Stomach Flu '10

Because I know you want details.

And details I will give.

Or not.

It's been a long week, a long recovery, and I don't ever wish it upon anyone. Buster started it and then we enjoyed a 3-day break when LO AND BEHOLD what is this ENEMY in MY stomach? Came on strong and I was soon (7 hours later) joined by Big Sis. We were a pitiful sight and Carter got way more than his fair share of laundering, cleaning up, holding back hair, and listening to not so sweet sounds for many many hours.

Big Sis bounced back about 48 hours later and about 48 hours after that, I picked myself off the bathroom floor to join the family at the dinner table where I was greeted by Tiny Miss doing her best impersonation of the Exorcist and spewing green junk across the room.

Awesome.

4 went down during Stomach Flu '10.

And 4 will rise, people. 4 WILL RISE AGAIN.

Just as soon as we consume as many calories as we ridded ourselves of, which will probably be around the time Stomach Flu '11 arrives.

Shark Race

Carter and the kiddos ran in the Shark Run 1/2 mile "Tot Trot" sponsored by his school this weekend. It was 1/2 mile of horrendous terrain.

Or maybe it was in a parking lot. But the rain did take the competition to darn near Olympic proportions.



They've been training for a while in our neighborhood and when Buster isn't busting it on the pavement, he does really well. But Big Sis...she's a different story. She's got the runner makeup. She's a pace runner. She's not deterred by the trumpet sounds to start the race. She never increases or decreases her speed. Shes a "steady wins the race" kinda girl.



While her Daddy picked up her wailing bro about 1/4 of a mile into it, she didn't lose sight of the finish line and left them in the dust running her 4 yr. old self solo the last half. It was beautiful. She sailed through the finish line, received her medal of honor and got especially excited when presented with HER VERY OWN WATER BOTTLE!

Man, the perks. We didn't pay $8 for nothing.



Speaking of Olympic proportions, Carter Prefontaine won 3rd place in his age division for the 5K race. We're not exactly sure how many runners were in his age bracket, but we're estimating it to be around 47,000. So third place is not too shabby facing those odds.



I've never been more proud to be their out-o-shape-hiding-behind-baby-stroller-eating-bon-bons mommy and wife.

The Bald and the Beautiful

Every picture of these two recently looks like this. Babies on the move! One twin is officially crawling, the other is rocking, and my life shall be forever changed.

Before the snow falls

We went outside today in search of snow, but came up empty. We're planning to stay up until 4am to wait for it since that's when Mr. Weatherman expects it. And though he says "sleet", we hear "blizzard". C'mon, SNOW, my kids have never seen you before and I spent the last snowstorm indoors with a stomach virus back in '93 so you owe me!

Camera is in "bright snow" setting, ready at any moment. Do not disappoint.

Christmas came and went and didn't say goodbye...

We had a wonderful Christmas break! The most enjoyable, besides the obvious of having my hubs home for a couple of weeks (GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!), was our travels to see families. We stayed here until Christmas day (of which I got no pics on Christmas morning....how did that happen?) and then headed off to Nashville for a couple of days and then Marietta for a week.

The logistics of traveling were pretty crazy and we definitely looked like the Clampets coming to town, but the kiddos did great and we wouldn't have wanted to miss out on seeing the fams.

The Dynamic Duo enjoyed their very first Christmas, but especially loved being held and snuggled by so many different people who love them. And Mommy and Daddy enjoyed leaving them with those people so we could sneak out a few times solo! Woohooooooo! Oh the little things....

Here's the original 5 of the Gillis clan...

...that somehow morphed into 15 in the blink of an eye...

Buster and his sweet cousin of the same age...

Aunt SuSu working the crowd of a niece, a couple of nephews and a few of my own...

Ahhhhhh, time spent with best buds. Adult conversation? What's that?? Wait, this is Alicia we're talking about. No adult conversation because we're still in 6th grade!

Let me just say my kids are blessed to have 2 great-grandmothers who love them so much! Don't they look great? Here's Mama Dot with her brown eyed boy...

Memomma and her grandchildren...

Christmas Eve in all their fanciness...

Buster Boy looking fly...

Big Sis pretty as ever...

And the Dynamic Duo on their 1st Christmas. Our lives are forever changed for the better because of these 2 joining us this year...

Next time, Christmas, could you at least tell us goodbye? You're just too fast.