Bon Voyage

I'm all packed for Israel, and we leave in about 20 minutes.  As I was cleaning out my very fat wallet so I don't bring unnecessary cards, etc., I realized just how fat it really was.  It's like the wallet went on a crazy diet and lost a ton of weight, and all that's left is this stretched out shell of skin - it feels quite empty now.  Plus it's all ratty, torn in places, and cracked.  I found a receipt in there for an oil change in Kankakee, IL, from 1996.  That made me think - I have no idea how long I've had this particular wallet, but I can't remember ever having another one.  Is this my very first wallet?  I just recently tossed a pair of shoes from 7th grade (so, 1988???) that I had been using forever for yard work.

Yes, I think that this trip may be the decommissioning, the bon voyage, the retirement trip for this wallet.  I have a very nice replacement for it that Beth's brother/sister-in-law gave me for Christmas - just haven't made the switch yet.

Leaving tomorrow for Israel

Happy Easter!  I have to make this very quick; dad and I leave tomorrow for the NCC's tour to Israel.  I've just finished writing up all the "just in case" information for Beth, and now I have to start packing.  I told my mom not to panic on my behalf.  Dad is here, and the girls been enjoying playing with him.
Cara is doing just fine - thanks for everyone's prayers and support.  Dad gave us some tips for next time it happens.  She has a lot of energy today, in fact.  Of course, now the tables have turned, and Anna is now feeling crummy with a fever.  I read the warning signs that something must be wrong:

• she told me she's tired
• she told me she wants to take a nap
• she refused an offer of cake
• she refused an offer of jelly beans!

Hopefully it won't last too long.  And hopefully I won't get a turn at this while I'm away.  In case anyone's interested, I've scanned a copy of our itinerary in Israel, so you can see what we'll be doing each day on our trip.  I'm not sure if I'll have the equipment to be able to post pictures each day or not - I'm not bringing my work laptop.

Must go start packing now!

Quite a scare tonight

Cara, after using markers

It's a little after 1am. We just had quite a scare with Cara.  She cried out, so Beth went to check on her.  She was burning up, unresponsive, making a kind of choking sound like something was in her throat, and her eyes were rolled back.  We took off her PJs and put a cold, wet, towel on her head.  The temperature under her arm was 104.2, so her actual temperature was probably higher.  While I tried to get Cara to respond to us, Beth called 911.

By the time the paramedics arrived, Cara finally snapped out of whatever it was, and although she was very lethargic still, at least she was looking aware of where she was.  The paramedics said that what we described sounded like a "febrile seizure," where she had a low grade fever all day then it just spiked, and the high temperature caused what we saw.  They said we should take her to the ER, so that's where Beth is going now.  I'm staying home because somehow, Anna slept through all the commotion and is still asleep in her bed.  Cara was very clingy to Beth.

By the time we were putting Cara into the car, she was talking, and even saying, "Bye, Daddy!"  So I think everything will be fine. It was a scary thing to see, though, when you have no idea what's happening, for how long, why, or how serious it is.

At least I wasn't out of town just yet.  I'm a little concerned about the trend, though - last time I was out of town (in Seattle), Beth had to have the fire department come and break in to the house.  Cara had locked her out when she was getting the paper!

Why I work

This morning as we're all getting ready for the day, Anna asked where I was going.  I said that I was getting ready to go to work.  She asked why I have to work, and I said, "So I can get money to let us live in this house, and have clothes, and have food."  She added, "And have dessert!"

Ready for Israel

Sea of Galilee

Tonight was the last rehearsal before The National Christian Choir travels to Israel.  I've been so busy with work, the kids, listing/fixing the house, getting my car fixed, doing taxes, figuring out health insurance changes, etc., etc., etc., that it didn't really sink in how close the trip was until Harry (the director) said "See you in the Holy Land!" before we went home.  We're all very excited.  We had several additional singers from the region who are singing with us in Israel at our last few rehearsals.  We're expecting around 30 or 40 more singers from around the country to also join us, but we won't be meeting them or rehearsing with them until we get to Tel Aviv next week.  Dad arrives this weekend to stay at our house in Maryland a few days before we depart for Israel. It should be quite an experience - please keep all of us (around 300 in total) in your prayers as we travel!

Little signs of growing up

I don't even remember when she started doing this, but it just occurred to me that Anna walks up and down the stairs now using one step per stair.  She doesn't put both feet on each step like she used to.  It made me a little sad.

Anecdotes for March 14, 2008

Cara likes to pretend, at random times, that she's either a puppy or a kitty.  It's not hard to guess which it is.  If it's a puppy, she'll walk up to you and state, "Woof." Then she'll lick you.  If it's a kitty, she'll walk up to you and state, "Meow."  Then she'll put her head on you.

She's not very ticklish on her feet.  I've tried it several times, but it doesn't faze her.  In fact, it turns out she likes it.  When you stop "tickling" her feet, she'll grab your finger and pull it back to her feet to have you keep rubbing it.  She likes when you lightly caress her face with your finger, too.  If she happens to be sitting in your lap, relaxed, she'll grab your hand and pull it to her face.  Then she'll do it again if you stop.

Last week I brought home a "surprise" on a couple days for the girls to entice them (well, to entice Anna, mainly) to eat their dinner.  The first time the surprise was a big chocolate chip cookie.  The second time it was gummy bears.  Beth brought the girls by the office this week to sign some papers.  Anna wanted to stay with me at the office and was sad when she had to leave.  On the way home she told Beth that she wanted a surprise when they got home.  It turns out the "surprise" was well-defined - she later revealed she wanted a cookie as the surprise.  She still likes to play hide and seek - only when it's her turn to hide and you finish counting, she yells, "Over here! Over here!!"

Yesterday at preschool everyone wore green, a leprechaun visited the school, and during chapel they learned all about Easter.  Did Anna tell us any of this?  No - when Beth asked what she learned in chapel, she said that Mrs. Sacardi said that the ants go outside.  Apparently, an ant had crawled onto Anna's hand, and it traumatized her, and her teacher had to reassure her that the ants live outside.  Anna still plays with a "money purse" that she made in Sunday school weeks and weeks ago.  She loves that money purse, which is a paper plate folded into a cup-like form with a string through it for the handle.

Last night at about 1am, Anna woke up screaming in terror.  Woke everyone up.  Cara woke up and was scared at the screaming and started crying herself.  I asked Beth what happened, and she said that Anna told her that she dreamed an ant was crawling on her hand and got scared.  I guess we know who's not going to be an entomologist.