Feeling better?

We all had a head cold except Lili who seemed to be hit harder and had a week at home.  Then we made it through Fei's party and were all struck down by the following weekend with a flu.  Yikes.  Back to back sickness and it got all five of us.  Lili seems better and has been back at school all this week.  Fei came home last week with a 39.8 fever and she just went back today.  She had several meltdowns this morning and I ended up taking Lili to school and Eric took Fei later, so I'm not totally convinced she was ready to be back yet.  She asked Eric on the way to school what she should say if anyone asked how she was feeling.  Now we're realizing that her fear of having to state how she was 'feeling' was likely what was causing the meltdowns in the morning.  Poor wee kid.  She just hates any kind of 'feeling'.  Eric told her she should just say "I'm feeling better thank-you".  The teacher did ask and she answered exactly that.  Two days ago Jia was listless, wouldn't eat but thankfully was still taking her bottles.  Had fevers and was vomiting.  Ya' know you've entered a whole other realm of parenting when you watch the baby start to wretch on the new carpet and you scoop her up so she'll puke on you instead because I'm easier to clean than the carpet!  I've been home three weekends in a row!  No outings, no fun, no friends.  Pretty wild for our family!  Eric and I have seen more than enough of each other and we're ready for a break.  Today is the first day in three weeks that I can say all of us seem a bit better.  Wow, have we ever been hit hard this year.  Lili lost 4lbs!  Not sure about Fei, she's still not eating much and she's been exceptionally tired.  Eric and I were both feeling last night like there was hope and then Jia decided to not sleep all night.  She became a screamer.  You all know how I hate screaming babies.  We tried everything we could think of, she didn't want to be in her room alone, she didn't want us with her, she didn't want in our bed.  She wasn't hungry, didn't need a change and wasn't interested in being held or rocked.  It was a tremendously long night.  I'm not looking forward to tonight.  I'm fearful that we taught her last night that if she screams, we'll come.

Autism

Because it needs to be repeated:

Autism is the abnormal response to everyday stimuli.

It is not a measure of inteligence.

Jia has the stairs mastered.

I'm so afraid that one of the kids will leave a door or gate open.  Our house is three stories, so two sets of stairs to worry about.  We've been working with Jia to approach the stairs slowly and turn around to go down.  She's got it!  It's sooooo cute.  Not that we don't still watch those stairs!  Now we at least know that if one gets left open she does know how to go up and down them fairly safely.

Fei is 8 now!

The party was great fun.  It was calm, organized and reasonably quiet.  Jia joined right in.  Lots of Polar Bear fun and games.  The white food only was a hit.  I told all the kids that the food was all white and then said the only white drink was milk, but that there was juice available even though it wasn't white and when we said 'who wants milk?' all of them lifted their hand except one who wanted water.  How hillarious is that?  It was great to see them all enjoy Fei's theme.  Fei was delighted with her party.  Oh, and the marshmellow Polor Bears that Fei and I made were a hit at school and at the party. 

I don't think I've mentioned it on the blog but I got a new smart phone for my Birthday a couple weeks ago.  The HTC Desire (android), LOVE it, seriously LOVE it.  Best toy ever.  I find it absolutely amazing what it can do!!  I know I thought my telus internet key for the netbook was super cool, but the smart phone totally tops that.  I was using webmail on it but Steve fixed it so that I can use it for direct e-mail and that is such a great feature, Thank you again Steve!  The phone even has a flashlight on it, imagine?!  I thought what a silly thing to put on a phone, and yet I've actually had two occassions to use it.  Once to check Lili's tonsils and once to check one of her teeth.  I've loaded a kindle app and have 11 novels lined up to read.  I'm in total awe that I now have a book to read everywhere I am.  The kids love the games, especially angry bird.  I've loaded games and books for Jia, games for the girls, suduko for me and live wallpaper that is Koi fish swimming around that you can feed.  You can't imagine how delighted Jia gets to watch the fish and feed them.  Have I convinced anyone on the fence about a smart phone to get one? 

Sick - CNY - Yard Mess

We've all been sick.  Life has been crazy busy, lots of added stress lately and then sick to boot.  I'm starting to feel better after two weeks.  Lili is still home with a barking cough.  Eric seemed to be getting it this morning but he's fine now.  Fei seems fine.  Jia needed to see a Dr. last week for wheezing and then was given asthma meds.  She didn't seem to mind and it impoved her breathing immediatly.  Last week there were only 11 out of 24 kids in Fei's class.  It's a doozy of a cold!

CNY was basically lost to stress.  We enjoyed a couple events on the weekend before, then we had school issues on the 3rd and I pulled the kids out of school, so they missed the school events.  Add sickness to that and we were out of business for a few days.  I haven't left the house for the last couple weekends.  My Birthday was a complete bust.  Too sick to eat or go out.  Eric didn't make me my double decker chocolate cake with peanut butter filling...so he owes me still.  Our local fcc group did a pot luck this year at a hall and it turned out better than I expected.  We had a great time.  Jia loved the lion dancing and the music!

I got a little misty when my baby backed up and stood with the kids.  She's growing up way too fast.

We've still got Eric's sister and family staying in their rv at our place.  Part of their rent/thanks was to help Eric with our retaining wall out front, with their excavator and bobcat.   It turned out to be a much bigger job than I was prepared for.  Cost $2500 for rocks, gravel and ground cover, which I was unprepared for and the worst was the mess, that I was really, really NOT prepared for.  It's been a bit shocking.  Some days I came home and just wanted to cry and cry.  I got my car into the garage asap and raced into the house and slammed the door behind me and then did everything in my power to not look out any front windows!  I'm sooooo glad it's finally mostly over.  There is still mess and yard owies to take care of and I'm afraid to look in the side yard still.  Our own rv is stuck in the backyard and can't come out until we do some lawn/yard repairs, but at least the front is semi under control.  Phew.  If this was a job I had wanted done, perhaps I'd feel differently about it all.  Right now...still stuck in resentment.  Years from now when the rock retaining wall is still holding up and there are creeping flowers all over it I'll feel better.  I don't have a finished picture, will post one later.

Jia has been moved up to a toddler music class, we go on Saturday now, which means I can take her.  She just learned the moves for a song about a dog named Rover and she just grins when it comes to the part where she sits, lays and then rolls over.  Gotta' get that on video.  The picture is of her first piggies, that I put in for her music class.  She left them in all day! 

It was spirit day at school today for Valentines.  Fei was all decked out in her red/pink and white.  She even finally wore the red boots she bought in China that so far have been too special to wear.  She reports that they're very comfortable and for reasons unknown she can run faster in them.  Fei has been freaking out about today, it's the day she had to go up at assembly with the other Birthday week kids to have the school sing Happy Birthday to their friends.  It was hard to sit through that assembly knowing how much she was dreading the moment and then I was so proud of her as she bounded up there and smiled at the whole school.  Now, as wild as it sounds, our little wee girl is going to be 8 tomorrow!  The kids are always thrilled about being the same age, tomorrow we'll have two eight year olds and a one year old.

So, party preperations are seriously underway tonight.  Fei and I are going to make 26 marshmallow polar bears for her to share with her class tomorrow.  If it goes well, perhaps we'll get some made for the party too.  Lots to do here at party central.