Christmas chain...thing...

I have been tossing around different ideas for an advent calendar for Mackenzie this year. I didn't want her to just munch on chocolate, get a cheap gift everyday, or mix up the meaning of what this season is about...I guess I wanted it to be a little more intentional.

 

So this is what we did:

First: We cut 30 strips of paper and numbered them, 25 for Christmas, and an additional 5 for her birthday  on the 30th.

Next: I wrote little things on each strip, I listed my ideas below

Then: My glue elf (Mackenzie) and I assembled them in a fancy chain

Last: And then we hung it up to enjoy....

So each day we are going to open one link and enjoy a little holiday cheer! 

December 1st: finding the most beautiful tree!

Here are some of my ideas...

1. Let's go find the most beautiful Christmas tree of all (Pioneer Court house square)
2. Time to go see Santa (Downtown Beaverton's Christmas tree lighting)
3. Read the story of Jesus' birth together, using the nativity scene
4. Make a gingerbread house
5. Surprise! Family is coming
6. Make ornaments (this is something we will do a couple of different times) for the grandparents
7. Make wrapping paper (stamp plain paper)
8. Make Christmas cookies for our neighbors
9. Write Santa a letter
10. Read Christmas stories
11. Make hot cocoa
12. Christmas music dance party 
13. Pick out a Christmas gift for baby sister
14. Wrap presents
15. Mail Christmas presents
16. Surprise! Sleepover with grandparents
17. Missing you today (she'll be gone at her sleepover)
18. Pick out a present for Daddy
19. Make thank you cards 
20. Family is coming today!
21. Bake Santa cookies
22. Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday Jesus!

(that will be 25 things since we are making ornaments 3 times). 

for her birthday countdown...

  26. Let's look through your baby book! (a personal favorite of Miss Mackenzie's)

  27. I love you because....

  28. Let's go find snow (headed to SunRiver)

  29. Let's plan your special day tomorrow!

  30. Happy Birthday Mackenzie! 

this is what's been going on...

hi.
it has been awhile, i know. once school starts up things get a little crazy! i also have started a new blog with my good friend katie at themommymiles.blogspot.com. i am going to continue writing here about my house, family, life....just minus the running updates (some of you are thinking, "finally, who cares how much she ran today!!!!). that is not quite all that has been going on.
this blog has always served as a great outlet to record life's events, so i've decided this too can be recorded.

here's the story:
after i had mackenzie i was having some dizzy spells. in fact, i fainted at powell's bookstore shortly after she was born. i spent a few hours in the er, but they saw nothing going on in my heart or with my blood pressure that would cause my me to faint.

the symptoms went away and life went on. i got pregnant with addison and started teaching first grade. i was having a hard time hearing some of my students. at times there was a ringing in my ears. and at other times my ears would feel completely plugged. i mentioned these things to justin and he was worried about me, i guess because he was worried i chose not to worry. it seemed suddenly the tv was not loud enough, something seemed to be wrong with the volume on my phone, car stereo and alarm clock.

we had addison, a beautiful healthy baby girl. i melted my teapot because i didn't hear the kettle whistling. addison was tear streaked and red faced, i hadn't heard her crying. i started to be afraid. this summer i went in to my regular doc to see if it was allergies, ear wax...something easy that i could fix with a pill or potion. he did a few hearing tests (rubbing his fingers together behind my head to see if i could hear it). he referred me to an ent for more tests. the ent was kind, he explained that it was probably nothing, maybe i ground my teeth at night... i did an official hearing test.

i was in a sound proof booth with a little window. the woman administering the test was on the other side. i was to push a button when i heard a sound in my earphones. i heard some and pushed away at the button, relieved...and then i couldn't hear anymore sounds, i studied the woman's face. i saw her knit her brows together and frown slightly. i knew i wasn't hearing the small ringing sounds. i heard nothing. i heard the sound of my heart beat in my ears, the ringing that was now a constant thing was not from the test, but i didn't hear any more beeps from the earphones. a knot formed in my stomach and my heart beat faster.

the examiner didn't say anything when she walked me back to the exam room. i felt like a high schooler with her first F, i knew i had failed that test. the doctor looked over my results. he was clearly surprised. he cleared his throat and said he would like to perform a few more tests, including a ct scan. he also confirmed that i had severe hearing loss in my right ear, and my left ear was better but still less than "optimal". 

i called and told my family. they panicked a little, but tried not to show it. we were all scared of the ct scan. of what they could find. two days later i had the scan, the result were normal. praise God.

so what the heck was happening?? they performed another hearing test just to make sure, same results. the doctor said i probably had otosclerosis, a bone growth in my middle ear. pregnancy usually speeds up the bone growth.

the doctor said i had three options. i could wait. it would get worse, and quickly...but if i wanted to i could do nothing. i could get a hearing aid. i could get surgery. i asked him if i was going deaf. he said untreated,  yes. i cried on the way home.

i left his office and started researching. i had never known anyone who had otosclerosis, it is often genitic but there is no history of hearing loss (other than old age) in my family. it looked like surgery would cure it, or almost restore my hearing. a good friend recommended a ear surgeon at ohsu. i met with him a few weeks ago. he did a few tests and agreed with the diagnosis. i asked him what he would do if it were his ear, without blinking or waiting a tick, he responded "surgery".

i have a surgery date set for december 19th. i would love your prayers. i am so aware that in the scope of life, this is small. but in the scope of my life, it feels really big.

here are some links to websites with more information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002031/
http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/otosclerosis.cfm

most embarrassing teaching moment + race report

= a very long blog post....

so today marks my most embarrassing funniest teaching moment to date. which is saying something, i have had my fair share of awkward moments. including ripping my jeans from buns to knee. forgetting to turn off my microphone while going to the bathroom. and other small wardrobe malfunctions.

usually  it's the kids that make me laugh. this week i had a student cracking up in her seat as we sat doing a reading warm-up. i asked her what was so funny. she replied, "mrs. scott, check out number 7, it says dork nob...jajajajaja". the word was doorknob. later that same day a student commented on my new burlap toms. "your shoes look like band aids...oh, i mean that in a good way....hahahahaha".

all that to say, i laugh a lot throughout the day. but today i didn't really laugh until after the fact. because at first, i was too embarrassed to do anything.

here's what happened...we have been learning about the iditarod race in reading class. i thought i would show a few educational clips from the discovery channel for kids. here is the video we watched today http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/iditarod-eskimo-dog-remedies.html. seriously watch the video...and then you will understand why i just about died!


september race report: fairhaven 15k

part of my goal in participating in one race a month was to travel to different places. not far, that is just too hard logistically. it also has been fun training for a half marathon and using races as my long run for that week. fairhaven's 15k worked perfectly! 9.3 was more than a mile longer than my longest run and the course boasted the scenic pudget sound.

friday night addison and i drove five hours to bellingham to stay the night at my aunt and uncle's house. too bad we got there at 11pm, because the view of the the sound is amazing from their deck. my sweet cousin was waiting up for me and had even gone to the store to make sure i could have my toast and peanut butter in the morning.

the race was in a fairhaven, a cute neighborhood/district of bellingham. the race started with us first running 4 miles north,  (the course was described as flat, it was not). and then the course turned, dropping down into the marina and along the water for two or so miles. the last three were along a shaded path and then one final climb at mile 9 back to fairhaven.

i did okay. nothing amazing. i found that miles 4-6 were hard to stay mentally tough. i even stopped to walk thinking maybe i'd try the "run five miles walk one mile" method. turns out that is not for me. once i stop running my body thinks we are finished and it is HARD getting going again.

i kept thinking things like, " this is so lame, i could be drinking coffee and relaxing right now" or "why do i do this to myself, i am clearly not a runner...this is too hard" ...and whaaaa whaaa whaaa. but there was this lady, just ahead of me, and i focused on her arms swinging back and forth, back and forth. and i steadied my breath and cleared my mind. and slowly found my stride. and finished. which is all i race to do really.

the starting line, beautiful september morning

 the sound

 post race, so sweaty and tired (notice addison's shirt.."go mommy'...thanks kate)

 cheesy potatoes...i earned this puppies!

mackenzie + running = red face

jogging while pushing two kids in my 34 pound stroller is no easy task. i am red faced, dripping sweat, and gasping for breath! but lately my red face has been not just from the hard work. mackenzie's little quips from the stroller have been slightly embarrassing!

some silly things that came out of her mouth on today's run:

M: "mom, are you sweating yet?"

me: "yup"

M (pointing at a passing running): "ew! look he's really sweating, why is he all wet like that?"

me: "he's running really fast that's why"

M (pointing to a little girl who is crying on the trail) "why is that girl crying? she's okay." (and then starts waving frantically at the crying girl) "hi" (girl hides her face from us and continues to wail)

M: why she no wave at me?

M: "mom are you walking?"

me: "no, i am running"

M: "oh. (pause). really mom?"

M: (while passing a man who was an obvious smoker): "ew! that guy's stinky!!!"

me-picking up the pace and hoping he didn't hear.

M: (pointing to a woman biking past): "that lady needs her exercise"

i'm not sure where she got this one...maybe because we talk about exercise a lot at home, in response to the ever present "why".."why you doing that?" when mommy or daddy is running, lifting weights, doing a dvd...we always reply back, "oh, we need to our exercise"

seriously folks, good thing she is stinkin' cute....

and while i'm on the subject of cute...check out these amazing pics that our friend missy took a few weeks ago. missy is a photographer, and spent an afternoon with us capturing moments of miss kenzie at this precious age. check out missy's website: http://www.mcorwinphotography.com/

#6

sleep.

remember, this is a countdown of my top ten simple pleasures. and since having children i have learned that sleep is a simple pleasure...and one we can go without. so now that my girls are both snoozing through the night i am reminded of how much i adore a good night's sleep. and i just have to say, to those of you who choose to wake at ridiculous hours (4am),--i have never really understood you.

should it stay or should it go?

we have been busy busy busy this weekend. gettin' stuff done! one of the things on the "list" was to clean up the garage. blah! probably my least favorite of all house chores.

and we were going through this and that. and then our bikes. somehow we've acquired quite the collection. and it was easy for me to make the decision.."that one goes, that one goes, that one...er...well...let's keep it".

can't you just see it? maybe painted a plum, with "new" old tires, and a "new" old seat. me, cruisin' downtown beaverton, ringin' my bell, so fun!

i just want to do a little research to see if it is even worth it. because seriously, i need another project right?

any buddies out there ever refurbished an ol' bike before?

#7

travel.

i am a planner. before bed each night, i cuddle with mackenzie and we plan out the next day. where we should go. what we should eat. and as her eyelids are getting heavy and i am walking out of her bedroom door she smiles faintly and whispers, "we gonna have fun tomorrow". it's a statement, not a question.

before i start a new school year, i have the entire year outlined (yes, it is required...but i relish the act). i can breathe easier knowing what is ahead.

and when i travel to a new place, i make it my business to know the ins and outs of our destination.

when it comes to travel, it is a three part process for me and each stage i love. the planning. the traveling. the returning home. i love it all.

justin and i have become excellent traveling companions. but i have to admit, it took some battles work. our first big trip together, our honeymoon, we missed our flight. a few years later in new york city, justin was flabbergasted as i started to cry in the middle of the sidewalk. i was upset over which restaurant to eat at. he wanted to grab something on the go, and continue checking items off our hefty itinerary for the day. i wanted to eat at one of the restaurants i had spent the last few months researching. we've learned a lot.

this last weekend i was reminded of why traveling makes my top ten. my mom and i had a girls' weekend in lovely san diego. we had so much fun. that woman makes me laugh! justin held down the fort with the little ladies and was rewarded by a very relaxed and refreshed wifey! win-win.

(we could spy this 25 foot statue from our hotel window)

(love this view)

(hotel del coronado, anyone for some like it hot?)

(we pounded the pavement, checking out downtown. loved the mix of old mission style buildings with the modern high rises)

(returning home to this lil' mug is the best)