audiologist

This morning was Addi's hearing test at the Audiologist. Turns out she DID have a hearing problem! She didn't so well on her right ear's test and after taking some pictures of her inner ear, they saw that she had a piece of PLASTIC in her ear; covering the entire opening of her inner ear and right up against her ear drum. It was covered in layers of heavy wax. The doc thinks it has been there for quite some time. She has been complaining of ear pain for AT LEAST 5 months. We have taken her into the pediatrician's office several times for ear pain and they kept telling us she had an insane amount of wax build up in her right ear. No wonder she couldn't hear and failed her hearing test!!

It's NEVER boring in the Schlegel household! :)

back to reality

It was so hard to take my parents to the airport and say goodbye. I know I'll see them in a few weeks when I go to Cali, but it's always hard to say goodbye ... we always have such a fun time with them.

My parents had their Christmas card pictures taken at a studio near their home back in October, but weren't happy with the way they turned out, so they asked if I would take their pictures while they were here. I had SO much fun. I borrowed Kristi's camera (cannon SLR). Mark saw the difference between my point and shoot and Kristi's SLR, that he's going to buy me one ... YEAH!!!!! Above are some of the shots we took.

On our way to the airport, we stopped by the Runner's Den in Phoenix. I've had my running shoes for a long while and have put way more then the recommended 400-500 miles on them. I learned SO much about the way I run and my feet in general. They analyzed my shoe and where the dead spots were, they watched the way I walk, run and stand. It was AWESOME! This morning I broke them in with a 5 mile run. It felt so good to get out and run after all that turkey and birthday cake!

My mom and I did some Black Friday shopping at the Arrowhead Mall. I had fun ... she spoiled me with new clothes ... but the crowds were definitely NO FUN to be in. She said she'd never go shopping on Black Friday again. I don't think I'd go alone, that would be so boring.

happy thanksgiving

It's finally here! I can't believe it! We are enjoying the company of my parents in from Cali! It's been a sweet reunion!

Our Thanksgiving dinner was great! Nothing too fancy, just turkey and all the fun fixings! No time rush, no crazy house hold ... just a calm, little dinner. It was perfect!!

The kids have gotten spoiled!! Addi got a new big girl bike! She helped Papa put it together. Logan got Heelys (spelling?). It's been so fun to watch him give it a try. He has definitely fallen on his poor bum more then I thought he would.

I ran 9 miles with Erin and Susan at 6am. It felt so good and by mile 5, I was in auto-pilot. I could have gone 4 more miles and reached my 13 mark with no problems. After this morning, I am a little bummed I'm not doing the full marathon.

Tomorrow morning I am going to attempt a Black Friday shopping trip! We'll see if I never shop again after the crazy rushes of people. I've never done it before and think it may be a good thing to experience. Wish me luck!!

mini thanksgiving feasts

Logan and his sand playmates

Logan's class and another Kindergarten class learning about Thanksgiving

Addi's class
Addi & her new best pal, Brooke (the "tom boys" of the class)

My morning started off with a nice 7 mile run. I'm not sore like I thought I would be ... tired, yes, but not sore ... as of yet. I can honestly say it felt GREAT to run more then our usual 4.5/5 miler we do on Tues and Thurs. This Thursday (Thanksgiving), we are going 10 miles and my mom said she'd like to join us. She'll ride my bike. My Mom has never been into my running fetish, which started my freshman year in high school when I joined the x-country team, so I am very excited to have her join us since she won't be at the marathon.

Today was the kids' "mini thanksgiving day feasts" at school. I had so much fun helping out the teachers and getting to know the parents and kids better. Above are some fun pictures of the kids.

Tomorrow morning my parents fly in. I may be more excited then the kids! This is THE longest I have gone without seeing my folks (it's been 9 months).

a big girl

Addi is officially shopping in the "big girl" section! I just can't believe it! We went to Old Navy to pick up some long sleeve tees since they were on sale and we quickly realized she was needing the XS (4/5) in the big girl section. Above is a picture in the tee she picked out along with her new shoes (she also picked out).

This week Logan dropped the bomb on me that he has a girlfriend. I asked him what having a girlfriend meant and he said, "we are going to stay together and get married". Before I could respond, the he said, "why do all the other girls love me, but I always have to be extra funny to get Payton to like me?" What was running through my mind???? AM I REALLY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH MY 5-YEAR OLD???????!!!!!!

This weekend was so productive. I was able to get my hair trimmed and dyed ... it's been a while and I so needed it! I feel like a million bucks! I had a baby shower and saw some friends in the old ward I haven't seen in a while. I got some alone time while shopping; grocery and Christmas. Mark stayed home with the kiddos and had so much fun just playing with them; they tore the house apart making tents/forts, long train tracks, tons of Lego cars (and on and on), but like the great hubby he is ... picked it all up before I got home.

Today has been an interesting day ...
It started while Mark was downstairs doing some work on the computer and I was in the shower. I came out of my room to hear the dog barking and whining. The kids had caught Rufus and put him in a plastic storage bin, placed it under the play table and in his plastic "jail", he had a bowl of water and a toy. Logan and Addi said Ruffie was their prisoner.

During sacrament meeting, the bread tray came to our row and instead of taking one piece of bread like she usually does, Addi stuck her entire face on the tray in an attempt to eat all the pieces of bread at once (like a dog)! Luckily I was quick enough to pull it away before her lips could touch the bread.

When I picked up Addi from Nursery, the leaders said she was using the potty and with the door closed, they could hear her screaming the words to, "scripture power" as she was going potty. She is LOVING Primary with the big kids and has been telling me she's too young for nursery. Just a few more weeks and her class will be in Primary.

Tonight Mark has a meeting at the Church and I have three visiting teaching appointments so we have Zach coming over to watch the kids. They are so excited to have him come over, they just love Zach.

Tomorrow we have our alarm being installed! Yeah!!! Tuesday both kids have Thanksgiving parties and Wednesday my parents fly in, early in the morning! On Thursday I'm going on a 10+ mile run with my "marathon gals". WHAT A FUN WEEK!

trenters

Trent Rogers is one of Addi's most favorite friends. Trent and Tyson came over for a while the other day ... here are some fun pictures of the crazy monkeys!

We have firmed up plans to meet Mark's brother, his kids and Mark's mom in Disneyland on Dec. 2. We are all so excited and looking forward to a fun get-together!

turkey bacon

My kids are LOVING the turkey bacon! They ate a half package in one morning! I had to actually tell them they had to eat something else. Now at the grocery store, Logan is asking me, "how many grams does this have?" I'll ask him, "grams of what?" He says, "everything". So cute! I'm glad he's interested in eating healthy too.

On Sunday in Primary it was the Bishopric's turn to do sharing time and it was on reverence. They had asked, "when are we to be reverent?" A lot of kids said: at church, in class, etc. Logan raised his hand and said, "in the car". Brother Stocking said, "can you elaborate?" Logan said, "we need to be reverent in the car so we don't distract the driver". I thought it was hilarious!

Yesterday Addi and I went up to the outlets in Anthem. She was in desperate need of Sunday clothes. It's an outdoor mall and they had Christmas music playing. While we were at the little park there, I was watching Addi and listening to the music and it dawned on me that all the kids are wearing shorts and sandals!!! Only in the desert! I did have fun watching Addi play. She is so outgoing. Kids just flock to her. I really admire her as a human being. She's such a fun girl.

This morning we ran our 5 miles doing 9.5 minute miles. All we talked about was the marathon. I am seriously getting gitty about it and can't wait! We're going to run 10 miles on Friday afternoon. I'm curious to see how I'm going to do. I haven't ran 10 miles since x-country high school.

I saw Ricky this morning at school and he said they he and Kristi are not going on their cruise in January so they can run the 1/2 marathon too! Ricky does Triathlons and running 13 miles will be nothing for him, but I am excited for Kristi to run ... I think she may get addicted!

Mark is working from 7:30am - midnight tonight. I am bummed that he'll be home so late, but he seems to be writing tons of business. We still aren't in the office yet. I think we're waiting on carpet and painting, but to be honest, I haven't asked the reason for the delay.

I found out that my sister-in-law will be in Turlock the same time as me and plans on staying at my parents house too. I am really looking forward to getting to know her better. I have only met her once prior to the wedding ... and that was the night before the wedding!!

Today we have the Rogers' kids coming to play. It's amazing to me that they see Race, Kali and Trent everyday yet they are still excited to see them ... everyday!!! I'm glad they have such close friends that they love.

friday fun

Today the kids didn't have school, so we decided to go to the Train Park ... again! It's truly their most favorite place to go. I love it too, to be honest. We stayed for almost three hours; riding the trains, ponies and playing at the fun playgrounds. It was another warm day (82-degrees), so it was perfect park day weather.

My 5 mile run with Trina, Erin and Susan was awesome! I am so excited to start running with them on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We took it nice and slow, doing 10 minute miles. Next Saturday we'll start the 10+ mile runs. I am getting more and more pumped about running my 13!

Today I took Addi to the pediatrician's office and we got a "one way ticket" (so to speak) to the Audiologist. I was really bummed to hear that it's true about the direct correlation between kidney defects and ear defects (inner and outer) because they form at the same time in the womb. As I was reading through this article online, I was stunned by the news. Why haven't we heard this earlier if it's so common and almost a "given"? Her appointment is on 11/27 ... more to come ...

Tonight Mark is on a camp out with the Young Men so the kids and I attempted the movie theatre. I say attempted because between the park for a few hours and the 45 minute drive (each way), cardio/weight class this morning and Addi's doc appointment ... they were pretty pooped! The Baird's invited us to hang out with them and catch a movie since Amy's hubby went on the camp out too. Logan and Addi lasted MAYBE 35 minutes and they were asking to go home and go to bed. Sure enough as soon as baths were over, they were both in bed and not one peep out of them.

Tomorrow is another fun day. We have a landscaper coming over to quote our backyard, I have a baby shower and then a "gift boutique".

Happy Veteran's Day!

9.5 weeks left

until the marathon!! This morning Trina asked me if I wanted to start running with their group in the mornings; 5-7 miles at 5am and then on Saturdays for a 10+ miles run. Trina and I are running the 1/2 and Erin and Susan are running the FULL 26 miles! Amazing women! I am beyond excited to ramp up my running, but a little intimidated by these 3 women. They have been running together for 5 years and are amazing work horses.

Addi's speech test went well for the most part. Her speech is just fine so is her knowledge on many subjects. However, she almost failed the hearing test. We were told to get a referral to an Audiologist to have Addi fully evaluated. Apparently the kidneys and hearing are developed around the same time in the womb. Our concern is that we constantly have to repeat ourselves to her, she listens to the radio and tv extremely loud and sometimes we find her mumbling when she speaks. When she was very little, she would turn our faces to face her and watch our lips move. We just passed it off as her little quirk. We'll see ... I don't think it's anything serious. I'm perusing it because her teachers have also noticed they have to talk directly at her or else she doesn't seem to respond. She's going to see her Pediatrican on Friday morning for a more extensive hearing test ... I'll keep you posted.

We did make it to the park to fly the kids' new airplane. Unfortunately we had one too many crashes and the plane split in half. It was sure fun while it lasted though. When we got to the park, the sprinklers were on, but we decided to fly anyway. It's still warm here so we thought nothing of the water.

Speaking of warm ... when is it going to cool down here? It's been in the 90's lately. The kids have been wearing shorts and flip flops to school and it's NOVEMBER!! Wild!

Mark has a work trip to LA Nov. 29 - Dec. 1. The hope is that we are going as a family and meeting Mark's brother and kids at Disneyland. I know, Disneyland again. This will make 3 times this year! Addi needs to catch Tinkerbell this time and Logan was really bummed the monorail was being worked on when we were there in September. Logan and Addi haven't seen their cousins in a little over a year so it would be so much fun to see them again.

Kristi let me borrow her Eating for Life book, written by Bill Phillips. I am LOVING the recipes and have really enjoyed eating so healthy this past week. Mark and I have really noticed a huge difference in our energy levels and waist lines too!! I dropped a pant size! Yeah!

Happy Wednesday!

home sick

Lately I have been getting home sick for California. I'm sure it's because of the holidays, but it seems to have gotten worse lately. Today we had Jack Johnson blaring while we were cleaning the house and getting ready for my parents to come. Both Mark and I said we miss going to the beach with the windows rolled down, laid back atmosphere of Santa Cruz and the fresh salty breeze.

Addi has her speech evaluation on Tuesday. I really don't think it's speech that's the problem, but her hearing. Since birth, she has been on multiple medications at once, fevers reaching 106, she's been unconscious and has had several seizure episodes. All things that can play a part in loss of hearing. Mark and I have suspected a problem with her hearing, but thought she would grow out of it. When I got the evaluation questionnaire, we answered yes to almost all the questions. We'll see ... kind of a bummer. I feel a little guilty, but Mark reassures me there was nothing different we could have done to prevent any long term affects from her infancy.

suns beat clippers

Last night was the Suns' home opener and they beat the LA Clippers! We were bummed we couldn't make it to the game, but we did watch most of the game on TV last night. Logan stayed up for a little bit to watch with us. It was a late game; started at 8:30. We are expecting tickets in the mail shortly.

Speaking of Logan and b-ball ... this morning I got a flyer for 5-6 basketball season coming up in Jan. I asked if he would be interested and he said ... YES! I couldn't believe it. He has been showing more interest in ball sports (finally) and has attached himself to basketball these last few months. He has been working on his dribbling. He says he'd rather play football, but I haven't found a league that has 5 year olds playing football. I told him about flag football, but he wants to tackle! I am beyond excited he's showing WAY more interest in what typical boys are interested in. I thought this day would never come.

We finally got direct tv upstairs. The kids are now loving their living room upstairs. It's nice that they can have their own space and time. There's no reason we all need to be on top of eachother 24/7! Have you ever noticed that? We have, especially on Sundays; Mark and I will be in the formal living room (it's more the size of a sitting room) and all of a sudden, we have both kiddos with us in this tiny area. 3000 sq ft and all four of us are in this little sitting area!

Addi has been fighting with me to go to school these past few weeks. She's fine once she gets there and has a good time with her friends, but just getting her showered and dressed has been a huge struggle. She's constantly telling me she doesn't want to go to school anymore. I've asked why and she says, "because it's boring". I think it's because she knows I go shopping without her or to step class ... you know, fun things she misses out on while she's in school. Any suggestions??

Ever wonder what your kids will be like when they grow up? It's constantly on my mind. I love watching Logan and Addi's personalities blossom. Addi is so outgoing and beams confidence. She hangs out with the boys at school (Trent and Porter are her "boys" as she calls them) and seems to be comfortable with who she is. Logan is so logical and smart. He's our brainiac. I never thought I'd see him be interested in sports, I'm glad to see it's finally changing. He obeys rules to the fullest and doesn't want to let anyone down. He loves to tell stories and make up stories. He builds these amazing buildings and cars with his legos. He doesn't follow any directions, he just thinks something up and then builds. It's an amazing talent. I always wonder if I am giving them everything I can to make it "in the world". I want them to have confidence in themselves and know that they are capable to WHATEVER they want in life. There are no limitations and that there is nobody to impress, just yourself.

I did get a call from my sister-in-law about my brother's responsibilities in Iraq. Since the calls are monitored, he writes her letters of what he cannot say over the phone. His unit has lost a few men. I just can't imagine what he must be going through over there. I send an email once a week with pictures from the week. He calls on Sunday mornings to let us know how he's doing ... but it never seems like enough communication. I guess going from talking every day a few times a day to once a week (if that) is a definite let down.

Curtiss - if you're reading this ... know how much I love you and just how proud I am of you. You are a true American hero and we're so thankful for your willingness to serve your country and fellow Americans. I never thought my "baby" brother could be capable of such responsibility and achievement. I feel so truly blessed to be your big sister.

on to Thanksgiving

Trick-or-Treating was different then I had expected. Initially, Logan didn't want to go. He wanted to help Mark decorate the courtyard and make it spooky and he wanted to be in charge of running the fog machine. So, Addi and I met up with some friends and set out for our candy hunt around the neighborhood. We made it to house #7 and Addi said, "I'm done, I want to go home". So, we walked home and when Logan saw Addi's candy, he said he wanted to go. So ... off we went and he made it only 1 block and he was ready to go home. I think he had more fun seeing his friends from school all dressed up then he was in the actual event. It was an early night and the kiddos were in bed at 8 AND the most important outcome ... we don't have too much candy sitting around!

Logan's class party went well. They decorated cookies with frosting and candy. Logan thought he had died and gone to heaven with all the candy on his table, so he literally took the cupcake tin full of candy and dumped it onto his cookie ... THEN ... he started eating it!!!!!! Yuck! He did inherit my sweet tooth.

Kari W. gave me a large silver mirror the other day. I have been wanting one for the family room, but haven't found one I liked yet. I saw a pic in Pottery Barn that had a large mirror and then two wreaths on each side. I have a large wall in my family room that I thought that decor would look good on it. So, when she called to see if I wanted her large mirror I was SO excited that all I had to buy were the wreaths. I went to Joanns and they had fall decor 70% off so I picked up two, red berry wreaths for only $18. Score! My house is finally coming together. I LOVE Pottery Barn and like to get decorating ideas from their catalogs. I got a new couch a few weeks ago at Potato Barn in Higley ... and I LOVE IT!!! If you haven't been to that store ... I would suggest the road trip. WOW! It's my new fave!

Today Mark is coming home a little early to deal with the Direct TV guy, they have messed up under my direction (not installing what we were asking for). It's really not my "area" ... so luckily, he was able to schedule his meetings around the appointment. We have TIVO downstairs in the family room, but now that the kiddos have their own living room upstairs, we wanted to move the kiddie shows upstairs so they can actually use their space.

Mark asked me to get some landscapers out for quotes. Any suggestions on who to use? It's hard to believe we've been in this house since Aug. 2005 and STILL don't have a landscaped backyard. The kids haven't seem to mind too much though. I am looking forward to less dust coming into the house now that the weather is cooled down and my windows are open.

Tonight Mark has mutual and the kids and I are going to the park to fly their new airplane they got from Grandma Schlegel. It's a motorized one that flys very far. Should be a fun night!