Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Five Things

Five things I love about decorating the Christmas tree:

  1. Zella exclaiming !!!! how each ornament is VERY SPECIAL to her.  She declares a special memory for each ornament even if it isn't hers and she wasn't born when we got it.
  2. Madeline recalling how COOL preschool was as she places the ornaments she made on the tree.  It was so COOL she made a reindeer out of toilet paper tubes.  And so COOL she made an ornament out of beads and a jello cup.  Now that she is older and likes to HANG OUT it is so COOL to see what she used to do when she was little.  (Sometimes she is 5 going on 13)
  3. Watching Violet hang four ornaments from a single bubble light instead of a tree branch.  It was her first time hanging ornaments and she thought it was very COOL and SPECIAL.
  4. Travis wearing a Santa hat doing his job....handing the ornaments out to each girl and telling them about when we got them.  We always collect an ornament when we travel. 
  5. Giving each girl Christmas pajamas at the end of our tree decorating party. They were almost as excited as I was.


    Zella and Vi
  6. Zella and Madeline reaching high
    Papa is the official ornament hander-outer
    Mama and Violet
    Five ornaments on one branch.  A new record!

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Recovering

We have (mostly) recovered from the great coughing/sick fest of November/December.  Hopefully.

Violet is now teething in full force again which is a bummer.  She is still not feeling the greatest.


Last week Vi started yelling at me, "I GOTTA GO! I GOTTA GO!" and it turns out she was talking about going pee on the potty.  I was surprised because my other two girls weren't interested in the potty at her age.  She has continually gone potty about 4-8 times a day, even when she was sick.  Hopefully this will last and I will experience no kids in diapers for the first time in almost SIX years. 

(Must be time for another!)

Or maybe the potty is just a phase.  Either way, it's fun to see how excited she gets when she goes. 

Yours sincerely,
Lori

(Just when you thought I forgot about "yours sincerely", I throw it back in the mix.  I'm annoying crazy like that.)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

Two out of three weren't camera shy...




Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Songs In My Head

I must be singing this out loud more than I realize because Madeline was singing it today (with her version of the words, of course).

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Miss Violet



I know I keep mentioning the coughing.  But.  Oh. my. word.  The coughing has been ridiculous. 


I keep having coughing fits and Miss Violet will drop whatever she is doing to run over to me and say,

"You okay, Mama? You okay?"



She is an absolute sweetheart when she does this over and over each day.


She puts her hand on my back or face and gets such a serious look in her eye.


"You okay?"


And although this is a true picture of a little angel, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the flip side.  I mentioned that she "drops whatever she is doing" to come and check on me. 


However. 


The "whatever she is doing" is generally naughty.  Climbing on the dining room table and piano, pulling hair, stealing toys, throwing her baby and baby bottle at our heads, etc.


She is a wild one and I am exhausted.


But.


Then she comes over to me with such concern and care.



"You okay, Mama?"



Yes, Violet  I am.



Violet and Mama. Feb. 2010

Saturday, December 4, 2010

It's Been A Long Couple Days

Oh my.  Friday morning was spent taking all three girls to the pediatrician (30 miles away).  Then the pharmacy. 

Friday afternoon was spent holding crying girls and then taking myself to the doctor (3 blocks away luckily).  Then the pharmacy.  Again.

We all have sinus infections and I also have an upper respiratory infection.  Ugh.

Today was the longest.day.ever.  We were all crabby and not feeling well.  Violet was sooooo naughty.  Hair pulling, hitting, taking things away from her sisters.  Zella couldn't stop herself from sticking her hands and feet in everyone's faces.  Madeline was feeling the worst and was very emotional.  (And by emotional I mean flying off the handle and crying for no discernable reason).

I spent the day just trying to deal.  One of the hardest parts for me about being a stay-at-home mom is not having a sick day/day care.  It is hard to take care of three littles all day and all night when you feel terrible.

Travis is deer hunting at my sister Lisa's house.  We were all supposed to go but with fevers and the COUGHING  (ugh) we just couldn't.  Travis offered to stay home of course but I know how much he looks forward to this weekend all year. 

I honestly didn't think bedtime was going to come!

So while I feel grumpy I know I still have a lot to be thankful for.  Sure, I paid $60 in co-pays and $60 in medicine on Friday, I am THANKFUL for health insurance.  Free health insurance, actually (THANK YOU Vestas!).

I am hoping we all wake up tomorrow feeling much better.  I have been coughing for ten days and am ready to be done with it.

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Cold/Cough is Winning

We are sick.  (Everyone but Travis).  Coughing.  Congestion.  Runny noses.  It is getting ridiculous.  I am SO OVER this cough.

I have so much on the blog to catch up on.  Thanksgiving!  Black Friday!  Old pics from our two camping adventures (spring and fall). 

It's my own fault I am sick.  I stayed up all night on Black Friday.  I think the lack of sleep really did a number on my immune system.  (But it was totally worth it.  Best.Black.Friday.EVER.)

I hope we are over this soon.