Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Hide your dumplin's, your cobbler, and your cotton

Hamp's little toofy's (that's what we call them around here) have managed to just barely break through.  Or at least one of them have!


BUT, that's not what was causing his pain, or not all of it at least.  After a trip to the doctor on Saturday morning, we found out that he had double ear infections.  Ouch!

After two days of meds and some super awesome numbing ear drops (which means he's sportin' some cotton balls in his ears), he's improved tremendously.  We are so very thankful for that!


Cutest beginnings of a tooth ever?  Very likely.



To celebrate his new tooth, Hamp enjoyed some chicken and dumplings, peas, and peach cobbler last night for dinner!  Needless to say, his appetite is strong as ever.


We took Kate to the doctor yesterday because she quickly developed a nasty cough that just wouldn't quit.  She turned the waiting room into her little playground and guarded the water dispenser with her life.  If we wanted water, we had to go through her.  She was the water monitor, if you will.  Because this is an excellent idea, for your sick child to put her hands all over your cup before placing it to your mouth. 





Here she is taking a sip of her water, but being very careful to keep her eyes on the others in the room.


After getting some meds for my sweet girl, we headed home - but not before a quick swing by Target.  Thank you Target, for filling prescriptions in your wonderland-of-things-I-want-but-do-not-need.  Actually, I only bought a couple things for Hamp, because the poor boy has been wearing cut-offs, as in cut-off pj's.  We've been cutting the feet out of his pajamas because he's gotten too long for them.  I would like to say that this is something new we had to resort to, but unfortunately we did the same thing when Kate was a baby. 



Before we knew a cough was setting in, Kate spent the night with her cousin, JP (my sister Big Al's son) on Friday night. 

The best way to describe Kate and JP's relationship is this:  They are each other's biggest fans.



 


While she was there, my sister sent me this picture through text:

Miss Incredible


Earlier on Friday we had a playdate with Lydia and Sara Gale....


The girls thought they were big time, playing with the older kids' PSP's (or whatever they are called, I cannot keep up with all the letter combinations lately!) while they were away at school.  PS3, PSP, ABC??  Who knows what they were really playing with?  Anyway, I've found that if you say any combination of three letters real fast under your breath, everyone assumes you know what you're talking about.






Then it was time for dress-up and chocolate... (pretty good combo, if I do say so myself!)




Aunt 'Rella made Hamp feel better and gave him lots of cuddles.


The good news is that both kiddos seem to be on the upward slope towards being well again. 


A few random thoughts before I go:

--Last night M to the Izz-A was out on-call, so I watched the Bachelor for the first time in years.  I used to watch it all the time, prior to motherhood.  And even though I had no idea who was who, I sat right there and watched it from beginning to end and enjoyed every dang minute of it.  Even though B-Rad gives me the creeps. Big time.  And if you can creep me out after just one episode, you are cuh-to-the-reep-y.  That does not mean, however, that I will not try my hardest to watch you next week.

--If my phone auto-corrects (incorrectly) what I'm texting ONE MORE TIME, I'm gonna throw it.  Hard.

--I've found that walking backwards helps your joints to pop and crack less.  Explanation:  After putting Hamp in his crib asleep, if one of my joints just so happens to make the smallest sound when walking out, he will more likely than not, wake up with a quickness.  So in an effort to curb that, I have started walking out of his room completely backwards, all the way from his crib to the door.  (Are you picturing this in your head?  Please don't.)  Discovered all this by chance, my friends.  I know, I know, forget Brad, now I'm creeping YOU out.

--I've decided I want to sing Katy Perry's "Firework" to karaoke.  Somewhere.  Someday.  I'm a big fan of the pretty-screaming type singing.  But in the meantime, that microphone that Kate got for Christmas is lookin' like it'll do the job.








Thursday, January 6, 2011

Think About Such Things

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.-Philippians 4:8


About a year and a half ago, I wrote a post about being intentional with your thoughts.  (Please visit or revisit that post, or this may not make any sense at all.) 


Well, today was one of those days where I had to be intentional about being intentional. 


Talk about down in the dang dumps.  I'm tellin' ya'll, I simply cannot handle a sick baby.  Cannot.


As much as I'd like to think of myself as a pretty positive-thinking person, sometimes I can't just take everything with a grain of salt and go on throughout the day as if everything's okay.  I'm telling ya, it's like some days I feel like I can take on the world, whereas some days I feel like I can't even take a shower.  Today was the latter.  (And at this point, if you're thinking I'm crazy, don't tell me.)

 Hamp has been crying for the past two days straight.  I'm assuming it's his teeth trying to come in, but he's also a little congested with a cold.  My poor little man has been so irritable, miserable, and just plain pitiful and that has a tendency to make me feel the exact same way. 


So while I didn't want to 'waller around' in the negative, I decided to focus on the things that made me smile - the little things throughout the day that brought me joy (or kept me from joining in with Hamp and just screaming).


#1 -  My big preschooler was so proud of what she made in school today, she asked me to take a picture of it "for Daddy".   I love that she's proud of her school work.







#2 - and the fact that she flares her nostrils sometimes when she smiles, just like her daddy.







#3 -  This little guy finally found some relief and took a short nap, in my arms.






#4 - This precious, family-sized bag of goodies was left over from our cookie decorating party...AND they were in the fridge, which means they were cold and crunchy, just the way I like 'em. 





#5 - seeing that about three-fourths of my grocery list is crossed out and accounted for, because M to the Izz-A volunteered to stop on the way home from his meeting and pick up the things that were on the we-need-it-NOW category.  The other stuff can wait.

I know ya'll are diggin' my stationary.  Don't worry, you can get yourself some from Burger King.  And the pen?  Teacher supply store, baby.




#6 - watching Kate and her daddy work together on their garage project.






#7 -  seeing this little guy get some fresh air and go longer than 5 minutes without crying. 





#8 - a pink washcloth and a blue washcloth -- well, not the actual washcloths, but what they represent:  A little girl and a little boy who have my heart. 




#9 - Leftovers from last night = tonight's dinner





#10 - A couple of new parts and they got it running!


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Turn Arounds, Teeth, and Old Toys

Well, I got up this morning, got Kate all dressed, packed her snack bag, wrote out this month's tuition check, put her good behavior tokens in a baggy to be exchanged for a trip to the treasure box, strapped both kiddos in their car seats, patted myself on the back for making decent timing, and drove to Kate's preschool only to turn around and drive right back home


with Kate still in the car.



Today was not the day that school started back.


Apparently.



When does one learn to actually read the calendars sent home to parents?


The holidays have indeed fried my brain. 


So, I turned around - but not in the preschool's turnabout, because I didn't want anyone seeing me (not that there was anyone there to see me. Everyone else was still at home, in their pj's, reading their monthly calendar.)   So,  I used the next driveway as my sneaky turn around spot.  What?   I can do that. 


I was excited about getting back into routine, I guess.  As I've told you before, I thrive on routine.  Plus, I was running out of crafts and fun things to do 'round here.  We've pretty much exhausted all means of 'fun' around here for a while.


Yesterday we resorted to drawing our bodies on butcher paper.  Well, Kate and Hamp's that is.  We voted against drawing Mama, because with the height I'm packin', that roll of paper wouldn't be much of a roll anymore.







Love his blonde mohawk!

Hamp wasn't sure what was going on and wouldn't stay very still, which resorted in one leg longer than the other.  His legs are constantly moving.  Maybe he's born to run?






Hamp's also been quite the drooler lately.  No shirt is safe around him, it will inevitably end up drenched, even if he's wearing a bib. 


His little gums are swollen and I just know that a tooth (or two!) will be poppin' through any day now.






Trying to get a shot of his puffy gums.  Kate wanted to show her teeth, too.



Drool is cool. 
And so are orange noses due to lots of carrots and sweet 'taters.

Playing with the toys Santa brought me.


Sorry, I got a little sidetracked.  Those lips are just too much!  Sweeeeeeeet sugar.



And I forgot to mention that it snowed for a millisecond over Christmas weekend!  Kate had been asking all month long if it was going to snow for Christmas and my response was always, "No baby, it doesn't snow where we live."  Well, I guess I didn't know what I was talking about.  We pulled Kate out of bed, wrapped her in blankets and took her outside to see it!  She couldn't believe her eyes and promptly pointed out the fact that I was wrong.  It does snow where we live.


We got it on video, but no pictures.  It didn't last long enough for all that. 


But M to the Izz-A had decided earlier that week that since it doesn't snow where we live (or so we thought), he'd make some ice for Kate, using the ol' sprinkler system.








And for the record, I tried to start the new year off to a productive start.


Tried. 

Project Old Toy Toss will have to be completed during nap time, because just as I went to toss this toy:





Kate reminded me with all the excitement that she could muster, "Wait, Mama!  I remember that!  I love it!  I remember it from when I was born in a baby manger!"


So it looks like that turtle is gonna be stickin' around for a while.  But only because it was given to us by one of the three wise men.