"This will be fast..

I promise!" I told Sam as I logged on to check up on everyone's pages! Well, it was for me, but he's sighing big sighs of patience next to me with frequent reminders of I'm waiting Mom. I guess the only thing worse than having to share a computer is having to share a bathroom, huh? :) Any way, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas (belated) and Happy New Year to you all! I've got some fun pics from it all to share, but that will have to wait for another spare moment. ;)

I've got a boring blog page, but...

...well, I'm just lucky to have time to spare for a new post every now and then. So, like others of you (and you know who you are) I've been away from my blog for far too long. Mostly for the fact that I've missed jotting down some of those precious moments that go by so quickly.

Here are a couple of those that I have to write for myself more than any one. Yesterday was Aviendha's 2nd birthday. She and Ginny were having their own celebration for it in the kitchen while I was on the phone. Ginny had set up a little tea party and turned on the radio. So while Christmas music blared across the kitchen, they ran to get into party clothes. Ginny chose the sleeping beauty dress and Ne-ne chose three uninflated inner tubes (the colorful kiddie kind for use in a swimming pool) that she had draped over her head and shoulders. When I came around the corner they were both twirling away to Frosty the Snowman. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a picture or video; I'd left my camera in the car all night and it was too cold to take anything recognizable when I fetched it. :(

Then she's recently learned to tell a joke, at least at 2-yr-old's level. I would ask her what we should have for dinner/lunch/snack and she'd grin and say "butter". Nooo, I'd reply with a smile. Then I'd repeat the question. This time she'd say, "sugar" and laugh. Again, I'd laugh and say no and repeat the question. Her punch line, "sugar and butter" and then she'd just gigle at herself for being so clever! I love this age!!!

A few weeks ago our family had the stomach flu; a really nasty strain that hit hard and fast--within 72 hrs all but Adam had it and were over it. Well, Sam was one of the first to get it. He woke up early feeling yucky, lost his cookies a couple of times (without telling me about it until I stepped in it in the laundry room), and then laid in my bed and took a nap. But after about an hour of extra sleep he was up and feeling fine--no fever, chills, nothing to indicate he'd been sick. Since I didn't know at this point what we were all in store for, I attributed it to the candy he'd eaten from Sharra's drawer before he came upstairs. He's usually pretty good at staying away from things with nuts or peanut butter, but every once in a while something gets through. His symptoms fit this bill perfectly so off he went to kindergarten that afternoon with the injunction that if he felt sick at all again to please call me.
After school I asked him how he felt during the day and in true Sam fashion he answered, "Well, I did feel a little sick while Mrs. Murdock was talking about some boring stuff. But then my brain told my barf to go back down in my stomach. It didn't want to and some of it came up in my brain and swirled around like this (and he made the "crazy" motion with his finger next to his temple). But my brain was stronger and pushed the barf back down. Later the barf came back up to my brain and swirled around in my head behind my eyes like this (and he made a circluar motion in front of his eyes), but my brain told it to stop and go back in my body, so it did and then I felt ok for the rest of the day."

Another Sam moment was one evening while I was getting the girls bathed. Sam exploded through the bathroom door and rushed to the toilet (yes, I know another bathroom story--what can I say, he's a boy!). Ginny put up a big fuss about having to smell his pee and he should go use Mommy's bathroom. Sam retorted that he had to go right now and you don't want me to pee my pants do you? She still screamed about the smell and he turned to her calmly and said, "It's ok Gin; just pretend it smells like peaches."

Sharra loves to draw and will decorate our house with her projects any chance she gets. At Halloween she used almost a whole ream of paper to make a haunted house. She covered each paper with vampires, mummies, spiders, and ghosts. Then hung them in a curtain around the bottom of their bunk bed, all around the walls and closet doors, and even up the stairwell. Thanksgiving she perfected her turkey and made a book titled "The First Feast". Christmas, she's left reminers to be good with pictures of Santa all around the house. Ironically, while I'm typing this she came upstairs to ask if she could draw while having quiet time (she's home sick today). :) Oh, and this morning she told me that she thinks she'll be an artist when she grows up.

Ginny is noticing how she's "getting bigger". Almost every day we have at least one conversation about something she's noticed that means she's "getting bigger." Old clothes don't fit well, she can reach the countertop without a stool, she can lift Aviendha onto the couch, and she can carry Stephen around by herself (a nail-biter to watch, but she can pull it off!) Recently she's been staying in her own bed ALL night and she's been very proud of her bigger self for doing this! We're proud too, and thankful as she's a kicker while asleep!

Finally, Stephen has been dubbed "smiley boy" by his siblings who are thrilled (as we all are) when he smiles at them. If he's smiling they all have to drop what they're doing to come see. He's very much doted on around here, and at his age, that's prefectly ok!