Remember the Beaver?

He's still around, and is quite the avid reader. 

Thursday 13

1.  No one hardly writes on their blogs anymore.  It's sad, because then I'm stuck trolling Yahoo news and Facebook, which is much more a waste of time, when I want to waste time.  I've hardly been writing on my blog--mostly posting pictures.  This is also sad, because I love being able to go back and READ my blog from earlier years.  It really is my journal for the most part. Therefore, I'm going to try to start writing Thursday's 13. 

2.  Ana's been playing basketball this year on the B team.  (Her school has an A, B, and C team, so that pretty much everyone that wants to play can.)  She has been loving it, and her team is tied for second place currently.  She has made top scorer in several of her games lately.  We went to a game last week, which I watched, and Leo kept the kids busy. 

3. We've had annoying weather lately.  We had a "snow" day last Friday and Tuesday, with no snow.  Apparently the roads were icy somewhere, but Leo and I never saw any.  And then in between it's up in the high 60s.  I wish it would be one or the other, so you can adjust to it. 

4. Leo and I had big plans to use our tax returns to visit Kayli and Brett in Switzerland.  We found awesomely inexpensive flights that connected through Istanbul.  Then we decided to stay a few days in Istanbul too.  We had even picked out a bed and breakfast a few blocks from the Hagia Sophia.  And we planned on spending two days in Cirque Terra in Italy with Kayli and Brett's family.  We were so excited to go!  And then reality struck and we are not getting tax returns like we did last year.  Sigh.  Good bye trip.  It would have been for our belated 10th anniversary.  Leo and I haven't had a weekend away or even a night away from our kids since Elena was born.  Ruff. 

5.  On the plus side, now we get to decide what to do with the tax returns we did get.  A new couch?  A CD player for our van? Sea World with the kids?  New tires for Leo's car?  (Yeah, that one's for sure.)   Hire a family history researcher in Colombia again?  So many possibilities.  That's always fun.

6. Leo came home from work yesterday and Nicolas RAN to him saying, "Da! Da! Da!"  It was adorable!  First time he's ever said Dad too.  So cute, it's seriously heart melting. 

7. Earlier this month, Nicolas had been sick for a couple days and was tugging out his ear late Friday night.  On Saturday he was rather listless, so I decided to take him to the urgent care.  After a two hour wait, the NP saw him and said he couldn't see his eardrums due to wax but he didn't have a ear infection. !?!?!????!! (Umm, how can you tell if you can't see!?!?)  But that he did think he had RSV and that I needed to take him to the emergency room at Texas Children's to see if he would need admitted based on a test they do that determines whether both lungs are affected or not.  ?!?!?!!???  (I've had kids with RSV before, and the doctor just said they're breathing isn't labored enough to be admitted and prescribed albuterol--no test done.)  So later that night when the kids were fed, Leo and I took him to the ER.  After discovering it would be a four hour wait there, Leo went and bought groceries while stayed with Nicolas.  When Leo got back we had just been given a room.  So Leo and I had our Saturday night date watching the new Star Trek movie on his laptop in the ER.  Nicolas fell asleep.  When the doctor finally saw us, she listened to his lungs and said his lungs were completely clear, absolutely no RSV.  He did have croup and they gave him decadron and sent us home.  I really would like to strangle that NP, and I definitely won't be going back to that urgent care unless it's for stitches.  8 hours.  That's how long I spent in the ER and urgent care that day.  Yuck. 

8.  I'm feeling much better now, and I've even been exercising again.  My official due date is July 19.  And I should find out my next appointment if it's a boy or girl.  SO EXCITING! 

9.  My sewing machine is broken, I think it's the foot control.  I bought a new one on ebay, and I can't wait till it comes.  I'm seriously itching to start sewing again.  I have so many projects planned for this year and I'm already falling behind!  I love sewing. :) 

10.  Thirteen is really hard to come up with.

11. Isabel seems so much more grown up lately.  Isn't it weird how all of sudden kids do that?  It's never ceases to surprise me.  She obeys so much better lately. Nice.

12.  Leo has to commute 3 hours everyday for the next 3 weeks.  Poor Leo. 

13.  Call the Midwife is a great show, I highly recommend it!

Painting

Here's a link to the painting I bought.  So you can see it better Kayli. 

http://www.jkirkrichards.com/store/templateitemhz.php?id_number=JKR030_104

And no, I definitely did not spend $2300--that's a huge size limited edition one. 

Decorating Questions? (I need help).

 

Hey sisters of mine, and Lynn, the only people who read this blog--want to give me your two-cents worth of advice?  I love my little boys' room, but I was wondering if you think it needs anything else. 

In specific, this sign, it's a smaller metal one, above the dresser with the lamp on it?  Or do you think that will be too much?

 

I think from this angle it looks like it needs it.  But from the angle of the picture above--when you can see the maps, it looks like it might be too much.  

My new picture of them!  I love it!

My other question is what should I do with this picture?? I was planning on framing it and hanging it there.  But what color of frame?  And blown up that large you can totally tell Nicolas's head is photoshoped--its a different resolution than everything else.  Should I buy the next smaller size (16x20) where it's less obvious?  Re-photoshop the picture? (Not my first choice.) Or just ignore it, from even across the room, you can't tell.  Just up close it's obvious.  I asked my friend here and she said just leave it, although she immediately picked him out as the problem.  Err....

 Different angles.  What do you think?  I am so indecisive.  Ugh.

And my last decorating question--what should I put on the mantel to brighten it up a bit?  I couldn't fit on the other guitar with the picture there (YEAH! for Leo's year-end bonus!)  And I think it's too dark now.  Maybe a fake plant of some sort?  The room doesn't get enough natural light for real plants--I've tried. :(  Candles?
 
 Or a globe?
Like this:
or this:

(The plant, not the container.)



Or maybe some woven African/Native looking plates, or more pottery? 
Anyway, you get the idea.

I don't know, I just think the mantel looks too bare now.  And needs something to brighten it.  I'm terrible at this. 
Anyway, I adore my new picture.  It was worth every penny and so much better than a couch or something more practical.  I smile every time I go through that room. 

And that's all.  Ta Ta from Ana.

New Shoes and Building Blocks

Here's my birthday present.  I told someone I'd post a picture.  They're Clarks and I really like them, but they're not quite as comfortable for walking all day as some others I've had.

Sebastian and Isabel's block city. 

And today is another snow day in Houston with no snow.  There are freezing temps and it is fairly icy I guess.  But still it makes me laugh.  Anyway, I ought to go do something useful now.  Like shower.  Hey, at least I exercised today.

Lando

More pictures of adorable, kissable, Nicolas

 You can see his nasty fat lip in this one.

Bath time