happy friday!

phew.

what a busy few days it has been--really what a busy few weeks. shoot. who am i kidding it's been busy around here for months. *deep breath*

i can't really form coherent thoughts right now, or think of anything witty to say. but i want to remember the busyness of our lives, because, albeit hard to believe, everyone tells me to cherish it, because one day i'll miss the action-packed days of raising little ones.

UPDATES

DOUG: he is looking remarkably better. and feeling better too. the rash doesn't look inflammed and angry anymore, but it is still covering the majority of his body. the swelling and redness in his face has gone down substantially. his trunk used to look so much worse than his extremeties, but now it's just the opposite. he's itching like crazy, but i can't convince him to try an oatmeal bath. his biggest complaint beyond the itching is that the steriods are making him unable to sleep. :(

SCRAPBOOKING: as you can see by the photo above, my studio is somewhat of a disaster. this picture is the most 'clean-looking' of the ones i took. if i get brave i'll show you the mega mess. remember it's CHA time. yesterday, i mailed off 32 projects, an 8lb box!, to karen foster. one deadline down, a few more to go. and there's at least 15 loads of clean, unfolded laundry in towering baskets in my studio. oh joy! i have applied my dump, sort method to them, so at least i know which basket to go to when i need to find something.

EMMA: she is having a rough time adjusting to the summer schedule at daycare. every day, except fridays, they go on a fieldtrip since she's now with the school-agers. only problem is, she still wears out easily. she's been having lots of meltdowns after school and falling asleep before 8pm. some of the mood swings are from not eating or drinking enough thanks to moderate/severe reflux she was diagnosed with recently. for now we're trying medication....i can't stand the thought of her needing another surgery. good news: since we started medicine she gained 3 pounds!! yay!

ASHLYN: she's currently obsessed with boondoggling, since one of the teachers at daycare taught her how. she's got some money saved up and has been begging us to take her to hobby lobby to buy more plastic lacing. is the perfect project for travel & waiting rooms. it's been a long time coming, but i must say that she's been doing so well with sensory input lately. while visiting friends last night, i noticed her ability to adapt and cope with sensory overload. she still withdraws, but the migraines are few and far between. this is a busy weekend, so her ability to adapt to her surroundings and avoid meltdowns will be tested. she's also become a lover of water---i mean no fear whatsoever! i remember the day we celebrated her dumping water on her head like it was yesterday, after full blown meltdowns over just a drop of water touching her face. my girl. *sigh* she's growing up.

ME: trying SO hard to remind myself that CHA syndrome comes and goes. my house is soaring. remember when i described it last year? reading it over and over helps. i've still got a smile on my face after a reunion of sorts with Jonny Mac and other friends. but that's a story for when i can make sense of my thoughts. the visit was wonderful. way too short, but i feel recharged and refreshed and encouraged. he's just that kind of person. you always walk away feeling like you gained the world. thinking about the two upcoming procedures that i'll have done prior to the decision for the type of surgery i'll need. excited about the possibility of being pain-free most days, but bumming about the fact that the research study for my heart has been postponed three months in a row.

tonight is Red, White & Boom where we'll watch a 25 minute firework display and i'll think to myself...gosh, we're so lucky to live here.