Moving too quickly...

This week is almost over and I just can't believe it. Last night I got together with 2 women from my church and we had Starbucks and talked for close to 3 hours. It was great conversation and just a whole lota fun!

Today J surprised me by taking the day off. Though at 6:45am when I rolled over and noticed he was still in the bed I panicked and was then wide awake. He is normally gone by 6:05am. I took the kids to VBS and then came home and we tag teamed some much needed cleaning. Then he took Peanut on an errand while I fixed my hair! After VBS we had a play date lined up with a few different families. We had a picnic at the park and then the kids played. Since J was home he decided with my help to not come to get the kids instead he was going to take Peanut on a bike ride and then put her down for a nap. He ended up showing up at the park with her and played for 30 minutes and then went home to give her a nap. The kids had a great time playing with all the friends that they had at the park and us moms, well I guess I can only speak for myself, had a great time too! We got home about 3:30pm. When we came home our neighbor Jack was outside. He has been outside almost everyday it is nice outside since we moved in 5 years ago. The kids love him and they actually learned to say his name before they learned to say their siblings name. Well about two weeks ago he was having some health issue and ended up admitted at the hospital for a week. After all the tests were run they found that he had stage 4 cancer of the bladder, bone and prostate. He has been home for about 4 days and has been outside 2 times. It is so good to see him back at his "post" waving to all the cars that pass by. He is very weak from his stay because he was in bed for a week straight so he uses a walker to get around. Peanut cried the first time she saw him use it and she calls it his owies. I am not looking forward to the day he is gone and we have to tell the kids.

Back seat bloggin!

I feel like that is what my blogging has been lately! I am so busy during the day and so tired at night. Though the kids are playing Wii right now, which is the first time in about a month. Well just to update you on what has been going on with ME. Yes me not the kids. HA. I went in for the endoscopy at the end of June and just like all the other tests they have run on me the scope was normal and the biopsies were negative. Which is good in a way but I was still not feeling good and I still am not. I went into the doctor today to get a referral for the allergist to see if I have food allergies and/or environmental ones. I also got some more blood taken. I hope to know what the results of the lab on that in about a week. I need to get into the allergist but haven't called yet. I want to make sure I don't have to bring the "tornado" with me. Our friend Josh calls my four kids the tornado because of their energy level and I think it is just too funny so that is what I will refer to them from here on out instead of my kids or the troop or the like.

Other that my health we have been having a great summer. Playing outside making tents, swimming, bike riding, library visits, parks and vacation Bible schools. The only thing I really need to get on is getting the kids to walk more to get them ready for the big trip coming up soon.

Doctor's appointment

This is why I don't take my kids to the doctor's very often besides the fact that they don't get sick much. They had to have school physicals so I thought I would take all 3 of them at the same time with the baby in tow. Everything is going fine until they have to find the kids vaccine recorders. Monkey and GG's were pretty well kept so they could fill out their sheets but Red on the other hand was a big mess. I took him to this practice that is alternative medicine and they do homebirths and such. I really liked the practice they were just very disorganized which I didn't like and why we left. We figure all that stuff out and the boys are the only ones that need shots. Monkey got one and Red got 2 they wanted to give him 6 but that wasn't going to happen no how no way! Once the shots were done we had been there for almost 2 hours. We get out to the car with the papers and I look them over to realize that they didn't fill them out all the way. OY. Back in to the office we went and I showed the lady at the desk that they weren't filled out. We waited for about 5 minutes and then asked if I could come back tomorrow and pick them up. The kids were going absolutely bonkers. I was so not happy with them. I told them before we left the house how boring this appointment was going to be and what was expected of them while we were there but they decided it was best to act like complete goof balls and be extremely silly about everything all the while making a huge ruckus. They got in trouble big time once in the van. I'm all about having fun but being silly like there were was completely on called for, they have too much of my dad in them sometimes he doesn't have a serious bone in his body. We've been home for about an hour and I am finally ready to post about it. I was on the edge of the loony farm.

Happy 7th Birthday Monkey!

We got woke up this morning to the phone ringing though we didn't get it in time it was Aunt Virginia and Isaac calling to sing Happy Birthday to Monkey. Then he got a video on the computer from J who had to leave for work at 6am. That was really sweet. I just can't believe my oldest boy is 7 years old! If you are interested in reading his birth story click here.

Let me tell you about this little boy! He has the best imagination out of anyone I have ever met. He could entertain himself in his room for hours upon hours. I like to sneak in and listen to what he is saying it always puts a smile on my face. Though at times he can be deafening LOUD! He has always had a very gentle spirit and it has become even more so the last week. Though I'm not sure how to help him anymore. At bedtime, now mind you he is VERY tired for a long hard day of play, he starts crying. When we ask him why he is sad he tells us that he feels bad for all the wrong things he did that day and then he lists them out. It is terrible for him to carry around all the guilt of sin. We have been talking to him in length of how once you have apologized those wrongs are forgotten. How God doesn't want him to carry guilt because he is forgiven. His heart is just so precious. I am so grateful for having him in our family. I love you little man!

This past weekend

We went out of town with some friends and had a blast! I have pictures that I am not going to have time to upload tonight, maybe tomorrow. This weekend consisted of driving, the beach, sand castles, playing cards, mini golf, sand dunes, movie, huge bonfire at the beach, s'mores, and just an all around good time! On the way home I dropped J and the two oldest off at US Cellular park to watch the White Sox game and then I got lost in downtown for a good 30 minutes and 10 calls to my father in law later and I was on the right road again.

Peanut happenings: we have soft ball games every Monday night this summer and the park that they play doesn't have a bathroom anywhere around. So I have had to learn how to let her pee in the woods. Well now anytime we go outside and she has to pee she pulls her pants down and wants to go right there! Another side effect of having her potty trained is she undresses so many times a day. I got her dressed 6 times the other day before I finally gave up and told her to put her own clothes on. If you are a facebook friend you know how she puts her swim suit on well that is the same way she gets herself dressed. She put both legs in one whole and then pulled them up to her waist but none of it was covering her private parts.

Hmm..it's been awhile

I just LOVE summer! We have been having a fun time which leaves little time for blogging. The kids got in trouble can't even remember what for but they got television taken away from them for a week. The first 2 days were rough but now it isn't so bad they are actually playing pretty well with each other. But since no tv I don't have much time for the computer. Things we've been up to this past week; Monday: soft ball game with church league and ice cream social afterward. Tuesday: seems like a blur to me. I know we went to the visitation for GG and Monkey's *teacher that passed away. Wednesday: piano lessons, play date with church friends, and memorial service at school, didn't get home until after 10pm. Thursday (today): our plans are to meet friends that moved away and are back for a week at DQ and park play time.

*GG and Monkey had Mr. S during their Kindergarten year. He was their Bible teacher and he was 90 years old when Monkey had him, which was his last year teaching at the school. He was just shy of being 92 years old when he passed away. He taught at our school for 40 years and there were many of his pupils at the service. His son had all of his students stand up and gave them a quiz! He said, "What's the Good word?" and all the kids/adult students said, "PRAISE THE LORD!" That question is how he started every class. What a huge testimony this man had such a servant of God. He will be missed but it's hard to be sad when you know that he is no longer in pain and he is with Jesus. Just to let you know that every year Monkey comes home and talks about one of his teachers everyday. The year he had Mr. S, that was the teacher he talked about, every day. He really loved him and looked up to him. GG also loved him and she really took him dying hard.

Some silliness around our parts!
* The other day I got woke up from a Red screaming at the top of his lungs, "MOM MOM THERE'S A SPIDER IN THE TOILET AND IT'S STILL ALIVE. MOM HELP IT'S MOVING!" He went on like this until I got to the bathroom and flushed the toilet.
* Peanut when she goes to sleep she gatherings as many stuffed animals as she can. Last night when she went to bed she had in her arms 2 teddy bears, a stuffed alligator, a baby doll and a sippy cup. How she kept them all in her arms is beyond me. This is how she goes to sleep every night. I really should take a picture of it sometime soon before she stops doing it!

I know there has been others but those two stick out in my head!

Peanut and more

This post was started on THURSDAY! OY...I'm not rewriting it sorry I'm just adding to it.

Since Tuesday Peanut has been complaining about her neck hurting and when she turns to the left she turns her whole body. You know like when you sleep wrong and your neck is stiff. After the 3rd night of very rocky sleep because she was miserable at night J took her into the ER. Her left lymph nodes were swollen. I was just happy to hear it wasn't something more serious and that they gave us a plan for helping her sleep without being in pain. I knew something was up because kids that young don't have neck problems/pain. I hate when my kids don't feel right and they aren't their fun little selves. Updated: Friday she was still feeling not quite right. I call the doctor's office that is covering for our normal doctor because when something like this happens your doctor is out of town right. Well they squeeze her in and say that they are still a bit swollen and put her on a round of antibiotics for strep. The other week when Monkey wasn't feeling well and had pink eye they did a throat culture on him. The office one came back negative but the one they sent away came back positive. He was doing fine so we ended up not putting him on it but since all that occurred the doctor felt Peanut should be on it without actually checking her throat which kind of made me mad. Ok I'll be honest it really made me mad. Let's just give them medicine without being sure. Whatever. I didn't go with to this doctor because I had promised Red a McDonalds date with me on this day. This is her 3rd day on it and she seems to be feeling better and turning her head better.

The other thing I wanted to blog about was an email I got the other day regrading my blog. I received an email stating that my blog was rated in the top 50 blog for pregnancy. I thought hmmm but I'm not pregnant! I checked out the link and sure enough there was my blog under the Christian Mom's blog and number 19. How cool is that? So check it out! I thought that was pretty cool even though I didn't really think my blog fit because I'm NOT pregnant.

Other than that J had 4 days off this last week and he did tons of stuff to the house and throw in the trip to Great America and we had a pretty jam packed week of fun. I got a book from the library that I think is very interesting in the parenting realm of my life. It is called, Raising selfless children in a self-absorbed world by Jill Rigby. So far I agree with her on her outlook on parenting and bonus it was from the library so I didn't have to buy it and then store it when I'm done!!!

Yesterday July 8th 2009

Is a day I went to keep in my memory bank! I packed a lunch, checked the weather and got the babysitters lined up in advance. J, GG, Monkey and I woke up got dressed and were out the door a little after 9am and heading to Six Flags Great America!!! The kids each had free passes for the reading program at school and we bought a buy one get one free tickets online for J and I. We got to the park a little after it opened but since we already had tickets we didn't have to wait in line, score. It was a good day weather wise except for the constant drizzle that lasted almost all day shutting down one of our favorite rides, the Whizzer. I will say I went on two roller coaster for the first time yesterday, The Viper and The Dark Night. I loved the Viper and the other one was ok not worth the hour wait though. Monkey was tall enough to go on the American Eagle and he loved it. The only not fun time we had was waiting in line for the Demon and getting to the front and both kids freaking out and crying. GG had been on this before but Monkey hadn't and he was scared to go upside down. We only had to wait 10 minutes too and then we didn't even go on it. Well later in the day we decided to try it again but this time the line was super long about a 45 minute wait. We told the kids since we waited this long they had to go on it. They did and when it was over Monkey said it was his favorite ride of the day. The little stinker! Another memory was the bumper cars, J and GG were together and Monkey and I were together. We ran into them a ton of times but J and GG rocked us with the one hit they got us with. Monkey actually got hurt from it but he toughed it out and we continued to attack them. Later in the day we went to one of the shows called Show Stoppin and when it was over the rain had stopped and the Whizzer was running without people. So we ran to get in line for it. We waited about 15 minutes before they actually opened up the line and we waited about 10 more to actually get on the ride because we choose to go in the front which is always a longer wait! Monkey and GG rode together and J and I got to ride together! The Whizzer was the ONLY roller coaster that the kids would go on without having one of us with them. We had planned on leaving right after that show because it was 7pm but we just couldn't resist doing one more roller coaster and such a fun one at that. We had a great day filled with great memories! I think it was the first time I was actually cold at Six Flags! We stopped at McDonalds for dinner, not my choice. And then headed home.

Getting back to normal.

Now that all the Holiday festivities are over it is time to get the kids back to a normal sleep schedule and what not. Though today is not proving to be working so well for me. They slept until about 9am and Peanut is refusing to take a nap, though I think she finally gave in at 3:30, I put her down at 1pm. I think she be a strong willed child or stubborn.

I have been meaning to blog about something that happened last month but I needed some time to get over the shock of it first. Also if you are male you might care to read this, you've been told. After I have my babies I don't get my womenly cycle for anywhere between 8 months to 16 months after. Once I do get it my body takes awhile for it to regulate. For the first few months they could be anywhere for 40 some days apart to 30 some days apart, instead of the normal 28 days. Well I had gotten my period back with Peanut for awhile now to the point were it was coming right on time. Well last month I didn't get it the day I thought. I just figured it would come the next day. Nope. After about the 5th day I was getting very nervous. I ran to the store and bought 2 pregnancy tests. One to take that day and one for the next morning which would be more accurate. The first test was negative. I called hubby at work and we both let out a HUGE sigh of relief. That night he tells me how worried he was but the whole time I was freaking out about it he would say things like, "It is what it is no need to worry about it." I wanted to shoot him. Here I thought I was the only one that was nervous and worried but he was too. He says he didn't want to tell me that because it would only make it worse for me. WHATEVER. Anyway, I don't want you to get me wrong, I love kids (especially mine) and I would be fine if the Lord gave us another one. I'm just very content and happy with the 4 kids that we have been blessed with. Moving along, I think to myself now that I know I'm not pregnant I will get my period. The next morning I took the second one and still it was negative. But still no period. The day J was traveling to Canada that morning I got it. I called him so happy. I ended up being 8 days late. So weird but when I think about it I know the Lord's hand is in it because now that my cycle as been readjusted I will not have it when we go to Disney. That is HUGE for me.

The Fest 2009

We didn't go the first night because it was really cold. But we went last night the 2nd night and had a blast. We met some friends there and shut the place down at 11pm! Here are some pictures of our fun night and a little video :)

Amy and Peanut were coming down so fast this was the best picture I got! I should of gotten a video. Peanut LOVED the slide :) Tonight I will try and get a video of all 4 kids coming down!

By the time I got the kids home and to bed it was 11:45. They didn't wake up this morning until 10am. So nice.

First Day of July!

I love July for many reasons. The first two being that J and Monkey's birthdays are this month. Others would be the fest, the fourth of July fireworks, and parade. It is also the month J and I started dating in 1996! Plus it is warm outside. I love being warm and not cold. :) Only a few more months and we will be on vacay!

Well last night I took Monkey into the doctor's office because he had a fever and complaining of his eyes hurting. When I looked at them they were blood shot and pink. GREAT. I know that pink eye is highly contagious so I wanted to take him and hopefully get him some meds to kill it. BUT. It is viral not bacterial so that means they can't give him anything. Ugh. I am hoping and praying that the other 3 don't get this virus because seriously the fest starts today and, and it is only 3 days away from the 4th! I want to take them to the parade and the fireworks. I felt so bad for my boy last night he so didn't want to be at the doctor's office he just wanted to be home and in bed.

Before all that happened we let June go out with a bang. Though we didn't do what was planned for the day a trip to Great America, couldn't get a sitter for the two little ones. Oh well. We went to the store to look for summer dresses for the girls and I for our trip in September. Then to the pet store. Which in turn set the kids on the I want a dog tangent. GG was trying to bargain with us saying that if she took care of the fish for a month and it didn't die could we get a dog. It was pretty funny. Today J showed her how to care for the fish, cleaning the tank and all. We'll see how long that lasts. I think if I have to remind her more than 5 times this month to feed the fish she didn't adequately take care of it. We haven't set the ground rules yet. Then we went to Chuck E Cheese for some play. We cashed in our all tickets totaling 3772. We have saved them for about a year. The kids got some pretty cool things. GG got this invisible ink pen. The boys got a rocket. We were going to do the fire pit but the doctor visit thwarted those plans. I'm excited to see what July has in store for us!