I need a Medic!

This week I caught strep throat. I knew I had it only 12 hours after I had a sore throat. The tight neck, sore spine, blistery throat, slight fever. My $20 copay was worth it.

The next day, Ash had a 104 degree fever. Blistery throat. Bingo. Her $20 copay was worth it.

Austin is unscathed. But half of the school has strep it seems.

And head lice is going around the schools too. Gross. Please stay far away from us.

As I'm recovering from strep, 3 days later Austin was tickling my head with those wire head ticklers and when I turned my head to the side and one of the wire prongs stabbed inside of my ear. Ouch. I screamed and the blood started trickling out of my hand, down my neck. I thought I'd never hear again outside of my right ear. Austin was mortified. We've got a bleeder!

So of course it's on a Saturday night at 9:30pm. No urgent care was open, didn't want to haul the kids to the ER, so I just called my on call Dr. and he said I'd be alright. I'm already taking antibiotics for the strep anyway.

Made it to the ENT Monday with cotton in my ear and brought the bloody contraption that brought me to my knees. He even cringed. He cleaned me up and I'm good to go.

Ear is healing. The head tickler is in the can. Not an ear tickler.

Familia

Aunt Reghan and Mom

My brother Aaron (Rocco) and dear Dad

Reghan

CONGRATULATIONS to Aunt Reghan and Uncle Rocco! My brother and Sis-in law are expecting their first little kidlet on September 10. We don't know the sex yet, but I'm already pawning my baby stuff off to them. They're starting their new little cute family in Manhattan right now. Aaron has been there since Jan 1 and Reghan is packing out to move to NYC by April. The bambino will arrive just months later. So exciting!

Familia-

From January 28-March 14, my mom was here. Dad came to visit for one weekend, then again for a week in March. Then Aaron and Reghan came for a weekend in March. I had so much family around this winter and it made things so wonderful. Nothing in the world is more important than Family. I'm so thankful that I have an amazing one. We're very close. We watch out for each other. We're very loyal. We love each other. That's what families do.

St. Patty's Day!

Creepy leprechuan, right? This is the picture that Jonathan shows the kids every year of the leprechaun that will come visit them at night on St. Patty's day. He's such a turkey! The kids hardly want to go to sleep at night on the Eve of St. Patrick's Day because of this feared, fictional leprechaun. While it's troubling, it's quite funny.

I love Holidays. Love em. No matter what they are. So for about a week before St. Patrick's Day, my sis-in law Reghan and I were scheming what tricks we should play on the kids and what traditions they still expect.

So this year, we did our usual. Turning furniture over, messing up the rooms downstairs, setting up our leprechaun trap...getting our green outfits all laid out for the next day.

The kids come down and look under the trap for gold coins or this year, Aunt Reghan made green jelly balls (green truffles)! But even though the leprechaun messed the furniture up, he led the kids to the fridge, where the green pistachio pudding was waiting for them. They even got shiny new half dollars under the trap. No leprechaun, but they did get some coins. We ate green eggs, the whole green works this day.

The leprechaun even left green pee in the toilets and in the sinks where he washed his hands!

I met up with my buddy Abby and Clayton that day at Chikfila! Green fun there too! Luckily the chicken wasn't green.

When the kids got off the bus we played some games at home and ended the night with Corned Beef and swiss. And green milk. Lucky fun day!

Piano Lessons

This picture scares me. Seriously. My older brother used to scare me with dolls when I was little. So Ash's Baby Alive doll looks anything but alive here. In the instruction manual it says that the baby needs new batteries if the facial expressions become distorted. I always wondered what that meant or how she would look. And here it is! Yikes! Baby Alive is coming to get me!

CHUBBY BUNNY-the game where you stuff as many marshmallows in your mouth at once and still say, "CHubby Bunny!" Austin won with about 25 mini marshmallows! This was a fun game we played with Aunt Reghan here!

We love you Uncle Rocco!

Ash just konked out in front of the computer. This is normally what I look like every night...

So Ashley is in her 3rd month of piano lessons. Mary Had a Little Lamb is almost there...

A little Liberacci?

State Dept. Recognition

The U. S. Department of State is grateful to the courageous men and women who serve our country at dangerous overseas posts. They recognize the sacrifices family members must make while separated from their loved one serving overseas. With a parent gone for an extended period of time, kids bear a particularly difficult burden. To acknowledge this hardship, the Dept of State created a special medal and certificate for the kids. They asked that a Principal present the medals to the kids in a very special way.

This was absolutely wonderful! The presentation of these awards really did let the kids know that their sacrifice is appreciated and that their Daddy is a hero and is making history right now!

Mrs. Fisher, the amazing Principal of Mountain View Elementary (who came from a State Dept family as well), surprised Austin by bringing him down to the media room and he was being televised on the morning announcements in front of 780 kids and he was proud as pie! He saw me there and we got a video of the televised announcements. Mrs. Fisher read the State Department certificate and presented him the medal around his neck. Austin stood 5 inches taller that day.

Ashley got hers presented to her by the superior Principal Mrs. Frasz at Haymarket Baptist Preschool as well. She stood up in Chapel time in front of all the classes after the pledge of allegiance was said. They presented her the medal around her neck and read the certificate of recognition.

"Ashley-In appreciation for the sacrifice asked of you wile separated from your father during his tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq this Certificate and accompanying Medal of Recognition are offered as a symbol of the Department of State's gratitude. Just as we are proud of the men and women serving at Unaccompanied posts, we are also proud of their families. Thank you for sharing your Father."

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

What an honor! The Department of State has done a phenomenal job at recognizing the sacrifices of family members. Thank you!

Austin got a standing ovation as he returned to his classroom and was such a proud boy as he was able to show his medal and Certificate to everyone in his class.

Both kids proudly have their medals and certificates mounted in their room and are so thankful that someone knows the sacrifice their making too.

Daddy is a hero!

Dr. Suess Day

Here comes Peter Cottontail...as soon as Spring has sprung, I (being the holiday fanatic that I am) get out all of my Easter decorations! Yes, there might have still been a little post winter snow clumps on the ground, but there were also flower buds coming up, the frost was gone, and by golly after this record-breaking winter, I was ready for a little spring in my step! Nothing does that better than holiday decorations--no matter what time of year it is.

Ashley obviously not as keen about the picture as I am.

As an early Easter treat, Pop and Grandma brought Ashley "Penny" the big stuffed rabbit that I had as a little girl growing up! Penny is making it through the generations.

Growing up with 3 brothers, we wrestled, fought, wrestled, fought...and Austin only having Ashley they do the same. But there are those times that I hear tremors of giggles and when I think they're wrestling, they're tickling each other and I love it when the kiddos can play and laugh and enjoy one another's company.

This was taken on Dr. Suess's birthday, and at preschool they called it "Crazy Day". This was an obvious picture of what "crazy day" really is. We set a whole new standard for this defintion.

Not Happy!

Burdens

At church on Sunday, there was a wonderful lesson about burdens. It has really helped me understand things better.

There are 3 types of burdens.

1. Mortality-burdens that affect us just from living on this earth: aging, physical, hunger, sickness, etc.

2. Misconduct of others-other's agency: crimes that are committed against us.

3. Our own mistakes, shortcomings: sins that we're responsible for.

We can really only be held accountable for #3. We are bound to have unfortunate things happen to us because we're human. But the more we can lesson our own shortcomings, the better off we'll be.

So many of my friends are going through a rough time right now. We will only be judged on our own mistakes and can only take others bad behavior and #2 pain from being a living person on this life (death) #3.

But with all the negatives in this world, the positives far outweigh our trials. We learn from our trials and become better. Smarter. I'm thankful for this wonderful life, my husband, kids, family and friends.

It's a wonderful world.

I Love to See the Temple...

Austin's friend Clayton Huck gave Austin a very cool electric train track set. Austin now makes high rise bridges with his blocks and makes the train go through all sorts of scary situations. I guess a regular train going around a track isn't "extreme" enough for a 7 year old anymore! Thanks Clayton!

On Friday night, I had a WONDERFUL time going to a bow party and making the most adorable bows ever with the greatest friends ever. This is Ash's (she's quite excited) collection. I must say, I think I love her bows more than she does. I love making them and displaying them like artwork! Now if I could only get her to wear them an entire day long without her ripping them out of her hair after 3 hours....

Austin's teacher at school-Mrs. Scott's birthday is tomorrow. She will be delighted to read this birthday card Austin wrote her.

Grandma and Ashley love to make little treats with her little princess oven!

This week I also had the chance to go out with a dear friend Ginger and my momma again to Cheesecake Factory and then stopped by Sephora. What a wonderful weekend. We got samples of bare minerals makeup, a free tester of my fav perfume, and got 'beautifed'. So fun. When I see the doors of Sephora, they call to me.

On Wednesday of this week was our Centreville Stake Temple Day. I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Washington LDS Temple with my MOM! What an experience. It's such a beautiful temple too.

Finally, to top off this wonderful week, my mom got to come to BUNKO night with me. And she won! It was a Martha Stewart themed night and it was delicious. And beautiful. And fun.

These are the kinds of weeks I love.

Let's just get the weather warm now.

Bye Bye February.

What a Week

This is my brother, Chris or "Uncle Chip" and sons Jax and Brigg.

Ash was making her debut coming down the stairs in her princess nightgown for her pajama and pancakes Valentine Party at school. I was so lucky I got to help out with her Valentine Party!

Cousin Jax! What a cutie. Now Jodi and Chris are spending time in San Diego. Very jealous.

Austin lost his 6th tooth this week! It was a scary moment when I'd forgotten to put the money underneath his pillow until about 6:30am. He woke up only 15 minutes later and gave me the money and said, "What's the point?" He'd seen me. So I thought! I told him I was in his room checking out how much money he'd gotten because I was so excited too. He was upset it was only $2. Phew. First the toothfairy. That's a precursor to knowing Santa's not real. I dodged this one, but for how much longer? Sniff sniff.

Also this week, I sold the van! My beast. I was sick of making 2 car payments while Jonathan is away. So I sold it to a wonderful family and am very happy. The accord is smaller, but much more economical with the 2 kiddos and one driver. I will have to change my plates from FRITZ to GOOSE again.

This week Austin for the first time decided he didn't want me to tell him what to wear. I always laid out clothes for him or told him what to wear, etc. He always gave in, didn't care, could care less about clothing. But when I told him to put jeans on with his plaid shirt, he said, "No. I want to wear my Red shirt." I told him I had his plaid shirt out and not to argue, just do what I ask him to do. "When are you ever going to stop telling me what to wear?" Wow. I guess now. I never knew he was just going with the motion but now he wants to take a stand! He proudly went to his room when I told him to pick out what he wants to wear to church today. He came out looking like a million bucks and I know he felt that way too.

Another first this week....Ashley's ear drum ruptured. She has had 2 sets of tubes in her ears. This last set, the L tube is still in place but her R tube was out just hanging in her ear canal. On Friday, it ruptured and we went to the Dr Edy Spaghetti to get antibiotics. Later that day, her other ear was draining (the one with the tube). Then last night (WARNING: GROSS content) in the middle of the night she was coughing and sneezing and I went to blow her nose and when she blew, it blew snot (infection) out her EAR!!!! Literally the pressure from blowing made the draining SPRAY out her ear. She screamed as it hurt her and I sat there for a second and didn't know whether to be completely disgusted or think it was cool that I saw such a sight.

Today while I went to church, Grandma stayed home with Ashley and they had a Princes party. Complete with finger painting, reading princess stories and even making princess cupcakes with her princess oven and a tea party. That made us forget about our painful ears for awhile.

My Mom has been here since January 28th. My parents came to visit for a weekend and my dad had to go back to Florida because he teaches marketing at University of Florida. But Mom stayed around another week. And another week (due to the snow storm). And another week (till Valentines Day) and another 3 weeks till Dad comes back up again the second week of March for UF's spring break! It's been WONDERFUL having mom here. Someone to talk to, we have slumber parties EVERY night, a buddy to play cards with, help with the kiddos, we're going to the temple together, lunch dates, BUNKO buddy, shopping, and Relief Society Enrichment together. I'm so thankful she's here spending this wonderful time together with us. I know Florida is a lot nicer than this nasty winter we've had here so far in DC, so I'm very grateful for our relationship and bond we have. Moms are the best!

Valentines Festivities

I have LOVED substitute teaching at Ashley's preschool Haymarket Baptist Church Preschool. We did pink pancakes, cheese, grapes, pretzels and exchanged Valentine. I love love love being a part of the kids' festivities!

On Valentines Evening, we went over to our buddy's house the Johnsons and had our monthly "Break the Fast" dinner. It was so wonderful and special this time especially because we had steak and everything was Valentine themed! Heart ice cubes, Valentines table cloths, and the kids had a Valentines Card exchange. I think I have way more fun and get so much more giddy when I can anticipate these fun festivities!!

She put on "fancy" lipgloss and did her own hair for this Valentines party. :)

Who are you calling sweetheart!?@??

Some of my dearest friends. Nothing like spending time with the people you love on hearts day! I miss you honey. Jonathan of course hoooked us up with Valentines and treats galore. Even all the way from Baghdad. We love you!!!