Update

Life is slowing getting back to normal here as we finish up four doses of antiobiotics 3 times a day. Everyone was a tinsy bit grumpy last week, but we're moving on now.

We had a fun weekend. Friday night we all danced in the kitchen after dinner. Ben was cracking us up trying to mimic all our moves. Saturday one of my former young women from Arizona and her cute friend stopped by for a visit. It was fun to catch up with her and see how well she's doing. Saturday night we went and played tennis with my parents. It's really humbling to get WHOOPED by your almost 60 year old parents. They amaze me with how active and in shape they are. Brennan and I hope to get there by the time we're their age. It was fun going out with them, we both really enjoyed them.

I'm so proud of Anna. She had HUGE amounts of make-up work from missing a whole week and most of it was math which is her least fav. Thankfully they got out early all last week for SEP Conferences and so she was able to work a little after school and then at night while still getting some free time in between. She really worked her guts out and got it all done. Her teachers (she has two that alternate days) told me how much they had missed her presence when she was sick. She got really good grades and I'm kind of blown away by her creativity/artistic ability. Neither Brennan or I posses either trait, so I guess thank you extended family members for passing those genes on. We love Anna.

Brennan was driving somewhere with the kids when Anna started talking about a boy in her class. Abby said, "Dad, I think I love him and I don't even know him." Woo Nellie, I think we're in for it. She informed me that she loves Cameron and Dillon in her class and got a big grin when she told me that Dillon plays with her hair. She always cracks us up. We love Abby.

Lately Nate has been asking me to use my ipod. It is my new favorite thing in the whole world to observe. He sits and plays with his play dough and sings along. His favorite is "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond. It is about the cutest thing ever to watch and listen as he sings a long while going about his business. We love Natey.

Ben and I are currently duking it out for boss of the world rights. He's winning. Wow. I have some stubborn kids, but they were nothing compared to the likes of Benny. Combine his stubborn streak with his independent streak and I'm toast. He'll sit and work on opening a popsicle for 20 minutes before giving up and asking everybody but me to help him. He insists on doing EVERYTHING all by himself. He is missing Mac pretty badly and I have to admit it was adorable watching the two together. My favorite part was watching Ben somehow understand that there was finally someone beneath him in the family hierarchy. He would speak in a high parental tone "Mon (c'mon), Mac, mon!" "Out, Mac, Out!" "No, no Mac." He was a just and kind leader, but he did enjoy his leadership role. Ben's favorite thing was to coax Mac to the laundry room and then race him through the kitchen to the family room. Ben would laugh so hard and run his little legs off while trying not to get trampled by big ol' Mac. We love Benny.

You Are The New Day

It's February! January is over and the sun is shining so beautifully today. This song that I've always loved came to mind and I thought I'd share it. The video is kind of cheesy, so just close your eyes and enjoy!

All in a Day's Work (actually this is just what he got done this morning)

Here's a sample of some of Ben's work this morning:

There's this lovely wall art.

And this floor art.

(Moon Sand that he was happily playing with alongside Nate when he decided he was done and throwing was the more fun alternative)

And this. More Moon Sand on the window sill.

But then there's also this:

On a Lighter Note - Look Who's Back!

Yes, we are dog-sitting our good friend, Mac. He's been with us for about an hour and so far Benny has yelled, "MAUCK!" about 2,343 times. Fortunately Mac doesn't seem to mind too much, yet. This will actually be a very nice diversion for the kids for a few days and the girls get out of school early all week so they'll have more Mac time too. Welcome back, Mac.

Mourning

For those who do not share my political obessesion, bear with me and let me just get this out and then I promise I'll move on. It's a sad day. I'm sad that my man Mitt didn't fare well last night and is most likely done, but mostly I'm sad not to have anyone to root for. I was never wild about McCain as a President, but I did respect him. I don't now, I don't trust him or respect him. Huckabee is likeable, but I think he'd get slaughtered in a general election and I think he's a little two-faced. Though perhaps not the perfect candidate, I feel like Mitt is a good and decent man with the right ideals and leadership skills to make the right things happen, but people just wouldn't back him. I didn't want to believe that Mitt's Mormonism would have much of an impact on his candidacy, but I have a nagging suspicion that is what a lot this boiled down to and that makes me sad.

What will I do with myself? I may have to clean my kitchen and that makes me sad. :(

Also, my spell checker isn't working, and it's killing me, any suggestions on how I remedy that situation?

Let it Snow

There were two constants last week at our house -- sickness and snow. In my worried and wearied state of mind the two became somehow related and as the week dragged on each time I looked outside to see more snow piling up I felt a little like our mailbox must, under attack. It all started last Monday morning when Anna woke up and said she didn't feel well. By that afternoon she was officially miserable and not holding anything down. I braced myself for a 24 hour stomach bug to ripple through our family throughout the next few days. Sure enough, Tuesday Abby called me from school in tears saying she was sick. Nate came home from pre-school pale and saying "my tummy isn't feeling bery well." I was actually kind of relieved that it was all happening in such a nice short time frame and that soon it would be over.

Later that afternoon I left everyone home with Brennan while I ran down to the Church for my "Activity Day" activity (my church calling with 8&9 year old girls). Just as we started deep frying scones, Brennan called me frantic saying Anna's temperature was 105 degrees. I left my poor partner with twelve 8 and 9 year old girls and two oil spitting frying pans and raced home as I called the doctor. It had started to snow. They said I could bring her right down and quickly got us in and tested her for strep and a urniary tract infection. By now she was in tears saying her head was killing her and when the doctor examined her she complained of her back hurting. The rapid culture for strep came back negative as did the urine test. The doctor said although she didn't think it was meningitis, she wanted us to take her to the ER and rule it out. It was snowing hard.

I drove home and traded Brennan spots. He drove the snowy icy roads to the hospital. I looked meningitis up online and started to cry. They got there waited and waited and waited. I forced myself to stop crying and take care of my other two sick children and my non-sick, but ornery baby. I finally got them to sleep and waited for news from Brennan. He called several times saying they were still waiting. After several hours someone came in and explained they would test her for the flu and if that was negative they would do a spinal tap. We prayed for the flu. Our prayers were answered, that test came back positive. Huge relief. They waited longer for a doctor to come and confirm and release them. Finally, he came and said she had the flu and it would probably last 3 to 7 days. They drove home in the snow.

All of a sudden I had developed a cough and in the middle of that night Nate threw up all over himself and his bed. Brennan slept on the couch while Anna was on the loveseat. We brought Nate into the couch in our bedroom and Abby was in bed with me. They all had fevers. We woke them every three hours to give them tylenol or motrin. I'm sure it was snowing.

Wednesday is a blur. With new perspective, I remember feeling grateful to have kids with the flu. My Mom kindly took Ben to her house to give him and me a break from his cabin fever. That night I had a fever and chills the kids were still burning up if we didn't give them something every three hours and didn't want to eat.

Thursday Abby started throwing up. All of them had fevers. I didn't anymore, but had no energy and a horrible cough and congestion. Brennan took care of all of us. My Mom brought homemade Chicken noodle soup. It snowed, a lot.

Friday more snow. The doctor's office called and said that Anna's strep culture that was sent to the lab came back positive. She had strep throat. My Mom came and picked us up and the three of us got tested. Mine negative, Abby and Nate positive. We picked up some food and prescriptions and went home. My Mom watched home movies with the kids and I slept feeling like maybe there was an end in sight. Our neighbor plowed our driveway.

Saturday I washed every scrap of bedding and disinfected every possible surface I could think of and my Mom did more of my laundry. By that afternoon all of them had a temperature of 102. I cried. It snowed. We called our friend who helped Brennan give each of the kids a priesthood blessing.

Sunday lots of coughing, fevers first part of the day, but normal temperatures by the end of the day. The kids got off the couches and played. They even bickered. It was music to my ears. Things were finally looking up. The nagging worry Brennan and I'd had for 7 days finally started to lift and I realized just how heavy it had been. I looked outside and it was snowing. I started to feel despair again and then realized that the snow was evidently never going to stop, but my kids were going to get better. It's time for the two to part ways. Good riddance, sickness -- hello again, snow.

Too Much Politics?

When your 9 year old just rattles off the names of these six people, could that mean her parents are addicted?