Voyages in Parenthood

What a week it's been. Leda seemed to be better by Thursday night last week, just in time for Brock and I to spend the overnight into Friday getting sick! I thought that in our marriage vows there was something about not getting sick at the same time? huh, guess I was wrong. Friday morning Leda was good. Fine even. Ready to go and have a great time! Brock and I on the other hand were looking for someone to take her off our hands so we could die in peace! One babysitter was sick with the same thing, so off to the other babysitter she went. Brock recovered better than I did. I actually went to bed at 7pm on Friday night. I think the last time I did that I was 4! Saturday found Brock off to work for the weekend and me hoping that I had recovered enough to spend the day with an energetic child. Seeing as I got like 50 billion hours of sleep the night before, I was up at 6am to take a shower and get myself ready to go before she actually got up. Leda and I hung out, played, went off sho...

Well, we thought that we had finished with the 24 hour bug - apparently it just took off the last 24 hours and it's back again! Leda woke up early this morning and promptly threw-up on me. We're taking a sick day (sorta, do still have a little work to do!) and will be visiting the doctor later. Hope this goes away soon! Hope neither of the grown-ups get it. Even as Brock is saying he's not feeling good (but he's half hypochondriac anyway! ;-)

Let me tell you how lucky we have been. Leda has thrown-up once in her life. She apparently threw-up in her bed probably just before waking up (at least we hope so) and Brock had pretty much cleaned everything up before I woke due to the fact that I am a sympathy vomiter - if you get sick, I get sick, especially if I see, smell or hear it! That was probably about a year ago. Yesterday, Leda got sick. And not once, not twice, but pretty much all day. Poor thing. I think I handled it pretty well, considering the fact that Brock tried to make it into a "positive" experience for Leda, and making funny throwing up noises and faces. During dinner. Yes, I was truly being tested - and not only for a gag reflex but for the don't-kill-the-husband reflex, too. Brock really dealt with most of the gross stuff (thank goodness). He even had Leda going to the bathroom to use the toilet once or twice. Around dinner time she seemed better so we gave her some applesauce - bad move! That cam...

Yesterday Brock, Leda and I joined Rachel, Calean, Tristan, Granddad and Fay at the Irish and Scottish Festival in KofP. Leda and I did this last year, this year Daddy joined us! We went to see Calean's Daddy Nick play in his band Rathkeltair . We love Rathkeltair! I highly recommend if they play in your area that you make an effort to catch them live. And, if you have an Irish Festival in your area, go have fun - it's a blast! Us Irish know how to through a party! ;-) Leda was having a lot of fun running around and dancing with her cousins. Especially Tristan, who runs EVERYWHERE! Leda would just run right after him. It was quite a workout for the adults! There was GREAT music and some funnel cake and pretzels and ice cream and Guinness! (not for the kids, although Leda did get her finger in mine once or twice. What can I say, she's Irish, it's in her blood!) ;-) We got to say hi to Nick and watch his old band Seven Nations play a few songs before we headed home with t...

We can actually have a conversation with our child now. Well, not a conversation that will solve the world energy crisis or anything, but a conversation none-the-less. All that complaining I did when she couldn't/wouldn't say my name - I will not say that I wish she would stop because no matter how annoying the "Mom-Meeeee, Mom-Meeee, Mom-Meee, Mama!" is, it's still the most beautiful thing that has come out of her mouth! She's not too easy to understand all the time, but every once in a while, she will say something that is so clear, your heart just soars, because you are communicating with the most precious thing on earth! We sit at the dining room table and draw or play with Play-doh. She is insistent that WE draw her a baby, a mommy and a daddy. And, then the baby needs a bottle! Over and over again, we are implored to draw this family for her. With the Play-doh, we are asked to create a baby and a bottle, which she will use to feed the baby. She will also...

Of course, the weather people started hyping this thing up over a week ago. Made us figure we were in for a MAJOR snow storm. As usual, got my hopes up just to be dashed by Sunday night when they starting scaling back the storm to a little snow and ice. But Brock and Leda made it out into the snow today. I took the pictures from my new office window with the telephoto lens...not the best, having to deal with a dirty window as well as a storm window that could use some cleaning as well, come spring. Still, it is our first significant snowfall of the season.

Dixie Chick's performance from last night's Grammys (where they kicked butt!) Was putting Leda to bed so I missed this performance. Luckily I saw this in person. Awesome!

Dude, I just saw the Police on TV and all I can say is we are SO going to their concert if and when they tour! And, Wow, Sting is looking good! Stewart Copeland ain't too shabby either. I never did have a thing for Andy Summers, but he looked pretty good too. They had so better tour!

Leda and I had a girls weekend this weekend. Daddy had to go off to work for the weekend, so it was just the two of us! What fun we had. We went book shopping on Saturday (I can't believe I walked out of a book store with one book for me and 5 books for Leda! I so have to do better next time!) Leda had lots of fin. This was her first time in the bookstore NOT in a stroller - she got to walk through the kids section and pick out any book she wanted. (Maybe this is where I went wrong! hehe) She had a blast. She got a Curious George book ("monkey!") and her Aunt Aimee's favorite book, "Big Dog, Little Dog" and a book about messy rooms and a book about the Luck of the Irish (being that she is Irish, and St. Patty's day is coming up here soon) and her favorite book, a music button Backyardigan's book. One of those books where you press a button and it makes noise - yep, one of those books - and it doesn't just have ONE button, or TWO buttons, or even ...

Brock and I had a night out last night. One of Brock's Christmas presents (sorta - bought the tickets months before Christmas). We headed out to the Keswick Theater to see David Bromberg Big Band. Brock has been wanting to see David Bromberg since we found out he stops at the Keswick at least once a year. We had dinner at what is becoming our favorite place to eat in Glenside - Plush Lounge. The food is good, the atmosphere is cool - just a nice place to eat dinner before a show. There are a bunch of restaurants near the Keswick, but so far, we've been quite happy with Plush. And, they take reservations, so no waiting and hoping you get a table in time to eat and catch the beginning of the show! We made the show in plenty of time to catch the opening act. I don't know why, but I wasn't really expecting a lot out of last night. The opening act blew.me.away! The Angel Band is a group of three ladies who sound so awesome together. They are backed by a few of the members...