At 7:00 this morning, it was raining furiously, but there was absolutely no snow on the ground. Here is what it looked like at 10:00, only three hours later.
Yes, those are the snowflakes. They really are that big. (Side note: Yes, that is our backyard. It really is that big.)
For those of you who don't speak Norwegian (like me), that means happy birthday to us.
My birthday was on Tuesday (did you know that St. Patrick's Day is really all about me?) and Chris's birthday is today. We were born in the same year, so for those of you who are counting, yes, I am older than him. By two days.
When my siblings and I were little, my mom would often decorate the house for our birthdays. It was always fun to wake up and find streamers and balloons just for you. Well, I received quite a pleasant surprise when I got to school on Tuesday, especially in light of this childhood tradition.
The blue banner was out on the ramp to my portable (my class is outside). The streamers were all inside my classroom. A couple of my students and their mom arranged with the custodian to come in after I'd left school on Monday to decorate so it would all be ready for me when I got to school on my birthday. :)
Our first celebration, though, was birthday shopping last Friday. Hooray for us, both Chris and I had the day off, and, thankfully, neither of us were sick. Double Hooray! We took our birthday budget and some money Chris had saved up and we each bought the things we wanted. Chris bought an iPod Touch. For the techies out there, it is generation 2 with 32 gigs of memory.
His favorite application is the scriptures. He paid $15 to download the program. It has a ton of features...you can look up scriptures very quickly, bookmark a ton, highlight, underline, bold, make notes, pretty much all the things you would think to do in regular scriptures. It also includes all of the lesson manuals for Gospel Doctrine and Priesthood/RS, as well as several of the handbooks and instruction books. It also has all the hymns and the Primary songbook. Pretty much worth fifteen bucks.
My present, surprise surprise, was more movies. I won't bore you with a list, but I think we ended up with nine or ten in the end. By the way, we buy most of our movies from the $5 rack at Wal-Mart and previously viewed at Hastings (and there was a sale on Friday, which helped). I very, very rarely pay full price for a brand-new movie.
We also bought a new Wii game to add to that slowly growing collection. The bonus of this game was that it fits into another collection we're working on:
Chris has been collecting Rubik's cubes for a few years now. He has three original cubes (3x3), a 4x4, 5x5, 3x3 keychain, 2x2 junior cube, a silver/gray/white 3x3, a completely silver 3x3 (that's just funny), a tic-tac-toe cube, Rubik's Revolution (it's more like Bop-it than a regular cube), and a Rubik's snake, which really has nothing to do with cubes, but it has the name, so it's in the collection. The game we bought for the Wii is Rubik's World, which lets you solve a regular cube, and has several other spin-offs using cubes and cube bits ("cubies"). It's a little addictive trying to solve the puzzles.
Ok, I'm getting bored with my own post...that probably means you are, too! I'll wrap it up quick. Chris bought me roses on my birthday. Thank you!
And finally, for the smile value, here's a cute picture of Jane. We went to Wendy's a while back for Frosty's. I thought we'd let Jane have a go at her own, so we put a little bit in a cup and gave her a spoon. I think she figured it out.
P.S. Tannie, I was totally planning on having a girls' night to celebrate my birthday (really, just an excuse for a party). When I told Chris about it, he wanted to know why he didn't get a party, too. So, we were going to have a couples party and invite a ton of people over to our house...then we all got sick. In the time that I would have sent out invitations and made the plans, I was in bed hacking up a lung. I just had to tell you because you say that everyone says they're going to have a party and no one does. I fit neatly into that category.
Maybe we'll shoot for a summer bbq when it gets warmer. We do have a HUGE backyard...
My mom texted me this afternoon. First she asked if I was feeling better (yes) and then if I had to work today (no). Then she told me I needed to update my blog. It's the highlight of her week. How do you say no to that? Thanks, Mom.
First, the sick update. I don't remember ever being that sick for that long. Ever. It was miserable. Jane was sick and got better, then Chris was sick and got better, but I was sick and just didn't get better. Yuk.
When I went to the doctor last week, she told me to come back on Monday if I wasn't feeling better. That was Thursday. I stayed home Friday and Saturday, then Sunday we went to Salt Lake for Dalton's blessing and to retrieve Jane. I was still really sick and mostly just sat around the whole time. That really wasn't very fun (for anyone, I assume). On Monday, I went back to school. Not because I felt better, but because I'd already missed an entire week (!) of school and didn't want to miss more. I figured it had gotten to the point when I would just have to "muscle through" and keep working until I eventually got better.
That didn't work so well on Tuesday. It was a huge fight just to get out of bed, and after about an hour of no success, Chris told me to just go back to sleep. Note: As a teacher, if I'm missing a day of school, it is basically impossible for me to function, or relax, without being certain that I have a sub lined up and I have all the lesson plans and copies ready. It is a testament to how sick I was when Chris told me to go to sleep and I did. I just rolled over and went back to sleep without any idea of what was going to happen with my class.
Chris ended up calling one of the other fifth grade teachers, and she arranged for a sub and wrote all the plans for my class. Thank you, Carolyn! That was really nice. By that afternoon, I was still really sick, so Chris called the doctor's office again. They said to just come in right now. Don't wait for an appointment, just go now. So we went.
At first, we thought we were still talking about bronchitis. But really, the cold part was starting to go away. My problem was more being completely exhausted, headaches, and throwing up if I coughed too hard. They ran a bunch of different tests, and they finally found a completely unrelated infection that was causing me to be so sick. Thank goodness, though. Once we finally figured out what was really wrong, I was able to get the right medication and within a day or so, I was feeling much much better.
That was a longer explanation than I planned, but now you know. I missed school Tuesday and Wednesday, but I was able to do all of my parent teacher conferences on Thursday. Today we had the day off (Chris is on spring break with the University), so we were able to spend the day together and get some errands, and birthday shopping, done while Jane still went to day care. It's been nice to ease back into normal life. Although I'm still worn out and have a few lingering headaches, I'm well on the way to being better.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...
1. He slimed me.
Ghostbusters. Said by Bill Murray as Dr. Pete Venkman, after being slimed by Onionhead, aka Slimer, on the thirteenth floor of the hotel.
3. Let's get out of here before one of those things kills Guy!
Galaxy Quest. Said by Sigourney Weaver as Gwen Demarco, when the crew lands on a planet looking for a berillium sphere. That sequence was filmed in Goblin Valley, Utah, by the way.
4. Inconceivable!
I think just about everybody got this one. Princess Bride, said by Wallace Shawn as Vizzini. Several times.
5. You two are dumber than a bag of hammers. O Brother, Where art Thou? Said by George Clooney as Ulysses Everett McGill to Pete and Delmar after they decide to be baptized.
6. You're not thinking fourth-dimensionally.
Back to the Future, said by Christopher Lloyd as Doc Emmitt Brown. I won't quote a specific moment, because he says this several times throughout all three movies, but most particularly in the first.
7. Really really.
Shrek. Said by Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. Pick a moment.
8. Toepick.
The ever-classic line from Cutting Edge, said by Moira Kelly as Kate Moseley while Doug is learning the intricacies of pair figure skating. I believe he also says it back to her later in the movie. Ah, the beauty of the comeback. By the way, did you know that Moira Kelly also did the voice of adult Nala in The Lion King?
9. That is my word, and as such is beyond contestation.
A Knight's Tale, said by James Purefoy as Prince Edward when he is releasing Will from the stocks and makes him a true knight. The funny thing about this line is that "contestation" is not a word. The director thought it should be a word, so he used it in his movie. The correct way to say it would be "beyond contest."
10. You just killed a helicopter with a car! ~I was out of bullets. Almost everyone got this one--Live Free or Die Hard. The first line is Justin Long as Matt Farrel, with the classic response from Bruce Willis as John McClane. That one line in the previews is what made me really want to see the movie to begin with, and now I own it and have watched it probably more than a dozen times (Chris says it's more than that, but who's counting?). Good movie. Thanks for the Christmas present, Brenda.
Now, you may have noticed that I skipped #2. No one guessed the movie. Deborah did venture Stardust, but I've never seen that movie. Sorry. Rather than just giving you all the answer, I have decided to give you another line from the same movie so you can all try again. I know that a lot of you have seen this movie...some of you have even mentioned it in your blogs. There's your clue.
Line: It's been many years since I've had such an exemplary vegetable.
Ok, that line might be a little hard. But give it a shot. If you can't get it again, I'll give you an obvious line.
Alright, it's up to you now. By the way, the winner of the pop quiz is... DAD! I knew you'd get more than anybody else.
Yes, I am still very sick (did I mention that Chris has a sinus infection?). Today has been a little bit better because my parents took Jane to their house in Salt Lake for the weekend, so we've been able to really just relax. I usually have a hard time when Jane is gone, but this time it's just nice to know that someone is taking better care of her than I can right now. We're supposed to go to Salt Lake tomorrow for Dalton's blessing and to bring her back home. Hopefully, I'll be better by then! Cross your fingers for me.
And now for something fun. Get a scrap of paper and something to write with. Write down which movie each of the following quotes comes from, then post your list in a comment. Don't look at the comments until you have already made your guesses. I'll post the answers in a few days and let you know if you're right!
People in my family: none of you ever comment, but you should be able to get all of these lines. If you only comment once ever, this should be it. You too, Dad.
1. He slimed me.
2. Whose got warts?
3. Let's get out of here before one of those things kills Guy!
4. Inconceivable!
5. You two are dumber than a bag of hammers.
6. You're not thinking fourth-dimensionally.
7. Really really.
8. Toepick.
9. That is my word, and as such is beyond contestation.
10. You just killed a helicopter with a car! ~I was out of bullets.
Ready, go. I hope you find this at least somewhat entertaining. I do own all of these movies, too, by the way. And a lot more. If you're bored and need some cheap entertainment, you are welcome to stop by and borrow a couple movies. Open invitation.
Yeah, I went to the doctor today. After all the listening, poking, etc. they determined that it is probably bronchitis. With that as the case, I can't go to school at all today or tomorrow (too contagious). There is nothing I can do but take cough medicine and tylenol and wait for it to go away. If it is bronchitis, I should be better on Sunday.
If I'm not better on Sunday, then it's probably a mild case of the flu. If that is the case, I can't do anything but take cough medicine and tylenol and wait another week or two for it to go away.
Can I just say LAME!!! I haven't ever missed this much school, except when I was on maternity leave. Somehow it seems more worthwhile to miss school to have a baby than to lay in bed and cough.
And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
We tried to go to school today. Jane's temperature was 99.6 this morning, which my doctor's office has ingrained into my head is NOT a fever. It has to be over 100 to count, I guess. Since I've already missed two days of school this week (not so great when you're the teacher), we braved the outside world. Jane went to day care and I went to school.
So much for no fever.
School starts at 9:00. At 9:30, my day care lady called to say that Jane's temperature had gone up to 102. Again. Let the adventure begin. Or continue. Again and again and again...
The principal came into my room to watch my class while I went to pick up Jane, and the secretary made the call to find me a sub. (Might I say...again!) Jane came back to school with me, I spent ten minutes telling the sub what to do (she seemed fine with not having big, long detailed plans--yay!), then we went home. After a half hour nap, Jane and I headed off to the pediatrician's.
And the verdict is...
Ear infection. In both ears.
Jane has never had an ear infection before, so this is all new to us. Apparently, a bad cold can cause ear infections. Her cold was bad enough that it got to both ears. She has penicillin to take for the next ten days. It will probably be two days before she's able to go back to day care, unless her fever is completely gone. I really don't know what that means for this week of school.
In related news, I am still very sick as well. No ear infection, probably, but the nasty cold is apparently here to stay. Missing this much school is not really the best option, so I have an appointment with my doctor first thing tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can get some drugs and knock this out of my system. Chris is getting sick, too. I hope he's tougher than us and gets over it faster!
Can I also mention that I have parent teacher conferences next week? Somehow, it doesn't seem like the best thing to miss an entire week of school right before I see all the parents... And I just realized all the grading that won't be done, either. Joy.
On a happier note (because everyone needs to smile at least once a day), here is a funny picture my mom sent of my 11-year-old brother Michael and 5-week-old nephew Dalton. Smile!
Jane's fever worked its way up to 103ish by Sunday evening, so I made the decision to stay home from school on Monday to take care of her. I arranged for a sub and spent a couple hours at school writing up lesson plans (it's almost as much work to have a sub as it is to just teach!). Again, I felt justified in this decision come Monday morning. Jane's fever had gone down to 100.something and her cough had mellowed. I, on the other hand, had cranked my internal furnace up to 101 and was hacking up a storm. Lovely.
Over the course of the day, Jane continued to get better and I continued to get worse. At 7:30 last night, I decided that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to go to school on Tuesday, either. Again, I found a sub and spent an hour and a half writing lesson plans. Luckily, the same lady who subbed yesterday is subbing today, so I didn't have to explain as much in my plans. That was particularly good since I wasn't completely coherent at the time. I've already thought of a few things I wrote down wrong...
We had a crappy night last night. Jane woke up a lot of times. Most times, Chris got up with her. (I was really glad--thanks, Chris!) Now that we're up on purpose this morning, Jane is pretty much fine. I'm still miserably sick. Since I'm home and Chris was up a lot of the night, he has stayed in bed. His first class doesn't start until 10:00. I'm going to drive him to school (wish me luck) and drop Jane off at day care. Hopefully that will give me the time I need to just sleep and get better.
I hate being sick. Yuck.
Jane just found my purse and her coat and is pulling them towards the door. I think she's tired of being in the house...
I was suspecting last night that Jane was getting sick...she had a runny nose all day and was starting to cough rather dramatically. Knowing that we don't have a very good thermometer (it takes two or three minutes for the reading--if you have small children, I'm sure you fully understand why that's completely horrible), I determined a while back that we needed a new one. While we were out shopping last night (details in a moment), we bought an ear thermometer. I felt completely justified in last night's urgency when Jane woke up with a temperature of 101.6.
Jane going to church does not sound like a good idea (or responsible parenting). My plan is for Chris to go to Sacrament Meeting, come home during Sunday School, then I'll go for Relief Society. I have been asked to teach RS today. I never, ever have before, and now of course, the one day I am, Jane gets sick. Anyway, Chris is still in bed and thus does not know my plan. Hopefully he'll agree.
Side note: Can I just say that I love it when Jane will cuddle with me for a few minutes, but I don't so much love it when she falls asleep on me? It's cute and all, but she's bigger than she used to be and my arms get tired. And the whole fever thing makes it a little toasty... She originally fell asleep on the couch (hence the picture), but shortly thereafter had a very explosive diaper episode. So, fifteen minutes and new pajamas later, she's asleep on my lap. I did give her some tylenol, so hopefully she'll take a little nap then perk up for a bit. In the meantime, I'll blog with one hand. On with the shopping...
Our tax refund was direct deposited into our checking account (a modern miracle) a couple weeks ago. There are a few things we've been needing/wanting to get that were slightly out of budget range, and the tax refund gave us enough to take care of a lot of it. Here is a picture of what we bought yesterday:
The highlights: food storage, a new car seat for Jane, and a desk for Chris's new job (we didn't buy the laptop, it's just showing a picture of the desk.)
Food Storage...
For a long time, we've been talking about and planning our family's food storage. This was our pantry prior to shopping:
Thanks to the fortuitous overlap of the tax refund and Macey's case-lot sale, this is what our pantry looks like now:
It's a good start. It feels good to know that if something drastic happened, we wouldn't starve right away. And it's nice to know that we're following the counsel of the prophets.
Car Seat...
According to weight and height specifications, Jane has not yet outgrown her infant car seat. According to personality specifications, we're long past done. Jane gets rather upset when we put her in the car, and I can't say that I blame her. Who wants to sit alone and have nothing more than a seat back and maybe a little sky for a view? So, we've upgraded.
I've spent a lot of time talking to parents of toddlers and reading consumer reports and product reviews online. Eventually, I came to the determination that if you were willing to spend a fair amount of money for a higher-end name brand seat, you'll be fine, just make sure you try it out to see if your child fits first and be sure to install it correctly in the car.
We opted for the Graco Nautilus. The five-point harness goes up to 65 lbs, then it can be converted into a booster seat for up to 100 lbs. My hope is that it will last her until she no longer needs any kind of car or booster seat. My only disappointment is that she's sick today, so we won't be going anywhere to test it out.
And the desk...
Chris's boss lives and works in Boston. The programmers in Logan have all pitched in to pay a monthly rent on some office space by Stevens-Henager College in town, and they each provide their own furniture and equipment. Sadly, we recently delivered our unused desk to DI... if only we had known... We went to a few different stores yesterday looking for a reasonably priced desk, but nothing really fit the bill. Chris hasn't actually bought one yet. He's looking online and will be watching sales. In the meantime, he is going to use our card table.
If anyone knows of any good desks (it has to have drawers) around or any good deals coming up, please let us know!
And another side note to my already too-long post...
I just want to mention that, yes, we are fully aware of the dangers of child-in-bucket. Jane was supervised at all times and there was no water in which she could drown.
The blue banner was out on the ramp to my portable (my class is outside). The streamers were all inside my classroom. A couple of my students and their mom arranged with the custodian to come in after I'd left school on Monday to decorate so it would all be ready for me when I got to school on my birthday. :)
We opted for the Graco Nautilus. The five-point harness goes up to 65 lbs, then it can be converted into a booster seat for up to 100 lbs. My hope is that it will last her until she no longer needs any kind of car or booster seat. My only disappointment is that she's sick today, so we won't be going anywhere to test it out.
