Didn’t see that one coming!

This morning  open enrollment began at the Pre-School that we want Luke to attend next year. I set my alarm for 6:30 this morning so that I could get up and shower before all the little ones started stirring.  I got the kids up around 7:30 and got them fed and dressed so that we could hit the door and get Luke enrolled before all the slots were filled! {I also got to take my comforter to the cleaners……again…..since one of the cats threw up on it.  Have I mentioned that I am over pets?} Anyhoo, It began to snow as Luke was eating breakfast and I checked the forecast- Rain and a high of 46. Hmmm, that’s interesting I don’t recall seeing anything about snow today? Maybe we’ll get a few flurries before it’s all rain, how exciting! As I am loading the kids into the car it begins to really start coming down, fast! I could only see about a mile in front of me before it was completely white due to the snow. I just knew that it would stop any minute since the forecast never mentioned snow today, but to  my surprise it didn’t, It just kept coming and coming. As I drove over Chapman Mountain to get to the South side of Huntsville, we were creeping along at 20 mph and it was white- everywhere, roads included. Now what I also didn’t know was that it had been sleet before it turned into snow so I was driving on ice covered by snow- super fun! I managed to  make it over to the cleaners and the snow had slowed down on that side of town, so I assumed it was on it’s way out and over.  I went to Luke’s new school and got him all registered. Things were still looking good, the school was still open, it’s all good now. Or so I thought, until I tried to get home! The roads were covered in snow and nasty, slushy snow/ice. Now for the best part- the elevated portions of I-565  and Hwy 72 over Chapman Mountain{which I take to get home} were closed. Hmm, I bet that’s why those ALDOT trucks with sand and cones were all lined up along the roads as I was leaving. Wow, did the weather guys miss the forecast this morning!! After an hour long detour, we finally made it home to this-

Happy {snowy} Monday!

Who needs me anymore?

We just got home from our very long morning outing- more on that to come!  Both of the babies were ready to eat immediately so I usually set a Boppy pillow on each side of me in the floor and feed them at the same time. {Hmm, I suppose it’s a good thing that I only had twins being that I only have two arms, huh?} Well, ever since Jack learned that he could hold his own bottle, I’ve been relieved of my duties so to speak =) Today Luke insisted that I let him feed Abby her bottle. I guess I can take a vacation now that they don’t need me anymore!

It was fun while it lasted

In what seems like our never ending saga of sickness, all 3 are sick ……….yet again.

I know, they were only germ free for about a week. And as I stood beside the table in the pediatrician’s office again yesterday, I knew that we had had enough.

The last straw came when I had to restrain this sweet boy to give him a breathing treatment because his wheezing is so bad. That was it. Done. Dr. P agreed. No more Mother’s Day Out for Luke. His immune system simply can’t take anymore.

He was good last Tuesday so I sent him to MDO. By Thursday night he had a runny nose again. By Saturday night he had shared it with the twins. Sunday we stayed home from church for the 4th week in a row due to our sick children. I am currently paying the Dr’s office more than his tuition for MDO- that says something now doesn’t it? And let me say, I am so very sad for Luke. I realize that everyone thinks that I send him so that I can get a break- far from the truth. It’s more work for me to get 3 little ones up, fed, dressed and out the door close to on time than it would be to simply stay put here at home and go about our routine. But he needs to be with other children. He needs to be away from me and his brother and sister. Unfortunately, he catches EVERY. SINGLE. GERM. THERE. He’s been going since last June and he’s been sick every month except August. EVERY MONTH. He also loves his brother and sister {which I am thankful for} but that love brings about sharing of much more than toys- GERMS! They have caught everything that he has caught so far. And to make our home so much more pleasant, I have also caught the last two “funks” that he’s gotten- that nasty adenovirus and his current cold. So while I love his teachers and the fun little art projects and crafts that he brings home, I have to withdraw him. =(

I do hope that a long break will help his immune system recover and we are planning to try to start him in Pre-School in the fall. We have learned valuable lessons from this go-round and we plan to be more selective about the program that we choose for him next year. We will be asking lots of questions about their policy on illness since that’s the main issue that we are running into at his current program- they simply don’t send sick children home. Every week at least one child in his class is sick, if not more. Hopefully other programs in the area will enforce a very strict policy on illness and Luke can finally go to school without coming home sick constantly. So that’s our life, please pray that this latest round of colds will run their course soon and that Luke’s coughing and breathing gets better! I don’t think I will know what to do with myself when I’m not constantly wiping yucky noses, washing sheets every 3 days, mopping floors every 3 days and sterilizing everything that their mouths touch! 

Rub A Dub, Dub

3 Hams in the tub!!

Tonight was the first time that we bathed all 3 kids together……and they loved it! We started giving the twins a bath together last week and Brian decided to further streamline the process- typical engineer! Ha!

Kind of like us

A few weeks ago, I was talking to our friend ‘Carrow on the phone planning our night out. First let me explain how I know ‘Carrow……she was Brian’s junior prom date and we’re very good friends today……….funny how that happened, huh? ‘Carrow and Brian were good friends in high school and went to prom together. They were also good friends with Brian’s neighbor in high school, Tim. Brian and ‘Carrow went to prom as friends and remained friends afterwards. That following summer, I think, Tim and ’Carrow began dating. They went to Senior prom together,  dated through high school, and college, and got married exactly one week after Brian and I. I loved them from the first time we met.  They were so much like us and we all got along so well. We also always got a long really well with ‘Carrow’s roomie from UA Amber and her husband Jason- who also happened to get married a few weeks before us- what can I say it was a wedding summer! Amber and Jason live close to Tim and ‘Carrow so they have all been hanging out together for some time now, but we only ever got to see them at their annual Christmas Party. After we moved back to Alabama, we were finally close enough to get together more often- which we love! A few weeks ago ‘Carrow and I were talking and she suggested that we all get together for a “Supper Club.”  Dinner once a month, no kiddos. I loved the idea right away! I told her when we were available and when we weren’t and as I was explaining, I told her that Brian would be gone MLK weekend to go hunting like he always does. We began talking about where he goes and who he goes with and I explained that he goes to south Alabama to a camp house that one of his parents’ friends’ own. I was further explaining that the people who go down there are my in-laws friends from high school and college and that they  have known each other forever. ‘Carrow’s response was so simple and it was also so huge to me- “Kind of like us.”

Wow, exactly like us, the friends that you can not talk to for weeks or months and start a conversation like it’s been only a few hours or days. The kind who know you so well that you don’t ever have to explain yourself. The kind who love you for being exactly who you are. The kind of friends that you cherish for life. The best kind of friends. It was raining tonight and Amber and I had no raincoat or umbrella, so sweet Jason went inside P.F. Chang’s and got trash bags for us to put over our heads to keep dry- The Bag Ladies!! Amber, ‘Carrow and I after dinner At The Station, waiting to be waited on! Our dates. Tim and ‘Carrow Brian and I Jason and Amber The Girls

We had so much fun tonight and we are looking forward to our once a month Supper Club date!

The best laid plans

 

I am absolutely going to admit right now that it’s been a rough few weeks. Lots of illness and stress have finally taken their toll and I need a break. What a better time to go out to dinner with our friends …..and no children!!

Our friend ‘Carrow planned a night out weeks ago and we’ve been very much looking forward to it….but Mother Nature may have other plans. Our sitter is all lined up and we are ready to go, but this may stop all of our plans-This was taken at 10:45 this morning

and here’s the view at 11:15!

It came down so fast, I couldn’t believe it!

It started as sleet & freezing rain just after 10 a.m. and by 10:45 it was snowing like crazy. It has since changed back to rain with some sleet/ freezing rain, so we’re all over the place!  I can’t tell whether or not we’re going to have to cancel our sitter and dinner plans or not, but Brian and I are BOTH hoping that it stays warm enough to not stick and that we get to have a night out tonight!

If we don’t have enough going on already

Putting the cart before the horse….we’ve all done it at some point in our life. This week it was Brian’s turn. As I mentioned in one of the many posts about the nasty virus that has taken hold of our home, we are getting a new couch. That was the plan at least. Then I decided that I didn’t want to “live with” mis-matched furniture. We also decided that our current furniture is far too big for the space that we have and that we wanted all new furniture ……and not as many pieces  as we have now. We currently have a couch, a loveseat, a chair, and two end tables {we also used to have a coffee table that Luke took care of for us months ago.}  We decided that we wanted another couch and this time we would have no loveseat, only a chair.  We would work on finding two much smaller side tables….rather than the large end tables that we have now. So our couch purchase turned into a couch and a chair. Then Brian just insisted that a couch and chair would never be enough seating….we had to have two chairs……so now that’s a couch and two chairs. While looking at the couch and chair, they had them paired with a lovely coffee table- solid wood, no glass this time, that sits fairly low. What started as simply a new couch is now a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table. { And we’ll be adding a new armoire in the next month thanks to Rachel.} Funny how the couch multiplied, isn’t it =)

We have been looking at furniture for a few weeks now and had our choices pretty much narrowed down, so Brian called Norman’s  Furniture yesterday and they ordered it for us. The price they got for us is great and they deliver to Huntsville {from Fayetteville, TN} for free!!! It will be in about 3 weeks from now. Alright, done.

Brian then informs me that he has already taken pictures of our current stuff and Craigslisted it all! What?  I tried to stay calm and thought maybe nobody would inquire about it …….. it will be fine. Wrong. When we went to bed last night Brian had already answered 3 emails about it. This morning there were 4 more. Brian’s reply- first come, first served to each one of them and he included our address and phone number. Within 30 minutes we had a man standing on our doorstep, cash in hand. My sweet husband even helped him load it. So that’s great Brian, but in the mean time……WHERE DO WE SIT?? Fortunately {for Brian’s sake} Mr. Man couldn’t fit the couch on his truck and he has to leave for a 2 week business trip tomorrow, so he’s going to get it when he gets back. Lucky Brian. Yes friends, the hubs sold our furniture weeks before our new stuff comes in. Honestly, this is just what we need after the 2 weeks of sheer joy and pleasantness that have been filling our home! Oh joy.

***And an update on our “funk,” Jack and I both have viral conjunctivitis {pink eye} but being that it’s viral, there’s no medicine to clear it up……we look super fantastic! His fever was 101 all yesterday and mine was 101 most of the day and ended up at 103 last night.  Ahhh, I felt good. My throat feels like it did just after I had my tonsils removed and me ears hurt, really can we get any better than this? Actually yes, yes we can…because we saw this afternoon that Jack is about to cut 4 upper teeth- our fun never ends. When Luke had the funk, it took 7 days to run it’s course, I am on day 6- please let the end be near for all of us. We would honestly love to resume a normal life soon, or as normal as we’ve ever been =) ***