Catching Up.

Well, the Thursday before Easter (after fighting a fever for nearly a week), Miss Ryan  landed herself in the hospital again - this time for pneumonia.  Three nights of IV antibiotics and she was good to go. It didn't help that Jess and Kate  were also sick with fevers and coughs etc. For a while we were touch and go but !!finally!! we are all healthy.  It has to be said that I suck at figuring out when to go to the doctor and when to not. Seems as though when I do go, I get the ''it's just a virus there is nothing we can do'' speech, or ''this is nothing to worry about, keep an eye on it and if anything changes...'', and of course, nothing ever does.  However, when I choose to NOT take my children the doctor (being sure symptoms indicate something minor)  it ends up being MRSA, heart failure, or pneumonia -sigh.

To sweeten the pot, the very same weekend Ryan was in the hospital I received a letter from the IRS stating we were under review and I needed to submit further documentation and evidence to support our tax filings.  This needed to be done 30 days from the date on the letter - which gave me about three weeks total to accomplish it. Fantastic timing!  Yeah, I ended up submitting 108  pages.  Not that I'm neurotic, but I am thorough.  The experience thus far has been less than thrilling. Hope my efforts were enough.

In the meantime I nearly broke the 5th commandment- incited by (you'll love this...wait for it...) my husband bringing home a puppy.  Seriously, he did. An error in judgement perhaps?  Impulse shopping?  A temporary lapse of sanity?  Whose to say.  Jessica and Kate were thrilled, Ryan was terrified, I was seething....emotions abounded.  ''Rosie'' is now settled, and (in all fairness) she is a fantastic dog. God knew.

Ryan is doing really well. She is happy, curious, funny, stubborn...she has a fantastic laugh that borders on screeching.  She can take that high pitch up a second octave - add a decibel or two, and it's quite clear she is not happy about something.  She is cuddle bug. I LOVE it when she burrows her little face into my neck.  She enjoys helping out, setting the table, putting away clothes, carrying a piece of mail.  When her sisters are being naughty mischievous, she gives them the eye, give me an impish grin and joins right in. She doesn't care to be too far from me.  Would take three baths a day if I let her. She is being more daring with trying new foods but doesn't have a taste for much unless it is satisfying her sweet tooth. 

Her transition has been so good. I think our greatest struggles have been with communication.  She is wanting to tell me something, and has almost a desperate, imploring look in her eye ''Why can't you understand me?'' and this leads to frustration and I feel such empathy for her in these moments. And at times it's frustrating for me as well. She seems a bit shy at trying new words and sounds, but is using: mama, daddy, bath, cookie, more and cracker.  Her English comprehension is increasing; she responds to simple requests such as to sit down, or take something to her sister and she understands and typically does it.  Ryan is the perfect little caboose for our family!

In the garden:  my spring flowers have done well this year.  The plum tree flowered up just gorgeous and thanks to my little loves I've enjoyed many bouquets of tulips, daffodils and lilacs. This week I have some poppies, although they don't last very long, and I spied the first opened rose just today.  The garden has been set out and I'm super excited about several perennials I planted last summer that are coming back quite strong.  Spring is always the best time in my yard....and end of summer. It's the middle part I need to work on.

On the nightstand: with all the craziness of aforementioned, not a lot of reading going on. However, a friend loaned me her audio book of Bossypants- and I really enjoy Tina Fae, and it was a bit crass, and I laughed a LOT and came to two realizations:  I need to laugh more, and, perhaps I might be taken with the audio book... depending.