Strep Strikes Again! (week 366)

After six weeks of calamity sweeping through the Keisler house, we thought we were free and clear of doctors visits for the rest of 2013.  Low and behold, we were foiled again by another attack of the streptococcal bacteria. This time, it hit me in the throat after a long day at school. My teacher said I was acting really quiet and I could hardly hold my head up when mommy picked me up from school.  We had to cancel our night looking at the Christmas lights in Naples.  Christopher had it too.  He threw-up five times throughout the night.  We all went to the doctor in the morning and now have matching bottles of amoxicilin.  

Christopher doesn't like it but he knocks-down his medicine like a champ.  We think that he enjoys the attention and the social experience of everyone cheering him on.  On the other hand, I don't care what other people think.  It tastes gross and I have a super hard time putting things in my mouth that I don't like.  I fixate on them, think of all kinds of terrible things that will happen, and obsess about the fact that I don't like them.  It is mostly in my mind, but mommy and daddy also think that I have some super sensitivities to tastes, smell, and touch.  In any case, Christopher takes his medicine like he jumps into a cold pool: all at once.  I take my medicine slowly--in tiny increments--and draw out the process with tears and threats and drama.  We are two very different dudes.

On Friday night, we had our traditional Norwegian lefsa and Swedish meatballs dinner.  I am not sure exactly why Swedish meatballs are part of a Norwegian dinner, but mommy made the trip to Ikea to get the ingredients.  We "smashed" the potatoes and rolled out the lefsa.  I like to eat it most with butter and sugar, while everyone else wraps the meatballs in the lefsa with cheese and lingonberries.   We looked at beautiful pictures of the fjords and terrifying pictures of the Vikings who sailed their boats into town and stole everyone's stuff.  I was confused about why that if we are Norwegian, daddy doesn't have long blonde hair and a big beard.

And finally, Saturday morning came!  We had been waiting for weeks to go to Grandma Paula's house to have a Christmas party with cousins Eli and Sophie. We picked-up Great Grandma Betty to take her with us to San Luis Obispo and met Grandpa John in Ventura to make the hand off.  At Grandma Paula's we got to run around the farm and held a special church service with communion.  Eli and I presided over the ceremony of the sacraments and made each of the grandchildren sing a Christmas song as part of the service.  We aren't going to see our grandparents on Christmas this year, so we got a practice run at the festivities. Mommy and Michelle also held their 6th annual Christmas Party so it was good that we were out of town.  It usually goes pretty late (so I am told), so I was glad that I missed it.  

Only 2 more days to Christmas!