Week Synopsis 5/12 - 5/18

Monday May 12-The aftermath of Mothers Day..it's back to work! The week started out as BUSY as all others!I cut Ryland and Colton's hair after school. That night for family home evening we took baths and then got in the car for a drive...down to Grandma's--we stayed in Phoenix b/c we had early dentist appointments the next morning.

Tuesday May 13- Colton and Dan were the first patients in the office on Tuesday morning. Colton had to be sedated for some serious amounts of work-he had a tooth strategically pulled (to make room), space maintainers tightened, cavity re-filled, a bar placed behind his lower teeth to prevent them growing backwards, some filing....and such! Dan had one filling redone. Colton slept the rest of the day, the medicine really works on him. I told Grandma the next time I have a bad sleeper baby I am coming to the office for some of the "good stuff". I went in later that afternoon to get some sealants redone....and then I went straight from their to the implant specialist, to check up on the tooth that got pulled and put back in--so far so good...one more year before we can crown the thing! While Dan and Colton were in the office I took the other 3 kids to the outlet stores (really just Osh Kosh). It was time to buy summer clothes (swimsuit, swim shirt, tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops, 3 pairs of husky shorts, one pair of Ryland shorts, Dacie swim cover and three sun hats). Like I thought, Dan was not too positive about it, but the purchases always have to be large when I only get to cheap stores every so often. I have to do it all at once, rather than break it up into monthly! Most of Dacie's sun hats I bought with straps as I figured she would rip them off..but she surprised me with LOVING them--she certainly strutted her stuff as she pranced around the playground after (see pictures above and below).

Funny story for you: Despite the pictures from that trip it was WINDY and raining (very rare)as we went in the store, and came out to perfect weather. I pulled the double stroller out of the van and set it up. I went around to un-buckle Ryland and Dacie, and when I went to put them in the stroller--it was GONE!! I looked everywhere and could not find it. I thought surely no one swiped a stroller that quickly without me hearing a thing?!! I even asked the lady parked right in front of me who was sitting and chatting on her cell the whole time. No luck, just as I was about to give up a man in a pick-up pulled up and asked if I was looking for a stroller. He took me clear across the parking lot (huge outlet stores do not make small lots)--around a school bus, and lo and behold the stroller had BLOWN all the way over there and snapped the front wheels right off! Replacement wheels for the $200 plus stroller are $30--but I found the same stroller on craigslist for $40-with parts I can't re-order! Sweet!

The outlet stores DO NOT have carts--so the store was absolutely TERRORIZED while I did my BIG shopping. They were so kind and good to my children, and helped me with them. We were one of the few in the store. It has been a LONG time since people have been so positive about me and my children in stores. It was refreshing and they bought themselves a devoted customer. Being stroller-less made the playground and getting lunch all that more exciting as well!

As always it was hard to leave Grandma and Grandpa's to come back to real life--but we did pretty late in the evening. Not after Ryland and Sterling talked Grandpa into taking them to the park however, AND then to repay him for his kindness...Sterling dumped his and Grandma's pill boxes down the toilet along with a necklace and Gma's two earrings. Gma and Gpa spent a good portion of the next day fixing their toilet and replacing their medicines! AAH! Sterling has toilets to clean next time we are down there.

Wednesday May 14- Is my thumb broken or not? I wonder for most of the day. I landed on it in the softball games last friday and it is getting worse rather than better. I feel silly--it is just a thumb, so I will let it go a few more days. I almost went into urgent care when Dan got home from work, but decided not too--never realized how much I use my thumb in every day living (ouch to diaper changes)! Dan went to play basketball with the guys that night

Thursday May 15- With the cooler weather and serious breeze, something is stirring up my allergies today! I have not stopped sneezing since I woke up. My nose is a constant flow. A leftover prescription of Zyrtec helps me survive. I had serious amounts of energy in the morning and mopped the floors, emptied the dishwasher, vacuumed the house, dressed the kids AND did their hair, folded and put away clothes...and took a shower before my visiting teachers (Cami Raban & Tara Trezise) came at 10am. It was a great day! Cami's son Bryson was having such a good time with the boys we let him stay a bit longer after his mom left for a playdate. That night the boys had a softball game at 5:30pm before Dan got home..so the 5 of us had a windy experience at the fields. Not so traumatic as last time (Ryland's fall). Dan met us at the fields and took the kids home while I finally went into the urgent care to get it looked at- splint on, naproxyn prescription, and x-rays ordered.
Dacie's newest toy--the trashcan and the contents in it, after raiding the trash it is onto the dishwasher, then mommy's toilet--LOVE this busy stage!Check out her necklace she puts on every day, only to grab her baby doll and carry it around-I have a GIRL!! Yeah!!

Friday May16- I take my friends (Julie Hoggard) two little boys in the morning for our babysitting swap, since it is her daughters special day at preschool. Dacie got shoved into the table corner and has a NICE ol' lump, bruise and cut. She is going to be tough!

I get a phone call from my friend (Carrie Reay) who is a teacher at Colton's school telling me he just won a bike for a reward drawing they have for reading and computer test taking (AR). I am jumping up and down and call Dan at work. I can only imagine that Colton is having the best day ever! I get a call around 2pm from the school asking me to come get him--he as 101.7 fever AND he has a bike! Colton was soo soo sick to even really enjoy the bike. By the time I got to the school his fever was at 102. I got an appointment with the pediatrician b/c he was so sad and worried about not being able to go camping with Daddy and Gpa, for the Fathers and Sons campout. I got a last minute babysitter and ran to the pediatrician, pharmacy, and x-ray place! Colton had 103 fever when we arrived at the office, and the Doctor pretty much told Colton he was not going anywhere. I promised him movies and treats at home--Colton was too sick to care at this point. He tested positive for strep and has some blood in his urine that is being tested further.

I got home in enough time to get Ryland, Sterling, Dan and Gpa off for camping. Really Gpa provides everything but the clothes and sleeping bags, it is kind of a nice set-up. Gpa even left money for me to get Colton some dinner-what a good Gpa! I cancelled my dinner out with friends, a possible movie, and softball game-- we just hung out at home! Dacie and I just sat out on the porch and watched the sun set in the swing. It was such a great way to re-group for me. Dacie would snuggle and then get on the grass and play--Dacie is growing up so quickly. She is at such a busy stage right now. She really goes from one thing to the next in minutes. It was a peaceful moment and a good thing. Colton threw up twice, every time his fever would spike.Saturday May 17- Colton woke up a NEW KID! There was no signs of sickness.We LOVE antibiotics (what on earth did the pioneers do?) However, he still spent all morning on the sick couch watching cartoons. Dacie and I went outside and started yard work! We mowed the lawns and started spraying for weeds when the campers got back home.

The campers had a great time and were full of stories of losing Ryland, shooting shot guns and making their shoulders sore, playing a 'baseball' game, eating yummy breakfast, and crying OUT all night long (Dan and Grandpa did not enjoy that part of it!) The boys also came back covered in these FUNKY bites (check out the pictures below) Luckily after baths, and some Benadryl there are no signs of them today!

Sterling made it home in time to go to one of his favorite girlfriends' b-day party (Emma Hoggard). He was pretty concerned about making it back in time. He came home from the party covered in green icing, and with more party favors then the present he brought! Good times!

At home Dan and Gpa were finishing up the fence and drip line for the garden. After Gpa left, Dan and I worked into the evening weed whacking, sweeping, and spraying for more weeds. I really do love working outside...if the kids cooperate.

We ended the evening by attending an outside wedding open house at a friends (the Hartley's).The kids jumped on the trampoline and we ate some great food by tiki torch, as the cool evening weather and breeze settled in. It was a good ending to a busy day!

I asked Daddy to take pictures and these were the 2 he returned with (no tent, no fire,etc.)! They are not even the campsite, but where they went shooting the gun off the side of the road...I hear Gpa got a few on his camera, I'll have to steal .

Where Colton spent his Fathers and Sons campout...on the couch w/ his magic strep juice!

The Funky bites...look closely in his hair--they were EVERYWHERE!
Bites on Ryland's head and eyes!
Sterling's hair is long and thick so his head was protected from bites, but not his eyes, forehead and nose!
Sunday May 18- Last nights sleep was good! It was another busy Sunday at church. Dan had seminary graduation this evening BUT it was a sad evening for Dan. In training they had announced that it was at 7:00pm--well the time had been changed to 6pm, without Dan being made awareof it, so Dan walked in about 40 minutes late-- only to hear the closing stake presidents remarks. Dan was heartbroken. He was embarrassed, frustrated and felt extremely sorry for the students he had graduating. He came home welled up with tears (he is NEVER like that). He called his students and the high councilman to apologize..but he still feels awful. What's done is done and graduation is something you can;t go back and do later--his seniors are done too, so he won't see them again! Darn it! He is feeling better, but went to bed early. I am so sad for him! Well-we hope this week starts out a little better than that-3 days and counting for Dan having to wake up early!! The boys are done with school on Friday and T-ball Thursday-then what?
Some smiles for you to end on...Dacie's cool hair-do after pigtails