Sometimes this really sucks!

Amy's arms

Most the time I count my blessings that Amy just has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and not something more. And most the time I count my blessings that there is medication to help treat it. And most the time I am so thankful the medicine is working and she doesn't have too many side affects. But, sometimes the whole thing sucks. One of those times was today. We went in for her regular, every other month, blood test we do before she sees her Rheumatologist. The doctors have to watch her liver because of the Methotrexate...and her kidneys because of all the ibuprofen she takes. The dreaded conversation started the second we drove into the parking lot this time...sometimes , if I'm lucky, it doesn't start until the waiting room.

Amy: "We are going for you...not me...right mommy? I don't need to go anymore...I'm not sick...your sick...right mommy?"

Me: "Lets just go in and give the ladies our papers." (me trying not to lie)

Amy: "okay...but it's your turn, not mine."

Receptionist: "Amy Jensen"

Amy: "No mommy....I don't want to!"

Here is the scene....I am holding Amy on my lap, with my arms around her holding her right arm so she doesn't try and defend herself from getting a foreign object shoved into her arm. One phlebotomist holding her other arm straight and still while another shoves the the needle in her arm. I watch and pray that I see a jet of blood inter the tub each time, which indicates that they found the vain with no trouble. This time...no luck. She moves it and moves it and moves it...while Amy cries, "no mommy...no mommy...no mommy". Immediately I start in with, "do you want donut holes or a chocolate donut with sprinkles?" (a must after a blood test) Nothing worked...after two more phlebotomist attempt to find the vain on that arm...they moved to the other arm. Luckily...they found it.

Amy's closing remarks on the way to the Donut Wheel...."no more...(sob sob) two shots...(sob sob) mommy...(sob sob) next time...(sob sob) I get to....(sob sob) put the needle in their arms...(sob sob)."

Sometimes this really sucks!

Facebook?

Evidently I need to finish my Facebook profile...I guess that's what you call it. I signed up one day because someone ask me to be their friend (LOL), but didn't do anything more. Now, I get 5-6 invites a day. I don't have time for this...I already don't have enough time to blog as much as I want to. What's a girl to do? I'm gonna lose my day job (HW) if I waste anymore time on the computer. (LOL)

How many?

How many remotes does it take? Well...evidently at least four cause that's what we have! One for the TV, one for the cable box, one for the Blu Ray, and one for the "external sound bar". OH MY GOSH! For one that hates clutter...this tries my patience. If I didn't hide them in my hutch, this is what you would see on my nightstand. There's hardly any room for a phone or a alarm clock for heaven's sake.

Alec's 1st Belt Promotion

Alec with Mr. Turk (his favorite instructor)
Alec with Mr. Mulligen
Alec demonstrating...

Just before Christmas Alec started karate. He loves it! He claims he likes it more than swimming...I'm not sure about that. He recently had his first belt promotion where he moved up to white belt advanced. He received an invitation to join the Black Belt Club where he will begin to work towards a black belt. I guess it was somewhat of an honor to be invited only after 2 months of basic training. His instructors have really made an impression on Alec. I definitely hear "yes mam" a lot these days. And there is nothing wrong with that!

I love Valentine's Day!

Rachel's Valentine's Box for School
Rachel's Valentine for Mrs. Holcomb
Amy giving her Valentine to Miss Leslie

Amy with her Valentine Fruit Pizza's for Miss Leslie and Miss Stella

Growing up, Valentine's Day was a BIG DEAL. My mom loves everything about Valentine's Day...and I guess I inherited the love for the holiday from her. I enjoy giving out valentine's to all the special people in my life. We made Valentine cookies for close friends and the kids did all their cards and candies for school friends. We made fruit pizzas in cute decorated pizza boxes for the teachers. Since Grandma sent a "Christmas" size box full of Valentine stuff in it...PJ's, shirts, candies, cards, stuffed animals, etc...Steve and I decided to take the kids to a movie and lunch to celebrate the holiday.

Usually Steve plans a special valentine for me, but I told him this year I wanted to do something for him. During the week prior to Valentine's Day I gave Steve little love notes I left in his car with a goody attached. On Saturday, I sent him on a scavenger hunt with other husbands to gather special things for us wives. The end of the hunt lead them to Casa Mexico were we all met and had drinks and appetizers. Then we all headed over to the Valentine's Dinner and Dancing the Mocho Branch members were putting on for the Stake. It was really a lot of fun.

It does curl!

Rachel beaming with curls
Close up of curls

Mom's roll up job

Rachel's roll up job

Out of no where the other night, Rachel says she wants to curl her hair. Okay, this is coming from a girl I can only get to brush her hair once a day...and wash it twice a week. Of course I jumped at the chance and rushed up stairs to dig out the rollers from the back of the cupboard. She attempted to roll them herself...and as you can see from the above photo...not much was going to curl doing it that way. So, she showered...and then I rolled. Rachel's hair is so thick that I really didn't think it would work. But, it did...and very well. She loved it, and has done it again since. The only down fall to this whole thing is, I'm back involved in Rachel's shower routine. I'm sure it will pass. But, until then...I will enjoy the "girly" side of Rachel.

My Favorite New Toy!

I love my new Blackberry. I mean...I really love my new Blackberry. I don't even know all that I can do with it...but I love what I know at this point. No, more waiting until I get home to check this...or look up that. It is all at my finger tips. And I have to admit...it's always at my finger tips these days.

He's old enough to do what?

Alec dancing with Delaney
Matthew, Devin, Scott, Taylor, Tristan, Peter, Alec, and CJ

Some how Alec is now old enough to attend Young Men and Young Women dances. When did that happened? Didn't he just get baptized? Look at him...he's old...almost a teenager old. How can that be...I'm only almost 29...or is that 39?

Alec had a great time. I love that he is so excited about all of this stuff. Some of the kids play if off as no big deal. Too shy...or too cool to go or to dance when they get there. Not Alec, he showered and put on his new shirt...and left beaming with excitement. Alec and Taylor , Alec's best friend, made a pack to dance with at least 5 girls. He didn't dance with 5 different girls, but did dance 5 times. He danced with Delaney, Nicole, Mickey, Cheyenne...twice. As a group they lined danced...ate treats and hung out. I called Aimee before the dance and asked if she would get a few photos for me, since she was boing as a leader...thanks Aimee. Steve told me that it might be a little embarassing if I show up and start snapping photos of him and his friends. I don't thinks so...

It's never ending...

OMG...will this nose every stop running? It has been close to 3 weeks and Amy is still filling up every tissue she blows into. One positive is she has become quite the nose blower. My other kids at this age were horrible at it. They would suck it in...or better yet blow with their mouths. I guess my dad was right...practice does make perfect. Now that we have have perfected nose blowing...I am ready to move onto bigger things...like remembering to always wipe after going peepee. It's the little things in a mother's life that make all the difference.

Mouse Town Club

I have no idea where the name came from...but it's the name none the less. In September of 2008 Rachel started a club for her and her friends named Mouse Town Club. Basically it is a good excuse for Rachel and her friends to get together and do all kinds of things. She picks a theme for each meeting (held almost monthly)and has an agenda for the meeting to follow...ata girl. I thinking she gets this from her mother. They have a mascot, a hamster pretending to be a mouse, the girls named Cinnamon. Rachel still has a hard time saying the name and all the girls give her a hard time. Each girl gets a chance to take "Cinnamon" home with them until the next meeting. There is a sharing bucket that one person gets to take home with them and bring back with something to share about themselves in it. They have a binder with a club roster in it and scrapbook pages they create themselves from pictures of the last meeting. All the girls have a blast...especially Rachel. She loves her friends...as I do...and love do to things with them. It is a great bunch of girls and I hope that we all can keep this going, in some form or another, for a long time.

Roster: Rachel, Cammi, Lily, Kirsten, Natalie, KJ, and Jessica

9/2008 - 1st Meeting Theme: Get to Know You...water balloon fight

12/2008 - 2nd Meeting Theme: Cookie Ex-change....deliver to person of choice

1/2009 - 3rd Meeting Theme: American Girl...Fashion show with dolls and watch the new American Girl movie, "Chrissa".

Homework sucks!

I am done...finished with homework. I swear teachers are out to end any family life and make decent, otherwise...loving mothers turn into raving lunatics. Unrealistic, unnecessary, I dare say...noneducational amounts of homework brings out the worst in me.

My night consisted of 4th grade science, math, reading, social studies...and even PE with Rachel. Then I moved onto being a cheerleader for Alec, a totally burned out 7th grader, trying to focus on math, science, social studies, and language arts for 3 hours. Wasn't he just at school for 7 hours already today? The thing that scares me the most, is I only have a 7th and 4th grader. What is high school going to do to me?

You know what we would have done if there was "no homework today"? Alec could have gone to karate. Rachel, Amy and I could have walked to the library and finally get those books Rachel has been wanting to check out on sharks. After dinner, a peaceful dinner...with no conversation of how to best use ones time in order to complete all homework and still go to bed at a descent time for a growing 12 and 9 year old, we could have played Scrabble...a favorite Jensen game these days. We probably could have looked at Rachel's soccer pictures we took last night at her game when she scored her goal and laughed. Laugh...on a school night...nooo, who has ever heard of such a thing? Amy could have gone to bed once without hearing, "please you two...focus on your homework" 10 times that night. Oh, the things we could have done if only there was "no homework today"!