Saturday adventures

The plan for this past Saturday was for M to take C and I out of the house early so D could sleep in and then head to work. With him coming home sick Friday night, M didn't know what to do. But I decided I still wanted to go skiing like M had told me we were going to. This was an adventure (or suicide mission) for M in that she was going to have both of us on the ski hill at the same time. Notice the monkey on my back. That was the harness M was going to use for me so i wouldn't get too far ahead of her and C.

Ready to go up the conveyor belt to the bunny slope.

We did so good the first run down, that M thought we could handle the chair lift and the littler steeper hill. It was a little scary for her to have me in a chair all by myself, but i hung on tight!

C riding up with M.

After 2 runs down (and more than 45 mintues outside) as we got tangled a few times on the steeper slope, we were ready for lunch. We headed back to the van for our peanut butter sandwiches.

M's little ski bums!

After lunch M tried to take us back on the slopes, but it was so windy and getting too close to nap time. Once both C and I started crying, M decided it was time to head home! She still plans to take us out again, just one by one next time!!
We got home shortly after 4 and relaxed for about an hour before M started supper. The water was just starting to boil when the electricity went off. After patiently waiting for 45 minutes for it to come back on, M decided she needed to go find food elsewhere. The lights came back on 10 minutes before we had to turn them off for bedtime!
C and I playing with the flashlights as we waited for the blackout to be over. It was our first extended blackout and was an adventure in itself. C couldn't quite understand why the lights didn't work when she flipped the switches in all the rooms but the flashlights sure were fun to play with and have a picnic by.

House full of sickness

The last few weeks have been one sickness after another. It started Thursday, January 12th when M got a call from my teacher saying I had thrown up in the school driveway on the way over to the cafeteria for lunch. So M and I went home that day and due to school policy were home the next day also, even though I didn't throw up again, although I did have a fever most of the afternoon.
Monday (the 16th) found us back at school with the start of a cold coming on. I swam in the morning and when M came to the cafeteria to eat lunch with me I was fast asleep on my teacher's lap. Since the cough had started that morning and the teacher thought I had a slight fever, I was again sent home with M. This time M tried to get me to continue my nap in her office, while she got another hour or so of work accomplished. By late afternoon my fever was very apparent, so M took me home. The rest of the week M and I fought a cold, but were at school and work.
The next Monday (23) morning found me throwing up in my bed at 4:30 and doing so 3 more times before M got up at 6 for work. Since D was on the afternoon shift, M headed to work a little early with the plan to leave in the afternoon and get D off to his work a few hours late. Since my last episode was early morning, I was allowed to go back to school the next day. So off to another week of school & work. D started complaining Wednesday that the cold M and I had, had been given to him. Friday night he went into work earlier so he could be off by our bedtime. He wasn't even home an hour when he started throwing up. He spent most of the night throwing up. Saturday the flu was mostly gone, but a serious cold had set in, which caused D to miss work Saturday and church Sunday with M, C and I staying as far away from him as we could.
Saturday night my fever came back and by Sunday night I was complaining about my right ear hurting. When M checked on me at 3am Monday morning and I was still burning up, it was decided that she would use a sick day for the 3rd Monday in a row. The first appointment at the Pediatric's office was at 8:20 in the morning with a doctor I had never seen. It was a very productive appointment. Antibiotics were prescribed for an ear infection and then the doctor spent the next 45 minutes explaining Asthma and his official diagnosis of it in me. By the time we left, M had 5 prescriptions to fill for the various aliments. This week I have been on antibiotics for the ear infection, a steroid for the inflammation on my airways, Tylenol with codeine for my cough and an Albuterol inhaler for my wheezing. After 4 days M can say that they have worked. Starting next week (once I am off the steroid) I will start my preventative medicine for asthma. The doctor suggested that I use the inhaler during the school year and during the summer do my regiment of allergy medicines.
Even though I have a long road ahead of me (although hopefully I will outgrow the asthma), it is somewhat of a relief for M. She has long suspected that I had more than just allergies. Even when I am having an allergy attack, it is more asthmatic--in that manifests as a cough (sometime so hard that it causes me to throw up) rather than itching/watery eyes/nose as most hay fever allergies do.
Luckily, other than a few sniffles and a slight cough, C has gone through the last 3 weeks unscathed. M spent most of the day Monday disinfecting the house and cleaning the bathrooms. Hopefully the sickness is out of our house for good!!!

Decorating

D has changed his shift at work temporarily. Instead of being gone when I wake up in the morning, I get to eat breakfast with him. However, it also means he goes to work during the day and doesn't come home unto after I go to bed. Because the evenings are just us girls, M tries to keep C and I busy and entertained. We've been putting lots of puzzles together and playing a lot of memory games. Tonight was decorating night--Aunt M gave us these really cool wall stickers for Christmas and we finally got around to putting them up.

The finished product. Now my corner of the room is completely Dora.

M helped C decorate her corner, so that when she finally moves into the room with me, it will be all ready for her.

Thanks Aunt M for the evening of entertainment. It was quite fun!

Ski Days

Aunt R and Uncle W went skiing with M while they were visiting us. It was quite an adventure to get to the ski hill. After getting the passes from the Y and making good time to the interstate and the rentals, things started to go downhill (and that wasn't the skis!!). There were road closures that caused delays nearing the Eisenhower tunnel on I-70. After spending an hour only going 5 miles, it was decided to change the destination. So instead of going to Copper Mtn, M turned around and headed over to Winter Park. Since it was so late when we arrived at the Mary Jane ski hill, we decided to spend the next 4 hours just skiing and no breaks!! However, the wind was horrible, so only 2 lifts were open and due to snow conditions, most runs weren't open. But we made the most of it and enjoyed the 7 or 9 runs we were able to get to.

Taking a short rest on the slopes.

Last run of the night. The ski patrol had to kick us off the slopes as they did their final sweep. Even though it was only four hours of skiing, we got tired and had lots of fun. M actually enjoyed doing runs she had never been on before in her 8 years of skiing the Mary Jane slopes.

Don't ask me how, but Aunt R got stuck sideways in the hill!!

Since Uncle W didn't feel he got enough skiing in and the Eldora passes were still available when they were here, we all went skiing again New Year's Eve. M took me while Uncle W went off by himself and Aunt R went cross-country skiing and C stayed in the van with G. M and I made it down 7 runs with me between her legs, holding onto her poles so I wouldn't go too fast. On the last run she let me ski the bottom by myself. A few more times out this winter and I will be ready to do it all myself.

When I started getting cold, M took me back to the van for lunch and took C out. She was so bundled up that only her eyes showed.

Riding the lift up for the first run down. C wasn't too thrilled with the boots, so M wasn't sure how she would take to the slopes. But after the first run down, she kept asking to go again and screamed "Whee" all the way down.

After an hour with C it was back to the van to see if i wanted to ski again. I decided that I wanted to try snow-shoeing instead. So off C, Aunt R, M and I went. C and Aunt R deciding where to go.

The wind was blowing and C hadn't really warmed up from her time on the ski slopes so she was already cold. Then the trail we decided on was pretty steep, so C kept sliding to the end of sled and wasn't too happy with that. And since we were needing to get our equipment back to the store before they closed for New Year's Eve, we decided to turn around and head back to the van after only about 10 minutes.

The bunny slope had the coolest conveyor belt. Basically you just ski right up on it and stand for the whole ride to the top. Sometime you start sliding backwards a little bit, but for the most part it is the easiest way to get up the slope!

C trying it all by herself!

Aunt and Uncle's visit

After Christmas Uncle W and Aunt R came to visit us. This was our first time seeing Uncle W since he has come back from serving overseas. I was super excited to see him. I even helped M make his bed--by testing it out with all my people to make sure it was inflated enough!

C taught Aunt R how to eat ice cream on a stick. Although with this Christmas variety, C was even having trouble because the ice cream was so thick--her mouth isn't quite that big!

I was busy showing Uncle W how to play my new matching game.

We had a great time the week they were here. We will miss you until next time.

Enjoying our Peppermint ice cream bars.

I was so excited to give Aunt R a Christmas present, so I wrapped up one of my teddy bears for her.

G came out to visit us also and I got to spend 2 whole days home with her while D went and played ATV's with Uncle W and Aunt R and M worked, and the 2nd day when M&D went back to work after the new year.

Christmas

Christmas Eve after the Sunday School program we headed over to P's house to celebrate Christmas. It was a different Christmas than in year's past. G was very missed, but she left behind a lot of her treasures that all of us got to appreciate as presents.

Christmas morning we opened our presents at home before heading to church.Since we had extra time to get ready for church I convinced M to let us take a special bath. Uncle B gave this special bath mixture to C for her birthday. It turns the water into a thick green goo!

It was so thick, the whole bath moved with me.

After church we headed back over to P's house to relax and spend time with the family. C had a relapse of her flu sickness from earlier in the week and since M still wasn't feeling well from her flu bout on Friday (in which she missed 2 Christmas parties, but slept 15 hours), most of the day was spent cuddling in the rocking chair--not quite the family time M envisioned, but a quiet, restful Christmas was actually nice.

Christmas Program

We had our Sunday School program as part of the Christmas Eve service. C and I were angels (although C didn't really take part at all!)

Singing Away in a Manager

Word of Life Church decorated for Christmas. Happy Birthday Jesus!!

I had a small solo.

music and fun

Around our house, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a favorite show and sometimes we just have to stop and dance!

I found an accordion at P's house Christmas Eve and entertained everyone with a little song.

Playing with the new cash register G&G sent to C for her birthday. It is amazing how fun it is to watch the drawer pop open.

Singing the ABC's

Christmas Lights

Merry Christmas to all!

2 years!

Can you believe that my sister is 2 years old already?! How time flies.

It was a nice enough December day to take pictures out by the tree.

I was a big helper at C's birthday party. I helped her open almost all her presents!

What a cute birthday girl!!

C had a little help blowing out her candles. They were a little hot so close to the face.

Extreme concentration playing with one of her new toys.

M's work party

At M's Christmas party I sat by the fire eating my cookie while I waited for Santa to arrive.

M is friendly with Santa's elf and because we had a dinner date with P that night, I was able to be the first one to sit on Santa's lap.

M's pretty Christmas girl!

M's talented co-worker sculpted this snowflake. Isn't it beautiful. The food service dept always does such a great job with all the food.

Christmas Program

My preschool program was on a Tuesday evening, so M and I had a dinner date at the Y cafeteria before it started. I have a lot of great friends at Y School.

Singing our songs. M was surprised that the program was only about 10 minutes long. Just enough time to sing 2 songs.

Waiting to give my present to M.

Santa at Daddy's Work

We took P with us when we went to D's work to look at the Christmas lights and visit Santa. One of my favorite displays was the manager scene. Even C knew it was Baby Jesus in the stable.

Just one of the 3 churchs in the display--a small church for small people.

Watching the elves work in Santa's workshop.

We were a little late getting to D's work and we spent the first minutes there looking at the Christmas displays, so by the time we got inside the line to see Santa was very, very long. Luckily there were things to keep us occupied. C and I were toy soldiers and elves with presents.

We even got to take our picture with Christmas Mouse, one of Mickey's cousins (according to M who I think was trying to appease C who wasn't quite sure about the mouse coming to say Hi to her!)

Finally we got to the front of the line and I got to sit on Santa's lap while he read his Christmas letter to me. C wasn't too sure about the man in the red hat.

Giving Santa a good-bye hug.

See you next year Santa (or in 6 days at M's work!)