Memorial day fun!

Even though Evie was a little sick we stuck to our memorial day plans.  How can you tell a 4 year old she can't go to the zoo just because her eye hurts.  Online it said she wasn't contagious cause it wasn't seeping anymore.  Plus, we've all been sanitizing hands like mad!  We had so much fun, but it was so hot!  Then we went to eat at an old fashioned burger place. It was good, but I remember it being better!  Then we went to a store and were there for an eternity and didn't even buy much!  It was a nightmare.  After that I was exhausted. 

When we got home Ally took a nap and the kids played outside.  Daddy did some much needed yard work.  He trimmed all the hedges!  Topher had fun helping him when he could.  When Ally woke up I took her out to, and we played until I had to smack a mosquito off Ally's head! Thankfully, I only have to tell my kids mosquitoes are out, and they head for the house.  We hate those buggers!

We didn't make it to the beach though! Slight bummer, but I am sure it was packed anyways.  The kids were upset because there's a splash park at the beach and we planned on going there.  Maybe tomorrow will be nice!

Pink eye, Update

Poor Evie just as I feared woke up twice last night with her eye matted shut.  Not entirely but enough to freak her out.  It was better today no more goop anyways!  The left eye is back to normal, but the right is still a little pink and slightly swollen. 

To make matters worse she complained a little of a sore throat yesterday, and this evening was a little horse.  She told me last night the eye drops made her throat hurt. I just figured it was because she screamed like crazy each time I gave them to her.  Now, I think she must be coming down with something.  She probably will be to sick for school tomarrow.  Hope not! 

Cheer competition

UGH! Evie's cheer competition is coming up, but she has to be there at 8m Goshen time!  Which is 7am our time!  Awesome!  To make things even better the drive there is gonna take an hour and a half!  Fun.  So we need to leave between 5 and 5:30 to get there on time.  Probably closer to 5 just in case we get lost or something. 

We are trying to decide between getting up that early and going to a hotel in Goshen or Elkhart.  I know the kids would love that, who doesn't.  Plus, we'd get to swim!  However, the last time we stayed at a hotel we hardly had any sleep.  All 3 kids had so much trouble falling asleep, and all of them woke up at times during the night.  It was horrible.  Dennis and I were so tired the next day.  We definitely don't want that, but getting up at 4 am doesn't sound fun either!

I guess either way we won't know what the best choice is, or rather would have been until we've done it.  I am leaning towards getting up early!  But I do love a hotel stay, or at least I would if the kids would sleep! 

P.S.  I've looked at A LOT of different sites today comparing hotel rates, and hotwire has been the cheapest.  However, their site doesn't give you the type of room.  Example: Is it a kind, or double bed?  Plus, they require you pay for your room before they tell you the hotel name.  They tell you all the amenities.  So the name shouldn't really matter, but I need to know bed info!  So cheapest site isn't always best!

Pink eye

Poor Evie has pink eye, and I hope no one else gets it.  She has always been very susceptible to it for some reason.  I got it from her once and it is painful.  It hit fast and hard today.  I saw some goop (yep that's the technical term!) in the corner of her eye this afternoon.  I thought nothing of it and wiped it away, but within minutes it was back! 

I told her she needed eye drops and she flipped out.  So I said we'd watch it and see if it got worse she'd definitely need eye drops.  I should have just given her the eye drops then because it did get worse, and fast.  Her eye got pinker and pinker.  After dinner, probably two hours after the first appearance of the goop, her right eye was swollen significantly. 

At this point she asked for the eye drops.  I still had to sit on her to hold her down.  Even doing this did not make the task any easier.  I'm not sure if I got enough if any actually in her eyes on the first try.  I waited a couple hours and it wasn't improving at all.  They seemed to be getting worse still.  So I tried the drops again.  This time I wrapped her tight in her softy (special blanket), and was thus better able to get the drops in.  This time I was able to pry her eyelids apart a tiny bit and the drops definitely went in.  I also gave her some ibuprofen cause she had to of been hurting pretty bad. 

She is asleep now, but tossing and turning.  I hope she wakes up looking better.  The last time I put the drops in she had massive amounts of goop, and I am worried she'll wake up with her eyes matted shut.  I imagine that would be really scary.

Canon printer

The darn computer chip fell off my ink cartridge and is lost in my printer, but I emailed cannon on their website about it.  They are sending me a new one! A whole new ink cartridge! For free!  I don't ever get anything for free can ya tell!

I have an all in one printer from canon pixma and absolutely love it, till the ink cartridge incident!  Problem solved thanks Canon!

Twitter update

Well I'm back on Twitter! I have no idea what happened!  I don't know why they suspended me, but I got  a txt from someone saying "thanks for the follow"! So I logged on and yep I'm back! 

No explanation at all!  But I guess I should just be happy to be back!  I love still love you twitter!

Twitter

To all my Twitter followers you might notice I have not had any tweets of late!  Not by choice!  Twitter suspended my account! I have no idea why! They didn't email me or anything.  I have contacted them to try and remedy the issue and have yet to hear back!

Worst part is I love Twitter, more than facebook even.  I am so bummed. I hope they fix it.  As far as I know I didn't violate any rules.  I don't see how I could have!

Coupons!

Ok so is anyone else going crazy watching that new coupon show! Really 600$ in groceries for like 6 bucks!  Come on! I am on a mission to see if that can really be done.  I have to I need a job but with 3 kids I can't afford to work!  Why pay someone else to raise my kids, and then after filling up the gas tank I'd be left with some change. I don't think so. However, if this coupon thing is really really real then I don't need a job.

Now where to begin! How the heck do they get all those coupons!!!

Well my first step will be to get an ink cartridge for my printer!  I have ink but I lost the tiny computer chip that goes on one of them so I need a new one!  Great probably 80$ or so right there!  But with so many things being online I think that printing out coupons is the place to start. 

So before I go shopping I plan on searching the net for coupons and printing them! Once I do that I'll let you know how it went!  Wish me luck! If anyone has any advice I am all ears! 

Lost a week

I feel like I've lost a week somewhere.  I looked on her and it's been a week since my last post.  I didn't know it had been that long.  I was sad a couple days, sore a couple days, tired a couple days, and had a bad headache so yep that's a week!  Wow time goes by so fast!

taking time for myself

 I don't make the time for me to do much of anything these days.  In fact when asked what I do or liek to do I usually can't think of anything that doesn't involve the kids! However, I am quickly discovering that you can't live like that very long.  Soon your world falls apart because you become a horrific unrecognizable monster.  Really I scarcely recognize my reflection anymore!

It is true you must take care of yourself before you can take care of your family.  I have neglected myself too long.  I am hating who I have become.  So my goal is to take time for myself.  I love to read and write. Heck these days I just love to breathe!

Easier said than done! 

My goal is to no longer use nap time to clean!  The kids take a rest and so will I.  One way or another, so today I read from a book I check out and rechecked out.  So I've almost had it for 2 months now!  But its a parenting book, of coarse.  Baby steps! Eventually I'll read a book for pure entertainment! 

 I will tell you all about the book once I finish reading it.  I am very interested in it "Simplicity Parenting: Using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids"  by Kim John Payne.  I highly recommend it and I'm only on chapter 4. 

I also wanna/ need to start exercising but well take this one step at a time.

snack time

I can't believe the things my kids will and won't eat.  It is so crazy!  Today for snack I asked my daughter (she's 4) "What would you like for snack today?" 

"Chips and peanut butter!"  She happily replied!

"We only have tortilla chips are you sure you want chips and peanut butter?" I asked!

"Yes! CHIPS AND PEANUT BUTTER!"  was her enthusiastic reply!

While I thought that this was absolutely disgusting I held my tongue and provided a plate of chips and a bowl of peanut butter!  Which she sat and ate!  She must have sensed my disgust because she kept saying "UMMMM GOOD!"

To each their own!

Bottle transition!

Ugh, So Ally is 11 1/2 months, and magically at 12 months she is supposed to be off the bottle.  Sounds like an alcoholic or something so serious.  I know this will be difficult for me because both my other two were on the bottle way past 1.  I think Evie was almost 3 and Topher was over 2. 

I am hoping to do this right this time, but not so confident!  I have started to give Ally milk occasionally.  She loves chocolate milk!  That isn't the problem.  The real problem is that she associates a bottle with bed time.  She always asks for milk when she is tired.

The biggest issue is a problem I have created.  I started giving her bottles in bed!  I know big big mistake. It has only been a month or two, but it seems to be long enough to have created a habit!  It started when the other kids were fighting and I couldn't sit and feed Ally I had to run in and stop them.  So Ally was put in her crib with her bottle.  She was asleep when I came back.  Now look what I've done!

Starting therapy!

Well at Topher's 3 year old check up our pediatrician recommended occupational therapy (OT) and Behavioral therapy.  We procrastinated starting the therapy, because of the concern for the cost.  I am still very concerned of whether or not we can afford the therapy.  However, that concern is now overshadowed by my fear of whether or not we can afford not to have him in therapy.  I guess I will never know until we try it out.

He had his initial intake appointments this week.  The OT wants to see him twice a week.  "Just great!"  My reaction!  Even more stress, more gas money, more everything!  Plus, my insurance is giving me a run around of what and how they cover this.  Basically, I am being told they won't know until they process the claim!  Even thou the therapist called with all the codes they needed to process a claim.  I can't get a direct answer.  I understand that to some point.  But come on!  I need to know what I am looking at here for costs.  If its to high I don't want to find out after I have a bill I can not afford.

So here we go trying it out!  Praying it helps and is worth all this stress. 

Dermatologist

Ugh, I need to see a dermatologist.  I have this spot on my hand that was tiny and would flare up every know and then.  It has grown to be a couple inces in diameter.  It is now very itchy and scally.  It gets rally irritated from me itching.  My mom (shes a nurse) thought it was psoriasis.  My dad (a doctor) said its either excema or somthing else I could never pronounce let alone spell.  If its that I'll need steroid shots!  So looks like I gotta go to the specialist and see.  Fun!  Now that I have the kids I hate going to the doctor. It is such an inconvienience.

when Tophers attack

I should have known something was up.  Topher came downstairs and said "Mommy, Evies awake."  I told him they both were supposed to be in bed and to go back to bed.  Then I heard Evie yell.  She yells for me at night because she isn't allowed to get out of bed unless its an emergency. 

I started to go upstairs when I realized she wasn't yelling she was screaming. I ran upstairs and found Topher on top of Evie hitting her.  He was hitting her because she took of her blankets.  She was hot and took off her blankets. Topher took this to mean she wasn't going to bed like she was supposed to.  So when she refused to put her blankets on he attacked. 

Mothers day!

This was my day!  Not very relaxing but I had fun. 

First we all got up and got ready for church.  As amazing as this may sound we were on time!  We made it all looking nice and no frantic yelling or screaming!  Actually we were a little early.  Bummer I did forget the camera (needed desperately since hubby and baby were getting baptised)!  Thankfully nana brought hers.  My mom was late (of coarse)and missed the baptisms!  She bought lunch!  All is forgiven.

After church we all went to eat at a local restaurant.  It was so packed we were there for 2 hours!  It was fun though and none of the kids got to cranky or out of control!  Awesome.  Daddy got agitated.  He was worried our pool would over flow!  He left it filling up during church.  Being above ground if it overflowed we were worried it would collapse! 

Then we planned on taking the kids to the zoo.  The kids new it, but half our party couldn't go.  My nephew vomited in the car.  The adults no longer wanted to go, and I was stuffed after lunch.  However, my kids did not forget the promise of a zoo trip.  So I took them to the zoo.  Which was fun, and hopefully burnt off some of the calories I added at lunch!  I ate A LOT!  It was so good!

Then instead of resting (which at this point I desperately needed)  we had to go to my moms.  The kids made cakes at the store and Evie said hers was for grandma.  They had a set up where you could buy a little cake and then your kid could decorate it.  Awesome Idea. Hubby forgot I had to go to my moms and rented Green Hornet.  He said they (him and in-laws) would watch it then watch it again with me. Yeah right I figured, so I was mad and tired.

So we went to my moms, but we couldn't just say here's the cake adios!  So we stayed for about two hours. Actually it was mission impossible getting my kids to leave.  I almost left my son to spend the night, but he finally decided to go home.  Evie got her nails painted by her aunt Abby (she's 11).  Topher colored on my moms Ipad, and played outside with his uncle Isaac (he's 9).  It was fun, but now I was exhausted!

We went home and I had to get the kids fed and to bed.  Daddy helped, but the kids were fired up so it took a bit.  Once in bed the two littlest ones passed right out, but Evie was up till after 10.  Hubby was true to his word we watched the Green Hornet together.  He actually waited for me.  Which made me feel so much better. Usually if I don't watch something with him I never get to watch it.  There is always something to do! 

By the time I got to go to bed I was so tired I wanted to cry!  Hubby felt bad I was so upset, but I tried to explain to him it wasn't him.  I was just running on empty.  Got some good sleep and woke up in a great mood today.  Only to find MOLD around the windows upstairs.  So my day today was equally exhausting eradicating mold and washing everything! I may have over reacted, but oh well its so nice up here now!

Seriously insane

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

The way I am raising my son is seriously insane, according to Albert Einstein.  I am just at the end of my rope.  Everything that I am doing isn't working.  So I finally broke down and set up his occupational therapy and behavioral therapy.  We start next week.  Hopefully, they can use their expertise and help me handle his behavior.

I am tired of dealing with his outbursts after they happen.  I want to know why these things happen and how to prevent them.  Nothing we have done so far has helped.  We haven't even been given a concrete diagnosis. 

He is so defiant.  He is so rough.  He is so wild.  Then other times he is so quiet, easy going, and loving.  You seriously never know what you're gonna get.  I got twins in one kid!  It's driving me crazy.  But reality hit hard when I realized I shouldn't have to tell Evie to avoid her brother (at any time) because of the mood he is in he might hurt her.  That is crazy.

Homemade pizza!

 Today my home visitor from Dunebrook gave me a mother daughter cook book.  As Evie was flipping thou it I saw a recipe for pizza.  I checked all the ingredients and amazingly we had everything to make our own sausage pizza.  So I thought what the heck lets have some fun.

Well it was fun, and messy!  We all ended up covered with flour.  Topher ate some of the dough, I think that's ok! I don't see why not.  The only bad part was that I didn't read through well enough.  I new we had to let the dough rise, but didn't realize how long!  It needed to rise for 2 hours! 

So all together the pizza took almost 3 hours to make.  The poor kids didn't even get to try some they had to go to bed!  I let them stay up later than usual already, but they had to eat dinner.  So they had soup! Oh, well we all had fun, and my kids love soup anyways! 

The pizza was GOOD!  I am so amazed.  Mostly because I am no Betty Crocker!  It was a little salty probably because I used sea salt rather than salt. Or because I put some garlic salt on the crust.  I was worried it would taste to tomato because I used spaghetti sauce.  I am so proud we will definitely make this again, only with more planning so we can actually eat it at dinner time!  I am actually just happy it was edible!

Ugh

Also the kids still have coughs. Topher's coughs are the worst. When ever he gets to coughing he usually can't stop and ends up vomiting. I hope he doesn't have trouble next year at school. He'll probably get sent home a lot! But he's not really sick it just all comes out from him coughing so bad.  On top of all his other problems he supposedly has reactive airway disease, and exercise induced asthma. I just hope it doesn't prevent him from being in sports. Although I was told he is to young for testing so we don't know for sure.  He doesn't take meds I just clean up the vomit!



I am so down today.  I got irritated at my hubby for no big reason, and he doesn't even know it.  I'm trying to let it go.  Plus it was a bummer of a day, weather wise!  Just a rough day.  I'm probably over tired, and over stressed.  I applied for 5 jobs and no one has called yet.  I know it probably won't work out.  I know I need to be here with the kids. I know what I do is important, but I still find myself feeling like it isn't enough.  The economy is rough, and these days money is never enough. 

Stuttering????

A couple nights ago Topher, age 3, started stuttering.  This is something he has never done before, and it is very random.  We immediately called the pediatrician who said this is normal.  He said that stuttering is very common among kids his age that are advanced.  Apparently his brain is working faster than his body can physically keep up.  The doctor said it would last a week or even a month, but probably not longer than that. 

I am still very concerned and worried.  I don't understand why this would just suddenly start out of no where.  He has been tested and is very advance for his speech.  He at the level of a 5 or 6 year old.  However, this doesn't ease my stress.  I don't know what to do.  If anything can be done.  Every moment that passes by I pray it isn't something serious and were just wasting time.

I do totally trust my kids pediatrician.  Even thou the doctors rationale seems to fit it just isn't sitting right with me.  I don't know how to explain it.  I guess I'd feel better if some tests were done and we knew for absolute certain that there was nothing wrong.  However, the doctor said he would not order an mri for stuttering.  He said if he has any other symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, or it gets worse to call.  Then I guess he will order an mri or ct-scan, but will that point be to late?

I don't know, and maybe I am just worrying for no reason.  I am a mother and I guess that just comes with the job.

not so perfect night!

I thought this was the perfect night all 3 of my kids were in bed by 7pm!  Which is there actual bed time!  Amazing right, I celebrate way to soon.  By 7:30 both my girls were asleep.  I thought this is awesome. I had very little to do, thank you to my mother in law who is staying for a few days!  So I was going to bed early. 

My son was awake and kept getting out of bed.  I told him if he got up again I was going to spank him,
I had just gotten down stairs when I heard my son yelling for me.  Which yep woke up the baby!  I left her in her crib hoping she would go back to sleep, but the crying just got worse.  I knew she was still tired, but the little nap she took was enough she couldn't go back to sleep.  So I had two kids out of bed, and only one asleep. 

I gave up and let them play, and was just bringing them to bed when my oldest started yelling for me.  She usually sleeps all night once asleep so this worried me.  She said she needed a band aid on her finger. Ok, now all three were awake!  UGH! 

Finally now at almost 10pm the baby is asleep, and the other two are watching a video from their beds.  Please, please fall asleep!  I really really really want to go to bed now!