InstaFriday ~ What's Wrong With This Post?

Before you even guess, I'll tell you...

Only four pictures this week.

What the?!  Something must be wrong, right?!  This is the least amount of pictures that I have ever posted in one week.  Something is wrong.  Keep reading, I'll explain.

But first, I just want to say how lucky my kids are that they get to spend the kind of time that they do with my parents while they are here in the month of February.  I pretty much don't see my children on the weekends (which was a blessing this past weekend, as I spent most of it sleeping).  They have a countdown to the weekends and when grandpa and grandma are going to pick them up.  It doesn't matter what they are doing with my parents, my kids have the BEST time ever!  I know they are making memories that they will cherish forever and I am so thankful they have them around.

 

So while the kids were playing with my parents all weekend, I began what is to date, my WORST migraine I have ever had.  It started on Saturday and hasn't fully went away yet.  It got so bad that on Tuesday I had to go to the doctor to get a shot to stop the pain.  The shot worked temporarily, but I woke up with another one on Wednesday.  What scares me the most about this round of headaches is the weakness on my left side.  From my neck and down my back to the tips of my fingers I can't really describe what I am feeling other than weakness and tingling.  It is very scary.  X-Rays showed that I do have a little bit of arthritis in my neck, but it shouldn't be causing this kind of pain.  They are thinking that I possibly have a nerve pinched in my neck and that is the cause of the symptoms.  The doctor doesn't know why my headache won't go away fully and prescribed muscle relaxers and pain medicine to try and make me comfortable, but I worry about functioning and teaching on those meds.  I do have an MRI scheduled for my spine and a CT Scan for my brain next week to try and see if that will give any answers.  Until then, this is probably the only thing I will be doing (hopefully not, hopefully it eases up sooner rather than later); snuggling with Betsy on the couch and reading yet another book, currently on the Kindle If You Stay (Beautifully Broken).

Cousins!  Joel was in town still this week and we were able to all get together twice for dinner!  The cousins LOVED every second of play time they got with each other.  Crazy how much they look alike!  Didn't really notice it before this picture, but see a lot of it above!

We miss Joel, Erin, Ava, and Brayden already!  They left to go back to Saudi Arabia (why does that field so weird to type?  Guess I never thought my brother would ever live there!) yesterday.  This picture will go in a frame in the house somewhere.  Love you guys BIG!!!

The Harlem Shake.  Have you guys seen this dance yet?  It is ridiculous.  For real, but my kids look ridiculously cute doing it!  I didn't even know what this was until this past weekend, where Chad enlightened me.  He might be more obsessed than the children.  Silly husband.

Okay, now you know why there is a shortage of pictures, hopefully this will be the last time that ever happens!  Happy Weekend to you.  It's the last one that my parents will be here for and I am trying not to think of how sad it makes me.  February flies.  Boo.

InstaFriday ~ Birthday Week!

This one was a busy one for sure, but man, was it a good one!

 

It was filled with birthday celebrations for not one, but two members of the family!  We kicked off last weekend by heading to the practice field to get the boys tryout ready!  Of course I had to get in a swing or two (or 50) in!  My goal was to beam the pitcher (it was my dad), and while I came up a big hitter, I was unsuccessful in all attempts!  Dad was saved!

After baseball, we headed to Arizona Frybread, Chad's choice for birthday dinner!  It was delicious and lots of laughing was had a the restaurant that took forever to make our food!

Happy Birthday Chad!!!  LOVE YOU!

 Saturday morning snuggles with Betsy before the BIG game!

Grandpa was there to keep Lola warm (it was freezing out)!

Kyan and Jax, two besties, played each other!  They gave each other the biggest hug after the game and immediately begged for a playdate!  Glad their competitiveness doesn't get in the way of their friendship!  

 Spent Sunday prepping dinners with my bestie!  We made 18 total meals in about 6 hours!  BOOM!

Most I have posted before, but the big one that we did came from a post by kojo designs, you can read it here!  Excited to be able to just pull out a bag from the freezer the night before and have dinner ready in the crockpot when I get home from work the next day, with no work left to do on my part except dump the contents of the bag in!

Looking forward to doing this again and again and again!

 Due to conflicts with game time on Saturday, we chose to opt for the make-up baseball tryouts on Monday.  Another freezing night!  I was one nervous mama watching my boy, but couldn't have been more proud of him!  His sister was proud of her big brother too and immediately gave him the biggest squeeze when he was finished!

 The other birthday in Roseland house this week was Lola!  She turned 5!  Time is a flyer!

She is sassy and spunky and sweet all rolled up into one tiny ball of fire!  She loves her birthday as much as I do and woke up with the biggest smile on her face asking me if I was ready to have a five year old in the house?!  

I took the day off of work, not because of her birthday, but because I had to see an endocrinologist for some thyroid issues I recently discovered I had.  Good news is they aren't classifying me as hyperthyroid just yet (although I am showing symptoms/signs of having it), my numbers aren't so outta whack that it is worth taking the medicine risk.  I assumed it was another pill I take, but it is a whole lot more complicated than that.  I do have familly thyroid issues on my mama's side of the family and those weren't taken lightly.  The doctor was able to sneak me in for ultrasound to see if I had something going on in there that she couldn't feel.  Sure enough, I have about 4-5 nodules that aren't exactly cause for concern yet.  They have to measure 10mm and the biggest one I have is 8.6-8.8, so I will have another ultrasound done in 6 months to check to make sure it hasn't grown.  If/When it gets to 10mm, a biopsy will be done and then decisions will have to be made as what to do next.  I go back in 3 months for more bloodwork (which I am sure will be a usual thing for me for a while).  Hoping that everything stays the same and that the labwork I had done on Tuesday comes back normal!  That is my guarantee I am off the hook for the next three months, in the meds dept. that is!

In between dropping off the kids at school and picking them up in the afternoon, I was able to sneak in a little bit of time with two very important people; my girlfriend, Camille and my baby brother, Joel, who is back from Saudi Arabi for the week!  He and his family are in town for a wedding and will be busy doing wedding stuff the majority of the time here, but I wanted to be able to just give him a hug before he left!

Where did Lola pick for her birthday dinner?  Her favorite place of course...Pei Wei!  

 I love making my kids' Valentines Day cards and this year they had their hand in picking out how they wanted me to make them!  

 Came up with this little printable last second for the kids' teachers!  Added on the tag with the picture above!  

 It is yours if you want to make them (for next year)!  I just dragged the photo onto my desktop and clicked print to make it work!

Valentine's Day was so special. 
My husband sent me the most beautiful long stem roses to work.  I felt like the most special girl in the world.  He is a keeper for sure.

The school dance is what made Valentine's the BIGGEST deal ever.  

We went as a family and danced the night away!

Kyan asked a little girl in his class to the dance and she said yes!  Kyan was so nervous (she was too, I talked to her parents at length), but they had the best time EVER!  They spent the whole night dancing in the same area, cutest thing ever!  Gave me a total knot watching my little boy (who is all of a sudden not so little) grow up right before my eyes tonight.

Happy Weekend.

InstaFriday ~ My Parents Are Here!

Of course, I don't have any pictures with them (they like to take them as much as my husband does), but just having them here just makes life better.  Promise to try and get a few with them this next week!

French braid headband on my girl.  Her hair is getting long and my skillz are getting good!

Early release at school for conferences meant that Kyan got to come home with me during lunch to check on Betsy.  He is such a good puppy owner!

Last Friday night we took Betsy to the vet for her first checkup and her 12 week shots!  She is healthy as can be and weighed in at a whopping 3 pounds on the dot!

 Saturday morning football was chilllllllly!  Played the earliest game on the schedule this week and froze!  The boys had to be there at 6:30 for pictures before the game, good thing daddy is helping coach and took Kyan so Lola and I could roll up right at game time!  We were in charge of snacks (which meant we stopped last minute to get them, which also meant Lola had to get the candy that turns her tongue blue, which also meant that I got a silly picture of us at the game)!  Was still cold though, silly pictures and all.

 Baseball Tryouts are coming up and all Kyan wants to do is "have a catch" (what he calls playing catch).  Don't mind if I do (I love baseball season, it is my favorite and I cross all fingers and toes that it will be the sport that Kyan loves to play most too).

Doggie Central over at our house Saturday evening when the parents got here!  They have two dogs (a min pin and a Jack Russel terrier) and are taking care of my brother's family's dog (an Italian Greyhound).  Betsy was so happy to have friends to play with and seemed to mess with Lucy and Bucca the most, despite what the picture above shows.

When my parents roll into town, Chad and I immediately become chop liver to our children.  They want nothing to do with us and everything to do with Grandpa and Grandma, including spending the night.  So Chad and I went on a date night - Red Lobster, TJ Maxx for some new clothes for Chad (it's his birthday today, so even though he doesn't believe in a birthday week, I do and it started last week for him), and the grocery store for a few things we needed in order to watch the Super Bowl properly!  We had such a good night together and it was nice to spoil him for a change!

 Chocolate chip cookies get make on special occasions, Super Bowl is a definite qualifier.  Made several dozen and actually froze some dough this time.  Trying to restrain ourselves from eating the dough outta the freezer so we will be able to make a batch of cookies when we need them, but it is not working so good.  

Lola made it until about the third quarter of the game and then crashed hard, despite her threats that there was no way she could fall asleep with all of the noise.  Kyan watched the game from start to finish.  Made me realize that he is growing up way too fast!  

We have hosted a BIG Super Bowl Party for the past two years, but this year decided against doing so.  Was definitely a different way of watching the game, but nice.  I LOVED the half time show!  

 Randoms from the rest of the week: 

If you know Lola, you know that girl is in mad love with Justin Bieber.  A sweet friend, and co-worker surprised Lola with some stickers of JB and she puts a new one on each day!  

Had my blood drawn on Tuesday for a second round of Thyroid testing.  First off, they hit a nerve and I am now on steroids and an antibiotic to prevent any infection.  Second, the test results came back and confirmed that my thyroid is in fact out of whack and I have to see an endocrinologist next week (someone cancelled and I just happen to call at the right time). 

Kyan slipped me the sweetest note on my desk yesterday.  Melted my heart BIG time.

Busted the two of them feeding Oreo, Kyan's hamster, pieces of the Pop Tarts!  The giggling was hysterical and Oreo was in sugar heaven!

 They are my favorite.  And so is this picture.  I love them BIG!

Special Happy Birthday to my boo today!  Love you Chad (do you even read this blog babe...I think so?)!  Can't wait to take you out for your special birthday dinner and spoil you some more. 

InstaFriday ~ Where did January go?

 Lola had a PJ day last Friday in celebration of her classroom's study on hibernation.  She was so excited to wear her PJ's and ask her to tell you about hibernation sometime.  It is adorable!

Kyan, on the other hand, sported his new Pink Mouse T-shirt!  He bragged all day that he had an "uncle" who was a t-shirt designer!  Can't wait for Pink Mouse Inc. to put out a kids line!  They are Kyan's favey fave shirts to wear!

Saturday we celebrated our Winter Supper Club (Menu post coming soon) with friends.  The food was delicious, now if only I could get my husband to smile normal?!  I beg each and every time, but this is what I get!  Goofy.

 Sunday morning I took Kyan to Urgent Care to see what was happening with his throat.  As soon as he starts complaining that it is sore, we head to get it checked out, as 99% of the time it ends up being strep.  Sure enough, he had strep.  

Progress for Lola.  She has been afraid of Betsy and her nibbles, but is slowly but surely gaining confidence and now considers herself an "owner"!

 A typical morning before school.  Both kids on their ipads, Kyan snuggling with Betsy. And Lola , a breathing treatment.

Being silly with grapes!

Dress Wednesday. Something that I started to do with students of mine that I taught.  The name kind of says it all, on Wednesday we wear dresses!  Each year we kept it alive and the tradition was passed down to the next class.  Well, obviously I am not at Wigwam anymore, but this makes me still feel connected to the place and all those pretty young ladies I taught!

 With new boots in my wardrobe, it opened up a whole new set of clothes to wear for Winter.

 Betsy met Skippy (one of the two mascots in Kyan's classroom).  He comes in a cute backpack, where you have to journal  things that you do with him. Let's just say that Skippy loved Betsy's ears!

Betsy has taken over my Snuggie.  She thinks it is hers. 

 

Justin Bieber has a new acoustic album out and Lola is even more in love with him than before.  I downloaded it for her (and let's be honest, me too) and she was crying happy tears while listening to the song.  Ridiculous.  I am pretty sure she is 13, not 4.  Ugh.  On a side note, the album is really good.  Excited to replace the Bieber Christmas album in my car that they are still listening to no matter how hard I try to get them to stop!

Happy Friday!  

My parents roll into town on Saturday for the whole month of February and I can't wait to see their faces!!!