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Journal Key:

Green = Steve | George = navy | Janet = Purple | Evelyn = Black

2/7/13 (Thursday)

All week, Owen has been sleeping until Steve wakes him in the morning. This is not too bad for me, as I end up not having to get him dressed, but it's been tough for Steve, especially with the three medications he's had to apply. Today, though, Owen woke up around 6:20. He also finally started eating again! Once we'd cuddled on the couch a little I got him a piece of cinnamon bread. Then another. Then another. Back to normal!

In a dizzyingly disorienting turn of events, we had fast food and Family Fun Night this evening because it's going to be such bad weather tomorrow. The kids and I went and picked up dinner, and then we all watched some Scooby Doo. The only problem: while I have no problem remembering that tomorrow is Friday, I simultaneously was convinced that yesterday was Thursday, so I kept trying to figure out why Steve had had Owen down the street and not given him a bath last night. Weird.

This whole second child thing, when your older one is so much older, is really tough. I keep thinking, gee, we should get Owen on a sticker chart so that he sees a consequence for not listening. I've been thinking that, occasionally, for months. We do sort of parent him. In a way. Once in a while.

2/9/13 (Saturday)

We had a lovely snow day. Steve took the kids out before breakfast to play in the snow while he shoveled and cleared off both cars. Cara had a great time with her sled. Owen enjoyed the little snow shovel. He liked chopping at the snow with it, and he also liked pushing the snow off of the fence. He went down the hill on the sled in Steve's lap. Eventually everyone came in cold and wet and ready for breakfast.

Steve also took the kids out to Target to buy Valentines. Cara, as is her practice, got two kinds: one for boys and another for girls. The girls' ones are lovely; they are fashion models and come with sticker outfits for you to put on. The boys' ones are Star Wars. Owen got Scooby Doo ones. We're having him scribble an O on each one, and then we'll write the "wen" part.

After his nap, we all drove down to Middletown to drop the kids for a sleepover while Steve and I helped Claire get Aunt Theresa's house ready to show.

2/10/13 (Sunday)

The kids had their usual nice time at the grandparents'. When I dropped them off, they were getting ready to watch their traditional Scooby-Doo movie. In the morning, they went out for breakfast. Janet's brother called and she decided to let Owen talk to him. Not having spoken to a large variety of people on the phone, Owen was convinced that he was talking to Daddy. Later, he actually did talk to me on the phone, which was nice. We had an almost-conversation, which consisted of more than one question and answer before he squeaked and wandered off.

We were reunited in the late morning. After lunch we tried to put Owen down for his nap, but I don't think he ever really got to sleep. He was calling for his Mommy so Evelyn got him out again.

In the afternoon, the kids went over to the Loefflers' for a good time. Poor Owen, I think, would like to follow around Casey and Cara and have fun with them. But for some reason the girls don't actually want a three-year-old in their midst.

Owen is almost completely done taking all of his medications now; he just has his oral antibiotic left, which is really the easiest one. It's the only one that he (mostly) doesn't fight us about having to take, and it's the only one that we don't have to send into daycare with him.

2/11/13 (Monday)

I always enjoy my car conversations with the kids. Here's tonight, after we picked up Cara.

Me: Well, we need to talk about Thursday.

Cara: OK!

Owen: Cara, Mommy and I were talking about Scooby Doo!

Me: Yes, it was fascinating. Now, Thursday . . .

Cara: Valentine's Day!

Owen: Cara, do you know what Scooby Doo I'm going to choose? I'm going to choose the Samurai one!

Cara: Buddy, I knew that.

Owen: Mommy, do you know what Scooby Doo I'm going to choose?

It went on like that for a while. Did you know that on the box for the Samurai one, Shaggy has "Scooby Doo" written on his foot? The children agree on this and Cara agrees that it's a little strange. I thought perhaps it was a very weird reference to Toy Story, but it turns out that he's just kicking his foot into the air and it happens to be right behind the title.

Anyway. Finally.

Me: Well, On Thursday, there's good news and bad news.

Cara: What's the good news?

Me: I don't know! The bad thing is that I have to pick you both up and go to the pediatrician to get flu shots.

Cara: Ohhh!

Me: The good thing, well, that's what we have to decide. I think some sort of treat is in order.

Cara: I know! We can have all things that start with V for dinner! Like veggies . . .

We eventually decided that I will make chicken parm and brownies. That will make up for the flu shots on Valentine's Day.

This is really an Owen journal, but I have mainly Cara stories tonight. We had a rotisserie chicken and there was a wishbone. The kids broke it, and Cara won. Afterwards, she told me about a wish she has. She wishes she could fly. She would fly over to the school, very early, and perch on the roof. She would see Mrs. Schutz, the principal, come in, and lots of teachers, and then she would go in and be the first one at ABC!

2/12/13 (Tuesday)

Poor Cara, it turns out, is sick; sick enough that she stayed home with me today. We drove Owen to YBR and dropped him off, then went home. Unfortunately for Cara I had to work from home and so was a rather boring companion; but she made a nice list for herself of things to do and did most of them. We went back to pick up Owen around five. The teacher who let me in the door at YBR told me he had been very cute today: when she asked what she should have for dinner that night, Owen had imperiously told her, "You should have chicken, broccoli, and asparagus!" He was wearing his Batman shirt complete with cape today, but after some hard thinking he decided he was "Super Batman."

2/13/13 (Wednesday)

Another day at home with Cara. We thought she would go back today, but she just wasn't ready. Poor girl, she is going to be staying home tomorrow, too, and will miss Valentine's Day at school. She spent most of today, it seemed, watching YouTube videos related to Monster High. It was amazing just how many of them there were.

We went to pick up Owen at the end of the day. He was pleased to see Cara. "Cara and I," he told me in the parking lot, "are going to see a very special movie. The one about Doctor Doom!" First, though, we went to the supermarket to buy one or two things, which turned into about six things. One of the extra things was some yogurt, which Owen asked for. When we got home, we cracked open that yogurt and he ate an amazing amount of helpings. I guess he was missing his yogurt.

It should have been playdate night tonight, but it was not. Not only is Cara sick, Casey is sick, too. Still, it was all the excuse we needed for skipping Owen's bath. Instead, we got him to finish writing "O"s on his valentines. Then we hapless parents had to carefully insert tiny tattoos into little slits on all his valentines, and fold them all up, and put them all in a bag--and we may still have to seal them all with little heart stickers. We just hope all those little ones enjoy their Scooby-Doo tattoos. (And we are very thankful that Cara managed her valentines pretty much all by herself this year.)

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