Lots of Things

A lot has happened that I want to write about since my last post.

I feel SO much better. I am so glad that antibiotics were discovered and developed. Still have a dry cough and a bit of pressure...but I finally feel like going out into the world and doing stuff again!

Justin worked late every day this week. So he was home, but he wasn't ever really home except for a tiny bit of time every day. We are all glad to have 3 days off to do whatever we want to do. No schedule and no pressure. Whew.

On Thursday, the girls and I left the house at 11:30 a.m. We headed north on Wadsworth for Longmont- and then east to Firestone to spend the afternoon with Jill & Co. I drove through 4 hailstorms and a torrential downpour. It took over an hour to get there. When we arrived and got out of the car we could hear a siren. That was the tornado siren. The tornado had passed by Firestone about an hour before that. Jill and I sat and watched the news the whole time we were there while the kids played obliviously to what was going on in Colorado. Such devastation that day...and miraculously only one person perished. Jill set the girls up with some chocolate Ovaltine in their milk before we started for home. We ran out of chocolate syrup a couple weeks ago and I promised them that I would buy more on Friday...but then I remembered we had that syrup from Italy. When Justin got home I raced to the store to get a few more items for our dinner. While I was gone, Justin made chocolate milk for them...with the Italian syrup...why not? They gulped it down- I mean it was gone within seconds. Justin decided to have another taste and took a swig. He had more than the other day when he was testing it out and this time he felt a kind of burning sensation on his tongue....sooooo we think there is probably alcohol in it and he accidentally gave them some. I popped the lid today and took a whiff and it smelled like a melted chocolate rum ball to me. I won't be having any of that...and neither will the girls...anymore that is.

Yesterday when I picked Ava up from school she wanted me to help her try and swing across the monkey bars. A lot of the kids her age can do it and have been able to do it most of the year, but poor Ava is one of the smaller 5 year olds (gee, that sounds familiar!) and has been scared to and simply hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. I help her do it almost every time I pick her up. Anyway, back to yesterday- I helped her do it and 2 of her classmates were showing her how to get all the way across. Finally, after cheerleading from the 3 of us she did a couple on her own, but then she'd freak out when she got to the middle and just hang there...then her hands would start to hurt and she'd drop down to the ground. She wanted to keep trying and since there weren't the normal 7 people in line for it, I helped her- with the other 2 girls taking turns. She was excited that she actually did a couple on her own. This morning she could hardly wait until Justin was ready to take them to the playground. If she had her way she would have gone in her pjs the minute she woke up. When I got home from my meeting and lunch date she was ecstatic to tell me that she went all the way across by herself...multiple times. I told her that she'll have to show her friends on Wednesday and that they will be so amazed. Woo Hoo for Ava!!

The other day I caught Mallory red-handed coloring in one of Justin's novels with a crayon. I chose her timeout to either be on a yellow chair or on the mat in the kitchen. She would not stay in timeout for even a nanosecond. I struggled with her for HALF AN HOUR. I was sweaty and coughing and gagging and almost puking and exhausted by the end. She was pushing and hitting me and I was afraid she'd bite my leg. I gave up. The girl is recalcitrant. I wonder how she'll do next year in preschool. Oy! So, after I threw in the towel, I took a closer look at Justin's books and saw a very well drawn orange person. The only color crayon on the table was a brown one- the one I saw Mallory holding. I asked Ava if she drew the picture. She said no. I asked again and said I knew it wasn't Mallory- that it looked like something SHE drew. She said she didn't want me to get mad at her. I asked her again and she said she didn't want me to be mad. I finally said, "I am not going to be mad- please do not lie to me. You need to tell Daddy you are sorry when he gets home." I don't have the answers...and don't even want suggestions...I just need to get it all out.

Well there was more...but I am going to end for today.

Hope everyone is having a nice and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend.