Saturday, January 30, 2010

fighting cabin fever

Today, my goal was to get out of the room (house) and do something with the children that wasn't just watching tv or a movie. It would have been nice to do something outside, but it's raining, so I'm sure we would have melted ;)
We went to the Burke Museum at the University of Washington.
It was pretty cool. A few weeks ago, there was something on the news about a sea star fossil that was found, which was 15 million years old.
Thinking I'd send the children on a hunt, I told them that the first one to find me something in the museum that was 15 million years old would get a treat (Kit Kat bar).
Man, before we even walked in, Maggie found an outside display of fossilized wood that said it was 15 million years old! Then, she found the sea star inside also. So, Maggie got to have a double treat.
Lilly found a pretty block of petrified wood that was also 15 million years old.
Josh kept looking, but didn't find anything exactly that age, although there were many artifacts older. He helped me though, so he also got a treat, albeit a smaller treat.
There was a pretty fossil flower that was 50 million years old, and a fossilized fern that was 300 million years old! And, it was cool to see things that were 520 million years old (cystoids), and a billion years old (another outside display, this time of fossilized sandstone, I think).
There were some beautiful gemstones, neat skulls, stuffed birds, dinosaur skeletons, clovis points from East Wenatchee, and so many other really cool things. Emu feathers are gorgeous.
Josh and Maggie received letters from their classes.
I took a picture of Maggie reading her letters when she received them. It was the day she was sick. She was so miserable, but still was able to drag up some energy and strength to read through them.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Stripped

The first big wave of families we've gotten to know here (in our housing unit) is leaving over the next few days. It's frustrating to know that it won't be us for a very long time yet, but it's also great to know that their children are doing well enough to go home...wherever home may be.

This means that I actually have to start being more social (so much work) and actually welcome new people in the house so we won't get so lonely and isolated.

No offense to anyone, but the general population has no idea what it's like to be stripped~stripped of home, security (knowing your child is healthy), your belongings, freedom of choice (can't go farther than 1 hour of the hospital), friends, and stripped of quality rest.

What a depressing way to start the weekend. I think I'll get something fun for the weekend when I get a few groceries this morning, and maybe I'll make sure to take the children swimming. We just have to get out of our room a little more!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Andy's on his way AGAIN

Maggie got sick, so Andy's coming to be with her because we really can't spread illness around.
I don't know where she got sick though, since we are only around a certain population of people right now.

Josh's crystals

My hyacinth. It smells divine!
One last note~~there's another Andy that lives here, there's another Sarah, there are 2 Cindy's, and many other duplicate names. How crazy is that?!



I just love Kitchenaid and red


I love my kitchenaid, and I love red. And, the combination of those two loves is above...
I'd love to win one, and you could too, at this link.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Haiti Walk-A-Thon

Lilly and Maggie are going to participate in a Walk-A-Thon next week, to benefit Haiti. Maggie and Lilly both have a goal to walk at least 30 laps laps each, to rasie money to help fund medical support for earthquake victims.

If you'd like to support them in this effort, let us know! You can make a pledge for each lap (example: $1/lap), or you can make a maximum pledge.

Each lap is 1/3 mile, so I'll have some tired children next week!

On a kind of related, but not totally sidenote, when we park in the parking garage at the hospital, there are several speed checks so people drive safer around children. When we park and there aren't any cars coming in, the children run toward the speed checker. Maggie got 10MPH, Lilly got 7MPH, and Josh got 11MPH. Fast children, but I don't know how long their sprint speed would last. Oh, and Andy got 13MPH. He's my oldest baby ;)

Friday, January 22, 2010

update


Andy was here for two days earlier this week, then went home on Wednesday afternoon. Remember, we live 3 hours away...
He came right back Wednesday night, just a few hours after arriving home.
Wednesday night was very scary, but things are now good (as good as they can be in this situation), and I now know what to do in case anyone has a seizure.
Hear the sarcastic joy in my writing?!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

a golden surprise

Josh lost a tooth last week.
We discovered that the Seattle Toothfairy has a higher rate.


Andy and Kelly got here today.
She was proud to be decked out in Washington State attire colors.
My graduation tassel is hanging in...
the golden surprise...

Ok, it's not perfect (actually, I thought it was ugly when I bought it on eBay).
BUT, it will be a LOT easier to park in the big city!
I downsized from the Suburban to a minivan, and soon will downsize from
my jogging stroller to a regular size stroller.
Yep, life is getting somewhat simpler.


Tonight, we were talking over different boy names, a common practice in this family for the past few months. I like the name Max, which made us start talking about book characters (Maximum Ride).

Kelly: Septimus Heap.

Andy: Oh, I like that! What would we use for a nickname?

Kelly: Sep, that'd be so awesome!

Me: No, because then people might turn it around and say "Pes," which is like a vulgar word that we don't use, and it's not Pus. (Everyone had a confused look on their face except Josh)

Josh: Yeah, it's a different vowel.

He said that so seriously we were all cracking up.