First Day Back

With all that anxious worrying from yesterday, things went pretty much okay. Miss L and I had a wonderful day today going to the library, Target (for more diapers), and I started piano lessons. She did pretty well, but I still considering getting a babysitter for the evenings, I haven't decided, I guess I'll give Gary's schedule one more week.

Gary had night call last night, but was done around 3:00, and after being informed they would call him around 5-6, he decided to stay at school. This is a downside of living away from the school, (there are very few). 9:00pm rolled around, and he decided to come home. 12:30am came, and he was called, but because he was home they didn't make him come in. I think we need clearer instructions next time, because they aren't supposed to call the med students after 11pm.

I guess we'll just wait it out. I am ready to get back to a schedule, make some new years resolutions, see someone other than my family (too bad too many kids too sick to play), and drop some Christmas weight. Because of a certain little boy growing in my abdomen, I don't think the latter will happen, but at least I can walk Miss L to the park in the mornings. More to come on the New Years resolutions...

Things I like about Miss L

This has been a relaxing weekend. After finishing up a whirlwind of December, too many sicknesses, and a fabulous trip to Indiana, it was nice to take a few days with just my little family. We had a nice relaxing weekend of yardwork, housework, and enjoying each other's company. Gary starts the hard part of med school today, and I have been anxious and nervous for him. I am terrified to be a single mom the next 3 months, but we'll see how it goes. I think fear of the unknown (hopefully) is always the worst.

Meanwhile, L and I have been relaxing at home. Her personality and talents are really starting to come through. Some highlights:

1) She doesn't really like dolls, but she loves animals...especially puppies and horseback riding. She screamed every time we took her off the horse in Indiana.

2) She needs a strict bedtime schedule. She has never been a good sleeper, but the Indiana trip did her in. The day after the big trip was a terrible night sleep, since then we had to be really strict...no movies with mom and dad, major schedule right around bedtime. We don't need anyone waking up at 3 again. I've ordered some books at the library as well.

3) Potty training has begun. We've had a lot of accidents, but it is nice not to have to change those poo diapers. She is pretty good about letting me know when the latter is coming, but #1 still needs some work. Any suggestions? I also have ordered books at the library on this as well.

4) She can pretend. My mom got her some dishes to go with a kitchen one of my piano students gave me. Yesterday (at bedtime) she wisked our mashed potatoes. Set a place for Daddy, Mommy, and herself with forks and cups, and gave us each a scoop. She was sure refill our drinks as well. I wished I had taped it. Maybe this week.

This Week...cancelled

Well this week has been interesting. I not only had the usual full schedule of teaching piano lessons, library day, playgroup, etc. But this week I also had a 2-year-checkup for Miss L, a doctor's appt. for me, a husband with finals, visiting teaching lunch scheduled, a song to practice for enrichment, a friend with a birthday lunch, and my M-O-L is coming on Saturday, so my house needs to be immaculate too. But....all that was canceled.

Miss L did way too much partying Sunday night and came down with a case of the stomach flu on Monday. She's never had this before, we've thrown up, but they were single episodes, not this. We thought it was food poisoning, because it was gone by Monday afternoon, but reemerged during enrichment Tuesday night with Gary at hand.

It is mostly terrible to have a little sicko, Wednesday morning she just curled up at 9:30am and wanted to lay in bed, poor little thing. We did a lot of hugging, about 20 loads of laundry (and I am not exaggerating) and because all of her toys were played with Sunday, I bleached them all, as well as her bed, the floors, my kitchen. My piano has been clorox wiped at least 35 times. I guess on the bright side, we've all lost weight (although she and Gary didn't need to lose any) and Gary and I did not get sick which is really a blessing. In addition, I got to cuddle with my little girl all week and make her feel better, which I actually liked, she is not much of a cuddler...unless she is sick, and my house is pretty clean (although at the moment not up to M-O-L standards (which my mother-in-law probably would not care, but I of course create unrealistic expectations for myself). And lastly, it was kinda of nice to have no commitments, I am quite ready for some now (I volunteered myself to play at our neighborhood home tours Saturday, because quite frankly I need to get out of the house).

Fortunately, Miss is L is over it although I have kept her off all dairy (How long are you supposed to monitor diet?) because I can't usually eat normal for a couple weeks following the flu. Poor Miss L is now starving and I don't know quite what to give her. She can not live on bananas, rice, saltines, apple juice, and gatorade. What she wants is cheese, I think that is no go for at least a week.

Today we are getting out of the house, and have about a million errands to run, food to buy, and a house to get spotless.

So two questions:
1) What to feed her?
2) Because I blame every sickness on the devil nursery at church, is it wrong to keep her away from those kids for another week? I don't want her sick again right before Christmas. This week was tough enough on that little body. (I also do not want her to eat the snack... I don't know what they feed them, but I can just picture dirty little hands sharing snacks with each other. We like to refer to it in home as "the den of contamination").

ps. I really like our nursery leaders, it is just the common uncleanliness of the age group and that fact that I am just am sick of her coming home from church weeks in a row with a cold and now this.

HACKED again

Well I decided to hack Pam's blog again to bring you the most annoying and disturbing Christmas card ever. - G

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my favorite girl in the World!!!

I have some very darling pictures to post, but I think they will have to wait, because I can't find my camera at the moment.

We had breakfast in bed, presents (which I think the exciting part was getting to rip paper), a wonderful dinner of honey ham, which was absolutely fabulous made by Gary, and a few little friends for some cake and candles. It was a nice day. I got to spend it mostly with the 2 people I care most about in the world. And one of them is 2 now!!!

Today I am greatful that I have a little family. I am greatful that they are my everything.

Pigtails and Errands

My little companion and I had a rather uneventful, but thought provoking morning. We ran errands.

First to church so I could practice the organ. L proceeded to reorganize all the choir hymnals and crawl across the seats. It may have been a little irreverent, but that what I've got to do if I want to practice. I learned that my daughter is the cutest thing in the world, trying to sneak under me to play the organ pedal, and that I really really love playing Christmas.

2nd was to the post office, which was quite uneventful, but the library (and therefore toddlertime) is right next door. We had a ball with the "little girls" bathroom in the library, L could have sat on the tiny toilet and flushed it all day, I'm hoping this will warm her up to potty training (that will start when Christmas). I learned little tushes are soooooo cute especially when they want to do it "all by myself", and who knew you could get so excited about a potty.

3rd was Old navy, where we tried to find a belt for this little girl. Unfortunately they don't sell them and she fell fast asleep with her pig tails in. What a good girl.

4th and completely selfish I learned chic-fil-a has the most incredible sandwiches, which actually look like chicken breast inside and not processed meat. I haven't had one in about 15 years, and I am definitely sold. Throw in a fresh bun and some good honey mustard, and the best part, thanks to Gary finding every internet deal in the world, it was free.

5th Gary got "promotional" box of Danish cookies with one his internet purchases, and I love them. I used to take them in my lunch for school when I was I was little. I don't think they will last long, and my waist will show where they went, but I don't care. In fact, I am eating them right now.

That's my day.

Thankful to be busy

Today I was grateful for the busy confusion of the day, including playing Thanksgiving songs on the organ, teaching my class about tithing, and a medical school pie party at my house. This week has been a little eye opening. Gary starts his first test tomorrow morning and to honest with the week mostly off from piano teaching, I have been a little lonely. Gary has been incognito with studying, and it made me realize just what I will be dealing with come January with clinics starting.

L and I did our best to keep busy, Wednesday I cooked like mad, Thursday morning I made rolls (and L made rolls with her play dough), we had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast at Leslie's, Friday we went to the zoo, then went shopping for sun glasses (L's request) and Christmas lights, and then got pizza. Saturday I snuck out and practiced the organ for a while then came home and decorated the house for Christmas. I wasn't going to do it until after L's birthday, but I don't think we will be doing a party this year, and I needed something to do.

This is the first Thanksgiving weekend (Wed-Saturday) without the bustle of family in the house, and it was a little lonely. I guess it makes me all that more thankful for good friends to share holidays with and time with my family when we can.


And I am thankful for Dec. 14th when Gary is mine for two whole weeks.