BREEZY FIELDS

I bet you have no idea what Sawyer is obsessed with right now.

I'm having "issues" at my house. 1. My computer charger has decided to not work. With all of the computers at our house you would think that I would just hop on another one. That is just not the case. PCs are strangers to me after my Mac. I dread them. However, tonight I was desperate. I had to check my email. I had to blog. So... I am here on Mike's flaming red laptop. I say that because it is red and has flames on it. I'm not kidding. He got a fabulous deal on it though and I don't have to tote it around so I don't care except when it is left in the living room. It doesn't go with the decor. B. My entire family is ill or has been ill in one way or another for a week now. Mike got over one cold and caught another. Jane feels like she is going to die. Sadie is finally better after last week but the power of suggestion is causing a little convenient sore throatedness whenever school or bedtime is mentioned. Ellyn's voice is hoarse....

Sadie stayed home from school sick yesterday. She now has THE COLD. I use the term "stayed home" loosely because we were not home the entire day. Yesterday morning Sawyer sat down on the couch with Jane's D.S. while I was getting dressed (he loves pretending to play the D.S.). This time he removed the stylus and then decided to puncture his eardrum with it. Sadie had to run over and pull it from his ear, I ran over and grabbed him and tried to comfort him and sneak a peek. He was bawling and he never cries for more than a second or two. There was some blood so I called the Dr. and they told me to take him to the E.R. He continued to cry for two hours. "Ohwee mommy, ow!" It was so, so sad. Again, my faith in humanity was restored when the name of a young teenage boy sitting next to us was called and the boy asked the nurse if Sawyer could take his place. How sweet was that? Our Dr. was Bro. Ellison and he fixed us up with a little Tylenol with Codeine...

This has been as Michael admitted "Kind of a Rough Week, Drama Queen Style." Please don't ask me what that means, I think it has something to do with being stressed in a somewhat dramatic sort of way over things that might or might not be deemed worthy of stress. I can always count on my husband for unending sympathy and support- in this form- "Shut up and drive on." Probably the best advice I could get. But still... I had several insane, crazy schedule days that have left me exhausted and emotionally depleted. Mike has had a horrible cold and it is also his finals week (aka tired and cranky for a reason- not at us mind you, he's been very good about that), Jane fell riding her scooter down to the bus and scraped up both of her knees very badly and reopened the scab on one yesterday when she fell playing volleyball, and Sawyer has a cold. Ellyn is quickly becoming more independent as we work on doing a great deal more walking (I bring my respite person w...

Labor Day Weekend was fabulous. Friday night Mike and I went on a date. Can't go wrong with that now can you? The next morning we had our 18 mile run and it was just gorgeous. We came home, played around with the kids, took a short nap, and then our friends came over at two. The kids played in the courtyard and all through the house (the Caldwells have two girls- 5 and 10 so nothing was terribly messy) and the adults played a board game. Then we grilled steaks and hotdogs, corn on the cob, that sort of thing and ate dinner. Next we loaded all of the kids up and went down to the beach and built a bonfire and made deluxe s'mores. S'mores with Nutter Butters, S'mores with Andes Mints and Mounds bars, and Nilla Wafers. We were going to do S'mores with peanut butter cups but they didn't last that long:). It was so much fun. We came back and played more games, outside on our picnic table. Good times, good times. Then... Sunday morning Mike and I started talking, neith...

Every week we drive 45 minutes to Watsonville and 45 minutes home so that Ellyn can ride a horse for 30-35 minutes. Is it worth it? YES! Example- Ellyn hardly ever acknowledges people or animals. When we get to the barn Ellyn usually runs happily from the van, through the barn, and up the ramp to where the children get on the horses, laughing all the way. This week she was sidetracked by actually seeing her horse still in its stall. She ran over to the horse and reached up with her little hand and touched him on the nose. Then... as she was getting onto the horse with Miss Rachel she actually said "Horsey." This is very exciting for us. Ellyn has also seemed to be much more regulated (even tempered) since beginning to ride. Before school started Sadie and Jane would come out with us and they would let Sadie ride as well. Now Sawyer and I spend our time inspecting all of the horses, riding the giant tricycles, playing in the sand pile, or petting the dogs. All the while Ellyn...

As Sadie gets into the car- "Mom, I am soo starving. I hardly got to eat any lunch today and I need a snack when we get home." "Sadie, didn't you eat your sandwich?" Can you tell this has been an issue before ? "Mom, I couldn't. Tamara loves jelly sandwiches and she traded me for a candy and it wasn't very big." "Sadie, you know you aren't supposed to trade lunches. You need to eat what I pack you so that I know you are growing strong and getting enough energy for doing your school work." "I'm sorry mom. I know. But mom, you need to pack something dessertish in my lunch so I'm not tempted to trade my lunch, because today Rose had the most big, delicious chocolate cookie in her lunch and I wanted it so bad." A little more lecturing on my part and then- "Okay Sadie, you don't trade your lunch and I will try to put something " dessertish " in your lunch. 7:00- "Mom, remember that tomorr...

Coraline is scary. I knew it would be and it is. Scary- I really hurt my leg. My calf cramped up in a terrible knot of pain and agony on Thursday and I could barely walk. Mike and I had done a very fast run (for me) in the morning and then my friend and I had gone for a hike later in the day. Then, walking into Ellyn's class in the afternoon I almost had to sit down in the middle of the parking lot. Off and on all day it would cramp up and I would be limping. The pain was just above my achilles tendon. I've taken a few days off and my leg is feeling much better. Ellie's new respite caregiver, Zina, a beautiful Russian woman in her 60s gave me a massage on both my legs this morning and it was heaven. Buffy, my sister in law, and Meags gave me advice as well. I love my family! I can't imagine the frustration of a true athlete getting injured after all of their hard work. This completely freaked me out, the thought of not being able to do the marathon after all...

Ellyn loves butter knives these days. She will suddenly bolt with a purpose and you know just where to find her, in the kitchen. First, she tries looking in the sink. Yep, our Ellie is so tall now she actually looks down into the sink and if there is no knife to be found she heads for the silverware drawer. That is second choice because the drawer is old and heavy and she has to tug and tug and still it will resist her efforts and she has to come get mom or dad and bring us to the drawer making her "there is something I want" humming sound and we open the drawer and she "sneaky ninjas" a knife away from its friends and leaves the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. Periodically I go through the house and look for the knives (they are not sharp at all by the way). I find them in the couch, by Ellyn's car seat, out in the courtyard. I highly doubt I will ever find all 8 of my matching ones again, oh well. We now spread peanut butter with the handle of a...

I see the sparkling stars. I hear spaceships roaring by me. I feel scientists' feet on my head. I taste the frosting sky and cotton candy clouds. I smell the cold air, then the sun's heat.

watching him spend two hours with Jane working on her math homework. the way he sings Sawyer bedtime songs about a bunny in the woods every night. how gentle he is with our Ellyn. He is so patient with her and such a loving dad. the way he explains the scriptures to Sadie and Jane every night. I can't get over how blessed I am to have Mike as my husband-FOREVER! also, he does all of our runs with me and keeps me at a good pace and never lets me quit- I appreciate this some days more than others.