Tourist

I work up this morning, and the temperature outside is a solid

-18

It's okay, though, because when Ken and I get to

Rome

on Friday it will be 70 degrees warmer than it is right now.

I'll be the tacky American walking around

in shorts, thank you.

I'll basically be spending the next week exploring the city while Ken is in meetings. Anyone have any suggestions of what to do?

Sale Alert: Shade Clothing

FYI, Shade clothing is taking 25% off their sale prices. There are tons of shirts, many for under $5. Great time to stock up on basics, me thinks. I like the puff sleeve top, shown here in blue.

Thrice?

Conversation with Sir Luke:

L: Mommy, how many times did Daddy get shots at work? {we have a slight obsession with S-H-O-T-S after the debaucle a few months ago with the flu shot}.
M: I think 2 or 3.
L: Hmmm {thoughtful look}. So was that twice that he needed shots or thrice?

The Princess hath Arrived

Santa brought Evelyn some dress up clothes for Christmas.

(I think someone was feeling guilty about the dominance of cars, trucks and shooting things in our house. And, frankly, wanted to play dress up.)

I was a little concerned that Evie wouldn't be as into it as Mommy was.

No need to worry. We spent an hour this morning trying on crowns and hats. "I-ahnt pwin-thess" she would say, and point to her head. Then she kissed her beautiful image in the mirror.

I guess I should have figured, given that I found her walking around in my satin red pumps yesterday.

Job Hazard

What do you think about while cuddling your sick 2 year old in the rocker?

Here is the thought stream running in my mind:

It's probably just viral, I'm sure it's just viral.
Maybe she's dehydrated. Her pulse feels kind of fast. (pull out stopwatch with light and maneuver checking pulse while trying not to wake the baby). 160? I think that's a little fast.
She was throwing up a few days ago. Do you think they're related?
Maybe her fever isn't from her cough, but from her appendix. (try to feel belly without waking sleeping baby). It can't be her appendix.
I'm sure it's just viral.
But she's been coughing and doesn't really have any other viral stuff.
Should I look in her ears? (which I don't do to my own kids -- don't mind at all looking at other people's kids' ears. but not my own.)
Darn. Maybe she's got pneumonia. She needs a chest X ray. If she was in the ER, I'd order a chest X ray.
Do normal people take their kids with fever for one day and a cough to the ER?
I can probably wait till tomorrow. I'll just check on her every few hours (and I did).

My poor, poor children.

Christmas Day Recap

On Christmas Morning, we:

Figured out that Santa really did come.

Watched the kids' excitement over their mountains of presents.

Well, Luke and Ryan were excited about the presents. Evie was mostly excited about her sucker.
Opened presents. And more presents. And more presents.

Luke was generous enough to offer his present -opening services to anyone who needed them (or, really, anyone who didn't need him).
Luke's favorite? His geotrax airplane, along with stuffed Stegosaurus ("Steggy"). He also loved his packet of cars (with his name on it) from Grandma and Grandpa.
Daddy got a PSP and a ton of games.
Grandpa got a new hat -- this is in remembrance of his old Indiana Jones hat that met an untimely end on a cruise ship a few years ago. Doesn't he look dashing?
Ryan's favorite present by far was the box of fruit snacks from Aunt Danica.
I got a new purse from my parents and a new, wide angle lens for my camera from Ken. Plus some very cool stuff from China (silk scarf, jewelry).

We spent the rest of the day playing games, enjoying the snow and making a snowman, an just hanging out. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Luke

Today the first day of 2009 (what? I'll never remember to write that on things. Never.)

It's also the 5th birthday of our oldest son and my first baby.

5 seems so old to me. Like the beginning - of the end.

School. Kindergarten. Riding the bus and being grown up then asking to borrow the car and taking girls out and getting married.

(I might be a little crazy).

But I love this boy.

I love his determined spirit and sense of leadership (this is the boy who at 2 years old was rounding up and leading games with the neighborhood kids).

I love his efforts to help - he cooks with me, puts away dishes, tries to help with Evie.

I love watching him with his baby sister. He reads to her, entertains her, begs to sit next to her during dinner, even shares his coveted fruit snacks.

I love his smarts. This is the boy who essentially taught himself to read (and was all put out a few weeks ago when we parked at a spot at the gym labeled "for parents with small children." He got a horrified look on his face after reading it and cried out "but Mom! I am not a small child!"). This is the boy who spent an hour last night practicing German words with his Daddy.

I love his big dreams. In his mind, he can do anything. This is the boy who shed tears this summer because he couldn't spike the "beach volleyball" (aka the 6 foot high volleyball net in my parents' backyard) over the net like he had seen them do in the Olympics. He's already planned out who he's going to play football for -- the BYU Cougars, Michigan, the Vikings, the Bears and the Packers (because "that's your favorite, Mommy").

I love his consistancy, attention to detail (some might call it O.C.D. I call it attention to detail). Life is good when everything has a plan. He reminds everyone -- including our nanny when we're gone -- that we read scriptures and say prayers every night. We sang "Silent Night" until at least mid-May because he loved the song and couldn't bear to put it to rest.

Happy birthday, my old little boy.