Unclean! UNCLEAN!

While I was talking to Mom this morning, Olivia asked for an index card. This is why she wanted it...to write a note to Ms. Julie.

Feeling a little better!

Olivia seems to have some energy today! We have told her that she needs to lie around and let that energy heal her, not chase the kitties around and run out of energy. She still has a fever but seems much better this morning. She didn't sleep well last night, so she thinks she might take a nap this afternoon. And, it's supposed to be near 80 degrees today, so I think I will try to take her for a walk around the block to get some sunshine.

Max and I will be in a training class tomorrow through Sunday, but she will be in good hands with Julie Cormack. I will send her contact info so you can call HRH if you want. I have really struggled with leaving her this weekend, and wouldn't be doing it if she hadn't woken up feeling a little better this morning. As it is, we'll be in Austin, just 20 minutes away, so I am sure she'll be fine.

Pictures of the Princess, since she's here and you're there.

A couple of pictures for you...one of her on mandatory bed rest (I threatened to tickle her to get a smile) and the other is last week, with her "sitting stylish", as she put it.

The Princess is still sick...or sick again...

And her Mommy is worried. So is Daddy. And Memaw. She really needs to get well soon.

As of yesterday, she had been on antibiotics for 7 days for the double ear infections and sinus infection. We went to the mall yesterday, and she seemed fine. She was happy and skipping and chatty. We came home to watch the inauguration and she fell asleep during his speech. When she woke up, she was burning up. She went from feeling fine, having a normal temp, to spiking a fever of almost 102 in the span of 2 hours.

We took her back to the pediatrician (not our doctor, but one of his colleagues, since he is off on Tuesday afternoons) and her ears are still infected. Not terrible, but the doctor expected them to look much better (if not totally clear) after 7 days of antibiotics. Her eyes still have blue circles, which the doctor said indicate recent and/or continuing sinus infection.

Worst of all, she seems to have gotten a(nother) viral infection in addition to the bacterial stuff. Dr. Rice switched antibiotics from Omnicef to Augmentin, which she'll take for another full 10-day cycle, and ordered rest and fluids. We are going to be in a training class all weekend (here in Austin, thankfully) so she's supposed to go to Bill and Julie's tomorrow night to stay until Sunday. Mommy is having a bit of a meltdown, worrying about her.

On the bright side, I know that some of the other kids have had a fever and it was short-lived. M was here Saturday, then spiked a fever on Sunday. G said that it ran high for 48 hours then went away. I am hoping that HRH has the same thing, and will be feeling much better by this time tomorrow.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Olivia, dressed to go to the bookstore

As promised, here's the pic from earlier in the week when we went to Borders. This is Olivia with her grown-up purse.

Cursive

I hope this image is big enough that you can see it. This is HRH's handwriting sheet for today. Isn't it great!? We are using the Getty-Dubay italic style handwriting, so their cursive is a little different than "traditional" cursive. I like it because I think it's closer to the combination of print and cursive that most people actually use everyday, and the cursive letters look basically the same as their printed counterparts. Like the "z" above. It's much easier for her to learn to add serifs to the printed "z" than to make the loopy cursive "z" we are all used to.

But, I digress...the point of the post is to show off how beautiful her handwriting is. And how willingly and sweetly she did it. It thrills me to see her getting past her fear of writing.

Feeling better!

HRH seems to be feeling better today. I know she's still tired, and doesn't feel like her old self, but I can see improvement. The cough is becoming more productive, and she has more energy today. Right now, she's having a lunch of fish fillets, mac & cheese and peas, along with white-grape-peach juice. (p.s. per HRH, the mac & cheese does NOT taste good...not sure if it's a little stale, or if that's the phlegm talking)

We had one of those great homeschool moments today, so I have to share. You remember the handwriting dramas. The weeping. The gnashing of teeth. The whole nine yards. Well, we have finally started cursive. AND SHE LOVES IT!

Today, I asked her to do a practice sheet while I fixed lunch. I went to check on her and she had a surprise for me. She was doing a second sheet! Unasked! Because she WANTED to!

And she's very good at it. Her handwriting is so pretty! I am so proud of her for persevering through the printing, and overcoming her fear of doing it.

And now, a message from HRH herself...."I like cursive better than printing!" Yay, it's a happy, happy homeschool day.

Puny Princess

I have a puny princess on my hands. She had been sick with the viral infection that Max and I had, but was feeling better. Then, yesterday, she woke up feeling bad and slept for 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon. She never sleeps in the daytime. This morning, she snuggled up to me for reading and brought a big blanket because she was freezing. She is never freezing. I got the thermometer, checked and her temp was nearing 100 degrees. A new fever on day 7 of an illness is never good, so off we went to see Dr. Spencer.

Turns out, she has sinus and ear infections. Yes, as in TWO ear infections. He said one was really bad, the other was just getting there. He was glad I brought her in because she could have been really sick within 24 hours. We got her there in time to avoid pneumonia and pink eye. Her right eye looks bad, but is not pink eye yet, and her lungs are still clear. I had no idea that you could get pink eye from infected sinuses. I figured they were separate germs, but he assured me that she would have had pink eye (and probably pneumonia) soon if not treated. He is a very calm fella, but really freaked me out with the talk of how serious this all is. And to think that it started 24 hours ago! This is a fast-moving germ.

So, she is on strict orders to rest and drink fluids. We stopped at the library on the way home and got her a big bag of books and DVDs to enjoy, and picked up 5 kinds of juice while we were at Randalls to get her Rx. Right now, she's wearing her J.Lo jammies, playing SpongeBob on Playstation, drinking apple cider. She did get to go outside for just a few minutes to use her new Klutz bubble wand and solution recipe that she got with her Borders gift card from Aunt Ronya and Uncle Jim, but is back on the couch now.

I'll send out updates as necessary. I expect her to feel like a different person by this time tomorrow, with 24 hours of antibiotics at work.

Blackberry

I forgot this on the last post...while I was fixing dinner, I was snacking on blackberries. Olivia came in the kitchen and we had this conversation:

Me: Hey, Olivia, you want a blackberry?
Olivia: OH! You mean a BLACKBERRY! I thought you meant a Blackberry cell phone, and I'm not old enough for a cell phone! I thought you were crazy!

Going Out

Olivia is getting ready to go out. We are going to Borders to let her spend her gift card, and to let me have a latte, which will ensure that all remains right with our world. The Queen needs a latte.

I will post picture of her, all dressed to go, as soon as I can. But right now, I have to describe the scene: She is wearing her Levis, crocs, a t-shirt and sweater, and has her hair pulled back. She went to get her Hannah Montana messenger bag and announced, "Mommy, this is a bag like yours! I can wear it like this, and no one can steal my stuff, so I want to carry my own wallet" I agreed and let her get her wallet out of my purse. Then she came over with a Hello Kitty notepad and said "I think Aunt Rhonda got this for me. I am going to put it in here, so when I use this purse when I am a grown up, I can use it for my grocery list. Or in case I have to do some fast math"

Spa dreamin'

Out of nowhere, Olivia just sprawled across the couch beside me, sighed, and said "I've always dreamed of going to a spa. That would be my perfect day...stay all day at the spa, and have hot chocolate, and all my favorite drinks"

Me: "what drinks?"
Olivia: "rooooot beeeeeeer" (apparently there's a spa out there targeting 7-year-olds with their hot chocolate and root beer commercials)
Me: "Well, maybe when you turn 13, that could be your BD present...a spa day with Mommy."
Olivia: "12!?"
Me: "13"
Olivia: "11!?"
Me: "13"
This went on for a while. I think she's now expecting this for her 8th BD.

Oh, my gosh, my child will be EIGHT on her next birthday. Now I think *I* need a spa day.

3,908,848 minutes

During breakfast this morning, Max announced, "Well, Olivia, you are now 3,908,848 minutes old" (then, thankfully, he spared himself a one-way trip to the Looney Bin by telling me that she had asked him that question last night)

I said, "and you know what, Olivia? Those have been the best 3-million-odd minutes of our lives!"

Max's response? "Odd is right" And, yet, I think he is her favorite. Go figure.