Dr Nate

After Thanksgiving dinner, we packed our pillow and bags and drove to Tennessee to visit my sister-in-law and her family. They are the closest Scott family around. They are blessing their 3 month old daughter this Sunday. We got here about one o'clock our time and it took about half an hour to get kids in bed and to sleep.

This morning the kids were all playing. I was trying to read on the air mattress we slept on when Nate came up with a toy stethoscope. He started to put the receiver thing on me and my translation of what he said was:

"I want to listen to your breasts." I was a little taken a back (immediately thought of Mallory and her "boobs") and asked,

"You want to listen to what?"

"Your breasts." He looked at me like what part of breasts don't you understand? Then he put the stethoscope near my belly button.

Okay, I thought. He's either really confused or means something else. I tried to show him where my heart was, which with "breasts" made sense. As I tried to put the stethoscope up where he could hear my heart, Nate enunciated just enough so I understood what he meant.

"NO. BREATHS!"

Got it. And then he tried to put it back by my belly button. "Buddy, I don't breath through my belly button, silly." Then he gave me a "you're silly mom" look, picked up his equipment and left the room.

I don't know that a medical license is in his future.

Trick or Treat 2009

Our halloween tradition is going to the Dunahee's house to trick or treat in their Irvington neighborhood. We've done it for the last four years probably. The last two years, we've used our fire pit out on their front lawn and invited the youth of the ward and their families to trick or treat in the area. This year was the biggest turn out yet. Everyone coming brings candy to contribute so trick or treaters at the Dunahee lawn hit three to four houses in one shot.

This year it started off chilly, with a very cool breeze, but then the dark came on and the wind turned off. It wasn't that bad. I went, again without Eric, who has been fighting a cough since about Halloween, and who didn't want to get Dunahee's six week old baby sick.

Anyway, the kids made a sugar fortune. After the goodie haul, I had them pick one candy, except for Graigry who didn't get the memo and was snarfing things down before I caught his chocolate coated chin. Then we put the bags away until I could go through them. On Monday I let each of them pick 25 pieces to put into their own brown bag that I keep on top of the cabinet. I use them as lunch treats or incentive for finishing foods. The rest of the stuff is saved for Christmas candy house and candy crave solvers for Mommy.

Neta ended up as a clown, but that was her fourth costume in 24 hours. I bought her a bumble bee costume at Goodwill for five bucks, which she wanted to wear until I brought up the other costumes from previous years. Then she saw the doggie and tried that on. Then Halloween morning, she wanted to be a Tigger. Halloween night, she tried on the clown and it stuck (or she ran out of time to change again, either one).

By the time we drove back, they were all asleep in the car. If we'd had an attached garage, I might have left them asleep, unbuckled, in the car, but I carried the three youngest and woke the two oldest so they could play the zombie and drop in their tombs until daybreak.

11 Years and Counting

Because we love DC so much, and due to a conveniently timed work conference, Eric and I spent our 11th anniversary in Maryland. He was in a meeting all day October 15, so I watched more television than I have in years, tried to go to the pool but it was locked, hit the treadmill and the bike, did some young women stuff and surfed the internet from the club lounge until Eric was done around five thirty. We went to dinner at a place close and then went back to the hotel and watched a movie.

Thursday morning Eric had another meeting out of the hotel, so I did some of the same stuff, but got to the pool before ten and didn't watch as much television. Eric was back by two and we hit the Metro to go downtown DC. Unlike last time when we enjoyed such wonderful weather, it was chilly and wet. We didn't walk the mall and it was too late for a tour of the capital so I decided I wanted to see the Smithsonian of American History. I got to see Dorthy's ruby slippers, Kermit the Frog, some instruments, a Dumbo ride from Disneyland, but my favorite part was walking through the wing dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.

It was a bit emotional for me, especially when you first walk in and see THE hat that he was wearing the night he was shot. Later on there is a cuff or bandage or something that has stains on it from his blood. There are two face masks, one at the begining (with a mold of his hand) and one at the end of his presidency. Being the president really ages you quickly. There are quotes and life sketch paragraphs on the wall retelling or accounting something from his early life through the end of his presidency, all helping you better know the great Lincoln (you've got a lot to aspire too Graigry!). The one life scene I took a picture of I liked because it showed that he did what work was available, I felt. He worked at what others might think menial and below them, but he worked, never aspiring to a grand position or even thinking that a little country boy would end up saving a nation.

 Across the hall was an American Presidents and artifacts section. It had a wall timeline of presidents, pictures and names, their years in office and some event tied to their presidency. In the next "room," you could vote on who you thought was the most effective or efficient president out of I think it was five. There were different uniforms, dresses, toys, pictures, desks and other stuff from those living in the White House. There was one place where you could pick the inauguration and stand in as president. I think this one was JFK's. One day Love (then again, I really don't want to be a first lady)!

The Smithsonian closed at 5:30 so we left and tried to get something to eat. We tried "The W" which had a decent view of the white house, moreso if it wasn't so overcast, but it also felt more upscale and had a bar type atmosphere, so we left after browzing. We headed up a few blocks to another restaurant, but there was a 45 minute wait. They told us to check another place a few blocks away. There wasn't a bad wait, but I didn't feel like paying $15-$20 for a plate of food. Finally we decided to catch the Metro, go back to the hotel and eat there. By the time we got back to the hotel, I think it was between eight and nine. We were tired and hungry.

We left Saturday afternoon on a direct flight to Indy, so we weren't able to get back to downtown DC this trip. There is so much to see and do. I can't wait to take the kids, when they are older and will appreciate it more.