Limping to the finish line....

So I have 9 1/2 days of school left. I feel like the countdown has been stuck at about 10 for a few weeks now but no it is getting less each day. Limping to the finish line is what we are saying around here. Sickness hit our family hard a few weeks ago. We should count ourselves lucky that really our kids have only had colds for the most part. The stomach bug was awful and really knocked us out of commission. Jon was the only one spared of the violent vomiting. Yep, lovely. Nothing like throwing up in the shower and then holding your daughter who is doing the same only moments later. We did lots of loads of laundry that week.

This picture of Skylar was taken about 3 hours before he woke up covered in vomit. And of course it was the first time in forever he ate a ton at dinner. So much that Jon and I high-fived across the table. Luckily he was quick to recover after spending a day in our arms and sharing his germs with his mama.



It hasn't been all sickness around here. We did celebrate Mother's Day Eve by taking the kids to Ted Drew's for the first time. It is so fun to do things with your children that were a part of your childhood and I have lots of memories of our parents and our neighbors packing us into the car to go to Ted Drews. I still get the same thing I got when I was a kid.

So I believe in Nature and Nurture playing an equal role in a child's development. Must be the nurture part that has Elaina such an ice cream lover. She will scream ICE CREAM if she sees it in the store and goes nuts for it.


Ready for the first bite...


"It is SOOO good!" as she went on to eat hers, and bites from everyone else's.



The case for Nature playing a bigger role...seriously?!? Who doesn't like ice cream!?! Oh, yeah, that would be my kid!


Mother's Day treat for me was that my mom and I went out to a movie and dinner alone. So Jon took the kids to our neighbors for a BBQ.

Playing with their dog


Group shot, for me perhaps?


So helpful he was even watering empty pots.






Playing catch with the dog

Sick, snow, sick, snow

It has been a rough couple of weeks. Skylar got sick first. Fever, cold, very lethargic. He couldn't go to school or the sitters so Jon and I took turns being home with him. We thought we were in the clear for Elaina. But almost a week after he got sick, she came down with a fever. At first, she was a real trooper. You really wouldn't know she was sick because she was still active and happy. Then something happened and she got very lethargic and her body obviously said, I need some rest, slow down girl! She was home most of this past week with Jon who has also been fighting sickness. As soon as they were everyone was feeling better on Friday, wouldn't you know, we got snow. It seems we are meant to be housebound. Snow melts today, and I am getting sick. After I said yesterday, I never get sick. I am a teacher I have a great immune system. Snow is supposed to start tomorrow night. I think we are all getting ready for spring.

A house of kleenex

This past week has been challenging. Elaina got sick first last week, then Skylar, and as soon as I said I never get sick from them, I got it. And when Mom is sick it is NOT fun!! I am lucky that Jon is probably one of the most hands on dads. With him working nights, I have had him here to help during the day but still it is not fun to be sick with kids.

"I am sick:("

Elaina is probably the most easy going sick child...she just runs around smiling with snot running out of her nose. Seriously, I want whatever happy pill that child is on because she is always laughing and smiling! Skylar seemed to have a worse time with it and we had to take him to the doctor, put him on antibiotics that has been causing the nastiest blowouts and on top of that the poor boy is cutting his final teeth. But the good news is that yesterday, we all were doing better! Enough that I felt up to a walk in the beautiful weather. Enough that Skylar didn't need Motrin for his teeth. Enough that Daddy got a much needed nap and to sleep in for a change.

Here are just a few pictures from before we were sick...


The dirtier I get, the more fun bath time is!!


Pudding!


Sky has a bit of an obsession with wheels...


Playing in the bushes.


Bringing mama a dandelion she picked.

April Updates and some photos

Elaina and Vaughn watching cartoons together


Elaina in her new sunglasses


Skylar going down the big slide with Daddy


"Open", "Close", we have been working on these words with him when he plays with this toy.


Coat still on and he already climbed into the box.


Another child in a box...


Someone enjoyed her bananas and chocolate pudding

After a few weeks of all of us being sick, I think we are pretty close to being sickness free! Following Skylar's trip to the ER he has been dealing with the cold part of it and wouldn't you know, Elaina caught it too. That makes me think that it wasn't allergies that led to his wheezing but who knows. All I know is that we have boxes of tissues now in almost every room and finally purchased a second humidifier because it is pretty much a given now that both need it at the same time. Jon got over his respiratory issues and I am back to normal after getting pink eye. Yes, pink eye. Never got it while teaching but somehow I caught it now. Oh and passed it onto my mom. No one is safe who enters our house!

Today Skylar and Elaina turned 16 months old. So hard to believe! Right now, Elaina is so full of herself! Proud of all she can do and wants an audience. She is happiest when she can run free and loves to bring along her "bunny". She loves to dance and has shown some pretty interesting moves lately. And she now is into Elmo. She tries to say his name which is cute. She babbles constantly and is saying more and more words each day.

Skylar is all boy and loves anything that involves wheels or figuring out how things move. He loves to play on the climber/slide we have in our basement and to chase the cat. He is so close to walking and crab walks a lot. He seems to be more cautious and unsure of walking alone though he can do it when he holds one of my hands. Skylar, as many of you know, has not been talking and we worried about him. Well, out of nowhere he just started babbling which is a big change from his grunts or cries. Elaina got very excited and started to mimic it back to him which caused him to do it again. They were "talking"! We actually had him evaluated by a speech therapist to see if he needed help and she said he is not too far behind his adjusted age (the age he would have been if born full term). She suggested doing sign language with him to help him express himself. We had briefly done this and Elaina picked up on a few but now we are really trying to work hard on it with both of them. We will see how it goes.

I have decided to return to teaching next year and am so lucky I get to return to my same school. My district allows for a leave of absence for child rearing under 2 and while I could have stayed home one more year and still returned to the district, Jon and I felt it was a good time for me to go back. I learned I will be teaching first grade which will provide me with new opportunities to grow. I am nervous and excited all at the same time to get back to teaching. I love it so much and have missed it. But I am worried about juggling the demands of working with being a mom. I think though I am the type of person who will be more organized and more productive when I am working. Just sending back my contract has caused me to get moving on those projects I have been meaning to do!

Skylar's First Trip to the Emergency Room

Well we had quite a scare last night. Skylar has been fighting allergies and coughing sneezing but really still himself...playing and in a good mood. Last night he woke up screaming and when I got him up he was wheezing. I woke Jon up and he immediately said he needs to go to the ER. Jon has had asthma his whole life and knew it was an attack. They tested him for how much oxygen he was getting and it was low so he got steroids orally and a breathing treatment. Our poor guy had to go through chest x-rays, removal of ear gunk (which was not there last week at his check up), and tests for RSV. Luckily the tests were negative. He came home exhausted (as did Jon who took him). He is now on breathing treatments every four hours until we see the wheezing getting better. It is very scary to see someone so small with the mask on his face but he is a trooper. After a struggle the first time, he is now pretty relaxed when we put it on him. He seems to know it is helping him and there is a noticeable difference after it.

Our pediatrician reassured us this doesn't mean that he has asthma. It could have been an isolated incident which we are hoping for. To make matters worse, Jon has been battling asthma issues this week...it tends to get really bad when his allergies flare up and it is bad right now. I dealt with it earlier this week too. So things have not been fun around our house. Elaina is the only one who is ok. Lucky girl because she will still get to go to the circus tomorrow with me. Poor Jon and Skylar have to miss it. Let's hope they both have a good night sleep at least!