"Normal" Life (Update)

Whew, now that all those cruise posts are done I can get back to posting about normal stuff. Not that normal stuff is exciting in any way but I wanted to get the cruise stuff done and not break up the posts. 

• Before our cruise I commented to a few people that we had  had a pretty good winter so far without too much sickness. My kids were healthy through the holidays and that was amazing.  Of course I knew that couldn't last forever. And it didn't.  When we left for the trip Ian was sick. Then all the other kids got it while we were gone.  Then when we got back Elise was sick.  Then Ian got it, then Adele and then me.  Ian missed 4 days of school last week.  Adele and I days 5 and 6.  I think we have "the flu".  Next year I am going to be one of the first in line for the flu shot.  Guess who was the only one to have a flu shot this year.  Kent.  Guess who never got sick.  Yep.  Good thing too because last weekend he was on call and there was a big system upgrade.  Kent ended up working pretty much non-stop all weekend while the rest of us either ran amok or stayed in bed convalescing.  I CANNOT wait until everyone is well again. Can I just say:  THE WHINING!!! THE WHINING IS MAKING ME INSANE!  And I miss doing my usual activities like having kid free time sometimes.  It is great when kids can go to school.  I miss not being able to go to the gym.  And I miss sleeping all night without having Adele wake up in a coughing fit every 45 minutes and then crying and freaking out. Ah, the good old days.
  
• Someone please remind me what the age is when kids grow out of getting into everything.  Adele has been DRIVING me crazy because she is constantly getting into all my stuff and is a huge destructive force around here.  Maybe I am getting lazy and underestimating her power of destruction and am leaving things in accessible places but I don't think I have done anything different.  She is just into everything, and she always has been.  Either aliens are invading and using my camera to take pictures of their Mothership or Adele has gotten the camera again.
  
• On a happier note, we had a silly and fun FHE the other day.  Emilia saw this idea in The Friend and wanted to try it. It's kind of like musical dress up where you pass around a bag of silly stuff and when the music stops you have to reach in the bag and put on whatever you get.  The kids thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.

• I had to post this picture for 2 reasons.  1. I taught Adele to play "Go Fish" the other day and now it is her favorite thing to do EVER.  2.  I had to document me wearing my "Betty White"  (wait, mine is Bea Mcarther huh.) jammies. My sister Carol told me about her "Betty White" warm-up suit and said that it was the most comfy thing ever even if it did make her look like one of the "Golden Girls".  When we were talking about it she decided that I must have one too.  Hers is blue, mine is pink.  She sent it to me early for my birthday.  It is like wearing a fuzzy cloud.  Now we need to find some for the rest of our sisters.  They didn't have any more at the store when she got mine for me.

 (Oh, and thanks Kent for taking the picture with the pink bow in my hair. Sometimes I grab whatever is nearby to get my bangs out of the way. I guess I should be glad it was that little pink bow and not something scarier.)

This is scarier.