i've got the kids rolling on math, so i have a few minutes to blog.

today it's soupy out. i got out at 6:30 to exercise. i'm finally getting back in the swing of daily exercise after being sick for over a week. i got a really bad cold and then bronchitis. thankfully that's on it's way out, and life is returning to normal. i haven't started running again, but i plan to, i don't know, maybe tomorrow. i'll probably run the Vern's No Frills 5K with Margaret and Samuel on saturday even though i haven't trained for it. heck, for $1 entry fee, why not?

we've been getting a little more sleep this week. either Hazel is only waking once or twice to eat, or i'm sleeping through her feedings. either way, i feel more rested than i did a couple of weeks ago.

we've been trying to get out and get Christmas shopping done most afternoons after we finish school. it's rather crazy getting 5 kids out the door. the boys tend to be scatterbrains often, and there is always something important left behind, like shoes or a coat. or their spending money.

i whipped up some Christmas skirts for the little girls in the family - Aili, Anni, and Hazel. here's a pic of Aili and Hazel's ~

they have a layer of tulle in between the fabric layers to make them puff out.

i had to go to the doctor last week because i couldn't stop wheezing. i sounded so bad that the doctor asked me whether or not i had asthma. i've been asked that by doctors 3 or 4 times, and i always wanna say, "i don't know, maybe i should ask a doctor." i'm sure i do have it, as my mom had is something awful as a kid, and Thomas has asthma pretty bad as well. the dr. gave me a new inhaler and put me on antibiotics. that was a week ago, and it still feels like i'm breathing through a wet filter. my dr. was so concerned about my breathing that he said for me to go to the hospital if i felt worse. i guess i didn't realize it was that serious.

we've been spending a good portion of our days trying to get Hazel to smile.she must think we're all looney. she has yet to indulge us. she seems like such a serious child.

off to drink my tea.