Captain's Log:
Stardate:  03282011
The Homeship Maplehurst has just entered the gamma quadrant of .......................

LOL  Just kidding.  Aren't flashback great though.

Anyway.  I just wanted to post a couple of  new pictures of Edith and Eleanor that were taken recently.

Her eyes, like a blue million miles

Edith the climber, she's pretty good.  :)

I have no idea why this hasn't been posted already.  (maybe because I just found it.)  It's from a few weeks ago, or more, but I think it's pretty amazing.  The videography is poor because while I was filming I was watching with my eyes and not with the camera if that makes any sense.  :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYWduYVOCPc

I tried posting the video directly but it was to big.  Follow the link to see

"The Amazing Eleanor"

This weekend was spent down in Little Rhody with the fam.  Saturday we chilled with Gramis and Grampis for a while before heading over to Gramma Rose and Pappa Harry's for some pasta.  :D
Sunday it was sunny so Edith and I did some outdoor explore time around the Johnson grounds.  Here are some pictures I took while walking the grounds.  :D

Hey What are you doing down there?  "Playing hide and seek"

Holly

The elusive Uncle Ryan

Those crocuses are popping out!!  Oh YEAH!!

Gramis's garden pre-bloom

the treasures found when rummaging around on Town Farm Rd.  :D

Hey do you think it still runs???

Crummy old townhouse. 

Why use that crummy old birdhouse when we have this wonderful nest with a skylight.

Loves any kind of puddle.  :D

This was another one of those "Mommy take my picture" moments.  HA, she cracks me up. 

Reeeach.  Ok now that we know she can reach the clothes pin bag she's on laundry duty.  :D  LOL

It has taken way longer then it should have but......today I am official Heidi Anne Madison.  Well according to Mass DOT and Social Security Administration anyway. My initials spell HAM.  That makes me laugh.  I love it.  :D  HAM.  LOL  There were surprisingly NO lines at either the RMV or the Social Security Office, got called up within seconds of receiving my number in both places.  That was wonderful!!   

I recently test drove the Mazda 5.  It was AWESOME!!!  :D  It has a lot of cargo space and it was so so easy to convert!!! All the doors and seats slide easy and they are feather light yet sturdy! It has great pick up and it was soooo fun to drive!!! Even Joe liked it!! It gets 28 mpg.  It's very versatile, smooth, peppy and (I think) cute. :D Not that I'm looking for a new car or anything I've just always wanted to drive one.  I can't really get away with anything less then the minivan with Eleanor's wheelchair and Berkley taking up so much space.  :D  Not to mention I love my minivan but you can love your car and still pine for another one. 

look at me being all 9:30 and 2:30 such a sloppy driver, jeeze.  LOL

Anyway, besides that, not much new going on at this old homestead.  We are now entering into the last weekend in March which seems very sudden to me, and exciting too.  Some of the bulbs I planted in the fall are already coming up.  :D  woo-hoo.  Success.  I check on them almost everyday now, it makes me feel good to see them growing. 

Here are just a few recent snapshots of some terribly exciting things that have been going on down here on Maplehurst Rd.

Footy being Footy

I absolutely love when Edith disappears and turns back up looking all crazy styled.  LOL  

Getting some springtime blue sky's

It was strange to see him laying like this.  He's a weird dog.  :)

This is Saturday morning Joe.

This is Zelda's Saturday morning nap pose.

One final note:  Eleanor has had two good days in a row with no knee swelling and just a happier attitude.  Yeah for Eleanor.  Phew.  Lets hope things keep moving in that direction!

So Eleanor's knees have been swelling on and off this week.  Dr. McMahon did some lab work on Friday but she doesn't think it's anything serious.  It's just odd.  The nurse in the class sent me some pictures of her knees swelling at school. 

Mom and Harry came up and spent the night on Thursday.  That was fun.  I love when they come to visit.  We had a nice dinner with Irene and Bill before I had to dash off to Book Group. 
Then on Friday we all went and had lunch with Joe at work and got a tour of NTS. 

The book group book for March was "Sarah's Key"

It was a good read.  Next months book is one I've already read but will probably read again.  "Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea" By Chelsea Handler.  Funny Stuff. 

Then yesterday Joe and I were tooling around trying to get some new chains for the chainsaws and we passed a Ford dealership.  We stopped and test drove a Fiesta. 

It has some neat features but it's not peppy like I thought it would be.  Not sporty enough.  LOL  It was fun anyway. 

When we got home we did a little yard work which included a lot of Berkley bomb pick-up.  A five gallon bucket of poo and that's only a portion of what he dropped this winter.  Now that the snow is gone the poo has been unveiled.  And it's not pretty. 

The sun is shining today so I'm thinking it might be a nice day to take Berkley to Groton's dog park.  Let him poop somewhere else for a change.  LOL  Although I still have to pick it up there too.  HA.  There's no escaping the poo!
And that's another day in my life.  :D

Well Eleanor's knee was absolutely fine today.  So hopefully whatever was happening with it yesterday was just a fluke and there will be nothing more about it. 

Anyway......

Here it is- Eleanor's award for mismatch day!! YEAH Go Eleanor!!! :D

Edith had her very first preschool playdate this morning.  It was with Oliver.  He came over with his mom and brother for a little while.  I think it went really well.  :D

We walked to school today.  It was chilly but sunny so it was wonderful!  Then on the walk home we took a detour to the lake to play for a little while before getting home for Eleanor. 

Here are some Edith pictures from today.  Edith has been dictating which picture she wants me to take.  I comply because I think it's fun.  LOL

"Mom, take a picture of this"

Stop by the lake on the walk home from school

"Mom, take a picture of this"

My goodness Little Eleanor can not seem to catch a break.  Today I got a call from school.  Her knee is swollen, red and hot to the touch.  So we will be heading to the pediatrician this evening to have her checked out.
She had her MRI on Friday.  She did good and the results are in already.  Her brain MRI is the same as it's always been so she's probably not having migraines.  Phew.


We made it down to RI this weekend and enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal with Mom and Harry on Friday.  Another delicious meal made by Chris on Saturday, and Dad's chili on Sunday with the Johnson gang.
Gramis and Grampis were dog sitting little Sophie, a toy poodle, who got along smashingly with Edith.  Just the right size for Edith to walk her all by herself.  It was pretty cute. And Grampis took Edith outside to explore the old Johnson homestead for quite some time on Sunday which she loved.  :D 
I got a chance to toss the football around with Joe and Dad for awhile too.  The spring is on it's way. :D 


It was a good weekend.  Here are a few shots from the trip.

Edith playing, Uncle Chris's house on Johnsons Pond.

Joe picking prickly pine cones off a fallen branch

The ride to RI

They look like best friends don't they?  LOL

Eleanor lost another tooth yesterday.  :D  She's growing up.  It's her fifth one and we have managed to hang on to all five!  Amazing.  Why are we hanging on to all of her teeth?  I have no idea.  LOL  Anyway it was a  bottom tooth and you can't see it unless you are looking into her mouth.
This week is spirit week at E's school and yesterday was mismatch day.  She was definitely well mismatched.  The note home said she won for best mismatched outfit.  :D  She had a ponytail on one side and a braid on the other plus all different stripes and camo  prints.  LOL   

Recently we also built a platform to raise Edith's bed off the floor like a loft bed.  She loved sleeping up top until the curtains were put on.  Now she love love loves to sleep in her 'tent' underneath.  So we put all of her stuffed animals on top for now.

Poor Eleanor had to go back to the doctors today.  She threw up at school.  She seems totally fine.  No fever, no soar throat, no ear infection, she's pooping regularly.   So we are looking more closely into the migraine issue.  Eleanor will have an MRI soon and then hopefully we will have more answers. 
Here is today's exam room art work. 

I just have to add that I am so very grateful for the pediatrician that the kids have!!  A lot of what Eleanor is seen for by her, besides routine check ups, is very non specific symptoms like "Eleanor is cranky", or "I know she's not feeling well but don't know why".  And Dr. McMahon always takes it seriously.  Never blows us off and will contact Eleanor's other Dr.s for advice and recommendations about Eleanor.  She's always thorough which, unfortunately, has not always been the case with some of the other pediatricians she's had.  Hooray for Dr. McMahon!   

Took another trip to Boston this morning.  This time it was to see the GI doctor, Dr. Watkins.  The nurse who helped us out today was the same nurse that taught us about Eleanor's g-tube and how to manage enteral care the day we left the hospital after the tube placement.  Eleanor was only 18 months old then and is 7 now.  She remember us!!!  I couldn't believe it.  It was nice to see her and too see that she is still working at Children's Hospital. 

This was the art of the exam room today.  I like this one too.  :D

 And this is Edith pretending to be the Dr.

And here we have Eleanor the ever patient patient!  :D

Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday.  So in celebration of that Edith and Eleanor both wore red 'Cat In The Hat' bow ties to school made from a pair of old tights.  Edith additionally wore lots of crazy stripes and whiskers.  Plus we read 'Horton Hears A Who' at bedtime. 
Dr. Seuss is one of my favorite childrens book authors.  I love the way the words rhyme and flow.  Sandra Boynton is good for that too and another one of my faves.  :D 
Here are the kids with there Dr. Suess tributes on.