Snow bound

 
The snow stuck around, and lots of ice formed under it. Not good for driving, especially after my backwards slide down a hill. So we started sledding down our street at 8 in the morning. Girls had a blast. Then hot chocolate and some TV. Lunch. Out for a walk to check out the road conditions. The sun had melted through some spots on the road above our neighborhood, but the turns to get out were thick sheets of ice with cars left on the sides of the road. Made a gingerbread house that we had thankfully picked up before the storm hit. Today, stuck again, but ice isn't so good for sledding, and the gingerbread house is made. Please melt, please melt. 

It always snows in Seattle?

 
It snowed yesterday, and it was fun. Today, we all went to work and school. They were forecasting more snow in the evening, which seemed okay. Then it started snowing on my way home. Wouldn't have been too bad until I was facing the wrong way on a hill. Thankfully, a kind stranger came by and told me to just turn my wheel the other way and put in neutral and "you'll just slide down the rest of the hill and be fine". So I slid down the hill *backwards* and was just fine. So I had to snap a photo of the house all lit up and covered with snow to end my day in a more forward state. 

Christmas Lights and Wasps

Let me start with the statistics. November has been the wettest month EVER in Seattle recorder history. This November. Ever in Seattle. The weekend before Thanksgiving there was a pause in the rain, so we rushed out to put up Christmas lights. Like all good kids, our girls were wanting to help, by climbing the ladder and stepping on the lights. So we were pleased when they went around to the back of house to play. I thought I heard crying once, so I went to check on the girls. Cassidy informed me they were playing 'lost' and both were happy. So just as we are on the last part of the house lights, I hear crying again. Go around and Cassidy is fine, but Keira is holding her hand crying. I ask her what happened and she said, "Oww." So I am trying to see what she did to her hand when she says "Oww" again, and I look up and see the swarm of wasps around us. ACKK!!! Sweep her up in my arms and run around to front of house. Jeremy gets us in house, and then says, "There's a wasp in her hair." Then another one. Finally we get her clothes off and all the wasps out of the house. After about an hour of crying she finally settled. I think she got about a dozen stings on her legs and thankfully seemed to be over it the next morning. Maybe we'll just leave the lights up this year.

Happy Halloween!

 
The girls had a great time trick-or-treating. Even though it was quite cold, low 30's. Brrr. Talk about shiver me timbers!! LOL. Not even a mermaid could paddle to the warm weather. Ha. At least the cowboy rounded up the doggies and drove them around the neighborhood before anyone froze. Oh my, I know I'm the only one laughing, but still...hee hee 

Pumpkin Patch Part 2

Keira's classroom had their pumpkin patch picnic last weekend. It was quite chilly, but the sun broke out. The girls and I did a corn maze, which was starting to get a bit long towards the end. I was nervous I would be trapped in there forever. I find the toddler class activities a bit more difficult as the parents are all trying to wrangle the little ones. Still it was a lot of fun.
  

I must be getting old

How do you know when you are getting old? Did it start when I got married? Had kids? Maybe it was when I started needing glasses to read. Although I'm guessing it was when I was driving home this week. I turned on *gasp* NPR. There's nothing wrong with NPR, but you must admit there is something "old" about it. Especially when you find yourself humming along to the filler music. What??!! I so was not humming along!!

Pumpkin Picking - Day One

Today was Cassidy's classroom pumpkin patch potluck picnic. Say that three times fast. We had a great time picking out gourds, going on a hay ride and socializing with our classroom friends. Here's a shot of her and her friends as we we headed out to the pumpkin patch on the hay ride. Next week we will do another pumpkin patch for Keira's class. I'm sure we'll have more photos then.
  

Tree Huggers

We just had a whirlwind trip to CA and NV. It seemed like every day we were heading somewhere and doing something. I think the highlight for the family was going to Calaveras Big trees. It was always a favorite place for me, and now the girls have started their love of the giant trees too. We had Cassidy try wrapping her arms around a normal tree before we went to giver her perspectiv
 
  

Muscial Beds

It all started when the stomach flu hit our house. Keira got used to falling asleep in her bed, and then ending up in our bed. So now, she does this every night around 11. Yes, yes, we should have stopped this right away, but Jeremy and I REALLY like to sleep. The best way to keep sleeping is to just get the kid to be quiet. So we thought... It wouldn't have been so bad, but Cassidy has picked up the habit of making her way into our bed around 2am. So we all start out in our normal beds, but then Keira comes in to our bed, and Jeremy will go the guest bed. Then, Cassidy comes into our bed, and I will end up going to the guest bed or Cassidy's bed. To add some more to the mix, Buddy has decided to join in the game as well. Starting on our bed and ending up on guest bed, or Cassidy's bed.

Bye-bye Kitty

This is a hard entry to write, although I have been thinking about it almost every day for a week. Mischief had to be put down last week. She's been with me for over 10 years, and that's almost as long as I've had Jeremy. She had lost weight, but otherwise seemed fine, but she was hiding cancer. We had just went through an ordeal with the other cat losing weight, but she ended up being just fine. So perhaps it was the timing that led us into a false sense of security. It was tough for me, but I knew it was the right thing to do. That doesn't stop the tears, and then I had to face the girls. Cassidy knew Mischief was going to the vet and that she was sick. Now I had some explaining to do. "Mischief had lots of owies and we couldn't fix them so we gave her some medicine so she would sleep and she could die." "But they have medicine for owies, and they could give her that." "No. They don't have medicine for this kind of owie. If they did, the vet would have given it to her." "She's dead?" "Yes." "I miss Mischief." "Me too, honey. Me too."

Keira's 1st Pony Ride

 
Keira had her first pony ride this weekend. She LOVED it, and is a natural. Cassidy already said, "She should take a pony class." 

Nana and Grampa visit

  
Nana and Grampa were in town for the holiday weekend. The girls had lots of fun coloring, drawing with sidewalk chalk and playing with Nana and Grampa. We headed out to Remlinger Farms on the last day of the visit. It tired ALL of us out, but was loads and loads of fun.

Triple Whammy!

What day is it? ... Cassidy's surgery to remove her tonsils went well. As well as can be expected for surgery on a little one. I was a basket case and cried as soon as she left us until about half an hour after she was done. Recovery was not too slow, but it was torture as Cassidy decided that ALL her medicines were yucky and she didn't want to take them. *sigh* Just about the time we are thinking we will get a full nights sleep, Keira pulls an all nighter with stomach flu. That lasts 2 days. *sigh* Finally, all seems well. We have the weekend in front of us with plenty of chances for naps and full nights sleep when Cassidy wakes up in the middle of the night. Stomach flu for her now! *sigh* Maybe next weekend.

Secret Favorite Color and Favorite Parent

Do you have a favorite color? Cassidy's favorite color is pink, purple and white. But what's your secret favorite color? She been telling everyone lately her favorite colors. Then she whispers, "Do you know what my secret favorite color is?" A dramatic pause, then "Sparkles".
Keira has always been a Daddy's girl, but she really is going a bit far with it lately. Keira's car seat is on my side of the car, so when we arrive at a destination, I open the door. Keira immediately grabs her buckle and shouts, "No, Daddy!" It might bother me more, but when she is fussy or, my personal favorite, poopy she still prefers Daddy. I can deal with that.

Teeney Tennis

 
Cassidy had 2 sets of tennis camps this summer. She loved both of them, although I think she preferred the blonde surfer teacher pictured in this lesson. She has quite the volley and a beautiful ground stroke . . . with a beach ball. 

Happy 4th of July...late

  

When I grow up...

Four and a half must be the age that kids start thinking about what they want to do when they grow up. Cassidy has been talking a lot about what she would like to do when she's an adult. Things like, Marry Daddy. She also said she wants to be a teacher and live with us, FOREVER. I explained that it might be different when she's older and has her own kids, and she said, "But if I live with you, you can see them every day!" Man, she's good. Her latest idea is that she wants to be a Mommy when she grows up. *sigh*, must be doing something right.

Pink hair and Pirates

Why do all my funny stories start with a trip to McDonald's?? The latest Happy Meal toy is for Pirates of the Caribean (which is rated PG-13). Cassidy got a magic 8 ball in a skull. You lift the eye patch to find things like, Yo-ho-ho Maybe so. Keira got a blow up sword. Yes, you read that correctly. Funny how kids know what to do, she immediately tried to stab us with it. We told her you couldn't poke people and so she started attacking Buddy. Poor dog. Cassidy has been on a pink kick lately. Her latest request was to have pink hair. She told me that and then asked how she could do it. I told her about putting in hair dye and thankfully she said, "So when I'm an adult I can make my hair pink?" "Yes. When you're an adult you can make your hair pink." Phew!

Life In-germs

We had pancakes for breakfast today, and all the girls helped out. Cassidy wanted to help, and so Keira wanted to help too. Since they both can't stir the mix, I put some flour in a bowl for Keira. She had a great time stirring, and then took a big bite! She then figured out that dipping her hands in the flour and lifting them out again made it look like snow. She 'snowed' all over the floor and counters. At least no one was fussing and the clean up wasn't too bad. Daddy normally does pancakes, but he was watching England in the World Cup (sadly lose). During halftime they had a commercial about life insurance on, with a Dad and his son, and the son asks if they have life insurance. Cassidy turns to me and asks, "Life in germs. Why would you have life in germs?"

End of Year

 
Last weekend was the End of Year Party for Cassidy's school. My brother, Kaleb, was in town for the weekend, so he joined us for the event. Of course, it's my brother, so he couldn't resist stirring things up. He got Cassidy to return his "moose ears" along with her best friend Angelina. I didn't realize I was going to catch them in the act with the photo, but it is fun. She did a great preformance for Nana and Grampa before we went, and even sang the songs again the next day for Grandpa Oma for Father's Day. Much to my Dad's dismay, I think, Cassidy remembered all the versus of It's a Small World, and since I interrupted her she started over. Kaleb, Christy and Ariannah were in town for a baseball game. Although Ariannah was in town to stay with her cousins while her parents went to the game. The girls had a great time together. Cassidy was busy trying to give hugs to her little cousin, Keira was busy trying to protect her toys, "No, mine" and Ariannah was just doing her own thing, "Bahwwl" as she pointed out every ball in the house. We had them over for brunch on Father's Day and Cassidy almost started crying when it was time for her little cousin to go. It's a world of laughter, it's a world of tears. It's a world of hopes and a world of fears. There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware that it's a small world after all. 

Birthday Party Bonanza

Phew! What a weekend! Cassidy had a birthday party to attend on Saturday. It was an all girl affair, and quite fun. Then today Keira had a b-day party to attend. This was not gender selective and at a fire house, so it was CRAZY. Siblings had not been mentioned on the invite, but we didn't have time to pick up the gift before the party, so Cassidy and I crashed with the present an hour in. When I came in Keira was having a blast, and looked too cute in her fire hat. It turns out one of Cassidy's school mates was also at the party with his little sister. Cassidy sat next to me while Jeremy told us all about the tour and other events. I noticed the class mate working on a drawing. He saw me, and then sort of hid the paper. A few minutes later on top of the pizza plate Cassidy had been using was a folded up drawing, with her name written on it. I had to preserve her first piece of fan mail. It's really a very good drawing, and he did great trying to spell her name. I'm sure it was just a friendly gesture, but it's too cute to think that she's getting tokens of affection.
  

Yummy yummy marshmallow eater Puffin Noonan

Phew, what a weekend! We went to see Cirque De Soleil's Varekai yesterday. The girls LOVED it. Cassidy asked to see it again today, until she remembered she was having a play date with her best friend. We dropped her off for a couple of hours and then came back to chat with the parents for a few before the tearful goodbye. The play date ended with Cassidy buckled in the car, asking to roll down the window so she could scream out, "I LOVE YOU, ANGELINA" with tears streaming down her face. The loooong weekend came to a close by Cassidy asking to read Jeremy and I a story tonight. It was a book titled, 'Welcome back, Puffin'. A brief synopsis follows. Puffin was flying back to her home, carrying her imaginary friends, who called Puffin "Plane". A lengthy description of the colors of the imaginary friends followed. Finally the baby puffin arrived, who ate 20 fish and 20 salami. Then when baby puffin was left all alone, he had to name himself. He thought, "I like marshmallows, so I will call myself, 'Yummy yummy marshmallow eater' for my first name. 'Puffin' for my middle name and 'Noonan' for my last name." At which point Jeremy and I started laughing and our interest in the story increased. Turns out Y.Y.M.E.P.N. went back to the ocean and ate 20 fish, he was also hunting salami when a shark came and ate the salami. It ended well when more salami showed up and the puffin ate that. The End.

Never leaving the nest...maybe

It is HOT. Okay, by our standards, 85 is HOT. The girls were very fussy today because of the heat, and it was a bit tough to get them down. I laid down with Cassidy for a few minutes, at which point she told me, "Mommy, I want to stay here forever. I don't want to leave our house. I want to live with our family for ever and ever." I told her she could stay as long as she wanted. We'll have to wait and see how this one turns out.

Mothers Day

 
The girls were kind enough to pose with me this morning. We had a BEAUTIFUL day today, and decided to head to the zoo. The girls had a ton of fun, as did I. Jeremy did great by doing most of the kid wrangling. Then we did some yard work in the early afternoon, followed up by a trip to Trader Joe's. It was quite the busy day. Keira fell asleep on the ride home with a book over her, and that pic is posted below this one. Happy Mother's Day!! 

One tired kid

  

What will your Honey-dew....

if you Cantaloup? Now that warmer weather is upon us, we are enjoying some warm weather fruits. Like melon. Cassidy LOVES melon. Now when I say she LOVES it, I am not understating it by any means. I bought two melons last week and she single handedly ate 1/4 of a GIANT honeydew, that after she ate about 1/4 of a cantaloup. You think she would be done with melon for a bit, but she still wanted it in her lunch the next day, and for dessert that night.

I had a conference with Keira's teacher this week. She informed me that Keira doesn't talk at school. She doesn't say "No" or "Mine", which made me laugh out loud. Anyone who has ever talked to me on the phone with Keira in the same room knows that Keira knows how to say those, quite loudly too.

Membership has it's privileges

For Christmas we asked for a membership to the Aquarium. For months I've been asking Cassidy if she wants to go and she has been saying no. *grumble* All that changed a few weeks ago when we found a video of an octopus attacking a shark at OUR aquarium. The girls fell in love with it. Every night before bed they want to watch it. Keira calls it "shark" when she wants to watch, but then when she sees the octopus, she says, "Modster....Rah!" Which translates to "Monster, roar". So we FINALLY made it to the aquarium this weekend. We made it right at opening, and everyone was sort of milling around waiting for the ticket booths to open. Then I saw it, the membership stand, with a teen already manning the post. I pulled out my card, and the next thing I hear is, "Let me just unlock the door for you." We had the whole place to ourselves. Okay it was only for 5 minutes, but it was great. Yes, membership has it's privileges!

Date Day

Jeremy and I used to have a weekly date night. Now it's more like a monthly date night , but we still make it out for some time without the kids. Cassidy has been acting a bit, hmmm...the word I want isn't really invented yet so I'll skip it, lately. We had a pony pals class scheduled this weekend, and I thought maybe Cassidy could use some time without Jeremy and little sis. I told her we were going to have a date, and we headed off to lunch together. After lunch, we headed off to class, and I dutifully walked by her and the pony in the POURING rain. After class we headed off to look at some other animals. To finish off our date day we headed to Starbucks to warm up with some hot chocolate and a Grande nonfat latte. (Yes I've graduated from a tall.) It was a fun time even though the weather was sort of cold and bleak. I think I have found a new date partner.

Tulip Festival

 
Oma was out last week to watch the girls while school was out. We headed to the Tulip Festival for some R&R. The girls had a blast. Even though Cassidy calls Tulip Town "Ice Cream Town" now. 

I love you a lot

Tonight after baths, Cassidy was jumping on our bed and being a little wild. She kicked me, and I asked her to apologize for hurting me. She did and then gave me a big hug. Then as she continued to jump, she told me, "Mom, I love you a lot." "I love you too." "I love you more than you me." "Oh, really. You love me more than I love you?" "Yeah. A million million more. I love you as big as Triceratops Poop, which is as big as the bath tub!" I feel so loved.

Twins

The girls made it to school today, and Jeremy and I made it back to work, for most of the day at least. The sitter called in sick, no surprise as she has what we have. Oops! So we picked up the girls and headed to the grocery store to pick up some dinner. The girls love the big grocery carts that are a truck or a race car, and they clammored in. We passed a woman, who said under her breath, "Must be twins." Then 10 feet past her, a woman asks Jeremy, "Are they twins?" Keira must be catching up quick. I would have never thought them twins as they look so different, but then again, they didn't say, "Identical Twins". It is obvious they are sisters though.

Recovering...at least the kids are

It has been a rough week for all of us. Keira had the worst of it with all the coughing and nose wiping. Cassidy had a hard time as she was feeling ill, but had to deal with Mom and Dad being occupied with Keira. Then there was Mom and Dad. Juggling work schedules, telecommutting and never letting Keira's feet hit the ground have been the norm. Now that the weekend is upon us, and the weather is great, Mom and Dad have sore throats and want to sleep all day. Keira, can you get Mommy some juice??

Croup, anyone?

This weekend I kept thinking I needed to blog. The girls were doing all sorts of stuff, that I have already forgotten. Darn! I feel like Dory from Finding Nemo, short-term memory loss. What was that? Oh yeah, Keira was up most of the night coughing. I suspected the *croup*, so I set Jeremy up by the cracked window for her to settle down. We took her in to the pediatrician and yup, it's the *croup*. So now Jeremy and I have to juggle schedules to accomodate the girls staying home for the rest of the week as they are "highly contagious". It won't matter soon, as the doctor asked which one of us had had laryngitis. Neither. "Well, when you do get it, now you'll know who to blame." Neh-ber!!

NEVER!

Cassidy has been playing Dr. Jeckyll and Ms. Hyde lately. One minute she's being a little angel, and even asks, "Mommy, am I being nice?" The next minute, she's fussy, bossy and mean at the same time. I'm not sure where she picked it up, but when she's a real funk and you ask her to do something she yells, "NEVER!" at the top of her lungs. Which is quite funny, in 20 years... We told her that Keira would copy her if she kept doing it, so we started giving her punishments for yelling this. It stopped, for a few weeks. It surfaced again this weekend. *sigh* Jeremy just picked up Keira to take her to bed, and she started fussing. Jeremy said to her, "It's time for bed." and Keira yelled out, "NAHBER!" Why did we have to be right?

Who's prettier?

 
I just found this picture on my camera. Seems Dad took it the other morning when Cassidy was helping Mischief get glamoured up for the day. Cassidy had asked me to put braids in her hair, and I swear she just looks angelic when she has them in. Which only lasts about 5 minutes since her curls just want to jump out. 

Birthday Circle

Montessori does a nice thing for birthdays called Birthday Circle. The have a mat with the solar system on it, and light a candle for the sun. Then the child holds a globe of the Earth and walks around the sun for each year. Very cute. They also ask you to write down memories so the teacher can share them with the class. For when she was born the teacher read off that "Oma" was waiting at home. The teacher asked who Oma was. "Oma is my grandma and so is Oma Grandpa. And I have another grandma too. Nana and Nana Grandpa. Oma is my Mom's Mommy and Nana is Daddy's Mommy. But they are my grandmas. Oma and Nana." Jeremy and I had a hard time not laughing out loud. I fully expected a report on what kind of hair they each had and what type of glasses to come out of her mouth next.

Breakfast and Lower Case Teacup

This morning, I woke up to the sounds of Keira fussing...from downstairs. She woke up early and headed downstairs to see what was going on. When no one was there and it was dark, she got a little worried. I actually found her trying to open the door to the garage. Poor thing thought maybe we had left her. Well, once I called to her, she was quite happy to tell me it was time to eat. So into the pantry we went, but I had to leave to let the dog out. When I came back, Keira had decided on her breakfast, oatmeal, and pulled out all the ingredients. Oatmeal, raisins, and brown sugar.

Jeremy took Cassidy to the doctor for her checkup. They did an eye test. Before doing the test, the nurse showed Cassidy the different symbols. Star, teacup, circle. Cassidy read the first line no problem. Then when she started on the next smaller line Cassidy read off, "Lowercase O, lowercase star, lowercase teacup." The nurse said, "I bet she knows her alphabet too". Jeremy was beaming.

Sledding Photo

 
We went sledding last weekend and the girls LOVE the snow. Here's a great shot before we went down the hill of flying death. 

The Hunt for a Family Car

Despite Jeremy's Mini being able to hold 2 car seats, it doesn't deliver 2 kids every day so well. So we have started the discussion about what we should do. Mini van? Hybrid SUV? Wagon? Well, Jeremy decided to ask the girls what they thought we should get. Cassidy was quick to answer, "a truck". Seems logical. "With mail in it. So we could be the mail man, and deliver all the mail with all the other mailmen." Hmm...sliding doors are standard.

Sledding

Something unusual has been occuring in Seattle lately. It's been SUNNY! So we decided to try and enjoy it this weekend. We headed up to the Cascades and went sledding. The girls were really excited. We climbed to the top of the hill, jumped on the sleds and pushed off. Well, we must have purchased the Olympic sleds, becuase we FLEW down the hill. Lots of fun as you're going down, but then you get towards the bottom and you aren't slowing down. There's orange fencing set up, before the 5 ft snow bank overlooking a road. *gulp* I had Cassidy with me, and I had no idea how to stop. We cracked into the netting, broke a pole, but thankfully didn't go farther. I thought, "Well, that's the end of sledding for the day". I asked Cassidy if she was all right. "Yeah. That was scary." Just as I figured. "Let's do it again!" SWEET. Amazingly though, the girls weren't into it as much as Jeremy and I. Keira managed 2 runs, and Cassidy 4. Still it was a great time heading up to play in the snow.

Less blogging

I'm sure that many of you have discovered that the biggest problem with me going back to work is the decrease in the amount of blogging going on. I think of things at work, but don't want to blog them at work. I just don't want to say something, like work was yucky one day, and come in the next day to find I'm no longer needed. ;) So here are some quick catch-up's on the girls. Cassidy came home last week and told us she was learning about "Alien-fabians", which turned out to be amphibians. Keira LOVES to sing along and dance. She also starts singing "Twinkle twinkle little star" when she sees a picture of a star. Awww.... Cassidy informed me yesterday that there is something that is always behind you, beside you and in front of you. Do you know what it is? Well, I'll give you a hint, it was a sunny day and we were outside. Your shadow! She then decided to try and get her shadow and chased it on to the garage where she finally 'caught' it. Keira is starting to get the idea of playing games as a group. Yesterday, she participated in Red Light, Green Light. It was hard to make out which color she was saying, but she loved it when we got to her. She also, mostly, followed the rules when someone else was the stop light.

An Official Seattlite

I never thought this day would come. I mean, who NEEDS a coffee every day. And when I say coffee, I mean Seattle's version of coffee, which is a latte. My new job has turned me into a Starbucks junkie. Seems all I can think about is when I'll get my "tall, non-fat, half de-caf, sugar free vanilla latte". Yes, I have an order. Even more amazing, the worker at Starbucks recognized me on Friday. My job is located a nice little walk away from a Starbucks, which is why I thought I was taking a break in the afternoons. Take a walk, and might as well get something while I'm out. Haha! I'm so hooked now, this weekend I actually went to one of the coffee huts while we stopped at a gas station. Even crazier, I can tell you that those huts are better than the big chains. Cheaper and tastier. And what ever it is they put in the lattes up here, it's got me hooked.

Birthday Party Planning

The girls have been VERY cute this week. I just haven't had a lot of time to blog it all. It all started a few nights ago, when Jeremy set them up watching one of their DVD's on his computer. Seems that Keira decided to lay on Cassidy's leg while they watched. Cassidy thought it was the best thing ever and keeps asking to watch movies on the computer so Keira will lay on her leg. *ahh* I have been busy trying to plan Cassidy's 4th birthday part. "It's over a month away" you say. Shows what you know. The whole week of her birthday is booked at Pump It Up (the inflatable party place) that is the ONLY place Cassidy wants to go. I told Cassidy that we wouldn't go to Pump It Up on her birthday (as it's during the schools mid-winter break and I didn't think a lot of her friends could make it then), but that we would have cake and presents on her birthday though. She said this, and I'm not joking or stretching the truth, "I don't care about the cake and presents. I only want to go to Pump It Up" I got the Monday after her birthday booked, phew!

The Usual

Well, at least we are trying to figure out what the "usual" is. The girls are doing great with the transition of me going back to work. Jeremy and I are trying to figure out the balance of house chores and it's been tough as he has the girls for the morning and has to get them dressed, fed and to school. My tolerance for the girls when they act up is higher. It could not have gotten much lower before. LOL So I think it was the right decision for me to go back to work.

No more babies in this house!

Otherwise known as, Keira is 2 years old!! She's been acting 2 for the last few weeks. Very stubborn and fusses when she doesn't get what she wants. She is a red head too. Whoo! Where did she get that temper?? Honestly, I was an angel. (If I'm struck by lightning tonight at least you know why, lol) Jeremy stayed at home with the birthday girl, as she was still coughing and snotty today. But after I got home from work and Jeremy got back from his doctor appointment, we celebrated. Nana and Grampa called and sang to start things off. Then the rest of Team Noonan sang, and Keira opened her presents. She really had fun opening, and was really happy when there was a toy inside. She got a Cinderella Barbie, which stopped the show for a bit. Then she got a transportation puzzle that makes the sound of the car, boat, plane, etc when you put it together from Oma. Cassidy liked that one a lot too. She also got some DVD's of her favorite shows. Then we had some cake, and it was off to bath time. She still needed to take her antibiotic though, and she hates it. So she screamed and we had to force her to drink it. Which is not easy. Then she started coughing. Real hard. And threw up the antiobiotic with just a bit of her confetti cake on our bedroom carpet. Like I said, she's acting 2, and you can't make her do anything anymore.

Happy New Year!

We survived the slightly over a week visit to Nana and Grampa. We had a good time too. Even though we brought illness with us, and had one trip to a pediatrician, and a raging fever for our trip home. Cassidy had a fever on Christmas night, not too bad, but she was warm. She also had a cough that was hanging around since before our trip, so we finally took her in, and she got some anti-biotic for a little ear infection and that was that. Seems all is going well, until Keira starts coughing on New Year's Eve day. Then her fever starts. Of course is menacing and requires lots of Tylenol, plus she coughs and says, "Owiee". We hoped she would sleep it off, but turns out she wasn't going to sleep much that night. New Year's Day and we pack up and manage to get Keira down for an early nap. Then I pass out for a little nap, which means Jeremy woke me up with about 30 minutes to go to the airport. All was well until we landed. Thankfully I gave Keira Tylenol when we landed, so while waiting for bags I was hopeful that the little furnace I was holding would shut down. By the time we loaded up the car, her fever was less, and she was singing in the car. She started a fever again in the middle of the night, and is now feeling cool, and sleeping blissfully. Fingers crossed.