We did make it to Halifax. Jasmin was still recovering, but well enough to go. The trip there went really smoothly, despite flight delays because of fog. Jasmin spent the extra time aquainting herself with how the seat belt worked.

Grace got caught up with the available kid shows, and was a proud "growing up girl" sitting across the isle from Mommy and Jasmin.
Despite Mommy's initial reluctance to show her how to use the seat-back TV's, they were very useful to fill in all the extra waiting time on the tarmac before takeoff. When drinks arrived, Mommy watched Jasmin carefully, as she always spills at mealtimes... but this day it was Grace who had difficulties. I don't think she got to drink any of it! Mommy had to then convince her that it was better to wear Jasmin's change of clothes than wet, sticky, orange juiced ones. She had no problems getting rid of the wet ones, but wearing Jasmin's??!! That's just wrong - they're Jasmin's! She consented in the end, as she decided wearing no pants wasn't a nice idea either. Whew!

Descent was tricky as they were tired, and their ears hurt and Grace wouldn't suck her thumb to make her ears pop. Jasmin then fell asleep just as we get to the gate... so deplaning was a bit tricky. Thankfully we were at a close gate so I didn't have far to carry her and keep tabs on Grace.

We had a wonderful time with Abba and Imma. Grace and Jasmin didn't seem to mind that it was foggy and rainy the whole week, and Mommy didn't either, as we still managed a few walks. There were plenty of new toys to discover and a cat to delight in.
One day Grace asked for 9 pony tails...! Mom had fun concocting a hairdo that incorporated 9 pony tails that didn't look like a forest had sprouted on her head.
Saturday we left at 4:30 am and drove home, arriving at 9pm. The girls did marvelously well on such a long journey, with only a protest once or twice about getting into the car yet again.

It is good to be home feeling so much more well-rested and ready to face December and onwards. Thank you God for providing this short break away!

We've ended this week rather intensely...
Jasmin had been coughing and getting sicker since Wednesday, and then yesterday her fever was hovering around 104 and refusing to come down for more than 1/2 an hour, and she wasn't eating or drinking well. Daddy left for Alpha at 6 with instructions to call if I needed the car to take Jasmin to Urgent Care. By 8 o' clock last night Mommy was pretty worried as her sleep was very restless, her breathing rapid and the fever pushing 105. Mommy called Telehealth, where you can talk to a nurse about the need or non-need to go to an Urgent Care. The nurse was concerned enough with what Mommy could tell her that she recommended we take Jasmin to CHEO (the children's hospital). But it was after 9 before Mommy could get a hold of Daddy on the phone! The plus of having to wait so long was that CHEO Urgent Care was not busy at all. Still, it was 1 am before we got back home.

Mommy took Jasmin and Daddy stayed home with Grace; how we wished we knew neighbours well enough to ask them to watch Grace so we could both go! At first they treated Jasmin as if she had H1N1, trying to get her to wear a mask (which didn't really work at all, despite colored dinosaurs on it, and Mommy wearing one too). Thankfully the waiting room was nearly empty so Mommy didn't bother fighting to keep it on. NiNi and YeaYea showed up just as Mommy realized she'd left precious Woofie in the previous waiting room. Perfect timing, and very much appreciated! Long waits in night hospitals with a sick child is very lonely. Woofie retrieved, Jasmin snuggled with NiNi while we waited. The medicine the triage nurse had given Jasmin worked well, and her fever cooled off noticeably. In fact, by the time the doctor saw her, it was normal!

Still, he asked lots of questions and took a long listen to Jasmin's lungs and sent us off to get chest x-rays, thinking it might be pneumonia. A much longer wait, and a traumatic experience, but the staff were efficient and gentle. The x-rays were clear, so we were sent home with instructions to give Jasmin so much rehydration drink every 10 min for the next day or so, monitor and medicate the fever if it returned and to bring her back if this, this or this happened.

Every 10 minutes!?! What about sleep? or any other activity, for that matter? But what is needed is done... We've survived the rest of the night in shifts of sleeping, and Jasmin seems to be doing okay. Her fever has returned, but not to such worrying heights, and she is fairly cooperative with the 10 minute dosing of not-so-nice tasting drink. Mommy is not coping so well with such a fragmented schedule on little sleep, but is counting her blessings that Grace also has a cold and is content to join Jasmin's snuggles on the couch, and other low key activities. Hopefully we will be still able to fly to Halifax come Tuesday; we've all been looking forward to it for so long! God is good so we wait in hope.

Some good friends of ours gave me a rest day earlier this week by taking the girls over night. I spent the morning in the woods with a camera and a Bible. It was a wonderful morning of listening to the small sounds of the woods and the quiet voice of God. I freely took pictures of everything that caught my eye. later in the week, I rediscovered this poem and realized I had taken pictures well-suited for it:

Autumn Leaves
by LCF, 2004

Does my long-held hope hold such golden glory
When it breathes and sighs and dies?
Does my passioned prayer burn purple and vermilion
When it pours and falls, falls silent?
Does my loud longing love curl burnished bronze
When it swings before a winter wind, hanging helpless?
Do my footsteps leave and autumn auburn dust
When I walk in woods I would not choose, to follow?

And if my ravished cry of praise is heard,

Does God Almighty turn aside to see
This bush burning in the wilderness?
And does He find here heaped the harvest
Of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied with me?

A powerful meditation... it's questions and underlying desires call me to search my heart often this week - and onwards, no doubt! - how have I handled, and how will I handle to tough stuff God in His loving-kindness sends my way?

We've been dog sitting for the last little while. Pepper finally gave up following Michael around, as he couldn't give him much attention as he is allergic to them. Pepper chose Grace's bed to sleep on instead... thing is, he more or less pushes her off during the night!

Auntie Sarah visited us last weekend. it didn't take too long for her to be roped into (quite literally!) playing (being) doggies with/for Grace...
Saturday Morning we went to the Museum of Natural Science (free!) because it was raining and we couldn't go for a walk in the woods as Mommy hoped to do. It was surprisingly not too busy, and we stayed a good long time. Who would have guessed we'd spend the longest time on the bird floor? There were a number of computerized challenge stations (matching songs with birds, recording your own copying of bird songs, matching the bird calls with the onomatopoeic words, etc), as well as a child-sized sick bird hospital station, and other kid-friendly activities. Jasmin got quite excited when she found this display of flying birds at her level!
Grace tried out the seal holes in the ice of the polar bear display...
When we went hunting for the cafeteria for lunch, we discovered the window into the rescue lab... thee were two cages of walking sticks - even babies. They are fascinating!
Since the cafeteria held only vending machines and a boisterous birthday party, we went out to eat. Jasmin spent nearly the whole meal laboriously trying to pick things up with her chopsticks. We were amazed by her level of concentration and stick-to-it-iveness - and the number of times she succeeded!

We actually managed to get in a walk by the river just before supper, but since I didn't take any pictures, if you want to hear about that, you can go here to see what Auntie Sarah has to say about it (and get a different perspective on the weekend)...

We're dog sitting currently.
Jasmin decided yesterday that the dog bed was a very comfy place to take a nap...
Grace anxiously tried to get Mommy to rectify the situation: "That's Pepper's Mommy. Make Jasmin get out. It's not a people bed!" She wasn't chuffed I wanted to take a picture instead!
"Everything has a place and everything in it's place" definitely is an important thing for Grace!

Out and about today we saw a few flecks of snow trying to make a flurry...

"Can you make it cover the grass, Mommy? I want to make a snowman." pleads Grace excitedly.
"You'll have to ask God, Mommy can't make it snow."
"Okay. God? We need snow for the grass please."

Just before supper was cooked, Mommy went to close the curtains...

"Grace! Where are you? Come see! There's snow on the grass!"

A mini stampede to the back door to look. Jumping up and down with glee, voices with rising pitch, chattering away....

"Because I asked God! Snow on the grass! Can we make a snowman now?"

Mommy dressed the impatiently dancing little ones and out they went - for a whole 45 min of snow play before supper!
Mommy's happy that Jasmin likes the snow this year :O)