It was all I could do to bite my tongue this morning.... I was so livid and quite frankly appalled by the absolute ignorance of a mom I've known for almost a year now, that I could hardly look at her.
So this morning, after Caleb's Kindermusik class was over, a few of the other moms and I were talking about my pregnancy. One of the moms who I don't know all that well (I know her daughter's name, but not hers...) came up and asked me if she missed something. I then explain that I'm pregnant and I'm going to find out the sex of the baby on Tuesday.
** To be fair - I'm not really showing yet. It's not blatantly obvious that I'm pregnant, so if you didn't know me well, you may not have guessed that I'm expecting. With that being said...
This mom (who I still don't know her name, and after today I never care to) and I had this brief conversation:
Random Mom: Wow. You're pregnant. I never would have guessed.
Me: Oh, thanks.
RM: So, is this number three or four for you?
Me: Three. I have a 5 year old daughter as well.
RM: Oh my God! Was this planned???
Me: AAAHHH, yea....
RM: You know, I always wondered what would possess anyone have three or four kids. I just don't get it.
Me: Dead silence -- Really, what would I say to such a comment?? I just had to turn away before I said something I would have regretted (or not) the following week.
Oh, and the best part -- this mom is pregnant. She's due in June, and according to Michelle (Caden's mom) she's made it abundantly clear that she has NO interest in anymore children. But seriously -- what would possess you to make such a crappy comment? Even if I hated kids (which clearly I don't) and was talking to a mom pregnant with number 10, I still would never make such a tacky comment. Talk about class -- or lack thereof....
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
And so, it begins.....
Our lives are about to change... Katherine is on the verge of starting Kindergarten, Caleb is about to lose his best pal and loyal sidekick during the day, and a new baby is going to fill our hearts in ways we've never imagined. Part of this change makes me look forward to the future with great anticipation -- that'd be the new the baby part, but the other part of this change makes me want to hold onto the moment... to freeze time ... to cherish every day as if were the last. The thought of Katherine being gone to Kindergarten all day brings tears to my eyes. Have I taught her all she needs to know up to this point? Can she take care of herself when I'm not there? What if other kids pick on her? What if she doesn't know what to or where to go for help? UUUUUUGH. It kills me. I'm not ready. I'm not sure I'll ever be....
Today, I took Katheirne to a meet and greet type thing at her new school. She met a couple of the teachers, was able to explore different "centers", have cookies, and read a story about Kindergarten. I must say -- she was looking forward to going all day. Literally, she was giddy. It was her dear ol' Mom that's having the hard time!
When we got to the school, she instantly saw a friend of hers from preschool, so we walked in together and chatted. At the door, each child got a name tag with either an "A" or "B" on the bottom, which was used for separating the kids when the story was being read. A few minutes later, her preschool teacher came in (she also has a son starting in the fall) and the girls were elated to see her. While we talked, Mrs. Schramm (her preschool teacher) took Katherine, Betsy Kate, and her son to a center and got them started coloring pictures. Mrs. Schramm told us not to worry about them -- they weren't clingy and they were so ready for Kindergarten.... socially and educationally. That's such a relief to hear as a parent!
While the principal talked to the parents, the kids played at the different centers. All of sudden he announced that the kids with A were to stay in that room for their story, while the B kids were to head over to another room. Hearing this, Katherine immediately put down what she was doing and took off running. She's such a rule follower and a good kid!! It just brings a smile to my face! I went and sat in the chairs behind her and just watched. She was so attentive, and even raised her hand to answer a question.
After the story, we went back to the centers and had cookies. All in all, it was a good day. She loved it, and I survived. Survived being the key word. Man... will I miss her when she's gone next year. I know it shouldn't be this way, but really, she's my little buddy. We have such a great time together. I truly love spending time with her and will miss her beyond words this fall. I know I'm emotional being pregnant and all, but wow... this is going to be so hard on me. Oh, and how Caleb will miss her. He looks up to her and absolutely idolizes his big sister. I know I've said this before, but they get along as well as ANY siblings I've ever seen. They're so close, and I know that he's going to be lost without her next year. We all will be.
Today, I took Katheirne to a meet and greet type thing at her new school. She met a couple of the teachers, was able to explore different "centers", have cookies, and read a story about Kindergarten. I must say -- she was looking forward to going all day. Literally, she was giddy. It was her dear ol' Mom that's having the hard time!
When we got to the school, she instantly saw a friend of hers from preschool, so we walked in together and chatted. At the door, each child got a name tag with either an "A" or "B" on the bottom, which was used for separating the kids when the story was being read. A few minutes later, her preschool teacher came in (she also has a son starting in the fall) and the girls were elated to see her. While we talked, Mrs. Schramm (her preschool teacher) took Katherine, Betsy Kate, and her son to a center and got them started coloring pictures. Mrs. Schramm told us not to worry about them -- they weren't clingy and they were so ready for Kindergarten.... socially and educationally. That's such a relief to hear as a parent!
While the principal talked to the parents, the kids played at the different centers. All of sudden he announced that the kids with A were to stay in that room for their story, while the B kids were to head over to another room. Hearing this, Katherine immediately put down what she was doing and took off running. She's such a rule follower and a good kid!! It just brings a smile to my face! I went and sat in the chairs behind her and just watched. She was so attentive, and even raised her hand to answer a question.
After the story, we went back to the centers and had cookies. All in all, it was a good day. She loved it, and I survived. Survived being the key word. Man... will I miss her when she's gone next year. I know it shouldn't be this way, but really, she's my little buddy. We have such a great time together. I truly love spending time with her and will miss her beyond words this fall. I know I'm emotional being pregnant and all, but wow... this is going to be so hard on me. Oh, and how Caleb will miss her. He looks up to her and absolutely idolizes his big sister. I know I've said this before, but they get along as well as ANY siblings I've ever seen. They're so close, and I know that he's going to be lost without her next year. We all will be.
Old Geezer....
You know you're getting old when you order one of THESE and you can't wait for it to arrive in the mail... Oh yea, I ordered a new vacuum this week, and am beyond excited about its arrival! It's like I'm expecting a million dollar check to arrive in the mail! LOL.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa
Matt's parents were here this past weekend and the kids were elated to see them. We had a great time -- lots of eating out, spending time with their cousins, Leo and Gus, and shopping.
Right after Katherine and I got back from her gymnastics lesson on Friday night, we changed her clothes and headed to dance practice. The girls are working on their finale dance every Friday night between now and the recital, which is mid-May. When we got back home, Katherine was thrilled to see her little cousins, and the kids had a blast playing together.
Here's a picture of Leo and Caleb. Katherine actually posed them (she insisted that Leo put his arm around Caleb) and took a picture with Todd's camera phone. Not to be left out of a photo opp, I took one as well. LOL.
Saturday morning we took off for TJ Maxx -- one of my all time favorite stores. I got a pair of super cute flip flops, and Matt found some shorts. Unfortunately I didn't really find anything for the kids, which is totally the reverse of what usually happens! I typically walk out with bags of stuff for them and NOTHING for me. Just part of being a mom!
Caleb, however, was in his element and decided to do a little shopping for himself. He picked out a cute number... While Fran and I were checking out the shoes, Caleb decided that it'd be a perfect time to try on a new bra. Oh, it was something.... He pulled it off the rack and tried to strap the thing to his chest. When that didn't quite work out for him, he tried to tie it around his waist. Oh. My. Heavens. I could have died! And he thought it was hilarious ..... of course. When I tried to take it away from him, he took off running -- bra and all. It was quite the scene -- a little two year old clown giggling at the top of his lungs with a push up bra around his waist. He got the looks! Quite a shopper, my little guy! LOL.
After we left TJ Maxx Fran and I took the kids to the mall, and holy cow.... it was just chaos. I'm not sure what the problem was, but the kids were acting like caged animals. They were running around the store, running into other shoppers and knocking stuff off the shelves. Needless to say, our little outing was cut short! UUUUGH! But, sometimes that's life with kids!
After a "talking" and a "meeting of the minds" we took them out for dinner at Bravo! and I must say the kids were angels! It was so nice to have them back to their regular, well behaved, I can take them anywhere, personalities. It's NO FUN having kids that are out of control and run around like they've never left the house! The dinner highlight was that Saturday night also happened to be prom, so Katherine was totally enthralled looking at all the dresses. She was just in awe. At one point, she went to go and stand by Fran (which happened to be less than a foot from one of the "prom" tables) and just stared. I'm not sure if she thinks she's invisible, but man... she had zero indiscretion! Gotta love it! I really wish that I still had my prom dresses. Wouldn't Katherine love them??? I'm sure they got donated when my parents moved to Des Moines, but I'll need to double check...
Sunday we went back to the mall for lunch with Todd, Caroline and the boys, and then Fran and I continued our shopping (this would be the shopping we couldn't do the day before with the kids). I ended up buying a new mirror for the living room, and Matt hung it last night. It makes such a huge difference. I absolutely LOVE it!! We also bought a couple of big frames that I'm going to fill and hang in the living room along with canister type things that match. LOVE them all. Let the redecorating begin!!
Matt's been gone all day again today. He has a guy in from Boston which he's interviewing, so he needs to take him to dinner and all the stuff they do. I can't wait until he hires some people and life goes back to normal. It's so hard having him gone all day AND NIGHT.
Right after Katherine and I got back from her gymnastics lesson on Friday night, we changed her clothes and headed to dance practice. The girls are working on their finale dance every Friday night between now and the recital, which is mid-May. When we got back home, Katherine was thrilled to see her little cousins, and the kids had a blast playing together.
Here's a picture of Leo and Caleb. Katherine actually posed them (she insisted that Leo put his arm around Caleb) and took a picture with Todd's camera phone. Not to be left out of a photo opp, I took one as well. LOL.
Saturday morning we took off for TJ Maxx -- one of my all time favorite stores. I got a pair of super cute flip flops, and Matt found some shorts. Unfortunately I didn't really find anything for the kids, which is totally the reverse of what usually happens! I typically walk out with bags of stuff for them and NOTHING for me. Just part of being a mom!
Caleb, however, was in his element and decided to do a little shopping for himself. He picked out a cute number... While Fran and I were checking out the shoes, Caleb decided that it'd be a perfect time to try on a new bra. Oh, it was something.... He pulled it off the rack and tried to strap the thing to his chest. When that didn't quite work out for him, he tried to tie it around his waist. Oh. My. Heavens. I could have died! And he thought it was hilarious ..... of course. When I tried to take it away from him, he took off running -- bra and all. It was quite the scene -- a little two year old clown giggling at the top of his lungs with a push up bra around his waist. He got the looks! Quite a shopper, my little guy! LOL.
After we left TJ Maxx Fran and I took the kids to the mall, and holy cow.... it was just chaos. I'm not sure what the problem was, but the kids were acting like caged animals. They were running around the store, running into other shoppers and knocking stuff off the shelves. Needless to say, our little outing was cut short! UUUUGH! But, sometimes that's life with kids!
After a "talking" and a "meeting of the minds" we took them out for dinner at Bravo! and I must say the kids were angels! It was so nice to have them back to their regular, well behaved, I can take them anywhere, personalities. It's NO FUN having kids that are out of control and run around like they've never left the house! The dinner highlight was that Saturday night also happened to be prom, so Katherine was totally enthralled looking at all the dresses. She was just in awe. At one point, she went to go and stand by Fran (which happened to be less than a foot from one of the "prom" tables) and just stared. I'm not sure if she thinks she's invisible, but man... she had zero indiscretion! Gotta love it! I really wish that I still had my prom dresses. Wouldn't Katherine love them??? I'm sure they got donated when my parents moved to Des Moines, but I'll need to double check...
Sunday we went back to the mall for lunch with Todd, Caroline and the boys, and then Fran and I continued our shopping (this would be the shopping we couldn't do the day before with the kids). I ended up buying a new mirror for the living room, and Matt hung it last night. It makes such a huge difference. I absolutely LOVE it!! We also bought a couple of big frames that I'm going to fill and hang in the living room along with canister type things that match. LOVE them all. Let the redecorating begin!!
Matt's been gone all day again today. He has a guy in from Boston which he's interviewing, so he needs to take him to dinner and all the stuff they do. I can't wait until he hires some people and life goes back to normal. It's so hard having him gone all day AND NIGHT.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Gymnastics...
Katherine has been taking private gymnastics lessons every Friday since her birthday. It's something she totally loves, and looks forward to each week. In fact, if she could skip dance or preschool and head straight to the gym, her life would be all good.
At first when we were doing the private lessons I wasn't sure if they were really helping her that much. I'm not sure what I expected.... maybe visible improvement each week? Maybe a growth in her self confidence? Maybe the chance to get her feet wet and find out if this is really something she wanted to do long term? Maybe all of the above? Maybe something more? I'm not sure. All I know is that I had a little girl who was doing something that she truly loved, and if I could do something to support that, I was more than willing.
In the last several weeks I've seen real growth out of her.... not just in self confidence, but a real improvement in her gymnastics skills. Prior to the private lessons, she was really good, but not leaps and bounds better than the other girls in the class. Today, I realized that she really was in a different league. I can't believe that I'm admitting that, but at this point it's true. I'm not sure how good she really is, but compared to the other girls in her class, she's the stand out.
Each week in class, Mr. Tarry pulls one of the girls out, and has them demonstrate the skill he wants all of the girls to do. Sometimes it's something simple like a backward roll, other times it's a bar or beam skill. Well today, he decided that if Katherine could land a cartwheel on the beam, then all the other girls were going to try it as well. So he pulled her up and told her to show the class how it was done. Not only did she land the cartwheel on one side, but BOTH sides. (Right hand first, then left hand first). I was shocked! I couldn't believe that she didn't fall off! Tarry had told me to put a line of painters tape on her mat and have her practice landing cartwheels on that for the time being. The thought is that if she can get close to landing a cartwheel on a half inch strip then the beam will be a piece of cake. All week she had been working on it, but it was tough. Well.... true to his word, she landed the cartwheel today! And yes.... no other girl was even close.
Later in the class the girls go through an obstacle course of sorts. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but Tarry sets up stations so that they rotate through the different skill areas -- bar, beam, floor, trampoline, etc... Today he set up 4 different bar stations, and he was at the uneven bars helping the girls with their pullovers. Katherine has been working on her pullover for a few weeks now and it's been really tough for her. To say she's had a heck of a time, would be the understatement of the year. But, for some reason, she has her wits about her and manages to stay calm and keep trying, and trying, and trying.... Tarry has tried to show her how to do them countless times -- he's done them himself, he's moved her around the bar, he's brought in another gymnast so that they could do them at the same time, he's done just about everything. Anyway, today in class, he was standing next to her just watching, and low and behold -- THAT GIRL MADE IT OVER THE BAR! I was cheering, Tarry was clapping and all the other girls just looked confused. It was such a great moment for her. Definitely one of those things she won't forget anytime soon!
So.... Katherine is nosy. She's very curious and wants to know EVERYTHING. One of the things she *really* wants to know is Tarry's middle name. He's told her that he'll tell her once she gets the pullover on her own. So today, she was begging to know, but he still wouldn't tell her. She was standing on a wedge mat before she did the pullover, and he wants her to do it without ANY help. So here's to hoping that tomorrow is the day!
Tomorrow, Matt's parents are coming down to stay for the weekend, and I've asked them to come early so that they could stay at the house while Katherine is at her lesson. That way, Caleb can get his nap in and not turn into a gong show later that night, and I can sneak into the gym and take some pictures. So be on the lookout for those this weekend!!
Oh, and about the private lessons.... After the first lesson Katherine showed up to her regular class and spouted her mouth off about being able to go in the big gym with just Mr. Tarry. I got several of the other moms seriously questioning why I'd ever do that for a 5 year old and spend that type of money. At the time, I didn't think it'd be a long term thing - just something for her birthday. Well, of course it snowballed and we've kept it up, but all along, I've told Katherine not to brag, and that there wasn't any reason to discuss it. Anyway, Tarry asked me if I'd want to split the cost of the lesson and let Katherine take them for an hour. It'd be double the time and $10 cheaper, so of course I thought it was a wonderful idea.
I had told Tarry that I wanted to keep the private lesson thing just that -- private. I really didn't think it was anyone else's business, and of course, he honored it. With that being said, he told me that he'd put me in contact with the other mom who wanted to split the lesson, and wouldn't you know... she stopped me right in front of several of the moms who I've become friends with.... Oh, the looks I got. I could have just about died! As luck would have it, I didn't feel overly comfortable with the other mom and her daughter, but one of the girl's in Katherine's class is now going to join in the private lesson. So, starting tomorrow, we're now going for an hour. Katherine is thrilled that she gets to be in the gym longer, and I'm thrilled that I can sneak in and take a few pictures. It's all about the scrapbook you know!
Today for lunch we picked up my mom for a little celebration. Katherine wanted to go to Culver's for their chicken strips and ice cream, so off we went. She was just beaming! She had me call everyone and tell them her news. She was in her element!
Then tonight after naps we met up with some friends at the mall, had dinner and hit the play area. Katherine was still in a celebratory mood, so on the way out we got ice cream. She told me ice cream had never tasted so good! LOL.
We got home around 8:15, and then played outside with the neighbors until sometime after 9. So it was good day all around.
At first when we were doing the private lessons I wasn't sure if they were really helping her that much. I'm not sure what I expected.... maybe visible improvement each week? Maybe a growth in her self confidence? Maybe the chance to get her feet wet and find out if this is really something she wanted to do long term? Maybe all of the above? Maybe something more? I'm not sure. All I know is that I had a little girl who was doing something that she truly loved, and if I could do something to support that, I was more than willing.
In the last several weeks I've seen real growth out of her.... not just in self confidence, but a real improvement in her gymnastics skills. Prior to the private lessons, she was really good, but not leaps and bounds better than the other girls in the class. Today, I realized that she really was in a different league. I can't believe that I'm admitting that, but at this point it's true. I'm not sure how good she really is, but compared to the other girls in her class, she's the stand out.
Each week in class, Mr. Tarry pulls one of the girls out, and has them demonstrate the skill he wants all of the girls to do. Sometimes it's something simple like a backward roll, other times it's a bar or beam skill. Well today, he decided that if Katherine could land a cartwheel on the beam, then all the other girls were going to try it as well. So he pulled her up and told her to show the class how it was done. Not only did she land the cartwheel on one side, but BOTH sides. (Right hand first, then left hand first). I was shocked! I couldn't believe that she didn't fall off! Tarry had told me to put a line of painters tape on her mat and have her practice landing cartwheels on that for the time being. The thought is that if she can get close to landing a cartwheel on a half inch strip then the beam will be a piece of cake. All week she had been working on it, but it was tough. Well.... true to his word, she landed the cartwheel today! And yes.... no other girl was even close.
Later in the class the girls go through an obstacle course of sorts. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but Tarry sets up stations so that they rotate through the different skill areas -- bar, beam, floor, trampoline, etc... Today he set up 4 different bar stations, and he was at the uneven bars helping the girls with their pullovers. Katherine has been working on her pullover for a few weeks now and it's been really tough for her. To say she's had a heck of a time, would be the understatement of the year. But, for some reason, she has her wits about her and manages to stay calm and keep trying, and trying, and trying.... Tarry has tried to show her how to do them countless times -- he's done them himself, he's moved her around the bar, he's brought in another gymnast so that they could do them at the same time, he's done just about everything. Anyway, today in class, he was standing next to her just watching, and low and behold -- THAT GIRL MADE IT OVER THE BAR! I was cheering, Tarry was clapping and all the other girls just looked confused. It was such a great moment for her. Definitely one of those things she won't forget anytime soon!
So.... Katherine is nosy. She's very curious and wants to know EVERYTHING. One of the things she *really* wants to know is Tarry's middle name. He's told her that he'll tell her once she gets the pullover on her own. So today, she was begging to know, but he still wouldn't tell her. She was standing on a wedge mat before she did the pullover, and he wants her to do it without ANY help. So here's to hoping that tomorrow is the day!
Tomorrow, Matt's parents are coming down to stay for the weekend, and I've asked them to come early so that they could stay at the house while Katherine is at her lesson. That way, Caleb can get his nap in and not turn into a gong show later that night, and I can sneak into the gym and take some pictures. So be on the lookout for those this weekend!!
Oh, and about the private lessons.... After the first lesson Katherine showed up to her regular class and spouted her mouth off about being able to go in the big gym with just Mr. Tarry. I got several of the other moms seriously questioning why I'd ever do that for a 5 year old and spend that type of money. At the time, I didn't think it'd be a long term thing - just something for her birthday. Well, of course it snowballed and we've kept it up, but all along, I've told Katherine not to brag, and that there wasn't any reason to discuss it. Anyway, Tarry asked me if I'd want to split the cost of the lesson and let Katherine take them for an hour. It'd be double the time and $10 cheaper, so of course I thought it was a wonderful idea.
I had told Tarry that I wanted to keep the private lesson thing just that -- private. I really didn't think it was anyone else's business, and of course, he honored it. With that being said, he told me that he'd put me in contact with the other mom who wanted to split the lesson, and wouldn't you know... she stopped me right in front of several of the moms who I've become friends with.... Oh, the looks I got. I could have just about died! As luck would have it, I didn't feel overly comfortable with the other mom and her daughter, but one of the girl's in Katherine's class is now going to join in the private lesson. So, starting tomorrow, we're now going for an hour. Katherine is thrilled that she gets to be in the gym longer, and I'm thrilled that I can sneak in and take a few pictures. It's all about the scrapbook you know!
Today for lunch we picked up my mom for a little celebration. Katherine wanted to go to Culver's for their chicken strips and ice cream, so off we went. She was just beaming! She had me call everyone and tell them her news. She was in her element!
Then tonight after naps we met up with some friends at the mall, had dinner and hit the play area. Katherine was still in a celebratory mood, so on the way out we got ice cream. She told me ice cream had never tasted so good! LOL.
We got home around 8:15, and then played outside with the neighbors until sometime after 9. So it was good day all around.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Happy Spring!!
I am SOOO thankful that the warm weather is here -- and hopefully it's here to stay! I am so over all of the snow, cold and rain we've gotten this year and can't wait to spend a little time in the sunshine! And yes... today was just the day!
We woke up this morning to 50 degrees and gorgeous sunshine, with the promise of warmer weather in the afternoon. So, it seemed like the *perfect* day to head to the zoo after Katherine was done with school.
So this morning the kids and I raced around the house, making plans for after school, throwing our bags together, and trying to rush out the door. It was a crazy morning! In order to cut down on time, I even let Katherine eat her morning pancakes and syrup in my bed. It doesn't get any crazier than that... giving a 5 year old a plate of pure stickiness in my bed! LOL.
On the way to school we passed the Casey's gas station that is .5 mile from my house. Right in the middle of the intersection the kids and I saw a Lexus SUV (I'm pretty sure it was the big one) laying on its hood. Literally -- all four wheels were up in the air, and there was glass and broken metal all over the place. The strangest thing was that it appeared to be a one car accident, so I have no idea how it happened??? A tow truck dropped it ??? Anyway, it's all Caleb's talked about all day. He was totally into figuring out why it happened, and told everyone he saw about it! In the world of a two year old, this was a huge highlight!
After we took Katherine to school, Caleb and I made a Target run to get snacks for the zoo, came home and packed them up, and then took off for Kindermusik. After his class was over, we raced back to get Katherine and then met the Burkles at the zoo. As luck would have it, we also saw Caroline, Leo and Gus there. Katherine was thrilled to see her cousin!!
It was such a gorgeous day. The kids had such a blast playing outside and spending some quality time in the sun. Katherine even got some color on her cheeks, nose and forehead. Normally, I'd hate to see her sun burnt, but today, it was a welcome start to the spring!
Changing subjects....
Tonight after dinner, Matt took the kids outside to play with the neighbors so that I could get some cleaning done. I needed to vacuum, and it's nearly impossible with them running around or napping, so it's best to get them back outside!! Anyway... all of a sudden, the vacuum stops working. It's like it's shorting out, and losing the suction, so Matt comes back in the house and attempts to fix it. No such luck. So Danyel lets me borrow her Dyson, and I must say, LOVE it. I think I'm going to order one this week. Not exactly how I wanted to spend money, but really, how long can you live without a vacuum?
Oh -- another random....
Matt is in the process of trying to hire a couple of people, and tomorrow night he has an interview - which means that he'll be taking them to dinner and won't get home until the kids' bedtime -- or later. So it's just the kids and I. We don't have any real plans yet.... Just gymnastics in the morning, and then hopefully I'll find someone to go out to dinner with us. I just saw a commercial for the Olive Garden, and it looked so yummy. I feelin' the need!!!
We woke up this morning to 50 degrees and gorgeous sunshine, with the promise of warmer weather in the afternoon. So, it seemed like the *perfect* day to head to the zoo after Katherine was done with school.
So this morning the kids and I raced around the house, making plans for after school, throwing our bags together, and trying to rush out the door. It was a crazy morning! In order to cut down on time, I even let Katherine eat her morning pancakes and syrup in my bed. It doesn't get any crazier than that... giving a 5 year old a plate of pure stickiness in my bed! LOL.
On the way to school we passed the Casey's gas station that is .5 mile from my house. Right in the middle of the intersection the kids and I saw a Lexus SUV (I'm pretty sure it was the big one) laying on its hood. Literally -- all four wheels were up in the air, and there was glass and broken metal all over the place. The strangest thing was that it appeared to be a one car accident, so I have no idea how it happened??? A tow truck dropped it ??? Anyway, it's all Caleb's talked about all day. He was totally into figuring out why it happened, and told everyone he saw about it! In the world of a two year old, this was a huge highlight!
After we took Katherine to school, Caleb and I made a Target run to get snacks for the zoo, came home and packed them up, and then took off for Kindermusik. After his class was over, we raced back to get Katherine and then met the Burkles at the zoo. As luck would have it, we also saw Caroline, Leo and Gus there. Katherine was thrilled to see her cousin!!
It was such a gorgeous day. The kids had such a blast playing outside and spending some quality time in the sun. Katherine even got some color on her cheeks, nose and forehead. Normally, I'd hate to see her sun burnt, but today, it was a welcome start to the spring!
Changing subjects....
Tonight after dinner, Matt took the kids outside to play with the neighbors so that I could get some cleaning done. I needed to vacuum, and it's nearly impossible with them running around or napping, so it's best to get them back outside!! Anyway... all of a sudden, the vacuum stops working. It's like it's shorting out, and losing the suction, so Matt comes back in the house and attempts to fix it. No such luck. So Danyel lets me borrow her Dyson, and I must say, LOVE it. I think I'm going to order one this week. Not exactly how I wanted to spend money, but really, how long can you live without a vacuum?
Oh -- another random....
Matt is in the process of trying to hire a couple of people, and tomorrow night he has an interview - which means that he'll be taking them to dinner and won't get home until the kids' bedtime -- or later. So it's just the kids and I. We don't have any real plans yet.... Just gymnastics in the morning, and then hopefully I'll find someone to go out to dinner with us. I just saw a commercial for the Olive Garden, and it looked so yummy. I feelin' the need!!!
Monday, April 21, 2008
?????
I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but something is off...
As strange as this sounds, I feel like something has affected my nervous system. My hands are shaking, and my legs are like jello. I feel like I could fall down at any moment. My mind is wandering, and I'm totally jittery.
I feel like I've had a gallon of caffeine and tons of sugar with no real food for a week. My world is spinning (literally) and it's making me sick. Actually, it's nerve wracking.
I was so out of sorts that Matt took Katherine to dance lessons tonight. I literally didn't think I should be driving (and neither did Matt)... Oh, and all this came on late this afternoon. The kids and I had a picnic and played at the park with Launderville's from the time school got out until 3 pm. I felt fine until sometime around 4, and it's been downhill ever since.
So, off to bed I go.... I don't have the time or energy to be under the weather, so this better pass quickly!
As strange as this sounds, I feel like something has affected my nervous system. My hands are shaking, and my legs are like jello. I feel like I could fall down at any moment. My mind is wandering, and I'm totally jittery.
I feel like I've had a gallon of caffeine and tons of sugar with no real food for a week. My world is spinning (literally) and it's making me sick. Actually, it's nerve wracking.
I was so out of sorts that Matt took Katherine to dance lessons tonight. I literally didn't think I should be driving (and neither did Matt)... Oh, and all this came on late this afternoon. The kids and I had a picnic and played at the park with Launderville's from the time school got out until 3 pm. I felt fine until sometime around 4, and it's been downhill ever since.
So, off to bed I go.... I don't have the time or energy to be under the weather, so this better pass quickly!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Scrapbooking...
Finally I'm back on the bandwagon. Basically I haven't scrapbooked in oh... 4 months or so. Literally. I had two layouts sitting on my table that I was working on, and when I pulled them out, they had a thin layer of dust on them. How sad is that?
Matt took off Saturday morning for the Iowa spring game with some neighbors for a day of "guy fun", so I invited my friend Michelle (aka Nicholas and Caden's mom) over for a little scrapbooking. She came over around 3 when I laid the kiddos down for their naps and we scrapbooked until they woke up. Then after Matt got home, we took off and made an Archiver's pit stop and I bought this and this along with some other great do-dads. On the way home, we picked up dinner from PF Chang's, and man... it was delish!! Super yummy!!
We ended up scrappin' until almost 2 am, and I got 5 layouts done, and a 6th partially done. I can't tell you how great it is to be back in the groove again! I almost forgot how much I really enjoyed it, and it certainly didn't hurt that I had *great* company. It was such a fun night and I'm already looking forward to our next girl's night in! LOL!! Oh and the best part -- Katherine woke up this morning and couldn't wait to see what new pages she'd get for her books. She loves looking at them, and reading what I've written... At the end of the day, that's why I do it...
So now that I've started scrapbooking again, I feel like a new addict. I can't wait to get back down to my craft room and keep creating layouts for my kiddos!
In other news....
Today my dad took Caleb out for breakfast at his all time favorite restaurant -- the Cracker Barrel. Caleb is addicted to the bacon and blueberry muffins....not to mention the bonus at the end -- he always sweet talks my dad into buying him candy on the way out the door.... not that it's a hard sell!!
On the way back home, my dad took him to see "diggers". They got out of the car so that my little man could touch them and stand on them. I'm not sure I'll ever understand the connection between little boys and construction equipment -- so it's a good thing my dad loves to find all the construction sites and take him! So -- the boys had a great morning!
Matt took off Saturday morning for the Iowa spring game with some neighbors for a day of "guy fun", so I invited my friend Michelle (aka Nicholas and Caden's mom) over for a little scrapbooking. She came over around 3 when I laid the kiddos down for their naps and we scrapbooked until they woke up. Then after Matt got home, we took off and made an Archiver's pit stop and I bought this and this along with some other great do-dads. On the way home, we picked up dinner from PF Chang's, and man... it was delish!! Super yummy!!
We ended up scrappin' until almost 2 am, and I got 5 layouts done, and a 6th partially done. I can't tell you how great it is to be back in the groove again! I almost forgot how much I really enjoyed it, and it certainly didn't hurt that I had *great* company. It was such a fun night and I'm already looking forward to our next girl's night in! LOL!! Oh and the best part -- Katherine woke up this morning and couldn't wait to see what new pages she'd get for her books. She loves looking at them, and reading what I've written... At the end of the day, that's why I do it...
So now that I've started scrapbooking again, I feel like a new addict. I can't wait to get back down to my craft room and keep creating layouts for my kiddos!
In other news....
Today my dad took Caleb out for breakfast at his all time favorite restaurant -- the Cracker Barrel. Caleb is addicted to the bacon and blueberry muffins....not to mention the bonus at the end -- he always sweet talks my dad into buying him candy on the way out the door.... not that it's a hard sell!!
On the way back home, my dad took him to see "diggers". They got out of the car so that my little man could touch them and stand on them. I'm not sure I'll ever understand the connection between little boys and construction equipment -- so it's a good thing my dad loves to find all the construction sites and take him! So -- the boys had a great morning!
Friday, April 18, 2008
I'm a failure of a mom....
Can I have a mulligan please?
Oh, I so wish today was one of those days where I could just push the rewind button and start over ..... redo the mistakes the I've made .... heal some of the hurt feelings I've either caused or witnessed (which unfortunately today was both cause and witness).... I so wish I could start over and do it all over again.
Here's my list of "bad mom" moments from JUST TODAY --
-- It's been raining here for two straight days. It rained ALL day yesterday and this morning we woke up to more of the same. Everything is soggy and worms have covered the driveway. Not that I'm giving excuses, but it's just the truth here.... Since we traded car, my umbrella disappeared. I don't have one in the new car. Anyway, since it was pouring, I insisted that Katherine let me drop her off at the door of preschool. Now -- it's not like I leave her alone and drive off. One of the preschool teachers comes out to the car, helps the kids get out of their car seats and gather their bags, and walk them indoors. Oh, and these teachers actually bring out umbrellas so the kids don't get wet.
Katherine is NOT fine with this. It's NOT OK with her. She doesn't like the drop off, and until today, has never done it. Oh, and let me assure you, she's a pro at giving guilt trips. "What you're NOT walking me inside today? Don't you want to watch me write my name? Don't you want to say hi to Mrs. Schramm? Don't you want to see what I'll vote for? (Every day the kids "vote" for all kinds of stuff -- fave drink, animal, color, etc...) Don't you want to say hi to my friends? They all love to see you, Mommy". Yes, I assure her.... I love all that, but today it's raining, and I'd rather not stand outside in the pouring rain without an umbrella and bring her and Caleb and all her stuff in. I'm going to drop her off. It'll be fine, I promise her.
She starts to tear up. Only the Mommies who don't care about their kids just drop them off. They don't take the time to come in and say hi, watch them write their name and work on their alphabet books. They just rush off.
I dropped her off..... Watching her walk in by herself (with teacher) broke my heart. I wish I could run and park the car, unload Caleb, and get drenched. I'm not ready for her to grow up -- especially since she's not ready either. I couldn't help it. I felt horrible -- like I let her down and broke her heart all at the same time. I wasn't the mom she needed today, and it was all because I didn't want to get wet. How selfish am I?
-- Each week the kids have preschool homework assignments. They are to look through magazines and find pictures that start with a certain letter. I have a stack of about 20 magazines in one of the kitchen cupboards for our weekly assignment. Well this week is "X". Can I tell you how hard it is to find "X" pictures??? Dang near impossible I tell ya! After looking through ALL of the magazines together, Katherine and I decided that she'd just draw a picture. On a side note -- each week several kids don't bring pictures so drawing something yourself isn't uncommon.
Well -- today it broke her heart. She didn't have a picture to add to her alphabet book with a magazine picture of an X word. I feel terrible. Why didn't I hop on the computer and print out a picture of a xylophone or an X-ray??? Clearly I wasn't thinking, and as a result I totally let down my little girl. Strike two. UUUUGH!
-- On top of everything else, this week happens to be the week of the young child. On Wednesday they brought their bikes and helmets and rode on an outdoor course... raising money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. I remembered it all that and she had a great day...
Well, today is was Wacky Friday. The kids were supposed to dress wacky and they had corresponding wacky activities. Guess who forgot? Yep. Me. OK, and this point, I start tearing up. How could I forget so many things in ONE day???? So when I showed up at preschool she had put her shirt on backwards and then put her pink GAP sweatshirt on backwards as well so that she could put the hood over her face. How resourceful is she??? I asked Mrs. Schramm how it went, and she laughed. Evidently Katherine was a total ham, running around and making all the other kids laugh too. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one who forgot!
-- While Katherine was at school today, Caleb and I went over to Laundervilles' house so that he could play with Caden. You'd never guess it was two little 2.5 year old boys playing together. They got along soooo well -- no fights, no yelling, no conflict of any kind. They play together amazing well. Anyway, all of a sudden, Caleb starts screaming. Evidently he fell over a tool box. His face was bloody and his lip was sliced open. Wonderful! My poor little guy...
After I clean him up and we leave to pick up Katherine and Nicholas, Caleb gives me a big hug and says, "I yyyooove (love) you Mommy. I sorry I fall down". He's apologizing to me for getting hurt????
** So yea, I'm glad this morning is over. I wish I'd walked Katherine into school, said hi to her teachers and friends, watched her write her name, helped her draw a picture in her alphabet book, and remembered to dress her appropriately. But I didn't. This morning was a disaster from start to finish.
Right now the kids are having a little quiet time and we're off to her private gymnastics lesson in about an hour. Tonight, we're spending time as a family -- and one thing is for sure -- we're all wearing wacky clothes!
Oh, I so wish today was one of those days where I could just push the rewind button and start over ..... redo the mistakes the I've made .... heal some of the hurt feelings I've either caused or witnessed (which unfortunately today was both cause and witness).... I so wish I could start over and do it all over again.
Here's my list of "bad mom" moments from JUST TODAY --
-- It's been raining here for two straight days. It rained ALL day yesterday and this morning we woke up to more of the same. Everything is soggy and worms have covered the driveway. Not that I'm giving excuses, but it's just the truth here.... Since we traded car, my umbrella disappeared. I don't have one in the new car. Anyway, since it was pouring, I insisted that Katherine let me drop her off at the door of preschool. Now -- it's not like I leave her alone and drive off. One of the preschool teachers comes out to the car, helps the kids get out of their car seats and gather their bags, and walk them indoors. Oh, and these teachers actually bring out umbrellas so the kids don't get wet.
Katherine is NOT fine with this. It's NOT OK with her. She doesn't like the drop off, and until today, has never done it. Oh, and let me assure you, she's a pro at giving guilt trips. "What you're NOT walking me inside today? Don't you want to watch me write my name? Don't you want to say hi to Mrs. Schramm? Don't you want to see what I'll vote for? (Every day the kids "vote" for all kinds of stuff -- fave drink, animal, color, etc...) Don't you want to say hi to my friends? They all love to see you, Mommy". Yes, I assure her.... I love all that, but today it's raining, and I'd rather not stand outside in the pouring rain without an umbrella and bring her and Caleb and all her stuff in. I'm going to drop her off. It'll be fine, I promise her.
She starts to tear up. Only the Mommies who don't care about their kids just drop them off. They don't take the time to come in and say hi, watch them write their name and work on their alphabet books. They just rush off.
I dropped her off..... Watching her walk in by herself (with teacher) broke my heart. I wish I could run and park the car, unload Caleb, and get drenched. I'm not ready for her to grow up -- especially since she's not ready either. I couldn't help it. I felt horrible -- like I let her down and broke her heart all at the same time. I wasn't the mom she needed today, and it was all because I didn't want to get wet. How selfish am I?
-- Each week the kids have preschool homework assignments. They are to look through magazines and find pictures that start with a certain letter. I have a stack of about 20 magazines in one of the kitchen cupboards for our weekly assignment. Well this week is "X". Can I tell you how hard it is to find "X" pictures??? Dang near impossible I tell ya! After looking through ALL of the magazines together, Katherine and I decided that she'd just draw a picture. On a side note -- each week several kids don't bring pictures so drawing something yourself isn't uncommon.
Well -- today it broke her heart. She didn't have a picture to add to her alphabet book with a magazine picture of an X word. I feel terrible. Why didn't I hop on the computer and print out a picture of a xylophone or an X-ray??? Clearly I wasn't thinking, and as a result I totally let down my little girl. Strike two. UUUUGH!
-- On top of everything else, this week happens to be the week of the young child. On Wednesday they brought their bikes and helmets and rode on an outdoor course... raising money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. I remembered it all that and she had a great day...
Well, today is was Wacky Friday. The kids were supposed to dress wacky and they had corresponding wacky activities. Guess who forgot? Yep. Me. OK, and this point, I start tearing up. How could I forget so many things in ONE day???? So when I showed up at preschool she had put her shirt on backwards and then put her pink GAP sweatshirt on backwards as well so that she could put the hood over her face. How resourceful is she??? I asked Mrs. Schramm how it went, and she laughed. Evidently Katherine was a total ham, running around and making all the other kids laugh too. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one who forgot!
-- While Katherine was at school today, Caleb and I went over to Laundervilles' house so that he could play with Caden. You'd never guess it was two little 2.5 year old boys playing together. They got along soooo well -- no fights, no yelling, no conflict of any kind. They play together amazing well. Anyway, all of a sudden, Caleb starts screaming. Evidently he fell over a tool box. His face was bloody and his lip was sliced open. Wonderful! My poor little guy...
After I clean him up and we leave to pick up Katherine and Nicholas, Caleb gives me a big hug and says, "I yyyooove (love) you Mommy. I sorry I fall down". He's apologizing to me for getting hurt????
** So yea, I'm glad this morning is over. I wish I'd walked Katherine into school, said hi to her teachers and friends, watched her write her name, helped her draw a picture in her alphabet book, and remembered to dress her appropriately. But I didn't. This morning was a disaster from start to finish.
Right now the kids are having a little quiet time and we're off to her private gymnastics lesson in about an hour. Tonight, we're spending time as a family -- and one thing is for sure -- we're all wearing wacky clothes!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Billy Joel
Last night Matt and I went to the Billy Joel concert, and it rocked. Seriously rocked. Billy was just amazing! He's such an icon. Such a classic. Several of my all time favorite songs are his, so I spent 2.5 hours singing my heart out. It was great! We had such a fun time! Oh, and he sang so many of the classics. Really, is there a better song than Piano Man? Maybe, but that song brings back so many wonderful memories. It reminds me of the cruise I went on with my Mom, brother and Grandma back when I was in college, and those memories are so sweet now with the passing of my Grandma. So, I called Isaac so that he could listen with me, but unfortunately all he heard was crowd noise. I digress....
The crowd was pretty interesting too. I was shocked to see so many "old" people. There were literally tons of people 30+ years older than us. I guess it just goes to show you that Billy's music crosses generations, and is timeless at the same time.
Oh, I have a funny for you.... Matt had a huge presentation this morning with some guys in France, so he didn't have anything (but Diet Coke) to drink. Anyway, on the way out, he had to stop and use the bathroom. I was going to wait out in the hall for him as there's NO WAY I'd use those bathrooms unless it was a MAJOR emergency.... Anyway, in he goes and comes out 10 seconds later red faced and smirking. He walked straight into the women's bathroom, and got all the way in before he realized that he was in the wrong place! Love it!
So after the concert I decided two things.... 1. I'd love to be able to play the piano. I took lessons at one point, but begged my parents to let me quit. I hated it at the time, but now.... I wish they'd have made me stick it out. So I've decided that someday when Katherine takes piano lessons, I'm going to join her. Will I let her quit? Sure, but only after she gives it (or some other musical instrument) a try. 2. I have a very addictive personality. I'm fully aware, but all I want to do is listen to Billy Joel's music. I've been singing it all day. A little Uptown Girl anyone? How about Tell Her About It? Or We Didn't Start The Fire? I love them all! The list goes on and on.... And today I'm obsessed -- I'm sure it's all I'll listen to for weeks! LOL.
The crowd was pretty interesting too. I was shocked to see so many "old" people. There were literally tons of people 30+ years older than us. I guess it just goes to show you that Billy's music crosses generations, and is timeless at the same time.
Oh, I have a funny for you.... Matt had a huge presentation this morning with some guys in France, so he didn't have anything (but Diet Coke) to drink. Anyway, on the way out, he had to stop and use the bathroom. I was going to wait out in the hall for him as there's NO WAY I'd use those bathrooms unless it was a MAJOR emergency.... Anyway, in he goes and comes out 10 seconds later red faced and smirking. He walked straight into the women's bathroom, and got all the way in before he realized that he was in the wrong place! Love it!
So after the concert I decided two things.... 1. I'd love to be able to play the piano. I took lessons at one point, but begged my parents to let me quit. I hated it at the time, but now.... I wish they'd have made me stick it out. So I've decided that someday when Katherine takes piano lessons, I'm going to join her. Will I let her quit? Sure, but only after she gives it (or some other musical instrument) a try. 2. I have a very addictive personality. I'm fully aware, but all I want to do is listen to Billy Joel's music. I've been singing it all day. A little Uptown Girl anyone? How about Tell Her About It? Or We Didn't Start The Fire? I love them all! The list goes on and on.... And today I'm obsessed -- I'm sure it's all I'll listen to for weeks! LOL.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Weekend update...
Ahhh.... what a great weekend! I was sad to see it end!!
Last Friday morning I got a call from Matt, and he was wondering if I had made any plans for the coming weekend. In Matt lingo, this usually means "Have you made plans with friends for either Friday or Saturday night and if so, what are we doing"? Yes, I am the keeper of the schedule and the maker of plans. Pretty much anything that happens in this house has to run through me. After I told him nothing definite other than dance pictures on Sunday, I asked him what he had in mind. His reply.... Oh, nothing......
Riiiiiight..... Like I believe that. He never calls to find out what the plans are unless he has something in mind. Typical boy. After a few loaded questions, he told me that he had found a couple of cars in KC that he thought we should take a look at, and wondered if I wanted to go down to Kansas City for the weekend, and suggested that we leave Saturday morning. I was all for it -- not really thrilled about the idea of a new car, but the thought of getting away ..... that was another story.
So after running home and throwing in laundry, I called him back and suggested that we leave Friday night instead. So, with the go ahead from me, he called a couple of dealerships and put deposits on two cars and made hotel reservations at this Sheraton. The rest of the day was a rat race on my end -- picking up Katherine from preschool, feeding them lunch, dropping them off at my mom's house and heading to my OB appointment, running back to get the kids and then racing to gymnastics. After all that running I was exhausted! By the time I got back home and unloaded the kids, Matt was home and we started throwing stuff together for the weekend.
Friday night we got into Kansas City around 8:30 and then showed the kids around and had ice cream. The kids were thrilled and exhausted. Just being back at the Sheraton brought back so many memories.... Before kids, Matt and I used to go down there and stay for a weekend about every other month or so -- we'd go shopping, out to a nice dinner, just hang out. But... since kids arrived, we didn't make it a priority, and find the time. Things are about to change! LOL.
Saturday we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel, and then stopped by the first dealership. ** Oh, about the car *** I loved my Lexus. I drove the small SUV and it was the perfect size. The main problem was that it wouldn't hold a third car seat which just won't work for us come this fall. So.... we made the decision to buy a new car right away rather than putting new brakes, tires, etc... on the Lexus, which we were forced to trade before September anyway. As soon as we came to that decision, Matt went into overdrive scouring the internet for possible cars. After some research, we decided to get a Toyota Sequoia, which is one of the "smaller" SUV's that will accommodate three car seats. Don't get me wrong -- it's still a gas guzzling road hog that will take some getting used to on my part, but what else was I to do? Get a mini-van??? AAAHH, no.
Well.... Saturday morning things fell into place and we ended up getting a good deal on the car we wanted and ended up buying it. So -- buy-bye to my beloved Lexus and hello to the mammoth that now barely fits in the garage. It's got some super cool features, but man... this thing is big! Poor Caleb -- he was lobbying so hard for a pick-up truck, but thankfully he loves "Mommy's new big car"!
After we bought the car, we took the kids out for lunch and then headed back to the hotel so that they could swim. For some odd reason, Caleb had NO interest in going into the pool, so he and I played by the side while Matt and Katherine "swam". OK, Katherine can not swim. In fact, she made the decision to get off the step without Matt right there and almost drowned. She desperately needs swimming lessons! (Which I'm signing up for today).
Saturday night we went over to Brian and Val's house for some good KC BBQ and to hang out. It was so good to see them! Definitely something we'll have to do more often! We talked about going to the Omaha Zoo sometime in May before it gets super hot and I'm large as a house, so I'm going to have to strong arm Val into giving me a date!!
Sunday morning we got up early because Katherine had her dance pictures at 12:00. (For those without a little girl in dance lessons, right before the recital, all the girls wear their recital costumes and come to the studio for group and individual pictures.) Anyway......
Right after we left the Plaza and before we got on the interstate, the low fuel light went on the in the car. Since neither one of us really wanted to backtrack, we got on I-71 with the intention of pulling off at the next exit. Normally, not a horrible idea, but Sunday, it proved to be beyond stupid. The next exit was Linwood (I'm pretty sure), and as we pulled off, we found a button telling us that we had 7 miles to go until EMPTY. That's right -- two kids in the car and we were running on fumes -- oh, and the best part.... we quickly realized that we were in the heart of the ghetto.
We didn't see a gas station right as we pulled off, so we had to make the all important decision -- do we turn right or left??? We both decided left. Let's see ..... we passed countless condemned buildings, boarded up and/or barred windows, thugs galore, a man walking around swinging a crowbar, and yes... we were about out of gas. Otherwise, we'd have gone back to the interstate, but unfortunately that really wasn't an option.
At this point, Matt looks at me and says, "You know why there aren't any gas stations, right???? They can't stay in business. They get robbed". OMG. I'm fighting back tears thinking of my two innocent babies in the backseat and praying -- literally PRAYING for our safety. Let's just say -- both Matt and I were sweating and I was more than mildly irritated remembering the conversation we had HOURS ago on the way back from Brian and Val's house. "Honey, let's just stop for gas now so we don't have to do it in the morning". For some reason, Matt wanted to wait until morning, and I agreed. Let's just say, I won't be so agreeable next time.
Finally, MILES down the road we see an Amoco, and breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Right as we pull in, we notice that there aren't any pumps. That's right, this gas station closed too, so on we drove. Finally, we found Inner City Petroleum, and with tears in my eyes and prayer on my lips I put 911 on speed dial. I was literally that afraid. Poor Matt had to go in and prepay, and the girl working was behind bullet proof glass.
Let's just say I couldn't get out of there fast enough! Call me a small town girl all you want, but I was seriously freaked out. I'm sure it made the situation a thousand times worse with Katherine and Caleb in the backseat sitting there wide eyed and innocent. If anything would have happened..... And yes, we got looks -- stares actually. At one point a jeep drove up to our car as we were filling up, stopped, looked in our car, and drove off. OMG!!!
I've never been so glad to see Johnston in my life -- and so thankful that we had to make our ghetto visit at 8:30 on a Sunday morning! If it was this bad on a Sunday morning, I can't imagine what it would have been like after dark....
Last Friday morning I got a call from Matt, and he was wondering if I had made any plans for the coming weekend. In Matt lingo, this usually means "Have you made plans with friends for either Friday or Saturday night and if so, what are we doing"? Yes, I am the keeper of the schedule and the maker of plans. Pretty much anything that happens in this house has to run through me. After I told him nothing definite other than dance pictures on Sunday, I asked him what he had in mind. His reply.... Oh, nothing......
Riiiiiight..... Like I believe that. He never calls to find out what the plans are unless he has something in mind. Typical boy. After a few loaded questions, he told me that he had found a couple of cars in KC that he thought we should take a look at, and wondered if I wanted to go down to Kansas City for the weekend, and suggested that we leave Saturday morning. I was all for it -- not really thrilled about the idea of a new car, but the thought of getting away ..... that was another story.
So after running home and throwing in laundry, I called him back and suggested that we leave Friday night instead. So, with the go ahead from me, he called a couple of dealerships and put deposits on two cars and made hotel reservations at this Sheraton. The rest of the day was a rat race on my end -- picking up Katherine from preschool, feeding them lunch, dropping them off at my mom's house and heading to my OB appointment, running back to get the kids and then racing to gymnastics. After all that running I was exhausted! By the time I got back home and unloaded the kids, Matt was home and we started throwing stuff together for the weekend.
Friday night we got into Kansas City around 8:30 and then showed the kids around and had ice cream. The kids were thrilled and exhausted. Just being back at the Sheraton brought back so many memories.... Before kids, Matt and I used to go down there and stay for a weekend about every other month or so -- we'd go shopping, out to a nice dinner, just hang out. But... since kids arrived, we didn't make it a priority, and find the time. Things are about to change! LOL.
Saturday we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel, and then stopped by the first dealership. ** Oh, about the car *** I loved my Lexus. I drove the small SUV and it was the perfect size. The main problem was that it wouldn't hold a third car seat which just won't work for us come this fall. So.... we made the decision to buy a new car right away rather than putting new brakes, tires, etc... on the Lexus, which we were forced to trade before September anyway. As soon as we came to that decision, Matt went into overdrive scouring the internet for possible cars. After some research, we decided to get a Toyota Sequoia, which is one of the "smaller" SUV's that will accommodate three car seats. Don't get me wrong -- it's still a gas guzzling road hog that will take some getting used to on my part, but what else was I to do? Get a mini-van??? AAAHH, no.
Well.... Saturday morning things fell into place and we ended up getting a good deal on the car we wanted and ended up buying it. So -- buy-bye to my beloved Lexus and hello to the mammoth that now barely fits in the garage. It's got some super cool features, but man... this thing is big! Poor Caleb -- he was lobbying so hard for a pick-up truck, but thankfully he loves "Mommy's new big car"!
After we bought the car, we took the kids out for lunch and then headed back to the hotel so that they could swim. For some odd reason, Caleb had NO interest in going into the pool, so he and I played by the side while Matt and Katherine "swam". OK, Katherine can not swim. In fact, she made the decision to get off the step without Matt right there and almost drowned. She desperately needs swimming lessons! (Which I'm signing up for today).
Saturday night we went over to Brian and Val's house for some good KC BBQ and to hang out. It was so good to see them! Definitely something we'll have to do more often! We talked about going to the Omaha Zoo sometime in May before it gets super hot and I'm large as a house, so I'm going to have to strong arm Val into giving me a date!!
Sunday morning we got up early because Katherine had her dance pictures at 12:00. (For those without a little girl in dance lessons, right before the recital, all the girls wear their recital costumes and come to the studio for group and individual pictures.) Anyway......
Right after we left the Plaza and before we got on the interstate, the low fuel light went on the in the car. Since neither one of us really wanted to backtrack, we got on I-71 with the intention of pulling off at the next exit. Normally, not a horrible idea, but Sunday, it proved to be beyond stupid. The next exit was Linwood (I'm pretty sure), and as we pulled off, we found a button telling us that we had 7 miles to go until EMPTY. That's right -- two kids in the car and we were running on fumes -- oh, and the best part.... we quickly realized that we were in the heart of the ghetto.
We didn't see a gas station right as we pulled off, so we had to make the all important decision -- do we turn right or left??? We both decided left. Let's see ..... we passed countless condemned buildings, boarded up and/or barred windows, thugs galore, a man walking around swinging a crowbar, and yes... we were about out of gas. Otherwise, we'd have gone back to the interstate, but unfortunately that really wasn't an option.
At this point, Matt looks at me and says, "You know why there aren't any gas stations, right???? They can't stay in business. They get robbed". OMG. I'm fighting back tears thinking of my two innocent babies in the backseat and praying -- literally PRAYING for our safety. Let's just say -- both Matt and I were sweating and I was more than mildly irritated remembering the conversation we had HOURS ago on the way back from Brian and Val's house. "Honey, let's just stop for gas now so we don't have to do it in the morning". For some reason, Matt wanted to wait until morning, and I agreed. Let's just say, I won't be so agreeable next time.
Finally, MILES down the road we see an Amoco, and breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Right as we pull in, we notice that there aren't any pumps. That's right, this gas station closed too, so on we drove. Finally, we found Inner City Petroleum, and with tears in my eyes and prayer on my lips I put 911 on speed dial. I was literally that afraid. Poor Matt had to go in and prepay, and the girl working was behind bullet proof glass.
Let's just say I couldn't get out of there fast enough! Call me a small town girl all you want, but I was seriously freaked out. I'm sure it made the situation a thousand times worse with Katherine and Caleb in the backseat sitting there wide eyed and innocent. If anything would have happened..... And yes, we got looks -- stares actually. At one point a jeep drove up to our car as we were filling up, stopped, looked in our car, and drove off. OMG!!!
I've never been so glad to see Johnston in my life -- and so thankful that we had to make our ghetto visit at 8:30 on a Sunday morning! If it was this bad on a Sunday morning, I can't imagine what it would have been like after dark....
What is it....
..... about a certain 2.5 year old boy who comes to you with BOTH PALMS overflowing with liquid soap which is dripping all over the hardwood floors.... and when he looks up at you with bright blue eyes and a big smile and says, "Momma, I wanted to scrub-a-dub-a-dub but I couldn't do it without you" that just makes my heart melt???? I swear, I couldn't be upset with that kid for a second.... even if I wanted to be!
Lots to blog about from the weekend. I'll get around to it when the kids nap!
Lots to blog about from the weekend. I'll get around to it when the kids nap!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Random thoughts...
Since I (once again) have been ignoring this blog, here's a few random thoughts from the past weekend....
--- Both kids are still sick. They no longer have a fever, but their coughs are terrible. It's that deep in the lungs kind of wet cough that I HATE! Oh, and they're congested, really congested. Runny nose, watery eyes, the works. The poor little kiddos seem miserable -- especially since they've had this for over a week at this point.
--- Today after preschool, the kids and I met up with some friends at the mall to play, have lunch and go shoe shopping (for them not me -- bummer!!). I was hoping to find them some summer shoes, and since Caleb has been asking for Crocs, I thought we'd see what we could find. Since Payless was right by the play area we stopped in there first. Caleb instantly saw and fell in love with the ugliest shoes I've EVER seen. They're made of the plastic croc type material and bright red. Oh, and it's just not any shoe.... No way. These shoes are actually Lightening McQueen. When he's got these things on, all you notice is his bright red shoes. Let me assure you, these babies are something!
So I tried to get them off him (obviously) and have him try on something else, but he'd have none of it... He absolutely insisted in keeping these things on. Needless to say, yes... I bought them and yes... he wore them out of the store. I can't even count the number of times that he thanked me for buying them and told me that he "YYYOOOVED his new shoes". He even had me call Grammy so that he could tell her all about them. I'll have to take a picture of these things. They are something!
---- Gymnastics.... This was actually the first activity we did all week last week with the kids being sick. Before class I told Mr. Tarry that she'd been sick all week, and if she started coughing a lot or seemed overly tired to just have her sit down or send her out with me. He claims she didn't cough once, but once class was over she sat on the bench and looked absolutely exhausted. She just zoned out and the bags under eyes instantly came back....
Every week Tarry has the girls doing some sort of strength training exercise. This week, the girls were to hold onto the bar which was high above their heads (Katherine's arms were about 75% extended if that gives you an idea) and bring their feet off the floor and touch the bar. So, essentially they're doing leg lifts... He held their backs with one hand and their feet with the other and helped each girl touch their toes to the bar. The class record (with the exception of Katherine) was 2. When it was Katherine's turn, he put one arm on her lower back to stabilize her, but didn't touch her legs... Guess how many leg lifts Katherine got BEFORE HE STOPPED HER??? 20. That's right. T-W-E-N-T-Y! Since I was chasing Caleb, I wasn't able to see it all, but I heard cheering and clapping, and looked up to see Tarry beaming and giving Katherine high 5's. Evidently that's the most anyone (that was working at the the time) had ever seen a 5 year old do.
At the end of class the girls get two hand stamps (one on each hand) if they are well behaved in class and try their hardest. Don't get me wrong -- Tarry is amazing with kids. I can't imagine a better gymnastics coach and I feel truly blessed that Katherine has him. But, with that being said, he's been known to be stingy with hand stamps. In fact, when one girl gave him some lip and started crying, he took a baby wipe and removed her stamp. Last week Katherine came out with *three* hand stamps which is first. She was beaming and said it was because she did 20 leg lifts. Tarry them came out to talk to the parents and said the same thing. He wanted to make sure she got tons of kudos! Anyway, he then went on to tell me that 20 leg lifts like the kind Katherine did is a level 6 or 7 skill and most of the girls have a really tough time doing that many. So, yea for my little girl.
After class Tarry asked me if I had registered for summer classes yet, and I told him no, I hadn't done it yet. He asked if I was planning on enrolling her and when I told him yes, he asked what I was going to put her in. I laughed and said gymnastics, and he looked at me and said "SuperBunnies????". Of course. Superbunnies is the lowest level of "competitive" gymnastics and gets the girls on track for future competitions.
After I told him that Katherine would be in the SuperBunnies class, he pulled Katherine aside and asked her all about her new leotard. (I'm shocked that he noticed.... Fran and I had picked her up a new one at Target over the weekend, so it was the first time she had worn it to class). Anyway, he told her that he liked it, but thought she needed a new one. He brought her into the little shop that they have and pulled out a bright red leotard that she'll be able to wear now that she's in SuperBunnies. Talk about making a little girl's day. She was giddy! He then pulled out a blue leotard with red and white stars, and told Katherine that he wants her to wear this someday. I assumed it was the Level 5 leotard (which means you start competing in regional meets), but he quickly corrected me -- it was the Level 7 leotard which few girls ever reach. He went on to tell me that few girls ever reach that level, but he believes that Katherine will. He said that girls don't just show up here at 10 years of age and become an amazing competitive gymnast.....They're always found at 3 or 4 years old and when they see one, they "just know". He looked at me, smiled and said, "When I look at her, I just know. You've got a great one on your hands, and if she continues to like gymnastics in 5 years like she does today, the sky's the limit". WOW...
I know I've said this before, but truly... there is nothing better as a mom than finding your child's passion in life and watching them taste success at it. She's growing so much through gymnastics -- becoming more confident, more determined and more driven that it's absolutely impossible to look at her and not smile.
Friday we went to her private lesson, and the feel there is so different. First of all, she's in the big gym and on the "competitive" side which is a HUGE deal, and secondly, Tarry doesn't treat her like a little 5 year old. He's much harder on her. If she's doing a cartwheel or round-off or anything else, and her form isn't perfect, he's all over her. He's constantly trying to correct her and is paranoid that she'll develop bad habits. Also, he's working on her upper body strength which pales in comparison to her core muscles. It's amazing watching her though... each week, I can see her getting better and loving it even more. She's the kind of kid that would be in a gymnastics class every day if I'd allow it!
Oh, right before Katherine and Tarry went into the big gym for her lesson, she started to take off her street clothes -- sweat pants and shoes. She always leaves them with them me, but this week he told her that they didn't belong laying on the ground outside. From now on, she'd be putting them in the "team cubbies". Oh, man... does he know how to push her buttons or what??? LOL!
--- When I was cooking the other day, I turned my back on Katherine for 2 seconds, and before I knew it, she pulled one of the bar stools up to the freezer and was trying to pull out a bag of frozen peas. (This is actually the second time she's done this....). When I asked what she was doing, she looked at me like I was a total moron, and said,
K: Mommy, I need to put a few peas under my mattress
Me: Oh, really???? Why is that?
K: This will prove that I'm a real princess!
For anyone who's interested, Here's the fable. I haven't told her this story, so quite honestly I have no idea how she ever came up with it!
--- Summer has officially begun! Saturday afternoon the neighborhood had its first impromptu backyard gathering of the season and it was wonderful! They kids played so hard -- they ran around the backyard, climbed the tree, and totally enjoyed the sun. It was great! I'm so thankful that the winter is almost over and we'll be back to playing outside every day again soon!
-- Oh, I almost forgot something *really* important! Remember the Chinese house in the backyard that Matt and I wanted to buy about a year ago? (The husband was living in California and the wife and son were here). Well.... the husband just moved to Texas and Sharon (his wife) is going to move down there.... So that means that if we want to stay in this neighborhood, and add a bedroom, this may be the perfect opportunity! I must admit... I'm not as excited as I was a year ago. The thought of getting our house ready to sell, and actually moving while super pregnant, isn't super appealing, but who knows.... Maybe I'll be able to sweet talk Matt's mom to coming down for a while and helping us get ready! Oh, Fran.... LOL!
--- Both kids are still sick. They no longer have a fever, but their coughs are terrible. It's that deep in the lungs kind of wet cough that I HATE! Oh, and they're congested, really congested. Runny nose, watery eyes, the works. The poor little kiddos seem miserable -- especially since they've had this for over a week at this point.
--- Today after preschool, the kids and I met up with some friends at the mall to play, have lunch and go shoe shopping (for them not me -- bummer!!). I was hoping to find them some summer shoes, and since Caleb has been asking for Crocs, I thought we'd see what we could find. Since Payless was right by the play area we stopped in there first. Caleb instantly saw and fell in love with the ugliest shoes I've EVER seen. They're made of the plastic croc type material and bright red. Oh, and it's just not any shoe.... No way. These shoes are actually Lightening McQueen. When he's got these things on, all you notice is his bright red shoes. Let me assure you, these babies are something!
So I tried to get them off him (obviously) and have him try on something else, but he'd have none of it... He absolutely insisted in keeping these things on. Needless to say, yes... I bought them and yes... he wore them out of the store. I can't even count the number of times that he thanked me for buying them and told me that he "YYYOOOVED his new shoes". He even had me call Grammy so that he could tell her all about them. I'll have to take a picture of these things. They are something!
---- Gymnastics.... This was actually the first activity we did all week last week with the kids being sick. Before class I told Mr. Tarry that she'd been sick all week, and if she started coughing a lot or seemed overly tired to just have her sit down or send her out with me. He claims she didn't cough once, but once class was over she sat on the bench and looked absolutely exhausted. She just zoned out and the bags under eyes instantly came back....
Every week Tarry has the girls doing some sort of strength training exercise. This week, the girls were to hold onto the bar which was high above their heads (Katherine's arms were about 75% extended if that gives you an idea) and bring their feet off the floor and touch the bar. So, essentially they're doing leg lifts... He held their backs with one hand and their feet with the other and helped each girl touch their toes to the bar. The class record (with the exception of Katherine) was 2. When it was Katherine's turn, he put one arm on her lower back to stabilize her, but didn't touch her legs... Guess how many leg lifts Katherine got BEFORE HE STOPPED HER??? 20. That's right. T-W-E-N-T-Y! Since I was chasing Caleb, I wasn't able to see it all, but I heard cheering and clapping, and looked up to see Tarry beaming and giving Katherine high 5's. Evidently that's the most anyone (that was working at the the time) had ever seen a 5 year old do.
At the end of class the girls get two hand stamps (one on each hand) if they are well behaved in class and try their hardest. Don't get me wrong -- Tarry is amazing with kids. I can't imagine a better gymnastics coach and I feel truly blessed that Katherine has him. But, with that being said, he's been known to be stingy with hand stamps. In fact, when one girl gave him some lip and started crying, he took a baby wipe and removed her stamp. Last week Katherine came out with *three* hand stamps which is first. She was beaming and said it was because she did 20 leg lifts. Tarry them came out to talk to the parents and said the same thing. He wanted to make sure she got tons of kudos! Anyway, he then went on to tell me that 20 leg lifts like the kind Katherine did is a level 6 or 7 skill and most of the girls have a really tough time doing that many. So, yea for my little girl.
After class Tarry asked me if I had registered for summer classes yet, and I told him no, I hadn't done it yet. He asked if I was planning on enrolling her and when I told him yes, he asked what I was going to put her in. I laughed and said gymnastics, and he looked at me and said "SuperBunnies????". Of course. Superbunnies is the lowest level of "competitive" gymnastics and gets the girls on track for future competitions.
After I told him that Katherine would be in the SuperBunnies class, he pulled Katherine aside and asked her all about her new leotard. (I'm shocked that he noticed.... Fran and I had picked her up a new one at Target over the weekend, so it was the first time she had worn it to class). Anyway, he told her that he liked it, but thought she needed a new one. He brought her into the little shop that they have and pulled out a bright red leotard that she'll be able to wear now that she's in SuperBunnies. Talk about making a little girl's day. She was giddy! He then pulled out a blue leotard with red and white stars, and told Katherine that he wants her to wear this someday. I assumed it was the Level 5 leotard (which means you start competing in regional meets), but he quickly corrected me -- it was the Level 7 leotard which few girls ever reach. He went on to tell me that few girls ever reach that level, but he believes that Katherine will. He said that girls don't just show up here at 10 years of age and become an amazing competitive gymnast.....They're always found at 3 or 4 years old and when they see one, they "just know". He looked at me, smiled and said, "When I look at her, I just know. You've got a great one on your hands, and if she continues to like gymnastics in 5 years like she does today, the sky's the limit". WOW...
I know I've said this before, but truly... there is nothing better as a mom than finding your child's passion in life and watching them taste success at it. She's growing so much through gymnastics -- becoming more confident, more determined and more driven that it's absolutely impossible to look at her and not smile.
Friday we went to her private lesson, and the feel there is so different. First of all, she's in the big gym and on the "competitive" side which is a HUGE deal, and secondly, Tarry doesn't treat her like a little 5 year old. He's much harder on her. If she's doing a cartwheel or round-off or anything else, and her form isn't perfect, he's all over her. He's constantly trying to correct her and is paranoid that she'll develop bad habits. Also, he's working on her upper body strength which pales in comparison to her core muscles. It's amazing watching her though... each week, I can see her getting better and loving it even more. She's the kind of kid that would be in a gymnastics class every day if I'd allow it!
Oh, right before Katherine and Tarry went into the big gym for her lesson, she started to take off her street clothes -- sweat pants and shoes. She always leaves them with them me, but this week he told her that they didn't belong laying on the ground outside. From now on, she'd be putting them in the "team cubbies". Oh, man... does he know how to push her buttons or what??? LOL!
--- When I was cooking the other day, I turned my back on Katherine for 2 seconds, and before I knew it, she pulled one of the bar stools up to the freezer and was trying to pull out a bag of frozen peas. (This is actually the second time she's done this....). When I asked what she was doing, she looked at me like I was a total moron, and said,
K: Mommy, I need to put a few peas under my mattress
Me: Oh, really???? Why is that?
K: This will prove that I'm a real princess!
For anyone who's interested, Here's the fable. I haven't told her this story, so quite honestly I have no idea how she ever came up with it!
--- Summer has officially begun! Saturday afternoon the neighborhood had its first impromptu backyard gathering of the season and it was wonderful! They kids played so hard -- they ran around the backyard, climbed the tree, and totally enjoyed the sun. It was great! I'm so thankful that the winter is almost over and we'll be back to playing outside every day again soon!
-- Oh, I almost forgot something *really* important! Remember the Chinese house in the backyard that Matt and I wanted to buy about a year ago? (The husband was living in California and the wife and son were here). Well.... the husband just moved to Texas and Sharon (his wife) is going to move down there.... So that means that if we want to stay in this neighborhood, and add a bedroom, this may be the perfect opportunity! I must admit... I'm not as excited as I was a year ago. The thought of getting our house ready to sell, and actually moving while super pregnant, isn't super appealing, but who knows.... Maybe I'll be able to sweet talk Matt's mom to coming down for a while and helping us get ready! Oh, Fran.... LOL!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
little writer.....
I can't believe I forgot to blog about this....
Katherine is learning how to read, sounding out words, and recognizing sounds. Lately she's been wanting to give it a go on her own, so she sounds out the words and writes them down to see if she can get them right. She's been doing a really a good job, but here's a few from the past couple of days that just tickled me...
bath - BAF
party - PRD
love - LUV
Riley (our dog) - RALE
Katherine is learning how to read, sounding out words, and recognizing sounds. Lately she's been wanting to give it a go on her own, so she sounds out the words and writes them down to see if she can get them right. She's been doing a really a good job, but here's a few from the past couple of days that just tickled me...
bath - BAF
party - PRD
love - LUV
Riley (our dog) - RALE
It's been a long week!!
Well.... You might as well have guessed that if I'm not blogging, we're either out of town or the kids are sick. As you guessed, it's the later....
Saturday morning Caleb woke up with a mild grade fever and a deep wet cough. By Sunday night his fever was well over 102.5 and I couldn't get it to come down. He was up all night coughing and had these super sad watery eyes... and the bags, oh the bags... his poor little eyes had these huge dark circles under them. He just looked horrible.
Monday morning Katherine woke up with the same thing. So instead of our usual preschool and story time, we took off to Dr. Jon's office. I told Jon that both kids were on Tylenol, Xopenex (nebulizer) and a prescription decongestant that Jon gave us last time we were in. He suspected that since I couldn't get his fever down, it was most likely a virus and there was nothing more he could do. Since Caleb was a good two days ahead of Katherine, he was the lucky recipient of the finger poke/blood draw. As suspected, it was a VIRUS ... no antibiotic, we just have to wait it out. So home we went for naps....
Tuesday they were still sick, so we had to cancel our play date... Today, the kids were STILL sick, so once again, no preschool and no kindermusik. Caleb wanted to go to kindermusik in the worst way. He was in tears -- sooo sad that he couldn't go....
So yea... we've been in the house since Saturday and let me assure you -- this is getting old! You can only paint so many pictures and do so many puzzles. Oh, and regardless of how sick Katherine was and how much she was coughing, it didn't keep her away from her gymnastics mat. She's been practicing the new skills Tarry taught her at her private lesson last week, and for the first time I can really tell a difference in her.
I am beyond hopeful that tomorrow we'll be back to normal. Katherine has her gymnastics class at 10, and then tomorrow night we have her preschool carnival. They've gone all out this year -- around 15 "games", a bounce house, dinner, and a silent auction, etc... Should be a really great time, and some of the stuff in the silent auction seriously rocks. Each class has made a ceramic vase with each of their little thumbprints and name. The thumbprints are turned into butterflies, and it's just adorable. Let's just say, I'm coming home with that vase. I don't care what it costs, consider it a donation to the school that Caleb and baby number 3 will attend, I'm getting that vase! They also have overnight packages, a photography package, a Hawkeye package (I'm sure Matt will love), but there's about 26 things in all. So even if the kids are still sick and can't go.... I'm going. I'm coming home with that vase!!
Saturday morning Caleb woke up with a mild grade fever and a deep wet cough. By Sunday night his fever was well over 102.5 and I couldn't get it to come down. He was up all night coughing and had these super sad watery eyes... and the bags, oh the bags... his poor little eyes had these huge dark circles under them. He just looked horrible.
Monday morning Katherine woke up with the same thing. So instead of our usual preschool and story time, we took off to Dr. Jon's office. I told Jon that both kids were on Tylenol, Xopenex (nebulizer) and a prescription decongestant that Jon gave us last time we were in. He suspected that since I couldn't get his fever down, it was most likely a virus and there was nothing more he could do. Since Caleb was a good two days ahead of Katherine, he was the lucky recipient of the finger poke/blood draw. As suspected, it was a VIRUS ... no antibiotic, we just have to wait it out. So home we went for naps....
Tuesday they were still sick, so we had to cancel our play date... Today, the kids were STILL sick, so once again, no preschool and no kindermusik. Caleb wanted to go to kindermusik in the worst way. He was in tears -- sooo sad that he couldn't go....
So yea... we've been in the house since Saturday and let me assure you -- this is getting old! You can only paint so many pictures and do so many puzzles. Oh, and regardless of how sick Katherine was and how much she was coughing, it didn't keep her away from her gymnastics mat. She's been practicing the new skills Tarry taught her at her private lesson last week, and for the first time I can really tell a difference in her.
I am beyond hopeful that tomorrow we'll be back to normal. Katherine has her gymnastics class at 10, and then tomorrow night we have her preschool carnival. They've gone all out this year -- around 15 "games", a bounce house, dinner, and a silent auction, etc... Should be a really great time, and some of the stuff in the silent auction seriously rocks. Each class has made a ceramic vase with each of their little thumbprints and name. The thumbprints are turned into butterflies, and it's just adorable. Let's just say, I'm coming home with that vase. I don't care what it costs, consider it a donation to the school that Caleb and baby number 3 will attend, I'm getting that vase! They also have overnight packages, a photography package, a Hawkeye package (I'm sure Matt will love), but there's about 26 things in all. So even if the kids are still sick and can't go.... I'm going. I'm coming home with that vase!!
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