Do You Have Fleas?

This morning James put flea medicine on George.  Samara wanted to watch.  After George got his medicine on, she asked "Me, too?"  James asked her if she had fleas and she replied, "Yeah".    James put an unopened packet of medicine on her neck.  All better!

The Appendicitis Story

It has been requested that I post the story about James' appendicitis.  Why you ask?  Well, it's simply hilarious due to my actions (or lack thereof), the chaos of the whole experience and the visuals that accompany the story.  No worries, though, there is nothing gross.

It was late June 2008; I was massively pregnant with Samara.  In a few days, we were going to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary.  Before we knew we would be blessed with another baby, we booked a trip to NYC.  James had never been and I was anxious to go back because I love the City.

Our plan was that Thursday night we would drive up to KC and fly out early Friday morning.  My parents had offered to watch the boys for the extended weekend trip.  Wednesday night I came home to find James laying on couch complaining of stomach pains. Being a nurse, I automatically start asking him questions.  He said that it was a generalized pain and that there had been a pot luck at work earlier that day.  Because the pain was not centralized, I assumed that he might have eaten bad food or had really bad gas.  And since my stomach hurt continually with pregnancy, my concern for him diminished.  My advice for him was to put his butt up in the air and fart.  And if my recollection serves me right, I think I even asked him to put the boys to bed. (maybe a dose of empathy on my part would have been more appropriate!)

The next day he didn't complain of his stomach and so I didn't think too much about it.  Then around 11:30am he calls me at work (which is very unusual).  He told me that I might have to pick the boys up from daycare.  Since I normally didn't get off of work in time to make it to pick them up, I immediately asked why.  He said that he might have to have surgery. (nothing like cutting to the chase!)  He went on to say that his stomach's pain had become centralized and because we were going out of town he actually went to see the doctor...amazing!!!  Anyway, his CBC came back normal, but the doctor still wasn't convinced it wasn't appendicitis so James needed to undergo a CT scan.  Being that it's our crazy life, the CT scanner at the local hospital was broken that day so James was driving into Wichita when he called me.

After getting off of the phone with him, I immediately began to try to get a game plan.  We don't have family nearby so I needed to call a friend to see if she could be on stand-by in case I needed to drop the boys off.  For some reason, I didn't have Friend #1's phone number so I needed to call Friend #2 to get it.  I had to look up Friend #2's number online.  Because her hubby owned a business and a home in the same town, there were 2 phone listings for their family. And what are the odds that at that time, both the business and house were on the same street? Because of my stress level, I didn't think that one number could be his business. I seriously thought there were 2 guys with the same name in this small town. And I don't know the difference between North and South, East or West, so I couldn't tell by the address which one was right.  I thought I would just go for it!  I called the first number and a guy answered who sounded just like the husband, but when I told him who I was, he pretended to not know me. He asked if he could help and I politely said that I would just call the other number.  I apologized for calling the wrong number and was getting ready to hang up when he quickly said that he was just kidding and would get my friend on the phone.  I told Friend #2 that he would feel really bad for playing a prank on me when he found out why I was calling (which he did feel bad, but it just adds to the story).  I was able to get the needed phone number and Friend #1 graciously agreed to be available to babysit if needed. (Friend #2 was in the process of moving so that last thing I wanted to do was add 2 extra boys to the mix)

I rushed to the CT scan office.  James was attempting to drink the contrast when I arrived.  He was doubled over in pain; I felt horrible for him.  After the scan, we needed to wait around to hear the results before I went back to work.  I realized that I had not eaten lunch; a pregnant girl never misses a meal!  I had just placed my order at Wendy's when we received the phone call.  James needed to head back to our local hospital for immediate surgery.  The good news was that his appendix had not yet ruptured so we were thankful for that.  I followed him back to our town, but instead of going to the hospital, I picked the boys up from daycare and then drove the 40 minute round-trip to my friend's house who was going to watch them.  By the time I got to the hospital, he was already in surgery.  The surgery went without incident, but because it was early evening, he had to spend the night at the hospital for observation.  He was roomed with a man who had dementia and a horrible snoring habit. Pay-back for all of the years I put up with his snoring! Friend #2's hubby came up to the hospital to check on James; of course, I said it was to relieve his guilt from his earlier joke ;-)   Once James was settled in for the night, I drove to pick the boys up.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering, what about the trip?!? We couldn't get a refund on airfare and Broadway show tickets so I knew that I was at least still going to go.  James was adamant that he too was still going.  Thursday morning I dropped the boys at daycare and went to work for awhile.  After leaving work, I went home and loaded up the truck with our bags, picked James up from the hospital, and then got the boys from daycare and headed straight for KC.  We had to make a pit-stop at Walmart to pick up pain meds and a walking cane.  James was too sore to stand up straight and needed a little assistance with walking.  (yes, it's ok, you can chuckle at the thought of James using a cane).

Early Friday morning we made our way to the airport.  Let me tell ya, we were quite the pair.  James is hobbling with his cane and I am the big, pregnant lady who is wheeling the luggage and is loaded down with a purse, carry-on bag and James' laptop bag (plus I was starting the pregnant wobbling stage...very attractive).

It was quite the experience.  Now I'm the running joke that if you have a nursing question, my answer will be, "put your butt up in the air and fart".  My nursing instructors would be so proud.

Can We Say "Naughty"?

This week it's the boys' turn to test the boundaries.  And oh how they have been naughty.  First, Malachi sneaked into the kitchen and ate all of the kiddos' jelly beans when I had specifically told him no more candy.  Then, yesterday, during 2 different events, the boys gave each other a bloody lip (one from kicking the other one in the mouth and then the other one hitting with a broom).  They both have been grounded from movies/cartoons and their Easter candy until Sunday afternoon.  But today, while Isaiah was in a time-out and I was upstairs attempting to paint the last of the trim, they both ate Twizzlers.  This has resulted in the loss of all of their Easter candy.  I know the lure to eat sweets is powerful, but I hope that soon (VERY SOON) they will discover that the desire to do what's right is a much wiser choice and produces a much better ending.    

Fashion Designer

I think we have a fashion designer on our hands.  This lovely tube dress was created and modeled by our very own Samara. It was made out of floor padding. It might need to be a tad altered.

Easter

The kiddos and I enjoyed celebrating our risen Savior together.  James sacrificed spending the day with us so that he could work on the house.  We started the day off with the kiddos receiving their Easter baskets.  They were pumped about all of the candy and the activity books.  Then they discovered their "big" gift...Season 1 of Sponge Bob.  Saturday night I called James with some ideas for a gift.  I knew they would absolutely LOVE this gift, but I absolutely would not!  After talking about the options, we decided that this was the gift to get. In order to keep my sanity,  I have rationed how many episodes they can watch in a day.  So far there have been no complaints.

After breakfast, we went to church.  The kiddos went to their classes while I worked in the nursery.  We left immediately afterward and drove to Salina to spend the afternoon with some of James' family.  There was the annual cracking of the eggs.  Before becoming a part of this family, I had never "cracked" an egg.  This is where each person gets a hard-boiled egg and the goal is to crack the other person's tip of the egg.  It gets very competitive.  I've heard stories of some of the more non-assuming members of the family having "indestructible" eggs (otherwise known as cheating).  I've learned who to watch out for!

The kiddos enjoyed hunting eggs and other Easter items in the backyard.  They found candy, chalk, gum, and bunny masks (which Malachi wore the rest of the day).  Upon finding everything, everyone gathered in the front yard to fly the kiddos' new kites and just hang out.  The boys loved playing baseball with the uncles. Grandma Salzman served us ice cream cones outside; what a fun treat! It wasn't until dinner time that we all went back inside.

The car ride home was pretty quiet.  Samara fell asleep and the boys enjoyed some Sponge Bob. Hope your Easter was as fun as ours!

Let's Work Together!

Samara has been pretty naughty lately.  Earlier this week, James had worked all day on getting the wall ready for the trim around our bedroom window.  When it was bed time, Samara sneaked in our room and put a huge hole in the wall.  This resulted in James spending way more time on this project.  She also hid some of the screws James needed. Today, we had the blinds from our room drying after washing them.  She went and smashed the bottom of the blinds.  Then, during nap time, she busted up the curtain rod that her sheers hang on.  Sister-friend, you're not helping us get finished sooner, please stop!!!!

Egg Fun

During James' lunch break, we dyed our Easter eggs.  Lots of fun was had by all.  While we were coloring the eggs, I explained the meaning of Good Friday and Easter.  Malachi's inquisitive mind wanted to know what eggs had to do with Jesus.  Uh, good question!

Before and After

Ok, I know many people are eager to see the Before and After pictures.  Most rooms are finished.  Our bedroom is waiting on trim around the windows and the outside needs some flowers in the white pots on the porch and then I'll update this post with those pictures.  Some of the pictures you have seen before, but I wanted  you to see the "Before's" along side of them.  Some pictures are not for the faint of heart.  Some are utterly disgusting... Enjoy!

The Foyer

Nice Tub to Greet You!

Ahh, Carpet on the Stairs

The Fireplace Room

It's Golden-licious

The Wall Had to be Removed

The Wall on the Left is Where the Piano Is

 The Living Room

NICE!

Not Completely Decorated  Yet

 The Kitchen

The Dining Room

The Only "Before" Pic We Have

The Floor Was Completely Removed

The Stairway

Still Playing Around with the Arrangement

The Upstairs Hallway 

Samara's Room

Beautiful Pink Flower Wall Paper with Gold Carpet

The Boys' Room

It took 11 Coats of Paint to Cover the Green

The Upstairs Bathroom (BRACE YOURSELF!)

The Room Was Completely Gutted and Reconfigured

This is the Wall Where the Tub Was At

Thanks for taking the tour!!!

Waiting on My Swagger Wagon

Complete the sentence:  "I will never _____".

Years ago the ending would have been want/own a mini-van.  When James and I were engaged, my college girlfriends would tease me endlessly that I would soon be a rockin' soccer mom in my mini-van.  I hurriedly corrected them that I would be a rockin' soccer mom in my SUV never a mini-van, EVER!!!!

I remember a time when we borrowed a friend's mini-van to haul something in (before we had our SUV's) James wanted me to drive it so I could enjoy the experience.  I refused.  I wanted nothing to do with vans. Period.

When we first found out Malachi was on the way, we needed a family mobile.  James tried his hardest to get me to look at mini-vans because a). he thought I would look cute in it, b). it would have lots of room for the family.  But being in my early 20's there was no way I would ever dream about buying one!  So, we bought a Ford Escape.  To this day it is my favorite vehicle I've owned.  It was sporty, had enough room for us, and was truck-like without being a truck.  It worked perfectly for having a newborn.  But when Isaiah came along, the Escape did not have enough storage for 2 little tikes and the backseat was crowded with 2 infant car seats.  James was driving a Mustang GT convertible at the time and so practicality set in and he traded his car in for the Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer.  Ahh...roomy, luxurious, a great fit for our growing family.  But, then gas prices seemed to keep increasing resulting in road trips being costly.

Since the Escape was only driven by me into Wichita for work, we decided that it was not worth the payments and gas so we traded it in and paid cash for a clunker Saturn.  What a demotion.  That car lasted 6 months, left me stranded 3 times and could rarely start on the first try.  It finally completely died on the side of the road on a dark, cold November night. I had just started back to work from maternity leave with Samara and it killed me having to wait so long to see her little face.

After that experience, we decided we would get a decent car.  We purchased a used Honda Accord (with a sunroof...that had always been my dream feature!).  The boys were able to sit in booster seats and Samara's seat fit between them.  Originally, I thought this would be ideal for our small trips to church, friends' houses, etc.  But because the Expedition is a gas-guzzler, it also became our long-distance vehicle.  UGH!  The kiddos can not help but touch each other and it is very rare for a trip not to consist of the "he/she touched me" argument.

Because of my pride, I thought I would never be caught dead driving a van.  It wasn't until I rode in a friend's newer Town and Country that I realized that I was being selfish.  The space, both leg room and space from each other, was amazing.  The ease of opening up the doors with a button now seemed like a pretty, darn good invention.  And the gas mileage has greatly improved on these, too.  I became convinced that our next vehicle purchase should be a mini-van.

Who knows when the time will come that I'll get my Swagger Wagon, but I have learned to never say "never".

Dirty Faces and Painting

Here are 2 pictures of some pretty dirty faces from last week:

This morning I sneaked upstairs to put away laundry.  The kiddos were busy painting.  I came down a few minutes later to find this:

What a beautiful mess!

Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Last Friday I painted our backyard fence.  It was a glorious morning and the boys were enjoying running around after breakfast.  I came across a few snails and so I called them over to take a look.  They were so excited about the find.  I encouraged them to go get their Critter Cabins that Uncle Matt gave them for Christmas.

For the past few months, they have been so anxious to find a bug or some sort of creature to put in it. How appropriate that the first thing was a snail.  Malachi then noticed there were empty snail shells and so he decided that his snail might want to exchange shells so he put all of the shells into the Cabin.  I am sure that there will be lots of interesting bugs stored there.  As long as no snakes call that home, I'll be good.