We had a fun visit with our friends the Riskes, who are also Eliza's godparents, last night and this morning. But it was too short I'm sorry to say. They had to head back to Illinois. I lured them in with coffee for several more hours than they were supposed to be here, though. :)

Everyone is relatively healthy. Pearl continues to have her normal ups and downs and Nika still has a cold, a second one that followed on the back of the last one. Her concussion seems to be getting better. She was really fussy for several days and it didn't occur to me that it might have been the concussion. I am dense that way sometimes. I finally gave her some Tylenol yesterday and she improved almost immediately. I guess I get the bad parent of the week award.

Life otherwise is just kind of normal. Basketball season is underway and we will continue all the lessons that the kids were in before Christmas.

ER visits seem to be getting close to pediatrician's office visits for us...

Nika was working at the table with the other kids yesterday coloring papers. I was in the other room working on some stuff. I walked into the kitchen just in time to see Nika fall flat on her back off a chair and onto the floor. I scooped her up to comfort her but saw right away that she wasn't breathing. She had had the wind knocked out of her. She stayed that way for around 30 seconds and then was pretty floppy and couldn't stay awake very well. I called the pediatrician who sent us straight to the ER. Nika slept all the way there and didn't really move around much at first on the bed. The ER doctor was pretty sure it is a concussion. But then she slowly snapped out of it and seemed okay until last night. She vomited several times in the car after basketball practice and then once in the restaurant (lovely, I know). We gave her some zofran (anti-nausea medication) and kept an eye on her the rest of the night. She seems to be doing okay but we will keep giving her the zofran for a couple of days.

So that is our latest drama. Hopefully we will stay out of the hospital for Christmas. I don't think there is much they could do for her there except watch her, which is what we are doing here.

Video from 60 Minutes about the persecution of Orthodox Christians in Turkey

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Everything is going really well. We are looking forward to the kid's Christmas play this morning and we are helping with coffee hour afterwards.

I think we are one of the few people that we know who are not snowed in right now!

Nika's Birthday

Snow Day!

Pearl had pizza for supper tonight and got a little sick but she is doing okay. She is a happy girl, regardless. :)