ewer wondering...

My Valentine

Will gave me my first Valentine of the season yesterday.  It's the first time he's ever written out his own message, sound-spelled just as he's learning in school.  The big kids told him he spelled some of it wrong (Ewer was Yoor)...  But Will and I know that it's just perfect! 

Mother's Little Helper

There was a knock on the door last night, unusual enough as it is (seeing that we live in the woods and no one every comes down) but more remarkable being that it was already past 7 PM.  I opened it and discovered a friend and neighbor's 12-year old daughter holding this baby!  It was well worth the $7 she was asking for her school fundraiser; in hindsight I probably would have paid more!  (And no, I didn't eat it by myself.) 

Jack is home again from school today, definitely returning tomorrow.  The cleaning ladies are here right now, giving us a good scrubbing with bleach!  Our plumber arrives within the hour, too, to work on the sewer ejector (which is on the fritz -- so not good when you're doing upwards of 6 loads of laundry a day related to the kids' sickies).  I have six or seven loads of laundry waiting to be folded (and another 6 or 8 to be washed), with a focus on Eric's clothes, because...

He leaves in the morning for the Superbowl -- our Patriots vs. the Giants in Indiana.  It'll be fun to see them tromp Eli Manning in his brother's house!  I hope.  For those of us remaining home, it'll be a quiet weekend spent in jammies beginning at 2 PM school pickup tomorrow (hopefully cutting down on that laundry, ha ha).

Dare I say it?  Maybe, just maybe, things are calming down around here.  But I won't hold my breath!

Three Words

Three words:  Clean and Clear!  Or, if you'd rather:  Jack is sick!

Not for nothing, but I am completely done in.  Jack woke me about 2 AM this morning after having thrown up all over his bedroom rug!  He wasn't feeling well and was running a 103 Fever to boot!  I cleaned him up, got him back to bed and then stayed awake for another three hours until my alarm went off.  Eric blissfully slept on unaware! ;)

This has been the longest two weeks of my life -- from Jack's Strep diagnosis two weeks ago to Audrey's ear and Will's Strep infections last...  Add to that a little lice...   And now this!  Well all I can say is that if God is testing me, I hope I'm passing.

I keep telling myself that in the big picture, this is all so very little.  I'm trying to stay optimistic, because really there is so much more evil we could could be dealing with.  You know, the seriously scary stuff.  This is nothing.  Right?  But it is still so wearying.  And I am so very tired.

I took the kids to a professional nit picker yesterday (they truly do exist) after swearing I saw some in my own head.  (Hey it's one thing when it's your kids, it's a whole other ballgame when it's your own! ;)  And we all got a complete comb down.  I learned more than I (or anyone) ever wanted to know, including some preventative care tips.  In the end, it was only Audrey who had nits (and just a few at that) and the boys and I were cleared.  The nit picker (eeww, such a gross term) was so impressed she joked that it should be my new profession.  For what we paid, I'm considering it!

With all we've had recently, my sister thinks we should go to a holistic healer and have our parts realigned, that something is out of whack.  I'm considering that, too!  Cause man, this run has been long...

And because it's good to laugh, I had to share that a friend pulled me aside this morning and whispered that I should hold off on sending out the school newsletter (of which I'm responsible) with the Spirit/Hat Day announcement because (continuing to whisper as she looked around confidentially) there's lice in the school!  Really now... ;)

PS ~ Audrey is considered 98% lice free, I will do a few follow-up treatments to ensure there aren't any left.  If anyone would like some special tips, I'm happy to share.  Not that I'm the lice queen, or anything, but I am definitely well informed.  (And thanks to my Auntie who emailed me kind words yesterday while in the thick of it.  They meant a lot!)

One Word

 

One word:  Lice.

First strep, and now this.  And yes, I am totally serious.  While drying the kids' hair last night after their showers, I discovered lice in Audrey's head and nits in Jack's.  Pretty sure Will made out Scot-free, but I treated him (and me) just in case considering they share the same breathing space letalone hairbrushes!

It was a long evening that included a late night CVS run to get supplies and more (and another one today -- I cleared their shelves).  On the silver-lining side of this, I discovered Martha's new Organizing magazine and promptly snatched it up!  Something good had to come out of all of this, right!

After treating them with good old pesticides (no natural or homeopathic stuff for us, treat aggressively and hopefully treat once), I tore Audrey's bedroom apart and began the long laundering process.  I was up until 2 AM, and now, it's 24 hours later and I'm still at it with more bedrooms to go.  And because it's winter, it means all of their coats (which share the same hooks), hats, mittens, and more.  Don't even get me started on our multiple king-size beds (each with at least 3 heavy blankets and comforters that only fit into the washer one at a time) or the pretty decorative pillows I toss here, there, everywhere...

It's all good, though, and it really could be so much worse!  We will get through this.  I'm determined.  The kids are in high spirits and think this is one big adventure.  Being out of school is exciting, and thankfully they are keeping each other entertained.  I have a fairly full fridge, and we really don't have to be anywhere.  The school nurse checked their classmates and from what I gather, it hasn't spread (though letters did go home telling of the outbreak, meaning we are the lucky family #3 to deal with this -- apparently it's policy not to send notices home until it shows up in two, usually three kids in one class ).  She's going to check me tomorrow since Eric hasn't been home during daylight hours.

We'll also visit Target tomorrow and get new pillows for all (like I said, I don't mess around).  Then we'll all gel up again and do some more picking.  (Eewww, I know.)  We'll manage.

Years ago I would have died to learn anyone I knew had this, and today I'm blogging it for the world to see!  But I know (after Audrey's little birthday bout) that lice really only like clean hair and clean environments, and so I will take it as a compliment (advice offered by a kind friend today).  There is a stigma, for sure, but [I think] it's more important to get the word out so we can all be extra watchful over our own than to be quiet and embarrassed...  (truth be told, I'd really rather be the one doing the watching over and not doing the telling...)

Keep us in your happy thoughts, especially when throwing in your own washer load (or 40)...

Two Words

Two words:  Strep Throat.  Two more words:  Ear Infection. 

This time it's Will's throat and Audrey's ears, learned today at our third weekend doctor's visit in a row and our fifth appointment since Christmas in total.  At this point, they should probably just designate a room for us and us alone!  Both kids have been troopers, but they're as sick of feeling sick as I am of them being.  Sick, that is.  Jack's finally well, thankfully, having finished his course of treatment.

So it's another lay-low kind of weekend for us, with a brief escape this evening, if you will, thanks to a booked babysitter for dinner with friends.  I wasn't sure at first, but both sickies have given me their blessing to go [so nice of them, don't you think -- ha ha] after originally suggesting that "Dad go, Mom, and bring you back something!"

Strep's in the air -- many of our friends have it as well.  So please take care of yourselves, too.  Lots of rest and fluids, and maybe a little movie watching to boot!

Barbie Quiet

I haven't been on my own very much since before Christmas.  One or another kid has been home from school sick at least once (usually twice) each week, and even Eric got into the act himself a few days recently.  And then when they've been gone, I've had to be at their school even more than usual, preparing for this and that.  This no 'at home' downtime is killing me!

Now, you know that I am a girl who thrives on being alone.  At home.  I need my down time, and today especially, I need it badly!  Which makes these Barbies all the funnier.

Back to school today, after being home for two days (possible Strep, just like Jack, though her rapid culture came back clean), Audrey set them up all over house for me so that I wouldn't be alone.  She was seriously worried that I'd miss her too much after our 'fun' girl time!!

"Oh Audie, I do.  I really do miss you.  And your sentiment is so sweet, but lovie girl, it's a just a tad bit disconcerting to open the cabinet and find one of these dolls glaring back.  Or to reach for a pen and pull out a Barbie instead!  On the plus side, these girls are very quiet, unlike you and your brothers..." 

I have no idea where the Barbies are, or if I've even found them all.  And every time I spot one, well, she just cracks me up.  'Cause when you get down to it, I guess today I'm not really alone either...

PS - The Barbie in the middle is one of my childhood friends -- Eric pulled her from my parents' yard sale/trash pile ten or more years ago and tucked her away, carefully hiding her from me until the time was right.  That time came on my last birthday, when Audrey gave her back to me -- the most special of gifts.  I just love that Eric did that and how he included our girlie in it, too!!

Oh Yeah!

Thanks to a missed field goal tonight (thank you Ravens), our beloved team is [once again] headed to the Super Bowl!!!  We celebrated by making fondue because I can't think of anything better than a good ole' New England victory and a lot of meat in hot oil!  Except for maybe a rare Bill Belichick smile (for you non Patriots people, they come around like Halley's Comet!!).  On to Indiana...

Audrey's "Warm-You-Up" Hot Chocolate

Girlfriend loves her hot cocoa, so much more so now that she's discovered homemade!  After a morning spent playing in the snow, it's the perfect warm-you-up!  Audrey makes it herself, with little-to-no help from her mama...

AUDREY'S WARM-YOU-UP HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 4 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Combine the sugar, cocoa and salt in a large saucepan.  Stir in the water with a wooden spoon.
2. Cook over medium heat until boiling; boil and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add milk and turn the heat to low, continue heating to serving temperature, stirring constantly.  Do not boil again.
4. Remove pan from heat, add vanilla and stir with a whisk until foamy.
5. Ladle into mugs, and top with mini marshmallows!  Serve immediately.

Two Points for Jack!

  

Jack (#6) got his first basket of the season at today's basketball game -- the grandmothers will want to check out the highlights at 1:45 and 2:20.  The cheers for him were the loudest of the day, which tells you a little something about his playing ability.  He is getting really good at grabbing those rebounds, though, using his tall height to his advantage!

We chowed down on steak and cheeses after at Super Sub, of course, which is the only way to celebrate such hard work!

Happy Things

The discovery of a happy little snowfall this morning, just enough to enjoy and not have to shovel.  Local meteorologists predict more tonight into tomorrow.

Lunch with a girlfriend that included a short shopping trip is always a happy time, especially when it involves new eyeliner and lipstick!  Bring on more Saturday afternoon birthday parties, I say, especially now that our kids are old enough to be left there on their own.

Sad that my coffee maker is down for the count right now (awaiting a plumber's visit) but happy that Dunkin' is mere minutes away!  Mama needs her morning latte, you know!  (Mama also desperately needs a manicure, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Pulling out my phone these days is a happy event -- I got a bright new cover in my favorite color and found a complimentary wallpaper background, and even updated the ring for this new year!  Can't say the boys feel the same way, but Audrey and I are in heaven!

We celebrate half birthdays whenever we can [i.e., whenever we remember].  January 6 brought cupcakes for Will and January 17 meant cookie-dough ice cream for Audrey!  It's an easy way to celebrate them and show how happy we are to have them around!

I'm happy these boys are finally feeling better -- Will ran a fever the other day, resulting in a day home from school, and Jack's Strep raged on with extra nausea.  Endless games of Uno perked them right up, and a little Thumb War action confirmed their health!

Happy to mail out our family calendars yesterday -- they arrived after Christmas and then sat on my desk for days.  This is our eighth one -- I began making them the year of Audrey's first Christmas -- and I love keeping the old ones as photo albums, of sorts.  Hopefully our grandparents will be happy when they see theirs, too.

So there you have it -- a few things making me happy today.  How about you?