Quick Update

I can't believe it's been more than a month since I've posted. Not much time with having Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday clinicals and soccer, dance and school activities during the week. On Saturday, Charlie had a soccer game at 9 and Marcie had to perform with her competition dance group at a charity fundraiser (outdoors) at 11:30 and 1. Charlie played so well! Marcie later danced well though she was a bit subdued. It was so windy but nice -- she got cold in her costume and she said that's why she was so quiet. After we finished with performances and activities, we were all starved and headed off to CiCi's. Charlie said he wanted to go to McDonald's so when he didn't eat at all at CiCi's, I figured he was disappointed about the McD's. He said he had a sore throat and headache but at first I thought it was just from allergies (windy day outdoors will get anyone!). Then, as the afternoon wore on, I thought he looked really bad. He felt warm and really was droopy so I ran to the grocery store next door and got him some ibuprofen. He finally started to perk up a little but still had a fever around 100 when we got home. I checked him out and figured that his sinus infection had flared up (lots of drainage in the throat and from his nose, junky but harsh cough that had gone on a few days) and noticed that he had a right ear infection. I got his zithromax refilled and started him on it Saturday night. Sunday morning he woke up with a fever of 101.9, so off we went to Patient First to get a flu test. Yes, you guessed it, he was positive...poor thing, he had just gotten H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines on Friday! So, I got him Tamiflu and stayed home with him on Monday. He was fine on Monday and I sent him to school today (he had had no fever since 5PM on Sunday). All of the rest of us are on Tamiflu and so far, so good.

Charlie went with me to get my seasonal flu shot yesterday evening. He told me that if I would look away, it wouldn't hurt as bad. After the shot, he held my hand and rubbed my arm some. He was so sweet! Now, if I can just get the H1N1 vaccine before I catch it!

Marcie was really funny the other day. Kyle had brought up the fact that they needed offering for their Sunday School and Wednesday night classes. I decided that it was time to start talking about tithing, so I explained that when you get some money, you should give a little bit to the church. Then, I said, "like when you get a dollar, you give 10 cents in offering," but not explaining that they still wouldn't have a dollar -- that can come later. Marcie said, "no way, I'm not doing that," and when I said that it was in the Bible, she said, "where?" I answered, "in Malachi" and she bolted from the dinner table saying, "I'm going to get my Bible and see if my Bible has Malachi in it." Sure enough, she returns with her Bible and I found Malachi and read the relevant passage and then explained it. She wasn't happy -- she had to read it for herself. She opened to the index and said, "do you spell Malachi, m-a-l-a-...." She found the page number and searched for it. I pointed out the chapter and she read it for herself....precocious little thing that she is! Maybe she was really born in Missouri!

I have to do more work now. I will try to post more soon.

Overrun by apples

On Saturday, my mother, my sister, brother-in-law and their 2 boys, and myself and kids all went to Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville to pick apples and enjoy the day in the mountains. We were each given a bag as we walked in though I had the presence of mind not to take one knowing that my kids would gather enough and I would end up carrying them. That's exactly what happened, although, my brother-in-law carried Joanna's for awhile. You know where this is going, don't you? Kids + trees to climb + apples to pick....well, they didn't do a lot of tree climbing but they did enjoy picking the apples and taste-testing. We ended up with 21 pounds of apples! Of course, the rule is that you buy what you pick, so yes, I bought all 21 pounds. I think they should just take advantage of the free labor and let us pick the apples and leave most of them at the check-out for them to box up and sell. Anyway, no child wanted an apple on Sunday, but they are going to have to eat them this week! I guess I will try to make applesauce, too.

The kids actually behaved pretty well and they really enjoyed the afternoon. That morning, we went to a church-sponsored give-away event of children's toys and clothes. We had an invitation and each child got a bag with a toothbrush in it and then whatever they wanted they could get and put in the bag. I got a label for 1 large item and then 2 large bags to fill. The kids all had a great time and really were reasonable with what they selected. Marcie got some books and a few little toys. Charlie and Joanna picked stuffed animals and a few little toys, and Kyle picked a large race track and a few little toys....so, my one large item was the race track. They were all happy with their selections. I just went down the isles trying to get clothes to fit them == mostly for Charlie since he is a 10 now and was a 7 and then 8 last winter. Got a few things for Marcie and Joanna, and just a few things for Kyle since he can wear Charlie's hand-me-downs.

After that, we went to Charlie's soccer game and he played very well getting a few good kicks in. He pretty much stayed with the ball and did A LOT of running! I thought he would be exhausted after all that and our trip to C-ville, but about 2 hours after I got them in bed, I found him laying awake playing Marcie's DS. It was 11:45 PM! I couldn't believe he was still awake. Needless to say, he did not want to get up for church on Sunday!

So, anybody have any good apple recipes? :)

Surviving Kindergarten

I can't believe that it's been nearly a month since school started. My kids all report good days at school and the teachers at Back to School Night were positive about how well they are doing. Joanna's teacher said she was doing well, that sometimes she struggles with being a little bossy but overall things were fine. Well, I have received the first official behavior report. Joanna had 11 days on green, 5 days on yellow (warning), and 1 day on blue (consequences) for the first 17 days of school. All she could say was that she had not been behaving but couldn't tell me what she was doing to get her card changed. I suspect that her chatter may have gotten her in trouble. Kyle didn't get his report yet but insists that he is on green "every day." We'll see. :) Kyle did get to bring Coco Bear home for a few days. Coco is a stuffed bear that gets to live with various children throughout the year and the parents document Coco's adventures in a little journal. It is very cute and Kyle was thrilled to host Coco for a few days.

Charlie is overall doing pretty well. He really is a calmer child in many ways. I think the hiatal hernia that we didn't know he had until after his surgery probably was affecting him in all areas of his life because of the pain. He no longer complains of belly pain multiple times a day. I am still getting used to the "new" Charlie. He is still so sweet and helpful *most* of the time. :)

Marcie is getting more like a teen-ager every day. Just the other day, we were leaving the house and from the car I glanced at the front door -- here's this trendy-dressed, petite girl, long-hair flowing, leaving the house with her bookbag on her back, food in one one hand, brush in the other hand, blanky clutched to her chest and something between her teeth. I couldn't believe how much she was carrying, but in a flash my mind fast-forwarded about 10 years to how she might look as a teen leaving the house to drive herself to school. I almost had a heart attack!

Well, I'm sorry but that's all I can update you on at the moment. More to come soon!

First Week of School

I can't believe it's the end of the first week of school already! Even though mornings are a little hectic, for the most part, this week has gone fairly smoothly. I got 3 phone calls from the school about Kyle's insulin pump on Tuesday and a phone call about Charlie yesterday, but otherwise, they apparently have all adjusted well. I haven't heard about any behavioral issues from Kyle's teacher, but I guess he's saving up for when the honeymoon is over!

Charlie did have surgery on Aug. 28 and the first few days were fairly rocky. He didn't really want to drink and could only have a pureed diet. He finally started drinking and eating better (mashed potatoes were his fav) but then by the evening on Labor Day, started complaining that he needed to throw up. He actually just spit up a little and I figured he must've eaten too fast. Then, on Tuesday, he said he threw up at school once and at the sitter's once, then twice at home he ran to the bathroom. What I saw wasn't much more than spit up, and since it was the first day of school, I attributed it to anxiety. He had his follow-up appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday afternoon who thought Charlie was doing well and said he could begin eating solids -- just chewed well -- even pizza. Well, of course, you know what Charlie wanted for dinner! But, he wanted that after McDonald's french fries. He ate the fries and then later, ate a piece of pizza. I tried to get him to stop and not eat the crust, but he was so excited that he kept eating. He then spit up a little (again, not much) and was fine for the rest of the evening. When we got home from church, he wanted another piece of pizza, which, of course, I wouldn't let him have right before bed. He ate very little all day yesterday and at school, tried a pb&j sandwich (not the one I packed for him that would have been softer!), and it didn't set well. I haven't heard anything today.

My major concern for this year is the HOMEWORK! Charlie hasn't had any yet -- he said the teachers said no homework the first week, but my other 3 have had homework. Yes, 2 kindergartners and a first-grader have had homework the first week of school! Kyle and Joanna had art projects and one word wall word to practice this week ("I"). Marcie had to read 10 minutes nightly and read and write some kindergarten word wall words as a review. Do you know how much time it takes to help kids with homework who cannot function even semi-independently with it?!!! The sitter did homework with Marcie yesterday but she still had to read last night and fill her "getting to know you" bag. We finished Kyle's and Joanna's projects (required them to draw a picture of their home and put photos on a page AND dictate to me answers to "We like to...") and Marcie's by 9PM but at 11:30PM, I remembered that I needed to sign forms for each of them verifying that they did it and get all of the stuff in their bookbags. I am really concerned about getting homework done for 4 kids (and Charlie with 3rd grade homework) and still have some sanity. At least I can maybe ease into it this year because the kindergarten homework won't be too excessive....I hope!

Reality Hits Hard

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?!!!

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!

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!