NaBloPoMoGoGo

It's November 30th.  The last day of November.  The last day of Na(tional)Blo(g)Po(sting)Mo(nth).  The last day of writing a post a day for 30 days.  30 posts in 30 days.

30 days ago I wrote about how I couldn't even believe it was November and now tomorrow begins December.  Crazy.

I also posted a Halloween blizzard photo on November 1st.  Now we've been dealing with 50-60 degree weather... and we hung our Christmas lights with no jackets on.  More crazy.

I went back and I read my 1st post of this month and realized I said I had successfully done NaBloPoMo for the last 2 years... so why not try for one more?  You know what... I was TOTALLY wrong.  I had been successful for the last 4 years.  This is my 5th November participating.  How crazy is that???

And you know what?  I did it again.

30 posts in 30 days.  Done.  5 years in a row.

I've been spending the last hour or so clicking through some of my previous NaBloPoMo posts... the ones I wrote in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and 2010... and it just amazes me that I've been doing this for 5 years.  Not just NaBloPoMo... but blogging for almost 5 years too (I guess I'll have to have a blog birthday celebration in March... 5 must be a milestone, right?).

I think my favorite past NaBloPoMo post was one of my very first.  How I got drawn into blogging.  I remember writing that.  I remember discovering the whole world of writers sharing their lives out there in the world inside my computer.  I remember clicking and clicking and clicking and finding more and more people I connected with.

And now all these years later... here I still am.  Only now some of my online friends have been met offline.  I'm more connected with them on Facebook.  I traveled across the country to hang out with them at BlogHer11 (TOO many people to name but my roomie Colleen is awesome... and holding Casey's Vivi was a highlight).  Angie brought her girls over to swim at my parents house one day this summer.  The first Christmas card I received this year was from Alison.  I just told Danielle I would go see Rent with her (for my 3rd time and her 4th... and I'm seriously expecting to go! Oh... and btw she was my roomie for BlogHer10 in NYC... very cool.)  And then there are other people who I have briefly met in person... but really hope to spend more time with (perhaps at BlogHer 2012 in NYC?  MoMo, Amanda, Melisa, and... and... and...)  And, I feel like I can't do one of these posts without mentioning Carrie... she commented on my first real post in March 2007 and we're still checking in on each other.  I swear if she lived in NJ instead of CA we would have weekly play-dates with our girls just so we could hang out.  I never really thought I'd make so many lasting connections here on these interwebs.  So many people... friends.

So that's it.  My 30th post in 30 days.  Phew.

Today's Favorite Scan - It's like we love each other, or something...

February 1985

We used to go to Sarasota Florida EVERY SINGLE winter break.  We would stay at my Aunt Flo's house (who was my Great Grandfather's sister-in-law).

This photo (I believe) was actually taken at my Aunt Jean's house (who was my Great Grandparent's niece?  Correct?  Mom? Yes?).  She also live in (or near) Sarasota.

I can't stop looking at this because it looks like my brother and I actually LIKED each other in this photo.  Not that we didn't like each other.  But... to find a photo where we're both actually smiling and not making some silly face or looking like the world is coming to an end... this is a rare find.  And on top of that?  We're touching each other and it doesn't involve poking or pinching or hitting.

This photo?  This would be Christmas card worthy.

Well... if it wasn't for my hair.  Ignore that.
And, um... ignore the bathing suit with the weird t-shirt over it.
And, oh yeah... don't look at my brother's knobby knees.  He'll hate that I posted those.

Grace in Small Things - 136

1.  Going to the post office to ship a package and finding no one in line.

2.  Going to make a return at Target and finding no one in line at customer service.

3.  Finding new bath towels to match your bathroom.

4.  Finding footy pajamas in bigger kid sizes for the Zoe, who is jealous of her Ana's hand-me-down footies.

5.  Going to the Honda dealership service department to find no line... and getting a small part replaced for free.  And free kid juice boxes.  And free kid snacks.  And free kid coloring book.  And free coffee.  (I think I'll go hang out in the Honda waiting area more often!)

It's Beginning To Look...

a teeny tiny little bit like Christmas.

With it only a couple of days past Thanksgiving we're not quite ready to make it look a LOT like Christmas... but I was ready for a little.  I'm ready for the festive feeling.  The excitement the kids get at decorating is just so spirit lifting.

So... we're beginning to look a LITTLE like Christmas. 

We couldn't help but start outside since it's not at all beginning to FEEL like Christmas.  We didn't even wear coats when we put up the lights.  That was really odd.  Usually we're freezing and have to take coffee/hot cocoa breaks to warm our hands.  I think it was in the high 50s if not 60 degrees today.  I think I know what it's feels like to decorate for Christmas in Florida now.

We did also put our tree up... but we didn't decorate.  Just lights.

There are random knick knacks that made it out of certain boxes.

We ate dinner with a pine cone sparkly painted Christmas tree centerpiece that Zoe made in preschool circled with a few candles.

We listened to a Christmas cd.

Bedtime stories are being pulled from the pile of holiday books we keep high on the shelf.

Joy the Elf joined us on Saturday (since every year she comes to our house right after Santa arrives in the Madison Holiday Parade). 

Hmm... maybe it's more than a teeny tiny little bit like Christmas.  Still, we haven't reach the level of a LOT like Christmas.  I'll let you know when we get to that.

Not Quite Holiday Card Worthy

I tried to take some Christmas card worthy photos of the girls together.  Zoe and Ana were almost cooperative.

Except they insisted they sit with these big eyed flying squirrel and beaver stuffed animals.  And a scribbled card on green construction paper.  And then they made crazy toes.  (Who does that with their toes????)

Then... right when I thought it would work out... Ana decided to play with her hair.  And... while we're at it... let's stick a foot up in the middle where it can't be cropped out.

And then Zoe kind of zoned out but still kept smiling.  It happened right when Ana decided to lean in and smile nicely.  I'm not sure what she was doing with her arm though. 

Then they both got really bored... so all I was getting was really fake unenthusiastic smiles.  If you want to call those smiles.

Then out of no where they both decided to stick their right feet up in the air when I thought I just might finally get a good shot.  So I called it quits.

Almost quits.  Then Ana said "wait wait wait... first take a picture of me like this!!!!" so I did.

Needless to say... I gave up. 

And these were the best photos out of more than I want to admit I took.

Grace in Small Things - 135

1.  The excitement felt around a bunch of little girls as they wait to march in a parade together.

2.  The pride on kids' faces when it's their turn to hold a banner in a parade.

3.  The increase in parade enjoyment when the temperature is in the 50s instead of the 30s or 40s.

4.  The feeling I always get when I hear a marching band.

5.  The anticipation felt in the last few seconds before the town Christmas tree is lit.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 Wishing you a Thanksgiving that is full of things you are grateful for!

 

For once... I am thankful for having a big painted hand-print on my clothing.

I am also being thankful for little girls... running in circles... flapping around drawings of hand-print turkeys... and yelling "HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!"

And I am thankful I have this large cup of coffee to start my day.   :)

Happy Thanksgiving from our little family to yours!

Aunt Prudy Cookies

Aunt Prudy's butter cookies were a constant around the holidays.  They used to just be around at Christmas (and maybe Thanksgiving?).  They also just used to be called butter cookies... or Christmas cookies.  I believe that all mostly changed because of Zoe.

When Zoe was 18ish months old she wasn't a big fan of cookies or candy or sweets of any kind really (except maybe lollipops).  Then she was introduced to Aunt Pru's butter cookies.  To say she LOVED them would be an understatement.  From then on she wanted "Aunt Prudy Cookies".  We all started calling them Aunt Prudy Cookies... and Aunt Pru started making them all them time.  She was always giving us a new can of cookies to swap with our empty can.  (She ALWAYS put them in a plastic bag in an empty coffee can covered with contact paper.)

When Aunt Pru passed away this summer one of the things that came to my mind was "no more Aunt Prudy Cookies."  One more thing that wouldn't be the same.  So, I asked if I could have Aunt Pru's cookie press (which is ancient) and my Mom gave me Aunt Pru's butter cookie recipe (because not all butter cookie recipes are the same... I don't care what anyone says!) and I also was given a bunch of the cookie cans.  I decided that the girls and I could make it a new tradition that we would make Aunt Prudy Cookies for each holiday.

I thought about making Aunt Prudy Cookies with orange sprinkles during Halloween weekend... but we had the power outage.  No baking.  So... Thanksgiving it is!

We started cookie making on Tuesday.  I know I had helped Aunt Pru with cookie decorating when I was a little girl.  I can tell you I had no recollection of the dough being made.  It's not difficult... but it isn't exactly a "neat and tidy" experience.  I am also not a neat baker to being with.  There was butter and flour everywhere.  And... WOW.  I know they're butter cookies... but boy is there butter!

I think Zoe will be the baker in our family.  She loves finding all the ingredients, and reading the recipe, and measuring everything out, being neater than her Mommy.  She's a stickler for the details.

I mean really... have you ever seen such a neat work space?

Oh... and she will become famous as a singing baker.  I'm sure of it.  Predictions made now.  (Remember I wrote this.)

Then there was Ana's turn to help.  She loved the part of the dough making that involved getting messy.  Who wants to stir with a fork or spoon when you can squish it through your fingers?  Although she did also enjoy the addition of the flour... and figured out quickly that if she had stirred just right she would get a big "puffy cloud".  (I did not get a photo of that... I was too busy picture my kitchen covered in 5 lbs of flour.)

There also might have been a little dough eating and finger licking.  Maybe.

Then came the really hard part.  I had to figure out how to use the cookie press through memory and trial and error.  After some issues where NOT ONE SINGLE COOKIE WOULD STICK TO THE COOKIE TRAY (breath breath breath), and someone may have cursed under her breath a little... I called my Mom for some pointers.  Who knew butter cookie dough should be "pressed" at room temperature???  Certainly not me.  And here I thought I was being so good refrigerating the butter dough.

After much too long for 2 girls waiting (impatiently) the dough finally cooperated.  I spent some time pressing cookies while looking like this...

Then I would get spurts of perfect cookie, perfect cookie, perfect cookie, dud, dud, dud.  Making Aunt Prudy Cookies was a work-out.  My right hand hurts from squeezing, my left hand hurts from holding, my back hurts from bending, my knees hurt.  Phew.  I earned all of the butter cookie calories I'm going to eat this weekend!

The favorite part of the baking experience was probably the decorating.  We may have sugar sprinkles on our floor from now until Christmas, but I think the end result was worth the experience (for me at least).

We even got Nick in on the decorating a little bit.  It was a big family ordeal... er... activity.

We made it through 2 batches of cookie dough baking on Tuesday afternoon (into evening).  The other 2 batches of dough had to wait until Wednesday.  (Mom... what did I ever do to you that you told me I should start out with 4 batches of dough?  I thought you loved me!?!)  I don't know how Aunt Prudy made these cookies all the time... I was ready to chuck that cookie gun out the window before I finished the first cookie sheet!

I will say it got easier as we went along.  It was much easier for me on the second day.  The cookie press seems to be very temperamental.  Or maybe it's quirky and I just have to figure it out.  

Cookies have already been shared with Zoe and Ana's teachers.  Cookies have already been eaten for snacks (and maybe with my coffee at breakfast... ahem.) 

All I know is... we have Aunt Prudy Cookies... so a little bit of Aunt Pru will be joining us at Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Weight for Me - In Between

I haven't written about my weight or exercising for a while.  Mostly because I've been at a bit of a stand still.  Like I was stuck hover around 180 lbs. at the beginning of this... now I've been hovering around 170 lbs.  I mostly see 170.5 on the scale... but sometimes I see 169.5  It's amazing how excited I can get over seeing the "6" right there in the middle.  It doesn't matter that it's just .5 away from being a "7".  That "6" always makes my day.

But I'm hovering.

I'm hovering and it's mostly my own fault.

I'm not on the treadmill like I should be.  I lost my momentum and can't seem to force myself back into it.

I'm not drinking my water like I should be.  I can feel the difference of not drinking enough.  My mouth is always dry.  I get more headaches.  I don't know why I don't drink water.

I'm not eating as well as I was (the temptation of Halloween candy is gone... but now we're moving onto the Thanksgiving... and Christmas).

My weight and my motivation is hovering.

On top of being stuck... 170 lbs. is not good for me.  It should make me feel better about myself.  Better than 180 lbs.  Unfortunately for me, 170 lbs. puts me right smack dab in the middle of a jeans size.  Size 16 is a little bit too big for me.  Size 14 is a little too snug in the waist.  Size 16 are baggy... and while they're comfortable, I always feel self conscious about looking sloppy.  Size 14 have a better fit for my butt and thighs... but because of my shape they FIT my waist.  While they might look like a better fit, I'm left feeling uncomfortable.  I weigh less... but I feel chubbier.

I know what I should be doing... I'm just not doing it.  And because I'm not doing it I'm just stuck.  Stuck here "in between".  In between is not a happy place to be.

Grace in Small Things - 134

1.  The smell of cinnamon raisin toast.

2.  The smell of freshly brewed coffee.

3.  The smell of pumpkin bread baking.

4.  The smell of the air on a crisp fall day.

5.  The smell of freshly bathed children.

What's In Your DVR?

My DVR is full right now (mostly with shows that Nick won't watch with me).  I could watch a couple shows a night and I still don't always catch up.  Then, when I do catch up... there will be 4 or 5 shows recorded in one night and then I'm behind again. I think it's Thursday... or maybe it's Tuesday.  I have no idea.  I can't really even say I know when the shows are on... or what channel they're on.  I never watch anything "live" anymore.

So... what am I watching?  Er... I mean... recording?
I'm going to spill it.  The guilty pleasures that are keeping my DVR busy.
(I'll even look up the days for you!)

Sunday:
-Desperate Housewives (I was going to stop watching until I found out it was the last season.)
-Once Upon a Time (I'm loving how the fairy tale characters all know each other in that part of the show... like how Snow White's evil stepmother hangs out with Maleficent and they exchange spells.  OF COURSE she would have gotten the sleeping spell to put in the apple from the Sleeping Beauty's bad fairy godmother!)

Monday:
House
Castle

Tuesday:
Glee
90210 (I was curious when it came back... now I just can't look away.)
Raising Hope (Nick refuses to watch this with me.  REFUSES.  Too trashy?)
Parenthood
Body of Proof  (I've loved Dana Delany since China Beach.)

Wednesday:
Criminal Minds (I just started watching this season after catching a few reruns.  I don't know why I never watched before.)
CSI (I must say "Really?  Ted Danson?  Really? a dozen times each episode.)
American Horror Story (Horrible show... I hate to admit how much I enjoy being creeped out.)

Thursday:
Big Bang Theory (Oh the nerdiness... the hysterical nerdiness.  We relate to way too much of this show.)
The Vampire Diaries
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
The Mentalist

Friday:
Grimm (I shouldn't be surprised by how much I'm enjoying the merging of crime drama and fairy tales.  This is the one show I think Nick should be adding to his tv viewing with me.)

And then throw in General Hospital (although I fast forward through a lot of that because certain stories bore me... but I still can't stop watching.  I watched pretty steadily since I was 5 and spent afternoon with my Great-Grandmother.)

Hmmm.... that's more than I thought.  Kind of scary to look at all in one list.  And it's Tuesday AND Thursday where the DVR is overloaded.  I think I need help.  Is there a help group for people and their TV addictions?

What are your favorite shows?  Do you dare share?

The Third Row

This photo was taken in 1979... so I'm 6 and Jim is 3 (exactly the same ages that Zoe and Ana are now).

I have no idea exactly what was going on the moment this photo was snapped... but all 3 of our faces just crack me up.

Was my brother doing something to make my dad look at him that way?

Why are my dad and I both sitting with our hands folded in our laps?  Why isn't Jim?

Was my dad thinking "why did we let them sit next to each other?"

Were we all eating candy?

I love the curtain rod and curtains hanging in the back of the van.

I love that we are sitting on a piece of our sectional couch.  Really... a piece of our couch in the van.

Where were we going?

There must be some story to this.  I wish I knew what we were all thinking.

If nothing else... this picture is just dying for some awesome caption.  Any suggestions?

35 seconds of November 2005

I was trying to think of something to post today (you know... for NaBloPoMo) and I was just totally drawing a blank.

I started randomly looking at photos I might share. The next thing I knew I had spent WAY too much time looking at pictures and videos of teeny tiny Zoe and teeny tiny Ana.

And now it's 11:53 and I had 7 minutes to come up with something to share.

So... at the last minute of day 18 of NaBloPoMo I'll just give you a giggle from 2005... 35 seconds of teeny tiny 5 month old Zoe.



You totally understand why I got sucked into looking at videos of tiny Zoe right?

Grace in Small Things - 133

1.  A good book.

2.  A hot cup of coffee.

3.  Warm slippers.

4.  A comfy chair.

5.  30 quiet minutes.

Ana's Preschool Portrait - 3 years

For more Wordless Wednesday check out 5 Minutes for Mom!

Business as Usual

I think (knock on wood) that we, here, are back in business.

Today involved no odd fall "blizzard".  No over-abundance of trees falling down.  No power outage.  No 1/2 days for parent/teacher conferences.  No walking pneumonia.  No days off for Teacher Convention.  No early dismissal for dental appointments that were scheduled 6 months ago.

Zoe went to school and a Daisy meeting.

Ana went to school.

Nick went to Houston.

I did 4 loads of laundry.  I emptied the dishwasher.  I juggled kids around.  I cleaned a guinea pig cage.  I filed a dental claim.  I called to schedule a car service. 

I took the kids out for dinner (because today deserved the girls "favorite pasta" and Mommy needed a cheeseburger).

I put 2 tired girls to bed.  I walked on the treadmill (yeah me).  I watched Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice from last Thursday... and maybe now I'll go watch Grimm from last Friday. 

Or maybe I'll go to bed. 

Right after I fold that last load of laundry.

So... yes... we are back in business.  Our own crazy normal kind of business.

Hopefully it will at least last until next Wednesday when Zoe has a 1/2 day and then we have the little Thanksgiving Break.

Is that too much to ask for?

(I've probably jinxed us now.  Sigh.)

Grace in Small Things - 132

1.  Zoe happily running out the door to get on the bus after being home sick for a whole week.

2.  68 degrees and sunshine in November (after that end of October snow mess).

3.  A sparkling review for Zoe from the dentist.

4.  The way Ana needs "just ONE more hug!" and "just ONE more smooch!"

5.  New TV shows.  I'm especially liking  Grimm and Once Upon a Time.

We needed a picture frame...

so we went to IKEA.

I think we might have gotten more than just the picture frame we needed.

Does anyone ever go to IKEA and only buy what they planned?

This girl?

Oh my goodness... how she makes me laugh.

Ana is a piece of work.  A one of a kind.  One surprise after another.

This photo... is SO her.

Grace in Small Things - 131

(The things the girls have been enjoying on Netflix while off from school... it's not easy being off school and "sick".)

1.  Casper and Friends (you know... Casper the Friendly Ghost)

2.  Gordy (the talking pig who made it big)

3.  H2O - Just Add Water (A series 3 girls who turn into mermaids when water touches them.  It's set in Australia so the accents are fun.  We may have watched 30ish episodes.  The theme song may be stuck forever in my head.)

4.  Eloise's Rawther Unusual Halloween

5.  The Guild (um... this one's just me... not the girls.  I've watched it twice now.  Plus season 5 on watchtheguild.com.  Not including the 2 nights I spent watching it with my brother.  So I guess that's 3 times.  I may be a real geek.)

Fun today... scary tomorrow.

There is no school today.

Zoe has "walking pneumonia" (which seems to mean she's totally find but coughs a lot).

It's also teacher convention... so there is no school anyway.

We're just all home with nothing to do. 

Ana took off her pajamas and put on some dress up clothes.

When she was done she took off the princess wear and didn't dress again... so she was running around in just underwear.

Zoe saw and thought it was totally unfair that Ana was just in underwear.

Now they are both in just underwear running around giggling.

Life is easy and good for them.


I suddenly had a flash of a scary future possibility.

I'm glad they're home and only 6 & 3... and not in college and 21 & 18.

OMG!!! I really do need this tonight. (Wordless Wednesday)

Wordless Wednesday
5 Minutes for Mom

So... how's that NaBloPoMo thing going for ya?

I noticed the date and I just found myself thinking "Wow, it's November 8th... I've actually succeeded at getting a post written every day for a whole week so far!  Yeah!  I've got 7 post up on 7 days in a row!"

I'm quite impressed with myself.  Looking back over the months I realized I only posted 6 times in all of October, 6 times in all of September, only 5 times in August (and I even went to BlogHer that month!) and 9 times in July.  Early in the year it was at least 9 times or more per month.  Still... compared to other years my blog has had a rather pathetic showing in 2011.

So, yes, I'm quite impressed with my 7 posts on the last 7 days.

I felt like I worked on my blog a lot today... and then I suddenly realized I actually didn't post here at A Madison Mom... which is necessary if I'm going to be a successful NaBloPoMoer!!!

I hear you asking "Well Colleen... then where in the world were you posting if you weren't posting here?"  (Right?  You were totally asking that?)

I'm afraid it's really not all that exciting but I figured I would share.  For those of you that don't know (or forgot) I decided in 2010 to join the "100 books in 2010" challenge (which I failed at miserably).  I started listing my reading list at A Madison Mom's Reading List (I know, clever blog name, right?).  This year I decided not to formally accept the 100 books challenge... but that I would keep listing my books.

Fast forward to November 2011 and I can tell you that while I've been reading up a storm I have not been posting to my Reading List regularly.  Today I decided to play a little catch up.  I posted 6 more books to my list.  Some reviews... some just the book description.  So... 6 posts today!!!

Now if I could just find the time to post the other 21 books I've read I'd be all caught up!

Do you read books?  Have you read anything in my list?  What genre do you tend to enjoy?  Any suggestions for me?

What is "walking pneumonia" anyway?

... not that it IS "walking pneumonia"... although it could be.  Maybe.  Or not.

It started like any other Monday.

Nick got up and got ready for work.  Zoe climbed into bed with me.  Nick kissed us both goodbye (7:00ish).

Zoe and I got out of bed.  Zoe dressed and had breakfast.  I had some coffee.  We watched a little PBS Kids (mostly Martha Speaks) and then Zoe got on the bus (8:05ish).

I got Ana out of bed and dressed.  We had breakfast.  I had some coffee.  We watched a little PBS Kids (mostly Curious George). I dropped Ana off at school (9:10ish).

My Monday morning is "free".  I came home.  I folded the laundry in the dryer.  I unloaded the dishwasher.  I read a couple chapters of a book (the most recent House of Night book).  I jumped online.  I looked at Facebook.  I looked at Twitter.  I read a couple blogs.  I opened my e-mail.

I read an e-mail from the school nurse (sent at 10:18). 

Please be aware that several children in the first grade have, or have had, an upper bronchial cough that presumably is caused by a virus.  The cough is croupy and may last up to two weeks.

etc. etc. etc.

We have had several children develop pneumonia as a result of this illness.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at...

The e-mail sounded like Zoe (and me actually).  We've both been sick since Halloween weekend (I was MISERABLE during the storm and power outage).  Zoe had a slight fever the Sunday before Halloween (Sunday with no power) but I gave her some Tylenol and the fever never came back.

But the cough just lingers and lingers and lingers.  I even posted this on Facebook last Thursday...

So... I called the nurse. 

I left a message on her voice mail (11:00ish).  Mostly I wondered if she thought I should get Zoe checked out... even though she's been a week with no symptoms other than a cough.

She called back (11:12) and said it was funny that I called because the reason she didn't answer was because Zoe was actually in her office.  She'd been coughing badly.  She gave her a drink of water... so she couldn't get an accurate temperature read.  She didn't feel warm though.  Just that cough.  So she listed to her breath and said it sounded like their might be a slight "crackle".  She thought I should get her checked at the doctor.  Did she want me to keep her in the office to pick her up?

I don't know if she would have called me if I didn't call her.  Who knows?  But I called, and Zoe was in the nurses office coughing.  So I said I'd come right away.

I called the doctor.  They had one appointment available (12:15) so I took it.

I picked Zoe up (11:25). 

We drove through Burger King.

We picked Ana up from school early (11:45).

We ate lunch in the pediatrician parking lot.

We saw the nurse.  We saw the doctor.

Zoe didn't have a fever.  She was actually full of energy... totally her normal self.  Just that cough.  So the doctor listened to her chest.

The doctor couldn't quite hear what she was listening for in the lower lungs because her upper respiratory area was so rumbley so she had Zoe do a nebulizer treatment (which Zoe has never done).

The treatment didn't really help.  The doctor still couldn't quite hear.  She said that she thought there was some "crackling"... which is what the school nurse said.  She didn't want to prescribe antibiotics if Zoe didn't have pneumonia.  She didn't want to assume she didn't have pneumonia though.  So, she sent us for a chest x-ray.

On top of this appointment... my friend Ana was also having some potty issues.  Bluntly... she needed to poop but it just wasn't happening.  And it wasn't happening while accompanied by whining, crying, and a little bit of almost screaming.  It is just one of those issues that Ana has on occasion.  We were to the doctor's bathroom 3 times with no "luck".  There was not going to make a trip to the children's hospital any more enjoyable.  Thank God that Aunt Andrea was home and able to take Ana at the moment's notice we gave her.  (Thank you Andrea.  Thank you thank you thank you.)

I dropped Ana to Andrea at 1:00ish and drove to the hospital.

We drove behind the hospital on Franklin Street for the first time since July when Aunt Prudy died.  We parked in her driveway (because the house is still for sale).  This may have been the hardest part of my day.  I think I'll leave it at that.

Zoe had her chest x-ray done.  Zoe is an x-ray professional.  (Because of her hip dysplasia at birth I lost track of how much time we spent in the children's hospital radiology center.  I couldn't tell you how many hip ultrasounds and x-rays Zoe has had.)

We left the hospital and picked Ana up at 2:00ish.

We came home and did normal home stuff.  We had a snack.  Watched a little Strawberry Shortcake.  Ana took her nap.  Zoe lounged on the couch.

The doctor called with the results of Zoe's chest x-ray (5:08).  Actually, I guess they were really non-results.  It doesn't look like Zoe has pneumonia.  She does have something with a VERY long name which mostly means inflammation of the area around her lungs and heart.  It sounds like whatever normally goes along with upper respiratory infections.  BUT... it's something.

It's something that could develop into pneumonia.  Or it won't.  It could be a viral infection.  Or not.  There is a rumble.  There is a crackle.  There is a cough.  A cough a cough a cough.

The doctor wants to wait a bit and see Zoe again so she can listen and see if the sounds are better or worse.

So... Zoe is home tomorrow.  (She came home early today, is home tomorrow, maybe home Weds?, and school is closed Thurs. and Fri.  What a week!)  I have to call the doctor's office tomorrow and hopefully we'll get an early appointment Wednesday to get her chest listened to again.

HOPEFULLY her lungs will sound clear (or at least clearer).  HOPEFULLY we won't be sent back to have another chest x-ray.  HOPEFULLY it won't develop into full blown pneumonia... or walking pneumonia (which was what the doctor kept saying).

And now... I'm going to Google "walking pneumonia".  What the heck is "walking pneumonia" compared to regular pneumonia anyway???

I swear it feels like my typical day just got swept away.  I don't know how the hours can go so quickly... but the day can be so long.  Does that make ANY sense?

(I suppose it's kinda like how this post went on and on... ahem, sorry.)