What's wrong with this picture?

Ryan redressed himself -- he half tucked his shirt in and put those pants on backwards!

Published Artists!

What would you give Baby Jesus?

Alex, age 7 (not 1 as reported in the Intermountain Catholic) would give "Christ" a police car. First he was going to give him fire, but he finally decided Joseph would be able to make one.

Andrew, age 3 (as reported in the Intermountain Catholic) would give the baby a Nascar.

DS

"Alex? Can I watch you play your game?"

Red & Sore

Andy's skin is RED and SORE and just starting to PEEL. In a couple days, I'll show you what this nasty infection does...

He's feeling better. He went outside yesterday and the day before and played in the snow both days. He doesn't have as much energy as usual and needs more sleep.

Hopefully, by the time he's done with his antibiotics, he'll be back to normal.

Hot Chocolate for the Chicklets

RyGuy was made about the whole camera thing. He's telling me off.

Andrew felt so much better today that he played in the snow with the twix while Alex helped me outside.

Finally, Alex has some free time to enjoy his new DANGEROUS BOOK! He asked if he could read for a while after the snow shoveling.

And Seany, happy, bubbly Seany. Covered from head to toe with chocolate.

Let It Snow

The view directly off the back deck today. A light dusting of snow and some puffy clouds.

I just turned the camera 45 degrees to capture the lake view and look at those clouds.

After 2 hours of shoveling, Alex and I still couldn't get the ice up and more kept filling the driveway. We'll go back out today at 4 so that Mark can park in the driveway.

Happy Birthday

To my Andrew

At 4 years old, you're getting closer to being big like Alex! We keep hoping you feel better soon.

We'll celebrate when you're well.

Thanks for all his ecards, gifts, and birthday wishes. He'll read them tomorrow or Sunday when he's not sick and crabby.

Scarlatina

aka Scarlet Fever.

Yes, it sounds scary but its basically just strep throat with a rash. Every member of the household has it and has started antibiotics. It was scary when Sean had his worst day, but he came back within 2 days mildly ill. Then Ryan was super ill for 2 days.

Andrew has been the sickest consistently and for the longest. After 24 hours of antibiotics, he looks slightly better then he's looked over the last 5 days. The doctor's nurses kept saying it was just a virus, I had to finally demand an appointment and only gave them his highest temp readings -- 103.7 under his arm, 103.1 also under his arm, and 102.5 under his arm.

The fever was only readable on his torso (which looks like he got the worst sunburn in the history of man), he didn't carry it in his forehead (hence a normal reading on his forehead).

Most of his torso and inner thighs will be itchy and sensitive for a couple weeks, all that red skin is going to peel. I feel so sorry for him and yesterday was his b-day.

He's been so sick, he's not his usual happy self. He "couldn't" say hi to anyone. We weren't allowed sing happy birthday to him. Or wish him birthday greetings. "No, Alex its not a happy birthday." "No, Mommy, I don't want it to be my birthday today."

And the saddest comment of all, "Mommy, I don't want to be sick anymore. I don't like being sick."

He missed his big preschool concert, preschool Christmas party, and preschool birthday greetings. He's a sad, sad, little man.

The poor kid had to lay down to take a nap yesterday. Mark told him that he didn't have to sleep just rest and we'd come get him in a little bit. I forgot that Andrew obeys (unlike the twix) and had to go get him at 5 pm. He'd laid there napping on and off for 4 hours waiting for us to tell him he could stop resting.

I was only able to cheer him yesterday but letting him pick his dinner -- smoked sausage and Sponge Bob mac n' cheese. He only ate 3 bites, but he was happy about it.

This morning is the first he's awaken without a burning hot chest.

Mark is finally recovering -- 24 hours of antibiotics and his fever finally seems to have subsided. I think he's still weak and has the sore throat and head ache. Bummer b-day for him too.

Alex is almost totally better, the twix are like their usual mischievous selves. And I woke up this morning, minus the headache though my ears and throat are still sore.

Hopefully, we'll all be well by Christmas!

Happy Birthday

to the man I love!

At 35 and el sicko, you're still adorable.

Fever & Rash

Its hard to see but Andrew's skin is BRIGHT RED. He has had a fever and rash since Sunday. Alex had it for 3 days last week.

Last night, Andrew's temp was 103.5. Ryan's was at 102.7. And I didn't take Sean's but he's been miserable too. Mark's was 100.something. So basically my whole gang is sick.

Mark had to work today -- some kind of award presentation this morning and a meeting today at 4. He looks terrible and it his birthday.

SO without being tongue in cheek -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!

Puzzles

Ryan is a puzzle man -- they got three for Christmas and he considers them all his. Poor Sean had to be quite sneaky to have puzzle time.

Play-Doh

Sean finger squishing.

Ryan had a melt-down and stripped, he was still in recovery mode but managed to pull himself together enough to work on a snake with Nona.

Andrew was making pizza.

Alex also made pizza.

More Early Christmas

Andrew is a little clothes horse. He was fairly excited about a new hoodie.

Sean still playing with the bath toys.

Andrew didn't know what he was opening -- a science kit.

Alex got INVENTIONS!

Ryan was pretty excited about the book.

Early Christmas

All the Early Christma gifts.

Alex was very excited about a basketball game for the XBox 360.

Sean helped Auntie Carolyn with her gifts.

Sean loved his new bath toys from Auntie.

Andrew was very excited about his little coin purse.

Tattoos

I gave Alex his tattoo and he gave me one.

Andrew gave me a very dark eagle and I gave him one.

Even Nonna got 2 tatts -- Alex gave her a shark and Andrew gave her an eagle.

Listen closely

One of Alex's b-day gifts

He is Optimus Prime aka head good Transformer.

Sean's Surgery

Seany getting ready for his surgery. One and a half years ago, he wore this same pair of hospital jammies, it finally fits him! This was before he was high and still able to sit unassisted.

Wally World Pharmacy

So Sean had just had surgery. I stopped at Wally World to get his prescription filled. I stopped at the one closest to the hospital as he hadn't fallen asleep, and I wanted his sleep to be undisturbed.

I turned in the prescription, "About how long?"

"We're a LITTLE (she said LITTLE, not crazy busy, not heavily behind, etc) busy. So give us 20 minutes."

Twenty minutes later we went back, I check on at the pick up window.

"No its not ready. Our standard wait time is 40 minutes and it goes up from there." So one of the two girls told an outright lie.

"I wouldn't have stayed if I'd known that. The girl said 20 minutes. My kid just had surgery and needs his drops in an hour."

"Oh we'll be done long before that."

Sean was fussy all this time, except when eating some animal crackers to settle his stomach (or so I thought).

Forty-five minutes later, still no prescription. "Can't you call the insurance company and see what's going on? He doesn't feel well, he's had surgery 2 hours ago, and I need to put the drops in."

"Well its faster if we do it this way."

"But that hasn't worked," I say to the back of a blond head as she saunters off.

Sean got really fussy and threw up. Now she refuses to make eye contact with me. I went out to the car and got his sleeper. On my way back in their door greeter keeps saying, "GOOD MORNING" louder and louder, to which I running by her replied, "No. Not really."

I went to the baby aisle and got their wipes off the shelf. I returned where he continued to wail and said, "EXCUSE ME! He just threw up all over himself and your floor. You need to call for a clean up."

Suddenly they could call the insurance company. I was done being a patient customer and switched to only caring about Sean's comfort. As each wipe was nastified, I threw it into the throw up (they couldn't spare a plastic bag until after he was dressed and they realized I'd added to the mess).

His fever returned. So I ripped open a bottle of Tylenol, held out my hand, and told her to give me a dropper now.

When I told my sister this story, my mom said she did think it wasn't like me to just throw wipes and clothes on the floor. And demand something.

After all that, they couldn't get it to process, so I was sent to the other Wally World where the ear drops would be waiting.

NOT! As usual I was lied too.

The other store had to pull the order from them, they called the insurance company and had me out of there in 15 minutes flat.

Another bad experience at that Wally World.

Tubes Update

Sean's tubes went well. He was in and out of the operating room in about 5 minutes.

Before heading in they gave him loopy juice -- Seany was high as a kite. Nona's arm was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. And don't get him laughing about the new blanket -- he'd not stop.

Then he came back, sick and sore and crabby. He was miserable for 30 minutes and slowly perked up.

We went to get his prescription filled, an ordeal. He's fever kicked in (as usual, my kid gets the rare side effect that never happens to anyone we know) and he threw up his crackers.

We're taking it easy today. He's not very steady and he looks totally worn out.