It Has Been Lovely

Lets see how much I can remember about this past week...
Monday evening we had conferences at school. Loved what we heard from the teachers about our children. Nick loves science and is doing well in math and spelling, too. He had a story he wrote selected for Niles North's Writers Workshop. The drama students will read and, I think, act out his story during a couple performances this week. He gets a T-shirt and certificate. They will get to see a sneak preview at school on Thursday. Ellie is doing much better this quarter.
Tuesday we went downtown to Macy's. We went to visit with santa before eating lunch in the walnut room. We had a table by the tree and the fairy came to grant wishes. The tree was very different this year and the kids loved the light show. We walked around the balcony upstairs to see it from different angles. We walked State Street to see the windows but they were pretty disappointing. We picked up some popcorn at Garrett's before doing a quick walk through Christkindlmarket and viewing the Christmas tree.
Wednesday we began the day at the ChooChoo in Des Plaines. Nick had never eaten there and thought it was pretty cool. We had a booth and the train delivered our food. Ellie and I shared our sandwiches and we all split a milkshake. We saw Madagascar at the big Pickwick theater in the afternoon. The kids were amazed at the size of the main theater. By Wednesday night...Nick had started to have an ugly cough.
Nick woke up Thursday and clearly was sick. Ellie and Rob went to church. Ellie had volunteered to be one of the Angels that received the food donations during the service. Nick spent the morning on a Merry go Round of coughing, vomiting, extreme fever, chills. We went to Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving dinner but Nick was really out of it. Tony was sick with almost the same crap. Uncle Bry drove down from Wisconsin for the day, the GGs didn't end up joining us, but it was a lovely time. Good company, food, and family. Lots of pajama time and cuddling in the evening.
Friday morning, I went out to do Black Friday thrift shopping. Ellie and I went to meet Becki and Eddie for lunch. Rob and Nick stayed at the house and relaxed and tried to get better. Nick's fever broke and he was feeling a bit better. Mom and Dad took Ellie for an overnight.
Saturday morning Nick and I stayed in our pajamas and played. Rob had to work for a couple hours. When he got home he helped bring up all the Christmas boxes. We got the tree up and decorated. Mom and Dad dropped Ellie off in the afternoon. We went and ordered a new refrigerator at Abt...ours has a bad seal and is in need of replacement. We also bit the bullet and bought new phones. Ellie now has one, too.
Today we really hung low. Ellie has succumbed to the illness. Rob has a little something and my cough has led to a runny nose now. This afternoon we ran a couple bags of coats to the library coat drive, a couple more to Savers, and did our grocery shopping for the week. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner - Mom made a great pasta, cauliflower and broccolini, salad, and corn pudding. We had some great laughs.
Grandpa GG could use some positive thoughts and energy right now...got some extra, please send them his way.
Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree