A Bunch of Sickos

Sorry, there hasn't been much going on here. Kallie has strep throat. She had complained for about three days of a sore throat and when I finally looked in her mouth it was obvious what she had. This was Wednesday, which led to a Dr's appointment on Thursday. This is only like the 3rd time in her life she's been to the Dr for being sick and we've never had a child with strep. (weird I know!) So, I forgot that she is allergic to penicillin and arithromycin (sp?) because the last time she had an antibiotic was when she was less than 1 year old. I remembered that she was allergic AFTER she broke out in an all-body rash after taking her first dose of antibiotic on Thursday afternoon. This led to more phone calls and waiting for a new prescription most of the day on Friday. But, we got it and she is totally fine now and back to normal.

Now, Evie has strep. I knew she would get it. When one of them is sick it is only a matter of time before the other gets it. It doesn't matter what you do, the other WILL get sick. Thankfully, we've got a new, barely used prescription of penicillin laying around and she got a dose of that today (so far no allergic reaction).

The most pathetic part of this entire experience was that Kallie had to miss two days of school while Evie had to go to school for two days without her. On Thursday Evie was so sad to go to school alone. I walked her in and told her teacher about Kallie and she understood the situation. I expected Evie to call half way through the day with some reason she needed to come home but no, she made it. Then again on Friday she was sad to go without Kallie. When I picked her and Holdyn up on Friday afternoon I left Kallie sleeping at home b/c K came home from work early. Immediately upon entering the van she looked around and said in a panic, "Where's Kallie, what happened to her?!"

Kallie, all the while was desperately missing her sister, too. Several times on Thursday and Friday she said things like, "I wish Evie was here," or "I miss my sister." This was the first time they went an entire day separated. It was very traumatic for them and me. Thankfully there is no school tomorrow/today and Evie will have had 24hours of antibiotic in her system and will be able to go to school on Tuesday. Only, now I've got a sore throat! I cannot get strep. I just started my semester of school on Thursday and have classes 3 nights a week! (BTW, I'm getting my Master's in Secondary Education and my teaching certificate) Pray for an end to this plague upon my household.

My family and I caught crabs at the beach...

This is what Holdyn told EVERY person that we saw, talked to, or walked past during our beach trip. Thankfully, most people at the beach are in a good mood so mostly they all laughed. There were a few odd looks but not many.

The hunt begins. The crab hunter, armed with his trusty net, scans the waters for his elusive prey.

There! The hunter spots his crafty nemisis and the chase begins...

Once trapped the crab is a worthy opponent an epic battle of man vs. beast ensued...

Oh, the battle was hard-fought but the bounty was superb!

Note: No crabs were injured in the making of this episode....Weelll, that isn't exactly true...One surly female crab did lose a claw...But on the bright side a hungry seagull got a free meal!

The Beach!!!

Thursday thru Sunday we were at the beach and it was awesome! Orange Beach/Gulf Shores is beautiful. We had the best time. The van allowed for ample space for everyone and minimal fighting, yay! Hands down this was the best trip we've taken. Here are some photos:

I'll post more as the week goes on. Right now I'm being covered by an avalanche of laundry!

The new curtains

Thanks for all the sweet comments about my curtain project! I thought I'd show you how the girls reacted to seeing their curtains when they got home from school.

OK, so these are slightly posed pictures but the effect is the same. They were a big hit!

Hey Ya'll, Look What I Made!

So, I had this funky quilt top that I found a few years ago at my Grandma's house. It was bright and colorful but made from double knits so it wasn't very cozy. I kept it, knowing that one day I'd find something to do with it.
This is my first project conceived and completed since the kids have started school and I'm sooo excited! I took the quilt top, split it in half, added a backing made from an old sheet, added some cute hot pink gingham fabric to the bottoms and, Voila! Curtains for the girls' room.


Then the search for appropriate curtain rods, etc began. After looking through stores and not finding anything I liked for a decent price I came up with this idea.....

Two 1/2 inch dowels cut to size, $1.99 at Home Depot.


4 eyelet screws (with holes large enough for the dowels to fit through), $0.40 at HD

14 curtain clips, $2.89 at Wal-Mart

4 wooden drawer knobs, free (I already had these)

1 can "Watermelon pink" spray paint, $2.89 at Wal-Mart

First, I painted everything. Then, I screwed the eyelet screws into the wall on either side of the windows. Next, I strung the clips onto the rods and fit the rods through the eyelet holes. After that, I hot glued the wooded knobs onto the ends of the rods. Finally, I clipped the curtains onto the rods and look what I got--

As with the rest of this place, the girls' room is a continuous work in progress. Notice the lovely two-toned walls where the old pink wallpaper is peeling off (courtesy of the kids, of course). But these curtains (I think) are so cute and they really fit Evie's and Kallie's styles! I can't wait to get thier reactions after school today. Well, off to finish laundry.

A Letter to My Dishes

Dear Dishes,

Please don't take offense but, I hate you. I've told you I don't want to see you yet, everyday there you are again. Why do you insist on coming around when you aren't wanted? I know the blame is partly mine, I can't resist using you. I need you. I must have you still, I despise you! Can this relationship continue? I suppose it must. I'll clean you up and put you away. Then I'll meet you tomorrow at our regular rendezvous. Until then, goodbye!

Sincerely,

Jennie

Talking with Kallie

Sweet Kallie! She is my tenderheart, she cares for everyone and tries to always be kind. Yesterday she came home from school, so excited that she'd made a new friend. Here's our conversation...
K - "Guess what Mommy?"
J- "What Kallie?"
K- "I made a new friend today!"
J- "Really, that's so great! Who is it?"
K- "Well, his name is Germie. But its ok Mommy, he doesn't have any germs."
Cute, right? Actually, the kid is named Journee. And like other kindergardeners I'm sure he's crawling with germs. But sweet Kallie is willing to overlook those flaws for a friend. I'm sure she gets all of this from her Daddy, she really is a lot like him!