I'm Tired

4 am - thunderstorms. Rebecca wakes up because the cat gets in her room. I put the cat outside in the storm and try to go back to sleep through the thunder and the weather radio which keeps going off because of tornado watches.

4:30 am - Ben wakes up because of a nightmare and/or thunder and cries for Mom.

5:00 am - Joel gets up to get ready to go to the gym/woken up by shower,etc

5:30 am - Joel leaves for gym, letting cat back in on his way out

6 am - cat gets back into Rebecca's room and wakes her up again, gets locked in bonus room

6:30 am - I dream that Joel, Ben, Rebecca and the cat are all bothering me while I am trying to sleep and I am yelling at them to let me sleep.

6:45 am - time to get up.... *yawn*....

Strawberry Picking

Yesterday (Easter Sunday) Joel had to work, so the kids and I met Rebecca's friends Mira and Amelia at a local farm for some strawberry picking. The weather was gorgeous (sunny and in the 80s) and the bushes were loaded with strawberries. We picked way too many, enjoyed some strawberry smoothies, a hayride around the farm, as well as some of the other farm attractions (the girls loved the chickens, and Ben loved running around the "strawberry maze" which was harder to find the way out of than it looked).

After the morning at the farm we headed with Rebecca's friends to Panera Bread for lunch, and finally headed home where we made strawberry shortcake but to my dismay this used less than half the strawberries we'd picked. Strawberries anyone??

Spring Break Week

I learned this week that spring break is rather difficult when it coincides with Passover and when you don't take any time off work. The normal solution for Ben when school is closed is J Team, a program the JCC runs where they take the kids for field trips etc on school holidays. But the JCC was closed for Passover Tuesday and Wednesday, which meant I had both kids to deal with. Tuesday was pretty bad, the kids whined a lot, got yelled at a lot, and I had to spend a couple hours in the evening making up for lost productivity at work. Wednesday was better; in the morning the kids followed the maid around with feather dusters (shoulda paid the poor guy for babysitting) and in the afternoon Joel came home early since it was his half day.

Yesterday and today J Team and preschool were both functioning, and the kids have been happy to get out of the house.Ben goes back to school Monday, but Rebecca has off two additional days for the end of Passover. Fortunately (and miraculously) a classmate's grandmother offered quite spontaneously and unsolicited to take Becca all day not just for one day but for BOTH DAYS. Apparently she thinks that watching two kids will be easier than one, since they'll entertain each other. We'll see how that goes - but I am very glad that I don't have to stress about trying to work with Becca at home on Monday and Tuesday!

And now for a relaxing weekend... (?)

Passover 2011

Do I post the same Passover video every year? Oh well - here's this year's ;)

School Pic

Of my almost second-grader.

Snuggling

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Girl Eating Matzah

With Nutella.

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Seder at CJP

Yesterday afternoon was the Passover Seder at Rebecca's preschool for the full day 2s classes. Here's Rebecca singing along with one of her new favorite songs:

Patriot's Point

Here are some pictures from the trip that made 2 of the 3 boys pictured here fall severely ill (Ben and his friend Jared have both spent 3 days home sick. Hopefully they will be well enough to return to school tomorrow...)

Weekend Pictures

Not pictures of Joel and Ben's Charleston trip because I have not managed to get those off the camera yet - been derailed by illness (both Ben and I) - but pictures of Rebecca's superhero tea party with her friends Obi and Mira, a snake we saw in Obi's yard, and Rebecca at the Kids In Motion festival on Sunday. And one of Ben and Rebecca wearing Joel's t shirts after playing outside with the hose Friday night.

Norwalk Virus - Not Just for Cruise Ships?

So Ben and Joel got home late yesterday afternoon from their trip to Charleston, where they had a good time despite getting little sleep (apparently sleeping with 540 boys in the crew quarters of an aircraft carrier does not make for a restful night). Joel did take a few pictures, which I will post later when I have a chance. The footnote to the trip is that at 4:30 this morning Ben woke up with vomiting and diarrhea. Coincidentally (or not), I learned later this morning that Ben's friend Jared, also on the trip this weekend, woke up at exactly 4:30 this morning with the same symptoms. I'm now trying to keep Ben hydrated between frequent trips to the bathroom, and wondering how many other boys might have gotten sick as well??

Friday Update

Ben seems to have fully recovered from his stomach bug, and no one else has gotten sick (I think I can safely say this without jinxing anything). This is fortunate because Joel and Ben are heading to Charleston tomorrow morning with their cub scout troop to tour (and sleep on) an aircraft carrier, go to the aquarium, and do I'm-not-sure-what-else, except there's some big Civil War anniversary thing going on down there, which I am sure Joel (with his Civil War fascination) will manage to check out.

Becca and I will be on our own for the weekend; we have dance class tomorrow morning followed by a play date with two of her school friends, and Sunday we're planning to meet friends for lunch and go to a festival. Mental note to pick up some sunblock, since the forecast for Sunday is for upper 80s!!

Stay tuned for updates on all our weekend activities...

Car Pic

Here is a pic of Joel's new car for those of you who asked.

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Stomach Bug

It's a beautiful Sunday here in Charlotte - sunny and temps heading back into the 70s today after a week of chilly and rainy weather. Unfortunately, none of us can enjoy it... Joel is working, and Ben has been throwing up since 4:30 this morning. With Joel at work and Ben constantly in and out of the bathroom, I can't even take Rebecca out in the yard to play and enjoy some sunshine. So she is cooped up, bored and whiney (because I am not just keeping her from going outside, I am keeping her away from Ben too). Ben keeps asking for something to eat but can't even keep down tiny sips of water much less anything solid, so I've been refusing to let him have anything. So he is starting to get grouchy as well. And I am starting to feel decidedly queasy myself, though probably it's just from having to listen to Ben all morning.... Not a great day so far.

New Car

Joel picked up his new car yesterday - he needs to take it back still to have the leather put in, which is annoying, but hopefully that will be able to be scheduled soon. So far my favorite thing about his car is that there's no key to put in the ignition... as long as you have the keys in your pocket or purse the car will start just by pressing a button. Also the car will automatically unlock as you put your hand on the door handle, so you don't have to root around for your keys to unlock it. It also has a rear backup camera, which is cool (while marveling at in in the driveway we saw Ulysses walk past the back of the car, which the kids got a kick out of). Also there is no gear shift, just a little joystick which you move in one direction for forward and another direction for reverse, and to put it in park you press a button. Pretty neat.

I am happy also to report that Joel's bargaining skills are still in fine form - the lease deal being advertised by Toyota is for $300 a month with $2300 due at lease signing, for a Prius with no leather, no navigation, no bluetooth, no ipod dock or upgraded stereo system -- Joel got all of these things for the same monthly payment and with only $1500 due at lease signing. We still are not sure exactly how he managed that, but it did involve him demanding the title for his trade-in back and storming out once, with the sales guy and manager finally running after him.... Good job Joel! He did not have a pleasant car-buying experience though, and will not be returning to that dealership for any future business despite the good deal....