The past week or so

A week or two back, the kids got into one of my jewelry boxes, which happened to be full of shiny red heart-shaped confetti. I managed to contain a lot of it, but have found it scattered around the house ever since. It's cute, really. I found one in the bottom of the laundry basket. On my collarbone the next morning. Next to the bathroom sink. On the bottom of DB's foot during a tickle fight. Just little reminders of love at home.

Went to Mary Poppins in LA last week with a couple of other women in the ward. It was pretty cool! The effects were the most memorable aspect, I think...my favorite parts were when Burt tap-danced on the ceiling (though I thought he must be so uncomfortable) and when Mary Poppins rose up over the audience with her umbrella at the end and flew away. She flew from the stage all the way over to the balcony and up into the ceiling. It was pretty impressive! The audience in the balcony went crazy when she reached them--so happy to finally get some attention!

DB and CN have been sick. CN has another cold/sinus infection, and they're both getting over hand-foot-and-mouth disease. It's not quite as bad as it sounds--a common childhood illness--but the worst part is that DB has had sores in his mouth and it hurts him to eat. And he's been QUITE grouchy. I guess you can't blame him, but he really has reverted to quasi-toddler-like arguments at times, throwing enormous tantrums when I can't reattach the crusts to his bread after I cut them off, and stuff like that.

One sweet regression: I was lying with him on his bed after his bedtime routine, and he asked me to stay. It was so sweet: he was getting drowsy, so I got up to leave as I usually do, but he'd wrapped his hands in my hair, just like he did as a little little guy, and said softly, "I don't want you to go." Well, of course I couldn't after that! So I stayed until he was almost asleep, the little charmer.

I'm having fun with my new iPod and iPod-friendly boom box in the kitchen (Christmas windfall, along with the shows I've been to recently). I haven't bought much new music yet--poor, poor, poor--but I listened to all the U2's Joshua Tree album yesterday. I'm going to get rid of most of my old CDs next time I do a purge, but that album is still good. I also got a special on an audiobook on Audible.com, which I highly recommend, and have loved being able to "read" which I do other stuff--driving, the dishes. It's like a dream come true.

Cookie-Nut has enjoyed getting into my bedside drawer lately and loves to bring me things from it. She proudly brought me a handful of cough drops, and gave them to me, saying "Meh-shee, meh-shee," and shaking her head. That means, "Medicine, and I'm not supposed to eat it." Smart girl! Every time she does things like that, it reminds me of this song, which I love, and the lyrics "I love it when you give me things,\ and you could give me anything."

A postscript: the song referenced in the last paragraph is the Peter Gabriel version of "The Book of Love." I linked the song as it appears in the finale on Scrubs, which is on in our house sometimes. Was anyone else annoyed that JD's baby was NOWHERE in that finale slideshow, or even the walk-through of the hospital at the end with all the memorable faces? Hel-lo!?!