I can't think of a perky title to describe the blah-ness that was last week

So after I optimistically ended last week's update with "actual pictures and me not whining...." Reina was sick on Thursday and Friday, Will picked up the virus on Friday night through the rest of the weekend and even today I'm not sure any of us (except the hunter) are 100%.  But we are going to be healthy for trick-or-treating, darnit! 

So the kids and I were pretty much housebound fighting off this thing and Glenn was hunting in Idaho over the weekend. He left when I was feeling better mid-week, before it rained down on everybody else and he was a calm voice on the other end of the phone when I was at the end of my rope on Saturday. The kids and I did spend a little time at Will's school's Halloween carnival. Will didn't get to go to his last football game on Saturday and he was a little disappointed by that.  We spent the weekend watching Halloween movies and taking medicine.  We did leave for a little while to drive around and look at Halloween lights.  Hey - I was desperate to get out of the house.  Plus, we bought a new car last week, something I haven't blogged about yet.  It's a cute new Ford Escape with all sorts of fancy doodads inside.  And satellite radio. 

On Friday, the kids and I went to Will's school for a Halloween carnival. I had an inkling that Will wasn't feeling quite right but we forged ahead.  Looking back at this picture, you can see how droopy his sad eyes are.  Poor little feverish ninja. 

They had different activities (bean bag toss, fishing, mini-golf, cake-walk, etc.) in each room so we made the tour and won some prizes. 

A cute little black cat kept us on our toes and man does she want that to be her 'big-kid school.'  I've said this before but if she could get into kindergarten right now, she'd be there in a heartbeat.  So until Fall 2014, she'll have to make do with holiday carnivals and the ring toss. 

Back home, Will staked his claim on the couch and Reina 'helped' me with chores.  Here's what happens when a 3-yr old helps you sort laundry. I guess I should be happy that it wasn't mine. 

 On Saturday afternoon, I was trying to get Reina down for a nap while simultaneously watching "South Pacific."  I spent many an evening in high school watching old movies and musicals with my parents (I know, I know, that speaks volumes doesn't it?) so I know all of the words and can sing-along.  So Nellie is singing the praises of their delicious champagne and Reina turns to me with a shocked look on her face, "Why is that girl drinking shampoo?"  I'm still laughing about that one today. 

So when the movies were over and we were a little stir crazy, we turned our attention to the dogs.  It's not officially Halloween until the dogs are humiliated.  Ladies and gentleman, the bride and groom! 

The bride wore a fit-to-flare dress with Chantilly lace and intricate beading.  The groom wore... a perplexed expression.  Actually, the groom wore his kicky little tuxedo shirt the rest of the evening after I forgot to take it off.  Tootsie discarded her veil and skirt as soon as I said "okay, all done." 

Happy Halloween.

Another one bites the dust

I started this post on Monday night.... wrote a paragraph, collapsed back on the couch and now it's Thursday.  Here's what I wrote originally:  So I caught the Great Unidentified Virus of 2012 and spent the weekend in a semi-coma on the couch.  So another weekend without any pictures of me and the kiddos, Glenn and the kiddos, the kiddos or the dogs.  Well, I did take a picture of the dogs yesterday to send to my mom and sister because it looked like someone had snuck in the house and shot said dogs, so comfortable they were on the couch.  Tough, tough life for Trigger and Tootsie.  Anyway, so it was also a weekend with no shopping for the rest of the Halloween costumes, no exercising, no party, and no hanging out. 

So Monday through Thursday looked a little something like me attempting to go to work for a few hours every day, losing my voice completely for about 24 hours (that was scary actually, it made me feel claustrophobic for some reason.  Trigger liked it the most because I couldn't yell at him), I went back to the doctor for different medicine, my voice came back, Reina had to stay home today because of similar symptoms and now here we are at the end of the week.  I'm just hoping that we can keep everyone healthy for the weekend.  We have a halloween carnival, Will's last football game, and a bunch of pumpkins to carve. 

Back in a few days with actual pictures and hopefully paragraphs that don't involve me whining. 

Cats and dogs

Another week gone by and thankfully nothing major to write about this week.  The bug that Will had last week, kept him pretty droopy through the first few days of the week but school was out anyway so he had extra time to recover.  Reina stayed perky despite the fever. She's Iron Girl.  Glenn went hunting during the later part of the week and came home with the biggest antelope he's ever shot, so he was happy.  I have a big work project coming up this week so the weekend was spent doing a mix of chores, fun stuff and work.  We shopped for Halloween costumes on Saturday: 

Any guesses as to what Reina is going to be for Halloween?  Anyone?   No idea? 



A tat!  Or a 'cat' for the rest of us.  I'm not sure how I'm going to put together the rest of the costume but at least we have the ears and the mask.  Here she plaintively meows for her next meal. 



And here she growls in the hopes that I'll be terrified.  It's hard to be scared of anything this cute huh?                          



Will agreed to be part of her 'Mean Cat' scenario.  What a patient big brother. 

I forgot to capture last week's first snowfall on the blog so here it is.  While I was ready for the change of seasons, I'm not sure I was ready for the white stuff.  We sure need the moisture so I'll stop complaining. 

Reina's preschool had their annual open house last week and for the first time in many years, I didn't visit the toddler room, just the primary room.  Reina showed us all of her 'work.'  Her teachers say that she's a sponge - absorbing everything around her.   They said she's quiet and respectful and doesn't make a fuss.  I'm pretty sure they were talking about the wrong kid. 

Last weekend, I managed just a few pictures of all of the post-hunting activities with Uncle Mark and Cousin Ben.  Reina helped make burger.  Well, Reina sat at the table and asked everyone questions while we made burger.  Puppet Cat was there too. 

 Finally, the 'dog' portion of this post.  Tootsie is so, SO great with the kids.  They lay on her (literally) and she just sits there patiently, occasionally looking at me like "Do I have to?  Really?"  Even when I tell her she can get down, she just stays in her spot on couch - 50 lb 5-yr old notwithstanding. 

At least it wasn't the bird flu

So I had big plans for the weekend.  Glenn's brother and nephew came to Wyo to hunt and we were going to get to spend some time with them, relax, catch up on chores, etc.  I'd planned to take some pictures of me with the kids. I read an article last week which made me think about the fact that I'm in very few pictures with the kids because (a) I'm usually the one with the camera and (b) I look like a bum.  So in my mind, I was staging all these photos of the kids and I casually posing for the camera, laughing at a joke, gazing at each other adoringly, you know, things that happen every day.  Except we didn't have any smiling kids, well at least we didn't have a lot of smiley moments.  On Thursday morning, I got the first call from kindergarten that Will wasn't feeling well and probably needed to go home.  Actually, it was an email from his teacher (technology!) but I'd been suspicious since he woke up that morning complaining that his hips hurt (body aches) and it really hurt to swallow (alarm bells!).  So Will came home on Thursday and spent most of the weekend on the couch.  Reina was buzzing along like normal until I noticed that her cheeks were a little red on Saturday.  Sure enough, she had the same fever but had too much going on to just lay on the couch like her brother.  When Reina doesn't feel well it's hard to tell until you notice her supreme over-reaction to just about anything that she doesn't like, want to do, or acquiesce to.  "What's for dinner? Tacos?  I HATE TACOS!"  So no pictures with the mom.    We'll try again next week. 

Right now

I know I say it practically every week but these kiddos are growing up right before our eyes.  Kindergarten has already had a profound effect on Will and it's only been a month.  We've put the kibosh on some of the more bothersome language that he's brought home but I'm truly amazed at all of the things he's learning.  His preschool started him off on the right foot and now he's putting all of the concepts together.  He can recognize more sight words, knows that 2+2=4 and 1 more is 5.  He sings us his 'welcome to school' song and teaches us all of the hand movements.  The other night, I was reading a story to both Will and Reina and Will points at a word and says, "Those are the naughty brothers."  I said "Huh?" (Thinking - there's a cuss word in this Berenstein's Bears book?)  Will informs me that when you put T and H together, they are naughty because they make you stick your tongue out.   I've never thought about it - kindergarten!

Reina is such a force right now, I can't really describe her personality.  She has an opinion about EVERYTHING and she is not shy about expressing it.  Last week, out of the blue she told me that she thinks I should have another baby.  Tonight Glenn made something new for dinner. I took a bite and said (mistakenly), "Well, I don't hate it." Reina piped up matter-of-factly, "Well I hate it."  When I told her that we will always know how she feels about something, she replied with "I'm feeling sick."   She asks "Why" for everything.  She'll start conversations with "Can we talk about baby cats?" But she can't always pronounce the 'c' in cats, so it comes out as 'tats.'  You can imagine our reaction when she wants to talk about kitties. 

We had the following conversation:

Reina:  Mom, when's my birthday?
Me:  It's February 10.
Reina:  Why?
Me:  Well, that's the day that you decided to grace us with your presence.
Reina:  I always wants presents. 

She's a little dictator, but she's also sweet and affectionate and unexpectedly funny.  This weekend while grocery shopping, she was sitting in the car singing "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King:  Her sweet little voice:  "It's our problem-free and lots of peas, hakuna matata!"   After I stopped giggling, I explained that the word is 'philosophy.'  Now she'll sing it the wrong way and catch my eye to see if I'll laugh.  I usually do. 

While walking around the Halloween section at Target tonight, I remembered the years that I had to avoid that area of the store because one or both of them were too scared of the jack-o-lanterns, witches and more.  It wasn't just Reina either.  I remember one year, a mute Will sitting in the cart with eyes as big as the moon.  As we headed to the checkout, he calmly informed me that he didn't want to go there again.  This year for Halloween he wants to be a 'skeleton ninja with blood coming out of my eyes.'  Last year he was a jaunty little pirate and this year he'll be some sort of gross hybrid of zombie and ninja.  Sob.  What happened to my little boy?  Reina wants to be a cat, naturally. 

Three and five.  So fun.