2/4/06
9:15 PM Sorry to have taken a break for a couple of days. Our lives have continued along a pretty steady course and there hasn't been too much to report. I imagine that oftentimes this forum becomes a place for us to express our fears and worries when things aren't going so well (or when they are going well after having gone badly), so when we have a stretch of good days there isn't much to write about. At the moment, Susan is in Virginia helping her mother and grandmother out. Having been in a situation where a family member's health is an all-consuming priority, we realized that Mary and Nannie really needed another pair of hands and another pair of legs to get some things done that weren't a priority exactly, but would make life more pleasant if they got done. I'm thankful that as far as our family is concerned, there are two of us to trade off when we need to get things done! Susan's mom is pretty much a sole caretaker at times for Nannie, which makes it tough. Speaking of there being two of us, after spending the past 36+ hours as a single parent, I don't see how people do it. About half the time, things are just fine, but since I have to get ready for worship, finish a sermon, and prepare for a new Sunday School class, today was not the best of days to be home alone with both girls. We all managed to survive and I'm proud to say that nobody (me included) got a time out for yelling (although there were a couple of close calls!).
That said, I've had some time to really enjoy the girls lately, especially with my commissioning papers done. We pulled out a Chef Boyardee Pizza Kit yesterday and made that for dinner. The girls enjoyed helping and I enjoyed having the help!
We all seem to be reasonably healthy, although Sophie was complaining of a stomach ache part of the day today and skipped nap this afternoon, which made for some extra whining and crankiness on her part (and on mine, probably). Sophie started the final phase of antibiotics from her sinus infection, which seems to be clearing up nicely. Somehow, in the past week, taking medicine has become less of an ordeal. She seems to have gone through a phase where she would not take anything, no matter what it was or how it tasted--everything tasted "yucky" to her. Well, she takes everything with hardly a complaint now.
I have two cute stories to relate--one from Sophie and one from Elisabeth.
From Sophie: The other day, I got up to get something from the kitchen, and Sophie (who I will remind you, is only three years old) says, "While you're at it, would you mind getting me some water?"
From Elisabeth: Last night, we were reading through some of the "Food for Talk" cards that Mary got me for Christmas (index cards with discussion topics on them designed to foster conversation around the dinner table). Elisabeth pulled out the card that read, "Name one person you respect." I thought for a long time and then said that I had a lot of respect for the professor who is teaching the class I'm taking this semester and launched into a long explanation why. Elisabeth slammed the card down on the table and said, "What about Mama? HELLLOO! She's your wife!"