More bragging rights

I shouldn't have so much to say on the kids but they are the life I have right now. Not room for much else at the moment. Sometimes watching what they do, good or bad, is the reward for sticking it out and having my life have to do everything with them. I am grateful for what they have been able to accomplish and that I am raising good kids that try hard to be that way. Not all healthy at the moment but that too will pass. And then when there is burn out, you find out you were still doing good even though you are soo ready for a vacation from mommyhood for a little bit.

Kelsea had a 9th grade award assembly today and she received a 3 sport award and an MVP in tennis award with her friend that played doubles with her. She didn't get any awards for grades but that is OK. She is still doing great.

The house of sick and ich

We had a good run for Kelsea anyway. I don't think she missed much school all year until Friday. She was sick the day of the tennis match. Was really sick on Friday and much more afflicted on Saturday. She was running a fever and her throat was sore and her head hurt. The glands in her neck were so swollen all the way down her neck I could see it and she couldn't move her head at all and that scared us. Since it was Sat night on Memorial weekend we took her to the ER. She is on antibiotics. They said it was either strep or mono. I was hoping it was not mono. She spent the weekend sleeping and having cold and hot spells. She stayed home half of Mon. We went back to the doctor today and ruled out Mono. Hooray for that but she is still pretty sick even though she is at school.

We had sick kids on Sunday other than Kels. Hannah and Autumn stayed home and then on Monday Kylee stayed home. I have been tired and feel totally burned out. Just put some sick kids in the usual run around and that kicks my butt.

And the fish are sick. Lee Joe bought fish at wal-mart. I have been waiting to get fish until I had all the other issues taken care of, things were going quite well and now the fish have Ich. I have lost a gourami, a frog, and a black skirt tetra. A neon tetra is dying today but my two biggest fish are recovering. And the other gourami is an unknown as to if it will survive yet. I have to do water changes almost everyday and have been treating the tank daily as well. My guppy tank has something wrong with it too. Nothing has changed except for the high number of babies in the tank. I think I lost a cori but I can't find it dead or alive. I lost two of my males and a half grown baby and another algae eater. I have one male left and it is the one we raised from a baby. But we have lots of females and out of all the babies they all seem to be females. Fish are not pets, they are a hobby.

We had a bar-b-q on Monday to celbrate my sister's graduation from BSU. The weather held out all weekend. It was suppose to rain all weekend and it didn't until we needed to fire up the new Bar-B-Q. We finally got one this weekend. And the Bar-B-Q works great even during a thunderstorm. We had it under the gazebo and the guys sat out there in the rain and my brother cooked. We call him the master of the bar-B-Q and he did a good job. But now after cleaning the house all weekend it is a fresh disaster. But we had a good time and good food.

I would say more if I wasn't so overwhelmingly tired for no reason.

good news!

Sports are over as of today-until summer basketball tryouts next week. Who said they could do that? Anyway My Kelsea and Kelsey Alder played doubles tennis today. It was cute. They are called the Kelsea-ys. They did fantastic considering it was the first year they played. They came in 2nd. They did have the potential to win it but their set,round or whatever you call it when they were tied 3-3 kind of fell apart on them. And they lost. But played great. In their games today it was 4-0 4-0 4-3(barely pulled that one off) and then 4-2 and then 3-4. They got a fancy red ribbon. So much has happened I haven't had time to get the pictures on the computer yet. I am working tomorrow. My poor house is suffering from neglect.

So sad

They lost but put up great fight. Kelsea didn't play as much but the coaching was different that game. I think there was too much importance on two of their key players and our shots weren't going in. It was 45 to 38 I think. bummer. But they were runner up. But it was still a big bummer.

Back

We went and came back in record time to Eastern Idaho. We left late Saturday and came home late Sunday. All the kids were hammered. Kylee and Hannah didn't make it to school. Autumn came home at 1 and Amber missed her first class of the day which is a zero hour class. Kelsea gets the award for the day for making it to seminary, school and tennis! I have pictures of a few exhausted girls I need to post.

We have had some follow up with the doctor for both Amber and Kelsea on their issues. Amber does not have a wart but an angry mole on her chest so she is on antibiotics. We still have reason to be concerned for Kelsea. A little bit. He gave of information on benign hypermobility syndrome and with that is marfan syndrome which is what he think she might have and so we are going in Weds morning for an echocardiogram for hopefully ruling things out.

Needless to say I was sick Sunday evening along with Amber. We both didn't feel great yesterday and I was super sick this morning but I have been able to kick the headache by late morning but they sap my energy. Needless to say besides the running of the kids there are a lot of other extreme stressors going on and I tend to react with ailments more than any other way. I am just glad this week isn't horrible. I could take it easy for the first time in weeks today.

Kelsea was to have a tennis match today and it started to downpour buckets about the time they were to play. I went to the park to rescue her and her friend. I was going to watch. They have their city tournament on Thursday and the forecast is not looking so good. But the championship basketball game is Weds night so wish her luck.

Pictures of our trip are coming.

sniff sniff sneeze

The neti pot is still a fantastic invention but when the car is almost yellow from pollen it is hard not to be affected. The lilacs are in full bloom right now and my eyes are itchy. Lee Joe is having trouble too and he usually is mildly affected. Lee Joe and I have had to have our bedroom window open at night and that doesn't help.

I would like to say that mothers day was wonderful but for some reason everyone was so tired and dragging to our 9am church. Hannah cried going to Primary that she wanted to go home. That hasn't happened in a long time. She stayed with me and I felt the same. I think we should have all stayed home and rested. But we didn't. We weren't able to get the Bar b Q I was hoping for. They looked at them though. I got a large glass shell thing to go with my beach theme in my living room and our neighbor down the road is going to take pictures of my girls as well. I got a nap though before we went to my moms. Lee Joe made dinner. I think I had something flu like though why I felt so bad. Lee Joe has it a little and Autumn was feeling awful last night. She is home today and Lee Joe and I are still having waves of it.

We went to my mom's and I gave her all the framed pictures of us all. We were able to go back to the park on Saturday and get pictures of my brother and his daughter and a real ALL the grandkid picture for my mom. The last one she got was when my nieces were babies and Hannah wasn't here yet. Saturday kicked my butt. Kelsea had a game at 9 out in Meridian. They won. Scored a 3 point and another basket. 3 of our really good players were gone with their traveling basketball team and our girls still did well. There is another red headed girl on their team and I noticed last week she would not pass to Kelsea. She did it again that morning. But the 2nd game in the afternoon was too intense for her to be selective. They won it.It was an intense game and Kelsea was on it! She scored 9 points and was an awesome rebounder and intense on defense. She had a great game that game. Their team is in first now going into tournament this coming weekend. We did pictures in between games. Her 2nd game was at 5 so when I got home I had to get busy to get the pictures in to wal-marts one hour and had a couple more frames to get. But I did it. At 9 I left wal-mart and I was so tired walking to the car. Kelsea went to the SND on Sat. Amber didn't but we made her bring Kelsea home. She knows this one boy that goes to another school likes her. He is another Matt. She was dreading going because she thought he was going to tell her. He did and danced with her 5 times. She was overwhelmed with that kind of attention. She is so funny about it that we all laugh at her. But she is nice to them and isn't mean so I am proud of her for that.
Hannah's recital on Friday was so cute. She wore this ballerina tutu. I need to download those pics still.
This week is full and so is the next. I have an auxillary training meeting on Thursday. We will see if I go. Amber has a concert tonight. There are like 3 things now around 7 on Weds. A mother daughter thing for Activity days on Weds is an unknown if it is at 6 or 7. I got a sub call today but couldn't go in. I will be in 3 days this week already. Hannah has a field trip in the morning on the half day I am working in the afternoon. But I don't have an afternoon dace class tomorrow. I don't know if that helps that much this week though. Instead of continuing this blog I need to put my dryer back where it goes so I can use it. It is still having issues. I need to post more pictures.

School is almost over! Then we have summer school but I will have my evenings back. Oh YAY and I have a licensed driver so summer school won't be nearly as bad as in the past couple summers.

I forgot, I know whose class Hannah will be in next year. I am so glad we live in this school district and my kids are at the school that they are in. Hannah will be in the 1-2 GATE combo class next year. But I was surprised because she tested as not just gifted but highly gifted and the highly gifted kids can go to another elementary school. Her IQ is 143! So I had to decide between regular classroom, GATE at our school or GATE at another school. We choose our school and in 2 years-only 2 years-the other two girls will be in Jr high and I can decide if Hannah needs it then.
I can't believe it. My 4th daughter told me she felt like she had a pulled muscle in her chest because it was sore. I asked her where it was and it dawned on me she is 10. She is growing. And now the other one hurts too. I am about to have 4 daughters in bras. 4 daughters on their way to PMS!!!!!!!! Someone save us!!!!

I'm hiding

With the exception of my blog, I am really not THE most social person in the world. In fact I am quite content at times to stay busy with my family and seriously enjoy those times when I don't have to be anywhere but home. I am all for good neighbors that are helpful and are great examples of service BUT--sometimes I would like to come home from a hectic morning and not be bothered for a little while. I have a nieghbor that is starting to make me feel hunted at times. There have been so many times I just get home and she is either at my door, calling me when I set foot in the door or running across the street before I get in the door. With requests like-I found a dead a bird, what should I do. I found baby squirrels what do I do with them. I have mentioned these in the past. This week she had a crisis. Her husband fainted in the doctors office. She needed to get him. OK. I watched her girls-a 12 year old and a 9 year old while she got him (30 minute trip) and then she needed to take him to the ER for tests. He was 100% OK. That was fine, I didn't mind. I took the girls with me to take Hannah to her dance class. The girls played. But I never got my shower that day and I had exercised the night before and was exercising again when she brought her girls over. Tuesday night was crazy, everyone was some where. Kylee ran the mile at school and had an asthma attack. I had to go see her in the nurses office. She was OK in the end. At 5 Kelsea wasn't home. She always calls and I was calling all over trying to find her. I thought something might have happened to her. I didn't remember her asking me the night before if she could go to a friends house to play guitar hero after tennis. I left my 11 year old and 6 year old at home while I took Autumn to dance. And so on top of what already was going on and no husband in sight I was wore out. After dropping kids of at school the next morning I came home and tried to sleep. She called me 2 times in 15 minutes just after 9. I was trying to sleep so I didn't answer. Usually those calls are sales people anyway. So I was up and wanted a shower since I was very gross but didn't call her back right away. I was in the shower when there was knock at the door. So when I was ready and cleaned myself up, I called her. All she wanted to know was what I used on my tree to kill aphids. The next day I was gone all morning taking Kylee to the orthodontist, getting my mother's day pictures and lining out subbing for Friday. I got home around 12. I was home 15 minutes and she was at the door asking me if she bought the right stuff. Everytime I come home I am paranoid that it's her if the phone rings or if there is a knock at the door. I finally had just over an hour to pay my bills the other day and she came over with her girls to see the rabbit. Now if I came over there and she was in the middle of something she lets you know if she doesn't have time for you. The typical call or visit goes like this-"is there band tomorrow" I don't know Kylee isn't in band. I tell her how to get an inexpensive computer "I have a problem" don't ask me call the computer people. "my transmission is doing this what did you do" I had it flushed but I am not a mechanic. "can you're husband help me dig up a piece of concrete." You have a husband but apparantly he can't lift a shovel Ok, its large paving stone. "can you help me move my sofa's around?" The 2 oldest and I go over and I about broke my finger moving it. "Do you want my rabbit? my husband is allergic and went to the ER last night and I don't want to drive to Kuna to give it back. " Like I need another thing to take care of but I am a ridiculous pushover. And now there is bunny poop in my family room. I am too nice to say anything other than my complaining here and to my husband.
And we have a neighbor down the road that does the same thing to Lee Joe. He watches for Lee Joe's car and comes over and chats forever. Now Lee Joe is rarely seen by us some weeks. this guy came over today in the less than 10 minutes we were home in between a dance recital and going out to dinner. We were half way loaded up in the car and I started it to get us all out and the conversation lasted a record 30 seconds.

Not that anyone needed to really see my antisocial ways. But I am hiding in my office while Lee Joe is gone with the girls mother's day shopping so I hope I am not detected. I am hoping for a bar b q for mothers day. Our freebie died last summer. One with an ignition that I can light when Lee Joe isn't home without using matches. I am firephobic.

I have been SUPER grouchy all week long. I recapped enough of the week for you. There is too much to report here and I am too negative for it to be productive anyway. My rejoicing in this-Two activities ended as of tonight. Amber is done with tennis and Hannah is done with Tues afternoon dance. I now have my days open and Amber can pick the girls up from school. Woo Hoo! The rest of the month is still a killer. I already have 4 days of subbing in the next 2 weeks.

As requested-

An Ariel moment

More pictures-just below is the origional and then the enhanced picture.
In the 4th picture, it was not the best one but it was funny.
Kelsea was in rare form that day and all the pictures of her by herself were silly.
It is a beautiful park and we saw baby geese on Sunday too.

My amateur photography

There is a beautiful park here and my sister, her kids and all of us went down there Sunday so we could take pictures for Mother's day. I doctored the pictures up a little. Our family picture does not work well this way though. I have a bunch more I did yesterday but I need to all the silly moving to get where I can find it.

Prom and then some

I am glad that this pic is small enough that you can't see that this picture is kind of blurry. But aren't they a cute couple? Prom is tonight. My baby is gone on her hot date. They played tennis earlier in the day and had subway. This was cute. Her date doesn't have his license STILL. So mom was in the car with him when they picked up Amber. Mom sat in the back while he drove them to the park. She brought them their food and left. When they came home, dad (our doctor by the way) sat in the back while the date drove Amber home. Then Amber's friend curled her hair and I fixed the fancy pins in her hair and she got ready in 20 minutes. They are off to dinner at a very fancy restaurant called the Mona Lisa. Prom is at a winery in Eagle. High school prom at the winery? Then they are going to the boy's house they are double dating with and watching a movie in his fancy home movie theatre room.

Tennis recap-Amber lost a match Weds and won on Thurs playing doubles with a good friend of hers. Kelsea won her match on Mon. She played 3 times on Thurs. Won a singles match, lost her doubles match and couldn't finish her 3rd doubles match. Basketball-they lost their first game today. 3 players were missing and 2 are the very high score players. But they won their last game. Kelsea started the first game, didn't the 2nd. Had 2 points in each game. And did her rebounding fight for the ball thing.

So here is my recap of today,I will not review the past week. Lee Joe worked until very late today. I got Kelsea to her 11 o'clock game. I decided not to take Hannah to her dance class rehearsal. That got done after 12. I took some ibuprofren for a weird headache neck pain thing and then I was able to clean the living room, vacuum, clean the fish tank, and water and fertilize the front lawn and pick up the boutineir (SP?) for Amber's date before Kelsea's 4 o'clock game. Kelsea's game got over at 5. We looked for little rubber bands at the dollar store. Did you know that the dollar store only carries ponytail holders and no other type of rubber band? So we go home without anything and Amber is leaving at 5:40 and it is about 5:15 and I need to fix her hair and she is not even dressed or even has her make-up on. Somehow with even Kelsea's help she is ready with the exception of one safety pin when her date arrives. I take some really bad pictures and struggle putting his flower on his lapel. I don't know how to do it. But Lee Joe gave some tips. He couldn't touch him though because he was greasy. It's on. More bad pictures. They leave. I then goof with the bad pictures and then go to wal-mart to shop and to pick up some prints. They don't look much better then the ones I printed off my little camera printer or any better than the ones I printed off the computer. Kelsea did some stuff with friends. I had hoped to be off the hook when Amber left but that was not the case. The little girls spent their entire day at the house. Lee Joe got home from working at about 10. Kelsea's home from her stuff after 11. Who knows when Amber will be back. She is a good girl out with some great kids so we aren't worried.

Lee Joe just redid our neighbors driveway this week. It looks really good even after some kids wrote their names in the concrete and he tried to fix it after it had hardened quite a bit.