Preteen Horror

My 2nd oldest is turning 10 today, she seems to think this means the freedom to make all of her own decisions. Not so! She has been attending safety camp a local high school through the boys and girls club, spending 9-4pm everyday alongside her BFF, Kambria. Well, this has led to an outstanding amount of defiance. In the past week, as never before, she has become so emotional, and arguementative that I have seriously considered checking myself into a motel, and calling it quits with parenthood all together. For example last night, she asked to stay a her BFF's house to swim after safety camp was over, OK, then at 6:30pm I went to tell her to be home by 7, that led to an emmediate freak out! She started arguing about what time it was, and "we only got to play for a half hour", NO, she ONLY got to play for 3 hours, not to mention all day at safety camp with her BFF. As she stood there whining, her BFF comes running up, "CAN GRACIE STAY THE NIGHT TONIGHT AT MY HOUSE, MY MOM SAID IT WAS OKAY?" This then triggered a rollercoaster of emotions. She was restricted this week from an sleepovers due to spending 3 nights away last week after school got out, and she tweaked it sunday when i worked, and got Dad to give in, saying "I forgot Mom" , SO, I said, no, the answer was already known. Then she began arguing further, trying to give me multiple reasons as to why it was so important for her to stay there overnight. "It would be easier since you have to take us to safety camp anyway in the morning", "kambria can't stay the night on my birthday so I should get to stay with her tonight", "I won't get to see kambria for a week, she's going to camp"....NO NO NO NO NO! She began balling her head off like a 2 year old. I was disgusted, and so angry. I just said, (6:40pm) COME HOME NOW! Forget getting to stay till 7. COME HOME NOW! She stood there like she was gonna ignore me, and I was ready to jump over that fence and grab her and pull her over it. Finally she ran off to get her stuff, balling, and came home balling, went to her room balling...Is this what I'm in for with all of them??????

Bugs, bees, and butterflies...

The boy is learning to say many things, mostly things that start with the letter B. He has been running around the house lately in awe shouting, "BUG", letting me know that there is a fly on the ceiling or any place else they may be landing, since they seem to have over taken our house. Last night he and Drew, ran around the yard trying to catch a butterfly, it was so adorable, and I ofcourse, did NOT have my camera handy. A day last week, we were out back, and a gardener snake came slithering through the grass, and he started chasing it trying to stomp on the darn thing all the while shouting, you guessed it, "BUG".
lol.

Leah

Leah is getting ready to turn 3 months old. Today she giggled for the first time as I was changing her almost OODP. It made my day!

Stranger Danger

My daughter, who just turned 5, and learned to ride her bike without training wheels yesterday has discovered a newfound freedom. Well, today, she asked to go to the nieghbors to play, and I went about my morning with babies, making lunch, then went to fetch her. No one was home at the nieghbors house, and yet, Drew was nowhere to be found. I ran out to the road to see if she was nearby riding her bike alone or with the nieghbor girl, NO DREW! I started to freak out! All the sudden spotted her red helmet, coming around the corner at the end of our road, which by the way were are at the complete other end of. She saw me waving and started coming back, then I yelled to her, "COME HOME NOW!" She did, and then we had a talk about how she went way too far, and did it ALONE! I told her she had to be very careful of strangers, and stay within 2 houses of us going back and forth only. She said, "okay mommy" Then I told her the things strangers might say to her, such as "I lost my puppy, can you come help me find it?" And she goes, " you mean with candy in thier car?" I was like, YES, YES, YES! She understands. So, now she is scared to death and refusing to ride her bike at all. Not my intention, but it will subside.

Babies, Babies, everywhere...

My husband was trying to tell me this morning how I should get an agency job and work for much higher pay. I am so sick of his bugging me about this. I have a job, I don't want to job hunt. I have babies to care for. I don't have time for resume's and interviews. So, I just said to him, as I was changing a poopy diaper, "Taking care of these babies is 24/7. They have to be taken care of. I really don't want to work now, I don't want to take them to a sitter, I don't want someone else doing it!"
And, you know, he said, "OK."
Bow down to Super Mommy!

Blog before Explosion

The plan: Beau awoke, I got up early, Leah still sleeping since she stayed up so late. I got him dealt with, thought, Hmmm...coffee and newspaper, after all the baby is sleeping still. So, get coffee started, went and got paper, then had to waste time by putting together my new vaccume.

What actually happened: Beau started screaming for candy, Drew begging for breakfast, Grace ravaging through the freezer, Darrin woke up, and I had to deal with the boy, so guess who got my planned coffee and paper??? HIM. I am sooooooooooo angry.

Oops! forgot to post...1st Day back to Work

My first day back to work after approximately 13 weeks of maternity leave was last saturday, the 4th of June. I was truly so excited to be out and working again, but it was all so new, so many new residents to care for. It took me alot longer to pass medication, I had to study the MAR's real well, and make a connection of faces to names, which I can do pretty quickly. I can tell you each person's name the next day no problem. But that first day was very slow to start. By the end of the night, I was back on track, and as I was finishing up giving insulin, I had removed the needle from the last resident, a subcutaneous injection in the abdomen, and I was using my left hand to pull down the safety cap over the needle in my right hand, and it pricked my 1st finger on my left hand, I bled. I had never done this before, so I had to report it to the DNS, and then go for a drug screen directly after work, and a blood test the following monday morning to test for hepatitis B, C, and HIV. Lovely, huh? Well, monday, as you know, I took Beau to urgent care, so I had to postpone my blood draw for tuesday before work. I will know the results in 2 weeks. The doctor did assure me that it is a very minimal risk for any of the above, and so rather than seeing me back in 6 weeks, and 3 months, I will go back in 6 months for the next blood draw.
Also, on my first night back, after peeing for the drug screen at 11:15 pm, I was on my way home driving Hwy 99, and about 1/4 of the way home, I see an owl flying up in front of me, and before I could slow down or swerve over, the darn thing went SMACK right into my windshield to the right of me. I just about wet my britches! No marks on my van, but you know that thing is dead. I was shaking! Anyway...what a way to start back out, huh?

The rash mystery

So, the boy came down with this rash the past saturday, started on his knees, and inner thighs. I emmediatley thought, hives, put some hydorcortisone on it, called it good. The next day, he had a slight fever, didn't feel well, the rash was no on his hands a little bit. Monday morning he woke with the rash further up his thighs, on his feet, and hands, no fever, acting normal. Took him to urgent care since my doc is out monday, and they quickly diagnosed him (2 doctors, in agreement) with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Hmmmm...never had a child with that before. So, it's contagious through saliva, but doc said not to keep him out of daycare. Took him to daycare tuesday, rash same as monday. Then, today, wednesday, he woke with his entire lower extremity completely red, deep red, almost purplish, and the rest of his body, spidery looking. I freaked! I started crying on the phone with the doctor, they said to just bring him on in. My doctor looked at him, and was a little confused, but was thinking Fifth's Disease. She went out, brought back in 3 pediatric books, with various photos of rashes. Yep, Fifth's Disease. So, she says he is contagious for 7 days preceding the breakout, then says, actually contagious for 7 days after the breakout, so I called in to work, keeping all kids away. Then I got online, and all information states, contagious for 7-14 days preceding the breakout, and so, any one of us may also have this but not even know until the rash starts. And, all the people that were in contact with him, kissing him, in the last 2 weeks, which means EVERYONE at Drew's birthday party. The rash is supposed to subside after 3-5 weeks, during which time it gets darker, worse, moving all over his body, until it finally fades out. What a horror!

Is it a full moon?

1. 8am~Beau keeps climbing onto this wonderful car/truck ramp given to us by a friend. He got up on top, in a diaper only, sat there, I said, "get down" he started to stand, and I realized the ramp was very close to the fireplace brick, he started to tip over, and I had the baby on a boob, could not get up in time, had to yell for 9 year old to grab him before he hit his head on the brick. My heart jumped out of my chest! 2. 11:30am~Storytime day, and all was fine, Beau playing choo-choo, Drew doing puzzles, I decide to look at a shelf of books, and in a flash, "Where did Beau go?" Again, my heart jumped out of my chest, on this time it also splattered all over the floor. I looked and instinct, there he was, between the double entryway doors of the library. I ran over, he just stood there, and as I approached he just laughed. Little demon boy! 3. 6pm~I was changing baby diapers, and smelled something burning, ran down the hall thought Heather had a candle lit, and then realized it was coming from the kitchen and saw smoke coming out of the dishwasher. OH NO! Opened it up real quick, a massive amount of smoke came out then, and you guessed it, the dishwasher was on fire! It was crackling away, and I rushed all the kids out, who cares about anything else? Tried to get the neighbor over to help investigate, but not home. I just made sure it was off, and the fire went out. Turns out the coil in the bottom somehow misplaced itself burning the plastic of the inner bottom portion of the door, starting a fire. There goes D's OT.
4. 7pm~Beau was happily playing 'cars', when all of the sudden he began screaming and crying uncontrollably. Took a moment to figure out what happened. The 9 year old was rocking the TV chair, and he walked beind it, got his foot pinched across the top. Nurse Mom, I emmediately grabbed a frozen bag of peas and put it on his foot, causing more screaming, but finally he calmed. Put a 'finding nemo' band aid on his foot, and called it good. He is now showing everyone who will look at his nemo band aid. Poor thing!

Mommy for Sale, please buy me!

I must have been having one of those "moments" earlier when I felt so much overwhelming joy and love from my children to journal such gibberish. Especially since right after I finished typing, all hell broke loose. Beau, once out of his high chair, which was 'decorated' in top ramen noodles, proceeded to follow me whining (refused napping today) as the baby screamed for booby. I put the boy and the now 5 year old into the tub, which the boy thoroughly enjoyed, and the 5 year old protested (what is it with girls and not wanting to clean themselves?). The 9 year old holding the screaming baby, now calmed to some degree. Got babies into PJ's, and suddenly, boy persistently pushing buttons on daddy's DVD player after being told NO NO NO NO NO NO (you get the point)...baby screaming bloody murder, Drew begging for a chocolate muffin when she did not even eat 1/2 of her dinner. Answer is STILL NO. Me making boys bottle, while baby screams, 5 year old crying no muffin, did not eat her dinner. Only fair, must eat dinner tomorrow for muffin. Boy in bed, baby on booby, 5 year old STILL whining for muffin, NO!, to bed for throwing tantrum, asking again, and again,and again, and again........AAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

To my children

Leah~ I love you as you keep me from sleep with your fuss, fuss, fussing just so that I will lay you beside me in my bed.
Beau~ I love you as you so athletically throw all of your top ramen noodles, and grilled cheese sandwich onto my freshly vacuumed carpet, all the while grinning and giggling.
Drew~ I love you as you sit so still in the middle of your room, scared to move, frightened that the "boo hag" may jump out and get you.
Grace~ I love you as you so dramatically sing along with your karaoke songs, while dancing like a show girl.
I love you all, with all of my heart, in so many different ways!