It's HOT!

Man, it's HOT out there! I took the afternoon off from getting my classroom ready and so the older two kids and I could go to a gathering of Central staff and their children for an afternoon of swimming. Boy, did that pool hit the spot! Kyla and Noah were thrilled to finally get some swimming in! I have to say, I was tentative about Noah's swimming skills, but he fared pretty well! I think with more swim lessons, he will be set! Kyla proved to be a seasoned fish in the water.

Speaking of swimming, Noah and Brody's first swim lesson went well. Noah was going off the diving board, learning the basic stroke and did very well. Brody did very well...as long as he was in the water. Let me tell you....those thirty minutes of his lesson were the l-o-n-g-e-s-t thirty minutes in a "mother-of-an-active-three-year-old's" life! Once his instructor told his class to stand in a line and take turns jumping in the pool........that was all she wrote. Eighty percent of Brody's class was standing perfectly still in line. It was a very mature 80%. Twenty percent of the class (did I mention Brody IS THE twenty percent of the class?!) could not handle standing still in line to wait his turn. He was all over the place...hopping, bouncing, flapping, dipping his toe in the water,etc. In the great words of my wonderful colleague, Mary Ann, Brody was throwing his "hairy little toe over the line" several times. Brody's instructor was a young, but well practiced, instructor. I have to tip my hat to her because she was very good with him.

I haven't blogged since the dramatic blood draw! Thank you our wonderful friend, Kris, Kyla had the best blood draw. She was so stressed and worried. Cried big alligator tears, and then it was over so quickly because a woman named Star did a beautiful job! Thanks Kris for taking care of us and making sure we got a good one! Here's a pic of all the suckers and stickers even an eleven-year-old wants! One week from today is the big T&A......still could use some prayer deposits;).
We had a wonderful time over the past several weeks getting to know so many people that took part in the musical production of Charlotte's Web. This past weekend was the culmination of all the actors' hard work. The production was absolutely fabulous. Kyla had a small part as a baby spider, and as a townsperson. She had a great time..... To the left is her friend, Molly, who played a lamb--she did an excellent job and has a beautiful singing voice. To the right is her cousin, Lexy, who came opening night to watch the girls.

Well, it is a bit late and I should put in a few hours of rest before the sun comes up. I'll leave you with this cute pic I took the other night. I had stayed downstairs to do some schoolwork on the computer. When I went upstairs to check on everyone, I found the boys (and Annie) crashed....so cute! Jamie fell asleep in Brody's bunk, and Annie wasn't too far behind. Notice the cool green walls I painted to coordinate with their quilts. I will take more pics of the orange lockers and such when I get the trim and window treatments done.

I'm baaaack!

I don't know where I have been, but I haven't blogged for quite awhile. I'm making a quick post before we head to OSF to get a blood draw done for Kyla. This is her pre-op work up they do before her tonsillectomy (in two weeks). She is very nervous about the draw. I'm trying to coax her with a bribe to DQ after all is said and done. I think we're going to need a bit of prayer between now and August 12th.......and then some more. Could you make a few deposits in our prayer bank? Thanks!

Well, I haven't felt like I've accomplished anything this summer when it comes to scrapbooking, stamping, etc. I did get my Uppercase Living creation made for Kyla's dance teacher (and then forgot to photograph it--sorry!). We made a ballet piece for her on canvas using Uppercase Living decals. It turned out pretty well. Right before Kyla went todance last night, I remembered I had ordered some pretty cute dance stamps from the "From the Heart" stamp company--I think that's the name. I yanked those out and whipped together my first stamped card in ages. Here's how it turned out...........yes, I was photographing while driving---PLEASE do not try this at home, folks!

It's not my best work, but it turned out pretty good in real life......

Which brings me to what blogging is really about.............Don't you think it's a grown up version of Show-and-Tell? I absolutely LOVED Show-and-Tell in elementary school. I loved being on the showing end and on the receiving end also. That's what I love about reading others' blogs. I love to see the crafts, DIY projects, etc. that people show in their blogs.

Well, it's time to go get this blood draw thing marked off the "to do list". I'll leave you with a few photos from summer days gone by......sniff, sniff, sob........

Here's the Brod-meister peeling a bowl-full of our early apples we picked (Transparent Apples). We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Apple Peeler Corer Slicer. It saves us during the Fall and all the apple peeling going on. You can purchase one here . Brody peeled probably twenty apples that evening so we could make a monster of an apple crisp for Jamie to take to work. I wouldn't recommend using Transparent apples for apple crisp, though--kinda mushy.....but he said the guys liked it.

Here's our new pet, "Patches". It's a doe that comes up and eats the apples that have fallen from the tree. I sure wish she'd bring some friends as we have a lot of apples on the ground, and they are getting mushy and gross!. Her name is Patches because she is missing patches of fur......we're way to clever.......and have no life.

I've run out of time to post more photos. Will have to do when I return........maybe Sherri could tutor me on how to upload them as a slide show???:)>

200 cookies

Okay.....so at 11:00 a.m. today when I volunteered to make 100 ice cream cookiewiches for 100 campers....it sounded like a great, fun idea. Yeah, well after the world's longest baseball game (in which Noah's team won and got 3rd place) and then getting home at 10:00 p.m. to start baking 200 chocolate chip cookies for 100 ice cream cookiewiches.......well, let's just say I was not thinking clearly.....again. It's 11:23 p.m. I have 68 cookies baked out of 200 and I feel like falling over into a heap.

I do want to share a quick easy supper I threw together this evening that was pretty tasty. You can take it and try it, or you can just throw your hands up the air, and say "whatev". Here goes......

1 pkg of ground lean turkey

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 can whole kernel can (drained)

1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

Flour tortillas

olive oil

sour cream

cheddar cheese

salsa

lettuce

tomato

Brown the turkey (add some salt and pepper). When done, add seasoning and amount of water on pkg. stir and cook water down. Add corn and black beans and stir. Keep warm over low heat. Heat olive oil in another small skillet. Brown tortillas on at least one side. Lay tortilla (brown side down) on plate. Place a scoop of meat mixture on half of tortilla. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add the rest of your taco toppings you want. Voila! Something healthy and a little different than your average taco.

Okay......screen is getting blurry.....must go to bed.

Critters, Coughs, and WHAT THE HECKS...

Update #1: Mouse finally lost battle!

Update #2: Noah is finally feeling better. For those of you familiar with how he's been rating his health lately, he finally said he was a TEN yesterday! He played baseball tonight and is going to spend some time at camp tomorrow. If all goes well, he could possibly spend Friday night at camp. He's pretty jazzed about that!

Finally, I was sharing with my sis-in-law and my childhood friend, Nikki, about my "what the heck" moments I've been having around the house lately. Okay, so you know how you walk into MOST homes (i.e. sis-in-law's and Nikki's) and you think to yourself, "What a beautiful home" (translation: Their house is picked up, clutter-free, neatly decorated, and feels so warm and cozy. The kind of home where you want to sit down, drink a cup of coffee, and chit chat for hours). Well, I was telling them that I KNOW that is not what people feel when they walk into my home. Instead of "What a beautiful home", I'm sure they are thinking, "WHAT THE HECK?!". Let me fill you in on my WHAT THE HECKS lying around the house........

1. A new can of Niagra super starch spray is sitting upon the mirrored shelf by my front door..WHAT THE HECK? Hello.....it belongs in the laundry room.

2. My t.v. antennas (yes, we are too cheap for cable) have broken bunny ears. Actually, the kitchen t.v. has lost both its ears. WHAT THE HECK? Go to Target and buy a new antenna...or two......or, call the cable man and go earless for the first time in ten years.

3. Pattern pieces of a jacket are sitting atop my kids' bookcase. WHAT THE HECK? Set up a sewing room IN THE ROOM designated for sewing.

4. My box of scrapbooking stickers has set on the floor by my bed since Noah was doing a school project three months ago......You said it. Girlfriend, you gots to put your stuff down in craft room!

5. As I sit here typing, I look over to the ledge behind the couch. Not one, not two, but three smoke detectors lie there.......No, they weren't just purchased recently. They were purchased WHEN WE MOVED HERE TWO YEARS AGO. WHAT THE HECK?! Oh, and there is a fourth smoke detector actually hanging above the other three. Right smack in the middle of the wall. Yep......I'm first rate when it comes to wallhangings. My husband just noticed what I was typing. He's nervous I am going to say something about him. I'm not saying anything, but it's not my job to hang the smoke detectors. Love you, Jamie.............

6. As you stroll upstairs, you will find three wallhangings.....on the floor. Been there since--you got it--about two years ago. Last time I checked, decorating a home meant hanging things on the wall, not placing them on the floor and praying the decorating fairies would do the rest.

7. Okay.....so I haven't taken the opportunity to really think out the ebb and flow of our home. It was made obvious when my Wataga sis-in-law opened our kitchen cabinet this winter in search of, oh, probably a dish or something. She didn't know she had opened our medicine cabinet......and my cookbook cabinet, and my cabinet with enough knick nacks to fill a paddywack....all in one cabinet. I got the hint she was a bit shocked when she said TRI---ISH! ....and I know what she was thinking (and it wasn't.....what a warm and beautiful home).

Needless to say, I have begun to tear into the house and try to make it into a warm and cozy home rather than a cluttered and character-lacking home. My cookbooks are all out of the cupboard and ALL OVER my kitchen. I have thrown out way too much expired medicine, and my knick knacks will soon be orphans if I don't find a different place to place them in the house. I sure will try to hang some things. I just don't have any of that decorating sense anywhere in my bones. My mom decorated with Home Interiors......no thank you. The farmer man and wife statues that I grew up with spooked me too many nights. Well, I guess I've made my point clear. My cluttered house stresses me out. Are you ready for another sports analogy--tough...here it goes.........
See, I played post (#4 or #5 spot) my basketball playing days. I loved to do the grunt work to score when I got the ball. Playing point guard was not on my radar (for many reasons). Point guards are the leaders. They are the traffic controllers. They are the ones who start the offense most times down the floor. See, being the post, I loved waiting to be told what offense to run and then working my booty off (yes, I just used a 1990 word) to get the ball fed into me.............do you see where I'm going with this yet? That's how I am with setting up a home. I will work hard if I have someone as my point guard, feeding me the ball so I can score(decorate, organize, etc.). I don't have a point guard at home. I'm posting up, but nobody is at the top of the key telling me what offense (decor, organizing tool, etc.) to run. That is why I'm spinning my wheels. So, what's the solution???? Hmmmm, me thinks Nikki, Laura, Andrea and all my other friends and family with decorating savvy.........you make great point guards!

From Fab to Flab.....grrrr!

Okay......it's confession time. Blogs are sometimes about being transparent (sometimes too transparent). Last year at this time, Weight Watchers was my master and I was doing well as the student. Something happened between Christmas and now.......my skinny clothes are now my skin-tight clothes. Curse you teachers' lounge treats! Curse you cookie dough! Curse you girls who eat blizzards and wear size 10's (yeah--a size 10 to me would be a size 2 to you)! Curse you emotional eating! Oh........and curse me for not having the discipline to keep on keeping on. Sooo, today my goal is to get my treadmill out of the back room that I barely step foot in and bring it to the room where we live (oh--and to use it). My goal is to drink more H20. My goal is to not unconsciously grab a snack everytime I enter the kitchen. My goal is to get my act together. There, I said it. I will let you know if my scale makes it through the week..............

Today was a very emotional day for me as a momma. Early this morning, I was finishing getting Kyla's packing done for camp. This was to be Noah's first year at camp also. They had made so many awesome accomodations for his asthma (air conditioning, nurse sleeping in his cabin--it's a male nurse--, having his bunk by the air conditioner, etc., etc.) in preparation for his week at camp. Noah looked at me this a.m. and asked if he would be able to go to camp after going to his doctor appointment this a.m. How do you tell your boy that he is once again "grounded" by his health (or lack thereof). I gently told him he would not be able to go today, but possibly by the end of the week, he would be able to go for some activities and a meal with his cabin. He started to well up with the alligators..........but then calmed down after I told him we would make the best of his week alone here at home (Brody is at sitter's all week as I was going to work at school).

I dropped Kyla off and then went to Noah's cabin to let them know he wouldn't be there. I couldn't hold it in. I cried like a baby. I'm crying now. This is so hard. His counselor seems so cool. He grabbed my shoulder and started praying for Noah right away. It was a moment of comfort and peace. We don't know the why's, but we know who......who is in control. God knows Noah's needs, desires, and wants. Right now, being at home with mom and dad all to himself is all he needs.

Finally.........I have found that 3 a.m. is the time my hubby and I have our best conversations. Remember he works 3rd shift! Our 3 a.m. texting went like this earlier this a.m.......

Me: "The rash is back".......(Noah has been fighting a viral rash the last 48 hours--and I had just gone downstairs to check on his breathing and noticed the return of the rash)

Jamie: "Get to sleep"........

Me: "I can't. I just gave Noah his meds, I hear "that mouse" prancing around on our counter" (we have been trying to catch this one mouse for weeks!). Plus, Kyla just came in after falling out of her bed. She told me had a bad, BAD dream. She dreamed all of her clothes she packed for camp were one size too big" (and that's a bad thing?).

Jamie: "I miss out on all the fun when I'm working".

Me: "I miss out on all the sleep".

Jamie: "Wuv you".

I start nodding off when I hear a spring loaded SNAP from the kitchen--YES! I grab my phone to let Jamie know....

Me: "I just heard a snap--I think the mouse is gone".

At this point, Jamie calls me.

Jamie: "Are you going to empty it?".

Me: "Absolutely not!".

Jamie: "Get some sleep".

I go downstairs and peek with one eye towards the trap. The trap has moved a foot from it's location.......and no stinking mouse! Ugh! Sigh! We still are losing this battle.......I think I'll go get some sleep.

Noah's week by the numbers...

Well....it has been a rather long week for Noah........and Noah's momma........and Noah's dad.....and let's just throw in Noah's doctor just for fun too. Since I grew up in sports and got high on statistics after a game, let's review Noah's week by the numbers:

4th: ...of July when Noah fell ill.

101-103.6....Noah's range of fevers

1....ear infection

5.....number of days with those fevers

2.....shots of Rocefin (sp) to zap those fevers

4.....trips to the doctor's office

4....number of hours that were between breathing treatments

8....different types of meds used to treat Noah (Xoponex, Augmentin, Rocefin, Zithromax, Orapred, Benadryl, Tylenol, and Motrin)

1....chest x-ray

1....possible diagnosis of viral pneumonia

9...number of nights momma slept on the floor next to her little sick guy.

4...trips to the pharmacy

4...possible average of hours momma slept while poking, prodding, pounding (chest to break up things), treatment giving.

4-5...When asked how Noah felt during most of the week (on a scale of 1-10...10 be great).

8.1....When asked how Noah felt Saturday night on a scale of 1-10!

3.5....average number of cups of coffee momma drank per day.

1.5...number of times momma had a grumpy moment.

2....number of suckers Noah got from Dr.

10...probably a good idea of the number of hours Noah has spent playing video games while trying to keep his cough at bay---not good, I know.

2...number of baseball games Noah missed while sick.

7....number of days Noah got to go without doing chores.

1....nasty red rash Noah woke up with this a.m.....Benadryl took care of it--doc said it was a sign the virus is coming to an end.....let's pray so!

13....round about number of magazines Noah and I have read at random times in while in the waiting rooms this week.

1....HUGE PRAYER of thanksgiving that we were able to stay out of hospital thus far.

1....HUGE THANKS to all of our prayer warriors (thank you Laura for rounding up the ladies that were willing to go on their knees and fight for Noah).

1....awesome boy on his way to better health!

Coughing Up Dinosaurs and ready to toss out 4-H projects!

My two older kids have been exclaiming how quickly the summer has gone by. We have not had the "lazy, hazy days of summer" in this household, unfortunately. Next year we will try harder to say "no" to the numerous camp, workshop, musical, summer college, etc. offerings so we can have more time to be lazy and wear our jammies till we want!

Noah has been fighting some nasty ear infection since July 4th. He is all suped up on meds and still not feeling much better. We have been to doc twice this week and go once more tomorrow a.m. His cough and demeanor spell pneumonia to me, but I pray that I am wrong. I asked him if he was able to cough up any "souvenirs" today. He told me he had been "coughing up dinosaurs" all day (translation: lots of phlegm--TMI!). Strange sense of humor we have.........

Noah missed the last two games of his regular baseball season. He didn't seem too bummed as he stayed home and built models of his future tree house out of Legos, played Lego Indian Jones on PS2 and watched the movie, Underdog, for the 33rd time this week (he's been ill, okay! So, 33 is a bit of an exaggeration, you get the point).

Okay, so the 4-H fair is officially one week and two days away---YeeeeIKES! Where did our time go? I signed the kids up for way too many projects (yes, biting off more than I can chew is a very bad trait of mine). We are at each other's throats trying to get them done. I think my senior year finals were more manageable than this. Please, if there is a 4-H fairy out there....please, PLEASE visit my home tonight. I will leave Kyla's dried out fudge on the table for you (an ode to Micro Magic 4-H project gone bad).

Here is a picture of my boy giving the demo of his life at the local Home Extension meeting. He did the best job (especially since he was sick--I thought he was doing better, so I let him go--oops). Noah demonstrated how to make a sugar cookie pizza cookie. He had one 4-H dad in doubled over in laughter because of his one-liners. Great job, Noah! (Proud Auntie Carolyn is in the yellow shirt).

Well, this post has been well centered around my middle child....which is good, as the limelight is often stolen from him by dominant big sis, and cute but rowdy little bro.

Speaking of the rowdy, Brody's tonsils have healed quite nicely! His voice is still a bit off, but getting better. I'm not sure I'm ready to go through another T&A in three weeks!

As I type this, it's 11:44 p.m. and WHAT?! I am drinking caffeinated coffee--WHAT?! I haven't slept well between Brody's 3 a.m. post tonsillectomy pain thrashings and Noah's round the clock treatments and fevers. Tonight would have been a great night to sleep....what was I thinking?! If the caffeine prevents zzzzzzz's, I may be back to post in a few hours!

Until then, enjoy some pics I've taken recently:

Jeffrey, Noah, and Connor at the July 4th"Eve" campout in our backyard.....

Camryn, Lexy, and Kyla hanging out under the tree waiting for one of the many ticks to land....