Today . . .

I managed to take a shower and walk around the yard!

Guess who's worth the slow-going recoup, 1 week post-delivery . . .

A week and a day old!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Livia and I missed going anywhere for her first Thanksgiving (and SP soon headed home to help me out after bringing the kids) due to a very slow going recoup first week post delivery. But you know what, when you have sweet moments like . . .

THIS
of a big brother that LOVES to hold his baby sister . . .

these difficult post-delivery weeks are a flash in the pan!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And I did thoroughly enjoy my warmed plate with all the fixin's in my quiet kitchen when I was ready.

(-:

Pretty sure most of you have heard (-:

But just in case . . .

Welcome, Livia Morgan!

One day old.

Two days old.

And as of day three, just a sweet little baby doing everything a three day old baby should be doing, and quite perfectly I might add! (-:

Induction Day Tomorrow!

It'll be 11 days overdue tomorrow and it'll be four generations of family birthdays on November 20th! If history serves (this is the fourth, overdue induction...some of them the full two weeks), it's going to be a loooooong day tomorrow.

SO

SP and I are just about to head out to The Earle for one of my favorite meals in town:

Lamb Chops
Lamb chops rubbed with rosemary, chives and tarragon, then lightly breaded with Parmesan-enhanced breadcrumbs and sautéed, served with a Madeira sauce and turnip-potato puree.

Post script: "Induction day" turned out to be, "actually go into labor day." 10 minutes before the alarm was to ring at 5:30a.m. I had a "knock your socks off" contraction which led to some more and by the time we got to the hospital had me at 7cm and ready to roll!

O.K., let's just post this already . . .

I'm not really a "crafty projects" gal, so when I decided to finally (after two years of thinking about it) recover some seat covers, that was picture worthy to me. I got the table set maybe three years ago from an "antique" shop in Ypsi (are the 1960's antique?), stored it for a year, bought my fabric the next year and finally took it on this year. I did it this past summer, enjoyed it and got psyched to try a few other projects. That's why I never posted these, I was waiting until I could also post my "few other projects."

I've realized however, that I don't want these pics on my desktop for the next two years while I build up the energy to do the other projects!

(-:

My supplies

Out with the old "tropical" covers and in with large paisley (?) I think that's what it might be called.

SP stripped the original avocado green and repainted.

We do have four chairs but they wouldn't all fit in the sun.

My next project

Recovering this footstool with the middle, back of this denim jacket.

The staples were a lot harder to remove than my chairs, so I got discouraged...1/4 way done.

I also started to recover some folding chairs the kids use at the computer but that we also use as needed for guests (they're so stained from the kids but structurally great so why buy new I thought?). I finished one chair, sat down and was poked by the fabric staples along every edge of the seat! Another project STALLED!

Give me a hedge trimmer, garden gloves, bags of manure (I'm not kidding), whatever...I am NOT a projects gal!

Baby watch? NO BABY YET!

Overheard at breakfast . . .

"Hey, look. She's got an owl out there!"

Did some more nesting yesterday (one great thing about being "late"...I always get a lot of little things done that I'd never do...the latest was dusting the high corners in some of our rooms). After getting that duster filled with dust (and I mean F-I-L-L-E-D), I washed it, hung it out on the line and forgot it overnight. This was what greeted the boys as they breakfasted before their first day back to school today (Lara stayed home again, still with the fever and she'll be home tomorrow too. Poor girl.).

My hypothesis:

I think we might have had the swine flu around here. All symptoms pointed to flu (and in fact, swine flu), all four kids had it and MANY times over the last five days I have been coughed on, breathed on, laid on, blown noses for, touched door knobs of and every other way one could possibly get a virus into them, I've done it I'm sure. And...oh I shouldn't write this but...I haven't gotten it! So, my hypothesis is that it is the swine flu because I've been vaccinated for that and there should be no way I've escaped this bug!

Hey, Sharyn . . .

You were right!

(see comment from 11/6)

Yep, that little (please, please..stay little) bug of ours is quite a "yo-yo-er." Ben was a bit better the next day, then started to decline as the day went on (cough, little fever...I never seem to actually take the temps...little achey), till now just a cough. However, Harrison started with the cough yesterday and got the headache and fever as today went on. Lara fell asleep without us coming to her room last night (sure sign something was up...she's a reading night owl if we let her), woke up and proceeded to sleep the rest of the morning away, felt better in late afternoon and declined again in the evening. William had a little cough this morning, glassy eyes by afternoon and full blown fever and chills by 5p.m.

Up and down and up and down . . .

So far, no nausea (oh please, please let's not add that into our yo-yo tricks) or anything runny from the other end (sorry, I'm a mom (-:). So, I'm not sure what to label it, all I know is I DON'T want it (due date TOMORROW!! - which means probably only two weeks to go, hmphh!) but that's the fascinating latest on the "who's sick" update. As far as it goes though, it's a much quieter Sunday evening than last week.

Here's hoping you have a bug-free week!

Frustrating Yet Funny . . .

Since I'm not able to take on the many outdoor Fall tasks that I usually do, I've been putzing around the house getting things done that have probably been neglected for years (dusting the top rim of window panes in our bedroom for one...wow...can that stuff accumulate!). Along my indoor travels I came across this book, "Just So Stories" by Rudyard Kipling and had the idea that last Sunday I'd read a couple with all the kids for our bedtime books (SP's at rehearsal Sun. nights, typically we split up the gang for the "putting the gang to bed" routine).

So, here's the book. I thought this one could easily entertain all four, even with the seven year age gap. As the week went on though, I lost track of the book and kept stumbling upon this one . . .

and getting frustrated. I seriously thought a number of times, "this is the same size and shape as the one I'm looking for, why can't I just find that one?!!!" Then comes Sunday night and as teachers know, if you have a gap in your lesson plans and the class has down time...all heck can break loose. And that's what happened. I had everyone in the "red couch room," thought I'd take one more look for the book, couldn't find it, (while Ben sat there with "The Prince and the Pauper" asking if we could just read this one and me saying, "No, that one's not going to work for everyone."),...and everyone started going nuts wrestling, jumping, yelling.

The night did not end in the most picture perfect way, let's just say.

And then, low and behold, I found this . . .

laying open on a table in the middle of this week!!!

'nough said!

So, last night . . .

Ben came home from choir practice complaining of a headache and being freezing (UH-OH!!!...please not the flu!). He had played outside from 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m. with literally 10 minutes for lunch, so I thought maybe he was just tired. Then he felt warm and was sweating and...oh brother. Later that night I wondered aloud to him, "Oh, boy...I wonder if it's the flu?" To which he perks right up, smiles excitedly and asks, "The Swine Flu???" Not wanting to alarm him I said, "probably not," and he drooped back down to bed, disappointed!

Some kid!

(-:

Post Script: He woke this morning, little groggy, slight cough and has been playing just fine. Think we just had a tired boy that over did it yesterday.

Counting down the days . . .

Well, our few months with just the two of us hanging out together during the day has really flown. Still no baby yet, but the due date is Monday and I have a feeling this one won't make my typical "two weeks late" scenario (maybe it's more "hope" than a "feeling"?). Anyway, the big kids had today and tomorrow off for conferences so, on Wednesday, William and I had maybe our last hurrah trip being alone to the Scrap Box. He had never been and had a GREAT time!

For $4 you fill your bag with all sorts of oddities. We actually found two "Borders" music CD's this time and in the past we found old racing car trophies which the other boys got a kick out of. You never know what you'll find.

These sticky-backed foam pieces in all shapes and sizes seem to always be there though.

So much to choose from!

Um...sorry buddy...won't fit in the bag...

For 50 cents though I got an 8ft long, super thick cardboard tube for the kids to shoot matchbox cars through. That was fun until they started walking around the house with the 8ft long new weapon!! Then today, I learned that they brought it out to the "fort" they're working on in the woods, to use as a booby-trap for girls by shooting glass bottles down it!!!! I am besides myself but am sure if one of my brothers is reading this they're simply nodding their heads and saying something along the lines of, "yeah...you go boys...been there!"

I can only imagine what he's thinking!

He made boats, tables and other assorted this-n-that until nap time.

Good time!

I'm not amused with . . .

The time change!

Now, instead of just getting up on Sundays raring to go (Sat. they're quiet because they can use computer), the dynamic trio has been up each weekday morning playing full throttle as the sun barely peeks over our eastern trees! Ugh!!!

Burs!

The kids have been coming in recently covered in burs, not two or three mind you, hundreds. For some reason it is assumed that I will be the one picking each and every one of them off their clothes/socks/shoe laces. I'm trying to remember clearly but I think I recall having to do that myself as a kid?!!

Well, I guess there's one plus to this new daylight schedule...

Since my adrenaline was flowing (o.k., blood boiling) so early this morning I'm ready to head off to the Y as soon as I log off here (8:30a.m.). My swims aren't what they used to be even a month ago but boy, it sure helps to get in there and do a little something. If anything, to help forget the mornings! (-:

Miscellaneous Monday

Boy, I'm hot on the posts these days. Perhaps because my activity level has dropped off a bit in the last few weeks and we're not out and about as much? 39 weeks today!

Last rose of the season, clipped from the garden last week.

William's creation with magnets.

And, no, he's not a scub scout (as he calls them) but he LOVES to think he is.

Did you know? . . .

Last week I came across my maiden name three times in five days? Not being the most common maiden name, I found that interesting. One of them was a police special forces officer that visited the boy's cub scout meeting. He came from five generations of "us" in south Florida! Another popped out at me as the author of a book in Borders and the other was a singer coming to town.

Also . . .

Some of you I'm sure have heard the concept of "nesting" with pregnant women. The idea that they do more around the house getting ready for babies arrival. Too bad I decided to have that instinct kick in around 38 and 1/2 weeks, I'm all out of wack today and can't do much other than sit and give William the remote. Poor guy.

(but, boy...are those baseboards clean...hope baby likes them (-:)