Callie's 9!

Callie girl turned 9 yesterday, but we will be celebrating today. It was an incredibly windy day yesterday which is Callie's least favorite weather, but she stayed pretty calm. Her beloved Julie was available last night, so we decided to celebrate a day late.

Chad and I will go scour Unique - my favorite used store - for deals and then pick out some presents for Callie. She loves Pet Shop toys and Polly Pockets - which are just too small. They are in the lego category of small sized toys - the kind that you are likely to step on as you're rushing to a child's room in the middle of the night and then accidentally stomping on them and hopping on one foot and holding the other while saying - I'm coming sweety $&@, mommy will be right there #$&. Ya, that kind.

Last night on the news they had a child development expert talking about how important the first year of development is - how children learn to trust that someone will be there when they need them. This, Callie did not get as she spent it abandoned in the Intensive Care unit. In spite of all that - she chooses to trust us much of the time and for that we are forever grateful. Thank you Lord for preserving such a fascinating little person - we look forward to what the next year will bring.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR SWEET CALLIE-GIRL!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE VERY LOVED!!!!!!!!

Do Do Do - Another one bites the dust!

Well, it's been a week of sick kiddos at home. Only the third week of school and everyone's sick - except Shannon, thank you Lord. Christian and Jacob have been out all week, Callie missed 2 days, Ella has missed 2 and Chad has been so so sick. By some miracle of miracles Mark, Chris and I have somehow stayed healthy. It seemed as if we were just starting to hit some kind of stride with everyone in school for the first time in 29 years, but just a reminder that this family just keeps us a jumping.

It's funny how when they're really sick it's not so bad - they're just down, sleeping and lying around. Now that they feel better they're getting on each other's nerves and they're starting to step on my last nerve, if you know what I mean.

Mark and I had planned to paint our family room then rip up the carpet and he was going to install hardwood flooring this week. Sometimes it is discouraging how long it takes us to accomplish things due to interruptions of all kinds. I know it's part of the deal, but discouraging non the less.

The good news is the windows are open and it's beautiful outside. Now if I could just convince them that that's where they should be.