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TWO BY TWO Jackson Gabrielle Connor Brady Cooper |
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Stories February 17, 2009 Not only did we survive the doctor's appointment it actually turned out to be a pleasant experience. The kids were very well behaved. The babies started off a little rough but they settled down after a few minutes. My appointment was smack dab in the middle of their morning naptime. The doctor and nurse both commented on how well behaved the children were. He said, "I can't believe how quiet they are. Usually when we have only one child in here it's chaos." I don't think there is a greater compliment to a parent. My skin cancer screen went well. There were no places he was concerned about. I also got some medicine for my face. It must be a hormonal thing. Who knows? The rest of our day was spent cleaning up the house and doing laundry. Nothing out of the ordinary. I did have the hardwood floors guy come to fix a few areas that needed attention. I played in the basement with the kids for a while. Actually, I read in the chair while they played. I've been reading The Shack. It's a good book but a little deep. It's not just one chapter that's deep. It's the entire book. It's kind of like philosophy overload. I would say it's worth a read. Very intresting... Jackson and Connor are into a new little saying... "That's totally awesome, Dude!" To hear Connor say it is about as cute as it gets. His vocabulary and understanding has soared to a whole other level. He's starting to find his own way a bit and not stay so much under Gabrielle's wing. Some things however have not changed. I noticed today that when she has to go potty... so does he. When she needs a drink... so does he. When she's happy... so is he. I guess the old saying is true, "If Momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy!" Tonight Gabrielle looked at me raising her right hand and said, "RIGHT," then she raised her left hand and said, "LEFT." I was shocked. Later this evening Brad and I were working puzzles with the kids. Jackson and I were working on a letters puzzle. Gabrielle picked up the letter U, placed it in the appropriate spot and said, "U is for Umbrella." Then she just walked away. Jackson and I looked at each other like, "Did that just happen?" Nothing gets past that girl... nothing! Cooper is a walking machine. He's getting stronger with each passing day. He's also developing quite a little temper. If he does not get his way he will scream this really angry scream and then look at me to make sure I heard it. If I ignore him he does it again and then stares right back at me. When I tell him NO he bows his head down and cries the most pitiful cry. It's really funny but I can't let him in on that secret. Brady however has yet to show us much of his individual personality. He's very quiet and laid back much like Connor. We are looking forward to seeing what role he plays in the zoo! Brady has perfected walking at this point. He's working on trotting now. I'll be so glad when they are off their knees for good. It's really hard on their pants and my back!
February 17, 2009 Am I to believe out of all the readers of my website nobody has ONE SINGLE suggestion for birthday party activites? Come on people... I really need help! The bounce house is out. Turns out the weather isn't going to cooperate. I think the highs this weekend are in the upper 40's. Oh well. I have a pinata and at this point it's my only activity besides letting them run and play in the basement. HELP! I took the kids to Party City yesterday afternoon. Jackson picked out his party supplies. He's so excited. It's safe to say we are Power Rangered out! Memaw made a last minute trip to Kentucky yesterday. Her mother, Rena, suffers from alzheimers and is doing poorly. Memaw will miss the birthday party but Jackson understands. We've been praying for Memaw and her Mommy the past couple days. It's amazing what kids understand. We highly underestimate them. I have a Dermatologist appointment this morning. My face is breaking out like a 13 year old! Plus, I need to have a exam due to my prior skin cancer record. I am taking all 5 kids with me... prayers please!
February 15, 2009 The weekend has flown by like a flash. Brad, Jackson and Connor went with Grandpa to Macon where Grandpa has some land and a small house. The boys love to go and "camp out." Although it's nothing like camping. Actually it's my style camping with a kitchen, bath, king size bed and television! There are tons of hogs on the land and the boys love to shine the spotlight at night to catch a glimpse. They left on Friday afternoon and came home today. They had a terrific time. My weekend was great, too. Friday night Gabrielle, Brady, Cooper and myself went to Memaw's to spend the night. Uncle Ernie met us there, too. We had pizza and brownies and sat up late talking. Nancy and I had to explain to Uncle Ernie that we needed a puse counselor. She and I have the hardest time finding the right pocket book. (You can all laugh at me because I call purses pocket books) They are too heavy, too deep, too big, too small, too narrow, not enough compartments, too many compartments, the wrong kind of strap. Ughhhhh, it's exhausting. Ernie did not understand our dilema. He said we were just going to have to break down and get a really nice bag that we love and stop buying all these cheap handbags that we hate. I agree. Brad... I need $400 for a new Dooney and Burke!!!! I'm thinking that isn't going to go over so well. Anyway, Gabrielle was wound up Friday night at Memaw's! I've never seen her giggle as much as she did that night. She was adorable and I loved every minute of being with her. She has suddenly become such a Mommy's girl. Oh, I just eat it up, too. She is scared to death that I'm going to leave and go somewhere without her. She wants to sit right next to me. She gets prettier every single day. Her hair is so long and she's getting so tall. I can't stand the thought of any of the kids getting older. Brady and Cooper are my last little lovies. So sad. Brad and I agree that seeing Connor grow up is the absolute hardest. He has just always melted our hearts. He has such a sweet dispositon and loves attention. Awwww, I want to hug him right now. Saturday morning we were supposed to go to GG's for the rest of the weekend. Wouldn't you know that GG came down with a terrible cold. She and I decided that it would be best not to take the chance on the kids getting sick AGAIN. I hated to miss out on a perfect time to spend with Mom but sometimes the right choices are the hardest to make, huh? So a change of plans was called for on Saturday night. Memaw said, "I wish you and I could go to a movie." I gave Miss Marci a call and she was available to watch the kids. Memaw and I were valentines. We went to Zaxby's for a salad and then headed to the movie. We saw, "He's just not that into you." The premise of the movie was so true of women. We tell ourselves and our girlfriends all these lies just to protect our hearts from getting broken. Why do we do that? I hope that I can teach Gabrielle not to waste time on some guy who just isn't that into her. Of course, I have a hard time thinking any boy won't be digging my Sissy. That's the part that scares me most! This afternoon we met the boys in Alpharetta for lunch and then headed home with all 7 of us in gear. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing some chores and playing outside with the kids. I headed to the grocery store this evening. Everyone is in the bed and the house is dead silent. I love to listen to the creaks of the house. Knowing that my family is together under one roof is comforting beyond words. Jackson's birthday is Thursday. His party is on Saturday. I asked him what he wanted for dinner Thursday night and he said, "Pizza and Cookies." So that's what we're having. He is so excited about his party. I've invited all the boys from his class... I think that's 8... along with Grant, Ryan, and three neighbors. Even though it's a boys only party we invited Raigan and Chandler, Kim and Don's girls. So I'm thinking out of 15 kids we may have 10? Who knows? We are going to have pizza, cake and some dips for the adults. I am trying to work it out to rent a Bounce House for the party. They can be pretty expensive so I'm shopping around a bit. I want it to be a surprise. Jackson would have a fit if he knew we were doing this. He loves those things. We are going to set up everything in the backyard. We have a beautiful patio that leads into the basement so the kids can come in and out to play. We also have a small kitchen that will be perfect for setting up drinks and such. I can't wait! I love doing their parties. LOVE IT. Especially for Jackson because he gets as into it as I do. He'll have a blast no matter how many kids show up and so will I. Heck, we have enough people in our family to have a pretty good party on our own! I got the car out of the shop on Saturday. Turns out it needed a fuel filter. That cost us right at $600!!! I'm so thankful to have it back. Having a car is a huge blessing and I appreciated it more since it's been gone. Have a great week and please leave a comment on any good ideas for birthday games or activities. Just in case we don't have the bounce house I need something fun for them to do.
February 12, 2009 I've often thought to myself, "What would I do if my car broke down and I was alone with all the kids?" Today I found out the answer to that question. Papa left this morning and of course something like this would happen when I didn't have a backup. Brad was working in Blue Ridge which is a 55 mile drive from home. I had left with the kids to pick up Jackson from school. After school we went to McDonald's for lunch. We met Nathan and his Dad there so the kids could play. The babies started to really get tired and fussy and it was time to leave. We all got loaded in the car and headed home. I had just gotten off the exit ramp off 575-S when the car just went kaput. I was pushing the gas and nothing was happening. I was able to break and pull off onto the shoulder. I turned the car all the way off and started it again. This time it stayed on for only a few seconds then back off. I had a full tank of gas and power. The lights, radio and DVD player still worked. I called Brad and he said to call Don and Kim and see if they could come help. I could not get a hold of either one of them. Finally I called 911 and they sent an officer. Before he arrived a gentleman stopped and offered help. He said it was probably the fuel pump. The officer arrived and sent me a tow truck. I finally got in touch with Kim and she came to my rescue. She had enough room for 3 kids in her car. The officer took Jackson, Connor and myself in the police car. Kim went onto the house and we headed to the auto shop to sign for the wrecker. It cost us $65 for the wrecker. I honestly thought it was going to be a lot more than that. The mechanic said he would try to look at it today but couldn't promise anything. I did break down at one point into tears. When I couldn't get a hold of anyone I started to panic realizing I really had about 2 people I could call for help. If I'd still been in Indy there were at least 25 people that would have rushed to my rescue. I miss ya'll! I know why this happened. Yesterday I was sitting at a stop sign when a brand new shiny silver Ford Expedition passed. I called Brad and said, "I just had a greedy moment. I saw this sharp Expedition and I want one!" I've had a change of heart... I love my shiny black good condition Suburban. It's been a great car, perfect for 5 kids and looks awesome! Lord, forgive me? The good side:
February 11, 2009 Have you enjoyed the YouTube? Here are a few more! Cooper pitching a fit! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFeaNrEN2t0 Gabrielle and Jackson having a picnic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxIYJnHZHa0 Brady walking! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBmLyN9BB6Q Gabrielle and Brady doing the Booty Dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8FTW9-8KFg Brady has decided that he does not need to crawl anymore. He is walking everywhere and it's adorable. He is doing that Frankenstein walk with his arms out to balance himself. Now that Cooper sees Brady he's starting to walk a alot more just not as sure of himself. However, Cooper does have one thing over Brady and that's talking. Cooper started to say "P" words like Papa! It's something new everyday.
February 10, 2009 Papa is still in town, yeah! I took Jackson to school this morning and headed to Marietta. I had to drop off our taxes. That took about an hour and a half. I called Papa and he said, "Please take your time. We are fine. Go do whatever you want." That's all I needed to hear. I went to Chick Fil A for a chicken burrito and coffee. I sat there sipping coffee and reading USA Today. It was blissful. Next I headed to do some shopping. I didn't spend any money... just browsed. I hit the grocery then it was time to pick up Jackson. We came home and played outside for about an hour. Indy girls... it was a warm and sunny 72 degrees. We are loving this Spring weather. Once the kids were tuckered out we all went inside for a nap. I slept for an hour and a half. Woke up to make dinner and then back outside we went again. It's been a tough day.. can you tell? Jackson and Connor were chasing each other outside today. As Connor ran away Jackson yelled "Come back and fight for the Lord!" So funny! I hope your day was as pleasant as ours.
February 9, 2009 I woke up early this morning in order to enroll Gabrielle and Connor for pre-school next year. Registration started at 9am and you better believe I was going to be there as soon as the doors opened. Brad had a late morning and was going to take Jackson to school. Turned out, Brad was running late himself and at the last minute asked me to take JR instead. I just knew that I was going to miss Gabrielle and Connor's place. I rushed Jackson to school and busted a move to the pre-school. I made it in time! After I registered them there was only ONE spot left. Thank you, Jesus! I decided to put them in a different school this year. I have heard really good things about the United Methodist Church. Our neighbor sends his grandson there and they have just had nothing but good things to say about the program. The twins will be going Mon/Tues/Wed 9am-Noon. I'm really excited for two reasons. #1 it will give me some one on one time with Brady and Cooper and #2 Gabrielle and Connor need some time to play with other kids. Jackson will be in Kindergarden, Gab and Con in preschool... I won't know what to do with myself. But I'm sure I'll find something, huh? :) Papa has been here today and what a blessing. He has helped with the kids and gave me the opportunity for a morning nap. I've known he was coming for about a week. I've been looking forward to this nap the entire week... literally. I closed the blinds, turned the fan on full blast, curled up under the cover and laid there wide awake. I was so frustrated I could have cried. Finally I just got up and took the kids outside. Wouldn't you figure that's the way it would pan out? Oh well, I guess that just means I'm rested. I'll take advantage of having time with Papa. Yesterday afternoon I took Jackson to Party City. He has finally decided on a Power Rangers Birthday party. He's gone back and forth between Power Rangers, Ben 10 and Ninja's. On our way back from the store he said he was "starving to death" and needed McDonald's. I pulled through the drive thru and got him a nugget meal and a chocolate milk shake. He wanted to have a "car picnic" so I pulled in the parking place and he sat in the passenger seat to eat dinner. It was a very sweet time for us to be together. He told me that he loved me and I was his "Lovie." He's heard me call the other kids that... mostly Connor. He also wanted to reassure me that this was our special time together. We talked about his party and writing out the invitations. When we got home we sat at the table and he personally wrote his name on every card. We mailed out a few of them today. He put the stamps on all the envelopes. The rest of them we passed out to the boys in his class. NO GIRLS ALLOWED (except Sissy). He keeps telling me that he REALLY wants his birthday to be tomorrow. He's so excited and I am also. I love having their birthday parties. It's so odd to me that he will start school in the Fall. I just can't comprehend the fact that he's growing up so fast. All of them really. Life passes quickly... too quickly!!!
February 8, 2009 Happy 60th Birthday, Memaw! Memaw is in Kentucky this weekend visiting her sisters and mother. They managed to surprise her with a party. She was thrilled!! I wish we could have been there, too. As soon as she gets back in town we will have our celebration for this wonderful woman's birthday. We love you, Memaw! So the day finally came when I had to say goodbye to Lisa, Dorian and Kristen. They headed out around 8am Saturday morning. We had so much fun together. Having Dorian here was a huge treat for Jackson. They had a lot of fun together. The second to the last day we could see signs of exhaustion on their sweet faces. By that time I believe Lisa was ready to be air lifted back to Indy. I have to keep in perspective that having Dorian here was "just one more kid." However Lisa is used to having JUST ONE KID so the six of them together wore her hout quicker than me. I appreciate the trip she makes to visit me and my family. We'll miss her. During our time together we celebrated Kristen's 13th Birthday. She chose pizza for her birthday dinner. I made brownies and put 13 candles on the top for her to blow out. We had brownie sundaes for dessert. I got her a pair of jeans, sweats and a GEORGIA Bulldogs T-shirt. She was tickled to death. Happy Birthday, Kristen. As soon as Lisa left I started preparing for our next round of guests. Our Pastor and his family from Indiana dropped by for a visit on their way to Disney. Jim and Sarah have 4 kids, Abbey, Emma, Lauren and Josiah. It was so good to see them and catch up on our church that we love so much. I often wonder if we'll ever find a "family" like we had there. I know God can provide it if I just trust. Those churches are just few and far between. Before they arrived I straightened up the house a bit and then headed out for groceries. I hit WalMart to find some outdoor chairs. The weather here is a beautiful 70 degrees and that means OUTSIDE PLAY!!!!! I walked into WalMart through the garden center and spotted these plastic chairs that looked pretty nice. I figured I should have a seat in one and try it out before I purchased it. The stack was about 6 foot tall. I reached up as high as I could and grabbed the top chair. The bottom of the chair sat pretty deep... kind of like a hole... you know the type of hole that could hold a gallon of water? Do you understand where I'm going with this story? I was able to grab the chair by it's legs and lean it towards me to pull it down when I did WHOOSH a ton of standing water covered my body. I looked like the coach of a winning team emptying the gatorade cooler over my head. First thing I did was look around to see who saw me. There was one couple who had a front row seat to the show. They laughed very hard while trying to act sympathetic. I looked like a drowned rat. Not to mention the water was fridgid. By the time I got home with my groceries and chairs Sarah and Jim had arrived. Needless to say, I wasn't looking my best. I made two pans of lasagna, salad, garlic bread and of course some sweet tea! While I was cooking dinner the guys decieded to take the kids on a walk. We have a 80 foot waterfall in our neighborhood and they all wanted to see it. So they took off on an adventure hike while Sarah and I stayed to catch up and prepare dinner. All the kids were supposed to pick out their sticks for smores after dinner. By the time they got back from their hike we were all starved. We had a great meal and some good laughs. After dinner and dishes we all went outside on the back deck for smores. The kids had a blast and it was a good dessert, too. Jackson and Josiah shared his room. Emma and Lauren shared Gabrielle's room. Gabrielle and Connor slept on the air matress in my room. Abbey slept on the couch in the basement and Jim and Sarah had the guest bed in the basement. We were laid out all over the place. Jim and Sarah were ready to get going to Disney this morning so we hit the early service at BrownsBridge. That meant we had to be out of the house and on our way by 8am sharp. Oh my goodness... four adults and nine kids fed, dressed, hair brushed, teeth brushed, diaper bags made and sanity kept we were out the door without any problems. They left from church with a 7 hour drive ahead of them. Thanks so much for making us a part of your vacation! We miss ya'll. When we got back from church we had a early lunch and put everyone down for naps. I was exhausted. More tired than I can remember being in a long time. I took a nap but think I could have slept until tomorrow morning. I'll get caught up tonight. Early bedtime for sure!!!!
Brady and Cooper were having so much fun today. They were chasing each other around the kitchen. Brady was riding piggy back on Cooper holding onto his diaper. It was showing Coopie's little butt crack. We couldn't stop laughing along with the babies. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlu-fFeug0c
January 3, 2009 Happy and healthy... that's us. It is wonderful to have all thekids feeling well. Brad felt a little bad over the wekend with a cold but he's recovered. Jackson and Dorian are having a great time together. It's non-stop playing. They've gotten along really well, too. Just a couple of melt downs around bed time. Jackson has been going to school and it's worked out really well. It's given Gabrielle and Connor some time to play with Dorian. Their playing together reminds me how much Jackson enjoyed his Indy friends. Me too for that fact. Lisa and I were talking about our next visit together. LOL Her 2nd day here and we are wondering when we'll see each other again! Anyway, we decided that I'll make the trip next time. I have some frequent flyer miles to help me make it to Indy for a few days. I would love to hit Mom's group and do a little shopping. Maybe I can make it up in May. I sure hope so. Yesterday we decided to make it a low key hang out day for Lisa and Kristen to kind of rest a bit. Today I took Kristen and Gabrielle to run some errands and lunch at Applebees. Kristen loves steak. With 5 siblings she doesn't get to eat out very often so this was a big treat. Not to mention was a treat for me to have lunch with a friend. After lunch we had a little bit of time before we got Jackson from school so we went to Goody's. It's a clothing store and it's going out of business. Tomorrow night is GNO. Lisa and I decided to go to dinner at Red Lobster and then a movie. Not sure what we'll see yet. It could be anything for all I care. I'm just excited to get out for a bit. Memaw is going to come over to the house tomorrow. She, Brad and Kristen will watch the kids. It's super windy today... up to 25 miles per hour. It's 50 degrees and partly cloudy. Thursday afternoon is supposed to be 60 and sunny. Hopefully we'll take all the kids to the park and get outside.
February 2, 2009 I'm so excited. It's a great day because Lisa, Dorian and Kristen came from Indy to spend the WEEK with me. They got here last night. I'm so blessed to have friends that make an effort even though I'm 650 miles away. Our pastor, Jim and his family are coming Saturday to visit, too. They are heading to Disney and will stop and rest overnight. We can't wait to see them, too. Jackson and the rest of the kids are feeling good. Still a few with residual coughs but for the most part, we are healthy. It's wonderful! I've almost forgotten what a "normal" day is like. I was hoping Jackson could miss a couple days of school this week while Dorian was here. Since he missed the entire week last week he just has to go. He went with a good attitude and I was proud of him. All his friends will be so glad to see him back and in action. Our weekend was really nice. It was laid back and we didn't do much. Just the way I like it. I hope your Monday is a good start to a great week.
January 30, 2009 I wonder if I should have the house fumigate the house? Are my kids ever going to get better? Connor woke up at 5am complaining of a ear ache. All day he complained about his ear. Sissy has been complaining about one for the past couple days, too. Brady has been miserable. I thought his cold was getting better but the past couple days he's worse. I called Brad today and said, "We've got to do something? All 5 kids are sick and I'm about to lose my mind. This has to stop! I need to take them to the doctor, I guess." Brad decided we should forfeit the doctor and he would just give the other 3 kids antibotics. I think the best decision was to nip it now!!! As much as I hate antibiotics I think it was the best decision. This is crazy... I can't take anymore sickness. Please Lord, take this away! Tonight we went out to dinner with a local dentist and his wife. We went to a restaurant called Goin' Coastal in downtown Canton. The whole philosophy of the place is organic and fresh fish. All the fish there is caught within 36 hours. You can totally tell the freshness. We loved it. I can't wait to go again. GG came to visit today. I had a hair appointment this morning. I got some blonde put back in my hair. I was getting tired of the dark color. After the hair appointment I went to Memaw's and picked up a Little Tikes picnic table she had found at Good Will. I've been wanting one for a while. During the summer the kids and I stay outside most of the time. We usually have snacks or lunch out on the deck. This will make things much easier. Once I got home GG helped me give the kids a bath. GG left shortly after to head home. Our babysitter would arrive at 5:30pm. It was someone who had never sat for us before but we felt comfortable with. His name is Uncle Ernie. Brad talked him into watching all 5 kids and then spending the night with us, too. Uncle Ernie did a great job. He came armed with candy and brownie mix. I ordered them all pizza and they had a blast. They played and read books and watched t.v. I think he's their new favorite sitter. Uncle Ernie... we'll plan on the same thing next week, okay? LOL The kids wanted to "camp out" in our room tonight. So we set up the air matress for the boys and Gabrielle wanted to sleep in our bed. It's a little treat for them that they adore. To be honest, it's a treat for us, too. Hmmmm, how will we "camp out" when Brady and Cooper can join in the festivities? Brady is walking everywhere. He still crawls some but walking is his preferred mode of transportation. It's adorable. He almost trots he gets to going so fast. Cooper's legs are still wobbly. They will be 16 mos next week. I'm starting to think he may need a little physical therapy to strengthen his little legs. I'll check on it with our pediatrician and see what he thinks.
January 28, 2009 Today seems to be a much better day. Thank you for all your prayers and support. Jackson has not had a fever since late yesterday evening and his rash is starting to get scaley and dry up. Cooper has been in a pretty good mood this morning. He slept all night, YES, and was playful this morning. Although, still not in the mood to eat. He's on 4 different medicines and they seem to be working wonders. Last night I went to the Y and worked out. This makes 3 days in a row that I've gone running. I'm really proud of myself. They say after 3-5 days of doing something it begins to make a habit. I'm hoping so. I'm very sore in all the right places. My goal is once the kids are healthy I can drop Jackson off at school and then head to the gym. Summer is quickly approaching and I want to wear shorts this year! When I came home from the gym Gabrielle was in bed waiting on me to check on her. I laid down with her for a minute and stroked her hair and face. She was quickly dozing off to sleep. Half awake she whispered to me, "Mommy, why do trees grow outside and not inside?" I replied, "Well, they need dirt to grow and we don't have dirt in the house." She then said, "Can I have biscuits and eggs in the morning?" Giggling and melting I said, "Of course you can." She then fell into a peaceful sleep. How precious their little minds wander. This morning as soon as my feet hit the ground I made biscuits, sausage and eggs. She was so excited. What a good morning!
January 27, 2009 We waited 24 hours and Jackson still has a fever and a rash that covers every inch of his body. He's a little itchy and just not getting any better. The doctor says my baby has Scarlett Fever! I tried to act very calm but the name brought images of the old south and people dying by the thousands. I reminded myself of yesterdays bible study and took a deep breath. It's not that big of a deal. It is contagious but so is everything else. He's on an antibiotic should be feeling better within a couple days. Cooper has yet to show any signs of improvment either. I took him along to the doctor as well. Turns out he has double ear infections. I thoght tubes were supposed to protect us from this? Cooper is so congested that I am scared he might actually drown on all his mucus. He's pititful. He is on an antibiotic and a steriod. We also have to start the breathing treatments again. While we were at the doctor's office Cooper started getting really irritable. He couldn't get comfortable. After we were in the exam room I found out why. He threw up all over me, himself and the floor. Shortly after, he did it again. And one more time, for luck, when we got home. I wish I had answers. My bible study yesterday was spoken to me at the right time. I could worry myself to death. But instead I'm going to deal with what's "real" and "now." Right now, I'm his Mommy and the only thing that will make him feel the least bit better. Right now, I can pray for my Jesus to take away all the anxiety.
January 26, 2009 I forgot to mention earlier today is my Daddy's Birthday... Happy 67th Birthday, Papa! I've always been a Daddy's girl. Just ask my Momma. He and I have always had a good relationship but it seems in the past 12 years it's grown leaps and bounds. There is something he always says that just melts my heart. Anytime I thank him for something he has done for me he responds, "Doll, it's not only my job but my privledge." He has been a wonderful provider, father, grandfather, advisor and friend. I love you, Daddy. I am reading this fabulous book/bible study by Elizabeth George, "Loving God with All Your Mind." For me, loving Him with my heart is not the hard part. I have faith until it comes to loving Him with my mind. I read something today that just slapped me in the face. I thought I would share it with you. The key verse for the entire study is Philipians 4:8 "Whatsoever things are real or true dwell on these things" A Mother's Worries: We parents are to focus our energy on what we do today because today is real. God asks mothers to nurture, train and discipline their children today (Ephesians 6:4) and then wake up tomorrow and do the same thing. Being overly concerned about potential parenting problems in the future will sap our energy and our joy and interfere with our efforts as parents today. God calls us to handle each day one at a time. Today is real, and God will enable us to deal with what today holds. On Worry in General: We experience peace instead of worry when we choose to believe the Scripture's promises that God will superintend every future event. Nothing will ever happen to you that God does not already know about. Nothing will ever happen to you that is a mistake (Psalm 139:4,16). Nothing will ever happen that you cannot handle by Gd's power and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Nothing will ever happen to you that will not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in your life (Romans 8:28-29). And nothing will ever happen to you apart from God's presence (Matthew 28:20). We will deal with tomorrow when tomorrow is present and real. Now those are truths and promises that can keep me going and going and going. I hope they do the same for you!
January 26, 2009 Trying to make it a good morning! The bad morning started at 11pm last night when Jackson threw up all over my sheets and comforter. Where did that come from? He's still really sick with fever and now he has a rash all over his upper body. That usually happens after a prolonged fever. I am debating taking him to the doctor only because I'm concerned about strep throat. He says his throat hurts but I don't see any white patches. I think I'll give it another day and see how he fairs. Brad and I have decided not to take them to the doctor right away because he tends to give them antibiotics. He's a little liberal when it comes to doing that. Brad is really concerned about immunity to antibiotics and so am I. We have a friend that's a pediatrician and I asked her opinion on ear infections and when to take the kids to the doctor. She says she does not treat "red" ears with antibiotcs. She also said when she sees puss in the ear she will hold off a day or too as long as there is no fever or real symptoms associated with the ears. I totally agree with her opinion and decided to apply it to my family as well. Raising kids is full of hard decisions. Brad and I are their advocates. I concern myself a lot with questions like "Am I making the right decision?" In the end, I know that God gives me wisdom to make the right choices as long as I'm in His will. I'll trust in that fully. All the kids are so full of snot. It's disguisting. I have been keeping vaseline all over their noses. When I come at them with a tissue they run into hiding. We've been through 3 boxes just over the weekend. What do you do? As Jackson would say, "That's what you get when you have 5 kids!" On a lighter note, Lisa, Dorian and Kristen are coming to visit on Saturday! I absolutley can not wait. Jackson had to call Dorian last night and remind him of what toys to bring. Dorian asked if Jackson had a certain blanket. When Lisa told him NO he said, "But Moooom, he needs one like me because we're brothers." So precious! I love to see them build their little friendships. Gabrielle and Connor were invited over to Don's yesterday afternoon. They played their little hearts out. They have heard Chandler's parents refer to her with her middle name quite frequently. Now Gabrielle and Connor call her Chandler Mae. I'm working on my first cup of coffee trying to wake up and convince myself this day will not last forever, sickness will go away, whining will stop, exhaustion will be replaced with rest and kids will grow up! LOL Hope you all have a good morning!
January 25, 2009 Guess what I just did? I worked out at the YMCA! Brad and I talked all weekend about needing to exercise and lose weight. All I have wanted to do lately is lay in the bed and sleep. Sure, I could use a nap every once in a while but I can't live in the bed! So we decided to get a 7 day family pass to the Y. I went first today. It felt really good to work out. I decided to just use the treadmill. No need to have a heart attack my first day, right? It took me 25 minutes to walk/run under 2 miles! Isn't that pathetic? Anyway, you got to start somewhere. Brad just left to head to the gym. Gotta go give the kids baths. Just a quick note about the kids health. Gabrielle and Connor are well on their way to recovery from colds. Cooper and Brady are slowly getting better but still so snoty. Jackson is running a fever and feeling terrible.
January 23, 2009 Cooper has been very irritable and fussy today. He's run a slight fever which Brad says is normal after any surgery. We have been giving him Tylenol/Motrin and lots of love. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better. GG took one of my little darlings home with her today. It was supposed to be Gabrielle's turn but after thinking about it she said, "I'm NOT going." With that said, Connor stepped right in without hesitation. He had his coat on in minutes. Off they went with a plea from Mommy to get his hair cut. I've been cutting Cooper and Brady's hair just a bit when it gets wild. I thought that I could cut Connor's, too. I found out very quickly that his hair was too thick and too coarse for my lack of training. He was a little whacked up! Mom decided that he needed more than Fantastic Sam's to fix my mess. She took him to a specialist... The Barber. She said that man worked on Cooper's hair for an HOUR. He spoke with an accent and said, "I having to fix someone mess! His hair so uneven. You never let that person cut his hair again. You bring to me from now on!" I laughed so hard... I asked Mom if she told him it was her daughter that butchered him and she said no. Thank goodness. Mom said that Connor was so tired he actually fell asleep in the chair. She had to hold his little head up. Is that not a sweet image? Mom said she'd never seen anything so precious. It was a good memory for her. See, it's a good thing I chopped his hair up! Now I know my limits. It's the clippers or nothing. It's 8:30 on a Friday night and I can not keep my head up! I rented the kids a couple movies earlier today. I picked up The Express for Brad and I. I think it's the true story of Ernie Simmons or someone like that... he's a football player I think. Anyway, I'm too pooped to watch it. Tomorrow night we have Marcy coming over to watch the kids. We are going to Stoney River for dinner. Brad and another associate from his practice want to take a referal out to dinner. So of course that means me, Tiffany and this guys wife get to go, too. It's a nice restraunt and should be a good time. I just hope I am more rested tomorrow. Good night!
January 23, 2009 We just got back from the Surgery Center. Cooper did great. The ENT said his ears were a mess and he was really glad we decided to get it taken care of. His adenoids were really enlarged and of course they removed those, too. He came out a little groggy but just as sweet as ever. He's in the den now having a bottle and smiling. GG came last night to watch the kids for us this morning. About the time we got home they were all just getting up. I spent the entire afternoon yesterday cleaning house. It took forever! Brad took the kids to Memaw and Grandpa's so I could get it all done quicker. Today is laundry day and I can call it all done!
January 21, 2009 Tonight was GNO! I met Susan in Cumming for a movie and dinner. We saw Bride Wars. It was really cute and a perfect movie to see with your best friend. After the movie we decided on Ted's Montana Grill for supper. Susan was adventurous and tried the Bison Burger. I tasted it and was truly impressed. I actually liked it. Susan said she must have liked it too since her plate was empty. I was less adventurous and went with Salmon. I was home and on my couch by 9:15pm. I even stopped for coffee on the way home. Brad and I had a lot of errands to run today. We met Aaron at his law office to take care of some stuff and then we were able to take him to lunch. What a treat! Uncle Ernie, we loved spending time with you today! Papa and Uncle Norris headed back to Fayetteville this evening. My Aunt Karen is coming to pick him up tomorrow afternoon. I think after 2 weeks Uncle Norris is ready to get home. My Dad and his brothers call my unlce Norris, "Noose." It's a nickname that has stuck all his life. The kids heard Papa refer to him as Noose and just thought it was the funniest thing ever. It's stuck and they say it as often as possible. So cute. Did I mention that Cooper is getting his tubes/adneoids surgery Friday morning? We have to be at the hospital by 6am...ick! It should be really quick and easy. I'll be glad when it's all over and done with. He's been feeling so good lately that we almost think, "Should we still do it?" However, I know that the good doesn't last long and he'd be sick and in pain right around the corner. GG will come out tomorrow and spend the night so she can watch the kids while we are gone on Friday. Lost started back tonight. I have not had a chance to watch yet but it's recorded on my DVR. I need complete silence and isolation when I watch. It's my favorite show. Whitney, I miss our Thursday morning commentary!!! She is the only other person I know who loves the show as much as I do. Whitney is my girlfriend in Indy. Her husband was 2 years ahead of us in residency and they moved to Texas. She's got two boys Caden and Cooper. Cuties! Miss you, Whit!
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