Mathew gets stitches

Are you like me?

Do you "wait and see what happens" when your kids get sick?

Do you do everything in your power to avoid going to the doctor with your kids?

EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER?

I'm the mom that feels vindicated when I read that most ear infections will resolve themselves just a couple days after most kids finish their big pink bottle of amoxicillin.  I feel a sense of satisfaction when we manage to get over whatever germiness has come our way without dragging ourselves into the pediatrician and getting a healthy dose of "Well....it could be..."

It could be?

Sir. You do not deserve my 30 dollar copay.

You deserve the mess that my other 4 kids made of your 3rd circle of he_ _.
I mean, examination room.

Yes. They touched every one of those sterile tongue depressors. And that's what you get.

So then the nurse calls me from school. She says that Mathew has fallen and I'll need to come pick him up.  And I'm thinking she needs to bust out her box of bandaids. But you don't get to say that to the school nurse because then the jig is up and she knows what kind of mother I am. THAT kind. The "It's not THAT bad" kind.

So I go down there and I take a look and give him hugs and I have every intention of bringing him home and treating his wounds with a movie and a little Sonic drive-thru. Then he can wear jeans to school tomorrow and no one will know that I have avoided the doctor once again.

And then she says it.

"I'll call you after school to see how many stitches were required and check up on him."

BLAST!

I either have to stitch this kid up myself, or we have to go in there.

So we admit defeat and we head to Urgent Care.

And he gets his 5 stitches.

And for good measure, the well-meaning nurse gives my kids three very sticky cherry flavored otter pops. This nurse obviously did not understand what kind of mess an 18-month old can make with a melting stick of dyed sugar water.

It was awesome.

But when the nurse called, I dutifully informed her that he had received his 5 stitches and even though I believe in my heart of hearts that a little super glue and a bandaid would have done the trick, I know that my secret is safe with me.

The jig is not up.

I live to rationalize ear infections another day.

Separate but equal.

Last year Mark was able to take a trip to the Kentucky Derby with Ethan. It was a dream come true for the kid and gave both of them some great memories and much needed one on one time.

But you can imagine that for son #2, there was a little jealousy and feeling left-outedness.

Understandable.

But we also felt that it was time to stop treating them like twins. That means:

a) when someone gets something they are needing (shoes, jeans, school supplies) we are not obligated to purchase additional shoes, jeans, school supplies in various colors to avoid any accusations of unfairness from the other kids. It's a slippery slope, my friends.

b) we can avoid bankruptcy

c) in time, they learn to not go into shock when someone gets something that they don't. Eventually I wouldn't mind if they went so far as to be happy for that person.  These are lofty goals, I know.

So this year, we talked about Mark taking Mathew to spring training in Arizona. Mark's brothers like to go down and enjoy watching the baseball players and spending time together. But as the time drew nearer and nearer, it was obvious that the timing wasn't going to pan out with Mark taking work off.

So, Mark decided it was time to take a road trip to see the Cubs.

Chicago bound...with a borrowed hat from Dad.

They rode on the "L". Great fun for a kid that has never even ridden in a public bus. (I relate...can I get a witness, Paysonites?)

They rectified the "borrowed hat" situation at the game. And threw in a pullover and new jersey for good measure.

Mathew chowed down on the delights of the baseball vendors.

I don't think he enjoyed himself much.

While in Chicago, they took the opportunity to:

Stand in Lake Michigan

Catch a 3D movie

 Meet a lady with an unusually large head

Eat at the Hard Rock Cafe

See tall buildings

Endanger young lives on the top of tall buildings

And ride in a taxi

It was a great weekend for both of them and even though I felt a tiny little jealous at being left out, I plan on buying myself a purple spiral notebook next time one of my kids need school supplies.

And then there're the times when Mark texts me during one of their 'camping in the cold tundra' scout campouts and I feel even better about staying home with the babies.

Easter morn

This year we had a pretty low-key Easter.

I can tell, because I can't remember much about it.

Here are the baskets:

Let's count them: 1, 2, 3, 4.....5.

It happened. This was the year we stopped doing baskets for each other. We're lame.

Actually...we're tired.

Too tired to comb the children's hair.

Except for Ethan, whose hair is made of steel.

Does that make some of them sad?

Perhaps...but we have basketfuls of solutions.

And the laundry to prove it.

Pendleton farms.

There is this darling little farm that likes to email me all of its goings-on throughout the spring/summer/fall growing seasons.

It really is darling.

It's the kind of life I fantasize about. You know, me and my offspring working the land, by the sweat of our brow.

So wholesome.

So....not happening right now.

So, anyway, this precious little farm likes to email me. It tells me things like: "Come pick peas! You pick 'em, leave us half and you take half home for free!"

This sounds like such a great deal and such a wonderful activity to do with the little girls while the older kids are getting educated. But then you get out there.

And it takes you 45 minutes each way.  And gas is currently 400 dollars a gallon. And you remember that your own peas are going to be ready any day. And then you remember that it takes a long time to pick a basket full of peas with two active little girls, especially when other sucker-moms have gone down that row just before you.

But aren't they cute?

School pictures....round 2

 What is up with the taking of spring school pictures? Where is the blue background? Why is my child in the forest?

And didn't I JUST PAY FOR THESE???

Well. I say no.

I say, I don't care that the fall set is always fancier and comes with ID cards, key chains and personalized stickers.

We are sending them right back to school.

We're no suckers.

But first we'll scan them onto the computer.

Take that, Lifetouch!

Gross

My boys joined an afterschool club that had something to do with animals. I forget the specifics.

I do know that on the last day they came home with "owl pellets". These are NOT pellets that you would feed to an owl.

Apparently owls eat their prey whole and cannot digest the fur and the bones. So they cough those up.

In pellet form.

Then somebody picks those up and puts them in a brown lunch bag and sends them home with my sons for them to take apart on my kitchen table.

YUM.

Those are skulls.

With crazy-huge front teeth.

This is why hand sanitizer is so awesome. And alcohol wipes. And boiling hot water. And soap. And vaccinations. And prayers.

Laney turns four

It was the year of the streamer run through. I must say this was considerably cheaper than the year of the bed-of-balloons.

Also, it is important to warn the roommate not to walk through on accident and ruin the whole thing. That would case birthday tears and trauma.

Then it is down to the kitchen to partake of a Hufford rarity.

The sugar cereal. Celebrate!

Apparently all the big kids were out of school (spring break, maybe?) so we all went for a magical time at (surprise!) Chuck-e-Cheese.

We met up with Courtney and her kids and they made her feel special and loved...even though I had just asked them if they had wanted to join us the day before. I tell you, some moms just get it.

Later, we spent the day at our house making her favorite dinner (spaghetti, anyone?) and her birthday cake. This year Laney chose to decorate her cake using some of her favorite things:

I think it has that certain something, don't you? I think it's the pink beer stein that I love the best.

One thing about have a gaggle of siblings....somebody (Megan) is gonna make you a rockin birthday crown.

After our dinner we adjourned to the piano room for presents.

Her heart's desire was waiting for her....

I'm positive she had no idea what it could be.

I am a master at disguises and gift-wrapping. A winning combination.

And it was a hit!

Happy 4th, Laneybug.