Merry Christmas

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away,like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.The good you do for others is good you do yourself...

~Norman Wesley Brooks

To all our family and friends Happy Holidays-

The Burtons

Sometimes you feel like a nut

Lauren has been continuously sick since she was six months old. Constant vomiting, diarrhea, lack of weight gain, and hives. So after doing exclusion diets, we decided that she had an allergy/intolerance for dairy and soy products. Her pediatrician said to just keep those foods out of her diet, but I wanted to know for sure and asked for a reference to a pediatric allergist. He said that that probably wasn't necessary, and that since she was so young, they probably wouldn't get a definite allergy reading and it just puts the her through unnecessary stress. I agreed at first, but the thought kept nagging at me.So I emailed him again, this time with a little more motherly persuasion and asked for another referral . I was told it was a least a two month wait, and I was ok with that just as long as she got in. Then last Tuesday, I got a call from the allergist office saying that there had been a cancellation, Lauren was at the top of the list and there was an appointment available for this past Friday. So with much apprehension for my baby, on Friday, I watched her get held down by her dad and get poked quite a few times, testing for the top ten food allergies. The doctor said it would take about 15 minutes to get any results and left us by ourselves. After about 5 minutes, this welt began to form in the middle of her back. I said, to myself, "See I knew I wasn't crazy, she has a huge allergy to milk!! At least isn't something crazy like a nut allergy." The doctor comes back in and makes this face when he sees her back like "Holy Heck". He looks at me and says" Her peanut allergy is severe enough that there should be no PEANUT products in the home, and your other daughter shouldn't be allowed to have PEANUT products either , in case she comes in contact with her sister." At this point my brain goes to commercial break. I looked at Adam, and even he looked surprised. Peanuts weren't even something I had thought about. I asked what would have happened if I had given her a peanut and honey sandwich and the doctor looked horrified and said "Well it is a good thing that that didn't happen!"In the end, she walked out with the Peanut allergy being number one, milk, and soy coming in at two and three. She can touch them without much of a reaction, but as time goes on, her reactions will probably get worst. Never ignore that nagging feeling. I am grateful that I didn't allow the doctor to make me feel as if I was being overly dramatic, and listened to my internal alarm system. You never know what you have the power to prevent.

You could cut the Christmas spirit with a knife!!

Last night after church, the Burton's were struggling with the Christmas spirit. So dad was enlisted to find us some. So with Neil Diamond Christmas playing in the background, we all got dressed in our warmest clothes, and headed out to an unknown destination. After about twenty minutes we ended up a Coulon Beach were there was a pretty little light display set up. As we pile out of the car, we realize that our warmest was not nearly warm enough. Coulon Beach is right on the water so with the wind, it was maybe 30 degrees!! The wind kept blowing our hats off .We walked for about 5 minutes before we turned back around and headed for the car, all the while , crying, because the wind was blowing so hard ,and laughing beacuse we were nuts for being out in such conditions. Rylee did love the lights and would "ooh" and "aw" between teeth chatters so that alone made it worth it. Lauren just buried her face into my neck. I don't think she saw anything. At least when they get older, they will know we weren't lacking in holiday spirit. It's the effort that counts, right?

Sshh...or they will find me.

Rylee loves to hide in tiny, dark spaces. The other day we were in her closet and came across this tiny doll bench. She fell in love with it and ran off. About an hour later while I was making dinner, I heard muffled giggles. I turn around to see Rylee crammed into this cabinet, sitting on the bench. I have no idea how she did it, but now when she acts bored or is just being two, I give her the bench and away she goes.

We got elfed!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1306104710

From Graceland with love

So what was supposed to be a quite Thanksgiving weekend at home turned out to be an 8000 mile journey to infinity and beyond. Well not exactly, but that is what it felt like at the time. It started when, my 88 year old grandfather who has not been feeling well, had a simply birthday wish to meet Adam, which he had never had the pleasure of doing, and hold his great-grand daughters whom he had only ever seen in pictures. So with little intention of purchasing tickets, I find a red-eye out of Seattle on Thanksgiving night for and unheard of price $250 a piece. With a prayer in my heart, I called Adam at work, asking him if he could take the week after Thanksgiving off with only two weeks notice. The stars where aligned, because we where going to Memphis. Did I mention the whole thing was a surprise? After Thanksgiving dinner at Adam's sisters house, we pack seriously what felt like the entire house, and away we went.

Rylee is only pretending to be tired.

Take a long look at these smiling faces. For they are the smiles of people who have no ideal that the next NINE hours of their lives are going to be hell to put it mildly. Because I don't like to dwell on the past, I will keep it short. Rylee and Lauren stayed awake the entire flight. They were not quite and it was not pretty. They stayed awake through our layover in Atlanta and the flight onto Memphis. In the end, we made it safely to my grandma's house. I called her when we got about ten minutes from her house and just made small talk until we pulled into her driveway. I then jumped out and ran into the house through the back door. The expression on my grandparents face was instantly worth the previous nine hours.

My grandparents houses was so different from ours. Everything is breakable and accessible. I even broke a figurine. While no one was looking, this is what Lauren did to my granddaddy's birthday cake. Don't worry, he got another.

Memphis is known for quite a few things. Eating tons and authentic BBQ being two of them. Adam was in heaven. I gained five pounds.

Large colorful hats. Yes, women really wear these works of art on their heads. My grandma has seriously a hundred or more.

Oops. Wrong turn. If only Adam would listen when I give directions.

The Mississippi River

And of course, GRACELAND!! Unfortunately , Graceland is not in the best of neighborhoods, and costs $48 bucks per person for a tour, so this is as close as I got . Just as well, I heard it isn't real kid friendly.

Is my granddaddy tiny or is Adam huge? Both. The week went buy so quickly I wish I had another week to spend with them.

Sad to see us leave, grandma and granddaddy, wanted one more photo.We aren't out the door, and my grandma is starting to cry.

Thanks goodness for smart people. The Atlanta airport had two play areas for kids. Rylee just ran and ran, but I don't think anything could have gotten all the ants out. Right before we boarded the plane home, she fell asleep. We were like, YES, thinking she would sleep at least three of the five hours....wrong. Once we where on the plane, we just sat for an hour before our plane even took off!!! After only and hour in the air, she woke up reenergized and ready to terrorize. I won't bore you with the details, but, warning. If your child is under three, any plane ride over and hour and a half, is not for you.

In the end we survived and the girls were happy to be home. I am so grateful that they got to meet their awesome great-grandparents. My granddady said it was the best birthday he had had, in a very long time. That alone is worth a plane full of crying, overtired Rylees.

It can't be so....

My baby is one!!! I have no idea how the time could have gone by so quickly!! I am truly sad that I don't have anymore infants. I know, I need my head examined, but I have spent the last three years either expecting an infant or taking care of one. Just the other day I was trying to feed Lauren, and she took the spoon from me and careful, with little sucess, began to feed herself. My solution was to have yet another, three in three and a half years, and my sweet husband who does not subscribe to my brand of humor just walked away. Well we know who won that one.

Tagged!

I have been tagged and must tell seven little know facts about myself, but there is not a whole lot of mystery here.

• I love to read!!! I always have. Rylee and Lauren are becoming equally obsessed .I sometimes feel compelled to write King County library system a thank you letter for putting my tax dollars to such good use.


• I have had the chicken poxes TWICE. Once when I was 5 and again when I was thirteen. Yes this is possible. Can you believe kids don't even get chicken pox anymore?



• I love British television. I watch a ton of BBC America and along those same lines, I also love TCM (Turner Classic Movies, for those of you unaware of what you are missing)!



• I love the theatre. The best live show I have ever seen is The Lion King, but Wicked was right up there with it.



• American History is fascinating to me. I study it every chance I get. This is ironic because in high school, I skipped American History constantly. Yes, I skipped school...a lot.



• I have had $12,000 dollars worth of dental work done on my teeth in the past ten years, but have never had braces or veneers. (Kids, drink your milk!!)



• J'adore Dior. I can neither afford or fit into it, but if I had gotten in the right line (the supermodel line) couture fashion would be for me. I think it is beautiful, impractical ,and necessary only if you have somewhere fancy to go....but I still think it is lovely.

Since most of our family that lives here in the Northwest live, I mean work at Microsoft, the last couple years we have been doing our trick-or-treating in their offices. The kids get tons of candy and the parents stay warm. Since I had school tonight, Adam was offically in charge of the Halloween fun. Along with our brother -in-law, Danny and cousins Tyler and Jason, they collected enough loot to last until.... I've picked out all the good stuff. I dressed the girls as Thing 1&2 from The Cat in the Hat, and away they went. Poor Lauren had no idea what was going on. All of a sudden she is awaken from her nap, and her hair was blue. But I have pictures to prove that in no way was she left out of all the fun.

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Birthday Adam !!!

Last Monday, my sweet husband turned 31! While I don't consider him to be old, it freaks me out to think that my turn is coming in the not so distant future. I never thought I would be thirty and here I am staring at it. Granted I have a year and a half, I am slowly giving up my title of being the "young one". After twenty, do you automatically become old, even when thirty is far from old?

Rylee goes to school

While a lot of people feel that two is too young for school, Adam and I feel like it is never too soon for organized education...and a little break. So when Ms. Niki opened up her beautiful home to our not so gentle daughter, I had to ask if she was serious, and whom did I need to make the check out to?All kidding aside it has been a fantastic experience. Rylee is learning so much and loves her teacher and new friends.

Button down shirts anyone?

I am excited to announce that for the first time in three years, my body is my own again. This week I weaned Lauren (a month early, I going on a trip at the end of the month), and now was as good a time as any. I can take cold medicine if needed and have caffeine without the worry of passing it to my baby. It isn't the body I started with, but I am glad to have it back.

Summer Vacation 2007

We just returned from 7 days 6 nights on a houseboat that toured Lake Shuswap B.C.While the weather wasn't everything that we wanted it to be, the last two days where beautiful.Rylee and Lauren loved the water and decided that for the duration of the trip, naps where not needed. All in all, while there were some trials, we had a fun time.

With a little convincing.....

Rylee wanted nothing to do with riding the sea-doo's or the ski-boat. So with a little convincing, Adam or I putting her aboard while she is kicking and screaming, she eventually loved going for rides. I can't say that she was all smiles, but she enjoyed herself.

The ole' bait in switch

Lauren thought that all the rocks belonged in her mouth. One minute she would be splashing and laughing, the next , she would be drooling uncontrollably and I would have to swipe a mouth full of pebbles out of her mouth. This was one of those trials I was talking about.