Beach time.

It was 40's (F) outside yesterday. That's why T decided she needed her Daddy's earmuffs. Then she asked about other clothes. I told her she could get some pants if she wanted to put over her leggings. She was very excited and took off.

She came back with this swimsuit half on exclaiming excitedly about going to the beach.

Creative child.

Challah baking - a family event

Michael explaining to Tovina how the challah bakes in the oven.


Tovina explaining to Michael how the challah bakes in the oven.


And now T is making sure I understand too.

That's not funny

Just wanted to give an update for those of you keeping up with the joke currently known as my health. You may remember I reported that there was some illness in the house. Having just checked, I can now tell you that I have been sick since at least Oct 24th which is almost 4 weeks! I thought I was getting better - twice. It turns out I was wrong - twice. I now have pneumonia, an exciting first for me, and am on my THIRD round of antibiotics in 3 weeks. (Yes, I have been very good and taken all of the antibiotics until the very end even if I started feeling better, which I really wasn't so this didn't come up so much.) This round of antibiotics included a shot in, as described by the nurse, my 'heinie'. (In case you were curious, I looked it up and that is the proper spelling.) It also means I am back in quarantine so as to not help Tovina also reach this, hopefully avoided (and really not so important), first milestone.

Another fun consequence, as of tomorrow I will have missed 3 days of my second week of work. Not exactly the stellar first impression I was hoping to give my new co-workers (though I suppose it's a better gift to give than pneumonia.) Luckily I now have a job that allows telecommuting (a much nicer and equally exciting first.) I am also working with some very nice people who agree with crazy priorities - like not being sick for the rest of the winter is more important than physically being at the work site.

Interesting side notes (or at least interested to me as I realize that I am up waayyyyyyyyy to late at night. I thought the codeine in one of my exciting new medications was suppose to make me sleepy!?)
1) I have been joking with Michael that I am apparently never going to get better. When I made this joke I was thinking that I had been sick for a couple, maybe even three, weeks. Not FOUR. Not until adding it up for this blog did I realize how much closer to truth my joke was. It no longer seems funny.
2) Some of my longest blogs (text rather than photo blogs that is, since pics take up so much room) seem to be ones that start off very short. At first pass, this post was 6 lines long. What happened? And why am I adding still more?
3) Why are there so many numbers in this blog?
4) When I am up too late I apparently enjoy commas and parentheses A LOT. Maybe that just means I like run-ons more? Or maybe I have more free-association thoughts which require more assistance to allow you, my crazy readers who have actually stayed with me this far into the blog, to accurately 'hear' them when reading them to yourselves. Or maybe, even considering these possibilities is a very, very good indication that I should just stop typin

Exploding pigtails

Pigtails: Exploded configuration
Pigtails: Non-exploded configuration
And Tovina is actually happy in that first picture, she was just making faces. I even have a picture to prove it - I wasn't going to share it because it is blurry you see... or don't as the case may be.

Chopsticks

Tonight Michael made curried chicken (it was suppose to be chicken vindaloo but it wasn't quite spicy enough but ohhhh was it good.) Michael used a fork to eat from his bowl. I was eating my portion with chopsticks. Tovina told us she wasn't hungry. Then she came to the table, looked around, and decided that not only did she want food, she also wanted chopsticks with which to eat it. She's asked for chopsticks before. Her desire to use them usually lasts about 20 seconds at which point she reverts to fingers. But this time, Michael found her 2 short metal chopsticks. They came in a little traveling case where the top and bottom of the chopsticks unscrew so they are easier to carry around. Tovina was given just the bottom half - more her size.
Then, much to our surprise, she started eating with them.
She found the potatoes difficult but the chicken quite straight forward.
Here is a video of her happily eating away.

Just let me pack this bag first

Tovina has developed a bit of a regular post-dinner routine - we go for a plane ride. She packs her sheep backpack and her small carry-on that she got from Japan Airline and she takes her 'ticket' and then we get on the plane. We check the number on her ticket and she takes the appropriate seat (her rocking chair) and then she puts her bags under the coffee table or her chair depending on her mood. I get to sit in the big rocking chair in front of her and then we fly. Yesterday and today we flew to see Grandpop to wish him happy birthday (its not actually in case you were wondering.) A few times while we're in the air T and I switch seats (its not easy getting my tush into her rocking chair) and she flies for a while. She is quite a good pilot. When we land, she takes out all her bags and her ticket and then I get to chase her around the house until it is time to get into her pajamas.
It makes for a pretty good night.

Popcorn Ball

One of T's fav wins from the evening. (It was only distributed to the really cool kids in the neighborhood.)

Halloween

Arrayed before you are a Southern Belle (why do people keep asking if I'm Scarlett O'Hara?), Tinkerbell, Luke Skywalker, and Cindy Lou Who (from How the Grinch Stole Christmas).


Its hard to see, but Max does in fact have an antler tied to the top of his head. Tovina's antenna might only have lasted the first half of the evening, but she had fun the whole night through! Really loved the whole getting candy thing!

Starting today

Good news everybody. Today I start my new job. Actually, its 6:30 so I need to head out the door.
I'll let you know how it goes!

What did you bring to the party?

Michael learned this question and its special answer from (I sorry to admit) one of my cousins while we were in Canada in August. Ever since then he has been trying to train Tovina in the proper answer. Unfortunately, he has succeeded.

If you haven't made out the answer, Tovina is saying, "2 guns and a 6 pack." This would be in reference to her 2 might guns (or biceps as some people call them) which she holds up for all to see and her impressive 6-pack abs which she then points to.

After all, what else do you really need for a good party?

In the name of full disclosure, she actually only has 2 pack abs. No picture of this, you'll just have to trust us on this one.

House of plague

I'm sorry that there have not been any postings recently. There has been a small case of terrible horrible ickyness in the house. T and I were both battling colds for over a week until T was weakened enough to succumb to an infection that took her out for a few days. While she was sick she laughed, ran, ate, and pretty much ignored the fact that anything was wrong. While she still has a few more days of medicine to go, she's all better now.
After T got sick I also took a turn for the worse and I have been, shall we say... slightly, hideously... more ill.
Its bad enough that Michael has quarantined me. The plus side is that I'm in the master bedroom and Michael also brought the microwave in for me to have hot water. Of the many downsides, while I am not allowed to go out and join them, I can hear Michael and Tovina laughing in the other rooms - or maybe being able to hear that joy is an upside? I've been to the doctor and have antibiotics of my very own now but my recovery is somewhat slower than T's has been.

So, with the lower energy, I haven't been on the computer much. But never fear, recovery is in sight and I will try to be back to posting more stories of Tovina by the end of the week.