Daniel 9 months

I had a friend ask if Daniel has some red or strawberry in his hair. I would have to say, yes! Isn't that fun? Now where did that come from?

Cheeky

Margaret, that's getting a little bit cheeky, wouldn't you say?

Heart Breaker

Daniel is on the move.

"Why do you have to be a heart breaker?" (80's song that goes through my mind a lot lately).

Piece of Cake

Somewhere in my history of motherdom, I started a tradition: you can have a birthday party when you turn five, eight, and twelve. This year Gracie turned 12, James turned 5 and Anna turned 8. Three birthday parties-yikes! Gracie's party was the easiest. She invited three of her closest friends (Eunice, Amber, and Natalie) and we went to a ceramics shop and painted plates. Then we came to our house for one of her favorite homemade dinners, Spaghetti. Afterwards, they played board games, had a fireworks show, and watched "Bedtime Stories". Compared to the "cowboy campfire" and the "preschool game time" this party was a piece of cake.

11-11

In Korea, November 11th (11-11) is called, Pepero Day. My children come home with Peperos (snack sticks that have been dipped in chocolate and look like a long skinny number one). How clever. Happy Pepero Day.

H1N1

When James was four years old we were celebrating Mother's Day and he sat at the table with a frown on his face. Then he couldn't stand it any longer and he burst out, "this is the worst Mother's Day I've ever had!"

Last week when Gracie turned twelve, I felt that same way and by the end of the day, I finally burst out, "this is the worst Gracie's birthday I've ever had!"

About 2 a.m. on November 5th, Daniel woke up with a fever. Having been nursing James and Margaret through their confirmed cases of H1N1, I felt safe in assuming that Daniel was coming down with the flu. Daniel's deep and persistent cough made me nervous so Gracie and I took him over to the emergency room H1N1 clinic at about 10 a.m. In the E.R. with our faces covered with masks, Gracie and I looked at each other and I could tell by her eyes what she was thinking: "great birthday, Mom".

By 8 p.m. that night I had mixed fourteen nasty, bitter powders into medications. I had stumbled through the Korean print and hoped that I had mixed the medications correctly and given them at the right time, to the correct patient. In all my years of nursing I don't think I've been so hard pressed to perform!

Aside from the delicious apple crisp that Jim made, Gracie's birthday was sub-par. I plan to re-celebrate this Saturday and the H1N1 is not invited!

"A bit of earth"