Some New Quotes

*Last week I tried to take a nap with Violet. She was pretty talkative for a while and here is one of our conversations.
Vi: "Mommy, what is that thing on your ring? A diamond?"
Me: "Yes, it is a diamond. Daddy bought it for me."
Vi: "Does that mean you are married?"
Me: "Yes"
Vi: "I wish I could have a ring like that. Maybe someday my husband will buy me one. Will you find a husband for me when I get big? Mommy, will you find a husband for me?"
Me: "Vi, when you are older God will find a husband for you."
Vi: "Will you pray about that?"
Me: "You want me to pray about God finding you a husband?"
Vi: "Yeah, can you pray that for me right now. God will come down from the sky and give me a husband."
Me: "Sure I will pray about that. Dear Jesus......Amen"
Vi: "But not yet because I still like toys."

*Anara can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. She has had a runny nose and didn't sleep great last night. I picked her up a little bit ago and put her firmly in timeout. Of course Anara started screaming at being told no and being put in time out. Immediately Violet said, "Dear Jesus, please help Mommy to keep her patience. Please help Anara to obey Mommy and God and Daddy. Help her to stop crying. In Jesus name, Amen."

*One day we were outside and the recycling man came. Violet said, "Maybe when I get big I can be a garbage man." I guess that's it Laura - that is what Vi wants to do when she grows up.

*A couple weeks ago I took the girls to a funeral. I was trying to explain things on the way there. I told them that someone died and that people would be quiet and sad. I told them that we should be happy because now that person gets to be with Jesus but sometimes we are sad because we are not ready for them to leave. Violet said, "I want Anara to go be with Jesus." I would like to think that was a sweet wish since Vi has such a great perspective on Jesus and Heaven.

*Last weekend Vi was sitting on the toilet and announced, "My poop looks like a seal." Nate went into wipe her and get her down and he said, "Amanda, come in here it really does look like a seal." Today when I wiped Violet she said, "Did I have a really cool poop Mommy? What was it shaped like?"

*Saturday Violet was so tired and shut her eyes in the car. She had been denying the need for a nap and I said, "See you are tired your eyes are closed." She opened her eyes immediately and said, "I was just resting them Mama."

*Last night Vi was eating frozen blueberries and Anara asked for some. Violet said, "Oh you want some blueberries (knowing that Anara won't eat them)" and Anara said, "No, I don't like them." Then Violet was trying to be funny and said, "Would you like some frozen rocks?" and Anara said, "No that would be yucky!."

*Vi was eating gum and Anara saw it and said, "Violet, can I have your gum?" Violet said, "Sure Anara here you go." I intercepted the gum and Anara said, "Aw man!"

*Violet was walking around with a drum around her neck and banging away when she said, "That's so I can entertain myself."

Someday I am sure I will be publishing more original Anara quotes but for now she mostly just copies whatever Violet says.

Not too recent photos and happenings

Here are some of the things that we have done this summer in no particular order.

Grandpa H. and Vi at a 5K in Noblesville

Checking out a firetruck. Anara didn't want to get out.

Daddy and Anaraboo after the race. Aunt Megan won 1st place for her division.

Playing with Aunt Nicole and Uncle Joel at a pool while I was in CA.

Vi loves the water.
Anara mostly loves climbing in and out of the water.
Anara trying to sneak some chocolate at Grandma Janet's.
Vi calling Daddy to tell him about the stray kitten. She named the kitten "Little Ears".
Little Ears hasn't been seen since last Friday :(
Resting in Mommy and Daddy's bed.
Our medical supply corner before I downsized

(it's been part of our dining room since last April).

Vi loves being outside even if she is just laying in the grass.

Anara would rather play indoors. She is great at pedaling her tricycle.

Daddy cooling off with the girls in the "Family Swim Center" at Grandma Janet's.

Enjoying the new spray ground at the zoo.

California Trip

Just in case you are curious about my trip...

I left very early Friday morning and arrived in CA at 8:45am. My brother's friend, Elizabeth, booked a 1st class ticket that cost me only $10.00. I stayed with my my long-time friend, Jody. She picked me up from the airport and we spent the day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs. It was wonderful to say the least. There were many pools (saline, hot springs, lounging, hot tubs), a mud pool where we smeared ourselves with mud and let it dry (for exfoliating purposes), we were painted with body moisturizer, relaxed, talked, and had a great lunch.

Friday evening Jody's boyfriend, Bobby, took us to a wonderful Korean restaurant and we finished the evening at a self-serve frozen yogurt bar.

Saturday a friend of Bobby's got us into Disney's California Adventure for free. We spent the majority of the day and evening wandering around and riding rides.

We had Sunday Brunch at Duke's on Huntington Beach. We took about 2 hours to enjoy this since it was a beautiful buffet (fresh fruits, seafood, suishi, eggs, french toast, pastries...) and certainly couldn't be enjoyed quickly. We walked around the beach a bit and went back to Jody's to pack and get ready for the evening.

Sunday afternoon we stood in line for 45 minutes to enjoy Hollywood's famous hotdog stand, Pink's, and then we realized that we weren't going to have enough time to eat.

We started driving towards the Pantages and ended up eating quickly at Taco Bell. Then we went to see Wicked. After Wicked Jody dropped me off at LAX. My plane left around 1:00am (CA time) and arrived in Indianapolis about 9:30am Monday morning.

It was a busy and fun weekend. It was quite a transition back into the mom role on Tuesday. I forgot how many times a 2 and 3 y/o can say the word "mommy" or one of its variations. No wonder I am always so tired.

Violet is better!

I left Friday AM for California and Nate took Vi to see the ENT. He confirmed through some tympanic test that Violet's eardrum is not moving (responding to sound) and said that it might take as long as two months to clear. The good news was that there was no infection and that it really was just an ugly virus. Nate said that Violet was back to her normal self the entire weekend and I was glad to hear it.

Vi seems to be hearing better this week so hopefully the fluid is draining. We are almost back to normal ;)

Long nights make for even longer days...

Violet is still sick. Today makes 2 weeks fighting whatever it is she is fighting. Last night she tossed and turned and whined from 1-3 and then I tossed and turned (and whined a little) until 5:00. It's amazing how many things can go through your mind in the wee hours of morning. I was tempted (about 3:45am) to take her to an emergent care center just for my own piece of mind but her symptoms aren't severe enough to justify that. She has still been running a little warm but it's mostly her behavior that has me concerned. She will play okay for a while and then crash and lay on the couch whining. She isn't sleeping well and spends a good deal of the night whimpering, whining, panting, coughing, or snorting. Last night was especially bizarre. Her skin felt so cold and yet she was soaked with sweat. Finally I took her temperature and she was 95.5 - weird. Her hair was soaked, her pillow wet, and I kept wiping her with the sheets for a couple hours. The other thing is that she cannot hear. I am hoping it is just congestion from the cold and not infection or damage to her hearing. We had been wondering whether she was pretending not to hear us but we have confirmed that she really isn't hearing unless we raise our voice. Last night when we prayed she told me that Jesus is going to have to start signing. Hopefully she isn't worried about not being able to hear Him.

We saw Violet's pediatrician again on Monday. He referred us to an ENT but our appointment is not until Friday. I leave Friday at 4:30am to go to visit my friend Jody in CA. I was really hoping Vi would be better by then so that I wouldn't have to worry about leaving her. I know that Nate is capable but it is much easier to take care of sick kids in twos. Now I am afraid I will be a basket case on the flight. I already have a fear of flying now mix in hormones, exhaustion, worry about a sick kid and it's pretty much a recipe for panic.

That is the update for this morning. I will post something when we find something out or Violet is healed.

Recovering

Yesterday was the 8th day of fever. So far Violet has not had a fever today and has been playing more. She now has her normal asthma cough with lots of drainage so I think we are nearing the end. Anara woke up around 3:00am with a low temp. She has been running a little warm all day but it hasn't gotten in the way of her play. She is tough. Nate and I feel pretty good but we are still draining. Man, this was a pretty incredible virus.

Fever - Day #7

We saw Violet's pediatrician yesterday and he ordered a chest x-ray and blood work. Her chest x-ray was normal and her blood work indicated that she is fighting a little infection which would be congruent with something viral. We will see him again if she isn't better by Thursday. She just got warm again (axillary only 100.1 this time). Her fevers seem lower and fewer so hopefully she is on the mend. This was one nasty virus. I hope we didn't share it with anyone. I don't think you can get it from reading the blog ;)