Rude Awakening (334/365)

There is nothing like waking up to the sound of your four year old
throwing up. She had no fever, though she felt feverish to me, but she
got sick several times. Surprisingly despite that she was in good
spirits - better than she is when she's not puking, in fact.

Which is saying a lot, see my previous post.

Unfortunately I think she may have passed the bug on to me, and just
when I was starting to feel better too. UGH!!

In Case You Haven't Seen It (333/365)

The best picture taken at Kaylee's birthday party from the other night, courtesy of Charles. I can't help but laugh! If you were wondering, she was upset because she couldn't help blow out the candles. Gotta love those girls.

I'm Sure Someone is Happy (332/365)

Please excuse my short posts from days past. I've been really under
the weather since right before Thanksgiving and I'm finally starting
to feel better.

Except, now I have very little voice at all. Which is fine, I'll take
that over the extreme sinus pain, body aches, and fatigue any day. But
I can't help but wonder if this is God's way of telling me I need to
STFU. ;)

So for now, just call me wheezy. Or Marge Simpson. In fact I sound A
LOT like Marge at the moment. It's Matt's dream come true.

Did I just say that?

It's Awfully Quiet Without You (331/365)

Well that sure didn't last long! I hope you enjoy the rest of your
vacation with Grammy! Miss you, little monkey. We all do.

Happy Bday to You! (330/365)

You act like a monkey…and your Dad smells like one too!

Happy Turkey Day! (329/365)

Got Any Grapes? (328/365)

Waddle, waddle.

Baby It's Cold Outside (327/365)

Yesterday it was nearly 70*F, very unusual for Illinois in late
November. Today, well, take a look at how bundled up Izzy was at the
park. What a difference 24 hours makes!!

Go Big Blue! (326/365)

Since Grandma couldn't come to us tonight due to a basketball game, we
went to her. Needless to say we all had a good time, especially the
girls. I think the two big girls would make really great cheerleaders
someday!

Grandpa's Got His Fairies (325/365)

And all is right with the world.

Well, They Come By It Honestly (324/365)

Both of them are in love with Grandma's new toy, the iPad.

At least they are sharing nicely.

What a Difference a Year Makes (323/365)

It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since Izzy's surgery, and all that is left to remind us of that day are pictures and a very thin white scar on her chest that looks no worse than a cat scratch. She's come a long way in those 365 days, thank you to all who helped us through that hard time. You made life a little easier for us all just by being there for support and for that I am forever in your debt.

Her health is definitely something I am thankful for this holiday season. What a difference a year makes, indeed.

Well I Made It (322/365)

The only issue I had was when it got dark, I was worried I wasn't
where I needed to be because nothing looked familiar at night. When we
got home, Dad and I made dinner and we all sat around the TV and
watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It was a great end to a long day.
Thanks for thinking about me!

Don't Kill Me, Grandma (321/365)

We've been enjoying Alice's birthday decorations since her party. I
know that was ages ago, but Matt really did do a great job putting it
up. Anyway, during lunch today I decided to take it all down and put a
few of the items up in the girls' room since I know we'll be
decorating for CHRISTMAS soon (I seriously can't believe it's that
time of year again).

Anyway, Iz was S L O W L Y working on the remains of her lunch when I
went to their room to hang the decorations. When I came back, I found
Izzy's hair like this (she's also sporting an Auntie Annie smile in
the first pic - so cute)! I've often told Cindy that one of these
days I'm just going to spike up that natural faux hawk she's got going
on - Grandma begged me not to.

Well, Grandma, we decided to go with it today. How do you like it? :)

I must go pack now. I'll never get out of here tomorrow after lunch
like I planned if I don't get my act together now. I've been SUPER
sick to my stomach all day today with nerves. Think of me please. I
can totally handle getting lost (which I don't anticipate happening),
but what's getting to me is that I worry I'm going to kill us all. I
sure hope I sleep tonight.

Wish Me Luck (320/365)

Matt won't be able to take his exam until Tuesday and he needs the weekend to study, SO...I'm going to drive down to J'ville by myself (well, the girls will be with me, but that doesn't really help) on Thursday or Friday. It's not exactly high up on my list of things I want to do, but hopefully we'll make it through the day unscathed. Hell, hopefully I can make it into the car without having a nervous breakdown and I decide that I can't do it by myself after all. I'm gonna need a lot of luck that I don't freak out in the middle of the highway. Ugh.

I'll Take More Days Like Today, Please (319/365)

You all know that Alice has been a handful lately. It's gotten so bad
lately that I urn for bedtime because by then I just can't take it
anymore and I need a break. Well anyway, today she was fabulous! She
didn't fight me during any of her meals, she listened very well,
together we cleaned up toys in record time, she shared well with Izzy,
she only got sassy a few times, etc. We even got to do several fun
things together today, which was really a treat.

I don't know if she was just having a good day and I got lucky, or if
this is the start of something better. Either way I don't care. I will
rejoice that she gave me one nearly perfect day, and hope that they
continue.

I'm Izzy, Two Utensils Bathje (318/365)

So she wasn't using both in this pic, we missed the opportunity, but
tonight at dinner Izzy must have decided that her dinner tasted better
if it came off of two utensils. She is still having issues with
eating, but tonight she shoveled it in with two hands!

Probably because she didn't eat a good breakfast or lunch. I'm hoping
the meds still need more time to kick in.

Happy Bday, Annie! (317/365)

For two whole months you get to be 29 while I'm 28, ha ha! ;) We all
love you very much, and my whole crew had a blast celebrating your big
2-9 with you tonight (everyone is already sleeping but me)!

The best part for me, next to lots of belly laughs and good food, was
finally finding a game that I'm good at! Maybe I just got lucky, but
either way, I had such a blast. Thanks for being such an awesome part
of our lives, and thanks for letting us be a part of yours.

I Love Friday Nights (316/365)

Matt made pancakes and popcorn tonight, per usual. After dinner the
girls both had baths and Daddy set up a tent in the living room so we
could watch one of our Goodwill 47¢ VHS movies (we chose ET) that we
bought today. Yes we still have a VCR, and no I don't plan on getting
rid of it any time soon. Anyway, Alice loved the movie, but got really
scared when the guys in suits appeared looking for ET. So scared in
fact that she rushed to sit on my lap (I can sit on the floor under a
saggy sheet tent for only so long). By the end of it she had forgotten
about the scary bits and was throughly engrossed with ET. I'd say it
was 47¢ well spent!

Pic: Alice, post bath with her new favorite toy, a Lalaloopsy doll.
She bought it with a gift card she got from Auntie Mary and Uncle Andy
for her birthday. Apparently they are pretty popular toys, I think
they are going to be one of the big toys this Christmas season just
based on what I've seen in the store. Personally I don't get their
appeal, or their price tag, but whatever. She's happy.

Stick a Fork in Me (315/365)

I'm done with this day. It could have been a lot worse I know, but I'm
ready for it to be over nonetheless.

• My ears hurt
• My throat is scratchy
• Izzy choked on orange pieces
• She also didn't nap well
• Probably because she too has something
• Alice was unruly once Matt came home
• Cat puked on the floor for the third time this week
• It's raining
• The kids were monsters at dinnertime
• It's not Thanksgiving yet

And now I'm off to bed. Hopefully it'll be a better day when I wake up.

One good thing about today, 30+ years ago today one of my best friends
was born. Happy Birthday, Jess! I hope it was a good one! Love you.

I Guess I Can Make Soup (314/365)

The last time I tried to make soup was after Thanksgiving last year. I was pretty discouraged because it was quite bland, despite having followed the recipe to a T.  I decided to give it another go, this time with a different recipe. It took two days to make, but man was it worth it!  And this is from a woman who usually hates broth soups. 

It's a basic recipe I got out of one of my cookbooks, but I thought I'd share anyway. 

CHICKEN ORZO SOUP

1 large onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
2 celery stalks, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 T poultry seasoning
1 T salt
Pepper to taste
5 quarts cold water

3-4 lb whole chicken

Wash chicken, remove breasts and refrigerate. Add the rest of the chicken, plus garlic, carrot, celery, onion, seasoning, and enough water to cover carcass by 1-2 in. 

Heat gradually to boiling point, then add chicken breasts. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, or until breast meat is cooked through. Remove breasts, set aside to cool, then refrigerate for later use in another dish. 

Simmer remaining chicken partially covered with a lid for 2-2.5 hours, or until chicken is tender and pulls away from bone. Strain, save only the meat and broth. Remove meat from bones and refrigerate. Place broth in smaller containers to cool for up to 2 hours at room temp until it can safely be stored in the fridge. 

Refrigerate overnight. The fat will then float to the top. Skim it off and discard. Return broth to stock pot, simmer uncovered 1 hour, or until broth is reduced by 1/4. Test seasonings. 

Then I added potatoes, carrots, a few celery stalks, and the reserved meat and let them simmer in the broth until tender. Meanwhile I boiled 4 ish servings of orzo in a separate pot and added the drained orzo to the soup. 

Matt and I sure enjoyed it. The girls, not so much. In fact Alice was sent to bed without dinner for the first time in her life. It was a long day. 

Sent from my iPhone

Oh the Temptation (313/365)

I'm trying to get back on the weightless challenge bandwagon, and I've
done great all day. Unfortunately Matt agreed to make something for
the bake sale at work and he chose to make peanut butter bars that are
similar to Reese's PB cups - my weakness! I think he's just trying to
make his odds of winning even better!

Anybody Else Want One? (312/365)

I saw this Nativity set at Meijer today and had to force myself to walk away and not put it in my cart, though I don't know if I'll be able to resist it the next time it crosses my path!

I'm a sucker for Christmas.

Why Couldn't it Have Been This Gorgeous Yesterday? (311/365)

As luck would have it, our last day in Jville was a beautiful, unseasonably warm, 70*F day. The girls went with Grandma and Grandpa (and their Aunties) to church, then they pretty much played outside, sans coats, until it was time to head home. They did manage to squeeze some lunch and Alice got to play her favorite game, Grandma's secretary though too. We were no more than 15 minutes out of town when both girls conked out. They slept soundly until we woke them for dinner in Bloomington. It was a sign that they had had a good weekend!

I most definitely agree. See you all again soon!

On This Trip to Grandma's We...(310/365)

1) Ate cake and ice cream before 12pm.

2) Matt, Charles, and Tori all did lots of homework.

3) I slept in because I hardly slept last night due to Izzy's lack of wanting to sleep.

4) Those who got up before I did enjoyed pancakes for breakfast.

5) Dad and Alice played Candyland (her first time playing it, EVER if you can believe that) for at least a half hour. AND she actually followed directions and didn't fuss. That's a HUGE win for my little drama queen.

6) Izzy and JJ both took naps. Izzy SOOO didn't want to get up from her nap. Can't imagine why.

7) Oh, and Dad took one too.

8) Erin had to leave us right after cake and presents. It was good to see her, though we wish she could have stayed longer.

9) Dad and Cindy were brave grandparents and took my two girls off my hands and took them to a pot luck.

10) Dad says there were good, but I'll wait until I can talk to Cindy for the final word on that. Dad has a way of forgetting these things.

11) JJ, Tori, Matt, and I went to D'arcy's Pint as I really wanted to get a horseshoe this trip home.

12) After hearing it was an hour wait to get a table, we opted to go to the Dublin Pub instead for shoes that were just as good.

13) And for the waitress that calls you babe.

14) Then the four of us went to a movie on the way home. We saw Social Network and Mr. Sorkin did not disappoint.

Even though my day started at like 2am, crashed at 5:30am, then rebooted at 10am, all in all it was still a very good day.

Now I'm off to bed - hopefully Izzy sleeps the night away!

We Made It (309/365)

I nearly killed us once, but we made it.

Dress Up and Disasters (308/365)

For a few weeks, Izzy has been bringing me these 3D glasses to me,
asking me to put them on her. This was the first time she's kept them
on long enough for me to snap a pic. Isn't she freaking adorable?!

Alice was intently playing waitress this morning. She had just served
her dolly some food when I asked her to come over to me. I saw
something in her hair and couldn't figure out what it was. Upon
further inspection, I discovered she had a crayon tucked behind her
ear! Where does she get this stuff?!

Heading to Jville tomorrow. It was a good thing Matt had to bring in
garbage cans this evening because one of the tires on the van was
flat. So poor Matt, who also had a lecture to watch tonight, had to go
and deal with that while I fed the kids. Thankfully it was just a
screw puncture - easy fix. We were intending to get new tires for the
van NEXT WEEK, so we were pretty thankful we didn't have to do that
tonight. We should be good to go after school lets out!

Looking forward to seeing those of you who will be there - I'm in need
of a good trip home!

Blah (307/365)

2 out of 4 of us are sick. I think Alice feels fine, but she did have
a fever this morning so she missed school. Me, I'm achy and feverish,
but feeling better than I did this afternoon. Hopefully we'll all feel
better soon as we are planning a trip down to Jville soon!

5 Reasons I Loved Tuesday (306/365)

1) Making banana bread with my big girl. She's starting to really love
helping me in the kitchen, and I hope her fascination continues to
grow because I love it when she helps.

2) Conversing with Izzy. That kid really, truly understands everything
I say and it amazes me. I don't think Alice was this young when she
was like this.

3) Watching Izzy dance to Glee. It may have been a rerun (which I
didn't see the first time), but Izzy loved the "funky" music so much
that she busted out moved I've never seen her do before. Gotta love
that girl!

4) The fact that Alice watched the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland
during quiet time today and loved it! I thought for sure that at
least some of it would scare her, but she wasn't fazed. She did keep
pointing out the differences from that version and the cartoon.

5) That today was election day and the annoying phone calls, people at
my door, and awful commercials will now stop. Oh how I've been waiting
for this day!

I'm Ready For My Close Up! (305/365)

Today was picture day at school. Despite her not cooperating with me
this morning, I think she looked pretty darn cute. Now hopefully the
photographer won't Photoshop her head on someone else's body (this
actually happened to my friend's little boy recently - they put it on
a girl's body too! They also didn't bother to Photoshop out his feet).

Oh, and Iz wanted me to take her pic too, so there you go.