While I was sleeping

The children were documenting their neglect on film.
I woke up to several 4-8 second "Blair Witch Project" blurry video clips of what my vagabond kids saw as they ran wild and unsupervised through the house, this morning.

And there I am in the videos in all my uneditied glory, totally sleeping in the background--- with a puke bowl on my lap.
Hey, at least they can entertain themselves creatively?

Please don't call CPS.

Cookie Monster

Happy Friday, everyone!

An update

We went to the doctor.
Neither of the girls complained of sore throats or had any of the typical symptoms, but both Reese and Quincy have strep. This happened almost exactly the same week a year ago, and both times, our pediatrician said that she wishes more people would take their kids to the dr. when they throw up, rather than assume they're fine after 24 hours, because more than half the time, it is not a stomach virus or a 24 hour tummy bug, it's strep. Two years in a row of the only symptoms being middle-of-the-night throw up and/or poop issuses makes me a believer.

Our diagnosis':
Both girls have strep.
Reese has a double ear infection.
Corbin has a burst eardrum and an ear infection, and the bacteria has caused his eye to get infected and nasty looking.
We are grateful that Aaron is feeling fine, since he had a schedule packed with meetings he couldn't miss, today.
Wonderful, wonderful Kasey watched my kids on her lunch break today so I could get into the doctor today, too, bless her!

Drugs have been ordered and everyone will hopefully start feeling better in the next 24 hours. Until then, there is a mountain of very stinky laundry taking over my hallway that makes me wish I could just throw everything away and buy everyone new clothes and new bedding, just so I don't have to do the wash.

All is well....or will be, soon. :)

The Circus Called...

I'm throwing up.
Reese is throwing up.
Quincy is throwing up.
Corbin cried all evening, which leads me to believe he wasn't feeling well, and will be throwing up shortly.

Corbin fell onto a stick yesterday (on his face) and now that eye is nearly swollen shut.

Quincy and Corbin got into a push and shove match with a door between them and the results were Quincy's forhead splitting open and a big, fat goose egg.
It's been a day.

When it rains, it pours. Tonight at my house, it is pouring vomit and I'm at breaking point.
I'm so hiring an army of cleaning ladies to come sanitize my house next week.

Stay Puft

I just discovered Corbin playing quietly in his room.
And by "playing quietly", I mean I found my little glutton hiding in the corner after eating 3/4 of a box of Cocoa Puffs in one sitting.

Playing with him now just feels like a booby trap. I mean, that's a lot of Cocoa Puffs!

He is currently running around, giggling, and showing off his bloated belly. It's hysterical, and I am literally afraid to squeeze or poke him. If I wrestle him too much, he'll blow, and I'll be sorry.

Alas, he is going to explode eventually and it won't be pretty.

in other news...
Happy Valentine's Day, Aaron!
I move we save ourselves from our little ticking time bomb of a son and go for Plan B: Operation Get-A-Sitter-Tonight and give her a really big tip.

Update: well, we didn't escape fast enough. 4:56 pm (so close!) take cover, folks. It's a bad one.

Thank you...

Adele,
for proving that you don't have to be a nasty person, sing about nasty things, take your clothes off, foster an eating disorder, or abuse illegal substances to win a Grammy.
Well deserved. You are amazingly talented

Taylor Swift,
even though I'm not a huge fan of your music, I appreciate that you got on a stage and actually performed music tonight. With an instrument. In clothing.

Nikki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, and Katy Perry,
for making it so easy for Taylor and Adele to look so good.

My Best Friend

-shares her excellent music collection

-listens to me cry and whine when everyone else is tired of hearing it, and still has energy to help me look the situation in a positive way.
-finishes my sentences.

-can pick out a good haircolor for me, then help color my greys without snickering a "neener neener" that it's finally happening to me.
-is a smart woman.

-tells me when I need to retire an article of clothing.

-loves my children and supports my marriage.
-will stay up until 3 am finishing a project with me.

-is a list maker, a planner, a thinker and a do-er.

-saves room in her suitcase for my shopping list when she travels West.

-likes to be comfortable.
-is my extra sister.

-is a good buddy-from projects to running to movies or road trips. She's fun to work with and fun to be with.

-shows up with food.

-can make me laugh. Anywhere, anytime.

-sets a good example of a healthy body image for my daughters.

-cares about what she does and makes sure she does it right.

-will close down a restaurant or movie theater just people watching with me.

-brings the party...and the cheesecake.

-is not moving to India.

-killed 26.6 miles last spring, with an injury, and didn't complain about it even once.

-will out shop you. Don't even try to compete in that marathon. Even if you can keep up with her on foot, she will double time it and find deals online and place an amazon order while she's waiting in a checkout line. And she will find a better deal than you can. No matter what.

-does all of my tip calculating.

-likes Winning!

-gives and gives and gives and gives and NEVER asks for a dang thing for herself in return. Ever.
-is 40 today!

Happy Birthday, Kasey! I am tempted to not post this, because I don't want anyone more deserving to realize how rad you are and steal you away. But anyone deserving of your friendship already knows how truly awesome you are. I'm so happy we're friends.

It's Impossible

...to pick just one favorite thing about this picture.
Corbin in his Buzz jammies in the middle of the day, the Dennis the Menace rooster tail that stubbornly sticks up off the back of his head lately, or that he has Buzz tied to a magnet wand from a fishing puzzle so he can fish him over the edge of the sofa, while semi-distracted because he is watching Buzz on the tv.

Just yesterday he was Woody, and kept busy balancing about 20 plastic horses in a line along the edge of the sofa, while watching Spirit (his favorite movie right now. He sings along and it is the cutest thing in the world).

I could sit and just watch him play for hours.
Having a boy is so much fun.

Reasons to move.

Keith sent his dogs over to our front lawn to poop, today.

Aaron watched.
Keith watched.

Aaron waited for Keith to pick up the poop.
Keith left the poop and went inside his house.

So, Aaron knocked on his door and asked Keith to come clean up after his dogs.
Keith screamed at Aaron to get off his property and CALLED THE POLICE.

That's right. We have been accused of trespassing.
Two cop cars and an afternoon wasted. For poop.


I will personally hang up on anyone who tells us it is a bad idea to move.

Foiled Again!

With everything that needs to be done, today, I figured I could use a little servant help around here.

So I did what any practical person would do: I bought a box of Twinkies.
I don't know where I went wrong.

I watered faithfully.
I waited patiently.

Buyer Beware:
they did NOT grow into minions!

Sigh. How very dissappointing.
And now, I am left with only the children, who actually do sound quite like minions when they giggle, to do my bidding.

I think I will pay them in Twinkies.

A LOVEly Month

Happy February!

I love this month. February is one of my favorite months of preschool curriculum, the 2012 garden plans begin (I am so anxious to get my hands in the soil, I can hardly stand it), we celebrate Valentine's Day, and Gringo Fiesta brings good eating and a hope that Spring is on the horizon.

I've gotta say, Winter has been good to us this year. Actually, it's been GREAT to us this year! No ice storms (yet), and plenty of +50* and sunny days for us to get outside and enjoy. Perfect. I don't mind the snow weeks with my kids home from school and everyone trapped inside. I do mind 3 months straight of temps in the teens and everyone freezing our tails off. I mind crawling into bed at night, seeing my own breath, and Aaron saying, "just pretend that we're camping, Meg!"

Luckily, the weather has been warm and beautiful, so far, and I am loving it.

Everyone keeps warning that this warm winter means that Summer will be unbearably hot.
I'm more optimistic than that. Last summer WAS unbearably hot and completely miserable.
People, we've already served our time. This entire year will be one of lovely weather. I can just feel it.

An update on Corbin: he's feeling great! He isn't wheezing or coughing anymore. The fever has been gone for days, and if it weren't for a runny nose yesterday, you'd never have known he was sick. We are so grateful he is well again and are enjoying our week home, together. He is currently playing an imaginative "Evil Doctor Pork Chop!" on the arm of the sofa with some cars, his little Toy Story characters and a basket of Lego's.

Hello, February, I am happy you're here.