Crazy Push Ups

Greg mentioned that he could do this and he didn't think I was going to put it on the blog!  He'd already done a few by the time I got the camera and then Yoda got into the action...

recap of the crazy (with update)

This post is old, I took it down and now I'm posting it again :)

Lots of prep for my family coming to town--happy to do this, it was a busy time.

Lots of prep for Christmas--happy to do this, it was a busy time.

Christmas--very fun and very busy. 

After Christmas, just chilling.

Saturday, me in bed all day.

Sunday, me in bed all day.  Greg does his responsibility at church, and mine and gave a talk in front of the whole congregation while Yoda yelled for him to come back.  A hero-dad saved the day by sitting with Yoda and playing cars.  I haven't slept/ate since Friday night. 

I finally decide that I am sick enough for a strep test. I am stunned when the doctor tells me that the test is negative.  And that the flu or cold I have, I will have for the next few days.  And then it will go into my lungs and I'll have a cough for a while.  I repeat that I have strep and that she should take another test.  She looks in my throat and says, "um, yup that looks like strep".  But she still doesn't send me home with antibiotics.  I freak out and cry and make Greg call our primary care doctor who happily gets me antibiotics because she knows that I know when it's strep.  I love our doctor -- she's our whole family's doctor.

Monday, Tuesday, a blur.  Greg's home for the New Year holiday and I don't remember anything happening except waiting for the antibiotics to work.  Greg also builds a bookshelf during this time with the new tools that he bought with his Christmas money.  He does it all, buys the woods, cuts with the saw, learns to and then uses the jig, all while being the dad all day long.  I still haven't had any sleep or food since Friday night

Wednesday morning, I'm still so sick.  Greg's going back to work and has arranged for the kiddos to go to his mom's (a.k.a Nana's) house for the day.  But before he leaves we page the doctor again to say that I've had almost no improvement since Sunday.  She happily sends a new prescription for stronger antibiotics over and I am better with in hours, literally.  But still so tired, no sleep or eating in days and I'm still a little shaky.  Later that night the urgent care calls to say that the culture strep test is, in fact, positive, and that I should come get my prescription.  I laugh into the phone.

Thursday morning the kiddos are back to school and Yoda's off to Nana's again.  Finally food and sleep.  Almost feeling like myself.  This is how I should have felt by Monday but it's Thursday.

I can't believe how sick I was, and now I'm better, it's nuts. Those bacteria were out to get me. 

But the BEST part is that I'm feeling better just in time for our little trip to Detroit!  My friend is visiting from far away and this is my only chance to see her before she leaves.  Everyone's healthy, we get ready, reserve a hotel room, and start feeling like this could happen.  

Friday, getting packed and ready.  Yoda has a little fever but no complaint about his throat, so I give him some Tylenol and cross my fingers.  We are 10 minutes away from the house and then Mimi starts throwing up in back seat.  We turn around and go home...

 Here she is feeling a little better and all smiles.  No clue how much I was looking forward to this trip...

Yoda is feeling better too, just didn't want to smile for the camera.  

So Saturday morning I just go to Detroit.  I don't usually do this, just take off by myself!  We had a blast!  Miss you guys! 

Life continues to be crazy.

So another short post, that's a day and a half late.


Parker:"I don't know anything about Justin Bieber, except he plays drums and he's sweaty."


Lots of photos and stuff coming up.


Happy New Year!

A short post

 Merry Christmas! 

Rock Garden and more

 More from our Ohio wish list...the day after Thanksgiving we headed to a...

 ...Rock Garden in Springfield...

 ...a dairy where they milk the cows and turn it into ice cream!  That's so crazy to a city girl like me.  Like we met the cows where the milk came from. 

 Moooo  

 Obligatory toddler-tractor photo opportunity. 

...and the Dayton Air Force Museum.  

And here's a big plane that Greg was excited to see. 

Happy Holidays!

Mimi Sings

Today was awful.  Immense sadness and helplessness.

So, to cheer up and strengthen the bonds of love in our home, Mimi and I listened to rock and roll together.

This is her new favorite song, The Crane Wife part 3 by the Decemberists. We sing the chorus together.  Mimi suggested that the singer "hangs his head low" to duck the boughs mentioned in the beginning of the song.



One of Mimi's past favorites is Knights of Cydonia by Muse, an SF prog rock anthem.  We shot a video of her singing and dancing to all 6 and half minutes of this song in the van.  Around 4:45 mark in the song is when she and Parker really started to headbang.



Another favorite was Fidelity by Regina Spektor.  She liked the "shake it up" in the beginning.


For older posts featuring Mimi's penchant for rock and roll and dancing see here, here and here.

Time Flies

Parker said this on Saturday...
"I can't believe I'm almost a decade old!  It seems like just yesterday I started preschool.  But it was Friday."

__________

It seems like just yesterday Parker earned his Wolf badge, but whoa!  Now it's a year later and he earned his Bear badge...

Quotable Saturday

Yoda is in our Saturn Ion that is parked in the Driveway.  He leans out the window and says, "Hi."

Valerie says, "Who are you saying 'hi' to?"

"I just hi-ing the orange cat."

=====

Parker grabs his Origami Yoda book on the way to bed.

I said, "whoa, it's 9:10 you can't read anymore.  You have to go to sleep."

Parker said "Nine-oh-eight, it is."

Some things

Me, as I take a picture:"Smile!"

Yoda:"I didn't smile."
Greg *laugh!*

_____________________

Mimi was bummed that I was getting rid of her old bathing suit so we took a picture 

to help her remember it. 

Then I remembered we already have lots of photos of the silly thing!  

Here she is in that same suit 5+ years ago :)

________________________

This summer we watched as our favorite tree got chopped down.  

We loved and now miss the shade it brought us, but it wasn't our tree so it was up to the neighbors. 

 This was the same tree that dropped a huge branch on our fence before our trip this summer and the owners just didn't think it was safe anymore.  So long shade tree....

The Movie

A few notes:

• The kids came up with the story themselves.  They drew the storyboard and did half the camerawork.
• I made no attempt to clarify their vision.
• It is supposed to be silent.  I couldn't mute the ambient sounds in the editor.
• They enjoy fainting on screen.
• And nonsense.
• When Mimi is wearing a hat, the sign above her shoulder shows files that signify that she smells like garbage.  The flies don't show up very well.
• The whole process took about 5 hours.  Writing, shooting and editing. I used this editor. It has a sharp learning curve.
• As soon as we were done, Mimi said, "Let's do it again!"  She has completed the next storyboard.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Pancakes

Parker's latest trick
(video)

timing...

After WEEKS of political ads coming in the mail, I stopped looking at the mail altogether.  Yesterday I dug through all the junk to find my Costco coupons.  It said "good through October 13-November 4".  I said to myself, "well, I better use this quick before November gets here...Wait!  I think November is already here... Wait!  It's November 19th???!!!  Seriously NOT ready for the holidays!!!"

That's one way to explain how I didn't post yesterday.  Just lost track of days/months.

 I have a whole list of things I've wanted to do in Ohio since we moved here 4 years ago and have not done.  While Greg isn't studying we are going to try to tackle a few of them. 

 This week was Old Man's Cave.  This hunter guy lived here for years.  The kiddos made guesses as to where his bedroom and living room were. 

 Super pretty, a little crowded, very fun. 

 This was the attic. 

On the way in a sign read something like :"Cliff Area -- Closely Guarded Children" and one dad said to his wife:"take a picture of [our children] now because it may be the last we see of them".  I laughed a little too loud :)

Rock formation that looks like a Sphinx

 On the way home we stopped so I could look at some antiques and the kiddos scored a day of mini-golf! 

 There was even a small "cave"!