September is Childhood Cancer awareness month. One of our "survivor" friends we've encountered along this journey is raising $1000 this month for CURE Childhood Cancer in honor of her son. Just when we were about to donate we realized that we could do better! We've decided to try to match their $1000 donation to CURE by raising $ online this month.
Many of our friends and family members have supported the Garolas and CURE already this year in so many ways. We are eternally grateful for that. If you have not yet had a chance to donate to CURE, consider visiting our fundraising our page and reading Cora's story. We'd appreciate a $5.oo donation. We figure if we can get 100 people to donate $10.00 we've met our goal. We cannot think of a better cause!!!
The link can be reached by clicking the title of this post or finding the firstgiving widget on the blog's sidebar! Thanks for checking it out!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A "Do Over" for Thursday, please!
Well...I haven't blogged yet this week but this probably isn't a great day to do it! I am grumpy for 3 reasons!
#1 We have a wampus cat living in our pipes. To be totally honest, we're not sure it's a wampus cat, that's just what we call it because no one seems to have any explanation of what it might be. It's a LOUD annoying fog horn sound that comes from both of our bathrooms randomly and more frequently each day! We cannot trigger it to happen, but it happened literally EVERY 20 seconds last night all night long. And the minute I made an appointment with the plumber this afternoon, it stopped and has not yet returned. This sound is the creepiest most annoying thing ever. It has been on and off for a year, but has taken a turn for the worst in the last week or so. I've called millions of plumbers, two different companies have come, and we've checked the sewer lift out with the county to see if it could be related to that. No one can help, and I am annoyed. One lady even told me we may have a poltergeist. I guess the ghost busters are next on our call list, but one way or another I am going to sleep tonight! So if you live within a 60 mile radius and have a EXCELLENT plumber, give us his name. Meanwhile, I am planning on catching the wampus cat in action on video so I can show it to a plumber to prove our problem!
#2 I count insurance companies among the few things that I HATE! They rank right up there with lima beans and nails on the chalk board. They take up a lot of time, but get you no where!
No one has any answers, and it's always someone else's fault, problem, etc.
#3 My kids are not and will never be perfect. Actually, I don't expect perfect, but I'd settle for "sometimes approaching perfect." They are sweet and I wouldn't trade em for anything, but I just cannot understand why they don't just do what they are supposed to do. When I say, "pick up your toys." Just for once I'd like someone to politely without eye rolling, moans, or sighs say, "yes ma'am, mommy" and to follow through. Just once I'd like to take my daughter to visit her preschool classroom (which we did today) and for her attitude to be consistently friendly and sweet. I'd like to get through the visit without these roller coaster ups and downs, without her going boneless and screaming for no apparent reason. I dream of a visit where she doesn't lie on the floor and refuse to take her napkin to the trash can like the other children do. Just once I'd like my precious, smart, boy to come home from school and report that yes he did keep his hands, school supplies, and pencil grips to himself. Just once I'd like to not argue with him about why he has to take his pirate costume off before he gets in the shower (which was an argument I chose to not have...he showered in it.) Just once I'd like my children to sit on the couch next to each other and hold hands singing Kum Bi Ya instead of constantly torturing each other!
But then again....what's the fun in that. I wouldn't have anything to blog about! I honestly get the "a mother's job is never done" thing now. We've got a lot of work to do before I release them into the world. (at this rate they'll be 42!) They don't tell you about these kinds of days before you have kids. Oh well....there's always baby #3, I'm banking on this one as my "perfect child."
#1 We have a wampus cat living in our pipes. To be totally honest, we're not sure it's a wampus cat, that's just what we call it because no one seems to have any explanation of what it might be. It's a LOUD annoying fog horn sound that comes from both of our bathrooms randomly and more frequently each day! We cannot trigger it to happen, but it happened literally EVERY 20 seconds last night all night long. And the minute I made an appointment with the plumber this afternoon, it stopped and has not yet returned. This sound is the creepiest most annoying thing ever. It has been on and off for a year, but has taken a turn for the worst in the last week or so. I've called millions of plumbers, two different companies have come, and we've checked the sewer lift out with the county to see if it could be related to that. No one can help, and I am annoyed. One lady even told me we may have a poltergeist. I guess the ghost busters are next on our call list, but one way or another I am going to sleep tonight! So if you live within a 60 mile radius and have a EXCELLENT plumber, give us his name. Meanwhile, I am planning on catching the wampus cat in action on video so I can show it to a plumber to prove our problem!
#2 I count insurance companies among the few things that I HATE! They rank right up there with lima beans and nails on the chalk board. They take up a lot of time, but get you no where!
No one has any answers, and it's always someone else's fault, problem, etc.
#3 My kids are not and will never be perfect. Actually, I don't expect perfect, but I'd settle for "sometimes approaching perfect." They are sweet and I wouldn't trade em for anything, but I just cannot understand why they don't just do what they are supposed to do. When I say, "pick up your toys." Just for once I'd like someone to politely without eye rolling, moans, or sighs say, "yes ma'am, mommy" and to follow through. Just once I'd like to take my daughter to visit her preschool classroom (which we did today) and for her attitude to be consistently friendly and sweet. I'd like to get through the visit without these roller coaster ups and downs, without her going boneless and screaming for no apparent reason. I dream of a visit where she doesn't lie on the floor and refuse to take her napkin to the trash can like the other children do. Just once I'd like my precious, smart, boy to come home from school and report that yes he did keep his hands, school supplies, and pencil grips to himself. Just once I'd like to not argue with him about why he has to take his pirate costume off before he gets in the shower (which was an argument I chose to not have...he showered in it.) Just once I'd like my children to sit on the couch next to each other and hold hands singing Kum Bi Ya instead of constantly torturing each other!
But then again....what's the fun in that. I wouldn't have anything to blog about! I honestly get the "a mother's job is never done" thing now. We've got a lot of work to do before I release them into the world. (at this rate they'll be 42!) They don't tell you about these kinds of days before you have kids. Oh well....there's always baby #3, I'm banking on this one as my "perfect child."
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Cora, the fashion diva
OK so I discovered that there is something a little harder than trying to take care of two young kids while you are pregnant. It's trying to take care of two young kids while you are pregnant and sick. I have spent the past 6 days feeling like someone has scratched out the lining to my throat with a razor blade and filled my head and ears so full of air that they may com bust at any minute! And to top that off I've had a fever of 101 consistently as well. Nice huh? But I'm not really looking for sympathy. Luckily, Rob has only started coaching and not officially started school yet so he has been here playing Mr. Mom and picking up my slack, which there has definitely been a lot of since I could barely move. You know I am always talking about how Cora changes clothes 100 times a day and loves to dress up. Well yesterday I figured since I couldn't move much more than my index finger, I'd document a day of Cora's own outfit choices. Keep in mind no one told her to change at all. This was COMPLETELY on her own. Here goes...
7:30 am We started the day out with a flowered shirt and pink cotton capris. Totally comfy and versatile. Perfect for a day at home.
8:15 am She quickly changed into a white sleeveless shirt with a too small striped blue and white smocked dress on top. She refuses to let me get rid of this too small dress because she says it is her "Dorothy Dress" and she needs it to play Wizard of Oz.
9:15 am She then played umbrella and bunny in the buff for about a half hour.
9:47 It was then back into the regular clothes with this lil number layered on top of the white sleeveless from earlier. (The girl loves layering!)
7:30 am We started the day out with a flowered shirt and pink cotton capris. Totally comfy and versatile. Perfect for a day at home.
8:15 am She quickly changed into a white sleeveless shirt with a too small striped blue and white smocked dress on top. She refuses to let me get rid of this too small dress because she says it is her "Dorothy Dress" and she needs it to play Wizard of Oz.
9:15 am She then played umbrella and bunny in the buff for about a half hour.
9:47 It was then back into the regular clothes with this lil number layered on top of the white sleeveless from earlier. (The girl loves layering!) (continued below)
10:28 She then decided to pair the ever popular Cinderella ball gown with some gawdy fake pearls. A classic look.
At 11:30 I announced it was time to go pick up Cade and she decided to go for the mermaid bride look for the car ride.
After an afternoon nap in the mermaid costume daddy announced at 3:30 that he was taking the kids to the baseball field to hit some balls. Cora said, "Wait, let me change!" Low and behold, her baseball outfit.
Don't you play baseball in a leotard?
4:45 Enjoying an afterbaseball snack in a blue polyster skirt lined with white faux fur. Shirts are overrated.
7:00 And finally we end the day after bath munching a plum in a pink nightgown. Finally she got something right!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Cade's First Day of Kindergarten!
He loved it! Loved his teacher, loved his new friends, loved the new campus! A complete success!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lazy Summer Days
Well, not too much new going on here this week. Last week Cora went to clinic for chemo and did great. The five steroid days following it were AWFUL!!!! But we're trying to be positive and know that we only have to do steroids for 17 more months. Ok so it's a lot! But it's only five days a month. She doesn't have to go back to the clinic until September 1st (which is supposed to be her first day of preschool.) I'm really sweating this whole preschool thing. She'll only go 3 mornings a week from 9-12 to Isle of Hope Methodist which is in our neighborhood. She is super excited about it and I think she will love it. Here's the catch. There are other kids there who have noses that will sometimes be snotty, and fingers that they will put in their mouths and then on the toys, and germs that will float around the room as they cough, sneeze, and talk. I know this is normal and found at all schools, but if Cora catches anything that causes a fever above 101, she's admitted to the hospital for observation. Her counts are within normal range and Dr. Johnston has actually really encourages us to take her, but nonetheless, we are nervous! Then to throw a whole new kink into things my sister is doing her clinicals at one of the hospitals in town and a doctor told her the other day that she saw her first 6 year old come in with the swine flu. Our understanding is that this is just a very contagious form of a regular flu, but it's here in our town and we DO NOT want Cade or Cora to catch it!!! That wouldn't be good at all for Cora. So.........here's where we stand (not sure why I'm blogging all this, I guess just to talk it our for myself) Cade starts school tomorrow. We're gonna see how the first few weeks go, talk to the doctors again, get him a flu shot,(Cora can't get one), and see if this swine flu thing progresses around town. Cora won't start school until after she finishes her round of steroids the first week of September and we may keep her out until the flu settles down if it's an issue. No one ever ever tells you about these sticky decisions you have to make as a parent. We're just keeping in mind, preschool would be great for Cora, but it isn't crucial! Her health is!
I've included a few pictures of Cora's new favorite past time, dressing up. She changes ball gowns like 100 times a day. I can't keep regular clothes on her. Many times we are even instructed to call her "Ariel" or "Cinderella" or whoever the character of the day may be!
I've included a few pictures of Cora's new favorite past time, dressing up. She changes ball gowns like 100 times a day. I can't keep regular clothes on her. Many times we are even instructed to call her "Ariel" or "Cinderella" or whoever the character of the day may be!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Recent Developments!
Well, we just got home from a fabulous week at the Jersey Shore. We go each summer and get to visit with Rob's parents, hang at the beach, ride rides at Morey's Pier, and go to lots of yummy restaurants. The kids love it. This year we even got to visit with Rob's sister, Maisi, for a few days. It was great. Pics coming soon. But now we are home and trying to get back in a routine before Cade starts school in 9 days!
We do have a bit of other news to share! Things had quieted down pretty much around here lately and as if we don't have enough going on, we are going to have a brand new baby come February! SURPRISE!!! Yep, that's right, Cora's going to be a big sister and Cade a big brother again! We have always said we wanted three kids and although we weren't sure about the timing of this one, while Cora is in chemo the next year plus, I won't work for sure. So we've decided the timing is perfect and this baby will be a huge blessing to our family! I am due on Feb.5th and am currently 13 weeks pregnant. I had a doctor's appt today and the doctor says everything looks great! I was sick as a dog during my first trimester with Cora, but this time around except from slight nausea and heart burn, I really feel normal! Except for the fact that my belly definitely remembers pregnancy and I am already showing! Here are the kids comments about having a new baby.
cora: if the baby comes out with a pink bow and she is a girl then we can name her Ariel and I will buy her a tiny Ariel costume.
" Cade, do you hope it's a boy or a girl?"
cade: I just hope it's a koala bear!
We do have a bit of other news to share! Things had quieted down pretty much around here lately and as if we don't have enough going on, we are going to have a brand new baby come February! SURPRISE!!! Yep, that's right, Cora's going to be a big sister and Cade a big brother again! We have always said we wanted three kids and although we weren't sure about the timing of this one, while Cora is in chemo the next year plus, I won't work for sure. So we've decided the timing is perfect and this baby will be a huge blessing to our family! I am due on Feb.5th and am currently 13 weeks pregnant. I had a doctor's appt today and the doctor says everything looks great! I was sick as a dog during my first trimester with Cora, but this time around except from slight nausea and heart burn, I really feel normal! Except for the fact that my belly definitely remembers pregnancy and I am already showing! Here are the kids comments about having a new baby.
cora: if the baby comes out with a pink bow and she is a girl then we can name her Ariel and I will buy her a tiny Ariel costume.
" Cade, do you hope it's a boy or a girl?"
cade: I just hope it's a koala bear!
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