An Exchange

Had at approximately 9:45pm:

Julie, upon finding Joe still awake: "Oh, Bub.  Why are you still awake?"
Joe: "I'm not."

Joe Medical Update

Fans, he woke up not long after we released yesterday's medical bulletin, and proceeded to while away the afternoon eating oyster crackers, drinking Gatorade, and going outside to play in the snow while Ted raked the latest snowfall off the roof.  He felt a little warm last night, but no warmer than he had in the morning when his temperature clocked in at 99.1 degrees.

He padded upstairs again this morning sometime after 3am but before 5am and busied himself at the desk for a bit with Clara who was not long behind him.  But, it wasn't long before Joe hauled himself into the big bed, and positioned himself between all the pillows--and Julie and Ted--but still under the covers, where he promptly fell back asleep.  He was a little hot potato, Fans.  This morning's temperature reading was 101 degrees.

Save the fever and slightly less energy than he would otherwise have, you wouldn't know he was sick. He's been bopping about in his pajamas; Birdie, too.  We've played Zingo!*  It was clear that the bambini had played before with the always-sportsman-like Ted (as opposed to the always-mindful-of-curbing-her-competitiveness Julie) because when a one of the bambini wouldn't get a tile of which he or she was in need because another player had grabbed it first, they'd say things like, "I'll get the next one!"  They would also point out a tile that another player might need, though usually by suggesting he or she pay attention.  Again, Ted's influence was plain.

The bambini are both napping now.  Joe conked out pretty quickly.  Clara was sitting up and singing Happy Birthday to Chloe, but ceased the serenade once Ted asked her to be quiet for her brother Joe.  Anything for Brother Joe.

*Zingo! is like bingo but instead of matching numbers, one matches pictures on tiles that shot out of a contraption two at a time to pictures on cards.

The desk area after the bambini have been at work.

Desk detail.  Post-it note cube, deconstructed.

Other early morning handiwork.

Zingo-ing!

Joe Medical Bulletin

This weekend, it is Our Hero that has been felled.  This morning, he padded upstairs a little after six and curled up next to Julie, before moving into the middle of the bed between Julie and Ted.  Julie thought how nice it was that he wasn't crawling all about and figured he must have still been tired having not fallen asleep until around nine o'clock the night before.  Eventually Clara showed up, too.  She clambered up, too, but it wasn't long before she'd hopped down with a "Come on, Joe!"

Joe had no more finished saying he was sleepy than he threw up all over Julie's left arm.  He was moderately excited about having a pajama day, even if that meant it wasn't a swimsuit and swimming day, and he was having a pajama day only because he'd thrown up.

A nurse did a strep test--especially horrid when you've been throwing up.  Oh, Fans.  You should have seen his little face!  The strep test was negative, but Joe threw up again in the waiting room, we saw the doctor who diagnosed "the stomach bug that's been going around."  Apparently six to 12 hours of vomiting followed by diarrhea.

Our Hero has been sleeping ever since he got home at about ten-thirty.  Poor Bub.

I can ski!

Today was the day!  Ted took Joe to the mighty Hyland ski hill.  It is true midwestern skiing, where the chairlifts only have a dozen or so chairs strung from bottom to top.  But it is perfect for learning, with "magic carpets" and tow ropes a plenty (and about 15 minutes from our house!).  We got our rental gear (fortunately just before a busload of school kids arrived) and headed to the second floor of the chalet (they seriously call it that) where we met our teachers for the Hot Cocoa Club.  The first 45 minutes or so were spent learning about skis and walking through an obstacle course of sorts in order to learn the feeling of skis on one's feet, rocking from side to side, and making a snowplow (or pizza as they called it).  We then got out for a few runs on the hill using a tether that attaches to the child's boots.  Joe was great!  He rarely fell, kept his skis the right distance apart, and was able to make some turns.  We had hot cocoa with the class and then Joe wanted to go back out again.  So we marched back to the magic carpet and did a handful more runs.  Joe was able to get himself on the magic carpet and was getting better at his turns before he declared he was cold and wanted to go inside. After returning our skis we sat outside and watched the snowboarders do their jumps, flips and flops - maybe that will be for next week!

Out for our second set!

Ready, Set, Ski!

Joe is going to the first in a series of three skiing lessons tomorrow with Ted.  This is how we found him after dinner.  Do you think he's just a little excited about it, Fans?  He informed us that he was wearing his gear to protect his eyes from the trains.  Uh huh.