Midnight Musings

It is now 12:51 am. Normally, I am happily asleep at this time. I require a good 8 hours if I am to be anywhere near cordial the next day. Tonight, however, Ryan is not feeling well. Poor kid is coughing so hard he is vomitting. Yuch! I put vicks on the feet, reluctantly gave him some robitussin, set up the humidifier and made us beds in the living room. After 15 minutes, he started yucking up. So, we tried a nebulizer treatment which so far, has not seemed to work at all. It has, however, made him WIDE awake! I am sooooo tired! I think in the morning, we will be calling the pediatrician. He has had a cough on and off all winter and this one has hung on for about 2 weeks now. It seems to leave only to rear its head every once in a while. I had childhood athsma and I wonder if he might have it as well. A few years ago we had him tested for allergies/athsma and were given a diagnosis which I don't remember. I do remember it boiled down to a wintertime type.

Brrrrr

Brr ... doesn't even begin to cover it! Today is a snow day for me - well, not exactly snow day, but Cold Day! Yesterday morning was fun leaving home - the sidewalks and streets were covered with a beautiful layer of black ice courtesy of the freezing rain that fell and kept falling as we drove to school. I had to keep the heat up full blast and the windshield wipers going or the ice formed on the windshield. It was crazy. During the day the temperature kept dropping and snow fell. In all we probably have 3 or 4 inches. Not alot, but the temps are below zero and when we woke up the windchill was -33. Yech!

It reminds me of growing up in Iowa - I remember walking to Church and having to walk on the grass because the sidewalks were too icy. In college, over Christmas break (I stayed up there), I was walking to work - about 3/4 mile - and half way there I had icicles on my eyelashes and booger cicles hanging from my nose. It was COLD! I also remember a day my first year of teaching when the principal called to say we had no school. I went to the window and thought she was crazy as there was no snow. However, later in the day when I went to attempt a walk to the post office, I could not get off our property as the ice was so thick it made even walking on the grass a slippery mess.

So, today, on our COLD day, Ryan and I are going to make valentines, cookies, and banana bread. I'm also thinking there will be some playing and coloring as well and I'm going to try to sneak in an episode of Gilmore Girls. Stay warm!

Connie

A little while ago, I found out that our friend, Connie, had passed away at age 69. I first met her 10 1/2 years ago when I first started dating Rob. They had lived near each other for over 10 years at that point, and she was close to Rob, his mom, and especially his dad, who had passed away a year before we met.
Connie was a character. She was short, and outspoken, and told things like it was. She was also very giving of herself, her advice, and anything else you needed, though she had a very limited income.
She was married a couple of times. The only husband of hers I ever knew was Clark. The two of them were meant for each other and complemented each other very well.
She was a unique lady. She believed strongly in spirits and believed they were all around us. She talked to them and they talked to her. She made me believe that those who pass on never truly leave us.
She was outgoing, yet very miserable in social situations. She did not like crowds in the least.
She was a family woman. She loved her kids, but also her grandkids and her great-grandkids. I don't know that she was the first, but Victoria was her favorite. Victoria was born June 7, 2001, a year after I met Rob. She was our little girl and always had a special place in our hearts. Her mom was young and not around a lot her first year, so Rob and I spent a lot of time over at Connie's playing with Victoria. We would take her places and hang out with her on a pretty much constant basis.
After Ryan was born, I didn't see Connie or Victoria as much. I'm sad I wasn't there to see her grow. I see her every once in a while and she is growing in to a beautiful young lady. Connie was so proud of her and always showing me her report card and telling me about awards she had won. I worry about Victoria and what the loss of her 'granny' will do to her.
Though I haven't been close to Connie in over 5 years, I am deeply saddened by her death. We all knew it was coming, she was sick for a long time and always had health issues. Though, she was one of those people that you thought would never go because she had cheated death so many times before.
I am sad, and I miss her and the thought of never seeing her again.
Connie, thank you. I miss you. I love you. I will keep an eye on Victoria, and I know you will do the same. Come around and visit, but for goodness sakes, don't scare me, ok? :)
Roma

January 23

I have a confession - this 365 pictures project has stressed me out. There have been several days where I have forgotten to take a picture, only to get out of bed to get one taken. Seriously? I don't think that is what this project is about, at least not for me. I've decided that when the feeling moves me, I'll take and share a picture. And, when it doesn't, I'll blog about something special during the day or a fun moment or such. So...

Friday Ryan and I went to the library, only to find it closed. We then continued on to the grocery store to pick up a few sale items. It was a good shopping trip, but the end was the best. As we were in line to check out, Ryan, who was in the back of the cart, stood up and danced to the piped in music. The sparkle in his eyes and the smile on his face, plus, his goofy dance moves, totally made my day and melted away all the negative of the week.

January 20 picture

Just a goofy picture of my little goof who insisted on wearing a hat today. Gotta love him!

January 19 picture

Sorry about the angle of this picture! Today Ryan seemed fine when I dropped him off at school. However, when I picked him up, I found out he'd been miserable most of the day. He had a runny nose and his eyes were watering, especially the left one. He looked horrible. We didn't fight him at all at bedtime and let him sleep on our floor in his little cocoon that he has set up. Here he is sleeping peacefully and feeling much better.

January 18 picture

I'd like to introduce you to Eddie. I have had Eddie since I was 17 years old. At the time, I worked at Polaykoff's, a tiny family grocery store, in a not so savory area of town. I was working on Christmas Day - we were open for 4 hours. At some point during that time, our bag boy came back in to the store, after having helped someone out with their groceries, and he had Eddie in his hands. Eddie was brand new with a big red bow on him - obviously a Christmas present of someones. We kept him on top of the cash register until the end of January, when my boss told me he was mine and to take him home. Twenty three years later I still have him. He has been a comfort for me through many things and is still a comfort. He has helped me, my sisters, my roommate and my son. Everyone knows who Eddie is.

January 17

First, thank you Martin Luther King, Jr. for being brave and standing up to those people who treated others unjustly. Without you, our world would be so much different. Thank you for your courage. I wish I could use my voice the way you used yours. I'll work on that.

Today was a much better day. Ry woke up feeling a little unsure of his tummy,but that changed quickly. By noon we were out the door and on our way to clean the car. Unfortunately, everyone else had decided to do the same thing. We cleaned the trash out at home and then cruised to the car wash where the rest of the city already was. So, we skipped the vacuuming and washing and decided to head to the playground.

Ry had a blast. He played in the sandbox and then headed to the monkey bars, which he tried over and over. He could only get to the 3rd bar, but he never gave up. It was so nice to see my little one feeling better, and so nice to have a great day together.

January 16 picture

Ryan was sick today. I started to suspect something when he crawled in bed with me at 6 am. That in itself was not unusual, but the moaning in his sleep was definitely new. When he woke up, he told us he was going to be sick and he was. Poor guy. Ryan is quite the active little boy and always, always on the go. Once he and I got out of bed, we came out to the front room and he curled up in Rob's chair, and I went to the couch. We stayed in our spots for quite some time, as he didn't want me to go very far. For most of the day, we stayed in our spots - him watching his shows and me reading and knitting. Finally around 4:00, he was feeling a bit better so we got on the floor and played Toy Story 3 for a bit and then blew some bubbles. After about 20 minutes, he crawled up on to the couch and took his 2nd nap of the day. For a boy who no longer takes naps, he really needed them. My picture today is of Ry, blowing some bubbles and having some fun on a definitely not so fun day.

January 15

I love this little boy! He has started recognizing some words and is trying to 'read' the paper - of course, true to form and just like his dad, he started with the Sports section!

January 14 picture

First, I have to apologize for the crappy pictures this week. My pictures have been sort of an afterthought, at the end of the day. This picture a day is harder than I thought, but I promise it will get easier for me and more thoughtful as the year goes on.
Today's picture needs explaining. I had bookclub tonight, and the book was The Crowning Glory of Calla Lilly Ponder. It was a really good book, although a tad long. It took place in Louisiana and when books have a specific theme, place, etc., we will sometimes try to gear the food to follow suit. So, I thought - king cake! However, since Easter is super late this year, that makes Mardi Gras super late which means there are no stores that are carrying King Cakes yet. I was bummed! But, I decided to be a bit creative. King Cakes always remind me of cinnamon rolls. So, I bought some cinnamon rolls, arranged them in a circle on my tray, made some extra frosting which I tinted purple and did some drizzling and sprinkling and TA DA! My own King Cake! The ladies loved it, even though it looked pretty sad. But, we had a fun discussion and some great food!

January 13 picture

Some days, you just have to get some dinner on the go and Chilis hit the spot!

January 12 picture

When Rob & I got married, someone gave us a waffle maker. We used it several times, but when we moved to our current place, it somehow ended up in the garage, which is packed full, very full, horribly full. There is no finding the waffle maker right now!
We decided, though, that we wanted to make waffles, so we borrowed one from his mom. This waffle maker is ancient - older than me, even older than Rob. It has a cloth covered cord!
The waffles were delicious, and the perfect dinner for a chilly night.

January 11 picture

Today, it was COLD! Snot freezing cold. It reminded me of growing up in Iowa, so I snapped a picture of the Hawkeye mug one of my students gave me for Christmas.

January 10

Yesterday we got snow - maybe 5 to 6 inches total where I live. It was cold, but not below zero and with the snow totals, I wasn't even wishing for a snow day. This morning I woke up at quarter to six and told my husband, "I have 15 more minutes." Ryan came up about 10 minutes later and we snuggled while he told us about his dreams. I kept thinking, "I need to get in the shower because we need to leave early." Just then, the phone rang! It was my assistant principal telling me there was no school today. Later I found out it was due not just to the snow, but extreme illnesses in our building including strep throat, scarlet fever, and H1N1. Whatever, the reason, we enjoyed the day. I got to watch some of my favorite shows (Gilmore Girls & Dharma and Greg), play Toy Story Yahtzee, play Go Fish, and just in general, play. Oh, and of course, I got a little knitting done. Oooh (I keep forgetting things, can you tell?) I also made a batch of breakfast burritos for those mornings when I'm running slow, a batch of Rice Krispy Treats, and if the pumpkin thaws, I'm going to make Ugly Muffins.

Ugly Muffins are a recipe my sister gave me. You take a chocolate cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and a 1/2 cup water and make muffins. Oh, and add a handful of mini chocolate chips. Unfortunately, I'm out of chocolate cake mix, so I thought I'd try spice. I'm thinking they might be pretty good.

The picture for today is a flat snowman. The snow, though cold and beautiful, was not conducive to snowball or snowman making - just too light and fluffy. So, we got creative and made several flat snowmen. Isn't he cute? My sister, Renae, sent Ryan the snowman kit for Christmas and he's been dying to use it, but this was our first real snow. I have a feeling we're going to get a lot of use out of it!

January 9

Today we got our 2nd real snow of the winter. We had a dusting or two before Christmas and then some snow last weekend amounting to about 3 inches. Today and tomorrow we're expecting 5-10 inches. Ryan and I took advantage of the weather and had a little snow fun. I love how the snow clung to his little eyelashes.

January 8

My mother-in-law had surgery on December 21. Originally we thought she'd be home in 2 or 3 days. Well, when they got in there, it was a bit more serious and she ended up not going home until December 26. It made for an interesting, busy, and stressful week with trips to the hospital, her place to feed the cat, etc. We had been planning to do Christmas dinner at her place, but when she got discharged, the doctor put her on a liquid/blended diet until she saw him on the 3rd of January. We opted to wait on our ham dinner until she could have it. So, on January 8, we had Christmas dinner. Here is the ham before I took it out of the electric roaster. If you don't have one, get one - I LOVE our roaster!

January 7

Quite honestly, I don't know why this photo is sideways - I'm still figuring out this whole blogging thing and am not quite sure how everything works. This is our book club book for this month. I finished it the other night and it's quite good. Check it out.

January 6

Normally, he's not a nose picker, but we were goofing around and this picture came to be - he's such a little goofball!

January 5

Sorry - this picture was taken with my cell phone, and as you can see, the pictures aren't the greatest. Today we took my mom to Walgreens and ended up waiting for a while. Right by the pharmacy counter is this little m&m guy and Ryan had a great time entertaining himself, me and the rest of the customers with his interactions with this guy.

January 4

Sometimes, a girl needs a little treat - this is my treat of choice. I used to be a chocolate girl. I still am...sometimes. However, once in a while I need a little sweet with a little salty. Crunch n' Munch works perfectly.

Project 365 Update

Unfortunately, last summer, our computer got some sort of nasty bug. I asked a friend of ours to work on it; he's worked on our computers before and does a great job - plus, he doesn't charge us much. Well, he's been very busy and still has the computer. Luckily, during the summer, I had my school laptop to use and then as school started, my mom got a new computer and was donating the old one to my school. We are using it, temporarily, until we get ours back - if ever!

So, putting an end to the story, I am only able to load photos on the laptop and only on the weekends, unless I remember to take the camera with me to school. So, here's an update of the week...

Monday, January 3

We had fajitas for dinner...yummy! It has been too long since we've had them and we had just a tiny bit leftover. I was going to take if for lunch the next day, but overnight, I remembered why it had been so long since we've had them...they don't mix well with my digestive system.

January 2 - Project 365

Day 2 ... Do you see a theme? I love my little boy! I promise, though, that not all 365 pictures will be of him. Today was special though, it was our last day of winter break. For the past 2 weeks, we have spent nearly every moment together. It started with him having a horrid stomach flu, followed by me straining my back, then Grandma having surgery and being in the hospital for 6 days, then daddy at Grandma's for 3 days and nights...It was a busy, stressful holiday for us. We were all a little out of sorts. But Daddy came home Wednesday night and Thursday we started to get back to normal a bit. We had our niece for a few hours each day on Friday and Saturday, so today was our first day at home, just being together and relaxing. Ryan and I played a few games of Go-Fish - his first time playing, and he was a pro and beat me 3 straight games. We then played Toy Story 3 Yahtzee, which was a Christmas gift from his aunt and uncle. He LOVES it and we have played countless games of it in the past week. Today it was nice to just relax and play games and stay warm.

Project 365

Yesterday I posted about Project 365 which I found via Ravelry. The goal is to take at least one picture every day. I'm hoping I get better at this, as I'm taking many pictures and finding it hard to choose what to keep as my one picture of the day. I'm going to try to post them on here - probably not daily, but as frequently as I can. So, updating on days past...

January 1 - Oops ... It's above. Ryan had his cousin, Corrianna, over to play so we went out and had a snowball fight in the first snow of the year. Here they are getting ready to attack me.

New Year's Wishes (not resolutions)

I have a hard time with New Year's resolutions - I never keep them. Last night I listed some things I'd like to do in 2011. Hopefully I'll do well with those. They are wishes, though, and something I'm going to try.

Today I thought of a few more things. One is something I've heard about the past few years and decided that this year I would try. It is Project 365 and once I figure out how to link things, I'll link it. Basically what it is is taking a picture every day of 2011 to see what the year has been like. I'm going to try it. I took several pictures today. Now to just keep it up. I'm going to try to post the pictures once a week to keep myself honest! :)

Another thing I've thought about the past several years was knitting a nativity set. I thought if I did a piece a month I could finish it by Christmas. I haven't done it yet, and I honestly don't think I'll do it this year. However, I would like to knit Jesus, Mary and Joseph. That gives me 4 months to knit each of them. That I think I can do.

I also just joined a group on Ravelry committing to knit an ornament each month. I can do one each month. This month I think I'm going to knit a snowflake. There's also a super cute advent calendar made of mittens that is a garland. I thought that would be so much fun for Ryan. He loves his advent calendar and it would be fun to find a cute treat for each mitten. I'll try to knit 2 mittens each month, but we'll see. What I love, though, is that I have summers off so anything I get behind on, I can catch up during the summer.

Right now I am behind on my knitting. I told my sister I would knit her a pair of flip top mittens, but I don't like the pattern I found. I'm going to have to keep searching. I also told my mom I would knit a pair of fingerless mitts for another sister. And, I started a hat for Ryan only to be sidetracked but holiday knitting. I'd really like to finish it. It started as a superman hat, but he saw a pattern for a batman hat and like it better. The only thing is, I don't think I have the right colors. I may just make it a plain old hat and work on the other later. We'll see.