SICK :(

On Sunday, May 27, Caleb came into our bedroom just around 3 am. He was ON FIRE! He told me his stomach really hurt, but I was so exhausted that I simply pulled him into bed with me and we continued to sleep. In the 5 o'clock hour, he started to gag which immediately brought me to alertness. I couldn't move since I was in the middle, so I asked Shawn to grab a bucket and quick! At the same time I was shoving Caleb out of our bed and into the bathroom. He didn't make it, but he also didn't hit our bed. Our carpet didn't fare too well, though. :( :( :( He continued to barf all day long, shaking and hot.

We had hoped to go to the beach or do something fun. Well, we didn't even make it to church. Shawn let me go by myself to a 'body flow' class that afternoon (which is stretching &; flexibility, similar to yoga) while the boys rested. Caleb didn't eat or drink much that day and slept most of it. I felt bad for him. He didn't really feel any better on Memorial Day Monday, unfortunately, but at least he stopped throwing up. He wouldn't eat anything, though.

He told me on Tuesday that his mouth hurt, and I thought that his voice sounded 'thick' so I asked him if it was his throat. But, I couldn't tell when I tried to look. When Joshua woke up on Wednesday saying that his throat was on fire, I called the pediatrician and scheduled back-to-back (or really one appointment that they charge us double the money for) appointments for my older boys. We saw Dr. Reilly at 11:40 on 5/30, and I like her. She asked some questions and then looked at their throats. Caleb, while he looks ungodly pale (even for him!) and glassy-eyed seemed to be feeling a little bit better (although, I have seen over the last couple days that it comes in waves where he would put himself to bed upon feeling awful). He had climbed up onto the window sill to look out the blinds when the doctor came in, reminding her of Curious George who was all over the walls in the doctor's office. :)

She said, while he seems to feel better than Joshua (who literally sprawled out on the examining table like he was dying and didn't move from the position the entire time) Caleb's throat looked just as bad. She swabbed them both and we waited only a couple minutes before she came back in to say they both tested positive for strep immediately. They both were given a prescription for antibiotics, but Joshua's is a different dosage than Caleb's. She also said to scrub down any and all toys (that will keep me busy for years!) and anything that goes in their mouths needs to be either disinfected or thrown away. So, we stuck their new toothbrushes in Listerine, which she said should kill the germs.

Caleb weighs 36 lbs (56.48%) and Joshua weighs 41 lbs (29.16%). I think Caleb is getting taller, and they both are fairly thin. Neither of them wanted anything to eat that day, but Caleb hadn't eaten in days. The minute we got home, Joshua vomited everywhere. But within a day or two, they were back to their normal selves. We gave them the antibiotics for the full 10 days, though.

Shawn said his throat was also sore, so I called and scheduled him an appointment to get seen at our doctor. His ears were infected again (or still?) so they didn't even swab his throat. Either way, he got a ZPack of antibiotics. We always snuggle and kiss our boys, so we typically can share all our illnesses. I want sickness to be gone! FOREVER! Praise the Lord, Ryan & I never got it. The pediatrician said that baby's tonsils aren't hugely developed at his age, so it's unusual for them to get strep. I'm glad that while three of the five us were sick, I was able to keep going and take care of everyone. Thank God for health! Please pray we all stay healthy.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish... No BLUE Fish (praise God!)

On Tuesday, May 29, Mom emailed and asked if we'd like to come swimming. While Caleb hadn't been feeling great, he seemed perky at the time so I asked him if he'd like to go swimming or not. He said "YES! I'd LOVE to!" So, I got all three boys covered in sunscreen (it was in the 90s that day), and in their swim trunks.

I thought Ryan looked SO cute in this swim outfit I was given for Joshua when he was a baby. But, my littlest man wanted NOTHING to do with his hat.

I put on my suit and we picked up Mamaw from her house. We drove up to the club house where there were a couple other families swimming with children who were similar ages. Joshua got right in and started swimming with the pool noodle. While he still has NO desire to get his head or face wet, he wasn't scared to get in the water or to swim. I'd say that's a HUGE improvement over other years. Ryan is a little fish. He LOVES the water. He wasn't scared at all and happily splashed away when mom or I would carry him into the water. He was happy to be soaked and doesn't mind getting his head wet (in fact, he'd prefer it to the hat).

Caleb would swim some with me, but he wanted to be held by Mamaw that day, so I held Ryan and she would take Caleb around while Joshua continued to swim away with his noodle. The temperature of the water was warm and delightful. We all enjoyed being in. Then we saw the big black storm cloud - the weather report had said severe thunder storm warning, and the wind began to blow as the 93 degree sun went behind the clouds. We knew it was soon time to get out. But, we had enjoyed the hour we had been in. One of mom's friends snapped a picture of all of us together. I thought taking three boys swimming went better than I was expecting.

Hopefully we can get Joshua & Caleb swim lessons this year. I don't expect them to learn all the different strokes, but I do want them to be safe in the water and not drown. I've had terrible dreams lately about them going in deep water and not being able to save them. I'd like the nightmares to stop and the boys to learn to swim.

We had fun, and we dropped Mamaw back at home before meeting Daddy right when he got out of work. We just got inside before the heavens opened and dumped rain down. We needed the rain, though, and it didn't last terribly long. The weather went from 90 and hot & humid to a more comfortable mid-80s. It's been beautiful! We love summer!

Holiday Week End Ends Weak

Shawn & I had talked about going away for Memorial Day weekend with the kids. We haven't really had many family vacations, and we had said about trying to find somewhere dirt cheap to just go within a close radius of our house to explore and have fun. Well, I'm just as glad we didn't since the kids got sick. But, the weekend started out fun.

Saturday morning, May 26, I woke up before the crack of dawn and could not get back to sleep. I thought about going for a run, but my Achilles heal has been really bothering me. I've read up on it, I've been icing it and taking pain medication, and I'm hoping it goes away but one suggestion was new running sneakers and another was to stay off it for a couple weeks. While I don't give myself that option, I thought maybe I could do other exercises rather than the pounding I have been giving it. Eventually I couldn't take it - I woke up Shawn when the boys were almost awake, and I suggested we do something crazy like early morning yard sales. It takes awhile for us to get the kids ready and get out anywhere, so it wasn't too early when we left, but we did hit a couple good yard sales. We got Ryan a few new toys that I scrubbed with bleach when we got home, and they look like they'll be fun.

I also got a piece of Tupperware for .25 that I was excited about. But, my real "find" was women's clothing from someone who had lost and gained weight and was getting rid of some of her clothing that were VERY high-end brand names. From White House/Black Market to Talbots to Micheal Kors and Ann Taylor, etc. I found a couple really cute things that fit me perfectly. I hate to spend a lot of money on things when I'm hoping to lose more weight, but these will be great for the in between. Prices ranged from .50 to 1.00 so I was thrilled. :) We also got an outdoor rug for our deck for $5 that is awesome! Even if it just lasts one summer, we'll have gotten our money's worth!

That afternoon, we set up the slip-n-slide that Aunt Becky had gotten Caleb for his birthday (unless it was Joshua? I can't remember - is that awful?). The water was COLD coming straight from the hose, but the boys didn't mind. Shawn is a slip-n-slide pro. He showed us all how it's done. I don't seem to slide - I can't get the hang of launching myself on my stomach without fearing that it's going to hurt, so I don't go very far. Joshua also couldn't get the hang of going on his stomach, but he was AWESOME at going on his knees and sliding on his feet and every other which way. Caleb tried a few times and ended up having more fun jumping through the sprinkler.

In the meantime, Ryan LOVED the water table. I should have gotten a picture of him. He was SOAKED! And I didn't put his swim trunks on because I didn't think he'd be sliding or getting that wet. 

The boys loved to slip 'n slide and eventually Shawn turned off the water and said it ran out so they wouldn't be terribly disappointed. But, we had more fun to come! We went to Walmart to grab a few things and then headed to Hoss' Steakhouse at Joshua's request (he loves that restaurant) and enjoyed the salad bar. All the kids ate well and we had a nice time as a family. We also had a coupon to use, which made it fairly inexpensive.

Thankfully Saturday was a day filled with fun because Sunday & Monday weren't so hot. It was a yard-work, clean the house, take clothes to Goodwill and clean out kind of end to our weekend in between snuggling and cleaning up after sick kiddos. :(  On the bright side, Shawn did fire up the grill on Sunday, and I love when he grills out. We also took the kids out for ice cream cones on Monday night to say we did something for Memorial Day that was "special" (although Caleb didn't even eat one bite of his). We ended our weekend together watching a great family movie with Matt Damon in it called "We Bought a Zoo!" It's one I would recommend, based on a true story. We all thought it was good. :)

Happy 68-month birthday, Joshua!

Joshua turned 68-months old on Friday, May 18. We celebrated (sort of!) with homemade ice cream at his friend Kyler's house. As of this birthday, he had officially graduated from preschool. He is now ready for kindergarten!

He went to the doctor's office on 5/30 and weighed 41 lbs, which is the 29.16%. While he looks fairly scrawny, he's at a normal weight for him. I also think he's going through a growth spurt because he's been eating more than his usual lately, and I can tell his clothing is fitting differently. Joshua's favorite foods are yogurt, bananas, Cracker Barrel cheese, Cheerios (and cereal of just about any kind, especially Apple Jacks), butter bread, carrots with dip, chicken nuggets, goldfish, crackers and more. But, he's willing to try all sorts of new things now as well, which is good. He's enjoying more meats these days in addition to his carbs, veggies, fruits and dairy.

Joshua is getting better and better at reading, spelling and math. There are times that we're reading something together and I'm amazed at how smoothly it's going. The other day we were doing "mental math" in the car, and Caleb said "What's 5+4?" and Joshua immediately answered "9" without even hesitating. My little guy LOVES to do puzzle books and is getting better and better at them. While we used to leave the word finds behind, he now enjoys searching for the letters that make up the words. His favorite activities are the mazes and "silly things" after the stickers pages.

It's always amazing to see how my kids' develop and change with age. He picks up so many things and even hearing something one time, he can use it and in context. We have to really watch what he's seeing and hearing!

My little buddy is such a good big brother, especially to the baby. He will smile at him, play with him and try to keep him safe. And while he & Caleb can fight like cats and dogs at times, they are both quick to say that they are each other's best friend.

While Joshua doesn't nap anymore, he still gets up relatively early and I can see him lose steam in the afternoons. But, he picks up again in the evenings. That said, he's great at going right to bed at night. He's beat! Caleb can seem to stay up with the night owls, but eventually Joshua says goodnight and goes to bed.

Joshua cracks us up with his funny sayings. The other night at dinner he said "You know what? A house without toys or books for kids is a complicated house." We chuckled. Not sure where that came from? I told him that before we had him, our house would then be considered "complicated." He loves to hear stories of when he was born and what life was like before he can remember.

I love how Joshua soaks in stories. He can recite many of the Bible stories and I love to hear that he "gets" them too. He'll say "You know, we have to trust that God will protect us" (speaking of David fighting Goliath). Yep, it's true!

My little man is STUBBORN and FIESTY! There are times that he & I can butt heads because he thinks he's in charge. But, he also has a soft, sensitive spirit to him that I pray I don't crush as we try to bend the will to being obedient. I love this little man! How he's growing up and maturing! Happy 68-month birthday, Joshua!

Crocs!

One day in mid-May, Grandpa Georgia stopped in (as he often does) for a cup of hot tea and brought the boys two dinosaurs to share. Each one picked their favorite - Joshua's you can control and open its mouth, etc. and Caleb's will walk and make noises with the push of a button. They were super excited for these yard sale finds.

Thursday, May 24, Shawn was gone all day for a business trip to Michigan - he left before 4 am and got home late that night. It was a LONG day for him, but I was glad he was able to come back the same day (although leaving that early in the morning he may want to go the day before and spend the night since I was awake then from about 3:30 on that day).

 

Here's a picture of Ryan getting into things he shouldn't. He's cruising all around these days, and he doesn't mind being on his tippy toes to try and reach things!

That evening, we went to the mall with Mamaw to look for summer shoes. Caleb picked a pair of Lightning McQueen & Franchesco Crocs while Joshua was excited about the ones that turn colors in the sun. They are green & blue typically but turn completely blue in the sunshine. Caleb wanted to wear his to bed, and he finally took them off when we insisted on it. But, the very next morning he came into our room in his monkey pajamas, a very wet pull-up and two red Crocs on his feet. :) When we went for a walk on Friday, Joshua was thrilled to show me how his Crocs turned blue in the sunshine and then back to green when we were in the shadows of the trees. Everyone we see gets to hear about their special Crocs. I should take a picture of them - they live in them now. :) :) :)

Thanks, Mamaw, for the gift! The boys also shared some soft pretzels there before we left, and Mamaw bought Ryan and Joshua each a new shirt. :)We had fun shopping, and it was a nice way to end the day since we didn't have Daddy to look forward to that evening.

Play Before the Big K!

Toward the end of preschool, the mom of Jason (Caleb's closest friend from preschool) sent me an email and invited me to a play date with other moms she knew who had kids who would be entering kindergarten this year at Nitrauer. Her daughter Elizabeth is going into kindergarten, and we had seen each other at the open house just briefly. She told me that she was trying to organize a group where each child would have someone to play with - Jason & Caleb could play together, another mom was bringing a boy named Jackson who was starting kindergarten with Joshua, Elizabeth could play with two other little girl who was starting at kindergarten, and one of them had a younger brother Ryan's age.

She asked if I had a preference of where to meet, and I told her that we would love to come and it didn't matter to me where. She noted that it's always nice to meet some of the other school moms since we don't get to know one another there like you do when your kids are in preschool together. :)

She sent an email asking us to meet on 5/24 at noon at Lititz Springs Park. I went to the gym that morning, taking my nephews along since Grace had had her tonsils removed the day before. I figured that would give her some time with her mama. After dropping them off at home, we came back and I got a quick shower and hurried to get ready. As I was about to pack our lunches, I realized I hadn't asked if anyone was allergic to peanut butter. I realize that's a huge issue with the preschool, so I decided to skip it and get the kids lunch at McDonald's. I raced through the drive-through, only to find that there was a disabled vehicle on Lititz Pike that prevented me from getting there on time. I was almost a full half hour late, but I was only the third family to arrive out of five, so I guess it wasn't a big deal. The boys ate their lunch in the car on the way there since we were stopped for awhile. I had gotten a free starbucks drink on the way for my lunch and finished it there. Ryan waited until we got there to eat his lunch.

The kids had fun on the train and climbing around. My boys wanted to go in opposite directions, but I could see them both for the most part. Joshua climbed too high and I saw one of the mom's help him down. Caleb's "OH NO!" moment for me that day was when he asked to get in the sand (which I had said okay to) and then promptly threw it all up in the air and let it rain down on him and the other little one that was in with him at the time. I saw it too late, and he was covered literally from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes in sand. He had it in his eyes and ALL over his face. YUCK! He came out when I asked him to, but he was already disgusting. Needless to say, the boys all got baths when we got home.

As the other women arrived, we talked about where we went to church and things that were important to us, etc. I was glad that there would be other Christian kiddos going to school with the Bean. They all seemed very down-to-earth, and I was glad to have the opportunity to meet them. I'm not sure that we'll be hanging out again, but it's nice to know people and realize that there are good folks out there in class with your kids. Two of the families also had kids that were Caleb's age, so I'll probably see them in the halls this fall at preschool as well.

Eventually we took a walk up to the "lion" and got a picture of the group. Then we took the bread and crackers we had brought and fed the ducks. This was Caleb's favorite part. They loved to watch the ducks eat! I was the only mom (other than the woman organizing) to remember bread, so we gave it out to all the kids. It didn't last long, but it was fun. I was the first to say that we needed to head home. I knew Ryan would need his nap, and I had already pushed the time for him. We said farewell and the other moms agreed that it was about time to go. We discussed what sports we were planning on for the kids and the organizing mom told us all that we simply MUST get pool memberships to Skyline. That's not in our budget for this year, but maybe some year it will make financial sense.

It had been a fun time out, and I pray that Joshua makes good friends and good choices as he enters this next stage of life. Please pray for him that he'll do well in school and meet good people who will encourage him to be his best!

Road Trip to Philly

On Tuesday, May 15, I packed my kiddos in the minivan along with some Easy Mac 'n Cheese and we headed toward Philadelphia. I'm not typically the driver on longer excursions where I don't know where I'm going, but I had my directions and GPS ready to go. My good friend from college is going through a rough time these days - she has three young children (including a sweet little girl less than three months old!) and her husband left.

I told Shawn that I felt like I should offer to do something for her - would he be willing to help me watch six children? He said sure, but I wasn't sure how to make it work since she lives far away and works weekends. But, then as I was reading my devotions the one morning, the author talked about how kindness in the Bible is really love in action - moving on what we feel like God is telling us to do. My friend Suz called and said she also was feeling like she wishes there was some way she could help (we were all friends in college) and suggested that maybe she & I could watch all seven kids together. Whew! I said I was up for it if she was, and she threw out some dates immediately that might work.

At first our friend said she'd rather see us than have us watch her kids, but we insisted that she take some time to herself - wouldn't she like a massage, a pedicure, or even just time to run errands without having three kiddos along to "help?" She agreed that it sounded good since she doesn't get much of a break. So, she met another friend for coffee while Suz & I held down the fort. I thought it went relatively well. My boys LOVED playing with her oldest kiddo, and Joshua still asks about going back to his house. :) :) :) I also enjoyed spending time with Suz and all the kids.

By nap time, we were exhausted. I felt bad when my friend came back in tears, telling us how rough it has been. I just wanted to throw my arms around her, and yet what can I do to really help beyond pray? We do pray for her and the kids every night. When I left, I called Shawn and told him thank you for sticking with me all these years. I know that it would be easier to run for the hills some days, but I'm glad he's been faithful to our family!

We made it there, found parking, and drove home safely. We saw a major accident on the way home, and I praised God that it wasn't us. The boys were all very well behaved, and I thought the day went as well as it could have. :) The only thing I missed was getting some pictures - DOH!

Joshua's Preschool Memories

On Joshua's last day of preschool, he brought home his "Preschool Memories" book, which I thought was too dear not to share. While many of his crafts I have to throw away (an entire house would not be big enough to keep them all), this is another one that I will keep through the years. I love how his teacher was able to capture pictures of him with his closest friends. In the picture below, Joshua is in the middle next to his good friend Spencer (to his right in the blond hair) and his good friend Connor (in the red shirt on the left). On the outskirts are Tommy (next to Spencer) and Samuel (next to Connor). They were all good friends, but Joshua's favorites from the year were Spencer, Sarah and Connor in order.

 On the inside was a picture of Joshua with Mrs. Zimmerman and Mrs. Perez. I went into preschool one day and took pictures of each child with their teachers. I loved how Mrs. Zimmerman used them. And there was a note to him that read "Joshua, your bright and friendly smile brightens up the classroom. You are a kind boy who plays well with others. During circle time, you are a good listener who follows directions. We enjoyed being your teachers. Love, Mrs. Zimmerman and Mrs. Perez" 

 The next page was from our first visit to preschool. I'm wearing Ryan next to Joshua at the Open House. So much has changed this year!

On the next "Watch Me Grow" page, she placed a picture of Joshua standing by himself that she had taken that same first morning, and she noted his height and weight at the beginning of the year, which was 3'7.5" tall and 38.2 lbs. Then she documented what his ending stats were at 3'9" tall and 39lbs. The hand print and fingerprints were also cute!

 The next two pages showed how vastly improved his handwriting has gotten from how he signed his name at the beginning of the year to the end of the year:

 The next page was from farm week at the beginning of preschool. This page says (with his answers filled in) My favorite farm animal is "a chicken" because "it lays eggs." On the farm I would "feed the pigs."

Here he is in his chicken costume from the farm day party. I was the one who took the class picture. Love it! Joshua in that chicken costume is serious cuteness!

 The next picture was his artwork from the Community Days at Calvary Preschool. He notes that his favorite part of the day was the police car. When he grows up, he said he wants to be a fireman.

Also from the fall, this is his artwork and it says I like fall because "I like playing in the leaves" - that is a fun family tradition!

Here is the picture Mrs. Zimmerman took of him at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm (one of his field trips). He said his favorite activity that day was going down the slide. I loved being there with him and going down the slide together! :)

Here he is at the fall party, where they were allowed to dress up as a favorite story book character (or hero) or a community service person. He went as a fireman in a borrowed costume, but I love that he's standing next to his two best friends from the preschool year. When you would ask him his favorite people, he'd always say "Spencer and Sarah" followed by his friend Connor. I love that his teacher was able to capture him with them!

The next page is titled "All About Me." It has his self-portrait and hand tracing, and it has some funny things he wrote in it as well as his stats. He's five years old, his height and weight again (same as above) and it says "I like to...PLAY," "Favorite color...PURPLE," "I like to go to...DUNKIN DONUTS" (is this not random? Haaa! I love it!), "I am special because...GOD MADE ME," "Favorite foods...ORANGES & GRAPES." The bottom has the verse Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well."

 The next page is "My Family." It says "I live with...MOM, DAD, CALEB, RYAN...in...A HOUSE. With my family, I like to...PLAY MEMORY AND DOMINOES. My family is...SPECIAL." I love his picture of the five of us. Ryan is tiny, and the pictures are relatively to scale with Daddy being the tallest and the boys being progressively smaller by age. I also cracked up that all the boys are in yellow and I'm in green and blue.

 The next page is about the Thanksgiving story. I went in that morning and asked the questions. He told me how the pilgrims came over on "a ship" and the Indians taught them how to "grow corn." My favorite, though, was when he told me that this Thanksgiving he was thankful for "my Mommy." He had an Indian feather hat and he's sitting next to Laura in her pilgrim hat.

And, who could forget that Joshua is thankful for Joshua with his self-portrait? Haaa!!!

Joshua drew a picture of Brayden as his friend and said that they like to play cars. I know that sometimes he sees his friend Brayden at church. The verse at the bottom is 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

Here is his Christmas craft, and the bottom verse is Isaiah 9:6. He was asked what he would give Jesus and his answer was "GOLD."

 Here is his winter craft - love the snow on the mittens!

They had dental health week, and the craft with the bean teeth kind of skeeved me out a bit, but it was cute. It says "To take care of my teeth I use...A TOOTHBRUSH. A healthy snack I like to eat is...STRAWBERRIES."

 The next page was about the Five Senses. Joshua's answers to this one are "With my eyes, I see...TREES. With my ears, I hear...A ROOSTER. With my nose, I smell...DIRT. With my mouth, I taste...PIZZA. With my hands, I touch...TOYS. I am very special." I howled at this one. I don't think he's ever heard a rooster, and how does dirt smell? Haaa!!! He cracks me up!

 The next craft was from spring. It says "In the spring, I see...BIRDS, hear...BIRDS CHIRPING and touch...FLOWERS."

 The next page was from Transportation Days. It says, "My favorite type of transportation is...A CAR...because...IT GOES FAST. With my family, I like to ride...AN AIRPLANE...and go to...FLORIDA."

 This craft was from Easter. He said that "We celebrate Easter because...JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN. On Easter I like to...DO EASTER EGG HUNTS."

 Here is a picture of him from their field trip to the Lancaster Science Factory.

And here's a picture of him as a flower with his friends Sarah and Brayden. He said how sweet he thought his friend Sarah was. She'll go to Warwick this fall, but I'm friends with her mom, so hopefully they'll get to see each other again.

 The last two pages were autographed from all his preschool friends.

 I loved the book with all the memories from the school year. What a great idea! :)