The Ghost of Halloween Costumes Past

This morning we were digging through boxes of Halloween costumes past, and happened across Paprika's first Halloween costume.

We tried it on Ginger, and she was just happy as a Pea in a Pod to model it for us. Chomp!



But Paprika, oh how different was Paprika! The memories started flooding back to me of Paprika's first Halloween.

Paprika, Halloween 2006:



We tried everything to make her happy in her costume...



but as you can see, she wasn't having it!



Mean Mommy! Poor baby!



Hope you are enjoying your Halloween today...at least as much as Paprika enjoyed her very first one! :-)

Happy Halloween!

It's not even Halloween quite yet, but we've been celebrating! We carved pumpkins:



Paprika had lots of fun going to school in her Halloween costume. On Thursday, she was Minnie Mouse and on Friday she was Cinderella!



Happy Halloween!!! :-)

Status Update

I am feeling a lot better. Mr. Mustard had Wednesday and Thursday off work (our weekend), and he was so helpful. I got to rest and it felt really good to have a little downtime!

Paprika had her big Halloween school parties yesterday and today, and we got some fab pictures, which I will have to post later. Our computer is having an issue uploading photos at the moment. Grrrr!

Mr. Mustard volunteered at Paprika's Preschool Book Fair yesterday, and so he got to really see Paprika in action in the classroom. She is very much a "sit in the front and be the first to answer all the questions" type of girl. A real Hermione Granger...wonder where she gets that from?! (Anyone who has gone to school with me can attest to my own Hermione-ness).

We carved pumpkins last night (photos to come soon), and Paprika had a blast! She kept squealing in delight at all the "Oooglie-Mooglie" inside the pumpkins. Oooglie-Mooglie! was her constant excited refrain!

We have a few Halloween Parties to attend this weekend, in addition to Trick-or-Treating with Paprika. I am not sure I'm going to be able to go to the parties, even though I really really want to go!

Yesterday, we went out to lunch at Island's as a family, (I am definitely not contagious or anything)...but I was so exhausted when we got home, it was unbelievable. I feel like my immune system is just at zero. I am frustrated that I'm not getting better faster. But I guess it just takes time and I am grateful that I am feeling as good as I am at the moment! Compared to where I was, I am a lot better.

Hope you enjoy your Halloween weekend! This is one of my favorite times of year...I so enjoy the Fall weather and the chance to have fun and be imaginative with dress-up and costumes!

A Deserted Beach Day

Someone had a very fun day today with her Daddy at the beach. Mr. Mustard said that you could see about 5 miles down the beach, and they had the whole seaside to themselves! A rare treat!



I stayed home and rested my vocal cords. If I say more than a few words, I start coughing uncontrollably. The medicine seems to be working a little...but I haven't gotten better overnight by any means. Hopefully soon! Ginger stayed home with me and napped in my arms while we watched old seasons of Project Runway on dvd. Very restful.

I'm glad Paprika had a fun day out with Mr. Mustard. She has been begging go to the beach and build sand castles all week...and today, she got her wish! I know they had fun together! Hopefully soon I'll feel good enough to go, too, and bring Ginger! :-)

The Show Must Go On!

It really IS true what they say...the show must go on! While Mr. Mustard has been working his butt off editing Dancing With The Stars, we have been hunkered down at home.



I had big plans to do so many adventures this week, but with me being so very sick, those plans got scrapped. But, it is also true what they say...a mom can never rest. I don't know if that's the exact saying, but it is true, isn't it?!

So since we're not out and about doing our adventures this week, I have been keeping Paprika busy with lots and lots of crafts.

We decorated a pumpkin. True, it was just Sharpie...but in 3 year old land, that's exciting! Paprika wanted to make sure he had enough hair. That's why there are so many scribbles.



We made "Snow Flags"- I kept telling Paprika that they were "Snowflakes"- but she didn't buy it. These are "Snow Flags" and don't try to tell her otherwise! I guess it makes sense, since she doesn't see much snow around here. They do kind of look like flags, though!



There was a lot of gluing...




And sparkles...



And gluing sparkles!



Ginger enjoyed it! And I am thankful for a little rest...sort of!

Back From The Doc...

Ginger accompanied me to the health clinic/doctor's office this morning while Paprika was in preschool. I have an infection in my lungs as a complication from the swine flu. I was given medication that is compatible with breastfeeding, but if it's not strong enough...then...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I am looking forward to feeling better, and feeling grateful for modern medicine today.

At the health clinic, they made me wear a big mask...so of course everyone was staring at me! And then in the elevator, someone talked to me and I had such a coughing fit that I almost threw up and blacked out. It freaked EVERYONE in the elevator out and they all got off at the next floor (even though they were all supposed to get off at different stops). LOL. I felt kinda bad about that but I could not take the stairs b/c 1) I can't breathe and 2) I had Ginger in the stroller and you can't take a stroller up several flights of stairs!

Update: The doctor called me about an hour ago and told me that she wants me to come back in a week for a follow-up x-ray because the radiologist saw a suspicious shadow in one area of the film that needs more examination. Praying it's nothing. Enough is enough!

Trying New Things

Yesterday was Ginger's first day in the Exersaucer. It took me awhile to remember what you call this thing. I hauled it out of the garage the other day, cleaned it off, and wondered...isn't it about "time" for something like this for Ginger?



I plopped her in it and she loved it! She was fascinated with every little detail and was playing with the little toys on it. I am not ready for this milestone! Where is my baby who wants to be held all the time and peer up into my eyes?



Well, truth be told, that's still what she wants to do 24/7...be held and peer up into my eyes. She has quite a mesmerizing gaze!



But it's also good to try new things, and as long as she likes it, I'm game to put her in there for a few minutes. Especially with me being so sick, I will take all the help I can get!

Still Under The Weather

I am still so sick. It's mostly my lungs now. I am trying to get lots of rest, but you know how that goes! I am drinking a ton of liquids, which hopefully will help speed along the recovery process. Cough drops are a staple of my diet right now.

I took these pictures of Ginger and Mr. Mustard late on Friday night, before I started feeling so sick. So sweet!

Growing & Stretching

Ginger is starting to try to scoot. If you put her on her back, she immediatly flips onto her tummy and starts pushing herself to move. She gets so frustrated sometimes. It's hard to watch...but I know that her hard work is paying off. She still can't flip from her tummy to back, so that is what really frustrates her. She can't stand not being able to do the things she wants to do!



Ginger is also fascinated with her hands. She is all about looking at her hands, sucking on her fingers, chomping on her hands. Paprika sees her putting her hands in her mouth and says to her, "Ginger! Don't eat your arms off!"



Paprika is very into "reading" books to herself and to Ginger. She loves to make up stories and has her favorite books memorized, of course! Her favorite book right now is "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" (the Dr. Seuss book) and she also loves "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" (that's the book she's reading in this photo)...



As for me, I am sick as you know what with H1N1 (aka Swine Flu). I first got sick on September 28th, was very sick for about a week, and then got better...not all better, but definitely better to the point where I felt like it was behind me.

The good news is that the virus is only contagious for the first 5-7 days that you have it, so I am not contagious at this point nor have I been for many weeks. Paprika and Ginger are fine, thankfully, and Mr. Mustard isn't sick anymore.

Last night, the flu symptoms came back with a vengeance. I am as sick as I was originally...maybe even worse. Let me just say, that it is very challenging taking care of a three year old and a four month old while having the swine flu. Please pray I get better soon and that my body can fight off this infection for good. Swine flu is serious business.

Tiny Footprints

I went this morning to visit Devon while Paprika was at preschool. I can't believe that tomorrow it will be four weeks since Peighton was born. I sat with Devon in the outdoor cafe while she had her lunch break (no food and no visitors are allowed in the NICU), and we had a great talk about the fragility of life, God, religion, and how quickly things can change...both for good and bad.



It is amazing to me that at this time last year, I was newly pregnant with Ginger. She was here...inside me...just a lot smaller! I often wonder what Vivian and Annemarie would be like had they had the chance to grow up. It's a hard thing to reconcile. Their passing has tested and stretched and ultimately strengthened my faith in ways I never thought possible.



Going through their loss made me a very different person...probably a lot better of a person. More humble, less judgemental, more patient, less perfectionistic, kinder. But I would go back to the way things were in a second just to have them back and be able to kiss their tiny feet. I am so grateful I have these tiny feet to kiss...and I will never, ever take that for granted.

Thursday At The Children's Museum

Thursday at the Children's museum was...



good ole' fashioned...



creek stompin' fun!