Time for Thursday 13!

Holy cow! Has another week passed by since I revived my weekly Thursday 13 post! How has your week been? Ours has been good - despite a small outbreak of the sickies around here. I had to pick up Joey early from school Monday (he had thrown up) and kept him home from school Tuesday and Wednesday. But he had no fever, no further vomiting and was in pretty good shape although we did put a call into the doctor and got him on an antibiotic for a sinus infection. Unfortunately we had to reschedule a couple appointments we had for him on Tuesday...he was to have a check up with his GI doc in Omaha and we were also going to have some blood drawn from him for some genetic testing but we are doing all that next week instead. John stayed home from school on Tuesday too with a complaint of not feeling well but didn't really have any bad flu symptoms. His high school has really been hit hard with over 300 students absent in one day earlier this week. But hopefully this is all the further the illnesses go in our house - knock on wood, cross my fingers, etc., etc. Other than that, things are as usual - Tommie's 8th grade football game today, John's varsity game on Friday night and Shawn and I will celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary on Saturday the 26th. I know you are thinking how could someone as young as me possibly be married for 17 years? lol The jury is still out on whether we will get to go out on the town or not. What would we possibly do with ourselves - eat a meal that is uninterrupted and doesn't involve ketchup or kool aid? Go to a movie that is not rated G? Actually get to carry on a conversation? Oh my - the possibilities are endless! Well, enough about us - here's what you came for! The continuation of Thursday 13 - letter N!

1. Negotiate - Have you ever tried to negotiate with a 4 year old? It goes something like this:
Emma: "Mommy, will you color with me?"
Me: "Not right now Emma. Let's clean up all these toys first."
Emma: "Why?"
Me: "Because the house is a mess and we need to pick everything up."
Emma: "Why?"
Me: "Because we have to put all your toys away then we can color."
Emma: "Why?"
Me: "Because if we leave everything on the floor it might get stepped on and broken."
Emma: "Why would somebody break our stuff Mommy?"
Me: "Well, it wouldn't be on purpose, it would be an accident."
Emma: "Why?"
Me: "Because sometimes people don't mean to do some of the things they do."
Emma: "Why?"
Me: "Because sometimes things that happen are an accident."
Emma: "It was a accident we got our toys all over Mommy. But that way Joey has every toy he wants to play and he can be happy! So we better leave all the toys out Mommy!"
Me: "You're right Emma. Let's color instead!"

2. Nickelodeon - The home of some of our favorites! Sponge Bob, Dora, Diego - we know them all!

3. Notebook - I made a communication notebook that Joey takes back and forth to school. It's a great way for us to be on the same track as his teachers and keep up to date on day to day happenings.

4. Need - Joey and his CdLS friends need you to donate to the CdLS Foundation and help support the runners in the Chicago Marathon on October 11th. It's not to late! You can donate by visiting our fundraising page at First Giving by clicking here. Thank you!

5. Noise - There is usually some type of noise going on in our house - unless by chance everybody is sleeping. You get used to it - and develop a sixth sense to what certain noises mean. The flicking of the light switches, the opening and closing of the microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator or oven doors means Joey is busy. And the disaster you will find if you hear water running in the bathroom too long - it means the girls have been busy.

6. Noodles - We are a noodle kind of family - we love pasta!

7. Nursery - Do you have a favorite nursery rhyme? We like Hey Diddle Diddle.

8. Necessity - Baby wipes are a necessity in our house. We use them for everything from wiping little faces and behinds to cleaning counters and walls. I always keep some in our van too! They are great for quick clean ups!

9. Nuisance - Don't you find all those plastic ties and strings and tape inside a box containing a new toy a huge nuisance? Come on! How many does there have to be?!? We spend more time undoing all the packaging than the kid actually spends playing with the toy!

10. Neuroblastoma - I know a brave little girl named Charli. She battled a rare form of childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma when she was a baby. She is now a beautiful, thriving 3 year with great future ahead of her. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. To learn more about Charli and help spread awareness about childhood cancer, click here.

11. Night - I love to look at the night sky full of beautiful stars!

12. Newton - Anybody out there love a good Fig Newton?

13. Najadaceae - Our random learning word for the week. It means: A monotypic family of aquatic plants having narrow leaves and small flowers.