All Things Spears

I survived!

2008-09-14T16:03:00.001-07:00

Well, I had my dreaded sinus surgery this past Thursday and am clearly still living, so that's good. However, I will never again labor under the delusion that outpatient surgery = easy surgery. For some reason, I thought I'd be leaving the hospital pretty much as I went in except for being a little groggy from the anesthesia. Ha! I've been absolutely useless! Today is the first day that I even feel a little bit better, but I still can't function without the Lortab. Ahh, Lortab! (That said, please be advised that I am not completely responsible for the content of this post.)

Happily, everything went well during the surgery. It lasted quite a bit longer than expected because I had a lot more scar tissue than the doctor thought, but I should be much better as soon as everything begins to heal. Let's hope it's soon because I look like Penelope Pig Face!

Where we went

2008-09-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes. I know I haven't updated in forever. My stupid computer decided to take a dive and I only just got it back. Of course it would do this right AFTER the warranty expired! Lucky for us, the nice people at Apple agreed to fix it for free anyway or it would have cost mucho $$$. (Thanks Genius Bar nerds! I won't be furiously ripping the Apple sticker off the back of my van anytime soon.)

So, just a little update on our goings on. Kindle had his VNS implanted last month, and will be having it turned on this Wednesday. We're praying very hard that it helps! He's been doing very well at his new job and has been having fewer seizures now that he's out of the sun. He took Andrew to Duck Creek, UT on a camping trip with his brothers last week and they both had a great time.

Cora was supposed to start Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago, but the city wasn't able to finish the road in front of the school in time, so her first day will be the 15th. Everyone bring out their rain gear, because I'm sure I will be crying buckets! (She might be too, since they cancelled the orientation and she's really freaked out about having a man teacher. Jerks!)

Andrew is starting to leave baby-hood behind him now and is venturing slowly into the stinky world of little boys. He recently moved out of his crib and onto my last nerve, as he will not stay in his new "big boy bed" for longer than 3 hours at a time. (I'm TIRED.) We also took him to the store a few weeks ago and let him pick out a potty chair and underwear in hopes that he would get excited about potty training. Alas! No dice. As he so eloquently stated, "Anjew NO poo-poo in a potty! No like it! Anjew poo-poo in a diaper!" Oh, well. You can lead a horse to water...

I am very excited that my dance classes just started back up again after summer break and I got the new music for my next Stake Orchestra concert next month. I'm also anxious/excited about my surgery on the 17th. Hopefully it will take care of my sinus issues for good! (Sadly, Kindle put his foot down and refused to allow me to get a nose job at the same time. *Sigh. I guess I'll just have to learn to like it as it is.)

Anyway, hopefully I'll find time to get some pics of what we're doing, but don't hold your breath!

Grandma Betty Boop

2008-07-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just had to share this uber-funny thing that Andrew said today. But, first, I have to explain it.

I have a Grandma named Bette Jane Bush. She's my mom's mom and also happens to be the greatest Grandma in the world. (We also call her BJ.) Anyway, BJ loves her name (she belongs to the Betty Club) and she loves Betty Boop for obvious reasons. She collects Betty Boop stuff and all that. So, my mom downloaded a Betty Boop ringtone for her cellphone. When my Grandma calls, a picture of Betty Boop pops up on the phone and says "Boop-boop-be-do-boop." The kids think it's hilarious, and are always asking my mom to play it for them.

Well, basically, Andrew now calls BJ, Grandma Betty Boop. It's so cute! When we got the mail today, there was a birthday card for Cora from BJ with the usual $20. Cora left to take the card upstairs to find a place to put it and hide her $20, and then Andrew kicked the envelope across the floor. I looked up and said, "Hey, don't do that!" and saw that he was making the biggest frown. I asked what was wrong, and then he looked at me with his bottom lip stuck out and said, "I wan get sumpin a Gramma Betty Boop!"

Give me LIBERTY or give me DEATH!!

2008-07-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

As I type these words, I am locked in a power struggle of elephantine proportions. Tensions have quickly escalated and negotiations have failed utterly. Neither side is willing to make any concessions and it looks as though the battle may well continue into the next decade.

What, you may ask, could grind the operations of a happy, well adjusted family to a screeching halt? It is simply this: Mom has finally reached her limit and is no longer willing to clean up the myriad of messes thoughtlessly made by others. No more will toys left on the floor by careless children find their way to the toy box nor dirty clothes, left lying about, magically appear in the hamper. Dishes left at the table will not make it to the sink. You hear that friends? I AM OFFICIALLY DECLARING MY INDEPENDENCE FROM TYRANNY, OPPRESSION, AND SLAVERY!!!!!!!! I am, and will remain, ON STRIKE until the following demands are met:

1. Bedrooms will be kept tidy by the occupants and beds will be made at the time they are vacated.

2. Dishes will be carried to the sink and rinsed off immediately following meals.

3. Dirty clothes will be placed directly in the proper laundry receptacle as soon as they are removed from one's person.

4. Soiled diapers will be carried to the garage trash, not left inside to smell.

5. Empty toilet paper rolls will be replaced by the individual who pulled the last bit of paper off.

Until these demands are met, ingrate family members can expect the following:

1. Suspension of television, video game, and computer rights.

2. No more delicious meals or baked goods will be prepared by mom.

3. No more Slurpee runs.

4. All playdates and park visits will be postponed indefinitely.

5. Only clothes placed in the hamper will be laundered.

Yes, friends, I have a dream. A dream where one day all who come over unannounced can be welcomed inside without embarrassment. A dream that all can walk freely throughout the house without stepping on Polly Pockets. A dream that toilet paper will flow freely to all, that none shall be left to drip-dry on the potty. I have a dream and I shall continue to dream until the day I can say, FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY I AM FREE AT LAST!!

Prima Ballerinas!

2008-07-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Cora and I had our big dance recital this past weekend. The ballet was "Thumbelina" and the modern was the "Magical Mystery Tour". We both had a really great time dancing on stage! Cora was absolutely adorable in her 4 dances dressed as: a baby duck, a cuddle bug, a magician's assistant, and a magic dove. She was especially excited to wear make-up and glitter. (She's such a girly-girl.) Unfortunately, all the still pics that Kindle took turned out blurry, so I will have to wait until the professional portraits come back to post pics of us in our fancy costumes. Eliza got a few good pics during the show, so if I get a copy of them I will definitely post them. (I also have some fantastic video that you will be forcibly subjected to if you ever drop by! Just a friendly warning...)

Memories- Like the corners of my mind- misty watercolor memories...

2008-07-11T22:07:00.001-07:00

My friend Jen did this on her blog and I thought it was cute. Here's what you do-

Leave a comment on this post of any memory you have of me. Whether you know me a little or a lot. It could be silly or funny or sentimental or whatever. Then do a similar post on your blog and I'll do the same. Really it's fun! :)

Nightmare at Kohl's and "Mormon Tang"

2008-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I haven't posted in a while but I've been really busy with my dance recital coming up. I just wanted to share a couple of things that have happened in the last few weeks, but I don't have any pictures or anything. I've been too busy trying to keep the house clean when I'm not at rehearsal to worry about trying to take pictures. Sorry.

Anyway, the first story I wanted to share happened 2 weeks ago at Kohl's. I apologize for making my harrowing tale sound humorous, but it is really funny now. It wasn't at the time, though. Kindle needed clothes for his new job and since he can't drive, of course we all had to go with him to Kohl's. Now, what happened next was a classic example of "too many cooks in the kitchen". I saw some nice pants and I stopped to look for Kindle's size, (On a completely unrelated note, I just have to say that it's nearly impossible to find pants for the guy. He wears a 30/34. Otherwise known as Size Beanpole. All his pants either fall off, or don't reach the bottom of his ankles. It's really frustrating.) while he and the kids continued walking off toward the shirts. I spent a couple of minutes looking and then followed in the direction I saw him go. I spent another couple of minutes looking for him and finally had to call him on his cell phone to ask where he was. It was during this conversation that it became apparent that Andrew was not with either one of us. I thought he had him and he thought I had him. I immediately started hyperventilating and ran up to the front to tell the cashier that my 2 year old was missing.

What happened next was this: the cashier got on the intercom and announced a code "yellow". I want to tell you that the employees sprang into action, bolted all the exits and started searching for my son. I want to tell you that but, unfortunately, the store did exactly NOTHING!! Effing Jerks!! By this point Andrew has been missing for several minutes, I am bawling, Kindle is frantically searching the store and I am having a serious internal dilemma. I want to run through the store screaming his name at the top of my lungs, but I am afraid to leave where I am because then I won't be able to see if anyone tries to take him out of the front door. I keep waiting for someone to do something, but the cashier keeps calmly scanning merchandise and NO ONE even comes to ask me what he looks like. I was about to start cussing at the cashier when Kindle called to tell me he found him.

So where was Andrew for those ten awful minutes I spent in a state of absolute panic? Why, next to the dressing room with his pants around his ankles apparently attempting to try on a pair of Men's shorts. The little punk was pretty mad about being found. I had to carry him out of the store kicking and screaming, "My shorts! Try on! Buy it!" Needless to say, I'm not in a hurry to go back! So, friends, you better hold on to your kids extra tight at Kohl's because if they get lost, the staff isn't going to do a mother loving thing!

Anyway, on a lighter note, I went canning a couple of months ago and decided to try out the "fruit drink mix" (not to be confused with fruit JUICE). Now, please bear in mind that I am a nutrition Nazi and rarely allow my kids to drink/eat empty calories of any kind (seriously, my kids think apples are a special treat and frozen Gogurts are a reward for good behavior), but we ran out of juice last week and I didn't have time to run to the store so I decided to give the mix a try. Well, apparently, the mix is the storehouse's version of Tang, only slightly more disgusting and with, I'm sure, a higher sugar content. Of course, the kids LOVE it. It took less than 2 days for them to develop an alarming addiction to the sugar high that immediately follows the consumption of only a small amount. Seriously, I have emailed NASA to inform them that I have discovered a potent chemical with enough potential energy to fuel interstellar travel. (I'm still waiting for a response.) Well, I won't be making any more for a while. Now I just need to find the appropriate facility to check my kids into for the necessary detoxification and rehabilitation. Any suggestions, lol!

Mr. Buddy Turns 2!

2008-05-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

It's official! My baby is no longer a baby. :( We celebrated his second birthday on Sunday at my mom's. It was actually a party for Jay's graduation, but I figured I'd save everyone another trip out here. Of course, Andrew didn't know the difference and thought the party was all for him. He had a great time opening his "pez-ents" and loved his "funbob" cake. He was so excited! The first thing he said when I woke him up yesterday was that he wanted to have another birthday a grandma's house. (Well, actually, he said, "Go. Bamas. Buh-day.", but I knew what he meant.)

Well, I guess I'd better buckle up and prepare for the roller coaster ride that is the "terrible" twos! Here we go...

Family Portrait

2008-05-12T12:47:00.001-07:00

I was putting the scrapbooks together this weekend (see previous post below) when I realized that the four of us were not in any photos together. Seriously! The most recent photo with all of us in it was taken a year and a half ago. How sad is that! I guess it's because one of us is always behind the camera, but you'd think I would notice eventually. I mean, come on! A year and a half! I must be the worst mom ever. (again, see below) So, anyway, we set the camera on a tripod and used the timer to take a picture of all of us together. What a fiasco! Andrew kept smiling before and after the flash, but never during it. He also kept covering his mouth with his hands. It took ten tries before we finally got the one you see here, but we did get some really funny out-takes. This one is my favorite. (Yes, Andrew is biting Kindle.) What a pain! At least we won't have to do it again for another 18 months, LOL!

The hard way? No way!!

2008-05-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms! To you moms who work outside the home and you who don't. To moms who sew amazing Halloween costumes and those who rush to Walmart the day of. To moms who bake delicious cakes from SCRATCH and those who buy pre-made cupcakes, scrape the frosting off, and re-frost so they look homemade and then deliver them on their own plate to complete the charade. I think we all know which category I fall into! ;) (Just keepin' it real sistas, LOL! )

I just had to tell everyone about my latest foray into lazy mom territory. In case anyone didn't know, let me just say, I HATE TO SCRAPBOOK! To those of you who love it, good for you! You get a gold star in the memory preservation category! You are one of those good moms whose children's children's children will say, "Wow! I'm so glad great-grandma took such pains to make these wonderful scrapbooks! Now we know what life was like at the turn of the century." My posterity, however, will probably be lucky to inherit a shoe box full of CD's and DVD's with unorganized, unnamed jpegs.

That said, I'm sure you can imagine the sheer joy that surged through my soul when I was at Sam's Club the other day and saw a bin full of scrapbooks! Seriously cute scrapbooks! I mean the kind with all the fancy, shmancy do-dads that cost a fortune at the scrapbook store. All the pages ready. Just buy, insert photos, place some extra stickers and crap (included!) and viola! An impressive memory book guaranteed to earn you some serious "good mom" points. And it was definitely a plus that I found them in time for Mother's Day. They made great gifts for all the grandmas and they looked like I spent days and days! Ha, ha! And all for $20! So, lazy moms, here's to you! (Don't forget to pop into Sam's for your own, LOL!)

Driving Miss Cora and the She-man

2008-05-08T19:50:00.001-07:00

I went outside to check on the kids a few minutes ago, and this is what they were doing. Andrew was driving her all around the yard saying, "Beep, beep!" So cute!

And, in case you were wondering, yes, that is a purple flower shirt on the boy. He put it on over his manly blue plaid button up shirt. He was so proud of himself, I didn't have the heart to take it off. (It's fitting really, because the shorts he's wearing are technically girls', but I figured no one would notice the difference. Kindle did, though, and he's not happy about it.)

Love at first bite.

2008-05-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! I just watched the new teaser trailer for Twilight and now I can't stop hyperventilating. Those of you who have read the book know what I'm talking about. Those who haven't, well, RUN, don't walk, to the nearest bookstore RIGHT NOW!! Anyway, I'm absolutely head over heels in love with Edward Cullen and from the looks of the trailer, Rob Pattinson totally NAILED him. I sooooo can't wait to see this movie!!!!!

Laundry Monkey

2008-04-29T11:26:00.001-07:00

Ever since we go the new washer and dryer, Andrew has been obsessed with them. A few minutes ago, he saw me bringing a load down the stairs and he clapped his hands and said, "Yay, yay!!" Then he raised his hand and said, "Meeee!" (Like little kids do in class when you ask who wants to do something. He must have learned that in nursery.) Hilarious!

He followed me into the laundry room and insisted on loading the washer himself. He put every article in one at a time and every time he said "Put in." SOOOOO cute! He found some change in Daddy's pants and I let him keep it as a "tip". He was really excited to put the money in his "pock-uht". When he was finished loading, he shut the door and pushed the buttons to start the machine. Then he clapped while he watched the clothes spin around. (He just came and saw these pictures and said, "Andoo help it.") I guess I should enjoy the help while it lasts, LOL.

Mia Hamm Eat Your Heart Out!

2008-04-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a momentous day in soccer history! Cora FINALLY kicked the ball during a game. (We'll forget that it was only because the ball rolled directly to her.) This also happened to be the first time the NLV Stars weren't completely mauled by the opposing team. Some of the girls actually seem to be getting the idea and did really well. (Props to Brittney!) Maybe next time we'll win. *Snort!*

Tests Tests and More Tests

2008-04-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Kindle and I drove to Southern California this past week for a completely kid-free vacation at a luxurious Beverly Hills Spa where I was pampered with...........NOT!! I wish!! I actually spent the week shuttling Kindle between medical tests at Scripps Clinic in San Diego and Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, all the while nursing the worst sinus infection I've ever had the joy to experience.

We arrived Monday night at the home of our friends Brian and Kara. (a link to their blog is on the left) They live in Long Beach, which is pretty much in between the two hospitals so it worked out great. They also just had a baby girl I hadn't seen yet, so I was thrilled to get a chance to squeeze her. Kindle had to be sleep deprived for his test on Tuesday morning, so he stayed up watching movies while everyone slept.

These pictures are from Kindle's MEG test at Scripps on Tuesday. Basically, the MEG is a test that monitors electronic brain waves(EEG) during an MRI. (That's the MRI machine behind Kindle's head.) When the results come back, Kindle's neurologists will be able use the EEG and MRI data together to try and see which parts of his brain are active during seizure patterns. The ladies who administered the test were really great!! The test only lasted about 4 hours, so Kindle didn't have a full seizure during the test, but they said it was okay and they would probably get what they needed without one. They also said they hardly ever get a full seizure, but usually get the data anyway, so not to worry.

*On a side note, the hospital is located near the ocean with a golf course between it and the water. The view was beautiful and the sea breeze refreshing. Not a bad place for a hospital! And parking was FREE. (see below)

The next day was not so great. We left Brian and Kara's early to fight the morning traffic to LA. (Cedars Sinai is in Beverly Hills.) Someone who shall remain nameless but whose initials are Kindle Spears decided to deviate from the directions and take a "better way". Oblivious, I drove where he told me to and we ended up in lost in East LA. Luckily, we had left early enough that we had time to get on the right track. (Thanks to Brian!) Okay, now for my rant. Apparently, the ridiculously expensive medical procedures at Cedars Sinai are not enough to keep the hospital afloat because they feel the need to charge an absolutely OBSCENE amount to park your car. Seriously, I'm talking, like, $15 a day. They will validate on the day of admission and the day of discharge, but you have to park in certain areas. I didn't know this and of course, I was in the wrong lot. The place is a mystifying labyrinth and by the time I found the car to move it, I had already accrued $4 in fees. (The car was only there for 20 min.) I'm sorry, but I think it is almost criminal to do this to people who are already dealing with illnesses. I mean, come on! It's a hospital for crying out loud, not Disneyland! (It's actually CHEAPER to park at Disneyland BTW) Okay, end of rant.

After the parking debacle, Kindle was admitted for his Ictel Spec test. Basically, they hook the patient up to the EEG machine to wait for a seizure. When someone has a seizure, blood rushes to the area where it occurs. For an Ictel Spec test, the patient is injected with a radio active dye at the exact time of the seizure that follows the blood flow to the area that caused it. The patient is then taken for a PET Scan where the dye will be seen. They monitored Kindle all of Wednesday and were hoping for a seizure between 8 am and 2 pm on Thursday. If he didn't have one, he would have to stay until he had one during the window. We were told that he would likely be there until Saturday at the earliest. I'm thrilled to report, however, that he had a seizure right on cue!!! He was somehow able to call for the technician monitoring him right after. If you have ever seen him have a seizure, you know that he is completely confused afterward. It was truly a miracle that he was able to alert the tech, because she asked him a bunch of questions after he called her in and he couldn't answer any. Everything went exactly as planned and he was injected with the dye and taken for a PET Scan. Then, they needed a scan with NO seizure activity for at least 24 hrs. After his first scan, they put him back on his meds, and he had no more seizures. They took the second scan Friday morning and I was able to pick him up in the afternoon. Kindle is part of clinical trials for the Ictel Spect test, which is a completely new procedure. He is the 31st person to undergo the test and the only the 12th to actually have a seizure during the window.

We are so grateful to the neurology team at UCLA for recommending him for the tests! We have to wait a while for the results of both and can only hope and pray that his doctors will finally be able to locate the source of his epilepsy. Thanks to all of you who have fasted and prayed in our behalf this week, to Brian and Kara for their unlimited hospitality (and adorable baby!), and to my mom and sister Seana for taking such great care of my kids. All of this would be impossible to deal with if not for all of you giving us support.

Uncle Jay's B-day in Hades

2008-04-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

My sister's husband Jay had his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese last Saturday. While I was happy to share this occasion with him, I must admit that I was less than thrilled to be there.

First of all, I wasn't feeling well and the thought of a million noisy children running amok was the last thing I wanted to be dealing with. The place is loud and obnoxious even on slow days and Saturday the place was PACKED.

Secondly, I abhor the thought of my children crawling through narrow tunnels where other dirty, sticky children have placed their nasty hands and feet. The entire place just gives me the creepy crawlies. It makes me want to bathe myself and my kids in sanitizer afterward.

Thirdly, I have this completely irrational fear of my kids being abducted from a Chuck E. Cheese. For some reason, I see this place as a magnet for pervs. I'm sure the chances aren't any higher than any other place, but I can't help it. I'm anxious the entire time and I see potential kidnappers lurking everywhere.

Lastly, (I know this is turning out to be a long list) I really hate their pizza. It tastes like cardboard.

So all in all, not my favorite place. Of course, the kids had a blast and cried when we left. Cora bawled all the way home. I spent the next few days listening to her ask when we're going there again. I just gave her a vague "we'll go another day". Believe me, another day will be a LONG time coming.

Ladies Man

2008-04-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

I can't say enough how absolutely handsome/adorable/sweet/loving/wonderful/irresistible/etc. my little guy is!!!! When he woke up this morning, the first thing he did was put on Cora's soccer stuff so he could "kick it"(the ball). I laughed so hard! We took him to Town Square tonight, and of course, everyone made of fuss over his fauxhawk as usual. We really get a kick out of how much he loves to flirt. It's funny how he already seems to have an eye for the pretty girls. At the restaurant we just ate at, he stood up to look at the attractive blonde woman in the next booth. She went nuts over him (which he loves) and he really turned on the charm like he always does. We were laughing about it when Cora said, "Yep, he really deserves the ladies." Too true, but, thank goodness, that boy is mine.

Who knew dirty laundry could bring so much joy?

2008-04-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sadly, after seven years of faithful service, my washer and dryer decided they'd had enough and became thoroughly disgruntled. After a long, hard fought battle, I was finally forced to concede defeat this week (when they finally managed to ruin an ENTIRE load) and headed to Lowe's for replacements. Of course, I couldn't settle for anything less than the fancy, expensive Samsung front loaders. (My kids won't be going to college now, but, heck, at least they'll have plenty of clean clothes.)

I'm totally in heart with my new machines! They're the prettiest shade of midnight blue and so quiet. When they're finished running a cycle, they don't call me with a shrill beeping, but by playing a lovely little song. It almost makes me want to get my clothes dirty on purpose. Now if I could just replace the kids with quieter, more attractive models, lol!

Cora's first soccer game!!

2008-04-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Cora's very first soccer game with the Stars. It was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time! Stars they are not, lol! At this age, there are no goalies and they don't keep score, which is a good thing because I think the other team would have won by, like, 20. Cora was absolutely the best of the worst, ha, ha, ha! The ball would roll right in front of her, and she'd just look at it like, "Hello? Is anyone going to come and kick that?" Sometimes she sort of ran behind the action, but she seemed to be singularly uninterested in such mundane things as the game and preferred to devote her attention to things like the neat-o ladybug in the grass by her feet or the kid carrying a balloon two fields over. David Beckham she is not! Oh well, at least she looked perfectly adorable in her uniform. :)

A visit to the pig farm

2008-04-06T22:14:00.001-07:00

Last week, our ward playgroup got to take a tour of RC Farms which is located just a mile north of us. Around here it is known simply as "the pig farm". It was very interesting to see the source of the terrible smell we all like to complain about. As it turns out, they run quite an operation! Apparently they recycle leftover food from the strip casinos. They boil it for half an hour, siphon off the excess grease (which is then recycled), and feed it to the livestock. They have over 2500 pigs, a few hundred head of cattle, goats, ducks, geese, sheep, chickens, and a few horses. Andrew about lost his mind over the HUGE sows with their piglets. He kept trying to get closer while shouting, "Goggy!, Goggy!", over and over. (He still thinks that anything with four legs is a dog.) Cora especially liked the tadpoles in the pond, although I wasn't able to convince her that they were actually baby frogs and not fish. All in all, it was a great experience. I still intend to complain about the smell, though :)

FYI- RC Farms was featured on Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. Apparently, it was voted by viewers to be Mike's #1 dirtiest job ever. I can certainly believe it!!

Happy Easter (finally)

2008-04-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm really late with the Easter blog. Oh, and also I haven't blogged since December. Well, I'm going to try and be better so everyone can see what our family is up to.

We had a really great Easter! The kids were so excited about the presents the Easter bunny brought and, as you can see, they looked adorable in their new church clothes. We're also happy to report that the last of the Easter candy has been consumed (finally) and I was able to get all of the chocolate stains out of the carpet, so that's good. Now what to do about their cavities.....