November 16, 2014

The week started out great.  Lily got a fun homework assignment from school to disguise a turkey so he won't be eaten for Thanksgiving.  At first she wanted to dress her turkey like a doctor, then a ninja, then a ballerina.  But when we sat down to work on it, she spotted some snowflake stickers and decided on a turkey snowman.  She worked hard coloring the turkey and cutting out all the shapes we needed for the disguise.  Annie was excited to help with the snow cotton balls and the sparkle stickers.

It turned out great.  Lily was so proud of it and couldn't wait to turn it in at school.  She also was issued a challenge from her school to read at least 10 minutes each day for the month of November.  Every time she reads, we track it on a chart.  She can earn a free personal pizza from a local pizza parlor if she reads every day.  Lily is highly motivated by incentives.  She has been taking the reading challenge very seriously.

She is starting to recognize some words and sound out others.  It is a slow process, but she is enjoying it.  Ten Apples Up On Top is her favorite book right now.  She knows most of the words in the story and thinks it is a funny story too.

For family night this week, Lily wanted to be in charge of the game and the treat.  We played a few rounds of our new family favorite "Zingo" (thanks Grammy)!  And we had a "tea party" of cocoa and cookies served on my little tea set.

Tommy is wearing his little ball cap all the time.  I caught him in our bathroom the other night with his hat on backwards.  So cute!  And the cooler weather has made us want to snuggle up in the mornings under Bubba's big fleece blanket.  Who could resist snuggling with a face like that?

Wednesday night Lily was hit with a stomach bug.  She was throwing up every two to three hours for the next eighteen hours.  After that she had nausea, fever, and chills and was refusing to eat or drink anything.

The "barf bowl" was her best friend.  She wouldn't go anywhere without it.  We also got hit with icy snow.  So from Wednesday to Saturday we were stuck at home nursing Lily back to health and avoiding the dangerous roads.  The weather worked in our favor.  Due to the cold, school was cancelled so Lily only ended up missing one day of school instead of three.

Annie had some fun with our "back up barf bowl".  She liked wearing it as a helmet and crashing into things.  The house was a constant mess and all of us got a little bit of cabin fever as the days wore on.  Lily especially was having a hard time being sick.  She was in pain and bored and so exhausted.  She didn't want to eat or drink because everything hurt her tummy.  I realized while she was sick what a tremendous role she fills in our family unit.  Annie and Tommy were a little lost without their big sister to play with.  We were all very worried about her.

The illness made Lily sensitive to loud noises.  So it was a challenge keeping two other rambunctious kiddos entertained and away from their sick sister without the option of going outside.  We did a lot of puzzles and board games and building with blocks.  We watched some of their favorite movies and cooked in the kitchen together.  All the while I was washing everyone's hands constantly and watching carefully for signs that one of us might be getting sick.  Luckily no one else seems to have the tummy bug.

Saturday morning, the weather had warmed up a bit and Lily was feeling good.  The kids put on their snow gear and played with their friend Preston for a while.  Later in the afternoon, we made a short trip to the library and walked outside on Main Street to get some sunshine and fresh air.

Unfortunately the outing took a toll on Lily.  She had bad stomach cramps the rest of the night and was sick again Saturday night.  Lily and Daddy stayed home from church today.  By the time the rest of us came home, Lily looked much better.  We think she's finally kicking the bug - after nearly five days.

One afternoon as Lily was resting in bed, Mommy came in to check on her.  Lily looked deep in thought and was watching the snow falling outside.  I asked her what she was thinking about.  She said, "I was just thinking about Jesus and how he made this beautiful world for all of us.  He loved us and served us and died for all of us.  I'm glad we celebrate his birthday at Christmas because that is a happy time and Jesus makes me feel happy."  Sweet little thing!  Even in the midst of her sickness, she was still grateful for the Savior and wanted to think about Him.  That was my favorite moment all week.

And the cutest moment was when Annie came in from the snow Saturday morning - bright eyed and red cheeked and so full of love for the snow.  She eats it by the handful.  Reminds me of her Papa every time I see her do it.  Also, Annie has some big news to share.....she is completely diaper free.  She's been potty trained for over a year now but still needed diapers at night.  Last Sunday night she asked to have no diapers for bed.  She stayed dry all night so we let her try again Monday.  She kept it up all week.  Congratulations Annie.  No more diapers for you!