Wow, started zumba today! I sweated like I never sweated before. It was a lot of fun. A few friends of mine went as well. It made it even more fun! I will be sore tomorrow!

This afternoon several friends met us out at the ballpark. We played the kids against the parents for awhile. That is always fun! I am always afraid I will forget not to hit it as hard as I can. I couldn't bare to hit one of those kids.

We grilled out tonight and had some quality family time. It was a great day!

I have been subbing alot lately. So many kids and teachers are out sick. Not a great way to start off the school year.

The kids have been keeping me busy as usual with their activities. Pretty soon flag football will be starting. The boys are both doing baseball this fall too. My oldest is playing on a tournament team for the fall, and Preston is playing recreational ball. Jillian is sticking with her ice skating and ballet. She has a competition in September. She has just learned a new program and is trying to get it down. It is so fast!

Interesting Week-School starts back!

We'll we had a good week! We spent lots of time with the kids this week before they started school on Thursday. I can't believe that time of year was here again.

On Tuesday, Josh and Jillian met their teacher. Jillian got Ms. Hall, and Preston Ms. Redding. We knew who they were going to be, we requested them. So now, all three of my kids have had the same wonderful 1st grade teacher-Ms. Redding. I am sort of sad we don't have another one to send through her. They have lots of friends in their classes and are excited about starting back.

Josh on the other hand...not as happy about starting back. He gets bored with school easily. He is bright beyond his years. He met his teacher-Ms. Stackhouse on Wednesday and likes her. He has a few good friends in his class as well.

Then Thursday the drama of waking everyone up, including my husband and I who like to sleep in. It was tough but we made it. The traffic was horrible. A usual 8 minute drive to the school took 40 minutes. I can't wait till they finish up and get the road widened.

Josh had baseball camp M-W morning this week. He had 5 of his buddies went and had a good time hanging out and playing baseball together. I felt sort of bad for them because they came straight from camp to meet their teacher on Wednesday. I am sure they all smelled really nice for their 1st impression.

We took the kids bowling afterschool on Friday and to Sonic for ice cream. Then Jillian and I came home to be lazy and have some girl time and Michael took the boys to some of the football scrimmage games that were going on.

Saturday I felt bad. Michael and I didn't get out of bed till noon. Really didn't know the kids were up. They slept in and got up and ate a poptart or breakfast bar, and started playing wii. Finally when Michael and I got up we fixed lunch and called up some friends and we all went to the ballpark to play around. We played a game of the parents versus the kids. It was fun as usual! Then a few friends came over and we got all the ATV's out and went trail riding. It was a great day! By the time everyone got back to our house from riding, there wasn't time to fit Jillian and my trip to the mall in. We weren't going to have time to get a shower and go before they closed, so we are going to try and go today.

We are fixing to head to church, and then hopefully to the mall and Alabama Adventure if it doesn't rain. It is suppose to be 40% chance today. Our luck! Oh We'll If it rains us out we will plan again to go next weekend. I think the waterpark closes the 3rd week in September this weekend. They use to stay open during the week after school started for a few weeks and then just operate on the weekends. It was nice because once the kids started school, I could go and just plop down on the lazy river with another Mom and we would truly relax!

We'll gotta run and get everyone ready for church! I am hoping for a great first full week of school for the kids!

Tax Free Weekend and Nesting????

We headed out to do a little shopping Saturday and Sunday for the tax free weekend. The Riverchase Galleria mall was packed as usual! You wouldn't think we were in a so-called recession! Parents, grandparents, siblings, significant others were sitting outside of mall stores waiting for the rest of their party to check out inside the store. It was wild!

We managed to find Josh some jeans and got the boys some cologne they had been wanting. The boys really don't mind going to the mall anymore since the Lego store opened up. I finally have something to hang over their heads. If you behave while I shop we will go by the Lego store before we leave. When they were younger The Disney Store would work.

I don't know what has come over me the past week. I have been cleaning like crazy. You would think that I was NESTING! I think it is because with the kid's surgeries I couldn't really go anywhere because they had to stay around the house. I cleaned their closets, their drawers, the bathrooms, the kitchen cabinets, the media room got rearranged, and even cleaned out the shelves in my laundry room. I have cooked like crazy too! I made some homemade chicken n dumplings, some homemade blueberry cobbler, and made some blueberry pancakes. I have baked brownies, made cookies, and lots of other things. What has come over me? I think I am trying to take my mind off of the kids going back to school this coming week.

The kids have meet the teacher on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and begin school on Thursday. Josh has a baseball camp Monday-Wednesday this week that will take up the morning hours. I feel bad that the last week before school we didn't really get to do anything fun. We were pretty much homebound while Jillian and Preston recovered from their surgery. We watched tons of movies and shows on t.v., and played wii and other video games. We also played some board games, and built things with toys in their rooms. I still wish we could of gotten one last trip in to Alabama Adventure or to the pool.

We have a friend that is getting married soon and is having a reception at Freedom Park in Charlotte, North Carolina. We found out that the particular weekend of his reception is a National Kiss All thing at the park. We are trying to decide whether or not we should take the kids with us or for us not to go. It is a big gay and lesbian thing at the park. This might be a little hard to explain to young children. We won't have time to get the kids to the grandparent's house so it is either all of us go, or we all stay here. I told Michael he could just go, but he doesn't want to go by himself. We have to decide soon!

We'll I am fixing to watch some t.v. with the hubby before turning in. We put the kids to bed early tonight. We are trying to get them back to a school schedule. They need to be in bed by 8 most nights and get up around 6:20 for school. They have been all sleeping in during the summer so I hope it doesn't take them long to adjust back to getting up so early in the mornings. That is one thing I am not looking forward to.......fighting the traffic to get them to school in time.

Today a friend of my son's underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor. It was a long procedure. Garret went back to the OR around 9 this morning, and came into recovery around 3. Josh has been really concerned about him. This is his second friend in 2 years that has had to have a brain tumor removed.

Jillian and Preston seem to be doing better today. This is the first day since their surgery that they are seeming more like themselves. Michael and I got them out of the house this evening. We went out to eat and walked around the mall. They went to the new Lego store and picked a few things out that they wanted. Even I want some of those sets to put together. It is a pretty cool store!

I can't believe summer is almost over for my kiddos. Each year I plan to do all kinds of things with them during the summer, and the summer is always over before we know it. We did manage to go to Alabama Adventure several times this summer, bowling, to the movies, Daytona Beach, Panama City Beach, and to Atlanta for some Braves Baseball. We went to some drive in movies and played some putt putt golf. We even went to the driving range to hit some golf balls too. They also enjoyed having no were to go on several days and just enjoyed being at home playing with their toys and electronic gadgets. They enjoyed playing with the neighborhood kids outside! Josh got to shoot his gun lots and practice up on his target shooting. The ice cream truck managed to catch us a few times while we were outside playing. I swear he is sitting at the top of the hill with binoculars and watches for the kids to come outside. We also had days where we didn't get out of our pj's and laid around and watched movies, played yahtzee, and wii! We went to the McWane science center a few times. Still I feel like we did all these things, but the summer still got away from us. Time flies when you are having FUN!

Life is so precious! Not guaranteed another day, so live each to its fullest! We all snuggled up tonight when we got home from dinner and the mall. We put in a movie and got all cozy and watched it together. Life is good!!!!!!!!!!!!

A False Alarm

I am hoping for a better night's sleep tonight. The kids are still sleeping on our floor in our bedroom. We had brought down the twin mattresses from Preston's room after their surgery and they have been sleeping on them in our room so we can keep a closer eye on them. Last night, or I guess I should say this morning around 12:30 a.m. Preston woke up bleeding from his tonsillectomy. I immediately started freaking out thinking we were fixing to be going through what we went through with Jillian on Friday night. Michael got him some cold ice water and started the gargling process. I called the doctor's office like they said to do if there was any blood. To much relief, after about 10 minutes his bleeding stopped. Of course the rest of the night I couldn't sleep because I was too worried about what if's. What if it started back bleeding? What if this and What if that!

I was so tired today! Actually been tired all week from all the craziness since Jillian's emergency surgery on Friday night. They moved up their post op appointments to today so they could check on Preston's bleeding spot. He said that Preston's bleeding was the predicatble scab bleeding that sometimes happens. They both looked good at their appt. They are both still in a lot of pain and having off and on headaches.

We have been checking out movies to watch to get us through all these hours at the house when they haven't been able to do much. I got a "Brady Bunch" DVD from the library. They have about 12 episodes in a DVD. The kids totally love watching the Brady Bunch. I remember as a child loving watching it. So tonight before everyone was off to bed (hopefully dreamland) we all cuddled up together and watched a few episodes together. I remember some of my favorite shows when I was about 10 was the Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and for some reason the Beverly Hillbillies.

Fixing to turn in and hoping for a much better night tonight! We are still going to have to get up a few times during the night to give the kids their medicines.

Expected and then unexpected surgeries

We'll we had Jillian and Preston's surgeries scheduled for Friday, July 31st. They were to have their tonsils and adenoids taken out. We arrived at the hospital at 6 a.m. Preston went first and then about 30 minutes later they rolled Jillian on back. While Jillian was waiting for her turn she managed to score some "I don't care medicine." Basically a sedative to help her relax. Boy did that work well. She was seeing skyscrapers in the curtain and a playground. Daddy's eyes were even purple. When they woke up in recovery, Preston was really fussy! He calmed down and shortly after Jillian came into recovery. We got them home around 10:00 that morning.

The rest of the day we laid around, napped, and watch t.v., and movies. At about 8 that Friday night Jillian started bleeding. She was so funny. At first she thought she was losing a tooth because of the blood in her mouth. The doctor had told us this would be a possibility and if it happened to gargle ice water and call the office. We'll we got the ice water and started gargling and put a call in to after hours. They said give it 15 minutes to stop. We'll it slowed down the bleeding but something still didn't feel right with her. I called them back. The ENT wanted us to meet him at the ER. We got there and Michael and the boys dropped Jillian and I off at the door while they parked.

As I was signing her in, she started vomitting blood. Lots and Lots of blood. Probably about 6 cups full. It was coming out of her nose too. It was freaking me out. They rushed us back to a room. Her doctor met us there and looked and told me he was going to have to put her back under. She had an artery that was bleeding and they needed to cauterize it. They also need to pump the rest of the blood from her stomach. Jillian was being much more calmer than I was. I was so worried about my baby girl having to be put under anesthesia twice in one day.

They got her prepped for surgery and took her back. It all happened so fast. Just like it did a few years ago when Preston had his emergency hip surgery due to septic hip. About 1:00 we were allowed back to the recovery room to see Jillian. She woke up very peacefully and seemed to be out of pain. About 2:00 we were able to come home. I was a little surprised they didn't keep her, but glad we got to come on home. You actually rest better at home anyway.

So I was expecting Jillian's and Preston's surgery to go as smoothly as Josh's did when he had his tonsils and adenoids out 2 years ago. This time around it is a little rougher. Josh was eating a cheeseburger the afternoon after his surgery. His was smooth sailing...no problems. Jillian has been in a lot of pain (go figure) in her throat and having major headaches. Preston has been really whinny and telling us he is dizzy! Preston wakes up every morning since his surgery in tears. He sleeps with his mouth open and snores and his mouth gets so dry it hurts even more in the mornings. We are still waking up and giving their medicines to them around the clock. Right now they are on Lortab, Phenergan, Motrin, and Amoxicillin.

We have been house bound since the surgery. They don't feel like going anywhere. We did manage to ride to Dairy Queen for an ice cream today. Jillian inhaled hers, while Preston only ate 1/2 of his. Pretty much they are surviving off of vanilla and chocolate pudding, some homemade banana pudding that I made, yogurt, and applesauce. For breakfast they have been picking at scrambled or fried eggs, and cheese grits. It is just a hit and miss on what they can eat right now. I am hoping for no more complications and smooth sailing from here on out.

School starts next week. I am hoping they get to feeling better soon so we can do a few more fun things around town before their first day. I can't believe I now have a 4th, 2nd, and a 1st grader.

Wow-the last 3 weeks have flown by!

We managed to get out of town a few weeks back and headed to Atlanta, GA for a few days. We took my nephew, John Michael with us. We went to Dothan to pick him up, managed to have a garage sale there at my Mom's. Yes I hauled a bunch of my things to her house to sell. The garage sales there tend to do better because they get more traffic in their neighborhood. We made some extra spending money and then headed to Atlanta. We stayed at the Hyatt and went to see the Braves play. We also had a special lunch with Jillian at the mall. This was her second time at the American Girl store and bistro. JM took the boys and they ate at the food court in the mall.

We went from GA to Panama City Beach, FL. then for a few days. We had beautiful weather while we were there. The kids boogie boarded and spent many hours digging in the sand. They didn't get to skim board as well as they did in Daytona. There just isn't much shore at PC. We enjoyed the new Pier Park development. We had a few nice meals at Back Porch, and at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritiville. This was our last trip this summer before school starts back. It was a much needed little vacation and we had a great time!