Life and Times

Adam and i survived his vacation! I wasn't sure there wouldn't be casulties when all was said and done. But we came through with flying colors. My MIL, Marilyn came to spend a week with us and it was a Godsend! She loves to get down on the floor and play with Cori. She was also a Godsend to Adam and i in many other ways and i don't know what to do to thank her for it properly.

Dad had his knee replacement surgery yesterday and all went well. If he has his way he will be home today, however, the hospital won't be ready to release him for a few days yet. We jokingly call him the "Bionic Man" since this is the second knee he has had replaced. I think we should get some theme music to play whenever he walks into a room. The whole family will be helping with his recuperation.

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Good health, great family, security and genuine happiness. Thank you God for blessing our lives this year, every year and every day.

Cori is looking forward to Christmas already. She has written a letter to Santa and is looking forward to getting a drum set. She tells everyone that Santa is in the North Pole making her drum set.

Adam is on Vacation

Tomorrow my husband starts two weeks of vacation. Vacation you say? In November?? Why yes. Adam's employer has a use it or lose it policy when it comes to time off. We went camping for our vaction this year and Adam only had to use a couple of days of his vacation time for it. He gets three weeks vacation total so he has two more weeks to use or lose. While the poor man thinks he will be taking it easy and relaxing, i plan on using his vacation time for some relaxation time just for myself! Funny how stay at home moms don't get vacation time..... There are some very misinformed people who would say, "why every day is a vacation when you don't work." To them i have some choice words that i can't print here in this family friendly blog. Needless to say, Mommies need some time to themselves as well. Time to not be a Mommy and to be the person we were before we became a Mommy. Not that i don't love being a stay at home mom, but like any other occupation, sometimes you just need to recharge! I haven't decided what i will be doing just yet, but there will be a day or two where i get to be Bridget again.

I will also be taking advantage of having Adam home to start some cleaning projects i have been putting off. Closets! How does so much random stuff get jammed into a closet??? Goodwill is going to be loving me when all is said and done. Baseboards. Wow, i took a close look at those the other day and let us just say that the crack between the baseboard and the carpet is a magnet for dog hair!! Speaking of carpet, a couple of years ago i received a wonderful carpet cleaner from my Mother for Christmas. I am going to be putting it to good use in these next two weeks. I also have been wondering what might be under my refrigerator. Hmmmm.... maybe a driver's license or a USB cable? I really don't mind cleaning. Actually, it can be theraputic, cathartic even. But it is just so hard to start and finish a project when you are needed every ten minutes to answer a question or find something that has gone missing, oh, and Cori needs me a lot too. (hee hee) Usually when i go into total house cleaning mode, there is total destuction before the organizational process can begin and cleaning can commence. Adam and Cori will be taking many trips to the pet store, Wal-Mart and Grandma's house. And quite frankly, i am looking forward to cranking up the stereo and getting my hands dirty.

Trick or Treat

I am not sure who was more excited for trick or treat to start, me or Cori! Grandma and Grandpa came to the house right on time at 6:00p.m. Daddy was able to come home on time as well. Cori was so happy that Daddy could come too! Down the street Cori went. She was so cute as Cookie Monster with her whole entourage in tow. She had been practicing saying trick or treat and thank you for two whole days but when it came time to perform, she got all shy on me. What she lacked in vocality, she made up for in cuteness.

The poor think only lasted about an hour. As this was her first big outing since being so sick, i was impressed she made it an hour. About 2 blocks from home she wanted Adam to carry her. Up on his shoulders she went. Oh to be carried home on Daddy's shoulders when you are too tired to walk!

Hopefully done with Doctors

I took Cori to her pediatrician's office on Monday. This is a reacurring theme isn't it? Sunday night she had a fever of over 103 and i was getting pretty nervous. So much so that Adam called his Mom in Toledo at 1:30 a.m. (She is a nurse) After dosing Cori up on Children's Motrin and Children's Tylenol, we waited out the night and called the doctor first thing in the morning. In we went.

This time Cori was seen by a nurse practioner instead of a doctor. I actually preferred this. The NP listened to my concerns, was very sympathetic and didn't rush me out the door. She agreed that this had gone on long enough and it was time to get this child on some antibiotics to prevent whatever infection she had from settling in her lungs. Now i am not one for taking antibiotics just for the sake of having something to do, but this time i agreed that Cori needed something to help her knock this out once and for all! Today is Tuesday and already the fever that was returning with a vegence whenever the Tylenol wore off is gone. She has more energy. I think we are on the road to recovery. AT LAST!!

Trick or Treat is on Thurdsay and it is all Cori can talk about. I have never seen anyone so exctied to be Cookie Monster in all my life! I hope Adam gets home from work near to 6p.m. so he can join in the fun. Cori also gets to wear her costume to school on Friday and there is a preschool Halloween party on Friday night. Can't wait to see all the mini people in costume!

We are sick and tired of being sick and tired

Since September 21, Cori and i have had some sort of cold symptom. And we just aren't getting better. Cori saw her pediatrician several weeks ago and there wasn't anything they could do for her. She hadn't gotten any better, and i have just gotten worse and worse. So i went to urgent care last night and took Cori with me. To make a long story short, Cori shows the classic signs of seasonal allergies and needs to follow up with her pediatrician. (For all the good that will do) and i have bronchial pnuemonia, or walking pnuemonia as it is somtimes called. Fun fun fun!!!!!

Cookie Monster is in the House!

I was able to get a Cookie Monster costume at Ebay and i only paid $7 for it and that includes shipping. Mommy was pretty impressed with herself. It arrived on Thursday and Cori is loving it! She wanted to put it on right away and i nearly had to pay her money to get her to take it off for bed. I would post pictures but, oh yes, that is right, i still have not found the USB cable or my driver's licence! Where could she have put them?

Adam and i couldn't figure out why all week long Cori was calling us Bridget and Adam. Then we received the weekly notebook update from Cori's teacher on Friday and everything makes sense. The kids are studying what to do if they get lost or separated from their parents. In order for the police officer to help find their parents, the police officer needs to know more than Mommy and Daddy Haines. He/She needs to know a first name. So the kids have been practicing telling an adult who their parents are. Actually, it is a pretty great idea!

Next time you see Cori, ask her what to do if your shirt is on fire! You will get to see a pretty vigorous "Stop! Drop! and Roll!" demonstration. The kids are also learning fire safety and we have to have a Fire Escape Plan and teach it to Cori.

I did ask Cori's teacher about the "Bear on the Playground Drill." My niece in Alaska had to learn this drill at her school and i wondered if Cori's school had a similar drill and game plan. Cori's teacher didn't miss a beat and stated that the plan was to run faster than the guy next to you! Which doesn't bode well for Cori as she is the youngest, the shortest, and has the shortest legs of anyone in the class. She is pretty quick however! Or maybe a bear wouldn't want to bother with such a small snack! Boy, this paragraph took a wrong turn in a hurry!

Lastly, Cori has let it be known that Burger King makes better lunch than Mommy. While this is a blow to Mommy's ego, she understands. Mommy doesn't have a paper crown that she serves with lunch, there is no toy at the end of the meal and Mommy's lunch contains all of the USDA food groups instead of sodium, starch and fat. It's a rough life kid, get used to it!

Sickness be gone!

I think Cori and i are just passing this cold back and forth. She and i have been sick for what seems like weeks and weeks!! Poor kid has a fountain in her nose. A snot fountain to be exact! This morning while i was making breakfast, Cori had a big sneeze. Her back was to me and i asked her if she needed a tissue. She said, "yes, i have a big booger." She wasn't kidding!!! She had it all over her face and both hands. GROSSSSSS! We forwent the tissue and headed straight to the bathroom sink. The wonderment of motherhood.

Still no sign of the USB cable or my driver's license. Cori took all of the things out of my wallet about a month ago and i still have yet to find my driver's license and my Tim Horton's gift card. Two of the most important things in my wallet. This house is only 1,000 square feet! Where can they all be hiding????

I lost out on the cookie monster costume on ebay. So now i have to either convince Cori to be something else for Halloween or look for another cookie monster costume. As she is only 2, i am pretty sure i can use my 37 years of persuasion experience to get her to be whatever it is we end up with. Seriously, i should be able to outwit and outmaneuver a 2 year old right? Riigghhhtttt.