Nurse Mackenzee

I swear I was on my deathbed on Wednesday. I don't remember feeling that horrible in a VERY long time. Landon was at school and Jaysen was at work, which meant is was just me and Kenzee home, as usual. I could barely get out of bed. :0( It was yucky.

THANKFULLY, I had my own nursemaid to help me out. She brought me her Abby Cadabby blanket because she knew I was freezing. She was sure that she needed to bring me the "puke bowl". {For those of you not aware, this is simply a large plastic bowl that goes anywhere the sick-o in the house goes. I make my kids lay in their beds with their bowl. Cleaning up the mess is not fun, so if they take care of business in the bowl....it saves them and me the frustration} Kenzee brought me a bowl. :0) After the phone rang several times she went and got it for me so that I could just have it next to me. There was no way I was able to jump up and get the phone. She went and got me some crackers to eat and brought me a glass of water. She even went and found some story books and read them to me.

I'm telling you. I don't know that she could have done any better at helping me. She was so good all day {with a little help from Dora} and was so patient with her useless mommy.

Kenzee is such a fun, sweet girl. I'm so glad I have days like this to remember because honestly, there are some days when I wonder how I'm still alive as I try to deal with her stubbornness. :0)

Weekend Getaway

We had planned on going to visit by brother Cameron in Utah this last weekend. It's been planned for about a month now. We had to wait for basketball season to be over so we'd have a free Saturday. :0) Unfortunately, Mackenzee decided to get sick on Tuesday. We kept our fingers crossed that she'd be better by the weekend. Thankfully, her fever only lasted for 24 hours, but then her nose exploded with a cold and a cough magically appeared. And, to top off that, Jaysen had to go and get sick on us as well. He had caught whatever bug Kenzee had. I called my SIL, Holly, on Thursday night to let her know we might have to bail. She said that as long as it was just colds to still come. So, I told her I'd keep her posted.

{This is Cameron and Holly}

Miraculously, Jaysen woke up Friday morning feeling better, but with the same nasty cold that Kenzee had. So, I called Holly again, and she said that we still had to come, colds and all. :0) I think both Austin and Landon would have had heart attacks if the trip was cancelled. So, we packed up the car and headed off.



And, though I know most of you will be shocked at my laziness...I didn't take a single picture the entire weekend! What's wrong with me? I took the camera...just didn't take the pictures. Sigh.

{Landon and Austin}

Anyway, we had a great time! We did absolutely nothing and it was fabulous to just hang out. They have a new home now and so we got to snoop around and check it all out. It's ginormous! So much so that they don't even use the basement. I think Holly should use it as a girl haven though. Set it all up with her crafting stuff and have girls nights galore down there. :0) I would come!

{Greta and Alina....and Santa too. :0)}

The kids had so much fun playing together even though I heard Alina tell Mackenzee "I hate you!" a few times. Gotta love girls.....they didn't really like "sharing" too well. I told Alina that she could come home with me and she was mad when she found out it wasn't real. :0) Normally none of my neices and nephews actually take me up on the offer. It's been made to most of them because they're all so stinking cute...but she's the only one that literally wanted to hop in the car and head out of town. I loved it. :0) And...I've never heard Greta talk SO much. It was non stop. I couldn't believe my ears. Normally you have to drag even just a word out of her. She is still scared of Jaysen though. She said it's because he's a boy and has cooties. I can't say that I blame her.

Poor Jaysen slept most of the weekend trying to get better, and Kenzee nose was an ever flowing river of snot. So gross! Cameron had a hey day playing the Guitar Hero we brought with us {Just go buy one Cam!!!} :0) and the boys tormented the girls non stop. What can you do? I just sat back and watched it all. :0)

We did go to the Mayan for dinner on Saturday night. I can't say that it was the best food I've ever had {Kind of like Cafe Rio} but the atmosphere was so fun for the kids. We had to wait an hour for our table {With 2 two year olds!} but the kids had so much fun watching the little shows and the people diving into the water. Kenzee was scared to death of the man walking around in the headdress and loincloth. :0) It didn't help that Cameron growled at her to scare her when the man came around. {MEAN!} But she lived.

And now we are home...Thanks so much for putting up with us this weekend! We hope we weren't too much trouble! Unfortunately, I have begun to get whatever Kenzee and Jaysen had. I hope your family doesn't get it! I'm sorry! But you said we should come! :0) I'll send a couple bottles of cold medicine to replace the ones we drank. :0)

Blessed

I had a hard time waking up this morning. Grogginess left my eyes unwilling to open. After several attempts, they finally opened to see that it was later than I thought and if I did not hurry, Landon would miss the bus. Sigh. So, I stumbled out of bed and proceeded with the usual morning ritual of hurrying my oldest along through his morning. "Hurry and finish your cereal! You don't have your pants on? You have ten minutes until the bus comes! Stop watching cartoons and get your teeth brushed!"

Then comes the "Put your hood on, it's cold outside! Don't forget your backpack! I love you! Behave yourself at school!" And off he goes down the sidewalk to the bus. The house is much calmer now, and quieter without all of my pestering. Just Dora and Boots on the tv entertaining my daughter. Time for my morning hot cocoa and email. One of my favorite parts of the day. I am fully awake by now and soon must get going with the rest of my day.

Mackenzee bath time, Mom shower time, the rush of getting ready to go. I call the contractor working on our basement to let him know I won't be home when he gets here, so he should just let himself in. And...we're off!

I make it to Landon's school just in time for the meeting with the carpenters we've chosen to build the new bookshelves for the library. Poor Mackenzee has to come even though she is not feeling well. I feel guilty as I silently am grateful she is sick and under the influence of Tylenol cold. She sits through the 45 minute meeting quietly and falls asleep at the end. Unfortunately she is awake by the time we get to the car as it is FREEZING outside and the cold shakes her out of her warm slumber. Sigh. Off to the book store to get this years Primary CD-ROM so I can get my lesson ready for church on Sunday. 5 year olds....sigh. I have been officially asked to teach this age group of children AGAIN. I continue to remind myself that if I would just learn to have more patience then God would stop doing this to me. :0) He would realized that I've learned this life lesson and let me move on. I sigh knowing it will never happen and resign myself to being in the Primary for the rest of my life.

I must still get to the bank with the PTA deposit, but feel I have dragged poor Mackenzee around enough today. I turn around in the car at the stop sign and see her sad little face and offer her a happy meal. Was that to make her feel better or me? I'm pretty sure it was to help me not feel so guilty for dragging her out while she's sick. Her smile at the suggestion wipes away my "bad mom" feelings and off we go to McDonalds.

My phone rings...Landon has a stomach ache, could I pick him up from school? Sigh. The chronic faker strikes again. A bowl of Cocoa Puffs for breakfast and we're sick? Ok. I'll pick him up. Thank you for call me.....{I sigh in frustration thinking...couldn't he have gotten sick 30 minutes earlier as I was already at his school?}

The contractor is banging on things in the basement and I'm hoping Mackenzee will still take her nap with all of the noise. I have the kids lay down on the couch with their blankets until it's time for naps.

I realize the day is half over and think of all the things I have left to do. And then I hear, "Mom! come take our picture!"

And then I realize...forget about my list, about what I didn't get done this morning. Who cares about the lists!

They fell asleep together. Four pillows, six blankets, five stuffed animals, two kids and a sippy cup. Isn't it great to be a mom? Sick tummies and all {whether real or not}

I am blessed.