We are all alive and well. As of my last post, we were infested, but we are now BUG FREE. Dang, knock on wood! In the midst of the worst of it, my Dear was on a week long deployment training in Virginia. (And had a wonderful time, I might add.) I had my 2 oldest to help me when I just had to use the bathroom or step out for quiet and fresh air, but it just isn't the same. You KNOW what I mean. He takes care of my heart and can comfort them when I can't.

Lucky for me, He arrived home just in the nick of time and had an extra day off to spend with ME! We had to celebrate, of course. 19 years is quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself. Given our current home sharing situation and the fact that we are in homework season, we didn't plan an evening out, but we had a few hours of the day to ourselves. Thanks, Kon. We thoroughly enjoyed lunch and errands alone, together. Those of you who know Him, know that my Dear can be somber and doesn't goof around in public. He was so intent on getting the mango mixed into His lemonade, though, that I teasingly suggested that if he blow through the straw, the bubbles, would be the perfect way to mix the beverage. Ta-da, it worked. I smiled.
And just now, I looked up from my post to see my Dear watching the computer screen across the room and dancing. He informed me that he just learned how to salsa dance! This is new. I love surprises. Especially when they come even when you have been married 19 years!

Encore's Booking Our Holiday Schedule!

Hello, it's Karli again. I'm just posting to let you all know about the singing group I'm in, Encore. We're a group of 18 juniors and seniors who love to perform! We are currently booking our schedule for the Holiday Season, so if you have any office parties or get-togethers scheduled and you need a group to perform, we are more than willing! Our focus is in jazz, but we also do more classical type music on the side. We are also interested in doing gigs outside the normal school-stuff year round, so if you are interested, feel free to ask. Any donations we receive for performing go towards furthering our musical education. Thanks so much!
~Karli

Curse the Bugs!!

The buggiest kind have invaded us.





STREP





Yuck!!!





3 on antibiotics. Not the pink kind, bigger guns for bigger bugs.





In the midst of it all, I did get a 3 hour nap and decorated 21 gingerbread men for my favorite teacher who happens to have openings in her pre-k, k, and 1st grade classes. (Check her out at academicaccolades.com) I never knew a teacher could be as amazing as Miss Rita, but Greta is and is a wonderful friend:)

BUGS!!!

It's not pretty, but we have them. Tried to get rid of them 2 weeks ago, and again last week, and here they are back.

Creepy-crawlies? Nope. The coughy, sneezy, runny-nose, fever, rash, runs (sorry), barfs, no-appetite, sore-throat, ear- infection, can't-sleep, headache, too-tired kind.

The 6 babes have all taken their turns with various combinations of symptoms, even having repeat "catchings". I don't think that's even a word, but it happened.

Luckily, we have a few days of healthy before the re-infestations. My 2 in elementary missed yesterday, and it looks like one will miss again, tomorrow. I couldn't take the babes to toddler-time at the library today with good conscience, so we stayed home and spared the public.

My favorite part of the day was when they NAPPED AT THE SAME TIME! I quickly tidied, lunched, checked my email for the much anticipated home appraisal which didn't come, and then had a treat. Imagine if you will... 2 chocolate-chip cookie bars, 3 scoops of Blue Bell vanilla bean ice-cream, coconut flakes, and QUIET. Wow. Moment of silence. It was delicious. The only way it could have been better is with carmel-syrup, but I couldn't find any. Simple pleasures to get me ready to battle the bugs.

Thank you for advil and tylenol, digital thermometers, puffs plus with lotion, barf bowls and kids who can aim, baby wipes, naps, dimetapp, pink medicine, Dr Lim, Dad and Ed, great insurance, big kids who help, diversional baths, and a sweetheart who saves me even when he is exhausted himself.

Home

Sunday evening is Visiting Night at Granny and Opa's house. Grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, treats, laughter and sometimes tears, swirl together. Yes, it can be messy with swirling treats :). The yard, remember is the same one we shared from January to June. Our 2 boy walked to each door on the back of the blue house, wiggled each knob, hoping to find one open. He finally gave up and climbed into the tree house to be eye level with the boys sitting on the monkeybars.

In the car on the way home T asked, "Where we going?"

Me: "Home. (Realizing that might be vague to him...) To G and T's house, where our beds are."

T: "GRRRR"

We all turned to look at him. T had never made this sound in the context of a conversation, unless we were talking about a ferocious animal. Poor guy was exasperated.


It really is interesting how perspective can change. 7 of us have been living in 2 rooms for quite a while now, with only minimal personal belongings and clothes and sharing one bathroom. (Yes, there are 8 of us! I am not counting Princess K. She has managed to have her own room in both houses we have shared. Lucky girl!) I have started to wonder if we really needed to sell, needed more space, or wanted. Somewhere in my mind, I guess I knew this would happen. On the morning we started packing up, I took a minute to record just how crammed into our space we were. For when I lost perspective. Yeah me! It's not for naught!

After his growl, I asked, "T, where do you want to live?"

The clear, sweet answer from my 2 boy... "In the temple."

Perspective.