Life with The Leivas

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Garden: Week 2

We may be a little obsessed. Mike and I can't wait to check on the garden when we get home from work. Peter tells everyone (including complete strangers) about how his "plants is growin". And Olivia loves to walk around the garden and thus far has been very cautious about not stepping in the garden and she has yet to eat anything...yet.

Here we have cantaloupe and watermelon.

And corn.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Bikes and Balance

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
~ Albert Einstein

I have definitely had a hard time finding balance now that I've gone back to work. I love my job, I love that it's challenging and rewarding. I love knowing that the kids are in great hands all day long weather they're at school or with the nanny. I love that Mike and I share more of the daily parenting responsibilities. But finding balance is always tough. I really appreciated the transition to daylight savings time as it gives us a few hours of daylight to enjoy with the kids.

I do miss my girlfriends! Someday I hope I'll have time to call you back!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Green Thumb?

We are all super excited about our newest family project........OUR GARDEN! We planted corn, pumpkins, cantaloupe, watermelon, squash, zucchini, 6 types of peppers, eggplant, 4 types of tomatoes, basil, mint, fennel, chives, lavender, lettuce, and strawberries.

The before:

The after:

Monday, April 23, 2012

Casual Family Dinning--It works for us!

We don't go out to eat very often as a family. After a particularly rough evening out several weeks ago Mike and I actually vowed never to take our children to a restaurant again. Of course we've caved and we discovered a perfect option for our family. We're now going to frequent restaurants where throwing food is acceptable and expected.....think peanut shells on the floor, etc.

During our beach weekend in Alabama we went to Lambert's Cafe. Thrown rolls, quick service, a restaurant designed to get you in and out as quickly as possible, a variety of free appetizers to enjoy as you wait for your meal = Perfect dinning destination for our family.

Oh and they had a pretty cool train to play on while we were waiting for a table.

MPS/Sanfilippo Syndrome

In October, 2008 Olivia was disgnosed with MPS III or Sanfilippo Syndrome, type B. MPS stands for: Mucopolysaccharidoses. It is a genetic lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.

Babies and young children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal, but symptoms begin to appear with age as more and GAGs build up in the cells of the body. There are 3 stages to the disease. Stage 1 the child begins to lag behind peers and begins to display difficult behaviors. Stage 2 the child losing his/her language, becomes hyperactive, chews on everything, and has sleeping difficulties. Stage 3 the child slows down, becomes dependant for all mobility and loses the ability to chew/swallow. There is no treatment or cure for Sanfilippo. Life expectancy varies.