The Tuesday Twenty, vol. XIII and XIV

I missed last week, so I am going to try to do twenty this week.

Wish me luck.

-1-
After weeks and weeks and weeks of illness I finally feel like we are all mostly healthy. The girls still have slight coughs and I worry about Lydia because she can't tell me if she is feeling unwell, but I really just think we all need a few more good nights sleep and we'll have kicked this junk out the door.

-2-
I recently bought a pair of shoes that are biodegradable. I was worried they'd melt in the first rain, but they are surprisingly sturdy. :)

-3-
I am watching What Not to Wear on TLC and although I'd love to go on that show I am realizing that I am not nearly enough of a mess to be a guest. Although the idea of having money and guidance to build a whole new wardrobe is a fantasy.

-4-
Saturday was Olive's 9th birthday. It is hard to believe that she has been our kitty for 7 years. (We got her when she was *estimated* two years old.) Madeline and Lydia picked out some treats for her and I gave her a very thorough brushing, her favorite.

-5-
Our best friends had a baby a week ago and she is totally adorable. (See for yourself.) It is taking all of my restraint to not pack up this circus and head for Georgia.

-6-
My next 48 hours is crazy busy and I am kinda stressed out. But it is all fun stuff and I just can't let go and enjoy it. I have about 12 hours to start having fun. I need to get with the program.

-7-
Madeline's birthday is fast approaching. I have been working on her friend party (her first one, eep!) invitations and I am beyond excited about them. I love party planning.

-8-
What to assure your children develop hearing loss? Buy them this toy. Madeline played with it today and I am pretty sure she is now partially deaf. It will be re-hidden in the closet asap.

-9-
Speaking of which, my master closet is eating at me. I have a one foot square to stand in there. It is about time for yet another clean out. Anyone else have one area of their house that is the catch all for the stuff you don't know where to go to when you have guests over? No. just me huh?

-10-
TEN! I'm half way there! I can do this... maybe!

-11-
I am kinda obsessed with Harvest Cheddar Sunchips. They are delicious.

-12-
My feet are freezing.

-13-
I got this book in the mail today. I am very excited to start reading it, but I know I am going to need Kleenex nearby!

-14-
I recently got a new to me sewing machine and am really enjoying the simple projects I've been able to create with it. That being said, I need to work on some new projects but I feel like I've maxed out my skill set. I bought a pattern to make dresses for the girls, but I am so confused by it. It is intimidating.

-15-
I only have 24 minutes to publish this. Eeep!

-16-
When Madeline was little her hair was super curly. This meant it stayed out of her face without much fuss. Lydia on the other hand has very little curl in her hair. I am constantly swiping it out of her eyes. Why not put a bow on her? Because it ends up in her mouth. I think, no, I know, she does it to get my goat. This little stinkas know how to push momma's buttons early.

-17-
Do you watch Jimmy Fallon? I wish he wasn't on so late. He is freakin' hilarious! He's the reason I am not going to post this before midnight.

-18-
I have at least 5 loads of laundry in need of folding. Two are left over from last week. I hate laundry.

-19-
I discovered the instagram app for my phone this week. I am obsessed. I'll have to do a post with my favorite photos soon. They are awesome.

-20-
There you go... the Tuesday Twenty. I hope I never have to do this again!

Sickapaloosa 2011

I started this blog what seems like ages ago and barely blogged. Then we had Madeline and I began my life as a stay at home mom. I blogged a lot. (Well a lot more than I did in the beginning.) Then Lydia was born and life kind of got in the way of me blogging. I try, but I just don't know where my time goes most days.

Back when I was a mother of one and a much more frequent blogger I used this space as a journal of our life. Our life as we know it. Right here. Right now. These days will fly by faster than I can remember them and I want to remember them. The good, the bad, the sick, the healthy, all of it.

I want to get back to that. I feel like I need to get back to that. I make no promises, other than the promise to my self to try to do a better job of recording our lives. Because some day I will want to remember this.

Even this,


We are all still sick. Monday will mark two full weeks of illness in our house and if the girls' colds last as long as mine and Kevin's we are in it for a while longer.

After my Tuesday Ten post Lydia's rash got worse and the next morning I took her into the doctor where they confirmed the rash was probably an allergic reaction the antibiotic she'd been taking since the previous Monday. She hadn't yet developed hives so the nurse practitioner suggested I continue giving her the medication.

I refused.

I am so glad that I did.

Later Wednesday and all day Thursday my baby was miserable because the "benign" rash turned into full out hives. What if I had continued the medicine? How much worse could it have gotten? Parenting is full of really hard choices and I am so very glad to have listened to my instincts and to have guidance from some really awesome friends (wink, wink) and an amazing husband to stand beside me.

As of yesterday I thought we were, again, on the mend. So, being awesome I sent the girlies to spend the night at my parents. Sorry Granny and Poppy. I hope you sleep better tonight! :)

When I collected them today, Lydia, who had been ok according to Granny and Poppy was a clingy, crying, miserable mess. See the above photo for proof. She stayed that way until bedtime.

Madeline, well it seems that this cold virus has finally caught up to my high spirited big girl. When I got to my parents Madeline was taking a nap. Yep, a nap. As in the first nap that girl has willingly taken since July 2009. And get this, she ASKED to go back to bed. HUGE RED FLAG that my home girl is S.I.C.K.

When we got home she had a low fever and spent most of the day sacked out or playing quietly. Totally, not herself. At bed time she had an even lower fever and was starting to get some of her normal spunk back, but she also didn't fight the bedtime routine at all (not normal) and fell asleep quickly.

So we will see how my squirrels are doing in the morning. Kevin is still hacking up a lung, but feels better. I am coughing but not with the intensity or frequency of my husband. I have my fingers crossed that if the girls really do get this funk that it is quick and less severe than Kevin and I had it.

Will you cross your finger's too?

I'd like to leave my house for something other than doctors visits, medicine and popsicles. Please?

excuses excuses

I've got a lot of them.

Instead of blogging today I spent way too much time watching YouTube videos. So as an apology for not blogging, I will share with you some of the wonderful gems I have found.

I am a self admitted anamated Disney movie fanatic. Even if you aren't, this is funny.




Hate the Eminem version, LOVE this:



Because I love this guy, even if I'd never heard of him before 12:30pm today...




And this makes me laugh every single stinkin' time I see it. This girl is hilarious!

The Tuesday Ten, vol. XII

Week of sickness edition

-1-
Last Monday Lydia was seen by the doctor and started on a round of antibiotics for a sinus infection.

-2-
Tuesday I was ready to say we are all better. The sky was rosy. All was well.

-3-
Wednesday I ended the day with a sore throat but blamed it on the fact that I taught my first class since before Christmas and talked almost non-stop for four hours. I was wrong.

-4-
Thursday I feel pretty crappy. It was St. Patrick's day and I wanted to head to the parade but decided to go for a walk and then rest in the afternoon hoping my throat would feel better. Then when I picked Madeline up from school I noticed she had junk in her eye and it was red.

-5-
Back to the Dr for the second time that week to have her diagnosed with... pink eye. When I asked if this was the same eye problem Lydia had the Dr explained that it was, to which I told him that I was seriously upset that he wasn't clear about this earlier in the week because who knows who we may have exposed that too... ugh.

-6-
Have you ever tried to put eye drops in a 3 1/2 year old's eyes? My 3 1/2 year old makes noises that might lead you to believe she was being tortured. I guess you could argue that it was torture. I know she would.

-7-
Friday, I am still feeling cruddy, but I decide I don't feel bad enough to go to the doctor. I'll just ride it out. Famous last words. I end up at a Walgreen's Clinic Saturday morning because I feel like heck. My diagnosis, a virus that will run its course in 7-10 days.

-8-
I feel worse every hour for the next two days only made worse by a stomach bug that is seriously unpleasant. Oh, and Kevin starts with a sore throat on Saturday. Sunday night the girlies spent the night at my in-laws. I slept horribly and didn't even get out of bed until 10am. Madeline and Lydia came home happy and super tired. By bedtime Madeline had a little cough and Lydia was running a fever and had broken out in a rash and low and behold... her pink eye is back.

-9-
Do you know what is worse than giving eye drops to a 3 1/2 year old? Giving eye drops to a 1 1/2 year old.

-10-
Today, Madeline is doing fine. Lydia's fever is hanging tough but she seems mostly unaffected by it. I am feeling better, not awesome, but better. And Kevin, well he's in it for the long haul.

My words of wisdom for the week: don't visit without a face mask and hand sanitizer. Deep cleaning will commence as soon as possible.

The Tuesday Ten, vol. XI

-1-
Lydia woke up 110% better than she was yesterday. Her eyes have cleared up and she was a happy smiley girl all day long.

-2-
I cut my finger whilst making myself a sandwich, yep a sandwich. I am trying to type with a band-aid on my finger and it is stupid difficult.

-3-
We are currently watching a history channel show about if a presidential book of secrets exists. They can't say presidential book of secrets without sounding ridiculously dramatic. I giggle every time.

-4-
The Warblers sang Blackbird, one of my favorite songs of all time, on Glee tonight. It was lovely. Not as good as the original, but I liked it.

-5-
Yep, I watch Glee.

-6-
I'm ok with that.

-7-
It snowed yesterday only confirming my desire, no need, for spring. Like, now.

-8-
The only problem is that my feet are totally NOT ready for flip flop weather. I just last week removed the last of the toe nail polish that was applied on August 4th of last year. It was a sliver of paint, but still. I want a pedicure like no body's business! If I had unlimited funds that is totally something I would treat myself to. I love having my nails done (both feet and hands) but can't justify the expense. Maybe some day.

-9-
Madeline has been talking about taking swimming lessons lately and informed me today that she can't go swimming until she has lessons. Why? Because it is against the rules and just wouldn't be safe. That girl is so much my daughter it is scary sometimes. She's my little rule follower.

-10-
I feel like sewing something, but I have no idea what project to start. Any suggestions?

World's Worst

Warning: If you have a weak constitution, have trouble dealing with illness or your heart breaks when you see a miserably sick kiddo I'd say this post isn't for you. It doesn't involve vomit, so at least it has that going for it.

Last week the squirrels had colds. They weren't too bad and in fact neither of them ever had a fever or developed the cough that so many of the kiddos seem to be hanging onto for weeks on end.

Then came Friday. Friday I noticed Lydia had a little gunk in her right eye before bedtime. Not to bad and I wiped it away and that was that. Saturday it was still there, but not too bad and I only wiped her face two or three times. Yesterday it spread to both eyes and was a fairly constant stream of ick. I called the Dr's exchange (I swear childrens immune systems have a clock that is set to only go off during the doctors no working hours...) and ultimately decided to bring her in to the doc this morning.

The diagnosis? A sinus infection that is "seeping" out of her eyes to release the pressure. Of course after her visit and the first dose of antibiotic she got worse. (Which I know happens all the time, but it is still hard to see my baby so unhappy.) She woke up early from her nap with a 100.4 fever feeling and looking all around gross. Until this afternoon Lydia hadn't run a fever at all.


So world's worst sinus infection? Maybe not. Grossest I've seen? Heck yeah. After her second dose of antibiotics and a round of fever reducer she was almost back to her normal cheerful self this evening. I just hope she doesn't wake up with her eyes matted shut again in the morning. Yuck.

Facebook Friday

I realized recently that part of the reason I have neglected this blog is because I have been using Facebook a whole lot more. It is just so simple to get online, get what ever is in my brain out quickly and move on.

So I thought it would be a good idea to record some of what I've posted on Facebook during the week. That way it is recorded here for all of posterity as well as on Facebook.

I am not going to re-post everything. Some things need not be repeated. Anything that is notable, or any photos I post I will re-post here.

So let's get started!

March 4 at 12:09pm
Kev is doubting my sensibility because of the way Lydia is dressed today. I'll admit she is a little bold with her colors but the hat was all her idea.


March 4 at 3:02pm
I just had a new (to me) sewing machine brought to my house by a dear friend. Let the fun begin!

March 7 at 10:41am
I guess Lydia's still feeling crummy. She just asked to nap two hours early and passed out almost as soon as I put her down. Worried what this means for the rest of the day!!!

March 7 at 6:00pm
Me: I love you Madeline.
Madeline: I love that rug.

March 9 at 10:08am
Dear Sun,
It was fun while it lasted. Could you please come out again soon? Like, now?
Love, Maureen

March 11 at 2:35pm
Conversation at the park is going something like this: "Up!" So I put her up. Immediately she says "down" so I take her down. "Up!" "Down!" "Up!" "Down!" When will I learn?