Torn

There are several particularly stressful weeks at school.  The order varies with each year, but they always, the first week, the last week and each of the two conference weeks.

This is definitely one of those weeks.  We have after school conferences Tuesday and Thursday.  Daycare was closed on Monday (our daycare mom ran a marathon on Sunday!!) so Brecken hung out with my parents.  Think Chuck E. Cheese and haircut and lunch out.  Yep, that's grandparents for ya.  When I got home my dad was in the front yard with Brecken and he and I ended up mowing the lawn…in very very slow baby steps.  But he loved it.

At dinner he was too tired to even open his mouth.  Exhausted.  After dinner I pulled his clothes off and then I felt that he was burning up!!  I took his temp and it was over 102!  I gave him some medicine and gave him a bath and he was begging to go to sleep.  I knew Tuesday morning wasn't going to be pretty.  He woke up screaming at 5:00am and burning up again.  Mark stayed home with him since I HAD to be at school plus conference after.  Walking out the door knowing my baby was sick just about tore my heart out.  I wanted to stay with him.  I wanted to be the one taking care of him.  I was so torn.  My head was at school, but my heart was at home.

As if all this wasn't bad enough, Victoria got sent home at about 2:00 with a fever of 101+.  Mark came to get her.  I brought C home after school, put on more deodorant and headed back to school.  My parents came to watch V and sleeping B so C could go to Boy Scouts.

I stayed after conferences to make sub. plans.  While creating them I was kind of pissed.  Pissed I was missing school again.  Pissed I didn't know who my sub. was.  Just stressed and pissed.  I was torn again.  I needed to be at home.  And I needed to be at school.  I finally headed home.

Mark said B seemed way better in the afternoon.  V seemed way better, but when you have a fever you're supposed to stay home for 24 hrs after.  We had V & C's conference this morning.  My plan was to pick up the teachers their coffees at Caribou and then drop the boys at daycare and then have V read while we conferenced.  I was walking into daycare and C kept saying how bad his belly hurt.  I was in a hurry and walked ahead of him carrying Brecken.  Two steps into the garage and B gagged so naturally I put my hand under his chin.  No freaking crap, the kid started puking and puking into my hand.  I was down on my knees letting it over flow onto the garage floor.  I had Christian run and get paper towels.  I washed my hands (but let me tell you that is a smell that takes days to leave!) and let her know I'd be keeping all three at home today.  No need to force C to go to turn around a couple hours later when he lands in the nurse's office.  Sure enough, he did have a fever at 10am.

We picked up a couple Red Box movies and B was down for an early nap.  Man, was he feisty!  Nothing made him happy.  The big kids did some crafts (does taping hundreds of craft sticks together count as a craft?) I did laundry.  We took a loooong drive this afternoon.  We all needed to get out of the house.  I thought about driving to WI to look at leaves.  But we ended up headed north.  We went to the pumpkin patch.  It ended up being just perfect.  There were only two workers there.  The kids got to get some fresh air for a bit.  And I got a nice long car ride with everyone buckled in and mostly quiet.

As of now, not a single one had a drop of medicine today at all.  Here's hoping everyone gets a good night sleep and feels better in the morning.  I have another long day tomorrow and it would make my life so much easier if everyone was healthy and happy.  It's not a good feeling being torn.

Highlights of My Day

Highlights of my day:

I received a text from my grandparent volunteer that said, "The way you juggle 24 kids amazes me." :-)

Received a beautiful card from my friend Shauna!  Thanks G!

Christian loved playing Sight Words Zingo and actually said, "Reading is so much fun!"

Christian also told me this story, "Mrs. E was staring at her computer, so I knew she wouldn't notice.  (I was holding my breath at this point.)  I leaned over and told (somebody) Isn't she the best teacher in the whole wide world?  So at break we made her a note that told her that, but we had to tell her what it said 'cuz we're actually not that good of writers yet."  Yep, direct quote.  Adorable.

Victoria asked me to cuddle with her.  I did and sang the songs I sing to my babies, she hasn't heard me sing them with her name in quite a while.  She whispered, "You have the most beautiful singing voice.  It's my most favorite thing."

Got to talk to Liv for almost an hour on the phone tonight.  She's somebody I can just say anything to.  It felt so good.

The first 24 of 48 hours of my preparation for my pelvis appointment is complete.

It's not even 10:00 and I'm already in bed.

Good-Bye September: Going out in style

This morning we had Brecken's 18 month wellness appointment.  These days, every appointment has me pretty nervous.  This one went very well.  Brecken was pointing and trying to say several words and was able to pay attention to a task much much better than he has in about two months.  It was really really great to see.  Our pediatrician is amazing and spent a lot of time going over everything with me.  He tried to reassure me everything is going to be fine.  I feel like everyone just says that, so I took it with a grain of salt, however it still felt really good coming from him.

I had an absolutely great day teaching.  I can feel October is just a few hours away, because my is starting to come together.  I'm getting to know them.  Learning about their likes.  Their families, siblings, pets.  How they cope with stress.  How much effort each one puts in.

I was feeling so good about my day….then I sat down at the computer with just a few minutes left before the end of the day….my students were picking up the room. . .

I had several emails about Christian - a couple from his teacher and one from the nurse.

His ear hurts.  Bad.

I walked out with the students and off to Minute Clinic.  Which, btw, is a totally amazing invention.  It's so convenient and wonderful in a pinch.  Mark picked up Brecken so we could get to M.C. asap.  We walked fast from car right in and good thing we did, because seconds after we checked in a slew of school age kids were lined up to get checked out.

Sure enough C's eardrum is bulging.  He sat in a cart while we waited for his prescription.  V was checked for strep because her throat has been super swollen for a couple days now.

In the end, all three kids happen to get their flu shots today.  We'll call that a Silver Lining.

I'm looking forward to October tomorrow.  September was harder than the usual hardness of my most dreaded month of the year.

See ya September.   Hello October!

Best.Saturday.Ever

We arrived at Aamodt's Apple Orchard

several minutes before they opened this morning.

That was not early enough.

By the time we left, one hour later, they were into over flow parking only!

In the 200+ year old barn.

The hay maze.

Once they mastered it.  They were in and out over and over.

So proud to be nearly four feet tall.

Can't blame her.  

So close to catching his sister!

I love when he watches the big kids and follows suit!

Peer pressure isn't always a bad thing:-)

The "most perfect apple of the whole entire apple orchard!"

Just ask her!

I told him he couldn't eat them.

He didn't believe me.

He picked one up off of the ground and before I could rip it away he bit it.

He looked so happy it was had to take it away.

So I didn't.

He dropped it right after this so we put him back in the stroller.

His "most perfect one" was harder to reach.

Then he grabbed one from a low branch.

I couldn't resist.

Per request of Aunt Molly, this photo has been submitted to Ellen.

Let me know if you see it!

#almostfamous

His most perfect apple ever.

After the fun at the orchard we had lunch at Leo's and walked by the river.

Not three minutes after getting in the car he was totally out.

When he woke we took a walk up the street on the "crunchy" leaves.

Hard to tell who was loving it the most.

Daddy came home and they ran to embrace each other.

We headed to the park and the ice cream man came.

Brecken thought he was such a big shot with his own ice cream.

 I always so I'd rather them have fun and/or learn and make a mess.

But this ice cream was ridiculous!

I took it away and cleaned him up and the kid freaked!

 Luckily we had the big kids to get us distracted.

Momentarily at least.

Of course I had to instagram it!

Best.Saturday.Ever

Best.Husband.Ever

This could go down as one of the roughest weeks since Brecken's birth.

It was pretty brutal.  Between some school stuff and Brecken's results from our Home Visits 

I'm pretty sure I haven't shed this many tears since March 2013.

However, many thanks to this man:

Who curled my hair for this man:

I made it to Friday.

This post is not about the Best.Night.Ever. and the memories I made with my high school/college friends (more to come!)

It's about my husband.

He texted me at 3:00 - Are you excited?

He came home early from work…

Literally to curl my hair.

(Yes, I did buy a $100 curling iron for the special night.  

Mark - don't look so shocked you were amazed at how well it worked;-)  

He did the entire after school and bedtime routine for all three kids.

He kissed me as I climbed into the van with my crazy friends.

He got the entire basement ready so my friends could spend the night.

He didn't seem to mind when we came plowing into the house about midnight (I think) 

with Taco Bell as if we still lived in River Falls.

A man who lets you enjoy yourself and your friends and life long dreams (turns out many times) over the years is one hell of a man.

Thanks Bunny.

It was all I envisioned and more.

Fun fact:

We did go over my vision minute by minute the night before.

Appointments and Issues

Victoria has had a loose tooth since May.  It was right next to the bottom ones that were pulled two summers ago.  Over the weekend I saw the bottom of the tooth (which should have been dissolved if the adult tooth actually came up under it) was actually poking out of the gum.  Once again the adult tooth came in way behind it.  I called her dentist this morning on the way to school.  They were able to get us in at 11:30.  Another teacher covered my class for ten minutes and took them to lunch for me so I could get her there.  We were in and out in just 16 minutes.  It's finally out and we're all so happy the Tooth Fairy will be stopping at our house again tonight.

Christian cried when I dropped him off at daycare this morning, which continued on the bus and at school.  I don't know what is going on with this recent bout of anxiety he's having.  I've been trying different things for him.  I thought we were getting a handle on it but today was not a great day.

This morning I received a very rude note from a mom.  This is the same mom who left me a voice mail last week threatening to call the "head of the district" because I didn't let her daughter see the nurse for a sore throat.  For the record, the student didn't tell me her throat hurt.  I talked it out with the mom last week so I was so surprised to receive this note this morning.  I sent a note home to all NINE students who didn't do there homework last Wednesday.  The mom wrote on it that she doesn't like me "nit picking" her daughter and threatening her with punishments.  I called the mom again.  After speaking with her it sounds like the daughter is making things up to her mom and it's working.  We're all meeting before school on Wednesday.  A rude note/voice mail from a parent is just about the worst way to start your day.

I spent about an hour correcting tonight, the entire time V was working on her homework.  Thank goodness she doesn't mind.  C got to play catch while we were working.  At bedtime V and I took a walk up to the park.  Hand in hand I got to hear details about what she did at recess.  It was the highlight of my day.

Tomorrow morning is our Home Visit from the speech pathologist.  I really want the answers about Brecken's speech.  I'm hoping tomorrow is beneficial.  I have someone covering for me for the very beginning of the day.  Again, I will start the day totally flustered and behind the eight ball.

I signed up for two more three credit classes tonight.  Thinking about that now after typing all about my crazy life, sure seems crazy.

The doctor's office called to rescheduled Brecken's 18 month appointment for next week.  That's frustrating because I make appointments out as far as possible to I can get the first appt of the day since he goes to bed so early.  Looking forward to rescheduling that in the morning:/

Our PTO Meeting is rescheduled from tomorrow to next Tuesday.  We now need to hire a sitter for me to go to those meetings because Christian is officially a Tiger Cub and has meetings every Tuesday night.  I started texting the sitter to cancel this morning but at the time I could barely breath I was so overwhelmed so I am keeping her.  I'm going to run errands and maybe (HOPEFULLY) get my nails done.

I have put off my own physical therapy until next month.  Because…well…see above.

I wonder if one day, I will reread this and think, Huh I thought I was busy then!  That was nothing! or if I'll think, Man, that was a crazy time!  

I think I'll watch some 19 and Counting to make myself feel better.

Another Day of All Days

My day started out with a pap smear.  Yes, I really did just type that.  Apparently this blog has become my best friend because I am too tired to actually speak to anyone after bedtime.

While in line waiting to check in at the doctor's office I got a call from our daycare mom.  (I stayed home with both big kids yesterday as they were laid out for a good portion of the day.)  I spoke to crying Christian who genuinely wasn't feeling good and is afraid of throwing up at school.  #arentweall

I told her I was at the doctor's and he needed to get on the bus and I'd check on him when he got to school.

I was already nervous about my appointment because we needed to discuss my recurring problem with my pelvis since Brecken's birth.  Ultimately, I have several appointments set up to hopefully deal with this problem.

Coming into school eleven minutes before the students and having a substitute yesterday is pretty much a nightmare.  Sure enough C is crying at school.  I hugged him and said he needs to get through the day.  I sat down to eat my breakfast at lunchtime only to be told by a para that Christian "has been a mess all morning."  I headed down to the room.  I let him eat lunch in my room trying to get his mind off of it.  He barely had three bites.  He laid his head down on the table instead of going to recess.  If you know Christian you must be thinking, "Man!  He must be sick!!"  I was helping students and I glanced over to him and actually wondered if was sleeping.  I forced him to go to music and gym.  Our awesome gym teacher even sent me videos of him throwing the frisbee.  Made my day!

Thank goodness it was my day for the one hour prep.  During that time I called two moms, emailed a dad and got a voicemail from ECFE about Brecken's speech.  I took a breath and called back.  We have a home visit scheduled for Friday morning at 8am.

Another day late to school….but besides that I am sooo nervous to find out if he does qualify for services.  After all the years of referring kids to speech myself.  It might end up being our family in speech.  All I want is for him to get the help he needs…if he needs it.

After school we swung by the high school soccer game.  One large grassy field (next to the actual soccer field of course) and three small children to run run run.  We finally got home and then I realized the kids had major homework.  We tackled it all.  We got our reading in.  Everybody is sleeping and hopefully I will be too soon….