Last Posting for the Month

It's the last day of the month so National Blogging Month is at an end. It's been fun.

I have nothing that I want to share right now but wanted to be sure I posted on this, the last day. I have a feeling in the upcoming days and weeks I will have plenty to share.

Sunday

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us we can focus on the next big holiday. Oh I know what you're thinking but no, you're wrong. I do not mean Christmas. I am speaking of my birthday. My *ahem* 45th birthday which will take place on December 15th.

How in the world did this happen? Seriously. I have no idea how that snuck up on me. I no longer can check the 40-44 box on those survey questionaires and for some reason, that really bothers me.

Forty-five.

I demand a recount.

Saturday

Remember when I said I might not be blogging for the weekend and therefore would probably not complete the blogging for a month challenge? Yeah well....there is nothing like delayed scheduled blogging ability. :) Wouldn't you like to know when I am really writing this post? Ha ha! I won't tell you. :) It makes me think back to the commercial that asked the timeless question: "Is it live or is it Memorex?" I guess you will just have to wonder.

And no - I don't think this is cheating. I still had to write the post didn't I? :)

I don't have a lot to tell you about so I guess I will share some photos of my little cowgirl....oh wait...she was playing Barbie and the 3 Musketeers. (Don't ask.)




See that horse? It's Marvel the Mustang and I had one exactly like it when I was a kid. My sister bought this one and gave it to me for Christmas the year I was pregnant with Kelton. I love having this reminder of my childhood around and I love that the kids love it!

Black Friday

So? Were you out with the crowds at 4AM? Did you stand in a line waiting for the midnight opening somewhere? Did you find some rockin' good deals?

I actually don't have much of a need to join the early morning crowds this year because I think there have been some really good sales going on for the last 6 weeks. I already have so much of the shopping taken care of and what I don't yet have certainly isn't worth braving the alarm clock ringing at some way too early hour.

That's not to say I won't be out there later in the day though. :)

Happy Black Friday, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May we all have plenty of things to give thanks for today.

The Day Before Thanksgiving

I have to wonder how, or if, I will keep up with posting every day over the next few days. With the holiday weekend it does bring a special set of circumstances to it and I have to say that I'm ok with not completing the challenge. I think I've done well this far and I'm happy with that....but then again, I do have a competitive streak in me so you just never know. :)

The weird virus I had with symptoms that came and went? Yeah...well...it settled in for a nice little visit in the form of cold. Nothing says "Aren't you glad we came to visit?!" like congestion, a cough and a very raspy voice. It should be interesting though as I move about the world this weekend how many people look crosswise at me when I cough. *I* know it's just a cold but considering the wide-spread fear of H1N1 being shared along with good food and drink well, I'm sure I'll be getting "looks".

Tis the season! Pass the Purell, please. :)

A Little Concert

Kaylen just gave a little concert for me so thought I would share. She is just too cute!

A Much Needed Boost

I got checked out today.....twice. With smiles and a nod both times.

I'll clearly be wearing *this* outfit more often. :)



Edited to add a photo per the request in the comment section. Fair warning: I took it myself.

New Clothes.....well...not really. :)

I have been having a clothing crisis lately. A crisis as in I have nothing I want to wear. Nothing I feel good about wearing. I'm so tired of the mommy uniform (jeans and a t-shirt) I have worn for most of the past 7.5 years. I find I am struggling against a lot of things that have been defining my life for 7.5 years so I guess it's no surprise that clothes would be included in that. Luckily enough, I have lost enough weight that clothes I haven't taken off a hanger in 4+ years are starting to fit - and rather nicely too, I might add. :)

It's almost like having new clothes. Almost.

And I kind of want to go shopping. I never enjoy clothes shopping but it actually sounds kind of fun right now. I'm sure once I stand in front of a mirror in a fitting room that feeling will evaporate but for now, I like thinking about it. :)

Weird Virus

I have a weird virus......it's like a cold but not. In the mornings I feel so-so. It's hard to explain really. I just don't feel well but nothing specific. By about 11am, I can feel it creeping up and I notice I start getting congested. By about 1pm I am very congested and my cough is in full swing and my throat feels a little sore - not terribly sore like a few days ago but still sore.. My head gets even more "stuffed with cotton" feeling and I feel a step off of everything. I definitely feel like I have a pretty bad cold.

I go to bed feeling not good at all, sleep not all that great because I'm congested and coughing only to wake up in the morning and repeat the cycle. It's been going on for three days now and it's the weirdest thing. This morning I don't feel nearly as "ok" as in mornings past. I think the cold is winning.

Blah.

Ho Ho...whatever

The kids and I were going to decorate the house for Christmas today but once the boxes were down from the attic yesterday afternoon a certain little 4 year old started begging to get started right away. I hung up a few easy (and non-child friendly) decorations and then we waited for Kelton to arrive home from school.

As it turns out, we didn't have to wait. The only thing he was interested in unpacking were the nutcrackers. I could have guessed that one.

Kaylen and I worked on the fireplace but I realized as I opened up the boxes that I wasn't really in the mood to pull out everything this year. So I dug through the 6 or so boxes and pulled out about half the stuff and just went ahead and did it all. Decorating normally takes hours (taking into account the children "helping") but this year it was done and the boxes back in the attic in 2 hours. (The tree isn't up yet. That will wait a couple more weeks which is our tradition.)

Am I happy with the result? Eh. Not really. But I don't think that's a reflection on the decorating or the decorations. Something is missing. I don't know what - but something isn't right. The kids seem happy with it and I guess that's all that matters.






In other news, I took the children to Kids Club this morning to let them run wild for a few hours. After they were sweaty, tired messes; I took them to the mall because I knew there was a H1N1 clinic happening and they were immunizing Kelton's age group (Kaiser, for some reason, is not.). The line moved quickly and we were out of there and on our way in less than 20 minutes.

After that, I took them to Build-A-Bear Workshop and they each picked out an outfit for one of their bears who were waiting at home. Kaylen picked out a fairy (complete with wings) outfit and a fishing pole and fish (That's right. I defy you to put this child in a box. She is her own person.) and Kelton picked out a pair of Christmas pajamas and a magician's hat, rabbit and wand.

They were talking with each other and kept saying "This is the best day ever, isn't it? Yep - the best day ever."

Apparently I'm done now because how can you top that? Too bad there are still hours to go before bedtime.

Coffee with Friends

A few friends and I met at a local play place for coffee this morning to kcik off our Friday. I love getting to the place early - before the 10Am crowd starts arriving. It's quiet and the kids have full run of the play area which gives the grown up time to catch up and chat before we are dealing with "That boy took what I was playing with!" "She won't share with me!" and "I'm hungry! Can I have a cookie?"

Nothing like coffee with friends.

PS...told you I'd post a picture of my coffee! :)

Make Your Own Build-a-Bear

Apparently my daughter is in love with Build-a-Bears and since I won't let her just live at the store making all the furry friends she wants, she is coming up with creative ways to make her own. The other day she had a bunch of toys out and was dressing them up in her My Little Pony dresses and accessories. Her Swim to Me Pup was decked out in Kaylen's mittens, scarf and hat. As I watched from the doorway I heard her say "Oh you are so cute! Let's go so my mom how cute you are!" She looked up, saw me watching her and broke out in a gigantic smile. I love when she is so happy and I love watching her pretend play and be so creative.

I love the squirrel in the skirt and the hoppy frog in the hat. :)

Never Too Early

Santa is laughing for real because as Kaylen is whispering her Christmas wish for an American Girl double stroller, Kelton is whispering "I don't know what I want. I'll need to send you a letter."

Sweet!

I love, love, love this one. It shows all their cute little freckles and their overall cuteness just bubbles through. These are two of the three faces that light up my world.

This one doesn't need words but if I had to pick one I'd say: Love. These two adore each other.

Germ Adventure, Part 10000000

I woke up yesterday feeling just fine. I went about my morning routine and chores and then Kaylen and I headed out to MOMS Club. We were there for about an hour and a half and I swear to you - I felt completely fine.

After we left there I stopped at the post office and then we headed over to the high school where Kaylen attends her preschool class. We were there about 20 minutes early so I returned a call to Dakota and we caught each other up on our mornings.

It was then I noticed it. A not so good feeling in my throat. A bit sore but not too bad. I shrugged it off and walked Kaylen into her class. I drove over to the bookstore to pick up the next book in the Jake Drake series for Kelton and as I searched the shelves I made a note that my throat was getting worse. Hmmmmmmm.

I bought the book and then headed over to Target to pick up mittens and hats for Kelton's Warm Hands Warm Hearts drive at school and a 6' folding banquet table for the PTO (great sale! $32!). I had needed two but they only had one. Oh well. Then I picked up a pair of stretch pants and a shirt for Kaylen. Yes - you read that right. PANTS! She is trying something new this week and I am all about encouraging it. The thing is - we don't really have pants that fit her since I stopped updating that part of her wardrobe when she decided she was anti-pants.

My throat, by the way, was getting more and more sore. By the time I arrived home, 1 hour after dropping off Kaylen, I felt like I was trying to swallow cut glass.

The thing about pain like that is it forces you to stop thinking of other things and makes you live right there. Right in that painful moment. No worries about laundry needing to be folded, no thinking of unloading the dishwasher, no worrying about bills or student loan payments. Nothing besides "How do I make this pain stop? Why is it shooting up into my ears? Oh crap! MAKE IT STOP!"

Have I mentioned before how sore throats are probably the worst thing for me to deal with and considering how much pain I get to live with every single day of my life, that's saying a lot. I'm not sure why or where it comes from my sore throats are really, really awful for me.

The achy-nes in my neck and shoulders arrived before I headed over to pick Kaylen up at school. Perfect. I do not have time for this. No fever though so it's just one of those pesky viruses that need to run its course.

I continued on with the afternoon (like I had a choice) and before long, Kelton was home and it was homework time. Then Dakota arrived home and we got busy making dinner, cleaning up and getting Kelton to karate. Home we came and to bed went to the kids. I popped the Motrin and was soon in bed.

The night was hit and miss on sleeping and when I got up this morning I noticed that the cut glass sensation was gone and I just have a sore throat (so much better than yesterday!). My neck and shoulders are still achy and I don't feel great but at least I can function.

My guess is Kelton's doctor was right. He picked up something and passed it along because Friday Kaylen was saying she had a sore throat (but Tylenol seemed to make her all better and I'm never sure if she really has pain or if she just wants some medicine. Don't ask. We are constantly asking "Are you *sure* you need medicine?"). Now though, I do believe she actually did have a sore throat and I feel bad for not putting much stock in that. *sigh* Now she has a cough and sounds a bit congested (again) so I'm betting that's the road this will take for me too.

I'm beginning to think our house is a toxic zone and we just can't get rid of the germs. I've even opened up the doors and windows in an attempt to get the fresh air in and the germ infested air out.

I've heard from others that this is a bad germ year. I have to say - I'm not so much enjoying it. :(

A Long Time Coming

You have no idea how long I have waited to see this:


Kelton, happily snuggled into a pile of blankets and stuffed buddies, reading a book on his own. This scene is akin to Christmas morning for me! For years now I have waited and longed for the day when he would sit next to me: me reading my book and him reading his. He's been a great reader for a long time but he hadn't really found the joy of of just sitting down to read for the fun of it. In the past couple of weeks he has and it brings me a level of happiness I cannot explain.

We have read him books since before he was born and rarely have we missed a day in the past 7.5 years. We love to read and we hoped this love of reading would trickle down through the kids and now that it has started....I'm over the moon!

My kid loves to read! My kids loves to read!

I'm not silly enough to think that a love of reading will overshadow his love of his DS or Wii but I'm hoping it goes right to the top of the list to share equal billing.

Watching the kids grow bigger and older is bittersweet but this? This is the sweet part!

YAY! Read on, Kelton!

Crazy Little Elves

The other day we were at the mall and the kids noticed that Santa had arrived which meant, of course, they just had to stop in to visit.

After talking with Santa, they were given "elf ears" and I have to say, they wear them well. :)





Kaylen's party dress? Why yes, that was the attire of the day because....well...just because she is Kaylen. :) I have to say though - if we were having a Christmas party some of the recent pictures I took of these two would make some darn cute Christmas invitations.

Which reminds me...I still need to figure out what, or if, I am going to do for a Christmas card this year. I'm not all that into the hours of work that goes into getting Christmas cards and the annual letter out (nor the cost of mailing them!). Maybe I'll do a web-based card and letter this year. Or...maybe I'll just skip it all together. Time will tell. :)

Christmas Pajamas

Yesterday afternoon I took an hour to myself and headed to a nearby store to check out a few things. First up was a set of dishes that I have my eye on. Another store had a similar pattern on a sale and I wanted to compare it to the one I had seen a couple weeks ago to decide which one I liked better (because you know....my birthday is coming up...and I would love to have a dish set the matches. Over the years we have lost plates and bowls and are now down to three plates of one pattern and three plates of another. Having four matching ones would be nice. I've also been wishing for some cute martini glasses. Not boring ones but fun, sassy and maybe, just maybe polka dotted. A girl can dream, can't she? :) ).

After that I wondered over to the kids clothing section to see if something caught me eye for the upcoming visit with Santa. Hitting two different areas I noticed something - there were matching pajamas in Kelton's size and in Kaylen's size! The kids have never had matching jammies for Christmas and BONUS! They were on sale. Double bonus: I found it in a nightgown for Little Miss "It Has To Be a Nightgown or I'm Not Wearing It".

I picked up the correct sizes and headed home. The kids LOVED them and couldn't wait to try them on. Here are a few pictures I snapped last night - the kids were absolutely wild and crazy but I still got some pretty fun shots.

I have to say - I think they look adorable!







That last one is my favorite. It shows them in all their silly glory. :)

Unlikely Places

Sometimes you can find great quotes in unlikely places. This one comes from the theme song to Waverly Place, a Disney Channel show that we watch every night as a family (and we all enjoy it!).

Remember not to mess
with the balance of things
because everything is not
what it seems.

Perspective is an illusion.

My Crocs Are Here!

The mailman brought a really great surprise - my Crocs!! According the the tracking, they weren't scheduled to arrive until Tuesday and yet - here they are!

And I have to say - they are C.O.M.F.Y.!!!!!

No really - I do believe these may be the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever worn. We went grocery shopping today and, for the first time in a couple years I made it through the entire hour plus shopping trip without pain searing down my leg and up my back (and everywhere in between). I was still doing ok by the time we hit the checkout stand. A nice change to be sure. :)

I might be wearing these shoes more often than I had planned.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Dakota and I went to see The Time Traveler's Wife this afternoon at the "cheap seat" theater. I've been wanting to see this moving since it first came out back in August but hey - better late than never. :)

I loved it. Really loved it!

We have the book and Dakota has read it but I never made it too far into it. I'm not sure why but short attention span comes to mind. :) I now really want to read it (never mind that I have two books going already). It has been on my mind since we left the theater - I have so many questions. We went out and got a bite to eat after the show and we talked and talked and talked about it. We compared it to The Lake House which is another one of those time traveling type movies which we loved so much we bought it a few years back. So any guesses what we are going to do now that the kids are sleeping? Oh yeah - we're going to pop in the The Lake House and watch it.

Gotta love the movies that make you think...and I love the possibility that things like that could actually happen.

Two thumbs up! :)

Friday the 13th

I don't know why exactly but when the 13th falls on Friday I feel this sense of impending doom. Nothing bad has really happened to me on a Friday the 13th but it still feels eerie.

I know some people have turned the table and view it as a lucky day but try as I might, it just doesn't play that way for me. I just can't shake the feeling and am relieved when Saturday the 14th arrives.

Today is a rainy, rainy day which is made even more dramatic by the fact that the back gutter is clogged with leaves which is causing the water to cascade over the side near the sliding glass door. It feels very wintery today and because of that I decided to wear my penguin stacked in a Christmas tree shape shirt today. I'm sure people will look at me sideways but what do I care? I love this shirt and rarely get to wear it so despite having it for three years, it still looks brand new. What the heck - I start wearing my Old Navy orange pumpkin shirt mid September so really? What's the difference? I do believe we could all use some holiday cheer so.....you're welcome! I'm glad I could add some cheer to your day (yes - even if that means you are smiling because you think I'm ridiculous. At least I made you smile.). :)

Speaking of holiday cheer, I have started Christmas shopping for the kids. Kaylen, as always, is easy. Anything pink, purple and girly is a go for her. In fact, I think I have almost everything for her (or are waiting delivery). Kelton is more challenging this year. He doesn't have a big "want" list. Special colored pens (check), a Color Wonder Magic Light Brush (check), a Pokemon coloring pad thing and a Bakugan school supply set (both are on clearance for $6 each at Toys R Us...I just need to get back there and grab them). I still need to pin him down on a Santa Wish. And then there are the stockings.....easy enough really. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, various small art supplies, a little candy and probably a book or two.

I even have almost all of the cousin gifts already. The little kids (ages 4 and below) are done. It's just the three older ones I need to figure out.

I do appreciate that so many stores are having amazing sales going on earlier than Black Friday. It makes it so much easier to spread out the cost of the holiday (and seriously? If you need gifts keep an eye on the game sales. I cannot believe how, if you watch carefully, you can get games for under $6.) Personally speaking, I think games make GREAT gifts.

I'm rambling. A lot. I guess that's what happens when you may a pledge to blog every day for a month. :)

Happy Friday, everyone.

Thursday

So - with the game plan being taking better care of my own needs and wants and putting myself first I bought myself something. :)

I have always wanted a pair of real Crocs. The knock-off pair that I have cost next to nothing from Payless Shoe Source about three years ago. I don't wear them often - running outside to get the mail, taking the trash out, taking Kelton to the bus stop some days....not often but I do love how easy they are to slip on and off and how easy they are to toss in the wash if necessary. Over time, the soles have lost their (less than stellar to start with) traction and lately that has gotten downright dangerous when going from wet to dry situations (such as taking out the trash and then coming back in through the garage. I slide like I am navigating my way across ice.

I would probably put up with it for a longer stretch of time as I half-heartedly looked for another cheap knock-off pair from someplace like WalMart but you know what? I deserve better than that! I pulled up the Croc website and took a little shopping trip. I found a pair I think look like fun and then I hit the order button.

A real pair of Crocs. The kids have had real Crocs for years now and it's about high time I treat myself in the same manner I take care of everyone else.

I cannot wait for them to get here!!



(I know some of you have strong feelings about Crocs but I love them and that is all that matters. So there. *Ppppppptttttttthhhhhhhhh* :P)

Word Verification

Sorry everyone but I am temporarily activating Word Verification for posting comments. I know it can be inconvenient but I am really tired of getting hit with spam comments in various languages. I'm tired of logging in to delete them.

So...I'll leave Word Verification on for a couple weeks and then I'll take it off. That should be long enough for the "Spam-Bots" to move on.

Thanks!
-Casey

Growing by Leaps and Bounds

In yesterdays comments, Caroline mentioned that she remembers seeing Kaylen standing my the preschool sign from last time - looking so much smaller. I was curious so decided to look and see how much she has changed since April.

Here she is in April of this year:


And yesterday:


Wow. She really does look older. I guess that's the difference between 4 years, 2 months and 4 years, 9 months. Seven months. That's quite a change!

Wednesday

I've decided I need to put myself first and while I'm not sure what that will look like - it's definitely time. Dakota is done with law school and the children aren't babies any more and it's about time I come first. I plan to start doing less of what I don't want to do and more of what I do.

It's not like I am going to run wild, jump on a plane and stay at swanky new york hotels but I do think that I will get away more often (without it turning into running errands) without feeling guilty about the things that need to be done (and I won't go home and drive myself crazy getting things done which totally negates the getting away part) and even when I'm not away from the house I'll take more time to just not do anything for anyone except myself.

I've earned it.

Preschool Diva

Today was the first day of Kaylen's 6 week preschool program through the early childhood development classes as the local high school. To say she was excited is an understatement.

She showered at 6:30am, dressed in the outfit that yesterday she picked out for herself, ate a good breakfast, brushed her hair and brushed her teeth and was ready to go by 7:30am. She even had me make her lunch. The only problem was - her school day didn't start until 11:45am. :)

This school year there is only one session of preschool so they have extended it from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours and it runs in the afternoon instead of at 8:30 in the morning. They get to eat lunch at school and even have PE class. Kaylen is thrilled and her excitement makes me a little sad for her because I know she would LOVE to attend a school year long preschool a few times a week. Kelton was never ready for something like that but I know she would love it. Of course, when Kelton was in preschool they were many, many affordable ones out there. Now? Not so much. At least, not for us. Which really isn't that big of a deal since we knew from the get go that we weren't big on preschool. But of course, that was before they changed kindergarten to being all academically-based and way before they changed to the wacky full day 2x a week and every other Wednesday schedule.

Anyway - I digress. This is about Kaylen and how thrilled she was today.

Finally the hour arrived and we headed out the door. She was quite clear that she wanted her first day of school pictures too (just like Kelton back in September). So without further delay, I present Little Miss Sass on her first day of preschool.

Tell me you can't see the sass in this girl! :) Dang I love her spunky little self.

Cute, right? :)

A Little Girl's Wish

See this stroller? Cute, right? It's Kaylen's Santa Wish this year and there is no amount of swaying and gentle guiding that is working. It's from American Girl and it's $58 plus shipping.

$58 plus shipping for a doll stroller? You have got to be kidding. We've asked "What if Santa can't make one exactly like this one? What if he can make you a different kind - maybe pink?" (A pink double stroller can be had at Toys R Us for $25) No dice. It has to be *this* one. Exactly. No color variation and it *must* have that heart shaped flower on the front.

I've tried the "What if Santa just can't do that for you?" and I get back "I can't ask you and Mom because it's too much money. I can only ask Santa and Santa would never break a little girl's heart. Right Mommy?"

Damn you American Girl catalog for arriving in our mailbox. (Lannon - did you sign us up for this catalog? Maybe AG has a homing device for all little girls. I don't know.)

So now we are struggling. If we can't change her mind in the next week we'll have to decide what to do because it is going to need to be ordered and then shipped somewhere *other* than our house (two issues with mail order this year: Kelton is a VERY good reader and Kaylen quickly learns how to identify words she has seen and trust me - she has studied "American Girl" and can point it out from 20 paces.). Their grandma's address should work fine but it still leaves us with the dilemma of $58 plus shipping for a Santa gift. Ugh.

AND...she wants a boy "American Girl" doll. Though really, she isn't particular about the actually AG look - my sister found dolls at a craft store which resemble AG dolls and there is the Our Generation Doll line at Target. But finding a boy doll to play the part might be tricky.

Wish us luck!

One for the "Are you kidding?" files

I turned on The View while I was folding laundry and I caught a conversation about the new trend for kids birthdays: buying each sibling in the family of the birthday child a gift. Not equal to the birthday childs, but a gift none the less.

(source: http://theview.abc.go.com/video/hot-topics-giving-gifts-kids)

Are you freakin' kidding me?!?!?!

Because why? Birthdays aren't stressful, and expensive, enough?

The cost alone makes that "expectation" ridiculous. Of course, Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters confessed that is what they *always* do. Well sure - and if I were rolling in money I would probably do it too but for the rest of us? That hardly seems like a trend we should embrace.

I have a hard enough time figuring out how to afford birthday gifts for nieces and nephews and the various friend parties the children are lucky enough to be invited to (and, I might add, I do so happily because birthdays are important) but if siblings expected to receive gifts as well? I can tell you that we would be accepting a lot less invitations.

I take issue with goody bags, to be honest. I find them a wasteful expense and it drives me wild that my kids have come to expect "their gift" for attending a birthday party. We talk about it before parties when they start getting excited about what they "will get" and I tell them they they shouldn't expect to receive anything because it isn't their birthday. I share the fact that when I was a child, we were thrilled if there were balloons we each got to take with us but that no one ever gave us things for going to a party. You go to parties because you love the person being celebrated and you want to celebrate with them. You absolutely do not go because you want to get something.

I wish goodies bags would go away. I only make a few (we have family parties so it's cousins only in regards to kids (except last year when Kaylen was fortunate enough to have a play group party at Chuck E Cheese)) and the stress they cause is almost as much stress as the party itself. What to get? What is age appropriate? If you get X for the over 3 kids and Y for the under 3 kids will someone have a meltdown?

It's just too much.

And now "they" (whoever "they" are) think adding the stress of buying siblings gifts if you go to a birthday celebration is a good idea? I think not!

I say we stand firm and refuse to partake in such foolishness. If we don't bend to the social pressure maybe we can stop the tide from turning.

And even if the waves smash us to the ground and it becomes the new expectation then this is what you can expect from me: please do not buy the sibling of my birthday child a gift because I won't be buying the siblings of your birthday child a gift.

Oh the insanity of it.
:)

Sunday

This is a Milky Way Martini.

Can I just say it? YUMMY! Seriously, seriously YUMMY!

I saw it in the menu at Claim Jumpers and just had to try it so Dakota and I shared one. Later tonight at home Dakota made us each one and Oh My Goodness! I do believe she made it even more tasty than Claim Jumpers and that's saying A LOT since I really liked the one at Claim Jumpers. :)

Saturday

We were out of the house today. Did you read that and really appreciate it? We. Were. Out. Of. The. House! For the first time in 5 plus days (excluding two trips to the doctors office which really don't count in my opinion) we loaded everyone into the car and left the house.

It was divine!

In the midst of the kids being sick I swear I can't see my way clear of ever being *out* of the land of Tylenol, Motrin, medicine cups, tissues, thermometers and whatnot so it was almost like a long awaited Christmas gift to leave the house and venture out into public.

We had to be mindful though as we knew Kelton's immune system was still recovering so we didn't stay out long. A quick trip to the Clackamas Target for Dakota and the kids and a quick(er) trip to Toys R Us for me. Tis the season and all and there was something perfect for the boy in the sales flyer (and the sale ended at 1pm Saturday). After running my top secret errand, I went back to Target to pick up the family. They had gone under the guise of looking for birthday gift ideas for me as well as picking up something to keep them quiet while we got lunch at Stanfords. Dakota has told the kids we were going someplace special as a way of saying Thank You to me for taking such good care of them the past two weeks but really? It was because we had a gift card and we knew it wouldn't cost much there. That's what we call a Win-Win. :)

From the time I arrived at Target to meet them and then return to the car to dive across the (large) parking lot to Stanfords the sky had opened up and was dumping gallons of rain on us. It was actually kind of fun but boy were we wet when we arrived at the restaurant.

We had a great lunch - Kelton and I split the adult macaroni and cheese and much to my delight, Kelton loved it as much as I did! (I knew I would - I've had it before but this was the first time we've taken the kids there.) I'm telling you - it is AWESOME!!

After lunch we headed back home and Kelton, who was very tired from his three hour outing, caught a quick cat nap on the drive.

After we arrived home and took care of all the things that need tending upon walking into the house, Dakota and I changed into comfy jammies and hung out watching original episodes of 90210 while the kids entertained themselves by playing games together on the computer. After we had a bit of downtime, the kids entertained us with dances they made up - complete with costumes!

All in all, it was a great day! :)

Friday

I've tried to post something a couple times today but nothing I write is feeling right. It's been a long week. A very long week.

*sigh*

Fever Land

We are still firmly ensconced in the land of fever. I think Kelton is reaching his limit on how much his body can take and still keep going at his regular pace of frenzied activities. I left the kids in the care of Dakota this morning to I could attend the IEP meeting for Kelton's speech therapy and then have an hour to myself. When I met up with them I heard tales of doing arts and crafts and playing games on the Wii. Ever since arriving home though Kelton has been curled up in a lump on the couch. I think he is hitting his wall.

(Look where I went! Ok - I was only there for about 15 minutes before I went to run a few errands but still....)

His fever? Oh yeah - still there and hanging out at 100.5 this morning. That is higher than it was yesterday morning at the same time. *sigh*

You gotta feel for him. This has to be so hard on his little 7 year old body.

We were able to get Kaylen in her for first of two H1N1 immunizations. Because it won't hurt them to get the shot if they have already had H1N1 and because without testing there is no way to know for sure if that is what she had two weeks ago, we opted to have her immunized. I know people come down on both sides of the debate on whether to do it or not (and I admit I went back and forth lately) but in the end, we decided it was worth it for us. She'll need her second dose the first week of December. Hopefully, when Kelton is finally well, there will be vaccine available for him.

And on that note, I will leave you with some really great photos I took in the backyard yesterday.


I hope you are enjoying the splendor of autumn!

:(

His fever is not doing better today. *sigh*