Perfect Mommy & Boy Day

What fun I had with my boy today! Most Saturdays Cary has to work, so that puts a damper on things when we can't all be together, but McKinley and I definitely made the best of it today. Another Build & Grow Clinic was scheduled, so we headed off to Starbucks for McKinley's favorite pumpkin bread and a nice skinny mocha for Mommy. At Lowe's, we picked our carpet squares and started hammering away on the cutest kaleidoscope! McKinley was a great little handy man, helping me with the instructions and hammering together. And as usual, he loved helping pick up at the end of the clinic. The result was this adorable kaleidoscope and a very happy little boy.

After Lowe's, I needed to do a little shopping...so my little helper tagged along with me. It was so fun! Once in the car I asked McKinley if he was hungry. Yes! Then I asked him what he would like to eat. Mac & Cheese and salad! Okay! So, how about Panera? YES!!!!! Panera it is! We split a mac & cheese and salad and a yogurt parfait with fruit and granola. YUM!

Time to head home for a nap, we piled back into the car and went home. While McKinley napped I got ready for my first overnight trip away from McKinley and Cary EVER. It was a friend's bachelorette party in Indy. I found much comfort in knowing that I had been fortunate enough to spend a beautiful day with my son doing some fun things and making great memories. I also found much comfort in knowing that my son's evening would be spent with his Daddy, making more fun 'boy time' memories.

Life is good. I count my blessings constantly. Today was the perfect day for me and McKinley. And as always, I look for more beautiful days like this to come.

Lynn

More Picnicing!

Lately Spring has happily relieved our winter blues/cabin fever. With another gorgeous day, and Wee Read on the sched, per Kylie's suggestion, the Douglas boys & Mommy, Semmler kiddos & Mommy and McKinley and I met at the park for a fabulous post-Wee Read picnic.

The weather was AWESOME! Still cool enough to wear a jacket but sunny and breezy enough to make you think this spring thing is going to stick around for a while.

We lunched in a shelter and the kids loved it! They didn't/couldn't stay still for long though, soon McKinley was begging to walk the little train tracks. So, I told him to ask his friends' Mommies if they could go and off we went, leaving Robin, Kylie and baby boys behind to rest and bond.

We had a blast chugging along the track together. Midway through, the kids started getting a wee bit antsy, so I rounded up four great sticks, handed them out and started directing traffic. We did some great little activities, ala simon says, and the kids were loving it. Then we marched. And we marched. And we marched....all the way to the little train garage where we each had to knock on the garage door (wonder who's idea that was??? Trains. Garages. McKinley.) We headed back to the babies and mamas and it was time for Lincoln to head home for naptime. Savannah and McKinley decided they should hit the playground for a bit, so Robin and I packed everything up and hit the playground! The kids played together for a long time, it was sweet to watch. They climbed, they swung, they pretended to sleep in the tunnel (much to the chagrin of a young cowboy-boot-wearing boy who just really wanted to play in the dang tunnel).

Very soon it was past naptime, so we headed out...not without some major protest from McKinley, despite being given several 5, 3 and 1 minute warnings from Robin and me. It has been so long since we could all run and play freely without risking frost bite, I can't blame the kid too much!

It was a fabulous day spent with wonderful friends and adorable kids (obviously...look at the pic!). Can't wait to do it again!

Lynn

A Little Preview...

...of the serious cuteness to come:

This evening Cary and I took McKinley to be fitted for his tuxedo for a friend's wedding in May. Let's just say that there has never, in the history of ring bearers, been a more handsome choice. I am sure of it.

I couldn't quit oohing and ahhing in sheer amazement of how adorable our son looked in a tuxedo.

I mean look at him:

Need I say more?
Lynn

Are We There Yet???

Road trip!

We spent today in northern Indiana visiting friends, The Joppek's & Family. And from the moment we pulled OUT of the DRIVEWAY, the next 2 and half hours were filled with, "Are we there yet, Mommy & Daddy?" and "Where's Lila's HOUSE???". I was so excited to be invited to Valarie's Baby Shower and even more excited to be able to see my friend Vanessa and her daughter, Lila. Sadly, we had to miss Lila's 3rd bday party because of the last snow of the winter. I was so disappointed then, but everything worked out so well!

I had a lovely time at the shower. While I was there, McKinley & Cary had some bonding time. On Vanessa's (awesome!) suggestion, the boys headed to Tyler's Tender, a train themed restaurant geared toward children. Hello, PERFECT! McKinley LOVES trains - any size, any kind, any color, real or pretend - so this was UP HIS ALLEY.

According to Cary, the set up was similar to a Chucky Cheese kind of thing, order your food and play. As you can imagine, there was little eating on McKinley's part. Instead, he spend his time admiring the HUGE model trains, playing in the arcade with Daddy (shooting hoops to be specific) and riding on the BIG kiddie train - as the CONDUCTOR, no less. The very first thing he told me when he saw me was the he pulled the horn! Truthfully, I think he told me eleven times about pulling the horn...I think he liked it.

When the boys arrived to pick me up, I brought them inside so we could give Lila her belated bday gift. The kids played and squealed and hugged and chased for the longest time. It was so great to see! I can't believe these babies, four months apart...and a sentimental journey for me to have been pregnant at the same time as Vanessa...are now 3 and 2 1/2! Looking back to their first 'meeting' at McKinley's baptism, we all laughed as Lila kept pulling McKinley's paci out of his mouth. He totally let her, didn't mind a bit. They were so taken by each other! Look! A fellow baby! Babies no more, these kids were having conversations about the golf course just outside the window, and about cake and birthdays and 'all kinds of stuff', to quote McKinley.

Soon, we had to leave to head back to the Haute (but not until we got our Target & Boston's Pizza Fix...Pesto's, we'll see you next time! Sorry we missed ya!), but it was so nice spending time with Vanessa, her expecting sister and their families. The boy-time was an added bonus!

What a great weekend! Pics below!

Lynn

Be Irish & Have Cupcakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Today McKinley and I hit Wee Read with Robin & Savannah. The kids were seriously cute bedecked in their St. Patrick's Day t's. I mean, WAY cute. McKinley was sporting his 'Mommy's Lucky Charm' hat, some Paddy's Day beads and shades and a huge smile. Savannah was too cute in her mary jane's, green pig tails and beads too.

After Wee Read, Caboodle Cupcakes was an absolute must - I mean, they had GREEN VELVET CUPCAKES complete with shamrock sprinkles! So, we skipped lunch for a treat! Rare, but fun...and so worth it. Savannah & McKinley got 'into' their cakes, as is the norm, and the owner was smitten. We even picked cupcakes for Rick (Savannah's Daddy), Cary and my Mom. McKinley picked the Green Velvet for Daddy & Nonna, they were boxed so sweet and ready for delivery.

When we bid the Semmler Girls a jolly goodbye to our Top O'The Mornin', McKinley and I placed the cupcakes inside the car and set out to be Daddy & Nonna's leprechans. McKinley was so excited to give Daddy his cupcake while he was working. It totally made Cary smile...and me cry a little...so special. Next we headed to Nonna's house. I had to call her to ask if she would meet us in her courtyard, sans the dogs. I knew pretty cupcake would be pretty smooshed, licked and slobbered-on cupcake if there were remotely close! Again McKinley was beyond excited to be the delivery boy with the Green Velvet cupcake, and Nonna was obviously happy. Poor Luther & Hadley watch (and slobbered) from the front door. Not sure they got a taste of that one...Caboodle Cupcakes and sharing do NOT go hand-in-hand.

Soon, it was time for our little leprechan to have a little post-treat lunch, then a nap. This St. Patrick's Day has been so fun! Here's to many more Irish Blessings!

Lynn

Car Wash, Yeah!

Workin' at the Car Wash, Yeah!
Okay, so it's a wee bit early for some front-yard car washing, but the nice burst of warm weather (and some new wax) gave Cary a great idea! Get that nasty winter gunk OFF the car! So, he grabbed McKinley, who happily donned his new boots, and off they went.
I was getting ready for a little girls night with Robin, but looked outside and saw the following, so cute! I could just hear "Car Wash" playing in the background!

Those are my boys!!!

Lynn

McCutie & Lucky Girl

We Love Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics! Today my Mom and I took McKinley & Savannah to the clinic to build an adorable little tabletop basketball goal - it even keeps score! We got inside and settled and McKinley & Savannah wanted to wear their aprons. I caught the cutest photo of them sitting side by side, Savannah resting her head on McKinley's back. It was a darling moment! Soon, we opened our little project packages and got to work. The kids were so good and so eager to share the duties of 'banging' together, they even took a little 'snooze' break, pretending to nap while we finished up the project. Having two toddlers assembling a wooden project takes a little longer than the 'recommended' 7 and 8 year olds, so we were the last guests in the room. McKinley & Savannah were THRILLED when my childhood friend, Amanda (who happens to run the Build & Grow Clinics at our local Lowe's) asked them if they would like to help her put away the carpet squares and pick up any trash left over. They did such a great job and were a big help to Amanda!

After the Clinic, we headed off for a quick errand, to grab lunch and then meet up with Savannah's Mommy, Robin and her brand new baby bro, Austin for the Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, near our home. Thankful to have that picnic blanket once again (man, has that thing come in handy), we spread the blanket down and let the kids sit to wait for the parade. They didn't sit long! Once the parade (and candy throwing) commenced, they were on their feet!
McKinley & Savannah were seriously STINKING cute in their matching shirts (McCutie & Lucky Girl) that I made, along with their green shirts, socks, head and neck gear. ADORABLE! Even Robin, Austin and I got in on the wearin' O'the Green!

The parade was a hit - much larger than last year, though it was really cool and my Mom spent most of the parade inside our car for warmth. The kids were too busy looking at all the floats, displays and CANDY to be bothered by the cool weather, they were having a blast! I'm amazed at how quickly they really caught onto the candy-catching. This morning, on the way out the door, I grabbed a little bag to put McKinley St. Paddy's Day garb in...it came in very handy as our designated candy bag. The kids were eager to throw their captured candy into the bag. At the end of the parade, we easily had between 8 and 10 POUNDS of candy - the bag was full, to the top!

Soon, the parade was over and it was time for Austin to eat and McKinley & Savannah to take a nap. It was a big day! Lots of fun with the kids, family and dear friends. I just wish Cary & Rick didn't have to work and could have joined us! Oh well, they reaped the candy rewards at least!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Lynn

Resume picnicing

After a brief hiatus for winter, today we resumed picnic season. Yay!!! Our lovely day started out with Wee Read at the library. McKinley and I always have so much fun, though today we definitely missed our friends, Kylie & Lincoln and Robin & Savannah. Both families have just had beautiful baby boys and were unable to join us today.

After Wee Read, we came home to load up some yummy goodness for lunch. I packed a basket of pbj, hummus pita, snack mix, an apple, yogurt and drinks. Perfect! We called Nonna to see if she and her crew wanted to join us, then we were off! McKinley helped me choose where to sit, no surprise that he wanted to be as close to the little train tracks as possible. May 1st isn't coming soon enough for him - that's how much longer we have to wait for the train to reopen. Boo.

We all arrived at the same time, Nonna and the boys having walked over to join us. It was a gorgeous day - GORGEOUS! Luther and Hadley (Mom's new addition) were all about taking in the spring smells, all the fellow dogs walking in the park with their families, and trying to sneak a pretzel or two from McKinley.

After lunch, McKinley (SURPRISE!) requested that we walk the little train tracks. We met a new little friend - a boy just a few months younger - and his family. The little boy loves to walk the tracks just as much as McKinley! Matter of fact, they came to the park just to do that!

We had such a nice afternoon together! When we arrived home, it was time for McKinley's nap and it was so nice out that I opened up all the windows to let the perfect spring air inside.

What a nice day to share with my boy!

Lynn

Almost...

What a lovely taste of spring we've had over the last few days. It has been so nice to see the sun, even be warmed by its rays! It has been a long, snowy winter and we have all had some serious cabin fever.
On a whim (after being hounded several times by McKinley), I decided it was time for us to hit the park. We didn't stay long (still chilly), but it was long enough to give us a healthy dose of Spring, Sun, and the sweet outdoors. McKinley had so much fun walking the little train tracks with his "park stick" and running like the wind.

I'm hopeful that this weather sticks around for a while. Come on SPRING, you're ALMOST here!

Lynn

Awww nuts...

So, today absolutely qualifies as a combination of the most terrifying, yet undeniably hilarious event thus far in the saga of parenthood for Cary and me. As well as the longest and most word-worthy post I've written as a blogger. I feel it is very important that I accurately portray the events of this day so that I may use it for future reference, I mean, you never know! Read on and you shall see just what I mean...

The day started out like any normal day...except that my Mom was leaving for Costa Rica, would be on a plane all day and unlikely to be able to talk again for quite some time. I was worried about her traveling, as I usually am, but my worry was suddenly overridden by a major calamity of...well...nutty proportions.
It's like this: lunch rolled around so I made us a lovely pita with hummus and feta and some yogurt...but I was lacking something 'crunchy' for McKinley. Oooh! Great idea! I had some pecans that needed to be used, why not? I put a few on his plate and voila! LUNCH! When I was finished I simply walked into the kitchen to put my plate in the dishwasher, I may have stopped briefly at the kitchen counter, but returned quickly to find McKinley sneezing...like crazy.
As my eyes quickly scanned what could be causing this abrupt sneeze-fit, I noticed a tiny, wet bit of pecan leave McKinley's fingers. For a brief moment I thought...hmmm, could be a pecan up his nose...nah! Then the tears came. McKinley was quickly overcome with fear and was screaming and crying and obviously scared. I asked several times, what was wrong, but he was too upset to answer. I asked McKinley if he was choking, he was not. I grabbed his face and looked back in his throat, but something else caught my eyes.
It was something up his nose.
OH.MY.GOD.
There is a PECAN up his NOSE.
A PECAN.
I swear, for an instant I truly wondered how the crap it got up there. Then, in the blink of an eye I remembered seeing that little tiny piece of pecan as it flew across the room.
Me, calmly: "McKinley, Honey, is there a nut up your nose?"
McKinley, in a peal of desperation: "YES!!!!!!!"

OHMYGODTHEREISAPECANUPHISNOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This phrase repeated over and over in my head for the next 6 hours.
Thinking back to the 'Vick's Incident' - aka, Greased Lightnin', I remember being strangely calm. Me. Yes. Calm in Crisis. If only it wasn't just me and McKinley in these situations, maybe my family and friends would BELIEVE me. Alas, I'm left with a toddler to vouch for my calm sanity. Instead, it was my poor hubby who was suddenly crowned Drama King.
Back to the moment of realization...I quickly ran for some tweezers, calmly explained to McKinley that I would try to get the pecan out myself. Well, suffice it to say that McKinley was NOT as calm as his mama and was not in the frame of mind to let me give it a whack.
Determined to try again, I reached for the phone, first dialing Cary's cell, knowing he would not have it with him and would have to call back. I called several times, thus giving him a clue that something was, perhaps, a little off. Second, I called our pediatrician's office. God love them, every employee I spoke with tried so hard not to laugh. I told them it was okay...just so long as they did not do so when we got there. The nurse gave me two choices: head to the E.R. or come to the office. Obviously, the answer was NOT to go where McKinley knew no one, with odd noises, smells and strangers...be in the office in a few minutes...literally.
I calmly told McKinley we were going to go visit Dr. Lily to let her take the pecan out of his nose. "Okay", he said in that same desperate voice that makes me sad.
I carried him to his room where I grabbed the bulb syringe (still not sure why...maybe I thought I could suck it out?), a burp cloth - for the constant nose wiping I would be doing over the next few hours, McKinley's coat, hat and gloves...and then I thought this was something Monkey and Elephant really needed to be in on. I offered up his two buddies, exclusively reserved for naps and bedtime, he gladly accepted them and didn't let go for a long time.
As I put McKinley's coat on, he looked at me with those gorgeous chocolate eyes and between tears said, 'Mommy, I have a NUT up my NOSE!'
I nearly peed my pants fighting so hard NOT to laugh. This was SO not the time to laugh...he needed me for comfort. However, I swear that this was the funniest statement McKinley has ever said. I pulled it together and just hugged my son for a long while.
By this time, Cary was calling back. I simply said, "This is one of those days I need you to keep your cell phone on you while on your route."
Cary: "Okay, why?"
Me: "Uhhh, because McKinley just stuck a pecan up his nose."
Cary, really, really, REALLY loud: "WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT?"
Me: attempt to repeat sentence above, interrupted by
Cary, even louder: "WHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT? There's a WHAT? A WHAT? A WHAAAAT? UP his NOSE? A PECAN? WHERE THE HELL DID HE GET A PECAN?"
Me: "Cary, I cannot talk loud. I have to be calm, so stop talking so loud and be calm so I can explain."
Cary: "WHAT IS UP HIS NOSE???"
I quickly explained the situation and told Cary we had to go to Dr. Lily's office and I needed him to get out of work as quickly as possible. I knew from experiences of friends in similar situations that there would a possibility for physical restraints, if not general anesthesia. And I knew I couldn't handle THAT on my own. Cary began busting ass...I could HEAR it. He wanted to be there asap.
Quickly, we exit the house. I have McKinley, Monkey, Elephant, handbag, diaper bag and agenda in hand. Agenda in hand, because I did manage to remember that I had a conference call later in the afternoon (which I also managed to pull it together enough to call my boss to let him know I would not be in said conference call - I can promise he had never received a call like that).
I pulled out of the driveway and turned a normal 15 to 20 minute drive into a 3 to 5 minute drive. No joke. Hazard lights on, I blazed - SAFELY - in and out of traffic, all the while talking to my crying son in the calmest voice I have ever uttered. I actually ran a red light...after a very long pause to make sure there was no oncoming traffic...then I was gone! I already had my mind made up that if I were pulled over by police that I wouldn't do any pulling over. Let there be a chase! Thankfully, all was well.
Once inside Dr. Lily tried to 'fish' out the nut, but could not get a good 'grip' on it. It had become too snotty from the runny nose due to crying and the body's natural attempt to get.it.out.
She began calling an E.N.T. and family friend. Unfortunately, he was in surgery.
Hours go by. A total of 2 and a half in Dr. Lily's office.
Finally, we reach an E.N.T. and are sent on our way, thankfully avoiding the E.R.
Cary met us at the door, visibly startled. McKinley, feeling much more calm, walked up to his father and said, 'Daddy! I have a NUT up my NOSE!'
There we go again...almost peed my pants trying not to laugh.
That child has an uncanny ability that I envy - comedic timing! He's a natural, like his Daddy!

So, we quickly head off to the E.N.T.'s office where more chaos ensues. We arrive, having confirmed that Dr. Lily's office already gave the E.N.T.'s office ALL the info they needed. We only needed to pay our copay and give them a copy of our insurance card.
Wrong. No one at the E.N.T.'s office could locate our information, despite the fact that I personally overheard the transfer of said info. Whatever.
THIRTY minutes later, we finally sat down in the waiting room to do just that...WAIT.
TWO HOURS LATER, Cary and I blew a gasket. The receptionist took a look around the now empty room and asked who we were and why were we here. Oh, so not the thing to ask us. We exploded, she didn't say a word, but instead went home for the day. Nice. About 15 minutes later a nurse came in and said it would be a few minutes. Really? The woman got an earful, but we were finally taken back to see the doctor who would evidently be worth waiting over 2 hours with a child who had a hazardous pecan up his nose.
In literally 5 minutes the nut was removed and all was well. It was not without many tears (mine and McKinley's), a papoose, a LOOOONG set of tweezers and an apparatus that 'separates' things, but at least it was brief. When the pecan made its first appearance in hours, there was a ripple of "oohs, owws, and wow's" through the room. Said pecan was HUGE! HUGE!
We were offered the rights to our precious pecan, but we denied it. In hind sight, we should have at the very least photographed the snotty little pecan for posterity and historical purposes, but we were entirely too busy trying to comfort our boy.
I'm pleased to report that the rest of the day went off without a hitch.
Having had no nap, and very little lunch, McKinley was exhausted. Once in bed, Cary and I rehashed the day...where Cary, revealing that comedic timing he shares with our son, suddenly had a hilarious epiphany! We would award McKinley with a GIANT bag of pecans and serve pecan pie at his wedding!
Cary, I'm holding you to it. Love experiencing parenthood with you!
McKinley, may your future family thoroughly enjoy this story. I am so thankful that you are in my life to school me on all things boy.
God, thank you for being with us today, keeping Mommy calm, and most of all...for a safe, pain free pecan removal.
Whew!

Lynn

The Funny Thing About Wee Read...

...is that through it, I have quite suddenly (and happily) become a kid-magnet. I would have never seen it coming!

Two of our couple-friends are expecting Baby #2, and both mommies are on bedrest. Cary and I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to help out when we can. Today at Wee Read I took Savannah along with McKinley and me, where we met up with Kylie and Lincoln. Kylie needed a rest and is too far along in her pregnancy to get down on the floor with Linc (a total pre-requisite in Wee Read), so I happily took on all three of the kiddos. Before long, our 3 (McKinley, Savannah and Lincoln) had completely lost interest in the actual reading and activities and were instead inthralled with simulataneously attacking yours truly. They began making enough of a scene that ALL of the children (and there were GOBS of them today) got into the game and started attacking their own caregivers. I am pretty sure our librarian was pretty displeased, but she quickly got over it because there was no denying how adorably cute it was to see these kids run to the front of the room, turn around and squeal with delight as they ran AT ME.

I love little things like this that come up and smack you in the face and make you realize that a little bitty person (or persons, in this case) can do something as simple as be a CHILD and spread a smile across your face for an entire day. How very lucky I am to have the opportunity to have this moment to spend with some fun little kiddos.

Lynn

Savannah & McKinley's Day Out

Yay for another Build & Grow Clinic! Today McKinley and I brought along Nonna and Savannah, and did we have fun!!!!!!!!!!! This was Savannah's very first Clinic, she was so excited to be there with McKinley, and likewise for McKinley. That was obvious as the kids ran through Lowe's, stopped abruptly and ran toward eachother while shouting, "Hug!!!!" They would then grasp eachother really, really tight and say, "awwww!" in unision with all the Lowe's customers and employees. It was hilarious, I couldn't quit laughing!

Once inside the little project room, McKinley showed Savannah the ropes - helping her choose a hammer and a carpet square while my Mom and I gathered the projects, Savannah's apron and goggles. It worked out perfectly (except that I got so wound up in trying to keep the kids occupied and equally getting some 'hammer time' that I forgot to put the base of the box in place...oops), Savannah would take a turn with the hammer, then McKinley, and so on. While I worked on that, Mom graciously tried to fix my big oops with the second project. We quickly finished the projects and the kids were thrilled to have a little tic-tac-toe box! It's so cute!

The nice Lowe's employee who was supervising today's clinic brought over McKinley and Savannah's completion certificates and patches for their aprons. The kids happily obliged having their pictures taken together with their projects and certificates. Seriously, that's just too much cuteness for my camera lens...I'm surprised it didn't melt! hahahahaha

Once we finished our projects we were all famished, so we hit Steak N Shake for some yummy burgers, a la car...and then a very special treat: CUPCAKES! We headed to the new cupcake shop in town, and the kids picked out their favorite cupcake for the day. Savannah saw the pretty blue colored cupcakes and immediately asked for that...it was "Blue Suede w/Blue Buttercream icing. McKinley said, " I want Chocolate!" and chose the Chocolate, Chocolate. I picked Chocolate Mint and my Mom had Cream filled Chocolate. Oh my gosh, so yummy!!!!!!! Can't do it every day, but we will definitely be back for a fun little treat!

After our big day of fun the kids (and Mom and Nonna) were all pretty tired, so we returned Savannah to her home. By this time, Savannah was calling my Mom, Nonna and requested to dole out some hugs for everyone, with a very special smooch for my boy. It's pretty obvious that we all had a blast. Now was the time to tuck everyone in for a nice nap. What a great day! Can't wait to do it again!

Lynn

P.S. Notice how much McKinley looks JUST.LIKE.CARY in the first pic? Scary...call me the incubator...

Feeling Restored

Whew, it has been a long and challenging 6 weeks. Technically, 8 weeks. I have been sick since the weekend after Thanksgiving - and credit my lack of sleep during our Black Friday Jaunt for that. Since then, our lives have been a whirlwind and have ceased to, well, cease. Enough already!

I finally have a clear diagnosis as to what has been going on with me...a bad case of bronchitis, and a few other things we found along the way. I'm sure this time I am on the mend and will be back up to par soon, for now feeling okay is just good enough for me!

Not only am I feeling restored, it's nice to have Cary and McKinley on their feet as well. They have both caught a small part of what I had twice and I am thrilled that neither of them became as ill as I have and that they are each feeling good again! I have aired out the house (old wives tale, I still believe!), lysol'ed the beegeezus out of everything, washed all of our pillows and aired out every linen I could drag outside. Bronchitis be gone! I want to enjoy the rest of the winter!

Also restored, along with some of my sanity, is our home computer. The poor thing crashed on December 7th - in the middle of my 2nd go around with the bronchitis bug and at the exact same time Cary & McKinley took it as well. Obviously, with a house full of sickies the PC took a back burner. When I finally got it to our computer guy, he called me with sad news...he'd worked for 2 hours to restore our computer and all its contents...to no avail. He asked for my permission to wipe it clean, resulting in my loss of every one of the 4 G of pictures I have ever taken, digitally (with the exception of those I have managed to back up), old files, even my resume. I told him I needed time to think about it...two hours later I called and told him that Cary and I had decided we had no choice. Just do it. In my mind forgotten photos flashed; baking a cake with my hubby, that funny pregnancy snapshot where I SWORE my belly was growing, the precious picture of McKinley sucking on his paci after he fell asleep in the car, photos of my parents. I was sick to my stomach.

Then Mike made my MONTH. While he waited on our call he created something he thought might do the trick --- AND IT DID! He was able to completely restore every single file on our computer. I could have cried. Oh computer gods, I have learned my lesson...off to complete backing up everything on that pc. Then onto the laptop.

So happy to feel restored!

Lynn

Lots of Snow...and being sick

On Wednesday night we were officially 'hit' with our first snow storm of '10. It's GORGEOUS!!!!! However, it's slick, there's a LOT of it and we are all sick. Again.

It seems despite our constant, usually effective efforts to ward off germs we have again lost the battle. We lysol the house, clean with vinegar and water, use anywhere spray on handles, phones, etc, handwash like crazies, and back it up with occasional anti-bac lotion. Yet still, I personally have been sick - NONSTOP - since the end of November and McKinley & Cary have already been sick TWICE in less than a month. WHAT IS UP? Grrrrrr.

Trying hard to not focus on that and just enjoy being home with my two favorite men, but I'm so tired of doing it with a nasty cough, shortness of breath and a clogged up nose! ENOUGH ALREADY!

In the meantime, I have managed to take some super cute pics lately...it's hard to believe in a few short days McKinley will officially be 2 and a HALF!

Here's hoping this junk we all have melts with the snow...

Lynn