VanArnhem 411

New Location Coming Soon!

Okay this poor little blog is moving so if there is anyone left out there that cares:

http://vanarnhem411.blogspot.com/

that's our new home. 

This blog will officially be gone by the end of October - so look for us in the new spot.  I might even - gasp - post!

Our Latest Family Portrait

Chronicles of Single Parenthood - Day 1

So Jeff is away at week 1 of 3 training sessions for the summer.  This week is AP Calculus in lovely Wooster, Ohio.  Week 2 is AP Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon.   And culminating in the uber exciting Week 3 in Texas (because that is where Texas Instruments is located - duh) for his training on the wet-your-pants exciting TI Inspire calculator. 

I will be tirelessly caring for two kids in single parent fashion for these weeks (I have to make this sound good as I am milking this for all the scrapbooking time I can during the off weeks).  Day 1 went well - no major meltdowns (a minor one when dinner was too slow getting to the table for Brooke's liking but nothing a little pizza couldn't fix) and everyone slept well (a big shout out to whatever company manufactures Benadryl).

So I promised Jeff I would post some pictures from the day after the kids were in bed (I realize this is now Day 2 but technically it is still "after the kids went to bed" on Day 1).

Ready for our delicious lunch of Boca Burgers on the deck:

Brooke enjoying lunch (and just as proof that she really did eat the Boca Burger there is a little piece on her cheek):

Who does Isabel miss?  YOU DADEEEE!!!

Swinging in the 90 degree heat - does it get any better?

You bet!!  Pull out the fish sprinkler!!  Brooke LOVED it - Isabel wouldn't go near it but very much enjoyed being swung through it by mommy but since mommy is all alone (see "milking it" noted above) she couldn't take any pictures of that:

And let's end with this shot of children running topless around the yard.  I'm expecting the call from CPS any minute:

Because I'm always looking for just one more way to waste time...

Who knew my mom and Johnny Depp were such close friends?

Ralph's World! Ralph's World! Party time! Excellent!

I'm sure you've all but given up on me as a blogger but had to go ahead and share todays fun just in case anyone is still out there! 

Today Brooke attended her first rock concert put on by the one and only Ralph!  Brooke loooooooves Ralph so we decided to give it a try.  First we needed just the right look:

1.  The "My Mom Rocks" t-shirt was a must.

2. Our Gwen Stefani-ish plaid capri's

3.  And what we used to refer to as her Paris Hilton shades but given the state of that girls life let's just go with our generic movie star shades.

So off to the House of Blues where everyone was really nice.  The sweet tattooed man at the door lead the way for us to the elevator and showed us around.  Then we were off to buy our Ralph's World tour t-shirt and...

We got to meet the dude himself - Ralph!  Totally cool, very nice guy - I'm sure Brooke was more excited than she's really showing in the picture:

So we just hung out, had a snack and waited for the show to start.  Brooke was really well behaved and patient.  The show was loud and cool and she loved it!!!!

Not one little whine because Ralph was talking instead of singing or signing songs she didn't know mixed with ones that she did.  I think the entire thing just had her in awe!  Her favorite song of the set was by far the "Mommy Needs Coffee" song - a classic for sure.  She was just cracking up and giggling like crazy.  We did have one little crisis about half way through when Brooke decided she might need a little snooze:

But it was quick and she was right back into it. How on earth she was able to fall asleep with all that noise yet her sister makes a peep during the night and she is wide awake I will never understand - maybe this was really more like all those girls fainting at Beatles concerts?  Any commentary on that mom?

Then it was time for the big finale!  All the kids were invited to join Ralph up on stage:

Can you see us over to the right?  Just next to Ralph's way hot band member in the blue shirt (and for what it's worth Ralph's not to shabby either).  Although tempted, I controlled myself and did not throw my panties up on stage or flash anyone.  On our way off stage we found ourselves next to Ralph who gave Brooke a high five and was super happy to hear how much fun she had!

All in all, this little last minute outing could not have been any more successful and we're anxiously awaiting Ralph's return to Cleveland - the home of rock and roll!!!!

Check out my Slide Show!

Hope is a wonderful thing!

I hope for lots of things.  Things like an early spring this year, finding a good occupational therapist for Brooke, that I can fool Jeff into eating something called Creamy Chicken, Rice and Spinach if I just leave out the word creamy when I tell him what it's called (that didn't work, but I still hoped that it would).

But the thing I hope for the most, that I hope for every single day, is a cure for Rett Syndrome.  And if I'm honest, and I guess a little selfish, I don't just want *a* cure.  I want everyone cured.  Every single person on the face of this earth - cured.

There's lots of research being done these days and I'm all for raising money to find these answers.  But each day that goes by I wonder if by the time they are found will it be too late to help Brooke?

So this morning I start my daily check of the RettNet and I find a little gem of a post that just brightens my day.  A post about a press release.  A press release about a study.  A study that shows that the effects of Rett Syndrome can be reversed.  Reversed.  This is a big, big word, people.  Not stopped, not halted, reversed.  If you're interested in reading the release here's a link (and I promise it's not written in too much scientific jargon to understand):

Reversal Study Press Release

And so today those little bits of hope that had been eroded away by worry that it might be too late are restored.  And I just wanted to share that with all of you.  And for everyone that has made a donation, bought a card from my mom or said a prayer - I wanted you to see that your actions are making a difference. 

So let's keep that momentum going!!  You may have noticed the badge added to the upper left corner of the blog.  A wonderful idea I saw on Ali's blog.  Check out SixDegrees.org for all the details of this program.  And, yes, I really like that picture.  It makes me smile everytime I look at it - so you're just going to have to look at it twice. 

And see those handy, dandy links on Brooke's badge to DONATE - feel free to use them!  Come on people I want to see that ticker moving!!  Let's start hoping for that next big press release that will make me have to write another sappy post like this one!!

And there are links to both of these organizations just a little lower on the left side if you would like to learn more about them.

(And for all of my little blogging friends out there - would you also consider adding Brooke's badge to your site?  I'd be happy to give you the code - just send me an email!)

Birthdays and Why I'm Weird

First off - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!!  Today the love of my life turns 38 - I have no idea how that is possible but I'm just going to have to go with it since I will be following him in eight more months.  The big 4-0 is really looming so I feel like I should start party planning now.

Second - I was tagged by my friend Jennifer and I'm supposed to list six weird things about myself.  So with a little help from Jeff I give you Six Weird Things About Sam:

1.  I have very peculiar ways of eating things.  Especially things made by Hostess.  HoHo's must have all of the chocolate peeled from the outside and then one layer is unrolled and eaten and then the middle (the best part of the HoHo is saved for last).  The problem is Hostess seems to have changed their chocolate coating formula for HoHo's and they just don't peel well anymore so I mostly stick to cupcakes now.  Those are eaten by peeling off the chocolate on top (one side, the other side then the swirly middle part), the cake is eaten in a circle around the creamy filling so there is just a glob of creamy filling with a little cake holding it together at the top and bottom (again the best part of the cupcake is saved for last).  There are others but I won't bore you with further details.

2.  I love commericals with animals in them.  I mean REALLY love them.  And if the animals talk I will probably laugh until I have tears in my eyes.  The most underrated commercial of the year was the BK chicken fries commercial with the talking chickens.  I actually DVR'ed it.

3.  I will not start eating candy in the theater until the movie starts (and not one second later).  I'll usually take the wrapper off before but no candy will pass through my lips until the movie starts.

4.  I can move my baby toe without moving any of my other toes - kind of like it's waving at you.  I don't really know if this is weird or if most people can do it but Jeff hates it and thinks it is so I'm including it.

5.  I do not like one molecule of fat on any meat that I eat.  I waste tons of food because every little bit of fat has to be cut off - and if a little piece of chewy fat gets missed and makes its way into my mouth I'm pretty much done eating.  It's almost making me gag just writing this.

6.  I twirl my hair when I'm thinking hard about something.  That's another thing Jeff says is weird.  I think it's just a habit.  You be the judge.

Mom feel free to chime in with any late additions!

Fireworks!

Wonderful!

That's Christmas in one word.

Everything went great.  Everyone had fun.  Everyone behaved.  Can't ask for much more than that.

A few weeks before Christmas, my friend Dianne asked people to share their Christmas highlight moments.  Those little times that are so special during this season.  As you can imagine, we had many of those moments this year but here is my favorite.

After Brooke and Isabel were in bed for the night on Christmas Eve (you know - snuggled up, visions of sugar plums, all that stuff), Jeff and I just sat relaxing on the couch.  And from the window I saw fireworks being set off somewhere behind our house.  Just a few.  I had to keep watching to be sure of what I was really seeing.  Fireworks on Christmas Eve.  Why so special?  Because -

1.  I have never, ever in all of my life seen anyone set off fireworks on Christmas Eve, and

2.  Fireworks on Christmas Eve are a tradition in Guatemala.

Can you even believe it?!  Go ahead, Google "Guatemalan Christmas traditions" and I can just about guarantee you will find mention of fireworks. 

So that was one of my favorite believe in the magic of Christmas moments for 2006!

Report from the Trenches

Isabel

Isabel is quickly learning that mommy always has a camera in hand.  Whether it's because we are wearing our cute new Old Navy outfit or because we are eating our first banana - the moment will be captured!  (If you click on the picture above it will take you to the rest of the photos - well today it's only one but I'm trying something new so bear with me).

We all made it through today unscathed.  Mom home alone with the girls.  We even got a little cocky this afternoon and made a family trip to Target after Jeff got home - no problem!  Brooke continues to check out Isabel every now and then.  Since I have no real way of knowing what she's thinking, I'm going to guess it's something like "why is that little baby still here?".  I think she'll be much more interested when we hit the days that Isabel can be of use to her - like helping her eat or manipulate toys.

I'm still working on some posts about the trip - I promise soon!