Chris's Roots and Rambles: Catching up... January and February

Fire in my Chiminea

"The most tangible of all visible mysteries - fire."

~Leigh Hunt~

favorite Christmas present... my chiminea

Family News...

Mike has recovered well for the most part and now walks with only a slight limp. We are hoping physical therapy will help with this. The doctor told him 3 weeks ago that the bone in the middle of his foot that they couldn't perform surgery on because of all the tissue damage, was not healing as well as he would like, but otherwise his recovery is going well. Mike has returned to work on light duty and hates it. He spends his days very bored checking products expiration codes because they won't let him do much of anything else on light duty. He spent 2 days on baby food jars and only found four jars. He returns to the doctor in a little over a week and is hoping to be released to regular duty and back to managing the night crew.

I am on the mend from a bad case of bronchitis and sinusitis. I am also still working with the PTSO at the kids school and Aidan's boy scouts... as well as college classes...so keeping too busy. All is going well with school... but I have reached a point where I feel very sick of it and want to be done. Fortunately, not too much longer to go.

The kids are all doing well in general. Some minor illnesses this past month. Caitlin came down with another bad case of strep and has been refered to the ENT specialist about the possibility of removing her tonsils. The pediatrician thinks having them removed will help her sleep better too. Caitlin also had her MRI of her head and neck completed about a week ago. She is still continuing to wake in the middle of the night ... almost every night now... with headaches and neck pain. We are still waiting on the results, but Iwill keep you all posted when I find out any news.

a silly Caitlin sleep pose... dressed as Jesse

Ewan is enjoying school and still likes to test the limits of adult patience... but we wouldn't want him to be any different than he is. He is one of the cuddliest little munchkins! He likes to come in my room early in the morning and fall asleep with his hand on my cheek. Of course, I can't sleep like that (even though he does!) but I wouldn't dream of removing his hand from my face. My other two quit being so cuddly around this age... so I know it's just a matter of time before he stops too.

Ewan hugging a bear

Aidan came running in the door a few days ago and exclaimed.... "Mom... Mom... Look at this!" He then proceeded to shove his behavior chart in my face where there was a notation "trouble in art today". To say it mildly, I was quite surprised. I think that's the first "non-perfect" behavior mark Aidan received since kindergarten when he laughed at the little boy's picture next to him and made him cry. Aidan explained the art teacher said they could talk quietly, "like this".... but that he accidentally talked.... "like this". I had to mentally laugh and did giggle later when telling Mike about it. I told him to try not to do it again, even though I wasn't worried that he actually would (had to say something parental in nature, right?). I don't think I have to worry about this one. He's such a good kid and had to immediately run tell me about it!

Aidan's Lego creation

Horse Camp with Girl Scouts...

Cailtin went to horse camp with her girl scouts this month. She was reunited with her favorite horse... Buddy, whom she rode last summer when I was taking her to camp on a more regular basis.

feeding Buddy a carrot

Buddy eating hay

Beta Fish...

For Christmas... the kids each bought a Beta fish with money from Great Aunt Shirley and Uncle Robert. The fish have been a lot of fun to have and we enjoy watching them. They have very vivid, bright colors that intensify when they see the "competition" in the next fishbowl over. Ewan's fish is the most aggressive, yet the one that likes to hide the most. I put some plants in their bowl... and the fish seem to be happier. They like to swim through the branches and rest atop leaves.