Christmas at Nana's

On Christmas eve we had Christmas with my family.  We had a great time.  Everyone was there most of the day.  Roger came when he got off work.  Elijah talked Nana into opening one gift that morning and then the rest before supper.  He just could not wait until supper was over!  Everyone had a great time opening gifts and got everything they wanted.  We then had a great supper.  Pork tenderloin with a orange sauce, salad, green beans with red potatoes, broccoli casserole, creamed corn, and rolls.  YUMMY!!!  I have really enjoyed the time with family this year.  It has involved a lot of traveling and we still have some traveling to do, but it is so worth it.  Here are a few pictures of the fun!

Fairy dust and snotville

Well, Doug talked me out of doing anything from the House fairy last night.  He was afraid that it would not go with the program and Elijah would figure it out.  Regardless of this, Elijah is still picking up after himself today.  Sarah is totally freaking him out as she is pulling all the books off the shelf and has toys all over the floor.  I told him I would clean up after her, but he keeps telling her the House fairy can come any minute and he does not want her to get on the naughty list!  He even picked up his breakfast dishes and put them in the sink.  This might just work!!!!

Sarah is still snotty this morning, but does seem to feel a little better.  She slept until 9am, the latest she has ever slept.  Her eyes are not running this morning and her snot is only yellow and not green, so I think her antibiotics are starting to work.  Wow, it will be great not to have snot!!  This might just work!!!!

Cookies for Santa

We had to make cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.  Elijah loves to help in the kitchen, so he helped make the cookies.  He has decided that he is going to be a cook when he grows up!  I am so excited about this.  What age do you think they will let him in cooking school?  I would love to have a cook in the family!  Sarah napped while we cooked.  She just loves to empty the cabinets out, which is hazardous when cooking.  It really hurts when you trip over a measuring cup and hit the hot, open oven door as you are putting supper in the oven. 

Relaxing with Daddy.  The kids really missed daddy.  Mommy did too.  I could not sleep without him next to me.  I was glad when he arrived on Tuesday.

The House Fairy

Doug's cousin told us about an online program to help your children learn to do things around the house to build lasting habits.  The house fairy is Santa's sister and she reports back to Santa if your child has been keeping their rooms clean or other chores around the house.  There are videos that your child can view about cleaning their room, setting the table, manners, etc.  The package provides letters from the House Fairy, letterhead to write your own letters, reward suggestions, suggestions on age appropriate chores, ways to set up the room so the child can keep it clean, etc.  I had quickly viewed the website last week, but did not have the time to really look at it.  Now, typically I want Elijah to do things out of obedience not for the reward, but I also think rewarding a good behavior is beneficial.  We try to do positive parenting where we reward the good stuff.  Getting Elijah to pick up after himself has been a nightmare to put it lightly.  He typically cries and whines and wants help and it takes forever to get the job done.  I have resorted to waiting it out and then doing a massive cleaning and daring him to mess it up again, only for him to gradually make the mess again and then the whining and crying start all over.  I am totally fed up with it.  I am so ready to throw away all of his belongings.  So, Doug and I have been talking about starting chores with an allowance to go with it and to incorporate tithing with it.  When Donna sent us this information, it looked too good to be true.  We had decided to give it a try, so today I was looking at the site in more depth and did not hear Elijah get up from his rest time.  He came into the study as I was watching the intro video for the kids(thank goodness I was there and not on the parent video!).  I restarted the video and sat Elijah in my lap.  As he watched the video his eyes got wide.  The House Fairy challenged him to go to his room and pick up 5 items and then tell his parents and have them make an appointment with her.  He jumped out of my lap and ran upstairs to his room.  He then came and got me and showed me the 5 items he had put away.  I praised him and told him I would talk to daddy about it when he got home.  I continued cleaning the kitchen and he went back to his room.  Later he came and got me to show me he had cleaned up his entire room(at least a very good effort at it.  I was amazed that he could do it to be honest!).  He was so motivated.  He showed Doug as soon as he got home.  Tonight as we were putting him to bed he asked about the House Fairy and we told him we would contact her.  I just went online and ordered the package.  It takes 24 hours to get access.  Elijah came down a few minutes later and wanted to know if we had made the appointment with the House Fairy.  Crude.  What am I going to do?  I told him she was not available and we were waiting on her to return her message.  I hope it does not take 24 hours.  I want to move on this while the anticipation is high!!!!  I bought some fairy dust today and found some gold coin candy at Walgreens for 75% off since they were in the Christmas stuff.  I may just leave some fairy dust(glitter) and some candy coins and a note that the House Fairy will be getting with Mommy and Daddy to start the inspections.  If he does not do what he is suppose to do you just leave some fairy dust and no reward so they know the House Fairy came and knows they left their chores undone.  Guess that means you go on Santa's naughty list.  Hmmm, this just might work, at least long enough to form some positive habits!!!!

Snot, Snot and more Snot

I am sooooooooo sick of snot.  Sarah has had a runny nose for 2 months now.  I have had enough.  I am so tired of wiping it off her face and I am sick of wearing it on my clothes.  Will it ever stop?  I took her back to the doctor today.  She put her on a stronger antibiotic and said it was a sinus infection again.  She also took her off all decongestants and antihistamines.  Thinks that she has become immune to them.  If she is not well by Mon we have to go back in to see the doctor.  I hope this gets it.  I know she has to feel horrible.  She also has a raw spot under her eye where they have started running today.   Poor baby.  I want her to feel better NOW!!!!! 

Fun at Nana's

We had a great time at Nana's last week.  It was fun spending an extended time at home.  It made it so much harder to leave on Saturday.  The kids really enjoyed being with Nana and they are totally spoiled now!  Oh well, that is what grandparents are for, right?  I got to visit with a dear friend that I have kept in touch with through the years and it was great to catch up on the news.  I really miss being at home and close to my family.  There are so many factors about us being in Nashville that I do not doubt that it is God's plans for us, but I would really like to be closer and then just have to travel to one way.  Oh well, I have a great life and I would not change it just to be at home.  Here are a few pictures of just hanging out at Nana's.

Isn't she just adorable in this outfit?  I really loved it on her!  Oh my, that leg!  Hope Karen(PT) doesn't see that move!

Chatt Family Get-together

Saturday morning we headed to Chatt to get together with my mom's family.  We had a great time of fun and fellowship.  We ate, of course, soup and sandwiches and then visited with each other.  The kids had a small gift to open and then we did the scavenger hunt like we did at our birthday party for Jesus.  All of the kids really enjoyed the fun.  Sunday the kids and I went back to GA with mom.  Doug came back home to work and then joined us on Tuesday night.  Here are a few pictures of the fun.

Family Christmas

The Friday before Christmas we had our family time.  We opened our gifts.  We all had one gift from everyone else to open.  Elijah was so excited about opening the gift that we had to open them before supper!  We always have Christmas pajama's to wear.  This year was simple red with snowflakes.  After putting on the Christmas pj's we opened gifts.  Sarah was very excited about her Dora doll.  Elijah was also very excited about his boat and animals.  After supper and sometime to play the kids went down for the night.  When they awakened they were very surprised that Santa had made an unexpected visit to drop off a big item for both of them that he thought would be too big to bring home from Nana's house.  We had to hurry and get ready to go to Chatt for a family get together and then on to GA for the week, but Sarah found time for some added fun!  Then we were off to Chatt.  I will share more tomorrow of our Chatt visit with family.

We are back ... for now!

Sorry to leave you hanging for over a week.  I just felt awful with that virus last week.  I had planned on having several scheduled post for you to read while we were gone to GA, but I did not feel like it and on Fri I tried to post, but was unable.  I have tons to update you on, so I will have lots of post this coming week!  Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  We have one more Christmas to attend in IN with Doug's family over the New Year's.  We are looking forward to the new year and getting back into our routine.  Everyone is starting to show the wear from all of the traveling.

Stomach bug strikes again!

What a long week.  The stomach bug got me Tuesday night.  Man, this is a bad bug.  I have felt awful.  Doug had to stay home yesterday to keep the kids and look after me.  I could hardly hold my head up I was so weak after all of the vomiting.  I feel better today, but very weak and tired.  I did make it therapy with Sarah and then to Elijah's class party.  I will post pictures of it tomorrow.  Sarah missed her party yesterday.  She still has a croupy cough and I just did not want her to be exposed to anything more since we are traveling on Saturday.  She sounds awful, but with her low muscle tone in the throat she really forces a cough and it sounds croupy.  She seems to feel a little off, but for the most part is acting fine.  She is not coughing at night, which is weird to me, but then again we are talking about Sarah who sets her own rules!!!  I will post more later.

Christmas #1, in Mississippi

Have you heard about the movie called 4 Christmas'?  Well, our family can top that!!  By the time we get all of the grandparents, our family, and extended family get-togethers we are well over the 4 that they have!!!  This weekend started our Christmas'.  We went to Mississippi to visit my(Robyn's) grandmother with Pop-pop, Karen, Angie, and Roger.  We got there Friday night and as soon as supper was over we gave in to the begging and crying and whining and opened gifts.  This was probably good since it gave the kids more time to play with their stuff.  Here are a few pictures of the action.

I will not bore you with more!  You can get the picture.  Fun was had by all!!!  Sarah would rip one piece of paper and then just play with that piece.  It took us awhile to get all of her gifts opened!

Weekend Wanderings

Well, since Sarah was better on Thursday night when we put her to bed and she got up at 2 am and played for over an hour.  She just giggled and named all of the animals and their sounds from the nativity set and then threw baby Jesus and all of the other people out and just kept the animals in the stable.  We felt she was well enough to go on to Mississippi.  Did I tell you how much I do not like to travel with 2 kids?  Well, let me remind you.  I DO NOT LIKE TO TRAVEL WITH 2 KIDS!!!!  They do not travel well.  Elijah was all excited about going and got in the car just fine.  Sarah, after her early morning play time, was still asleep and slept for a little longer.  About 2 minutes down the icy, slick road in front of our house and me asking for the 100th time, do you think we should wait a bit before we go?  I really do not like to drive in icy snow stuff.  My husband being from the north and more sure of driving is just fine, in fact seems to be enjoying the challenge.  Elijah begins crying.  I ask him why.  He is upset that he is not getting to play in the snow and it will be gone before we get home.  I finally convince him that it might snow another day and he will have more time to play in it.  That holds him off for another 5 minutes, then he wants to know how much longer......hmmm about 8 more hours if we are lucky!!  Well, it took us 9 more hours with all of the stopping and letting the kids play.  The funny thing is when we got to southern Mississippi, they had more snow than we did and Elijah did get to play in the snow after all!!  Here is Elijah and Doug in the snow:  This is Doug.  He is waving Hi and getting ready to throw a snow ball.This is Elijah, he had two snow balls ready to throw!

Sarah seemed to feel fine all day on Friday and most of the day on Saturday.  Sat. afternoon she began coughing and having a runny nose and acting like her throat hurt.  By bedtime it began sounding alot like croup.  I sat in the recliner and held her to sleep last night, well at least she slept, I did not do much sleeping.  I moved back to the bed with her, but still did not sleep much.  She has been fussy and crying all day.  I can not get her to eat much.  The cough seems better, in fact, she is not coughing in the bed now, so maybe it is just a bad cough.  We are staying in tomorrow and having a pj day.  I need her to stay well for Christmas.  We are suppose to go to Chatt this weekend and then on to GA.  She may miss school all this week.  We will just see how she does.  Well, I am going to take a long hot bath and go to bed!  I will post pictures tomorrow of Christmas in Mississippi!

It's SNOWING!!!!

Doug just went outside and saw the snow.  We got Elijah up and let him play for a bit.  He was so excited that he did not even put on a coat or gloves.  I grabbed the camera and started taking pictures and then noticed he did not have on a coat or gloves.  Oh well, we just let him play for a few minutes.  He loves the snow.  He had to call the grandparents to let them know "There is snow in all of TN".  Here are a few pictures of him in the snow(yes, these are with my NEW camera.  Mom's just was not taking good pictures.  Too few pixals!):

  (The top of the van)

Sarah is doing much better tonight.  She got up and ate 4 crackers, a few goldfish and 8oz of pedialyte.  She then played for a while and now is back in bed.  Praying that she will feel lots better in the morning!!!

Long live the bug...

the virus bug that is.  Man, Sarah just can not shake this.  She is so pitiful.  I wish it was me and not her that was sick.  She is so little and does not understand.  She slept all day yesterday.  I would wake her and get some fluids down.  No vomiting, so that was good.  I really thought she would be better today, but she is not.  In fact, I think she is worse.  She does not want to get out of bed.  I really think this is the flu, even though we got the flu shot.  She acts like it hurts to touch her.  I am having trouble getting her to take fluids.  I have resorted to a medicine dropper.  She finally wanted to drink and I got a few bites in her and up it came.  I will probably never convince her to eat now.  She is peeing just a bit a few times a day, so of course they do not think she is dehydrated.  They will not give her phenergan for the vomiting, because that might make her more sleepy and drink less.  So, we just wait it out.  I voted for giving her phenergan and IV fluids, but we are in a hold pattern on that since she has peed in the last 6 hours, mind you it was only a tiny bit, but it counted.  I just want my little one to feel better RIGHT NOW!!!!!  I don't really want her to get stuck for the treatment, I just want her better.  Everyone else is healthy so far.  I have bleached everything that is bleachable and a few things that ummm are not since they are a new color now!!!  Oh well, they needed cleaning.  Guess I should have used the clorox anywhere stuff.  I used it on the toys, but bleach in the laundry.  Well, got to go try to get some more fluids down Sarah.

Tummy Bug strikes

Urgh, boy did it hit and went splat EVERYWHERE!!!  Sarah started vomiting about 9:30 last night and it lasted all night.  Today you can tell she feels bad, but no more vomiting.  She has a slight fever and is sleeping a lot.  She is drinking pedilyte and has eaten 2 crackers.  Praying she is over it and no one else gets it.  We are suppose to start our Christmas travels this weekend.  Mississippi this weekend, Chatt next then GA, home for a few days and then Indiana for the New Years.  We will see about Miss., don't know if we will make that one.  Praying that we can!!!

Sarah-bear-a

Wow, Sarah is really growing up fast.  I am so amazed at what all she can do and is trying to do.  She is a climber for sure.  She is climbing on tables, chairs, steps, out of her toddler bed, anything!  Yep, not excited about the toddler bed thing.  Now she gets up and plays when she should be sleeping.  We put up an additional side rail so she would not roll out.  She is climbing over and out the foot of the bed.  Honestly, as hard as it makes it to get her to sleep, I really am glad she is achieving at such a great pace.  We had her 6 month evaluation for therapies today.  I really do not like these visits.  I know it is for the therapist and for them to write her goals for the next 6 months, but I always come out of the meetings crying and upset.  It is just so negative based.  Katie is so great, she brought up so many of the positives of what Sarah can do.  All of the therapist just go on and on about what all Sarah can do, but when they are writing goals you just see all that she can not do.  I don't know, it just upsets me.  On top of all of that this is the last visit we have with Erin our OT.  This is Sarah's first therapist.  She loves Erin so much and is really going to miss her.  I know Sarah did not understand what is happening.  We will be continuing with Irene, we just don't know where yet.  Each of the therapist evaluated Sarah again and this is where she is based on the test scores, that in my opinion are just weird.  Some of the stuff they test for and some of the stuff they do not test for is crazy.  Sarah is at 21 months fine motor which is remarkable!!!!  She is only 20% delayed now.  Not enough to qualify for therapy if it was not based on her diagnosis!!!!  She is at 24 months comprehension with scattered abilities to 32 months.  Woohoo!!  She is at 15-16 months on expressive(language) abilities.  Irene commented today that she has 50 words recorded that Sarah can say or sign.  I was pleased with this since Sarah only talks if she wants too.    She is at age for stationary PT and 15-16 months for locomotion.  Sarah can not move forward in this area until she walks for 10 feet(I think) unassisted with a narrow base and steady speed.  Sarah started walking and then needed the ankle supports and then refused to walk, went back to walk, and now has decided she will only walk a few steps unassisted, but wants to hold your hand and walk everywhere.  Go figure!  In her timing.  One day she will want something and will just take off and realize that it is easier and continue doing it.  Right now she is really fast at crawling, so she uses it.  Here are a few of her 2 year old pictures from our photo session.  Man, I still have tons of pictures from that day to share!!!