Peace

I am very lucky.

My twins are at a low-maintenance stage.  The chicklets are now 11-yrs-old.  They know how to make their own lunches.  They can make their own breakfast (it's the cleaning up the mess they've made that seems daunting).  They can even start loads of laundry (though folding seems to be a bit beyond them). 

This is the part of tween-age-ism that is the good part, right?

It's the never-being-home part of their tween-age-ism that might kill me.  Run to school straight from work, get the chix, take them home to change clothes (because there's just a little too much time between the school pick-up & the sport/activity start), get Yell to her swim practice, wait until Crab's practice starts 30 minutes later, take Yell to her 2nd sports practice while Crab is at swim team, turn around and head back to the initial starting point to get Crab, head home to get dinner started at approx 6:45. 

Yell comes in the door at 1945 (that's 7:45 for those non-military types) with Sapper.  Ahhh, now we can sit down together & have dinner.

That only happens 5 of the 7 nights of the week.

Wait, the laundry/homework/household maintenance begins...when?

::sigh::

And though I'm incredibly busy & constantly on the go, I do love this life I've been given.  My husband is wonderfully supportive (when not making comments like, "and why are you a pain in my rear tonight?"), and my twins are incredibly giving, loving little girls.  And though the economy has sucked me into a less-than-ideal job, in truth I have a wonderful life.

I am thankful.

Opinions of Crab

Hey it's Crab!  School is goin great and I'm havin fun with my sports!  My teacher totally rocks!  Right now I am in spell bowl, swimming, and in the spring, kickball!  I really can't wait til swim practice tonight!  Yay!!!!!

I don't think I want to know

why I found *my* underwear in a pile of dress-up clothes in the chix' playroom?

Sharing the Love

Last weekend Yell had a really great cross country meet. I was so proud (and shocked) I cried before she even got near the finish line!

Last night reminded me of her infancy. She used to get moving really fast, get stuck on something (usually a cabinet door), slow down a little, then she'd try her best to achieve her original goal (making her own eggs at age 2 for example).

Yep. Last night she did that. She started out at too fast a pace and nearly got sick running up the first hill. She walked it off, made her goal to beat one of "the mean girls" from school, and finished the race. I was right at the chute.  She was breathing so hard.  Almost gasping.  She grabbed me. Then threw up on my feet.



This morning I told her, "You know, it reminded me of when you 'shared your love' when you were a baby. You would be so excited to see me, I'd pick you up and you'd hug me or just lay your head on my shoulder, and then you'd puke all over me. At your meet tomorrow, let's keep the love to ourselves, okay?"

She grinned.

answered prayers

Our friends' daughter spent the night in the hospital on Wed with a diagnosed concussion.  She was released last night -- no broken bones, all other functions as normal -- thank you God for answered prayers!

We are on day 3 of having 2 chicklets with fevers hovering between 100-102F.  ::sigh::

We did get haircuts last night, though, despite the fevers.

As a result, we now have mini-Kake

Sorry, Kake, it was the only photo I could find.

and she's out!

While Crab's kickball team was doing their warm-up tonight, I saw that a friend was at the playground with her 3 smaller children (her oldest daughter is on Crab's team). I let R know that I had a chair for her to sit in as she is 32 weeks pregnant and should *not* be standing during a whole kickball game.  I returned to set up our chairs for the game and saw R jump to her feet.  She grabbed one of her kids from the ground and then I could no longer see what was happening.  I was wondering, "What on earth?  Is someone hurt?  Does she need a first aid kit?"

I started walking over to the play area.  And as I did I saw one of R's children getting R's purse.  At that point I knew there was a problem.  R came out from behind trees and said, "I don't know what's wrong?!  She never acts like this..."  Her littlest had fallen from the top of the play set and had landed on her back.

At this point I tell R to get in the back of my car and I can drive to the hospital.  We have three kids, two adults, and two mobile phones in a car that can't get down the street because the speed limit is 35 and everyone is actually *following* it!

I ran two red lights and then ran into the hospital to tell them that a little one had fallen, we suspected a neck or back injury, that she was lucid but trying to fall asleep.  R was teary and worried.  Her husband got there and was agitated.  I proceeded with the plan to take her twins back to the game with me to meet their grandmother. And at this point I started to feel sick to *my* stomach.  And I was sweating all over.  Wow, talk about an emotional roller coaster.**

I got back to the game to watch the somewhat miserable game and listened to R's mother-in-law and brother-in-law making plans for all of the kids.  R and her husband are very fortunate to have extended family close by and willing to help.***

And now I'm able to get to the point of this story.


Poor little Crab valiantly joked, teased, and laughed with her friend in the car after school.  She told me she had a headache, but apparently I am a totally bad mom and didn't realize how bad she felt.

She had a kickball game -- and felt that her team was depending on her -- and if she had left school early she would not have been able to play in the game.

I took her temp after the game because she was crying and miserable and thought I hadn't even stayed to watch her game.  She played for her team with a fever of 101.7F.

I am officially the worst parent ever.

Yesterday 11 kids from the Chix's grade were called in as "ill" prior to the start of school.  Four more left before lunch.  Three more left after lunch.  For a total of 18 missing from their grade.  That's a third of their grade.

Yike.

Today "only" eleven were missing.  One of them has mono.  Three of them have strep throat.

Tomorrow...at least two will be missing, and *both* will be mine!

---

 **R's twins were hilarious - they kept complimenting me on my car & telling me stories about who their twin loved and "of course" they loved their mom, they were a welcome distraction!
***R and her husband are still at the hospital with their 3-yr-old.  She has IV fluids, has had xrays and is awaiting a CAT scan.  Prayers & well wishes are appreciated!

Sleeping children can be a worry

Weird.  Just plain weird.

Of course, most parents know to expect illness from their kids on occasion.

I foggily disgustedly particularly remember an illness involving enough towels, blankets, sheets, and clothing to fill the washing machine six times in one morning.

But that was then and this is now.

Last night I got to school to pick up a chicklet at aftercare.  Yell's eyes looked weird.  She gave me a hug and I instantly felt heat emanating from her body.  Uh-oh.  When we got home dh suggested she go upstairs to 'lay down' before her team practice.

She agreed.

Not only did she agree, she got *into bed*.  Hmmmm.  On an afternoon when TV is on, Hannah Montana or Wizards of Waverly Place or Phineas & Ferb are readily available and she chooses to get into bed.  Uh-oh.

Fast forward to the drive home from Crab's sports practices -- I called dh who told me that Yell had been asleep for two hours.  Uh-oh.

Lucy, I think we got a problem here.

Of course, I should include this pic to totally illustrate that the kid can sleep anywhere.  And in any position.  Feel better soon my chicklet!