And then sometimes I Splurge

We had to go grocery shopping today which is one of my least favorite chores. The girls do really well I just get tired of maneuvering a massive cart through tiny aisles over miles and miles of store. I rarely deviate from the list. I even use a calculator to make sure that I stay within budget. Today though, I couldn't resist. We were headed towards the body soap when I saw it. A hot pink pool floatie with Mama's name all over it. In my own defense it was only $1, and really I need a floatie if I have any plans of working on my summer tan. So I bought it and the rest of my afternoon was spent lounging in our kiddie pool urging the girls not to splash.

A little about Nothing

This whole week has seemed strange due to Memorial Day. I can't believe that tomorrow is already Thursday. Time really is going by so fast. We have a crazy weekend looming ahead and I think I'm gonna go to bed early tonight and try to get some extra sleep.

Summer Stuff

This is really the first week of Summer around here. T-ball starts, the pool is open, and Chiggie has VBS this weekend. Thankfully she is feeling a lot better. She takes her antibiotics for another 2 days and then we go back to see the Doctor on Friday. I'm just glad to see her back to herself.

Tonight is her first T-ball practice. She is on the A's and looks adorable all dressed up in her uniform. Her first game is this Saturday and she is very excited. We plan to go to the pool for the first time on Friday after her Dr. appt if everything goes well and the weather is nice. It will be fun to see what Midge thinks of it. I am just excited that summer is finally here and I hope we're able to make it a really special one.

When it goes Bad....

It really goes bad. Rewind to Friday. Everything went as planned. We had loaded up the camper on Thursday night so pretty much everything was ready to go. I spent most of the day tying up loose ends around the house and loading up last minute things. The King got home even earlier than we had originally planned and by 5:30 we were on the road.

The kids were excited. Chiggie was even singing ' On the road again.' We made it there in one piece and had no trouble setting up camp. It was around 8 pm when we started dinner and then finished the night off roasting marshmallows by the fire. The weather was fabulous. Just cool enough, but not too cold.

We were just getting ready to head into the camper for the night when Chiggie started complaining of not feeling well. She said her throat burned and she felt nauseous. I didn't panic at all. It was late, she does have some acid reflux issues, I figured some rest would do us all some good. I scoured the campground looking for someone who had some Tums with no luck. We finally called it a night around 11pm. We never slept.

By 1 am she had vomited, next to the bag I had laid out. I got up and started bagging up dirty laundry and scrubbing any surfaces that had been tarnished. I was actually a bit relieved. Normally with acid reflux, if she vomits it's pretty much over. We all laid back down and I prayed for some sleep. At this point the babies were riled up and I was praising God that we were not in a tent.

About an hour later she was moaning again. This time complaining of jaw and throat pain. I dutifully got out the flashlight and took a look. Her throat looked a little red...maybe. But I did see that she was cutting a new molar. Once again I was relieved, just a new tooth. 2 Tsp's of Tylenol later and my head was back on the pillow. 'This is all going to be worth it,' I thought, I wanted this little camping trip to go good so badly.

The rest of the night was awful. Crying, moaning, subsequent doses of Tylenol. It was completely surreal. Still I thought, morning will come and this will get better. The second I saw light coming through the window I declared it time to rise and shine. It was before 6am. We got everything cleaned up and breakfast going. Chiggie seemed to perk up a little bit. I wondered if it had just been a rough night since there didn't seem to be a specific complaint.

After breakfast we all went fishing. Tea fished while Chiggie climbed rocks and just played. I really started to relax, everything was going to be okay. At this point Midge lost her footing on a rock and face planted skinning basically her whole face. There wasn't much blood, just a big scrape. She didn't cry much, but I was mortified. We waited a bit longer, and having no luck with the fishing decided to head back to camp for a bit. As we rounded everybody up we noticed a large amount of rust colored fluid in and around Chiggie's right ear. Ummmm uh oh.

I asked her if her ear hurt and she said not so much anymore. Nice. She explained that her ear had gotten the hiccups and it hurt really bad. Then there was this big pop and then it didn't hurt anymore. I felt awful. We went back to camp, gave her more Tylenol and contemplated our options. Should we take her to a nearby ER? She seemed okay at the time, probably not an emergency per se. Should we load up and go home? We hadn't even been there 24 hours. We finally decided to wait things out a bit. We made out the bed in the camper and she took a lengthy nap. When she woke up she still felt pretty good and played for while at the playground. I put some cotton in her ear to keep it clean and dry.

The rest of the day was long. Everyone was tired. Exhausted really. She didn't feel like going back down to the lake so the King took Tea and we stayed back at the camper. I felt so sorry for her. She really had been looking forward to this trip and everything we planned to do. I was overly tired and emotional at this point and felt like bawling. I think it was only about 3pm. The afternoon and evening drug on almost unbearably. She had ups and downs. I rubbed her back and we talked about her birthday coming up and all the fun things that we would do this summer.

Tea and the King got back, still no fish. Tea was very disappointed. We had dinner in the camper because Chiggie didn't feel like going out. By late evening she was willing to venture out and have another fire. They burned, I mean roasted marshmallows and enjoyed catching them on fire and then laughing hysterically. By about 8:30pm I could barely see through the slits that were my eyesockets and broke down camp and headed inside. The girls calmed down very easily, I dosed Chiggie up again, and everyone fell asleep. That night was scary.

Chiggie was so hot to the touch I couldn't believe it. Even with the medicine. I used cool wet papertowels in an attempt to get her body temperature under control. She was talking in her sleep obviously having nightmares. I couldn't sleep because I was afraid she would have a seizure. Once again as soon as we saw the light of day we were up. We made her comfortable on the couch while we got everything loaded up. We were obviously leaving. Tea cried. She was disappointed, she really wanted to catch a fish.

We were on the way home by 8 am. Everyone but the King slept almost the whole ride home. He thankfully was able to stay awake for the drive. The instant we got home I called Doc's on Call and set up an appointment. I got her showered and in clean clothes. I also gave her some Ibuprofen to control the fever and inflamation. By the time we headed to the Office she actually looked much better. Thankfully we saw an excellent doctor. She was thorough and made Chiggie feel very comfortable. We got a pretty obvious diagnosis. A ruptured ear drum. She cultured the fluid to make sure there is no underlying infection and prescribed two different antibiotics. One liquid and one in drop form. She'll follow up with her pediatrician to check the ear and go over the results of the culture later in the week.

Now she has had a dose of both antibiotics and is resting comfortably. The Ibuprofen is working for pain control, but it only lasts for so long. We're glad to be home and looking forward to a redo here in the next couple of weeks. I will post a few pictures (I really didn't get many) when my head doesn't hurt so bad.

1st Grade was so Yesterday

Today was the last day of school for my 7 year old little sister. She had a great 1st grade year. She enjoyed her teacher, made some new friends, and participated in several school related activities as well as being a Brownie. She finished the year off wonderfully and I am sure she will have an equally successfull 2nd grade year. In the mean time she is looking forward to feeling the wind in her hair, the sand between her toes, and maybe having a few popsicles. You know, taking a break from all the stress early elementary school comes with!

Rain, Rain

Go Away! Usually I enjoy a fair amount of rain. I love the deep green the grass becomes, the blooming flowers, and the brimming lakes and rivers. But everyday? It's hard for the girls to swim or play outside much when it's either 50 degrees outside or raining. Hopefully we'll have good weather this weekend.

Preparations

This weekend we are going out of town for our first Memorial Day Weekend in the "camp house." Very exciting, but at the same time a lot of work. We have to:

1. Go grocery shopping
2. Clean the camper
3. Stock the camper full of goodies
4. Put a bag together of toys for the girls to play with
5. Mow the grass
6. Chemical the pool
7. Pack clothes for cooler weather
8. Make sure the kitty is stocked up on food and water
9. Get fishing supplies
10. Pray for nice weather

And of course this is on top of everything else we would be doing no matter what. Not complaining though. It's actually very exciting.

Insanity

Once upon a time I was sane. I had a plan. Things were organized. I knew what month it was, the day of the week, and took a shower every day. Sometimes twice, just to relax. Fast forward to now. The second the laundry hamper is emptied into the washer, it is filled back up. Just as I wash the last dish a snack or drink is requested. I shower with the curtain partly open, usually shouting, "stay away from that. Shut the refridgerator. Where is your diaper?"

What can I say. It all happened so fast. For the most part I have adjusted to this busy lifestyle. Every now and then though, I encounter situations that make even my hair curl. Take the Pediatricians Office for example. I hate to go there. The exam rooms are tiny. The wait is generally long. And I especially hate when they have to get shots.

Today was a double whammy. It was Midge's 15 month well child check and I knew she would have to have 2 shots. While I didn't say anything I also knew that Chiggie would be getting her Varicella booster. We made it through the actual check-up all in one piece. They were all well behaved and quiet for the most part. The nurse walked in at the end with the supplies for the shots. Chiggie patted Midge and told her to be brave. The nurse broke the news and Chiggie bolted on me. She wedged herself behind the exam table and the wall. Being 7 months pregnant made this even harder than it already would have been. I could hardly fit in the space to grab her out.

I tried reasoning and finally held her on the table so the shot could be given. She screamed, and screamed. She really let them have it. Telling them all about how much she hated their office and would not be returning. She told them how stupid shots were and that when she grew up she would never get another one. Meanwhile Midge, realizing she was next, made a beeline for the door and was on her tiptoes rattling the handle. I snagged her, kicking and screaming, and put her on the table. Tea just watched wide eyed. Soon it was all over and we could leave.

I got everybody to the car. At this point no one was crying anymore. We got in, got buckled up and I started the engine. From the very back I heard Chiggie sounding cheerful, " Mommy, when we come back next time, we will have the new baby with us. Won't that be fun."

Me through tears, of joy of course, "yes, baby, I can't wait."

Weekend Recap

• We set up the pool
• Tea got bit by the neighbor dog
• 75% of the weekend was spent outside
• We began remodeling the deck
• Solarcaine was used by all

Today I am Mad

I wrecked the SUV. Yup, bashed in the lower front bumper. In my own defense the cement wall I hit couldn't be seen from the drivers side when I pulled out of the parking space. As an added bonus the sound proof interior made it sound like a tiny scrape instead of a brutal mutilation. At least I didn't have to bear the sound. *sigh*

Freedom

Oh how I want to be free.

Free from:

• alarm clocks
• late spring snow storms
• laminate flooring
• kitty litter
• dirty diapers
• backyard weeds
• tiles in the shower that fall out while you are showering
• head colds
• indigestion
• getting up to go to the bathroom 5x a night
• bills
• annoying 1-800 calls
• appointments

What do you wish you were free from?

I would also like to extend a Happy Birthday wish to my wonderful Mom who celebrated her birthday today. I love you Mom!

Buddy Day

Tomorrow is Kindergarten Buddy Day. Chiggie is so excited and has talked about it non stop pretty much all evening. While she is in class I will go to an orientation session in the auditorium. I think I am as excited and nervous as she is. It feels really weird to have a "school age" kid. Next year is going to bring about so many changes for all of us. I am looking forward to the opportunity to get involved in the school and all the activities that will be available.

I look at her sometimes and wonder where the time has gone. I now it's cliche', but it's so different when it's your own child. I remember her babyhood so vividly. Kindergarten? Already?

Drained

All the activity we had this weekend left me feeling short on energy today. My to do list was long and my list of accomplishments short. Ah, there is always tomorrow I suppose.

One thing that I have been thinking about lately though is my metamorphosis into "psycho mom." I really noticed this when we were camping and then again on Sunday as we played outside. I am terrified of something bad happening to one of the girls. To the point that I exhaust myself in following their every step when we aren't inside the house. I am especially terrified of cars. Parking lots and sidewalks along busy streets really freak me out. When the girls ride their bikes I am always afraid that they won't stop and they'll ride right out into the street.

Of course I would never even give the babies a chance, but Chiggie is almost 6 years old. She wears a helmet and she knows safety rules. I need to let her branch out a little, I know this I just can't seem to ease up a little.

Happy Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. We went to church where I saw my Mom and then had a nice afternoon at home. The girls ran through the sprinklers and rode their bikes. The weather was beautiful as it has been the last few days. It was nice and relaxing.

This evening we went to a BBQ that was hosted by the Youth Pastor at our church. It didn't have anything to do with youth group or Mother's Day, just a coincidence. It just so happens our kids were the only kids under 14 even there. It was a little crazy to say the least. At one point Tea said she had to go to the bathroom. This is a new thing for her. She won't use the potty hardly ever at home, but if we go somewhere she has to check out their bathroom.

Reluctantly I took her and of course there was no real action. We came out and the Pastor, who was standing in the kitchen asked Tea if she went potty. She said, "no, actually my just farted, like ppppffffffffftttttttt..." I would tell you what he said or what I said but honestly I have no real memory as I temporarily blacked out. This too shall pass right?

Home again, Home again...

We're back and we had a really good time. Much to our surprise nothing went wrong at all. We even slept great. All 5 of us ended up sleeping on the King size bed and the kids didn't even wake up until 8 am. Poor little Midge did take a nasty fall from a picnic table at our camp site. The way she landed she knocked her bottom tooth right through her lip. She only cried for a second and even managed to finish her breakfast. While we were gone I did realize that I have advanced to phase 2 of this pregnancy. Waddling.

Phase 1: barfing

Phase 2: waddling

Phase 3: panic

2 down!

Road Trip

Tomorrow we will take the camper on her maiden voyage with our family. I am both nervous and excited. Much of this week has been spent getting things ready. We are going to a place really close to town and are only staying for one night. That way if we encounter any problems we don't have to drive far. Our next trip is planned for Memorial Day weekend and that will be 4 days. The girls are excited, we'll see how it goes. I'll be back with plenty of pictures I am sure.

What Can I Say?

Chiggie named her Fiona.

Snow?

It was a little weird today, after last weekends temperatures in the 80's, to wake up to a blanket of snow on the grass and the limbs of our trees bowing. This weather is weird to say the least. The end of the week looks much better and we have plans to go camping this weekend so I hope the forecast stays the same. I am getting a little tired of running through the sprinklers one weekend and making snow angels the next.

Blossom Festival '07

Ready to Roll Out
Waiting for the parade
Corn Dog at the carnival
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Some cotton candy for the road

Happy Birthday!

Today is the King's Birthday. Sooooo, Happy Birthday to a wonderful Husband and fabulous Daddy. Here's to many, many more!


Also a belated Happy Birthday wish to my Grandpa who celebrated his birthday yesterday!

2 Down

One to go. The third trimester has hit me like a brick. All of the sudden I really feel pregnant. I have never been one to sail through pregnancy, but the end has always been particularly hard for me. Here's a few complaints just for documentation:

• My feet hurt
• I've been having migraines
• Heartburn most of the day
• Trouble falling asleep
• Trouble staying asleep
• Fatigue
• Annoying Braxton Hicks

Those are just a few. I know this is only the beginning of the end. That worries me a little. I know it's going to get really hot and I still have to make it through most of the summer. I am hoping we stay busy enough that I barely notice. I know, I can dream can't I?

Bedtime at Last

Today I am tired. I have been doing really well with energy levels lately. It all caught up to me. I think it caught the girls as well. Tomorrow is a pretty busy day and then we have a very fun and relaxing weekend planned. Our town has an annual May Blossom Festival the first weekend in May. There is a parade, carnival, and lots of family oriented fun. On top of that the King's birthday is Saturday and we love any chance for a party. On that note I'm off to bed to try to catch up on some sleep!

Happy May Day