We arrived here safe and sound, but very tired after a loooong day of traveling on Friday. We had some minor car trouble, which caused a 14-hour trip to turn into an 18-hour trip...ugh. Nevertheless, we did arrive safely and with the car intact....whew! :-) God is good.
On Saturday, we had a visit from my cousin and his wife and their two little boys. They were taking our girls for a couple days, because our girls just loved them when they lived near us years ago, and they've really missed them. The girls wanted to spend some time with them while we were up here. And, they have a little boy who's the same age as Indy, so he stayed with us for those days. Both sets of kids had a ball, but I think they were both ready to get back to their own families. :-) Anyway, Saturday afternoon, we took the boys to the little playground in town. Right next to it, there is a "splash pad", which is a little water play area with water shooting up. They had a blast and cooled down after the playground. That night we ordered pizza for dinner. The next morning we took them to a couple historical sites nearby, which the boys loved! Then we went to a town up the mountain where we saw some more cool stuff. Finally, we came home and they played for the rest of the afternoon. Then we had hot dogs for dinner.
On Monday, we took those 2 boys, plus my other cousin's little boy, who's also the same age, to Charlotte to The Discovery Place, which is a really cool children's museum. They're under renovation, so we didn't get to see as much as usual, but it was still fun and we did get to see an IMAX movie called Under the Sea, which was just soooo cool! Just imagine 4 little boys all running around a children's museum! Next time I'm putting them all in matching shirts!! lol No, actually, they did fine and they were all good listeners, so we had a great time. Oh, they also had a shipwreck and pirates exhibit on display, which they all were fascinated with. But, I think their favorite thing of all was the pirate gift shop!!! lol I think we spent more time there than anywhere else. lol After that, we met my cousin and his wife for dinner and traded kids back. It was a really nice time, but I was glad to have my own 4 kids back!
Today we didn't do too much. I went with my mom this morning to do some shopping for Indy, whose birthday is tomorrow. I can't believe he'll be 7!!! Then we went to the grocery store. It was funny, actually, because she got a call when we got there, that she had to go to her office. (That wasn't the funny part.) So, she left me at the grocery store with the list to do the shopping. I did the shopping and finally headed out to the car. When I got to the car, I looked across the street to my mom's office, and happened to see my mom unlocking her car, about 100 yards away! I waved at her and she waved back. (That's the funny part!) It struck me as so "small-townish" that I could see her across the way and wave to her. You can't really do that in South Florida. I think mostly because everyone is always in such a hurry that no one ever takes time to look around. Everyone kinda lives in their own little world. So, I thought it was really cool that that happened.
And, finally (at last!!) tonight I took my grandmother out for the evening. We had a lot of fun, too. We went out to dinner and to Toys R Us and to the Christian book store and to the Dollar Store, which she loved! We ended up staying at the dollar store for almost an hour!! It was so funny. But, we did have a really nice time and I am always so happy to get yet another chance to spend time with her.
Well, that's all for now. I'll try to check in again in a couple days. Have a great week!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Bold and the Busy
The Busy:
Today I traded vehicles with Nicky so I could use his truck to take loads to the dump and pick up a dresser for the girls. Man, was it hot today!! I had Savannah and Juan (and the boys, of course) help with 3 dump runs and then pick up the dresser. We bought a $30 dresser from a thrift shop nearby. I was so happy to find a cheap, decent quality dresser. We washed it down then sanded it and finally painted it. Savannah is so happy to have a place to keep her clothes!
I'm not sure why I posted this, but I felt very accomplished today. It took most of the day and I was glad I hadn't planned on doing anything else major today. I usually try to plan on too many jobs in too short a time, so it was good today. I have a list for tomorrow and a list for Thursday to get ready for the trip. I'm pooped just thinking about.
The Bold:
Remember Savannah had received a modeling contract last month? She has 2 months to get her photo cards made and return them with her signed contract. We've put it off because the cards cost a little bit of money. Well, I decided that we needed to get the cards made before we left for the trip so we can return the contract as soon as we return. So, yesterday I asked her about the contract. She said she couldn't find it. She said she'd been keeping it in a specific location to keep it safe, but now it was gone. Nicky even said he'd seen it just the day before, but again, didn't know where it was now. Bummer. I searched her room last night. Then I searched the multiple garbage bags she filled with her room contents and put in the garbage cans. I searched the rest of the house. Finally, I gave up. I decided to pray about it. Not only pray, but taking lessons learned from my friend, Linda, I prayed boldly and with confidence. I specifically asked God to help us find it before 5pm today (Tuesday). I told Savannah and Juan that I was going to send an email to the company asking for another copy, but not until after 5pm. They asked why and I told them. Then, today, we found it. In a box in the corner of her room. At 1:30pm. Wow! What an awesome lesson for the kids to have been a part of, seeing God's faithfulness in such minor details. It showed them that praying boldly and specifically makes a difference. I was thrilled.....and so relieved....too.
Well, that's it for now. I'm not sure I'll have time to post again before I go, so if not, I'll catch you on the flip side. See ya! :-)
Today I traded vehicles with Nicky so I could use his truck to take loads to the dump and pick up a dresser for the girls. Man, was it hot today!! I had Savannah and Juan (and the boys, of course) help with 3 dump runs and then pick up the dresser. We bought a $30 dresser from a thrift shop nearby. I was so happy to find a cheap, decent quality dresser. We washed it down then sanded it and finally painted it. Savannah is so happy to have a place to keep her clothes!
I'm not sure why I posted this, but I felt very accomplished today. It took most of the day and I was glad I hadn't planned on doing anything else major today. I usually try to plan on too many jobs in too short a time, so it was good today. I have a list for tomorrow and a list for Thursday to get ready for the trip. I'm pooped just thinking about.
The Bold:
Remember Savannah had received a modeling contract last month? She has 2 months to get her photo cards made and return them with her signed contract. We've put it off because the cards cost a little bit of money. Well, I decided that we needed to get the cards made before we left for the trip so we can return the contract as soon as we return. So, yesterday I asked her about the contract. She said she couldn't find it. She said she'd been keeping it in a specific location to keep it safe, but now it was gone. Nicky even said he'd seen it just the day before, but again, didn't know where it was now. Bummer. I searched her room last night. Then I searched the multiple garbage bags she filled with her room contents and put in the garbage cans. I searched the rest of the house. Finally, I gave up. I decided to pray about it. Not only pray, but taking lessons learned from my friend, Linda, I prayed boldly and with confidence. I specifically asked God to help us find it before 5pm today (Tuesday). I told Savannah and Juan that I was going to send an email to the company asking for another copy, but not until after 5pm. They asked why and I told them. Then, today, we found it. In a box in the corner of her room. At 1:30pm. Wow! What an awesome lesson for the kids to have been a part of, seeing God's faithfulness in such minor details. It showed them that praying boldly and specifically makes a difference. I was thrilled.....and so relieved....too.
Well, that's it for now. I'm not sure I'll have time to post again before I go, so if not, I'll catch you on the flip side. See ya! :-)
Menu Plan Monday
Here's this week's menu, even though it's a day late. Sorry about that.Sunday- Creamy Chicken Alfredo
Monday- Roast Chicken
Tuesday- Steak & Mushrooms
Wednesday- Turkey Breast
Thursday- Baked Ziti
Friday- Tater Tot Casserole
I'm leaving Friday morning, so the menu is short this week. I'm putting the tater tot casserole in the crock pot in the morning before I leave so it can be cooked for Nicky's dinner. The next Menu Plan Monday won't be posted until Monday, August 10 or so, assuming my mind can function at that point. We'll see. Otherwise it will be the following Monday. See ya when I get back!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tooth Update
Well, about 11:30 this morning, Nicky called from work and asked about Levi. I told him about the band-aid incident and he felt bad for poor Levi. He told me to call the dentist anyway, even if Levi didn't want me to. He then spoke to Levi on the phone, probably lecturing about being a good boy for the dentist. So, I called the dentist and they told me to come in.
After taking an x-ray, they decided that the cavity had just gotten too close to the nerve and now he would need more extensive work on that tooth. And, since he wouldn't sit still last time, they really didn't want to try again. They decided to just put a "tooth band-aid" on it, you know, some of that hard white stuff to fill it in and keep it protected until he gets to the sedation dentist next month. Of course, he screamed, and all they did was put a cotton roll in and put in the white stuff. Afterwards, we asked if it hurt and he said "No." They did give me a prescription for an antibiotic, just to ward off any infections, and told me to keep giving him the motrin until the pain subsided. Apparently, when this happens, the pain gets worse and worse for a couple days and then begins to subside. That's when the nerve is actually dead. She said his pain should be bad for a few more days and then start getting better. We'll see. I just hope it's better before we leave for vacation next Friday!
Now, we just have to see how long that tooth band-aid will actually stay in there!!
After taking an x-ray, they decided that the cavity had just gotten too close to the nerve and now he would need more extensive work on that tooth. And, since he wouldn't sit still last time, they really didn't want to try again. They decided to just put a "tooth band-aid" on it, you know, some of that hard white stuff to fill it in and keep it protected until he gets to the sedation dentist next month. Of course, he screamed, and all they did was put a cotton roll in and put in the white stuff. Afterwards, we asked if it hurt and he said "No." They did give me a prescription for an antibiotic, just to ward off any infections, and told me to keep giving him the motrin until the pain subsided. Apparently, when this happens, the pain gets worse and worse for a couple days and then begins to subside. That's when the nerve is actually dead. She said his pain should be bad for a few more days and then start getting better. We'll see. I just hope it's better before we leave for vacation next Friday!
Now, we just have to see how long that tooth band-aid will actually stay in there!!
Need Tooth Advice
I need some help and you guys are so great at giving helpful advice, so please comment with whatever helpful hints you have.
A few weeks ago we took Levi in to the dentist and she fixed two of his teeth. He got one crown and one filling. He did great that day. The next week I took him in for round two, but he completely freaked out and they couldn't do a single thing. I took him to a sedation dentist to see if they could help and how much it would cost. Turns out there's good and bad news: The bad news is that my dental insurance is almost used up for this year, so we're going to have to pay a lot out of pocket. The good news is that my medical insurance will cover 80% of the sedation fee, which is also a lot, so what's left for us is not much. However, we can't get into the sedation dentist until August 21. We have that appointment scheduled.
By the time we had gotten to our initial visit at the sedation dentist, Levi's one complete cavity was broken, leaving a big hole where the filling was. Ugh. He's had no pain, so I haven't really worried about it. Last week, when I took Indy for a cleaning and check up, I asked the dentist about the broken filling and something about the crown. He still had no pain, but she confirmed that the filling had fallen out or broken or something.
A couple days ago, Levi woke up in the middle of the night with a lot of pain in his tooth. He's had it ever since Wednesday night and this is Friday morning. And, this morning, I caught him with the bandaids, trying to put one in his mouth on the cavity. Poor baby. I've been giving him Motrin at bedtime, just so he can sleep, which has helped some. But, during the daytime, I don't know what to do for his tooth pain. I've tried vanilla and he hates it. I've tried Ambisol, and he hates it. He won't let me put either one of those back in his mouth. I don't really want to keep giving him Tylenol or Motrin, but he's starting to not eat, which is a very bad sign for him. He's choosing not to eat, saying he's not hungry. When I ask, he confirms that it's really because his tooth hurts. And, now he's getting really cranky, like a little evil child. I know that's not him and I know what an awful pain a toothache is. No wonder he's cranky, but we've got 5 weeks until his sedation appt. So, do you know of anything I can do to help his tooth pain? A tea, poultice, something? Please leave comments with your ideas and I'll report back if any of it helps. And, if you think of it, please, please pray for relief for his pain, especially since we're going on vacation next Friday. I would really hate for my family in NC, who hardly ever see him, see him as a little monster.
Ok, that's it. Thanks in advance for your help.
Mylinda :-)
A few weeks ago we took Levi in to the dentist and she fixed two of his teeth. He got one crown and one filling. He did great that day. The next week I took him in for round two, but he completely freaked out and they couldn't do a single thing. I took him to a sedation dentist to see if they could help and how much it would cost. Turns out there's good and bad news: The bad news is that my dental insurance is almost used up for this year, so we're going to have to pay a lot out of pocket. The good news is that my medical insurance will cover 80% of the sedation fee, which is also a lot, so what's left for us is not much. However, we can't get into the sedation dentist until August 21. We have that appointment scheduled.
By the time we had gotten to our initial visit at the sedation dentist, Levi's one complete cavity was broken, leaving a big hole where the filling was. Ugh. He's had no pain, so I haven't really worried about it. Last week, when I took Indy for a cleaning and check up, I asked the dentist about the broken filling and something about the crown. He still had no pain, but she confirmed that the filling had fallen out or broken or something.
A couple days ago, Levi woke up in the middle of the night with a lot of pain in his tooth. He's had it ever since Wednesday night and this is Friday morning. And, this morning, I caught him with the bandaids, trying to put one in his mouth on the cavity. Poor baby. I've been giving him Motrin at bedtime, just so he can sleep, which has helped some. But, during the daytime, I don't know what to do for his tooth pain. I've tried vanilla and he hates it. I've tried Ambisol, and he hates it. He won't let me put either one of those back in his mouth. I don't really want to keep giving him Tylenol or Motrin, but he's starting to not eat, which is a very bad sign for him. He's choosing not to eat, saying he's not hungry. When I ask, he confirms that it's really because his tooth hurts. And, now he's getting really cranky, like a little evil child. I know that's not him and I know what an awful pain a toothache is. No wonder he's cranky, but we've got 5 weeks until his sedation appt. So, do you know of anything I can do to help his tooth pain? A tea, poultice, something? Please leave comments with your ideas and I'll report back if any of it helps. And, if you think of it, please, please pray for relief for his pain, especially since we're going on vacation next Friday. I would really hate for my family in NC, who hardly ever see him, see him as a little monster.
Ok, that's it. Thanks in advance for your help.
Mylinda :-)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Bubbles!
You're probably wondering why I would write a post about bubbles. Well, actually, I'm fascinated by them. If you have ever worked with little kids, you know that they love bubbles. But, the fascinating thing is that God invented them. Why would God ever invent such a thing?? Have you ever wondered that? I have. As far as I know, they don't have any usefulness, except entertainment. They float, which we can't do. They sparkle and have little tiny rainbows inside, making them look colorful. And, they can be mesmerizing, which is probably why the kids love them. You can blow bubbles for kids and they'll let you do it until you pass out! They never seem to tire of them. What a cool idea God had to invent bubbles. And, the funny thing is that bubbles seem to be enjoyed by most everyone, even older people.
It just strikes me as a little "wink" God is giving us by giving us bubbles. It's one of those seemingly useless things that give such delight and pleasure. Wow. How sweet of God to put these little gifts into creation just for our enjoyment. If you take a look around, I bet you can find many of these surprise gifts God gives us. Think of a child's laughter, of a precious friendship, of butterflies, and so many other things (not all of which are useless, mind you). Slow down a little bit and take a look. I know you can find some!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Birthday Boys
We will be on our trip to NC during the week of both boys' birthdays. Nicky realized this last week, and since he'll be staying home instead of going with us, he was disappointed he would miss their birthdays. So, to rectify this, we decided to do a "family" birthday celebration before we left for NC and before Ashton left for camp. We planned to do it on Saturday, but since Nicky had to work on Saturday, we changed it to Sunday. That became a VERY busy day.
After church on Sunday morning, we came home and I had ordered pizza online to be ready for us to pick up after church. (Man, that ordering online stuff is great!!) Before I went to get it, we decided to end the boys' torture and let them open their gifts. Levi opened this one first and just look at how excited he was!!
The funny thing is that he had no idea what it was, but he was really excited!! lol It was an insulated lunch bag, full of matching water bottle, snack container, sandwich box, and ice pack, all individually wrapped. Indy got one, too, with a different pattern. These are for our classes we'll be taking at the zoo this coming fall and spring. Indy wasn't nearly as excited. lol
Indy was excited about this electronic Connect Four game. He played it all day long. It'll be great for our 14 hour trip to NC!!
He was also excited about this XBox game. It's Lego Indiana Jones. He couldn't play it today because Daddy had control of the tv, so he's got it set right next to the XBox so he can play it when he gets up. lol
This was a "bump truck" (monster truck) toy Levi had wanted. It's this rugged ramp race thing where the trucks sit on top and race down. He was VERY excited about this one....even more excited than he was about the lunch bag!! lol
Indy got a Star Wars Lego toy, which I think he was the most excited about. He kept playing with it all day long. Here he is building it again.
And, here's Levi playing with the race ramp in his room. He just got a real kick out of it. And, it's really cool because it can fold up and store 6 bump trucks AND it needs no batteries! When was the last time you bought a toy you could just open and play with that needed no batteries?? Awesome!
After presents and pizza, we took all the kids to the movies to see Ice Age 3. It was really good; much better than I anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone enjoyed that. Then we came home and I quickly made tacos so Ashton could eat before we took her to church for camp. After she ate, we sang Happy Birthday to the boys and had cake. Now, mind you, I'm dealing with baking in a toaster oven, so I decided the safest way to make a cake for them was to use the bundt pan. The boys hadn't seen the cake. When I opened it up so we could sing, Levi said, "Hey! A big donut!" We all cracked up because it did look like a big donut!!
After church on Sunday morning, we came home and I had ordered pizza online to be ready for us to pick up after church. (Man, that ordering online stuff is great!!) Before I went to get it, we decided to end the boys' torture and let them open their gifts. Levi opened this one first and just look at how excited he was!!
The funny thing is that he had no idea what it was, but he was really excited!! lol It was an insulated lunch bag, full of matching water bottle, snack container, sandwich box, and ice pack, all individually wrapped. Indy got one, too, with a different pattern. These are for our classes we'll be taking at the zoo this coming fall and spring. Indy wasn't nearly as excited. lolIndy was excited about this electronic Connect Four game. He played it all day long. It'll be great for our 14 hour trip to NC!!
He was also excited about this XBox game. It's Lego Indiana Jones. He couldn't play it today because Daddy had control of the tv, so he's got it set right next to the XBox so he can play it when he gets up. lol
This was a "bump truck" (monster truck) toy Levi had wanted. It's this rugged ramp race thing where the trucks sit on top and race down. He was VERY excited about this one....even more excited than he was about the lunch bag!! lol
Indy got a Star Wars Lego toy, which I think he was the most excited about. He kept playing with it all day long. Here he is building it again.
And, here's Levi playing with the race ramp in his room. He just got a real kick out of it. And, it's really cool because it can fold up and store 6 bump trucks AND it needs no batteries! When was the last time you bought a toy you could just open and play with that needed no batteries?? Awesome!
After presents and pizza, we took all the kids to the movies to see Ice Age 3. It was really good; much better than I anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone enjoyed that. Then we came home and I quickly made tacos so Ashton could eat before we took her to church for camp. After she ate, we sang Happy Birthday to the boys and had cake. Now, mind you, I'm dealing with baking in a toaster oven, so I decided the safest way to make a cake for them was to use the bundt pan. The boys hadn't seen the cake. When I opened it up so we could sing, Levi said, "Hey! A big donut!" We all cracked up because it did look like a big donut!!Don't they look so sweet next to their big donut cake?
Well, they lost it after that first picture. They were raring to go!
Now, look who's sneaking a finger full of icing!! Not Levi. lol He's looking like such a little angel....yeah! We just didn't get him on film! lol
So we sang Happy Birthday and what do you do after that? They blow out the candles, of course! Unfortunately, I didn't have any candles, so I made them pretend to blow out candles. lol I'm so weird. lol Anyway, here they are being good sports for their odd mama and pretending to blow out candles. lol
After cake, we went to church to take Ashton for camp. When I went to find Levi to get his shoes on to go to church, I found him in the bathtub doing "tricks" with his bump trucks. He was having a ball! I guess the tub is good for more than one thing, huh??
Overall, it was a fun and memorable day. And better yet, they are still going to celebrate their birthdays in NC with the rest of the family!! Lucky ducks!!
Well, they lost it after that first picture. They were raring to go!
Now, look who's sneaking a finger full of icing!! Not Levi. lol He's looking like such a little angel....yeah! We just didn't get him on film! lol
So we sang Happy Birthday and what do you do after that? They blow out the candles, of course! Unfortunately, I didn't have any candles, so I made them pretend to blow out candles. lol I'm so weird. lol Anyway, here they are being good sports for their odd mama and pretending to blow out candles. lol
After cake, we went to church to take Ashton for camp. When I went to find Levi to get his shoes on to go to church, I found him in the bathtub doing "tricks" with his bump trucks. He was having a ball! I guess the tub is good for more than one thing, huh??
Overall, it was a fun and memorable day. And better yet, they are still going to celebrate their birthdays in NC with the rest of the family!! Lucky ducks!! Happy Birthday, my big boys!! We love you!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)