Camping Fun!

Our vacation was wonderful. We went to Buttersville Campground in Ludington, Michigan. This was our first camping trip as a family. It was the first time Joe and Maizie have ever been camping in a tent. I grew up camping and have always loved it. Our vacation was wonderful. Beautiful weather. Nice campground. Fun times with good friends and we were all feeling pretty good! The campground was on Lake Michigan, about four hours from our home. Maizie was nervous for the long drive since she often gets carsick. She was also somewhat upset to be leaving her comfortable routine at home. I was praying the stress would not send her into a cyclical vomiting syndrome episode. Our friends and neighbors Janeen, Brian and the kids arrived before us. Brian's parents grabbed great spots for our tents the Sunday before we arrived. We ran into quite a few "bumps" the morning we left that postponed our arrival by about two hours. Within minutes of arriving Maizie met a friend her age named Anna. They had so much fun playing together. Unfortunately, Anna had to leave the day after we arrived and so their fun was short lived. Addresses were exchanged and Maizie had a hard time accepting that Anna (seen in photo above with Maizie) had to go home. I am glad Maizie had such a positive experience making a new friend. Our favorite times were spent on the beach. We flew kites, soaked in the sun and played in the sand. It was very relaxing. The beach made this by far my best camping trip. I love being by the water and so does Maizie and Joe. Our friend Brian is seen above with his little girl Navaeh. Savonna and Navaeh had a great time rolling around in the sand.
Brian bought Savonna her first kite. Kite flying seems to keep kids occupied for quite a while. There were some great shops in a nearby town. Joe was able to purchase some huge kites that we hope to fly soon. I think Joe is becoming quite addicted to kite flying. Maizie was big into bugs on the trip. No surprise there. Thankfully I brought her bug hut since she caught a few caterpillars and beetles of varying design. Parting with the bugs was another difficult goodbye for Maizie. She stayed in the car while I put them back into the woods. When I came back she was tearing up.

Brian's parents told us about the Amber Elk Ranch nearby. It was awesome. The elk are so beautiful. I had no idea that the elk's antlers grow about an inch a day. They feel like crushed velvet. The largest and most beautiful antlers can sell for about $7,000. The kids had a great time feeding the elk while I asked the guide a million questions. Visiting the elk was definitely an experience we will count towards homeschooling. Making smores is a great camping tradition. Maizie has never liked smores until she had them at Anna's camper. Suddenly, they were the best ever. So....we were very excited to make smores that night for Maizie. Apparently we don't have the 'special smore skills' that Anna's family had. Ours were always too brown or burnt or just nasty according to Maizie. We never did make her a smore she would eat. Argh. You can see in the picture below that she is less than thrilled with Joe's smore making abilities. Every morning Maizie did require her regular mid morning nap. There was one morning where we were concerned she was going to go into a CVS bout. Luckily, she seemed to rest it away. If there is such a thing. The first morning she had to lay down she became pretty upset when she realized we would not be able to go home in order to nap. Once I set up her bed so she could sit up and watch a movie she felt a better. There is something about her migraines that make her want to sleep sitting upright. Luckily, I had lots of blankets to make a pile for her to lay on.Brian's parents do a lot of meal preparation which was very nice. One night Janeen and Brian made fajitas. I thought the peppers cooking over the fire looked so pretty, not to mention yummy.We went to Historic White Pine Village . The first thing we saw was a pond that was hopping with frogs. Everywhere we looked there were frogs. I managed to catch one for Maizie. She refused to hold it. I thought it was quite beautiful with it's bright yellow belly. Maizie's favorite building was the old time store. She does like to shop. Just like her Mom and Dad! The village had an old fashioned ice cream shop where you serve yourself. Needless to say we had to make ourselves some good ol' ice cream cones. I have tons more photos but wanted to share with you a few of my favorites. Now that we are back I am catching up on laundry and feel way behind with everything. I did have a difficult time being around the smoke and now have another sinus infection. Ugh.

All in all, we had a fantastic time and look forward to camping again soon. There were some difficulties with changing our routine for Maizie but we took our time and she seemed to adjust. I would say that she went through very intense homesickness. She especially missed the dogs. Next time we may bring our canine friends along. I missed you all and can't wait to get caught up on your blogs.

Summer Bloggy Break for Fun!

Time for another bloggy break. We may be enjoying a "staycation" or a road trip vacation. I know you are just dying to know what we will be up to. Well, until I blog again you will just have to wonder what we will be up to. I will miss you all. Have a great week my bloggy friends. Here are a few photos from our past vacations. Enjoy!

Newport Aquarium

Our goal for today was to visit the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. I knew right away that Maizie was not doing well. She was walking around as if all the lights were daggers in her eyes. Looking hunched over and wobbly. I knew a seizure was more than likely on its way.

The plan was to visit the aquarium and then drive back to our home from there. Just before we were ready to leave Maizie said her belly hurt. Now, it could have been potty time or a seizure coming on. I was praying for potty. No such luck. Maizie had a seizure and within minutes had to lay down to sleep.
After about thirty minutes she woke up and we were ready to go again. Maizie kept repeating that she wanted to go and just did not seem "aware" of what we were doing. She had a second seizure and I led her back to the couch for a second sleepy time.

I think maybe she woke up too soon after the first one and was not ready to go. Maybe that brought on the second one. I have never seen her have two in a row like that before. Too bad we could have not had our neurology appointment this week.

After sleeping for two hours we got ready again. Maizie seemed more alert and said she was feeling better. No more hunching over or squinting her eyes from the lights.

Maizie loved the aquarium. Melissa and I did too! Melissa had taken Alex to day care today so we could enjoy the experience toddler free.

Maizie took her time to read many of the descriptions of the fish. She was very thorough. She loved being able to touch the small sharks. Anything she could touch she did! Very cool!

Maizie managed to name the spider crab and shoe horse crab from her own memory. I was so proud. I did not even know she had ever seen a spider crab.

At one point she said, "Mom. I think that turtle was adopted by that one. See, the Mama and the little baby one." Very sweet. The last exhibit was penguins. You sit in a stadium like area where you view the penguins through a large glass wall. Along the bottom of the wall there was a vent. Maizie read the sign, "CAUTION! No standing or sitting!" She made a little sigh and a laugh and then said, "Well, that sign makes no sense!" Melissa and I busted out laughing. I explained to her that it meant you could not sit on the vent but that we could sit on the bleachers. It freaked her out anyway and we had to move on.

Our day started off slow and Maizie is so tired tonight. By tired I mean hyper. God willing we will be able to leave early in the morning. She is very pleased with the trip to the aquarium. If you want to see more photos check out her blog HERE. Please stop by Maizie's blog if you have the time and leave a comment. She worked so hard on this post. I am really proud of her!

Bobolate! Anthropolgie! Noiseless!

Here is a picture of my niece Alex crawling through this big tube we gave her for Christmas. She loves it. Melissa and I thought about trying it out but we could just picture ourselves becoming stuck.

Alex loves hot chocolate. She enjoys drinking it with a big soup spoon or the good ol' fashioned way. Either way....she makes one heck of a mess. After wards she burped and said, "I urp bobolate." So cute!

We finally left the house today! We had enjoyed a nice walk yesterday when it was freakishly warm here. Of course today the rain is back and it is cold again. Did I ever mention how much I think Indiana weather sucks. I know. We could have had the ice storms. I am thankful that missed us.

Anway, we went to my favorite store. I have only ever shopped at Anthropolgie online so when Melissa told me they had a store nearby in Ohio I was thrilled. With Alex and Maizie in tow however our shopping time was very limited. Maizie did a great job trying to keep Alex entertained but after about fifteen minutes Alex was causing a scene. That is what two year olds live for. Maizie said, "Melissa....everyone kept looking at us in that store! They were looking at us because of Alex." Very perceptive!
Tonight Melissa and I left the girls with Tim and headed to Target. I must say the Target here was not that great. Very small with very few clearance areas. Oh, well. I still managed to spend too much money. It was lots of fun wandering the aisles with my sister. She is trying to talk us into moving to Guilford. I just don't think I could do it. Where we live now we are close to everything. Right in the middle of the city. It is beautiful here. Very quiet. I have not heard any sirens or hooting and hollering since we have been here.

Have you ever been somewhere so quiet and you are not used to it. It kinda makes your ears feel funny. When I try and fall asleep I am like, "Where are the cars zooming by? No excitement! No freaky people walking around at all hours of the day and night." I just can't sleep as well. I guess it is all what you are used to! I suppose I would become accustomed to this quiet country life. I am sure my dogs would love it!

Yesterday when we were out walking the neighborhood Maizie was able to walk about two blocks without breaking down. She was totally at ease. Makes me wonder how much of her walking problems are sensory overload difficulties. Living in the quiet country would possibly be a benefit to her.

Are You Kidding Me?

Once again today did not go as I had planned when I woke up this morning. So what else is new, right?

Last night Alex was up a lot. She could not stop coughing. Every time she coughed I jumped up as if I was the one who had to go take care of her. Needless to say, I did not sleep well.

Melissa left around six this morning. While the kids were sleeping I took advantage of that time to shower. Not being used to getting two kids ready and not knowing the area I wanted plenty of time to prepare.

Maizie woke up around eight and Alex slept till ten. After I had Alex all ready Joe texted me that the neurologist missed a flight and would not be able to make it to the office today! I could not believe it and at the same time I could totally believe it.

Meanwhile Melissa had planned to leave work early to pick up Alex and take her to the pediatrician. Turns out she has a severe ear infection and croup. Lovely.

The good news is Maizie did not have a seizure today. I was relieved we did not have to make the drive there. I am always up for a lazy day. I was not happy that we have to wait longer to tweak medications or discuss test results. Hopefully there will not be bad weather next time we hit the road. Appointments far away in the winter really suck!

Joe let me know that we got a letter from the doctor in town that left the practice. He is opening his own practice! This is okay news. He had an envelope in the letter with a stamp on it. You are supposed to fill it out if you are going to be his patient. However, the place and number are yet to be determined. So...what are people supposed to do in the meantime? I think we will be looking elsewhere. But, at the same time I can't make up my mind. What if......Ahhhhhhh!

Maizie and I Hit the Road...to Guilford

Today Maizie and I set out on an epic road trip. Okay, maybe not epic...but for us it is leaving the house and leaving our town so it is a big deal! Wahoo! Our destination...Guilford, Indiana to visit with my little sister Melissa and my niece Alex. The morning started out pretty bad. Ice covered roads led me to think we would have to cancel our trip. Then, Maizie had a seizure and required her sleepy time. Joe was acting all nervous like. What will he do without me?! Finally, after looking at the weather online and debating Maizie's level of coping we hit the road.

Everything went fine. Except for the fact that Maizie insisted on listening to the Hairspray sound track twice followed by the lovely High School Musical soundtrack. Oh, my God. I thought after about an hour I was going to crack up! It kept her entertained and that was important.

Guilford has quite the rolling hills. Beautiful trees and farms led the way back to my sister's new house. The hills reminded me of Jersey. We were greeted by a big neighbor dog, a giant Pyrenees watching our every move as we unpacked the car. No one is home yet so the dog was no doubt wondering who the heck we were.

Maizie found Alex's wide assortment of toddler toys and has been enjoying herself ever since. It sucks that no one is home yet, but hey...they gotta earn a living.

Tomorrow, I take Maizie to her neurology appointment in Indy. I am a little concerned the weather will be a challenge. I hope not, we really need to make this appointment. We recently received a letter from Maizie's doctor in town that handles her medications. In the last year he has changed offices and now he is apparently quiting his practice. Personally, I am guessing he had a nervous break down. I could be wrong but the way he went on and on at one of our last visits I would not be surprised. Remember when he read all of Maizie's labs wrong and told us she is having,"rapid brain cell death." A few months after that I had a long discussion about how we expect to have our phone calls returned after given such shocking news. I also explained an apology would have been nice for the lab mix up. The doctor then went off about how he works such long hours and is so tired and barely has time to eat. Oh, poor guy! I was not too sympathetic.

Now I am forced to search for another doctor to handle her medications. I am so not happy about this and yet it had needed to be done anyway. We have yet to find a doctor we like. I have been searching for one for nine years! I love the doctor in Indianapolis but we need someone closer and the neurologist will not handle all of her medication needs, just the seizure meds.

I am off to make Maizie dinner and wander around the house to soak in the aura that is my little sister! I miss her so much and wish she would just be home from work now!

I may get behind on some of your blogs but know I will get caught up soon!Alex and Melissa are home! When Tim came in with Alex she was so tired and cranky. Poor kiddo has another cold. She calls her dehumidifier "Buddy".

I can't believe I am finally here with my sister in her house! Very nice!

Cape Cod Vacation Fun!

After our trip to Indy we flew to Cape Cod for a great weekend vacation with Joe's company Radvision. We stayed at Red Jacket Resort. The weather was just beautiful. Perfect 70 degrees with sun.

Maizie had two seizures. One while we were traveling on the plane to the resort and one while we were eating breakfast at the resort. Maizie has to be so tired. She had four seizures in one week! I know the trip added stress and probably did not help. At the same time she truly enjoyed getting away, running on the beach and making some new friends. Now that we are back it is time to get down to business and make the cardiologist appointment.

I have so much to write about but I am soooooo tired. I have to get to bed. I will have awesome pictures and stories to share so check back tomorrow night.

I pick up Stella and Darwin tomorrow. Stella was spayed today and Darwin had his teeth cleaned. I bet they will not be happy with me tomorrow. I really missed my dogs.

We are glad to be home!

I missed you all, my fellow blogger friends and family. I will be catching up on all of your happenings too!

Hunting and Gathering

This weekend I went to Indianapolis with Susie for some good ol' Hunting and Gathering fun.

Things almost got off to a bad start when Susie came to pick me up on Friday. Darwin was sooooo excited to see Susie that he pushed through the front door and did his "crazy ass dog jig" and almost ran out into the street! After our hearts returned to a normal beat I gave Maizie and Joe hugs and we were off!

Before even checking into the hotel we went to Home Goods and T J Max. I love love love Home Goods. When we lived in Jersey I was there all the time! So, it felt like Heaven walking around there. There were some good parts to our Jersey experience and Home Goods was one of them. I bought a weird stone bunny that I just felt had to be mine.

We explored Keystone Crossing and found a few goodies for Maizie and Chloe...a few gifts to stash away. I found a few bargains at Pottery Barn for Kids. Brought home some cooking tools for Joe from Crate and Barrel. Maybe he will feel compelled to blog about them.

We went to Broad Ripple but found out quickly there would not be any purchasing going on there. Everything was too trendy (a.k.a. EXPENSIVE) for our tastes so we stopped into the Starbucks for water and giant rice crispy treats and then headed back to where we felt more comfortable...more successful in terms of making awesome purchases...Marshall's. We were at Marshall's for so long people probably thought we worked there. I found some great clothes for Maizie, a couple of tops for myself and some Christmas gifts.

For lunch on Saturday we had to get Susie's 'fix' at P.F. Chang's. She treated me to chicken wraps which really are worth craving and driving two hours to attain. Why does Fort Wayne not have a P.F. Chang's? I have no idea. All Fort Wayne does is eat. Surely, they would appreciate P.F. Chang's.

Saturday night we we to the Indie Movie Theatre at Keystone. Year of the Dog with Molly Shannon seemed to be our safest option. They had so many unique movies to choose from it was a difficult decision. It was a great movie, unique, touching and funny. We enjoyed it. Once back in the hotel we lounged around and talked and went to bed by about 11 p.m.! Shopping really wore us out.

When I got home I was greeted with sloppy Darwin kisses. I missed Maizie and Joe so much. It was great to get away and feel the joy of returning home. I gave Maizie her new clothes and this adorable music box with dancing lady bugs. She loves it. I knew she would.

Next time Susie and I are thinking Chicago.

Remembering Warm Days

It is sooooo cold out! Maizie was going a bit stir crazy so we packed up, picked up a little friend and went to an indoor play area. Lots of wild fun was had, followed by a tasty lunch. Now we are at home and cozy while watching the anticipated Cinderella Three, A Twist In Time.

I feel cold air blowing in everywhere. Our bathroom window is a solid sheet of ice. I am really wanting warm weather. A few days ago Maizie said, "I can't take it! I am breaking in two. I want winter to go away."

Wanting the warm days of summer brought back memories of our summer vacation last year to Canada. We enjoyed fishing even though we never caught a thing. On the way home we went to Mackinac Island in Michigan. We played on the beach and visited a butterfly house. Darwin loved the beach. I will include some pics from the warmer days.