update - funny story at end.

Kids are sick, nebulizer treatments all around. Which is such a new thing for us. They have these coughs that they just can't kick and the timing couldn't be any worse! Oh well that is life.

Lulu has been going through something we can't quite put our fingers on. Totally moody, pretty grumpy, not willing to share, doesn't like school, won't go to the Y. It could have been because she was starting to get sick and who wants to be agreeable when they are sick. Not me.

Anyhoo, Ruthie has been ever the trooper dealing, being so supportive and such a good helper.

It breaks my heart when they are both coughing and up all night. I literally haven't slept in over 2 weeks! I average about 3 -4 hours a night, It is like we have a newborn here.

So Ruthie says to me today..........

Ruthie: "Mom...Lulu is kinda crazy, you know that right?" (like she letting me on a secret... or she is seeing if I already knew that.

Me: "Yeah, I know, but we have to love her just the same"

Ruthie: (Thinking for a long time) "Ohhh, Alright"

Mama

I was reading facebook and Lauren mentioned something on her status about what her sons call her.

I literally had this conversation the other day with my good friend.

My daughters when addressing me call me "Mama". MAMA..... I need you! MAMA........ HELP! MAMA..........May I please have......

I always called my mom..........mom, and my dad......dad.

The girls call Simon exclusively Daddy.

When they talk about me they call me.....Mommy.

I guess Mama isn't what I would have chosen, sometimes people ask (my mom) "Why do they call you this?"

I guess you don't have a choice, what they call you. I can try to change it, but at this point. I realize as they are coming into their own with personalities......They could call me alot worse.

Mama will do.

.

Farewell Old Friend

Some times it is really hard to let go of something that means so much to you. For Simon it is his love of curry. Whenever we are at a store where he can get curry sauce he always is looking, shopping, planning.

I am not a huge fan but have been known to eat it on occasion. Mainly when I am in England and it is late at night and I am hungry and there is nothing else to eat. We once flew to England and went straight to a curry house with our luggage....(we were meeting friends) and had a meal. Which turns out, is not extremely smart when you don't like the smell of curry, that can make for a rather long stinky trip!

This past weekend Simon decided he was going to make some curry for dinner and I was going to make something for the girls and myself. I was surprised after he was done cooking to find a bottle of curry sauce on the counter and therefore, asked him why he didn't use that sauce? He said he found something else.....

Upon closer look at the jar I noticed it was expired.........4/2001.

Really?!?

That means that we have had that jar since we lived in Jersey. That jar has been with us....

Jersey

Cleveland

Grandview, OH

Worthington, OH

Worthington, OH (2 houses 3 years)

Michigan

It almost pained me to throw it away. I miss not seeing it in the cupboard on a daily basis.

By no means is Simon giving up the curry. Just the expired sauce.

Ummmmmm

Ruthie: Mom Guernsey is eating his own poop.

Molly: Yea, I know....

Ruthie: That is really gross

Molly: Yea, I know......


(a few thoughtful seconds pass)

Ruthie: really? he eats his poop?

Molly: Yep, and that is why I don't let him kiss me.




Sometimes you just have to be brutally honest.

Mom "job" is really hard.

Playing outside in the middle of the day in the snow.

Tug of war with Guernsey and Ruthie.

Ice Skating

We took the girls ice skating at our friend Julie and Bob's for a visual, the people the basement girls, or anyone at my race....it was at the house we went to after the race. They shovel off a large piece of lake and the sun and wind make it nice and flat so that you can skate on it.

This is something that when I was growing up...we were NEVER allowed to skate on ice. I mean NEVER. So immediately, I had a feeling of panic when we were invited. But I know that many of the lakes up here people ice fish on, so if we are a few feet off the land and you can see how deep the ice is, and it is something that all these people do, I figured I would take it all in and see how I felt about it.

First, when we tried on our skates, Lulu fit into Ruthie's and Ruthie didn't have any skates. Which already was not a good start to the day. She loves Julie and Bob's boys and was so sad at the idea that she wouldn't be able to play with the big kids. So there we were at the local sporting goods store trying on skates before we went to their house.

Ruthie tried on figure skates, and then she saw the black CCM hockey skates and she was SOLD! I was truly so proud! When I was growing up it was SO the cool thing to do to go skating every Friday night and Sunday afternoon with all your friends 5th grade through 8th grade and you were only cool if you had your own skates, and then you were the coolest of the cool if you had boy hockey skates! So, literally it was a totally proud moment that she chose the hockey skates. While I have absolutely no reservation that next year when Lulu needs new skates....she will pick the white figure skates with pink flowers and I will be proud too that she has her own style going!

The only downfall of hockey skates which I was reminded after we were skating is that they are rounded at the front and the back with no toe pick so it is actually alot harder to learn to skate in them.

The boys gave them plastic chairs to push to help them get their balance and a feel for the ice and then they ventured out without the chairs. Or the chairs were used to take a break when people got frustrated that they weren't at the olympic level on their first try.

The girls both were amazing! Really going for it. Lulu did so great and I was so proud of both of them. I really think that we are turning into an outdoor adventure kind of a family!

Some video clips I took on my camera.

Sledding

The past weekend was colder than ever, but we didn't realize that until we were at the sledding hill. The kids LOVED the big hill, although Ruthie said she was "so scared she nearly cried but then realized it was tons of fun". We met our friends Amy and Ryan who joined in the sledding fun. What a workout!

The walking up the hill was a huge workout. The kids wanted to be pulled up the hill. Wouldn't we all!

Watch out for trees!

The girls staging a freeze out. Refusing to walk up the hill to the car. "We just can't walk any further"

ME: "I will be in the car. See you later"

SIMON: SUCKER!!!!

Family Pictures over the Holidays

As we celebrated our Christmas with family and friends I managed to snap a few family pics.....

Older sister Katie and husband Tim with Harper Leslie 11 months.




Younger brother Marty with wife Elizabeth




Girls with their favorite cousin



Gammy with her grandkids


Team Bisson


Molly and God-son Harper.....aka Pingu



Christmas with Dad and his family.....
Front row: Sister Regan Sophmore Notre Dame, Lulu, Simon, Me, Dad

Back row: Tim, Ruthie, Katie, Marty, Harper, Elizabeth, Stepmom Mary Jo, Kevin Freshman in highschool

Daddy

Daddy really does read a great book!

Christmas

Christmas was fantastic. The girls excitement was unreal. They were so happy to be with their Gammy and cousin Harper. They were so good for all the running around that needs to happen when shuffling from family to family over the holidays. We had an action packed few days to fit tons of activities in!

We made a gingerbread train.

We had brunch with friends.

Christmas morning was so exciting. Lulu loved all her barbie stuff. She got the Barbie camper that she wanted, the barbie computer for "all her work" and was so happy!

Ruthie got her blue ipod. Which, I was honestly surprised that she was not more surprised. That is all she talked about and all she said she wanted and so Christmas morning when she got her ipod, her reaction was more like....... I have been good, and I told Santa so why should I be surprised. She got Rollerblades to add to her dare devil streak and she Rollerblades around the house daily.

Just a great trip. Lulu however, loves Cleveland and loves her gammy but was really ready to come home. No sooner had we pulled into the garage...she ran into the house put on her jammies and curled up into my bed and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief.