We Illin'

I had meant to post pictures of us decorating the tree, but I accidentally erased them all. Even the one were Jesse had to strip down to underwear and wrassle that bear!

We're all sick. Bleh.

I feel the worst for Jem, he is so stuffed up it's hard for him to breathe and nurse. Then I feel sorry for me, because I have to try and nurse him all night.

Violet had the worst of it last week. She's feeling a lot better now, but is having a hard time shaking off the demanding and whining groove. We indulged her last week (what else is there to do with a sick two year old?) and realized perhaps I had gone too far when she crawled into bed with us at 5:30 this morning, told me to massage her feet and then asked to watch "too much TV". Yes, definitely feeling better.

Well, aside for the illnessessess, we are excited for Christmas!

This morning was 4-wheelin' madness. Jesse had brought 'Trixie' in to school to work on, so we piled in the car and went to his school. He got it almost a year and a half ago and has been working on it since then, perhaps a little obsessively. It was too icy to really tear around, but it was fun anyway.

Then is was home to do a little gingerbread house decorating!

UV was the model of concentration when it came to applying candies.
So, family arriving for dinner tonight. More family coming tomorrow. MORE family arriving a few days from now. Then we are off to Toronto in the new year.

In case I don't blog at you in the next few days, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

NJVJ

Poor Sick UV

As I was putting Violet to bed this evening she began a conversation that was clearly fever induced. You have to imagine that the whole time she was looking at me with unfocused bleary red eyes. Kind of like that earnest drunk guy at the xmas party.

Violet: "Remember when I went to the hospital and they put the blood on my arm?"
(she recently had to go for a blood draw)

Me:"Yes, you were very brave."

Violet:"I didn't like the smell."

Me:"I'm sorry to hear that..."

Violet:"What am I talking about?"

Me:"I don't know...smells?"

Violet:"What happened to Princess Jasmine?"

Me:"I wish I knew..."

Violet:"What am I talking about Princess Jasmine?"

Violet is always extra special, but she is at her cutest when she is ill.

Jesse

Where are we going?

NOWHERE!

Jesse, Captain of My Heart, did manage to brave the snowstorm and go and get a tree. This is our first tree in this house, and we're going to decorate it this afternoon.
Last year, we didn't get a tree, as we were getting ready for our BIG TRIP to Qatar. Can't believe it's been a year. This year, the fine folks from Qatar are coming to visit us, as well as some very good looking people from BC.




In other news:
Violet came up to me and said "My feelings hurt. Please put some massage on my tummy".
I did.

How many couples can say that they have both broken eyeglasses by driving over them with a car? Just another sign that we were meant for each other.

Jem and Frog

I was showing Jem a little frog this morning. He reached out his chubby little fist and grabbed at it. I gave it to him. He looked at me for a while, then realized he had something in his hand! Then he realized he could move it closer to his face! Then he went cross-eyed with the effort, but hey - first time he's done that. He's three months old today, my lovely little Jembon.

In UV news:

Jesse and UV were on an errand last night, and drove by a MacDonald's. Violet pointed at the golden arches and exclaimed "A funny M like for Mama!". Smart, and still oblivious to that particular brand, it warms my heart.

In other news:

I think we're going to be able to fit all our guests in over the holidays with a few minor changes to the sleeping arrangements.

Jelly Star

Violet ate a jelly star sticker on Monday morning. We were playing, sticking them on the window, and I left her alone with them to answer the phone. BAD MOTHER. When I got off the phone, Violet ran past me into her room (the telltale sign that she's up to no good) with something in her mouth. I did a quick star count, and one was missing.

I freaked out - don't swallow that! bad for you! toxic chemicals!

Aaagh she swallowed it!

In retrospect, I might have overreacted, but the package said Made in China, and DO NOT EAT! So, my first instinct was to make her throw it up. It wasn't successful, and for the rest of the day she would look at me strangely and ask "what you do that to me in the bathroom for?". Anyhoo, spoke with the fine people at TeleHealth and Posion Control (while Violet was actually whining for more stars), and it turned out not to be toxic. She has suffered no ill effects from the star.

After I hung up the phone, I broke into tears. That (and only that) upset Violet, who ran into my arms and wouldn't look at me until I was happy again.

Now she tells people "I ate a jelly star, and Mama was angry, then she cried and I hid, and then I peeked and Mama was happy again".

Jem slept through it all.

That was Monday, and things have looked up since then. The laptop is back. I started a mommy boot-camp spinning class. We set up the Christmas lights and have made a dent in our first box of brandy beans and bottle of Southern Comfort. We have our traditions here.