ObSTREPeroUS

I hate to be one more voice complaining about communicable diseases, but we have been battling the streptococcus at our house. Hudson got the tell-tale rash (scarletina! It sounds like a lovely piano composition!) on Friday, and when we got to the pediatrician, she decided to swab Helena as well, even though she'd been feeling chipper. Chipper, with strep throat. So, she is on her first ever round of antibiotics.  She and Hudson claim the medicine tastes like dirty socks, but I think they actually like it. I am just thankful we have the medicine we need. See how much better they feel? (sorry for the grainy pictures. They were moving really fast.)

The husband has been wanting a canoe. So, we went to REI and bought a red one (along with Much Gear),  strapped it on top of the minivan (I am very sorry not to have a picture of this. It is Griswoldian), and took it out on the bayous of Sugar Land. Since three-fifths of us were not feeling ship-shape, we mostly lolled in the canoe and soaked in some vitamin D while the husband and Harper rowed us around. I see lots of canoe adventures in our family future.

 

It has been a week of firsts for Helena. She also got her first ever new pair of running shoes. She hasn't seemed to mind all of the handed down clothes and shoes, but she was pretty thrilled with how bright and shiny these are. They make her look older, somehow. She has also realized she can pick Sasha up. Sasha is less excited about this than Helena is. There has been quite a bit of smothering and disgruntled growling.

We had our science class at the Museum of Natural Science two weeks ago, and we had the best time with the butterflies afterward. There was an elderly museum volunteer trying to herd recently hatched butterflies from the glass encased butterfly hatchery and it was HIGH comedy. He was so amazing and gentle, grabbing the butterflies and trying to get them into a net hamper so he could release them in the atrium. He would get a blue morpho into the hamper, only he wouldn't zip it closed all the way, so the blue morpho would sneak out and start fluttering around the little room. The kids would then squeal and tap on the glass and point to let him know he had an escapee. We watched for over an hour, then he came out and took us with him for the release. It was a good day.