Day 4 of the Flu

on Friday (Halloween Eve) all 6 of them were flat d.o.w.n. on the couches. All the energy they had was for watching TV. Needless to say Halloween was cancelled this year. I wasn't too terribly sad about that. And I must say, it was incredibly unusual to have all 6 of them in one room together and no one was arguing. I really did enjoy that day. I am not happy they were sick but at least no one had energy to argue.

DH, #2, #3, #5, #6 are still running fevers. #1 returned to seminary this morning to find that out of 19 kids in his class only 8 were there-all the others were out sick. We did do a full day of school yesterday to much whining, complaining and they finally won with their piles of used kleenex piled high on their desks. But really the real clincher of cancelling school today was #6. She is a Klingon. It is darn near impossible teaching grammar with someone climbing on you whining, "Mommmmmyyyyyy. Juice. Mommmmyyy. cough. cough"

Just math, reading and writing today. There are lots of educational videos are around we can watch (I raided the library on Saturday.) Other schools cancel when more than 50% of the students are sick, right?

Another note-those of you that have gotten this illness, I was talking with Nona over the weekend and Jon's doc says the cough for this one lasts 5-6 weeks. Doesn't that just make your day? (dripping with sarcasm)

Who Knew?

A bushel and a quarter of apples yeilds 11 quarts of apple butter. It took 24 hours to cook down in my roaster. I had no idea they would cook down that much.

That Last Boy, says that mother shaking her head

"Mom! you cannot talk about my cute belly button anymowa! You can tickle me but you cannot talk about my bellybutton. You can talk about my cute eyebwows." as he wiggles his eyebrows at me.

Where did this personality come from??!

Just wondering

current U.S. population is 305 million.

current estimates of GLBT population is between 13 and 17 million.

Tell me why if the gay/lesbian/bi/transgender population is a mere 6.5% of the population WHY is there a GLBT couple/issue on virtually every single television show I have seen lately? ABC, CBS, Fox.

My Baby

She isn't too much of a baby anymore. I fluctuate between being sad she isn't a baby anymore and rejoicing. She is climbing onto everything. She comes up to me in the living room, climbs the arm of the couch and gives me snuggles. She was just up next to me and I kissed her. I said, "My girl." and kissed her again. She giggles and said, "MY Momma."

The talking, oh, the talking. Sometimes we just don't know what she is saying. I just have to look at her and say, "I don't know what you want." She gets all sad and melts down and I have to scoop her up and cuddle her.

She runs really weird. One side of her body pumps an arm at a 90 degree angle always. The other side is all loosey-goosey. She runs everywhere. Anything less than 5 feet away means she runs. For a while when she ran she shot both of her arms behind her. I guess she thought it made her more aerodynamic.

She is just getting used to me leaving the house. For the first 6 weeks of seminary DH reported she would wake and I wasn't in my bed and she went into immediate panic and wailing. I walk into the door now to a chirpy little voice saying, "Mama!! YOU home!!!" accompanied with a body slam hug.

She plays peek-a-boo with herself. She covers her eyes and waits until someone sees her and then says, "ABOO!" She knows all the body parts and it particularly enamored of her belly button. She shows it off lifting up her dress and pointing to it.

She will stand at one end of the room and wave at you. "HI ILI!" "HI AYIA!" "HI TAAA!" "HI BAAA!" She has a scream that makes you think an ice pick is stabbing you in your ear.

I really love when she wakes up from her naps. She has this habit of being just soooo happy it is sometimes hard to comprehend. She is delighted by the smallest things after she wakes up. I regularly hear, "OOOHHHHH!" as she is marvelling at a pair of shoes after she wakes up.

DH said last night that her nickname should be Boots. That is her regular attired lately--a diaper and boots. Purple little snow boots that she can zip herself and a diaper.

She is welled loved by all the sibs. #2 regularly seeks her out says, "Hi Little Baby" and picks her up for some loving.

We are so blessed with her.

Free apples

A man in our church gave us all the remaining apples on his tree. I think we got close to 7 bushels. I am dehydrating our applesauce from last year to empty out the jars. It will all get refilled with new applesauce next week. In the meantime we are eating apple crisp, applesauce crumb cake, apple cake, apple butter-you get the idea.

The little girls are enjoying the baskets and baskets of apples. I find apples all around the house with little bites out of them. The are on shelves, tables, upside-down garbage cans, on the piano, the coffee table...

I am very grateful for the free apples but would be even more grateful for a place to lock them up.

:)

Cocoa Loco!

#5 just came up to me (I am checking email). She said, "Mom! I want hot cocoa."
I respond, "That's nice" because she didn't say please.
"Mom, I am cocoa loco. Cocoa Loco! That is my middle name!"
"Your middle name is Jeanne."
"Oh, No! I want my name to be Wigga Jeanne Cocoa Loco ourlastname!"

"Mom? Is it okay if I change my name?"


She is now dancing around the first floor of the house singing, "Cocoa! Loco! My name is Wigga Jeanne Cocoa Loco! Cocoa! Loco!"

Chocolate has a hold on that child...