Catching Up

Here's a run-down of the few news-worthy items I've neglected to blog about lately:

1. Joel is finally getting a new car! I have known Joel since 1997 (started to count how many years that is but brain failed) and since then he has only owned 2 cars and they were both used. So the fact that he is finally getting a new car is big news! It's a 2011 Prius, but it had to be ordered from the factory since they didn't have one on the lot in the color and with the upgrades (leather, navigation system, upgraded stereo system) that he wanted. So it probably won't be in for another week. I am excited for Joel and will post pictures when it arrives.... I am also excited for the 50 MPG rating and the fact that it apparently turns on by pressing a button instead of key in ignition.... Cooooool....

2. I was awarded Employee of the Month at my job. This apparently means I get loaded down with even more responsibility (see recent post). It does also mean I got a $150 American Express gift check, which I think I will save and use to take Joel out for his birthday in a few weeks....

3. Rebecca is firmly in the 3 year old Jekyll and Hyde personality thing. At least, I hope it's a 3 year old thing - did Ben do this? I don't remember. She can go from super sweet one moment to raging tyrant the next. Yesterday she was super sweet and agreeable and adorable at her followup appointment with the pediatric endocrinologist (all fine, probably will only have to follow up with her once more in six months), even announcing that she LOVED the doctor. Then in the same day she threw an absolute first-rate tantrum complete with kicking and rolling around on the floor because (we think) Joel wouldn't let her walk up the stairs backwards. Go figure.

Spring Portrait Proofs

I wasn't planning on ordering any of these because we just got a fall portrait of Becca a couple months ago, plus I am not thrilled with the cheesy studio portrait backdrops. But if anybody wants any of these, I can give you ordering info. The cheesy grin is pretty cute ;)

Delinquent

Yes that's me, in the blogging department. I have all kinds of excuses, including work being horribly busy (another person in my department left and I seem to be required to do all of his work until they find his replacement, plus all of my work, and I was already doing more than enough work for one person), also Rebecca gave me her croup virus, though I guess I am too old for croup but not immune to a nasty cold. Joel vacated the premises for a conference in Los Angeles during the illness. Lucky him.

We had a nice (if short) visit with Uncle Mike Thursday-Sunday, he was actually on his way to Los Angeles for work and decided to spend a couple of days with us before flying out there. So he arrived Thursday night and Joel arrived back from his own Los Angeles trip Friday morning. The kids loved seeing their uncle and of course argued about who got to sit next to him in the car, who got to sit next to him at dinner, etc etc. The weather was CRAPPY (cold and rainy all weekend) and Ben's first flag football game was rained out. But with Uncle Mike around we did have a nice excuse to eat out a few times (Boneheads, Wan Fu, Mezzanotte) and had a nice time.

More updates to follow, and I promise not to be so tardy...

Becca & Uncle Mike

Reunited with her favorite uncle!

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Rock Star with Sippy Cup

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Croupy girl day 3

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Football

Practicing with Dad in the yard... Ben's first game (flag football) is on Saturday!

Croupy Girl

Rebecca starting barking like a seal yesterday, the tell-tale sign of croup. Despite it she seemed pretty happy and active all day yesterday, accompanying Joel to the grocery store, and Ben to his football practice, and playing vigorously outside. So we didn't think too much of it, until it suddenly got much worse after she went to bed. She woke up crying and even after she settled down was clearly not breathing as comfortably as she should have been. Joel decided to take her over to the pediatric urgent care clinic around 10:30 pm, where she received a dose of steroids to help her breathing, and a prescription to use tonight before bed to help her breathing.

This morning she had a healthy appetite and is now out accompanying Joel as he gets his hair cut and picks up her prescription. She is clearly enjoying being sick, which means she must be starting to feel better ;) Joel is going to go into work around noon, so I have more of a chance to make a dent in my mountainous to-do list for work....

Return to the Dentist

Not a fun morning for Rebecca and I this morning. She had an 8am dentist appointment to fill a cavity. The dentist did not want me to go back with her, and after about an hour of being able to hear her screaming from the waiting room the nurse came back to get me. I went back to find out that after all that screaming they had only just coaxed her into the chair and gotten the nitrous oxide mask on her. They had me sit on the edge of the chair and hold her hands for a while, until she calmed down and finally began breathing the nitrous oxide through her nose (instead of screaming through her mouth). She had about ten minutes of calm, relaxed, silliness before the dentist returned to actually do the work on her tooth. At this point she started screaming again, which meant she was no longer breathing through her nose and having any benefit from the nitrous oxide. The nurse and I did our best to hold her down while the cavity was filled. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes.

So what should have been a 45 minute procedure turned into a 2 hour ordeal. I am hoping Rebecca is a lot older the next time she needs any dental work! It was a rough morning. After the dentist I brought her home and let her relax in front of the tv for an hour and a half before taking her to school.

Pinewood Derby

Yesterday was Ben's cub scout troop's Pinewood Derby. Ben and Joel spent the last couple weeks working on his car with the help of our neighbor Kevin and his extensive tool collection :) Ben's car came out looking pretty snazzy. The Derby itself was rather annoying because the way they did it was to race every car against every other car, keeping track of who won each match... which took two and a half hours... and then called everyone a winner and gave everyone a trophy. I mean, really people! At some point it's okay to announce winners.... there were kids up to about age 12 or 13 participating, and surely they're old enough to be able lose graciously.... Anyway by our calculations, Ben came in fourth place out of 14 cars. So not too shabby! He had fun and was proud of how he did.

Milestone

I can now cram my feet into my six year old's sneakers. It's a tight fit but impressive nonetheless I think.

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Finally Friday

Sorry for the lack of blogging this week. It's been a tiring week. Joel was in Chicago for a conference Wednesday and Thursday, and work has been busy for me. We're looking forward to a sunny and upper 60s weekend though, with exciting events including Ben's first flag football practice tomorrow at the Y (yes for the first time since moving to Charlotte, we're doing something at the Y instead of the J -- crazy I know). We also have the Pinewood Derby on Sunday, with Ben's cub scout troop. Ben has been working hard on his car, and he and Joel need to put the finishing touches (okay, the wheels) on his car before Sunday....

Otherwise, not much has been going on. The kids are doing great and I am happy to report that Rebecca seems to have hit a groove with the potty training, and has been accident-free for a good two to three weeks now. And Ben's mid-quarter progress report from school included compliments from his teacher, such as that he enjoys learning and is always wanting to know more about the subjects they're studying. He's reading on about a third grade level, and reading chapter books on his own as his nightly reading now. He enjoys being quizzed on his multiplication tables, even though he's supposed to be working on addition right now. I am happy to report that he seems not to have inherited my mathematical defect ;)

More updates about football and the Pinewood Derby to follow, I am sure. Stay tuned!

Banana Phone

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Pinewood Derby Prep

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Not a Great Day So Far...

For Becca, that is. She narrowly avoided becoming a human piece of toast this morning... when I walked out to the garage to put the kids' backpacks in the car she was sitting at the table eating her waffle, and when I returned she was sitting crosslegged on the floor in front of an electrical outlet trying to coax her fork into it while talking to the fork ("come here little forky, go right in there....") She jumped and pouted when I yelled, and then announced in a huff that she wasn't hungry for breakfast anymore. I guess those outlet covers we removed when painting (or rather, contemplating painting) the kitchen should have been replaced.... though in my defense neither of my kids ever showed any desire to stick anything in an electrical outlet until this morning.... I made sure to review the don't-stick-anything-into-an-outlet-ever rule with both of them.

After the narrowly avoided electrocution, we headed to the dentist. This was Rebecca's first visit to the dentist. While my firstborn has always been a breeze at the dentist-- going back for his cleanings and x rays without me even from age 3, always following directions, never having any cavities -- Rebecca of course has to always be more challenging! I ended up having to go back with her and hold her down for a quick examination, and then sit with her on my lap while by the grace of God somehow we managed to get her to cooperate for x rays. Of course she does have a cavity, and needs to go back in two weeks to have it filled. With the help of nitrous oxide, which I hope will be my very special friend that day. (I personally HATE nitrous oxide - it makes me dizzy - so I can only hope Rebecca will find it more enjoyable and relaxing than I do!)

Hoping the rest of Becca's day improves!