A Boy By Any Other Name...

Last summer, Ruth took the idea into her head to start calling Weston "West." She kept that up for several months and then decided to start calling him "Weh." Both of these nicknames really got on my nerves, but I saw very quickly that the more I would try to correct her, the more exciting it was for her to call him by those names, so I dropped my attempts of correction. But in the last few weeks, she has started calling him "Wel," and that one I just cannot tolerate at all. So today I quit biting my tongue and told her in no uncertain terms that she could not use that nickname. And then I told her if she kept it up I was going to start calling her by some name that wasn't anything like her real name. She didn't like that idea one bit, and I think she got the point. No wonder Weston doesn't know how to say his own name. He doesn't even know what it is!

Little Blessings

Minnie (our van) heard about AhRoi's problem and became very sympathetic--to the point of death. The kids and I were out running some errands today and came back to the van at one point to find the battery completely dead. Instead of becoming frustrated, I decided it was a good time to count my little blessings. So here they are:

1. It was near the end of the workday so we didn't have to wait too long for our knight in shining armor to arrive.

2. One of the stores had a kid-sized table and piles of books for us to read while we waited for Jeff.

3. That store also had a nice bathroom and a Coke machine--and I actually had enough change to purchase something.

4. I actually made it out of the house with a sippy cup, snacks, an extra diaper and plenty of wipes.

5. We did get the car started and made it back home.

6. Jeff got the computer to cooperate so I could share our little blessings with all of you.

Near Death Experience

Well, my right-hand man--my e-mailer of e-mails, blogger of blogs, keeper of schedules, planner of vacations, finder of information, connection to the world--seems to be trying to die on me. Or maybe he's just had a stroke, because certain parts of him are just not working. And even my computer guy (a.k.a Jeff) doesn't know what the problem is. This makes me very, very sad. I depend on AhRoi too much for him to leave me. It's a miracle I'm even getting to post this blog tonight. That's one of the functions affected by the stroke, along with some other internet access. My e-mail program still seems to be working fine and my Skype phone is working as well as it ever has--but that's a whole other story. I will try to keep the blogs coming, but I just never know if AhRoi will be up for it. And some nights it's just not worth trying to rouse him. Don't forget about me if I disappear for awhile. I love you all...

Summer Fun

Go, Spurs, Go

I like sports fine, but I'm not usually too much for watching them on TV. I make an exception for basketball, especially the NBA finals, especially when the Spurs are playing. They were really on fire the first half, and I look forward to seeing how the second half comes out. They are a great team and very fun to watch.

Sure Plays A Mean Pinball

Well, with a quaratine in place at our house, we had to come up with some creative things to do today, and one of them was dragging out the old-school 8 bit Nintendo. We played Mario Bros., Mike Tyson's Punch Out, some pinball game, Mega Man III and my personal favorite, Rad Racer-- some with a little more coaxing of the old machine than others. Ruth loses interest in these old games very quickly, and I'm not really too far behind her. But Jeff really loves them. You can just see on his face and hear in his commentary that he's 10 again. We should all have something in our lives that take us back like that. Ruth and I also found refuge in the equally old-school game of Yahtzee. The girl is good. I have never played that game with her that she hasn't beat the pants off me, and today was no exception. Our quaratine is still on for tomorrow, so we'll see what else we can come up with for entertainment.

Friday Updates

1. I reported that Jeff and Ruth were sick. Well, that remains. But, after seperate trips to seperate doctors in seperate towns, we now we know what they have (kind of) and they are being treated. Turns out Ruth has Strep Throat, without ever actually manifesting a sore throat of any kind. And Jeff has something that definitely ends with "itis," but due to a slight language barrier between doctor and patient, we aren't quite sure what the first part of that is. They will be laying low another couple of days for sure.

2. I reported that Weston (or possibly Weston's mom) was disappointed in the selection of boy's sandals. Well, this morning he found a pair he liked,that fit, that looked manly, and have at least as good a chance as any other pair of not stinking to high heaven like the previous out-grown ones.

3. I reported that Weston had a minor "yeast infection." That's true, but what he really has is "jock itch." My mom said, "I knew he was a big boy. I just didn't know he was that big." We picked up some cream for him so that little problem should go away before too long.

4. I reported that Ruth would be attending art camp this week. She did, and she enjoyed it very much. She finished up today with a parade and reception, which parents and grandparents were invited to attend. The theme of the camp was "Asia," and they really made some neat things, including homemade paper, masks, paper lanterns, headbands and many paintings and drawings.

The Weston Report

Weston had his 18 month check-up today and the doctor's exact words were, "Well, I guess he's just perfect." I've thought so all along, but it's nice to have that motherly intuition confirmed. As soon as we got in the elevator to go up to her office, Weston was intent on charming the socks of every person he saw...and that certainly didn't stop with the doctor or her nurse. He was melting hearts with his smile and his many blown kisses. He is 33 1/2 in. tall (80th percentile) and weighed 28 pounds (also 80th percentile). And, aside from a small yeast infection, he was in perfect health. He's getting so big and we're so proud of him.

Sickies

Jeff had originally planned to work from home today. Instead, he spent most of the day on the couch--hot, then cold, asleep, then barely awake, headachy, and general body achy. This afternoon, he finally took his temperature and found it to be 102.9. Yuk! Then, my mom called around 7:30 to say that Ruth was sick, running a temperature of 102.9 and that she had had a headache and been very tired when Mom picked her up from camp. (Fortunately, she seemed not to have the fever until later in the afternoon). Double yuk! Obviously, Jeff and Ruth somehow came down with the same thing without even being in the same town. I just hope Weston and I don't come down with it tomorrow. The bright spot in the day was getting have lunch with Jeff's aunt...I just really hope she didn't pick up any of these icky germs.

Little Boys Need Shoes, Too

Weston and I were on a mission today (whether Weston realized it or not) to find him some new sandals, because his little feet are just getting too big for the ones he has now. And what I want to know is why on earth should there be fifty choices of girls' sandals and one, maybe two, for boys?! I mean, little boys need shoes, too. It's just not right. Jeff said, "Well, we men just don't care that much about shoes," which may be true, but wake-up and smell the dollars you sellers of shoes, we mammas (read "purchasers of shoes) do care! And we want choices!

Stretching The Old Brain

I attended my first Portuguese class this evening, and I really enjoyed it. I went in to it a little nervous that it would be a bit over my head and a little overwhelming, but it was just the right pace for me. And I must admit that for this near-thirty, stay-at-home mom it was nice to stretch my brain a bit in a non-child dominated environment. Jeff is taking another stab at Portuguese II, but I'm sure it won't be any problem for him as he's practically a professional translator. Well, at least he's the only one who could even come close when a Brazilian visitor showed up at church on Sunday. I'm so glad I let him talk me into taking the class. Maybe someday (a long, long time from now), I can pinch-hit as the church translator.

Quiet Night At Home

Ruth left this afternoon to spend the week with Nana and Papa. She will be attending Art Camp and enjoying the exclusive attentions of her grandparents while partaking in lots of other fun activities, I'm sure. Weston was absolutely exhausted by 6:00 this evening, so off to bed he went. Jeff and I had dinner by ourselves at the very adult dinnertime of 6:30. Then, we each retreated to our respected flopping places and dug into our respective books. So, aside from the thunder that has been rocking the house for the last few hours, it's been really quiet around here. And, I have to say, it's been kind of nice.

Pain In The Neck

And it's not Jeff, in case you were wondering. I woke up this moring with a terrible crick in my neck that I haven't been able to shake all day. I'm planning to go to bed here in a few minutes, and I really hope it will disappear while I'm sleeping.

My Little Cuddle Bug

I have never really been what you might call a "cuddler". I guess I have never been able to be still long enough. Jeff has been working on me for almost 9 years, and I really have gotten better. But what has really worked on me is this adorable little boy who lives in my house. He is just such a little cuddle bug. Today when I got him up from his nap, I took him into my room and laid down with him on my bed. He just laid his head down on my chest and rubbed my arm with these sweet little strokes for about 10 solid minutes. Then, he sat up for a few minutes and then tackled me with the biggest bear hug. He did that several more times before he was really ready to get up and go play. So, so sweet. It definitely makes me want to be a cuddler.

Callie Sighting

Tonight we had dinner out, and when our waiter came up, he just stared at Ruth for a moment and then commented that she looked exactly like his friend's daughter. He couldn't believe how similar they looked. And then he said that the little girl he knew was named Callie. Some of you will recall that before Weston came along, Ruth had an imaginary sister named Callie. Weird, huh?! We haven't heard much from Callie since Weston arrived, but all this talk of Callie reminded me of a really cute story. A few months before Weston was born, with talk of Callie an absolute non-stop around our house, Ruth and I were shopping in a clothing store that had mirrors placed strategically all around it. Ruth got a little off from me a one point and suddenly screamed out: "Mom! Come here!" So, I came right away and found her standing in front of one of the mirrors. "Mom! Did you know my sister was going to be here? Have you met my sister before? Look! She does everything I do!" It was really hilarious! I haven't thought of that in a while and it was good to laugh at the memory again tonight.

D-E-S-S-E-R-T-S

That's "stressed" backwards, and you should have seen me shoving M&Ms into my mouth like a mad woman earlier. Today's culprits: medical bills and accompaning medical insurance statements (does anyone out there actually understand how to read one of those things?!), mysterious van problems--after just having major work done on it two weeks ago--and the ever present stresser that everyone has to deal with: people. Ugh! That reminds me, I might just want to have some ice cream before I hit the hay...

It's Official

My baby is 5 years old...officially! And today was all about her. This morning we played with friends at Inflatable Wonderland. We had milkshakes and rode silly rides in the mall. Then, when Jeff got home, we opened presents and had a swimming party at Rock 'N River Water Park. Such a fun day! We're so proud of our little lady and can't believe how quickly she's growing up.

Past, Present, Future

We had a wonderful weekend with our family. We remembered the past, as we talked about Memorial Day and the many family members and friends who have served in the armed forces and given their lives for our freedom. We celebrated the present with a birthday party for Ruth. And we looked forward to the future as we attended my cousin's graduation. There was much laughing...and a little crying. We are so very thankful for our wonderful family and all the special moments that we have been able to share with them.

Here are a few pictures from the birthday party portion of our weekend:

Blog Bonus

I don't normally have two posts in one day, but you can just consider it an advance on the weekend, since we'll be away. Plus, I just had to post these funny Ruthisms.

--The conversation was tuned to half-birthdays yesterday, for obvious reasons, and Ruth had a lightbulb moment. She wanted to know exactly when her half-birthday was, and we told her Novemeber 29. "Wow!" she said, "Both my birthday and my half-birthday have a 29!"

--This morning, while I was bathing the children and Ruth was scrubbing her pits, she asked, "Mom, how come I don't have little seeds in my pits like you?"

You just never know what's going to be said around here! Happy weekend. Happy Memorial Day. See you Monday.

Becoming A Statistic

Ever wonder where all those university-published statistics about teenage health and how it changes over time come from? Well, they come from people just like me--I mean just exactly like me. Sometime when I was in high school I somehow got signed up as a participant in just such a study. I haven't thought about that in years. But a couple of weeks ago, they called me to say that they had received another round of funding, and they wanted to know if they could come over an interview me. Sure. Why not. Part of the interview was questions, as you probably guessed, but the other part of the interview consisted of me giving some biological samples--blood, urine, saliva. I did fine on all of these except the saliva. And, wouldn't you know, there were four of those kinds of samples--one the day of the interview and three the following day. This reptile girl could not produce enough moisture--at any time of the day, mind you--to fill the tiniest test tube half-way. It was embarassing...and dehydrating! But, it wasn't all for nothing. I'm now $110 richer. It's no jackpot on the penny slots, but I'll take it.