Christmas Parade

It has been quite a few days around here, mostly for Kate.  She had her 15 month appointment on Thursday and got her immunizations and flu shot.  Over the past few days, she has been running a fever, been very lethargic and diarrhea.  I feel so bad for her.  She is doing better today.  This was Friday when she got up from her nap.  I have been her hair in a pony tail on top of her head to keep her bangs out of her eyes and it gets "stuck"...She was a tad unhappy and not ready to get up.

This is also what she has been mostly doing around the house the past few days.  And, she NEVER does this.  

Last night we took the kids to the parade downtown.  We weren't sure how we would do with 5 kids and being outside and getting late, but they were awesome.  Everyone listened and they all enjoyed it.  Kate and Claire were pretty mellow the entire time.  Blake laid down in one of wagons and relaxed.  Paige and Jack enjoyed the sights and tried to get as many beads and as much candy as they could.  It wasn't too cold either.  I also made some more shirts for the holidays for the kids.  You can see them on Kate and Blake.  

Waiting for the parade

Claire

Blake being silly

Jack loved the police motorcycles going in circles

Blake resting

Paige with all her beads.  She ended up with a lot more than this.

End of November

The "Bug" left us and went to our friends Brian, Lisa and Kayleigh and then to my nephew, niece and mom.  That thing is nuts!  Granted, it may not be from what we had, but more than likely, the family members who got it, probably got it from us.

So, Thursday was Thanksgiving and it was great.  We ate, slept, managed kids, visited and ate again.  Wonderful, yet typical Thanksgiving.  My mom made some awesome food and Kimberly and I threw in some sides and desserts.

 Blake coloring his Thanksgiving picture

 The kids on the slide

 My dad is the master potato peeler.  And, yes that is a Christmas tree behind him because my mom doesn't waste time when it comes to Christmas.

Every year at Thanksgiving, my mom gives bags or baskets to each family (us and Brent and Kimberly) with Christmas stuff that kicks off the Christmas season.  Stuff for the kids, candy, movies, books, 252 cookies.  Well, not 252, but she did get us a Krustez Cookie Mix that makes 21 dozen cookies.  Everyone is getting cookies for Christmas!  Kate decided to put the mixing bowl on her head - our wild child.

We were planning to head out of town to see my grandparents so I got up at 4:45am on Friday morning to do some Black Friday shopping.  I am not a usual to Black Friday, but I got some things I wanted and was so excited to go to Joanns.  I have LOTS of sewing to do, but I am excited to do it.  Back to leaving.  We got packed, loaded the kids up and hit the road.  I had Claire and Jack in my mom's car and Kimberly and my mom had the other 3 in her car.  We get to the interstate and I hear the sound of throw up coming from behind me - Claire threw up...in the car....3 times.  Poor thing.  I felt so bad for her.  Then, my mom gets it last night.  Boo for the bug!

Today was spent laundering, cleaning, a bit more shopping, watching football and wrapping my head around the fact that Christmas is in 4 weeks, people!  Plans to get the tree are in motion and wrapping needs to commence.  I have lots to do.

The Dreaded BUG

Let me give you a run down of past 4 days...


Thursday, 11:30PM.  My stomach starts hurting, so I take some Pepto (nasty, wonderful stuff)
Friday, 1AM.  I begin, yes begin, to throw up.
Friday, 2:35AM.  Call my mom and tell her I have thrown up several times and have ummm, other stuff.
Friday, 2:35AM - 3:30AM.  Throw up more.
Friday, 3AM - Contemplate getting a gun and possibly a trip to the ER.
Friday, 3:30AM.  Send Craig to Wal-Mart to get suppositories and Gatorade.  
Friday, 3:50AM.  Craig arrives back with LAXATIVE suppositories.  NOTE:  There is a difference between the ones you get from the doctor and these.  Not.A.Good.Idea.
Friday, 4AM - 7AM. More throw up and ummm, other stuff.
Friday 7:30AM - Craig stays home with me and kids to help.
Friday 8AM - Craig gets Kate up.  What is she covered in?  Yep, throw up.
Friday 8:30AM - I stop throwing up, finally.
Friday 8:30AM - 11:30AM - Lay in bed motionless while I await my doctor to mosey into her office at 11AM to call in the right suppository prescription.


In between this time, Kate throws up 3 more times.  Craig actually catches it once in his paper-towel, covered hands.


Friday afternoon - Saturday afternoon:  Kate and I recovering.


Saturday, 6:30PM - Craig stomach starts hurting.  Yep, and the madness begins again.  He and Kate are tied for the amount of times to throw up and Craig took longer to recover.


I feel back to 100% today.  Craig still has lingering affects, but should be close to 100% by tomorrow.


Now, here are a few notes about this whole thing:


1 - I have found out how to lose 5 lbs. in 24 hours!
2 - It may be a "24-hour bug", but the bug hung around a lot longer than that.  He apparently was packed for the weekend.
3 - Craig is awesome.  
4 - My mom and mother-in-law offered tons of much needed emotional (my mom) and physical (mom-in-law) support.  THANK YOU, BOTH!
5 - If you are sick, stay home.  
6 - Don't use laxative suppositories.  You will lose.
7 - Ice chips are great, even if you are going to throw them up in 5 minutes.
8 - Kids rebound quickly.  Resilient, little boogers.
9 - Watching kids throw up or about to is the saddest thing.
10 - And, let me mention again, Craig was a rock star on Friday!  Thanks!


I usually put photos with my post, but you do not want to see anything about this weekend.


Have a great week and an awesome Thanksgiving!  I am Thankful for health!

Family and Museum

It has been quite the few weeks around these parts.  I guess I knew with the holidays approaching, things would get crazy, but it truly seems this is the fastest year ever!  2011 is upon us, but let's get back to now.  The kids and I enjoyed some time last week with family out of town.  We visited, ate and laughed - what makes family great.  I then had more family come into town the day after I got back, my cousin, her husband and their two-year old daughter.  We again enjoyed visiting.  However, 6 toddlers 3 and under gets hairy.  My cousins kid, Marcelina, was great, ours were the ones that seemed like lunatics.  Oh well.  On Saturday, we enjoyed a day at the local museum.  Most of the animals were out due to the nice weather and then we played on the playground for a bit.  The funniest thing, though, was that while we were there, there were 2 other sets of triplets!  It was like a mini-triplet convention.  The deer got really close to us and I had to hold my dad back.  Thankfully, they don't let shotguns in the place.  We then saw a pine snake and Kimberly was hilarious.  She didn't want to touch, then did, then didn't, then finally did and she was doing that nervous giggle the whole time.  I am very proud of her.  Check out my Shutterfly blog for more pictures of the museum and maybe my photography blog, if I have time to get some pictures up there!

Dress Up Time

Yesterday after some girl time with my mom and Kimberly, the kids played dress up with some discounted Halloween costumes.  Neither one of our families celebrate Halloween, so this is the only time our kids get to dress up and they love it, especially when when all 5 are together.  Even Kate liked dressing up.  These kids crack me up!

 Ballerina Claire

 Supergirl Paige

Ninja Jack apparently doing Ninja moves 

 Red Riding Hood Kate

Blake as Dash (with a weird face)

Buzz Lightyear Jack

Paige was trying to fly away

Number 4!

Big news in our family!  Kimberly and Brent, my sister-in-law and brother, are having baby #4!  She is due May 24th, my mom's birthday.  We are very excited for them (and us) and to see what it will be.  Being Aunt JuJu is wonderful.  God has been so good to them and blessed them with the triplets.  We are very grateful and cannot wait to meet him or her.  So, since she is only having one this time, her belly should look more like this...

Me pregnant with Jack at 39 weeks

...instead of like this...

Kimberly pregnant with the triplets at almost 35 weeks

Congrats Brent, Kimberly, big brother Blake and big sisters, Paige and Claire.  You will be great parents, again!

Personalized T-Shirts

Lately, I have been having fun with the iron!  I have been creating personalized iron-on shirts for the kids.  They are great for holidays, birthdays and everyday.  My first were the Backyardigans numbers for Kate's and Jack's 1st and 3rd birthday.  I wanted some shirts for the kids that were personalized, but they were selling on Etsy and such for about $20.  Well, if I bought one for the fall and one each for Christmas, that would be $80 for t-shirts.  So, I found a site on Etsy that you can get some designs personalized.  I also have been playing around with Photoshop to create some of my own designs.  I have found that dark fabric iron-on transfer paper is the best.  It holds up better in the wash and looks better and clearer.  I have been buying shirts at Wal-Mart, Garanimals brand, but any plain shirt will do.  I do prewash the shirts to compensate for any shrinking.  The best news is that they are really cute.  If I buy a design, the cost of the shirt with the design, paper and shirt is about $7.  If I do the design, about $5.  Can't be it!  Here are some designs I have ordered and then created for the kids, friends or my nieces and nephew...

    

Here are some I designed - not as awesome, but I am working on it.  I just need a class on how to use Photoshop - it is hard!

This one says, "I'm a Hoot" and has the owl.

This one says, "Happy Fall Yall" and has an acorn on it - look at that belly!  Oh, and no toddler should be allowed to wear white.  This shirt didn't last long.