Long Monday Update

Wow! A lot of things can occur in 5 days. No, nothing exciting. We'll just go on a day by day trip through this.

Friday morning the girls went to school - woo hoo! Right after taking them to school I made an appointment for this stupid ear problem I am still trying to kick. It's no new infection, just a major Eustachian tube dysfunction with a lot of junk tied to it at this point (nerve problems, migraines, etc). To make a long story slightly shorter, I have had a migraine since Thursday (yes, 5 days so far) that I can make tolerable for a few hours with some major medication. I have an appointment on the 17th with an ENT to see what to do next. I can surely get through a week with the drugs they've given me.

Saturday we sent the girls to Meme's house in the afternoon so we could go to Kansas City to celebrate our 12th anniversary (on Sunday) by going out to eat and spending some time shopping. It was nice to get away, get a good meal (that I didn't even have to cook!) and spend some time together. We were home by 7:30, put on our pj's and ate our cheesecake. I have to admit that it was REALLY nice to sleep in until 7:30 Sunday morning! Gary was up and in the living room much earlier, so he didn't disturb me at all...ahhh! :)

Sunday morning I was again plagued by the migraine and decided I could no longer deal with it with only Motrin & my dwindling supply of pain meds. Gary took me back to the doctor, so we spent our anniversary at the doctor & Walgreen's. Not a lot of romance in that, is there?! Thankfully, the girls were enjoying their time away as well, so they didn't miss us too badly! We were all home last night eating supper when Boo began complaining about her ear hurting.

This morning I had all intentions of taking them to school. I ended up, however, taking them all three to the doctor to check things out. As it turns out, the twinkies were just dealing with fluid behind their eardrums (yes, just like their mama, but to a lesser degree - thank goodness!) and Hanny has an outer ear infection. She also, as it turns out, has eczema in and around her ears, which has caused some of her problems. Good to know, as I had always wondered why she had such problems around her ears. So now we're doctoring her as well. While we were at Wal-Mart waiting for her prescription, Boo told me to stop walking. She then told me that her tooth had come out while she was chewing gum. No, she didn't swallow it. She had it in her hand ready for me to take. I wrapped it in a kleenex, stuffed it in my purse and made her smile at me many, many times over the next few hours to show me her cute little toothless grin! She is absolutely PRECIOUS!!! So maybe I'm a little partial. Maybe not. She didn't want me to tell Gary, so she surprised him with a big grin when he got home. We're all loving it! I've taken pictures, surprise, surprise. I would have taken more, but she's not really the model of the group. She gives me about 3 chances then revokes all my rights as a photographer. Stinker! Now they're all tucked in. Before I finally got Boo & Doodle tucked in, they had to check to make sure the envelope with Boo's tooth was ready for the Tooth Fairy. Doodle said she'd probably wake up and see the Tooth Fairy in their room and scream. This talk went on for a while until I finally told her that if she screamed at the TF, she (the Fairy) would be back tomorrow night to pull her teeth. Yeah...I know. That was a low blow. Sometimes you just have to resort to those though. I'll probably pay for it later. Hopefully she won't try to stay awake to see the Tooth Fairy, because this fairy is ready to hit the hay early tonight. Waking up at 4:15 is not my cup of tea, so the TF is going to be making the rounds pretty quick...

Bugsy & Chicklet

So we're home again today, hopefully for the last time this week. They're going to school tomorrow unless they somehow get worse between now and then. They're still snooty, snotty and snorty, but they're apparently not feeling too poorly or they wouldn't be as ornery as they are. We did some homework this morning and worked on some math activities. It was a worthwhile hour, I'd say.

I told Boo this morning that I was just going to start calling her Bugsy because of that awful hanging-by-a-thread tooth. She looks like she's wearing those horrendous Bubba teeth available at Wal-Mart for about a dollar. Hanny had some last year when she was sick that she modeled with both Papa & Peter. Boo has her own built-in set right now. She resembles Bugs Bunny enough right now that I decided Bugsy was an appropriate pet name for the time being. Chicklet is our pet name for Doodle. She's sort of a combination of Chicken Little and Piglet. To sum it up, she's sort of a "Oh my, the sky is falling...and I'm scared of that!" type kid. Poor thing. I'm pretty sure she comes by that from her mama... So for now we're calling her Chicklet. Maybe someday she'll be more of a Tigger with that fun-loving, I can do anything attitude. Maybe she'll always be a Chicklet. It takes all kinds, after all. I'm pretty sure I'm a Chicklet too... As for Hanny, we haven't yet developed the exact pet name for her. She's very Pooh-like in that she's very sweet and compassionate when she wants to be. She also has a Rabbit streak of stubborn do-it-my-way-or-suffer-the-wrath in her. Maybe she's our little Poohbit, since we want to focus on the Pooh qualities first!

Whatever the name, they really are sweeties. Yes, they have their stubborn streaks, tempers and frustrating habits, but don't we all? I am totally comfortable admitting that I do. Sometimes I struggle to keep them under control - my faults, I mean...not the kids - and sometimes they are out in all their glory. I'm aware of them. I know exactly what they are. I try not to beat myself up about them but do try to improve them. It keeps me humble. And it keeps me from judging the faults of others or at least curbs it...

Ahh...Quiet!

I have to say that I REALLY enjoy the quiet of the evening. I would really enjoy the quiet time of the morning, but having two little goofballs who insist upon getting up while it's still pitch dark limits my ability to have quiet time in the morning. To make it even more enjoyable, Gary's at his last financial aid meeting of the season, so I have the place totally to myself. Now, don't get me wrong, I love it when he's around. I am, however, a person who rather enjoys being alone. I get so little time with no one needing/wanting my help or companionship that I take full advantage of the time I spend alone. I've been catching up with friends, finishing up the household chores for the day and reading in my quiet time. It's the reading that I've really been enjoying.

I have been reading Max Lucado's books in the last couple months. I highly recommend any and all of his books. The first one I read was Traveling Light, which focused on Lord's Prayer. The most recent one I finished was In the Grip of Grace. It too was insightful and thought-provoking, as all of his books are. The man can make a point like no one I've ever heard/read. I would love to hear him preach someday. I am now ready to start another of his books, A Love Worth Giving, and am really looking forward to getting into it. In fact, I think I'll head there now. I need to take advantage of this quiet time because it will be time to head to bed before I know it. :)

Before I go, though, Boo has her tooth hanging by a thread. I know. It gives me the heeby-jeebies. Hanny told me the other day that it gives her the "freaks" - I think she's heard me say it gives me the creeps. It's going to have to come out tomorrow, because I can't handle that thing blowing in and out with every breath for much longer. It doesn't help that she has a cold and all of her breathing is done through her mouth. :) As for the colds, we're all in various stages at this point. I'm feeling crummy tonight (surprise, surprise), so I'm just beginning. I hope we get through this quickly. We're celebrating our 12th anniversary on Sunday, so it would be nice to be able to go out to eat or something. Hopefully that will happen. We're praying for a speedy recovery!

Triple Trouble in the Bathtub

The girlies wanted to take a bath this afternoon. I hadn't really planned to give them one since they had been in the house all day, but they wanted to play for a while in the tub. Usually I am forced - emotionally, not physically - to stay in there while they play. Today, for some strange reason, they "allowed" me to leave while they played. I've been listening to them, because typically the bathtub is too small a space for three girls and their attitudes. There is inevitably some instance of "I don't have enough room" from someone at some point in the bath. Today was no exception. I quickly took care of the situation and returned to my sanctuary outside the bathroom. I heard them whispering about getting out and then got to listen to them all discuss their need for lotion, jammies, etc. At one point, Doodle said, "Scoot over, Grover!" It's nice to hear them get along so nicely after having to be the peacemaker. And Hanny, always the mouth of the litter, is exclaiming (repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly), "Let's boogie!" From what I hear, she's picked that up from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Boo just asked her, "Does he really say that on there?" I'm pretty sure she didn't pick that one up from her dad and me...

Early Riser

I woke up this morning at 5:30. That's about 30 minutes earlier than normal for me, but it gave me time (I thought) to enjoy 30 minutes of extra quiet time before the hoodlums crawled out. Ah...not so fast, Mama! Within five minutes of me waking up - that's waking up, not actually getting out of bed - Doodle was up and in the kitchen with her dad. She spent a few minutes with him and then was sent to crawl in bed with me because even Dad knew it was too early for girls to get up. She told me that Boo had a reindeer singing in her bed that woke her up. I know it sounds like a dream, but it's totally true. She also told me that Boo was snoring, so she just decided to get up. It didn't take long to realize that she was coming down with the latest family cold. We've taught the girls to share, but the only thing they seem to really share is germs. It's a difficult concept, I guess. Where do you draw the line at what you share? If they don't like to share toys and have to do it anyway, then maybe they subconsciously decide that they're going to share their nasty germs as well. If only it was that controllable. It's not. No matter how much we emphasize and enforce hand washing, not touching faces, using hand cleaner, etc., the kiddos just can't seem to keep the colds away. Maybe someday...

They've been playing most of the morning. I made muffins for breakfast (those Jiffy chocolate muffin mixes are great!), did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, made banana bread (almost fat-free, even, and good!) and tried to keep the angels happy and comfortable. I'm ready for a nap. I'm guessing little Doodle is too, but she will NEVER admit it. That one is a stubborn little stinker! I know where she gets it. Sadly, it comes from both sides! Too bad for us! :)

It's Official...

We're starting in with yet ANOTHER virus. They have been in school for all of three days now, so it is about time they came down with something! Gary thinks I'm pessimistic when I can figure from week to week when they'll be sick. I call it realistic at this point. While he attempts to make plans (and tries to convince me that it's possible to do so) to do something fun a week in advance, I can typically plan when the next round of sneeze/cough/snort/snoot/crummy throat/growly voice is going to arrive. I no longer (for now, anyway) plan events. I plan for sickness. Not everyone can be so fortunate, I guess. It requires me to keep a healthy (ha ha - did you see the humor in that word?!) supply of kleenexes, Tylenol, Motrin, cough drops and cold medicine around at all times. That's my forte right now - I'm organized for sickness. Like a boy scout, I am always prepared...well, for somebody to have a cold, anyway. I'm not prepared for a week of good health. What would I do with that? If God is listening (yes, I know he's ALWAYS listening, but sometimes...) I would like to assure Him that I am handling all the illness, uncertainty, stress, etc. much better than I have in the past. I've got this lesson down, I think. I'm praying my anxiety away as much as is humanly possible. I really am handling things with a much more prayerful and "oh well" attitude. It's evident to me anyway.

The girlies did go to school this morning and survived. Boo began complaining last night of a "crummy throat" but was convinced this morning that she could withstand 2.5 hours of school today. Tomorrow, well, that might be another story. But we did make it three days in a row. Her little nose is runny today, so it's just a matter of time until it makes it to the full-blown (pun intended!) cold and spreads throughout the house. Oh well... What else did I have to do this week?!

Super Bowl Sunday

We've been watching the Super Bowl, like most people. Well, Gary's watching the Super Bowl and I'm paying attention to the commercials once in a while and not much else. I have to admit there have been a few this year that made me chuckle. Granted, I haven't seen very many, but of the ones I saw, I really liked the Bridgestone Tires commercial with Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. The girls enjoyed the dalmatian/clydesdale commercials while they were up and going. They're now tucked in and attempting to prepare for another week. Hopefully they can be healthy for a few days...

I spent yesterday in Topeka shopping with a friend. We really did more talking than shopping, but it was a much-needed get-away. When I got home, the twinkies couldn't/wouldn't stay away from me. I spent over an hour on the floor playing with them. Doodle wanted to snuggle with me, but Boo made it clear that she wanted me to look her direction. She was really displaying her obnoxious side! It's interesting to see, though, because it's like those Animal Planet shows where the man (always with an English accent) whispers continually while watching a lion in its natural habitat. I feel like that guy. I want to see her be a little obnoxious from time to time because she's so uptight and silent at other times. I don't want to disturb her natural habitat, so to speak. The time on the floor had a great finale, too. I was flat on my stomach, Boo stood on my rear, I very slowly raised up onto all fours while she maintained her balance on my lower back and then we traveled across the room that way. It was pretty impressive. I was impressed with her balance as well as my lower back strength. We're not hard to impress around here...

Today we just took it easy. We made some Jello, Kool-Aid and pudding (oops...we forgot to eat Jello for supper!) with all three girls. Then Boo & I stirred up some cookies for the little angels. They like to cook, and so do I. While watching the first few commercials during the Super Bowl this evening, I kept saying "SHHH" just before they started. After about the third "SHH," Boo asked why I kept asking them to be quiet. I told her I like to listen, to which she replied, "Well, I like to talk." How could I trump that one?!