Will forever make me think of Grandpa J

(my snack yesterday)

Slight Cabin Fever

I am not one that minds staying home.  I'm not one that runs a lot of errands just to run errands.  But I do end up with cabin fever when I have a sick kid.  And cabin fever messes with my mind.  You know what I'm talking about?

If you remember, Capps had tested positive for the Flu a few weeks ago.  He was home with fever, cough and headache for 8 days.  It was awful.  He was miserable.  I was tired of being home.  blah.  blah. blah.

Tavis was complaining of a headache on Thanksgiving day, but he is prone to headaches, so I didn't think much of it.  Well, next day, he started running a fever, and he is not one that usually gets a fever.  It is staying around 102, slightly controlled by the Advil/Tylenol switch off.

Seven days later, he still is running a fever, and still has a headache, and he has a cough.  I've seen the doctor twice - once Saturday and once yesterday, Wednesday.  They tested him for flu both times, but they were both negative.  They did blood work, which was normal, so it is just a virus that has to run it's course.  Ugh!

My Mommy sense tells me one of those tests was wrong.  He has the exact same symptoms that Capps had.  I'm thinking maybe Capps just had this weird, eternal virus too, and not the flu.  That is just my opinion.

Who knows?

I do know that I'm tired of being stuck at home.  And I'm really worried about Tavis making up a whole week of school work.

Ok, enough complaining. Carry on!

The dreaded letter from school

I wasn't sure if I'd post this or not, but, what the heck!  Why not?  I'm just writing a family history, not trying to impress anyone.

About every 8 weeks or so I get a letter from the school nurse saying someone in Mrs. ________ room was found with lice.  Please check your child over the next few weeks and treat accordingly.  yuck.  gross.

In seven years that we have had kids in school, we haven't had to deal with it.  You know where this is going, don't you?  Yes, now we have dealt with it.

I can remember as a kid dealing with it a few times.  My mom combing that little bitty comb thru my thick curly hair.  It was terrible.  Not to mention the smell the treatment left behind.

Well, Mac was our victim.  I noticed it late one evening and I had to quickly go into "crazy mode".  I ran to the drugstore and spent an outrageous amount on shampoos, sprays and repellents.  I stripped all the beds, washed all the sheets, shampooed everyone and washed all the towels, washed all the comforters.  Jason sprayed all the mattresses, couches and chairs and vacuumed them all, along with spraying and vacuuming the van.  It was a long night.  (thankfully, my mom only lives a few doors down, so we were able to use her washer and dryer too, mine never would have made it).

Well, on top of all of this chaos, I'm dealing with some severe Mommy-guilt.  I didn't want to mess with combing thru Mac's curly mop, so I shaved his head.  I didn't even second guess it.  He cried, and cried, and cried, and cried.  It was terrible.  We shave all the boys heads for Summer, and I just did it.

We kept him home the following day because I wasn't sure what the school protocol was.  He was glad because Mommy had shaved his head.  At some point in the afternoon he said, "Can I just stay home until my hair grows back?"  Words like a dagger in my heart.

Well, he went back to school today.  I warned his teacher about this emotional uprising.  She texted me this picture and said this was Mac's new look all day:

Who would have thought a 5-year would care that much about a new haircut.  *sigh*

Now I just have to get over the fact that I feel like I have bugs crawling all over me, all the time....

A second tree in the den

Every year, I desire to have a second Christmas Tree in the den.  Just something small - for fun!

Tonight I ran and got it, a skinny 6-ft tree for $20.  I had a string of colored lights and we decided to make it our snowflake and snowman tree.  

 The kids are very proud of it.

My iPhone picture, with no flash!

I will finish decorating tomorrow and then start on my Christmas cards.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I have to say, that having the tree up and ready to be decorated a few days before we actually decorate, is a great idea! (please ignore the fact that it is 30 degrees outside and my kids are dressed for Summer)

 The kids carefully picked spots for their ornaments. (Tavis is in a blanket because he was freezing from fever).

 Jason sat on his throne (a chair from Mima's) and played with our Gatlinburg candle and Mima's oil lamp.

I actually already bought all the ornaments for this year - Jason got Reese's, I got Coke, Mollee got Tinkerbell, Tavis got Sponge Bob, Daegan got Perry the Duck, Capps got Tow Mater, and Mac got Buzz Lightyear.

 I took these following pictures with my iPhone, since my camera won't take the without-a-flash pictures.

 Mac needed a picture with Buzz Lightyear!

 The tree!

Now, I can't wait to start wrapping all my gifts....

And I promised the kids we would put a tree in the playroom with colored lights and all our snowflake ornaments.

Cups in the Dishwasher

This is how Mac loads the diswasher.

No need to take the lids off the sippy cups?

Thanksgiving 2012

The cutest pilgrim I know!!

 Since Mom had surgery the week before last, my brother and sister-in-law offered to host Thanksgiving this year (thank, Philip and Sarah).  It really seemed to work out great!

 Dad still had to cut the turkey!

Kids went thru the line first,

 and ate in the garage.

The adult table.

After dinner there was no football game or Polish horseshoes - instead, we play Corn Hole.  It is a game that the Harris clan plays at every function.  Basically, it is these two flat boards that you are trying to throw a bag of corn into.  If your bag goes in the hole, you get 3 pts, if it just lands on the board, you get 1 pt.

Here, Florida boy, showing us how it is done.

and his wife on the other side as his teammate.

 (Drumroll please)  I actually played too.  It was Jason and I, against Dad and Philip.  Jase and I won!

 Always crazy with all the cousins - and this is only half of them!

 Ending with pie, cookies, coffee, another piece of pie, cookies, sweet tea.....

A Comedy of Errors (aka Practice Shots)

I attempt to get our Christmas Card picture on Thanksgiving Day.  I make the kids look nice and get a lot of "Oh, come on Mom!"  

I really wanted to do the picture by our fence.  Here are some trials (and lighting check)

It was a little too late in the day to make that spot work - if you were standing too far from the fence (Mac's face), you were gonna glow.

On to the front porch.  I needed the boys to help and "pose" so I could check how it would look.  Here are some from this spot.

 Tavis attacking Daegan and Mac being a goof.

 Daegan seeing if the timer would work "THIS CLOSE" (this might be my favorite from the day, but would be a little weird to use for a Christmas Card).

 Boys being goofy some more.

Since no one was supposed to touch the camera or the tripod while I ran inside, not sure who took this - since I'm the one coming out of the door?  Hmmmmm.

 At this point, I realize the remote control for my camera had a dead battery.

 Jason took over to avoid high blood pressure for me (I look happy, right?)

So, Mollee was going to have to put the timer on and press the button and get into position.

The boys are not impressed with her abilities.

Final product, coming soon to a mailbox near you.....

(soon meaning, whenever I get a letter written, the cards ordered and the envelopes addressed)

Happy Thanksgiving!

A little craft I made for myself.  I framed it and it will hang in my bedroom all-year round!

Funny how Capps (yellow) and Daegan (orange) are almost the same size - and Tavis (red) isn't that much bigger.  I predict that in another year or two, Capps' handprint will be bigger than is two older brothers.

Just sayin'!

Christmas Tree Assembly (by the kids)

Our tradition is to decorate the Christmas Tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.  The past few years we have been delayed, and putting the actual Christmas Tree together has been....stressful.

This year, I told the kids that I would get the tree put together and lit either Monday or Tuesday.  That way, it would be ready, no stress of them "waiting" for me to get done.  (we have the kind of tree you put together, branch-by-branch-by-branch, etc. and then you put the lights on)

There were a few problems getting it together today while the kids were in school.  Which really means, I couldn't even get started because I couldn't get the _______ tree stand to work.  

Jason fixed the stand and got everything ready to go when he got home from work, but I was going out with Reba.  I told the kids they could put it together and get it ready or just wait until after Thanksgiving (Wednesday has been dedicated to baking).

This is what I came home to late tonight:

They did great!  Maybe this is how I should plan it next year.....

(And don't worry, it is nailed to the floor again)

Christmas Catalogs

Yep, it is that time of year!  When all the big toy catalogs come out and the kids drool over them.  I can remember looking, and looking, and looking at the JCPenney's catalog.

I've told the kids to pick a few things in each catalog and put their initial by it.  I've made it very clear, it doesn't mean they'll get it, it just means I'll know they want it.  :)

So here is how it goes:

Mollee can't find much.  You know, she is 12 now and toys aren't as appealing.  She wants clothes, boots, make-up, just not toys.  Well, maybe a few toys....

Tavis is like me.  He looks and looks and looks and marks things very carefully.

Daegan shows me everything and tells me about them and talks about them and explains why he needs each of them and talks about them and marks half of them.

Capps reads each description very carefully.  Anything crafty or unique is what he desires.

Mac wants everything, but not necessarily how they are packaged.  He puts his intial next to things and then he circles which part he wants.  Lego sets - he just wants for one particular minifig. 

Two weeks ago, when I first started typing this entry, I was frustrated that I hadn't even started Christmas Shopping.  Since then, I strategically planned out what I wanted to get where, collected all the coupons I could, and now I am almost done shopping.  I can't wait for Black Friday sales, and hoping that might complete my list.

Now, onto enjoying Thanksgiving first...

CPC First Annual Talent/No Talent Show

The church had a talent show to raise money for 9 (or 10) of our choir members to go to Belarus next Summer.  We ended up going, and were so glad we did.

Jeremy did a great job being the MC - here he is a Father Gander, involving some kids from the audience.

 Sister Act Skit

 Pastor Steere singing about a Jewish Cowboy

 Jason got nominated for one of the "filler" games.

 Jeremy, Jeremy and Jason as rednecks rappers learning to dance.

 My Dad singing his signature song, "Sweet Caroline", but this time he was singing to my Mom - so he sang, "Sweet Linda Ruth".

 Domekia - the birthday girl, introducing her husband, the black lady trapped in a white man's body!

 And this is Jeremy, our Minister of Music, it a black evening gown, pearls, and a wig.  Hilarious!!

 You can check out all the YouTube videos on my site or on my Facebook.

Oh, yearh - and this is what Daegan did the whole time.