I'll Never Make it to Midnight!

So it's 8:53. The kiddos have just been tucked in for the night. They got to stay up late tonight, with it being New Year's Eve and all. I'm in my pajamas. Okay, to be honest, I've been in my pajamas since about 6:30. We finished supper and had plans to play a new game, so I got comfy. As I'm sitting here next to the sleeping giant (although to hear him tell it, he's just "resting his eyes" or something lame like that), I'm wondering if I'll ever see midnight on New Year's again. Oh, yeah, I'll probably see it by being up with sick kids some time, but that doesn't count. I've seen lots of midnights that way. Maybe that's why I don't get too excited about seeing in the new year. I'll catch up with it tomorrow morning...when it's light. Am I really so boring?! Yep...I am right now. I still know how to have lots of fun, though. It just takes place during the day in most cases. Besides, what could I possibly do that is more fun (and funnier) than spending time with the three little goofballs currently whispering in their rooms? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. They prefer that I get a full night's sleep anyway. And the feeling's mutual.

New Year's Eve

We made it through Christmas, or Christmases as the case may be. We got to spend time with both sides of the family and had a great time. We also went to see "Marley and Me" Saturday evening. Great movie, but I cried like a baby at the end. It didn't help that Mom & Dad have a yellow lab that looks identical to Marley and that she's getting old. I'm such a wimp!

Gary came home Sunday morning, but the girls and I stayed with my parents so Meme wouldn't have to come up here to watch the girls while I had an ultrasound on my knee Monday. As for that, the cyst is apparently still there. It's not nearly as large or painful as it had been, and I'm able to walk again without looking like an old woman. That's definitely a positive thing! I have an appointment on Monday with a specialist, so we'll see what he thinks I need to do or not do so I can return to normal.

I've spent all my time since we got home attempting to clean house. I can't wait to get the tree down and put away for another year. It's nice to have it up, but I'm always ready to get it put away when Christmas is over. Maybe then we'll have a place to put everything. The girls have been playing since we got home. It's just so much fun to have new things to play with, do, color, etc. :) Until we get the Christmas decorations down, though, we're going to have to live around them. My plan is to get everything put away tomorrow so Gary can help us get it back into the attic. Then I can run the sweeper, dust, and get things back to normal. I'm not sure he realizes that he's in for a day of honey-dos tomorrow. I'm not telling! :)

Christmas Eve

We're currently tracking Santa on the NORAD Santa tracking website. The girls are noticing that he's getting ever closer to the United States (he's currently in Grenada) and so are snarfing down a quick snack so they can get to bed. They've got his milk and cookies (and a little cherry mash) ready and waiting on the fireplace and are wearing their new Christmas Eve pajamas. We're watching the end of The Grinch, but we're all beginning to wear down. I'm ready for everyone to head to bed so Santa can get her job done. Yes, in our house Santa is indeed a female. Don't tell anyone. She's sleepy and has one self-bought present to wrap so it doesn't look like Mama was the only one on the naughty list this year. How would that look?! Good thing I planned ahead...

We didn't accomplish much today but did get our reindeer necklaces made so we could wear them to church tonight. The doctor suggested a few days on crutches, so that has sped up my getting around considerably. As of yet I haven't had an episode, so maybe the rest is what I needed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve service at church tonight with a full house - amazing! You have to keep in mind that we go to a very small church and rarely have a really good crowd. Tonight was great! The girls were cute as bugs, wearing white turtlenecks, red velvet jumpers (with jingle bells attached), white leotards and black patent shoes. Boo had her hair in braids, Doodle's was in curls, and Hanny's was down with her bangs pulled back. They were precious. Add to that that they sang, without any reserve, the chorus to the Advent song we sang, and it was a perfect evening. We came home and let them open up their new pj's as well as a movie I had picked out for everybody. They're anxiously awaiting tomorrow morning's festivities, as well as those on Friday and Saturday. Better get to bed...I don't want Santa to skip over our house because I'm still awake! :)

Almost Christmas! :)

We are in the final countdown to Christmas and are all getting excited! We have to make reindeer bell necklaces tomorrow so the girls can wear them to church tomorrow night with their Christmas dresses. We also plan to make a birthday cake for Jesus to make sure we recognize the reason behind all the madness. The girls have it all planned out. We'll go to church at 7:00, take the long way home so we can check out all the fun lights, have some of the birthday cake and open their Christmas Eve presents (SHH...it's new pajamas!). It was always the tradition in my family that we ALWAYS got new pajamas on Christmas Eve. I kinda wish I still did, to be honest. I could certainly use some! :) I've got a few presents left to wrap, but those don't have to be ready until Friday so I'm not too worried. I look forward to the next couple days of Christmas fun, making egg casserole Thursday morning and spending the day with Gary and the girls. It will be fun. I'm also really looking forward to some family fun and games on Saturday. It's always great when we can get together and just have some fun.

Thankfully, at this point anyway, I'm the only one with an update. I'm scheduled for an ultrasound on my knee Monday and will meet with an orthopedic specialist on January 5. I thought I might make it through today without any episodes, but didn't. I was up moving most of the day. I just decided that spending all my time on the couch with my knee elevated was only making my back hurt, so I'd just take my chances with the knee. It went fine until I took a few minutes to lie in the floor with the girls. I hadn't curled up in so many days that it felt really good (for awhile) to curl up in a ball and just relax. It was fine until I tried to get up. My ping pong ball was back again. I hobbled to the heating pad and sat with it for 30 minutes until it went away. It really leaves me sore and achy after it shows up and goes away. I will be glad when it's gone, by whatever means necessary.

We're going to enjoy our next few days. As much as I hate it that I'm temporarily living in the body of a 90-year-old, at least the girls are currently healthy. It would be so much worse if they were sick and unable to truly enjoy Christmas. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them smile and hearing them giggle. On the plus side (and this just bugs the snot out of Gary), my blood pressure at the doctor's office the other day was 98/54. I asked if I was living. I can still see a little sliver of that silver lining! :)

Long, Rough Weekend

Do you ever have one of those days when you're just glad you survived it in one piece? I had one of those weekends. To say I'm glad it's Monday is an understatement, as long as Monday is an improvement over the past 3 days.

It all started Friday morning while I was baking cookies and realized that the pain I'd been feeling in my ear was not going away. I had a double ear infection 2 weeks ago, got antibiotics, and thought I was done with it. It was not to be that easy. I went to the doctor Friday afternoon to get the news that the ear infection was indeed back and back with a vengeance. I got home with my medicine at about 4:30. At 4:55 Hanny told me her ear hurt. I had noticed her digging at it quite a bit and had asked her repeatedly if it hurt, but she always assured me that it didn't. I called the doctor's office to see what they could recommend, and they suggested we head to a minute clinic in Gardner (35 minutes away - no big deal). We took out at about 5:30 with all three girls and dad set to see the doctor. On the plus side, nobody had any signs of infection, they got medicine to treat their symptoms, and Hanny got her ear cleaned out (long story...she's got strange ears). After getting supper at 8:00 and eating on the road, we made it home just before 9:00. I spent the night on the floor with the girls just to make sure everybody was okay.

Saturday morning I woke up at 5:50 and got up for awhile. I was up and around for about 25 minutes (with no problems) before Boo woke up and I got back in the floor to keep her quiet so her sisters could sleep. By 7:00 we were all awake so I got up again to get some coffee. At some point between the time I laid down and the time I got up I did something to my knee. I could not walk on it and had a ping pong ball-sized lump on the back of it. Long story short, we headed to the ER (at the advice of the doctor's office) and learned that I had a Baker's Cyst. It had apparently ruptured by the time I got to the ER (I think it did at home), so the lump was no longer there and the pain had improved slightly. I took it easy the rest of the day, kept it wrapped, life went on.

Yesterday morning I got up expecting to feel better. I was doing pretty good. I made some homemade muffins for breakfast, ate, had big plans to bake some bread for our friends and neighbors after my shower... It was before my shower that I noticed that my knees were two different sizes. My left one was twice the size of my right one. I have some pretty bird-like knees, so when one is swollen, it shows in a big way. :) Doctor Gary got a true taste of being the caretaker all day while he iced it on a schedule and I perched myself on the couch for most of the day. It was a learning experience for both of us. He did great at taking care of me and I did a fair job of staying off my feet. I was not made to spend much time sitting down,though. There are too many things I could see that needed to be done. On top of all the knee business, I have also had two of the most excruciating sinus headaches the last two days. No amount of Motrin would ease the pain, so yesterday afternoon after icing my knee I put the heat pad on my head. I was a sight... In the meantime, though, we had some of our dearest friends visit bearing Christmas goodies. It was such a joy to get to see and visit with someone outside our crazy household! We're out of things to visit about here! :)

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be learning from all this. Maybe I'm supposed to slow down a little. Maybe I'm not supposed to sleep on the floor. Maybe I'm supposed to allow someone else to take care of me for a (hopefully) short period of time. Only God knows. That's comfort, though. Today I'm praying for a healthy, no-headache, normal-knee, day. I'll even tolerate the frigid temperatures with a smile if I can just feel good! :)

Slinkies and Silly Putty

So it's already been a long day. Not long in the bad sense, I have just gotten several things done today and am ready to sit down and relax for awhile. Add to that that Gary turned our TV on at 5:45 this morning and the twins got up very shortly after that, and I'm just a little sleepy. Well, okay, I'll admit it. This weather makes me sleepy too. It's hard to have a bright sunny attitude when the weather is so cold, snowy and dreary. Don't get me wrong, I almost enjoy being stuck in the house this time of the year. It allows me to get some of the fun baking done without feeling guilty about not doing something else.

I made a trip out to the school this afternoon to pick up the girls' goodie bags. Their teacher had emailed me and asked if I wanted to come get their fun stuff, so off I went. They were so excited about everything. In one particular bag they received a slinky (the plastic kind) and silly putty along with a few other little goodies. These girls have never had either of those items, so it was something new for them. Boo asked me what she was supposed to do with Silly Putty, and I have to admit that I didn't really know what to tell her. I think I rolled it into a ball and bounced it at some point as a child. I also remember squishing it onto the newspaper cartoons to get the ink transferred onto it. But I also remember that eventually it's more ink and less putty. So, taking the safer route, I told her she could stretch it apart, as long as she didn't get it stuck to anything, including her. I think she might've been a little scared of it, because as soon as I got done giving the speech about how important it is not to get it stuck to, on, or in anything, she told me she'd just put it back in the egg for now. Good plan... Then we got out the slinkies. It didn't take much playing before Doodle had hers so tangled up that I spent the next 20 minutes untangling it. Ahh, the joys of childhood toys. Who comes up with these things?!

Hanny is spending this afternoon at Meme's Pomona house. For those of you who didn't know, my parents just recently bought a small fixer-upper house on a great lot here in Pomona so Mom can be here more often and at a shorter notice than before. And the best part is that it has a basement! It probably had something to do with the many, many times we've been sick and had to make trips to the doctor since August. Anyway... The twins want her to spend the night down there so they can be here all by themselves (well, with Gary & me, but you get the idea). They told Meme that then maybe we'd sleep on the floor, or maybe they'd both just sleep in my bed...with Gary and me. I don't think so. Why do you think we sleep on the living room floor when they're sick?! It's always something with them.

We also had a visit from our own private Santa today. Some people have Santa visit once a year, but our Santa comes by pretty regularly. Santa (and you know who you are), thank you so much for being so thoughtful year-round. We are all truly blessed to have you in our lives. We think you and Mrs. Claus are both very special people! :)

Reindeer Snacks

We just made these cute reindeer snacks and wanted to share a picture. This is what I had organized to make for a healthy treat at their school party tomorrow, but since they're puny and at home we made them here after I took the supplies to the school. They thought it was a fun snack! :)

Hanny 1, Mama 0

This morning Miss Hanny demonstrated just a small sliver of crankiness with her sisters and I that was, in my own words, totally unnecessary. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she was only cranky because she's not feeling totally up to par. I'd rather that be the case than be seeing a glimpse, a big, hairy glimpse, of what life will be like when she's a teenager. At one point, she attempted to trudge off to her room with a scowl on her face and a clomp in her step. She has a special walk that she performs when she's really showing her displeasure in all its glory. She sort of hunches her shoulders forward, drops her head down and has a trudge-like stomp. It's hard to describe, really, but easy to distinguish it from her normal bubbly walk. You'd just have to see it to truly appreciate it. I hope you never do...see it or appreciate it! Anyway... I asked her to return back to her room to try walking back with less attitude and more happiness, for lack of a better word. This went on for about 4 attempts, at which point I stopped her and tried to talk to her logically and sensitively about how important it is that we all speak to each other with love and respect. It was then that she rolled her eyes. Yep. The first eye roll. Well, the first one she's actually been crazy enough to do in front of my eyes. I was not pleased. I addressed it and ended with the words "You'd better watch those eyes, young lady." Yep. I know. As soon as the words passed my lips I KNEW I had said the wrong thing. You see, she is her mama's daughter and her Papa's granddaughter. I've sort of picked up a thing or two about making and proving a point from my dad. That, and when I know I'm right, I KNOW I'm right. Hanny's apparently picked up a thing or two as well. Her response to my ridiculous instruction to watch her eyes? "I can't watch my eyes. How can I watch my eyes?" She's a smart cookie and born to be a lawyer. I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

Oh, the things they say!

Well, it's a snowy, white, wintery night at our house. It wasn't bad since we didn't have to get out in it, but Gary had to and that was bad enough. We had some fun watching the squirrels try to figure out how to attack the bird feeder this morning. Hanny helped me make tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. She's all excited now because she knows how to do it and can probably do it herself (her idea, not mine). It was a pleasant day at home, although I didn't accomplish anything I really set out to do. Yes, the kitchen is clean. Yes, the laundry is done and almost all put away. But I didn't do any of my Christmas preparations or cooking. For anyone who typically receives food gifts from us for Christmas, let me apologize in advance. Hopefully there will be something soon!

Hanny is indeed the first to experience (and share) the latest family cold. She spent a good portion of the day sneezing and blowing (note to self - buy kleenexes ASAP) but doesn't seem to feel too bad. That's a good thing. It's bad enough when they're sick, but when they act sick it's a BAD thing. Hopefully, with a little luck and a lot of prayers, this one will just be a simple cold. That's what I'm praying for...continually.

Now, on to the funny tidbit of the evening. While we were tucking in the twins, Doodle asked me if they are going to school tomorrow. I told her I didn't know and that we'd decide in the morning. She then told me, "I don't think we'll probably go. I really doubt it." I've used the words "I doubt it" relatively often lately and explained that I meant that I didn't think so when I said that. I told her tonight that it was good to hear her using such "big" words! That just led up to Boo's comment about the same question. She heard Doodle's opinion and then informed me that she thinks she's "getting down with a cold." Obviously she's heard me say that they're "coming down with a cold" but it really struck me as funny to hear her replace one word with another. The mental picture I got was of her dancing like a Peanuts character (maybe because we watched that this evening and laughed about the dancing) with some big animated germ. I know...I need more sleep. I'll be there soon. It's just a matter of whether or not I'll be able to stay there.

Bad News...

Hanny's got another stinkin' cold. Good thing I kept them home today. Boo just sneezed a couple times...she'll probably be next. I just hope we can all come down with it quickly and get over it before next week.

Tuesday

We are having a self-imposed snow day. They are actually having school today, which just amazes me, quite frankly. Boo was up coughing just before I fell asleep last night, so I sat up with her until 11:00, Gary turned on the tv at 4:30 this morning (Oh, I know...what was he thinking?!), and Doodle was up coughing at 5:30. Add the snowfall and frigid temperatures to all that and I decided we were going to stay home today. We'll be doing schoolwork this morning (some their teacher sent home and some I have for days such as today). I hope to bake some cookies since I already have the dough in the fridge. I've got a couple Christmas gifts (okay, more than a couple) that need some work too, so we'll be busy. I've also got a reindeer necklace to make with the girls sometime, so we might try to complete that as well. I'm sure we won't run out of things to do.

The girls had been planning (it was even on our calendar) to watch the Presley's Christmas show on RFD-TV last night, so we got to do that. They thoroughly enjoyed it. Hanny has always been very fond of the piano player and always tells me he's her favorite. Last night I learned why that is. She told me that he looks like Peter, and that's why he is her favorite. Is that sweet or what?

Gary's child...

Just like any typical parents, Gary and I always race each other to the "she's your child" comment when there's a specific display of attitude, temper, etc. Sometimes he beats me to the punch and sometimes I beat him. Last night, I won the race. Here's the story...

After supper, Hanny decided she wanted to pretend she was Rudolph. I thought that sounded like a typical activity for her, as she (and her sisters) enjoy dressing up as something other than themselves and playing together. It was all okay until she wanted to use a gluestick to glue a red pom pom (you know, those little fuzzy balls) to her nose. Yep, she was going to glue it to her nose. Now, I realize that gluing it on with a gluestick wouldn't have left her with a permanently fuzzy red nose, but who knows where the whole "gluing something to youself" idea might lead. While it might begin with a gluestick, there's always that chance of moving on to stickier things. I immediately explained what a BAD idea that was. It wasn't the idea of making her nose red, just the idea of involving GLUE. It's certainly not a conversation I ever dreamed I'd have, but I was quick on the draw. "What if it's stuck there and you have to go to school like that?" I asked. "Don't you think the kids might laugh if you have a red furry ball stuck on your nose?" I asked. Well, she did finally decide that it might not have been one of her most stellar ideas - thank goodness. For Hanny, she has to decide on her own for it to go over smoothly. Thankfully I was using some good logical arguments that appealed to her senses. Obviously, I immediately threw out the "She's SO your daughter!" comment before it was sent my way!

You'd think that would be the best part, the whole idea of gluing the ball onto her nose. Nope. The best comment of all came when she was in need of antlers. Her comment? "What am I gonna do for antlers? I can't glue..." Thank goodness it didn't occur to glue on antlers before we talked her out of gluing on a nose...

Oh, and for what it's worth, we put lipstick on her nose and made antlers out of a headband and pipe cleaners. Sometimes Mama does have a plausible solution...

"We get the Golf Channel?"

Yep, that's what Gary just exclaimed. If you know me, you know how utterly disinterested I was at that grand proclamation. The excitement around here is palpable. We just tucked the girls in, so the excitement has gone to bed for the night. I'm pretty sure they get funnier by the day. Hanny is so easy to tuck in. She has to have a hug and kiss and then is ready for me to leave the room. Thank goodness. Her sisters always require at least 10 minutes of fun before I finally get to leave the room. Doodle always wants Gary to tuck her in too, so he gets a taste of her true nature on a nightly basis. I never laugh so hard as I do when they're getting ready to go to bed. Tonight, for example, I was snugged up to Boo while Gary tried to get Doodle to give him a good-night hug. She was reluctant, and told him, in no uncertain terms, that "somebody's" (her diplomatic way of saying his) breath was stinky. If you saw her in any other situation you would think she is such a sweet, shy child. Not so. After he finally got headed out the door she thought it necessary to inform both of us that he is a real bed hog. And, apparently, she's noticed that he not only hogs the bed when he's tucking her in but also hogs it when he's in our bed as well. She ought to know. She and her identical (oh, so totally identical) twin were in our bed at 6:00 this morning. They don't quite get the whole concept of sleeping in. Oh, how I wish they would sleep just until 7:00. What I wouldn't give for a 7:00 morning! And do you think they'd stop long enough to rest? Nope. They might miss some fun. In fact, they are still talking to each other in their room. They're probably cooking up some big plans for tomorrow. I can hardly wait! :)

Blessed Birthday

I survived another birthday. Heck, I survived another day. It was a busy day, to put it mildly, but a good one all in all. After we took the girls to school this morning I came home and wrapped presents for 2 hours straight. I have all the girls' and Gary's gifts wrapped now, even the stocking stuffers. I left the others to do so the little ladies can help me. We've got several things we hope to get done this weekend, and wrapping gifts is one of them.

We went to eat lunch with the angels today for their Christmas lunch at school. It was a very nice (and tasty) meal. We then came home and took a few pictures so that we can work on a Christmas letter (albeit a SHORT and sweet one) to get emailed and mailed out early next week. I had to take the twins to the doctor for a re-check to make sure their ears and lungs were improving, so we took off and left Hanny with Dad for the afternoon. They had talked about getting take-out from Applebee's for supper tonight (I had already told them I was NOT cooking on my birthday), but while waiting for the doctor to come in we decided that Mexican food sounded much better. After leaving the doctor's office, the twins and I struck out to find our way from Olathe to Lawrence so we could pick up some food (and a cake) for supper. I knew I could get back on the interstate, but there had been an accident earlier that had traffic at a stand-still, so I wanted another option. I was so proud of myself for finding my own way to Hwy 10! Doodle was getting a little nervous because I didn't know for sure where I was. She's got a little of her mama's worrying blood coursing through those little veins. Poor baby. She was afraid I wouldn't be able to find my way home. I can totally identify with those worries, those ridiculous worries. Anyway... It was so much fun listening to the two of them on the way to Lawrence. They were giggling and having such a good time together. It's music to my ears. We ended up going to JCP, which reminded me why I rarely take them shopping with me. They're a hoot, but ornery as possible. We then ran to Target to pick up a cake and on to get some food. We had a good time together, and so did Dad & Hanny. While we were gone, Hanny made me a birthday care (all on her own) that said, and I quote, "You, Mama, are the gratist mama I evor so" (read: saw). She sounded it out all on her own...I was impressed! Does it get any better than that? They all three had made me birthday cards that had their own stamps of individuality on them. What more could I ask for? I am so incredibly blessed to have these three little people and the one big one in my life! There's nothing more precious than the look I see on those little faces when I thank them for what they have done for or given me. It's clear that they can see how good it feels to give.

So, at 34, I am definitely one lucky woman. I survived the day. I survived the birthday. I will keep these precious birthday cards forever. I will never forget how it felt to get those sweet hugs and kisses from the girls and watch their angelic faces beam as I opened the cards they made themselves. Man, if only they could bottle that sweetness...

Lessons from Aunt Donna

I have very impressionable children. I also have children whose only lapse in honesty comes when they're afraid they might cause hurt feelings by giving an honest answer. Yes, I know that sweet honesty will end soon enough, but for the moment it is there. They also are pretty good at telling what they hear.

They have become very attached to my sister and spent a great deal of their time over Thanksgiving break at her house. They even warmed up to her husband (I know...6 years later) and got quite a laugh out of him helping them "tweep" up the wasps in the upstairs. Anyway... Last Saturday Donna stopped by to visit for a few minutes. Meme had bought them a box of chocolates after their doctor's appointment on Friday and they were LOVING it. The had to show Donna their chocolates, and she had to corrupt these sweet little angels. Okay, so maybe it's not total corruption. It does bring back a memory of Christmas of 2006 when Jonathan showed them how to shake the Christmas gifts to see if they could figure out what they were. But back to the story at hand. Donna told them that the way they could figure out what kind of chocolate each one was was to stick their finger in the bottom. I don't have to wonder where I learned this trick as a child. I think it's pretty clear. We went on about our day and nothing more was said until today. Boo finished her lunch first and wanted a chocolate for dessert. I sat her on the kitchen counter and opened the box for her. She bit into a lemon (yes, lemon - it was nasty) cream-centered chocolate and hated it. I tasted it as well and determined that neither one of us needed to eat that one, so I let her choose another one. She asked how we could tell that the next one wasn't lemon. Lo and behold, Hannah piped up with "If you wanna find out what kind it is, you just stick your finger in the bottom. That's what Donna told me...her or Meme, I'm not sure." I immediately called my dear sister because I knew she'd get a chuckle out of it. Meanwhile, Addie stuck her finger into the bottom of one chocolate and proclaimed, "This one must be blueberry!" Needless to say, we've put the chocolates away and discussed the importance of not touching it unless you intend to eat it.

The lesson from this one: Be careful what you say to these little angels. Everything is taken pretty literally and is NEVER forgotten.

White Wednesday

We had quite a snowy day yesterday, which left us with some super slick roads this morning. The three girls are ALL in school today until I go get them at 10:30. I'm trying to do everything I can so they don't overdo it too early. Their Christmas dinner at school is Friday, so Gary and I are going to eat lunch at school with them before we have to go back to the doctor. Yep, my birthday dinner is going to be at school. I'm thrilled...

I tried to make a list of everything I've got left to buy and do before Christmas. While I don't have a LOT left to buy, I'm not nearly done. In most cases, though, I know exactly what I'm going to buy. I still have a few things to pick up for the girls, so I'd better get moving. I don't have any baking done yet. That's a huge deal because usually by now I have 3-4 different kinds of cookies baked and in the freezer. It's time I got started, I think. If I can just stay healthy and keep everybody else healthy as well. My next list is going to be the baking list. There are several things I want to bake before Christmas, but I have to prioritize. I don't want it to stress me out, I just want to be able to enjoy it. Hopefully after the girls are done with school (the 18th is their last day) we can devote some Mama/Girls time to baking. Hanny spent some time in the kitchen with me yesterday making meatloaf, mashed potatoes/gravy and broccoli/rice casserole. They all three enjoy helping in the kitchen. I just love that, especially this time of the year. There's nothing better than being in the kitchen with three of my favorite people while we bake and listen to Christmas music. It's one of those joys that I probably take for granted, although this year I think I'm fully aware of how special that time is. Any time that is spent doing something other than coughing, sneezing, sleeping on the floor, etc. is worthy of thanks.

I think I'll take the few minutes I have left before it's time to go get the angels and stir up some kind of cookie dough. If it's made, I can always find time to bake it. Wish me luck! Oh, and if you have any great cookie recipes to share, please leave them in the comments - I love to try out new ones! :)

Six Years Ago Tonight...

Six years ago tonight was the night we brought Hanny home from the hospital. Wow...time really does fly! We had a care plan meeting with the "team" - doctors, nurses, social worker, patient advocate, etc. - about the twins before we left and got to bring the little angel, all 4 pounds 4 ounces of her, home with us afterwards. She was so tiny. Her preemie clothes were hanging off of her. It's just amazing to think about how small she was. What an amazing blessing to look at her today and see just how far she has come. It doesn't seem like it's been that long ago...

Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

It's snowing! :) It's a wonderful day to be in the house enjoying the warmth and Christmas lights. Hanny went to school again today while her sisters stayed home. If they could just kick these coughs... I know how they feel, though. I finally got some sleep last night, after propping myself up on a pile of pillows. It will really be nice to feel good again and have some energy. It will be exceptionally nice to have three little ones feeling good without any residual coughing.

Beyond that, nothing has changed since yesterday. I haven't gone anywhere or done anything. That's not totally true. I've done laundry, cleaned the bathrooms, cleaned the kitchen, etc. I haven't done anything fun and exciting.

I wish you could hear Boo reading Are You My Mother? right now! It's such a cute book anyway, but she's really reading with feeling! She's perched herself at one of the little card tables with a pile of books that probably weighs more than she does. We did school work when Hanny came home (and still have some to do), so now they're all three spread around the house having some alone time. Doodle is at the kitchen table playing with the doll house. Hanny is in her room playing with Cinderella and the pirate ship. It's a good thing they don't mind being stuck in the house too much. They're awfully good girls...maybe Santa will remember them this year! :)

Monday, Monday, Monday

We have a couple glimmers of hope today! Hanny went to school this morning, although I kept the twins home for another day due to their nasty coughs. They're definitely feeling better, so that's exciting news. I think I might live now too. I'm still not sleeping because of all my coughing, my glands hurt and I wear out very quickly, but I do think I'm improving. Gary's improving faster than any of us, I think. I actually cleaned the kitchen & ran the sweeper this morning. I know. Not exciting news, but the fact that I accomplished something today is reason for celebration. Granted, I'm ready for a day-long nap now, but progress is progress. We also took apart the fireplace garland and put it back together with new lights, hung it up and hung up our stockings this morning. All in all, we've done a lot since we took Hanny to school.

The girls are looking forward to this week's Christmas specials (Charlie Brown tonight) and also to my birthday on Friday. It's the holiday dinner at school, so I hope we're all healthy and can eat lunch at school together Friday before we have to go back to the doctor for another re-check. I've tried to make my list of things I want to get baked before Christmas, as well as the list of things I've yet to buy. If we don't get healthy soon, some of our loved ones are going to get a lot of nothing for Christmas! :) It's not for lack of knowing what to get, it's just a matter of not being able to go get it. Surely in the next 17 days I'll have a chance to finish up the shopping. I've got a lot of things I hope to accomplish in the next 17 days. Some of them HAVE to get done. Some of them don't. The most important thing is that the girls are happy and healthy. Everything else we can take or leave.

Sickly Sunday

Yes, we're still sickly. I think at this point I'm feeling worse than anybody else. I don't know if that's good or not. I'm definitely happy that everybody else is showing a little improvement, but I wish I could say the same for myself. Nobody understands that Mama doesn't yet feel like talking, playing, etc. Oh well...

Last night we were watching football (Dad's choice, obviously) and talking about going to bed. I, as usual, had Boo & Doodle squeezed into the recliner with me. I had been trying to read a magazine but finally gave up because Doodle wouldn't leave me alone. We had been discussing the fact that everybody was going to sleep in her own bed, and Boo began to question what would happen if they started coughing. I responded that I would take care of them if they coughed in the night. Boo replied, "I know that, Mama. I knew you would take care of us because you're the mama." It wasn't anything exciting or profound, but it was something nice to hear. There are a few important things I want my angels to remember, and that's one of them. I'm the mama and I will do anything and everything possible to take care of them. Simple concept, difficult action. But the fact that she knows that warms my heart.

Shortly after that moment, though, the girls proclaimed just how much they would LOVE it (They actually said, "I would LOVE it if...") if they could sleep on the living room floor with Dad on the couch. I was all for it. I knew I'd take Doodle into my bed because she's coughed every night this week. I didn't want everybody in the house to be awake all night, so she moved in with me. Apparently the other three slept pretty good because they said they didn't hear us all night. Doodle slept most of the night without coughing, so that was progress. We've spent this morning coloring and watching any Christmas show we can find on TV. I'm cleaning all the vaporizers this morning as well. Pretty exciting life, I know. I couldn't handle anything more exciting though. I had planned to go get groceries today, but I'm not leaving the house. I'm doped up on cough medicine and feeling like death warmed over (looking like it too, I'm afraid). It's a good day to avoid our house! :)

Sickly Saturday

Oh, what a week. The girls had a scheduled doctor's appointment yesterday, which was a good thing. Boo & Doodle both ended up on antibiotics again for whatever is causing the nasty cough they've had. Hanny checked out with just a cold - thank goodness! By last night I was feeling awful, exhausted and ready to crawl in a hole and hibernate until late Spring. I went to the doctor in Topeka this morning and got medicine for a double ear infection and cough. Gary is now up there at the doctor as well. It all started with him, after all, so he should've gone to the doctor first! He thought he was improving but not fast enough, apparently. I've not had any improvement at all. I still have my growly voice. Growly is being kind, quite frankly. I'm better off if I just don't talk at all. Oh well.

I have Christmas shopping to finish, grocery shopping to do, food that I need to prepare, gifts I need to wrap, etc. It's not getting done. I'm going to require a nap this afternoon, which means sleeping on the floor so the little ladies will watch a movie. Doodle should really take a nap too, so hopefully I can convince her to do that. I really want to be able to enjoy some of the fun Christmas preparations, but until I feel better it won't happen. Hopefully I can spend some time in the next week doing some fun baking. It just won't be Christmas without some sugar cookies, candy, etc. Maybe I can squeeze in 48 hours of sleep soon...

One of those days

I apologize in advance for this one. It's sort of the result of a combination of things - lack of sleep, feeling crummy, sick kids, etc. What I need is a good cry. I'm tired. I'm tired of being sick. I'm tired of having sick kids. I'm tired of not getting anything done because I feel crummy. I'm tired of not getting anything done because I spend my time trying to keep puny kids content. I need a miracle. I need a long period of time of health for all of us. It's so frustrating to just get them feeling good again only to send them back to school to bring something else home within days. This makes homeschooling appealing. We have been sick more than healthy probably since August, but definitely since October. I'm just needing something, and I don't even know what. Encouragement? Maybe. Antibiotics? Maybe. But since the girls have a doctor's appointment today, Mama can't. It probably wouldn't do any good, though, since when they go back to school we'll get something else. Yeah, I know. Wah, wah, poor me. I'm just praying for strength. I'm praying for health. I'm praying for optimism. Sometimes it's just hard to see the stars through the heavy clouds.

**BRRRR**

Baby, it's cold outside! Lucky for me, I'm inside with three of my favorite people in the whole world. Yes, they're sick, but not painfully so. Yes, I have a voice that sounds like I swallowed a porcupine, but I don't feel that bad. I've had to choose when it's really necessary to talk, which isn't such a bad exercise for any of us. Instead of asking them four times to do something, I tell them ahead of time that I can't talk much and I'm only going to ask once. My instructions are much more brief. I will be glad, though, when I can sleep in my bed without worrying about who's coughing and when she's going to stop and who she's going to wake up in the process. For Christmas this year, I want a few CONSECUTIVE weeks of healthiness in our house! That's not too much to ask, is it?

Today's big plans are pretty basic around here. We're going to do a little cleaning, take a long, steamy bath, make some vegetable soup, make some chocolate-dipped Ritz crackers with p.b. and take a long nap. Yeah, I know. It'll never happen. I'm scheduled to go to Topeka this afternoon/evening for Gary's office Christmas get-together. We're meeting for supper at Red Lobster. It should be good, but I could easily stay home where it's warm and eat some homemade vegetable soup. Call me Scrooge. This time of year brings out the hermit in me! I'm sort of a loner anyway. I don't like to fight the crowds, I don't like to be out in the cold (even though I like to look at it), and I don't like to pick up germs unnecessarily. I'd be totally content to hibernate with my family all winter long. I have a friend who is the same way (you know who you are!), so I know I'm not alone in this! I am just not a social butterfly, especially during the winter months. We all have our idiosyncracies! :)

I was off by a couple days...

I was right, although I was off by a couple days. I wasn't being pessimistic. I was being realistic. We're sick...again. I knew it was unavoidable. I started feeling puny Monday afternoon. When I mentioned this to Gary he told me he'd been fighting a cold for 2 days. Yeah, thanks for kissing me, Sweetie! Oh well... Last night at 8:30 Boo was coughing in bed. I didn't want her to wake up Doodle, so when I decided she wasn't going to work through it and go back to sleep anytime soon I scooped her up and brought her out to the living room. We made a bed on the floor, fired up the vaporizer, slathered on some Vicks and took a little medicine. I tickled her to sleep, fell asleep eventually and was woken up to Doodle coughing in their bedroom at 2:45. I had turned up the monitor in our room so Gary would be sure to hear her if she began coughing. I'm not sure whether he didn't hear her coughing or that he just knew I'd hear her and take care of her. Either way, he remained in bed. I scooped her up, gave her a little medicine, gave her a drink, slathered on the Vicks and tucked her into bed next to me on the floor. It took her what seemed like FOREVER to settle down and stop coughing, but she finally did. I had already decided that there would be no school today (obviously), so we slept until about 7:15 this morning. I could've slept longer... I'm pretty sure they're about a day behind me with this cold. Hanny told me this morning that I have a really growly voice. That's putting it mildly. I've already told them that I can't spend the day breaking up arguments and asking endless questions about what they want to eat. My voice just isn't going to last today. Hopefully we'll get through this one without much of a hitch. On the plus side, they've already got a scheduled doctor's appointment on Friday, so that's a mind-settling thing.

Maybe we'll make some cookies. It's cold, I'm sick, I'm in the mood for comfort foods. Boo wants ham, mashed potatoes/gravy and green beans for dinner. I told Hanny we'll probably make vegetable soup (with big fat noodles) for supper. Who knows what we'll end up with, but we have great aspirations. I predict a nap in the not so distant future, though. I'll probably be the only napper.

Sunny Day

It looks like today is going to be the best of the week. It's only supposed to get up to 37 degrees tomorrow with a 30 mph north wind and snow...not exactly a day to be out! I'm thankful we live somewhere that we have seasons though, so I can truly appreciate the weather changes.

Sunday's blog was written before the day actually unfolded, I guess. We ended up going to church and going Christmas shopping (for me) afterward. Gary thought it might be a good idea for me to go since they were buying me a coat. I agreed...completely. I picked out what I wanted and have conveniently forgotten what it is that I picked out. I'll have to act surprised, after all, when I open it up on Christmas! I've spent this morning wrapping presents and hope to get all of the girls' gifts wrapped before I have to go pick them up. It would be nice to have most of it done. They're counting down the days until the many fun things this month. Gary's office Christmas party (I use that term loosely - we're just going out to eat!) is this Thursday evening, so the girls are going to stay with Meme for the evening. They're also counting down the days until my birthday next week. From there it turns into a flurry of fun with their Christmas program at school, Christmas party/last day of school on the 18th, and those many days of NO SCHOOL (woo hoo!) before and after Christmas.

I'm really looking forward to being home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year. We don't have to go anywhere for Christmas until the afternoon of the 26th, so it will be nice to be able to have some family time. I think we'll bake Jesus a birthday cake as well so they're sure to appreciate the real reason we're celebrating. We did that last year. Hannah thought Jesus would like a yellow cake with pour-over frosting...