The Twizzler

Shana started it all three weeks ago with a fever and cough for a day, and fine the next day.  I caught it and have had a deep cough and generally lousy feeling for going on three weeks now, though I feel like I’m on the tail end finally.  Helen held strong through all of that, but finally caved in last weekend and has the same cough I did with an even lousier feeling.  Today both kids have pink eye.  Shana’s looks awful, Kenan’s is just beginning.

If you don’t see us for a few weeks, it’s because we’re hunkering down so we don’t pass any of this around.

Go buy Traditional Medicinal stocks because we’re drinking Echinacea Plus and Throat Formula and Breathe Easy like they’re going out of style.

Yes, winter has reached Calgary.  That means we win, right?  And the contest is over?  The sun can come out?

“I’m reading my news!”

I just can’t believe the content of some children’s music these days.  It’s really far beyond their comprehension, and innappropriate for their undeveloped minds.  Here are some lyrics our kids are belting out without remotely understanding what they’re saying:

Please and thank you are the magic words…

-Barney

and:

O-B-E-Y, Obey your Mom and Dad

O-B-E-Y, It makes them very glad

Listen to the words they say,

Obey your parents every day!

-The Donut [sic] Man

On discovering it was Grandparent’s Day today while reading our calendar, Kenan exclaimed, voice full of passion:

Grandparents’ Day! 
I LOVE grandparents!

I’m even happier than when it was first loose.
Because it’s out!

So far so good!  We’ve been letting both cats roam the whole house while we’re home this weekend, and we haven’t had to sweep up any chunks of cat hair yet.  Soiree definitely doesn’t like it but she hasn’t chased after Vanilla without reason.  “Reason” being 1) Vanilla gets too close, 2) Vanilla stares too hard, 3) Vanilla thinks about using the cat door to the back deck (apparently that’s Soiree’s door).  Vanilla is mostly happy to keep her distance and doesn’t seem to be too concerned about that crotchety old black cat.

Shana and Kenan and I are having fun this weekend with ArtRage 2, a great piece of software for the Tablet PC that lets you paint on the computer.  It’s designed to be as close to real life as possible.  You can see the lines from the paint brush, paint colours mix and smear if you touch them before they’re dry, and because this is on a Tablet PC you’re painting by touching a stylus directly to the screen rather than moving a mouse, so it’s a very natural feel.  Mom, if you get yourself a Tablet PC, I’ll buy you this software.  🙂

Here’s a girl flying a kite on a nice day (note the bunny rabit watching).  Mostly me with some additions from the kids.  Then Shana did her own kite scene but made added some lightning.  And finally a sleepy moon.  The main problem we’re having now is a lack of imagination to even think what to try next!  Any ideas from you artists?