Last week we had to make heart cookies to take to our parent-child class. I came up with a GF recipe that worked pretty well. Today we needed to make more regular rolls for tomorrow's class, and Elliott wanted some of them to be heart cookies again. Our GFCF recipe actually allowed us to make a few less pretty ones, though it was certainly better suited to muffins. It's nice to see color back in Elliott's cheeks, that's for sure. And we're back to diaper-free (keep your fingers crossed!)

Health update

Elliott is doing a lot better -- mostly out of the woods but some residual clinging behavior, and we're not pushing diaper-free for a few more days. But John has had an ear infection for the past few days and is on & off in a lot of pain. It's still a little nutty around here. And my sitter had to cancel this week because her son was sick. Ay ay ay!

Zoo in winter

With Elliott so sick now (see post below), it's hard to believe just a week ago we enjoyed a morning at the zoo. A few flakes came down; it was the day before the big snow. We met up with a friend from college (with whom I went on foreign study) who found me when I joined an email list for "Green" mommies in the DC area. She had a daughter in September. Elliott approached this visit with some fear -- the fear of the panda melted, but he kept reporting to John later "I didn't like the zebra eating grass. And I didn't like the other animal." "The emu," I offered." "And the jumping emu," he added, referring to the wallaby that happened to be in the same area as the emu, right on our way into the zoo.

He did, however, enjoy the antics of the orangutan and the gorillas, which I apparently captured only on video. We were only able to see the hand of the new baby gorilla while it was nursing up in a little lair.

Winter is here

Here are a few pics of our snow day when we had friends over to sled (one of who enjoyed dumping snow on Elliott's head, and he seemed to like it, too.) Here also are photos of some "painting" with watercolor and watercolor pencils and Elliott caring for Heavy Baby.

Did I mention that he's been nursing the doll, and saying things like, "I'm sorry, Heavy Baby." When I ask what he's sorry about, Elliott says, "He's crying. He wants me." And then after a "nursing" session, Elliott has twice said, "I don't have any more milk for him."

Elliott has also taken to saying "I'm sorry" whenever he hears me wince or say "ow" (related to something he's doing, usually pawing me), and even in his illness has been saying, "No, thank you" when I've offered him something. I think John said he offered Elliott help taking off his socks last night and Elliott said, "No, thank you, Daddy. Not now. No thanks."

Home sick

Just a quick note that Elliott is sick with a fever that he's had for two+ days now and a cough that seems to be worse. He slept a lot yesterday on his own and is right now, but this morning was all about nursing and being next to me. It's like having a newborn, messy house and pajama-clad mama included.

Last week we had a snow day (missed childcare) and enjoyed some sledding. Two days later the ice was such that school was canceled. Elliott enjoyed going to the gym's childcare instead, and he did fine diaper-free as he had all week. I expected to write this week that we were done with diapers. But of course now that he hardly wants to move, they are back on. He's not eating or drinking a ton, but he has gotten some into him. He shouts in the night that he wants his "blue juice!" a blueberry (& other fruit) and flax Odwalla smoothie. The sleep was better last night but still fitful and weird. John has had a cold for almost a week -- no fever or real cough -- but he said this morning his head felt less heavy.

I am having a hard time imagining getting beyond this illness back to any sense of normalcy, especially since with the snow and missed childcare this week, I'm pretty darn behind in follow-up I wanted to do after the Holistic Moms chapter launch. And while that concerns me, I feel bad for being concerned when my son feels so crummy.