That is correct

While Omar was in DC, I told the kids about the capital and all that went on there. We discussed the Senate and the House and how Barack Obama didn't get to make all the rules himself... all that good civics stuff.

So Omar comes home and gives the kids little statues of DC buildings. The White House, the Capital Building and the Washington Monument.

I try to show off what I have taught the kids. So I ask Max if he remembers who meets in the Capital building. He scruntches up his face and replies "Uhm... the... Senate and the.... House!"

Well done son. Next question. "Do you remember what they call people in the Senate, Max?"

More scruntching... Then totally spontaneously says "Uhhhhm... Hold on.... Comedians?"

That is correct.

School Nurse

Being a school nurse can't be an easy job. You are not, after all, a doctor. You can't officially diagnose anyone with anything, but still have to call parents when you think someone might have something.

I got one of those calls today. It starts with "I have seen both Calvin and Spencer today..." Is it wrong of me to think "Ok, so who is the copy cat that saw a fun little distraction that got him out of class?"

She states Calvin is with her, and he has a red rash on the inside of his right elbow. Now, I know about this rash, and it's his eczema. We have been putting lotion and intermittent cortisone on it. He is such a dry skin kiddo. It runs rampant in my boys. So, I am still waiting to hear why this is a call-the-mom nursing encounter.

"Well, when Spencer was here earlier, he had a red spot on his arm as well. I am worried it might be ringworm." In my classic, least-caring-wife-and-mother MD manner, I tell her I will be happy to take a look at both of them when they come home tonight. This, of course, is not the answer they were looking for. "Well, they can't go back to class until treatment is started if it's ringworm." (And, by the way, who named this little infection? It's just fungus, like athletes foot, but on the body. Why would anyone ever call it worm-anything? 'Cause that's just gross.)

Ok, so I'm in the car and off to school. Grocery shopping for dinner will have to wait. I walk into the nurses office with Eucerin, Anti-fungal cream and Cortisone in my holster, ready to shoot. The boys bounce off the wall with how fabulous this day has become. So I say, "Spence, where is the problem on your arm?" And he points to his lemonade squeezer scar.

Now, this delectable little summer event was lost in the blogging dirth of early September, but our first (of two) ER visit for Spencer this summer was when he took a nasty chunk of skin out of his arm in a freak lemonade making accident. That's what you get for registering for some overly expensive Williams Sonoma shwag for your wedding that no one really needs. But that's a whole other post... Needless to say, if there is one thing I am 100% sure of in this world, it is this: That red spot is NOT ring worm. I can tell you that with both my MD's tied behind my back (ok, I only have one).

Cream placed, heads rubbed, boys shooed, mom exited, groceries bought.

Now the question is just how often these two little jokesters are going to play the School Nurse Lottery to see if they win the jackpot again.

Et, Voila!!

Take a moment, if you haven't already, to look at the photos that run the side of the blog. These were the "during." My home was baby blue and pink before the grand transformation. I will do some more before and after shots in the next post, but HERE IT IS!



The funny thing, of course, is that I have to move all the furniture back out again so they can do the final coat on the floor, but I was going to have Thanksgiving in this house! And NOT in the basement. So, after 17 people were stuffed to the gills with turkey last night, I was one very happy and THANKFUL person.

Sooooo close

This remodel is in the final, you-can-taste-it, stages. The appliances are all sitting up there. The paint is on the walls, the windows are in and stained. The mudroom has cubbies but no hooks. The bathroom has a toilet and sink, but no medicine cabinet or working lights. The floors are just waiting to be re-revealed from under all the protective cardboard that was placed over it weeks ago.

We have been living in the basement since early June. Why is it that the first 5 months were no biggie, but the last 2 weeks are eternal. It might have something to do with Thanksgiving in 6 days, but even without that, I WANT MY HOUSE BACK!

After being literally and figuratively on top of each other for months, I really look forward to having no idea where Leo is again.

And the winner is...

... not us.

But that was not unexpected. Omar and I headed to Palm Springs this last weekend for the national Ernst and Young Enterpreneur of the Year award, having won the regional competition in June. But we had sun (i.e. NOT 8 inches of snow), rest, exercise and some quiet for a few days.

The guy who won our category is a man you may have heard of, Jack Link. Enjoy some jerkey if you would like to congratulate him. Other non-winners included CorePower Yoga, Sierra Nevada Brewing company, Sunny Delight, eHarmony, Noodles and Co, and, believe it or not, Magic Johnson.

So the way we look at it, we tied Magic Johnson. Who can say that?

becca

The kids are all right

Kids have a way of pushing your buttons. Some are better at it than others. Anyone who knows this family knows which kiddo is the one who really knows how to get to Omar and I. The one that we worry about and hope that in the big picture is "going to be OK."

So when the kindergarten teacher asked at conferences "How do you think it's going?" my response was "More importantly, how do YOU think it's going??"

And you know what? She had no concerns. None.

No spacy, spazzy behavior. No alienating other kids with jibberish or nonsensical wackiness. No meltdowns or refusal to maintain an upright body position.

He's just plain ol' normal.

Have you ever heard anything better?

Not a total ogre

The last time Tomkin and Julie came over, they brought ice cream sundae makings. This resulted in Redi-whip shooters for the kids, solidly locking Tomkin and Julie as some of the best ever friends we have.

Last night, in a reprisal of the same idea, looked a little something like this...

Spencer first, Leo captivated

Calvin next

Max more than happy to be third

And Leo wasn't about to be left out.

And yes, my kids refuse to wear PJ tops.