Mom, I can do it myself.

Heidi and I went to eat lunch at a great place today before we finished decorating the cookies.

We got plastic cups for the little boys. I thought I would be nice and put some very watered down Hi-C in the cups rather than just soda or water. The boys loved it. In fact, Elias loved it so much, he threw himself back in the booster seat and started shrieking when I took it away and tried to give him actual food to eat.

This picture was after I gave him the cup back so he could drink it on his own. The look he is giving me is the meanest and grouchiest he can muster. He just wanted to hold the cup all by his big boy self.

I could almost hear him saying "Mom, I can do it by myself. Leave me alone."

What a stinker.

January

We got back from Christmas break on the 5th. We celebrated Christmas with his family the same evening. It was a nice dinner which Becky and Heidi prepared and then opening up gifts. Completely relaxed and wonderful.

Bryce left to go to Alaska for the rest of the month on the 7th. It's been kind of a bummer. I've grown accustomed to his face. But at least we have internet and phones and webcams. My really cool family and half-done house make it easier to pass the time.

I feel like I'm busy, busy, busy throughout the day and then at the end of the week I look around and think "What have I done other than make dirty dishes?"

Before I sound like a complete slacker, I have been helping (maybe handicapping is a better word) my sister-in-law bake cookies. I'm rather fond of the Valentine Day promotionals that we've turned out.

Northwest Airlines left a nasty taste in my mouth. Beware! It's a rant.

This is Bryce and Elias checking out the T. Rex in the Pittsburgh Airport.

I decided the story about getting to and from the airport needed a whole section of its own. This time the airports nailed us on both trips.

Jerks.

On the way out, we were up and ready to be out the door in time. Our trip to Memphis went alright. But we were supposed to land and be on another plane with only a half hour to work that kind of magic. Luck was not with us. Our plane was late into the airport and then they made us sit in our seats waiting for who knows what. The plane we were supposed to be on to make it to Pittsburg had already left by the time we exited the first plane.

It's bad enough when you're traveling and miss your connecting plane, but it's worse when there are a bunch of other people with the same problem. Bryce marched up to the ticket counter, already a little miffed by the situation, and talked to one of the attendants working at the desk.

I could only grab Elias and our stuff and get out of earshot or else I would've burst out with a "Oooooooh you're in for it now!" We ended up on a plane destined for Washington D.C after talking to a few others and a supervisor, a few hours of waiting, and Elias smacking some poor sleeping guy around (but I didn't feel all that bad because his bully 5 year old knocked Elias over on purpose and his granola wife just let him.)

I felt awful for my brother. He made the nearly 4 hour trip to Pittsburg to pick us up, only to have to drive another 4 or 5 hours to get to Washington D.C., then he had another 5 hour trip until we were back in West Virginia. LAME!

I thought the trip back was going to be a piece of cake. Bryce had an important meeting at work the next day. We had to be back in Houston no matter what so he could be at that meeting.

We left West Virginia early. Bryce drove most of the way (speeding) because my mom was driving too slowly for him to be comfortable. We had about 3 hours to kill before our plane took off. It was nice to be a few hours early since we had to go through the super screening at security. The woman going through the diaper bag chastised me a little for taking so much formula and food. "You really are only allowed to take enough for your flight." I told her that I packed so much because the last time we travelled we had some hiccups and the boy almost didn't have any food.

We let the boy wander around after we found our gate. Bryce went looking for an internet celebrity for a while.

Then it was time to leave. Only to find the plane had been delayed. This was fine, except for the fact that we had a connecting flight to make in stupid Memphis. Then the flight was cancelled.

We ended up staying the night in Pittsburgh. And we had to pay for it.

We woke up the next morning at 4 a.m. to make the plane leaving at 5:40 a.m.. We found out that the plane had been cancelled as well. All we could do was go to stupid Memphis and then make it back to Houston at 1 in the afternoon.

Bryce missed his meeting afterall. What a crummy return trip. Oh yeah, and take that stupid security woman. I'm glad I packed all that extra stuff or I would've been in way deep dookie.

Christmas Vacation and the Sickness

We spent Christmas in West Virginia with my family this year.

This is Elias and Bryce after Christmas dinner. Elias's stomach was so swollen with food. I couldn't believe he could eat like that.

Bryce and David found recorders at one of the Dollar Stores. The recorders turned into Elias's favorite noise makers.






We went expecting it to be cold and snowy and as unTexas like as you can get. It was chilly, but it didn't snow for Christmas and New Year's Day was in the 60s. It was pretty snowy the day we flew in and a few days before we left.

But it's okay. Bryce got to go snowboarding with my brother and sister. I got to play cards and Parcheesi everyday. I ate good food. Heard some excellent family stories. Visited with friends.

The only really big stinker about going back was Elias had an ear infection the week before we went. While he was over it by the time we were supposed to leave, he still was battling the head cold. I think the plane just sent it over the edge, and he was stuffy and snotty the entire time. We finally broke down and took the poor kid to the doctor a few days before we left.

I never knew you might really, literally have to spend every single minute of the night awake with a sick baby. I finally settled in to go to bed around 1 on New Year morning. As soon as I pulled the covers back to crawl into bed, Elias woke up screaming. He would only sleep if I held him. Not just held him, but I had to be sitting up while doing it. If I tried to lay down or put him down beside me, he would wake up and start screaming again. Bryce and I tried rubbing baby Vicks on him, giving him Tylenol, giving him his bottle, boogey bulbing the poor kid, and anything else thought might work. In the end, we only got relief and could fall asleep when my mom came in and took the guy at 5:15 in the A.M.

Boo at sick kids!