Slow Return

It has been a slow return here at the Jones Casa. Just when we think we get over the hump the Flu strikes again. Callan has been it's latest victim. He has been runnig a fever on and off since last Thursday, but on Monday he refused to use his legs and my newly crowned 5 year old was snake crawling around the house. By the time I discovered he meant serious business his fever was back up over 103. So off to the Dr. we went. It seems that the virus was attacking his muscles which can be very painful. He seems just fine now and his flu has almost run it's course.

We have been spending a lot of time confined to the house and today ( being a snow day) will hopefully be the last. I have a full day planned for tomorrow to get all the stuff I need to get for the boys birthday party this weekend.

On a sweet note, this is how I found Silas and Bay this morning. They both wanted their backs scratched and evidentally did not want to wait to take turns. See even when you have been trapped together for a week, the love still shows. I think it is quite sweet... brotherly love.

Broke my heart

So what does a mom do when she is in the doctor's office, they are putting a q-tip up her nose to scrape her brain, and handing her a wonderful complimentary "so you have the flu" gift bag? I am making a fool out of myself, crying hysterically, uncontrollably even. All because of this right here...

The day I got the flu was this little man's birthday. A big birthday... the birthday where he gets to be a whole hand! The birthday a momma dreads because it means he is old enough to leave her and go to kindergarten. The birthday that turns him from a preschooler to a school aged child. So I cried, like crazy and told the doctor that I promised him I would get him a Star Wars figure. I think she was trying not to laugh because I was quite the sight. And then I fell asleep for 2 days. Callan, I love you and I promise you a trip to ToysRUs as soon as possible.

WOW!

I have absolutely no words to decribe the last 72 hours of my life. Turns out that Mr. Funk was the full out FLU on mom. I have been the sickest I have ever been and I do not ever want to go there again. I am still very weak, probably because my last meal was dinner on Wednesday, but I know that there are some of you out there checking here to see if I am alive. I am alive, weak and weary, but gaining strength. KUDOS to my hubby who has been amazing. I will write more when I can make complete sentences that make sense.

Note to the carpool line

Goodmorning... I know I look strange this morning. I know I usually am raring to go, fully dressed, and ready to rock-n-roll. I know you are staring at me because you are not used to seeing me drive around in my pajamas and comfy socks. But you see the Jones household has caught the funk and I am trying my best to stay a float, and today that means driving Bay to school in my PJ's (hey at least he is still going strong enough to go to school).

After the Eliza incident, the funk moved onto Silas. And when Silas is sick, you know it... because it is repeated in everything he does at least 100 times ("Mom, I need some juice, mom, I need some juice, mom I need some juice...x 100"). AND THEN... the funk landed on Mommy. I cannot pinpoint exactly what ails me other than the shooting flames from my throat and eyeballs that feel like they are 4 times too big for my head. But, I ran a fever for the first time yesterday since 2004. The sad thing is, I do not have time to be sick. When your kids are sick, you just cannot be sick because it is tough to handle the wining, and crying, and screaming, and alltogether ill moods if you are under the weather.

So far, Callan (whose birthday is tomorrow) and Baylor have steered clear of the funk, but Daddy is getting the scratchy throat.

Mr. Funk... you are welcome here no more. It is time to move on... I hear there is a lovely family waiting for you somewhere in Timbucktoo.

Update on Eliza

Eliza took a 3 hour nap (unheard of for her) and woke up seeming like all was well with the world. I took her temp and it registered as normal. I guess a dose of high powered antibiotic does a little girl some good. Right now she is chasing Macie... barking at her.

Pres Day... or THE DAY MY DAUGHTER WOULD NOT WAKE UP

So, I was prepared for a nice day at home today. Cleaning up, doing laundry and being the daily referee since everyone is home today. But I was not at all prepared for what happened this morning. You see my hubby gets up at 5 AM ( or 5:45 this morning because I either did not wake him when the alarm went off or I did, and he did not get up... who knows). He said Eliza was playing and talking and babbling, but I did not hear her ( and I usually hear her every breath). She must have fallen back to sleep because when the boys got up at 6:30 she was out... she was so out that she did not make a peep until 8:20. I ran up to get her and found a very latharagic baby laying there. I picked her up and she was almost too weak to hold her head up. I took her into the bathroom to wash her face ( from the dried snot) change her diaper and get a good look at her. She could not keep her eyes open, they were rolling back as if she had just pulled an all-nighter. I took her down stairs and she was just not right, in fact she laid her head on my shoulder and fell right back to sleep. I started worrying and called Brent ( and my mom) I was sitting there holding her in my lap and she was out. She would open her eyes if I called out to her, but back out she went. I started getting scared so I called the doc. They said to bring her in. I laid her on my bed where even though all three boys were surrounding her and trying to get her to wake up, she laid there OUT. I changed clothes, ran a brush through my hair and demanded the boys to go climb in the car ( in their PJ's with breakfast still on their faces). We headed out and met Daddy at the Dr. so he could sit in the car with the boys. When I got inside, I noticed her ear was oozing so I pointed it out to the Dr. Come to find out, my daughter who has not run a fever AT ALL, who had not whined AT ALL, who has not slowed down AT ALL, has an ear infection so bad that it perforated her ear drum. Technically I do not know how bad that is... but it sounds bad to me. I am still not sure why she could not wake up, the Dr. said that sometimes with a bacterial infection it just wipes you out. However, she still seems a bit concerned because Eliza's temp was BELOW normal. So I have to take it several times today to make sure it is coming up to a normal range... otherwise we have to "re-assess" the situation. ( she did throw a few scary things out there, but said that since she seemed with it and alert by the end of the visit she just did not think that was the case). So, today... I am watching my baby like a hawk... and I am still shaking.

You think you know someone...

I mean you were there when they took their first breath. You have been by their side though all-nighters, scary shadows, giving up the pacie, and staples to the head. You lost sleep, you caught their stomach virus, been peed on, spit on, and loved on more that you could ever count. You picked their first outfit, their first foods, their first friends, and the first time to leave them with someone other than you. You have counted their toes, their freckles, and their teeth. You know so much about them, that you can provide what they are about to ask for before they can even think to ask. So, how in the world do you miss something like this?

I think Silas may be LEFT HANDED!!

I think he is still unsure of which hand to use... he switches back and forth for a few minutes and then lands on the left. This just blows my mind... nothing like my little "Wee" to throw something new out there.

Flashback Friday

In keeping with the Valentine's Day theme... I give you a photo of me and Brent at a college sorority social (probably at the Elk's Lodge). If I remember correctly it was a blind date theme and you were supposed to ask someone very sneakily and have someone else bring your date to the event and then you would tell them sometime after arrival who invited them. We saw lots of guys arrive with blind folds... but hey, they are the ones that agreed to the fun. Brent and I were pretty serious by then so I think we just went together.

My funny little Valen-times

The loves of my life...

New Look

Here is a little something we have been working on. Truth be told, Brent bought the materials to do this about um... a year ago (give or take 6 months). We wanted to put it up in the boys bathroom, but with baseball seasons, nap schedules, trips and more we just never found the time. When the trim carpenters were working in our basement, we asked them to install it for us. I think it took them about 20 minutes. I wish I would have taken a before picutre, but I forgot. Picture it floor to ceiling in a tanish color... same accessories. Now the after... I just have to find a few things to hang on the wall to be extra cute... any suggestions?

Look Nommie

I look really cute in my outfit... and it fits perfectly!

Toothless Grin

Betty Crockers MOM OF THE YEAR

So why the Betty Crocker Mom of the Year you ask? Because my recent parenting seems to have lagged in the food department. Yes, I know I have Menu Plan Monday and honestly I have been sticking to it and making what is on the list... however, I keep forgetting to give my kids LUNCH!!

WHAT you ask?? Yep, Thursday I forgot to pack lunches for the boys at MDO. The director had to call me and ask me if I put it somewhere else, because they could not find it.( Nope... I did not pack lunches) I have a perfectly good explination for this... I misuderstood the parent letter home and thought that Pajama and Popcorn day also included a lunch of Pizza. But, that was the Valentines day plan... I was just a week early. So I had to go home and make lunches for the boys and take it back up to MDO.

Today, I was fixing lunch for us at home and thought about Baylor and the fact that he was about to go to lunch himself at school. I thought about how I did not pack his lunch this morning and that he would eat Pizza at school ( because he almost always eats at school on Red Barron Pizza day)... as I was drifting off into my continued thoughts about Bay I realized that I forgot to give him his money for his Pizza lunch. They quit allowing them to charge at school so I called the school and asked what he would be able to do. They told me they would give him a sack PBJ lunch. Well, I would just not have that and Bay would not let me hear the end of it, so I yanked the kids away from their lunches, threw them in the car and drove to the school in just enough time to meet him as he came down the hallway and hand him his money. Again, I have a perfectly good explination. When I was getting the kids ready this morning and when we started loading up I lifted the garage door to 7 men standing outside in my driveway. It threw me a little, even though they all were there with a purpose it just felt weird ( they were all trim carpenters and painters). I got sidetracked from my train of thought and totally forgot about lunch and lunch money.

So there you have it friends, I have just been awarded with the Betty Crocker lunchtime favorites Mom of the Year Award...coming to a kitchen, MDO, or school cafeteria near you.

The Built Ins...

Construction is moving along in the basement. Today the carpenters finished hanging the doors, baseboards and building custom shelves and cubbies. I thought the space under the stairs was just wasted and wondered if I could have some kind of cubby spot to put baskets in. I think it turned out great.

A round of French Fries for everyone...

AHHHHH... sometimes I want to know why the simple things have to be so hard. This was my morining. Well, actucally my morning started yesterday about 3PM. I picked up the kiddos from MDO, went to vote, came home to grab something and then go get in car rider line (since it is my week). At my brief stop home, Silas needed to potty. We came inside,accomplished his mission, and I bent over to pull his pants up when all I hear is PLOP... GLUB...GLUB...GLUB. My phone jumped out of my pocket and into the pee filled potty. I debated flushing...but instead grabbed it quickly... threw it in the sink and began the disinfecting process before I even considered the fact that it was an electronic device. Phone...terminated.

That brings me to today. I get up and go to the gym (my normal Wednesday routine) and decide to just run to the store in Franklin to get a new phone. I had already been in fairly recently to see if it were time for an upgrade and discovered that I would not be eligable until August. But this was alltogether a different situation. So I walk in the door and told her my story. She looked me up and basically said, "Sorry, nothing I can do. You are under contract until August, and you do not have insurance. Feel free to go to the store in Cool Springs and see if they can help you more, or you can purchase this (the 1990 brick) phone to use until August for $150". Now I am a fairly calm and reasonable person, I do not like to get my panties in a wad in front of people and I know that most of the time they really have no say, so why make a scene for nothing. But, it was one of those days so I said. "No, I am not going to Cool Springs I am here, can you not call them and work through them on the phone otherwise I have to pack the kids up drive ( another 15 minutes) there and then deal with the unusually long line there. I have been a never-miss-a-payment customer with you for 13 years now, you think you could work with me a little? (and then I added). Maybe it is just time for me to switch carriers and go with my husbands". To which she said " Go ahead, HONEY, for every person that leaves, 20 people are in line to take your place."

So I left... and went to Cool Springs... with my 3 kids.

I walked in handed the first guy that approaced me my phone and said "It fell in the potty" To which he promptly handed it back (teehee) and sent me to Customer Service. After standing there for a while with a man putting fire to my phone. He came back and told me that he had it working but it may work 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days or 2 years... but ( he leans in and whispers) " As a ONE TIME courtsey I can sell you a new phone with a one year contract and it won't affect your previous contract."

Now I am not sure I got any kind of deal( but he sold me with the whispering) because the RED HOT DAYS says you can walk in and get a phone that will call Mars for $75 ( but of course the not listed fine print explains that it excludes me). But I was so tired, overwhelmed with the whole jumping through the hoops process, that I just wanted it to be OVER. I bought a phone, with a rebate... and it works ( though not waterproof). AND THEN WENT TO MCDONALDS... because after all the kids were with me and they only touched each phone 2 times and rearranged the headsets once.

Hey Liza!

Hey sweet girl... can you look at mommy for a second


AND show me your nose...

Menu Plan Monday

I hesitate to list my meals this week because I heard I got made fun of (AHEM... not saying any names but you know who you are). We are a simple meal kind of family. You are not going to find any glazed or braized this and that or any fancy smancy froo froo food either. My hubby likes his meat and potatoes (and thankfully has gotten used to his ground meat being ground turkey). I do cook beef and pork for him on occasion and he grills steaks all summer. But I would like to add in my defense, most of the time if given the choice in a restaurant he chooses chicken.

Monday- Gran's Lasagna ( one of Brent's faves and at his request I will have to post the recipe later)
Salad
Bread

Tuedsay- Chicken Fajita's
Rice
Black Beans

Wednesday- Angel's Cafe on church night

Thursday- Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Green Peas
Cooked Pears ( Baylor's fave)

Friday- Baked Ham
Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans

Black Belt

So, on Friday night Baylor had his awards ceremony. Because it did not begin until Eliza's bed time, Daddy and Baylor went alone. Baylor is now offically a BLACK BELT. We are so proud. He has worked SO hard. Really we all have committed to the work it takes for him to be here. Baylor has gone to TaeKwonDo 2-3 (or more) times a week since October of 2005. He has memorized 6 different forms to present perfectly, and knows all of the correct sparring techniques and when to deliver them. He can also break boards with 3 different hand moves and 3 different foot moves. He has worked hard, and I did not know if he would stick with it. Now he can always say he is a Black Belt. Here is the new proud Black Belt. ( not sure what the rock star pose is all about, but Hey... he is a black belt I am not arguing with him about it) The white stripe on the belt indicates that he is probationary. He has to prove that he has what it takes to be a black belt for the next 4 months before he can advance as a black belt.


And here is what Mommy does with his proud accomplishment.

Representing...

Okay I had a minute today as the boys are outside soaking in this Spring-like day. So I decided to actually look at my cluster map and see where my visits come from. Aside from the US... I have representatives from 15 countries. Can you believe that... it really blows my mind. I sure wish one day they would stop and just say HI.

It is a lot of pressure you know, to be a spokeswoman and all. I mean what if they stumble upon my blog by accident and this is all they see and know of a family in the US (aside of course from the reality TV ones that represent us all so well). I hope to represent, I hope to make you proud... I wonder who in the heck you are... but WELCOME... Japan, Dominican Republic, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Estonia.

I've Been Tagged

Okay folks, Bobbi tagged me...
The rules are:
to link the person who sent this and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours
Post the rules on your blog
Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and link their blog
Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

1. I cannot stand the sound of metal scraping...be it fork on teeth or metal spoon on a bowl... I cannot take it. I also hate someome filing their nails with a metal file. If you do it I have to leave the room... which also includes dad's old knife sharpening stone... chills I tell you chills.

2. When I was in Jr. High ( or Middle school as they say now) my Pa bought me a cow. Every time my cow had a calf I got the money it earned at sale for college. The first time I sold a calf I asked Pa if we knew who's farm it was going to ( because I assumed someone was buying it to put on their farm) he told me McDonald's. I have not had beef (or pork?) since that day.

3. Someone (who I had not seen in a year) once asked me to marry them over the phone... I laughed. He was 12 years older than me, and I was only 18 or 19. He was just crazy enough to be serious.

4. I have crazy, vivid dreams and bring random people into them from my past. People I may not even have known well. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and have to go look at my HS Annual to see the name of the person I dreamed about. My HS Annual is under my bed.( I can fly in my dreams too...it is really cool)

5. I have an obsession with Applebee's Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad. If we do not eat there after church on Sunday, I have to find a way to get it during the week. That is until this week when a very long black hair was attached to a piece of my lettuce.

6. I was still coming off of anesthesia the day I signed my marriage license. The stress of the wedding sent my tummy into a tizzy and that morning I had some test runto make sure my ulcers were not back. My mom and Brent had to hold me up to get me into the licensing office and I was a giggle box.

7. Right now, I feel like God has another Guatemalan child planned for our family. We are just waiting patiently for all the mountains He has to move first.

I know a lot of you have been tagged, but if you have not been tagged yet and you are reading this... consider yourself tagged and have fun.