Friday, February 25, 2011

Our Situation Has Not Improved


1. Well, that's not exactly true, even though it's an awesome quote from Indy III. Miranda has almost finished her antibiotics (which means her ear infection must be healing) and doesn't have to be held down anymore by both parents and the dose shoved down her throat to get the full effect of that medication, which is how affairs were last weekend. We're down to one breathing treatment a day, before school. And she's back to waking up at 3 am because she's hungry. Which means she has returned to being the impossible 4 year old we know and love. At least we've changed from punching to spitting when she doesn't want to clean up the toys she's strewn all across the house, but she's still throwing toys when sent to her room for obstinacy and disobedience. I know understand why my mother looked forward to my illnesses when I was this age: the Miranda who was seriously ill and a completely pathetic child of last week was much easier to cuddle and care for. My problem this week is that I am so tired from her 3 am "feedings" that I'm not always ducking successfully from the flying Little People tractor. Dang it.

2. On a happier note, the ice and snow is gone so Alex is a much happier boy. And we've adjusted his ADHD meds slightly to help him focus more at school, so life for his teacher is getting a lot easier, and he is earning new books again. If he comes home with a good report today, we will be off to the bookstore straight after school. Darling boy.

3. Not only are my crocuses blooming outside on my front stoop, but in the front room I am enjoying the end of my third amaryllis and first paper whites, I have 2 still blooming primroses my mother-in-law gave me several weeks ago on my table, cut tulips were on sale at Trader Joe's last Sunday so I got 10 of those in a lovely peach-pink, all in addition to my usual African violets. Although, half of the violets really need to be replaced. I can keep them blooming and happy for a couple of years, but then they get leggy and need to be discarded and replaced with beautiful new ones that usually cost $.99 at Produce Junction.

4. I can't find the camera anywhere, so I have no progress picture for you this week, even though I finished page 10 and made a good start on the top half of page 11 this week. I will probably need to clean Miranda's room to find it since she's known for running off with things like that and stashing them somewhere "safe." 

5. Because we had a forecast for snow on Tuesday (which was much less than advertised and so the cancellation of school seemed a bit silly), on Monday I pushed all of us out of the house to make a trip to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden even though I knew it would be absolutely mobbed because the children really needed to get out of the house and do something fun if they were going to be stuck at home Tuesday (and, remember, Miranda missed 4 days of school last week because of illness) and Alex would miss his field trip to Pump It Up, his most favorite place in the universe (thankfully, it's been rescheduled for next Tuesday). We had a good time even though we did it at a dead run and were crowded out of a few exhibits. 

6. I am continuing to work my way through Series 2 of Spooks on my own and Season 1 of Mission:Impossible when Marshall is available to join me. I did see, many years ago, the American cuts of Series 1 & 2 of Spooks, repackaged as MI-5 but missing at least 15 minutes of each episode so the stories did not flow together very well. The UK version is much better. Soon, I will move into Series 3, saying good-bye to Matthew Macfadyen and hello to Rupert Penry-Jones and episodes I've never seen before. 

7. My mother's book, Bathsheba's Lament, continues to earn praises and recognition from among a growing number of readers. There is a great review of it on the International Christian Fiction Writers' blog that you must read! There is another awesome review of Bathsheba's Lament on LeAnne Hardy's blog. Read it here. Remember, if you haven't already ordered a copy, you will find it available here, or, if you are a local fan, inform me that you are claiming one of my few remaining copies.

Bonus 8. For the record, my favorite Valentine's Day movies, that I've revisited in recent weeks, are The Replacement Killers and Romeo Must Die. Somehow, 10 Things I Hate About You, my previous favorite, just isn't the same since Heath died.

And here's Jen.

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