Okay, enough is enough! I took the two big kids to the pediatrician today. Poor Matt not only has double ear infections but his right ear drum has ruptured. He was pretty miserable yesterday and today and doesn't want to spend his whole vacation being sick. Hillary also still feels lousy...still coughing some, has a sore throat, is a bit dizzy and feels totally exhausted. She's been sick on and off (more on) since she went off to college. I hope she can finally kick this illness and go back to school feeling a lot better.
I'm up in bed working on our holiday cards. Better late than never!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Well, we made it. I don't know how we got it all together. With one last trip out yesterday afternoon and then by staying up into the wee hours of this morning (Pete and I can never seem to get to bed before 2am on Christmas Eve...argh!), we finished it all.
Santa did bring Hannah her "bakery" (EASY BAKE OVEN) and the grocery store, which is the hit of the day. The girls LOVE it and have been playing with it since first thing this morning. It's wonderful. I was given a pretend grocery store, made from cardboard, when I was a little girl. I still have such fond memories of playing in it with my best friend, Lisa. We'd take things from my mother's pantry to fill our shelves but our favorite was the boxes of dry jello powder. We'd stick our fingers and lick it off...we'd eat a whole box at a time! Their store is now filled with beautiful wooden food from HABA. The Melissa and Doug food is great, too. I love the Selecta cash register, but Hannah had asked for the same one she had in preschool. It's a solar calulator cash register (and a lot less expensive!). They are going to have lots of fun playing store, movie theater, pet shop, vet office, etc. They also got a puppet theater and some cute puppets, art supplies, sleds, clothes, etc.
Hillary got a peacoat, down jacket (my bargain find at the Gap...a whopping $24), Ugg boots and some other clothes. Chris asked for Legos, Nerf toys, clothes (he loves clothes), books, music, a keyboard, and sled.
Matt got a weight bench, a monitor for the computer he is building, some clothes, a sled, and an I-Tunes gift card (notice no video, computer games or airsoft stuff...stuck to my guns (so to speak) and they dealt with it and were fine in the end. I hate the time-sink of video games...rather have them out and about getting exercise outdoors..too much screen time. About airsoft, well, I'm a pacifist and just don't like violent games or guns. They'll have to do those things on their own dime. I'd rather invest in healthier, more peaceful pursuits for my guys. I get some flack, but I'm not caving).
Right now, I'm blogging and Hannah and Dad are making Easy-Bake sugar cookies. It's pretty cute. I found a couple of cookbooks just for Easy-Bake ovens that don't rely on those icky mixes. Hannah's not suppose to have food coloring, etc. so finding healthier recipes made getting an oven doable for her. Hannah loves to cook with me. I never had one of these ovens, but she's used one at a friends and is very excited to have her own. Hope it works!
Here are a few photos from our day. It's been wonderful!!!
This store was hot toy of the day! Hannah just stopped playing in the store. She spent hours and hours playing in it today...measuring, weighing, making shopping lists, pricing things, adding, counting money, etc. I'm glad both girls love their store as much as I loved mine when I was a girl. I think this one will last a lot longer than my cardboard store did and I hope it sparks their imagination and creativity and gives them opportunities to learn the things that can only be learned through make believe play.
This toy was another favorite:
Santa did bring Hannah her "bakery" (EASY BAKE OVEN) and the grocery store, which is the hit of the day. The girls LOVE it and have been playing with it since first thing this morning. It's wonderful. I was given a pretend grocery store, made from cardboard, when I was a little girl. I still have such fond memories of playing in it with my best friend, Lisa. We'd take things from my mother's pantry to fill our shelves but our favorite was the boxes of dry jello powder. We'd stick our fingers and lick it off...we'd eat a whole box at a time! Their store is now filled with beautiful wooden food from HABA. The Melissa and Doug food is great, too. I love the Selecta cash register, but Hannah had asked for the same one she had in preschool. It's a solar calulator cash register (and a lot less expensive!). They are going to have lots of fun playing store, movie theater, pet shop, vet office, etc. They also got a puppet theater and some cute puppets, art supplies, sleds, clothes, etc.
Hillary got a peacoat, down jacket (my bargain find at the Gap...a whopping $24), Ugg boots and some other clothes. Chris asked for Legos, Nerf toys, clothes (he loves clothes), books, music, a keyboard, and sled.
Matt got a weight bench, a monitor for the computer he is building, some clothes, a sled, and an I-Tunes gift card (notice no video, computer games or airsoft stuff...stuck to my guns (so to speak) and they dealt with it and were fine in the end. I hate the time-sink of video games...rather have them out and about getting exercise outdoors..too much screen time. About airsoft, well, I'm a pacifist and just don't like violent games or guns. They'll have to do those things on their own dime. I'd rather invest in healthier, more peaceful pursuits for my guys. I get some flack, but I'm not caving).
Right now, I'm blogging and Hannah and Dad are making Easy-Bake sugar cookies. It's pretty cute. I found a couple of cookbooks just for Easy-Bake ovens that don't rely on those icky mixes. Hannah's not suppose to have food coloring, etc. so finding healthier recipes made getting an oven doable for her. Hannah loves to cook with me. I never had one of these ovens, but she's used one at a friends and is very excited to have her own. Hope it works!
Here are a few photos from our day. It's been wonderful!!!
This store was hot toy of the day! Hannah just stopped playing in the store. She spent hours and hours playing in it today...measuring, weighing, making shopping lists, pricing things, adding, counting money, etc. I'm glad both girls love their store as much as I loved mine when I was a girl. I think this one will last a lot longer than my cardboard store did and I hope it sparks their imagination and creativity and gives them opportunities to learn the things that can only be learned through make believe play.
This toy was another favorite:
The First Gifts of Christmas
On Christmas Eve, our tradition is to have the kids pick out one gift to open before going to bed. They can pick whatever they'd like from what is under the tree (most of the gifts still haven't put under the tree yet). The girls picked these little erasers from my sister. They were so excited. I loved watching Emma's face, so full of wonder, as she opened her first gift. Christopher opened a Halo action figure that Matt had gotten for him. Matt opened pjs and Hillary opened a little stationary kit that Hannah had made for her.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Visit with Santa
Somehow, in between the illnesses and storms, we were able to get to the mall for the traditional Christmas photo with Santa. Hannah was soooo worried that Santa wouldn't bring her any presents if she didn't visit him and tell him what she wanted. By Saturday, she was getting very anxious and sad about the whole thing. In the morning, we had to take Emma to the doctor, who eventually ruled out pneumonia. While there, Hannah told the doctor her concerns and the doctor said that she thought it might be okay for us to go visit Santa for a bit even with Emma sick. So, after giving Emma a long afternoon nap, we headed to the mall. The girls were so excited. Emma was feeling a lot better and the girls had a blast. Their enthusiasm shows in the photos...well, until Emma realized that she was scared of Santa. Oh well! With some moral support from Christopher, Emma sat long enough for us to get a few pictures.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Here we go again.....
We were up ALL night with Emma. She's coughing much more than she had been and she woke with a fever of 102 this morning. She finished up her antibiotics 10 days ago, but I guess she hadn't completely kicked her bronchitis completely. She's miserable and we are trying to find a doctor who can see her. We had about a foot of snow last night and our pediatrician's answering service doesn't know what's up for this morning or who is on call and available.
Friday, December 19, 2008
What a life!
Okay, I never even got around to posting about Thanksgiving and here it is the week before Christmas.
We had a great Thanksgiving. We didn't travel and just stayed home together cooking, eating, playing games, and watching movies. Hillary and I had a lot of school work to do but we took time out to have fun, too. On Thanksgiving day we watched the Macy's Parade and then the National Dog Show. On Saturday, we went to the AKC dog show and saw some of the same dogs that we had seen two days before on television. It was great. We talked to lots of breeders and handlers and got to see many different breeds of dogs. We have two Goldens but are looking for a smaller breed so that Hannah can have a dog. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were wonderful, but if anyone wants to share some of their ideas for a great small breed (who can handle being around lots of kiddos), I'd love to hear your suggestions.
Hillary came home from school with a bad cold and cough. The next week, all of the other kids got it. Both Emma and Hannah ended up with bronchitis, fevers, etc. They boys were sick, too, but not as severely. We were up 5 nights straight with Emma who has a tough time with respiratory illnesses. She coughed and gagged and choked...a few times turned a bit blue. It was terrible. She'd choke and actually put her hand down in her throat to try to take out what she was choking on...it was so sad to watch. Her cough was so bad it looked like it hurt. This was the second respiratory illness all of the kids have gotten and Christopher is now starting on the third wave with another severe and choking cough. Hillary also had another emergency room visit with severe abdominal pain...must be what it was two months ago.
Then, we got hit last week by an ice storm. The power went out on Thursday night. I had just started working on one of my two final papers for school when it went out and never did I considered that it might not come back on for a while. We sat up in bed all night listening to trees crack and fall. I must have heard 60 trees break. There are thousands and thousands of trees down and broken in town. We just got power back this Wednesday. I can't even describe what it was like to go a week with 5 kids, two dogs and no power especially when I had these two papers due (and had little or no computer access). I don't even want to write about it....too fresh in my mind. I will say that I NEVER EVER want to that again.
IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT DEVASTATED OUR TOWN
So, between illness, school and ice storms, I'm totally behind on Christmas. I did get my two papers done. It was so stressful, but its over. Our tree just went up but I have no energy to decorate it. We've lost a week of getting ready, shopping, wrapping, and getting our cards mailed. I have my cards but don't even have a good picture of the kids (and our Christmas cards are usually my favorite thing to do). We are getting a foot of snow tonight (uh oh...my lights just flickered) and another 6-12 inches on Sunday. Tomorrow I have to get lots of shopping done but will be missing a holiday party to do it. In fact, we missed our travel group holiday party last weekend, but I have to shop so that I can send things out on Monday, but I'm not sure they will arrive on time at this point.
On top of all this, we've been trying to find Hannah a dog. She's been having a hard time and I've decided that she needs a companion to give her unconditional love and attention...someone that asks for nothing in return. So, we decided on a Cavalier, but I had no idea what we'd have to go through to find one. Apparently lots of breeders are against placing puppies with families who have young children, but these dogs are supposed to be great for families with young children??? Anyway, the breeders need references and they need to meet the whole family and then many want to come here to see us in our home and meet our dogs. So, after a week of working with the first breeder and preparing for a 4.5 hour trip to visit her home (and setting all the kids up for disappointment...we had to tell them since we had to travel and we showed them all the photos she sent, etc.), she said she wondered why we'd want another dog and felt we were "too busy." Plus, she realized she wanted the dog to live closer to her home. That was after a week of hearing her say that we had so much in common, etc.
The next breeder had us visit. The pups were a bit older, but wonderful and my kids loved them all and the feeling was mutual. She said that my kids were "lovely and respectful", but wanted to come meet our big dogs to be sure they wouldn't be aggressive. She set a time to come and she had to cancel twice due to illness and then because of the storm. It was hard to have everyone excited and then not have the puppy come. She was able to make it the third time. Jackson, our male golden, was a bit excited. Apparently two of her dogs are in season and he could pick up on that. Cassie, our other golden, was sweet and quiet and was great. In fact, the breeder thought Jack was great, too and said that he was a wonderful dog. She arrived a little bit late and by that time, Emma was overdue for her nap (if I realized I had the extra time, I would have gotten her to sleep before she arrived). She was a bit clingy and whiny and grumpy...I warned the breeder that it was a tough time of day. Anyway, Emma was not quite herself but was fine with the puppy. The breeder left and we called the her later and she decided that she didn't want her puppy to be in a home with small children and was concerned Emma might hurt her (not intentionally, but might fall on her, etc.). She thought Hannah was great with her. These dogs are small and I must respect her choice, but I'm disappointed. I have several photos of Hannah with the dog. The loved each other...totally a great match. I assured the breeder that I'd have gates up, keep the puppy totally safe, always supervise, etc. I've been around dogs my whole life...my parents were breeders. I'm a dog person! Anyway, I was kind of stunned. I thought we'd "passed the test" and feel terrible, especially for Hannah, that we did not. How many times can we do this to her? It seemed like a harsh thing to happen just 10 days before Christmas. So, we are back to looking. This whole thing started as an attachment project...a bit of a therapy dog and now I've only created more losses for my sweet girl. She's taking it very well, but I'm sad. My house was spotless, my neighborhood is wonderful and safe, my yard is great for a dog and fully fenced, I've got experience in obedience and agility, I had a 20 year old diabetic cat that I gave insulin for years and another kitty in renal failure that a gave IVs, etc. Our kids would give a pup so much love and affection, my other dogs would provide it with even more companionship and I am almost always at home. I'm not sure how to live up to what some breeders expect and it seems really unfair to the children who can't help but get there hopes up. Hannah's been wishing for her own dog since she was two or three. I think having her own little dog will be so good for her.
Here's what she said to me the other night as she was getting ready for bed. She climbed into my bed, curled up next to me...crying. "I miss her. I miss my birth mother...I wish she had waited to see what other kids she would have before she decided who she would keep. I wish I had been born first. I wish she picked me."
How could anyone deny this little girl a dog :(
PUPPY #1
PUPPY #2
Maybe #3??? Waiting to see if this little one is available....very cute!
OUR SWEET DOG, JACKSON
We had a great Thanksgiving. We didn't travel and just stayed home together cooking, eating, playing games, and watching movies. Hillary and I had a lot of school work to do but we took time out to have fun, too. On Thanksgiving day we watched the Macy's Parade and then the National Dog Show. On Saturday, we went to the AKC dog show and saw some of the same dogs that we had seen two days before on television. It was great. We talked to lots of breeders and handlers and got to see many different breeds of dogs. We have two Goldens but are looking for a smaller breed so that Hannah can have a dog. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were wonderful, but if anyone wants to share some of their ideas for a great small breed (who can handle being around lots of kiddos), I'd love to hear your suggestions.
Hillary came home from school with a bad cold and cough. The next week, all of the other kids got it. Both Emma and Hannah ended up with bronchitis, fevers, etc. They boys were sick, too, but not as severely. We were up 5 nights straight with Emma who has a tough time with respiratory illnesses. She coughed and gagged and choked...a few times turned a bit blue. It was terrible. She'd choke and actually put her hand down in her throat to try to take out what she was choking on...it was so sad to watch. Her cough was so bad it looked like it hurt. This was the second respiratory illness all of the kids have gotten and Christopher is now starting on the third wave with another severe and choking cough. Hillary also had another emergency room visit with severe abdominal pain...must be what it was two months ago.
Then, we got hit last week by an ice storm. The power went out on Thursday night. I had just started working on one of my two final papers for school when it went out and never did I considered that it might not come back on for a while. We sat up in bed all night listening to trees crack and fall. I must have heard 60 trees break. There are thousands and thousands of trees down and broken in town. We just got power back this Wednesday. I can't even describe what it was like to go a week with 5 kids, two dogs and no power especially when I had these two papers due (and had little or no computer access). I don't even want to write about it....too fresh in my mind. I will say that I NEVER EVER want to that again.
IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT DEVASTATED OUR TOWN
So, between illness, school and ice storms, I'm totally behind on Christmas. I did get my two papers done. It was so stressful, but its over. Our tree just went up but I have no energy to decorate it. We've lost a week of getting ready, shopping, wrapping, and getting our cards mailed. I have my cards but don't even have a good picture of the kids (and our Christmas cards are usually my favorite thing to do). We are getting a foot of snow tonight (uh oh...my lights just flickered) and another 6-12 inches on Sunday. Tomorrow I have to get lots of shopping done but will be missing a holiday party to do it. In fact, we missed our travel group holiday party last weekend, but I have to shop so that I can send things out on Monday, but I'm not sure they will arrive on time at this point.
On top of all this, we've been trying to find Hannah a dog. She's been having a hard time and I've decided that she needs a companion to give her unconditional love and attention...someone that asks for nothing in return. So, we decided on a Cavalier, but I had no idea what we'd have to go through to find one. Apparently lots of breeders are against placing puppies with families who have young children, but these dogs are supposed to be great for families with young children??? Anyway, the breeders need references and they need to meet the whole family and then many want to come here to see us in our home and meet our dogs. So, after a week of working with the first breeder and preparing for a 4.5 hour trip to visit her home (and setting all the kids up for disappointment...we had to tell them since we had to travel and we showed them all the photos she sent, etc.), she said she wondered why we'd want another dog and felt we were "too busy." Plus, she realized she wanted the dog to live closer to her home. That was after a week of hearing her say that we had so much in common, etc.
The next breeder had us visit. The pups were a bit older, but wonderful and my kids loved them all and the feeling was mutual. She said that my kids were "lovely and respectful", but wanted to come meet our big dogs to be sure they wouldn't be aggressive. She set a time to come and she had to cancel twice due to illness and then because of the storm. It was hard to have everyone excited and then not have the puppy come. She was able to make it the third time. Jackson, our male golden, was a bit excited. Apparently two of her dogs are in season and he could pick up on that. Cassie, our other golden, was sweet and quiet and was great. In fact, the breeder thought Jack was great, too and said that he was a wonderful dog. She arrived a little bit late and by that time, Emma was overdue for her nap (if I realized I had the extra time, I would have gotten her to sleep before she arrived). She was a bit clingy and whiny and grumpy...I warned the breeder that it was a tough time of day. Anyway, Emma was not quite herself but was fine with the puppy. The breeder left and we called the her later and she decided that she didn't want her puppy to be in a home with small children and was concerned Emma might hurt her (not intentionally, but might fall on her, etc.). She thought Hannah was great with her. These dogs are small and I must respect her choice, but I'm disappointed. I have several photos of Hannah with the dog. The loved each other...totally a great match. I assured the breeder that I'd have gates up, keep the puppy totally safe, always supervise, etc. I've been around dogs my whole life...my parents were breeders. I'm a dog person! Anyway, I was kind of stunned. I thought we'd "passed the test" and feel terrible, especially for Hannah, that we did not. How many times can we do this to her? It seemed like a harsh thing to happen just 10 days before Christmas. So, we are back to looking. This whole thing started as an attachment project...a bit of a therapy dog and now I've only created more losses for my sweet girl. She's taking it very well, but I'm sad. My house was spotless, my neighborhood is wonderful and safe, my yard is great for a dog and fully fenced, I've got experience in obedience and agility, I had a 20 year old diabetic cat that I gave insulin for years and another kitty in renal failure that a gave IVs, etc. Our kids would give a pup so much love and affection, my other dogs would provide it with even more companionship and I am almost always at home. I'm not sure how to live up to what some breeders expect and it seems really unfair to the children who can't help but get there hopes up. Hannah's been wishing for her own dog since she was two or three. I think having her own little dog will be so good for her.
Here's what she said to me the other night as she was getting ready for bed. She climbed into my bed, curled up next to me...crying. "I miss her. I miss my birth mother...I wish she had waited to see what other kids she would have before she decided who she would keep. I wish I had been born first. I wish she picked me."
How could anyone deny this little girl a dog :(
PUPPY #1
PUPPY #2
Maybe #3??? Waiting to see if this little one is available....very cute!
OUR SWEET DOG, JACKSON
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