3 important dates

Date 1: Our typical Valentines Day date is going to Fudruckers.  Why would you pick a hamburger place that used to have a large hunk of beef hanging in an open window you ask? Well, it was where B and I were allowed to go when we were 13 and 14 years old.  Then, it happened to be the closest place to my dance competitions that happened annually on Valentine's Day until I graduated from high school.  By then, it was tradition.  When we were in our 20's, it was weird.  Now, with kids, its pretty practical and fun. A few years ago, Emily and Brayden started coming with us.  This year, A. and Brayden sat at the end of the table.  I think it was their first date.

The boys that have literally been together since birth didn't really acknowledge each other until the end of the meal.  Their conversation:

K. Hey Brayden, I have spiderman underwear

Brayden: I have boots

That was apparently a good introduction and warranted a ride i

n the helicopter. 

Date 2:  

These 2 went to Daddy daughter night at the ice skating rink.  The night according to A.: "I'm pretty good at skating.  I can even leap.  Mr. Jeff (our neighbor) is really good, he can spin.  Daddy isn't as good but he likes to sing Call Me Maybe.  

Date 3: A.'s Valentine's party was the following Monday because of the lovely snow that can not be stopped.  It was good because she needed more time to make all of her Valentines.  I was soooo proud of my girl for spending umpteen hours hand making each Valentine.  However, I will admit that I was worried.  I was worried that her nonpintrest looking Valentines would be a joke to some of her peers.  I was afraid that someone would laugh at them and her feelings would be hurt.  Thankfully, it didn't happen.  Thankfully, the only thing that I heard that day was one boy asking A. if she wrote, "I love you" on his Valentine.  Sorry buddy, She already had 2 dates this week!

one way to confirm a party

Sometimes, things just don't go as planned.  Tonight was one of those...

I picked up the kiddos from the bus to go get a hair cut.  I figure, I should get mine done too.  Why not knock out 2 appointments at 1 time. I figure that if I start while the kids are still excited then we should theoretically be done at the same time.  Well, today, is the only day that 3 stylists are available at one time.  It means that K. is done before my hair is even washed.  It means that I am pinned in a chair with no real way to keep K. quiet.  He spends about 22 seconds reading the books that we brought and then we revert to the phone.  When he is in my lap, he will spend 20 minutes doing puzzles or playing the letter game on my phone. Apparently, when he is in a store, he will spend 2 minutes doing puzzles on my phone and then get frustrated and drop it on the floor while trying to come over and get some help.  Thankfully, just as I was getting worried that I would leave with half a head of cut hair, another 3 year old came in and K. immediately became shy and did not want to leave my side.  Usually, I would encourage socialization.  Today, I encouraged shyness.

We got home and I was making a quick dinner of spaghetti before the babysitter came over to watch the kids so I could go to a meeting at church.  Quick dinner means that I can also get the soup ready for the crock pot tomorrow.  I put some tomatoes in the oven to roast... tomatoes quartered with some oil on 425 for 20 minutes.  No big deal.  About 10 minutes into my super mom status earning plight, I smell burning.  Not a small charred tomato.  No, a full fledged flame in the oven.  Crap.  Turn off the oven. Shut the door.  No O2 means no fire.  I'm getting the fire extinguisher ready just in case as the smoke detector starts binging.  The binging actually is an automatic starter for children crying in my house. Binging in combination with a just in case fire extinguisher is apparently an automatic freak out screaming almost running out of the house fear in my children.  

1 minute later, fire is out, window is open, binging stops.  Now,  the johnny come lately actual alarm to our monitored system starts.  The reassured children are no longer reassured and begin crying again.  Crap again.  I have no idea the code (don't worry, I know it now).  Of course, alarm system does not call my phone, they call B's phone.  So, all alarms are ringing, my children are crying, and now the phone too.  Thankfully, I answer it and after B is reassured that his family is ok, he goes to call the alarm system.  Just then, I hear the local sound that Small Town America alerts when the fire trucks are unleashed. Crap for a third time.  CANCEL IT!  B. calls immediately and they are called off.  

5 minutes later, spaghetti is done, tomatoes are now fire roasted, babysitter has arrived.  Best of all, the fire truck 3rd birthday party that we set up while A. was in the ambulance a  few weeks ago, is now confirmed. Hopefully, the actual party will not be as eventful.      

no need

Do you ever have a week where you feel that the kids grow up before your very eyes?  This was one of those for me.  K. took this week while Daddy was away to learn to put on his own coat and shoes no matter how long that it took.  He made the decision that extra 5 minutes that pushed us almost to missing the bus 2 days in a row was well worth the wait.  I disagreed...

He also decided that this week was the week to fully embrace the training wheel bike.  He's been on his Strider bike for over 2 years (yes, he was flying on that thing before he was 2).  Even though he was so good on his Strider that I could at least get a short run in with him, he decided that it is no longer fun.  The pedal bike is painfully slow, loud, and he gets stuck on every single rock.  If I try to run, he cries for me to wait up. Again, we disagree on this new plan of growth.

I think the real kicker though was when we went to visit his big boy school.  He is moving to preschool right around his third birthday. He's really excited about all the kids and the lego table.  After we left he told me, "Mommy, I go to big boy school, I no need you anymore."  My head snapped around so fast that he actually thought he was in trouble.  I wanted to tell him to take it back.  I wanted to tell him that he will always need me.  But, I'm just so proud of him and his independence.  I half way hate it, but I also know how unbelievable blessed that we are!

K.,
Keep growing buddy.  I promise that I will try to leave extra time for you to do everything because you "no need hep".  But, don't ever say that to me again.  Deal!
Love,
Mom

a challenge

When A. started Kindergarten, we gave up her daycare.  Thankfully, as a home health OT, my job is pretty flexible.  I schedule my patients when I can fit them in our busy routine.  As long as I hit my productivity, I can see them whenever I wanted  I blissfully thought, I will see 2 days of 5 patients and 2 days of 4 patients.  That gives me 1 day a week home with K.  I then scheduled (thankfully, only in my head), that I would volunteer in her classroom 1 time a month.  Let me tell you folks, that has happened one month.  I volunteered in her classroom Wed Oct 9th.  Since then, she has been off a day, early dismissal, snow day, snow/ fog delay, K. off for something, or sick every single week.  Since Oct. 14, I have been juggling my schedule, recalling patients, and feeling overall unreliable.  I've used about every friend that we have, called grandparents in for a few days, and had B. stay home sometimes. This momma is throwing in the towel.

This is how today went:
Last night at 5:30- snow started
6:10 pm- snow stopped after about 1/2 inch
B says, I'll bet she has a delay tomorrow.  I immediately begin running through which patient I can move and have a hard time since my morning is all evaluations that I pused because of the dreaded flu bug last week. I deny that it could possibly happen AGAIN
5:28 am- my phone rings.  "Hello, this is the public school system.  To hear an important message from the school system please press 1."  I press one as I fight the urge to throw the phone across the room.  90 minute delay
5:29- I start running through my day, trying to figure out which poor patient has to be delayed 90 minutes.
5:35- B- tries to comfort me saying,"you are really doing a good job."
5:36- I fight the urge to throw the phone at him and beg to be a stay at home mom
5:40- B says, I just ran through some numbers in my head and I can't figure out how to let you do that.  I have already moved on and forgotten what I asked.  He gets brownie points for trying though:)
7:15- A comes down and we tell her that she has a 90 minute delay- "For that?!?" she asks.  I concur sweet heart.
8:00-9:30- The positive side of delays--

  Dear fog/ snow/ professional days/ silly holidays/ early dismissal, and sickness,
STOP!
Love,
Me

a not so welcome welcome

B. was gone from last Friday to this Thursday.  It was an exhausting yet fun week (according to him). His plan was to get off of his flight, drive home, nap in a quiet house, and then surprise the kids to pick them up from school/daycare.
Problem #1- we had scheduled our builder to come for our year warranty items so the house would definitely not be quiet
Problem #2- A came into my room at 3:00 am talking a bit crazy.  She was crying about not going to a parade and it being wet outside.  Turns out she had a fever of 103.... that leads to no quiet house and no surprise at school.

Thursday arrived and I took A. to the doctor.  Despite the flu shot, she got the dreaded bug. The MD prescribed Tamiflu, Motrin/ Tylenol, rest, and fluids.  She got her first dose of Tamiflu and another dose of Motrin around 1:00.  We spent some time reading her American Girl books and she and B. drifted off to sleep.  (I guess he did get his nap after all) At about 3:00, B. went to go get K. from daycare.  When they got home, they went over to check on A.  She was visibly shaking on the couch.  He tried to wake her and she wouldn't arouse; her eyes were open but she couldn't talk or respond.  I made the first and hopefully only call to 911 for my children's sake.

As scary as it was, she snapped out of it after about 45 seconds.  The paramedics were fantastic and made her feel as comfortable as possible.  They even gave puppy some gloves before they put on their own gloves.  They explained the entire IV procedure and whistled to her to keep her calm  And, the pediatric ER was equally amazing.  We were greeted with the team ready to work since they didn't know if she would till be seizing.  I think they were a bit surprised to see a 5 year old rather lethargic but talking appropriately.  The child life specialist was right there with an ipad and coloring book to keep her calm and then a doll with her own IV to explain the procedure  (she has since explained her veins and the "straw" of an iv to no less than 5 people). We stayed for a few hours since, at the time of the seizure, she had no fever.  That meant that they were trying to determine the cause.  The answer.... no affirmative answer; it maybe the Tamiflu so we'll stop the $200 medicine after one dose (anyone need tamiflu, we have some on hand), it maybe dehydration, it maybe something else so keep a good watch and know what to do if it happens again.

Now, we are focusing on keeping her calm.  (Any ideas for keeping a typically VERY active kiddo quiet?  We are quickly running out.)

Welcome home, Daddy!  We'll try to be a little calmer next time.

PS- Since we moved, I have not questioned one time the greatness of our small town.  Thursday night, was above and beyond.  We had people checking on us, praying for us, and offering to watch K. within minutes and through out the next day. A.'s best friend brought her a balloon and a stuffed dog that has not left her side since.  It was, and is amazing.  Thank you for being the village for our kids!

granny panties

One week a year, Daddy heads out for the grass convention.  It's a week of a lot of golf, eating a lot of steak, drinking a lot of beverages, and somehow getting a little bit of work done.  It so happens that it is always the week where there is snow or some other environmental disaster.  I remember the blizzard of 2009 by having A. by myself and trying to shovel out of 24 inches of snow before I could park a car.  He remembers the blizzard of 2009 by me calling in tears trying to figure out how to clear a parking spot and sidewalk before I could even get into our door.  And, he may mention me clearing his car with a shovel resulting in a few little tiny scratches.

Though I love the years that I get to go with B, I actually have grown to love the week with the kids alone as well.  We are a little less structured, we go to bed a little later, and, when I finish the work at about 10:00, I sit in sweet silence for 30 ish minutes.  We don't let Daddy know that the table is cluttered and we leave the body wash on the shower seat.  It's not something that I would wish forever, but it is a nice quiet week alone.

However, it's not perfect...
On Saturday, I woke up and took a deep breath.  I knew it was going to be a crazy, packed day.  We started with  ice skating at 9:30- 10:00.  We hopped in the car and drove about 2 hours to see Dinosaur Train live.  The show was 1.5 hours.  It was cute except that K. was terrified of the dinosaurs that he typically loves.

 He sat on my lap and peeked through his hands the whole time.  The show was during nap time.  So, I expected that my tired little fearful kid would nap on the way home.  Boy was I wrong, he held on from 2-3:45 when we were about 5 miles from home. He then just lost his mind.  He cried at the top of his lungs until he feel asleep, yep 8 minutes from home at 4:20 in the afternoon.  A looked at me and said, "get your big boy pants on, this is going to be a mess."  I laughed so hard that I almost got into an accident.  We made a team decision that since we're girls, we're putting on our "granny panties" instead of our big boy pants.  We decided to barrel through the rest of the night.  K. was "uncooperative" to say the least.  He was most angry that A. kept telling him to put on his granny panties and buck up.  We made it to 7:00 with dinner and somehow a bath and then somehow they both fell asleep.  Yep, 7:40 and I was downstairs with a glass of wine.  We've got our granny panties on and were ready for the next few days.  See you soon, Daddy!