A Chocolate Rush

Just a few quick things that I've been thinking about lately...

First of all, I have to brag a little bit. You need not worry, I'm not bragging about myself, so I think my bragging is entirely acceptable. I have to brag about my brother, Adam. He just found out today that he was accepted at Scott and White for a residency in ophthalmology. This is a BIG deal. There were almost 500 applicants. Twenty five were given an interview and only three medical students who were chosen to be residents in their ophthalmology program. It is hard to believe that my little brother will be operating on people's eyes one day! Anyway-I am very proud of him and am using my blog as my own personal brag book today. You don't mind do you?

Secondly, my new chocolate fountain has arrived! Not on schedule, mind you, but it is here at last!! I can't wait to get home and try it out! Chocolate fountains seem like such a fun thing to have. The other day, someone asked me what on earth I would ever do with something that was so impractical? Well, my friend, I'll have you know that I think a chocolate fountain is very practical for the Smith family. I know I can think of many fun things to do with my chocolate fountain. I know it will get alot of use. It has to, with the 20 lbs of fondue chocolate that I have sitting in my living room. And guess what... the fountain also works with cheese and ranch dressing, though I seriously doubt I'll be using those options. Yuck!

I've been spending the past few days at my parents' house. Josh took my little brother Ben skiing in Colorado on a little guys trip. He'll be back some time tonight! Yea!!! The kids and I have been sleeping in the bedroom that was mine when I lived at my parents' house. If there is one thing that I have learned it is that I do not enjoy sleeping in the same room with my kids. I do not know how the pioneers ever dealt with these sleeping arrangements! (I am sure that is a contributing factor as to why the pioneers life spans were so much shorter than ours.) I have had almost no sleep the last few nights. I placed Major on a sleeping bag on the floor next to my bed. In the middle of the night, he crawls across the room to a random location, wakes up, and cries because he doesn't know where he is. So each night, I have to play hide and go seek with him several times, snatching him up and putting him back in his warm bed once again. In addition to that, I have been sleeping with the worst sleep-talker I have ever seen. During the night, my five year old talks, cries, screams in her sleep all night long!! Did I mention how she tosses and turns? She is the most fitful sleeper I have ever seen. As a result, I feel like the mother of a newborn this week, getting no sleep at all!!! It makes me wonder if the kids are such fitful sleepers at home, but I'm not aware of it because I am snuggled next to Josh in our own room. I am like an angry bear when awakened from my peaceful slumber, yet another reason I should not sleep in the same room with my children.

I did smile once when awakened last night. While she was sleeping, Mary Alice said, "Mom, guess what I am dreaming about right now? I am an angel, with ten other angels...and we are flying up up up high in the sky." And also, at another time during the night, "Yes! I killed Goliath!" (You have to admit, that is pretty sweet.) I couldn't be an angry bear after hearing her say those sweet things. Also, periodically, she would roll over and wrap her arms around me, hug me and say, "I love you mom." This is all in her sleep!!!

I don't know exactly why, but I have been eating large amounts of chocolate for the last two weeks. It first began when Mary Alice started reading Charlie and Chocolate factory. Mary Alice and I have a little habit of eating bites of chocolate between chapters. I have lots of leftover Christmas candy and really don't need to be eating chocolate, but have found that munching on chocolate is required whenever reading a book like Charlie and the Chocolate factory. It makes reading so much more fun! My chocolate eating frenzy continued on when I indulged in the chocolate dipped strawberries that were left over from the baby shower that I was supposed to be hostessing on Sunday which was CANCELLED due to the ice storm that WASN'T!!) I am not bitter about this,really. A few days ago, I discovered an unopened box of Willams Sonoma chocolate peppermint bark. I couldn't resist. Then, finally, on Thursday, my mother made some mocha chocolate brownies that were excellent! I ate them yesterday afternoon, as an after dinner snack, this morning in the place of my breakfast, and then again at lunchtime. And, of course, now that my chocolate fountain has arrived, it will need to be tested out. What to do, what to do.....

The kids have been so sick lately! It seems like since we have moved here my generally healthy family has been replaced with one that is nearly always sick. Seriously. We usually follow a pattern of sick a week, well a week, well a week, sick a week. This winter, the pattern has been more like sick a week, sick another week, sick a week, sick another week. We've had friends suggest that there is something in our house making everyone sick constantly. Maybe. Another friend told me that when you move to a new location, you can expect your kids to be sick alot for a year, because of the new viruses? Maybe. I don't know what is causing our constant battle with illness, but am hoping it will go away soon. Thankfully, the sicknesses aren't anything major, just minor inconveniences.

This post doesn't flow very well at all. It seems very jumpy and erratic. I'll blame it on the caffeine in the chocolate.