from last fall

more Spud talk

Me: Can I give you a kiss?
Spud: Yeah, just don't steal one.
Me (kissing him on the cheek): Is this okay?
Spud: Yeah.

Noodle leans over and gives him a hug.
Spud: Hey! You stealed a hug!

forgot to share this...

So, back in January, Spud was looking at my feet. I happen to have a very small "baby" toe, so after he looked at it a while he said, "If I had a skinny little toe, I'd get a fake toe and put it over it, like a cap."

Thanks, kid.

do more things badly

Y'know, I think there is some truth to this idea.

What do you think?

good things from today

1. One clean kitchen floor

2. Two freshly bathed doggies

3. Three swinging kids in the backyard

breathing

So, Day 10 of Sprout's antibiotic treatment (prescribed by the otolaryngologist) was Saturday, and he is still breathing clear! So it looks like the congestion since the first of December was likely caused by a bacterial infection, maybe in his sinuses or adenoids. I am a bit frustrated that the family practice doctor I took him to for his 1 year checkup didn't suggest antibiotics, but he just said, "Everything looks fine to me." When I pushed and said that everything was obviously NOT fine, as the kid hasn't been able to breathe through his nose for two months, he suggested we try Benadryl at night and see if that made any change. If it did, we were probably dealing with an allergy. I am just so delighted that the little guy can breathe, and SLEEP, much better now.

In other news, two of David's sisters have moved in with us. One moved in a couple of weeks ago and the other arrived Sunday. So far, so good. They are both pleasant and fun people, so I think we'll be fine. Plus, it makes a difference to know that it is only for a few months. We are all mature enough to handle anything temporarily. They are living a bit more "snuggly" than they are used to, though, since they are sharing a room with bunk beds, something they haven't done for a while. But they seem busy enough that they don't need their rooms for much beyond closet space and sleeping.

Lately my blog-brain is kind of muddled. I will start thinking of a post, but then either forget it, or by the time I have some time to sit down and type it, it's kind of irrelevant. (Notice that it took more than a month to post Sprout's cake pictures!)

I'm also wishing for someone to send me $5-7000 to improve my yard/landscaping. Ah, wouldn't it be nice?

cake pictures

I can't believe I didn't get around to posting these pictures from Sprout's first birthday celebration. For the other kids, we've gotten them a free "1 year old cake" at a local grocery store, but this year I just made one. It was a very very yummy cake, thanks to my good friend Betty Crocker. I made the frosting myself, though. (Impressive, I know!)

one fine day

Today was a really nice day. Nothing extraordinary happened, but things went fairly smoothly, the sun was shining, and all was right in my world. I even took the dogs for a walk this morning at 7 a.m., and it wasn't cold! We had a productive morning doing school and were nearly finished by the time we took a lunch break at 1:00. I think a late lunch might be the key to us getting mostly done by lunch (which I think would be nice). After lunch, the kids and I took a walk around the block with my sister-in-law Tina, and Noodle practiced her roller skates. She's getting pretty good, I'm impressed. Spud tried his for a bit after we got home. I think we'll have to go to the skating rink soon so they can experience skating on a really smooth surface. It's harder, but more fun, too. After the walk, we spent some time outside just sitting on blankets and the kids played. Then I came inside to put Sprout down for his nap, and then I ate some delicious ice cream (with no kids around) and read a novel! It felt so deliciously decadent to ignore the many things I could have been doing (baskets of laundry to fold, things to organize, etc) and just have some "me" time. Perhaps I should do it more often. Seriously, the sunshine and warmer weather makes me feel like celebrating in a very pagan fashion. Where can I get a Maypole?

So, here's to spring and more fabulous days, where kids play outside, draw with chalk on the driveway, run around and through the yards and house, and don't complain to me about being bored.