Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Downton Abbey's episode 8

much better ending this year!
I love Lady Edith being right, knowing what was best, finally having some peace related to her child & what is best for both of them. I like that tenant farmer, too bad he's married with tons of kids! : )

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Throw-up Television

Julia got sick tonight. Julia threw up what looked like more than she's eaten all day. I won't go into the very gory details but after I had showered and shampooed her she said:

"I wish it was on TV." 
What do you mean, Julia? 
"I wish throwup was on TV."
I quizzically looked at her and asked why.
She said with a grin, "so you can see it happen."

I decided it might be time to introduce her to Captain Underpants books.

Tara's comment: It was like a crime scene, as I climbed the stairs, heard the sounds in bathroom as Jai helped Julia. I nervously walked down the hall, so slowly, approaching our bedroom as that is where Julia had fallen asleep. It was unbelievable, so disgusting ... our bedding was white this week too AND we'd just changed the sheets. UGH! Ironically I had been about to go to bed, but it was another 1.5 hours before I got to sleep. I stripped the bed & washed comforter, then sheets. The sheets are not going to make it, maybe I can dye them. The room smelled so bad so we slept in the guest room - thank goodness we have it.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Portraiture for Kindergarteners

I don't know how I learned to draw people but I'm pretty sure it didn't go like this ...

  1. Draw the head and face
  2. Look at your body to see that the neck is attached to the head, draw accordingly
  3. Continue to the shoulders and you see that they are attached to the neck, draw accordingly
  4. Look to see that your arms are attached to your shoulders and draw
  5. Look at your own body all the way down with an end result of what you see below.

Tara's comment: the earrings are stickers ... also I thought this was supposed to be ME! : )

    Friday, February 21, 2014

    A Beautiful Mind

    This is an old post written 4-5 months later!

    This is what a colleague said about the white board & calendar at my work!
    I have a photo somewhere, hopefully I'll post it soon.
    I laughed when she said it - I consider it a compliment.
    I have a crazy complicated brain that likes order & color & lists.
    It really helps me stay organized as well as remember ideas & tasks.
    Both personally & professionally - you should see the lists posted all over my house.
    It's not crazy in a "horder" kind of way, just lots of reminders. : )

    Wednesday, February 19, 2014

    I don't know either

    I'm not sure what was being discussed, but there was definitely some misunderstanding!

    Jai: "what are you talking about?"
    Julia: says something

    Back & forth a few times - like a "Who's on First" routine!

    Jai says again: "I don't know what you are talking about."
    Julia: "I don't know either."

    Lots of laughter, especially from the adults! This is our hilarious life. That should be the title of our book!

    Tuesday, February 18, 2014

    First Antibiotics for Julia

    Yes. It's true. It happened. Julia is taking antibiotics for the first time. We've been blessed for 5 years - no ear infections, nothing serious enough for such medicine.

    Well, Julia has a bladder infection. We had some indications that something was wrong, but didn't put all the symptoms together until Sunday at church. The children's minister told me that Julia had gone to the bathroom twice in 30 minutes & it clicked that something was wrong. Last week Julia had told me she'd gone to bathroom a lot at school. She has a bathroom in her classroom so I didn't think it was a big deal. Also I thought she was drinking more water because my dad gave the girls new water bottles (really nice Thermos stainless steel, Disney princess for Julia, Minnie Mouse for Jac).

    Julia also had been pulling on her underwear, touching herself often, but not complaining that it hurt to pee or anything else typical of bladder infection. However, at home she was going to bathroom, but nothing would happen every other time or so. I am grateful KL said something as it immediately made me recognize something was not right - like a click, light bulb. Since Julia was off school Monday for President's Day, Jai took the girls to the clinic for an official diagnosis. There were white blood cells and some blood in Julia's urine sample so nurse practitioner wrote a prescription.

    I picked up the prescription on way home from work. Jai had called to tell me it was ready & I could hear Julia, very excited to see/get the medicine. She wasn't so excited once she tasted it! It smells/tastes so nasty. So far so good, Julia continues to take the twice a day dose, hopefully she will start to feel better. She still goes to bathroom frequently, sometimes nothing happens, and she also pulls on underwear. However, she's sleeping better at night, not afraid she's going to wet the bed which never happened thankfully.

    Hopefully in 8 more days we'll be done with the medicine & back to "normal." HAHAHA!

    Monday, February 17, 2014

    Downton Abbey's episode 7

    I definitely need to rewatch this episode. I feel like I missed something. However, I do know that the evil valet is dead. Whether Mr. Bates contributed to his young death or not, I really don't care. I don't advocate murder, but what he did to Anna was so awful. I am glad Anna told Lady Mary & she was able to respect her privacy when she talked with Mr. Gillingham about Mr. Green's valet employment.

    OK - I don't understand Edith's potential plan involving the tenant farmer & how that would help her with unwed pregnancy situation. I am glad she & Aunt Rosamud plan to go to Switzerland though I love how they could NOT fool Dowager Countess.

    Mary & her suitors - what a dilemma! : )

    Only 1 more episode & then it is another LONG break until January 2015.
    At least there's "House of Cards" - for a few episodes too. : )

    Thursday, February 13, 2014

    Get her physical groove on

    Jacqueline is getting more kid-like and less baby-like everyday. The past week or so I've noticed she's digging her physicality. She will jump in place or she will spin herself drunk but today she has decided suicides are the way to go. For the past 10 minutes she is running a groove in the floor. She is alternately making noises , singing and screaming. She's having a blast and finally, she's out of breath, but still running back and forth and back and forth.

    It's fun to be 2-years old.

    She likes it?

    Chubby brown boy sees Julia getting into the van after school and says to me, 
    "She can read."
    "I know" I said as he stopped walking and I stopped strapping Julia in to her booster. 
    "She read a whole book" he said with equal parts awe and confusion. 
    "She loves it, she does it all the time."
    As he turned to walk away he said "She likes it."

    I asked Julia who he was. She didn't know his name but knew he was in the 3rd grade 

    My little genius is making a name for herself. 

    Wednesday, February 12, 2014

    Downton Abbey's episode 6

    Evil valet is back ... Mr. Green opens his dumb mouth about how awful opera is & that he was in the kitchen during the performance. Mr. Bates isn't stupid & he already suspected him! Eww, I cannot wait to see what happens next! Please don't kill him, Mr. Bates, but I want justice!

    I'm pro-choice, but thank you, Edith, for not going through with the abortion. It's 1 of those situations where you don't know what you'd do if you were in that situation - I want women to have the choice, but each person's decision will be different. I don't think I could have an abortion, but I'm not living in 1930's (what year is it?!) England, unmarried, of a certain social status. Now the question is - what is Edith going to do?

    Countess & Isabel seem to be friends - playing cards post-bronchitis will do that for 2 single gals! : )

    Thursday, February 6, 2014

    Black History Month in Kindergarten

    "Rosa Parks did the right thing."

    "How, Julia?"
    "Rosa Parks went to jail because she didn't give up her seat to a white man" Julia explained to me.
    What does that mean? I asked.
    Julia said: "I don't know? Don't give up your seat?"

    Also, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (I was corrected to add the Dr.) saved Rosa Parks. 

    "I love Martin Luther King!!!"

    Tuesday, February 4, 2014

    Downton Abbey's episode 5

    I loved that maitre'd being put in his place by Cora when Anna & Bates are being denied a table at that fancy place in London. "I'm sure that can be fixed." or something like that.

    What else happened?
    Bates is upset about Anna, feels like he didn't protect her from being attacked.

    Oh, Edith, that was a doctor you went to see in episode 4. I thought it was a lawyer's office - something related to Michael's situation/estate. What is she going to do if she is pregnant? Also I have a hard time telling how much time has passed.

    Lady Mary - she does NOT like Mr. Blake. Wow, she is quite rude to him, no pretense at all!

    Mr. Mosley is back at Downton Abbey. Yeah! I love the interchanges with him & Mr. Carson - such stiff upper lip, not flexible at all!

    Melt My Heart and make me laugh

    Jacqueline has been all about "I love you". Earlier today I was sitting on the sofa and Jacqueline came up to me and said "I wuv you daddy." and gave my knee an extremely audible kiss (she is all about kissing you where she can reach, not necessarily on your face). When we laid down for nap Jacqueline went through her family roll call but instead of "good night mommy", "good night Julia", "good night Johnders", and  "good night daddy." or "where's Julia?", etc. She said "I love you Julia", "I love you mommy", "I love you johnders", etc. It is absolutely the cutest, sweetest thing I have ever heard. I do not remember Julia doing this.

    All that love stuff is but one example of the difference between these two girls. This afternoon I saw another example. I asked Julia to clean up her mess, a bunch of little pieces of paper. She, as usual, went on to do something else (writing a book) as Jacqueline walked past me with a handful of these pieces headed to the trashcan. I redirected her to recycle bin and she said "oh" and put it away. She walked back past me and grabbed another handful while Julia lay there oblivious, concentrating deeply on her book.

    Just amazing how different these girls can be. Thank God b/c if I had two Julias I would die! She is the toughest relationship I have ever had.

    Tara's note: It is really cute, so sweet, especially when I come home from work. As I walk in the back door, I hear "mommy home, mommy home!" & feet running at full force to greet me. Jacqueline hurls herself into my arms, hugs me tight & plants kisses all over my neck & face. It's hilarious. Julia NEVER did that as a small child at this age. Now she greets me with "what did you bring me? what treat do you have?" (I usually have something from my school, evil place full of snacks!!!). Then she remembers her manners (Jai has been coaching her) & says "how was your day?" while looking in my bag.