So, I'm trying to figure out what I want to write about and I can't think of a thing.  My life is pretty boring, I guess.  Or at least routine is probably a better word.  I've been working at a church pre-school and mother's morning out program since October.  I'm teaching in the 2 year old class.  A lot of the kids have turned 3 now.  I spend a majority of the time taking them potty, wiping noses, correcting naughty behavior, trying to do arts and crafts with them, and singing songs.  Its fun.  I have my "favorite" kids and them some "least favorite" kids, just like in high school.  I suppose all teachers are like that.  Julia and Laura are in the same school with me.  Julia's across the hall in the 4 year old class and Laura's right next door in the baby class.  Its really the perfect situation.  We're all home around 12:30 in the afternoon and have a 3 day weekend every weekend.  Then on Saturday mornings, there's a basketball and cheerleading program that Anna and Julia do.  They really like it, especially Anna, who's doing basketball for the first time.  Its a very small program, so she gets lots of one on one attention and instruction.  Its good for her.  Julia likes cheerleading, but I think she'd probably rather play basketball.  Maybe next year...

Tomorrow is Dennis' 37th birthday.  He's pushing 40 now!  I'm married to an old man!  I'm sure I'll change my tune in 7 years, when I'm almost 37.  As it is, I'm looking at the big 3-0 on April 5th.  Yikes!  I didn't realize when I was younger that when I was 30 or so, that I'd still feel the same as when I was young.  Does that make sense?  And I also thought that once I was "old" (cause 30's so old), I'd look back on my youth as being SO LONG AGO.  But it doesn't feel SO LONG AGO.  I guess sometimes it does, but not really.  I guess I'm really supposed to be a grown up now.  Is this what the rest of my life will be like?  Hmmm.

Anyway--Then Valentine's Day is Tuesday.  I've learned better than to expect anything wonderful or romantic out of Valentine's day from my mate, so its just a day that I feel a little jealous of people who have wonderful, romantic Valentine's days.  We have to make a statement about celebrating silly holidays, you know...  Whatever...

Sorry I'm feeling a little pessimistic about things tonight.  I guess its my mood and I'll be less pessimistic in the morning, hopefully. 

Laura's 11 months old now.  She's such a sweetie pie.  She's a good cheerful baby, unless she doesn't feel good.  Since she started school, she's been sick a lot.  I can't believe its been almost a year since she was born.  How time flies!  She crawls around like a maniac.  Being in school helped her figure that out.  She can stand up while holding onto stuff.  She's not real steady on her feet yet, though, so I don't think she'll be walking anytime soon.  I think she'll concentrate on crawling for awhile and she'll be a late walker.  That's fine with me!  It'll keep her a baby a little longer. 

Well--I need to get my big girls in bed.  Bonne nuit!  ~Mme Teall~

Hi!  We just got back from our annual Christmas trip to Ohio!  I'll back up though and tell about everything.  I'll start with our ice storm...

About 10 days before Christmas, we had freezing rain, which of course made trees all icy.  And icy trees fall on power lines.  When that happens, we lose power.  So, starting Thursday the 15th, we lost our power.  It was gone for about 2 days.  Thursday the 15th, incidentally, was the day that Julia's, and now my, pre-school was scheduled to have our Christmas program and lunch.  But, "The show must go on!" So, we still had our program, but just started school and hour late.  Anyway--the kids sang their Christmas songs and as soon as they were done, the power went out at the church/school!  We had hotdogs and hamburgers in the dark.  Hey!  The food was already prepared!  Why not?  Luckily, there were sky lights in the gym, where we were.  So, it wasn't pitch dark.  Also, there was a funeral scheduled for later in the afternoon.  I wonder if they had their funeral in the dark....

So, Anna was out of school that day and Friday.  So, she had to go an extra day the next week before getting out for Christmas break.  That kinda sucked because my sister's family was in town.  Cousins!!!  Everyday, I picked up Anna from school and went straight up to my mom's to see everyone.  Also, I was taking care of my brother's whippets, Friedrich and Ivan.  So, they came with us.  My brother and his family went skiing for a few days.  Finally, on Thursday the 22nd, Anna's class had their Christmas party.  Patrick and Jacqueline were able to come to Anna's school for that, and then Anna could leave school early.  That began Christmas vacation. 

On Friday the 23rd, the whole fam-damily was at my mom's.  My sister and her family, my brother and his family, my grandmother, and my uncle and aunt from Wisconsin were all chez ma mère.  We had our big Christmas dinner that day and exchanged some gifts.  On the 24th, my brother's family and sister's family went home so they could have Christmas morning at their own houses.  Party poopers!  Anyway--we ended up going to 2 Christmas eve services because Julia sang at the 5:00 service and Anna sang at the 7:30 service.  In the middle of the sermon at the 7:30 service, the nursery attendants came to get me because Laura was sick!  She had a fever.  So, I went to get her and she immediately fell asleep on me.  I went for communion and then went home before church was over.  Poor baby!  

Once home from church, Anna and I put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.  We also had some reindeer food that we sprinkled in the grass to attract the reindeer.  Its a mixture of oats and red, green, white, and gold glitter.  Apparently, reindeer love it!  

Sure enough, Santa came!  On Christmas morning, there were presents galore under the tree!  We had lots of fun opening gifts.  I don't feel like recounting all the gifts everyone got.  But, there was a bounty of presents for everyone, though.  

Laura was sick all day Christmas day.  On Monday morning, I took her to the doctor.  She still had a fever and had some fluid in her left ear, but it wasn't infected.  But, the doctor prescribed a preventative antibiotic.  Then, I went home to try to pack to go visit Dennis' family in Ohio!  We hadn't UN-packed from bringing home all our Christmas presents yet either.  I don't think we got on the road until 7:00pm.  We got to our hotel (Super 8) at 2:00am and slept there.  Then, we kept going in the morning and got to Dennis' parents' house around 3:00pm.  Its slow travelling with 3 kids, I tell you!  

Unfortunately, Laura STILL had a fever and was really fussy with all the commotion and change of scenery and routine.  Anna and Julia had a blast visiting with all their cousins and other "kin" that were in town.  Dennis and I took turns holding our fussy Laura though.  

Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Laura woke up at 3:45 throwing up all over the place.  She threw up and threw up until she was dry heaving.  Then, she fell back to sleep.  About an hour later, she woke up just shivering and shivering.  Dennis and I decided to take her to the hospital at about 5:00 am.   She had a big fever and was just a sad sack of a baby.  They gave her some tylenol, took some blood, looked in her mouth and ears, took swabs from her nose, took some urine to see what was wrong with her.  All the tests came back negative.  She just had a virus.  The shivering was from her fever rising.  And the tylenol didn't work.  An hour after they gave it to her, her fever had risen even more!  They then gave her motrin and that helped bring it down.  And fortunately, she didn't throw up anymore.  She was able to nurse and keep it down.  She kept a low fever all Wednesday and was still a fussy girl, but by Thursday the fever was gone.  She was still fussy though  (oddly enough, the fussiness never actually went away until we were home----hmmmm) 

Luckily, there were enough people around to keep Anna and Julia in the throws of Cousin Excitement and Ectasy.  They didn't miss a beat.  On Thursday, we were at the nature center, which has a great big room that we could all fit in.  We had a bead lady come and we all made bead bracelets and key chains.  Meanwhile, the children banshees played in Box City.  The boxes from Box City were collected by Nona from the Maytag store over a weeks' time and put together by Uncle Bill, who was declared the Mayor of Box City.  There must have been at least 20 rooms in Box City, all connected by duct tape with doors, windows, and sky lights.  Box City eventually morphed into a Star Wars battle ground.  There were great battles between partially dressed children caught in the throws of their own imaginations.  All I can say is "Stay Away!"  At one point, sweat-cevered John came out and said, "Uncle Bill, you need to install some air conditioning in Box City!"

Friday was Ski Day.  Everyone headed for the slopes all bundled up in their snow gear for a day of skiing excitement.  I, of course, stayed back with my baby.  I stayed back last year because she was still gestating and I didn't want to fall and cause her to stop gestating.  This year, I have a baby who's done gestating (ding!), but who was generally unhappy and no one else can nurse her but me (and Karin too, but I don't think she wants to nurse Laura).  Next year, I'm gonna ski, darn it!  Julia went to ski school for the first time.  I still haven't heard any word on how she did other than, "Julia was the Ski Queen!"  Whatever that means.  Anna went to ski school last year.  This year, I hear she did awesome, once Daddy wasn't around to cling to.  She went out by herself with cousins, and that's when she shined (which I figured).  She went on the ski lift (which she was terrified to do until she saw Julia doing it!) and went down the hills all by herself (except maybe holding Madeline's hand sometimes).  I can't wait to get out there next year and see for myself.  I wonder if Laura'll be old enough to ski next year?  That would be funny.  

So, Saturday (New Year's Eve) was get-ready-to-come-home day.  We weren't in a hurry.  We didn't leave Nona and Boppa's house until 5:00 or so.  We made it to our hotel (Super 8 again!) around 9:00-9:30.  We promised the girls that we'd watch the ball drop at midnight.  So, we layed around and watched the Disney channel until midnight (except Laura who just loves baths too much NOT to take one!  Hey!  You get to be naked AND splash water--who wouldn't love it?)  We turned to Times Square in time to watch the ball drop.  We all gave kisses and then went to sleep.  How wonderful!                

Sunday (New Year's Day) we got up late and ate at Bob Evans (yum) and hit the road around noon.  We drove and drove (and stopped some) and got home around 6:30.  FINALLY!!!  We all have school tomorrow, so I should go to bed and STOP WRITING ALREADY!!!

A bientot!  ~Mme Teall~

Hi!  Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope all of you had a good one.  Ours was nice.  We went down to visit family in Georgia.  I haven't been down there in awhile.  3 of Dennis' oncles and his grandma all live down there.  Then, his brother, sister and her family, and parents all came down there too.  So, it was a big Discovery Dennis Family Fest!  The girls had a blast with cousins, cousins, and more cousins. 
Here are some pics! 
 
David, Dad, Dennis

Me and my honey pie

Anna, Madeline, Melanie, and Jessica

Joseph, Michael, Anna, Melanie, and Madeline

Me and my sad baby!

Cutie-Pie Laura's first Thanksgiving!

Laura and Simon are bouncing babies!  
Me & GG
Well--I need to go!  ~Mme Teall~

There are Anna's new ears!  She's so excited and proud!  She was very brave.  ~MmeTeall~

Laura on Anna's birthday!

Happy 4th of July!!!

I finally got photobucket to cooperate!  Here are some new pictures!

Whoahn!  I love my girls!

Julia at the carrousel.  Daddy's chillin' in the background. 

Here, Anna was participating with "Mr. Spoons" at the library.  She was part of a hillbilly band.  She was "Billy Squirt!"  Isn't she so cute?! 

Jammin' with Mr. Spoons.

Here, they're watching Mr. Spoons with Nona.