Date Night!!

Tonight Michael and I had a date night. So. Much. Fun. We actually trade off childcare with another couple from our church so that we each get one date night per month. I can't tell you how awesome it is to get out and eat a meal and chat with the love of my life. We love our children dearly, but getting to focus on each other is priceless.

Tonight we went to a Mongolian grill and it was quite tasty. Then we went to a pool hall and played pool and darts. We haven't done that since our first date so in a way it was a little nostalgic. And no night is complete without a warm, gooey dessert so we made sure to stop in to a steak house for their brownie sundae to finish off the evening right.

I love our date nights because it makes us better spouses for each other, which in turn makes us better parents for our babies.

Sorry so sappy tonight. I just love my family! I'm sure I'll return to my snarky, sarcastic self later. Right now, I'm just too refreshed to snark!

Just to Start the Flow

Okay no excuses this time. I have been a blogging slacker. Thank you to Pigs for waking me from my blog coma. I had actually been reading several of her posts and felt shame, oh the shame for how well she was doing at her blogging and then I'd look at my page. March 12th. Yep. That is the last time I blogged. Just seeing that date was enough to create writers block in me and I would leave my computer head hung in shame and tell myself there was always tomorrow.

Welcome to tomorrow, Aims. I am going to just ramble about in the hopes that it will re-start all the creative juices and they will flow out of me once more. Sorry if that sounds a little gross.

So we recently invested in a whole-house water filtration system. Which is super-duper nice. Oh my it is nice. My skin has never been so soft and finally, FINALLY my towels smell like the soap I wash them in instead of the chlorine and metals that were alarmingly high in our water.

While I love the system, the process of getting the system was a bit trying. I CANNOT STAND salesmen. Seriously. I don't trust them. There is not one word that comes out of their mouths that I don't question. I do, however, trust my wonderful husband. So when the salesmen show up, we fall into the good cop/bad cop roles and make Fast-Talker McSaley really earn his money. Michael does the majority of the talking while I just stand in the background and listen and glare a bit. From time to time I chime in with a question, but usually I direct the question to Michael because, once more, he is the one I trust. In the end, if Michael says all is okay I relax and the sale is made.

Once all the paperwork was signed the installation process began. I had no idea it would take so many different people to get this thing up and running.

We've had many-a-man come through yea ole house as of late. First there was the installation guy (who was here for about 9 hours one Saturday). Then we had the inspector guy who showed up randomly a week later to check the work that was performed by installation guy. Then Fast-Talker McSaley showed up again today to retest the water to prove to me (the bad cop) that what he said really was true. Oh and? Since we had a new system to make our water all nice and clean, we decided that it would be a good time to replace our water heater. So we had two other men here all morning long to complete that daunting task.

Claire actually asked me today if another man was going to come to our house tomorrow. Great, now I have to worry about her going to church on Sunday and telling her teacher about the numerous men that are frequenting her house. That'll be a fun one to talk my way out of.


(By the way, I tried and tried to come up with a better way to re-arrange that last sentence so it wouldn't end in "of" but I am too tired. So the teacher in me shudders, but the exhausted mom of two won the battle and we are leaving it as written.)

Good night all!

Funny Faces Brought to You By Pa

My Dad came for a visit last weekend. I always love watching my children with any of the grandparents and this weekend was no exception. They had a blast with their, "Pa".

On a particularly long drive to the rodeo, Sarah and Pa were playing together in the back of the van. She really got a kick out of it when he would blow gently in her face. She would alternate giggles and funny faces in her attempts to blow back at him. Here's the proof:

At the rodeo, Claire enjoyed her first pony ride:

Rolled down an indoor hill:

And fed some very persistent animals:

After all the fun, we headed home. Everyone was exhausted so we plugged in a movie and this is how the girls and their Pa spent the last two hours of the evening:

Boy are we thankful for all the options available to us for travel. It shortens the miles between our family members and allows our girls to know all their grandparents so well. What a blessing!

Here's What Happens . . .

The other day I was cleaning the kitchen when the phone rang. I ran off to grab the phone and returned moments later to this:

Apparently Sarah can climb now. Good times. 

Parade

A month worth of sickness will leave you with quite the case of cabin fever. We finally emerged from the cootie fog last weekend and enjoyed a local parade with our small group. So. Much. Fun. Seriously, I love watching things like parades through the eyes of my babies.

And boy did I forget how much candy gets thrown out at parades. Claire came home with more candy loot than she collected at Halloween.

Here are some pictures of the fun.

A little free advertising for the Liberty Tax Service.

Wave that flag girlie!

The bands were a little loud for Claire.

Mommy serving up some candy.

Sarah playing with one of the ZILLION strands of beads we caught.

Sweet sisters.

Sick

**UPDATE--see bottom of post**

I've always considered our family to be very fortunate in the health department. We (all of us) are hardly ever sick. EVER. But apparently the payment for years of living it up in the illness-free zone is a random year of sickness for most everyone. At least it seems that way because so far this year has been for the birds (health-wise). It all started in December when Michael came down with the flu. Fortunately, he had some Tamiflu on the ready and was well in a few days. Then all was well and quiet for several weeks until Claire came down with Swine Flu. It really was a mild virus and she handled it like a champ once we learned to mix her Tamiflu with something tasty.

But then the secondary infections set in. She has now been struggling with a gross, phlegmy cough for going on 3 weeks. She is on two inhalers and just finished off her second antibiotic. I think she is finally on the mend.

Finally out of the woods right? Right! Or so I thought until I woke Thursday morning with a HORRIFIC stomach ache. I could tell it wasn't going to be a good day. It was the type of stomach ache that tells you not to move a single inch unless you plan to bolt to the toilet. This is not something I am used to. I hardly ever throw up. Prior to this lovely virus, the last time I threw up was just before Michael and I were engaged 8 years ago. The time before that? I was about 10 years old. I never even threw up with either of my pregnancies. So, seriously, I am not used to this. But boy did I make up for lost time on Thursday. I was making a dash for the bathroom about every 10 to 15 minutes. Eventually I got to the point where, as my brother so expertly described, I would dash to the bathroom and have to debate which end of my person got to visit the toilet first. NOT. FUN.

I finally made it to the doctor's office and they gave me a shot of phenergan to stop all the vomiting. After about 2 more episodes, the medicine finally kicked in and I collapsed onto the couch where I've been stationed ever since. This virus has kicked my butt. I've lost 7 pounds during all this fiasco. Not my preferred method of weight loss for sure. I am still having trouble eating much of anything that isn't dry toast or chicken broth. But each day is getting better and so far? No one else has caught this thing. Thank you, Lord!

That said, Sarah does have something. Her symptoms are very similar to what Claire experienced when she had Swine Flu. So Michael is taking off work early today so he can take her to the doctor. I am way too weak to drive anyone anywhere. We'll know soon enough what her issue is. I am just guessing that she was feeling left out and wanted in on some of the action.

I am now taking bets on who is next in our family. Any takers?

Oh and? Can anybody tell me why cats decide the best time to curl up on your stomach is when you are suffering a severe stomach virus? UGH. I love my cats, but they are both circling me like vultures around roadkill. Maybe they always want to sit in my lap but can't because I am always chasing children around our house. Now that I am sedentary they are itching to get some cuddle time. It's sweet, but 8 pounds of warm weight on my stomach is enough to send me back into a relapse.

Okay, I've expended enough energy for this hour. Back to my couch.

*UPDATE*
Sarah is back from the doctor and it was indeed Swine Flu. Yay! (snark, snark, snark)

Absence

Sorry for the lack of posting. I have had two sick children off and on for the past couple of weeks. Claire had Swine Flu, which turned out to be probably the mildest virus I've EVER seen. And I am not sure what was wrong with Sarah. Just a random fever and lots of crankiness. Teeth maybe? Whatever it is has been waking them both up at random intervals during the wee hours. I think I am getting up and dealing with children an average of 6 times each night. Not something I am used to.

Anyway, between the two of them trading off high-maintenance behaviors, I've been too busy to sit down and blog.

Currently, I am reading and re-reading the instructions on two inhalers the doctor prescribed for Claire. These inhalers are supposed to get rid of her cough that has been our lovely souvenir from yea old flu. Reading about the side effects of one of the medications makes me prefer the cough. Seriously. One of them says "sudden death" occurred in pre-clinical trials. Yeah, we're not giving that one to Claire.

The other one? Seems pretty mild, but interestingly enough the side effects include: cold, upper respiratory infection and/or bronchitis. Nice.

Okay, I am off to bed to try to catch a little shut eye before one of my beautiful girls wakes me.

Nighty-night.