School Days

Well, we are officially in the 3rd week of school already!! I think I am having a harder time adjusted to the new schedule then my kids are! I have been so tired ever since we've had to get up earlier! I feel like we are constantly running around. When I said that I was ready for routine, I think I was very WRONG!! I miss sleeping in a little more and not having to be anywhere! Although it is pretty nice when it's just me and Natalie on Tuesday through Friday afternoons! I should probably be napping with her some of the time to combat my tiredness, but of course I don't. This is going to be a very short post today. We are getting ready to go to the library, to get out of the house. We are going to have a busy week this week. Kaitlyn, TJ and Natalie all have check ups and we are getting TJ's speech evaluated. I'm hoping he qualifies for county help so we can get his speech up to speed with his classmates. But we shall see!! More on that later. I have a bunch of pictures to share, but don't have the time to post right now. Be back later to do so!!

Almost Time For School To Start!!

So the summer is coming to an end and school is about to start. It starts in 6 days to be exact!! Right now as I type my kids (except for Natalie) are having a sleepover at Grandma and Pops house with their other cousins. So the grandparents have 6 kids there now! And then when the pool opens they will all go together to the pool with Pop! I think this will be the last group sleepover for the year! My in laws are saints, seriously! On a not so good note, 3 out of 4 of my kids, plus the hubby all have colds. And I went to bed last night and woke up this morning with some signs that I may be getting it now too! I am loading myself up with Vitamin C to hopefully kill it before it takes complete hold! I really hope it works.

I am so ready for school to start! I love my kids and will miss them while they are at school all day, but I am so ready for routine again! My kids are excited to start school and are ready as well. I will only have Natalie home with me for 4 afternoons a week. Chris is going into 5th grade, Kaitlyn is going into 1st grade and TJ is starting his 2nd year of preschool and will be going M-F from 12pm-3pm. So I'm glad I'll get some time with just my baby! Also, my house has suffered so much this summer! It really, really needs a good deep cleaning!!

Anyway, I better go. I think Natalie is awake! Here is a cute picture of her from over the weekend when she feel asleep on my hubby!

Busy Busy

Well, it's the beginning of summer break and I have no idea what to do with the kids! I think we will be spending a lot of time at the pool. Well, after Natalie gets her cast off. She broke her wrist last Thursday falling off a bed at my in laws. Poor thing. I ended up taking her to the ER at about 10pm and not getting home until 3am the next morning! Now TJ, Natalie and Kaitlyn are all sick with terrible colds. I'm really hoping that they get better quickly and we can get over this cycle of sickness and injury. I'm sure that other families go through this every once in a while too but it is sooo hard!! I'm hoping that we can soon enjoy this wonderful summer and have some fun!!

Not a fun couple of weeks.....

It's been a while since I've blogged. I have been sick what seems like forever. First a cold, then a stomach virus then I found out I had two giant kidney stones in my right kidney. They are 9mm big! I started having symptoms last Wednesday. It came on suddenly. I woke up Wednesday morning with a lot of lower back pain which radiated around to my lower abdomen. I thought maybe it was just cramps or something so I sat on the couch with a heating pad on and took some ibuprophen. The pain went away and I was like ok good, I feel much better! Then I went to the bathroom and when I turned around to flush I glanced at the toilet and noticed that I had pee'd straight blood. I was just a little freaked out to say the least. So I call my doctor and get in right away. I was thinking maybe I just had a kidney infection since I was having pain too. But my doc says, " I think you may have a kidney stone." She sends me to the hospital to get a CT scan. I had to wait until the next day and she called me early Thursday morning to tell me I had not just one but two and they were very big. So that day I go to a urologist and he says there is no way that I will be able to pass them. I was scheduled for out patient surgery for Tuesday. So two days ago my Mom takes me to the hospital and I have a procedure done that is like shocks waves that they send to the area that the stones are in. Luckily he broke the one up that was giving me pain really well. I also had to have a stent put into the tube that goes from my kidney to my bladder. Let me just tell you, this in NOT fun!! I have been in a lot of pain for the past couple of days. I am taking pain meds and they only take the edge off. So today is my first day alone with the kids and it's been ok. The older two went to school all day and the younger ones have been so good today!!! I think they know I don't feel good so they are being extra wonderful. I am so glad. I'm hoping I feel better in the next few days so I can get back to our normal routine!! I would not put this on my worst enemy!!!

Well We Made It.....

We made it through Christmas. We had a wonderful time, Santa was very good to the kids and they were truly happy. We spent time with family, ate good food and received many wonderful gifts. But although it was great, I am so relieved that it has passed and the new year is upon us. Our holiday schedule went something like this. Christmas Eve we went to my aunt Carols house, Christmas morning the kids were up early and then my parents came over at about 10:30 that morning and brought more gifts. Then we went to my grandmothers at 1pm, then to my grandfathers around 4pm. Then we headed over to Tim's parents and spent some time over there. Then the day after Christmas we headed back over to my grandmothers because my two aunts and my 4 cousins came from Va Beach. So we were busy to say the least!!
We have had such a stressful time these past fews months that I will be happy to welcome a new year and new things. I started watching a 7 month old sweet little boy a couple of weeks ago and Tim got a new government job!! He will start on January 5th. This is such a good thing! His job comes with great benefits and great hours. Something that his previous jobs have not. It also comes with security, something that we have needed for a very long time. So the new year couldn't come sooner! I hope that everyone else's Christmas was a nice as ours. I will post some holiday pics as soon as I get a chance.

Can They Ever Be Well?

Ok, so my kids just keep taking turns being sick!! I thought we were all out of the woods and then Natalie got sick.... again. She has the worst cold and cough ever. Her eyes are all runny and it looks like she may have pink eye. I'm kind of waiting to see how things go. I know that sometimes a virus can cause things to come out of everywhere! I'm hoping that she is all better by Thanksgiving, which is only 3 days away.
I went out for the first time by myself on Saturday night. I went out with two very good lady friends. We had a blast just eating and talking. It was the first time since Natalie was born that I'd gone out with absolutely no kids. And wouldn't you know that my sweet almost always happy baby screamed and cried the entire 2 1/2 hours that I was away from home? I didn't know who to feel more sorry for her or my wonderful husband who was caring for her? He had our 10 year old(who was a very large help), our 5 and 3 year old who apparently kept fighting and getting in trouble and our little 8 month old Natalie who had a scream fest. I think that may be the last time I'm allowed out of the house if one of my babies is sick. There's just nothing like a mamas love when you are a sick baby/kid. I know I used to feel like that too. No one could make me feel better like my mom. Anyway, I better go and try to sneak a little nap in while ALL of the kids are sleeping. That doesn't happen very often and if I wait to long my chance will be gone!!

Not Much Time

So, I don't have much time to blog. But I wanted to start today and make a promise to myself that I will blog at least a few times a week. I've been so bad about blogging lately! It couldn't be because I'm insanely busy with my 4 crazy kids! Anyway, this weekend was pretty relaxing for once and was going pretty well. Until this morning when Kaitlyn my 5 year old came in my room at around 6:30am complaning of a tummy ache. Well, we all know what came after that. The poor thing kept throwing up all morning. Right now, thankfully she is sleeping all snuggled up in her bed. And we are trying to keep my extremly energetic 3 year old quiet, which is no easy task. Hopefully when she wakes up she will feel a little better. I always feel so bad for my kids when they are sick because there is not anything I can do to make them feel better. All I can do is give them snuggles, rub their achy little bodies and hold their hair back when they are throwing up. I'm sure she will be feeling a little more back to herself tomorrow. And heres to hoping none of the other children get it!!! And on a lighter note. Here are some pictures of my youngest, Natalie. Being able to kiss those sweet cheeks just makes all the bad things go away, at least for a while.