And the next contagious virus is...

Okay. Enough already. I guess this is what happens when you have mulitple children going multiple places...getting sick.

This week it started with Ethan. He had a low grade temp all week with a slight cough and congestion. I thought it might be strep but after looking over the symptoms, having a cough was NOT a symptom. It did make for a very quiet week with him laid up in bed watching movies.

A few days later Ashton came down with the same low grade fever and slight cough. It was Saturday night and I figured we would have to wait it out until Monday morning before I could take them to the doc for a strep test. But that night when I went to brush his teeth, he started to scream. I took a look in his mouth and noticed the most horrific tongue sores! This led me to only one conclusion: HFMD (Hand, Foot Mouth Disease). Back when the kids were younger and attending nursery, etc, we had experienced this lovely virus. But I have to be honest, I have only seen a mild form manifest itself with my kids. Mostly a low grade fever and loss of appetite.

The symptoms are a low grade fever and loss of appetite but also sores in the mouth, hands and feet. Rashes on the body can occur as well as a sore throat are common. My poor sweet Ashton was bombarded with everything. He has huge sores on both his tongue and the inside of his cheeks. When he was crying, I noticed them by his throat as well. He has a rash too.

This is a virus, therefore, it is not treated with anti-biotics and must run its course. Hopefully he will be feeling better tomorrow, because today he is miserable.

What is up with these viruses? Maybe we should just stay inside for the summer!

And She Went Out Like This...

So after my group ride a few weeks ago, I noticed all bikers were sporting matchy matchy outfits. Even the guys had shirts, shorts, helmets, shoes and bike all of which was coordinating. I can understand women getting everything just right, but guys?! C'mon. So I made an important call to one who would know for sure what was up, my brother, Matt. He informed me that indeed bikers matched everything, everything.

This worried me. I had nothing except shoes and one pair of padded (yes padded) biking shorts. And they didn't even match each other. I didn't even have the ever important shirt with three secret stash pockets on the lower back. What was I to do?!

Matt came to the rescue. Before I knew it, there was a package on my doorstep. Inside was a helmet, shorts, shirts, glasses, gloves and other essentials. I must admit I was a bit nervous putting on the red shorts with the matching top (seen in picture). After coming downstairs, Garth asked if I was going out like that. So as timid as I still am with the biking community, I changed into a more subtle black short. Since many of the items he sent have a red/black theme, I guess when it is my time to purchase a bike, I will be looking for those colors.

I must give a shout out to my wonderful neighbors, Brian and Suzi, who have let me borrow their daughters bike (thanks Whitney too!) until I can afford my own.


So cool or not...I went out like this today. And I had a great ride!

I Want to Take a Nap

Ethan has had the flu all week. One night we gave him a half of a Tylenol PM to help him sleep. He thought it was great to "magically" with no effort fall to sleep.

It is 9:30 am. I am in the office on the computer. He just came into the room with a bottle of Tylenol PM and said, "Mom, I want to take a nap." I told him we didn't take these pills whenever we wanted to go to sleep...just on special occasions of need. He left disappointed and said, "Ah man, I have never taken a nap before and wanted to try it."

He didn't like my idea to just go lay down and see if he would just fall asleep.

Having a Ball

Calvin loves money. He loves to earn it. Count it. Organize it. Put it into savings. He loves to find something he wants to buy and figure out how much he needs to earn to buy it. I saw the other day the cutest list he had made regarding a paintball gun. He had three prices of paintball guns. The first was the highest price. He wrote underneath the price, "Gun I will most likely never get." The second said, "Gun I hope to get." The third and cheapest, "Gun I could buy tomorrow but would like to save and get better one."

He is constanty asking us if we need help with something so he can earn money. Well this week he found a great way to make some cash. Calvin and two of his friends have started selling golf balls. We live on a private golf course. His friend's house is located at a prime location on that course for selling balls. Yesterday they sold $60 dollars worth and he came home with $15. His face was sunburned, he was exausted, and yet he was so excited about going out the next day.

Today he had his backpack filled with high quality balls to sell and he was off to work at the crack of dawn.

You just gotta love this kid.

Sommer Camp

Sommer is 12 and that can only mean one thing...Girl's Camp! I have such fond memories of girl's camp growing up. I must admit, I have been thinking about how easy these girls have it compared to the rough and tough camping that I did growing up in Alaska. Here it goes...the "when I was your age" speech...

When I was your age our camp required:

1. We had to put all of our week's belongings in a backpack...a real backpack. One that we were required to carry.

2. In this backpack, we had to carry all of our week's food, sleeping bag and TENT (which brings me to number 3).

3. We slept in a tent. There were plenty of special mother nature moments that gave our tent's challenges such as: A. Rain (hopefully we had put it up correctly...yes, we had to put it up) B. Heavy winds (hopefully we had put it up correctly).

4. We had to put all of our food in big bags every night and hang them away from our campsite and in trees to ward off any hungry bears.

5. We had to have a backpack weigh in to be sure we could actually carry our packs. We then had to hike to our campsites (uphill both ways).

6. No showers.

7. No bathrooms.

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
Sommer lugging her week's supply of gear.
Sommer's required hike...to the car.
Here is one car load of excited girls. Check out Sommer crammed in the third row with her other first year friends!

I can't wait until tomorrow night to hear all about her adventure. I am sure she is having a blast. She might be a bit hot though...today and tomorrow it will be in the mid 90's with the ever so popular humidity.

The Joys of Molluscum Contagiosa

What is that?! Never heard of it. But it doesn't sound like I want it. Actually, you have probably already had it. If you see some little bumps on you are your child, don't worry. They will go away on their own. It is a common virus related to the small pox. It stays with you for about 6 months and then disappears.

But if you decide to itch the little bumps, you can spread them...hence root word in the name: CONTAGIOUS! Now, those that know us (especially all of Tate's friends from the park this week), don't start freaking out. Doctors DO NOT keep children isolated with this virus. If the bumps are festering (which rarely happens) and you take a bath with an infected person or such, maybe you will be lucky enough to get it. But don't plan on it.

Most kids get it and it goes away. But Tate was unlucky. He got it (from Ethan...they bath 2 or 3 times a day together) and it spread everywhere. When it spreads, it makes it very difficult for the body to work its magic and get rid of it. So this week the dermatologist applied something to each one of his bumps on his torso. He had about 30 on his belly, arms and back. Poor Tate had to endure a wicked liquid that was placed on each bump. They then put a little round band-aid on each spot for one hour. This is when things got crazy...

Try peeling 30 very sticky band-aids off a 5 year old's tender body. The first one came off quickly but took a bunch of little hairs with it. This immediatetly freaked him out. I tried to get the second one started but had to use my blasted fingernail to even get it started. By then, Tate was having nothing to do with the band-aid removal. I tried having him soak in the tub, but he started screaming bloody murder that the sores were starting to hurt. I am now at hour number 2. I start worrying about the liquid the doctor put on would fry off too much skin. I call the nurse to find out a simpler way to get the band-aids off. She says, "You need to get those off immediately! You can't have that stuff on for too long. It is going to blister his bumps...you don't want too big of sore!" So I start freaking out. I ask her why in the heck would they place 30 very sticky band-aids on already sensitive child skin. I try to figure out if it is the band-aid ripping off his skin or newly created sores that is the reason behind Tate's cries. She is no help and just tells me to get them off.

I take Tate out of the tub and start the process of torturing my own child. He braves through that lovely process. Once they are off I am shocked to see 30 or so blisters! And this is a good thing?! They quickly become very sensitive and painful. Poor boy. They are much better today as they have scabbed over. I am gearing up for this great news...he has to do this once a month for 6 months.

Chapter 2. So, he has a bunch on his legs too. Because he had so many, the doctor put us in charge of taking care of those from home. Every night, for the next few months, we put a cream on each bump. This cream is most expensive and it doesn't even smell like Cherry Blossoms. How much? Too much?! Way too much?! I won't even tell you because you won't believe me. Thank you so much dear Grandma Gair for taking this burden off our shoulders...if only it smelled like blasted cherry blossoms...you could borrow some.

And just to add to that day's joy...

Moments before I take Tate to the dermatologist, I look at Calvin who has just woken up. His eyes are almost swollen shut. A red blotchy area has formed down his cheeks. He has more red blotches on his waist line. It itches. He looks horrible. I decide to take him along hoping that the doctor will take pity on his and take a look (this doctor is almost impossible to get into...I had made Tate's appt. 6 weeks prior).

The doctor does take pity on us and takes a look at an almost unrecognizable Calvin. Immediately he says, "Poison Ivy. That is a pretty nasty case." He wonders if Calvin has been in the woods recently. No. He asks if we have a dog that might have been around it. Yes. I do remember Garth mentioning he has seen some poisen ivy climbing up some of our trees in the backyard. Great. I am now wondering how many of us have been giving Joey the dog rub downs. Luckily, no one else got the poison ivy...except Garth...when he got home from work and started removing it.

Great weekend.

Baby Love

This is my baby. I was looking for him the other day. After searching the house I finally found him just hanging out on the driveway. He had his chair, he had his brother's DS. He was totally content. He is pretty much always content. What a perfect baby.

Later that day I had to run an errand. Sommer was left home to tend. When I got home he was once again, hanging out in the garage. I asked him where Sommer was. He said matter of factly, "She left." I knew she was home (probably just quietly reading or playing). I said, "Who is watching you?" He says, "I am baby sitting myself and doing just fine."

I can't believe my baby is almost four. I tell him everyday he can't get any bigger. He always shakes his head up and down to ease my distress. But I don't quite believe him. Today he once again was wearing high waters. He is growing...my baby love.