Zade vs. Pneumonia

This week there was a battle between two heavy weight fighters: Zade and pneumonia.  Pneumonia got off to a fast start and pounded Zade, leaving him with fluid in both lungs and lying around like a limp rag for 2 days. There were times at night where he was struggling to breathe.  However, then divine Providence intervened and the tables turned for Zade.  In his darkest hour, we gave him a priesthood blessing and got him on some amoxicillin, and some delicious popcycles, and then he began to lay the smack down on old pneumonia.  Within 2 days Zade was declared the winner.  That said, he received some mighty battle wounds and is still fighting off a residual cough.

Since Tara was stuck inside and at home for the entire week, she spent time reading a great book entitled Simplicity Parenting and has been busy trying to apply the principles.  Among many ideas, the book discuses the role of kid's toys in either enabling or hindering a child from fully engaging in their imaginative world.  Tara decided to make the downstairs room directly off of the kitchen the toy room, and spent a great deal of time sorting, storing and discarding toys.  The kids liked the results and spent at least 5 hours fully engaged in play together with hardly a need for mom to intervene.

After a month of ridiculously cold temperatures, the weather finally warmed up to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the kids were able to go outside and play (while Dane was away on a business trip at the New Faculty Consortium in Leesburg, Virginia.)  Within the past 30 days it has been below 0 degrees on multiple occasions, which is abnormally cold for this part of the country.  Thank goodness that's not normal, because we are not fans having wind chills down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit.