More doctor visits..and fewer strips.

As usual, I was so busy at Courtney's baby shower, I forgot to take pictures!  I will say it was SO much fun.  We ended up having enough little glass jars with string and ribbon tying on scalloped circles with numbers (since you could pretty simply get your drinks mixed up!).  We had LOTS of cookies (I had TOO many left over!), and plenty of food.  I would totally rather make too much than not enough, haha!

She's so beautiful pregnant! : )

I even wished I'd taken pictures of her cute gifts, so sweet in brown kraft paper, tulle and ribbon.  Ah, next time!  Praying she feels blessed by her friends in memory! : )

I'd bought some cloth diapers to monogram/embroider with the letter C (we know it'll begin with a C!), or the letter S for his last name.  BUT.  As I was sitting down to work on a design (or several!), my hasp/dongle broke!  It is a little USB thingie, and the sofware won't even OPEN without it.  I'm so sad.  The store I bought it from is out of business, so I'm trying to find another dealer that might be able to send it back for repair/replacement.  I am up a creek with an embroidery machine..and no way to use it.  Sadness.  Praying it's ready by the time she has the baby!!

working on their computers.  Carter loves this old white Mac that we can't even find the charger for!

My little Ethan has been home since last Wednesday.  We went to the doctor last week, and he had an ear infection.  He's had a consistent fever since then (like 99.6-102.1), and we're now on day SiX.  Not good.  Not only do I feel for him..he's missing school.  We really studied for his spelling test, just in case the fever dropped..but No.  Mary Claire is also home today..is this a crazy fever virus?!  Her blood sugars are more on the low side (we've seen a 46 and a 56 today!), so I'm baffled.

Sweet girl.  Pictures are tomorrow, and she'd like her hair straightened, please.  After having me hot roll it the last two weekends. ; )

**Update: Ethan rose to 103.2, so I took him back to the doctor..and if he is still feverish in the morning, we go for a chest xray.  His flu test was negative.  (And they are only testing for the enterovirus if the child has to be hospitalized.  The state complained it was too much paperwork to just test for testing's sake.) (Feeling so sorry for them and all their paperwork.)

Towels are my insurance.  So I can walk away once in a while. ; )

But on the upside..we are trying harder actually trying to potty train Carter!  He's a doll in his little underwear.  He's used the potty a few times, but not with any consistency.  We usually (with the other three kids..) let them go bottomless for two or three days, then graduate to underwear.  This is Day One.  (yes, go ahead and laugh!)  I don't know if it's me or him.  I kinda love having a baby to change.  (Ok..maybe it's me.)

Ok..as the day has worn on, my attitude is less than positive.  Do you ever just feel like your day is less than.. oh, I don't know..below average?  I'm wearing down and probably need a decent night's sleep.  I just don't get those anymore. : (

He loves the baby.

I can see why some students commit suicide.  And I'm serious.  My son is in four pre-AP classes are they are tough stuff.  We did math until 10 tonight, and I made him take it with us to pick up his new glasses, work on it in the car, at the doctor's office with Ethan, and all night.  He has multiple assignments to work on at any given time, and it's like playing whack-a-mole.  Whatever is due soonest..whack it!  I worry about him.  (He is not suicidal, I just mean it would be easy to lose sight of a way out, and become incredibly overwhelmed.  Schools push harder and harder to have the highest scores and the "best" students.  He has harder stuff in Algebra 1 than I had in college algebra.  Not kidding.  He's writing quadratic equations for weird graphs.  I can't elaborate.  It hurts my head.)

His religious education class isn't any picnic either.  I know he wants to be confirmed with his classmates, but she's tough.  He's supposed to be reading a book of the Bible every night, memorizing answers to questions, and there are assignments for EVERY night of the week (7 days of homework for a one hour a week class!).  He's just getting more and more behind.  There's no way he can do it all.  And forget a social life.  I hear about things going on at school, but he doesn't have a spare minute.  He did campaign for a friend to be voted into student council (and she did!), but he said he couldn't even consider one more thing.  Makes me sad.

Soo glad we listened to Ethan, and we went to play at a park.  May be just what we needed. : )

And he already has issues with self-discipline.  He's on medication to help him concentrate, but when we increase that to help him make it through the day, he picks at his skin and eyes.  He is covered in scabs right now, and his eyes are infected again.  We have an open prescription for antibiotic eye drops, but I can't even stand to watch him dig his fingernails into his eyelids.  (Like between his eye ball and under his lids.  It is sooo creepy!!)

And..We got letters from our insurance company, UMR, than they will only pay for FiVE strips a day for checking the kids' blood.  Umm, we sometimes use up two just to get one reading.  And five?  So.. which checks should I eliminate?  When do you want to see them go high/low/unchecked?  And is hospitalization so much cheaper than preventative care?  This makes no sense.  It's a battle they hope I won't fight.  And tonight, I'm tired.

And I need to get ready to teach on Wednesday.  (And remember my kids don't need nightly homework!)  Breathe in, breathe out.  Pray.  Pray some more.  God's got this, I'm just sure of it.  I know when I'm teaching religious education, I go though the most pain and emotional trauma.  Drawing the little children closer to God is dangerous work.  And I'm not kidding.  Say some extra prayers for our family.  It's tough stuff.  Prayers for your family too.  Hugs.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them,

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19: 26

Sick Day

Today was a Sick Day.
Ethan spent the night with Gigi (his first night away from us!), and this morning..he got SiCK!  He threw up at her house, then in the car on the way home..then all day. : (

It is never fun when someone you love (especially your baby!) is sick.  He had icky poop and threw up every hour or two.  We'd wait about an hour or two after the last episode and give him a couple sips of Sprite..and then he'd throw up.  He consumed only about 4 oz. from last night to tonight at six.

I called the doctor's office, and they said I could give him one of Mary Claire's zofran dissolving tablets to help him with the nausea and vomiting.  While he was sleeping, I g-e-n-t-l-y put it under his tongue.  (he never woke up!)  Then, when it had been about 30 minutes, I went to check the tablet progress.  He had some white foamy stuff, so I used a dropper to drop a teensy bit of water onto the foam..I know chancey, but it helped wash the stuff down his throat! ; )

By the time we woke him for dinner (three hours later!), he was fine.  He had a tiny bit of Sprite, some rice, applesauce, and a bite of plain potato.  I gave him a bath (I'd used so many baby wipes on him..he needed a wash!), and then feeling really brave..we went to Ches' office to finish up.

He changed offices in 2007 (and I thought it'd only been two years, boy time flies!), and I've never been back to help organize.  We hung his diplomas, pictures, and more stuff..I cleaned out his fridge, then the kids and I cleaned out the "busy" desk drawer-it was full of super-old calculators, hardened rubber bands, old coins (Clay found a 1954 penny, and was so excited!), and even those old mini-tapes.  Mary Claire wanted them for her American Girl.  ha!  I can't believe I haven't been there in so long..and that he never felt it was time to clean. ; )  We left piles of stuff in the hall for trash..and shredded bags worth of student papers.  (and bags..meaning the big clear, shredder bags-50 gallon bags!  He was holding on to old tests!  He actually had reused them with some scan-trons, but Hell-o!  Some were written on, and I bet some made it back to dorm rooms!  You have to change up the tests, every year!)  He is so sweet, and thinks no one would cheat.

Alright, I should go..I have to check on some babes!  Praying that God heals my children, and praising Him that Aiden finally has his pump!  God is good.

*and see?  I didn't say the words "green throw-up", "undies straight to the trashcan", or "letting him use my pads in his undies".  So..it's all good! : )  Now, he can't say I embarrassed him when he was little. ; )

Oh, and ps!  I found my thingie!! Yay! : )  (it's an ipod/heart rate monitor..gone missing!)  (Get this.  I'd taken it on the trip, but found it when I cleaned out my car today.  I should celebrate..with some chocolate ice cream...filled with Reese's.  Isn't it appropriate?)  Yay!

Hidden Food

I have to learn code so I can use my own fonts.  I have SO many!  I like this plain one okay, but I'd love to dress it up.  Alas, not possible right now. : (

Mary Claire came home sick again today!  She's had that tummy ache since Saturday, and hasn't been able to eat.  She has no fever, no throwing up, and no weird poop.  I took her to the doctor, thinking it really could be something.  At our house, nothing is impossible!  The doctor told us to try Zantac (he says maybe acid reflux?) liquid 2x a day, and come back Monday if it's not better.  He also gave us a prescription for dissolving Zofran for when she's so sick and she can't eat or drink (especially when she's high or low!).

She was asking for a Zinger this afternoon, so I'd say she's at least 50% better!

I have been working on some items to donate for Springdale High's choir.  My friend is the choir director, and she's having a silent auction to raise money.  I made two monogrammed cups:

And I was working on making a white bath towel with an appliqued SHS, but I'm having trouble.  I don't know why the design on my jumpdrive won't show up on my sewing machine...  I'll keep working on it.  I've never done appliques with my embroidery machine, but I'm always up for learning something new!  I've heard that you just put the fabric on top of the item you are monogramming, then cut the fabric from around the stitches.  I know, it can't be that easy, but I'll let you know if I ever get it to work!

And while I'm laboring away on my computer/sewing machine, here's Ethan.

Just "working" away!  He tells me he's writing Happy Birthday and Congratulation notes for Mommy and Daddy and Everyone, and that he needs to mail them away to people.  He used most of a post-it pad, but I was glad to see him stay so focused for so long.  He's not crazy about writing (or coloring or drawing..), and I can't help him.  He's left-handed, and it's hard to teach when you are right-handed.  We colored lots last night, and he's trying to learn to stay in the lines.  We also worked on drawing people, since he's not-so-good at that (well, he just scribbles for people), but we'll keep at it.

You can't really see it, but his shirt says, "Bad Hair Day" with a spinosaurus, and I thought it fit him well today.

Alrighty, folks!  I have now made the Chicken Rice Soup from Double Delicious.  It took me two days, but All in the Name of Healthy. (I would totally suggest you take two days, since my entire family walked in our house yesterday-at different times-and told me how sTiNkY it was!  (It was the day I made the purees to go in the soup: Hidden Food.  I made cauliflower and carrot, and bagged them.  Apparently the cauliflower smelled super-gassy!)

This is the big head of cauliflower-it took forever to get into it-the green at the bottom was so stiff, and then they were packed tightly!  I had to just cut into a :stalk: to get into the thing!

Albino Broccoli

My first strainer-works in any size pot!  You have to keep the water level below the bottom of the strainer, or it'll leach out your vitamins!

My slightly fancier steamer!

All those carrots made just one cup of mush puree.

Obviously, cauliflower is full of hot air.  Remember the really full blender before?  It cooked down to this.

And here are my finished purees!

So..I finished the soup today, but I didn't take a picture.  All the chunky chicken, rice, and veggies were at the bottom, so it looked like orange-y water.  It tasted okay, not great.  I don't think I'd make it again.  I also made her cheese bread (I'm sure she called it something fancier) with bean paste (kinda like hummus: white beans, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper) and mozzarella on bread.  It was pretty good, but I'd toast the bread first next time, so it's crunchier.  I broiled it in the oven on a cookie sheet, so the bottom was just bread.  It was all just okay, nothing to write home about.  Sometimes all the work is for naught.  Yes, I still learned (that my sweet husband will eat anything I make, and that sometimes Clay will, and rarely Mary Claire.  Ethan gobbled up his cheese bread, but didn't like the soup.  Mary Claire was skeptical-she kept picking off the cheese asking what was under it.  I don't know why Mrs. Seinfeld hides beans-my kids love them!  I think they'd prefer to just eat them.)

Legends

Hey Ya’ll!  Sorry-yesterday was busy! : )  We had gymnastics, lunch with Ches, dance, baseball, and a long day!  Oh-and the new Grey’s Anatomy! : )  It’s my really the only show I watch, so I’m happy to see my old friends (heehee).  Christina got married!  (It’s really because she didn’t want to be alone, but anyway..)

 So, I have accumulated some pictures over the last couple days, so I'll share them:

He likes to line his cars up-he says they're at the Starting Line!

More thank you notes..purple this time! : )

 

 

 

 

 

When we picked up Ches for lunch yesterday, there were over 50 tents-students camping out for student tickets (to get good seats-they aren't assigned) for Saturday's Arkansas vs. Alabama game!  They were playing ball, eating out, studying-having fun enjoying the Student Life!  Last night John Pelfrey and Ryan Mallett handed out pizzas to the students waiting.  I *love* being a Razorback! : )  

 

proof that Mallett handed out pizzas : ) heehee

We went to see the Legend of the Guardians (The Owls of Ga'Hoole) this evening-it was a good movie.  Afterwards, the kids found this huge set for the new Narnia movie coming out-it was 3D with a huge ship's wheel to steer and layers of creatures holding on-a perfect picture opportunity! : )

After the movie, we stopped in Johnson to play on the Blue park (yes, that's what we call it!), and the kids had fun, despite the smoking/drinking people.  Ugh-it's a park, people!

Clay spinning on the fun toy that has no name!  It sits crooked, and you use your weight to make it spin!

Ethan just *loves* the duck-he'll go play, then come right back to it!

Mary Claire on the spinner toy.

I'd never been this far back-there's more!  There is a nice bench swing in the trees.

Playing tetherball together-I'm glad there are still some around.

Ethan's just a little nervous of that ball headed toward him!

Climbing : )

He stopped long enough to say, "Cheese!"

 
Mary Claire stayed home this morning-her blood sugar was high (285), and she wasn't feeling very good.  She cried and asked me to check her temperature.  She was 99.2, so I let her stay home.  She went in her room, and I didn't hear from her.  Later she came down asking for medicine, I changed her site, and she went back up.  Ches stayed here with her for a little while so I could go copy at the school, but when I was almost done, he called saying she wanted to go to school!  He brought her up, and we checked her in.  I had a few more copies to make, so she helped me, then went out to recess.

Within an hour and a half, her medicine wore off, and she was ready to come back home!  I went back to get her, and she was okay, but needed medicine.  (that's how good ibuprofen is-she felt great with it, awful without it!)

Then I had to run by the church, work on envelopes and books-and Sissy helped me! Then it was 3-time to get Ethan.  We got all his stuff (laundry!  He brings home his bedding/nap stuff on Fridays to be washed).

We ate dinner early (at 4!) so we could make it to the movies!  The kids totally pigged out on popcorn when we were there-you'd think they hadn't eaten anything!  And they were hungry afterward.  Maybe they're all growing?

Alrighty-I have to go to bed!  I'm SO tired.  I have more thank you notes to write, but I'm so thankful for the people who've helped us..the notes'll be there for me in the morning! : )

G'Night, peeps! : )

Not Enough Time!

I can only say I'm thankful we are halfway through the week, and I'm still making it. It was Dead Day on campus today (meetings and a party), so Ches will be home for Christmas soon. I can't wait-I'm so tired!
It's always busy, but this week is yuck. Monday night we made dinner for some friends, and as soon as the kids got out of school, we drove it to them. They loved it, and all wanted to live there! (in the country!) We saw a knobby tree, creek, and it was just so peaceful. : ) Then we headed back to town, stopped at Sonic for dinner (lotsa fun), and then everyone had to go to the bathroom in their back bathroom (more fun!). Next we took Ethan to the doctor (yes, Ches was in class or we'd have split up the kids!). He had a 102 degree fever, and had had icky poop since last Wednesday. It was determined he had an ear infection and a virus. We got our meds and on to the next errand (yes, I'm crazy). We went to Target to get some canned food (Campbell's was on sale!) and a movie (as we'd already been on the road for 3 hours at that point-what troopers!)-they picked School House Rock! Then to a local teacher store to get Clay's teacher some unifix cubes (they had a food drive-20% off your purchase with cans-hence the Target trip).
After that, we headed home finally. We were on the bypass with Ethan screaming about his eyes hurting, so I turned the video off. I thought maybe the bright light and being tired was hurting him. Maybe a bad choice, in retrospect? At our exit, he promptly threw up! I still don't know if it was more virus, new virus?, or car sickness, or Sonic? The kids started screaming it stunk. I pulled over, cracked the windows, and helped him through it. We got back on the road, and made it home. I had never been so thankful to pull in my driveway!
The kids were good, and started getting jammies on, snacks, and brushing their teeth, as I was cleaning up Ethan and getting him to bed.
I stayed up, cleaned off his clothes and the car seat cover, then ran them through the wash, then washed their coats (extra energy?). He got up a couple times, but never threw up again.
The next day, he woke up at 5:15, and our days started too early!! We took it slow-I was afraid to give him too much to eat. He did fine until around 4:30 or 5. His fever was up to 104.5, so I called the doctor again, and gave him Tylenol. He'd already had two doses of antibiotics (cleverly disguised in some cream soda), so why the spike? They suggested we come in and transferred me to appointments. Their first available was at 8:20! PM!
We took it, and then had to get on with our evening. Mary Claire had gymnastics from 4:30 to five, then we missed church (it was a holy day), and got Clay to his play at 6:15.
I took Ethan to the doctor while everyone else was tucked into bed. He got a flu test first (lovely swab up his nose), and waited 15 minutes for a negative result. Next he got a Rocephin antibiotic shot, and we waited another 15 minutes for a reaction. We didn't leave there until 10:06!
And it seems Ethan was quite the entertainment for the evening. He kept yelling, "No Thank You, No Thank You!" when she came to give him a shot. Then, "Booboo Hurts!" if I quit rubbing it. The nurses just thought he was so cute. I guess it was so late, they were getting delirious. We were the last people to leave! Then when I got preoccupied on the way home telling Ches about our visit, Ethan would yell out, "Ma-mop!?" and I'd ask what? "Booboo Hurts!"
So this morning, it was back for a chest xray, and it was negative. It appears to just be wheezing (inhaler 4x a day), and some mucus. . .
Ok, I have to finish another day. I have started three times, and it just isn't happening this week!

Momma to the Birds

*Note: I think it was pseudoephedrine yesterday, not phenylephrine.

Today was a home day. I was planning to take a Sick Day, and kinda did! Ches took the kids to school for me, and I lounged on the bed. For a whole 12 minutes. I did stay off the computer all day. Ethan and I strolled around the property (heehee) a few times, checking out our plants, butterflies, bees, angel, and weeds. We pulled the ones we could (weeds, not plants). We have a few pumpkin plants growing on accident out front. Last year, after pumpkins were carved, Ches washed the squish off to the sides of the sidewalk. SO, now the seeds have grown roots, vines, and flowers. We'll see if they produce! Who knows? We could be Accidental Gardeners! And maybe even Successful Gardeners, if we're dreaming!

Then we worked with Papa a little more on the deck. Ethan got nice-n-dirty, played balance beam on a board, played on the slide, and got lots of exercise! He also spilled his drink on a chair cushion and on the deck, and needed a bath immediately afterwards, but oh, what a nap he took! : ) He slept like a baby. Well, better than one!

I took a tiny nap, but it counts! Any sleep is good sleep. I actually slept through the night last night, and felt so much better this morning. I'm hoping for more tonight! I didn't get a few things done today, so now they've been bumped to Friday. I did get some vacuuming done, it freaks me out when it's been too long! If I can see bits on the floor, it's just gross.

We also have some other new pets. Our bird nest in our wreath in the front door is minus a mommy. (Yes, the mommy that flew all around our house last Thursday.) So, I've looked up what they can eat, and have fed them a couple times. Get this. They eat every 30-60 minutes during daylight hours. I mixed cat food with sugar water, and gave them cottage cheese curds with tweezers. The momma has been gone for a day and a half, and they've gotten some fuzz on them. They are maybe a week old? Poor birds. And Purrahna (can't remember how to spell it-Purr and Pirrahna, the neighbor cat we've started feeding-she lives in our yard) is just waiting on our porch (it's raining, too) smelling baby birdies. It's just sad. I read that even if we keep them alive, the momma usually teaches them to fly and hunt for food. So, who's gonna do that? : ( Cheese curds is about as far as I can go.

Ches asked me if I'm going to help out at the school this year. Last year I went one day a week (only for an hour or two), to help. I just don't think I can. If it was copying for the teachers, I could do it, but it never is. When I get busy helping a child with work, I can't leave. I feel like I need to help them finish, then before long, I've run over my time (and into their next subject)! I might email to see if they need a copy person, but really, I'd bet there's someone with more time than me that wants (?) to do it. That could totally be rephrased, but I'll just let it go.

And I'm hearing meowing. Bad sign. And I feed her too. To keep her tummy full, so she won't eat my birds!

Sick Day-NOT!

Today was a sick day. Not for me, but for Mary Claire. She said her throat hurt, she didn't feel good, and she was just convincing enough. I let her stay home. Today was my MDO, and since I was carpooling, I went ahead and took Ethan. She went with me, if only to remember where she used to go. Susan, the director, would've never recognized her! It's been an awful long time! About 5 years? Anyway, I was out of milk, so I had to run to WM. We walked thru the girls' stuff (first mistake) to get to the other side, and she found a little Tinkerbell backpack she thought she desperately needed. I asked her what she'd use it for (assuming to put her meter in), and she said for Bella (the unicorn): for her blanket, pillow, bottle, diaper, etc. Well, I had to say no. She cried, boohoo'd, etc. right through the checkout, in the car, and wouldn't look at me. When Ches called on the way home, he said it sounded like she needed to go back to school! Well, then she quit the crying, and started in again about the throat!

I took Isabella home (precious child-she gave me hugs and kisses-can I keep her?), got Ethan to bed, Mary Claire kinda-to-bed (she keeps bouncing back down the stairs to see if Clay's home yet!), and put my sweet new stamps together. I love them!! : ) One says, "Donut be sad" and has a picture of a donut! : ) Another says, "Sick? Milk It." with a milk carton. I love them!! : ) Are you sad? Cause I'll send you a card!

Clay's home! We are investigating the Triops progress. Which is nil right now. Just tiny floating eggs. We're even using a magnifying glass. Maybe the water temp isn't right? Maybe they aren't real? It says they'll send us another set if these don't hatch. I think it's still a scam. A $4 scam! I'll keep checking on them...

Mary Claire has been high all day! I think she has a bad site. It seems like she's been high for three days. There aren't any air bubbles in the tubing. I don't think it's a real illness as she has a temp of 96.7. No fever, that is. So, we are off to change her pump site, cause she wants to eat! (and is currently 333-definitely over ketone level now for 3 hours!) Time to cut our losses, and start all over! New insulin, reservoir, site, etc. God must have a lot of faith in me! More than I have in myself.

Can I just take a sick day? I think I'm feeling that feeling Mary Claire felt this morning...it's called gymnastics/dinner/gs leaders' meeting... Is the feeling called Responsibility? or Work?