Just some stuff

Allison's vocabulary is rapidly expanding. She can now say Mama, Dada, Nana, shoes, Sissy, more, and (the most commonly used word) this. She points to anything and everything and says/asks/screams "THIS". She is growing up too quickly if you ask me.
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Vanessa's potty training is at a virtual stand-still. She is in pull ups but treats them like diapers. She loves to sit on the potty and read or just relax, but she very, very rarely goes. She also likes to wear panties around the house but this, more often then not, turns messy quickly.
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Natalie is doing really well in school. She has really blossomed over the last couple of months in her reading and writing. One of her favorite activities is getting some paper and a pencil and writing anything and everything. She has made Keep Out signs for her bedroom door, I Love You cards for all of us, and has written endless amounts of stories. I can't always read what she has written because she sounds out the word and then spells it accordingly. There are very few vowels used! But I am proud of her for trying. She is such a little smarty-pants.
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Speaking of my smarty-pants...last night she came out of her room with a piece of paper. The title at the top was "Kid's Day". When I asked her what this was she told me it was a holiday between Mother's Day and Father's Day. Of course. She had come up with a list of the gifts she hoped to receive on the "Best Holiday Ever". Included was an easy bake oven, a cell phone, a lap top, money, a TV, an alarm clock, and a couch. When I asked her what she needed all of these things for she informed me that she was thinking of moving to the basement! The last thing on the list, and maybe the most important, was getting her ears pierced. She really wants to do this despite my every effort to dissuade her. I'm not ready for my baby to get any holes in her head that aren't supposed to be there!
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Blech.

There is a stomach bug going around. Just thought you should know.


My kids have been sick. Yucky sick. Throwing up all over me sick. It has not been fun.

First it was Allison. At 11:30 one night she woke up crying. I went and got her from her crib and headed to the living room. I got as far as the hallway when all sorts of gross burst from my baby. It was not pretty. She did that a few more times throughout the night. After our second changes of clothes I just gathered a few t-shirts for me and sleepers for her and put them on the table in front of the couch. I would get up, wipe us off, change our clothes, and go back to sleep. It was a wonderful night, let me tell you. She spent the next morning acting a bit weak and still not eating anything, but after a nice long nap she was back to her normal self.

Then Friday morning Natalie woke up with a stomach ache. Since Allie had just gotten over this VERY THING you think I would know what was coming. Apparently I have a very short memory. I took her temperature and when it came up as normal decided she could go to school. She kind of wanted to go. Her book report was due and it was hat day! So off she went. It was about 12:30 when I got that dreaded call. Nat had thrown up on her way in from recess. The little girls and I raced over to pick her up. She was laying in the nurse's office coloring when I got there. I told her I was so sorry that I hadn't listened to her that morning about her stomach ache.

On our way home Vanessa and Allison fell asleep...as they usually do at that time of day. When Vanessa woke up an hour or so later she was clutching her stomach. "My tummy hurt Mama." Uh oh. I gave her a big bowl and she proceeded to sit on the couch with her head resting in the bowl for a while. We all knew what was coming. And come it did. She threw up (in the bowl because we were so prepared). The rest of the day was not very fun.

Nat never threw up again, but is still having some tummy troubles today. I kept her home from school so she could fully recuperate. Vanessa did throw up again in the middle of the night, but since then has been pretty much back to normal. There is something still going on with Allie, but I'm just not sure what it is. She hasn't slept at night since Friday. She will fall asleep in my arms if I am holding her a certain way, but if I put her down she starts screaming. Not just crying, but screaming. She does this ALL night. She has had an off and on fever, but nothing long term. I am tempted to blame it on the molars I can see coming in. They are big and they look like they hurt. But with all the sickness going around I just can't bring myself to rule out anything.

I'm sure after reading this you are all insanely jealous you don't live in our house. I'm going to go back to babying my babies. They deserve it.
(coming soon: our trip to Sesame Street Live amidst all this sick.)