Back from the Dead

We're still alive! Although perhaps just by a thread. Tracy turned in her comprehensive exams on Tuesday, after researching and writing non-stop for 6 weeks. I'm pleased with the result--hopefully my committee will be, too! Of course, it wasn't without some drama, as the last 6 days the kids were both sick (diagnosis was a cold but it's no cold...I am convinced either flu or H1N1), and then I had a fever and was feeling flu-ish, which combined with lack of sleep was a perilous combination. And we had several "when are we moving from this place" moments with kid 1 waking up kid 2 and vice versa right when they needed sleep the most (then again, we aren't as concerned about the state of the carpets these days). But Tuesday it all got turned in--woohoo!

We nearly cancelled our trip to Asheville with everyone sick, but we decided the worst seemed to be past and that we could either be sick at home or sick in Asheville, so we decided to still go. We left Wednesday mid-day and return Sunday. I'll get pics up once we're back.

Next week Tracy's Mom is coming to visit, Austin is going to London for work, and Tracy is presenting at a math conference. So much for a break!

Oh, house update...so we decided to have a large dormer with a double window built along with finishing the third floor. The folks doing the work are the remodeling division of the same company that built the townhouse, so they should do a very good job. Austin did some good negotiating, since they were not the lowest price after the initial bids came back. They start right when we close at the end of November (as long as the windows come in by then).

Ripken just turned 18 months! His vocabulary has taken off in the past 10 days. He added "basketball" to the list, but still not "mama"...really!? He loves balls, birds, and his new fascination is cars (he goes nuts for car commercials). He recently decided to stop constantly moving and sit down long enough to look at books. He likes sitting in Ainsleigh's chair and getting out a big stack to look at. Rippy is going to be a bird for Halloween. I always thought Ainsleigh liked birds at this age, but Ripken likes them exponentially more.

Ainsleigh is doing well at preschool. For Halloween she is going to be Maleficent (the evil witch/sorcerer/dragon from Sleeping Beauty)...? No clue where that came from. We don't even have the movie. But several months ago Maleficent was one of the imaginary friends who joined all the Thomas trains in her imaginary entourage. She doesn't like scary things so I don't get why she likes Maleficent. Fortunately I found a costume on ebay, so now I just have to make the horns. Oh well, at least she's not being a princess :)