Friday Update

Dn. John--seems to be no longer sick. Hooray! He has, however, gotten inundated with stuff just as he was trying to leave work (on a Friday no less!) and is stuck working a little late tonight.

Christine--37 weeks pregnant! Officially full term. Having lots of contractions, but according to the doc appointment today, they are doing absolutely nothing except ticking me off. Also is retaining water like nobody's business, having trouble breathing, sleeping, bending over, and generally trying to squeeze into small spaces. Temper is running thin. Still cannot make pie crust, and am irritated about that too. Also on the lookout for girl scout cookies, and have been thwarted at every turn. Where are you, Tagalongs and Samoas???

Megan--has a new "star chart" for tracking good behavior. She gets to put stickers on it when she's good, and when she has filled in three rows, gets to pick out the fun activity of her choice, be it swimming, the bouncy house, lunch at McDonald's playland, etc. It. Is. Awesome. We are on day #2, and she is motivated and happy, and learning (slowly) that whining and sassing do not earn stars. She also reminds me about once an hour about how good she is being. The reminders usually come when Marina is in the midst of doing something not so good. In retrospect, it's actually quite amusing.

Marina--her insanity grows in direct proportion to my depleting energy. I took both kids to a book store today, lost her twice, had to pick up countless books from displays, and got about a million dirty looks from patrons tired of her shouting the names of random shapes at the top of her lungs. I am, to my own disgust, contemplating one of those ridiculous backpacks with a leash on them, meant for unruly toddlers. I have to admit to judging people who use them in public, because I always figured it was a mark of ineffective parenting to have to tie your child up. However, in the interest of keeping Marina alive (her latest escapades involve attempted escapes into the street--and yes, that is plural), I may get one. Further proof that you shouldn't judge, because you will be forced to eat your words.

Boom-shak-a-lakka Razzle-Dazzle--Growing, growing, growing. Is now full term, head down, and very, very strong. There are many moments when I expect to see a fist or knee come bursting out of my belly as he/she kicks and rolls around. We are ready for D-Day (physically speaking...emotionally is a different story). We pulled the swing out of the Howell's Quonset hut, and the kids are thoroughly enjoying rocking their baby dolls in it. All I need to do is pack a hospital bag, which I can only partially do anyway since half the stuff I need to take I use on a daily basis. I figure as long as we remember the camera and a set of spare contact lenses, Dn. John can bring me anything else I need later.

The House--in a state of perpetual disaster. I am learning to live with it, even though I don't like it, since it's probably the new normal anyway.

Prayers--are appreciated. :)