"It's Gonna Be a Bright, Bright, Bright Sunshiny Day..."
Topic: This and That
Spring came just a day late to Harrogate. It's been gorgeous and sunny today. Still a bit on the cold side (in the 30's). My landlady said at this time last year it was in the 60's. Wouldn't that be nice?
Today I went on post to run some errands, then later I took Ryan to the Valley Gardens park. There's a play area for kiddos and Ryan really enjoyed the slide, and just running around. I enjoyed getting out of the house after being sick and cooped up for a couple of days.
Though Harrogate is showing signs of spring, it's definitely nowhere near full bloom yet. In a few weeks, this place will be lousy with all manner of flowers. It will be gorgeous and I can't wait.
I am loving that it doesn't start to get dark now until well after 6pm. That seems so much more natural than dusk starting sometime after 3pm.
If the weather holds (and Ryan and I manage to stay healthy), I think an excursion or two is definitely in order this weekend.
As for a Larry update, he's finished with BNCOC and is now floating around Texas somewhere between San Angelo, Dallas, and San Antonio. He will be heading to Vegas and Indio by the week's end. He's supposed to be back in the UK around April 2.

Anyone Had a Good Snog Lately???
Now Playing: My stomach rumbling.
Topic: This and That
Hello. Yesterday (Monday) starting around 2am, I got hit with a nasty stomach virus. It was not pretty. I spent a lot of the wee hours on the bathroom floor. (Rolls of toilet paper make good makeshift pillows, btw.)
Ryan was so great. He really was an angel. I could just barely manage to get him fed and change his diapers once in a while. I was laid out on the couch most of the day, dozing off and on. (Which is something I would never, ever normally do with Ryan there.) At one point, Ryan came over to me and gently stroked my face, then went back to playing. It was so sweet! I am sure he knew I was sick. He kept himself entertained and did not demand anything from me all day.
Later on in the day, after an especially bad attack, I called my friend Sarah. I told her I was thinking about calling our URG leader, Alison, to see if someone could come over and help. (Sarah would have, but her husband is TDY and she has two little ones herself.) Sarah suggested I go ahead and call Alison, so I did. Alison was great. Within a few minutes, she told me another lady from our URG, Christina, would be by my house with Gatorade. Alison told me she would call me to check on me later. (She too, said she would come by, except that she had various things going on with her three kids that evening that she couldn't miss.) Alison made me the most amazing offer: she told me that she would take Ryan overnight if I needed her to. That meant so much to me! However, Ryan has become pretty good about sleeping through the night (most of the time), so I didn't need to take her up on it. Still, I thought that considering Alison's got three kids herself (one isn't much older than Ryan), that was a very generous offer. (It makes me think of a night my good friend Sabrina took Ryan overnight back in those dark days of chronic sleep deprivation. It was bliss! Sabrina, I will be forever grateful!)
Later on in the evening, Alison stopped by. She delivered a basket Sarah had put together. It was wonderful! There was warm rice, and chicken soup. There was a toddler meal for Ryan (I had no idea what I was going to feed him for dinner until then), there was all manner of cold/flu medication, as well as tea and other goodies to eat. She included napkins and plastic utensils, bath salts, and magazines. There were a couple of nice home made fruit cups with all the kinds of fruit I like in them. There was also a cute package of kleenex. It was amazing! I was completely blown away. It was so nice, much needed, and very appreciated.
I have to give a huge thumbs up for Alison, Sarah, and Christina for being there for me and Ryan. It made me feel like I wasn't alone, and made me feel taken care of. That's one thing I really love about military communities. Since our husbands are gone so much, people really pitch in and are there for each other when the need arises. I know not all military communities are great, but I've been very lucky with the two I've been in so far.
I feel much, much better today, thank goodness! I was tempted to jump up and do all sorts of things around the house, but after getting light headed and having my stomach start hurting again after just a little exertion, I thought better of it.
Now for something completely different...
Has anyone heard the British slang term, "snog?" For some reason, I find the word extremely amusing. Come on - say it out loud. "Snog." I dare you! Make the person sitting near you wonder what-the-heck. The first time I came across it, I couldn't get the exact meaning out of the context. It was something like, "We were snogging in the back seat of the car," or something like that. I got the general idea, but didn't know the exact act "snog" referred to. I now know that it refers to kissing - but not the kind of kiss you'd give a relative (hopefully). It just sounds so... gross. Just swap the word "snog" for "kiss" (or "snogging" for "kissing") in any sentence and it seems to take on a whole new connotation.
I think Ryan is up from his nap. Hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Ryan is 18 Months Old!
Topic: Ryan
Today Ryan is 18 months old!
He seems to be doing ok through his cold. His nose is still running like crazy and he still coughs now and then, but other than that, he's pretty much his usual self.
He does this cute thing now where he goes out into the hallway and jumps while trying to say, "jump!"
The other day he showed a pretty good display of coordination and leg strength. He was able to get up off the floor from a sitting position and stand, without using his hands, while holding a box of 64 crayons. I know there are adults who can't get up without pushing off with their hands! :)
I keep forgetting to mention that a week or so ago, I started seeing lambs in the fields. They are so adorable!

Music
Now Playing: VH1(UK) 100 Greatest Movie Soundtracks
Topic: Stream of Consciousness
Music is amazing to me. There are so many different forms and endless variations that the one word, "music," encompasses. Music covers everything from someone whistling while walking down the street, to a symphony orchestra playing a classical masterpiece, and everything in between. I think music's true magic is that it is so emotional. Sure there's theory and math and all of that, but you don't need to know music theory to enjoy listening to or playing music.
I love a wide variety of music. The other day I mentioned being enthralled by Gershwin. Last night I got chills listening to Linkin Park's, "Somewhere I Belong." I love that music can evoke all kinds of feelings. Up tempo songs make us happy and want to dance. Slower songs can sometimes make us want to cry. Certain melodies and chord progressions have the same effects on almost everyone. I think it's amazing how universal music is.

St. Patrick's Day Fun Run
Now Playing: Ryan bumping around in his crib and VH1 100 Greatest Movie Soundtracks.
Topic: Holidays
Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day! Ryan and I celebrated by participating in a fun run at MHS. Click here to read about it: St. Patrick's Day Fun Run (I also changed the photo on the home page of my website.)

Beware the Ides of March!
Topic: This and That
This picture was taken a couple of days ago. It's Ryan with his new kitty that his great aunt Jean sent him. :)
Here are some pictures from our snow (there are also a couple more of Ryan). March Snow Enjoy!
I think Ryan is sick again. Ugh! This time it's his nose, and a bit of a caugh. I think Ryan got a whole three or four days where he was healthy. *sigh* One of my friends from the baby sitting co-op gave me some eucalyptus plug-in type thingies you plug in the wall outlet. I hope it helps Ryan sleep. I've also slathered on the vapor rub on his chest. I've got tylenol drops at the ready.
This morning was weird. Ryan woke up really early (about 6:20am) and would not go back to sleep for anything. Just as I was about to give up and get him, he fell asleep. He only napped for about an hour in the afternoon. I'm hoping he will sleep tonight. I've heard him sneezing and coughing a little bit though.
Monday night was a card making spouse's coffee. I had been looking forward to it for a while. There were all sorts of neat papers and scrapbooking type supplies for us to embellish blank notecards. There was also a chocolate fountain, plus all manner of pot luck items people brought. There was child care on site, but unfortunately Ryan did not want to be parted from me. (Looking back on it now, it may be he was already starting not to feel that great.) In the end, I didn't really get to participate in the coffee, which was disappointing. However, it was nice to at least get out and socialize.
Yesterday I just went on post and ran some errands.
Today I had one of the ladies from the co-op watch Ryan for a little while so I could get some cleaning done. (We're having a new window installed in the room we were using for storage. I needed to clear a work space around the window.) It was amazing to me how much I could accomplish when I just focused. It actually came as sort of a revelation. I really don't focus my energy all that often (I think that's because I use most of it up taking care of Ryan!), so I'm never getting everything done that I want to.
Last night and tonight I was watching a thing on VH1 called, "100 Greatest Teen Stars." It was fun because a lot of these stars are people I grew up watching. They are mostly either my age, or a bit older. Watching this show takes me back, kind of like looking at an old yearbook.
As far as Ryan goes, I am hoping that this cold will be mild and over quickly. His energy and appetite seem to be up still, so that's a good sign. I don't think either of us could take another bout of vomiting and diarrhea like the one he just got over.
We don't have any plans for tomorrow. Friday is the St. Patrick's Day fun run on post. I haven't run in about three weeks! I'm sure it will still be fun.

Reports Abound (Weather, Ryan, Me, Harrogate, Etc.)
Topic: This and That
This was taken March 3, when we had our first big snow of the year. It was just getting started. We wound up with a good inch or two on the ground. This morning I woke up with the feeling it was snowing. I looked out the window and my suspicions were confirmed. It's been snowing all day and there are now a couple of inches accumulated. It doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon, either. It's very pretty. I was thinking of taking Ryan out to play in it. He's got the perfect jacket for it. However, it is extremely cold out, and sometimes very windy. Not a good combination. Besides, I just don't feel like being cold!
A lot of cold air comes through the windows in the front room and the master bedroom. The landlord doesn't want to redo them though, because they are stained glass and a major cosmetic feature of the house. Luckily we manage to keep warm anyway.
It still amazes me that around here March is the big snowfall month. Just a couple of days ago it was warming up (40's instead of 30's). It was nice. It was also bringing out the ever-popular spiders. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about them in the months to come. (Barry, I'll have my bug vacuum at the ready!)
Yesterday was my friend Sarah's son's birthday party. He's turning three. It was a fun party. There was food, cake, and a bouncy castle. I pretty much knew everyone there, so that was nice. Ryan seemed to have fun. The party was cute. It was Bob the Builder/construction themed. The coolest were these drink containers shaped like little construction cones. They had a hole for a straw at the top, and Sarah had written each of the kids' names on them. It was really cute.
I talked to Larry last night. He seems to be tired, but otherwise fine. Nothing new going on with him.
Thursday, I took Ryan in his stroller and walked to the shopping area to get a couple of things. There was a small farmer's market going on. Apparently it takes place every first Thursday of the month. I can't believe that in the many times I've been to the shopping area over the last seven months, I never before wound up there on a market day. It was something different to browse. I bought some scones from one vendor. Ryan and I enjoy scones with jam and clotted cream. It makes tea taste sinfully good.
I think I am almost over my sore throat. Just been trying to make myself rest. A day or two more should do it, I hope. I've got things I need to do and a race coming up Friday.
Ryan's doing great. His appetite has returned with a vengeance! I think he's making up for when he was sick, and gearing up for a growth spurt. His stomach has become a bottomless pit. It seems like he's always eating now.
The other day I was carrying him, and walked past a bow. Ryan said, "Bow!" What amazed me, was that he hadn't heard that word in at least a day or more, and he remembered the word for the right object. He's still mainly talking in his own language, but I know he understands a lot. If I ask him to pick something up and put it in the trash, he can do that. If I ask him to go and get his shoes, he can do that. With the trash, he now knows certain things go in it. When he was done with his yogurt, he took the empty container to the trash without me asking him to. As far as talking goes, he manages to get across what he needs just fine. I figure he'll talk when he's good and ready (basically, when he can't get across what he wants without talking!).
Ryan seems to like Thomas the Tank Engine. When that comes on, he'll stand there and watch the whole thing (which is about five minutes long). Most of the time, he just ignores the tv. What's scary, is that he seems to like the Teletubbies, too. Before I had Ryan, I vowed there would be no Teletubbies in my house. Those things kind of freaked me out. However, after watching them a little bit, they seem relatively harmless.
Last night there was a thing on tv, "The 100 Greatest Kids Shows." Scary thing was, it was interesting to me! It was mostly British stuff, since the program was produced over here, and the shows voted on by British people. (I didn't see much of it, since it was a long program and I had other things I wanted to do.) Has anyone else seen, "Bod?" For a while, Nick Jr. Classics was showing it. Interesting little show. They were showing that and "Mr. Benn," "Bagpuss," and some other weird shows. I think old weird kid shows are kind of cool, especially at night. Unfortunately now they are showing something called, "Rainbow," which is completely gay. I'm sorry, but it is. Grown men should never wear tight-fitting, brightly colored overalls. Ever. I don't care what decade it is!
Wow, I can't believe it's almost 4pm already. Where'd the day go?

Thank God It's Friday!
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Blue Purring Obnoxiously Loudly
Topic: This and That
This has been a most excellent day!
Ryan's all better, for starters. (My throat still hurts, but that does not dent my good mood!) Ryan and I went on post today to check the mail and mail back the two LEFT moccasins LL Bean sent me. I got two wonderful packages! One from my Mom, and one from my Aunt Jean. (Hi Mom! Hi Aunt Jean!) The box from my Aunt was completely unexpected. The box from my Mom was much anticipated. Both boxes made me very happy! I called my Aunt to say thank you and had a great time talking with her. Later, Ryan and I had pizza and made chocolate chip cookies. After putting Ryan to bed, I got online and had some wonderful e-mails in my inbox. After I post this and send a quick e-mail to Larry, I am going to pop some popcorn and settle in for night one of my own personal Harry Potter film festival weekend! :P

Quick Update
Now Playing: Shakira
Topic: Ryan
Just wanted to post a quick update. Ryan seems to be over his lower intestinal woes. Yay! He seems almost back to normal. I, however, have had a sore throat since last night. I am trying really hard to nap when Ryan naps (which was only once today) and get to bed at a decent hour. The rest seems to help. The house work can wait.

Rhapsody In Ryan
Topic: This and That
Ryan seems to be on the mend. Last night he slept right through the night. Unfortunately things turned ugly in the morning with a bad bout of diarrhea requiring an emergency bath. Ryan's energy levels are up, but not back to normal. The rest of the day he didn't have any bad attacks, thank goodness.
I went on post because we were completely out of some things so I had to go to the commissary and BX. I also needed gas and it's not as expensive on post. While in the car I caught part of Gershwin's, "Rhapsody In Blue." It just does not get any better than that. The man was a genius. That piece of music brings me to tears.
I am really tired. I think I am coming down with something. *sigh* oh well. I know I've been run down the last week taking care of Ryan. I thought a solid night's sleep would fix me right up. Apparently not. I suppose I can't expect to recover from a hard week in one night.
I am going to go to bed shortly though.