Happy New Year!

Wrapping Up

While the title of this post really should refer to wrapping up Christmas preparations, it actually just refers to the fact that I think we are wrapping up sicknesses around here. We are finishing with a nice bang, though, with Todd in urgent care Saturday night with Strep throat and another call to my sweet, patient pediatrician Sunday as JG's throat was full of yellow goop and he was certainly not better. So, three out of four in my family are on antibiotics now and JG is on his second round since his strep is clearly resistant to penicillin. I should know by tomorrow or Wednesday if EG or I come down with strep since it 'incubates' for three days. Lovely. I feel like I'm living in a giant petri dish. BUT, on a happier note, I do have a tree up and decorated in my petri dish!

Attention All Viruses

This is what a friend of mine sent me when I told her JG's recent verdict on viruses. I was explaining to the sweet two year old that we all have a virus so we can't go places, see people or generally enjoy life, etc. He proceeded to tell me that he was going to shoot the virus to the moon. On a back-hoe. Please click on the link:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/Default.aspx?mid=29053319&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=0e58a7ed8ae6446aaf5dcb33c23c260a-282956373-J9-5

Still Sick

For anyone out there wondering why I haven't called you or did something happen? Yes. A Quarantine is in effect over here. Let me chronicle the sicknesses that have permeated our December: First, I think I started with a cold that turned to bronchitis and, remarkably, resolved on its own. Immediately followed by fussy/grumpy JG diagnosed with rosieolla---no, wait---three days later, it is actually scarlet fever. Both kids on Penicillin. Then, EG not acting any better and with neither child sleeping, I desperately went to the doctor again on Tuesday with E to be diagnosed with Oh, that's a Nasty Virus. (Tell me about it, I have it too and feel that my insides must be composed entirely of snot to be able to produce this much, plus the bronchitis is back and this virus infects the eyes, so Conjunctivitis for me AND E). Oh, and EG has an ear infection. Change her to Amoxicillin. That night, EG starts barking and having some difficulty breathing. Sounds like Croup. Back to the doctor Wednesday for a Prednisone script. Then, JG Wednesday night started with the conjunctivitis. So, he has the full on virus now too. And hubby came home sick from work Wed. too. So, he is in bed all day with fevers and snotitis. And the sleep thing? Forget about it. JG was up every hour last night between 8 and 1:30, then a little stretch which EG interrupted at 2:00 to 3:00, then JG back up at 4:30. . . Why am I ranting? Cause I think I'm on the verge of insanity.

Oh, and at EG's physical therapy appointment this morning, the sweet therapist asks if I'm ready for Christmas and I almost burst into tears. My fall wreath is still on the house. And Christmas is in ONE WEEK!! So, am I ready for Christmas? Besides the whole commercializing Christmas thing, yes. I'm ready. I'm going to worship God who is constant through sickness, sorrow, good times and bad. And I am SO thankful that one day, we'll see "that healthful shore, where sickness, sorrow, pain and death are felt and feared no more"!

Stairs and Scarlet

Well, EG climbed my stairs two nights ago. Don't worry I was behind her the whole way up, but still, I didn't think that was supposed to happen at eight months. She also fell down Boone's stairs last weekend. (fortunately, only six steps there, so she was fine). And JG has Scarlet Fever. EG is sick too, just no rash. They are both on Penicillin and I'm sick now too (no surprise there).

Nesting?

My friend

goes through terrible nesting when pregnant. I always wished this would happen to me during my pregnancies. But, I prefer to do NOTHING with the household. No cleaning, no cooking, no laundry. . . you get the picture. However, the last week or so I've been doing pretty good. And I'm NOT, not, not, not, not pregnant. I cleaned out the fridge, I've purged the kids' toys and I'm hitting my closet and finishing my office next. Ta-Wanda!

The next FIVE posts are new. Blogger was fast at uploading my pictures tonight (for once), so I thought I'd try to get caught up on a few more happenings. I'm still not up to date with my pictures. Just think, if I'm this far behind on my blogs, you can imagine how belated my actual photo albums are!

R. J.

Our dear friends, the Cochrans, have this adorable little girl, RJ. I wish I could tell you her full name 'cause it is really stinkin' cute. They came down to visit us while we were visiting T's family in Missouri and we got to spend time together for the first time in YEARS! She has this great big smile that engages her whole face and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of her!

We love ya'll and hope we can hang out SOON, before another five years passes!

Fall Days

Now that we are moving into winter, I am reminiscing about the wonderful Fall we had. It was really spectacular. Warm weather, a little rain here and there and so much greener and more colorful than past Falls we've experienced in CO. So, we did get out quite a bit. Here are a few shots from a day we went 'hiking' at Red Rocks:

The boy loves his new red 'fireman' boots from Oma, but they are not great for hiking

Trying to be like Daddy:

Zoo Land

Here are my Babes in Zoo Land:

The Giraffe exhibit is one of JG's favorites, since they are right at his level

On this day the grizzly bears were wrestling, which was really cool to watch:

Look at those CLAWS!

I was so preoccupied watching the bears, I kinda missed this one trying to escape:Whoops. Next time check stroller tires for flats before heading to zoo. Rented strollers suck.

Halloween Shot

So, this is a tad bit late. . .

on Halloween, the first house we went up to, JG tried to go inside. That's what you do when you knock on someone's door, right? Well, he was given his piece of candy and we went on to the next house where he learned we don't go inside, but instead, he tried to give this nice lady his candy that he got from the first house. Sweet boy.

E's New Napping Bed

Normal?

Okay, so I can't really post pictures very easily these days since my computer is on the verge of crashing from overload. But, I have so much ripe material from JG that I simply must record. After his 2 1/2 hr nap today, he wanted to stay in bed and read books. (?!?!?!?!) So, after 20 minutes, I asked if he was done. "No. I gwugernna read mores boops" Okay. (?!?!?!?!?!??) So, another 20 minutes I shout up the stairs, "you ready to come down and paint or play or somethin'?" "NOPE!! I read!!!" Okay, then. He is still reading. . .

French

We checked out a video at the library to teach JG some phrases in French. (See "Learning a New Language": http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/11/09/115-promising-to-learn-a-new-language/) So, JG is learning really quick, he's such a sponge. I asked him yesterday, "JG, how do you say Hello in French?". And he replied right away, "Hello in French". Right.

Mimickery

Well, here are the ways my children mimic me these days. They really crack me up!

E: Will wave at me, copy my raspberries and laugh when I laugh. She also crawls around the kitchen chasing me.

JG: Being two, he is really into mimicking me. He went into the office last night and said, "ma, MA. I work. gowiejrlkemf ijew WATCH!Da, Gack (Jack) WORK. And he has started to interrupt me and T when we try to explain things or show him how to do something by saying, "I know, i know, iknow, iknow iknow iknow iknow iknow"

You can lead a babe to bed. . .

Um, just wondering if anyone has advice on how to get your kids to sleep. I know they are both EXHAUSTED, but they are still awake in bed after being there over 2 hours now. (It is 9:00 p.m and JG is still making fire truck siren noises and E is just hollerin' trying to copy him!) I've tried separate rooms, same rooms, singing and other bedtime niceties. Oh well, at least they aren't crying the whole time. Still. . . any other options other than drugs?

By the way, lest you think I'm at wit's end, I am enjoying a large glass of delicious wine and working while propping my feet up. So clearly I'm not too stressed out about the whole thing.

JG's BIRTHDAY

JG turned 2 in September. Two is really fun. We had a small group to paint pumpkins, eat pizza and cake and just generally party in a two year old way. 

At last time to catch up

Well, since I'm at Mimi and Grandad's and am not working on kitchen/laundry/children until 10:00 every night, I'll try to update the blog with a few pictures! Enjoy!

Trip to Garden of Gods

A few more from September and JG's new train set:

More E-Grace's Baptism

Here are a couple more pictures from E's sweet baptism in September:

Boo at the Zoo

Went tonight to Boo at the Zoo. . . thanks to my dear friend who moved to Denver, we have a zoo membership now and we use it all the time. I thought it would be fun to take the kids to the zoo for the Boo at the Zoo event because what else do you do on a Friday night when your husband is working?
Highlights: Boo at the Zoo lights, big harvest moon, seeing the giraffe sleeping quarters and hang out time with a good friend!
Lowlights: Boo at the Zoo at bedtime. Over tired babies. Bedtime routine involving pee all over the carpet during E-grace's diaper change and JG jumping out of his crib in protest and landing on his head. (He's okay) It is 9:43 pm and they are still talking.

Baptism...

For some reason, these are kinda blurry. I'm not sure what was wrong with my camera settings. I'll post more photos when I've downloaded them from my father-in-law's camera. JG is loving that Mimi and Grandad came to visit for E-Grace's baptism, despite the look on his face in this picture. Ah, it is so hard to be two (as of next week, the 3rd).

Mimi and Grandad!

This photo is from their visit in August:

August Family Photos

Going for Ice Cream

We LOVE Colorado summers. We love being able to jump on the bike, load the kids in the carrier and ride up to our favorite drive in dive about a mile up the road. JG loves it too!