And we're back...

Yes, it's been a while since I posted last. Honestly, I go through phases with Blogger and lately I just haven't felt much like posting. Specially since my computer is being so annoying lately.

Anyway, guess what Andrew is doing in this picture?!

That's right! Playing Tennis on his Wii!!

Chadya, you asked for pictures...here are our Miis. And unfortunately (fortunately?) it's been so nice out and we've been so busy, we've hardly had time to play on it. I've only used it once. I think Dave and Alexis have played more than Andrew has.

Anyway, this is his birthday present. I ordered it with Airmiles. That's while it took so goshygolliedlong to get here. Better late than never though, right?

Elisabeth riding her car. She loves this thing and will play on it for ages. She can actually keep herself balanced on it fine too. But she doesn't like walking behind it. Figures.

Chatting with Davey.
I had to get a picture of her with the nebulizer. She's actually singing behind the mask which is why the funny face. We only used it for four days. Then the steroids were giving her a rash on her face so we quit. She seems mostly better now anyway.

One day last week we had a picnic outside. Davey was really excited to be outside with food again. But who am I kidding? *I* am excited that it's picnic weather again too! YAY for spring summer!!

Tinky does this great little face these days. She wrinkles up her nose and the Schlappi in her totally comes out.



Davey does not like spiders. Like he freaks out whenever he sees one and will cry till you get rid of it. Uncle Dave is like that too. (Yes, even the crying). So Dave decided to teach Davey to be brave around spiders so that he won't embarrass himself in his adulthood. Here Davey is using a broom to get rid of them all before he climbs up into the fort.




Okay, those were all random pictures from the last week. The following are all from yesterday. We decided to have lunch on the beach at Crescent Beach. OH YUMMY. Sandwiches, watermelon and later icecream in the fresh air. SO perfect! (And then we got home and Dave and Alexis were making pizza for dinner. So a TRULY PERFECT day!)

Here Davey is pointing out all the kites on the beach. There were a LOT! One guy had a kite kind of like the kind you do the kite surfing with and he was flying it from the beach. He was often lying with his head about a foot from the ground with his body perfectly straight while the kite tried to pull away, but what really scared me was when he'd be frantically diggin his heels in the sand and the kite fighting to pull him away for real. I don't know if anyone was close enough to grab his heels and save him...

Tinky loved her first try of watermelon.

And her first time paddling in the water...
In fact, she cried if you wouldn't let her walk on the sand/water...

Watching bubbles appear in the water.

Later we all built a rock pile. Well, Davey supervised.


Tinky does this thing with her arm. It's almost like she's practicing ballet poses and all the arm positions. Very cute.


Ice cream face.



And back home again, the kids wanted to sit together and talk while they ate.

Playoff Fever

Last night I was outside cleaning up some of the big mess I made during the day.

Our neighbor was in his living room watching TV with the patio door open. Every once in a while I'd hear him muttering away at the TV set but I didn't take much notice. Then he erupted into this spasm of excitedness which culminated in a lot of yelling and "yes"es. I laughed to myself and thought, "oh yah, I remember the days when Dad used to watch hockey and scare the noodles out of us".

But then the yelling started echoing...first from one house, then another, then another, then another...pretty soon our entire neighborhood and all the cars going by were making noise...that's when I started laughing and headed inside...thinking maybe they'd won game 7 and were advancing.

But oh no. All that racket was only for the second goal and there were still almost thirteen minutes left in the third period. Luckily we did go on to win the game.

But sheesh, from all that racket you'da thought we'd won the cup.

Davey's Big Crash

Once again I have a kazillion pictures to upload, and I can't be bothered.

Andrew has joined the two wee-ones in 'being sick', so he stayed home today. Which was great cause I made him watch Elisabeth while I got busy with my garden shears and a shovel. Davey and Jade came outside with me and played in the driveway. This was the first time I've been able to accomplish anything while they've been outside with me. Usually they're trying to escape, or running laps 'round the house. Today they pretty much stayed beside me.

Of course, there were so many interesting things to see...I found a grub (a big, juicy yellow and green one. Davey picked it up immediately. "what is it mummy, what is it?"), a tiny frog, some snails, lots of ants and a few spiders.

At one point, Davey wiped out on his little motorbike. I tried not to react at all, and watched him get up and keep playing. But later, he kept purposefully driving his bike into the gravel and then throwing himself onto the ground. Hilarious! So I went and got the cam corder and asked him to do it again...and so I present to you (performing his own stunts no less!) Daveyboy's Big Crash!:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!!

Hope you're having a great day!

Explaining my bitterness...

So obviously from my last posting, I have some issues I need to work through with doctors. It mostly stems from when an accident I had as a teenager...

I was running in the house (that was my first mistake) and slipped on the concrete/tile around our fireplace. I'm sure I chipped a bone doing that. I was in excruciating agony (worse than when I broke my elbow by far) for days, and to this day it hurts to touch that part of my knee. But the doctor insisted I was faking it to get out of phys ed (uh yah, we had such lame pe in my private school...I think we played Bulldog with the Elem. kids. I wasn't trying to get out of that!) There have been a few other similar incidents that have made me just hate anything involving a doctor's office. That was probably the start of it though.

Anyway, Kathi had a card class to teach tonight and Cody and Ashlie are at the Giants' game, so Jade is sleeping over. Davey was so excited to have his best friend over to play with him! I'm not sure where he learned to climb up the slide. Maybe it's an ingrained skill all kids have? Anyway, here he is climbing right over jadey. And below...the sweet look of victory!

If you click on the picture you'll see one of about a hundred spiders I cleaned off the slide today. I did this one with the dandelion so the kids could see it up close (and as Uncle Dave suggested, so they won't be arachnophobes like him.


One sure sign that Elisabeth isn't herself is that she slept all morning, then woke up for lunch (actually, I woke her up) then went straight back to sleep again. And I had to wake her up this afternoon too.

While she was napping this afternoon, I had a quick photoshoot session with Jadey. Then time for some Popsicles.


The kids picked me some dandelions. Unlike most people who love maintaining lawns, I love dandelions.

And I love the colours in our Popsicles.

Jade was super impressed that I was in the fort: How did you get up here?!?!




At about four, the doctor's office finally called to tell me that I had to come back in with Elisabeth. I saw a hilariously dry doctor who informed me that her lungs are inflamed, but only with some sort of temporary ailment (I've had everything from malfunctioning esophagus to pneumonia thrown at me the last couple of days)...I think he thought it was a virus.

I had visions of her in hospital in some sort of breathing machine haunting me every time I let my guard down, so I was glad to hear she should be better within a few days. The bad news is, she has to have twice daily treatment with the nebulizer. She hated it yesterday, but already today she was faring much better with the mask.

She had one treatment right before bedtime and after a few minutes she seemed to perk up a bit and even would let daddy hold her. So hopefully she'll sleep well tonight and maybe we'll only need to do one treatment tomorrow and be done with it. I'm hoping.

reason number 983,400 why I don't like doctors and their staff

this morning we decided that I'd better have the car today.

this because yesterday the doctor we saw said he would call us TODAY and let us know how her xrays went and have us back in to talk about what's wrong with her.

so even though we were all up late (since elisabeth pretty much cried all night and didn't really sleep) we got everyone dressed and ready to go and almost had Andrew at work on time.

then I drove to the walk in clinic to give them my cell number. Just in case I wasn't at home when they called.

Me: Hello, I would like to give you my cell number - I'm supposed to be getting a call from the doctor today about Elisabeth's Xrays.
Receptionist: What xrays are those?
Me: We had chest xrays done yesterday. Dr. XYZ said he would call me today once he had the results in.
R: We won't get those in any earlier than Monday.
Me: Oh no, he was quite sure he'd be seeing me again today. And in any case, she's not breathing without wheezing at all anymore, she's sounding quite a bit worse.
R: I suppose I could call and have them fax the results, but it won't be the films. We're not getting anything in the mail till Monday.
Me: (in my head) Do I look like I care how things are done? Get me the results so I can stop worrying. (Out loud) She's only eight months old and I'm quite worried. Please call.
R: They're busy. I'm going to have to leave a message (very irritated).
Me. Okay. (then, after she's done this), Dr. XYZ was quite sure he would be seeing me today. He was waiting to tell me what to do until we had these results.
R: Blinks repeatedly and in fact continues to blink and say nothing until I finally give up and say, "Thank you" and leave.

And have we heard from the doctors? No. And how is Elisabeth? Wheezing, crying and sleeping.

The other day I left Davey and Elisabeth at the table while I went to grab something from the kitchen. I'm not sure if Elisabeth's reach is longer than I thought, or if Davey decided to help her reach her food, but yep, that's a whole mashed banana on her lap. And doesn't she look proud!

The cuties sharing a chair.

Today Uncy Dave watched Jade and Davey while I had a nap. I have been so unbelievably tired lately...I was so glad of this cat nap!

I'm not going to caption the rest of these. Today was a hugely stressful day. Me and the kids were well for about a week, then that cold came back. Today Andrew and I were a bit worried about Elisabeth's cough so I took her to the walk in clinic. After agreeing that she sounds very wheezy, they put a mask on her and had her breathe with it on for about ten minutes. Davey is terrified of the doctor and cried the entire time we were in the exam room, but especially while his sister was being 'tortured'.

The doctor was satisfied that her breathing had improved so he sent us for chest xrays. I get the results tomorrow.

So meanwhile I'm bundling her and letting her nap lots.

In other news, she taught herself to clap, and today she stood up from sitting (in the little blue box further down here) and then let go and balanced! WOW.







Wayne's World flashbacks anyone??

Not lovin' the wig so much. Can't say I blame her. I'm heading to bed!