Sick Kids...

Sick kids are NO FUN at all!  It's no fault of their own, but having sick kiddos puts strain on EVERYONE! Then add a snow day in on top of it!  UGH! 

Last week the stomach bug decided to bite our little ladies.  It started with our youngest who decided to toss her cookies on Thursday at 4:50 am!!!!  Thankfully, we were already off school for that day or that would have been a MESS.  Trying to throw together last minute plans, trying to get my other two ladies to school.  As I said, thankfully we were already off so that saved a sick day.  She didn't vomit anymore throughout the day, so we were lucky.  It's hard to keep a 3 year old down.  :)

Then came Thursday night....... I had just gone to bed around 11.  At 11:45 our middle woke up and had to go to the bathroom.  So I got her tucked back in and she asked me to sleep with her.  Well, that wasn't happening because I had to go to work on Friday and I had Active Shooter Training in the morning.  Well.... at 12:10 she began tossing her cookies in.her.bed.  Which did I mention was on the TOP BUNK?!  So I stripped the bed, gave her a shower, set her up with the "Puke Bucket" and lots of towels surrounding her.  :) This poor lady was put through the ringer. She threw up for 7 hours, every 20 minutes (sometimes 10)!!!!  After about 4 hours, I called our doctor who said we needed to ride it out.  BOO! 

Here is the whole point to this post.  Here's a picture of our "Puke Bucket". 

I L.O.V.E. the bucket!  Our oldest two are awesome at using this guy (when they aren't stuck on the top bunk). :)  So here's what I do.  I take one of the bagillion plastic bags we have in our closet and put it in the bucket.  When our middle was vomiting so often I double bagged it.  Then, after our kiddo is finished, I just take the bag, tie it and throw it in the trash.  VOILA!  This means I'm not spending time washing and drying the bucket each time.  :) 

I hope this makes the next time your little gets the "pukies" (what our youngest calls it) you can spend time comforting your baby instead of cleaning the "Puke Bucket".  :) Oh, and yes.... we were called to get our oldest from school as she was also bitten by the Puke Bug.  YUCK!

From our BROWN eyes to yours...

First Day of Preschool

Finally!  Our youngest FINALLY was able to go to preschool this week!  I never thought she'd make it there since it seems the universe was not very happy she was going.  She was supposed to start last Tuesday.  Well... we had a snow day, then Wednesday...1 hour delay. Thursday... no school. (Which is ok because she ended up tossing her cookies in the morning, so she wouldn't have gone anyway.) Then this week came about.  Monday no school.. waiver day (I still had to work), Tuesday... snow day (well...freezing temperature day) and Wednesday 1 hour delay.  However, this week they had preschool with the hour delay, so she was able to start!!!!  She was so excited. I'm not sure if she was more excited to go to school or to wear her Super Girl shirt there.  :) 

  Looking up at her teacher.

 No jitters for her!

She was so sweet when I went downstairs to get her (yes, she gets to go in my building!:) )  she said, "Mommy, I learned!"  Melt. 

Kind of surreal knowing she's our last little one and ALL our girls are in school now. Not sure how I feel about it, but I'm glad the universe FINALLY made it's peace with it.  :)

From our BROWN eyes to yours.....

One Thousand Gifts

I was introduced to Ann Voskamp from a blogger friend Leslie Tally at Tally Tales. I'm so thankful for that introduction.   Ann blogs here...

 

She's a deeply religious person that inspires those who read her blog.  I continue to be amazed at the depths of her faith and one of my goals this year is to grow my relationship with God and foster that in my children as well.  So, we are on the adventure to memorized the verses in John's Gospel along with many of Ann's followers.  It's called the Jesus Project and you can visit her blog by clicking the picture above.  I will be slipping these little guys into lunch boxes and putting them up on the door. 

This year I'm also embarking on seeing the beauty the Lord has given us with writing down 1,000 gifts.  On Ann's website (I write like I know her) :)  you can find a specific list of what to look for each day, but for me, I'm just looking for God's blessings, in my husband, kids, the beauty that surrounds us in nature, other friends and strangers.  Anything I feel moved to say... wow, that's God at work, I'm writing it down.  

I picked up this little notebook at Michael's for 50 cents in a clearance bin.  He's perfect!

We've also been play a lot of UNO.  I mean A LOT, like every day, sometimes two or three times a day.  What I love is that we can all play.  Even our youngest can play.  And let me tell you, that girl has beat me probably 10 times.  No JOKE!  The kicker is she plays FACE UP.  That means I can see her cards and all her moves and she still wins!  I know you're thinking I let her win, but that's not the case, at all!  I'm really trying to beat her. 
So tonight, our middle had her friend, Cinderella, join our game.  At one point Cinderella had 17 cards! 

These were all her cards.  Then, that cute little in the back gave me several plus 2's and this is what my hand looked like...

One day I will get her, one day.  But today was not that day.  :)
ps... I DO NOT like how the UNO cards have changed.  They are mostly pictures and NO words anymore. Those Wild cards you see are the only ones with words anymore.  As a teacher I say... PUT THE WORDS BACK ON THEM because I can teach my kiddos what those words say.  UGH!
I also have issues with the money tray on Monopoly, but I will save that for another post. :)

From our BROWN eyes to yours...

Cold, Cold, GO AWAY!!!

So... sitting here for our second snow day this week!  I know this is probably a teacher sin, but I'm tired of being off!  I want normalcy. I want to see my little firsties and teach them because we are losing out on lots of time!  Ready to have everyone back on a schedule!

With all this extra time off, I've been able to have a little fun with the girls.

I bought this sweet guy at Sam's for $24.99 which is a steal compared to the prices at Michael's and Joann's.

 I bought him to organize this.....

It's kind of like the dumping grounds of EVERYTHING! So I spent one snow day organizing. I mean ONE.WHOLE.DAY. That's how long it took.  But it turned out like this...

Not perfect, but better. Actually, it's MUCH better for me. I may actually start working at this desk instead of plopping my bottom on the floor or couch.  :)

Before the snow day, we had visited the dentist.  Two-fourths of us had no problems.  One has a hole between her teeth from a cavity, so I'm watching her like a hawk! I have a few little ones starting because the sealants I had put on when I was 12 (Thanks mom and dad!) have finally started cracking.  I guess they got their moneys worth! :)

 

First visit!!! She was perfect!

We love our hygienist.  She's the best!  She said she's been doing this for 33 years which makes sense.  We were probably one of her first families because I was 3 when she started.  :)  We LOVE her!  

On our other snow days, we played Monopoly (I lost), Uno (I lost), made items with duct tape, our youngest did "homework" to get ready for preschool, had "snow"nuts for breakfast (which shortly after our youngest threw up), had fun with duct tape, and.... that's about it.  :) Here are a few pictures of the fun.

I lost to a 5 year old!

 

 

mmmmmm........

Sick-ish baby.  Thank goodness for the frigid temperature day off because this little tossed her cookies at 4:50 a.m.!

 

From our BROWN eyes to yours....

Warning... Picture Overload!

Friends... Thanks so much for sticking with me.  I know I have been MIA this last month but for good reasons and some not.so.good. reasons. 

Our month started dealing with a NASTY four letter word.  It is my #2 worst fear.  Our middle had lice.  She brought those "friends" home from school and all I can say is UGH!  I spent WAY too many hours to count checking, rechecking, treating, retreating, agonizing, coaching, teaching, probably preaching, stripping beds, boiling hairbrushes, drying on HIGH HEAT stuffed animals.  It was a nightmare, but we made it.  As a parent that is a teacher, I now understand why some of my kiddos are out for more than a week when they get those little boogers.  You have to check, like EVERY.SINGLE.STRAND. of hair and even then.... they still pop up even after you think you've nabbed them all.  Like I said, we survived and I am keeping on top of everyone. 

So.. on to much better things.  Here is how we spent our last month.  :)

First we were joined by this guy... Louis Christmas. 

  Then, Louis came to visit after Louis broke his arm and headed to Elf North Hospital.  After a week stay, he was back again and those two were causing mischief. (see below)

 

 Art show at school for our oldest.

 The start of swimming lessons for the youngest. (well all three, but it was her fist lesson and I DIDN'T HAVE TO GET IN THE WATER!!!!)

Stockings were hung......

Tree was decorated.  :)

 

Celebrated 40 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!!! Rock on Mom and Dad!

 

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We received letters, a picture, and reindeer food from the big man!

 

 

Opened presents from Grandma and Uncle Craig.

 

 Played in the sand....

  Made a "snowman" in the sand.

 Swam in the pool with our cousin who visited with his momma.

  Saw lots of "nature". 

 Many beautiful sunsets.  (ps.. this photo was not taken by me.  It was taken by my 5 year old.  Does she have a future in photography?)

  Jumped off the plank at the Pirate Ship Playground.  I also got ATE UP there.  Sneaky bugs.

 

 Celebrated the birth of Jesus in our pretty red dresses grandma made for us!

 

  Left cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.  We also left bunny milk for him.  He gave it two thumbs up!

 Santa brought these two rascals.

 The cutest banker ever!

 

We played LOTS of games.  At least one every night.  Daddy however, is the all time winner at Monopoloy.  NO ONE could beat him.  (He also knows how to put a trance on 7 year old girls who love money, even if it's fake.)  :)

 

  We drove home.

To this......

 

 

Thanks for sticking with me through this long... post!

 

 

 

From our BROWN eyes to yours.....