And oh yeah, we probably should get the Christmas tree up at some point.

Big and juicy.

That's how the ENT described Andrew's tonsils and adenoids after he took them out.  Lovely.

A month earlier, when the ENT took one look at Andrew's tonsils and said, "Oh yeah" I knew surgery was around the corner. And that was the easy part. The surgery went just fine. And then we had to deal with the aftermath. Four days of vomiting everything except Gatorade, being startled out of sleep by a cowbell beckoning us to Andrew's side, a lethargic boy with barely enough energy to lay and the couch watch ESPN, communicating through writing notes and a crude form of sign language that strangely enough I could understand, and the loss of 8 pounds (on Andrew's part, not mine).

These pictures are from the day after.  Andrew still had rosy cheeks, enough energy to sit up and play some PS3, unsunken eyes free from dark circles, and a smile.  Milli came over to snuggle and watch over him and give him some kisses.  (And clean my kitchen floor for me.)  The day after wasn't so bad.

The next three days, however, were pretty brutal on the poor kid.  He was wasting away to practically nothing.  I threatened to take him in to the ER, which horrified him.  He was terrified at the thought of having another IV in his hand.  My threats didn't do much good though, as he refused everything for fear of throwing it all back up.

While toying with the idea of becoming extremely freaked out with my son's condition, Sunday I talked to a resident friend of mine and realized that anything they did in the hospital would pretty much be the same thing I would be doing at home.  So with great hope that we could avoid another bruise to the back of Andrew's hand, we picked up some Pedialyte (nasty stuff), mixed it with some soda, and voila!  It stayed down.  Not only did it stay down, but so did some applesauce and toast at dinner.  And some appetizer's at Sister Jones' open house.  And he has slept all night for two nights in a row.  I hate to be so bold, but I dare say we have turned a corner.

Poor Andrew has been such a trooper through all this.  No complaining (was that just because he can't talk???), only a couple times crying (which I was grateful for because he had tears--not fully dehydrated!), and being willing to sleep during the day, which normally is like his worst nightmare.

I know that in the long run this was a good thing for him, and that someday his wife will thank me.  Because now, when he's sleeping, he is SILENT.  I know, because I tried to sleep next to him in my bed one night.  Yeah, that didn't work out so much.  But it wasn't due to any snoring, that's for sure.

Hold on to your horses.

It's hard to believe, but this little butterball...

...is now ten years old!

With burritos and nachos for dinner, cherry cheesecake (courtesy of Daryl!) as his cake of choice, and the whole family to help celebrate, Andrew has officially entered our family into a whole new category. 

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Location, location, location.

So Emma tried out and qualified for the Geography Bee at school. She was a reluctant competitor. But she ended up taking all but two students down, and after a fierce run-off, ended up as the third place winner! I don't think she really expected it.

I was working at the school that day and just happened to have my camera with me. I was excited to watch it and hear all the kids cheer each other on.

I thought the questions got harder as it went on, and was completely stumped at the final one, which was essentially, "Which country is Timbuktu in?"  At home that night, however, I was very quickly put to shame by all three girls, who immediately knew the answer was Mali.  All righty then.  No Geo Bees for me.

She got a rather large trophy for her efforts.

Even though the state which shares the Bitterroot Mountain Range with Montana eluded her, Emma did a super job and we are super impressed with her geography skills.

Winter Concerts, round 3

4th grade musical

Elfis and the Sleigh Riders

Andrew's line: "I think I am going to cry!"

He got some laughs for that one!

LOVE the second soloist in this song.  It was such a neat surprise to hear this quiet little girl have such a big voice!  I asked her if she was going to try out for American Idol and I think I scared her.  She would totally have my vote!

P.S. Not included--a jazz band concert.  I decided to just listen and enjoy instead of worrying about the camera.  It's a lot to get to all these performances, but the kids are so talented and they get better and better every year.  In all reality, it's a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

Winter Concerts, round 2

6th grade orchestra, Greensleeves, and choir

This is Greensleeves, a group of kids who meet in the mornings to practice.

Winter Concerts, round 1

8th grade band and choir

(This song from the band is good, but I really wish that I had been recording the song from Pirates of the Caribbean like I thought I was, because that song was exceptional.)