Crash

Well, nablopomo came to a crashing halt last night as I fell asleep on the couch, fire crackling in the hearth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on tv.

It's the first thing I thought of this morning...What did I post last night? Uh oh. Nothing. For what it's worth, I composed at least three blog posts in my mind yesterday - they just never made it to the computer.

Rob and I had long ago scheduled last night to be James Bond night so we could catch the new movie Quantum of Solace. We also got new sneakers and had a lovely dinner at JBuck's (best gooey butter cake dessert EVER). Usually after a night out like that, where we're free of kids because they're staying at the Grandparent's, we'll head to the winery and hang out for a bit. Last night though, all Rob wanted was to start a fire and so he did. NOT that going to the winery would have improved my chances of getting in a blog post, mind you.

I guess it's just as well. If I recall correctly from last year, it gets to be a bit of a hassle for me around the Thanksgiving holiday anyway.

There's always next year!

When The Pharmaceutical Companies Take Over My Blog

Remember what I was saying?

E3's head cold morphed overnight into a nasty chest thing that had her coughing with a long haaaaaacccck at the end, leading the listener to believe that she had thrown up. And she'd do that every five minutes or so. That cough laughed at the Benadryl I served E3.

Last night, it kicked it up a notch into short puffs of crackly breaths with a pathetic whimper at the end.

After using her Albuterol inhaler and tucking her into bed, I snuggled next to her, filled with doubt as to whether that was the right thing; should we take her to the emergency room, or just put her in the bathroom with the shower running? She fell asleep, which left me awake in my own bed wondering.

This morning we left the doctor's office with a prescription for Zithromax and Prednisone...and the doctor's recommendation that E3 get the flu shot. Her reasoning was that if a cold often results in this sort of respiratory situation, this 'reactive airway', the flu would leave her much sicker.

I was too relieved at having something in my hand that would ease E3's breathing to get into a debate about the effectiveness of last year's flu strain being used to combat this year's flu.

Tonight she came home from Grandma and Grandpa's full of excitement because, "Mom! I can take a big breath and not cough!"

Hittin' The Hut

It's Book-It season again, and tonight the girls and I used their first certificates for free pizza. Once again, we were at our favorite Pizza Hut - the one with trivia cards on the table - and E1 and E2 took turns reading questions while the rest of us answered. E3's trivia skills, as you'll see, are still on fire.

E2: What does it mean if you're "batting" and "blanketing" your house? Closing it for the winter, insulting it, or cleaning it?

Me: Closing it for the winter.

E3: I agree with Mom.

E1: Cleaning it.

E2: Insulting it.

Me: What? Wait. I think you mean insulating it.




E1: Which actress from the Charlie's Angels tv series released two albums?

Me: Kate Jackson?

E2: I don't know.

E1: Cheryl Ladd.

E3: That's what I was thinking.

I've Been Too Cocky

Every year when the flurry of alerts for flu shots begins, I loftily think of myself as exempt. I don't really trust the flu shot; created from last year's flu strain, but designed to fight off this year's bug doesn't compute with me.

Just a couple of weeks ago at E2's well-child visit it was offered to us...and I declined.

Today I have a migraine (not unusual), and a bit of a sour stomach - also not uncommon during a migraine...but it's not like the usual nausea I sometimes have with a migraine.

In separate, isolated incidents tonight, both E1 and E2 complained of stomach pain. At bedtime, both agreed to a chewable Pepto.

E3 sprouted a head cold overnight and has been stuffy, snotty, and peeved that she must mouth breathe all day.

Rob may run for the hills tomorrow...

Thankful For Scheduled Posts

We were out of town at a wedding this weekend in Quincy, IL.

It was very cold.

So cold, that we exited church after the wedding mass only to realize it had begun snowing.

This exchange was overheard from the back seat as we drove away:

E1 (indicating the car's digital thermometer): Look! It says ICE!

E2: Yeah...and right after that it said CREAM!

Hold On Loosely

Ever find yourself driving down the highway when a song comes on that throws you back to another time in your life?

Last Thursday I was thrown back to high school and cruising town on Friday night after the football game. A friend of mine had 'borrowed' all of her older brother's 8-tracks of .38 special and would play them in some converter thing that plugged into the cassette player in her car. There was definitely singing along.



My apologies if there's anything offensive in that video. 'Live at Sturgis' is certainly a daunting description...but it's playing while I type so I'm not actually seeing it.

Searching For Shelter

Remember that overnight camping thing I went on a few weeks back with some 5th and 6th graders? Did I mention that? I don't really want to post any of the pictures of other people's kids without permission, so here's one I can post:

The guide spoke about how the three main things you need if you were lost in the woods are food, water, and shelter. There's a lake off to the right a bit in this photo, providing the food and water for the hypothetical 'lost' circumstances. The kids were broken up into teams of three and sent out to build a shelter. Not just any shelter though, oh no. It had to fit all the team members, and be waterproof.

Little did they know the guide had plans to test the water proof-ness (after having them demonstrate how they could all fit inside) by splashing their structure with all available water bottles.

In the words of one of the Dads: The lesson we learned here is that we should never get lost in the woods with our kids.

Friday Photo

In January it will have been two years since we were in Hawaii.

Just this week E3 was telling someone about Chomper the shark, the aquarium we could walk though, and the scuba diver that would feed all the fish.

Leftover Worthy

E2 is the only member of our family who doesn't enjoy fish. She's sampled everything from fried to broiled fish, catfish to cod, but it's simply not something she enjoys. When we get a meal from a fish fry, we do it knowing that E2 will make herself something else. If I plan on making shrimp pasta, I try to do it on a night E2 will be out somewhere else. She's tried it, teeny tiny tries of all manner of fish we've had, but she simply doesn't like it.

Oddly enough, she enjoys fishing; this summer we were amazed when she tried TWO bites of the fish they'd caught while camping.

Over a year ago, I found a recipe in Family Circle with a tasty looking picture (because that's the easiest way to get me to look at the list of ingredients - TASTY LOOKING PICTURE) and I pulled it out thinking I'd try to make it someday. It fit all my usual recipe qualifications: not many ingredients, no exotic ingredients that might require a lot of effort to track down, easy directions, and lots of cheese. 'Someday' occurred a couple of months ago and I made the recipe.

E2 liked it. Now, she didn't scarf down her meal and ask for seconds, but she did eat what she was served and state that she liked it and would eat it again.

Earlier this week I made it again...and E2 enjoyed it again! The real kicker though, was tonight when we were cleaning out the fridge and having leftovers (L.O.'s as my cousins husband once called them).

She requested the leftover fish! If that's not a ringing endorsement I don't know what is.

Haddock Casserole
Submitted to Family Circle Magazine by
Evelyn McKenney

1 can (10 3/4oz.) condensed cream of shrimp soup
1 1/2 lbs. haddock, cod or tilapia
1 C. crushed butter-flavor crackers (about 24)
1 C. (4oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C. milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat bottom of 8x11-inch baking dish or 4
ramekins (2cup capacity) with just enough soup to cover.

Place fish on top and pour remaining soup over fish. Sprinkle crushed
crackers over fish; top evenly with cheese. Pour milk on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or 35minutes for
ramekins. Let cool slightly before serving. Makes 4 servings.

How Deep Is Your Leaves?

This is what my family did while I was off scrapbooking last Saturday.




I so wanted to make another pictobrowser set to link here, but I'm running out of time tonight.

Toes, Bunk Beds, Girl Scout Cookies, and Dancing

I treated myself to a pedicure today since we have a wedding to attend this weekend and I think I'll be braving the cold weather to wear sandal-type heels. My other black heels look more business-like than recreational. So, the tootsies are now sporting OPI's Bastille My Heart.

Do you have any idea how much nice wood bunk beds cost? And that's without the mattress AND without the bunking boards that are recommended under the mattress for support AND if we ever want to use them as NOT bunk beds it's recommended we get actual box springs for under the mattress. It's A LOT, that's how much.

We are intermittently delivering Girl Scout cookies that E1 sold last month - my goal is to have them all in the hands of their purchasers by Friday. Wish us luck.

Dancing With The Stars Results show tonight! Are you watching? Who do you think should go home tonight? I think either Warren and Kim or Cheryl and...can't think of Olympic Running Dude's name.... Anyway, we'll be having popcorn tonight while we watch.

Thanks to all our Veteran's and Current Military Personnel for all you do and all you've done.

Is It Wednesday Yet?

The kids (E1, E2, and nephew F) had early dismissal from school on Friday for parent/teacher conferences (even though we'd already had ours on Thursday), AND today as well.

I was irritable and cranky all of this long, never-ending day. Even sending the kids down the street to the playground at school didn't help my attitude. I dozed off on the couch for a while this afternoon, after once again asking the kids that they just play something that doesn't involve running around and screaming like wild animals. I think that lasted all of 30 minutes.

By dinner this evening E1 was snarking at E2 and I had to set things straight, "Hey. Only one of us is allowed to be cranky and impatient at a time. Today is MY day." May as well establish those rules early.

Usually I'm glad to have the girls home on days off of school, but today was a completely different story...and it's not over.

Tomorrow there's no school for Veteran's Day.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Is "winner winner chicken dinner" from a movie or tv show or something? One of the contestants, I forget which one, said that several times on Dancing With The Stars earlier in the season.

I said it today as Rob and E3 drove off to get us some lunch from a chicken dinner fundraiser in the next town over from us.

Nothing says, "SCORE!" like not having to cook, my friends.

Girl Day

Today I'm joining a gaggle of women for a craft day. Ten hours of whatever craft or project I want to work on, food, drink, and snacks included.

I'll be messing around with getting E3's pictures in a scrapbook, but I honestly don't know that I have enough photos printed to occupy myself for that much time.

Guess that means I'll have to pace myself by doing a lot of snacking and talking.

Sweet.

A Fitting End To Election Week

Conferences Rock!

Tonight I clicked through to this BlogHer article about making the most of parent-teacher conferences with interest. We had ours this afternoon, and as usual we headed into it with a relaxed air...with Rob fully intending to leave a harassing note a few pages ahead in a notebook of each girl.

You see, E1 and E2 have had no issues as of yet. Conferences are a time we look forward to because the teachers tell us how great the girls are...and for the most part they are, forgetfulness and talkativeness aside. Mentally, we're totally giving ourselves fist-pumps in the air even though they're really doing the work.

Oh, there was that one time back when E1 was in First Grade when we learned that she was eating PB&J at school nearly every day - even though she was giving us detailed descriptions of the meals she was eating in the lunchroom. All of Kindergarten she'd brought her lunch, and almost always it was PB&J. I made her eat the school lunch one time when they were having burgers (something I knew she liked) so she would at least have a working knowledge of the lunch line, but otherwise it was her choice to bring a lunch and that continued into First Grade.

Well, somewhere along the line she realized that the school serves their PB&J on white bread...and here at home we have whole wheat.

Tonight, E2's teacher relayed something that happened at a teaching workshop she and a few other teachers in the school have attended. They were each to bring a sample of poor student writing and excellent student writing. She brought some of E2's writing as her sample of excellent writing, and E1's teacher (also in attendance) brought E1's writing as her sample of excellent writing. Future bloggers!

So, our kids are doing well and it's nice to get that positive feedback from someone who's not their immediate relative. In fact, I don't think we'll know how to react if E3 doesn't follow the same path as her sisters have paved it with great expectations.

Tell Me About Your Wii

Do you have a Wii?

If yes, please leave a review in the comments.

Thanks,
The Management.

Old School

When we were kids we didn't have plastic playgrounds! They were metal, and hard, and dangerously high! Sometimes kids fell and broke their arms! AND WE LIKED IT!

Any day now I'll fix up one of those dandy picto browsers for all the pictures I took when we went on a little family adventure a couple of weekends ago.

Not today though...election results and all that.

Election Eve

On this election eve, while I'm pouting because I just learned the Dancing With The Stars results show is being pushed to Wednesday night due to election coverage, I figured I'd finally throw out my two cents on this post.

My initial reaction was similar to what Glenda left in the comments:

She thinks race doesn't enter into this at all?!?! I'm truly astounded someone can believe that.

My first thought was very much a bewildered "seriously?" As a matter of fact, I read the article one night as I was waiting at E2 gymnastics class. It's difficult to keep my focus on reading at gymnastics because it's like having ringside seats at the Olympic warm-ups or something. CAN'T. STOP. WATCHING. Sometimes I lose track of where E2 is in the gym because I get caught up in watching the older girls.

Anyway, I read the interview with Michelle Obama. Then I took a break to watch the gymnasts. SERIOUSLY. CAN'T. STOP. Gymnastics has to be one of the coolest sports to watch.

Then I began reading the interview with Cindy McCain. When I got to her answer I literally shook my head slightly, not sure that I had read it right (see gymnastic distraction above).

I reread the McCain answer. Then I flipped back to the Obama interview, wondering if they had asked her the question as well. Of course they had, and that's when I was struck by the difference.

Now, I'm from a not so diverse, mostly rural area of the Midwest and that was MY reaction so naturally I thought to put it out here to the Internets to see if I was alone.

Ali, as usual, summarized things so clearly...

I think that Michelle Obama had put some thought into her answer and Cindy McCain hadn't. She's not in a position where she needs to put thought into that particular issue--and that in itself says that race is an issue. Because the Obamas do need to think about it.

Overall, I've been paying more attention to this election. Not just because there have been some funny things done and said on both sides...and on Saturday Night Live...but because I feel really fortunate to be witnessing all that's happening at this time in our country. There are so many new facets that we've never seen before in an election, from the candidates themselves to the technology covering them.

I'm looking forward to the results.

Also, to the end of the political ads.


PS: I missed Primetime SNL tonight due to gymnastics and Dancing With The Stars. Was it good?

PPS: Susan Lucci needs to leave DWTS. Sorry all you fans of Days of our Lives, or whatever show she'd on.

PPSS: E3 is maintaining her vote for white hair.

Shameless

Feel free to lick the chocolate pudding bowl while I'm out.

Shameless posting of photos already and it's only the second day of NaBloPoMo. Sad, I know, but we're going out to see HSM3 this afternoon which may impact my ability to come up with something more brilliant to write.

What team? WILDCATS!

P.S. E3 thinks Troy is cute, but don't tell her I told you.

NaBloPoMo Here We Go

NaBloPoMO starts today, along with Daylight Savings Time Ending. That's my excuse for this short lame-o post.

I've just finished turning back the clocks and I promised to read a story with our new-found hour.

Thinking of turning the heat off because the weather is back to unseasonably warm.

Busy weekend. Hopefully the coming week will not be so crazy.

HA! HA, I say!