Tuesday, February 20, 2018

More Swim+Outside Fun+Death Week of Sickness

I got this little floatie and Baby float last fall when everything went on clearance. Because, obviously, we would be using them soon. I had the same baby float for Ruth but eventually threw it away and we tried a blow up thing a few months ago that was not helpful. So I was excited to get the same thing and Russ can sit up now so he was happily splashing away in the pool!
The water really is that clear and it really was that bright. It was such a gorgeous day. We went on Friday afternoon, because our schools are weird and didn't actually celebrate President's Day on the day of President's Day. So we had Friday off to play!
Those two! All the heart eyes. The other day Ruthie told me "Russ just loves me so much!" and I said "He does! He is such a good, lovey baby." and Ruth looks at me and very seriously says "Yes, but he loves me the most of everyone." They definitely have a special love.
These two, on the other hand. When they aren't at each other's throats, they are so hard in cahoots and game-playing it's miraculous. Now if we could get more of the game-playing, and less of the fighting, that would be nice.  Today I was blow-drying my hair and I turned off the bathroom light to come downstairs and I hear Molly say "that's mom! Put it away!" They had asked to play the kindle and I had said no screen time...hmmm...but they held out on their story together quite impressively. I don't even want to think about what that means for the teenage years.







Dear February weather, you are perfection. Perfect 82 degrees for swimming in the hot sun, for riding bikes in the cool(er-ish) evening, for walking to the park and only slightly dying of heat. I can feel like we are on the cusp of excruciating humidity and heat, but we are just on the tip. Just enough to thoroughly enjoy and only die a little bit (like on Saturday at the park where we lasted ten minutes and agreed that only activities with water from here on out until next November.) but making the water oh-so-enjoyable. I love you February. Please stay forever. Sincerely, a concerned citizen.
She did it!!!! Molly has been much more reserved at trying bike riding than my other children. I mean, this is Molly, so she's pretty much just flat-out refused and ran alongside the other kids while they ride. But something changed and she decided she'd give it a go. And she did amazing! She has the 'slow and steady wins the race' mantra down and solemnly pedals along after the older kids. I'm so happy that she tried it and did such a great job!!

It's our Valentine's Day tradition to have little envelopes that we all write each other valentines in throughout the week, and open for FHE. And then make and decorate cookies. Unfortunately, it's been a rough week. Last week Ruthie had strep, then Will randomly had a fever one day. Then I got sick-ish on Saturday and Sunday. I went to church but slept for three hours afterwards (this is two sundays ago now). Monday I felt better and cleaned the whole house. Tuesday and Wednesday I was out. It was some sinus/head cold/gift from the devil horrible-ness that made my head feel like explosion would be better and I was proud I got the kids to school--and then laid on the couch the rest of the day. Poor Molly watched so much Doc McStuffins in those couple of days. Wednesday night it seemed to break a little bit, and I started feeling better and could sleep that night. Unfortunately, due to taking a few different medications to try and survive--and not nursing because a kid with four teeth who is teething and tries to use me as his teething toy is no fun, combined to mean that I basically weaned Russ. Not so much on purpose, but I didn't fight it too much either. I mean, the whole teething thing is pretty painful. A few bites in and the searing pain when he tries to eat again, not really my cup of tea. I was only nursing him 3x a day anyway--so we weren't losing much. Luckily, after an afternoon of sobbing, and my head splitting in whatever sickness I had, he took a bottle. And he hasn't looked back. It seems like Molly will be the only child that I make it to a year with. The rest were all about 8 months. And I don't feel bad. Most kids don't get teeth til they are a year old. Molly miraculously just never bit me. But if anyone has had a baby full-on bite you when they have four-six big ol' teeth in their mouth...they will understand. 

So after that, of course it just ran the rounds. Will had a fever one day, and slept most of the next day. Molly had a fever for the past two days and now has the post-viral-body-rash to prove it. Ruth had a light fever one day, but has mostly been just fine. Russ was SUPER fussy one day with a fever--who knows if it was what we had or teething...but it was probably both.

So by the time my birthday came around...I was really, really done. Sterling spent Sunday (my birthday was Monday but we celebrated when Sterling could be home) taking care of me and it was amazing. He sent me to church with just Will because we were the only for sure healthy ones (Russ was doing well but he naps during church time anyway, so it only made sense to let him have his nap.).  It was the most I've been able to focus on church in a long time and it was really nice. Then he had dinner going when I got home--grilled bbq chicken and rice and this delicious corn and bean salad. We had my favorite--angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries. OH which reminds me that on Saturday morning he also got up and let me go running, and when I got home from my run he had crepes made with nutella and strawberries and powdered sugar to eat. Basically--the man was amazing at restoring me back to normal after the REALLY REALLY hard days of the week before that he couldn't be there to help with. 

I *think* the sickness has run it's course. And as sad as it is to see my kids sick, I am very thankful that I am up and going again because we really need some groceries and clean bathrooms around here and less screen time, haha.

We did eventually make Valentine's cookies. Valentine's Day was the day I was probably most sick and Sterling didn't get home until 730 at night. So we postponed our cookie making. But it was just as good when we did get to it!



For Valentine's Day Sterling couldn't be home and I was sick, so I bailed on life and got Sonic for dinner. And I didn't want to bring it home to clean up the mess, and I really didn't want to get the rental van dirty, but decided--better the van than my house. So Will hopped up and we listened to the Magic TreeHouse while eating. Will is in LOVE with it right now--so if you have a 5 year old boy, try it out! The first book in the series was about dinosaurs which he is totally in love with because they just learned about them at school--so it was a hit from the beginning. We have books 1-8 on audio right now from the library and today when we got home from the beach the kids sat for another ten minutes while I unloaded everything and then finally I told them we'd have to finish it tomorrow. Haha.

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