End of a Semester, Beginning of a Break

It's been a long and hectic semester. Seven classes are way too many classes for one semester! But I survived, and my classes were great!

But really, I'm here to update on L. Three months since the last post are equivalent to lots of updates! Where to begin...where to begin. Well, it's been a "sickly" semester. L has gotten sick 5 times in three and a half months. It all began at the end of September when he came down with a nasty case of hand-foot-mouth disease. He was out for a week: he looked awful, he couldn't eat (it's really painful) for most of that week, and he got it so bad that his nails are still falling off. Yep, you read correctly. His nails started falling off almost a month after HFM and when we took him to the dermatologist, he confirmed it was a result of HFM - or rather, a result of a strong virus or high fever that disrupts the body's functions. Fun.

After HFM he didn't get sick right away, and we were thankful for that. We went to Disney and Hutchinson Island (where I had a writer's conference) third week of October, and he was fine. He didn't get sick. Then, on Sun after Halloween, he got a cold and an ear infection. A week after that, croup and another ear infection. Two weeks after that, a nasty stomach bug where he didn't eat for almost a week (again - he's not gaining much because he keeps on losing it when he's sick!). THEN, last week, a small cold. This last one was small, thankfully, and didn't disrupt him much. Of course, every time L got sick, that meant mommy got sick, too! Daddy got lucky that he didn't get sick this semester. lol. But we've both been depleting sick days with all these germs!

School ended for him on Friday so we'll be home for the next couple weeks until the new semester begins.

In other L news, he's talking like crazy! I know I always write that; it just amazes me how many strides he makes in the language department. He can now say the "k" sound, so his name sounds like "Pukas." He can also say "milk" now (where before it sounded like "muut." He picks up and repeats everything that is said. And he can successfully tell us if he likes something or not: "no, I don't likey."

But I had to share this conversation we had yesterday. J and I are starting to "talk" about the possibility of a number 2. We're having breakfast,

J - "L, do you want a brother or a sister?"

L nods and says "yesh."

Me - "Okay, but do you want a brother or a sister?" For each option I hold out a hand and make a separate emphasis."

L - "Shishter."

We burst out laughing, and J covers his face with his hands saying 'oh no.'

So I say to L, "Oh you say that now but wait until she wants to know all your friends."

L scrunches up his face and says "Nooooo!"

We were hysterical! It really was very funny. I guess you'd have to have been there for the full effect. ;)

Well right now we're gearing up for Christmas. L recognizes Santa and Christmas tree. It's funny, too, because since he's at a Jewish school, they were doing everything Hanukkah. He was singing the dreidel song, he knows what a menorah is, and he's eating latkes. But he knows Santa, and baby Jesus and Christmas tree, too. Every time he sees Santa on TV or in our house (because we have Santa everywhere lol), he stops and gleefully points, saying "Tanta Claus!" We have out nativity set, and loves going to it. He knows all the names, too: "Jesus" "Mommy" "Daddy" "donkey" "camel" and he gave the three kings names, I just don't understand those yet. Ah, kids.