T minus 6 days

Christmas is only SIX days away! I cant believe how quickly these months just fly by and how I have so very little time to get to this computer and write! I really do miss it as it always serves as my therapy in many cases as well. I am missing a lot of things lately. First and foremost, my friends. Things have been a little stressful lately and I have been really backing away from them when the truth is that I need them now more than ever. My family has been faced with a situation that we never thought imaginable and I have found myself in a caregiver role for someone that I love with all my heart. Everything has changed and some days I am okay with that, while others I am so not. It has been quite the emotional ride so far and truth be told, I really don't want to drag my friends into that. I can only put up a front for so long and when people ask me how I am, I truthfully want to scream that I am an emotional mess. That I don't understand why this happening. Yet, I don't and instead I say, "Things are good," because in all honesty, I don't want to bog people down with this. Or I don't respond at all. I am having a tough time handling it all as well as taking care of the children and Holiday gatherings. Moreover, I drive myself insane thinking about what this next year will bring as it pertains to this situation. I do apologize to my friends for sort of sliding off the radar. I don't expect you all to understand, but I truly hope you will.

There is a flip side to all of this and that is what I am really trying to grasp onto. I know that there are no guarantees in life and so I am trying to snatch up every single moment that I can with my family. This year more than ever, I am taking time to stop and take everything in. I'm making memories with my family and cherishing them with all my heart. I am thanking the Lord above for giving me all the good in my life because this is what certainly offsets the bad. I have these three beautiful babies that I truly cant get enough of. I love the magic this season brings and watching them squeal in delight about all the excitement that comes along with the Holidays. So even though there are bad days, there are so many more good days that I cant imagine my life without. And at the end of a bad day, I have my husband and children to snuggle up to and savour. I know that I am fortunate and that things could be so much worse. Some days it is just harder to remember that than others.

Billy and I are hosting Christmas dinner this year. Although I am a little nervous about trying to get all of my tasks done, I am so very excited to be having it here. Thrilled that my kids can be home the entire day and overjoyed to have the family all together around our dining room table. We are truly hoping to make this a tradition as I would most definitely like to host Christmas each year. As we speak, the dining room has been disassembled so that we can paint and switch the rooms up. I am very excited to see the end product as I think the layout is going to give us more room to entertain and just make it homier for our family gathering.

Shopping is DONE! Most of it is wrapped and I am just waiting for a few more things to trickle in by mail. I am beyond excited to see the kids faces this year. To watch Cameron experience his first Christmas at 6 months old. I can't wait to see the girls faces light up with their surprises and I am so itching to be able to play with them for hours over the coming weekend! I have to say, I have always been someone who enjoyed "giving" in the spirit of Christmas.


The health report is as follows:
Hannah successfully had her 4th ear tube surgery two weeks ago when the bad ear tube was taken out and a new one put in. She did very well with the surgery and only had a few issues with getting sick afterwards. She has her follow-up tomorrow and I am very curious to see what he says as she has not been herself this past week. I am also questioning a possible UTI for her because something is just off in regards to her and her behavior. Layla has been doing great after her last asthma attack. I am sensing a cold coming on but hoping the inhalers and singulair keep it at bay and we don't have any flare ups. Cameron has been a bit of a fuss budget and I am seriously wondering if he has yet another ear infection. We are going to try and ride it out as I have done some research and have learned that most ear infections are viral and will go away without antibiotics. I really don't want him on antibiotics three times in less than 5 weeks.. so hopefully it will clear up without incident. There is always a possibility that he could be cutting teeth as well..so we shall see. All in all, pretty quiet on the home front as it pertains to their health. I'll take it!


Please don't be offended if you did not receive a Christmas card from us this year! It was impossible to get the kids to pose for one. I tried three days in a row and then gave up. Maybe I will get lucky this week and I will be able to send out New Year's card!

I don't think I will have a moment between now and Christmas to get here and type so I will sign off by saying, Have yourself a merry little Christmas and God Bless!

New BABY and Sick Log

Hoping everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as we did! Although quite hectic on my end, I made a point to stop, take a breath and appreciate those people around me several times throughout the day. Only the good Lord knows what is in store for next Thanksgiving and who will surround us at the dinner table so I really did take time to appreciate my family this year. It was also my little man's first Turkey Day and boy did he look dapper in his preppy attire! (Who knew dressing a boy could be so much fun?) Not only was it Cameron's first Turkey Day.. but it was also...

MY NEW NIECE'S! YES! Stella Mae was born November 23, 2010 at 3:53am weighing 8lbs 1 oz! She is DARLING! A little Italian Princess complete with a full head of dark hair! She is doing well aside from having some jaundice issues. Big sister Reanna adores her and I am soooo very happy that Reanna will know what it is like to have a sister to walk through life with. Lord knows where I would be without my Julie Moolie!

On the sick agenda... Hannah's ear saga continues and she will be having her completely blocked ear tube removed and a new one put in next Tuesday. Fingers crossed that this will solve her most recent ear issues and reoccurring ear infections. My poor Hannah. I may be getting a 2 for 1 deal since Layla is now on her umteenth ear infection as well. It looks like it is time to get her to the ENT as well. I found this out after having a horrible night with her Friday when she had an awful asthma attack. Thankfully, I had some prednisone in the house and I gave her a dose which in essence saved us a trip to the ER. After being seen Saturday morning she is now on an even bigger dose and more inhalers. Roid rage anyone..??? My poor Layla. Last but not least, I swear little man is also suffering from an ear infection as he has not slept in a few nights and he is acting quite the same as he did a few weeks ago when we found that his ear was infected. We will see tomorrow what is bugging him as I plan to take him along to Layla's checkup. Poor Cameron... (Hmmm are you seeing a pattern here?)

To Be Continued ....

Oh My Gosh it's November!

How exactly did November creep up on me? How exactly is it almost Thanksgiving???? These past several weeks have been tough on us all but we are hanging in and keeping the faith. I know that we are being watched over by our angels in heaven and I believe that we are only given what the Lord knows we can handle. That being said, the kids are all doing great. Cameron is getting over his first ear infection and Hannah also was diagnosed with an ear infection this week. It's apparent the right ear tube is not in right, so we are heading to the ENT on Monday with her. (Sometimes I really do feel like my life is so rhetoric) Layla is actually healthy... and I am knocking on all the wooden surfaces in my office as I say this! I am praying we can keep them healthy for the holidays.

Cameron is getting bigger and bigger by the second. He is laughing and babbling and loves to wake up around midnight and just talk to me. As tired as I am, I love this special time with him. He is practically sitting up and I am just waiting for that first tooth to appear. All he does is SMILE.. all the time! If anyone talks to him.. he grins from ear to ear. He is such a happy little boy. God I am so very lucky!

Layla is cracking me up more and more as the days go on. She is just so very funny. She is three however, and three in our house seems to be a bit more to handle than age two. She likes to tune me out and the other day as I had asked her 50 times to put on her socks and shoes, "Layla-Grayce... PUT ON YOUR SOCKS AND SHOES!", she finally responded by saying, "ALRIGHT MOMMY GRACE!" We are doing well with the potty training and her new thing is that once you put her on she'll tell you she needs her privacy. I love her verbage. "Whats that smells?" and her little high pitched voice with all of her exuberant expressions. I could just cuddle this bug 24 hours a day.

Hannah is growing, growing, growing. So much so that it seems that this week she has outgrown every last article of clothing in her drawers! What happened? They fit her a month ago? I literally had to go out and get her a few new things to wear as the poor child had nothing left acceptable to put on for school! She was so happy heading on into school this morning and for the first time all week, she got dressed in 50 seconds flat! I love the little girl she is becoming. She is so strong and tough and yet so sentimental and emotional. We had rented Ramona and Beezus this week and she actually cried at the part where Ramona runs away. I looked over to see tears streaming down her face and it melted my heart. She does have some of her Mommy in her after all. She is such a HUGE help with the little ones and will do anything I ask. I am so blessed to have this little shining star dancing around in my life!

We said good-bye to Pete on Thursday as he flew overseas to Kuwait. I am so going to miss him. Hannah has already begun to draw him pictures. I pray that he stays safe and returns to us safely. Please keep him in your prayers. It's going to be a long year!

Now it is time to change gears after a very long week and get ready for Mom & Dad's 40th Anniversary. God Bless them! Following right behind is Thanksgiving and I have yet to do a thing for it. It will get done.. in the end it always does.

The Passing of Time

My Monster Cheerleader, Monkey & Mickey Mouse!

Good Lord it has been a bit since I have been able to get myself to a computer and actually think about the events of our week or weeks in this case. It's rhetoric, for sure, but life is just crazy busy. There is nothing more I can say in respect to that. If it weren't however, then we wouldn't know to appreciate those days when we were relaxing and cuddling at home.. so I will take it any way I can get!

Let's check off the Health Report first and catch you up to date. For the most part we are all well. We did however, learn that miss Layla does indeed have asthma. It wasn't a surprise to me at all. (She couldn't have gotten my red hair??? Instead she got my asthma). Asthma is quite common in kids that have food allergies, allergies in general and eczema. She never really recovered after having the RSV last February and every time she gets the tiniest cold, it turns into this full blown wheezing and coughing bit. Now it is just a matter of keeping it controlled. She refuses to do nebulizer treatments and it is impossible for us to force her to do them so right now we are solely working with inhalers and are about to start Singulair. She was wheezing enough last week for them to put her on Prednisone. Layla and steroids.. dont mix! Billy and I had to take turns being around her the poor kid was off the wall! Hyper one minute, yelling the next, crying the next. It was a bit... how shall I put it.. exhausting to be around her. She was also on antibiotic for an ear infection. Hmmm.. why is she getting so many of these all of a sudden??? No sooner did we make it through the weekend, the poor kids ended up with the vomiting/diarrhea bug. The poor kid cant catch a break but as of today.. I think she may have gotten over it and I am keeping my fingers crossed she will have a healthy week. Hannah went to school complaining of a stomach ache which I am hoping isnt the beginning of the bug for her.. no phone calls from school yet. Last but not least, Chubba Luv and I seem to have this nasty chest cold type thing that we are muddling through. I feel so bad for him because I know how horrible I feel and he sounds so congested! Hopefully he will get through it this weekend and be back to my healthy baby boy by Monday!

The kids are all well otherwise. We are having more fun watching their little personalities develop. Hannah is turning into my sensitive little darling with a style all her own. She is studious and conscientious and is really enjoying dance and hockey this year. She is one heck of a hockey player and I am so proud of how far she has come. She kills me with her attire because I want to say, "OH NO.. that looks horrible" but in my head I am reeling back to 30 years ago and remembering how my mother and I use to butt heads about my attire. Instead I let her be and figure who am I to change the person she is? (All within reason of course). Layla is a trip. Simply put. She is so very funny that Billy and I will be keeled over in laughter at some of the things that come out of her mouth. She is SO sincere and SO lovable and affectionate. Her expressions are priceless. We have been back and forth with the potty training and her new thing is when she goes into the bathroom and I follow her to help.. she shoos me out and says, "I need my privacy." Her birthday party was a blast and I would have spent a million dollars to see the expression on her face when Mickey Mouse entered the house. She was completely thrilled and in all her glory. I still can't believe she is three. Cameron is a doll. A DOLL! He is SUCH a good boy and is usually very content just hanging out. He is all over the place rolling and cooing. He looks so big to me already I cant even believe how quickly these past 4 months have flown by. He loves his blankets and loves to cuddle as well. He is sooo alert and is always trying to grab things and turns his head to whomever is speaking in a room. He LOVES his cereal and bananas and will devour a huge bowl of it. He sleeps in his crib most of the night and cuddles with me the rest of the time. All I can say is that this is going to be such a fun Christmas with my three little blessings and I am so looking forward to it.

Aside from work, this is also my busy time for photography and it has really begun to take off. We have been able to do a bunch of Fall photo shoots and I am thrilled that everyone seems to be really happy with our product. I wish I had more time to devote to this passion of mine. I am still holding out much hope that this passion, in time, will become my career. I couldnt ask for a more fulfilling one!

So we have been running all about from showers, to birthday parties and school activities, CCD, sports and such. We are gearing up for another fun filled weekend and I am truthfully glad that it is Friday! I will try and post some pictures of the past several weeks over the weekend. You can check out my recent photography at http://www.kerrimurphy.smugmug.com/ Pete was able to get home for three days before he leaves for a year and I had the pleasure of capturing some really special moments. Stay safe Peter.. we are thinking of you always..

Last but not least, I am patiently waiting for the arrival of my new niece or nephew! T minus 3 WEEKS! Whoopppiee!

Help Fight Cancer!

For the most part I truly consider myself one of those people who count their blessings. I really do. I am always trying to savor every moment with my children, husband, family, etc. I know how blessed I am to have them. I know they are gifts from God for me to cherish and treasure. Yet, there are those days, (and we all have them) when the weight of the world can wear you down. When things dont always go the way you want, or you are caught up in the crazy, hustle bustle and stresses of every day life. It's on those days, that I make it a point to visit this website. www.laylagrace.org.

I remember the pain and trauma Hannah went through as a newborn. I remember the day when I thought we were going to lose her. I also remember how much Layla went through with her stomach and allergy issues. All the testing the poking and prodding each one of my girls went through. I can't imagine what it is like for these families to watch their babies, their children suffer. To be in so much pain. We have to find a cure!!!

I ask you, please help in the fight against cancer. Donate, share the links and stories of these children and their families, pray like you never have before for these children, or just be grateful for what it is that you do have. Remember, together we can find a cure for cancer!



http://www.thematthewsstory.com/

http://www.ourturkey.blogspot.com/

Gearing up for a party!

We have been busy busy busy over at the Murphy household! All of it good of course and knock on wood.. we haven't been too sick these past several weeks aside from the coughs and runny noses that go along with colds. We just came off a gorgeous and most delightful Holiday weekend. We usually spend this weekend up in New Hampshire but this year we were able to attend my beloved Scituate Art Festival for the first time in years! The kids had a wonderful time and they were so well behaved. Billy and I ended up picking up a few trinkets to be given as Christmas gifts as well. Nothing better than doing some of that shopping now to stay on course for a fun Christmas Season. We were also able to visit our favorite boutique http://ChaChaBelle.com and pick up some new accessories.. I seriously can't get enough! I told Sarah that it might be best if I just set up an account with her that I can pay monthly! I just love love love all of her creations and my girls love to wear them! I cant begin to tell you how many compliments we receive when the girls are in their Cha Cha gear!

We also celebrated my childhood best friend's wedding with them on Sunday. What a fantastic time this was! Alyson looked absolutely stunning in her dress and it was quite emotional to watch her walk down the isle. I swear I could still see her walking up William's Rd to come play when we were kids. Adam and Alyson do make the perfect couple and I wish them all the happiness in the world as they begin their marriage together. Billy and I had a blast at the reception and it was sooo nice to have this time together. We dont get too much of that with 3 kiddos! The kids did fare fine however with Auntie Charl, Uncle Stephen, Amy and Kevin. They had a grand time and havent stopped talking about all the things they did!

Layla had a fantastic birthday and we had a very nice dinner to celebrate with the grandparents. She was delighted to receive the only gift she asked for, a fish. Which she aptly names, "Nemo"... because.. who isnt named Nemo in Layla's world? HA! She is doing great with potty training and I just can't believe how grown up this little doll is! Despite her age and her new found maturity, the kid continuously has us rolling on the floor in laughter. Most importantly.. she is STILL MY CUDDLE BUG! (sigh of relief here). I cant imagine not snuggling with this little cozy monkey every night!

Both young ins had their checkups yesterday. Layla gained 5 pounds in a year! Whoooooppiiee! Although she is still below average on the weight chart.. gaining 5lbs a year is average for her age so we have made much progress there! She also grew 4 and a half inches! Holy Cow! She is my tall little petite beanpole! Everything else checked out great and Dr. Sowa had fun conversing with her. She received her 2 immunizations and 1 flu shot and handled it all very well considering. Only a few minutes of crying and then she was bandaged with some Bugs Bunny Band-Aids and all was good with the world.

Chubba Luv also had his 4 month check up. I was shocked to learn that he too was below average in weight because to be quite honest.. he looks so darn chubby!!! LOL Come to find out.. it's because he does not seem to be so tall in length.. HA! So he looks chubbier than what his weight really is. Did I mention he is teething? Teething at 4 months! Layla cut her first two teeth at 9 months and didnt get any more til well after a year old! LOL He is doing tremendously though, rolling all about and talking and laughing. I cant believe how much more alert and advanced he is at this stage than the girls. They both were still immobile at this age. Dr. Sowa reminded me however, that Cameron is well. He feels good and that's probably why. My poor princesses didn't have such luck. Needless to say I am scared out of my mind that this little monkey will be crawling waaaayyy too soon! He is such a happy little love bug and I think he too, is going to be all cuddly like Layla.

Hannah is doing well also. She is back to loving school and being with all of her friends. Her schoolwork is coming along great and her reading is progressing as well. I am so very proud of her. She really is so grown up that sometimes I forget she is only 6! I have to remind myself of this because the kid truly is as mature as they come.

We are now throwing ourselves into planning a kicker of a birthday party for Miss Layla Cakes. Mickey Mouse everywhere! We finished up our cookies last night and we are heading into creating some cupcakes tomorrow night! So very excited for the day and our big Mickey surprise. I hope the weather cooperates and we get a gorgeous Fall day. I am sure to have a bunch of great pictures to put up!

xoxoxo

Happy 3rd Birthday Layla Grayce!

Dear Lord where does the time go? I can still remember every little detail about Miss Layla's day of birth and I can't believe it was THREE whole years ago! She is truly such a ray of sunshine in my life. She brings me more laughter than I ever thought imaginable! My snuggle bug, my sidekick, my little princess in all her frills. We had a marvelous day today and I was so happy to be able to have the day off with her! I can't tell you how many people remarked on how adorable she looked in her Cha Cha Belle outfit complete with a brown tutu, matching hat and cowgirl boots! I seriously could just eat this child up! I love you baby girl... Mommy loves you so very much! xoxoxoxo

Off to finish making dinner for the grandparents for her celebration!

It was a long week. It was a tough week. It was an extremely emotional week. Yet, we did pull through and at the very end of the week, stood my baby boy's Baptism. How very happy I was to have a celebration to look forward to after a week filled with sadness and many tears. The day could not have been more perfect! The weather was absolutely gorgeous and somehow by the grace of God I had planned everything just right so that there was no stress and no rushing around. The Lord was definitely present!

Auntie Jill and Uncle Dave had come over early enough so Jill could dress baby Cameron. It is the Italian tradition to have the Godmother dress the baby into his Baptismal attire. This attire was bought by the Godparents and it was just so perfect for Cameron. It's golden ivory tone was exactly what I had wanted. We were able to get some pictures out on the deck as well with plenty of time to spare!

Cameron looked dashing in this Baptism attire and he was so very good in Church! He is just the sweetest little boy! Father Najim performed the hat trick as he had Baptized the girls as well. Just this time the venue was different as we are now parishioners of St. Augustine's. The whole ceremony was beautiful and personal being that it was private. The girls looked gorgeous in their fancy dresses and I was just so happy to be celebrating this day with the family. After the week that had passed, I made sure to say an extra prayer of thanks that I still had so many loving family members surrounding us. What a truly remarkable day as my baby Cameron entered into his Catholic faith!

The reception was FANTASTIC! I absolutely adore Via Roma and all of it's Italian ambiance! It was exactly how I had imagined it. The cake was GORGEOUS and tasted simply delicious as it was from Scialo Brothers Bakery up on Federal Hill as well. I will most certainly be ordering from them again! The photographs that I had taken of Cameron were the perfect centerpieces along with the hydrangeas I had dried from our yard. Mom Murphy had whipped up some scrumptious chocolate covered Oreo cookie favors and they were so yummy as well. (Rumor has it that Miss Julie was devouring them when the guests weren't looking!) HA! It all goes to that new niece or nephew I will be having in less than two months! The food was phenomenal and everyone remarked about it. The ambiance.. well it was just perfect. A family celebration set to Sinatra and Bennet, who could ask for anything more? I can't thank our parents and Jill & dave enough for helping to make this such a spectacular day!

I am surely saying my prayers this week. Last week is gone but I am still keeping Helen and her family in these prayers as well as Peter, Tammi & Brenna. I wish there were something more I could do, but I will certainly keep the prayers coming.

Onward to planning a 3rd Birthday Party for Miss Layla Cakes!

Dear Lord,

Please keep this man safe

Protect him from harm

Wrap his family in your embrace

Return him to us safely

Peter, thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice to protect us and our Country. We love you and can't wait for your safe return. 364 more days!

Mr. Revis

It is most sincerely with a heavy heart that I sit down to write about this beloved man, Mr. Revis. I was 5 years old when I first met this man named, Costa, Gus, Tony or how I referred to him as, Mr. Revis. I remember then being so confused as to what his name REALLY was since all these names were used so interchangeably when people spoke to him. Sometimes, the same person would use all three in the same sentence when speaking to him or speaking about him! Yet I was 5 years old and his daughter Helen and I had just met in Kindergarten. We didn't know it yet, but Helen and I were going to remain in each other's lives for years to come. Helen introduced me to Tracey and from then on, the three of us nourished a friendship that would last a lifetime.

One of the things that made Helen and my friendship grow was the fact that we were raised very similarly. She, Greek and me, Italian, we both grew up in households where our fathers were quite strict. We were Daddy's little girls and they would do everything in their power to keep us safe and sound. Something Helen and I couldn't quite understand back then, but now that we are adults, raising daughters of our own, we can truly appreciate. Both Mr. Revis and my father ran businesses in the town of Smithfield. Pizza and chicken. Two totally different establishments but Helen and I both saw our Dads work an enormous amount of hours when we were young. We were taught the meaning of a dollar at an early age. We were taught to value these restaurants even though there would come times when I know we would both loathe them. These are just a few of the things that bonded Helen and I together in friendship. At the very root of it all stood my Dad and Mr. Revis. We continued on in school and expanded our group to eventually 3 more. Valerie, Andrea and Sara joined us and for the most part, we were known as the 6 musketeers. The 6 of us will always have some really wonderful memories to look back on and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful that we somehow have remained in each other's lives despite living states apart, raising families and nourishing careers. I think it is safe to say that our bond cant be broken after 30 years of friendship.

Mr. Revis adored Helen in such a way that it was evident in everything that he did. He was always so proud of her and all of her accomplishments and he surely couldn't wait to pass on Helen's endeavors to the rest of the town. He was that proud of her and not in such a way as to gloat, but in a way as to say, "My daughter is my pride and joy and I am so proud of the woman she has become." Helen was always his Greek Princess and rightfully so. He was just as proud of his son Costa. Costa followed in the family footsteps and one could always find him behind the counter at Tonys from the time he was a little boy. You see, Mr. Revis owned and operated Tony's Pizza Palace which was just a short walk (across a usually very dangerous) street. Year after year there would be times throughout the day where I would be driving by and there he was crossing the street to head back to the restaurant or to head home after a long, hard day's work. When Helen got married to Brian and had her two little blessings, Mr Revis would love to keep me updated on the girls and their exciting news. He adored going to their dance recitals and for them, the sun rose and set on their Papu. There is one picture that is standing out in my mind that I saw of Olivia and Mr. Revis after her dance recital a few years back. He had given her flowers and he was walking to the car carrying her. He had such an adoring look in his eyes as he looked at her. It was such a precious image that I never forgot about it.

I use to love to go over to Helen's house to play or to go into the restaurant for the main reason being that Mr. Revis had this way of making you feel like the most important person in the world. It didn't matter who you were, you were treated like family the minute you walked through the door of his home, or the door of the restaurant, which in essence was just an extension of his living room. For me personally, there was always a "KERRI!" shouted the moment he would lay eyes on me. Simultaneously as he would boom out my name in his Greek accent, his arms would extend wide ready for that big hug. Never was there a greeting without a hug and a how are you. Never, was there anything less than this big huge greeting that made you feel like a million bucks. Like royalty.

I used to get a big kick out of going over to Helen's and listening to her parents talk. I LOVED their accent and her Mom was always equally as sweet as her father. The house ALWAYS smelled of delicious Greek food and there was at least one cat (Lucky?) roaming about the home who sometimes got even better treatment than Helen or Costa.. if that is at all possible! The Revis's always made sure you felt at home whether you were in their house or at the restaurant. Mr. Revis always checked in with us as well to make sure we were walking the straight and arrow. "Kerri, how you doing in school? You doing well? You getting A's? You have to get A's you know to be successful in America." Then there were Helen's birthday parties at the restaurant. Nothing beat those. Nothing could even come close to the taste of Tony's pizza and well hey... a girl could surely get sick of eating chicken so often and just want that pizza. I was probably only 6 years of age when I knew the phone number to Tonys by heart because it was a place my entire family frequented and still frequent. It didn't matter what time we went either.. Mr. Revis was always there to greet us.

A few short years ago we held an unofficial "Cancer Sucks" pizza party at the restaurant for our friend Shannon who was making her way through becoming a two time breast cancer survivor. Mr. Revis was there because.. well..when wasn't he? He just LOVED seeing all these classmates of Helen's. He had a smile on that night bigger than any one I had previously seen. I know he was so proud to be part of something for Shannon as well. He was beaming with happiness that we were all there, in his "living room" celebrating Shannon's cancer free night. He was happy to contribute to that special evening of joy and I remember sitting there as a 30 something, feeling the exact same way I did as a teenager. The ambiance never changed and there was just something so very special about that.

I have so many wonderful memories of this man and the entire Revis family that it would be impossible to list them all. Throughout the years Helen and I stayed friends and I am happy to say that we still try and get together once a month or so to catch up on life. I always look forward to this adult time and it is always followed by a lot of laughter. My Helen, is like her father in having the ability to make people feel comfortable and at ease around her. She is a jack of all trades like her Dad. She succeeds at whatever she puts her mind into doing and she is not afraid of hard work. Something I surely don't tell her enough is how very smart I find her. She is one of the most intelligent women that I know and she is so very strong and determined. She is a WONDERFUL mother and a fabulous wife. For me, she was always that person. That person that could do it all and make it look easy. I look up to her. Mostly because she knows what she wants, she knows what is best and she stops at nothing to achieve it.

And then there came this day that seemed to have happened way too soon. I got the text early Saturday morning and couldn't press my fingers to dial her number fast enough. Surely she was going to tell me that it wasn't true. She texted me wrong. There was some mistake. As soon as I heard her voice, I knew it wasn't. How I wish that there was something I could do to make this the slightest bit easier on her, on the girls, Brian, on Mrs. Revis and Costa. Life doesn't make sense sometimes. What I find comforting for myself and something I think that in time the entire Revis family will find comforting is the fact that Mr. Revis was sort of an icon in Smithfield. It sounds silly to say that but it's the truth. As this news has spread, the entire town is in disbelief and is mourning him as well. I guess I never thought of him in that respect because he was Helen's Dad. He was an extension of Helen.. but when I sit here and truly think about it.. he didn't just treat me like that princess... He treated everyone who walked through his doors like that. He has touched so many people and it is so comforting to know how well loved he was and always will be by how everyone is reacting to this news.

Mr. Revis, you will be missed. I just can't fathom walking through those doors of the restaurant and not seeing you. I just cant fathom it. But I will be comforted by all the times I was able to relish in your exuberant greeting when I did walk through those doors. I will be comforted by the fact that I just knew you and what a remarkable family man you were. You worked so hard your entire life. As Helen said, you only knew one speed. I wish for you eternal peace now. You can rest. Helen is strong and we will help her get through this. The 6 musketeers will pull together and we will continue to make you proud. We love her and we love you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know you and for continuing to teach me the true meaning of family every time I walked through your doors. You are going to be so very missed, but I can promise you... that you will never be forgotten. Rest peacefully Mr. Revis as you surely deserve those angel wings.

Where's That Mother of the Year Award?

Once again I have been nominated for the "Mother of the Year" award. Sheesh.. I'll tell ya. We started out well with Hannah and school and it quickly crumbled. Her first three days went smooth without much todo. The long weekend came and then Tuesday morning arrived. I walked her to the play area and sat in the car to watch her to be sure she would be okay until it was time to enter the building. (I'll get into the school's safety issues in due time). In the blink of an eye I see her wailing. I run out of the car to her and realized that she had fallen and had skinned her knee. With that skinned knee came a massive meltdown. Crying hysterically she begins to tell me that she in fact does not like school at all and has been lying about liking it. She doesn't want to go and she wants to stay with me. At which point she grasped onto my legs and wouldn't let go for dear life. I was so completely taken aback that I don't think I spoke for a few seconds. My Hannah? Not want to run right into school? Wants to be with ME? This is COMPLETELY uncharacteristic of Hannah. She is my independent, eager to learn new things, can't wait to be with my friends, Hannah. WHAT HAPPENED? She was obviously not letting go so after retrieving the other kids from the car I walked her to the nurse's office where she was bandaged up. When the nurse had her happy and distracted, I made my exit. The next few days went much the same with me leaving her in tears lined up to walk into the building. It BROKE my heart! I have been so confused as to what is going on and how she transitioned so well last year and not this year. All I can come up with is that we had such a loving, caring, nurturing and sweet Kindergarten teacher. This year, I have yet to meet her 1st grade teacher. (Again, this will be addressed in a future post). I have seen her once at dismissal and that has been the extent of it. She seems nice enough, but I am not sure if one could compare to Miss Geremia who is now Mrs. Thomas. As I am totally perplexed by the situation, I also know that I can't overreact and that we just have to give it some time and allow Hannah to settle back into the routine. I am sure me having the summer off to be with her has aided in this difficult adjustment as well. AND there is that matter of new baby Cameron also. So I made a deal with myself that I would keep a close eye on the situation but also give it enough time to fully asses before I go in the school all crazy Mom like.

INSERT WEEKEND STORY HERE: As if Hannah wasn't having a tough time already, CCD started on Sunday. She was SO excited because this meant she would be seeing Nya the third musketeer of their group. The three of them are the best of friends and Nya moved to Cranston this summer so Hannah has been bummed about not having her around in class, etc.. So she and Makenzie save a seat in the middle for Nya and their reunion. Nya comes in and they are delighted. Then Nicholas comes in (Hannah's "boyfriend" and my good friend's son) and they are all so happy to be together. They start to call the classes to line up and go into the classrooms and they get to Hannah's age group. They call Nya, Makenzie, then Nicholas.. and they send them to the class. Hannah is sitting all alone and suddenly realizes, they are all together in class and she is all alone without anyone she knows in the other class. I think I literally felt my heart break for her as I ran to scoop her up as the tears were streaming down her face. After comforting her for a few minutes, I marched her down to the class where her friends were and explained the situation to the teacher who was more than willing to have her stay in his class. I then explained the situation to Sister Dot who was more than willing to accommodate the situation. Sighhhhh Could Hannah have had a more traumatic week? LOL


Fast forward to yesterday when I get a phone call from the school nurse telling me she has Hannah in her office. She is complaining of her throat and a stuffy nose. She hasn't got a fever and her throat is barely pink. When I asked to speak with her, I was told I couldn't.. well because she is complaining of a sore throat and all.. and germs.. and the phone.. Not quite sure exactly why she couldn't alcohol the phone afterwards, but okay, I go with it. So I throw the other kids in the car and leave my studio work in Pawtucket to go assess the situation. When I get there, I get the feeling that Hannah is now putting the school nurse out. I explained that we are having some transition issues and she replies, "Well she is making a habit out of coming down to my office." As I was about to address this, Hannah came bounding down the hallway wanting to show Layla her classroom. (For ambiance.. add in the fact that Layla is melting down due to an interrupted nap and Cameron is screaming his head off) I looked at her and asked her if she were well enough to go back to class. She replied she was and I sent her right back as I left to calm the younger two.

When Hannah came home I grilled her about how many times she had been to the nurse's office. She said 3 times in total. Once the day she skinned her knee with me and twice yesterday. Before lunch she went down and the nurse told her to go to lunch and see if she felt better. After lunch she went back stating she wasn't feeling better. I believe this. I believe the visits were 3 in total. I explained to Hannah that if she was okay to be in class then she cant keep going down to the nurse's office. I went into great depth about Emily, the girl who cried wolf so many times that when she was telling the truth, nobody believed her. I grilled it into her to make sure she understood the difference and I do believe the point was driven home. I understand that the nurse probably thinks she is this type of child because she is new and doesn't know Hannah so I am going to have to speak to her tomorrow and explain the situation.


As I got in about 9:30 last night from the gym, I went upstairs to shower and I heard her crying. I went into her room and realized she was half awake, half asleep. My heart immediately sank. I knew.. I knew... I just knew she REALLY didnt feel well and all along she WAS telling the truth. I felt HORRIBLE for drilling her earlier when all along she just didnt feel right and couldn't vocalize it. (Something that Hannah never could do, I believe due to all the pain she was in as an infant). A few more episodes of her crying and I woke her up completely and gave her Motrin and let her sleep in my bed. Sure enough she said it was her ear that hurt. This time the right one. When she got up this morning she said she felt much better. I also noticed she slept longer than she has been. For some reason she has been getting up quite early lately. Even though she said she was better, I made the appointment at the doctor. She didn't have school and I wanted peace of mind.


Not only does Hannah have an ear infection.. HER TUBES ARE OUT! I repeat.. HER TUBES ARE OUT! These are the third set of tubes that she has had inserted and these tubes WERE ONLY PUT IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO! July 13th to be exact! I was literally beside myself! Seeing that our appointment was with the nurse practitioner and the office was slamming, I knew there wouldn't be time to pull Dr. Sowa aside and voice my concerns. I am going to have to make that phone call tomorrow. Yet, where do we go from here? Do they insert them AGAIN? DO they wait? DO we go through the entire winter with her in pain and missing school? WHAT am I supposed to do? Mind you that I am completely TERRIFIED of going through another ruptured ear drum experience. So here I sit completely dumbfounded about the situation. I am sure after a good night's sleep I will figure the solution and proper steps to take.. I am just completely exhausted with all of this sickness drama lately! Layla currently has a double ear infection. This I know only after taking Cameron in last week for his terrible diaper rash (which turned out to be yeast and eczema and has cleared quite well with the proper medication) and having Dr. Sowa say, "I hear her wheezing.. let me check her as well." Cameron also caught the cold and is completely congested. OYE! WHAT on earth is this winter going to be like? I'm losing my mind already!

Furthermore, when I went to go take Cam's Baptism photo's at the studio, I realized that the outfit that was made for him was stained! I had ordered it off of Etsy and I am looking at it in the daylight and the linen looks completely bleached stained all over the front of the vest. I freak of course, 1-because I paid money for the outfit and want it to be perfect and 2-because..well I want it to be perfect! I emailed the woman immediately and she was very sweet about the situation yet, she was leaving for vacation today. In the end, I decided to keep the outfit and make do since there wouldn't be enough time to find another and she refunded me 50%. She took her spool of linen outside and saw the same defective fabric. Something that wasn't visible to her or me inside the dimly lit house. She did feel bad and I was ready to live with it until I spoke to my mother in law today who is insisting that it is a sign because my sister in law Jill, Cam's God mother, really wanted to buy the outfit. So now I think I will return the outfit for a complete refund and mom in law and I are heading to Joe's Place tomorrow to search for a new one!

As if one more thing couldn't go wrong, I had uploaded the pics of Cameron I took last week onto the CVS photo website last night to order the 8 x 10's as centerpieces for the Baptism. I thought this was great because I didn't have to lug the kids and do them all myself in the store. I go to pick them up today and they messed them up! I just wanted 8 x 10's. They cropped and blew up images so much so that half of Cam's head was cut out of the shot! SERIOUSLY? I emailed CVS and they told me about their 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed policy and to return them for a full refund. Which I did, but not without complete attitude by the photo person. I am SORRY, but I would like my son's whole head present at his Baptism, thank you very much! What the??? Mon Dieu! I know.. trust me I know that none of this makes any iota of a difference because all that matters is that my beautiful little boy is present for us to contest to raise him in the Catholic Faith. I know this. Yet, that detail oriented part of me sometimes takes over and can really drive me crazy! I was going to be an event planner before I found out I was pregnant for Hannah!

So my long winded post is through and I will leave you by saying.. Stay tuned for my comments about the safety and unorganized craziness of Hannah's school!

Andrea & Thadd's Engagement Shoot RCB Matunuck, Rhode Island August 2010

Cameron John 3 months

Survived

Well we survived our first 3 days back at school and back at work. Hannah transitioned exceptionally well, as I knew she would. This is not to say that I am not a little concerned (again) with a few safety issues at her school and I plan to meet with the principal next week to discuss them further. I know the school has had a lot of administrative replacement and movement, but I still dont see why they cant come up with the proper organizational skills as to make the first few days a bit easier on the kids as well as the parents. Some of it is pure common sense. Hannah does like her teacher and she seems very enthusiastic about learning more skills and participating in 1st grade. She is happy to be back amongst all of her girlfriends as well.

As far as work is concerned, I had an exceptionally hard time adjusting back. I find it very difficult for reasons I am not able to explain here. It was really tough on me however, the babies seemed to do quite well. Layla seems happy to be back in our work schedule and Cameron adjusted remarkably also. He has gone down in the pack n play for naps and loves the portable swing as well. Yes, it can be a bit tough to multitask with the two of them, but I can assure you that this is not the most difficult task of my job. I am sure a few more days of playing "catch up" will help me feel better about the situation but it sure as hell is not going to stop me from playing the lottery in hopes to someday be a stay at home mom!

Still on track at the gym, however the weight coming off has completely slowed down which can be quite frustrating. I am working so hard.. I want it off! I want it off now! It has been tough to go this week amongst all the chaos of returning back to work and Hannah being back in school. I am exhausted come 8:00pm but I have pushed on and kept going. PLEASE... weight.. come off! PLEASE!

We had a great night last night as the girls had their girlfriends Makenzie and Mia over for the Camp Rock Final Jam movie. They were adorable and seemed to have a great time. Yet, I am not so sure how much of the movie they actually watched since they seemed to have had more fun playing and dancing about. Thankfully, Hurricane Earl didnt seem to measure up as they had originally thought and although I haven't heard the official word yet from my Dad, 1W3 seems to be standing strong in it's place. I would have been completely devastated had the surf swept this cottage away on us. Thank you Lord for sparing our little piece of heaven!

Following are some pictures of Hannah's 1st day and our visit with my girlfriend Sara who had her precious baby Aria a mere 2 weeks after I had Cameron. Aria is a beautiful little baby girl and I was so happy to have spent some time with Sara! Hoping to get to NYC this Christmas to visit again with her!