Warm Fuzzies for the Fam

Feelin' the Fall Vibe

Okay, I feel like such a slacker on the whole blog posting thing. But we've been sick, and the eBay sale is still in progress. So here I am, back at the posting. We were all sick this weekend, everyone but Connor, thank goodness. Sick babies give me the most stress, I think. Gil developed a major case of strep throat over the weekend, and has been home for three days driving me nuts. Dani was feeling yucky, too, and had a sore throat, so the doctor put her on antibiotics, too. She was home for two days, and went back to school today. I've got this sinus cold that's just lingering. The doc gave me a prescription for antibiotics, because he said I have a border-line sinus infection, and he said I could choose whether or not to fill it. But I'm going to wait it out, so I don't use more antibiotics than is necessary. Zen has had the nose-dripping coughing type of crud, and he's almost over that now, too. Have you ever tried to quarantine kids to their room all day? They don't like it, at all. Difficult, but necessary, with the daycare kids that come here. I've been disinfecting things like crazy: bleach wipes are my friend, and so is a spray-bottle of rubbing alcohol, which I use on fabrics I can't bleach, like the couch. I don't know how much good it does, but it's all I could think of for fabrics. Everytime my kids came out of their room, I bleach-wiped the doorknobs and faucet handles. My hands are dried and cracked from constant hand-washing and hand sanitizer, but none of the daycare kids are sick yet, so hopefully we've weathered this first batch of cold-weather cooties well.

I thought I'd take a little space and say what's wonderful about my family. I say funny, or sarcastic, things about them, and I wanted to hang up that hat for a minute, and put on my cheerleader hat. Here goes:

Zen -
1. Works hard to provide for our family. I know working 65 hour weeks a week is hard on him, but after working two jobs almost our whole marriage, we're all kind of used to it. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and Zen is the man for it. Love ya, babe, you're awesome!
2. Good at forgiving. He's not a big fan of strife, and while he can stand up for what he thinks is right, when it's necessary, he's not one to hold a grudge.
3. He's a totally fun dad! He likes to play games with the kids, and he's the one who will get us out of the house when we're in a rut.
4. He's a wonderful teacher. This kind of goes back to #3, but he's really the one who is patient, and wants to teach the kids things when I would rather not bother.
5. He's my gentle giant. He is so totally not a mean, loud person. He's 6 feet tall, and totally huggable. He's so mellow, and while he can put his foot down when it's necessary, I really love that the kids and I are safe with him.
6. Will pitch in with the housework every once in a while. He'll never catch up to me on the housework meter, but that's okay. I couldn't live with a neat-freak anyway. Sometimes it's not his fault (he's been banned from the laundry room, for instance, because he doesn't check for stains), but I know that he's willing to help when I really need it. And he will spontaneously do little things from time to time, a great pick-me-up for his wife.
7. Good at bossing kids. He sure can crack the whip when things need to get done, and he can get the kids going on special projects.
8. Apologizes with chocolate. Need I say more?

Gil, age 13 -
1. He is a funny guy! He provides a lot of comic relief around this house, and sometimes at his own expense.
2. He is perceptive. He will notice things, and understand things about people that I think are beyond his years. Even his junior high principal has said that about him.
3. He is very self-motivated. I hardly ever have to ask him to do something twice. Sometimes I want it done faster, but he will take care of things on his own a lot. He already does his own laundry. How fabulous is that?!
4. Smart with the books. Always does well in school.
5. He's a great big brother for the little kids. He has a lot of fun playing with them, and making up lots of spazzy things to do (like water sprayer fights.)
6. Still gives his mom hugs, just not in public, of course.
7. He's a handsome young man, and I don't think I'm entirely biased. Check out the pics!

Dani, age 10 -
1. Loves to have fun. Don't we all? But Dani is the one who wants to play the most in our family, and she doesn't get enough cooperation on this. She's a social butterfly in a family of homebodies.
2. She's a girly-girl and tomboy. She loves the fashion and the makeup, but likes to ride her bike, play with remote-control cars, and roll down the grassy hill, too. It's the best of both worlds!
3. She's a great reader, and always reads before bed. Even though she's ten, she still loves to be read to before bed.
4. Smart with the books. Always does well in school also.
5. Loves the babies and little kids, too. Wants to mother them, sometimes more than they want, but she loves them lots. She's dying to have a baby sister. Zen and I are trying to make this happen.
6. She's very snuggly, more than her mother, poor girl. So next time you see her, give her a hug!
7. Loves to sing! She can sing the same song, over and over just like her mother, which irritates most people, but I don't mind so much. We love to jam in the car.
8. She loves to eat treats in unusual dish containers. She'll have a fabulous and eclectic set of dishes when she grows up.
9. Has the most beautiful eyes, the color of jade. Now, I know this seems like a superficial attribute, but I want her to remember something really spectacular about her features that weight gain, the struggles of adolescence, and wrinkles won't take away.

Connor, age 2 -
He's gotten the most coverage here in my blog, so far, so I won't say much, except to say that he is so stinkin' cute!!!!! He loves hanging out with his mom, and goes ga-ga over all things with wheels. Kind of like Lily was with horses.

I've got a ton of summer pics to post. That's my next blogging project, but here are some random pics of my fav people: