Whewww!

It has been quite a week around here. We have had three of the four of our children down with strep throat. It all started the week before with a trip to the Children's Clinic for a well check up for Ian. Everything went great with his visit. When I got home that afternoon I heard that Bella, Missy's little girl had strep throat and she had been to the clinic on Monday. Ian came down with it the next Wednesday. Since the kids had not been together while Bella was contagious I deduced that they got it from the children's clinic. Isn't it funny that we take our kids in well and they leave sick. Something wrong with that. Although they separate the kids out in the waiting rooms to try to cut down on the germ sharing, the exam rooms are the same for all the kids. So you kept my kid from contracting malaria in the waiting room but he got it off the floor in the exam room. Hmmm. Anyway after Ian had it the fell like dominoes. Ian was treated for it on Friday, Nathan spiked a fever on Saturday, and Emma on Sunday evening. Now I have three kids on antibiotics. Ian, is sensitive to antibiotics and is on a stronger one because of his ears. As a result his hind end looks like hamburger meat. Well maybe not that bad but you can imagine. On top of all that I have had some kind of ick that has made me nauseous all week I even took a pregnancy test (*gasp*) it was negative. Hence my ability to be sitting here typing to you fine folks. I hope your weeks have been illness free and wonderful. Enjoy the rest of the school year before we have to figure out what to do with our kids this summer.
On a final note my Mother-in-law works for the children's clinic and I think it is the best place to take my kids when they are sick. We have had good experiences there. We are just aware of the petrie dish that all the surfaces are.

Rocky Mt., Mother's Day, and Friends

Wow what a week. We had a wonderful time in Rocky Mt., I think Joy and Missy said it all and they have great pics so link to their blogs and see the sweetness. While we were in Rocky Mt. I got a text from a sweet friend that I have just recently reunited with. She and I are both fans of The Princess Bride so we texted back and forth quotes from the movie. It was just one of those moment that you see the blessings of friendship that the Lord has given you. I was in Rocky Mt. with Joy and Missy, two dear friends, I had just had my Monday phone date with Kathy (another God given blessing) and texting to another friend in Florida, all at once I felt surrounded by love and friends. I remarked to Missy that it is amazing that sometimes I feel so isolated and alone but the reality is that I have wonderful friends at my fingertips. She encouraged me to trust that my friends want to be there for me and encourage me and all I need to do is reach out. I needed to hear that I think I have been in a friend funk since Joy moved. I kind of felt that no matter how hard I try to make friends (and believe me it isn't easy for me) they will just move away or get to busy for me. (I know pity party table for one) Its just when Kathy moved I didn't think I would ever find any other friend like her but the old girl scout song is right "make new friends and keep the old one is silver and the other is gold" we never have to loose our friends through a move or business we just have to reach out to them and we can stay friends forever.
ANYWAY happy mother's day to all. Pat yourself on the back for another successful year of mothering. I hope all you families make a big deal over you because you ARE a big deal.

Blogfest!

We to have been stricken by whatever computer cold was going around so I haven't been on in a few days. Man did I have a lot to catch up on. I have just spent the last hour happily reading and commenting on blogs. It was a great time. You all blog so well. I get something different from each of you that helps me get through my day. I started the blog because Joy wanted me to so we could keep up with each other. I twisted Kathy's arm and got her to start one so I could keep up with her and the boys. I have found blogging to be very therapeutic and reading yours to be spiritually uplifting. Thank you fellow bloggers and keep it up.

Ian's potty mouth.

I know another post, it really is feast or famine with me. Oh well. Here goes..
Ian is in that adorable little toddler phase where he can say WAY more than people can comprehend. He has his own words for everything. He needs me or one of his siblings to interpret for him. Lately he has two new words that he likes, chip and truck. Unfortunately they don't sound like that's what he is saying. On truck he drops the "tr" and adds an "F". Normally only I notice this because thank the dear Lord the other kids don't know that word. As it happens thought the other day on our way into school (at Shelby Presbyterian Church) he saw a fire truck parked outside the fire house. So he commenced to screaming TRUCK at the top of his lungs (only the altered version). I'm going "Yes Ian Truck" every time he says it so that the passing mommies don't think that he is actually saying what it sounds like he is saying. I could have melted into the sidewalk.

Chip sounds like Sh** which he also says a lot since they are his new favorite food. What will I do with this boy? My dad asked me if he had been hanging around my brother to much, for those of you who know Michael you know what he means.

Mower than you probaly wanted to know.

I learned two things about myself yesterday. One is that I am VERY spoiled and the second thing is I LIKE IT! As you know I am taking care of things around our house lately, well it came time for the grass to be cut. I mean it was like "anyone seen Ian?" it was that bad. So yesterday my Mom (my hero) took all four kids with her when she took Katie to soccer practice, so that I could cut the grass. So I got out the mower and attempted to start it. It is difficult at the best of times down right ornery the rest of the time. I struggled with it for about half an hour. I have to admit there was a point when I thought "Hey if this thing doesn't start I can sit in the house and read my book while Mom has the kids." It was a fleeting thought I really wanted to honor Mom's willingness to chase all four of my kids around. So after much struggles I got the darn thing started and I mowed the grass. Man it was hard! Last year I did I a few times for "Fun" (ick I'm disgusted by my own spoildness) when I did though Andy trimmed in and all I had to do was mow back and forth in a straight line. This time I had to get in close to the house and run under bushes and around trees and all that fun stuff. Not to mention the front yard had to be bagged because it was so thick. I had to empty the bag every second line. I realized that as and adult I really haven't had to shower because I had dirt on me but yesterday I found dirt in unmentionable places. I'm still puzzled by how it could have gotten there.
The yard may look like a drunk monkey mowed it but the grass is short. I have the kind of husband who always looks to my comfort first. He will get me things from the kitchen and take my trash and all kinds of things like that. He is a prince, and now I really appreciate all that he dose.
Love ya, Babe!

I am woman hear me ROAR!

With Andy doing so much school and work a few things around the house that he would normally handle have fallen to me. The sprayer on the kitchen sink broke last week. I was waiting patently for him to fix it and then Monday I colored Mom and Sandy's hair and had to rinse them out with a cup I think there ears are probably still full of water (Sorry ladies). So I decided that if it was going to get fixed before summer break I would have to do it. I loaded my three youngest children in the car and headed off to Lowe's. I realized after some research that it would be better to replace the whole faucet (the old one leaked badly). Word of advice if the man at Lowe's and you husband say "AH that's an easy job no problem" take it with a grain of salt. However I set about it with passion and determination. I emptied under the sink and got a flash light and crawled in. First the instructions were ONLY for installing the new faucet NOT taking out the old one. I turned the water off and starting unscrewing everything that screwed. Now I don't fancy myself a girly girl but I do like to look my best. I had just flat ironed my hair and applied makeup before picking up the kids (I don't want their teachers to think I always look like my morning self). So I am laying under the sink working on these screws and things are falling in my face and sticking to my lip gloss. I just about lost it. It was so nasty. I also had Bob the builder and his little brother (Nathan and Ian) either under the sink with me or stealing everything from my screwdriver to my flashlight. I had it all undone except one screw that would not budge. I worked on it for half an hour. I was determined to get this thing fixed though because I had no faucet and no water in the kitchen. SO what did I do? I roared..... DADDY! I called my Dad. If I call my dad on the phone and call him Daddy or D-Da he knows I want something. He graciously came to my rescue. He fixed my sink and also hung a paper towel holder and a hook in the laundry room. I love my Dad he has always been my hero and he proved it yesterday.

What about you guys (girls) even if you don't think of yourself as girly everyone has that one thing that they can't handle be it spiders, bugs, or anything like that. I would love to hear what would push you over the edge and make you scream like a girl.

Here I am.

Hello everyone. I am still her and still trudging on with this thing called life. It is such a challenge to enjoy everyday and not say I will be glad when.... I am posting. I have been fussed at so here is a post. Last week was the week from ..... uh you know where. It was like the perfect storm in bad children behavior. When you have four children you always have one of them who is being more whiny or more difficult. Sometimes you have two which makes life interesting. Last week ALL FOUR were in foul moods all week. Emma was as snarky and sarcastic as she knows how to be which is a lot. For example Nathan would say "Hey Emma look at that pretty tree and Emma would say Ya Nathan that is a pretty tree... NOT." Which would make Nathan dissolve into tears and declare "Emma is being rude-to-me" Katie did her best impression of a snotty teenager, which she is sadly getting pretty good at. I actually sent her to bed without dinner one night last week. Granted she had Yogurt and a pop tart for a snack at 5:00, so I didn't feel like she was going to perish. She did though, she layed on her bed screaming "I'm going to STARVE... you can't do this to me!!!!!" She is no stranger to drama. Ian has been his lovely and mischievous self. He bit a kid at school and had to sit in time out. Which is really hard because you can't talk to a two year old about his behavior hours after the fact.
On top of all that Andy worked until 9:30 or 10:00 every night last week. He is in the final push of his current semester, and doing three jobs at work so he has been really busy lately. We would covet your prayers.
Here's to a better week this week... it can't be any worse! (Can it?)