Sorry for the disappearing act, but it's been one long sniffle after another around here. Wednesday the baby was dripping snot and cranky. I took him in to the doctor and found out he had a double ear infection.

Thursday morning around 1 a.m. the oldest popped into our room to tell us he felt dizzy and couldn't sleep. He had a fever and he kept coming in to tell us about it ever hour or so. By 7 a.m. he felt fine and perky, but I was more exhausted than ever.

Thanksgiving was fine. I made maple-bourbon pumpkin pie with a praline crust (the pie with the longest name in the world, but it is so worth making) and apple-cranberry cobbler, which turned out to be a necessity, since the people we are living with only own one pie plate. I'd love to say both were huge hits and I certainly did my share of eating them, but most people were so stuffed from dinner and in a hurry to be elsewhere that dessert was, sadly, largely forgotten.

Friday I woke up to a cold that has quickly devolved into a sinus infection. I feel miserable and can't taste anything. I finally called the doctor yesterday. They never called me back, so I suppose I need to try again.

In good news, the walls inside the purple house are being painted and we even have someone scheduled to come and clean the place in a few weeks. There seems to be a theoretical possibility that if a few more big things get done, we could be living there in some less than comfortable, but still manageable state.