Month In Review: February 2008

Welcome to Month in Review: February 2008, documenting events for our family history. It's been another month with very few blog posts, so here's a little sampling of what we've been up to.

• Chris's brother Jason returned from his mission (Ventura, CA). He's living in NJ, but made it out here for a quick visit. The kids loved getting re-acquainted with him, and were constantly fighting over the chance to have him spin them around and launch them onto the couch--what else are uncles for?
  
• While Jason was here, our friend Dave B. visited from NJ for a snow-boarding trip. We were too sick for snowboarding, but didn't miss out on lots of chances to eat out and play games!
  
• February was a big month for our WifeAdvice.com blog. We were featured in a local news story (if you follow the link, look for the little video screen at the top right). We re-launched the blog with a new logo by amazing cartoonist, Shane Lewis, and a complete redesign by my talented brother, Richard. Our main purpose in fixing it up was to more clearly communicate that our blog is all in fun. Chris and I are really enjoying working on this together; it's fun to have a common hobby, and we are especially encouraged by the responses we get from our readers--we may not give out the most sound marriage advice, but the comments are full of great tips and insights! We celebrated Valentine's Day by giving away some fun date-night packages for our readers. Our blog was also mentioned in a recent newsletter of the Smart Marriages website (a marriage education resource), so now we even have quite a few marriage experts subscribing to our site!
  
• At the first hint of a sunny day, I took the kids out to play at a park. It was a bit colder than I thought it would be, and the playground was still pretty snowy, but they loved every minute of it. David (1.5) was able to play independently, so it gave me a good taste for what a fun spring and summer we have to look forward to.
  
• Michael (3) had his first chance to give the scripture and prayer in Primary. He was excited about sitting in the special chair until it was his turn. It was so cute when he got up to do it, because even with the stool, his little head still wasn't visible over the podium, and in classic style, he followed my whispered instructions by whispering himself.
  
• Chris's brother Phil and his wife Karine had a new little baby. Unfortunately, we've been too sick to set foot in their house, but we're looking forward to meeting little Philip!
  
• Tommy (6) is becoming quite helpful to me around the house. He is protective of his little brothers, and has gotten really good at "paging" me whenever one of them is getting into trouble: "Mommy... you better come quick; David just spilled all the salt and pepper all over the table!" (It may not seem like much, but not too long ago, Tommy would have been tracing shapes in the mess rather than notifying me, so I'm pretty proud.)
• All three boys had a fun visit to the dentist (they still like going...). Despite our best efforts ( I actually manage to brush and floss their teeth every night!) Tommy had to get a filling, but he did a great job!
  

Well, our 6-week sickness is officially over, the snow is melting (for now, at least). I'm hoping that will mean a lot more quality time with the kids and a little more posting as well...

This post was back-dated, simply to file it correctly in the archives. The actual post date was March 5, 2008

A Head Start for April First

Yesterday I got home about an hour late from a church meeting because I had been gabbing with friends. When I walked into the house, Chris just said hi and casually asked if I would mind pouring him a drink of water. I was relieved that he wasn't more annoyed (they had been waiting and keeping dinner warm for me), and I went to get him his drink.

When I turned the sink on, I immediately found that I had become the victim of a prank I have pulled many times, but have never had anyone pull on me. Chris had taught Tommy that if you put a rubber band around the kitchen faucet sprayer, it would automatically spray the next person who tried to use the faucet. I got drenched, and the boys had a good laugh (and luckily for them, so did I).

(Chris told me later that Tommy had his own plan to get me to turn the sink on. When I walked in the door, he was going to tell me to go do the dishes.)

photo by Jim Moore

My Thoughts on Blog Design

Well, thankfully my very busy, very crazy week is wrapping up.

Today's fun news is that Problogger.net (a great blog about how to blog) published a post I wrote about the process of redesigning WifeAdvice.com to communicate a more fun, light-hearted tone.

Makeover

We've been pretty busy over at WifeAdvice.com (New logo design by Shane Lewis)

Be sure to keep us with us this week, as we are holding our
First Annual Valentine's Day Giveaway!
Feel free to spread the word...

Ok, Mom... You Win

Since I have been sick for a while, and since my hoarse voice makes me sound like a man (actually, yesterday a teenage girl told me I sound like "one of those people who smokes too much and gets cancer and has to have a surgery and press a button on their throat to talk"), quite a few people have asked me if I have been to the doctor yet. I had not gone, because Chris and I were both sick initially, and he did visit the doctor, and was told it was just a cold that would pass (and in his case, it did). Besides, I've talked to a lot of people that said they had the same thing, and that it just took a while to kick the cough.

But a couple days ago I talked to my mom on the phone. And by talked I mean, I croaked a little bit until she felt sorry for me and let me go back to bed. But, during the course of the "conversation," my mom asked if I had seen a doctor yet. This was a big deal, coming from my mother, the nurse who very rarely took me to the doctor when I was young--even if I was certain that I had sprained my ankle on the stairs and needed crutches. Her reply was always something like, "if it still hurts in a couple weeks, we'll see about going to the doctor." Of course my mother really did care about me--she just had a knack for knowing when to give it a day or two (or two weeks) and when to actually be alarmed. For instance, the day I went roller-skating down a steep hill and fell and ripped my favorite white pants (yes, I was a senior in high school at the time, and yes, I realize now that they were very ugly pants--even in the 90s)... I came home complaining about pain in my shoulder, but saying that I was sure I'd be fine. My mom put me straight into the car and drove me to the emergency room, where they attended to my broken collarbone. Call it mother's intuition--but it might have helped that my astute mother noticed the fact that all those times I tripped on the stairs, I could still walk on my alleged sprained ankle, but that after my roller-skating escapade I couldn't even move my arm that I was sure would be just fine ("Can't someone please just help me fix my ripped pants?!")

Back to a day or two ago, when I was talking to my mom on the phone and she asked about whether or not I had seen a doctor yet about this sickness I haven't been able to kick. I am older and (somewhat) wiser now, so when I heard my mom mention a doctor, I decided that was my cue, and I better listen to that little voice inside my head: yes, Nancy... it is time to go to the doctor now--even if that means actually getting out of bed, putting lots of deodorant on, trying to find clean clothes, and begging someone to watch your children for you.

And so I went. And wouldn't you know it--my mom was right?! Just a slight case of walking pneumonia, but nothing an inhaler and a few days of antibiotics can't take care of. Now if I could just get my mommy to come take care of me...

(Yes, the photo is actually of my mother--1966)