In an effort to simplify my life a little, I'm changing our family website format. Instead of (expensive) multiple pages at www.lowry-family.com, we'll have one (free) page here at http://the-lowry-family.blogspot.com. The old page will still be available for a while, but no further updates will be made to it. Look for our news and photos here, instead!
I'm on Facebook, too. Are you?
I have been working most weekdays on my book: The Glander Family of Preble County, Ohio. It has reached 231 pages, and I am about halfway through the editing and fact checking. Next up I'll be working on the table of contents and index, which promise to be time-consuming. I'm hoping to self-publish (at PostNet!) and have books ready to go by Christmas 2008.
Aidan still has a bit of a cough, infrequently, but is otherwise healthy and happy. He went to see Horton Hears a Who with his class on Monday, and had a good time. Yesterday he was overjoyed to be able to go home from school with his best friend Mason, and spent the afternoon at his house. They played a Lego Racers computer game together, played with some Indiana Jones Legos, and generally ran around and giggled. Mason's mom was impressed at the quantity of food that Aidan consumed at dinner time. Tonight is his AWANA Sparks night, and he's looking forward to getting at least two, and possibly three, Green Jewels tonight. AWANA is wrapping up for the year, so he's got a lot of work to do in a short time! Due to a lot of homework, reading, spelling words, and practicing verses for AWANA, we have given Aidan's piano lessons a bit of a break and will be starting them back up again in a few weeks.
Esme has been a really sick little girl the last couple of weeks. About the middle of February, she had a sinus infection, which the doctor treated with antibiotics. She had a nasty cough with it, that never really went away, so last week Wednesday I took her back to the doctor. She didn't really have any other symptoms, just the bad (loud, hacking) cough. In addition to the sinus infection, Esme was also showing signs of an ear infection and bronchitis, so the doctor put her back on antibiotics.
Saturday she was really crabby and emotional, and in the early afternoon her temperature started to go up - and up, and up. Despite the fact that she was taking Tylenol every 4 hours, her temperature was 102.5 by bedtime, and 103.4 at 2:15 a.m. She kept crying and saying that the floor was wobbly - I gave her Tylenol again and waited 30 minutes. At that point the fever was UP, not down, so I took her to the emergency room. They checked her out really well, gave her Motrin in addition to the Tylenol to bring the fever down, and did chest x-rays and an influenza test. Her lungs were clear and the flu test was negative, so they sent us home with instructions to keep up the Motrin and Tylenol.
Sunday Esme was really tired and still crabby, but by Monday the fever was gone. Tuesday morning she woke up with pain in her legs so bad she didn't want to even stand up, let alone walk, so we went back to the doctor, who declared her sick but not terribly sick, and sent us home with instructions to continue the antibiotic - for 20 days instead of 10. The doctor also ordered a CT scan, which Esme will have on Friday. The goal of this procedure is to examine Esme's sinuses, tonsils and adenoids, to determine whether or not she should be referred to an ENT - again.
Both children have really been enjoying their WebKinz toys and the online experience at www.webkinz.com. They love sending notes and gifts to each other and their cousins and friends, and both of their pets - Aidan's german shepherd Captain, and Esme's penguin Penny - are enjoying the best food, clothing and furniture that KinzCash can buy.
Jim is working for IBM on a contract with The Bank of New York (BONY) and Mellon Bank of Pittsburgh, who are merging. Right now he is spending four days a week in Pittsburgh, and most of that time in meetings. We get up super early on Monday mornings to take him to the airport, and he takes a cab to get home super late on Thursday nights.
I am taking more pictures lately that I have been for a while, so I will get some of them posted ASAP!