Update

Henry is closer to turning three and I'm still wiped out. 

We did have a follow up visit with Dr. Song this afternoon, and my report of Henry's fever breaking yesterday and today's fever free day along with her close examination of his puffy eyes (congestion) and his skin (I was worried about the palms of his hands looking so red.  Strange, I know.) led to the conclusion that we are clear for our birthday weekend of fun.  Atlanta, here we come... in a car that has $1,275 estimated dollars of engine work done today.  Woo Hoo!

Whew!

If I were true to the fashion of the last two years, I would have already kicked off my week of celebrating Henry by listing his best phrases, favorite books, songs, etc... After yesterday's flurry of activity, though, I was and am spent. 

Henry was sick with a fever of about 102.5 when Cory took him over to Grandjoe's capable care so that I could get to work and Cory could get some work done.  When I checked in on Henry at lunchtime, though, he was waking from a short nap with eary chills and pitiful whimpers.  I took his temp and felt a cold shock wash over when the digital read out was clearly 106.1.  I did two more swipes to be sure, and the lowest reading was 105.8.  After doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen and a tepid bath, the temp still wouldn't stay down.  Our pediatrician advised us to get to the ER, so Grandjoe drove while I sat beside my very quiet and still little boy.  Thankfully, the temperature read much lower after about half an hour, and Cory and I opted to go to the pediatrician's office for our previously scheduled appointment after waiting in the ER exam room for about 45 minutes.  Dr. Song tested him for the flu (negative) and step throat (negative), and when she came into the exam room to tell us the results, Henry was jumping off the exam table and interrupting our conversation.  We're keeping a close eye on him now, and his fever is remaining in a much less dangerous level.

We're still exhausted.  Henry didn't sleep well last night but took a four hour nap this afternoon.

So here's how I am belatedly kicking off a week of Henry:

I am so very grateful that he's OK and that we will celebrate his 3rd birthday very soon.  I love him!

$#*! Our Henry Says

• One morning last week while getting ready for work and school, Henry must have taken note of Daddy's sweater and shirt and my shirt and jacket.  Henry stood between us and said, "Awwww... I wanted to wear two shirts!"  We let him put on a sweater over his t-shirt.
• Henry loves being with people.  Whenever we return from someone's home or an outing with friends, he'll say, "I really miss them," or, "I want to go to someone's house,"or, simply "I need to go somewhere else."  (As in, "my parents are just boring.")
• Yesterday, when he was placing our library books in the book return, he turned to me and loudly said, "You need to be very, very quiet in the library."
• Today's note from school said that Henry wasn't a fan of the tuna sandwich that Daddy packed for him.  His teacher quoted him as saying, "This is awful!  And I just can't do it."  
• Tonight, when Cory went to check on H in bed, Henry smiled up at Daddy, who wasn't wearing a shirt, and said, "Your arms are nudie tudie."  (Nudie tudie is what we call naked 'round here.) 

Apologies for the crude title.  I just want people to know that I do know a thing or two about pop culture.

90 Years

Happy Birthday, Granddaddy! You gently command our admiration.

Your direct offspring?  Hmmmm... I'm not going to even retell the joke uttered by your son and encouraged by your daughters.

We love our Granddaddy.  (And his kids)

The cure

I didn't drive to work.  Cory drove me.  I will not drive Cory's truck in this type of road condition--no way.  No how.  Today's difference in my work schedule and Henry's school schedule forced us to carpool.

The yW opened at 10 AM today, so Cory took me to work around 8:45 then took the boy out for coffee and juice before taking him the rest of the way to school.  When they dropped me off in my parking lot, I got a little sad when H's face crumpled and he said, "Awwww... I'm going to miss you!"

Then I remembered that on Tuesday, when I casually reported to Cory that the yW was going to be closed the next day, Henry overheard and cried out, "Awwww... but I like going to that place!"  Then, that night, when I reminded him that I was going to work in the morning and he was going to spend another day with Daddy, he said, "But I want to go somewhere, too!  I'm going to go to the doctor... because I'm sick."

Cabin fever was officially cured today.  No trip to the doctor was required.

I conquered!

Part of the reason we have an all wheel drive vehicle is that I despise driving in inclement weather or across rough terrain and seriously need to feel my tires managing the road.  Well, this morning, white-knuckled and muscle-tensed, I crept to work across thick ice and clumpy snow.  Then I carefully shuffled across the ice skating rink of a parking lot before shakily unlocking the office door.  It took about ten minutes for my headache to subside and my knuckles to unclench.

The return home was much faster and less nerve-wracking.  And when I walked in the door, Henry was just beside himself with excitement.  Yes, baby, I did it!  I drove across the ice to work!  I did it!  Your Mama is a hero!  A HERO!  No clients showed, and I cannot blame them.  But, hey, if they did, I was there waiting for them.

Extra Days

Sure, it's evidenced by the change in blog design that I have a slight case of cabin fever, but we really had some good snow days.  They're extra days to (for the large part) enjoy all together.  Good job, snow.

Neighbors helping Neighbors

The icy neighborhood roads made for some fast sledding with the actual sled today.

Zoom zoom!

Taking the curve

My childhood snow disk had some trouble on the bumpy ice this early afternoon.  We more or less sczootched on it since we were all out of our Clark Griswald spray.

Some neighbors seemed to be making better progress down their hill, so they invited us to try.  A big push...

gave Cory some momentum.  Briefly.  Our other neighbor was unimpressed but reached out to give another shove down the rest of the road.  Thanks, Max.

Cory made it unceremoniously to the bottom of the slope.  Turns out, what we really needed was our neighbors' disk!  It, combined with another big push, gave Cory the speed he needed.

And, then, he returned the favor...

At this point, Henry declared himself ready to go inside, so we carefully trudged back to the house.

Yesterday's snow, Today's ice covered snow

Here's what footprints in the snow looked like this mid-morning:

Sheets of ice...

Somehow, it was difficult for Henry to keep his gloves on today.

But since they were necessary for handling the cold, rough ice, he obliged...

Reindeer still with us

Nana gave Henry a reindeer necklace via one of her friends who Henry met and impressed at Nana's birthday party back in September.  He wore it the whole time that he opened all of his gifts from Cory's very generous family, which took quite a while since he needed to read each book and discuss individual toys before moving onto the next package.

Back during Advent, our Sunday School leader suggested that we pick a Christmas decoration to leave out year round.  I was thinking that the olive wood nativity ornament would be perfect, so it was intentionally placed in our living room.  I didn't consider that it would be necessary to leave out Henry's dancing Christmas tree since it was a gift from Santa, and it didn't seem decent to swoop him up to be boxed away and forgotten in the attic.  We also have a rouge king from one of his nativity scenes still lying down on an end table, rescued from under the couch.  Plus, there are some new Christmas stockings sitting in the garage waiting to be carried up to the attic.  Now, since Henry pulled his stepping stool up to his chest of drawers and opened the top drawer, we have a reindeer necklace that can be worn in the snow.

I would say that the spirit of Christmas is still around us.  In fact, Henry and I played "Christmas" for about fifteen minutes yesterday morning.  Thank you fair-trade nativity scene, single wise man, dancing Christmas tree, clearance-priced stockings, and reindeer necklace for your reminders to keep Christmas on our minds and in our souls.

So. Much. Snow

Taken around 9AM...

Headed out...

First time on a real sled, maneuvering was tricky at first...

Not pictured is the time that H and I spent actually sledding unassisted down our somewhat steep road.  He LOVED it!  Then he wanted to try out the disk:

The disk was mine growing up, and I can still remember the jarring pain of sledding off a steep bank into the snow covered rock-ridden gully.  So worth it, Grandjoe.  (If memory serves correctly, it was his idea to use the disk to go off the bank during that great snowstorm of '88 off Carrick Creek Road.)

Henry grew cold and grumpy after about an hour, and we went inside and re-warmed with hot chocolate, a blanket, and The Incredibles.

 Happy snow day!

Bon Voyage!

Poor Elizabeth... poor Grandjane and Grandjoe.

Just when Snowmageddon 2011 was rounding the bend towards the southeast, the Atlanta airport saw fit to bump their trip to the Bahamas to today rather than try to leave tomorrow.  Grandjane and Grandjoe are going on their first Caribbean vacation, and Elizabeth is embarking on her Semester at Sea, the highlights of which are 11 countries in 104 days, temperate weather, and lots of transferable credits from the University of Virginia.

We were invited to an emergency going away party yesterday evening where Grandjane's manicotti and Grandjoe's milkshakes were liberally pushed upon our small group of invitees.

For most of us around here, this forecast is going to lead to a messy week and one that is, realistically, full of intermittent snow play followed by recovery and drying time.  But for Elizabeth, Grandjoe, and Grandjane, it means an extra day in the Bahamas.

All jealousy aside, I'm glad that my parents are taking a long overdue vacation, and Elizabeth, you know we are always proud of you.  It doesn't surprise me that you wanted this adventure for yourself, and I am taken aback at the way you own your desires and fully pursue them to fruition.  Now, God Speed!

According to Henry...

His eyes will turn green on Thursday.

I'm sure going to miss those beautiful blue eyes.

Looking out for me

We had a better day today.  It took Henry quite a while to take a short nap this afternoon, but it paid off.  He was in a great mood when we to friends' house for dinner, and he and his buddy Ella ran laps which made for a mellow exhaustion before bed.

I was wondering if we were going to have some issues, though, when he got up from his bed to go to the potty and seemed to meander some when he was walking through his room to get back in bed.  I thought he was just stalling.  But when I got up from his bed after the allotted five minutes of snuggle time, he whispered, "Watch out for Penny's bone.  Don't trip over it, 'cause I did." 

Sure enough, Penny's giant butcher bone was lying smack in the middle of his floor.

Sweet boy.  Thanks for the warning.

I'm saying it here, people

I am baking the third cinnamon pie of the week, and I am saying it now.  It's the last pie for a month.  It's the last dessert for a month, too!  (At least until Henry's cupcakes.)

Starting Off

Well, it happened on January 1, 2010, and it happened again on January 1, 2011... no schedule, late night, and a very late nap all equaled a cranky, defiant, and full on difficult Henry.  Why didn't we learn our lesson last year?  I guess because it's been a full year since such a rough day.  Poor kid.  I finally pulled out one of the tricks that works best with him--shock.  I looked him in the eyes and said in my sweetest, motherly voice, "Henry.  You are a sweet boy.  I know you can be sweet right now and stay in this bed.  I just know you can do it!  You can be sweet!"

It worked.  And he explained, "but I'm sad and I'm still angry."  We talked about how it's OK to be sad and angry, but that he still cannot hit and needs to listen to us.  He understands, but I know he's beyond reason when he's that tired.

Perhaps we'll start 2011 off with a valuable lesson.  Again.  Sufficient naps and a regular bedtime are of the utmost importance for our boy.

Here's to January 1, 2012!