Need Sleep

Well, we've managed to mend this month. We've gotten through most of the winter and managed to get to a fairly even keel the past few days. So naturally, G starts drooling up a storm and being super cranky. He's got a tooth or two coming in some more, or he is simply growing. Based on his chubbyness as of late, the growing thing may be up there. We continue to have issues with his ears and are trying to find an alternative to look at to putting tubes in. We shall see when the battle comes to the ENT the beginning of April.

A is having a blast at school and learning all the things she shouldn't.  We are having a difficult time teaching her that she can act a certain way around her friends but not her parents. Also, difficulty in her using phrases we'd rather she didn't that she learns from people in authority at school. They don't allow the children to cry and regularly reward with candy. This is driving us nuts, and only a year or so before we have to worry about kindergarten at this stage.

Work for me has been good. I've gotten a title change, and a few things removed from my plate. Hopefully we can find someone new to help me out even more, so we shall see. There have been several applicants, but none that really seem like they'll fit in, so we leave the position open for now. 

Chris is going nuts at work. His role is constantly becoming less defined which increases the frustration level. I think his work is better at communication (or lack thereof) causing issues. Oh, and who is responsible for said communication.

I got to play handbells today for church. A lady has a two week old, so I got to play her bells. I'm not sure I like small bells...I had the A/B so got the naturally discordant seventh note on occasion. I got all the important accidentals as well, so go me! I'll continue to play these bells until she feels like she can play them, then I'll go back to subbing in on an as needed basis.

Chris and I even managed to drop the kids at church this past Friday. That was probably the highlight of our week. We left the kids in the care of the youth group which is trying to raise funds for a mission trip to Costa Rica. Daunting, but we took them up on it. We manged to help some people move (it wasn't us moving this time!) and got to know them a little as they are just moving down the road.

This week we also had some ice, and here are a few of the photos. I took a quick video of the kids skidding down the ice at the park near us, so if you want the link just e-mail me and I'll shoot it to you. 

Love is in the Air

Well we worked on Valentines this weekend. Both kids are having a party on Thursday to celebrate friendship and such. We had beautiful weather this weekend and spent a lot of time outside. A is working in riding her balance bike. G is living the sticks. Yesterday they played with some berries in a neighbours yard. A wanted to see which ones were juiciest, G just wanted to see what they did if you squeezed them really hard. Both ended up with reddened fingers and smelling like dirt and outdoors.

We may be over our bout of viruses around here. Everyone seemed to make it through this week much better than the last several.

Work is much the same for both Chris and me.  Not a lot is going in except getting ready for spring and lent which is starting soon. I got to go with a friend to see Phantom of the Opera today. Chris did a fantastic job of watching the kids. They went to the park for hours and meet several people there. Well it was a busy day for all so I'm going to bed now. Hope all is well with you.

Oh, wait...I'm supposed to post something here?

Well, as January is officially over and I'm just now sitting down to write a blog for the weeks in January... Well, I'll be nice to myself and say I took a blogging break.

January started with A staying at Granma's and going to see her cousin NJ. She came back with a fantastic cold that she still hasn't managed to kick. She had a blast doing all the extra things with Poppop and Susan, one of my cousins, going to work with Granma, and then kids yoga before flying out of town.  She's adjusted well to being back at school though we still have our trying moments.  This week it happened to be getting herself dressed. We are slowly getting her back to sleeping on her own, and she sleeps on or in a fantastic sleeping bag (beside our bed) a couple nights a week.

G has grown a lot. He's also cut six teeth. At once. Well, he's still working on the last two of those six actually erupting entirely, but they are there raring to go under the gums.  He cut his four pre-molars and not all of the pointy parts of those are out yet, but between that and the cold he picked up from Granma, he's had a pretty fun month as well. 

Chris has started his spring term and is trying to get the schedule hammered out that will allow us to be human. He is probably going to work late on Tuesdays so we will hopefully be able to play racquetball again.

Me, well, i'm just trying to hold it all together. Work is crazy and hopefully soon it will all start making sense. I had a slight muscle/nerve issue in my neck/shoulder half-way through the month that left my right arm numb and unable to do anything. Let me tell you, both kids understood that well.

So, we are not sad to see January go. I'm sorry that I haven't had many fun pictures or posts.  I posted on Friday at the ice cream place. We had to go by one to see the chiropractor for me and my muscle/nerve and since we got sent home early because of nasty chemicals in the air at my work, we stopped and ate some.

We welcome February and all the fun new things that it holds for us. Hope the same is true of you.

Ice Cream!

A quick visit to Sweet Frog that left G wanting all of A's and her refusing to eat. 

Christmas at Biltmore

We tried the Biltmore today and were successful. We got to see 30 trees in the house, which is around half of what they claim is there. We finished our trip with ice cream in the courtyard even though it is cold.

Ear Check

This weekend we tried to visit Biltmore. We had some discipline issues with A and didn't get far.  We may try again this weekend or we may have to go again next year.

We went to doc for G today. He has inflammation yet again. This was a check after his 12 month appointment showed what could be an ear infection.  We will be getting a call soon regarding an ENT visit. We are looking for alternatives to tubes and really don't expect a different result from giving him yet another round of antibiotics. The first two have obviously been so helpful.

We have been working and getting ready for the holidays around here. A will tell anyone and everyone that Baby Jesus's birthday is coming soon. For our nativity calendar, the 24th is when you put the baby in the manger. She so wants to put him there but is slowly realising that it is only a few more days until she gets to. Hope all is well with you!

Alpine Village

We went to a festival today.  A local church creates a village inside a gym and gives stuff away because Jesus came and have himself away. The kids and I went as my boss could only get four tickets. We did typical Christmasy stuff while there. The favourite shop for both kids was the chapel. A wanted to tell the kids coming through about baby Jesus and her black boots. She wouldn't let G play with the doll, though he tried to put his fingers in the doll eyes.

I had to work this morning before our adventure, and Chris got the Christmas tree up and sort of decorated. The pre-strung lights are almost all gone out but the tree is good so we are having difficulty getting rid of it. We just need to get replacement lights I suppose. We have an interesting advent calendar going as A has a pig in the sky right now. I like it though and don't want it to ever change really.
G is jabbering. He is determined to talk and is doing a decent job of communicating these days.

Here are a few pictures from our village adventure.