2007 Review in Pictures

I am so overdue for an update, and I will do one soon. I was looking though my pictures and so many from the year never made it onto my blog, and they bring back so many fun memories of the year so I put them here as a slideshow. I captioned all of them (lol- -some required explanation). Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

One more cute picture...

This is a good picture that shows all the teeth Jessie has lost this summer!

First Day of School!

Here's my little lady all ready to go to the bus stop on her first day of 2nd grade! She was so excited last night to head back to school. As I was getting her out of the bathtub last night, she says, "Mom, can I have a hug and a kiss before bed tonight?" and I said, "Of course!" After she was all ready - teeth brushed, pj's on, clothes set out she came out to the family room, where I was picking up and she said (in the cutest. voice. ever. "I never forgot! Can I have a hug and kiss now?" Honestly...how to instantly melt my heart...

One more picture before walking to the bus stop. Can you tell our house gets a lot of sun in the morning?

This is a sort of jumble of a picture because the bus had *just* pulled up and the kids were all just wanting to make a break for it! Yes. Our eager learners. :)

My Calgon Moment(s)

Remember those old commercials where the woman is looking all stressed out about whatever and she throws her arms up in despair and says, "Calgon! Take me away!"

Well, forget Calgon. I'd be thrilled if I could have more that 5 minutes go by without hearing "Mom?!" (pick your tone) followed by one, sometimes two of many requests and/or statements:
- Can I have a snack?
- I'm thirsty.
- Can you wipe me?
- Push me IN!! (Anna's booster)
- Can I have more ketchup?
- Can I have another snack?
- I have to pee!
- I'm bored.
- Can we go outside?
- Where's the toilet paper?
- When is Daddy coming home?
- When's dinner?
- What's for dinner?
- Yuck! We're having THAT?
- Can I have cereal?
- Where ARE you? (when they can't see me right away)
- What are you doing in there? (when I am in the bathroom, of course).

(this is me:)

So, yes - I am ready not only for school to start so I can once again enjoy the simple pleasures in life (like being able to pee alone) and have at least 5 minutes of "me" time.

Now, to be fair - the girls are ready for school, too. And Jessie is going through a major medication change right now so her moods are all over the map. The myriad of requests and calling my name 1001 times an hour fits with that perfectly. We can begin an hour with her mood being very elevated - lots of movement, loud, brash and over the top behavior and then in the next minute she can be spewing venom about not being allowed yet another snack. To her credit - I cannot imagine what it must fell like inside her head sometimes. My analogy is that I am just observing the rollercoaster, but she's the one having to actually ride it. I am amazed, on a positive note how she manages to keep her spirits relatively intact and that she can still find something to laugh about by the end of the day. I guess mania will do that to a person. After having been though a depressive episode with her in July, I would take her manic phase (as she is most of the time now) over depression any day.

The upsides of her mania - Jessie's been wonderfully creative and industrious over the past few days. When she's not asking for snacks left and right she's been playing with her toys and dolls and kittens ( we have a virtual litter of them!) and she's had a lot of laughs with Anneliese. She's been outside a lot riding her bike and she's been just full of energy.

LOL - of course, as I type this, she is looking for one stuffed animal and it emptying one toy bin after another in the playroom. Hurricane Jessie was here!

Oh well, there's always that calgon, right?

by the way, meet Saki

This is our newest addition, Saki, the first day we brought him home. Do you think he is comfortable here? He has been a great fit for our family and he gets along VERY well with our cat, Penny. He's very sweet and cuddly and loves to eat. He make a very good alarm clock - every morning he wakes me up by purring right in my face (that's catspeak for "Food. Now.")

Saki is very smart - he figured out the cat doors with no trouble. He's been very tolerant of the kids and so far the only thing he doesn't like are dogs. He's very playful, which is a nice change for us, as Penny is so sedate. Unfortunately the little guys is due to have surgery on his eyes next week, so think some good kitty thoughts for him next Tuesday!

is it Christmas?

I am still laughing to myself as I type this. This week has just been the greatest. It started actually on the weekend when Karen and Joe borrowed our kids for the weekend. :) What a nice break for us and what a fun time for Jessie and Anna. They were treated to hours in the pool with Uncle Joe, a trip to the movies with Aunt Sue and basically anything two little munchkins could possibly want and/or need - including Grammy Jayne time. Wow!

So, over the "free" weekend Chris went to visit his Dad on the Cape complete with a tour on Nantucket by his Dad. (If you ever do a bus tour of Nantucket, ask for "Chuck" and you're in for a real treat). I brought the girls to Karen on Saturday and treated myself to Christmas Tree Shops afterwards. Once Chris arrived home we basically cleaned the house from top to bottom, including Jessie's room (a project in and of itself). We stayed up late and slept in and had a nice time together.

Sunday night we picked up the girls and Monday was a very quiet low-key kind of day. The girls were so tired from their adventures so I took advantage and put a nice dent in my typing. Tuesday morning I totally slacked off - when I heard someone banging on my front door I was still staggering around in my PJs with my coffee. Imagine my total SHOCK when I realized who it was - my friend Dana and his family. Did I happen to mention that they live in Virginia? I think all I could say for the first few minutes was, "Oh, my GOD!" Repeat about 15 times and that was pretty much my end of the conversation.

And I am SO kicking myself for not thinking to take any pictures!

So, Dana. Dana is one of my oldest friends. Dana and my high school steady sweetie were best friends, so it's fair to say we'd hung out together a lot. Dana and Mark could not have appeared to be any more different than each other: Dana was always very outgoing (read: loud) and Mark always appeared to be pretty reserved (note that I said appeared to be). Together, they always seemed to bring out the best in each other. I have a lot of fun memories of the two of them - their humor, antics, ability to debate anything, thoughtfulness and just plain smarts.

Dana and I have maintained pretty good contact over the years and I am so proud to know his beautiful wife, Amy, and his kids Molly and Max. Amy is amazing - she's the type of person that within 2 minutes you feel like you've known her forever. She really is *that* neat.

So, once I got over the fact that the house was a disaster (allready) and we were down to our last roll of TP, we had a great visit. I managed to say a little bit more other than "OMG!!!" and before I knew it they were gone. Still a little shocky, I decided to give Mark a call and tell him about the suprise visit. What the hell, right? Dana and Amy just saw me in my PJs, I might as well call Mark and share the shock a little. :) And again - just like it was so good to see Dana and Amy - it was so cool to talk to Mark. Usually we'll email, but nothing can replace hearing a person's voice. We chitchatted about our families (their expecting #2 in November! Yay!) and stuff and although poor Mark is probably wishing I'd lose his number, it was still fun to touch base and actually converse. Somewhat. Because I seriously talk way to much.

From there, Tuesday just got better...little things, like my hairdresser having enough time that afternoon to cut not only my hair but Jessie's and Anna's as well. Then I did a quick clean up of the house (nevermind the panic clean, this was I-am-so-embarrassed-clean), did dinner and before I knew it, Chris was home. We had a fun evening with the kids and then they were off to bed.

Wednesday the weather here was beautiful - once I did some more typing in the morning the girls and I did a run to the office to pick up and drop off more reports. After that we headed over to the park to play (which went well until Jessie had to pee) and then we headed home. More typing, Spongebob, puzzles with Anna, Barbies and crafts with Jessica, dinner, bed. Phew.

Today, the good juju just keeps on coming. My boss calls me today and basically asks me if I'd like tomorrow off. Hello? Of COURSE! Thank YOU! So, now I can still bring the girls to Kelly's tomorrow and finish every.single.freakin.report. here on my desk. Honestly, what did I do to deserve this week?

Okay, so I have a small Army of children here at the moment and now they're clamoring for juice. :) Of to go do the Mommy/Mrs. B. thing.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things....that have happened here since my last update. (not in any particular order)

1.) We're back from a wonderful visit in NC.

2.) Jessica finished up the 1st grade and will enter 2nd grade this fall.

3.) We adopted a shelter cat, named Saki. He is currently getting over an eye infection and getting used to having food at regular intervals.

4.) Susan's family (Mom, Sandy, Chelsea, Chris and Caroline) came up to visit from NC over the week of the 4th. We had a great visit and they spoiled me rotten by helping out with the kids and providing some respite and a LOT of laughs.

5.) My Mom must really love me, because she cleaned my stove. My stove, people.

6.) Chris took a motorcycle riding class, passed, and purchased a bike.

7.) Susan upped her dose of Lexapro.

8.) I lied when I said this wasn't in any particular order.

9.) Anna learned how to swing on the swingset all by her little self.

10.) Jessica enjoyed 2 weeks at the town's playground program.

11.) Susan finally got her brother to go kayaking with her. FINALLY, Betty.

12.) Anneliese is potty-trained (pull-ups only at night!)

13.) Jessica is now a twinkle-toes, too (she asked me to tell everyone this, lol - new light-up Tinker Bell sneakers...very important you know!!)




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Road Trip!

Hey y'all!!! Writing from the road here in Sanford, NC. We're here to celebrate the High School Graduation of my niece, Chelsea. As the rest of the family trickes into town, this is sure to be a week of fun with more than a few stories to tell when it is all through.

Be back soon with an update!

Jessica's Solo!

Here is a snippet of Jessica's solo from today's Mother's Day Program. It's very grainy, since I took it on my cellphone, lol. The whole thing was really cute - the kids had the tables set with placemats, marigolds in painted pots, oreo cookies and orange punch. Most of the kids had either something to sing, read or say. It was really sweet and a great treat of an afternoon.




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Mother's Day Came Early

Here are my two Cutie Pies hanging out with my Mother's Day present. Not only did Chris provide the kayak, paddle and PFD, but then he really outdid himself when he packed a picnic dinner for us to go up to Crescent Lake so that I could take it out on the water for a bit.

Here are some pictures I took out on Crescent Lake! I was so excited. I did learn, however, that there really isn't a graceful way to either get in or out of a kayak. It's 9.5 ft Old Town Otter Sport - it's untippable, even for me. Crescent Lake the perfect place for me to practice paddling and get some exercise - it is close by (15-20 minutes away) and it's as flat as flat water can get. At one point the water was so still it looked like glass...absolutely wonderful and peaceful as anything. The best part is that the boat is small enough to just pop in the back of the minivan and I'm off - very easy and convenient.

Excellent Article

So, by now I am sure that anyone that reads my blog is aware that our daughter, Jessica has a Mood Disorder, with mild Tourette's. Jessica was diagnosed at the beginning of her Kindergarten year, at the age of 5. I found an excellent article online tonight and although I was unable to copy and paste it in full, here is a link to the web page:

http://movingmountainsforkids.com/mooddisorders.asp

I cannot begin to tell you how very difficult it has been to try and explain and/or describe Jessica's illness to friends and family members. Jessica is now 7. She is a very bright little girl who struggles greatly with a chemical imbalance that affects her emotions, moods, body, sleep patterns, school work - you name it. In her First Grade year, we are starting to see how the disorder affects her ability to learn in school and how she relates to other kids. Ironically, with Tourette's as the secondary diagnosis, her tics, which are vocal in nature, have garnered more attention that her other symptoms. Reading this article tonight had me nodding my head in agreement, and my hope is that it will help to better the understanding of her illness. I know I am not always the best one to try and explain what is going on, as I am often overwhelmed and just trying to get through the situation of the moment. I have appreciated the support of our friends and family so much over the past few years - I know several of you keep Jessie in your thoughts and prayers and Chris and I appreciate it so much.

I love when friends and family ask questions about Jessica's illness. It tells me that you're thinking about her and trying to understand our situation. I think that is why I found the above article such a great resource. It fills in a lot of gaps and it very detailed, without being to technical. I am sure many of you know we struggled with the idea of starting Jessica on medication to stabilize her ups and downs and I think this article addresses the need for medications quite beautifully.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and for keeping Jessie in your prayers!

Squeaky, we hardly knew ye...

Squeaky 1.0

So, I'm sort of having a week. It's been a while since I've posted (again!) and there has been a lot lot lot going on here. Here's one story, which my sister requested that I blog. :)

We got 2 really awesomely cute dwarf hamsters 2 weeks ago this Thursday. They were promtly named Squeaky and George. George apparently had a murderous streak in him and although I was advised by PetSmart that it was perfectly fine to house 2 male hamsters in one cage, it was certainly NOT. Poor Squeaky was injured by George and we brought George's ass back to PetSmart. I felt so responsible for poor little Squeaky that I took care of him for 2 days until the poor thing died last Sunday night.

Now, we had a family event on Sunday, and of course I had to fill my DSIL's in on the drama. They are brilliant, in my eyes, as they have raised 5 beautiful, responsible upstanding citizens between them, and then there's me freaking out about what to do about the impending death of Squeaky. SIL Sue announced she felt Squeaky should appear to make a "Miraculous recovery" no matter what his fate. Ahhhh....the classic bait and switch. I am all over this. So, this is my plan last Sunday night after little Squeaky died. My plan A was to get Jessie on the school bus Monday morning and basically keep her so busy she'd not have time to ask about Squeaky, clean the cage, bury Squeaky and run to PetSmart for another hamster.

Uhm, yeah... so, 3 pet stores (who knew all the stores would sell out their winter white dwarf hamsters over the weekend??!), one broken cage (Mom, I am SO sorry I started swearing while I was on the phone with you...) 4 phone calls and 1 panic attack later I resigned myself to admitting the bait and switch wasn't going to work.

So, then I called Kelly. Plan B.

Kelly and I figured Jessie would handle being told about the demise of Squeaky very well if there was another hamster in the cage when she got home. Now, I am sure by now, y'all might be wondering, "Well - honestly, Sue - why buy a pet for a child if you can't explain death to her?" Well, because she's SEVEN. And she's JESS. Jessie's reaction to the death of a hamster could range from gut wrenching sobs to "can we go get another one now?"

So, okay. I exchanged the broken cage at PetSmart. They gave me store credit for Squeaky and I upgraded the water bottle and bought a hamster igloo. Yes, they may hamster igloos. Go figure. Then we headed off to the local pet store to buy another dwarf hamster that resembled a mouse more than Squeaky, but, whatever - this one was a female and she was pretty cute.

Cute Hamster is installed in her cage and I had about 30 minutes to spare before the school bus arrived. When Jessie got off the bus, her reaction ended up being sort of a non-reaction...Kelly was right: she was sorry Squeaky had died the night before, she wasn't upset I didn't tell her, and any sadness she had was immediately alleviated by Cute Hamster. So, then I asked her, "So. What do you think you'll name her?" The reply?

"I think I'll call her Squeaky."

So, now we have a new hamster that Chris and I refer to as "Squeaky 2.0"

I'm here!

Okay, so by now, you're all well aware I can be quite a procrastinator. It starts with wanting to put my posts in order, and then spirals down from there. I have a boatload of pictures from San Diego (which was fabulous) as well at St. Louis (which was even MORE fabulous) and I have to say, March really was a wonderful month. San Diego was beautiful, restful and even a little adventurous (me - kayak - bike - all in one day - owie). Having some time alone with Chris was very much appreciated. We talked a lot and slept alot, LOL! (no Anna asking for cereal at 6:30am - there was no time for romantical crap here, folks, we're serious sleepers!!) The trip was just long enough - we were there for 4 days and by the end we were missing the kids. My sister in law Karen and friend Kelly were so great to take care of the girls for us - it was a great treat.

This was the view from our hotel room!

The beginning of the bike and kayak tour.

St. Louis - oh, my goodness. I still get all welled up when I think about this trip. I have belong to an online Mom's group since around January 2004 - right after I had Anneliese. Right around that time, I went through about 2 very intense years - a lot happened in a short amount of time, and this Mom's group was an integral part of me keeping my sanity and sense of humor in check. Well, a group of us got together over a long weekend (right before my birthday, how perfect was that?) and it was amazing. I mean, I knew everyone there was going to be nice, but holy toledo. There were about 18 of us there, and each and every single person was just amazing. I knew who everyone was from their online posts and pictures, and I never would have guessed even half of them knew me. (hee---they *did*) My roommates were the best (greetings to Heather, Cheri and Laura!) and every one - and I mean EVERYONE was super awseomely sweet, funny, intelligent, sassy and hysterically funny. It was a wonderful experince and it brought a dimension to the friendships that really just solidified the whole thing. We laughed, we shared stories about our kids, we drank, we acted like tourists, we cried, we ate, we drank some more, and basically laughed so hard I hurt for days. Plus Cheri gave me her "Popular when drunk" tshirt, although I am not sure I do it justice, LOL.

I have a ton of pictures, but here is one of the group on the last day with Jerry, bus driver extraordinaire.

March flew by with the travel - my goodness. My Dad arrived from NC just last week and we had Easter with my inlaws at Karen and Joe's house. Again, another really nice day. The girls adore - simply ADORE their cousins Julie and Taylor and Jessie and Anna were both really very good for the whole day. Anna was a little tired and sort of clingy, and then fell asleep on the couch. When she woke up I thought she felt a little warm - and my MIL, Jayne thought so too...and turns out we were right. Anna had a rough ride home in the car and our evening ended in the bathtub and a load of laundry. :( Monday she napped with Mom (who is always ready for a nap, lol) and today she seemed back to her normal self. (i.e., regular diet and activity).

Jessie is all ready to start spring soccer - we just got her all squared away with new soccer shoes and shin guards tonight. She is very, VERY excited! (I am, too!) This year her schedule is M/W from 5-6 and Saturdays from 9-10. Brownie days will be a little nuts, but I made sure that she has extra shorts, shirts and socks this year so we'll be prepared even if the laundry fairy slacks off some. Tomorrow is her first practice and she cannot wait.

::yawn:: Tomorrow I am also covering for a co-worker, so I should end the update here. I'm working W-F this week, and I am looking forward to it. I know it sounds corny, but after having done the temp work and hospital based work - I love love LOVE working in an office setting. Nuclear Cardiology is pretty freakin' cool. Talk about brushing the cobwebs out of the old grey matter - there is a lot to think about and keep up with, but I seriously love it.

Okay - someone named Anna is not too happy right now and it sounds like she needs Mom.
Bye!

my trading card

this is my very first digital scrapbooking attempt. I now know more about paintshop than I ever imagined! This was a little tricky, but towards the end I finally got the hang of it. I am proud of myself, so consider this the grown-up equivalent of sticking pretty work on the fridge. :)

Hi Chris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm here! I know it's been way too long since I have last updated. The last couple of weekends have been busy and this past week was February break for Jessica. Later today (it's 4am now) I am back at work, and then hopefully a quiet weekend.

Things here have been so-so, and are working their way back to pretty spiffy. Chris and I had a consult with Dr. A. and although it went very well, Miss Jessie had been having mixed episodes for a few weeks. Things over the past few days have been easier though and thanks to a few minor tweaks I am seeing more and more calmness about her - less anger and much more sweetness and just the essence of the sweet kid we all know she is.

Jeez, that was hard to describe. I hope an am a more articulate talker than I am a blogger. Then again, probably not. I tend to sputter either way sometimes. :)

So, long story short, here's hoping we can give this latest bout of instability the big kiss of real soon.

In lighter fare, this week of vacation has gone pretty well! We chilled out on Monday (it was FREEZING here), Tuesday I worked, and then Wednesday and Thursday we had playdates here. Jessie and Anna really enjoyed it (I think, lol) and so did I. Today I am back to work again and then this weekend I need to tie up a few loose ends with my continuing ed. credits (my annual February crunch) and then I can start thinking about the San Diego trip.

Okay, I am off to bed. Again. If I wake up any more tonight I am going to have to start reading my Fundamentals of Nuclear Pharmacy Book (the ultimate insomnia solution).

email treasures...

This came in an email from my friend, Robin. I thought it was sweet and would fit well here.
Enjoy!

Natural Highs -

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15. The beach.
16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS.
24. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
25. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
26. Your first kiss.
27. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
28. Playing with a new puppy.
29. Having someone play with your hair.
30. Sweet dreams.
31. Hot chocolate.
32. Road trips with friends.
33. Swinging on swings.
34. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
35. Making chocolate chip cookies.
36. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
37. Holding hands with someone you care about.
38. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
39. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
40. Watching the sunrise.
41. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
42. Knowing that somebody misses you.
43. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
44. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

No, my house is not under construction.....

So, I am sitting here over my morning cup of coffee, surveying the damage. What damage, you ask? A path of destruction has been woven throughout my humble 3-bedroom ranch. A quick glance would tell you a pack of slobs lives here. But a closer look would tell you a thing or two about who lives here.

The markers all over the little blue table tell you a creative little girl who love to draw lives here. At first her room looks messy, but a closer look shows pretty necklaces draped over a Barbie...a beanie baby nestled in a "bed" (a bowl lined with a washcloth), treasures everywhere that mean the world to this child.

The Little People, matchbox cars, and puzzle pieces in the family room tell you another little girl with an imagination twice her size lives here. She make take out every toy we own, but she plays with them earnestly and about as thoroughly as a child can.

There's a trumpet case in my dining room...our family musician.

My yarn bag by the back door....someone who hates to have idle hands.

So, even though my initial thought this morning was something along the lines of "What the...?" When I take a step back and look at it again, I am humbled somewhat. No, I won't be all cheerful all the time gradually making the house look presentable again...but I certainly won't be a grumpy martyr about it, either. I'll make the beds, vacuum, dust, wipe down counters and all that needs to be done. But the pretty jewelry will stay draped where Jessie put it and I'll step over and around the Little People. I have to remind myself I always wanted my home to be welcoming, but to also look like a family lived in it.

And thank goodness they do.

Today is National Wear Red Day

Why?

Heart disease is the #1 killer among women. Today you can make a choice to help support the American Heart Association and to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke among women. All you have to do is wear a little something red (anything red of your choice). When you're complimented on how fabulous you look (hee-hee) be sure to explain why you chose to wear red.

National Wear Red Day - February 2

Feelin' the Love!

I think I may have hit a humble little blogging record here with four (Yeah - count em' FOUR, BABY!!!) comments on my blog.

I honestly didn't think anyone really read this thing!

Well, suffice today I am feeling the bloggin' love. And I can see from scoping out my friends' blogs that there are a few bloggin' friends that have snuck in under the radar :::coughKCandHeather::: that will be added to my list of links later today. I am lucky to know so many smart and bright women and I love reading about them and keeping up with them. You'd never know we are spread out all over the map. This age we live in has really managed to close that gap nicely.

I'll be back later with an update later this afternoon. For now I need to get us all ready for a 1:00pm appt. with Dr. A.

Enough said, no?

Laura's blog got me thinking about flitting. Actually, I think she may have been the one that sent me the email with the following poem (and the inspiration for my blog). Whenever I read this poem I get a good chuckle and think to myself, "This is why I write everything down, label things and FLY!"


If You Give a Mom a Muffin
by Kathy Fictorie
Based on the book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," by Laura Numeroff

If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She'll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She'll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger). The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some. And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Better now :)

I am happy to report Anna is on the mend. She spent the weekend coughing a good deal and running a fever, and as of Monday managed to shake the fever. Her energy is back up and all that remains is the cough, which seems to be letting up some over the past few days.

Our week is going pretty smoothly so far. I worked on Monday, Tuesday we had a playdate with the kids from Kelly's day care (not a structured playdate - the kids played while the Moms had coffee and chatted). Yesterday was laundry day (fun, fun!) and today so far has been quiet but fun. Anna and I have been working on a floor puzzle this morning and it's pretty neat to watch her trying to figure it out. It's a huge Melissa & Doug floor puzzle:

http://www.gummylump.com/front/f_product.php?id=119 At the moment she's been sidetracked by the Wonder Pets but her whole face lights up when she puts pieces together on her own.

Speaking of little faces lighting up ~ after we spent the weekend studying for Jessie's Spelling test (a retake) she earned herself a 100%. We've spent some extra time with her this week trying to figure out how to practice her spelling words. She seems to do better when she writes them a few times. Then we practice reading them and saying them in a sentence. This is in addition to the spelling program at school and the work that comes home each night. We've also been playing a neat math facts game her teacher sent home. So far it's working - Jessie does not always, ah, enjoy doing homework, so just the fact that she's still talking to us by Thursday is a good sign.

Sick Day

Anneliese and I are home today - my little peanut is sick. She's been coughing for two nights straight and spiked a fever this morning. I feel so bad for her - she looks as miserable as she must feel (puffy eyes, rosy cheeks, stuffy nose, cough) and I feel bad for my co-workers who have to scramble in my absence. :::sigh::: I hate the feeling of the tug in either direction - home vs. work. It sucks and never seems to get any easier. My first job here in CT was a constant struggle between Jessica's ear infections and my calling in sick to work to care for her. My boss made no bones about it: frequent call-ins were a problem. Even though my current employer is much more understanding, I hate the feeling that I am letting them down and that they might be thinking I am unreliable. One look at Anna, though, and it feels right. She's vacillating between her beanbag chair and *me*. She wants to be held, snuggled, and comforted. Little things are upsetting to her today and she's just not herself.

Thank goodness for the weekend.

In other news:
*Anneliese is registered to start Nursery School next September!! She'll go Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Two of her friends will attend the same session but they will be in separate classes. They'll have play time together before the classes start, so I am glad she'll have her buddies there.

*Jessica will be 7 on the 27th of February. She had been wanting a Bowling party and has now decided she wants a Princess Party. For girls only. No boys. This stresses me somewhat, as she is hoping to have Arielle come to her party. Spiffy.
*The EIP (Early Intervention Program) process has been started for Jessie at school. She did well for the 1st half of the school year, but now that the pace and workload is stepping up, she's having a hard time keeping up with it. She's very easily frustrated and has a hard time concentrating in school. This is part and parcel for her issues she has with her mood disorder, so I can't say I am surprised. She'll have a team of teachers helping to devise a plan for her, and best of all, it will continue into 2nd grade. I wish this could have been easier for her; it's hard to see her struggle. She's such a bright kid - the knowledge is there, it's just a matter of unlocking it.
*It looks like 2007 is the Year of Travel For The Couple That Hardly Ever Goes ANYWHERE: The grown-ups are going to San Diego in March. It still hasn't sunk in yet - I've never been and cannot wait to go! I'm not really looking forward to flying...but, I am sure I'll get over it, lol. I am looking forward to checking about 3-4 novels out of the good 'ole Southington Public Library and loading music on my iPod for the flight. Chris is officially there to attend a conference for work but it will still be fun. Two weeks after that I am headed to St. Louis for a long weekend with my KIT friends. A weekend without husbands or children?! Heh, heh, heh. AND I just found out the Annual Society of Nuclear Medicine Meeting (the mother of all Nuclear Medicine meetings) is being held in WASHINGTON DC!!!!!!! Can we say FREAKIN' CHRISTMAS???!!!! Since I graduated in 1997, I cannot recall a meeting that was even held on the East Coast so I am beyond thrilled. I am hoping the dates will jive with my niece's Graduation (it's usually in June) and I might even get to see some old friends while earning some continuing education credits.

So, that's all that's new and exciting here in Mom and Muffin land. :)