True confessions...

All Claire has wanted for her birthday is a Nintendo DS. That is it. Nothing else. (Although, I should probably tell her they don't come with games!)

Anyway, I got her one.

And I felt it was very important for me to take a look at a couple of different games to make sure they would be at an appropriate level for her.

So I've been "researching" games.

That means, I've been playing games every chance I can get when Claire isn't looking!

Yesterday I almost got caught by Ellie. I stashed the DS under the covers really fast and she didn't notice.

This morning I had to stash the DS in the top drawer of my desk before Claire caught me.

But ... I forgot to hide the thing in a different place later, because Claire does go into my desk from time to time for supplies.

AND THIS MORNING SHE FOUND IT!!

"Mommy, what is this?" pointing to DS.

"Oh, that is nothing..." closing the drawer.

"Mommy, I know what that is."

"Oh?" gulp

"Mommy, that is a DS." pause.... "Mommy, is that MY DS?"

Ugh. I couldn't lie to her!!! So I told her yes, it was hers for her birthday, and she needed to wait.

She then proceeded to beg me incessantly for at least 20 minutes to please, please, oh please, let her have the DS now. This included following me around the house, with hands clasped, and begging me even when I was brushing my teeth.

I caved.

She is now playing Nintendogs and sharing nicely with her sister.

Sigh....

On the upside?

I don't have to play games in hiding any more!!!!

Cans for Critters!

Ellie and Claire's Brownie troop are on the Cans for Critters website. Check it out!

Tagged

If I knew I would get tagged just for reading Tiffany's blog I would have shielded my eyes!

Three Joys

1. Ellie
2. Claire
3. Ben

Three Fears

1. I wouldn't call it a "fear", but, I'm really not very comfortable with the whole concept of people actually going into the ocean and thinking they are ever going to be able to come out again.

2. Roller Coasters

3. Amblypigi If I were you, I would not click on the link. That's it. You've been warned.

Three Goals

1. To be able to make ONE DINNER each night that everyone in my family can eat and enjoy! This is really tough with one person w/ food allergies and one person (who shall remain unnamed) who is just a tad ... um ... picky.

2. To make a decision, sometime in this century, on what is going to be on my living room and dining room windows, so that they don't have to continue to look like this.

3. To finish the Artemis Fowl series. I am about half way through book one and I love it!


Three Current Obsessions/Collections

1. Zumba! I've been taking classes at the Y and I love it!!!

2. Saving money by shopping with coupons.

3. I have a very nice collection of bottled and canned beverages at my house that I have gotten free with coupons. Sometimes I just enjoy looking at them. They are quite colorful.

Three Random Surprising Facts about Me

1. I can type really fast. Easily over 90wpm. Over 100 when I really set my mind to it.

2. I've never broken a bone.

3. I love reading out loud to my kids.

Bug Bash!

We had a great time tonite at the Bug Bash! This was the big finish for the library reading program.

The girls enjoyed games, crafts, bouncers, real live bugs, and a fanastic animal magic show.

Ellie's favorite part: When the snake magically appeared in the magic show.

Claire's favorite part: Holding the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. (She really did!)

Burmese Python

We got to the La Habra Children's Museum just in time!

Saturday was "Free First Saturday" at the LHCM and we knew we wanted to go, but didn't know when any of the programs were. When we got there, there was a line for the "Animal Guys" animal show.

The "Animal Guys," who were really "Animal Gals," were great! They had nice loud voices, and made the program very interesting with swift transitions in between animals. You could tell they were rehearsed and prepared.

The highlight of the show was when Ellie got to go on stage to help show off the Burmese Python. (Thanks so much to L.O. for taking the picture since I forgot my camera!) Ellie loves snakes, so she was one happy camper.

Freak Cold or Allergic Reaction?

Claire has had a strange experience this last 24 hours and we are wondering what it could be ...

Yesterday I took the girls to the library "Bug Fest". Every Thursday for the month of July they have had stories, crafts, etc. There is always a snack ... usually cookies ... and Claire knows better than to eat the library snacks. The librarians and I have our usual conversation...I say, "Oh hi, what is for snack today?"... they say "Oh hi, cookies, " and I say "Oh well, Claire can't have that." And then I smile.

However, yesterday, I was running just a tad late and the kids were already going into the craft room. I didn't get to ask the librarian what was for snack time.

After an hour passes and the kids are walking out of the craft room I am watching all the kids pass by and they all have plates with celery, peanut butter and raisins. You guessed it... "ants on a log". I suppose to go with the "bug" theme. This means Claire was in a closed room with a lot of kids spreading peanut products around.

I asked her if she felt OK being in the room with so much peanut butter and she said she was "fine".

Roughly an hour later she starts sneezing up a storm. Like.... 15-20 sneezes in a row. I am not kidding. Then she starts coughing. Then she says she can't breathe through her nose and can only breathe through her mouth.

Hmm.... I am thinking delayed allergic reaction to all the airborne peanut product.

I gave her some allergy meds and she went to sleep.

Fast forward to this morning ... still sounds congested, I give her a different allergy med ... but then I check her temperature and she has a low grade fever. Granted, it was just a little over 99 degrees and never even hit 100 all day.

No one else in the family is sick. No one else we have been around seems to have been sick. No one else around here feels like they are getting sick.

At around dinnertime she is suddenly better. No congestion, no fever, no coughing, no nothing. Complete turnaround from last night. I would expect a cold to last longer than that!

So ... was this an allergic reaction, or just a cold and a huge coincidence?

Hmmmm.....