Monday, January 30, 2006

An "Apology"

Yesterday we were cleaning out the boys' dressers and replacing them with some hand-me-down dressers that M refitted/re-enforced. While we were doing this, I was supervising the boys in thier dismal effort to put away the non-clothes things that somehow ended up in their dresser (ie Valentine candy from last year, multiple match box cars, dog stuffed animals, and a variety of legos.) At some point during this task, T decided that he didn't want to participate anymore. So he began pouting and harumping at me. I spoke to him sternly and told him that I didn't like his bad attitude and he better change it or else he was going to bed right now. He finally shaped up, but not without a fight.

Fast forward to dinner time, two hours later.

After dinner, when it was just T and me at the table (as it often ends up at night because he is such a slow eater and I excuse everyone else), T said to me: "Mom, I'm sorry about the attitude 'situation'" earlier today. As he said "situation" he raised his little hands up to either side of his head, put two fingers out on each hand, and made the universal quotation marks sign. He's not even five yet! How did he learn about the universal quotation sign? Too funny!!

I was good and didn't even laugh. I told him that I was glad he was sorry and I accepted his apology.

You bet I laughed my butt off when I recalled the story to M!

Monday, January 23, 2006

Pictures from Christmas Time

Got the kids to bed early tonight to try to keep them healthy. I also got them an additional vitamin C + eccinacia (sp) to add to their regular multi-vitamin during this cold and flu season.

I mentioned T's bruised lip last night. It looks (and feels) a lot better today. Here's a picture:




Here are some pictures from our visit to California at Christmas time.

First, the five cousins out for a walk to an outdoor mall on a bright, sunny day. Yes, that's one girl with a whole lot of boys.




Here are some of R and T in thier Christmas finest (minus the too-hot-for-the-weather adorable Christmas sweaters that we packed).



All the cousins with Santa. I talked to them about the naughy and nice lists that Santa keeps. R thought he was probably on the nice list. T wasn't sure because "sometimes I'm naughty, but most of the time I'm nice." J said that he had a 50/50 chance of being on the nice list. They must have all been pretty good because they made out like bandits!


Sunday, January 22, 2006

Been Too Long

This is the first weekend since before Thanksgiving that I have felt healthy. Bummer, huh. Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, I got really sick on Christmas night. Can't get out of bed for three days sick. But, I had to get out of bed...and get packed up....and get on a plane...and get home. I was so stuffed up that no drugs could get me to breathe out of my nose for ten days. I was so congested that I took Nyquil each night for fifteen nights. Crazy. On the weekends, it was all I could do to get out of bed and made something for the family to eat, then take a three hour nap, then get up and make something for the family to eat, and get back into bed. As a matter of fact, I have been so tired for the past three weeks, that more than once, I fell asleep at my desk for few minutes...which is dangerous when you work in a cubicle and all the world can walk by and see you.

But now I'm better. I saw my doctor last week and he suspects that I started with a virus and it hung on because of allergies. Allergies in the dead of winter? I asked. Yep. Mold allergies. Great. So now I'm back on all the allergy meds that I only thought I'd have to take in Spring and Fall. I'll probably end up taking them every day all year as long as I live in this fine Midwestern state, which I plan on doing for a very long time. As a matter of fact, the doctor said, Welcome to this fine-Midwestern-state (except he just said the state name.)

But now I'm better. And I did eight loads of laundry today. And baked a cake to celebrate Uncle D's college graduation. And made two loaves of delicious yogurt herb cake (but I did that yesterday.)

Uncle D is here to help M work on my room in the basement. I'm SSOOOOO excited! They have the walls up, taped, mudded, and painted! Right now, as we speak, they are putting in a ceiling! Oh boy!

R and D are also heathy these days. R still has that residual cough, but he's tons better. T's pretty good except for a big bruise by his upper lip where he ran into the door knob going down into the basement. R was in front of him and didn't know that T was behind him, so R closed the door behind him and T walked into the door. The knob just happens to be at lip level. Poor guy. I can't wait to hear what the teachers say.

I gotta go and fold some more laundry. Just wanted ya'll to know that I'm feeling a lot better.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Happy 2006

I know, I haven't blogged in awhile. We had a very busy, but fun, Christmas (except for the part in which M and I were sicker than dogs -- but that's another story.)

We started out the festivities celebrating a few days before Christmas with M's family in Chicago. We flew out of O'Hare on the 22nd, so we arrived the afternoon before and rented a set of adjorning suites at a hotel by the airport (our flight was at 6 AM so we wanted to stay close to the airport.) We had a great time visiting with Gram and Gramp, and Uncle D and his girl friend, J. We went swimming, ordered Chicago pizza, opened presents, and feasted on the delectible family favorite -- cranberry cake with hard sauce that Gram baked. Yummmmmm.....

We hit the airport by 4:30 AM and had a pretty easy flight to LAX. Unfortunately, M was sick, so I kept feeding him decongestants at the appropriate times to aid him for take-off and landing.

My sister picked us up and took us to her beautiful, big,new house -- enough beds for all of us!

After enjoying the California sunshine (78 degrees -- shorts weather!) for a few days, we had a nice Christmas. Christmas Eve service was at their family church -- we all had a good time, especially T, who sang his little heart out to "Angels We Have Heard On High." You should have seen his little mouth opened as wide as can be during the "Glo-oh-oh-oh...ria" parts :>

Santa came and endowed all the kids with lots of good presents. Then, Jen hosted a lovely brunch for the whole family -- I'm guessing there were almost 30 people there. The food was delicious and plenty of it!

It was a nice afternoon enjoying our new things and resting. It's amazing how all the cousins played so well together. It made me and my sis so proud!

I have to go read bed time stories to the boys. I'll blog more tomorrow or Friday -- hopefully with pictures!