Flu Season Begins with a Bang

Everyone warned us that this first flu season would be a rough one since the girls are in daycare. And boy were they right! If this is any indication of the next few months, we're in for a long winter.

The girls came down with a nasty stomach flu bug in early November, which ended up lasting for about 10 days! Some of that time they were unable to go to daycare, which meant Mom and Dad taking time off work. And because our kind, little girls love to share, Mom and Dad both caught the bug too. Yuck.

We were very fortunate that Grandma and Grandpa Lund came over to help us out. It is always helpful to have extra hands, but it was especially helpful when we were all sick.

The timing of all this coincided with an especially busy time at work for me. And then we received the sad news in mid-November that my grandfather had passed away. He had been through a long bout with cancer, but he did get to meet his great-granddaughters during our trip to San Diego in July, thankfully.

Once again, Grandma and Grandpa Lund came to our rescue, and left their house literally with an hours' notice to come help us out again. I was able to make a quick trip to San Diego to join family for my grandfather's service. It was nice to have a couple days to spend with my dad, sister, grandma and extended family to honor Grandpa and share stories from the past and make new memories.

Oh, What a Night!

The girls didn't stay awake long enough to see Obama's official victory, but they were confident enough that he'd done it before drifting off to la la land.  Matt and I were glued to the TV all evening, watching the returns. When it was finally official at 8pm PST, we talked to friends and family on the phone, and then toasted with some sparkling cider as we watched his amazing victory speech.  What an exciting time this is!  

I've never been this engaged in a political campaign before. I've been more interested in recent years thanks to Matt, who is a junkie. to say the least.  But this time was different. The excitement for this candidate and the fact I'm a new mom really made the difference.  

I remember being so impressed with Obama at the Democratic convention in 2004, and have been cheering for him since then.  While in the hospital on bedrest last January & February, I had a lot of time to watch primary coverage on CNN. Barack was just so impressive - smart, eloquent, cool and calm.  The more I saw and heard from him, the more I liked. This is the most important election I can recall, and I can't wait to tell the girls about it someday.  I think it's so awesome that in the world they grow up in, anyone can be President. 

Ever notice...

...that you never see Mia and Bat Girl in the same place, or Emma and Super Girl in the same place, for that matter?  Something to ponder...

Twin pumpkins. (Both the girls and the vegetables.)

Our fearless super heroes. 

Class picture (left to right): Rowan (as a turtle), Emma (Super Girl), Sam (the ghost crawling in the back), Mia (Bat Girl), Catherine (the bunny), Jack (pre-pirate costume), Cedar the sheep isn't pictured

 

The Justice League of Ballard

Our everyday super heroes - Emma and Mia.

Public Service Announcement from Babies for Obama

"We are endorsing Barack Obama for President because we believe he will 

secure a bright future for us and our friends."

"Emma, it's very important that we spread the word to vote by November 4th," says Mia.

"Okay, Mia, I'm going to go tell all our friends to tell their parents to vote 

for Barack," Emma replies.

"I'm Emma Lund, and I approve this message."

"I'm Mia Lund, and I approve this message. And if you don't vote for Barack, you'll have to answer to me."

Out to Dinner

Grandma & Grandpa Lund, and Great Aunt Janis visited this weekend.  The girls were very excited for their guests!  Mom and Dad were too -- extra hands to hold the are always appreciated.

On Saturday, we all walked down to the annual Sons of Norway bazaar over at Leif Erikson Hall. Matt was a proud papa, showing off the "two newest Norwegians in Ballard" to other local Norwegians. While the lutefisk was tempting, we opted for more crowd-friendly fare down the street at Hamburger Harry's.  The girls got to sit at the table in high chairs and play with their toys.  They were having a great time until our food came -- and then they were jealous.  Mia's mouth was watering over Aunt Janny's french fries.  

It was a fun way to spend the beautiful fall afternoon.  We came home and flipped between the Husky game (still no win this season) and the World Series.  

Mia and Emma battled back and forth over this teething ring toy.  

Emma discovered a fun game - banging the teething ring on the table over and over again. (Note the Norwegian bib. Very spirited.)

Mia settled for her book instead of french fries. But she wasn't happy about it!

Couch Surfing

Mia and Emma spend a lazy Saturday morning on the couch.

Give Peas a Chance

Emma wonders what this green stuff is. She liked the orange food better.

Mia longs for sweet potatoes. 

The girls tried their second vegetable this weekend - peas.  The initial reaction was priceless - puckered up faces and shivers up their spine. But after the shock, they warmed up to them a bit. Sweet potatoes still rank #1, but they're giving peas a chance.