Friday, January 28, 2011

I just might make it....

I didn't realized when I made the last blog post title "That's it" that it showed a little bit too much of my inner person screaming to take me far far away :) And after being inside the house for most of the week with a baby on steroids who has morphed into a totally different human- crying, screaming, tantrums, hitting, the whole nine yards- I have realized I can take more than I thought I could. I had to make a call to a friend whom is very experienced in the steroid department because her son is very asthmatic and she assured me that #1- It was totally normal to feel like I was going to put him out on the porch and leave him there and #2- he would be back to being my sweet baby that is calm and precious and loving again in just a few days. He started his transformation last night... playing and talking.... which I am serious when I say he has done almost NONE of all week! Lesson learned- don't think you can't take more because you can- with a smile- a crazy-person-straight-from-the-institute-smile :)

So- today is happy. Good things today.

Kaylee brought home a progress report yesterday- awesome as ever! 97 in Reading, 100 in Spelling and ... hmmm... forgot that one... and 98 in Math. She has breezed through second grade so far and I am so thankful. She is almost a year younger than most of the others and I was worried when I started her in school at 3 (few days shy of 4) but she has done great. I am guessing the fact that she is certain that she is 17 on the inside might have something to do with it. Now if I could only convince her that Kyle is not an alien put on Earth to ruin her life.....

And Kyle...oh Kyle..... He has done great academically... but his attention span is as long as his pinkie finger! He can do the work, but on his own time... sound familiar ( Joe David!) We have started a homework ritual at home where I time him on doing 2 worksheets and I keep all things going (tv, me cooking, the other two running around) so that he learns to work with distractions yet still get finished. So far so good. FUNNY thing- his class is working on simple addition now- and I hadn't paid attention that it only went up to 5 (5+3=8 etc.) and the worksheet I gave him went to 10 (7+3=10, etc), but I let him give it a try. It was just a few minutes and I saw him getting frustrated and he turned and shouted "Uggghhh! MOM! I don't have this many pingers!" (yes, pingers... the F sound comes out P every time!)

And Kaden, aside from his week of terror- is sadly getting big. He has been big in size for a while now- but his actions are getting big. He can sing full songs, repeat anything you say and he knows almost every episode of Yo Gabba Gabba and he walks around doing the dance and saying whatever. Some I know from hearing them 1000 times- but some I can't understand. He walks around saying "Hey Kyle, whatchudoin?" even when Kyle isn't here... he answers the phone that way too....so stinkin cute!

Have a great 50 degree weekend! Soak up some sunshine and breathe some fresh air! And if your utility bill was like mine- turn your heat down and open a window or two!!!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Thats it......

You remember me saying that starting the New Year off being cooped up at home with every body dropping like flies was not a good way to start 2011 off.... well I think it was just my life telling me to hang on for the bumpy ride! We went car shopping Saturday (no luck at all.... grrr....) and came home to.... you can guess this one- it won't be hard.... a very sick baby! He was fine when we left him at noon-ish and when we returned at 5-ish- 103.4 fever and croupy! (This momma knows that sound from a mile away- if you have been awakened during the night by a croupy baby you know you can never forget that sound!)
We slept a total of 1 hour all night Sat/Sun. morning. I sat and watched the clock hit 7 so I could make him an appt. and we were at Hsv. Peds. by 8:30. A steroid shot and prescription later and we were headed home (after stopping by 3 pharmacies- 2 didn't open til 12 and 1 is closed on Sunday... grrrr again...) So- we missed church again- it is becoming a theme these days. Go to church once- miss the next 3 times.
I am thinking we have alot of shot immune systems around here. I give them vitamans but other than that- what do you do?????

Anyway- JD had a GI appt. yesterday for a problem he has had with his stomach for YEARS now. They didn't find anything that was alarming (JD was alarmed- but if you know him- he gets alarmed walking to the car!) His problems are mostly from acid reflux (GERD) He has to wait to hear from a few tests but like I said- the dr. said he thought all his findings were from his acid damage- nothing major that meds can't fix.

That is it- my life in a nutshell- coughing babies and petting a husband whom is so scared of being sick that it makes him sick...... and me..... banging my head against the walls :) j/k

Did I mention I DETEST winter??? Loathe it??? Despise it???? well- I do. Just saying.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday.....

I thought I would get really creative with my blog title- this is all I had!

We had a long weekend- starting Thursday and ending last night. We attended a funeral and a visitation Thursday (with some shopping and eating in between) We got up Friday and though the kids had school 1/2 a day (I never really figured that one out??) they didn't go. I had to work- they visited Granny. Friday night- a wedding and out to eat with Dust and Mo whom we have seen very little of since early December. (we have seen very little of anyone since then because we were plagued with sickness) Then up again Saturday morning to get ready and go to TWO more visitations. My kids are very acquainted with almost every funeral home out there- but at this point they were like " Are you kidding me?". But- it just goes to show how close our church family is and how many friends we have. You love someone too much to count it as a burden to go pay last respects.... even with 3 little kids in tow.

Granna kept the kids while we went to one visitation. I told someone it is pretty bad that JD and I have to go to the funeral home and count is as a date :) We ate Subway in the car on the way there- very romantic (he ordered for us both and we had to bring drinks from home so we both ate for under $8..... and he was sure to tell me as he was paying.... he is a real Casinova!) We then met up with Chad and I rode in the back seat and had convo with Chad while JD slept the entire way there..... this is what dates become after 9 years of marriage I suppose.

We had church last night FINALLY! We have dismissed more in the past 2-3 months than we have in probably 2 years. It was good to see everyone.... and truthfully it was good to be out and about and doing something that was in our normal routine. The holidays and the snow have had me all crazy-out-of-whack with my routine and I don't like it! I have slept later and laid around more than I have since before I had kids and it is not for me. I like to stay on top of things because with our life if I let it go it has a snowball affect and I have a hard time climbing back up the hill!

And here we are- Monday- another no school day- kids are all still in bed (and we have an extra one we brought home last night) Daddy, Dee and Juliah are coming for a visit today so I have to go finish my run-through on my house. (Kaylee and I started it yesterday- she wanted to help and I showed her how to clean the bathrooms... really clean them..... little does she know that is info she will wish she never learned :) After living with JD for a few years I vowed that my kids would know how to do EVERYTHING by themselves before leaving my house. I question how in the world Chad and JD came from the same house and Chad can do it all and JD doesn't know what Tilex even is!!!!

Happy dreary,rainy (thank you Lord) not snowy Monday!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Still here.....

and the snow is coming down again! I did get out of the house for a bit yesterday- I made a run to the local Dollar General for some detergent and when I SLID in the parking lot I saw I sign on the door that they had closed early (most of the employs there are 60+ so I didn't see how they were gonna make it there anyway) - so I headed to Publix for an evening of shopping all by myself :) yes... shopping..... spending money on anything counts as shopping in my book lol! This is our 4th day in and keep in mind we just had a 10 day stretch of being cooped up.... so the funny farm is soon to be on their way to collect me with that super long sleeved jacket I always refer too! I went to take the garbage out last night ( yep I took the garbage out... again... JD seems to have no clue where it goes :) anyway... I hopped on Kaylee's new scooter and started driving it around the driveway in half a foot of snow....and ENJOYED it! Really people- somebody needs to come visit me before I am too far gone.....

We stayed in all day and I ATTEMPTED to clean the house... 1700 square feet + 5 people= Get over yourself... it ain't happenin! If I have washed dishes once- I have 15 times since Sunday! My dishwasher has been fully loaded and ran TWICE everyday- I have cooked up a storm and we have ate like fattening hogs! I was worried we weren't going to get to wear our new clothes we got for Christmas because we have been stuck in the house.... I am now thinking they aren't going to fit!!!

OK- as you can tell- I am bored. I have started a shopping cart on Gymboree- made Shutterfly albums- drank coffee- checked emails- and now blogged about it.... I think I will go clean out another drawer now.....

These are pics from Sunday when we ate lunch at Granny's. It was Chandler's first time to Granny's house.... so PRECIOUS!!!



Monday, January 10, 2011

Snow Day 2011.....

OK- I was a skeptic.... if they start screaming blizzard and you can't get in the grocery stores around here you usually are set up for nothing... not even a dusting.... so last night when 8pm hit and I saw nothing I thought "Here we go again- everybody spazzed for nothing" but I was proven wrong when the monster-2-inch-snowflakes started pouring down! We watched our brick wall slowly disappear beneath a blanket of heavy snow by 1am... and yes we were ALL still up! JD says the Lord was just making sure we didn't miss out since Kaylee and I were the only 2 who got to play in the Christmas snow we had.

We got up (super late) and had chocolate gravy, eggs and biscuits for brunch. We then started the process of bundling up everybody in our snow gear and headed out for some fun! Kaden has never played in snow before and he LOVED it! As you will see in the pics- he kept laying down and crawling in it! Kyle isn't a fan of being cold- but he had a blast helping Dad build our big AL fan snowman! Kaylee went to get the neighbors grandson to come play and they mostly enjoyed bombing ME with snowballs.... until they figured out I was a better aim then they were :)

Now we are all in, warm and cozy! We just ate lunch (at 4:30 pm- supper will be at 8 I guess lol) and I am working on my extra layer of fat for the winter by consuming some just-out-of-the-oven-fudge-brownies. I considered making snow cream.... but I don't know if I am THAT talented!

So Happy Snow Day to you all! We will be doing all of this again tomorrow since school is out (YAY!)





Thursday, January 6, 2011

Back in the swing of things.....

We are getting there! The kids went back to school yesterday and we actually got to attend church last night! Kaden didn't make it all the way - we left at alter call because his emotions are getting the best of him (and me) these days. I think it is a mixture of getting better/ terrible twos. But we were there.... I have witnesses :)

I didn't have to work today so I am getting a day of just me and baby at home and I have high hopes of tackling and conquering this laundry that has gotten washed and folded but not put away these last 2 weeks.
New Harmony has a singing Friday night and it is regular meeting time coming up and I have a full schedule going for next week- so I am taking the next 2 days in stride. I would like to run to town and get all of the extra Christmas things returned/exchanged - but after getting out to take the kids to school this morning- I decided it is cold and that can wait! I love some shopping- but I prefer it to be atleast 60 degrees with some sunshine if I am going to be dragging a baby and stroller around!

Maybe we have finally gotten through all the sickness for the winter... maybe, hopefully, please Lord!! I am so ready for springtime- except that we have all these winter church clothes that haven't had enough wear. I think I will start putting them on them to go to Publix just so SOMEBODY gets to see them lol!

OK- my random coffee break is over.... time to get something done.....

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

He is here.....

Chandler David was born last night sometime around 11. He is perfect and absolutely adorable! The 4d ultrasound showed that he had some big ol' pretty lips and he does! He weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 20 inches long. It took him a while to get here... but he was well worth the wait. He and Momma are doing good. Praise the Lord! We got to be there! Kaden was a bit of a terror (I would have left him with someone but all of my babysitters were there at the hospital) but we were all well enough to get to go. We peeked at him through the nursery window and then left to come home about 11:20pm.
This is the best pic I could get through a super crowded nursery window. I will have some better ones this evening.


Thank you Lord for another healthy baby!

Someone e-mailed me these and I just had to share....

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!

Though we didn't have a big party to attend nor did I get to attend the wedding that we have been awaiting for months now..... we still celebrated the New Year Cantrell style.... Taco Bell and fresh from the oven cookies (that only dad and Kaden enjoyed) and we were all still awake (Kaden I think was out on the couch) when the ball dropped again at Central time! Having all of us together, safe and sound makes for a perfect start to the New Year- even with the coughs and fevers!

We are still in recovery mode- Kaylee has been running 103 temps all day yesterday into the wee hours of today but we are hoping this is the last of it and it looks like it should be past just in time to get back to school next Wednesday.... grrrr.... but it is NOT looking promising that we will be there in person to welcome Chandler in on Monday unless there is a major wave of wellness that sweeps through SOON! I am already planning on a Skype session or something or else Kaylee and I will be devastated!

You wanna know what 3 kids who are trapped in a house for 10 days at Christmas break do... here it is in pictures....

They ride a power wheels jeep through the kitchen while wrapped in blankets (over, and over, and over, and over)...

They turn in to Buzz Lightyear and fly through the living room (the wings morph him into the REAL Buzz...it is hilarious!).....

They leave bags of Cheese Puffs in reaching distance of the little brother.....

They do puzzles.....

They watch Yo Gabba Gabba for 24 hours straight (and have a hissy fit if you don't play it again!)......

They sleep at very odd times so that no one goes to bed at a normal hour- but no one dares to wake a napping-been-sick-whiny-fussy-child.....


And they play rooms that look like Christmas blew up in them (I really can't believe I am sharing but for those of you with children I know that you know about
this!).......


And eventually they do get better and you don't mind all the messes and all the cleaning and all the everything.... you are just proud they are better and to have survived it and mark it down as the end of a year you will remember for the rest of your sane life :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May you all be blessed abundantly and have a very spiritually prosperous year!!!

The Cantrell's