10-12-2008 Week in Review

This was another CRAZY week!! Why? All because of SEVERAL miscommunications with Ryan and the fact that I lost my keys at the lake on Saturday and have never found them!....(this is typical for me lately). Oh, and Corben had a terrible CVS (Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome) week!

(Also, for those of you who dread long blogs filled with tedious details, please understand that I've been using this blog as my journal lately so it's mostly for me so I'm not offended if you skip through to what looks like the good stuff!)

Anyway, Tuesday I got a call from the school saying Corben had thrown up during library and that even though they are instructed that if he only throws up once he can stay at school, he was looking really pale and still feeling bad. I rushed to get him hoping to get there before he threw up again. His illness (he's had it since he was 2 years old) used to be VERY predictable (I could tell you the exact minute he'd throw up and how many times) but has changed as he's gotten older. We now have several days of upset stomach over a week or two and I never know which day is going to include the throwing up. Of course it was the one day he didn't have a stomach ache when I sent him to school! I'm sure his teacher LOVES me right now. Wednesday morning I got locked out of the house after taking Corben to school. It was a great time to run errands but I eventually had to run to Ryan's work and get the house key. Wednesday, I had photography class and a miscommunication had me at Ryan's work ready to drop the kids off with him and head to class and him headed home to meet me so I could get to class on time. Needless to say, I was late for class but thankful that my husband was willing to take off so I could have my time out. Thursday, Corben was home from school with stomach aches. That evening Dade had a basketball game and I had a church activity and another miscommunication had Ryan waiting at work for me to drop off the kids and me expecting him at home to watch the kids. Just one of those things, I guess. Luckily we just made a plan to set a specific time and place from now on so that there is no wasted time or gas! Friday didn't end up being any less crazy. The boys had school off and we had RJ over to visit for the day. The plan was to meet my SIL at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham at 10am so we could get in free on the group pass. I got up at 7am and suddenly realized that the kids were spending the night with my SIL and that Corben was going out of town with my mom and that we wouldn't get back home after the museum so I had to do all the packing right then! I put Dade to work moving car seats to the van, Corben was packing diaper bags and watching babies while I ran around gathering this and that. Just as we're about to load everything into the van I realize something....I don't have my keys! I have a wagon key I borrowed from Ryan but no van key!! So...I can my SIL and let her know we're going to be late if I even decide to go at all at this point and I load up all that will fit in the wagon and drive over to Ryan's work to get the van key. We get back and after finishing up the lunches and loading up the car I go to start the van and NOTHING! I thought I was going to die! Anyway, my wonderful sister called at that exact moment and Dade got the fabulous idea to jump the battery off of the spare boat battery. It started right up! So, 2 hours late we were on our way to the museum and I was feeling much better. My SIL had given our names to the front desk at the museum so we still got in free and were able to run to the exhibits outside that we'd been looking forward to....we had never got to play at the wind exhibit, what fun!!

Corben steering his boat around the pond. He was having a great time!

Dade flapping his wings

Corben found this mister and decided it was his favorite part of the wind exhibit!

I laughed at how his hair looked gray!

He had water droplets clinging everywhere!

We stopped at the caboose and then rushed back to the museum to see everything inside!

The Music in Motion room, the more you moved the louder the music was.

Corben relaxing and posing for this pic!

RJ wasn't sure what to think of all the sounds!

We stopped really quick at the tornado!

Then went quickly through the animals.

And finally caught up with my SIL and her family! 2 minutes later my BIL announced that he had to get to work so their family left....But we got to spend 2 minutes with them!!!! YEAH!! Anyway....so at this point the little ones were tired of the stroller and I knew we didn't have much time left to play anyway so I headed over to the baby section with the strollers and gave the boys 30 minutes to go and see what ever they could! The babies had a fabulous time playing. And I enjoyed a nice little rest sitting on the floor just watching.

The play area	Sylvie's Oh No face in the mirror
RJ in his favorite spot at the top of the slide!	Ella sitting in star light during her one and only break from running around!

Okay, brief MOMMY RANT

WHAT IS THIS!!??

This was in the toddler play area as something for the kids to play with!! Who's bright idea was this?! "Hey! I've got an idea! Let's have a section where very small children can learn to open the really hard locks that parents install to keep them safe and show them that there are really cool things hidden on the other side!!" Are they insane??!! Now, if they could just hide sharp knives, medications, animals that bite, toxic chemicals, unattended deep water, and busy roads inside each of these compartments maybe kids would learn something!

Okay, I'm done....back to the story.....

So the boys got back right on time (Way to go!) and that left 5 minutes to play at the blocks (our favorite blocks in the whole world, wish I could afford a box or remember the name of them -starts with a K) and hit the gift shop. Next thing ya know we were in the car (Dade passing out everyone's lunches as I drove) and headed back to my SIL's house. I dropped off my massive brood with her for an overnight sleepover and RJ and I headed to Ryan's back appointment. (If any of you need something to pray about you could always include Ryan's back problems, he's in a lot of pain.) From there we rushed home in time to meet my brother and pass RJ back and then Ryan and I settled in for a nice childless evening. Of course, no date night is complete without a trip to Lowe's and/or Walmart. Ryan insisted we go make me a new set of keys LOL! YEAH! We picked up some ice cream and headed home to watch a movie and sleep in!! We met Ryan's brother in the morning to get the kids. My wonderful SIL had dressed them in new outfits and painted the girls fingers and toes!

Dade and Ryan then headed out to work at a local service project and I hung out with the girls and my SIL. (I love getting to spend so much time with her!)

Ryan playing with Sylvie Saturday night.

Sunday I woke up to find that my rose bushes had finally decided to give me a rose after almost 2 years!

Last, but most definitely NOT least!!.....a huge SHOUT OUT to ELLA!!

Ella used the potty 5 times on Thursday and is very excited about potty training!! YEAH!! I have a picture of her smiling on her new potty reading her favorite potty book but since this is a public blog I decided not to post it even though she's covered up. She has really taken to the idea of using the potty and in true Ella fashion is letting us all know. I went to take her off the potty and she looked at me and yelled,

"NO! MY POTTY!! MINE! MY POTTY!....(pointing to the big toilet) Mommy's potty! (pointing to her potty) MY POTTY!....mine. my potty."

She cracks me up!!