Just Put Me Out of My Misery!

Before I start . . . I must mention that we have has a very healthy winter so far. As compared to last winter - it has been a miracle! I can't even remember the last time my kids had to go to the doctor. We have had little cold here and there, but nothing major.

I guess after so much healthy time, it was bound to come. The thing is that I'm not usually the one who gets it. It really is amazing how much stuff my kids get, but I manage to miss. Not this time . . . I have a nasty cough in my chest, my ears are freaking out, my nose is sore from so much blowing, my throat is killing me and my voice sounds like I'm dying! Doesn't that sound like fun? I'm really hoping that I have what Aaron had this past weekend. He wasn't feeling great, but it passed quickly. It seems that I have already passed up his misery. My fear is that I have what the Alligoods had last week. They had (and are still fighting off) a nasty bout of the flu. All 5 of them had it . . . fevers went as high as 106.8 (I didn't know that thermometers went that high!) and lasted a good week. They even ended up in the ER with Karis one night when her fever was still 105, even with Tylenol and Motrin in her system. Yikes!!

So, this is my prayer right now . . . "Please Lord . . . let me NOT have what the Alligoods had!!" The thought of it stresses me out! So, I'm trying to rest, drink plenty of fluids, etc . . . But I still have 4 kids to take care of! Sometimes it's easier when they are all sick too . . . then we could all just lie around doing nothing!

It's About that Time

Well, Julie managed to use the potty for the first time tonight! I know it was just a coincidence . . . she did tell me she needed to go to the bathroom . . . but I probably hear that 20 times a day from her. She sits on the potty many times a day (usually with her diaper on) and likes to call for me to tell me that she's all done. It's really very cute to me, b/c she's just mimicking her sisters. I think she sees the potty as a sort of right of passage and she's eager to do it. She turns 2 this spring . . . so I'm thinking about potty training over spring break . . . I guess we'll just see what happens. It's really kind of weird . . . I feel like just yesterday we were taking the paci away and now we're thinking about potty training. Yikes . . . but whether we start in March or wait til the summer . . . one thing is for sure . . . my diaper free days are fast approaching and that is a wonderful thing!!

A Trip to the Movies

Today we experienced our first entire family trip to the movies. We went to see The Pirates that Don't Do Anything, and decided to bring Julie along this time. Personally, I thought the movie was just okay, but all four of the girls laughed hysterically. Julie talked a lot, but she certainly wasn't the only one. She ate mountains of popcorn, drank root beer (I wasn't planning for that one - I accidentally left the sippy cup behind) and enjoyed some fruit snacks. I brought along the big guns just in case she got wiggly. Yes . . . a pocket full of Dum Dums! The funny thing was that while she was sucking them, she was also biting the stick . . . so she bit the tops off of 4 different suckers. Once the candy came loose, I took it from her and gave her a new one, as I had no desire to have my first experience with the heimlich maneuver. All together she probably only ate one Dum Dum, but enjoyed quite a flavor variety. For a little one who rarely enjoys sweets, it was quite a treat!!

The Kitty Hat

That's Julie's version of Kitty Cat. I love it, and it has stuck as one of Polly's many nicknames. It's a good thing she's our only cat b/c otherwise she'd be suffering from quite an identity crisis (who knows, maybe she is anyway!). Polly, Pollywoggles (which becomes Woggles for short), Kitty Hat, Polly Wolly Doodle, Stinky Kitty (though she isn't stinky at all) and yes occasionally, Stupid Cat. As is typical of cats, she sleeps many many hours every day. She often finds a place near us, yet out of the way. In this case, we were in the middle of school, and I guess she thought she was out of the way. Nothing like curling up with a good book!

Goal!!

I thought it would never happen! One of my goals for a long time now has been to run a mile . . . yes, I know . . . pretty pathetic. But when you're as pathetically out of shape as I am, a mile is a big deal! I certainly won't be setting any world records or anything, but I did it!!

Picture Time

Nothing much to say about these. It was time to take new pics of the kids and here are my favorites.

Doll Surgery

I was prepared for most of what motherhood has sent my way. I was prepared for late night feedings, temper tantrums, late nights with a vomiting child, many many spankings, etc . . . I may not have liked it, but I expected it. I was also prepared to kiss bumps and bruises, talk to dolls as if they were real, read many many books and watch stupid kids shows. Well, today I spent and hour and a half of naptime doing something that I never anticipated (though maybe I should have.) Yes, I was deeply involved in surgery on a beloved doll of Ali's. For Christmas Ali got a set of 4 Wizard of Oz Ornaments. They are really just small porcelain dolls that are dressed up like Dorothy, The scarecrow, the tinman and the lion. Ali had no desire to use them as Christmas ornaments and asked if she could just play with them. I was fine with that, though she was warned that they weren't very sturdy and she had to be careful. Well, poor Dorothy lost a leg and an arm. As I looked into the mess I realized that her limbs were only connected by elastic and I thought I might be able to figure out a way to get her back together. Within the first five minutes of my fiddling, she was also missing her other arm and her head. So a minor project turned into something major . . . all for this stupid doll that really wasn't worth my time. What I really wanted to do was just throw the thing in the garbage. . . and I would have, if it wasn't for the fact that Ali loves her. : )

Dress Up?

What a clown! Julie got into her drawers and pulled out the swimsuits. Meg decided to help herself, but couldn't quite figure out the logistics of how to put on a swimsuit while wearing a dress!

After Daddy helped her take her dress off, she decided to go for a layered look (Yes, that is 3 suits you're seeing (all of which are Julie's) . . . that can't be comfortable!

I have refrained from posting the last picture as it is probably inappropriate (however hilarious it may be). She came out wearing that tropical print, T-back suit backwards.

Back to School

We officially went back to school this past Monday. I (thought I) was thoroughly prepared. I spent hours making lesson plans, making copies, organizing papers, etc . . . Well, God certainly used Monday to humble me! I was so excited when I woke up b/c I had actually gotten a good night's sleep (I was previously having a hard time getting myself back into a normal sleep schedule) . . . and then it was just one thing after another. Due to our previously mentioned warm weather, we all slept with our windows open. Well, we live near railroad tracks (which we are used to) but apparently since Ali's window was open, the 5:00am train woke her up. She did eventually go back to sleep, but I definitely had a cranky girl on my hands. She has always been so sleep needy, and it showed! Then, there were books that I couldn't find, shoes that I couldn't find, lots of bickering . . . let's just say it was a mess.
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Thankfully, these past two days have gone really great. We actually started doing school in the kitchen this semester (we were previously in the basement). It's been nice b/c now I can get little things done during the little bits of down time that I have. I also gave the girls each a daily lesson plan sheet for them to check off on their own. So far that has been awesome! It has really helped them take responsibilty for what they need to do without always having to be told.
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Julie is LOVING coloring time!
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Meg is doing a good job with it, but would rather be playing : )
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The big girls, hard at work!

Meet Julie's New Friend

Yes, Julie made a new friend. She met him in a book. His name is "Poop." I didn't even correct her - I just laughed. It's a good thing he's fictional, otherwise I'd feel sorry for him!

Summer Days?

Okay, maybe not quite summer . . . but we are definitely experiencing some spring like weather here in STL! The past few nights we have been sleeping with all of our windows open and the girls are complaining that they are hot in their winter jammies. On one hand, it's nice . . . we get to air out the house, the girls get to play outside, neighbors are outside again, no hassle with coats, hats, gloves, etc . . . But on the other hand, it just doesn't seem right . . . 76 degrees, in January?

Big, Fat Bummer!

Pun fully intended. I got a letter in the mail on December 31st, notifying me that the gym that I use was shutting down on December 31st. Nothing like some advanced notice . . . : ) So, now here I am, thrown in with all of the "New Year's Resolution" people . . . trying to find another place. I'm bummed b/c I REALLY liked the place I was at, and now I'm on the hunt again. I guess the treadmill will have to do in the mean time!

A Mild Case of Spain Brain

That's what my college friends called it . . . and it still hits me every now and then. Here lately my brain has been wandering through the streets of Sevilla, and I'm missing it dearly. SO here I go, reminiscing . . . this could be a very long post!

Most of you know that I was a Spanish major in college. Even before I started college I was part of a 2 week long, school organized, spring break trip to Spain. From the moment I set foot in Madrid I was hooked . . . a little piece of me stayed behind. During that trip, we toured the country for a week, then did a "family stay" for a week. Looking back at those pictures is very sweet to me. I remember great times with my American friends (who are pretty much the only high school friends that I still keep in touch with) and sweet new friendships that were built with Spaniards while we were there. I kept every scrap of paper that I ever touched while I was there . . . every receipt, every address, every brochure, every note. That has all been hidden away in a photo album for a while now, but when I took it out, it was amazing how fresh it all became. I even found a piece of paper that my friend (Enrique) and I scribbled on, explaining to each other how our grading systems work in school. It's so funny for me to look back at that. I remember my friend Ami (who spoke very little Spanish) teaching our friend Agustin (who spoke very little English) to say "I'm fine and I know it." What a riot! I remember Isabel, Laura and Matt dancing Sevillanas in the streets. I remember being on the bus as we were pulling into Madridejos (the town where we did our family stay). You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was SO nervous! Here we were getting ready to spend a week with people we had never met. I can still remember the butterflies in my stomach. Then I look at the pictures of us from the morning we left Madridejos. What a pathetic group we were. We all gathered in a plaza, waiting for the bus to arrive (and when I say all, I mean all - I think every Spanish teenager from the town was there.) I look at pictures of my friend Lidia - she was the first in tears, and looking at the picture of her still makes me feel like I need to cry. We took many different group shots, last minute gifts were exchanged, then it was time to go . . . and everyone was crying. What a mess. I managed to hold off the tears until I sat in my seat, and then the floodgates opened . . . so dramatic : )

Then, my sophomore year in college I went back. This time for a study abroad. I actually went in July (planning to visit various friends). I did see some of them, but other plans fell through. I ended up heading to Sevilla (the city where I lived) early. I had several weeks pretty much by myself. I lived in the infamous Barrio de Santa Cruz (historical Jewish quarter in the heart of Sevilla). The key to my house was a good 5 inches long and looked like it would open a castle : ) The streets are so narrow that cars can't drive on them. In the gap between my house and the next one stood three Roman pillars (Pictured to the right) that are thought to have been part of a temple to the Goddess Diana. To think that they've been there since the times of the Roman Empire. That was just life in Sevilla. I had many major attractions right in my back yard . . . literally, I walked past them every day on my way to school (or wherever). The Cathedral, The Guadalquivir River, The Alcazar, The Maestranza Bullring, The Plaza de Espana, The Parque de Maria Luisa. I could go on and on, and they are all within easy walking distance. Here is a site that I have enjoyed in my reminiscing. Whether you've been there or not, I recommend it.

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Like I said . . .I could go on forever . . . but I won't. I've lost touch with all of my friends from Spain and my Spanish has deteriorated quite a bit. (Though I'm still managing to teach my kids, who think I'm a Spanish genius!) I guess if no one else ever reads this, I've at least enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Maybe someday I can take Aaron back with me . . . I would love to share it all with him!