It got me

Before you say anything, I DID get my vacinne...But The Flu got me still. The day Radley left, too. And it's still here. I started off Tuesday feeling extra tired, but thought it must be just getting up early. But every hour I felt worse, and by 1:00, I could barely get my work done. I got out of there, picked up the kids, laid on the couch. I got Ava in bed just in time...Starting seeing my meager dinner again and almost passed out. I had to lay on the floor for a while cuz it was the only way I felt like I wouldn't black out. Tried to call Bianka to come help me with the kids until I could sit up, but the phone was busy! I tried crawling to find a cordless which stores everyone's phone #s in it, but couldn't find it from the floor. Aiden wouldn't respond to my call for help...He must've thought I was going to make him do something because he was yelling back that his leg hurt so he couldn't come...I wanted to shake him! So I just laid on the floor hoping I wasn't dying until I felt like I could get up and put me and Aiden to bed, which he was not thrilled about. But I seriously couldn't move. I was so cold I slept with long pajamas, my robe, socks, and two down comforters, but I was still cold to the touch! After a few hours I got HOT and I still have a little fever, but it's better than that bone-piercing cold. So Bianka's got the kids while I rest...Just had to document my worse single-parent fear coming true...Back to bed!

Rad's in the PI

Radley's Lola passed away this past weekend and he is already on a flight to the PI to attend the funeral. As soon as he gets back on the 8th of Feb, I'm turning around and headed to Bavaria to be an NCA augmentor in a couple schools there for a week. So it'll be a while before we're back to normal here...Guess my last blog was a little soon...

Good ol' normal life

Rad and I went on a date last night! We went to see "I am Legend" with Will Smith. It was good, but it was one of those movies that makes you glad to return to your normal, regular ol' life afterwards...You know, he lost his family and dog and everyone in the world is dead except him...It was really interesting and intense, despite my description of it--I liked it. But anyway, at the end I said to Radley that that's one of those movies that makes you glad you've got your family and home and just regular everyday life that we usually take for granted. You know, there could be psycho-virus-ridden darkness-seakers just waiting to pounce on us and eat us alive if we step outside at night...Okay, in some places that might be reality...Ick. But back to the date! We got to the theater about an hour early and ate popcorn, had soda, and caught up. The theaters here have really nice lounges and sometimes cafe/bistros in them where you can chill, eat, get a drink. So it was nice and quiet, no bouncing between kids, just two adults relaxing on plush red velvet couches...Ahhh...But then, when the movie was done I was anxious to get the kids because I hadn't seen them all day...And now, life is back to normal :)

Wass?

So you probably know that Aiden has been attending German kindergarten since last September. Everything's going great, it's been a good experience for him, and for me in learning how to let him go little by little. Okay, bigly...He rides a big ol' city bus from the kindergarten to Reichenbach--no stops between--and it took me a while not to sweat over the mere thought...Anyway...The only problem is, the kindergarten is super at communicating and sending home monthly booklets with pics and updates on the kids' most recent projects and at doing special things to include families (the bad part's coming...) but {Duh...} it's all in German :P I have found that Google's translator is LAME. I can figure it out better all myself. But there are still major holes I can't interpret. I am learning the words that tend to appear note after note, but I am still finding that Bianka is informing me of the kindergarten goings-on that she happens to hear about from the other parents...It's a small town. Otherwise, Aiden would've again been the only kid NOT dressed up for Fasching--the German craziness sort of like mardi gras that goes on for like a month. I didn't know they dressed up on Halloween! Our Halloween. These Germans like to party...Anyway, so I feel a little like the mom that's always going, "OH! Was that today? Oh, okay, well Aiden's dressed up like a Wilden Kerle!" He happened to have that t-shirt on for Halloween and so that's what he was...So I guess I'm getting a crash course in schulesprech-deutsch. I made that word up, by the way.

Tim

Did you ever have an imaginary friend? An alter-ego? Aiden insists that he's "Tim" about 30 times a day...
Aiden...Ich bin Tim, Mommy.Ok, Tim, go get in the bathtub. Later, ok, Mommy? No, now. No, later, ok? AIDEN...Mommy! Ich bin Tiiiiiiiiim!!!!

Aiden also has not only ONE imaginary friend, he has a GANG. Sometimes he'll name each kid that's sitting in the back of the van with him, including Makenzie, his girlfriend. Who "goes away" when we get around our friend's 10th-grade daughter, Cierra, who is a very cute cheerleader...Shoot me now...

Running

So if you would've told me 10 years ago that I'd actually enjoy running, I'd have laughed until I was out of breath with my out-of-shape self. But now I've gotten back to the place where everyday one of the first things I think of is when I can go running. It's taken me 8 months post-Ava, but it took 1 1/2 yrs. post-Aiden! I love it because it's made losing baby-weight so easy. Not that the running is easy, but if I just run, the weight will come off surprisingly fast. I love it, too, because it's my time to meditate and just be alone with my thoughts and reconnect with God and nature. I've actually gained peace and more happiness in my life because of my conversations with God out there. And mentally, it cleanses me...It's where I run off being pissed off at co-workers or myself even. So it's been healthy for my mind, body, and soul! So I like that added dimension of myself as a "runner". Who would've thought? So, yeah, I still have a ways to go, but if I can maintain the momentum, I'll be back in my old wardrobe in time to need to buy a new one cuz it's so out of style :) Yay for Old Navy!!

I'm bloggin'!

So I've joined the technological revolution! Figured it was time I did something techie. Plus, I have a horrible memory and this blog will help me to document some of the everyday events in life that--though they're "everyday"--one day I will want to look back and remember. I hope to contribute a thought or two a couple times a week, so add this to your favorites if you're interested...I'll try to be at my wittiest and most entertaining here :) Yeah, so that pic at the top is really big...Not sure if I like that. But I thought it was fitting to the title and theme of this blog. This scene is how I spend 90% of my time at home with the kids--being a live jungle gym. Ava's at that clingy stage (almost 8 mos) and Aiden resents her getting so much mommy time, so he just joins in. I keep reminding myself that one day I'll miss the feeling of little feet and hands digging into every part of my body trying to propell themselves...wherever they think they're going (usually ends up with someone tangled in my hair). Well, this will just be my first blog. Little voices are calling...