Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2010 was a quiet holiday, but a good one nonetheless. We'd planned on having another family over to eat the big meal with us, but their plans changed on the Monday before. On Tuesday, Bruce started throwing up so we decided it'd be best not to invite anyone over. Bruce's bug was gone by Wednesday - he even requested bacon and eggs for dinner that night - and we had a day of peace before the next round of sickness.

I love Thanksgiving and I'm so glad we had that one day barf-free. Not only do I love the food, but I love that it's a whole day of gratitude. We had a "thankful jar" that we filled with things we were grateful for (the top picture is of Bruce reading the slips of paper in the jar). I am thankful for Turkey Trots: I ran a 5K on Thursday morning and ran an 18:53, placing sixth for ladies. I wasn't sure what time to expect since I haven't run a road 5K in awhile, but I'm happy that I broke 19. Now to break 18 minutes...

Thanksgiving has become extra special since Phoebe was born. She came home the day before Thanksgiving last year after what felt like an eternity in the hospital. Last year's Thanksgiving was not as polished: I'd stayed up all night staring at Phoebe making sure she was breathing and unable to sleep from joy and excitement. We'd moved a few days before and still invited friends over for dinner. We unpacked the necessary cooking items and fired up the oven, only to find out that our brand new oven had a defective part. We ended up going to their house for dinner. Everyone cooked while I slept on a futon. I missed out last year, so I'm happy to say that I fully participated this year.

Back to this year: Phoebe started throwing up Thursday night. She vomited lots and vomited frequently. After a few hours of that, I called Scott in a panic (he was working at the hospital that night). He came home, checked Phoebe out, and helped clean up lots of barf. It's taken her longer than Bruce to recover; she threw up this morning and is still a sad sack.

On Friday, Bruce and I braved the crowds and did some Black Friday shopping. We got boring stuff like a battery for our thermometer and a winter coat for long-armed Bruce, but we got them at good prices! After our trip to the mall, we headed to the Museum of Science for some fun. We went to the new K'nex exhibit and Bruce got to make a little windmill to bring home. He has taken apart and reassembled those 15 pieces about a hundred times since.

Bruce helped me decorate for Christmas on Saturday. We have the ugliest fake tree ever, but we decided to put it up and then if we get a real tree, we will redecorate. After putting the kids to bed that night, Scott and I relaxed and watched Teen Wolf, which I had never seen. I think that's the best movie we've seen in awhile (it doesn't help that we've seen some real bombs lately - Waterworld, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alice in Wonderland).

Now it is Sunday and I woke up sick. I'm hoping that my recovery time is more like Bruce's and less like Phoebe's!

Things to be thankful for

'Tis the season to be grateful.

Three things I'm thankful for tonight:

1. Large kitchen sink with garbage disposal.

2. Washer and dryer that don't require quarters.

3. Machine washable rugs.

Scott is at the hospital delivering babies tonight, so a friend came over to watch the kids while I went to track practice. But right before I headed out the door, Bruce barfed everywhere. I sent the sitter home, put the kids to bed, and cleaned up vomit. I'm grateful for my "barf cleanup toolkit."

Let's hope this bug gets out of here by Thursday.

Phoebe is an Animal

We're just not sure what kind of animal, but definitely a wild one.

She scrunches up her nose, showing her four teeth, and breathes in and out deeply through her flared nostrils. This face doesn't really mean anything (like mad or sad or whatever). She just does it because she can and she thinks it's funny.

When she's hungry, she rams her head into my shins - kindof like a shark when it's testing its prey.
She refuses to be tamed. Diaper changes are like wrestling matches. Dressing her is even worse - like trying to catch floating poop in a soapy bathtub.

Just try to put a bow in her hair...

Family Photos II

I love Phoebe's face in this picture; she just can't be bothered by a silly thing like a photo shoot.

I had a hair bow for her, but left it in the car. I thought about running to get it, but then thought about her reaction to putting it in (I have a video to post soon).
The only part of the photo shoot Bruce looked forward to was getting thrown around.
And maybe climbing too.

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek into last week's photo shoot with Terese from Teaplant Photography. We were amazed that there were a few good ones in the mix since Bruce was so silly the whole time. More to come later.

Slacker Blogger Update

It's been awhile since I've posted a real family update, so here's the Reader's Digest version, starting with Phoebe because she is our cover model for this post.

Phoebe is still in a trouble-making phase (hopefully this is just a phase?). It seems no matter how much we childproof, there is always something else dangerous or destructive to find. She is so ridiculously cute though. She loves playing in the leaves on the ground and managed to coat her fuzzy pumpkin Halloween costume in leafy matter, which left trails of leaf crumbs around the house.

Bruce loves school so much. He has a routine that he enjoys every morning. He puts his coat and bag in his cubby, counts objects in a counting jar and writes the number on a post-it note, washes his hands, reads "the morning message," writes his name on the board, answers a "question of the day," and puts his name tag by a symbol representing which table he wants to sit at. Friday's question of the day was, "Who does the dishes at your house?" Bruce answered, "me."

Scott is well into his OB/GYN rotation. The hours are much better than the surgery rotation, and the stories are generally much better. Labor stories never get old. Scott said he would be completely comfortable delivering a baby on an airplane.

I am staying busy keeping Phoebe out of the toilet, getting Bruce off to school, stocking the pantry with snacks for Scott, and reviewing cameras and running when I can. The camera reviews happen when Phoebe naps and Bruce is at school. Right now I'm working on a review of a camera that broke within the first few days of having it. It was sent back to the manufacturer and a new one was sent back to me so I could finish the review. Unfortunately, this camera broke too. This one won't get a stellar review. Running is happening before the kids wake up so I can avoid pushing a stroller. I'm up at 4:45 most mornings. I'm also getting back to track practice once a week with the help of some friends who have volunteered to babysit until Scott can get home from the hospital. I am planning on a 5K on Thanksgiving Day and then a cross country 6K at Club Nationals in December. I want to get fast! The Boston Marathon is only a few short months away.

We got family pictures today, thanks to Terese. We've never paid to have a family picture taken, and it's about time. We attempted to look decent and all look the same direction, but I'm sure Photoshop will have to help us out. Bruce kept making silly faces and Phoebe kept looking everywhere except at the camera. I can't wait to see the photos.

Who Clicks on this Stuff?

I'm checking my email this morning and it looks like another friend's email has been hacked. Here's the message I got from her:

"Dear,I frequently purchased some products from a business company.
When I saw the prices at first sight, palpitate with excitement eager.
After I had a warm-hearted and considerate talking with staff, I
bought some products. According to appointment time,I received the
goods. You can visit..."

Who actually believes this stuff enough to click on the link?

Delete.