Broken Windows and Boogie Sucking

Hopefully I can get this written before the house stirs too much. It has been a rather adventure filled few weeks for us.

Gretl and Elska have started to become bestest buddies. Gretl kisses Elska's feet and doesn't mind having her hair pulled; Elska throws Cheerios, carrots, peas, beans, dill pickles, and everything else on the floor for Gretl to eat. It's a pretty perfect relationship really. They seem to be tag teaming us right now to see just how fast they can make my hair grey and Charlie's fall out.

Let me kiss you Mama!

Veteran's Day with Great-Grandpa

Elska has been cutting two more teeth (to join the two on the bottom - none on the top even look close) which resulted in a stuffy nose for a week along with a lot of drooling. I am SO glad that it's cleared up some for her. None of us were getting much sleep since she couldn't breathe well and didn't like our attempts to better help her with that. (Based on her levels of protestation, I'd like to suggest that the CIA abandon water boarding for terrorists and just suck the boogies out of their noses as an enhanced interrogation technique.) It did give us some time to compare different boogie suckers. For those wondering the results of our testing, the battery operated snot sucker was the quickest and easiest to use while the old fashioned one from the hospital was the most effective when she was really stuffy. We tried a few others including this one (we couldn't get enough suction with a flailing baby kicking the hose on it), and this one (the feature that made it possible to open it up and clean it properly made it pop apart when it was less than opportune).

Elska is growing up so fast. She's now a pro at sitting by herself, has started to lunge forward onto her knees (and occasionally face which is not as much fun), and give everyone rather gummy kisses. She loves chattering on Skype with GG and Granny a couple of times a week, always seems to be laughing, totally rocks out in the Johnny Jump-up, is fascinated by spoons, and has started to occasionally put her food in her mouth instead of immediately tossing it to the dog.

After Gretl broke a porch window because she wouldn't quit jumping on them, she became the owner of a training collar. (It is amazing how much better she listens and follows directions just by wearing it without our even using it.) Charlie and I learned all about cutting sheets of acrylic and replacing broken glass, and we really hope to not need the skill too much as it is a pain in the biscuits. Gretl also has developed a "sensitive stomach," and we are trying to figure out the exact cause(s). On the plus side for her, she has gotten to eat hamburger cooked up especially for her for the last two weeks or so while we reset her tummy. Rawhide chews are definitely out, and we're going to be checking her food next. That dog. It's a good thing that she's so darn cute and sweet in between being a little terror.

Charlie had a second interview at Petco a couple of weeks ago and finally heard back from them late this week. It had come down to him and one other person for the position, and they went with the latter. While he was (and still is) disappointed because he had really been hoping to get the job, he's decided that it's a message from the Lord that he needs to focus on school right now instead. This next week we will be working on filling out forms and applications, so he can start at the beginning of the next semester.

On my end, it's mostly all of the little things that make the household run though I have started seeing a D.O. and going to weekly physical therapy (in addition to the chiropractor) for my back. It is getting somewhat better, but not as fast as I'd like. OK, anything short of "better by two weeks ago" is not as fast as I'd like, but I'm trying to have patience with the process.

I can hear a little girl starting to chatter in the other room..... Have a great weekend!