We need a batter, not a broken ladder. OH HI DBACKS!

Kyle hasn't been so great these last couple of months.  He's missed more than 6 weeks of school due to a bout of upper respiratory junkyness, for one.  Ultimately, we even had to bring him to Urgent Care due to an ear infection--and Urgent Care typically won't see medically fragile patients at all, but they did that day because I was just that desperate.  (kudos to our urgent care--world class, those folks.)

Today, Kyle saw our favorite orthopedic surgeon.  Unfortunately we learned that Kyle has a 21 degree spinal curvature.  This is bad news.  For now, he'll get a soft TLSO (back brace) in hopes that we can put off back surgery for a few extra years.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that we got to enjoy, again, the holiday decorations at Phoenix Children's Hospital!  Our favorite, hands down, has been the Arizona Diamondbacks Christmas tree.  It's incredibly tall (I'm guessing twenty feet?) and decorated with Dbacks ornaments, paraphenilia, and gear.  Kyle is obsessed with baseball, and the Dbacks, so he spends lots of quality time with this tree--touching it, talking to it--each time we have to go to the hospital.  Today he zoomed right over to the tree, carelessly plowing through a small crowd of folks standing around the area.  Turns out Kyle interrupted a meet and greet with Willie Bloomquist, of the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Kyle is only four years old, so has yet to memorize the Dbacks roster, but as we drove home I emphasized who he just met and he finally "got" it.  Nearly an afterthought, I asked Willie for a photo.  Kyle appears as though he couldn't have been happier if Willie had offered him a light saber (Kyle's other obsession). 

The Dbacks tree, with a little more detail (from a previous visit).

Thanks to the Dbacks organization, and to Mr. Bloomquist, for arranging to meet the kids of PCH and making a little boy's day.

mm mm not good.

This weekend we embarked upon some holiday baking.  It was actually a pretty sad effort--one was a new, unproven cookie recipe involving powdered sugar, shredded coconut and egg whites.  That turned out to be a fail.  I hate when I follow a recipe down to the letter and it still doesn't turn out.  

The second attempt was for cookie cutter cookies.  I particularly hate these.  They are delicious, yes, but given the sweat and tears and four letter words I've always had to throw around my kitchen when I make them, they just aren't delicious enough to make them worth it.  But I have kids now.  Kids love using cookie cutters.  And let's face it--once we have kids, we forgo our own comforts and conveniences and do things for THEM.  Though this time, I bought ready-made sugar cookie dough ("just add 1/4 cup flour, mix, and roll out!") and then let the kids have at it with Christmas cookie cutters.

I was meticulous with the shapes, took oh so delicate care of every cookie form they made and gently placed them onto the baking sheet.  They were so proud of their work!  Until the cookies went into the oven and their snowman-shaped cookie turned into a big blob.  Coincidentally, their gingerbread man, reindeer, and mitten cookie shapes also baked into the same blob.  And as I sit here and type this and munch on their blob-shaped angel cookie, I am annoyed that I mailed it in with a store-bought dough instead of going all the way and making my own labor-intensive sugar cookie recipe.

Well, at least I got a good photo op out of it.  Behold my silly bakers.

May the Force Be With Them.

Sometime last month there was a Star Wars marathon on television.  Kyle caught a few minutes of it and has been hooked ever since.  He's been watching one of the Star Wars discs at least once per day, and imagines everyday objects as light sabers as he and his twin sister act out scenes from the movie.

It's quite endearing. 

What follows in this clip is a sampling of his obsession.  I feel bad for George Lucas (and John Williams, for that matter) that our phone number is unlisted, but if he really wants Kyle to elaborate on his favorite moments in Star Wars then I guess he can just leave a comment here like everyone else...?

Ryan House Run 2012

Okay so I have, like, a ton of friends who walk--or, more ridiculously, run.  What's up with those weirdos, eh?  We have cars, dudes.  No need to run.  Seriously, runners are weirdos.

So hey yeah, I am a weirdo.  I run.  I technically haven't run in a few weeks, but in general I can run and I'm conditioned to run (for example, if zombies were to chase us I could probably run faster than the slowest person around, which is really all that matters when it comes to zombie chases).  But now I have a better reason to run.  And so do you.  Or hey--you could even just WALK!  I don't judge.

The Ryan House Run at DC Ranch in north Scottsdale is three months away.  You can sign up for the 5K, the 10K, or the half-marathon. Or even the 1 mile family fun run.  Team Double Trouble needs more than two people on the team this time (thanks for last year, Jess!).  This event is so much fun, does so much good, raises so much money, and is so newbie-friendly that you ALL should register!  Five kilometers is just 3.2 miles.  Thirty minutes of your time and effort.  Easy peasy.

If you wish to challenge yourself with the 10k or half-marathon, that's up to you--but you can still use this link to register with Team Double Trouble.  I will run(ish) the 5k.  Team Double Trouble will meet at DC Ranch early, give fist bumps, then off to our starting places.  Following our events, we shall meet up again afterward, give more fist bumps, compliment each other on our Lululemons, agree that we haven't been to The Herb Box in forever and we should go back soon, compliment the weather, and in general have a great time.  Even if you can't commit to the race, you can show up to cheer me on, bribe me with a mochachino, peruse the raffle tables and gamble a few bucks to win a wine basket or sports paraphernalia 

I've already blogged about what a great cause the Ryan House is.  Sign up to do it with me this time.  Right now is the perfect time to start training for it--the Couch to 5K program was even designed for non-runners.  Your heart will thank you.  I'll thank you.  Simply put, I want to see your face on March 3rd, 2012.  C'mon, Phoenix!  I know you want to see me all hot and sweaty and gross before I've even had enough coffee to be pleasant to you.

Fine--for those of you who will won't get off of your derriere's long enough to run, but still wish to support the cause, donate to The Ryan House via Team Double Trouble here.  It's for the kids!  As usual!