Influenza B

I hope I can catch up with some blog posts tomorrow but for now here's what's been keeping us busy. Lee and Mary Clare came down with it on Valentine's Day. We were in Boone and I thought MC probably had a sinus infection so I brought her home since Lee and Margaret Rose had an obligation that kept them in North Carolina until Monday afternoon. MC had a miserable night on Sunday with vomiting and a high fever. We were at the pediatricians office early on Monday where they did a nasal swab and diagnosed her with the flu. All of us (except Lee who can't take them) had a flu shot but the doctor said they'd not been very effective this year with the strains that turned out to be prevalent. He was great though and wrote all of us prescriptions-tamiflu for MC and relenza for the rest of us. The relenza was suppose to treat Lee since he obviously also had the flu and keep MR and me from getting it. I don't think Lee got the medicine in time to do him any good but it did help me as I only had a mild case and Margaret Rose never got it at all.
Mary Clare was in bed all week and only started to perk up on Friday afternoon. It took us almost that long to figure out that the tamiflu was giving her terrible psychological side effects. We attributed her outbursts and night terrors to the illness but as she improved physically the symptoms didn't go away. We finally realized that an hour or so after giving her the medicine she'd meltdown and lash out at us over nothing. She was inconsolable during the episodes. The same thing happened with the night dose. She'd take the medicine, go to bed and then "wake up" about an hour later totally incoherent and terrified. Hopefully there will be another medicine that she can take when she gets the flu again.
We spent last week trying to catch up on sleep, work and chores. Lee still has a cough to rival Camille and it is wearing him out. It is 64 degrees tonight and we are all ready for spring despite the fact that our forecast calls for 1-2 inches of wet snow tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Margaret Rose got to wear the twirly skirt outfit that PoPo made for the girls to school yesterday. She said everyone LOVED it! Thanks PoPo!!!!!!!!!!

More Moose

The History of Moose

Right after Christmas Margaret Rose brought home a library book about guinea pigs. I found it in her bookbag and thought it was an odd choice. Margaret Rose likes the idea of animals but isn't usually to fond of the real things. They slobber you know and get your clothes dirty and some smell bad. We decided she must have selected the book because it had a pretty Asian girl on the front holding the guinea pig but we asked her and she said she liked that pet and wanted one. So we read that book and some more books about guinea pigs and talked about how you take care of one and what all they needed and finally said that we would seriously consider getting one a little closer to summer. Mary Clare, ever Miss Contrary, said she did not want a guinea pig but that she did want a hamster. We told her we were sorry but that we would not be getting a hamster. She sulked.

About 2 weeks ago one of the ladies that works in Margaret Rose's after school program approached Lee and asked if we would be interested in having her daughter's guinea pig as she had found out that her college housing for next year will only allow fish. Lee teaches her daugher, Megan, and thinks very highly of the girl and her family and told the mom that he would have to ask me first but that he knew what I would say. I think I was suppose to get the hint that I was not to show up with a puppy (which is what MC REALLY wants)without consulting him -point made, point taken. Well he and I talked for a second and decided that if the guinea pig wasn't too old (remember MC and her death obsession) that we would very much like to have him. Lee told Megan that whenever she decided to let him go we would take him. It would have been fine with us if she waited until the fall but Friday she asked Lee to come and get 6 month old Moose on Monday. We decided to tell the girls they were getting a surprise but not to mention the pig because, of course, MC would just fuss and say she didn't want one. I knew once she saw him she'd be smitten and she was.

Mary Clare and I had to stay in town today and do some book shopping for our school so she got to spend some time with Moose this morning. Margaret Rose was so concerned about him before going to school. She feed him his pellets and asked who would take care of him today while we were gone. She still does not want to hold him but will pet him gently. Mary Clare just wants to hold him and rock him. She croons to him and says "It's okay little guy. Nutting will hurt you." She told him she would rock him to sleep (I'm sure he was thrilled). Poor Moose doesn't know what to make of my little people but he is curious and very tame. Megan must have spent a lot of time with him. I was sure he would stay in his hidey-hole for days but he comes right out and wants to know what we're all doing and if we have any food.

Mary Clare typed his name and is trying to teach him how to read. She checked out books from the library to read to him- "He will like dese. They have guinea pig characters." We spent nearly 4 hours in the book warehouse today and MC was PERFECT. She sat on top of the roll-cart "criss-cross applesauce" and read the entire time. The ladies there were so impressed with her and kept giving her books to take home. She asked intelligent questions and would periodically spot a book we have read, identify the title and give the ladies a synopsis and review. Oh how I wish she were that well behaved all the time. At the end when she really began to get antsy (and who could blame her- I was ready to get out of there myself) I told her we could go for junk if she could hold it together for a few more minutes. As we were checking out the ladies were complimenting her and she said, "Thank you. I was good and now I am going to get junk." M&Ms are her junk of choice.

My sweeties!

Poor Margaret! Right after this picture was taken we went outside to play. The girls teeter-tottered for awhile. All of a sudden I heard MC yelling, "Margaret has hurt her butt!" Margaret was limping and said, "I need to check my butt." Well okay. You just never know with MR. She makes a big deal about little injuries fairly often but MC did come running back outside saying, "Mama! Help! Margaret's butt is bleeding." There was a little scratch and some blood and a great deal of drama. MC kept reassuring MR- "It's okay Margaret. I'll be the nurse. I'm a butt expert. You need a butt band-aid." And then I watched my little sweetie climb from the top of the toilet, on to the sink and stand on her tippy toes to reach her hand up to the top of the medicine cabinet (not the top shelf) where we keep the off limits stuff like fingernail polish and band-aids. So much for us thinking we had her fooled. I'm pleased to report that thanks to the attention of the hiney expert, Margaret Rose's butt has made a full recovery.

Mary Clare asked, "May I please take Moose's photograph?" MR is usually our picture taker and she showed MC how to use the real camera (scary). This is one of her nearly one hundred pics of Moose - he must have thought here was one heck of a lightening storm

Moose's Valentine

Meet Moose

The girls are decorating the windows while waiting on Baba to bring home their big surprise! On Friday we found out that we'd be getting a new family member and that he would arrive today.
The girls guessed all weekend but never came up with a guinea pig. They were so surprised!!!

Mary Clare is already head over heels in love with her "little fuzz ball."

The Circus Comes to School

Our school hosted a small family circus that our kids could attend with $2.00 and 2 good behavior cards. It was actually a lot of fun! Mary Clare had a great time and I, of course, just loved watching her laugh while eating her blue cotton candy.

Flipflops in February!

Our dear friend Angi called this morning and suggested a zoo trip. MC summed the weather up best with , "It's such a pleasant day. Isn't it a pleasant day mama?" It was gorgeous. The high of 37 we saw Wednesday was flipped to a high of 73 today. No humidity and plenty of sunshine- not something we see often in our neck of the woods.

Anna Lin and Maggie Rose

(Anna Lin and her family are the only ones allowed to call her that. She LOVES it coming from them - the rest of us get "the look".

Anna Lin has always been very sweet to Mary Clare even when MC didn't fall in to line behind the little general. When Anna Lin first got home from China she gave 2 year old MC a sound verbal thrashing in Mandarin for taking off her shoes at a restaurant. It was hilarious! MC of course ignored her.

Margaret Rose is busy growing out her bangs. She is so proud to have hair!
My Odd Duck- the other girls are such social creatures, holding hands and laughing from exhibit to exhibit. MC does her own thing. She lingers, asks question after question, makes up stories about the animals, pretend to be the animals. She never seems uncomfortable on her own but I've noticed it more and more in social situations. As one professional put it - "Some people march to a different drummer. Mary Clare just has a whole percussion section."

A WATER FOUNTAIN! A WATER FOUNTAIN!!! Such joy in the simple things!

I love how Margaret Rose is helping Anna Lin hold back her ponytail! Margaret Rose adores Anna Lin!

Come on up Maggie Rose!

Wait a minute! Where did her come from??? Looks like Mary Clare's been recruiting for that baby brother she wants. This little guy was so sweet. He just went right up to the girls and joined in. His mom was Asian so I guess they looked like home to him. I really am surprised MC didn't try and take him home.

II really have to get a large lawn sculpture or a large rock for the yard. Apparently they provide endless hours of entertainment. We could hardly tear them away from this poor tortoise.

Everybody slid forward and nearly crushed tiny Autumn!

The animals are cool but a trip to the zoo is not complete without the requisite blue drink.

I love it when she smiles!!!!!!!!!

Sunday afternoon was even more "pleasant" and the girls played outside for several hours. Gotta love flipflops in February! Excuse the mess.