All for a pair of shoes

Alternate title: Tornado Chasers?!

This afternoon I went shopping with Ruth. I was looking for a few miscellaneous items and she was looking for shoes for the wedding. (We also got the cakes ordered this morning-we are making progress!)

While we were shopping, Heather called to find out our "status". She had gone to Target to pick up a prescription, when a tornado was spotted in the area and all customers were put in lock-down in the storage room. I think she was in there for 45 minutes, crazy?!

Meanwhile, we ran to a few different stores. We ended up at the mall and as soon as we got there, the storm hit - HARD! So we lingered in the mall, hoping the glass roof wouldn't cave in.

By the way, we did find some shoes!!!

By the time the storm passed it was time to get the kids and since Heather was stuck at Target, I got her kids also.

Of course, the kids were all buzzing about their own lock-down. 1st grade had to hide out in the bathroom - even the girls went in the boys bathroom!!

Quote of the day came from Capps when the kids got settled in the car. He asked me, "If you have to go outside for a fire drill and you have to hide inside for a tornado drill, what do you do if there is a fire and a tornado?"

Hmmmm. Good Question?

Wedding Dress Shopping

Ruth has been home less than 24 hours and she already found a dress that needs only minor alterations.

So sad I can't post pictures, but that wouldn't be appropriate....

We only visited one store, but it took Mom, Heather, Ruth and I searching, Ruth trying on dresses and re-trying on dresses and deciding. Mom couldn't imagine just buying a dress when we hadn't looked anywhere else, but Mom would shop (we won't talk about how many mother-of-the-bride dresses she has already purchased and planned to take back) at every store in a 100 mile radius if we let her. We drove to Atlanta to find my dress and I think I tried on four and just picked one.

Mollee is also sad she had to miss this because of sickness. :( Poor Moo Moo!

Atlanta Airport Adventure

Ruth came home from South Africa today. Originally, we told everyone she would be home Sunday. My brother, David, and I were going to pick her up on Friday night and make it a big surprise.

Then Mom found out (it may or may not have been because of Ruth?). Then everyone began to find out. Everyone, except Dad!

The plans changed a thousand times.

David couldn't go, so Jason and I were going to take the kids and get her, as a fun family adventure. Then the kids were sick. Then Heather and I were going to go, but then Heather couldn't go either. Jason didn't want me to go by myself, so at about 2:00 Friday afternoon, it was back to me and my family going. Mollee still isn't 100%, but she slept in the car!

I was beyond giddy all day. I couldn't wait to see her!

The flight was scheduled to land at 6:15 and we wanted to make sure we had enough time to get through downtown Atlanta rush hour traffic. We got there around 6:00 and the plane was actually landing then.

But, we couldn't see her until after she got through customs. It was a little bit of a long wait!But about 7:20, we finally got to see her!Who knew waiting for luggage could be so fun? Except we were at the wrong carousel (again, that may or may not have been Ruth's fault?).

When we finally headed home it was 8:00. We hadn't had dinner and Ruth had been craving Chik-fil-A for 11 months, so we stopped there on the way home.

It was after 10:00 when we got home, all the kids were snoring in their car seats. Dad still had NO IDEA! Thankfully, he was still awake, watching a movie and he was beyond shocked when I brought Ruth in. We were glad he already had his heart cleaned out.

It was a great memory that the kids won't forget, Capps declared it, "The best day of his life!"

Machine Project

For the past few weekends, Mollee and her Daddy have been working on her "Simple Machine Project". Obviously, if I had been in charge it wouldn't look this good (it had to have three machine aspects - pulley, lever, etc.) Unfortunately, she doesn't get to turn it in today because she is home with fever, thus pushing us into Week 4 in quarantine!

Jar Jar

The kids think if they put pajama pants on their heads, they look like Jar Jar Binks.Unfortunately, they act like him too!

For those wondering, he is a Star Wars character with long rabbit-like ears. And he acts really, really goofy!

Blue Tooth?

Could this be the real meaning to Blue Tooth? Ahhhh, blue Fun Dip!

Week 3

And now Tavis has tested positive for the Flu (B). Of course, not what Daegan had in Week 2, he had Flu A, but Capps had Flu B in the Week One!

Dr. E is sure they aren't sharing germs at home, just picking it all up at school. (yeah!) I feel like I can only be crazy about germs for so long, three weeks is pushing it.

I may or may not have lost it last night when I found Mac drinking Tavis' Sprite. I'm just being honest! Of course, I'm sure Mac will wait until Tavis is better before he starts to show signs - just to drag it out another week!!!

...and it lingers on...

The death of a scooter

This is what happens when you leave your scooter on the curb (half in the road, half in the yard), in a blind curve, at night. Just ask Tavis!

Wondering what the car thought went bump in the night?

Nail Polish, anyone?

After Moriah's comment last year about my tupperware cupboard not looking like that of a professed non-pack rat, I'm sure she'll love this. ;)

Before going out with the girls last night, I decided to paint my nails. Then, I wondered if I should be embarrassed by this? Maybe I shouldn't point out that I just threw about ten old bottles away? There are some that should be thrown away, but I love the color and can't find anything to replace them. Did you know if you add a few drops of nail polish remover to your nail polish you can make it last a little longer?

Last night I wore Plum Luck, don't you just love the names of the colors?

Cure All

After my time-warp-break-down (sorry about that), I would like to announce that today has gone much better.

If you live locally, you know how absolutely gorgeous the weather was today.

Daegan was still home from school with a slight fever, but after lunch I let him watch a movie and I grabbed my newest Real Simple magazine, got a chair and went outside to sit in the sun.

S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E and beautiful weather is such cure all for me! (and a good book or magazine)

it doesn't hurt that I am going out with friends tonight

What is your cure all?

Time Warp leads to Girls Night Out

Thanks for the title

I think germs put you in a time warp.

In the last 10 days, four of my five kids have had a sinus infection, flu B, a fever virus, and flu A. Plus, hubby has had a cough for four weeks. I finally just made him a dr. appointment for tomorrow, too much for me to let it go any longer (a month seems long enough, don't ya think? - and he calls me stuborn).

I don't want to say it, in fear of jinxing him, but #1 son has again avoided the germs? He was the only one that didn't get the stomach bug last month either. Just documenting that for the history books.

I have left the house only a few times since last Sunday. Once to go to Publix, twice for dr. appointments and, of course, some afternoons for carpool. The past two Wednesdays I have been the one to stay home from church because Jason teaches the high schools boys. Sunday we all skipped to avoid spreading possible flu germs and to avoid getting any new germs.

I don't usually get stir crazy very easily. I'm a homebody! I think to be home, just to be home is different than to be stuck at home because of germs. I was thinking today, you would think that my house would be spotless with all this time at home? So not the case!

Today seemed like the LONGEST. DAY. EVER. I had to pick up the kids at 4:00 today instead of 3:00 and when I felt like it should be time to go, it was only 1:30. I'm not sure what time I at lunch, but it must have been around 10:30 or something? That really messed with my sanity.

So, tomorrow night, Girls Night Out! Jason insists!

======================================================

On a side note, for the history books, I have to share something.

After Tavis got done with his homework today, he asked to go ride his scooter. I told him to go, but to take Capps with him. They like to ride them to Grandma's house and back and forth and back and forth. After they had been gone a little while I went downstairs to check on Daegan. I couldn't find him. It turned out, he went to ride his scooter too. He tested positive for flu yesterday, had fever of 102 this morning and...wait for it....he was still in his pjs. But, he didn't have fever because of tylenol and his brothers were going, so he went too. Seriously?

Of course, when I tracked him down, he didn't really see what the big deal was. I guess that is the advantage of getting flu A (less severe) versus flu B (which is what Capps had).

Florence Nightingale

(alternate title: Back to the Infirmary)

As a little girl, I loved Florence Nightingale. I loved to tend to the sick as best I could when my siblings weren't well (I am one of six kids, so it happened). I also wanted to be the one to tend to the cuts and injuries of the household. My father called me Florence Nightingale sometimes and I remember it always gave me a huge sense of pride.

A little history lesson: Florence Nightingale was a Christian who believed God had called her to be a nurse. She was born in 1820 and she rebelled against the expected role of a women. She worked hard in school and studied medicine. She is also famous for tending to soldiers at war time. International Nurses Day is on her birthday.

So, I always assumed I'd be a nurse.

If there is ever an ailment that a friend or family member has, I usually try to study up on it. I do this to be informed, but also because I enjoy soaking up that knowledge. It interests me.

I am forever amazed at how amazingly complex God has created us!

Flash forward to today: I am not a nurse, per se. College proved to be a little stressful for a competitive perfectionist that wasn't an A+ student (that is another story). Sometimes I wish I had made it through nursing school, but I am beyond happy to be a stay-at-home mom during this stage in life.

And, as a mom, I get to play nurse a lot.

Capps was last week, and Daegan tested positive for flu today. I feel like I can still pride myself on good disinfecting technique, which I get a little crazy about - in normal life, I am so not a germ-a-phobe. But, when someone is sick, I probably make them feel like a leper. I make them stay on the couch, lysol everything they touch (remote control, door knobs, light switches, toilet handles), keep hand sanitizer by them, etc.

So, if Daegan has the flu now, six days after Capps' fever showed up, how can I feel so confident about disinfecting? Capps had Flu B, Daegan has Flu A, so Dr. E says he got it at school.

...off to learn the difference...

Happy Valentine's Day

To continue with cards and such, Tavis wasn't included in that post. He draws all the time, but isn't a regular 'card giver'. This is the card I put in his lunch box, and this is what he sent back.

I was impressed.

Capps has had the flu since last Wednesday. I was sad he was going to miss his first Valentine's Party. He had a fairly good day yesterday and then today he seemed ok (no fever for 36 hours), so I took him to the last 15 minutes of the party so he could hand out his cards and get a cupcake. I'm so glad I did, the kids were so excited to see him, he/we got out of the house, and he got to open his cards at his desk with his friends.

Although I was very sad to miss the party of the other kids. Oh, Well, guess that is life!

To avoid cooking I had Jason pick up pizza on the way home. We had gotten the movie, "Twilight: Eclipse" from Netflix in the mail so we watched that tonight. What a disappointment, I hate how Hollywood destroys books.

He did get free tickets (long story) to another hockey game, so I'm hoping we can get a babysitter for that and maybe use that as our 'date night'.

Cards and such!

I'm a card sender. I don't know why, it is just what I like to do. It started at a young age. My mom likes to tell the story that I even made cards for my bus driver from time to time.

I also like to put notes in my kids lunch. And I put a note or card in Jason's lunch once a month or more - even if it is just to write an "I love you" on his sandwich bag. cheesy?

At the beginning of the school year I put a card in Capps' lunch and when he didn't mention it and I didn't see it in his lunch box the next morning, I asked him about the envelope - he didn't know what it was and threw it away, granted he couldn't read yet.

Last month, I put a post-it note on Daegan's sandwich box.
The next morning when I opened his lunchbox, the note was still on his sandwich box. I looked up at him and he was smirking and said, "I wrote back!" (this was on the back) This post-it note did a Momma's heart good and will never get thrown away!!!

Last night when I went to bed, this was on my bedside table. (front)(back)I'm just realizing he didn't sign it, but this is from Capps!

As the kids were rushing out the door, Daegan handed me thisAnd as I was cleaning up breakfast, I saw this by my coffee cup(open)Jason isn't a card giver, although over the past 15 years he has gotten better. ;)

In a world that snail mail isn't the norm anymore, I am proud that my kids jump right into thank you notes after a birthday and I'm glad some of my kids enjoy surprising people with cards. My mom has the bus driver story, but for Mollee, Daegan and Capps, I have my own stories - Mollee gives cards to everyone (you should have seen her Valentines list that extended to the school secretary, school nurse, principal, high school class helpers, etc)! Daegan has made cards for the Minute Clinic PA after he was very sick and for the allergist. Capps is very peculiar about his cards and gets into phases where he makes cards for random people that I have to mail.

I love it!

Sick Zone

Capps, who is very rarely sick, is now very sick. I guess it is what happens when you go to school?

He woke up yesterday with fever. I was already taking Mac in for his 4 yr old check up, so Capps came along. He said his head hurt and his stomach hurt. I assumed strep, that seems like the favorite germ around here.

As soon as the dr. walked in (before examination) and I told him what was going on, he said, "I don't think it is strep, he looks like he has the flu". Not sure what the flu "looks like", but the test came back positive for Flu B. I didn't even know they could test for the flu?! In case you are wondering, they test your boogers.

So this is where he'll be for 5-10 days. These are the days I wish for cable tv.Capps is rarely sick, but he is the one that started the stomach bug around here (even though we know David had brought it in the house). Hoping the flu doesn't bounce around the family like the stomach bug did.

We were given a Tamiflu prescription for him, but insurance doesn't cover it, so we didn't get it. Hoping that doesn't make us bad parents.

Please pray Mollee doesn't get it, she has asthma and every year I say I'm going to at least get her a flu shot, but I never have. I blame insurance. Do you know how expensive it is to get those things for 7 people when they aren't covered? If she does get it, I'm sure we'll figure out a way to get Tamiflu for her. I hope that also doesn't make us bad parents to get it for one kid and let the others suffer. :)

Hopefully, I'll see something other than the inside walls of my house by next week!

On the charts!

Mac had his 4 year old check up today and he is on the charts!

He is 29 lbs which is 5%

and 38 3/4 inches which is 16%

No more 0% for him!!!

A boy's pocket

I have a history of washing a few cell phones. You'd think that would have made me a little more paranoid and check pockets before I do laundry.

It didn't.

But when I picked up Tavis' jeans, I could tell by the weight that I needed to check the pockets (I do find a lot of rocks at the bottom of my washer).

This is what I found - 3 rocks, 2 pennies, 2 tatoos, a rubber bracelet and 2 rubber rings, a dinosaur bookmark, 4 rubberbands, a lips whistle, 4 batman silly bandz and another card that I'm not familiar with. Maybe I shouldn't buy him carpenter jeans that have so many pockets?

4th grade Chapel

I wasn't in the right seat to get a good picture, but 4th grade lead some songs in chapel today.

100th Day!

(of school)

Always a big deal in Kindergarten!

2011 Carnival

Today was the Carnival at school. I didn't get many good pictures, but this is what I got.

(At this point we had been there for about 5 minutes and already found the cotton candy - Whoo Hoo!)

You never know what you are gonna get with facepainting, but this year was good.

Monkey Hair!

Capps is our Monkey!

His hair is like a baby chimp. It grows out and up and will not lay flat. So we shave it, very, very short.

I tried to get a picture, but it really doesn't do it justice.

Before:

After: And, just because - here is one of his baby pictures I love because it shows his hair so well!

That doesn't seem like that long ago!

Wished I'd had a camera

I was on the treadmill yesterday (that is not what I wanted a picture of) and the kids were having their 4:30-5:00 TV time watching 'Wild Kratz' - a new obsession of theirs.

Tavis was sitting in the big chair in the den and when Mollee came down she just sat in the chair with him. I was waiting for the complaint, but Tavis just put his arm around her and they watched TV together.

I love this and look forward to see where their relationship goes. Without my close friendship with my brother, Philip, I probably wouldn't know Jason! ;)

I'm just sayin'.