Sick Kids

Well, now that I'm pretty much over being sick, the kids evidently decided that it looked like fun, and decided to get sick too. Ellie had been wetting the bed several times in the last week, and told me that her tummy hurt when she went to the bathroom, so I thought she might have a UTI (urinary tract infection). So, I called the doctor, and they had me bring her in at 9:15 yesterday morning.

What was supposed to be a 10 minute, quick, easy appointment, turned into a 1 1/2 hour, complicated appointment, including x-rays. It is never good when the doctor comes in and starts looking concerned. The urinalysis did show some problems, and they are sending it out to be cultured, but while the doctor was checking her lungs, she noticed some wheezing, and wanted to get x-rays, and then she said she has an ear infection. The poor kid is miserable.

Well, as the doctor was checking Ellie, apparently Miles felt left out and started acting sick. He spiked a fever (101.5 when we finally got home), and was acting all droopy. The doctor checked him before we left and said he sounded fine, and his ears looked good. However, this morning he was telling me his ear hurt, so I wouldn't be terribly surprised if I ended up with both the kids on antibiotics!

So, I have two kids who don't feel good, and I myself am recovering, albeit slowly. I actually have a sneaking suspicion that I may also have an ear infection, but am going to wait until Monday (and Lynn is home) before I call the doctor about it. Right now it hurts occasionally, and I have a lot of pressure, but it isn't too bad. If it gets worse, I'll have to call, but I'm hoping and praying it will get better on its own.

Well, I'd better go get busy, I have sick kids to take care of, a wet bed to change, and more laundry to do. Fun, fun, fun!

Yes, I'm still alive.

Ok, hopefully you all don't think I dropped off the edge of the planet or anything. I am still alive, I've just been sick for the last week.

Last Tuesday we went to Sea Lion Caves and had a great day at the coast, but by the time we were done with the Sea Lions, I was completely worn out. It hurt to sit still. I thought I was having a Fibromyalgia flare, but I think it was just the initial muscle aches from this crud that I came down with. The next three days I ran a low grade fever, and could hardly function. Needless to say my house was a wreck, and I had no clean laundry by Sunday morning. I started feeling better on Sunday, but still don't feel 100%. The kids are starting to get it now too, so it is a good thing I'm feeling better. I'll post more about our trip later.

Easter was pretty subdued. The kids had a good time, but we basically did nothing, other than going to church. My niece Michelle was supposed to come for dinner, but called and said she was sick too, so we had hot pockets and chicken nuggets for our Easter dinner - festive, is it not?

Lynn is feeling under the weather, but not is still functional. He has been doing stuff around the house and helping me out a lot! I am so glad that he had Saturday off, and was able to come home early on Friday. He has been wonderful.

Well, the timer for dinner just beeped, so I better go take care of it. I will blog more later, but wanted to let you all know I wasn't dead, or fallen off the end of the earth or anything.

Look, I'm an I!

Ellie was playing with the couch pillows today, and generally destroying my living room, when I heard "Look, Mommy, I'm an I!" I went into the living room and this is what I saw. What a silly girl!

No More Diapers!

Well, I've been putting this off for a while, and today we officially started to potty train Miles. He's been showing signs for a couple of weeks, but I just didn't want to fight that battle. But, when your two year old starts telling you when he has a stinky diaper - he even brought it to me once, after having taken it off of himself, I guess it's time to potty train.

I went the other day and bought some underwear and pull ups for night time. Today I took the plunge. We got home from MOPS, and I initiated "quiet hour", which is basically naptime. After I changed Miles' diaper into the crib he went. About 5 minutes later he was yelling "Potty, mommy!" I went in and asked him if he needed to go potty, thinking it he was just trying to delay the inevitable. He said yes, and we went in to sit on the potty. Lo and behold, his diaper was dry and he sat and peed in the potty! Well, I made a big deal of it, put pull ups on him, and put him back in bed (Aren't I mean??) When he woke up, he was still dry, and went in the potty again. Then I put him in "big boy" underwear which he said is like Daddy. He wet his pants twice, but went in the potty three times. I would say he had a very good afternoon for his first time.

I am feeling a little sad about not having a baby anymore, but I can't say I will miss the diapers too much. Who knows, maybe we will have another one and I can do it all over again!

Kids

Ok, now that I got the weepies out, I can tell you all about my wonderful kids!

Ellie is reading! She has several books that have simple words in them that she can read well. She is also recognizing words while we are out and about. This morning at the library she looked at the doors, and said "That door says out, and this door says in!" She comes up with some really funny stuff too. It is so amazing to watch her develop and grow, and want to know everything about everything. Although, she thinks she knows everything already!

Miles is getting ready to potty train. I dread the thought of it, but when your two year old brings you a diaper that he has taken off himself, and says "YUCKY!" I guess it is time to potty train. I went to Wal Mart yesterday and bought him some training underwear and some Pull Ups for night time and when we leave the house. I think we will start next week when things are somewhat slow, and we can pretty much stay home all the time. He is getting so much more verbal too. It is really fun to see his language blossom. It is so very different than Ellie was.

Spring is starting to make it's appearance here too. My crocuses are in bloom, and I have a few daffodils starting to bloom. They are blooming all over elsewhere, but my front yard is pretty shaded with the plum trees so, they take a little longer to bloom at my house, I don't really mind though, because then I can enjoy them longer. I think I am going to get some rosebushes to plant in the back yard too. And we need to start planning our garden. This will be the fourth summer we will have been in this house, I have yet to plant a garden. I am excited about it too. The kids will enjoy seeing the plants grow and then eating the produce. Lynn cut down one of our apple trees a couple of weeks ago. It didn't produce very good apples, and neither of us liked it. I don't really care for the other apple tree either, but he wants to see how it does this year too. He just hates cutting down trees for no good reason. We are definitely keeping the pear tree though. The weather has been really nice and mild too. I think maybe we will go for a walk to the park today when Miles wakes up.

I am trying to walk at least a mile a day, 5 days a week. I have done it the last 2 weeks. I'm not seeing any dramatic results on the scale, but I do feel better, and I guess that counts too. :) I think if I drastically reduced my sugar intake I would probably see better results. That is hard to do, though, especially with all the Peeps, and Jelly Beans for Easter!

Well, I think I will go get Miles up from his nap and we can take a walk.

10 Months Today

I realized last night that it has been 10 months today since Mom died. It is so hard to believe that it has been that long. That I have survived a the summer, Ellie's birthday, my anniversary, my birthday, Christmas, New Years, Miles birthday, and so much more without her. She always tried to make those times special. I didn't believe it was possible for me to survive 10 months ago.

Then I think that just a year ago, I was able to talk to her on the phone whenever I felt like it. I could share my joy and my hurts with her, and would always recieve sound Biblical advice from her. I really miss that. That just a year ago, we were planning Easter at her house, I was looking forward to spending the holiday with them and watching her enjoy her grandchildren. Little did I know it would be the last time I would see her alive. We would discuss her plans for the CEF booth at the fair, and bounce ideas around.

Today I was looking through a Current catalog and noticed the Mother's Day cards. They were being sold in sets of two and I broke down in tears thinking I only needed to buy one this year. I can't tell her how much I appreciated her and how much she meant to me.

Ok. Now I am going to end this pity party and go get on with my real life and take care of my kids and my family like I know she would want me to. I can hear her now telling me to stop feeling sorry for my self and get up and do something!

Where's Ellie??

Yesterday was an interesting day. We went to church, and then after Ellie and her class were done singing the special music at the 11:00 service, we came home, changed clothes and drove to Albany to a gun show. Lynn had been wanting to go to this for a few weeks, and it was a nice family outing. We had lunch at Burger King, and then on to the gun show. If you have never been to a gun show, it is a huge room full of tables that are covered with things such as rifles, knives, bullet, and basically anything that is gun related. Not terrible interesting unless you are into guns.



Miles thought it was terribly fun to run up and down the aisles with me chasing him. Evidently he thought we brought the double stroller as a shopping cart for Dad. Ellie, who rarely gets to ride in the stroller, wanted to sit in the stroller. So Lynn kept the stroller and Ellie and Miles ran, while I followed him.



Well, after about an hour or so, and our third or fourth trip around the show, we came back to where Lynn was. As we were walking up to him, the stroller looked empty. I figured Ellie was behind him or under the table, or somewhere close. When we got to him I asked, "Where's Ellie?" the look of panic on his face was quite telling. I threw Miles into the stroller, strapped him in, and we both took off in opposite directions looking for her. One of the guys at the table went to the exit and told security. After what seemed like an hour, in reality was about 5 minutes, they over the loudspeaker that she was at the back table. By that time I had just about lost it. A lady came up to me and took me to where she was. She was standing there looking very scared, surrounded by about 3 security guys. She had gotten bored with sitting in the stroller, and decided to find me and Miles. Lynn was talking to the guys at the table, and not paying real close attention to the stroller. Who knows how long she had been wandering the gun show by herself.



The lady that took me to her said that she saw her wandering, looking like she knew where she was going, but thought that she wasn't supposed to be alone. Everyone at the gun show was great, and if we had to lose her, we are thankful it was there, where all the possible exits are monitered.



We both learned a valuable lesson too. You can't predict what a three year old is going to do, and have to know where they are all the time. We don't ever want to be that scared again! Praise God that