Intense Day

Amber had a 13 hour work day and was really worn out when she got home. She also really misses interacting with the kids. I have to say that while I have been on leave, it has been really great being with the kids so much.

This morning I got the green light from the doctor to return to work. I guess he will be out of work for a while to get hip surgery. I thought that was ironic that the arthroscopic surgeon needs that very surgery for his own ailment.

Abby spent a bit with my parents and they all had fun together. She is a vibrant little person who is full of cuddly love. She found a doll that grandma really likes and gently hugged it and gave it a kiss. Grandma just had to take a photo of it. Abby smiled a beautiful little girl smile so hard her eyes were shut! Cute!

Ashton came home from school announcing that the color of the day was yellow. That explained the little yellow paint smear above her left eye. After a bit we all got situated and had a snack with little yogurt drinks. Ashton has decided that flushing the toilet is not necessary. I heard the door shut to the bathroom and asked her to please flush. She immediately said she didn't go potty. I asked her what she was doing in the bathroom and that was met with a long pause and an impish answer that she "put some makeup on." I made it clear that telling lies is very bad and began to walk to the bathroom to check it out for myself. She ran ahead of me, yogurt drink in hand. She turned the corner to reach the toilet handle a little too fast and hit the floor. I was right behind her so I had the perfect vantage point to see that she wasn't hurt and also to see the yogurt drink fly all over the door, wall, and on her own hair. Let's just say further inspection revealed what I suspected. Hopefully she won't lie anymore.

Allen is getting to have a really cool personality. I think this is going to be the period of time that I am still cool in his eyes, too. As I wrote yesterday, he is really into ninjas since he bought a costume for Halloween and saw one of dad's ninja movies. Tonight there was a cartoon with ninjas in it and he got pretty excited. Once again he put his costume on and showed us all his karate moves. Before bed he read a longer book to his sisters and I. I am very proud of him. He is quite a good reader and at school he is being given the work of the kids a grade above him. Like the girls, he is a really great kid.