2 for 1

Two posts one day you lucky dogs.

This post will be short and sweet. I just wanted to ask for some well wishes, prayers, love, whatever you would like to share, for one of my oldest and dearest friends Sere.
If you've checked out the other blog you're familiar with her. If you really know me you know her, we've been best-ies since freshman year in high school (circa 1991). She was the matron of honor in my wedding and I happily stood by her when she married in Hawaii a few years ago.
She now lives in rural southern Illinois where tonight their farm suffered a devastating fire in the machine shop right next door to their home. Everyone is fine but the building is a loss, as are all the tools and equipment.
As a farming family these items are critical to their livelihood. It's unclear how the fire started as of yet (it's only been a few hours). Everyone is just thankful that nobody was hurt.
So please, send some extra love their way. Sere, Jonny, Colton and the rest of the family could use some of the special love that the blog readers here have.

Finally, here's a teaser photo for some of the ones that will be forthcoming tomorrow.

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Sunday, Sunday...

It's been a strange couple of days around the WWW.

Scott has been having some trouble with his breathing. I'm hoping that he's just got a touch of a bug that's making things a little yucky. We ended up needing to suction his lungs yesterday afternoon, something we've only done a handful of time since he got the trach in 2008.
This was the first time Kate has seen it done. She was such a great helper. She held her Daddy's hand telling him "It's ok Daddy. Shhh... It will be ok." She asked good questions and knew the answers to the questions I asked her. She stayed calm and followed directions with precision. Her career as a surgeon will be outstanding. I realize it's going to be hard for her to be President of the United States and cure all the diseases in the world but she's special and can handle it :)

Josh came by for a visit on Friday afternoon after Scott got home from therapy. I'm afraid Scott wasn't very good company, he was quite tired.
Kate and I played in the front yard, in the rain with the S12 boys. Enjoying the last fleeting moments of summer, even if that means getting a little wet.
Kate and Ethan had a little too much fun in the backseat of the car.
"I'm watching you Ethan... I'm watching you...."

Saturday was haircut day for Scott. Thank goodness. He was looking a little shaggy. The quick haircut trip exhausted him and he spent the remainder of the day resting. In keeping up with the theme of extending summer Kate and I made a trip to the farmers market and got BLT fixin's and some more of the summers sweetest corn. It won't be much longer before it's juicy, sweet goodness is gone and we're stuck with flat, dull, "mealy" corn that must be slathered Elotes style to be edible.
Sigh... I'm such an Iowa farm girl.

Some more playtime with the S12 family this morning. My eyeball was requested by S12 for possible use in his post for the other blog. So the kids played and well... so did S12 and I.









Heading to the parents house for a little time on the back deck.
More summer moments... keep them coming....

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Reality....

So over on the other blog I had a stunning photo to follow up. Went to bed last night thinking, plotting, strategizing. Somewhere in the wee hours of the morning I came up with the idea to take a picture through rose colored glasses.

My first instinct was to take a photo of my world through rose colored glasses. After all, I certainly could use a rosey outlook.

So, off I went first thing this morning. I had previously planned to drop Kate off with Grammy, headed to Palatine and left an ecstatic Kate with two of her favorite people. I had to make a quick Target stop (don't I always) so I decided that a photo shoot in Target was going to be my "photo of the day". There is nothing more "Brandi" than a cart full of stuff at Target.

You wouldn't believe the looks people give you when you're standing in a random aisle, holding up a pair of rose colored sunglasses (that cost $3.29 thank you very much clearance sale) and taking photo after photo. Making adjustments, moving aisles, searching for the perfect light... I was quite a sight. Ultimately I ended up with this...



I wish you could see the perfectly place Starbucks coffee in the seat, it was my finishing touch.
In a perfect world Kate and Scott would be in the image but it was hard enough doing this photo without them, can't imagine if I had Kate bouncing off the walls too.

My day moved on, I had a few meetings and got to go out into the big scary adult world all by myself for something other than a medical appointment. It was wonderful. I had a good time "working" for the day.

Kate had a super fun time being spoiled. She came home full of smiles, hugs and some more wonderful manners. I realize that she's 3 and the polite manners are bound to take a hiatus sometime soon so I'm really soaking them up right now. Everything is please, thank you, bless you, excuse me, may I. I simply can't get enough of it. If you all could keep this post in your mind and remind me to look at this again in a few months when Kate hasn't used a nice word in weeks, thanks!

Scott got the short end of the stick and spent the day at home. He got lots of rest. Good thing, he has another round of therapy tomorrow. Time to give Scott a little kick in the ass.

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A Banner Day

It was truly a banner day today at the Witt house. I'll give you a little dialog exchange between Kate and I this morning.

*Kate and I head outside. I need to once again clean my car, attempting to rid it of all the Starbucks spilled in yesterdays event. Kate as always waits for the garage door to open all the way before she runs to the end of the driveway and back screaming like a maniac all the while. The exchange is as follows*

Me- Kate, you can play for a little bit. Mommy has to clean her car.
Kate - Again, Mommy?
Me- Yes Kate, again.

Few moments pass

Kate - Excuse me Mommy, can I please get out one of my toys?
Me - Sure Kate, thanks for using your manners. What would you like?
Kate - My car please Mommy.

*gets out car*

Kate - Hmmm... I think it needs gas Mommy. Can I sit down on the ground and give it some gas? I won't get too dirty.
Me - Sure. Thanks for being careful.
Kate - Mommy, can I have my bike instead?
Me - Yes you may. Please put away the car first.

*shuffling of car and bike. I'm buried in the car scrubbing.*

Kate - squeals of delight - I do it Mommy! I ride my bike! I ride it like the other kids! I do it Mommy!

So there you have it. A long story kept long. I have a big girl that is so polite and can finally ride her bike!

We celebrate things like this in the Witt house. We celebrate big.
Right before nap time I found an article in a local magazine about a cupcake bakery that had opened up recently in downtown Crystal Lake. Sweet Pea Cupcakes

After nap time, Kate and I headed out in search of a sweet treat and boy did we find 'em.



Kate picked out a cupcake called Pinkalicious. Shocking, I know


We took our treats to the park and enjoyed them under the tree.




Spent a few minutes at the playground playing. The mosquitoes, I mean blood sucking birds, thought we were extra sweet today so our playtime was cut a little short.

As the stress builds at an unrelenting pace it's moments like these that keep me from driving straight to the looney bin and checking myself in.

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Karma

I'm trying to figure out my beliefs on karma.
On one hand, I look at my own life and most days feel like I must have done something terribly wrong to deserve so much shit. As I relayed to my Grams husband this morning, I genuinely feel like I'm in need of some serious body armour to get through the day. Constant shrapnel flying at my head from all different angles.

Then on the other hand, I think that something awful will come to all of those that cause bad things to happen. Today's example of this would be the chick that ran Kate and I off the road while she was talking on her cell phone.
Being run off the road isn't that big of a deal. No damage was done to my car. The problem came from the scalding hot Starbucks coffee that was in my hand when I went off the road. I had procured the coffee just about 3 minutes before the incident and had only taken one tentative sip. When I hit the grass to avoid the idiot chick, the blazing hot coffee went flying, drenching my lap in it's yummy goodness.
Let me share with you the tip of the day: Avoid having blisters along your bikini line. They hurt like hell.

So, part of me thinks Stupid Girl will eventually get what's coming to her. But, if I believe that, then I must believe that all my bad luck and the mounds of shitty stuff is some kind of payback for past misgivings.
I haven't been a saint, that's for freaking sure, but I also don't think I've done anything so terribly wrong.

So karma or no karma? That is the question.

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Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

watching the tide roll away...

One of my all time favorite songs.


Kate and I spent a little time this evening sitting on the dock of the lake.


A lazy evening by the water. Talking about the day, searching for frogs and throwing rocks.






Staying out past bedtime. Soaking in the last few fleeting moments of summer. Holding on to the silence, the peace and the calm.




Answers to yesterdays "Where's The Buggie" contest tomorrow when I've had time to Google the suggested bugs and make sure I crown the proper winner.

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Rejuvination

There comes a time that a girl needs to get away from "regular life" and spend some time getting dirty. She needs to sweat, bleed, work her fingers to the bone and writhing in pain by the end of the day.
***chirp,chirp, whoooo, whoooo, chirp, chirp***
The silence is deafening. Maybe it's just me that enjoys spending her free time like this. We've all known for a long time that I'm not always the most well adjusted person.
Don't get me wrong I love a good trip to the mall, getting my nails done, hair cut and a fruity girly drink with my gal pals. For me though, there is just nothing quite as freeing, emotionally cleansing or rejuvenating as being at one with nature and being able to see the fruit of my labors laid on the perfect canvas that the earth provides.

Flew out before a cold (read 80 instead of 90degree heat) moved in. The clouds made for perfect playmates.




Nothing like a cold refreshing lemonade on a blistering hot summers day.


A weekend spent, getting acclimated with all of God's creatures. Even the not so cute ones.

Finding beauty in the tiniest of details.

And soaking up the sun.

I enjoyed my time away. I also enjoyed coming home to the sweetest little girl that surprisingly missed her mommy very much.

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And now a new game for the WWW....
Where's Buggie?
Somewhere in this photo is a bug. Can you find it? Bonus points for the first person to tell me what type of bug it is.

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