Well, you can't protect them from everything...

For all of those who know me, you know I'm a pretty laid back parent. I do expect my children to behave, I'm strict when I have to be, but in general, I roll with the punches ok. The one area I'm over protective about is what goes into their little minds. TV is limited to cartoons on Noggin and the Disney channel on Saturday mornings. Movies are Disney movies and Veggie Tales. Music is whatever Mommy & Daddy are listening to. So how, I ask you, does my 6 year old know the words to Justin Bieber?!?!? No, Mommy & Daddy do NOT listen to the little Bieber.

The how, is Kay Margaret and Kenzie. The two that make up Grace's rat pack at school. Did you know that Kenzie is Justin's #1 Fan? Well she is, she told Grace so, therefore it must be fact! Kenzie also believes that she will be Mrs. Bieber in the not to distant future. Kay Margaret has been kind enough to teach Grace the words. Fantastic.

I must admit, part of me is smiling. It's fun to be a girl, I just wasn't quite ready for it to come home yet. Don't worry, this new revelation won't be changing what we watch at home - it's still a Bieber free zone. I guess it just goes to show you that we can't protect them from everything - even if we want to.

Easter Pictures

So this Sunday we had an impronptu photo shoot hoping for some Easter pictures. I think Cole and Miller just about sum up how that went. Mica was snapping away with her mega camera too, so maybe when she has a chance to upload them we can photoshop happy children together. Of course that will only work if there are any of Cole faceing the front!

It's Me again!

I'm back! It's been a crazy six weeks around here, and I have been a terrible blog neglecter, but hey, such is life. Since this is really just my technologically advance journal I guess i can tend to it how I like.

What's been going on around here you ask? Well, Grace has lost another tooth, this time right in front. She also has 3 more that are loose. I keep threatening her with "billy bob' teeth - she doesn't find it very humorous, i do :). She also celebrated her 6th birthday at the beginning of April. We partied all weekend long and she got everything she could have wanted, from light up shoes to a real basket ball goal. My oldest chick is actually pretty darn good with a basketball - makes this mommy proud!

Cole Troll is earning his nickname. At 3 1/2 he's really starting to push the boundaries and form his own mulish, I mean pigheaded, I mean stubborn opinions. Sometime talking to him is like talking to a rock, or his daddy - I guess it just depends on the day :)

Kayleigh Blair is also coming into her own. The terrible 2's are arriving a wee bit early but hey, 3rd time around it's not quite as shocking. I do miss my sweet compliant child, but hey, this age is fun! She is really starting to expand her vocabulary and it's wonderful to watch her figure things out. i can almost hear the wheels turning in her head.

Tim and I are good. He's keeping busy around the house. Hopefully, we'll get the kitchen completely finished before too long. It will be nice when this 2 week project finishes at the end of year 2. Yes, I said year. It's been a bit of an ongoing project :)

More later, I just had a minute to type and figured i should take it. I'll shoot to get some b'day pics up soon!

Tooth Fairy

So this was Thursday morning, all our baby teeth in a nice row, looking lovely for pictures.

And this, was Thursday afternoon after school - see the gap? This is her 3rd lost tooth, but the first 2 were bottom teeth and didn't really rattle me. Now every time I look at her it startles me, just a little bit, to see the hole in her mouth. She's my oldest, my first, and still my baby.

Something about that little gap is leaving my heart tender. She's growing up so fast - I am so proud of her, and love her, most truly!

The Pioneer Woman

Ok - I'm in LOVE. Thank you Iana for introducing me to "The Pioneer Woman"! For those of you who have no clue as to what I am talking about, it's a blog that I have started following. Primarily because I had heard her recipes were easy to follow and quite tasty. I can say from experience that so far, I haven't made anything I didn't like, and I actually had the necessary ingredients!

Not only are her recipes great, but she is a great writer - fun to read. Go check her out at www.thepioneerwoman.com

Personal recommendations...

Beef with snow peas - even the children loved it, FANTASTIC
Beef Stew with Beer and paprika - mmmmm
TOMATO SOUP - holy cow, it was fantastic. I followed her directions exactly, but in the end I use my stick blender to puree all the chunks of tomato so it was creamy, talk about smack yo' mama good!!!

Go check her out and see what you think - you will NOT be disappointed!

On the Mend

Well, the children are FINALLY all feeling better. I know this reprieve will probably only last a short while but I am still so very thankful! I was at home all last week with Kayleigh and her nasty RSV. She has responded well to treatment and is right as rain now. I let her go back to daycare yesterday, which I'm sure just means the next thing is coming, but for now we're good.

Grace had RSV too, but hers wasn't nearly as bad, she was back to normal within just a few days. Cole man has been going strong the whole time :)

But of course we can't just all be well, now the dog is sick. Yes, the dog. Bailey is our 8 yr old boxer that Tim and I got right after we were married. He is old, but he's always been so spry! But he came in a few nights ago and he looked like a skeleton, limping, front paw swollen and struggling to breath.

Honestly, I thought we were at the end - but not without a fight. I started soaking down his food with warm water to make it easy to eat, adding some other things to help bulk him up and did some handy online research - you can really find ANYTHING on the internet...

He's not 100% yet but he's on the mend now. Swelling is doing better, limp is about gone and he's acting more like himself. Hopefully, he's got a few more good years in him!

103.6 - the update

As far as days go, yesterday sucked swamp water (that's a Bill phrase ;) ). It was MLK day so Grace was out of school. Tim decided to give me a hand and let Grace go to the office with him, which was great. since I knew KB was going to have to go to the doctor. I dropped Cole off at daycare and took KB into the office with me, where I then made my previous, whiny post - sorry about that.



At about 8:10, I get a text from Tim that Grace is coughing so much she's throwing up. Fantastic. Fortunately Dr. P could see Grace at the same time as KB and he whisked her home.



The verdict? You ask...



RSV for both girls and a nasty double ear infection to top it off for KB



So, we now have a penguin nebulizer (thanks, Am), breathing treatments for both girls, plus an inhaler for Grace, antibiotics, steroids and a couple kinds of cough meds. We sprinkle in a little Tylenol and Motrin to keep it fun.

Today has been much better - both girls are feeling better. I think I'll even let Grace go to school tomorrow. KB on the other hand will be spending the whole week with mommy. If she's good we'll spend time at the office. If she's a toad we'll be spending more time at home. Either way, it seems we are on the mend, again.

Thank you to our friends for checking on us, you guys keep us sane-ish.

103.6

That is what the thermometer read last night at 7:15. Kayleigh Blair is one sick baby. I have no idea what it is, we're going to see Dr. P shortly so hopefully we will have an answer soon. It seems that we just can't get healthy this winter; and while I know I have friends fighting battles more difficult than this I must say, the children's illnesses are beginning to wear on me. I miss church, and sleep, and happy children.

So if you're reading this, and are a praying person, we would greatly appreciate your prayers. Healing for my children, strength for their mommy & daddy. Enough whining for now, Ill post an update soon.

Thanksgiving - at the Farm

Ok, technically it isn't a farm, we just call it "The Farm". It's a house and surrounding land that has been in the family for a long time that my dad and brother use to hunt on. There is a small house that my Papa (mom's dad) helped build after my great uncle came back from WWII. It's not exactly the kind of place you would chose to move in to, but for a hunting house it works great.

It also has a tractor, riding lawn mower and a lot of open space for little people to run around on. The kiddos had a BLAST.

Here's my Cole man on the lawn mower - looks like he might have some idea how this thing works.

Grace liked it too, but liked cousin Will even better!

Grandaddy with Cole and Miller

I've got to say thank you to Tim for being willing to break out usual tradition to spend Thanksgiving up on the mountain with my family. It was wonderful for me to get to share it with the kids, my parents and grand parents. I treasure the time we get to have all 4 generations together and in good health!

Stay Tuned...

Hopefully, I will get Thanksgiving to follow Halloween, soon!

Fall & Halloween

So let's just go back to about where I left off. Halloween was a blast. We have Snow White, Superman and a Zebra/Butterfly (depending on the day). Will is the unhappy puppy and Miller is the Lion. One day we'll get all the children looking in the same direction, i just don't know when that day will be!

this is when we were the butterfly...

We also wen to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out our pumpkins with Bess and Grandaddy and all the Rabb cousins... we did not really want to have our picture made but this one still turned out pretty well!

No, we are NOT dead...

I am perfectly aware that I am terrible at "blog management". For those of you that actually check from time to time, I'm sorry it'sbeen 3 months since my last post. If I was in to make New Year's resolutions maybe being a better blogger would be mine. But since I'm not, you'll have to make do with what you get...

More to follow to catch up through the end of the year and into 2011 :)