All three down for the count...

It's only Wed. and its already been a crazy week. All three of the kids are sick now...and I am exhausted. I have gotten a total of about 14hrs. of sleep in the past four days. Oh...the joys of parenthood. lol ...Penelope is well enough to go to school, tho' she still has a bit of a cough. She insists on going back to school, and was upset and crying when she realized she would miss another day. I guess she misses her teacher and friends...I am glad she enjoys her new school. I was a bit apprehensive, but she has adjusted to the change very well. Everyone at school loves her Pink hair, and she loves the extra attention. Chloe's Dr. apt. has been moved to next Tues. Jack is now almost back to his old self. Thank goodness. I don't know if I could handle another day of spontaneous screaming and crying...without joining in ( hearing it in stereo can't be beat)...lol....
Dave just got a remodel/restoration on an old craftsman here in Pasadena...YAY...that means he can come home for lunch, and we can save allot on gas. Work has been very sporadic. This economy isn't exactly helping. There is not allot of building going on, but we have been relatively lucky compared to many of Dave's friends. This is typically the slow season for work, as the holidays are just around the corner, and no one wants their home torn apart during the Holidays and Winter. So, the key for us, is just to keep busy.
Penelope started Ballet class two weeks ago, and she absolutely loves it! I will have to post a pic of her on my next post. She runs around the house with her ballet ensemble on dancing like a "ballerina". It's adorable. She also has another apt. with her speech therapist. Right now she is going thru a battery of tests to figure out exactly what her strengths and weaknesses are. The therapist says that cognitively she is ahead, her speech has somehow not developed as quickly, she has enunciation problems, she has difficulty connecting words, and using complete sentences. She is OBSESSED with Pipi Longstocking, and sings her theme song everywhere! It's pretty funny. She insists on being her for Halloween as well, and so I will be heading off to the thrift store to find some materials to use for the creation of her costume.
Jack is getting to be a "little monster" with the terrible two's just around the corner (Nov 10Th. to be exact). He has gotten terribly demanding telling me...."NO, not that one, this one!", "I don't want that!", "that one! that one!", "Let's go there!"...and the like. It's pretty funny sometimes...other times it's frustrating. We have been getting allot of the....stiff as a board, throw myself on the ground and go limp, flailing around kicking and screaming...as well. I am hoping that he flies through this stage....lol...He has also expanded his sign language skills and knows several dozen signs. It definitely helps that Penelope knows sign language as well. He started right out of the gate, she did not start until she was 10mo. old but she picked it up so fast I could hardly keep up.
Chloe loves her new school. She just started Jr. High at Renaissance Arts Academy in Eagle Rock. It's a LAUSD Performing Arts Charter school. She is studying Cello, and is in the Choir. She also started her Fall Softball Season with PALL (Pasadena American Little League), and is very excited to be back on the field. She is thrilled about the possibility of pitching in the next game. She is usually on third base. Their team "Lil' Devils" won the league championship last season. She is looking for a repeat performance next Spring when she starts playing on the Major league team.

Darn Bug!

Both of the babies are sick...and it sucks. They both seem to have caught the cold that Dave brought home with him from work. Jack has been sick for the past three days, and I wish he were back to his old happy self, but we are stuck with a sad, whiny, screaming baby until he feels better (hopefully tomorrow). I am keeping Penny home from school tomorrow so that she can rest, and not get anyone else sick... :( It seems to be more like a severe cold rather than the flu. They don't have a fever (thank goodness...as Penny is prone to febrile seizures when she gets too hot)...but they have allot of congestion, runny noses, and coughing. Chloe goes in to see the new dermatologist on Tues. It has been a three month fight to get her to see the specialist...back and forth from Dr. to Dr., and waiting for referrals takes forever...Her Hemangioma (on the back of her neck) has come back, and they will be using a pulse dye laser this time to treat it, as opposed to cutting it off and doing a biopsy....which they did last time. I hope it does not come back after this....it's really distressing watching your daughter bleed out from her neck for 10-20 min. at a time. We are very optimistic about this treatment, and I constantly remind Chloe that it could be allot worse. Another sleepless night..my sleep schedule has been thrown off...with Jack being sick and waking up constantly thru the night...and once I am awake...I have a very hard time getting back to sleep. Dave let me sleep in this morning...thank goodness. Unfortunately, he works tomorrow and Chloe has school...which means I am up and running by 6:30a.m. Which reminds me that I probably should get to bed. Until later! Ciao!

Another bout of insomnia...

I created this blog in order to better keep in touch with my family, as we are now spread out all over this great world of ours, and I felt a need to connect and share. I am now riding a wave that happens every now and again, usually when there is allot of transition and craziness in my life...insomnia! Argh! I suppose that boredom in the wee hours of the morning brought me to create this, along with feeling the need to stay in touch with family and friends. I do find comfort in knowing that there is still a connection between those I love far away, even if it's just thru the computer screen and telephone. This time of year is my favorite, and I have been looking forward to Fall since the middle of Summer. I love the cooler months (we don't get much of that here in LA. so it is something I look forward to every year), and the Holidays just make me happy.

Dave and I took the kids to meet some of the Star Wars characters at the PB Kids here in Pasadena last weekend. Penelope and Jack have been "schooled" by Dave in the ways of the Jedi and the Force....lol...they love the movies, and we thought that they would enjoy meeting some of the characters in person. Here are couple of pics we took. Jack was completely fascinated ( he refused to look at the camera even for a second), Penelope was scared, and Chloe was mortified (OMG we are so uncool) . Penny was gung-ho on meeting them until she was actually next to them...then she wanted nothing to do with them...lol....

Mom and Dad are getting ready to head back to the Philippines on Tues. I usually only get to see them when they come for a visit once every year or two. So, I am feeling pretty bummed out right about now. Airplane tix to the Phils. are too expensive, and for a family of five...a bit too much out of our financial reach, at least for now. We all got together yesterday to have lunch with the family to celebrate my parents B-day before their trip back. We met in Chinatown (of course) and had a great meal at Full House Seafood Restaurant. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera so I have no pics to share...but a great luch was had by all, and it was nice to have most of the family together. Ok, it's officially now 6:10a.m. and I have yet to go to bed...Jack will be up soon, I have to make breakfast, and Chloe has a softball game...maybe I will try to lie down and close my eyes for a little bit before the munchkin wakes up. Oh the joys of parenthood...lol...