2 days til vacation

We're going back to the Outerbanks of North Carolina again this year for vacation. I've been so busy this past month helping out my mom since she had surgery on April 29th that I'm am so ready for some chillin on the beach. I'll be busy tomorrow packing up everything. I have one 100 quart storage container packed already with foods and stuff and I have another one to fill with our towels, shoes, hair dryer, bathroom stuff, etc. and I also have to pack everyone's clothes tomorrow. I do that stuff the day before because I'd just double check all over again so I might as well do it on the day before leaving. We'll pack the van up tomorrow night and heading out at 5am on Saturday morning. My mom was supposed to go with us but decided this week she'd better not go as she's not feeling quite up to it. And my brother won't be able to come this year as I'd hoped either. Too bad for them because I'll be hanging out by the pool or at the beach and enjoying hot dogs, steaks, brats, burgers, corn on the cob, wonderful fresh fruits, and can't forget the salt water taffy all week long with not a care in the world. Now let's just pray it doesn't rain all week!

I have had a hectic past 7 days!

Spencer has strep throat and his throat never hurt him. Go figure. I took him to the Dr because he was having headaches and really bad stomach aches and the Dr tested him for strep and it came back positive. I took Cassidy to the Dr on Sunday to the Dr on call for our pediatrician because she was running a high fever and her throat had been hurting her for a few days and she was tested for strep and it was negative. Again, go figure. The one with the sore throat doesn't have it and the one without it does. I have been so busy with mom since last Wednesday due to her surgery and I was at the hospital with her on Wednesday, Thursday, had to get presents for Spencer on Friday and prepare for his party on Saturday. Mom called me during Spencer's party and needed to go to the ER and I spent from 1:30 to 10:15pm with her there on Saturday and she was admitted and got out on Monday. She's ok, she was just feeling very nauseous and in pain from her surgery and they wanted to make sure there was no obstruction or infection and there wasn't. So on Saturday night Cassidy had a very restless night and was running a fever and saying her throat hurt and I could tell it had worsened so I took her to the Dr on Sunday morning because I didn't want her to suffer all day without medicine and I knew that I had to get mom out of the hospital in Columbus on Monday so I wanted to make sure that I could get Cassidy to the Dr. Then after I picked up the boys from school on Monday I had to go back to Mom's and take her her medicine and help her out a bit and Spencer was just not looking good at all. He started crying because his tummy hurt so bad so we left and when we got home both Spencer and Cassidy fell asleep on the couch and Cassidy threw up. She's still running a fever and having a sore throat so no doubt I'll be back at the Dr with her at some point this week. I took Spencer to the Dr yesterday (Tuesday) and he is home again today because strep is contagious for 24 hours. I had to go to mom's last night to make her some smoothies and pick up some medicine for her and make a quick run to the store. I have to go back tonight too since I can't go during the day with 2 sick kids. So as you can see, I have been going non-stop for a week now. Oh, and to top it all off, my van is in the shop getting fixed because something is up with the brakes and traction control system that they've fixed before (apparently not so well) so I'm driving my mom's car for a few days. I can't wait for everything to get back to normal around here.

Focus on Economy

2 hospitals and a birthday

So today is Spencer's 6th birthday and I wanted to start this post by wishing Spencer a very happy birthday. His party will be tomorrow at Burger King and today I'm taking cupcakes to school for him.

Now, regarding the 2 hospitals. Mom had her lap band surgery on Wednesday and came home yesterday. I spent most of the day from 5am to mid afternoon at Mt Carmel West in Columbus with her on Wednesday and 9:30 to 1:45 on Thursday when I brought her home. She's doing ok but is very nauseaous. As for hospital #2, that's a bit more of a traumatic story. As Cassidy and I were leaving mom's building yesterday, Cassidy tripped and fell as we were getting ready to get on the elevator. She hit her head on the window sill right beside the elevator splitting it wide open. She screamed and screamed and was bleeding profusely all over the place covering both her shirt and mine in blood and she kept putting her hand on her head so her hands were covered too which scared her even more (and me too). I scooped her up and ran down the hallway to mom's to clean her up and that's when I saw it was a very deep gash and I covered it with a band aid that didn't stop the bleeding but at least it kept it covered and I rushed her to the ER. It was 3 pm and I had to pick up the boys quickly from school so I called the school and said have them ready and waiting at the curb. So I pulled up and they jumped in and as soon as they saw her they both started crying. Spencer sits in the back with her and was trying to calm her and was saying it's ok honey. Brenden was helpful at the ER by getting her some M&M's and water and the boys are just so lovey with her. Brenden called all of his friends to tell them about his sister's incident. He was so worried about her. Anyway, sorry for rambling, the dr cleaned Cassidy all up and as soon as he'd blot the blood away it would just well right up again. In lieu of stitches he said for kids her age they like to glue the wound shut, so that's what he did. He pulled the skin together and before he could even get the glue across it started bleeding again (that's how bad it was) so she has a blood line across her head under the glue. The glue will fall off in 7-10 day. I'm hoping for no scar but it is on a place on her head that I can cover with her hair. I'm feeling guilty today and wondering if I could have stopped it but falls happen and I never saw it coming. It's not like she was running or anything, she just tripped. Nevertheless, thinking about it makes me cry. Here's a picture of Cassidy with her massive head wound. It doesn't look massive in the picture, but trust me it was before it got fixed.

The Sick House.....Again

Easter day was nice and then everyone got sick! I had pictures planned for the kids for the Monday after Easter and Cassidy woke up throwing up so I had to cancel. I rescheduled them for Wednesday and then Spencer was sick, reschedule again. Should of known better but I didn't and I schedule them for Friday and Cassidy ends up with pink eye. So I called to cancel for the third time that week and the photographer and I laughed about it and I decided that I will call her this week on a day that everyone is feeling great and hope that she has time for us. I'm now shooting for Friday because it will be warm and a nice day and I just hope it works out. Of course Cassidy is still fighting her cold and today is Wednesday so we'll see. (fingers crossed) Wednesday is library day for me and Cassidy for toddler storytime and crafts and we had to stay home since she's been sniffling and coughing. We missed it last week to take Spencer to the Dr and he was home from school that day sick. And I got a call from the school on Monday afternoon to pick up Brenden sick from school. I was sick with a 24 hour stomach virus on Sunday and Richard wasn't feeling too great on Monday. So now I've been wiping down everything with sanitzing wipes and spraying lysol everywhere. As soon as I get the pictures done I'll post them. The kids really looked cute in their matching Easter outfits. (Have you ever known me to not match them?)

Julie vs. the wasp

I got stung by a wasp twice yesterday just as I was getting ready to go jogging. Spencer was ready to go on his bike and I was getting the stroller out of the van and bringing it up the driveway when I felt the first sting. It felt like hot embers falling on my neck and shoulder. I thought it was a dragonfly or something crawling on me and I told Richard to get it off and it just kept getting worse. By this time I'm dancing like a fool in the driveway and screeching saying get it off it hurts and he found the wasp in my hair. By the time it was all over, which felt like 10 minutes but in actuality was probably like 30 seconds, I had been stung on the back of my neck and on my shoulder. The neighbors were grillling out and a lady across the street was outside so I'm sure they were laughing their butts off at me but hey, it hurt!!! I know not to swat at them but I didn't see it coming and I didn't realize it was a wasp on me or I would have not been flailing my arms around wildly trying to get it off. I've had no allergic reaction to it so I'm ok. So there's your laugh for the day because I know as you sit reading this and visualize the dancing and screeching in the driveway you were totally laughing.

Bespectacled Julie

I got glasses last week. This is the first time in my life I've ever had to wear glasses. I've noticed lately that it was harder to read things from a distance so I went to the eye Dr and was told I am nearsighted. I also noticed that sometimes my left eye would get a bit blurry and I have an astigmatism in my left eye which is why it gets blurrier on me. So here is a picture of me with glasses.