what's happening

Only four days until I run 13.1 miles by choice....for fun. I am looking forward to doing it. I am looking forward to finishing it. I have loved training for this and I love the new friends I have made. I have also made new connections with other runners...I love that. When I went to a party last weekend (which we never do!), someone asked me what I'd been up to. I am happy to say that I didn't just have to say, "You know, taking care of the kids...not much else." I actually had a valid activity to discuss that didn't involve my children. Hooray!

In other news, my children are passing something around among themselves. I am not happy they are sharing. Last Tuesday Drew started it. He ended up with a cold and croup (a terrible barking cough and wheezing like an old man). Friday Julianna threw up while my parents were babysitting for the kids overnight (while Tom and I were at that party). She ran a low-grade fever for three days and then she was better. Sunday night Lily went to bed with a fever. She has been home from school all week. I thought that she might go back today, but she spiked a low-grade fever at the end of the day yesterday and then hacked and wheezed all night. Julianna woke up this morning hacking. She went down for her nap wheezing. She woke up from her nap with a fever. This is not fun for anyone. I am losing hope that I will ever figure out a way to keep everyone from getting sick at the same time. I am considering quarantine the sick person to the basement for the duration of their illness.

If all is well next week, baby Ben will be joining us for his days. I am nervous about juggling a tiny baby with all the hoodlums living in my house...but mostly I'm excited to have a sweet baby to cuddle and send home at 4 o'clock. Shanna says that he's a really easy going baby, so I have high hopes that he will just go with the flow around here. I have a feeling that my kids are going to be excited to help out. I hope that they are actually helpful sometimes and not overbearing toward Ben. I hope that they will give him space to breathe. :)

We are headed into the dreary time of year. As much as I love the holidays and all the comes with them, I hate the weather. I hate cloudy, cold days. I hate them more when we have more than one in a row. By day three I no longer want to get out of bed in the morning. I am hoping that we have a sunny winter....am I crazy to even think that that is possible? If it's not, then I'm considering replacing my regular light bulbs in the house with the full spectrum light bulbs. That way it's always sunny at the Stivers.