Soggy Fruit, College, and Strep Throat

Yesterday afternoon, I came home from running an errand for a friend of mine to Chad laying on the couch and children destroying the living room. He immediately said, "I don't feel good. I think I have fever." In my mind I was thinking, "Oh no...you are NOT getting sick again." I felt of him; said he was fine; and told him to look alive. So, I got busy making dinner and when I called everyone to dinner, Chad shows up in a hooded sweatshirt with the hood on and then preceeds to wrap himself up in a blanket. He says his throat hurts and that his body aches. I put my fork down and said, (in a somewhat huffy tone) "Do you want me to take your temperature?" He nods yes. I took it with an ear thermometer and it read 95.5. We both knew that it couldn't be accurate, but assumed he didn't have fever. We continued to eat and talk with the kids. We asked how Colton's day was at school and he said, "Not good." Here is how the conversation went...

Colton: kids at school said mean things to me.

Me: Like what?

Colton: Like I'm yucky.

Chad: Well, God made you...and God doesn't make anything yucky.

Colton: God makes soggy fruit.

Chad: silence...followed by "How do you argue with that?"

Then we were talking about money for some reason. Here's how that conversation went...

Chad: I'm trying to save for your college.

Colton: My college????

Chad: yeah.

Colton: Is that in like 4 years?

Chad: No...you have 12 years until college.

Colton: Will I have to read then?

Chad: It helps.

Chad went to the doctor this afternoon, and he has strep throat. I feel really bad about having him bathe the kids last night. Turns out, he did have fever. Poor guy.

PHEW!!!!

Whoa...! This has been quite the week. I'll try to keep this little update brief...which could be difficult, on account of all the events that transpired. First of all, Chad's mom, sister, and our 2 neices flew into town last Wednesday. We were all very excited to see them and have them spend Spring Break with us. The kids and I had so many fun things planned...and expectations were high. Since Chad was still in Ukraine, I hired a babysitter, and drove to Intercontinental Airport to pick them up. Now, they were coming from Des Moines, Iowa...and had one thing in mind. Sun. So, the fact that the airport trip took 5 hours due to flooding rain and hail seemed like just a minor glitch in the plan. "No problem", I told myself...and them...on the way home. Tomorrow was a new day. We were going to the boardwalk. We decided to wait until after Aiden's nap to go, because that just seemed smart. Always thinking. So, shoes were on; kid's were fed; potties had been used; sunscreen had been applied; and I went to wake Aiden. She had 102.5 fever. WOW. I was not expecting this. NO PROBLEM. I gave her some Tylenol, strapped her in the stroller, and told myself that the fresh air would do her good. Not so. She proceeded to come down with a horrible cold and ear infection that had us both up for the next 5 nights...but I digress. Chad was scheduled to get in from Ukraine in the middle of the night Friday night. An extra set of hands was on the way!! (Not that that's the only reason we wanted him home:).) Due to being up with Aiden, I was awake when he got in. We said our hello's, and he slept in Chase's bed, due to Chase and Aiden ending up in our bed. Since he was all messed up on time, we thought he would sleep better upastairs, while I handled the kids. Not a problem. The next morning, I woke from my 3 hours of what I loosely call sleep, to Chad saying, "I don't feel good." Then...BOOM. What the doctor calls "Traveler's Diarrhea" hit. Now, for those of you who are like the rest of us were, and have no idea what this actually is...it is a food or water born bacterial infection that causes nausea, fever, body aches, diarrhea, and other related problems. He had picked it up in something he ate or drank in Ukraine and was in bed or the bathroom for the next 3 1/2 days. Luckily, there was a gastoenterologist who happened to go to Ukraine as well that came over and gave Chad a shot and some different medications to help him. So, there we were...Chad's mom, sister, and me with our 5 children. The next night, I had Aiden (who was still not up to par) all ready for bed. I was getting her medicine from downstairs and she had already gone upstairs for bed. Katie was preparing the bath water for her girl's bath in the boy's bathroom. The boys were all ready for bed and Sue was at her post in the kitchen doing the dinner dishes. All's well so far. Well, the "Mommy instinct" kicked in and I got the feel that Aiden was somewhere she shouldn't be. I ran upstairs to find her in the boy's filled bathtub. The water was still running and Katie and the girls had left the bathroom for something. She had snuck in and was having a grand time in the girl's bath. She did not bother with taking her pajamas off either...nor her socks. Let's see...what's next? Well, I caught Aiden's cold, and my voice went out...making parenting a bit difficult. AND...the grand finale was waking up this morning with my left eye swollen shut. To quote Colton, "I'M AFRAID YOU'RE GETTING SICK...WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR EYE."

Our family went home yesterday afternoon, and I just talked to Chad's mom on the phone. Somehow we managed to have a fun visit in spite of the...well...interuptions, you might call them. We went to the boardwalk, the beach, the park, space center houston, and played outside ALOT. Katie managed to get a book read, and she and Sue successfully talked me down from several anxiety attacks during the night that Chad was so sick. Like I've said before...I don't do stomach stuff. Thankfully, HIS mommy was here and stepped up to the plate with no hesitation. I'll have to post some pictures in the next couple of days. If I have my days correct, yesterday or today was the first day of Spring. I wecome it with open arms.

Not My Greatest Day

All I want to do right now is take a hot bath; get into my pajamas and watch T.V. Only there's nothing good even on tonight for me to watch because, you know, I refuse to watch dumb-ole American Idol because of how mean they were to those kids. Anyways...today was not my greatest day as a mom. I'm ready for Chad to be home. I guess I'm not handling it as well as I thought...on account of losing it with the boys tonight at bedtime. I feel that my patience has been running thin ever since last night, and I think that the boys would agree. It's hard to not expect too much out of them. Like last night, when I had to count to 10 and let out several huffy breaths after Colton spilled his just poured bowl of cereal and milk on the kitchen floor that I had just finished moopping. And then, when I had to count to 10 again and let out several more huffy breaths after Colton dropped his little medicine cup with purple medicine in it all over the floor upstairs...not knowing how much of it he had drank. (By the looks of the floor, it had not been much.) Then on account of making a "mad face", as Colton calls it, when I was tucking him in tonight because I found evidence on his good pillow case that he had a nose bleed last night and I didn't know it. There were a few little "aggravations" earlier...like finding Colton stretching his bubble gum from his mouth to the carpet, and Chase punching Colton in the stomach for eating his cereal bar...but the kicker was when I found them scrubbing out their sink with their toothbrushes. They were using toothpaste as cleaner. That's when I lost it. That's when I actually told them to, "COME ON...GROW UP!" Can you believe it? I said to grow up. To a 6 and 4 year old!! That's not fair. That's not even what I want. I love their ages and I am terrified of the day that I look back and wonder where the time went. I don't want to be the person saying to the young mom with toddlers, "Enjoy it now honey, because it goes by so fast...and then you'll wish they were little again." I wish they were little now...and they are.

Technical Difficulties, Weddings, and Fun Dip

Something's happening here. What it is, aint exactly clear. All of a sudden, I can't post pictures on the blog. Frustrating...because I had a picture that I was going to post for a friend. It was a picture of her daughter, and after I browse and select it and click upload, it pops up that I am not connected to the webpage. Weird. I have done everything I know to do, which is not much. Mainly just clicking on different things while pretending I know what I'm doing, only to get tired of the facade and make a mental note to ask Chad the next time he calls...whenever that will be. He can't call too often and I never know when that will be. And, it generally is not the best connection. And, half the time is spent letting the kids talk to him anyway. Oh well. Maybe pictures will just have to wait another 8 days until he gets home. On the upside, my mom is coming to stay with us tomorrow night...and then Chad's mom and sister and my 2 nieces will fly in...and then my best friend Ami and her husband Robbie will get here with their 3 girls. So, fun is definitely in the future. I went to a wedding this afternoon. Seeing as Chad was out of the country, I took my friend Ian. It was fun, and Chad appreciated him coming with me so that I didn't have to sit all by myself at the reception. I was going to take Colton, but then decided that it may be too "boring" for him. He would have appreciated the wedding cake however. But none the less, Ian and I had fun, and Colton had fun staying at Granna and Grandaddy's house with Chase and Aiden. So, I guess I'll retire to my post on the couch. I need to get out of this dress and into some comfy pj's and settle in for some good T.V. watching before bed. I have quit eating ice cream every night...due to just getting tired of it. It will come back around though. I just needed a little break. Now, I eat fun dip every night. I used to LOVE this stuff, when I was little. I re-discovered it a couple of weeks ago...along with pixie sticks, big league chew, and bubble tape. I have a huge ziplock stashed in the pantry that I go to nightly!! I gravitate toward the fun dip though. I just love it. I have not introduced the kids to it as I can not even begin to imagine the mess they would make. I need to be more mentally prepared for that than I am right now. Well, I hear the fun dip calling my name. As Chad would say..."I'm out."

Caught In The Act

Caught red handed...and not the least bit ashamed!!

Unbeknownst to me, Chase left his half eaten pudding cup on the kitchen table the other day. Aiden found it. Somehow she had managed to climb up in the chair, reach the pudding and the spoon, and start eating without anyone noticing. Very resourceful; that one. So, there she was sitting in the chair like a big girl...scraping every last little bite from the cup. There was chocolate everywhere. So much for keeping her sugar-free. She's now thinking, "Fruit for dessert? Are you kidding me?"

QUARANTINED & BASKETBALL

This last week was one for the books. My friend Heather came to visit from Atlanta with her two girls...(one is 2 1/2 years old and one is 3 months). They were to arrive at 12:30 on Monday, and at 8:30 Sunday night, we noticed that Aiden had a fever. She had a fever virus. When they got here, Heather and Elli (2 1/2) had colds that had developed during traveling. Elli started coughing on the plane and proceeded to get worse throughout the week. She had a runny nose and a wet, chesty cough. 2 kids down...3 to go. Wednesday morning, I got Colton off to school and we started our day. Aiden was still not feeling good, and at 10:00, Chase layed down on the couch and asked me to come sit by him. As soon as I saw him, I knew. He had fever. Luckily, Heather was feeling better by this point, and I joked to her that I would be getting a call from the school saying that they had Colton in the nurses office with a fever, and at 1:00, that call came. He had a fever of 103. I went to pick him up and he and Chase slept the rest of the afternoon. Ava, (the 3 month old) had begun spitting up and having "bad" diapers at this point. Now, I don't do stomach viruses. She was on her own!! All 5 down. At this point, we decided to quarantine the house and set up beds in the living room. Heather then began feeling like she had fever and was going to "pass out". This was when I had multiple children in the bath tub, trying to bring down fevers, clean them, keep them occupied, etc. etc. etc. (At one point, I looked up and saw a sopping wet rag fly across the bathroom. Colton thought he could make it from the tub into my sink...a "basket" if you will.) I felt her forehead, said she was fine, and told her to look alive. Chad said that he did not feel good and that's when I sincerely wished that I had Haz Mat suits somewhere in the house. Somehow we managed to still have a really nice visit. They left on Friday morning, the fevers had passed and I came home and disenfected the house...door knobs, light switches, floors, and everything in between. Last night, my highschool basketball team was playing in the playoffs to go to the district championships. I was planning on taking Colton to the game with my dad. I went to get him dressed, and noticed he looked terrible. I felt of him and the fever was back. 102. So, medicine, bath, and pj's it was for all three of them...and off to bed. I was upset about missing the game, but figured Chad and I could eat dinner together and settle in for a night of 24 together. We had 2 episodes left on season 3. As soon as we sit down on the couch to watch, Aiden wakes up crying. OF COURSE!! We managed to get her back down and finished season 3, two seconds before Chase walked downstairs because he woke up and realized his blankie was missing...a nice finale to the week. Actually, the finale was when I came upon Chase trying to paint Aiden's toenails with bright pink nail polish. She just happened to be sitting on our nice lazy boy recliner. Needless to say, bright pink drips smeared down the front of the sage green chair is not the added touch to the living room that I was hoping for. And, the bright pink splotches on the carpet in front of the chair don't really help to tie it all together. I really need next week to get here, although Chad leaves for ukraine and I am on my own for 10 days. Let's change the subject to something more uplifting.

Lake won the game, and they play this afternoon at 4:00 for the district championship. If they win, they go to state. We are going to try to go, and then we will go straight to the Houston Rockets game tonight. I'll keep you posted.