Growth Spurt

I've noticed a few things lately. 1. Caroline always seems to be eating. 2. If the bathroom scale is to be believed , she's pushing 34 pounds. 3. She comes up to shoulder height on Rebecca almost. 4. I went through her dresser yesterday and bagged a whole trash bag full of clothes that do not fit her anymore. This was about 3/4 of the contents of her dresser. Caroline desperately needs a new spring wardrobe.

While Caroline is gaining, Clara is losing. Thanks to diet dog food (and better portion control) she is down from 70 pounds (in August) to 62 pounds now.

Clara's Three Week Follow-Up

Clara had her post-op visit today. The most difficult challenge over the last three weeks has been keeping her quiet. She has been getting around on her leg just fine, but if she gets excited and tries to jump around or canter on the leash when I take her outside, the limp usually comes back. The vet said everything looks good and I may now take her for short walks on the leash, starting with just up and down the street once and gradually increasing over the next two weeks. She still needs to remain on the leash (no running or rough housing with other dogs) for another 9 weeks. But, so far so good! She was super excited at the vet today since in the last 3 weeks she has not been out of the house/yard!

A Disappointing Loss

Ben's basketball team made it to the championship game in yesterday's playoffs as expected, but ended up getting blown out by a score of I think 26-11 or something like that. They played the only team that have ever beaten them before (in the second game of the season) and I guess being behind was an unfamiliar experience for them because to a man they totally fell apart and started doing very stupid things on the basketball court. Well, Ben fell apart the least in terms of game performance, scoring 9 of his teams 11 points including intentionally missing the second of two free throws after being fouled, getting his own rebound and scoring. But, he fell apart the most emotionally. I understand that he was disappointed, and he's his team's best player and he had a lot invested emotionally in the season. But he sulked on the bench and complained about the refs every time he wasn't playing. They brought in certified referees for the game, and I guess Ben wasn't used to it because he claimed they were not calling fouls and that he'd gotten pushed, hit in the face, etc with no foul called. Now whether or not this was true, it does not excuse the complaining, sulkiness, etc. When the game was over he made a beeline for the bathroom instead of gathering with his team for the post-season wrap-up, handing out of commemorative basketballs, pictures, etc. Not cool. And I was not successful in coaxing him out of the bathroom in time for him to participate. He was conspicuously absent, what with Joel being one of the coaches and all :P

Added to the fact that we were at basketball from 3 until 7:30 with just snacks for dinner, Caroline getting tired, Becca unexplicably upset because of Ben's team losing, Ben's poor sportsmanship.... the day did not end on a good note. Joel and I were both upset and frustrated with Ben and we talked to him a little bit last night but he was upset and frustrated as well so we told him we'd talk more about it today after we'd all had a chance to settle down. He seemed fine this morning, back to his usual low key cheerful self.

TGIF!

Caroline says happy Shabbat!!

What a Difference a Week Makes

Last Tuesday we had started on our three day snow event , which turned into a three and a half day school vacation and dumped more snow than the Charlotte area has seen since 2004. Today the temps are forecast to hit the mid sixties, and even beyond into the 70's tomorrow and Thursday. The snow is mostly melted already except for patches here and there and the big snow-plow piles in the parking lots. (No I did not actually see a snow plow, nor have I actually seen one in nearly 7 years of living here but I am assuming the snow in the grocery store parking lots did not get piled up in human sized mounds by itself). At any rate I am assuming all remaining trace of the white stuff will be gone in short order!

We stayed pretty busy during the snow itself and over the weekend. Ben slept at a friend's house one night, and his friend came here for a sleepover one night (his mom was so desperate to get him out of the house that she walked him the mile and a half to our house in the snow), Ben had a play date at another friend's house, Becca had a play date and also attended a birthday party, and both kids had basketball practice and games and went to see the Lego movie.

The kids went back to school yesterday. They lost two days of their spring break and a teacher work day at the end of March in order to make up for the days missed last week, and yesterday and today are make up days for the two days missed the end of January. I had the day off yesterday, and I spent it being waaaaaay too productive-- Signed Ben up for flag football, stopped at the health food store for a couple of Caroline's things, stopped at the grocery store for a couple items Joel hadn't been able to get over the weekend (the bread aisle was LITERALLY EMPTY on Sunday), did 3 loads of laundry, straightened up all of the kids' bedrooms and the bonus room (found five empty cans of Coke Zero under the bed, now I know how Ben stays up during sleepovers), did the dishes, changed some light bulbs,and read 120 pages of Divergent all before Ben and Becca got home from school. Phew. Today I am back at work and after a sluggish start I am blazing through my to-do list almost faster than new items are piled onto it ;) LOL. Here's hoping for illness-free good-weather for the rest of the winter!

And Also, it's Valentine's Day!

Flowers for me, treats for the kids :) Happy valentine's day everyone!!

Pantry Climbing Monkey

A new species was born today... or maybe she thinks this is her super hero outfit. Her super power is being ridiculously cute and ridiculously difficult at the same time ;)