Nice Weather

It's been really gorgeous here the last couple of days.  Yes rain, all day yesterday.  But it was over 70, which is fabulous for October.  Tuesday after school we headed over to the park and spent the afternoon playing with friends.  Both girls had a great time, since especially for Hannah, she doesn't see her friends as often as she'd like.  Today it will be sunny and warm again, which is lovely.  Too bad it can't hold just a couple more days until Halloween.  As of now it's supposed to be cool, but not freezing.  Which is nice.  I remember going trick or treating as a kid and wearing my winter coat.  So if they go out with a sweater over their costumes, they'll be doing good.

Tomorrow Hannah has a half day of school, so I'm getting out of work early to pick her up from the bus stop.  She gets to wear her costume to school, and they're having a parade.  Now I guess I need to get to the party store ASAP to see if I can find pig accoutrements, since I can't make them without a headband.

Sling baby!

Halloween is coming

The girls are excited, and Norah while she doesn't get it, is excited to dress up.  First she wanted to be a ballerina, which is fine.  Unfortunately, it was difficult to find a leotard that fits someone as small as she is.  So instead I opted for a pink, long sleeve, onesie.  She was quick to express her dislike for it.  "Mommy!  That for babies, SEE! (pointing at the snaps) I not a baby, I not wear that"  Which of course she did when I tried it on her. 

Hannah wants to be Olivia, so after hunting down red/white striped tights, I settled for plain red.  I still need to make her some pig ears with red bows on them, but I'm hoping it will be easy, since I've put it off so long at this point. 

Countdown to weekends

I spend a lot of time looking forward to the weekends.  I did before, but even more now that I'm working.  I miss hanging out with Norah, and I really love my Wednesdays when I have the day off and can do stuff with her.  Norah's started doing puzzles.  Not just the board puzzles but real, actual puzzles.  She has her favorite is a Winnie the Pooh puzzle with 24 pieces that she sits on the floor and does over and over.  I'm very proud of her, she's turning out to be quite a little problem solver in her own way.

Tomorrow we have plans to visit some friends, and who knows what the plan is for Sunday, but hopefully it involves something fun.

The Sleep Saga

Every night we have the same conversation.  Telling her she can't yell for us every other hour all night.  That we need to sleep also.  That it's disruptive and ridiculous.  It never helps.  Some nights she sleeps, others she's up crying or yelling four or five times before morning.  I'm at a loss, and yet I remember this from last year right around this time.  I don't know what it is about fall and October that makes Norah feel that sleep is entirely unnecessary, but that seems to be the case.  I'm exhausted, and Steven is getting up with her too, and he's tired also.  I think it's harder for me this year because I'm working now.  Not that staying at home isn't work, but I could sit and hang out if I felt like it, and now it's not really an option.  Norah was still napping then, and now this year she isn't, but I don't see a difference in anything really.  Maybe it will work itself out.  Or maybe we'll all collapse from exhaustion.

It was fun

Though I didn't hear much about the pumpkin patch field trip, she apparently had a good time, and brought home a pumpkin with a smiley face drawn on it, from her teacher.  She said she sat in the back of the bus, and that she couldn't finish all her lunch.

Of course the fun didn't end when I picked her up from school, because when we got back her favorite friends were here because Kat had to go to work.  So they played for a couple hours, and then had dinner here.  Crunchy garlic chicken and rice were a hit, almost everyone ate really well.  Then there was more playing and then time to get ready for bed.  So since Norah is still sleeping at 7:05am, I'd say it was a fun day!

A first again

Hannah has her first real field trip today.  She walked to the fire station about ten days ago, but today is their first field trip out of town on a school bus.  She was VERY excited this morning, and I can't wait to hear about her day when she gets home this afternoon.  What's funny is that her buddies are also headed on their first real field trip today too.  To the same sort of place.  A pumpkin patch.  I told her it would be funny if she ran into them at the same place. 

Hopefully she has a wonderful time, and is excited to start riding the bus to school next week when they move to their new school building!

Finally

Hannah seems to have made a turn for the better.  She woke up this morning and didn't cough at all until it was breakfast time, which is huge considering two days ago she literally coughed for nearly two hours straight.  I haven't had to nebulize her since last night, and I'm not going to give her cough medicine before school.  Now if only I knew what had made the difference.  At her doctors appointment on Tuesday the NP put her on Prednisone (oral steriod for Asthma) and Azithromycin (antibiotic) for a possible sinus infection.  I wish I knew which one had helped.  So it could be more definitive what to do for the next time.  Also I'm going to schedule a follow up appointment with her own doctor to talk with her about other choices we can make to control her asthma better. 

Still sick

Hannah's going on 2.5 weeks of nearly nonstop coughing.  And this morning it's literally nonstop.  I can't send her to school that way, she can't do anything because she's just coughing.  Thankfully it's Tuesday, so even though I have to work, no one is going to Kat's.  And I have Wednesday's off, so if I have to take her to the doctor, I can without skipping anything. 

I know it's her asthma and chances are she's not sick anymore, it's just making her seem that way, but it's seriously frustrating.  Nothing I do or give her medicine-wise makes a difference.  She still coughs and sleeps poorly.  What's even more frustrating is that it's October, so we now have another six months of this garbage. 

Pumpkin Time

Yesterday we hit the pumpkin patch for some fun with the girls.  We tried a new place this year, instead of the same one we always go to.  It didn't disappoint at all, there was a hay maze, corn table, pile of pumpkins to climb on, free face painting, and the popular hayride to the pumpkin patch.  The girls had so much fun, they didn't want to leave when we were finished. 

And then we got some sleep

Norah hasn't repeated her episode of refusal to sleep.  Thankfully.  Though, sadly I think her problem was related to her jammies.  I think she was overheated in her zip up fleece footies, and couldn't get comfortable.  Stupid me in my sleepy fog didn't realize that.  So the last two nights she's worn lighter two piece PJ's and was much better. 

Also, I see the sun.  As in really see it, shining outside my window.  I'm amazed.  I think I'd forgotten what the world looked like with sun on it.  Sad, but true.  We went to the Big E on Saturday with Sara and Zach, and that was the most recent perfect day.  And the only perfect day I think in the last two weeks.  So we're looking forward to a nice weekend, Hannah has Monday off, and who knows what we'll do over the two days we also have off with her.

TIRED

Night before last Hannah was coughing and needed her medicine in the middle of the night.  I was also coughing so there was very little sleeping.  Then there was last night.  Steven and I coughing, Hannah is fine.  Norah wakes up at 2:30 and refuses to go back to sleep despite me telling her numerous times it was nighttime and sleeping HAD to happen.  Finally after the millionth trip in to tell her to be quiet, I took her back in my room.  And there she stayed from 3:30 until 7.  I'm exhausted from not sleeping again, and she's perky and happy.  I hate this part of having kids.  HATE.  I'd be a much better parent if I were well rested.

Fun Weekend

This weekend was a fun one.  Zach and Sara came up for the weekend, since we haven't seen them in a bit.  And it was a lot of fun.  They got here Friday night after dinner, and just left a few minutes ago.  Yesterday I drove the girls up to Meema's house so they could spend the night.  Then when I got back, we all went to the Big E.  And it is always fun to go, sometimes more fun to go without the girls.  Definitely a ton of fun to go with other people who are adults.  I don't remember the last time we've done that, but it was a blast.  Very memorable to ride the giant slide and be the only ones in line who weren't with kids, or actual kids.  Then today I went and picked up the girls from Meema's, and when we got back home, Grampy and Mimi were here visiting Zach and Sara. 

Now we're just relaxing and hanging out at home while Steven's off practicing his new hobby, Golf.  Insert huge eyeroll here.  I think it's ridiculous, but I guess if it makes him happy, I don't want to stop him.  So sauce is finishing cooking, and there is warm apple crisp that I'm eating out of the pan.  Not that anyone cares, since I'm now the only person in my house who will eat it. :)