Bowling and Balldium and Bumper Cars... oh my!

Remember Karate Kid???  I watched that hundreds of times as a kid and always wondered if a place really existed like the one Ralph Macchio took Elizabeth Shue to on their first date.  Well, Pinstrikes is pretty darn close. It's a one stop shop in the kid fun department, and you may need to refinance your house once you're done... so enjoy! 

 We bowled without bumpers this time and Trace got a strike!  A REAL strike!!  He was so proud.  Keatyn was not about to be left in that stroller this time.  She made herself very clear early on...

  This is Jimmy saying, "She just picked up that ball!!!"  She's freakishly strong.

 Then the boys played some Balladium.  Very cool...

 And Trace and I bumped cars.   You've heard of "spinning on a dime?"  When they first turn those cars on, they literally do that.  They need to post a sign about that for us old folks.

 Mine are still at the age where they require no quarters. :)

 Before we got there, I had to run in Krispy Kreme to get hats for VBS.  The girl that waited on me was one of my Kindergarten students at Woodmore.  Then when we got to Pinstrikes, the girl that took our dinner order was another one.  They both just graduated from Brainerd High School!!!  I can't believe I'm that old!  Wow... makes me want to cherish everyone of these memories with my babies.  They are growing so fast!

Father's Day 2012

I'm way behind.  That's what a 2 week fever and tubes will do to a mom.  It's funny how neither of those things actually happened to me, yet they SO directly impacted my life.  I hate it when my babies are sick!!

So Father's Day was kind of a mess.  Jimmy stayed home with both kids while I did nursery duty at church... (Happy Father's Day dear!!!) and that night we doped Trace up on Tylentol and went to my parents to watch the U.S. Open and eat with my brother.

I don't think Trace ever got off the couch, but was perfectly content with a DVR full of kiddy movies Nana had taped for him.  I lost count as to how many ice cream cones she brought him over the course of the evening.  "But he has a fever..."

Playing pee-pie with Papaw...

Sadly, the only pictures we managed to take with daddy were when we got home.  Trace mustered a smile. (Tylentol is a wonderful thing)  Note Keatyn's hair...

She looks like Curly, Larry or Moe (I don't know which ones are which) of the 3 Stooges when her hair comes down from pig tails.

Daddy, we don't tell you nearly enough, but we appreciate all you do so much!!!  You are truly the best father I could have ever prayed for!  WE LOVE YOU!  Happy Father's Day

Tubey or not tubey

Well...we decided Tubey.

After numerous ear infections that have gotten our sweet Sassy down, we agreed with Dr. Fowler, that she needed tubes.  We took her to the ENT last Tuesday, and let's just say... they didn't make friends.  In fact, her pig tails didn't make it through the appointment.  By the time Dr. Fowler left the room, she had screamed so much and writhed around on me, that she looked like she could play the lead in an 80's hair band.  They couldn't even do her hearing test because she was so hysterical.  (I think it was that light thingy he wore on his head.)   I was a little worried about how she would do today, but luckily all was well!  Thanks, no doubt, to some "happy juice."

Before the juice...

After the juice...

(Please pardon my pitiful appearance in these pictures, as I told my friend Christy...5 a.m. is not my friend.)

Oh Daddy, I feel so weird...

but I kinda like it.

Yep, yep, I like it!

I've hit the wall.

Yes, we were "those" parents taking pictures and videos of our drunk toddler.  It was a little creepy to watch, but very entertaining.
Amazingly, we were home by 9:00 in time for breakfast.  Even after happy juice, she is truly "happiest" of all when she's eating!

I pray these help my girl and keep the ear infections to a minimum.  Everyone at T.C. Thompson was wonderful with her and made us so comfortable. God truly puts pediatric people in the right places!!


**  Just want to record this for my own memory sake...

This has been a rough week.  We knew she couldn't have this done if she had any fever or congestion, and Trace has been sick for 2 weeks.  It started with him last Monday night.  He ran a fever and complained a little of a sore throat.  After 2 negative strep tests and 1 negative mono test, the fever was still there 8 days later.  So Dr. May (LOVE HIM!!!) at Highland wanted to do some blood work because I had mentioned to him that he had had a "bullseye" looking place on his arm on Mother's Day.  His immediate reaction was a tick bite... Lyme disease.  I was terrified.  The only 2 people I know with Lyme disease, have suffered tremendously with it.  But I knew God was in control and I had to give it all to Him.

So we took him to T.C. Thompson's on Monday (yes, I've had both of my children there this week. I don't care to do that again.) and they took a ton of blood.  Everything came back normal (Praise God!!) which eliminated some of the really scary things Jimmy and I were thinking but afraid to say out loud.  We just found out today that the Lyme test was also negative!!  So... since they started him on a 14 day round of antibiotics on Monday in case it was Lyme, we will probably never know if it was truly viral or in fact a (less serious) tick bite disease called Ehrlichioses.  Either way, his fever is finally gone, hopefully for good, and there is color and life back in my sweet boy's face!

The sheer look of relief in Jimmy's eyes when I told him this afternoon, made me realize how afraid he really was.  You're mind goes to terrible places when your kids are sick and you have no answers.  My babies have the best daddy!!  It's been a week full of prayer and thankfulness...hopefully nothing but good health will follow!!!

Where else can you eat popcorn, peanuts, cotton candy, ice cream and 4 hotdogs in an hour and a half?

  

 We like to do our part to boost the economy.

While we had coupons to get into the game, little did I know that would be a mere drop in the bucket to what we'd spend at the "section stand." 

A couple of Wednesdays ago, we headed to the Lookouts for the business man's special.  We didn't see one single business man, but enough camp kids there to fill the entire infield.  I've never seen so many groups of kids in color coordinated camp shirts, and I've been on one or two or a  thousand field trips myself. 

A little intimidated to ask Looie to sign his hat

 and his cotton candy wrapper.

"Blooie" was a little more his size. Keatyn wasn't so sure.

Trace was much for interested in how much junk food we would allow him consume in one afternoon, than watching the ball game.  But it was a first, hopefully of many!

Camera Roll

It's good to have goals.  And one of my goals is to get more "tech" savvy in my older age.  I'm still the dork who carries my little point and shoot camera with me wherever I roam in hopes of capturing my children doing something adorable and memorable.  However, since caving to peer pressure and getting my iPhone (which I LOVE) I realize there is more than one way to skin a cat capture a moment.

Hence, my iPhone camera roll...

(See another goal is to figure out why all of these words appear in blue and are underlined.)

Do you see why I need help?  

Moments after watering my plants, look who decided she needed a little snack.  I mean it, this kid will eat ANYTHING!

Just look at that smurk, she is such a mess!  I told my mom, she may no longer be a red head, but if you're born one, you're always one!!  Fiery is just in her blood!  

I fear for my future.

We ran into the Tittsworth clan Sunday afternoon at Lowes, who just happened to be there building a Madagascar 3 Monkey Plane.  Of course, we joined in.  I'm so thankful Granddaddy was there to do the "heavy construction."  It would have been a sad, sad plane if I were his building mentor.

Both of them sick with some virus and running temps. :(  Mommy was very grateful for the Fresh Beat Band and a few moments of peace to cook dinner!

I just had to take this.  Yes, she feverish, yes, she whining for a cracker while I'm furiously trying to get food on the table, but I just wanted to point out that both the top and bottom (and I do realize they don't match, she's sick and slummin' it) are to small/short.  These are size 18 month and she's only 16 months.  Grow much???  Don't really think she needs that cracker...

Pitiful!  Somebody give that sick baby a Ritz.

So we are heading to Disney and the countdown has begun!!!!  I honestly think I'm more excited than Trace.  (I KNOW  I'm more excited than Jimmy) 

So I'm trying to "retrain my brain" about using my phone to take pictures instead of lugging both through Disney World.  As the lady pointed out to me at Verizon... "NOBODY carries a camera anymore honey."

Well this lady just might and I may even wear a fanny pack to put it in!

Just kidding Jimmy... I promise I won't.
(See why he's dreading Disney? :)

Apparently we need to get out more often

I've joined our Monday Morning Mom's group at church and it has been such a blessing.  I've gone to HUM my entire life but have never really felt involved there.  I do the typical nursery duty, and teach on Wednesday nights, but felt like I wasn't really invested.  This group has been great.  We are all in the same boat... wife, MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) and sinners. Doing our best to raise Christian kids!

 Taylor, the blonde at the end recently went through surgery and chemo treatment for colon cancer (yes, at 34, and a mother of 3 kids under 6)  To celebrate her final treatment, we planned a GNO.  We met at Olive Garden and then someone "Suried" this on their iPhone for our next adventure...

I've never done one, but don't know when I've laughed so hard.  I came surprisingly close to peeing on myself while searching for "plastic fruit."  Thongs, extra long pantyliners, boys light up shoes, green sparkly nail polish and diabetic socks were just a few items on the list.  ** The diabetic socks were only sold "online" which of course,  I wouldn't have know if it weren't for my partner, Alice, and her smart phone because my phone was made in 1987.  (I went the next weekend and bought myself an iPhone... which will only take me till 2087 to learn to use.)

The winners...

We weren't the winners, BUT we weren't the losers either.  I'd say that's not too shabby for my first scavenger hunt and having a partner that never shops at Target.  (I, on the other hand, could draw you a map of the entire store completely from memory, hidden bathrooms and all... except for that darn plastic fruit.)

The true competitors were a little miffed about the diabetic sock dilemma and nearly demanded a redo...

The deal was, the losers had to go put everyone's stuff back, but we all helped out, being the good Christian women we are and all!  We ended up standing in the parking lot talking until a Target employee came over and very politely asked if we could move because he was ready to go home and he couldn't leave until we had vacated the premises.  Just a bunch of MOPS shuttin' down Tar-jay!

A Birthday at the Lake

So for my thirty-seventh second birthday, I decided I wanted a day at the lake with some dear friends.    

I adore this family!!

Our group gets together every few months, but it rarely includes the hubbies and kiddos.  This was the perfect way to happily combine us all.

 We left the littlest ones at home (thank God for grands!!) and headed to my dad's marina. 

We looked like we were moving in...

 We started off tied to the dock at the side of the marina, but that day was a high of 90+ and we were in FULL sun.

 The boys did a little grillin'...

 The girls did a little eatin'...

 Jill joined us halfway through the day, in between Ethan's ball games.  We really missed having Ethan, Abby and Will there to play but it gave us the perfect excuse to do it again!

  The kids played in the water until Trace was nearly lethargic and waterlogged. In 5+ years, I've never seem him so exhausted.  I wouldn't let him walk the dock alone without a life jacket for fear he'd fall asleep standing up and fall in.

It didn't take long before our frail, ailing bodies turned on us.  We couldn't take the heat like in the good ole days.  Midway through the day, we called Papaw to come pull us back under the slip and we reveled in the shade like the old farts we are.

 We sat around talking, and relaxing.  It was a perfect day!

Hey ladies...

 I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday eve.  I love getting old with these gals :)