22 November 2009

Dear famlings,

Here's my rather disjointed FHE email, dictated by Sudafed-D. I hope that it finds you well.

Thursday 12 November

• I went to an urgent care clinic to get my cold looked at; it had changed into a very goopy annoyance over night. The doctor was a total idiot who patronized me, told me that I just had allergies, and added the positive reinforcement that my allergies would only increase with time. This doctor was so lazy and uninterested in me that he barely checked me out. And that was after a 2 1/2 hour wait! Grrr. Poor Carlos was a really good boy and used the clinic potty 3 times.

Friday 13 November

• Arianna only attended 1 1/2 hours of school, since we flew to Indiana with Kristina in the early afternoon. The flight was fine, but my "allergies" kept my nose running like a fountain despite heavy doses of Mucinex-D, Sudafed, Claritin, and Flonase. Thanks to Kirsten for having a hearty stew ready when we arrived! (Can I just say that I felt better about not being the only sick person there?)
• It was scary to return to Renegade Court knowing that Susan wouldn't be there. But, the house still smelled and felt like her, and she didn't actually seem so very far away. I was proud of all of us for pulling together.

Saturday 14 November

• Super Mario Kart on the Wii! Kirk and I showed the boys that old people can whup some booty, too.
• Table for 20? Could it be that the Rytting-Monson clan has surpassed Olive Garden's capacity for large parties? Marv was right to point out that some of the smaller kids couldn't actually be counted as a whole person, and we were finally seated despite the fire code.
• Shoes! Jonathan got his first pair of "walkers!" One of Susan's favorite things was to buy Stride Rite walking shoes for each grandbaby. I really felt close to her as we continued her tradition.
• A golden legacy. Susan's six daughters were privileged to each choose some jewelry to remember her by.

Sunday 15 November

• The Indiana memorial service made Susan's death seem even more real and final. But, it was a very nice service; I especially loved the tributes that Susan's friends made to her. Kirk and I have decided that Carlos was waving at Nana. 

Monday 16 November

• Homeward bound. Here's a funny story: An old lady sitting in front of us had been muttering something for a good half hour before she turned to Kirk and asked, "Why are we stopped?" She became increasingly agitated as she explained to other people, including a flight attendant, that the airplane was no longer moving. She even raised her window shade enough to prove that the inky blackness of the outside night was the same as it had been 10, 20, 30 minutes ago! Since everyone's first thought was to reassure and calm the lady, the audacity of her claim didn't fully sink in until later: an airplane frozen in midflight in the sky! I guess there really is such a thing as a flight with too little turbulence.

Tuesday 17 November

• Arie seemed pleased to return to school.
• Carlos helped me open several packages that arrived over the weekend. We've now got and wrapped almost every Christmas present--as well as birthday presents for people born in the holiday season!
• Around 8 a.m. MST, Kristen (and sort of Andrew) started the labor-induction process to get that baby out! I cheered on baby Asher with text messages such as, "You can't drink from the cow until you leave the barn," and "Do the hokey pokey..." I'm sure that these messages had a profound impact on Asher's eventual willingness to join the rest of us on this side of the birth canal. 

Wednesday 18 November

• What do you mean Kristen's still in labor?! Not until 9:22 a.m. did Asher's squished head finally make its debut. Congratulations, you guys!
• My cousin James took his family to Disneyland, and Carlos and I tagged along. Carlos really liked 6-year-old Liam. The Big Thunder Ranch changed to "Santa's Roundup" and featured 8 reindeer as well as Mr. and Mrs. Claus themselves. I was photographing a particular reindeer alongside another woman when the reindeer (it must have been Blitzen, because this was a real blitz) turned his butt right at us and let out a large and foul quantity of pee and turds! The lady remarked, "The fantasy just died."  :)
• Arianna joined the other 4 LILA campuses at Griffith Park for inter-campus Olympics.
• Arianna and Kirk joined us in the evening, and we all loved the holiday firework show as well as the fake snow.

Thursday 19 November

• It must be allergies! I am fully prepared to confess that some of my cold transferred to the kids, but this was no normal cold: Arianna was spurting thick streams of mucus! (Kirk has a similar reaction to nature the day after.) 
• I got a burst of energy, despite the cold, and transferred the kids' bookcase from Arie's room to Carlos's room. In conjunction with the new boy-blue comforter and twin bed, Carlos's room is really shaping up to reflect its owner! (Now we just need to find a way to get him to sleep in there!)

Friday 20 November

• I kept Arie home from school to make sure that her snotty explosions were really allergies. And they were. She had no symptoms by Friday. Carlos had had a fever the night before, but seemed normal the next day. My cold was feeling goopier again, but I couldn't keep my kids from cousins and Disneyland on my account! Unfortunately, my plan to play at the theme park only in the late afternoon/evening meant that we spent 3 hours driving to Anaheim.  :(

Saturday 21 November

• Sinus infection. The whole left side of my head. I was supposed to accompany my VT companion to the LA temple, where one of our VTees was getting endowed and then sealed to her family. Instead, I had to bail on such a momentous occasion and instead found myself, once again, at the urgent care clinic. Luckily, I was one of the first people there, so I didn't have to wait 2 1/2 hours again. Unluckily, the same doctor was working! I told the nurse about my experience with this guy the previous week, and she wondered if I actually wanted to see him again. "Only to cough in his face," I replied. So she sent me to the very personable and thorough pediatrician. Now, I am on Bactrin. 
• Kirk and the kids played at the park AND did some Christmas shopping...suspicious.
• Michael's finished framing our beautiful print of Jesus with multicultural children (by a Peruvian artist). The baby on Jesus's lap looks just like our 4-month-old Carlos did, bad hair and everything!

Sunday 22 November

• Sinus infection continues. The pain/pressure is not all the way gone, and I keep getting feverish, but by tomorrow I should be noticeably better. My symptoms have already decreased significantly. Now, if only we can all miraculously be in perfect health for Thanksgiving week!
• Arie and Carlos stayed home from church with me and watched "Rigoletto." I'm also trying to get them to color a packet of Thanksgiving pictures, but this is apparently *not* their thing today.

Looking ahead, I really hope that this turns into a great week. In our 8 years of marriage, we have never celebrated Thanksgiving in the West. This is an important "first!" Pray for us that we're healthy. I can't wait to gobble up newborn Asher!

Loves, Lauren