Daddy Got a New Job, Etc.

Every month I send the relatives and a few very close friends an update and link to our pictures from the past month.  I am posting that email below for 2 reasons: 

1. I haven't had time to do a real blog entry.  I'm desperately tired, Andi has not slept more than two hours at night for the past 3 weeks.  She is sick, sick, sick -- "the crud," a viral rash, a bad cold...

2.  I can have all my writings in one spot so I can make it into a book for the girls, someday...




Happy Thanksgiving!

If I counted right, there are only 4.5 weeks til Christmas. Woh!  Ella, though, is already eagerly awaiting Easter.  She thumbs her nose at those who believe in celebrating one holiday at a time.  Andi, on the other hand, is just happy Halloween is over.  Wearing a costume was annoying at best, and tantrum inducing at worst.  The door-to-door begging for candy was puzzling, and being asked to put the sweet prize carefully chosen from the bowl into an Elmo bucket was infuriating.  By the time we got home, her hand was permanently frozen around three pieces of candy -- little fist, big candy appetite.

Between Halloween and Thanksgiving, someone in the house has been sick continually and Dave pointed out that the season is identified not by the snow falling outside or the Christmas decorations being put up, but by the ever-growing line of  bottles of various medications by the kitchen sink.  The thermometer has never made it's way back into it's storage case in the closet, and with Ella waking up sick today, there's no relief in sight.  These children may have wars over sharing toys, but there are no hang-ups when it comes to sharing germs.

Grampa told Ella about my childhood tradition of choosing a tree at the farm with mom and he and Patrick cutting it down.  Ella has been on Dave to let her help him cut down a Christmas tree at the farm next weekend.  She has assigned Sophia and I to picking the tree.  I love her initiative and leadership!

Andi has developed some possessiveness when it comes to mommy.  She screams at the girls if they hold my hand. If they sit on my lap, she yanks at their legs and yells "GO!"  She identifies her nose, head, tummy, foot, sock, and butt (that is a new one as of this morning that took me by surprise).  She chants "Ella baby, Ella baby," and uses one-word statements to request crackers and trips outside.

Daddy landed a job at a large corporation working in the government contracts division reviewing contracts.  It should have more normal and reasonable hours.  Last night was his first night home from the new job and, sitting down to eat with us on a weeknight for the first time in four years, the twins argued and Andi cried and threw her plate of food to the floor.  I told him this was not unusual and he said he'd be asking for his old job back.  Damn.

Ella helped Daddy clean out his office one weekend.  As they drove through the parking garage looking for a parking spot, Ella shared with him that she loves "Candicap spots because I LOOOOVVVE candy!"

A couple new pics....

Sick little fairy having a bad hair day

Ta-Dah!