I came back from vacation to begin a new semester at work and hit the ground running. Believe me, I am wanting another July so badly!!! The weather was so beautiful that month, much more so than we usually have in July, and now, September is right around the corner...and the kids in school, soccer, dance class....and the rat race is on! The kids are "ready" for school to start, and I think the structure will be good for them, but I am so missing the sound of the ocean waves as I write this. Vacations sure are wonderful, but when you are in a really nice place, and have "down" time, it's really hard to gear up again!
The kids went to a different daycare setting last week because my sitter was on vacation. They all enjoyed their new experiences but were glad to go back to their sitter's home yesterday. Kyle is already testing his limits and yesterday, "belly-butted" (as opposed to "head-butted") the sitter when she didn't acknowledge him immediately upon calling her name. Today, he has already hit his sister with a toy truck causing her to cry. I feel sorry for his kindergarten teacher!
Charlie had a rough weekend -- he chipped his tooth at the pool and Kyle broke his glasses (was an accident). We got the tooth fixed yesterday but will have to buy new glasses. He is now wearing the ones we got for soccer (plastic frames). The lenses are 2 prescriptions ago, but he can still see out of them. The sad thing is, I don't have time to get to an eyeglass place this week and he has surgery on Friday. Guess we'll have to do that next week.
Marcie is still challenging but she just needs to get back to school. That child wants so badly to be independent that she gets in trouble. She is trying to read everything and I am anxious for her to get back to school so that she will at least feel like she's making progress. I can already foresee her reading well by Christmas.
Joanna is such a happy and contented child. She really doesn't mind what we do or when we do it. She had her school physical yesterday and has gained 6 pounds and grown 3 inches this past year! I think I am going to have to get her size 7 slim pants, she is getting so tall. This doesn't make Marcie happy. I think Marcie will be in size 6 for the rest of her life....just kidding! She was such a chunky baby that I never would've thought she'd be my tiniest child. She makes up for her size, though, with her vivacious personality.
So, now you are updated. Do you suppose we could get whomever is responsible for calendars to give us another July and then another August before we have to get to September?!!!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Last Night
This was our last full day at the beach, and we are so sad. The kids have enjoyed every minute. Even Kyle, still feeling a little under the weather, just did not want to leave the pool this evening. He has had no fever since early yesterday morning and did not complain as much about his throat today. He did eat a lot of popsicles and nearly every time he asked for one, he reminded me that the doctor said he could eat popsicles. He also ate chips later and said they were fine for his throat. However, not all is rosy as he is now complaining of pain every time his ear is touched. I think he has swimmer's ear. He definitely is not used to so much swimming!
Charlie has been asking for seafood the entire week so tonight we went out to eat. The restaurant we chose had a limited kids menu and the only seafood choice was popcorn shrimp. He has had crabmeat before and liked it. They did have crabcakes on the menu but they have egg in them, so that was out of the question (and they were also $20!). He chose the popcorn shrimp, as did Joanna. I tried to dissuade her because I was fairly certain that she would not like them but the word "popcorn" was too powerful. Marcie chose not to order because she wanted a hamburger from McDonald's (it smells better she said!). She ended up eating some fries and bread. Kyle ordered a cheeseburger and enjoyed half of it (it was really too big for him). The waiter came over and asked Charlie if he liked the shrimp and he nodded. He kept saying, "mmm, mmm" and I thought he was really happy with his choice. Next thing I know, he is saying, "yuk, I don't like this part," and he was pointing to the shrimp. He had been eating the breading and putting the shrimp to the side! I noticed that Joanna had finished her french fries but was picking at her shrimp. You guessed it...she did not like it, either. Charlie ate some fries and polished off part of Kyle's cheeseburger. I really enjoyed my meal -- BBQ ribs, baked potato and broccoli! There was one funny part -- Charlie had leaned over to ask me something and he said, "something smells good." In between bites, I said, "my ribs," but he thought I said, "my lips," and he leaned over to smell my mouth. He and I both laughed about that!
After we got back to the condo, Marcie ate her chicken mcnuggets (she had decided against a hamburger) and I made Joanna a sandwich. (I told them that I was buying one meal for each of them and if they didn't like it, I would fix them something at home.) Kyle had a popsicle and Charlie went on the deck to watch fireworks. We then took a walk on the beach with a flashlight which Charlie had been wanting to do. They found a few seashells and we saw a sand crab. Actually, I think we scared it half to death. It ran but stopped so we found it with the flashlight. It is amazing how well they blend in with the sand but the beady little eyes stood out. It stared at me as I shined the flashlight on it and I really don't think it knew which way to move. Finally, it scampered away and we couldn't find it again. Marcie was a little frightened and she and I were both glad we had worn tennis shoes. Joanna never said a word. I think she was happy to get inside. Kyle and Charlie were both enthralled and wanted to look for more....but it was 11PM and I knew they really needed to get in bed. I finally got Charlie and Marcie in bed around midnight and I'm not far behind now. I'm enjoying these last few hours of listening to the ocean. It's so much nicer than the mechanical sounds of the wave machine I usually sleep with at night!
Charlie has been asking for seafood the entire week so tonight we went out to eat. The restaurant we chose had a limited kids menu and the only seafood choice was popcorn shrimp. He has had crabmeat before and liked it. They did have crabcakes on the menu but they have egg in them, so that was out of the question (and they were also $20!). He chose the popcorn shrimp, as did Joanna. I tried to dissuade her because I was fairly certain that she would not like them but the word "popcorn" was too powerful. Marcie chose not to order because she wanted a hamburger from McDonald's (it smells better she said!). She ended up eating some fries and bread. Kyle ordered a cheeseburger and enjoyed half of it (it was really too big for him). The waiter came over and asked Charlie if he liked the shrimp and he nodded. He kept saying, "mmm, mmm" and I thought he was really happy with his choice. Next thing I know, he is saying, "yuk, I don't like this part," and he was pointing to the shrimp. He had been eating the breading and putting the shrimp to the side! I noticed that Joanna had finished her french fries but was picking at her shrimp. You guessed it...she did not like it, either. Charlie ate some fries and polished off part of Kyle's cheeseburger. I really enjoyed my meal -- BBQ ribs, baked potato and broccoli! There was one funny part -- Charlie had leaned over to ask me something and he said, "something smells good." In between bites, I said, "my ribs," but he thought I said, "my lips," and he leaned over to smell my mouth. He and I both laughed about that!
After we got back to the condo, Marcie ate her chicken mcnuggets (she had decided against a hamburger) and I made Joanna a sandwich. (I told them that I was buying one meal for each of them and if they didn't like it, I would fix them something at home.) Kyle had a popsicle and Charlie went on the deck to watch fireworks. We then took a walk on the beach with a flashlight which Charlie had been wanting to do. They found a few seashells and we saw a sand crab. Actually, I think we scared it half to death. It ran but stopped so we found it with the flashlight. It is amazing how well they blend in with the sand but the beady little eyes stood out. It stared at me as I shined the flashlight on it and I really don't think it knew which way to move. Finally, it scampered away and we couldn't find it again. Marcie was a little frightened and she and I were both glad we had worn tennis shoes. Joanna never said a word. I think she was happy to get inside. Kyle and Charlie were both enthralled and wanted to look for more....but it was 11PM and I knew they really needed to get in bed. I finally got Charlie and Marcie in bed around midnight and I'm not far behind now. I'm enjoying these last few hours of listening to the ocean. It's so much nicer than the mechanical sounds of the wave machine I usually sleep with at night!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Happiness Is Not...
...spending 3 hours at a doctor's office to get a rapid strep test for Kyle. He woke up today with fever (well, he felt hot but I don't have a thermometer here so I guessed he had a fever) and a very bad sore throat. His voice sounded thick and his breath stunk even after he brushed his teeth. He said his entire neck hurt and pointed right over his trachea moving his finger up and down. Then, he would hold his neck and every time he tried to talk, he would cringe, hold his neck, and say "accchhhh" almost like he was trying to scratch his throat in some way. He was absolutely miserable and I was concerned that he had strep. I tried to look at his throat but he couldn't keep his tongue down and I decided not to be more intrusive, so off we all went to a doctor's office. At the office, I sat next to a woman who has 2 adopted children and we had a great conversation. It is fairly obvious to most that at least 2 of my children are adopted. Some people are very blunt in asking about it but this lady was nice and really respectful. I enjoyed talking to her, though, Kyle did not enjoy sharing my attention with a stranger. The other thing that was interesting was that one of the employees recognized me from our (her old) neighborhood! She remembered seeing me putting Charlie on the bus when he was in Kindergarten. Turns out, she and her husband moved to Myrtle Beach a year or so ago. It is a small world!
Well, Kyle did not have strep. Turns out he has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, a fairly common viral infection in kids. He doesn't really have the rash on his hands and feet (maybe a few places just starting) but he does have the lesions in his throat. I could kick myself for not getting a good look at his throat before we went to the doctor's office! Had I seen his throat, I would've know it was viral!
So, as all vacationing people do, well, maybe not all, but this one!, we went to the beach late this afternoon. Kyle was feeling better after some ibuprofen and he did not have any fever (he was 98.5 in the office and I did not give him ibuprofen before we went to the doctor), so we played. The kids worked on sand castles and sand-writing while I took some pictures. Even Kyle seemed to forget about his throat for a little while and drew some cute pictures on the beach. He also wrote "yes" for who knows what reason but he did a great job! Joanna had fun building in the sand and spending about 15 minutes (at least!) rinsing the sand out of her bucket. For the life of me, I couldn't find a spec of sand in there but she kept rinsing nonetheless. It must be nice to have a little body with pliable bones -- she stayed in the same bent-over position the entire time she was rinsing her bucket. Marcie collected sea shells then started a sand creation and Charlie just had a ball standing in, and watching, the water. Just call him Poseidon, Jr.!
Oh, I almost forgot, we saw an older man sweeping the beach with a metal detector. Charlie asked what he was doing and he said that he was looking for treasures. He showed them some coins, then said he sometimes finds rings (showed one) and shark's teeth (showed a necklace). Then, he looked at me and said, "but the biggest treasure I found 54 years ago was that little lady in pink over there" gesturing at a woman sitting further up on the beach. He then said she had Alzheimer's but quickly said that's okay and smiled. It was so sweet!
Well, Kyle did not have strep. Turns out he has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, a fairly common viral infection in kids. He doesn't really have the rash on his hands and feet (maybe a few places just starting) but he does have the lesions in his throat. I could kick myself for not getting a good look at his throat before we went to the doctor's office! Had I seen his throat, I would've know it was viral!
So, as all vacationing people do, well, maybe not all, but this one!, we went to the beach late this afternoon. Kyle was feeling better after some ibuprofen and he did not have any fever (he was 98.5 in the office and I did not give him ibuprofen before we went to the doctor), so we played. The kids worked on sand castles and sand-writing while I took some pictures. Even Kyle seemed to forget about his throat for a little while and drew some cute pictures on the beach. He also wrote "yes" for who knows what reason but he did a great job! Joanna had fun building in the sand and spending about 15 minutes (at least!) rinsing the sand out of her bucket. For the life of me, I couldn't find a spec of sand in there but she kept rinsing nonetheless. It must be nice to have a little body with pliable bones -- she stayed in the same bent-over position the entire time she was rinsing her bucket. Marcie collected sea shells then started a sand creation and Charlie just had a ball standing in, and watching, the water. Just call him Poseidon, Jr.!
Oh, I almost forgot, we saw an older man sweeping the beach with a metal detector. Charlie asked what he was doing and he said that he was looking for treasures. He showed them some coins, then said he sometimes finds rings (showed one) and shark's teeth (showed a necklace). Then, he looked at me and said, "but the biggest treasure I found 54 years ago was that little lady in pink over there" gesturing at a woman sitting further up on the beach. He then said she had Alzheimer's but quickly said that's okay and smiled. It was so sweet!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Happiness Is...
...a day at the pool
...jumping waves at the beach
...eating snow cones
...pushing the buttons on the elevator
...riding the Ferris Wheel
...riding the choo choo train
...riding the Merry-Go-Round
...eating ice cream
...floating on the crazy river
...playing in the whirlpool tub
...watching fireworks
...learning how to dive (Kyle!)
...taking Communion (Charlie)
You might be wondering about the last one. Tonight, Charlie had fruit punch to drink. He asked me if I would get him a small piece of bread because he wanted Communion. He was serious, so I got the bread, we prayed, and had Communion. It was really sweet. Later tonight, he came in when I was saying bedtime prayers with Kyle and Charlie prayed for him, too. He is turning into such a spiritual little boy. :)
...jumping waves at the beach
...eating snow cones
...pushing the buttons on the elevator
...riding the Ferris Wheel
...riding the choo choo train
...riding the Merry-Go-Round
...eating ice cream
...floating on the crazy river
...playing in the whirlpool tub
...watching fireworks
...learning how to dive (Kyle!)
...taking Communion (Charlie)
You might be wondering about the last one. Tonight, Charlie had fruit punch to drink. He asked me if I would get him a small piece of bread because he wanted Communion. He was serious, so I got the bread, we prayed, and had Communion. It was really sweet. Later tonight, he came in when I was saying bedtime prayers with Kyle and Charlie prayed for him, too. He is turning into such a spiritual little boy. :)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Crazy River
I am listening to the fireworks on the beach as I write this. I guess they must be legal in South Carolina because every night we hear fireworks. Sometimes we can see them well from the window; other times, we just hear them. Marcie was better today and we were able to spend some time on the beach and at the pool. Charlie only wants to be on the beach and eat seafood...I swear, he and one of my brothers have got to be cut from the same cloth. Marcie really only wants to be at the pool because the ocean is "too loud." Kyle enjoys both, and Joanna is happy anywhere. There is another pool here and it's a large oval about 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep, with a current running through it. You may only ride in inner tubes supplied by the resort and you float around it. It's called the Lazy River, though, Charlie is calling it the "crazy river." Whenever we are not on the beach, he spends most of his time on the crazy river. I am enjoying that, too, but have to stay at the pool with the other 3.
Marcie has taught herself how to dive and Joanna is working on her swimming. She's come a long way and is doing amazingly well for never having had lessons. Kyle is a regular little fish and has taught himself how to swim underwater. Marcie has made a few new friends at the pool but got her feelings hurt tonight when one of the kids apparently asked about her dad. I don't know what Marcie said, but the little girl looked up and shouted over to me, "do these kids have a father?" She didn't wait long enough for me to answer, so I didn't. It was sad, though, because Marcie was clearly hurt. I have warned the kids that folks will have questions and I always explain that some families have 2 parents and some have 1 parent. It has never seemed to bother Marcie before but I guess the fact that the little girl yelled across the pool was upsetting to Marcie. She was fine after I said we could go to Friendly's.
We got to Friendly's and Charlie said he preferred to eat at the steak and seafood restaurant across the street but Marcie really wanted ice cream. Since I had promised the kids we would go there, that's what we did. Kyle, however, had been complaining about his stomach hurting for about 20 minutes and it wasn't getting better. His blood sugar was a little high and I had given him some insulin. I really expected that his stomach would feel better after the insulin started working, but he kept complaining. He also felt hot to me and he was begging to go to bed. I started worrying that he was coming down with the GI bug, too, so I just suggested to the kids that we get McDonalds food and eat at the condo. (We were still waiting to be seated at Friendly's). I think they were worried about Kyle, too, so everyone agreed to go home. By the time we got there, Kyle was in tears and said his legs hurt, so I gave everyone else their food and told them to eat. I hurried and got Kyle's pajamas on him, gave him some motrin because he felt like he might have a fever and gave him some orange drink....oh, and some maalox to see if that would help him a little. He had fallen asleep for a few minutes in the car, and after he took his medicine, he fell asleep on the bed for a few minutes. The next thing I knew, he was up and asking for a popsicle. He said his stomach felt much better and he wanted his supper. Miraculous recovery, or perhaps the wonder of motrin and a 5 minute catnap. Actually, I think it was those prayers for wellness that I was praying on the way home and while dressing him for bed. He is sleeping now with a good blood sugar and no evidence of anymore belly pain.
I still have sand in my ears so I'm going to shower now before bed. I'm not entirely sure how it got there but guess it was when a wave broke right at my head. Guess I could have worse troubles this evening!
Marcie has taught herself how to dive and Joanna is working on her swimming. She's come a long way and is doing amazingly well for never having had lessons. Kyle is a regular little fish and has taught himself how to swim underwater. Marcie has made a few new friends at the pool but got her feelings hurt tonight when one of the kids apparently asked about her dad. I don't know what Marcie said, but the little girl looked up and shouted over to me, "do these kids have a father?" She didn't wait long enough for me to answer, so I didn't. It was sad, though, because Marcie was clearly hurt. I have warned the kids that folks will have questions and I always explain that some families have 2 parents and some have 1 parent. It has never seemed to bother Marcie before but I guess the fact that the little girl yelled across the pool was upsetting to Marcie. She was fine after I said we could go to Friendly's.
We got to Friendly's and Charlie said he preferred to eat at the steak and seafood restaurant across the street but Marcie really wanted ice cream. Since I had promised the kids we would go there, that's what we did. Kyle, however, had been complaining about his stomach hurting for about 20 minutes and it wasn't getting better. His blood sugar was a little high and I had given him some insulin. I really expected that his stomach would feel better after the insulin started working, but he kept complaining. He also felt hot to me and he was begging to go to bed. I started worrying that he was coming down with the GI bug, too, so I just suggested to the kids that we get McDonalds food and eat at the condo. (We were still waiting to be seated at Friendly's). I think they were worried about Kyle, too, so everyone agreed to go home. By the time we got there, Kyle was in tears and said his legs hurt, so I gave everyone else their food and told them to eat. I hurried and got Kyle's pajamas on him, gave him some motrin because he felt like he might have a fever and gave him some orange drink....oh, and some maalox to see if that would help him a little. He had fallen asleep for a few minutes in the car, and after he took his medicine, he fell asleep on the bed for a few minutes. The next thing I knew, he was up and asking for a popsicle. He said his stomach felt much better and he wanted his supper. Miraculous recovery, or perhaps the wonder of motrin and a 5 minute catnap. Actually, I think it was those prayers for wellness that I was praying on the way home and while dressing him for bed. He is sleeping now with a good blood sugar and no evidence of anymore belly pain.
I still have sand in my ears so I'm going to shower now before bed. I'm not entirely sure how it got there but guess it was when a wave broke right at my head. Guess I could have worse troubles this evening!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Vacation Woes
If it's not one thing, it's another! Marcie either is sick from swallowing ocean water (she got a mouthful yesterday), or she has the GI bug that everyone at her daycare now has (much more likely!). During the night, she woke me up and said she had thrown up after drinking some water. There was just a small spot on the bed, so I figured she must've been a little sleepy and choked on her water. Just a little while later, she came and got me again and then also vomited a little in the toilet. It was really strange, though -- she never really retched and each time she claimed that her stomach didn't hurt. I changed her sheets and left a pan with her and went back to bed. She woke up around 9:45AM and wanted to eat. She said she felt fine but after eating a little, she said her stomach hurt. She was able to drink some grape drink and a little while later, her stomach started hurting worse and she ended up in tears. I gave her some maalox and she settled down a little, then went back to sleep. She's been asleep now for about 3 hours and has had no more vomiting or diarrhea. Poor Charlie was so disappointed that we couldn't go to the beach today, so I called around and found a nanny service that is reasonable. A nanny now has my other 3 kids at the pool downstairs. It's *only* $18 an hour for 3 kids, so I bought 2 hours. Actually, I do think that's pretty good for CPR and First Aid certified caregivers, all over the age of 18 and all have had criminal records checks. Surprisingly enough, Kyle got really shy and had to take his blanky baby with him. The sitter was really good with him, so I think they'll be fine. Marcie is still sleeping so I have some time to myself. I just hope she will still be able to sleep tonight! Please pray that no one else gets sick!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Vacation!
We are on our first family vacation in years. The last vacation I took with my kids was 2 adoptions ago. We've taken some side trips here and there but no vacations. Thanks to some wonderfully generous friends at church, we are able to spend this week at North Myrtle Beach. The kids were so excited and we finally got on the road after lunch on Saturday. We had been gone only about 30 minutes when I realized that I had forgotten Kyle's insulin and the cartridges for his insulin pump, so I had to go back. We were back on the road around 2PM, and by 2:45PM, Marcie was asking how much longer. We had to make lots of stops and I got turned around once so we didn't arrive until around 10PM. We were beat. About an hour and a half before we got here, Marcie started asking what the condo would be like. I told her that I didn't know because I hadn't seen it. She said, "is it going to be like Extreme Over Make Edition when we get to go see the bedrooms? " They were so excited. When we walked in, Kyle kept saying, "Oh, my gosh!" like they do on the show. I finally got them all in bed just before 11:30, and of course, Charlie and Kyle were up by 7:10AM on Sunday. I told them to go back to bed but they were so excited. They went out on the balcony around 8, and Kyle came running into the room where I was sleeping and he just kept jumping right beside my bed. He was telling me all about what he was seeing on the beach. After breakfast, we went to Wal-Mart to get some groceries and it was packed! I guess everyone else had the same idea. It was all I could do to keep all of the kids together and I had gotten really frustrated with Kyle because he was being so obstinate. I finally bought some fruit chews and gave him a package figuring his blood sugar was probably low, and he actually did behave much better after a little while. After we finished checking out, the store clerk said, "you have such well-mannered children." She clearly hadn't seen them when we were in the back of the store!
We ate lunch after we finished grocery shopping then headed out for the beach. They were so excited and ran right down to the water. Charlie thought the waves crashing on him was pretty funny and none of them minded when they got knocked down. Marcie was the bravest, venturing out in slightly deeper water with her wave board (I guess that's what you call it). I showed her how to get on it and try to ride the wave in (laying on her belly, not standing up). She got a mouthful of water and I think was surprised how salty it was. I went a little further out (water was still only up to my chest) and a wave knocked me under. I came up and didn't see Kyle anywhere. I kept looking and asked the other kids but they didn't know where he was either. I sent Charlie over to an inflatable slide that I knew Kyle had been eyeing and then the girls and I went over to the lifeguard. I was really getting worried but the lifeguard was so calm. I guess that happens a lot. He was getting the form out that I guess they have to fill out and I'm describing the bathing suit Kyle was wearing, and his pen didn't write. I thought, "oh, great" and continued to look around. Then, I saw Charlie and Kyle walking back towards me. That was scary!
After the beach, we went to the pool. Marcie started "diving" off the side while holding her nose. Actually, they were belly flops but she didn't seem to mind. After about 30 minutes of watching her, Kyle started doing the same thing without holding his nose. He and Marcie both have just about taught themselves how to swim. There is another pool at the place we are staying and it's called the "Lazy River." Everyone has to be on or in the middle of an inner tube. The pool is a huge oval with a "current" and you float on the inner tubes around the pool. We all enjoyed that, and then sat in the hot tub for a few minutes to warm up. Then, it was back over to the other pool.
We ate dinner in the condo then went about a block from here to an outdoor carnival. The ride tickets were $1.25 each, 20 for $25.00 (includes one free ride ticket) and 50 tickets for $50.00. I got 20 tickets, which didn't last long. Charlie and Marcie rode the bumper cars and they all rode the little train. Marcie wasn't tall enough for the other "ride" Charlie chose == a huge, tall slide. Marcie, Kyle and Joanna also rode a "dinosaur" ride for little kids. They wanted to do more but I was nearly out of cash. We took a walk to see what was on Main St. and then they wanted cotton candy. I had a $1.00 off coupon that was attached to the ride tickets, so I used it. The cotton candy was $7 but $6 with the coupon. It was a huge bag but still expensive.
I don't know how we will organize tomorrow but I do hope they sleep longer than they did today. I'm tired!
We ate lunch after we finished grocery shopping then headed out for the beach. They were so excited and ran right down to the water. Charlie thought the waves crashing on him was pretty funny and none of them minded when they got knocked down. Marcie was the bravest, venturing out in slightly deeper water with her wave board (I guess that's what you call it). I showed her how to get on it and try to ride the wave in (laying on her belly, not standing up). She got a mouthful of water and I think was surprised how salty it was. I went a little further out (water was still only up to my chest) and a wave knocked me under. I came up and didn't see Kyle anywhere. I kept looking and asked the other kids but they didn't know where he was either. I sent Charlie over to an inflatable slide that I knew Kyle had been eyeing and then the girls and I went over to the lifeguard. I was really getting worried but the lifeguard was so calm. I guess that happens a lot. He was getting the form out that I guess they have to fill out and I'm describing the bathing suit Kyle was wearing, and his pen didn't write. I thought, "oh, great" and continued to look around. Then, I saw Charlie and Kyle walking back towards me. That was scary!
After the beach, we went to the pool. Marcie started "diving" off the side while holding her nose. Actually, they were belly flops but she didn't seem to mind. After about 30 minutes of watching her, Kyle started doing the same thing without holding his nose. He and Marcie both have just about taught themselves how to swim. There is another pool at the place we are staying and it's called the "Lazy River." Everyone has to be on or in the middle of an inner tube. The pool is a huge oval with a "current" and you float on the inner tubes around the pool. We all enjoyed that, and then sat in the hot tub for a few minutes to warm up. Then, it was back over to the other pool.
We ate dinner in the condo then went about a block from here to an outdoor carnival. The ride tickets were $1.25 each, 20 for $25.00 (includes one free ride ticket) and 50 tickets for $50.00. I got 20 tickets, which didn't last long. Charlie and Marcie rode the bumper cars and they all rode the little train. Marcie wasn't tall enough for the other "ride" Charlie chose == a huge, tall slide. Marcie, Kyle and Joanna also rode a "dinosaur" ride for little kids. They wanted to do more but I was nearly out of cash. We took a walk to see what was on Main St. and then they wanted cotton candy. I had a $1.00 off coupon that was attached to the ride tickets, so I used it. The cotton candy was $7 but $6 with the coupon. It was a huge bag but still expensive.
I don't know how we will organize tomorrow but I do hope they sleep longer than they did today. I'm tired!
Other Issues!
I will post about our vacation next but there were a few other things that happened before we left. Charlie was scheduled for surgery on Aug. 17 but the surgeon called and told me that he had to reschedule Charlie's surgery. There's another case that is more urgent that has to be done that day, so now Charlie won't get his surgery until Aug. 28th. I was upset, but understood why the other case had to be prioritized. I was really hoping to get Charlie's surgery over with before my semester starts at work (Aug. 20). Oh, well. At least that one didn't cost me money....
I took my car in for an oil change and an alignment and to get a noise checked (I knew it was something with the AC compressor). You probably already know what happened....yes, they found something else (isn't that the way it always happens when you take your car in?). I needed 2 new tires, but that's not really the worst thing (expensive enough, though). I also needed rear brake pads and could use the rotors replaced. And...they told me that Toyota recommends the timing belt be changed at 90,000 miles for my type of car. I had slightly more than 90,000 miles on it at the time. When they change the timing belt, they also change the water pump, and I can/should get the AC belts changed at the same time. (They apparently were functioning fine but making that noise due to age -- I guess they are less resilient). If I had had that work done (timing belt, etc.), I would have had to pay about $800 more than what I paid ($558.00). I wasn't really planning on that right before vacation! I did the tires and brake pads and put off the other work but know I will have to get it done soon. If anyone finds a money tree anywhere, please let me know. Charlie has been looking -- he thinks it would be great if money grew on trees -- but he hasn't found one yet. :(
I took my car in for an oil change and an alignment and to get a noise checked (I knew it was something with the AC compressor). You probably already know what happened....yes, they found something else (isn't that the way it always happens when you take your car in?). I needed 2 new tires, but that's not really the worst thing (expensive enough, though). I also needed rear brake pads and could use the rotors replaced. And...they told me that Toyota recommends the timing belt be changed at 90,000 miles for my type of car. I had slightly more than 90,000 miles on it at the time. When they change the timing belt, they also change the water pump, and I can/should get the AC belts changed at the same time. (They apparently were functioning fine but making that noise due to age -- I guess they are less resilient). If I had had that work done (timing belt, etc.), I would have had to pay about $800 more than what I paid ($558.00). I wasn't really planning on that right before vacation! I did the tires and brake pads and put off the other work but know I will have to get it done soon. If anyone finds a money tree anywhere, please let me know. Charlie has been looking -- he thinks it would be great if money grew on trees -- but he hasn't found one yet. :(
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Ballerina Issues
Marcie is at dance camp this week, and it's the 4th week of her evening classes on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. She has been loving it! The dance studio is also having registration for fall classes. I asked her if she would like to take an additional ballet class (she will be taking a ballet/tap combination class already) and she said no, that she would rather take an extra tap class. I asked her why, and she said because "ballet hurts my feet." I couldn't quite figure out how ballet would hurt her feet, so I asked, "where do your feet hurt?" She pointed to her heels and her big toe, and then it occured to me that her ballet shoes were too small! Bless her heart! I mentioned it to her dance teacher and she said that Marcie has not complained at all in class. Poor thing was suffering in silence! I corrected that problem today!
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