Courageous swimmers

Tried SWIMMING at Camp Courageous!

(Mommy most enjoyed sitting in the solarium room, soaking up the rays of the sunshine while stretching and reading a book.) Grandpa and Daddy hung out in the warm water therapy with the boys.

Thanks for the pics, Grandpa! :)

Sick of being sick, anxious for Spring

Silas and Mommy tested positive for strep throat 2/19. He had thrown up at preschool that morning. He was fevered and unable to keep ANYTHING down for the entire day. He napped in his bed for a little while, but spent most of the day laying on the drafty, kitchen floor. He was given an injection of penicillin and an antibiotic for a sinus infection.

I had been given an antibiotic as well. (Mike tested negative. Sydney stayed home with Grandpa Lowell, but had been treated with antibiotics because he had symptoms and lack of appetite like his brother). I was suspicious of an ear or sinus infection since I had been suffering from cold symptoms for MOST of this YEAR and had been having difficulty hearing, blaming Mike for mumbling quite often. It was a relief that my antibiotics SHOULD have been strong enough to kill off any other infection as well.

HOWEVER, after over half of my treatment, my glands continued to swell ridiculously large and I wasn't feeling better so, the pharmacist encouraged me to call my doctor.

The boys were plagued by fevers again as well so, they went to the doctor again, too. Sydney and I were switched to stronger antibiotics. Both of us treated for sinus infections.

My right nasal passage was FIRE RED and SUPER SWOLLEN. I've been treated with prednisone steroids to reduce inflammation ever since.

Oddly, my ears were fine, but the pressure from all of my glands was making them feel full and causing difficulty to hear.

As for the returning fevers of the boys, they have since tested positive for influenza B.

The view out the window

We had some excitement in our neighborhood the past week or so... we got two new utility poles! This was very fun to watch from our window(s). We got to watch a giant auger drill into the ground. We got to watch new poles being lifted into position. And we got to watch the snow melting away with each passing day...

While folding a GIANT PILE of laundry one day, I was excited to open the windows for some fresh air. Our house has battled more illness than we'd prefer and I wanted to take advantage of the slowly warming temperatures. In fact, our front bedroom gets nice afternoon sun, which is PERFECT for this time of year (less desirable in summer months when we don't WANT extra heat in our bedroom)

The cats were excited to hear the birds singing as well. (Otto was the courageous one! Eddy was too chicken to go outside.)

NOTE: I put the screens back on shortly after this; keeping it safe.

Ash Wednesday

Today was Ash Wednesday. We hadn't noticed if Sydney was acknowledged being nonCatholic at school today so, after dinner, we asked him about Ash Wednesday. 

"YES!" he exclaimed. "I did get a mark!" He was VERY PROUD to pull back his hairline to show us 'his mark' that might have gotten a little sweaty. 

He had also explained to us earlier this week that the children were NOT able to sing 'Alleluia' because it is now a quiet time in church. 

"This is a season where we are only allowed to eat certain foods" he explains. 

I will have to make a mental note NOT to send rolls of sliced turkey meat in his lunchbox on Fridays throughout Lent.

In his backpack today, he brought home a Lenten calendar with a different activity for each day. We'll probably just glance over it and pick a few random acts that I approve of...

• 2.20 Be especially obedient today
• 2.24 Give up watching TV today (Sydney would HATE this!)
• 2.25 Give your family members a hug
• 3.4 Smile at everyone that you meet
• 3.5 Set the dinner table
• 3.6 Tell someone that they did a good job
• 3.7 Play nicely
• 3.13 Make a card for someone that you love
• 3.19 Wish someone a good day
• 3.25 Listen to your parents the first time
• 3.26 Do an extra nice thing for someone
• 4.4 Share your love with all

The calendar reports that Sunday, April 5 is Easter Sunday. It is marked with Alleluia. (Guessing they will be able to sing that song again then and Sydney will be happy.)

Public Service Announcement: vertical blinds

Kids Art Submission for iPTV (Sydney, age 5)

Our 3 and 5 year old BOYS love, Love, LOVE watching Wild Kratts on iPTV. 

KIDS ART SUBMISSION:

Sydney

Age 5

Description: A peregrine falcon is diving out of the sky to attack the rattlesnake near the Tortuga, just as Martin is activating Rattlesnake Powers. 

He drew this picture this morning and asked me to mail it to Dan Wardell so that we can see it on tv.

Martin Kratt ALWAYS wears BLUE. 

Chris Kratt ALWAYS wears GREEN.

Sydney has a BLUE Wild Kratt Creature Power Suit. 

Silas has a GREEN Wild Kratt Creature Power Suit.

Platypus butt MIGHT be funny in another circumstance

Mornings with children are often disastrous and frequently stressful. Kids attempt to sabotage any chance of being anywhere on time.

This morning was no exception.

The tv was NOT turned on. The children were looney, feeding off of each other.

While they SHOULD have been eating breakfast, Sydney had a placement shoved down the back of his pants and was standing, dancing on his chair while his younger brother admired with awe. As Silas reached for a placemat, I confiscated them all off of the table and moved them to the laundry pile on the kitchen floor, instructing the boys that we DO NOT WANT to put place mats down our pants.

"Hey, don't...." he whined as I removed the placemat from inside his underwear. "...that was my platypus tail!"

(I know, I know.... this scene is so much funnier when it is someone else's kid.)

While attempting to get him dressed, he dodged invisible bullets from the dining room, shot out of an ordinary number two pencil by his younger brother.

"Focus. PLEASE!" I begged. "Pretend like he isn't there. We NEED to get dressed. NOW!"

After underwear and pants, I had been whapped in the face by the flailing arm of a five year old trying to maneuver like the bullet dodging scene of The Matrix.

"Sorry, Mommy." he announced as I adjusted my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. "Ahhh, LOOK OUT!" (More bullets, I assume.)

Repeatedly, they had been told to put on their socks and/or shoes.

Running late, it was the mom who had to find two books for the backpack, as well as load a lunchbag, knowing good and well that he will eat almost NONE of it yet again today.

It was the mom who had to grab the jackets.

It was the mom who had to do an inventory of the boot bag.... boots, hat, snowpants, ONE MITTEN?!?!

"Sydney, I warned you that you have to keep track of your mittens! We are running out of mittens!"

"Check my coat pockets! I think I put them back there so I wouldn't lose them again!"

Thank goodness for small miracles... his complete set of mittens WAS in his pocket! (Sadly, we now have a collection of left mittens... three DIFFERENT left mittens!!!)

"Let's go." I announced.

The boys continued to be wild and zany. "Get in the car. Put your seat belts on!" I yelled, making my way to the door looking like a bag lady.

Crap. I forgot my purse. Back inside to get my purse for the 1.2 mile journey to the school, knowing that the later we arrive, the longer the drop-off line will be.

Mornings are so stressful.

I make my way to the door again and there they are... running around like lunatics in the driveway, nowhere near the car. The three year old clutches to his sippy cup and wears his jacket backwards, likely using the hood for a carrying compartment for his cup. The five year old makes eye contact as I start to yell "Get in the car, put your seatbelts on does NOT mean run around the driveway like a dummy! Come on... Let's go! We're running late!"

Shit. Did I just say that outloud?

"Run around the driveway like a dummy!" they mimic like a pair of talking cockatiels ... or dodo birds. "Like a dummy!" they giggle. "Like a dummy!"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't very nice. It's just.... I was frustrated."

At this point, I am SO FRUSTRATED I am ready to E-X-P-L-O-D-E.

We manage to get to the school and drop him, along with all of his bags and make our way to run errands.

The only thing saving me right now is knowing that I have a 45 minute deep tissue massage scheduled for later today...
AND.
I.
NEED.
IT!!!!

So much funnier when it doesn't happen to you...

Oh, Lord...Daddy needs help with this one!

Daddy: Boys, come on... get dressed! We don't want to leave you home alone.

Silas: Remember, God is ALWAYS with us!

* * * * *

Mike comes into the kitchen, announcing "I need help!"

"What's up?" I ask.

"Um," he hesitates "you see.... I asked the boys to get dressed and I.... um.... need help."

"Help?" I ponder, wondering how in the world he is unable to get them dressed and ready to go, being that it is an act I manage every day.

"Yeah, so..." he proceeds "I said that we don't want to leave you home alone and HE threw his index finger into the air and reminded me that God is ALWAYS with us, arguing that it WOULD be OK for us to leave him home alone because technically, he wouldn't be alone."

"Sydney?" I ask, presuming that he has paid attention in kindergarten at his parochial school.

"No. Number two!" he states.

I guess I should have known from the clue: he threw his index finger into the air. Silas ALWAYS does this, normally announcing "Hey guys, I have a plan..."

Little stinker!

Getting old(er) with bi-focals in the forecast

Mike has been having problems with his eyes for much of the past year,  but hadn't gotten around to making an eye appointment until TODAY!

He gave the nurse grief when she asked how tall he was. He replied.

Then, she asked for his approximate weight, which he rounded to the closest quarter-of-a-pound. She giggled at "approximate" and declared that no woman would ever claim that extra quarter-pound.

He discussed that he wasn't crafty enough to be able to tell her how many kilograms he weighed, but planned to have that information ready for his next doctor appointment. He'll likely figure out how many centimeters tall he is as well.

She asked him if he's ever had eye surgery.

"Lasix. Twice." he replied dryly.

"You're kidding. Right?"

"No, dead serious." (He TRULY HAS had Lasix surgery, twice!)

As she left, she did tell him that she appreciated his humor since many people tend to be crabby.

As it turns out, he has a stigmatizem in one eye, needs slight correction for distance and needs magnification for close-up. Mike had hoped to get contacts so he could give up glasses altogether, but we discovered they can treat one or the other with his prescription. So, we quickly gave up on contacts.

Now, he has to decide how much money he wants to spend on new glasses (bifocals) as well as if he wants to go with a standard bifocal or if he wants the no line progressive bifocal. (Nana LOVES her no line progressive bifocals, but warns that her new glasses were $600.00! YIKES!)

The eye doctor assures Mike that his recent double-vision will be corrected with the new prescription glasses. Mike sure hopes so!

We already think he looks pretty handsome in glasses!

Looks like we are done buying the cheater 5-packs...

Tickets

Mike asked me to get tickets for us to go see a play that sounded entertaining. 

This weekend offers early bird rates since it is opening weekend so, he encouraged me to get tickets. Our babysitter is available. Mike wants only to do the show and NOT dinner, too. So, we booked it for Saturday night!

Going to see...

Buying the Moose: a Comedy

As I explained that I booked us in the very last row because it was the only row that had two seats side-by-side, he sassily explained "I didn't need to sit next to you."

Grrrr.... This man wears sassy pants!!!