If you could hear the happy squeals outside my window where Kyle is washing the cars with Brooklyn and August, you'd never know the kids had been sick. Supposedly, they're still contagious for another 5 days, so we're still pretty much stuck here. But we're making good use of our time - washing cars, reading books, playing, cleaning up our yard...

Yesterday, they both were completely fever-free and acted just about completely normal. Aside from them both throwing fits when it's time to take their medicine, life is without complaint.

Day 2 of being sick has passed without much drama. It has been a remarkably cool, fall-ish feeling day outside and it's now softly raining - enhancing the sleepiness which has settled over my household.

August is still running his fever, but it's held in check with Motrin. Brooklyn's fever has yet to get as high as August's, so I'm hoping the Tamaflu is influencing that in a positive way. August has been sleeping now for HOURS, which has allowed me to sit with him on my bed and balance my checkbook, do 3 days worth of Bible study, write in my prayer journal, pay some bills and pray. What a restful way to spend an afternoon.

Currently, he's STILL sleeping and Brooklyn just woke up and is watching the all-time best "sick" movie - Anne of Green Gables. I don't mean the movie is "sick", but that it's the best movie to watch when you yourself are sick. It's what I always crave when feeling under the weather, and just now, B requested it, so I complied.

Thanks for everyone's calls, emails and general demonstrations of caring. I am blessed to have you in my life.

Swine flu has found our household. August started running a fever yesterday afternoon and this morning, it was over 103 and climbing. Eek! He was also snotting gunk like crazy and puked all over his Daddy during lunch. And not because he was choking on a piece of fruit, as is usually the case. My remarkably happy little guy managed to keep on smiling despite the heat radiating off his body - and we looked like white trash as I hauled my baby clad only in a diaper to the clinic. But I didn't care at all. I didn't want him getting ANY hotter than he had to be.

The verdict from our doc was that both my kids have the swine flu. Brooklyn started running a fever of almost 102 right after getting home from Bible study, she's also very snotty and coughing. So, after spending $100 on Tamaflu, I'm hoping the dern stuff works and they're back to normal within a few days. Unfortunately, the doctor said they're contagious for 10 days. So, we'll be a little home-bound. Sigh.

But, it's ok. It could always be worse.

In a world where masculinity is threatened and you genuinely desire for your kids to be what they were designed to be, certain discussions may arise. For mothers of boys, you wonder...is it a problem that my boy loves to dress up with his big sister? Or is acting really tearful and whiney? Or totters around in my heels when his big sister does? Or perhaps wears a brink pink tutu as a cape and REFUSES to take it off?
Do those things mean there is something wrong my boy? Is he...not manly enough? I think the answer is a RESOUNDING NO. Nothing is wrong. For starters, boys with big sisters will want to do whatever it is that their big sister thinks is cool - even if that includes wearing mom's shoes and playing dress up. Or playing dollhouse, even. Because believe me, even when August plays dollhouse with Brooklyn, his version is much rougher (and louder) than hers. She play-talks with her people - he tries to cram them down the stairs and bangs them on the floor.
Should we not kiss them when they fall and soothe away their tears? Are we creating babies by treating them as such? I think the answer is that there is a balance. I also think this is not limited to dealing with boys. The same thing applies to girls. If you make a big deal out of a boo-boo, so will they. If you treat it lightly and make sure they're not gushing blood, kiss the boo-boo, pat the bum and send them on their way - they'll get the idea that they're ok and you still love them! Like I said, it's a balance.

I also think we're unwise to discourage any sensitivity in our boys. We should still hug them and love them and let them know they're loved - without hopefully fostering whineyness. But I happen to be married to man who is all man but is also incredibly sensitive. He's an ARTIST - he doesn't hunt or drool over guns and ammo, he likes a good football game and is a gifted athlete, but it doesn't consume him and I love him for that. I know he's exactly as God made him - a man with a sensitive nature. And I wouldn't change a thing!

So, mommas, even when your little men run around like this - don't be alarmed. They're gonna turn out all right.

Just finished reading the Great Bridge this afternoon - the book by David McCullough about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Let me tell you, if you have any interest in reading about historical things, the place to start is with anything written by David McCullough. I have probably said this before, but the man has an incredible gift for making history come to life! I LOVE his books! So far, I've read John Adams, Truman and now, the Great Bridge. He's written others and I intend to gobble them up. His books are not short, but they are well worth the commitment of time and energy. You learn SO much and feel truly connected to times and places that would otherwise seem completely abstract.
The Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River from Brooklyn to New York and was constructed in a time when Brooklyn was its own city looking across the East River to big, bad New York. The days of Tammany Hall...Boss Tweed...pre-electricity...pre-telephone...Construction officially began in 1870 and 13 years later on Maybe 24, 1883, the Bridge opened. And in between...well, it's some fascinating stuff.
The Bridge was the brainchild of John A. Roebling, a German immigrant who gives new meaning to the words "internally motivated."The man was an engineering genius whose bridges ushered in a new era of engineering and aesthetic marvels. The oldest suspension bridge in America, in Port Jervis, NY, was built by him.

He actually died from complications of an injury sustained while preparing for construction on the bridge. Fortunately, his son, Washington Roebling was also an engineer and had been groomed by his father for just such this occasion. Upon his father's death, Washington stepped in as Chief Engineer and accomplished a task that absolutely boggled my mind as I read about it. I had NO idea what was involved in building a suspension bridge, much less one of the size, spanse and caliber of the Brooklyn Bridge. Seriously, read the book. You, too, will marvel!

I could go on and on in my enthusiasm and delight for all the things I learned, but I'll leave some mystery for you to uncover on your own! Now, in regards to the title of this post - Strange Coincidence - you may be wondering to what I refer.

Here it is: with virtually no prior knowledge of the Brooklyn Bridge (other than having been to NY and seen it) and absolutely no prior knowledge of its creator/engineer, a strange thing happened. First of all, we named our daughter Brooklyn. And yes, it is largely because of the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY, etc. Secondly, my son's name is August. A name chosen for its meaning, its uniqueness, its rarity and because we loved it. Turns out, the middle name of the Brooklyn Bridge's creator and original Chief Engineer, Mr. John A. Roebling is...you guessed it...Augustus.

What a crazy coincidence! What are the odds that both of my children's names would be linked in such a way - in a way completely unrelated to their parentage and last name! Maybe it was just meant to be...

With the exception of the attic playroom (whose day is coming), we have officially painted every single room in this house. YIPPEE!
The last room completed was the entryway/foyer/stairwell. I love it. Thank you, Kyle!!!

Be careful when washing your children in hot water. Sometimes they shrink. Always wash according to the label.

I continue to be surprised at the things that come out of my children's mouth - and by things, I mean of the verbal nature, although the literal contents are also sometimes surprising. For instance, when August spits out an entire black paper binder that he's tucked back in his cheeks for safekeeping.

Or when Brooklyn is repeating something catchy over and over, and I realize that my child is saying, "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner."

This phrase sounds kinda familiar to me, so I call my husband and say, Kyle, listen to what Brooklyn's saying. He listens and promptly bursts out laughing. And he reminded me that it is a Vegas phrase having to do with winning at Blackjack. If you've ever seen the movie 21, it's all over that movie.

So either my daughter has a secret hobby on the side or someone she hangs around does...

I sit here this evening a happy woman. I am delighted to say that the baby shower for Lauren was a HUGE success. I think there were over 50 people here today, and there is no greater feeling than hearing the happy buzz of voices drifting on the air from women who mean so much to you.
It was wonderful to see the rooms of this old house filled with women whose faces were alight with the glow of fellowship, food and celebration. Lauren literally did not move as she opened gift after gift after gift. My mom was so moved to see her friends arrive in droves to honor her, their friendship and now her daughters-in-law. It was so incredible for me, as Donna's oldest daughter, to see as well. I hope someday to have amassed my own network of women whose lives are irrevocably bound by layers upon layers of love, history, time, tears, laughter, fellowship and most of all a common love for Jesus Christ.

During our lifetime, we are blessed if we are able to see our lives connect with other women in what can only be categorized as a quilt of relationships. Different women, different personalities, different interests, different passions, different everything, yet if we choose to invest the time and energy, little threads begin to weave in and among us, tying our hearts to each other's. We share each other's joys - weddings, births, birthdays, anniversaries - and cry for each other's hurts - deaths, divorces, loss of parents and grandparents, miscarriages - and spend time together as our kids are born and grow and change. We work out together, sweating and huffing and puffing. We study the Word together, side by side struggling to climb the narrow path God sets before us. We hug and absorb the sweetness that is the touch of another soul. We smile and share the beauty that is joy being transferred through the air.
And over time, that quilt is there to wrap around us in cold, dark days...as a source of strength, comfort, familiarity and solidarity. And it's a legacy. My mom has such a legacy and I saw it in action today. And it made me proud of her. I stood in the kitchen discussing such a legacy with my friend, Carol. We remembered all the days our moms spent together being young moms and we marveled at the fact that we were now having our turn. And hoping that our little girls would someday be able to rejoice in the legacy of friends we leave to them.
So, amidst cupcakes, Oreo balls, spinach dip, fruit and veggie trays, something greater than just an exchange of gifts took place here today. And I am proud to say that I stretched out my arms to grab the edges of that legacy of friends, of godly women, and wrapped it all around me, taking in the sweet aroma of friendship and inhaling deeply.

For those of you who wonder what happened to me...here I am. It's 11:30 on Thursday night and this is just about the first opportunity I've had to sit down and post anything on this crazy blog. Why, you might ask?

And I would laugh with a note of hysteria creeping into my voice.

Why, indeed. Well, for starters, because things have just been insane. The last day I was able to sit down and do this, I was still 31. Now I'm a whole year older. Well, 32 anyway. As of August 24th.
And let me tell you, my birthday was just about one of the greatest birthdays I've ever had! Kyle took the afternoon off and we gave the kids to my mom and we went to a matinee! To see the Time Traveler's Wife - which I had been waiting to see for months. I own a signed copy of the book and have been a HUGE fan of Audrey Niffenegger ever since reading it. In fact, we advance purchased her second book which isn't even out yet. Sigh.

After the movie, Kyle took me to dinner at Acadia, this fancy, exquisite restaurant where we had a tiny little table in a dark corner - perfect for staring into each others eyes and talking for hours while savoring delicious food. Which is exactly what we did!

The next day, things kicked into gear in my life.

I'm a Core Group leader for Community Bible Study, and our Tuesday training sessions began....followed by more training and more training. And then the actual Bible study began on September 2. And my kids went to Mother's Day Out for the first time. And August ran a fever for 9 days straight, waking up on the first day of MDO running a fever of 102.7... And then Labor Day weekend happened and then we found bugs in our closet that have apparently been eating holes in my clothing. And then we started painting our entry-way and had to pause to deal with our cloth-eating bugs..and the laundry which that has necessitated. Oh, the LAUNDRY!!!!! And I'm hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law here Sunday and I'm viewing the chaos which is currently my house and my feet start jumping and my hands start twitching and I feel the need to go run a mile really really fast to burn off some nervous energy!

So the bugs. Yeah, well, let me just say that I hope you never have to experience this. Thanks to google, I have identified our invaders as casemaking clothes moths and carpet beetles. They steer clear of cotton, but love wool and other fabrics. So they found our sweaters and our suits. And are everywhere. Where they came from I have no idea.

But I am more than a little repulsed at their presence here. Terminix has been here twice and yesterday after he sprayed, we were banished from our house for 4 hours. Since I discovered these little critters (last Thursday), I have done nothing but laundry. With the exception of Sat, Sun and Mon when we were at the Farm for its grand re-opening (pictures to follow later) - my washer and dryer have been running steadily. Thankfully, I have a brand new washer and dryer, so they're efficiently earning their keep!

And I've folded so many clothes and sorted so many clothes and continue to throw them in the wash, transfer them to the dryer and do it all over again so many times I feel like I'm getting dizzy. Not to mention the dry cleaning bill because of course you can't wash the clothes you really need to. So I paid $75 for a stupid dry cleaners to do it!!!! And on top of that, now my entire upstairs smells like mothballs because I practically bought out the Container Store's selection of clothes moth and carpet beetle killers/repellant. Sigh.

So, if you happen to brush shoulders against a very frazzled looking young mom who smells vaguely of detergent and mothballs and who has bags under her eyes while trying to corral her two little toddlers while remembering to buy milk, eggs and bread....it's probably me.