The Host

I enjoyed Stephanie Meyer's Host. It was an excellent story. I think better than the vampire series. Reading other comments on it. I am surprised at how many people are comparing it to the vampire books and only focusing on the love story. The story line itself was great. It is science fiction, but I like scifi so I enjoyed it. Has anyone else read it? What are your comments?

(Not really spoilers, but)
My questions is how would it feel to have someone take over your body? Would you stick around and fight and yell? Or would you fade away? I have always thought my mind was one of the greatest blessings that I had. It is wonderful to learn, to remember, to think. But I have always taken being able to move my body and do what I wanted with it.

Too cute Princess Tutu

Normally, I don't encourage the princess thing. I would rather Jaydee be a tomboy. I encourage reading, dolls, but I am not really into the whole princess thing. My favorite Disney is Mulan that is a real girl! She uses her brains not just her pretty face. However, I will get off my soap box. I saw this on my friend Shellee's blog and I may just have to make one. Click the title to see the link on how to make these tutus.

Random Pictures & Thots

I finally cleaned out my camera and I discovered some cute pictures that I should have posted from awhile back. My little brother (who is quite a bit taller than me, he is happy to point out) was a gem and gave pony rides. Jaydee thought the pony was great and didn't want to get off.

Ben had been getting pictures of Jaydee & Emmerie so I came over with my camera. I did get one good one but this was just too classic. I think I have one of them on the horse with their fingers in the same spots.

Here is proof that Sam really does like "Q". "Q" is the kitty.


Okay, so I made Jaydee a star chart which she gets a star for staying dry all day, going to bed without fussing and another one for staying in her bed all night. (Every time she gets sick or we travel she thinks she needs to sleep with us and make it a habit...okay she really is just spoiled). Anyways after 6 little stars she gets a little treat (ice cream, etc). I made her a super star chart which when she gets her little stars she will get a super star. 10 super stars would equal the bike that we were thinking of giving her. However she has decided instead of a bike she wants a trampoline, well I kind of ignored her request the first day and then last night I told her about the bike, she began to jump up and down and say "Bike, bike, bike!" Then she stopped turned around and said "No, I need a trampoline because I am a good jumper." (A trampoline is a lot bigger prize than I had planned on). Then later that night she told me that we needed 2 tables. I couldn't figure that out until she explained that our dining room table needs to go outside so she can climb on it to get onto the trampoline. (They climb on a picnic table at Grandma Flake's house).

Another cute Jaydee story. I asked if she wanted to go see Grandma Flake because Ruth had just gotten home from Utah. She said "Grandma Flake, I Jaydee Flake." Who are you mommy? I told her I was "Vandee Flake" and daddy was "Sam Flake". Then she asked who Papa was. I told her Joe Holyoak. Then I told her I was Vandee Holyoak until I married her daddy and changed my name to Vandee Flake, she just cracked up laughing. I am not sure if she got it or not. :)

Google Reader

Mindy Sanders just introduced me to Google Reader and I love it. You can list all of your blogs, websites you check out alot etc. It will sort them all like an email so that you can catch up on everyone's new posts without checking out each link. Plus you can look at blogs when you are not at the same computer. (I bookmark all mine).

Jaydee's visit with the neurologist

Jaydee has had 4 seizures the last year. Two have definitely been related to fevers or febrile seizures. We met with a neurologist at Phoenix Children's Hospital yesterday. He was very good and spent 40 minutes with us. He ordered an EEG which came back normal. We will be doing an MRI in a few weeks, just to make sure that the only reason for the seizures is hereditary. The gene that causes febrile seizures also can cause seizures without fevers. He also gave us a prescription for a drug that can stop a seizure if it lasts over 3 minutes. I am very glad that that so far it is normal. We will post the results of the MRI. I wish I had a picture of the EEG, they wrapped gauze around her head to keep the 25 wires in place, she did look cute. Almost like she had a turban on.

One other funny story from our weekend in the valley: Jaydee went skinny dipping. :) We went and put our feet in the swimming pool and she got out and stripped off so she could get all the way in. It was cold but we went and changed to go swimming. She also LOVES Fuddrucker's shakes.

It's a BOY!

Yesterday was fun I got Jaydee up and we left and ran to Wal-mart, she sampled the kitty food while I was buying that, a litter box etc. She then came up and spit it into my hand. She was very disappointed when we got home that the kitty got cookies and she didn’t (we got the free sample from the bakery so I didn’t buy her any other cookies, because she picked out goldfish crackers). Then we had custom ear plugs made and were home by 10:30. I made bread and chili, took Jaydee to Sonic for a slushy. Then Sam came home and we went to our Dr appt. Jaydee was excited to see the hands and feet but wanted to see the baby’s face. She got bored quickly and Sam took her out. The tech took a picture and just wrote “BOY” then waited for our responses. Sam said “Are you sure?” He was so excited. Then the tech showed us the legs and “boy parts”. Sam was happy and Jaydee told everyone she was going to have a brother. I did get sick from laying on my back with a full bladder but once I could relieve myself I felt fine. It was so fun to see the little guy wave and kick around. He is a bit bigger than normal which means he could come a week or so early. I won’t complain about that.

Missing Q

Friday I got home and Sam told me he couldn’t find the kitty. We had left it outside to play, I didn’t want to lock it up during the day. I went with Jaydee walking and calling but she hadn’t been home and kept telling me to not say that (Here Kitty, kitty). So we ate dinner at the neighbors, Sam went to a camp fire dinner. Then on the way home Jaydee told me she wanted her kitty. I told her it was gone but she was convinced it was in the laundry room so we got home and went looking for it with flashlights and asked a few neighbors. I was sure it was gone. All day Saturday, she kept saying “I’m not happy, my kitty gone. I’m sad, I miss my kitty.” I was ready to go buy one. Then Saturday night Johan told us his friend had seen it Friday and then saw some kids across the street playing so we decided to go one more time and ask. I was so tired I really didn’t want to go. We asked and they had it. Jaydee yelled “MY KITTY!” and grabbed it. She kept saying “I’m so happy!” It has been quite a weekend.

Jaydee's New Kitty "Q"

Jaydee also got a new kitty Wednesday night. A coworker’s dog had chased it up a tree, they were leaving on vacation and needed someone to take it. Jaydee absolutely loves it. It is about 6 weeks old and she carries it by it’s neck or belly and it lets her. It is very calm. The kitty’s name is “Q” When I asked Jaydee what she wanted to name it she ran to the fridge and picked a letter off the fridge and brought it back to me and told me that said the kitty’s name. It was the letter “Q” she still calls it Kitty most of the time, but Sam thinks we should keep the name. I’m just glad it wasn’t “P” or something else. Yesterday morning I sat “Q” out to use the bathroom because Jaydee had been playing inside with her all morning. I took some Sand and dumped it in a corner of the yard so it would be easier for her to go. She dug around and then meowed at me like “Hey this isn’t enough sand, so I got some more and then she meowed almost a relieved Thank you and went. It was comical how she really talked to me. She doesn’t like the cage or being locked out of where everyone is. Jaydee so far is okay with her sleeping outside or in the laundry room. I am not sure how Sam will react when Jaydee wants Q to sleep with her, but I didn’t think Sam would even consider letting her play in the house and he brought her in. So it is funny.

Jaydee Surgery

Jaydee had surgery to replace her tubes. The right one had started to come out and the left one had fluid behind her Jaydee did very well at her surgery. She was busy playing with the bed, she figured out how to make it go up & down and thought that was so fun. (it was manual so it was a trick but she had fun.) The nurse took her back and she skipped and sang with her all the way back no crying. 15 minutes later I went to get her and they told me, she is not awake yet, she opened her eyes. Then they said she may not recognize you right away, she lifted her arms and said Mommy! She didn’t cry at all. She asked for some juice, we changed her and she wanted to go with Sam. Then in the car she wanted to go see the nurse again. After talking to the doctor, I was very glad we had the surgery so soon. She was a bit dramatic yesterday, she wanted to huggle (her friend combined hug & snuggle into one word & Jaydee picked it up). If anything went wrong she cried, but overall she did very well. We went to see Grandma Flake and I make strawberry freezer jam, Jaydee helped by putting in all the strawberries into the blender.