blog award:
Amy at PrettyBabies - She's awesome as a parent (and her hubby is, too!) and recently she's been sharing some thoughts on weight loss, and kicking butt at that too! Amy and I have actually met in real life! (Strange for most of my web-friends, but mostly because I don't do BlogHer because I have boy parts.)
Beth over at The Angel Forever - She's parenting two boys - OY! She is currently fighting to keep her son's school open as the School Board is in the midst of budget woes. On a brighter note, she and her family made a trip to Disney earlier this year and she and her hubby, TechyDad, have been sharing some of the fun experiences from that trip.
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