Paranoia

I took the kids to the pool today and we stayed quite a bit longer than we usually do. Preston's eyes were really red and burning from the chlorine. We were home a while and I put him in the tub. He was fussing about his eyes and I told him it was just chlorine and he needed to go to bed and rest them. He very dramatically told me "mom that is not it - I am sure I have a parasite."

The amount of viewing being done on Discovery Health Channel is now being scaled WAY back!

Preparedness

I love these little teeth - 3 on the bottom crack me up and the two with the huge space on top - hysterical!






















Know why Harper doesn't sleep when she is laid down? BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T GOTTA!!



We are failing in preparedness for the county fair at this moment. My plan is to work on posters, finalizing recipes, and figuring out if there are any worthy garden products in the weed patch out back this weekend. Of course, Jim's plan is to work on the basement, so we will see if these 2 plans of action can merge somehow!

Colin is once again battling poison ivy. The kid REALLY needs to learn how to identify that plant! Luckily I think the pediatrician is tired of us, and was willing to just phone out medicine rather than making me bring him in to the office. Unfortunately some years ago, an unknown person burned down the Overbrook pharmacy, so I still had to run to pick up the meds! Oh well, it was pretty quick!

Cameron has introduced Preston and Quincy to "Ninja Warrior" - now bedtime is even more elusive than ever! I do get a kick out of the Japanese announcer - I can't understand a word of what he is saying but he seems so animated it makes me laugh a little! Preston's new life goal is to appear on this show! I always wanted to visit Japan anyhow, so it is a goal we will be encouraging!

While I made the trip to the pharmacy, Madison took Preston and Quincy to the pool to keep them entertained. Colin ended up dropping Quincy off the diving board and now she loves it! Probably would not have happened had I been there - since I have told him NOT to do that....but that is what I get for leaving I guess!

Summer days

Harper has started clapping her hands (but it does take immense concentration on her part) and she is sitting up really well now by herself. She also has major stranger anxiety - to the point that no 'strangers' can even look at her without her sticking out her lip and crying! She has a real attachment to her brothers and sisters - and I am starting to worry a little bit about school starting and her being very sad, lonely, and disappointed that she won't be carried around like a cool little baby doll all the time!

Today I overheard this conversation:

Preston (after locking the basement door): YOU DON"T KNOW THE PASSWORD - you can't come down here! NANNAAAANANNAAA

Quincy: the password is I am telling MOOOOMMMM!

Preston: (unlocking the door) How did you know that? - GOOD JOB!

Yep, that boy is going to do just fine in kindergarten this year!

new glasses

We picked up new glasses today. For Mallory it is her first pair, and she said she noticed a good difference. For Colin, this is old news! We did splurge and get him some sports goggles too, hopefully it will be a good purchase.

Incidentally, the only difference I can really see in Colin's new pair is that they are clean for now!

Quiet

It has been a quiet few days around here. I have been enjoying the time "off" as I see the county fair coming and that colliding with football practices for the boys and school starting. It is nice to have the time to relax, hang out with the kids, and just enjoy being together. We have started up again on the basement finishing. Once we got the walls up in Mallory's room we figured out that due to the way we laid it out, the only electrical outlet is in her closet. Needless to say, we are willing to try most things ourselves, and I have been impressed with Jim's ability to teach himself how to do stuff, but we were unwilling to try electrical work! We will be hiring an electrician I hope by the end of the week.

My work has been a bit insane with me having to have a bigger part in maintenance for now, and so I have been very busy, but I figure the extra hours will come in handy when buying school supplies, and it does make the days go by faster!

My mom seems to really be doing well after her last surgery, and we are all praying that this is the end of the surgeries for her! The girls have been hanging out with her in the afternoons on "pig patrol" but they have really enjoyed bonding with her and have been using her "Cricut" machine and having a blast designing things for their new bedroom walls!

And we have to face a Popsicle addiction here at our house - all the kids are in love with those crazy cheap plastic tube Popsicles -- but Harper is truly a junky. If she sees anyone eating one she goes completely bonkers - screaming until someone will share with her. Quincy and Preston have started eating them outside so they won't lose theirs to her!

glasses girl

We ran a million errands today, and despite swearing that I would NEVER take Quincy back to the eye doctor's office when she wasn't getting an eye exam, that is exactly what I did. And she didn't wait any better this time than she did last time. I learn lessons the hard way, and then have to learn them over and over again! Our eye doctor is so quiet and soft spoken...he is one of those very gentle, feminine-type men who just reeks of kindness. So how do I thank him for being so kind? By reeking havoc on his office - of course! Anyhow, he examined Mallory and then tells me - she could probably use glasses....but her eyes are not so bad that she couldn't live without them....however it may reduce the eye strain she is having, and it may help her once school starts if she is trying to see across the room, and it might be a good idea as she starts to think about driving, but it is totally up to you....you can get her glasses or not. I am NOT sure how to respond to this - why so ambiguous? So I decided that if it was questionable she should just get them. Colin also needed new glasses today. Now, we had already waited for an hour and a half by this point, and Preston and Quincy were DONE....Colin tried on several pairs of glasses, looking at them, considering them all, and knowing full well that he should pick something he likes because then you are STUCK with them for a LONG time. Mallory walked over to the rack, plucked up a pair of glasses and handed them to the guy. I suggested she, at the very least TRY THEM ON! At least she was quick!!

We went from there to the doctor's office for Harper's 6 month shots. Yep, folks days like this are just grand! Harper was so upset - she was insulted by my putting her down, then was even more insulted by the oral polio vaccine, and we hadn't even poked her legs at that point! Poor little girl! I will happily say that there are no stores, shops, doctors offices or any other places that I didn't venture into today, but I got it all DONE and so we are free this weekend!

Monster

Since ball season has ended, we have reclaimed our evenings with other activities. This evening, Colin and Cam talked Jim into fishing. (It wasn't a hard sell). Jim caught a 20 pound catfish and was like a kid on Christmas morning! I especially like the part where I notice my husband with his whole hand inside the fish's mouth (trying to remove the hook). He invited Quincy to put her hand inside his mouth too, but luckily, Quincy said no....probably because I freaked out a little bit. Notice that these photos are taken after dark? Well, that is because even when our neighbors have long since been in bed, my family is outside, playing with fish, running around, and probably getting on the sleeping people's nerves!

This has been a week of appointments for everyone from the cars to the kids. The problem with appointments is that they seem to breed more appointments. Preston and Quincy both had a cavity, so we have to go back to the dentist (note to self: marshmallow fluff does not make a good substitute for toothpaste). The dentist did not want to see me on the same day as them (I could see the fear in their eyes at the thought of me being in a chair in the back and the kids being unsupervised). More appointments! Sometimes that is the downfall of living outside of the 'big' town.

Other than appointments and playing we are just trying to push some pigs into eating in the heat. There is only one who I am worried about - Barack O'bacon does not seem to be filling out the way the others are. We have 3 weeks to get him to gain about 60 pounds or so. Maybe we should try the cake dots that Madison made today - serious weight gain!

Random Tidbits

With the fair fast approaching, the girls have been experimenting with new recipes. Mallory made this "rainbow cake" which was really pretty, and made Preston extremely elated (requesting another for his birthday) but we have decided that the dye in it alone is probably a health hazard and should not be taken to the fair.



Harper discovered the joy of O-R-E-O today. Girlie loved her some chocolate! We won't mention that after eating this she was not the least bit interested in her pears and oatmeal babyfood. Yeah, smart kid!









Cam was playing ball with my nephews this week and took a bat to the face. He has a very nasty fat lip, bruised chin and a bad chipped tooth. He will be going to the dentist on Wednesday to have the tooth repaired. We feel lucky that he wasn't severely injured.

My mom is doing pretty well and was maybe going to get home this evening or in the morning...but the last I heard was that it wasn't totally decided yet. I am hoping she is home because we all know that resting in a hospital is not going to happen!

Board meeting for me tomorrow. I only have 4 of these that are scheduled per year, but it doesn't make it any less painful! I should probably get some sleep so I can keep my eyes open!

Fun Weekend

We had a really fun weekend. We started out with Aunt Grace coming for a visit. We had a great time visiting with her (Grace - I am too old to stay up until 3 am unless I can sleep all day on Saturday - for the record!). As usual, Grace and I have solved all the world's problems and you all can rest now!

The boys have agreed to fill in on a baseball team in Topeka for the rest of this month. Jim took them to their game on Saturday morning. Cam played catcher and I believe he got a little bit overheated (they are used to playing at night). Colin got a grand slam and another homerun too. He got the game ball and had a great time! I pulled the bad mom card and said they can fill in but I am not going to these games because we are DONE playing ball!!! Jim was more than happy to take them and watch more ball - he loves, loves, loves ball!

Saturday night I went to a birthday party for my oldest friend Adreinne. Her husband planned a surprise party for her, but ended up telling her the day before. I guess the suspense got to him. He hired a karaoke man and yes, I did sing! It was a great time and we are all the bestest singers!

My mom is still in the hospital, but we are hoping that she will be coming home tomorrow. They will try to sew her up this afternoon and if it looks good then she can come home. I hope that this will be the end for her, God willing, she has been through enough!

Since I knew when ball would end, I have made the kids a ton of appointments for this week...dentist, eye doctor, etc. I know it needs to be done, so I guess we will endure all the trips to town. It is good to have these things done before school starts back up I suppose! Running is my middle name!

7 Months Old

Harper Joy is 7 months old today. She is starting to move herself across the floor, but we couldn't say it is true crawling yet. She has 5 teeth, loves to eat food (especially bread) is passionate about applesauce and loves to scream at our cats. She is a compete delight, and although we might be able to say she is a tad bit spoiled by all the attention that she gets all the time, she is a very good girl and we all just love her to pieces! What a true blessing she is to our family! This 7 month old photo shoot is compliments of Madison!

My mom had surgery again this morning. It would appear that things went well, and although the recovery will likely be a little hard on her, things for the long run look good. My mom's dad was diagnosed with B Cell carcinoma yesterday. I am not sure what exactly that means, but they think that they can help give him a little bit more time with some chemo in low doses. Her mom continues to make strides and is once again at home. Some days I feel like as a family we are single handily keeping several doctors in business! I guess that beats keeping the morticians in business.

Ball season = OVER + more

Colin's team lost a hard fought battle tonight, and it was sad! They still got medals for being 2nd in the league. Colin spent the whole night at 3rd, and had some really awesome plays there. He also hit a home run.

Mallory and Madison played in the early game, and it was beastly hot! They lost, although they played their hearts out and it was a great game! Madison pitched the entire game, as she has for most of the season, and Mallory played on 2nd.

We were 3 for 3 on losing games tonight, and Preston's team was the only one to make it to a second round in the tournaments. They lost to Osage City and Preston was pretty sad because he really wanted a medal! Next year?

Quincy decided that she should wear this pumpkin hat that was left over from a few years back Halloween costume. She looked lovely at the ballparks tonight - fashion is her true calling, I am sure of it!

Quincy also has had a great time with her birthday gifts this week. She got some tattoos from my mom's friend Cindi. She had to wear ALL of the tattoos at the same time - and then decided it was a bad idea to go to the pool or take a bath because they might wash off. UH bathing WILL be done in this house! She also got a slip-n-slide and talked Cam into setting it up for her. These 3 had a great time slipping and slopping around on it! They said it was maybe more fun than the pool - and I am sure it was. I was not fond of the grass and mud that stuck to them though!

Although the other kids were not too happy with ball season coming to an end, Harper did a happy dance at the mention of all 3 losses! She has had enough ball for one summer! I am ready to move onto a new activity as well - I love going to the ballpark, watching my kids play, visiting with friends, and even having a nice batch of nachos, but by this time of the summer I am ready to have our evenings back!

Little Turkeys

Despite their size, these little turkeys went out in their first tournament game and gave a whippin' to Carbondale. Of course, this means that we now have 3 games tonight! I can't believe how well these boys hit the ball! Maybe some credit should be given to Coach Justin since it is a coach pitched team! Preston thought they were pretty 'big stuff'!!!

Cam's last game

Baseball tournaments are this week. Last night, in the rain, Cameron played in his first and last tournament game for this year. His team played pretty well, Cameron did a great job as catcher. (As a matter of fact, I thought he played better than I have ever seen him play before). He also got a couple of great hits at bat. He was pretty sad to lose out of the tournament so quickly, he had big plans of being the come-back underdog team this year, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Jim was the assistant coach for this team, but somehow he was left out of the team photo. I didn't see him shedding any tears about that! It was a good season, and I think that despite losing, they had fun!

The Princess is 4!

Quincy had her 4th birthday today! She kept asking me all day if it was her "real" birthday. Not sure if she was just trying to get in her head that "her day" had finally arrived or what. She had a great time with her friends, cousins, and family who all helped her celebrate! She got to swim with her buddies, and then had a feast on her favorite foods - baked beans and hotdogs! A feast for a princess for sure! It was a great day! Quincy is such a great kid! She cracks us up, keeps us on our toes, never lacks for something to do, and makes us shake our heads daily! I can't believe our little peanut is so big and knows so much already! Happy birthday Princess! We all love you!

There's no place like home!

We spent a good chunk of the week working in a concession stand at the Osage City fair. It was neither hard nor exciting, and I was very happy when the final shifts were over! Since we have been hanging out with hotdogs and at the ballpark when we got done there, we have not been home much this week at all! I am now at home and enjoying the air conditioning, comfy chair, using the computer, watching tv, and planning to go to bed! Home = GOOD!

Quincy played in her last T-Ball game this morning. She got a trophy and that was just about the coolest thing that has ever, ever happened to her! She took the trophy out to show grandpa and grandma this evening, and when grandpa asked her why she got a trophy she looked at him like he was crazy and said "Because we are the CHAMPIONS!" And there you have it! Of course, I was thinking that maybe the parents should have gotten shirts that said "we survived t-ball season" that would be more exciting than a trophy! Quincy was also excited because she was the 'snack bringer' today - she has been waiting all season for her turn!

Colin wrestled at Sunflower State Games today too. We ran to watch him after t-ball. He wrestled really well, but did not win. His strength and endurance amazes me. I would never have the stamina to hang in there and avoid the pin that he does! We are proud of him for even stepping foot on the mat!

Mallory and Madison's team played their final regular season game this morning. I did not get to go because it was at the same time as t-ball and wrestling, but I hear that they both played very well and they got a win! They were pleased! Preston and Colin both played their final games of the season this evening. Preston got a pretty good hit, but when he got to 3rd they tagged him (actually pushed him and made him fall) and he was out. His team won anyhow and he was pretty pumped to get a turn playing catcher (like Cameron does). Whenever the little guys put on all that catcher's gear it makes me laugh because they can hardly move - the gear outweighs them!

Colin's team also won their final game, and Colin had some really nice plays at 3rd and at bat.

The city's firework show had to be moved due to rain last weekend, so after Colin's game they put on a very nice display at the ball park. It was pretty cool to watch the home team win and then get a great show too! They even served watermelon - it was a great time!

Now we are home and I am going to go crash! I think sleep will come easy!