Day 7- Day of Discovery and Deep-Thinking

Asher baffled me tonight. Ya know, I say all the time that I think I sometimes take my kids' intelligence for granted. That maybe, perhaps, they are capable of understanding things I would never expect. Tonight, Asher proved that theory to be OH SO TRUE! In the big boy room, there is a ceiling fan PLUS a small fan sitting on their dresser. We don't turn on the ceiling fan much since they have bunk beds... don't want Xander to sit up in his sleep and hit his head on a spinning fan! So, tonight, after they were in bed, they both came out of the room...distressed!

(anything to get out of the room at bedtime, right?)

Anyways, Xander said, "The big fan on top won't stop going around. It's turned off, but even when I stop it with my hand, it is still spinning!" Asher said, "Mommy, I know the problem." (he's so smart) ... So I ask, "What's the problem, Asher?" He says, "The little fan is making the big fan go around!"

Sure enough, I go in the room to assess the problem... the small fan is pointing at the ceiling- thus... causing the big fan to go around! WAY TO GO ASHER! He really is an intelligent kid!

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Xander's moment of Deep-Thinking. The kids were watching Toy Story 3 this morning. Tim asked Xander about the big Bear that is on this one (the mean one). Well, this is Xander's explanation of the bear:

"He gives hugs on the outside, but he is mean on the inside!"

So true... so very true! Tim tried to turn it into a life-lesson about how sometimes people are that way... but the life-lesson was TOO deep for him, and Xander "checked out" of the conversation. But it made me realize how wise he is too!

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Was blessed today by 2 friends. They provided our family with Taco Soup and Tater Tot Casserole, plus a bag of chocolate (yum) and a super fun cup- it has a twisty straw on it... it should make drinking fun...since that's pretty much all I am able to do at the moment! Yay for great friends!

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STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT ICKY DISCOVERIES!!

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Today was technically day 6 of recovery... but if you count the day of surgery, today is 7. However you look at the day, it was DEFINITELY a day of discovery. I discovered how intense it feels when scabs dislodge from the tonsil holes. I discovered how nasty chunks of blood look as I was in the midst of coughing out the scabs. And I discovered how horrible the pain of a liquid pain killer actually is on now opened sores in my throat! I discovered the emotional ups and downs as at one moment I was sitting in tears because the pain was so bad... then the next moment I was laughing at something cute the kids said!

Thanking God that I have such a great husband...who, in the midst of my agony, starts singing a made-up song about how well I am coping and how good I am doing controlling my pain! He keeps me smiling in the midst of it all!

Thanks Babe!

Day 6- nice day

Today was good... Pain-wise: not so good! But, I medicated and slept until after noon. Then I got up and had lunch with the twins. Tim took big boys out for McDonalds and to pick some stuff up at WalMart for me. I think it was nice for him and the boys to get out of the house- we've all been cooped up since last Friday! I put babies to bed for nap around 130, so it was a nice, quiet, empty house! I was able to relax (and watch Grey's Anatomy)!! YAY....

Tim and the boys got home around 330 or so, so I had the boys go in their room for quiet time until babies woke from their nap. I invited my mom and brother for dinner. I thought it would be nice to have them over...Xander thought it would be nice to have spaghetti and meatballs! Everyone enjoyed dinner and company. It's always nice to have them over!

After dinner we sat around and chit-chatted until mom went home around 7. Tim was able to Skype with his parents in the Philippines tonight too.... Xander loves getting to talk to them even knowing that they are sooooo far away right now! Kids went to bed shortly thereafter! Poor Bella didn't understand why Me-Ma and PaPa aren't here... at bedtime, she was crying for them. Had to try to explain that they're still on their trip right now, but they will be home soon! :(

I made yummy cookies for dessert... click HERE for the link! There were super delish! I made them exactly like the recipe EXCEPT... I used 2 sticks of butter instead of shortening AND added extra M&Ms!! (of course)

Got to talk to a good friend, Brandi, some today. Well, didn't actually SPEAK...it hurts to do that, but we texted a lot. Need to keep her in your prayers, if you don't mind. She is almost 23 weeks pregnant with a little boy. She was told today that there is a hole in the baby's heart. Praying for her to not let herself stress- we all know that stress will bring nothing but more stress. It can't help at all! Plus, praying for baby Brayden... that his heart will be made whole!

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As long as I stay on top of my meds, it's not HORRIBLE.... sadly, that requires me to take stuff every 2 hours... not good for sleeping at night! Oh well... I just keep reminding myself that in a matter of just a few more days, this will be over!

Day 5

Today was a "fun" day. My pain was worse than yesterday... so I got new meds from the doctor.... here's hoping they will help! I MIGHT possibly have 'over-done' things today! I wanted to be with the kiddos, so I was- with the exception of a little nap in the morning. Otherwise, I was pretty much with them all day. I TRIED to eat- even tried a cheeseburger and fries. I managed to eat 1/2 of a cheeseburger- I was quite proud of my accomplishment! HOWEVER, within an hour of doing so, I hurt SO bad... So, I think I'll wait another day or two before I try something so rough!

The day with munchkins was pretty uneventful! Except for RIGHT before bedtime. Both big boys had to go #2... they always have to do that at bedtime. Surely that's not just my kids, right? They ALL wanna avoid going to bed, right? Anyways, since they had to go so bad, I told Xander to go in his potty and Asher to run in Tim's bathroom. (TMI: Asher goes faster, so I knew he'd be in & out quick...didn't need to worry that he wasn't in his normal bathroom) WRONG... when he was all done, he came out of the bathroom with a look of terror on his face. I thought maybe he'd seen a spider or something?? NOPE, he wanted to see what daddy's razor did. So, he cut this thumb. He was scared to say what happened...thought he was in trouble. I could tell what it was- the whole 3 cuts in a straight line thing- but I needed him to show me what he did. He finally did and he said, "I couldn't remember what it was for, so I checked to see what it does!" Poor baby, NOW he knows what it does! I doctored it all up... band-aids and kisses work wonders (thank GOD it was only superficial cuts). Then sent him off to bed. Sadly, with the drama, none of us went to bed for awhile after- were all pretty well wired! That kid is DEFINITELY MY child! I was always the one to get hurt on the craziest things.... there is no denying that Asher is just like me!!

Feel bad for him!! :(

Hope your day was great!! Tell me about your Tuesday.....

Day Four and Kiddos

So, instead of boring you with the ickiness of my Day 4... I thought I'd briefly update you about me...then talk about kids! This IS, in fact, the Boni Bunch's blog.... so it can't always be about me, right??

Well, about me... (lol)...today was better than yesterday...as far as pain is concerned. I am still pretty exhausted- can't do too much without needing a big nap to catch up again! But, I didn't need the pain med every 2 hours like I had been! 3 hours is doing it for me now! YAY! I think the scabs are trying to come off a little bit too (sorry if this is TMI: too much info)... but I kept getting icky white gunk on my tongue... think that's what that was- pretty gross! BUT after they fall off, I'll be on the good side of the healing process! PLUS, it won't look as nasty anymore!

Enough of me... now on to the kiddos' day!

My mom came over this morning to get the Bunch to go to the park. We have a LITTLE splash pad at our park here, so they have a BLAST running through the water! For some silly reason, Bella didn't want to go. They started out in the stroller; but after my mom got on the other side of my neighbor's house, Bella started crying "no water"...she didn't want to go. So Xander walked her back to the house where she stayed with me on the couch watching Blues Clues instead of playing at the park. Silly child... I say silly because the entire time she sat with me, she cried that she wanted to be with YaYa! I don't think she really knows WHAT she wanted to do!

Oh well, the other kids had a good time hanging out with YaYa! We had shower time... love this pic of the twins- they love being wrapped in the towels like Big Boys get to do! Xander has a HUGE bump on his back that he says itches. I can't see any actual bite mark, but it's so big... I drew a line around it so I can watch tomorrow- wanna make sure it's not growing! Weird, right??

Asher's silliness: About 15 minutes after going to bed, he comes out of his room tonight saying, "Mommy, I have germs on my fingers and by my mouth. Can I go wash them?" So, I got wet wipes and proceeded clean off his germs. Baffled by where this came from.... Xander comes out of the room. Tim says, "Xander, did you tell him he has germs? And why??" Xander explained, "He was picking his nose, so I told him it was gross and he has germs now!"

LOL...kids crack me up!

It was Jonathan's day to be a pill. He pushed Bella off the couch- scratching her eye. He grabbed and squeezed her nose- causing it to bleed. He didn't wanna listen to anything that me, Tim, or my mom would say. Needless to say, he was the kid who exhausted me the most today! Here's hoping for a NON-TWO-YEAR-OLD day tomorrow!! LOL

Hope your day was good!

Day 3

Today was better and worse all at the same time!

Better because I felt ABLE to get up and see the kids. I actually attempted to eat. Some things were not too successful...which led to part of my "worst"! But, it was nice to sit with the kids in small doses. It was nice to see my mom and husband OUTSIDE of my bedroom! It was nice when my friend Rachel brought dinner for my family, I was able to go out and talk to her!

It was worse in the respect that I am so exhausted. I am pretty sure it's because I haven't really had much in the way of nutrients. I am getting PLENTY of fluids (10+ cups a day)... but as far as food is concerned, it's so hard. So, without much food, I don't have much strength. So, today, I got dizzy a lot. While I was able to be out with the kiddos, I felt like I HAD to be in the room... I was so light-headed. I attempted to make a smoothie- a fruit smoothie with misc fruits, plus avocado, sweet potatoes, and yogurt... BUT I am pretty sure something somewhere had too much acid, because after only a couple spoonfuls, my throat was on fire. For about an hour all I could do was sit here and whimper! As the day progressed, I was able to eat a bowl of grits and a bowl of chicken noodle soup! I also had 1/2 of a strawberry milkshake for dessert! Wahoo!!

My throat is looking pretty bad. It's a black hole with white & yellow patches all over. I am told those patches are the scabs that should "fall off" at around day 4 or 5... we'll see how that goes! NOT looking forward to that experience! For now, it feels like I have a tiny sponge tickling my tongue constantly! It's the weirdest feeling.... and it hurts...not gonna lie to you, it hurts bad!

So, still looking forward to the day that I don't have to set my timer to go off to give me drugs... the day that I can say, "hmmm, it's not so bad today, I think I'll skip my meds!" BUT, til that day comes, here I am...still in bed... saying OUCH!!

Thanks for checking in! I feel tremendously loved by all the texts, messages, and Facebook posts! I appreciate the food that Rachel Bright delivered to my home today (Fritos, chili, cheese, hot dogs, and buns).... Wish I could eat them; it all smells so good! I am blessed with some really great friends!

Day Two

Today was not as nice as yesterday. Today was very painful. My meds say "4 tsp every 4 hours" ... but at about the 2 hour point, I was in horrible pain! So, I am doing 2 tsp every 2 hours... same amount, just spread out. This change seems to be helping me manage the pain a little better. My tongue feels pretty numb, so between the pain and the numb tongue, talking is a bit more challenging today! I ate pudding and yogurt w/o any problems. I tried eating grits... it took awhile, but I managed. My stomach has been growling, so I had Tim make some cheesy scrambled eggs. I told him to make 2...silly me! I ate probably 1 egg and then couldn't do it anymore. The whole eating process is very difficult!

The dr said that he doesn't recommend looking at my throat because it'll look nasty. Tim assured him that I probably will...often! I am... I am looking with a flashlight and taking pictures. Still trying to decide if I'll post the pics on here or not. Thinking about doing a progressive blog... when it's all healed, showing from start to finish. But not sure if I want to subject you all to them!! HOWEVER, many of you have asked to see pics, so maybe I will.... we'll see! I can see why though that the doctor suggests not looking! It's EWWW!

Anyways...back to my day! I got up at one point to get a shower and try to hang out with the kids for a little bit...I hadn't really seen the much since Thursday. But after only an hour, I was completely wiped out and had to come back to bed! So, here I am in bed... alternating between sleep, reading, and lap-topping (is that even a word??).... Hoping tomorrow feels a little better! I am drinking as much as I can handle...staying on top of my meds and numbing spray! So.... here's hoping!!

Tonsillectomy: Day 1

Today wasn't AS BAD as I had anticipated. I had been forewarned that I wouldn't be able to talk for a week, and that I would be asleep basically this entire first day.
BUT I can talk! Granted, it hurts...and I can only say 3 or 4 words at a time before I have to swallow & take a breath... BUT I CAN TALK!! Yay!
Then, as far as sleeping, nope to that too. I HAVE slept more than normal, but I've been alert enough to talk to a couple friends, to see the kids for a few minutes, and to try to eat a little bit!

So, day1: not quite as HORRENDOUS as expected. Definitely not pleasant, by any means, amongst the puking and pain, but NOT as bad as anticipated! Wahoo! Here's hoping the rest of the time is better than I thought too! I have lots of meds (5, to be exact) to help me through, plus an ice pack for my throat, PLUS a BIG bottle of raw, 100% pure honey. I should make it through just fine!

Thanks for alll the prayers and checking-in-texts today... I feel loved!!

p.s. Dakota's surgery today went well also! The surgeon was pleased with the results! He had a rough day trying to keep him comfortable, but that's to be expected... Continued prayers for him would be great too!

I love y'all!

Thursday's Thoughts

Today has been a busy day... I have all these things in my head that I want to accomplish in preparation for tomorrow's surgery! See, I made the biggest mistake anyone could make when preparing for surgery. I GOOGLED what to expect from an adult tonsillectomy. If you wanna find out why I'm pretty freaked out, Google it yourself and see... it's pretty scary!

So, in preparation for a few days of feeling like I'm dying, I wanted to make sure Tim is well taken care of.

#1: So, I got all the laundry done. I set aside 16 piles of clothing- each pile containing pjs + day clothes- for each of the four kids for 4 days. I realize that my recovery will take more than 4 days, but it's at least a start for him... it'll get him through the HARDEST part of my recovery. (maybe, but a couple things I read said that day 4 or 5 is when the scabs come off and it's TERRIBLY painful.... so we'll see).

#2: I also cooked enough food for him to munch on for the next 4 days: I cooked a corned beef brisket in the crockpot all day today + a full pan of cabbage rolls in the oven! This way, all he has to worry about for food is feeding the kids. For them, I cooked a box of mac & cheese, plus I bought hot dogs, ravioli, and chicken nuggets... plus fruit & string cheese & pudding & yogurt. SO...I think they won't starve! ;-)

#3: I wrote my Presidential letter for the July TMOM newsletter (this, I think, was the easiest thing I did all day!) It was entirely devoted to my friend, Scarlett, and her little boy, Dakota! If you don't follow me on Facebook, Dakota was born in January, and he's not seen his home yet. He's been in NICU for 5 months, and will be for AT LEAST 1 more month. He's the cutest little guy...can't wait for him to come home! Also, while I'm talking about Scarlett, another thing I did today was drive to Tulsa to deliver MY part of a big package we're getting together to send to her! It WAS nice to get out of the house for a little bit...even if it was just to run a quick errand!

#4: Bathed all the kids too... I figure if they'll be cooped up in the house for the next few days, they probably won't get dirty enough to warrant a bath/shower for a couple days... this way, while Tim is dealing with all of MY needs these first couple days, he won't have to add bathing children to the mix of his duties!

**SIDE NOTE: I think I'm sometimes too nice.... lol!

Anyways, so, that's my day in a nutshell. All I can think about is tomorrow. I have had 2 knee surgeries, gall bladder surgery, a C-Section, my wisdom teeth pulled, and a couple endoscopies. I have never been "scared" of any surgery I've ever had. I don't know why this one is so different for me. I am totally anxious about it. My blood pressure at the pre-op appointment was higher than I've ever seen it... probably because of me stressing! My dr said that I can expect it to feel like the worst case of Strep imaginable for about 7-10 days, but that I will have narcotics to ease the pain. So... I picture in my mind... a few months ago, I had HORRIBLE strep...the worst I think I've ever had before. If it'll be worse than that, I'm terrified!

So, here it goes! Tomorrow morning at 6:15, Tim and I will begin our journey. We'll leave home & head to the Tulsa Spine & Surgery Hospital (loved my pre-op visit...very nice facility & the people there are super nice). I have to be there by 7...surgery at 9am.

I made a commitment to myself to blog daily... that was my New Year's Resolution, but there's obviously a good chance that I won't be on here for a couple days. IF I feel up to it, I will let y'all know how it's going! I took a picture of my throat today... maybe I'll take progressive pics and post them all when it's all over... maybe not, that might gross you out, huh?

Anyways, keep me in your prayers tomorrow... keep Dakota in your prayers too, he's having surgery at 730 am tomorrow as well!

This WILL be ok, this WILL be ok!

Catching Up

So...Tuesday was a very good day! Nothing to complain about (except for the small interruption having to do my pre-op...but even that was "pleasurable"). BUT, by the time I got home Tuesday night, I was soooo exhausted that I said no blog, I'll discuss my day tomorrow. BUT..then yesterday, Jonathan and Bella were super cute, so I had to blog about them.

Now, I'm gonna talk about Tuesday...later I'll blog for today!
LOL...yes, I know,
I am a dork!

Tuesday morning started out with a TMOM playdate at the mall! The kids always have fun! I met a new mother of multiples there that we're all hoping will join TMOMs. She has 2 year old b/g twins, plus a 5 & 12 year old! She's super sweet! This is a picture of 3 of our double strollers all in a row... cracks me up!

Outside of the play area is a "doghouse" that my kids LOVE to climb on. I, however, do not LOVE for them to climb on it... but this time I agreed to take a picture- they're always so proud when they reach the top!!


After the mall, we went to Tami's house for a playdate after the playdate. She agreed to watch my kids while I had my pre-op appointment. Annissa was over too with her twins. They had 8 kids (6 in diapers) while I was gone for 2 1/2 hours! Annissa's little girl wears pig-tails like Bella...they bonded right away...it's quite cute!
After my pre-op appointment, I picked up the munchkins and took them home. Of course, by the time I got home, it was 4pm. I had to leave by 515 for the TMOM board meeting scheduled! So, in that hour, I fed the kids dinner (so Tim wouldn't have to), then I left again! Had to make a bank deposit for TMOMs, then I went to Tami's... again. We drove together to the meeting! Our meeting was nice... it's always fun- even when it's a business meeting- to hang out with these ladies...have I mentioned that I LOVE MY TMOMs?? Anyways, after the meeting, we went to Los Cabos for dessert & appetizers! We were there til almost 11pm. I love time spent with them! (yes, I realize I am repeating myself)!

I got home around 1140pm... whew, long day! I was soooo tired!
So, that was my Tuesday...later I'll tell you all about my Thursday!!
Have a good day!

No Bella Cheese!

Jonathan is such a sweet "big" brother to Bella! This morning I gave them both a slice of cheese. Bella dropped her's on the floor and the dog QUICKLY chowed down!

Sad, right?

Well the story doesn't end here! Jonathan tore his cheese slice in half (kinda, cause you know he doesn't understand proper dividing...but he meant well). Anyways, he tore his in "half" and gave a piece to Bella saying, "Piece my cheese Bella?"

Bella took the cheese and shoved it in her mouth to avoid the dog getting it again.... the Jonathan looks at the dog, shakes his finger and YELLED,

"No-No Juno...NO BELLA CHEESE!"

loooooooonnnnng day!

today, i left my house at 815 am... I went and went all day long. Now that i'm home FINALLY at 1138pm, i am completely exhausted! No energy for a real blog today...will fill you in on today in the morning! Goodnight friends!!

Monday Monday... So good to me!

Today was a good day! Of course, I am always sleepy and cranky on Monday, but today was not so bad! I slept really well for my nap this morning which made me a little more "pleasant" to be around! Haha...at least I think so!!

We didn't do anything extra-ordinary, but we vegged out at the house all day. I let Xander play on the computer...
he loves doing that!

I laid on the couch a lot...
the three littles love that!
They love being able to climb all over me. They love to lay down next to me and say, "night night"!

One of the times we were snuggling on the couch, I had to get up for a minute to take out one of the dogs.
When I came back inside, this is what I saw:
Just melts a mommy's heart...They're so sweet and loving with each other!

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This was not today, but I found the pic in my phone today and wanted to share. Last week, we went to Hobby Lobby with Tami. The boys LOVED dressing up in the merchandise... oops! Glad they didn't damage it! LOL!
Anyways, I love the look on Asher's face... he totally looks up to his big brother! You can tell he just adores Xander! Love the pic!

Tomorrow is my pre-op appointment... the big day is Friday!
(trying not to stress myself out!)

Happy Father's Day

For all the daddies out there, Happy Father's Day to you! For all the moms who have to play the role of daddy, Happy Father's Day to you too! I somethings think there should be a "Single Parent's Day" ... a day to honor all the moms and dads who have to do this parenting thing on their own. I can't even imagine what they have to go through. There are days when I am just about to pull out my very last hair, when voila Tim walks in the door and saves the day! Thanks be to God for the GREAT blessing I have in my husband! He is a great daddy and hubby! So glad he's in my life and SO VERY GLAD he's here for the kiddos! They absolutely adore him!

For Father's Day, the kids made him this shirt! It looks so cute on him! For dinner he wanted cabbage rolls, but since I slept all day, I didn't have time to make them today. So instead, he asked for fried junk... he wanted mushrooms and onion rings PLUS an artichoke! This man LOVES his artichokes (puke!! LOL), but that's what he got for dinner...then one day this week I'll make him some cabbage rolls! He's too spoiled!!


What did you do for Daddy's day??

Sleepy Saturday

Woke up this morning feeling HORRIBLE. Not sick, horrible, but in pain! My back, neck and head were killing me.

So, I medicated myself... I realized AFTER THE FACT that that may not have been the best plan. Ya know...the whole "Tim is at work and I'm home alone with the kids" thing...

It was all I could do to stay awake! I feel better... but omg, I'm so sleepy! Thankfully, my mom came over for a couple of hours and was my life-saver!

Took 2 naps today (1 while kids napping & 1 after dinner) ... NOW, gotta go to work. Sheesh, it's gonna be a lonnnnnng night!

Dates, Nasty Sandwich, and Loneliness

Today was a Fantastic Friday... apart from the migraine I had for a majority of the day. It ended with my mom coming over at 5 so Tim and I could go out for date night! We went to dinner, then saw a movie, then got Diet Coke and and ice cream cone from McDonalds...what can I say, I'm a cheap date! LOL!!!

It was nice to be out just him and me... Love that man!

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This is a picture of Asher's concoction tonight. Before I went out for my date, I made grilled cheese and tomato soup for the kids (per Xander's request)! Asher put his soup on top of his sandwich, then topped it with YOGURT, then sprinkled cheese on top! EWWW.... sounds and looks pretty nasty.... so of course, I had to capture it on camera! I'm not sure if he ate it all, since I went out...or if my mom didn't make him eat it, but BY GEORGE if I had been home.... He would've eaten every bite! .... maybe... I just don't know if I could make him eat this nasty looking thing!!
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My loneliness... I clicked on "edit posts" today to see my comments... do you know that I have NO comments on any of my posts in the last 8 days? How sad is that? I am feeling unloved! Can you show me some love today.... I know I have a "hit counter," so I see that people at least LOOK at my blog... but do you read it? Don't you love me anymore? Sniff, Sniff....

Ok

Enough of my pity-party!

Hope your day was Fantastic too!! Have a great weekend!!!

Cuties

I can not say enough... and I realize I am biased... but I think my kids are adorable!

This pic shows how sweet the twins are together... they don't like to go to bed without hugging and kissing each other! Even though Bella's eyes look a little creepy...LOL... it's still a cute pic!

Then this pic is from Bella at her doctor appointment today.
I can't get over what cute kids I have.

Finally, Big Boys exploring outside... They're pretty handsome too!
It's ok, you can tell me to shut up... I won't though...

'CAUSE THEY ARE CUTE!! (hehe)

Wonderful Wednesday

I'm so glad that today was a better day... Cause if it were bad like the last 2 days, I wouldn't be able to title this "Wonderful Wednesday!"

Had a dr appointment for twins this morning! Can't believe how much they've grown!! They're getting sooooo big! Then, after Xander got done with VBS, we went to lunch with Tami, and shopping at Hobby Lobby! Love that store!!

After our shopping trip, we came home for naptime! Even I slept for an hour...it was nice. Tim brought home deli chicken from WalMart so I wouldn't have to cook! then I cut big boys' hair ...so glad I don't have to do that often... Asher screams the ENTIRE time!!

Then bedtime... !! Goodnight all!

Two Things Tuesday

Pretty sad that I have my "two things" already and it's only 9:15 in the morning!

1- FYI... Fix A Flat does NOT work in all cars!! If you have the pressure gauging system in your tires... the system that alerts you if your pressure is not balanced...

DO NOT USE FIX A FLAT!

We have always used it to fix our flat tires... it's been a PERFECT temporary fix til we could get a tire replaced. WELL, we found out the HARD way this morning that our gauging system requires that we use green slime...NOT fix-a-flat! Evidently F-A-F destroys the gauge... and it, along with the tire, has to be replaced. SO..instead of spending $70 on a new tire, we had to spend $148 to replace the tire PLUS the gauge piece! UGH

<--BAD

GOOD-->






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2-FYI... VOMIT SUCKS! Jonathan has puked 3 times in the last hour...sure hope this day improves!! Poor baby boy... poor mommy... I can't get the smell of puke out of my nose! VOMIT STINKS!
(in case you didn't know!)

My ENT Appointment

What an exhausting day this was! After I got home from work, it occurred to me that I forgot to buy milk and we were all out...so I had to make a run to the store for milk. Then I took Xander to Vacation Bible School at the church down the road....he loves going there because 2 of his good friends are there too, so he gets to see them for this week during the summer!

After all that running, I got home with the milk and realized I had no clean sippy cups. So then I had to wash some dishes. UGH... JUST WANNA SLEEP!!

Finally got to bed around 9:15... pooped out!! Slept like a rock until 1230 when Xander came in to wake me up.

He said (or yelled...), "MOMMY, WAKE UP!! YOU HAVE A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT!" Then he turned on a SUPER bright flashlight and shined it in my face saying, "Let me see your throat mommy!"

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR... NOT how I prefer to be woke up!! Oh well... so on I go with my day!

I jumped outta bed at 1230 and brushed my teeth real quick...then ran out the door. (gotta brush the teeth before any appointment with someone looking in my mouth!)

Rushed to the appointment...got there 15 minutes early...only to have to wait 40 minutes before I even got into the room. For those of you who may have missed my blog a couple weeks back, my appointment today is at the ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor. I have had strep 3 times in 4 months, plus I had something growing on my throat. Weird, right?

So, I told the doctor all of my concerns...and he checked out my throat. Sure enough, I have a cyst growing back there. He said he could lance it, but it is not what's causing my recurrent strep. That problem lies within my tonsils.

The solution?

Take out my tonsils! That should solve the problem of me carrying around the strep bacteria AND it will make the cyst in my throat go away! It's like killing 2 birds with one stone!

The DOWN side to all of this?

He forewarned me...which is good, because I'd rather him not sugar-coat the details.... the recovery will hurt like the worst strep I've ever had for about 10 ish days... BUT...

The UP side??

He will give me meds to help ease the pain! So, while it'll feel like the worst case of strep ever, it'll be gone after a couple weeks (ideally) and I won't have to worry about getting it every few weeks anymore!

WAHOOOOOO!!!!

So, I have surgery scheduled on Friday, June 24th... pray for QUICK healing! If you have any tips on how to help the healing process a little bit, feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts. One friend said to try honey (it has TONS of medicinal benefits) or to try pure aloe. Any other ideas???

Then, after my appointment I came home and vegged out for a little while. RIGHT after putting the twins to bed and RIGHT before putting big boys to bed, Tim called. He said his tire was completely flat, he was stuck at WalMart...could I come get him. So, I had to wait til my brother came over to sit with kids. Then I left to get him; got home and put big boys to bed... I still had not eaten dinner yet... STARVING....

At 930pm, I got to eat... grilled cheese (with muenster and colby/jack cheese) and tomato soup! Yummy dinner... but I hate eating so late!! Oh well!!

It's now 11:30 and I'm a completely exhausted after only having 3 hours of sleep since yesterday ... goodnight friends...sleep tight!

Typical Sunday

Today was SO very typical!! And that's not necessarily a bad thing!!

Came home from work and cooked breakfast for everyone.

For the kids: "cheesy eggs" (essentially, a cheese omelet- lots of cheese)
For Tim: corned beef hash, bacon, and sauteed 'shrooms

For Me: not a thing... was not even close to hungry, so I just went to bed after they all ate... I regretted my decision when I awoke...I.WAS.STARVING!!!

When I woke up, Tim gave me his recipe find of the day!!
The recipe is Corn Flake Hot Dogs...
however, I didn't have any corn flakes, so I used Honey Bunches of Oats!
Yes, I know it's not the same, but it's the only "flake" cereal I have on hand...

and they turned out SCRUMPTIOUS!!!

Here's what I did... Dip uncooked hot dog in a Ketchup/Mustard mixture
(percentages of each depend on your personal preference)
Then I dipped the coated hot dog in the flakes
Then I put them all on a baking sheet and cooked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
Jonathan practically INHALED his, Xander says he didn't like it. Asher and Bella liked them about as much as any other hot dog. BUT, Tim and I both REALLY liked these weird hot dogs! They were really good.

Kinda tasted like a corn dog, but better!

You should try it!!

Goofy pics of my Goofy kids!

Playing Elefun... Kids love this game!!
Bucket-Head BellaJunior Tom Cruise
Risky Business (Jonathan)!!

Today was a much better day than yesterday! So glad my kids goofiness outweighs their frustrating moments... makes being a mommy SO WORTH IT!! In spite of the "don't do that"''s and the "STOP RIGHT NOW"'s, they do these cute things that just make a mommy's heart melt... Love them soooo much...even on "rough" days! Thank you, GOD, for blessing me with such great kiddos!!

ugh!!

Today was one of those days.

You know... Growing up, we're told "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!"

So, today being the frustrating, annoying, nerve-racking day that it was, I'm not going to say anything about my day!

I'll just say that I hope your day was better than mine!

Embrace the Camera

Today is Thursday... Embrace the Camera day. I've pondered what picture to use today, but couldn't come up with a good one...

UNTIL DINNER!

My in-laws went out of town for the summer- they left us their mini-van. We aren't really using it, unless we want to do something as a whole family. Tonight for dinner, we went out to eat ... I had a migraine, and didn't feel like cooking! So, we loaded up the Bunch and went to dinner. It was nice to be able to go out as a whole family without taking 2 cars. Thanks parentals for use of the van!! It's awesome!

(sure wish we had our own van...hmmm... maybe one day! LOL)

On Tim's side of the table sat Xander and Jonathan; Bella and Asher were with me! For some SILLY reason, Tim's kids (X & J) kept grabbing his arms. They wanted to snuggle... which of course would be cute and sweet ANY OTHER TIME but at dinner! While trying to eat, arm grabbing makes life a little more complicated! So, of course, being the ever-ready mommy, I got the camera out to show you just how "cute" they were!

Thus.... today's {Embrace}!

Loving Jonathan

I LOVE how Jonathan LOVES everything. Yesterday, he was watching an ant crawl across the floor by the front door.

Our conversation:
J- Bug here, momma
Me- I know, leave it alone though, and come eat!
J- OK momma, Bye Bye bug... I love you Bug... Bye-Bye!

LOL

Then, this morning.... I got him out of his crib. He LOVES looking at the animals painted on his bedroom wall. He says what the animal is and what sound it makes.

Side note: the twin room is decorated in Noah's Ark- 2X2 animals. NO....not because they're twins- it was painted that way before I had Xander because I LOVED Noah's Ark stuff...and it was PERFECT for when I had twins!!

Our conversation this morning:
J- Lion- raaawr!
Me- Yes, that's a lion! Good job! Let's go!
J- Bye lion, I love you, Lion! ... Bye key-cat (kitty cat), I love you, key-cat!

This boy tells EVERYONE and EVERYTHING "Goodbye" & "I love you" all the time... he's got such a big heart! LOVE THIS BOY!

Two Things Tuesday

2 things about today:

1- got to see some really great friends... always LOVE the first Tuesday of the month!!

2- learned many uses and benefits of honey and marigolds!!

Sick Xan-Man

I hate when my kids are sick! They're so sad and pathetic. It makes mommy sad for them. Especially when I don't know what to do to FIX it!

He woke up this morning saying that his hip was hurting... now it doesn't, but this morning I was worried that maybe it was his appendix. Now he's saying his arms are hurting. This afternoon, he was crying saying, "I don't understand why mommy didn't get me clothes today, she always gets me clothes, I am SOOOOO cold!"
*side note: I DIDN'T get him new clothes this morning because he HAD CLOTHES ON!!! LOL.... cracks me up!

Anyways, he literally cried for 10 minutes about being cold. He wouldn't eat at snack time or lunch time... he laid on the couch pretty much all day... he took a 3 HOUR NAP... he's so sad looking....

What do you think? Pathetic???

Hope he feels better tomorrow!

Sunday Slumber

Slept good today....

Nothing AT all exciting happened ...

Oh well... at least nothing BAD happened, right??

Lazy Summer Afternoon

We did just about nothing all day today!

Tim bought a set of Melissa and Doug building blocks- 100count (click link for Amazon listing)... it was a pretty good price. BUT... all my brain can think of is 100 blocks miscellaneously strewn around my house...UGH! So, I let the kids play with them, try to keep them in ONE central location, and make them clean up the blocks before they move on to another activity. I am fairly certain in the last 2 days of having the blocks, we've probably lost a few already, but all 4 kids love building with them! Good investment in spite of the mess!!

Jonathan and Bella decided that riding my leg like a horse would be sooo fun! NOT... my leg muscles hurt! LOL- oh well, their giggles make it all worth it!! Then Jonathan and Asher were playing with their trucks! I LOVE when they all play together NICELY! It makes for a much more enjoyable day! Finally, Xander had his sleeping bag out... always great fun! Jonathan pretended to get inside too! As you can see, Jonathan gets around... bouncing from one sibling to another! He sure is a friendly lad! LOL

Just a side note...

it is FREAKING HOT outside!!

Just sayin....

Soccer Awards

Today was soccer award night! SUPPOSEDLY, there was supposed to be all kinds of fun games & excitement before the awards. (T-Ball award night had giant inflatables, slides, sprinklers, etc)... all the soccer group did was a relay race, "bowling" - which was kicking a soccer ball into empty 2 liter bottles, and "throw water balloons at your coach. Xander was pretty disappointed that there wasn't much at all to do! He was bored stiff...poor kid! He couldn't even throw water balloons at his coach, cause the dude didn't show up!

That's right, Xander's COACH didn't show up for his team on award night. Maybe I shouldn't be bitter, but really, if the coach isn't going to be at trophy night, dontcha think he should let his team know?? Just sayin....

Anyways, Alison went with Xander and me to the event... all we did was eat free ice cream & sit waiting for him to get his trophy. Took some fun pics of Alison, me, and Xander... he kept running away from me when I'd try to take his picture, but those ended up being pretty fun pics too! LOL

Hope you enjoy the outside pics.... we had fun taking pictures...since we couldn't have fun with games! Haha!






----------------------------
Side note: Ya know how EVERYONE who asks "are ALL of these kids yours?" usually follow up with "wow you have your hands full!???"

Well, at Rocket Brothers (coffee shop) the lady in the window said the typical, "Wow, are all of these children yours?" I said "yes" ...TOTALLY expecting her to reply with they standard hands full answer. Imagine my surprise when her reply was, "Wow, what a beautiful family you have!"

I sat in shock for a millisecond before I said,

"Thanks so much"

I hope my pause wasn't noticeable, but I really didn't know the proper way to respond to a compliment... don't get those often enough!! LOL

Ketchup Cheese and Pizza

We spent most of the day at my friend Tami's house today. She had another friend (Alysse) and cousin...or is it niece?? I don't remember... anyways, Samantha was there too! Tami's girls are almost 1 1/2 years old, plus The Bunch... we had good times!

Funny story... Alysse was using her VIVID imagination to play with Xander and Asher... it was quite amusing. They were talking about going to visit "Cheese World." Xander was making Alysse "make" cheese...she was "churning" feta cheese (yes, churning is for butter, but 3 & 5 year olds don't understand that concept)! Anyways....
Tami said: I don't want Feta cheese, I want Muenster cheese!
Me: Oh yeah, I love Muenster cheese- that's what I want too!
Xander: Well, I want Ketchup cheese!
**We all froze... Alysse had to ask: What's 'ketchup cheese'??
Xander: They are having mustard cheese, so I want ketchup!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was Awesome, Xander... cracks me up!

For lunch, we had pizza... for dinner we had pizza. It was a pizza filled day! For dinner, we (The Bunch) plus my mom, brother, and in-laws went to dinner at CiCis Pizza. The in-laws are leaving to go on their missions trip to the Philippines... they leave this weekend for the summer! We'll miss them, but I am sure many lives will be blessed and changed a result of their ministry!! (pic on left is Nick and Debbie Boni- feel free to pray for them while they're gone this summer!)

Hope your day was as pleasant as our's! Be blessed!

Great deal

I got the deal of the year... well, probably not really, but it was really good! Went to Wally World looking for some shoes for Asher...found some, but that was NOT my good deal. Next to his box of shoes, there sat the cutest little girl winter boots...with little tassels & pom-pom balls ... hard to describe, maybe tomorrow I'll post a picture... but they are OH MY GOSH cute!

They were originally $16 boots... on clearance for $3!!

WAHOO!!

Were they Bella's size? Ummm... well... no, not really. But I think, maybe NEXT year's winter (2012) they might fit. So, yes, I'll have to hold on to them for like a year and a half, but they were too cute and too cheap to pass up!!

Share in my excitement, will ya?