All Drugged Up

Did I mentioned that the kids are sick again...I suppose I should say "were" because they have been sufficiently drugged and are now well on their way back to health (at least I hope.) Ellery had strep AGAIN and Vaughan had an ear infection. Needless to say, there were a few sleepless nights around here and day after day after day of time hanging out at home.

Speaking of time at home, have you been to Concoctions for Kids? This site has all kinds of fun stuff to mix and make with your kids. Usually on rainy days we manage to make SOMETHING in the kitchen or from this site. So, over the last few weeks when we have been homebound....we have been checking things out to make.

I know I mentioned the homemade play dough last week but amidst the demanding needs of my children, I never got around to posting about it here. So here it is.

Basically, you mix flour, water, salt, oil and cream of tartar in cook it in a saucepan.

I realize it doesn't look like much here....but stick with it and keep stirring and cooking. We made this batch purplish...not really purple, not really pink.

I am not sure what was going on here with the dolls. Maybe some sort of princess spa treatment?

So for the homemade play dough...mix the following and cook in a saucepan.

1 cup Flour
1 cup Water
1 or 2 drops Food Coloring
1/2 cup Salt
1 tablespoon Oil
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

The mixture is ready when it comes together and forms a ball.

Next, knead the dough until it has a smooth, workable texture. We store ours in a plastic bag and it lasts a long time.

Enjoy!

Room Remake

I was a bit anxious to move the girls into a room together. I mean, sleep is precious. Especially when you are preparing to give birth and there is no real sleep in sight for months to come.

We wanted to make sure that Vaughan didn't feel like she was moving into Ellery's room. We wanted to create a new room that truly belonged to them both.

I tried to find some before pics - but alas I couldn't locate one. So you will have to use your imaginations. The room was painted pale green and there were pink accents.

This time around we went for navy and pink. We added a second bed, put in a new (to them) rug, got new dressers and MOST IMPORTANTLY got those mosquito net things that go over their beds. It makes them feel like princesses....or so they say.

The move has gone remarkably well. The girls LOVE sharing a room. They are easier to put to bed and (when not sick) seem to sleep better. They don't generally wake each other up at night or keep each other up before bed - but sometimes one will wake the other up in the morning :-) Alan and I love to listen in on their conversations....they are priceless.

We've Been Hit Again

(picture from the ranch)

We've been hit again....by the germs, that is. Ellery seems to have another bug - hopefully this time just a virus. Hopefully one that is gone in another 24 hours. Looks like today will be another day of movie watching and popsicle eating and with just 10 or 11 more weeks until baby #3 arrives...I am ok with this too!

The McKnight Ranch - Fredonia, TX

Last weekend Alan, the girls, Gagi, Pop Pop, Uncle Jared and I all journeyed to Fredonia, TX. The girls were beyond excited to see the cows and play with their cousins. The rest of us were beyond excited to partake in some good Mexican food (why can't I find a good breakfast taco in Atlanta?) and good BBQ.



Earlier in the week, Alan and I checked the weather. Expectations were that about 130 people were going to be attending the festivities. We were surprised and worried when we saw the forecast called for rain. Not just a shower, the forecast promised day after day after day of rain. To be clear, Fredonia is in West Texas. It just doesn't rain like that in West Texas. Certainly weather.com must be wrong. I checked the weather every day....it never changed.


Sure enough, we landed to overcast skies and while making our way to the ranch we were greeted with some rain. We never could have imagined just how much rain we were going to see.


Thursday night, we were doused with rain. While this made for good sleeping, rain doesn't make for a good outdoor party. Friday the rain continued. In rural West Texas, creeks spring up quite suddenly when it rains and there are no bridges on rural, dirt roads. Spontaneous creeks plus no bridges makes travel quite challenging.


Friday night, more family members arrived. Some were unable to make it to the ranch without help. The water crossings were well over 2 feet in some places -- always a dangerous scenario.


Despite hoping for the best, we awoke Saturday morning to more rain. We cleared out the barn and made plans to move the party indoors. But despite the planning and the worrying, the rain stopped around 7AM and help off. Not only did it not rain, it was SUNNY! The weather had turned just in time for the festivities to begin.


As always, our trip to Texas was too short. The girls were devastated when they learned of our Sunday departure. And why wouldn't they be devastated? What kid doesn't love acres and acres and of land to run through and explore with cousins and friends and animals?

Celebrating 135 Years of Texas Ranching

We have been in Fredonia, TX -- celebrating 135 of Texas Ranching with the family. We had a great time and I have lots of fabulous pictures to prove it. Just as soon as I find the time....just as soon as I find the time....just as soon as I find the time....

Strep Strikes Again

Strep has claimed another victim. Ellery was grumpy and downright whiny - I should have known something was amiss. Sure enough, yesterday she had a fever. I immediately called the doctor and made an appt. The rapid strep test came back positive.

So instead of enjoying this fabulous weather by visiting the park or the zoo, we were confined to our house. But, we did make the best of the situation and we are all on the mend now (at least I hope.)

Stay tuned for homemade play dough and inch worms!

Spring Breaking It

This year, we are staying home for Spring Break. This is a busy time for me at work and it is just impossible to get away. I thought the kids might be bored or disappointed just hanging around this week but these two will always surprise you!

They love lounging around, lazily taking in the morning. I love it too. I still have big plans about all that we are going to do....but where has the time gone?

The Lake

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!

Last Thursday afternoon we packed up the car, packed up the kids, and headed to the lake. The weather in Atlanta has finally turned - Spring is here - and we were all anxious to take advantage of the warm weather and sunshine.

We couldn't have hoped for a more picturesque weekend. The house sat right on the water, the dock was the perfect spot to take in the lake, the sunrise, or try to catch some fish (Gagi tried and tried but not a single fish was caught!) We were yards from a swimming pool and a close walk to the Country Club. The kids were estatic.

We spent Friday exploring the area, managed to head out to dinner and even took in a local fair with a live band.

Uncle Jared came out to see us on Saturday and we all went out on a friend's boat. We had a long, relaxing boat ride and stopped for a delicious lunch at the Ritz.

We wrapped up the night with an outdoor bbq and smores. The kids were exhausted when we tucked them in and they were a little worried about whether or not the Easter Bunny would know where to find them. But, the day on the lake left them listless and they were asleep before we made our way downstairs.

Much to the girls' delight, the Easter Bunny knew where to find us.

Sunrises and Strep

This sweet thing woke up with a slight fever and was vomiting repeatedly within 3 hours. I called Gagi for help - trying to contain a 2 year old and her vomit is challenging. We went from tub to shower to tub to shower -- Gagi found us wrapped in towels on the bathroom floor.



At any other time, I would have chalked it up to a stomach bug, but Gagi had been dog sitting for me. We decided to auction off this cute puppy at the girls' school auction I was co-chairing. The puppy needed a home for a week before the big event. Gagi volunteered and all would have been well and good had the dog not been diagnosed with Giardia.



Yeah, I had no idea what Giardia was either -- all that really matters that is that it is a parasite that can be passed from dogs to humans and it causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. We didn't realize the puppy had Giardia until we had been dog sitting for 3 days. So the kids both had ample time to french kiss the puppy again and again and again.



When Vaughan starting vomiting, I immediately thought that this was what she had. Off to the doctor we went. But, instead of a Giardia diagnosis we came home with a strep diagnosis.

After a lot of popsicles, we are on the mend.



Oh and we decided to head to the lake for Easter weekend. The sunrise alone was worth the trip. More on that tomorrow.