We need to hire an in-home nurse.

Saturday of last week, Caroline came down with the stomach flu. Poor girl, she was sick from Saturday evening through the night, and was recovering Sunday. Monday morning, I came down with it. I couldn't seem to shake the fatigue & nausea, even though I was only *sick* for a short time early Monday morning. Thursday morning, I got it again. By Friday, I started feeling better, and by Saturday, I could begin to remember how nice it feels to just be healthy. Phew!

And then Sunday morning, Bob woke up to some nausea, chills, and body aches.

We've had a rough go of it, at our house. Fortunately, several cans of chicken soup later, we seem to be on the mend. Bob went to work today (with lots of warnings from me to take it easy, remember to stay hydrated, etc.). Caroline's gearing up for school tomorrow. Lucy seems as healthy as ever.

And Will's fighting a bad case of diarrhea. (I know. TMI. I'm grossed out, too.)

Will it never end?

At least I have a snowstorm or two to look forward to. It's looking like we should get at least a couple inches tomorrow, with more coming over the weekend, maybe. I've been checking the weather compulsively because there's a state park nearby that offers actual sleigh rides, when there's enough snow, and I'm dying to surprise the kids (and my mother-in-law) with a family sleigh ride, complete with sleigh bells, mugs of hot chocolate, and everything. Soon!

I am in love...

with these house numbers.

And, lucky for me, Bob bought them for me for Christmas! I can't wait for them to be "installed" ...

When we bought the house, there was a cheap plaque on the wall of the front porch. It had the four digits of our house number, but off-center, like perhaps it had been purchased, on clearance, and had originally had five digits, and they knocked off the last one? Maybe they just installed them off-center. I don't know. But this is the third house for which I've itched to get nice house numbers, and actually attach them to THE HOUSE.

At our first house, we did replace the house numbers, but Bob put them on a (painted) piece of wood which hung by our front door. I really wanted numbers that were big enough to be seen easily from the street, and that were intended to be screwed into the wood over the front porch, or wherever.

After we had this house painted, the plaque has just been leaning on the front steps ... tripping people as they walk, unsuspecting, down the stairs, and confusing the UPS guy, who doesn't come here frequently enough to know our house number. I've seen him slow down, peering at the neighbors' houses on either side, trying to discern what our house number might be.

We can no longer direct people to our house by saying, it's the house after the curve, with the plywood on the side. Soon, we'll be able to simply tell people our address. What a luxury!

Soon, and very soon.

(The house numbers are available from Rejuvenation.)