Clothing help please - Hanna Andersson

OK - I am asking for some help here! I have scoured everywhere on the internet to try and find the match to these leggings. They are Pink W/Red Stripes. They are from the 2004 Hanna Andersson Fall/Winter line and are called shell pink. They go with either a Red Dot Dress or a Red Dress W/Pink Stripes. If you go to
Hanna Fanna's and look under the 2004 lines and go to play all day dresses winter holiday line, you will see the dress's that I am looking for. The pants are a size 120 so I could go with either a 120, or a 110 or even a 130 if need be.

So, if you know anyone who knows Hanna's and might be able to help me, please feel free to forward this on to them. I am hoping that when the winter catalog comes out they will have something to match, if not, then I will keep scouring e-bay the way that I have. Thanks guys! You all rock!

Trying to stay positive

So, there isn't much going on at the present time. Now that we've decided not to move, all the hubbubb has died down and we are going on as usual. You know, growing up, I always lived in crisis. Something was always going on in our family and it usually wasn't good. Old habits die hard I suppose. I seem to thrive on crisis. It's one thing that I have to work really hard on. Not creating crisis. Cheryl grew up relatively sane, so I have a good role model in her. She keeps me steady and on our feet.

This past weekend we installed a new minister into our church. It is a bittersweet issue for me, because my good friend Kathleen is the interm minister at the church now and I cannot tell you how much I will miss her. I know that we will remain friends but it just won't be the same. It was really difficult for me to see the new minister without the cloud of Kathleen hovering. There are so many issues for me and my family and acceptance is one of them. I know that Kathleen accepted our family and since the search committee sent out a copy of my article (you can look through the archives her for it since I am too lazy to post it) to prospective candidates and it's assumed that she is OK with GBLT families in the church. Anyway, I worry, because for me, this church has helped me personally grow spiritually and has shown me that mainstream religion can accept GBLT folks.

Anyway, no crisis today. Good thing eh?

We're staying

I lost my 2nd application for SSD. Came in the mail today. Of course my lawyer didn't care, because it's the first application we care about (the one we are waiting to go back before the judge on) and of course we will appeal this one. They had no records from the ortho MD who put all the hardware in my back.

I am tired. I am done. I don't think many people read this, and if they do, they are damn tired of my whining. Can't even get a home equity loan because of me not working and my high student loans. I told Cheryl to take me off the damn deed because all I seem to do is drag everyone down because I can't work. But I'm not disabled either right....

Fuck it I say, Just fuck it.

To move or not to move...that is the question

Well, Cheryl has been offered a position in a lab in Bellingham WA. We happen to live clear across the country in Upstate NY. I think we are going to go. They are offering her a good pay rate, and the area is beautiful. The clincher is that her current job is only guarantee'd until July.

So, do we take the offer and move across the country for something sure and leave everything behind, or do we stay here and take the chance that she doesn't lose her job and stay here?

If we stay here and she loses her job, then we could lose our house and all that we have built here. She would have to take the first job she can get, and it won't be in NY. So, we could end up anywhere, with any salary. We wouldn't have a choice where we go, whereas in the WA situation, we do.

Cheryl's mother is on board and will come with us. Gillian, while not happy, is on board. But, I would be leaving my whole family behind. Our church, which we hold dear. And my friends. The school, which we know and have worked with for years.

This is the hardest decision ever. When I posted to my Moms's board they were all telling me to GO! Bellingham is beautiful and from what I can tell from the relocation information and what I have found online, it is. There is little snow, but there is also little sun. Moderate temps vs the really cold here. We would be on the ocean and have the mountains behind us. We'd be very close to Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA.

What's a girl to do. It's a lifetime changing decision.

Cheryl is going to talk to the person recruting her and ask more questions. We are most likely going to take a trip out there to see the area. But, if any of you that read me either live near that area and can offer advice, or if you have been in this situation, please, all advice is greatly appreciated.

Consignment shops?

I had the worse experience yesterday with a local consignment shop (if you live local and want to know which one, e-mail me and I will tell you). I took Katie's Britax Marathon in and the owner told me that she could only get $30 for it! What??? Which meant that I would only get $15. She was so rude, telling me how they just don't sell, people want the cheaper ones, etc. This was after I had called her and she told me that she can't keep them in her store, they sell so fast. So, while I was waiting for Gillian to load it back into the trunk, I looked in her car seat room where she had 2 Marathons, both in the same condition as mine priced at $85. So much for her selling them fast huh? I asked her for the history on them....none. No way to know if they had been in a crash or not.

So, I am glad that I didn't consign and will sell the seat myself. There has to be someone out there that wants a Marathon with a brand new cover?

I just can't get over how rude this woman was!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Remember the Grandpa of mine who was really sick and almost died? Well, he turns 83 today! I vividly remember posting from the ICU waiting room at 4AM waiting to hear whether he would live or not and here he is celebrating his birthday! And the best part is that he is going to be eating is OWN cake. Yes, you heard it right! The man that wasn't ever going to be able to eat or drink on his own again is eating and drinking with no problem!

Happy Birthday Grandpa! I am so lucky to have you around for more time!

Life

Is slowly getting better! I still have a lot of pain, especially if I do too much, but it's almost as though I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I go back to the pain clinic, I will talk with them about weaning off the pain meds. I have already started backing off the percocet with good results. The one area of pain that I have the worst is the right leg. I suspect there is a nerve being pressed on, because it (the leg) will twitch for no reason and driving makes it go crazy with pain. I have only been driving when absolutely necessary. I can hardly wait for next week when the kids have school break. I already told Gillian that I won't be her personal chauffer for the week, but the first day she will be on me about how bored she is!

I took Katie to the Dentist yesterday and had them check her chipped tooth. The teeth around it looked like they were turning grey (they were just stained), but the x-ray showed some inflamation and they want to do a pulpotomy on the tooth, and then fix the tooth. I made the appt and we will probably do it, but our other option is to wait and see if it abcesses (it's been chipped for 2 years). If that happens then we have to pull the tooth and put in a spacer. The dentist told me that they have great results if we do it before infection. I asked the nurse about pain and she said there would be none. They use nitrous oxcide and then numb. Katie has read the Little Critter books and loves the one about the dentist and when we were driving home she started to cry that she didn't want the medicine to make her mouth numb because then her tongue was going to hang out all day like Little Critter. After I assured her it wouldn't she was fine. Later on I heard her tell Cheryl, "Mommy asked the nurse if I would have any pain and she said no so it's OK. I know Mommy would never tell me a lie." So, if she has any pain I will be seriously pissed at that nurse. Just poking around, but has anyone had any dental issues with their little ones? Any info to pass on my way?

Gillian has been really active in the GBLT and their Allies program at school. She is going to do the Day Of Silence and also going on a field trip to a rally for GBLT rights up at the local university! She is making high honor role (which makes me so relieved we changed her programming). She is gearing up to test for her black belt in June! The next weekend out Prima Donna will be performing in her very first recital, which just happens to be a princess one and she will be Belle! I can't wait. She practices all the time for us and it's priceless!

Ending this week is for me one of the most powerful church experiences. I will be attending the Maundy Thursday services as well as the Good Friday one wrapping it all up in Easter morning. I have been so focused on the religious aspect of church, I forgot all about the Easter Bunny! Thankfully the wife was/is on top of this! My sister is having her annual egg hunt and we are all excited about that.

Well, I guess that catches you all up for now!