Recooperating

Well- life is busy as always. I just had arthroscopic surgery on my right knee 2 days ago for a torn meniscus. I am doing ok. Actually kind of enjoying having some time off work and relaxing. My friends have been making me meals for the last few days and I've been watching some movies and reading and catching up on life.So, it's not all bad. But, you know, it's always something... Kyle decided to run a crazy 105.6 fever this afternoon. So Jack took him to Urgent Care BY HIMSELF. That was a first. He did good... but couldn't even tell the doctor who our regular pediatrician is. Gotta love men. What would they do without women? It would not be pretty.

Kyle is doing well otherwise. He is about 38 inches tall and weighs about 30 lbs. He is swimming really well and taking swim lessons again. He is obsessed with gum and chapstick (chappy) and loves his stuffed animals (his lovies)- especially the cats and chihuahuas. I still have not been able to wean him off of diapers at night... but we are trying. He is tough to get to sleep tonight... it's always something... one more kiss, one more hug, one more potty break, one more question, one more whatever.... It wears on me sometimes. He is talking really well but still pronounces his F's like Sh's . So if he says fish... he says shish.

Well, gonna drink some sangria and chill on couch now with ice packs on me knee.

Kyle's Annual Adoption Report

Health Status/Concerns:
Kyle is healthy, growing and gaining weight. He is now 38” tall and weighs 31 lbs. He has outgrown most of his milk intolerance and handles many milk products now. He can eat cheese and ice cream now. He still drinks almond milk. He no longer has problems with diarrhea. He still has a sensitive gag reflex when he coughs. If he gets a cold and starts coughing, he vomits easily. He is fairly healthy now and only occasionally has to go to the doctor for the occasional ear or sinus infection from a cold. He gets an annual doctor preventative exam and is current on all his vaccines. Kyle goes to a pediatric dentist twice a year for check-ups and to have his teeth cleaned. His teeth are doing well and he still has the caps in that were put in last year. He loves having his teeth brushed and flossed and likes to rinse with minty mouthwash.

Motor Skills/ Language Development:
Kyle has always had excellent fine and gross motor skills. He is running and climbing all over everything. He has taken swimming lessons last summer and early fall and is currently in swimming lessons again. He is a good swimmer for his age and can front crawl for about 10 feet and swim under water, jump off the side of the pool, and hold his breath. He is also good at gymnastics. He is very flexible and athletic. He likes to draw and can cut with scissors. His language skills are average for his age. He is very talkative and learns quickly. He is very curious and wants to know why and how things work. He asks lots of questions about everything all the time. He wants an answer. He thinks like an engineer.

Daily Routine/ Activities:

Kyle is a very active little boy. When he is not sleeping, he is on the go! He usually sleeps a total of 12 hours a day. He sleeps 10 hours at night and takes 1 nap a day for another 1- 2 hours. When he gets up in the morning, he likes to snuggle on the couch, drink his milk, hold his “lovies” (stuffed animals) and watch cartoons. His favorite thing is cars and trucks. He likes to see them, ride in them, read books about them, play with toy cars, and watch movies about cars. He even likes to wear clothes and pajamas with cars on them. We usually go outside to play every day. He likes to go swimming a lot in the summer. He also likes to push his toy lawn mower or pull carts/ wagons around. He also loves to climb on and ride the tractor with his dad and play on toy cars. He loves his older sister and they play together every day.

Kyle loves books. He picks out his favorite books with pictures and likes to sit in our lap for us to read it to him. Of course, his favorite books are about cars. I usually take Kyle to the library at least once a week. He knows exactly where the books and movies about cars are. He likes to watch and read about cars, Monster trucks, military trucks, construction vehicles, and race cars.

Kyle’s mother works part-time and he goes to daycare at a private home from 8am-3pm every day. There is only 3 other children there so he is very comfortable and gets a lot of personal attention. He has been going to the same daycare since he was 10 months old. He plays well with the other kids. They love to play pretend and play together. Last fall and spring, Kyle took a tumbling class and gymnastics class once a week. He loved it and is very athletic and has lots of energy. He will resume one of these classes this fall.

Social/ Emotional Development:
Kyle is truly a part of our family. He is very attached to his parents, his sister, his daycare provider and other children at daycare. He gives lots of hugs and kisses to his family and likes to snuggle beside us on the couch. We never leave the house without a hug and a kiss. He comes to us for comfort and reassurance. He accepts strangers well if his family is with him and he is in his “own environment”. However, he is wary of strangers in a new environment without his parents close by. Sometimes in new situations he can be a little shy. But once he is comfortable, he is very outgoing and talkative. He gets along well with his sister, the other children at his daycare, and other children in the neighborhood.

Kyle is very opinionated and can have a temper. He knows what he likes and wants and can have the occasional temper tantrum if he does not get his way. He likes structure and order. He is very clean and likes things organized and clean. He likes to do things by himself and is very independent. He is now potty trained and only uses a diaper at night. He can use the bathroom by himself most of the time without help. One of his favorite things right now is to chew gum. He LOVES gum.

Achievements and Accomplishments:
Kyle is a very accomplished swimmer and very good at gymnastics for his age. He can do front rolls and back bends in his tumbling class. He can doodle with crayons and cut with scissors. He is walking and running and climbing on things. Everyone we meet thinks he is cute and sweet. He can feed himself with a spoon or fork, and eat finger foods. He drinks out of a sippy cup and or a cup with a straw. Kyle is now sleeping in a toddler bed. We potty trained him last year. It was very easy. He occasionally likes to ride our horses being hand-led. He loves to go on tractor rides with his dad. He is a joy and we love him very much!!!

Devin's thoughts on Mothers

Here are some questions I asked Devin and her answers (Age 6)--- Kyle could not answer any of them....

Why did God make mothers?

because they give their kids candy and ice cream.


What ingredients are mothers made of?

salad


Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

Because she loves me.



What kind of a little girl was your mom?

a blond haired girl.



What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

that he loved her


Why did your mom marry your dad?

Because they love each other.


Who's the boss at your house?

Mom and Dad.


What's the difference between moms and dads?

Dads don't like cookies and Moms do.



What does your mom do in her spare time?

eat cookies, have popcorn, watch movies, rest, drink soda, and sleep.



What would it take to make your mom perfect?

having donuts and she's beautiful.



If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

nope

Zumba with carlos at lifetime fitness goodyear,az

I Love Carlos and Zumba at Lifetime Fitness. That's all I can say about that. It's like clubbing every weekend which I so sorely miss.

Chip

Well. We got the puppy a little over a week ago. To say he is too cute is an understatement. He is the cutest. He looks like Gizmo from "The Gremlins". I asked our new sitter if she knew what a gremlin was and she never heard of them. I guess that means I'm officially old. The first night, Devin got scared with Chip in her room and Jack slept on the floor with them. The 2nd night, she got scared again and started to cry and Chip ended up in her room and she ended up in my bed. The 3rd night, Chip ended up in my room and Devin back to her room. Hmmm.... Anyway, he has been in my room ever since sleeping in the crate. He does really well and has slept through the night the last few nights. He's really smart and sleeps next to my feet.

Tonight, Devin's friend Katie is sleeping over. They have become great friends. Kyle has been a pistol this week... lots of time-outs and being sent to his room. They had "spring break" this week and we had another Katie sit for us. She is great and will sit for us next weekend when Jack and I celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Wow. Can you believe it? Well, I'm on emergency duty this weekend and was out till 10pm last night and worked this morning. So, I'm gonna watch "24" now on Netflix...

Deja Vu

Yup. Deja vu. Sick kids. Again. I swear Kyle has been sick about 4-5x this winter. Had to leave Vegas early and drive home last night. Jack sent Devin to school yesterday and Kyle to daycare. They both hacked their way through the day and Kyle spiked a fever at Ms. Julie's. When I got home, Devin had a 103 degree fever. Yea. So, I am still in jammies with kids today. Hope I don't get it... eating echinacea and vitamins like candy. :). There is some nasty virus going around.

Meanwhile, Jay is still in hospital but doing well. He is getting some rehab while they are trying to make arrangements for in-home care for Jay & Jean. The plan right now is to move Jay & Jean (Jack's parents) into Dave's home (Jack's brother). Since Dave's wife Geri also needs 24 hour care b/c of her degenerative brain disorder... all 3 of them will live there with Dave. He is retired now and takes care of Geri. But, we are working on hiring someone to help out Dave... especially at night. Jack and his brothers would chip in money to help out for their care. Kathy won't b/c she is changing careers AGAIN and just let her house go.

On a good note, Devin is going to get a puppy soon. We promised her she could have a puppy this summer when she turns 7 yrs old. Well, our neighbor's dog, Pistol, had puppies recently and we picked out one of her pups. We just love their dog... great family dog and loves kids. We were planning on getting a sibling of Pistol's when her parents were re-bred. But, then she got pregnant...so we are getting one of her pups instead. Devin picked out a cute boy pup which she has named Chip. She told me she gets to name him b/c "It's my dog Mom and I get to name him." Point taken. I did veto so crazy names like Cherry and Yellow Jacket. But, Chip was ok. He looks like a "Chip". He is now 4 weeks old... brown roan with white and black markings. He is 3/4 Corgi and 1/4 Heeler with docked tail. We wanted a small dog... and vetoed a chihuahua... nippy/ yappy dogs. So, this one should be a cutie. She will get him in a couple weeks.

$h%t has hit the fan.

Yup. Life got complicated again. I am now in Vegas for veterinary conference. Gonna have to leave home a day early tomorrow. Jack's dad had a mild stroke over the weekend. I ended up leaving 1/2 day late to get here. Didn't get here till late Sunday night. Jack's dad is doing better but not being a good patient. Tried to check himself out of hospital on Monday. Meanwhile, everyone is scrambling to take care of Jack's Mom who needs 24 hour care. She is now at Dave & Geri's and isn't happy. Then, Devin gets sick yesterday and had to stay home from school today. Now Jack, Kyle and Devin are sick and Jack is stressed. So, I will check out early tomorrrow. Gotta enjoy my last brief night.

On a good note, was on TV last week for working on a horse named Sugar who fell into irrigation canal. Quite a big story and rescue to get her out. I had 3 TV stations interview me. She is doing well and still at our clinic.

Well, gotta go get dinner with some friends. And so it goes...

Got my mojo back.

Finally got my mojo back. It's been back for about 3 months now. I finally feel myself again. I felt like such a dark cloud was over us for the past 2 years. Jack has gone through multiple jobs since Hubbell. I hope he has finally found his nitch at Tel Tech. Since my dad was diagnosed and died from cancer... it was just a struggle. I was VERY close to my dad. Still miss him a lot but his light shines in me. I think of him often but remember the good things.

Last summer was tough with Devin's school anxiety... but she has really shined these last few months. She is doing REALLY well... she is doing great in school and extra-curricular activities. She is now riding the school bus home, buying her lunch, and having no anxiety anymore. In the last month, she has had 4 sleepovers with her friends Rowyn and Katie. Let me tell you, happy kids equals happy mom. When my kids aren't happy, either am I. I am so pleased she is doing so well. Her light is really shining and I feel like Devin has finally turned the corner to my happy, anxiety-free child I knew she could be. She just got her 3rd quarter report card and it was all good. She wanted to re-join the Little Gym in the grade school "Flips" class and is still doing dance at Steppin Out studio. Last weekend, at the Superbowl, she even did rock climbing. I was shocked!!!

As for me, I've been riding more. Rode Moon and Chase last weekend. Rode Chase at Estrella Mtn Park today with Lynne. Been working out more and just started Zumba which I love. Been going to more functions with friends and drinking and just lettin' my hair down and having fun which I haven't let myself do for a LONG time. Been out with friends 3-4 times in the last 2 months. So, it's been great. Jack and I are doing well and will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary next month. He cooked for the Mom's Night Out Dutch Oven Cookout at our house last night. Also,I've been reading more and doing some scrap albums and watching 24 on Netflix. It seems the happier I am, the more I accomplish. Plus, I really feel like I've been spending quality time with the family as well... we went to Devin's school Valentine's dance on Friday night. Been going to the library once a week with the kids. Been taking the kids riding. Been taking the kids to all their after-school activities. We've been going to more parties as a family as well. Another thing we've been trying really hard to do is have "family night" once a week together. We also went to the Monster Truck Jam recently. Kyle and Devin loved it. Note to self... wear ear plugs next time. LOL. I definitely got my mojo back. Yea. Next weekend, I go to Vegas for the Western States Veterinary Conference for 4 days. Hope Jack survives the mayhem without me! I will think of it as "Traci appreciation week!" He will realize how much I really do!

Except for illness, life is good.

Well, we have had our share of illness for the last 6 weeks... typical winter flus and colds. Course, Kyle catches every single one of them and gets it the worst! It started with him getting sick with a GI virus the week before Christmas during our Colorado trip in December. Fortunately, it didn't last long. Then, he got sick on Christmas Eve. I stayed home with him and Jack and Devin went to Jack's parent's house. They are not doing well. Jean's health is failing and she has recurrent UTI's. Then, on Christmas day, Kyle spiked a 105 fever. So, off we go to Urgent Care.... and then back again when they told us it's just a virus. That resolved. Then, mid-January, Kyle and I both got sick with a nasty cold/flu virus. About a week later, it turned into a sinus infection for both of us. Back to the doctor for both of us... and on antibiotics. On day 8 of antibiotics, Kyle spikes another fever and develops a cough from another virus. And so it goes. Today, we had to cancel his "makeup" class for Little Gym b/c he was coughing (which also means barfing) too much this morning. Yes, his sensitive gag reflex is still in full effect. Meaning, every time he gets a cold or cough, he will gag or cough until he vomits. It's lovely.

Besides the winter cold blues, we are doing pretty well. Jack just switched jobs again for the 4th? time in 2 years. I hope this is the one. We shall see... I have been trying to get back into working out again. Hard to do when I have a cold or sinus infection... but trying. I just took up Zumba and love it. Have actually gone out a few times with friends in the last month. I am starting to feel "myself" again after a rough 2010. I'm getting my mojo back! Tomorrow, we are going to Pat & Beth's house for the Superbowl. Should be fun. Today, I rode Moon & Chase and they did great. Last weekend, we had our annual client education seminar at our vet clinic. I spoke on colic. I think I did ok... maybe a little nervous... but ok.

Devin has been doing awesome. She has had a couple playdates and sleepovers lately. As a matter of fact, she is having Katie over tonight. She had 2 sleepovers with Rowyn last month. We are totally encouraging it and on board. Anything which will increase her self confidence is great. She has been doing really well in school and is now riding the bus home. She has been doing that for about 3 weeks now... all her idea and a HUGE milestone in our house. She is still doing ballet/tap class too.

Kyle is doing well despite all his illnesses. Speaking of, Devin said something really funny the other day... I was explaining to her what "donate" means and why her school is donating money for sick kids. She says, "We should collect all the coins in our house and donate them to Kyle b/c he is sick all the time Mom." How do you argue with that logic?! LOL. Anyway, I signed up Kyle for Little Gym's gymnastic class at the beginning of January. He LOVES it!! He is an absolute maniac and sweats up a storm. He is talking like crazy and now will go to the potty (for pee) all by himself (we give him a treat if he goes by himself). Still car crazy. We took the whole family last Sat night to the Monster Truck Jam. He loved it.

Snow Trip in December

Time flies.... can't believe its been 6 weeks since I last posted. Well, we did have a great trip to Durango Colorado. We got Devin on skiis and skiing the baby hill for the first time. I got to ski with my friend Mo in the afternoons. We had a great time with her family sharing a rental condo for 5 days. Unfortunately, Kyle got a GI virus the first couple days which set him back a little. Poor little man. It's always something. Kyle did get a chance to play in the snow and even go tubing with the family and he loved it. We did "everything" snow since we rarely see it. Snowball fights, snow angels, building a snow man, eating snow, skiing and tubing. It snowed like crazy while we were there. A HUGE winter snow storm... almost 3-4 feet!!! We did not plan for this and drove our 2 wheel drive car... mistake we will not repeat. We almost didn't make it up and down the mountain a few times. Scary. Next time we will rent a 4 wheel drive (we had JUST sold our 4 wheel drive truck a month before).

We also did the Polar Express Train Ride. On the whole I would give it a C rating. I heard wonderful things about it.. but it was a bit of a disappointment to Devin. The whole time they were really revving up the kids that they were going to the "real" north pole to see Santa. Well, we rode the train (which was very cool) to a location that looked very fake. I've seen much better decorated houses to be honest. They had reindeer cut out of wood standing up next to Santa's sleigh. Devin was like.... "Mom, the reindeer are fake!" So , I made up some story about the real reindeer being in the barn eating dinner. She didn't buy it. Later, she asked me if next year we can go to the "real North Pole and not the fake one." Oh well.

Off to Durango, Colorado

Well, we are off to Durango, Colorado tomorrow for some skiing, sledding and Polar Express with my vet school friend Mo and her family. Should be alot of fun. Can't wait. Just gotta pack and put together some winter clothes. Had to find them all in storage and have my kids try them on. Also had to go to 2nd hand store to buy Devin a "real" winter jacket and also went to Kohl's yesterday to buy Kyle another pair of "closed toe shoes" for the trip. Can't wear sandals in the snow!

Kids & I went to see Santa the other day and they had a great time. Kyle wasn't scared and they both told Santa what they want. Devin wants Zhu Zhu Pets, Pet shop pets, and a pretend dog. Kyle wants a cement and garbage truck (of course). They both smiled for the camera and we got a great picture ... a miracle.

Well, Kyle is sleeping now ... so gotta do laundry and pack.

The tooth fairy is coming tonight.

Well, Punky Doodle (aka Devin) lost her 2nd tooth tonight. Thanks to Aunt Krista who is the official "tooth extractor" for Devin now. She won't let me pull her teeth- but will let Krista do it. So, the tooth fairy is coming to our house tonight. Don't know what that going rate is... but we've been giving her $2 per tooth. She really doesn't know the value of money anyway. I was really proud of her when her first tooth came out a few weeks ago. She got $2 bucks from the tooth fairy. We told her we would take her to the dollar store to spend it anyway she wants. When we got there, she gave Kyle half her money ($1) b/c she wanted him to have something too. I was so proud of her. It was totally her idea.

Devin had her first dance recital for Stepping Out last weekend. We were really proud of her. She did great on stage and had no anxiety about being left back stage or going on stage with the other girls. She also did the Daddy/daughter dance at the beginning with her dad and it was really sweet.

Devin is doing great in school now. No anxiety and really happy. It has been good.

Had a productive day... got my new truck's(which I love) title and license plate. I got all my Christmas cards finally done. I got all my stuff in the garage donated to the Goodwill. Went to the gym. Had popcorn and beer for dinner (yummy). Catching up on my blog. Watching Vampire Diaries. It's a good day.

Christmas Newsletter 2010

Here is a copy of my Christmas newsletter this year....

Merry Christmas 2010!
A lot has happened over the last year… we’ve had our ups and downs this past year. 2010 started with me & the kids traveling to Delaware in February for a week during the “biggest snowstorm” in the last century. We went to visit my parents, and especially to see my dad who was still going through chemo and radiation treatments for brain cancer. We had a great visit with my parents and sister, Katherine. Devin loved the snow and cold. To say Kyle didn’t like the cold is an understatement. Sadly, my father passed away 3 weeks later. We then all traveled back to Delaware for another week for his funeral and to be with my family.
For the rest of the spring and summer, we kept busy with everyday activities and work. The kids both took swim lessons all summer. They are both great swimmers and love the water. Kyle even moved up to the 3-4 yr old class at 2 ½ because the kid has no fear in the water…scary for the lifeguards and me, great for him. Kyle is doing well. He has been fully potty trained since July and just turned 3 yrs in November. He is talking up a storm and has been using full sentences since last summer. We mostly hear… “Why? I’m hungry! I want to do that!” ... ALL DAY LONG. . He is still car and truck crazy and wants a “purple Mac truck” and cement truck from Santa this year. Devin turned 6 yrs old in August. Devin finished preschool in July and started kindergarten in August which caused some school anxiety. So, it was very stressful for all of us the first couple months of school. Thankfully, she is doing well and enjoys school now. Devin has been doing tap/ballet classes for the last 6 months and likes it. She just had her first successful recital this weekend. Currently, “all she wants for Christmas is her 2 front teeth”. She recently lost a tooth and has one ready to go anytime…can’t convince her to let me pull them out even though I do it all the time with horses!
Jack is now working for Netsian. They offered him a job this past summer. He used to work for them about 10 yrs ago when they were Adkins Cabling. He is glad to be back in his nitch and enjoys working there again. He is still actively Dutch oven cooking and does fly fishing when he can. In October and November, he suffered from severe sciatica which was very painful (literally a pain in the @$$). He is almost completely healed now. Sadly, Jack also lost his brother, Joe, in September. We recently had a memorial service for Joe in Camp Verde the day after Thanksgiving.
My mom came out to visit for the month of October. It was great to have her here and we celebrated her 80th birthday in conjunction with an Arizona Bradshaw reunion at our house that weekend. My 3 sisters, Vicki, Katherine and Susan, flew out for the weekend to celebrate. We had about 40 relatives come to the reunion and it was a great success to see family during a happy occasion. We also had our annual Thanksgiving Bash at our house with about 50-60 relatives (mostly Jack’s). We had our usual horseback rides, tractor rides, fire pit, and potluck dinner.
I am still working actively as a horse vet. I still love my job and try to balance being a working mother and veterinarian. Not always easy to do. I crave boredom. In between all this, I try to find time for myself with Mom’s Club activities, working out, and riding my horses when I can. This spring, I went on a painting rampage in the back and power-washed and repainted the pool fence, the storage shed, our barn, and tack shed. Stress reliever--- kind of…until you realize you now need to finish these monumental projects that you started. We are looking forward to a much overdue vacation in late December with my vet school friend, Mo, and her family, in Durango, Colorado. We plan to go on the train ride the “Polar Express” to the North Pole to see Santa with the kids. We hope to get a little skiing and sledding in with the family (if we can convince Kyle to go out in the “coldy” snow).
Hoping all of you have a great 2011… Love, Traci, Jack, Devin & Kyle Hulse

Crisis Mode is Finally Over

Ok. Sadly, I have not blogged for awhile. I feel like my life has been somewhat in constant crisis mode from August through October. It finally started slowing down in November. So, now I am in "catch up" mode. I will try to be a better blogger. So, what has kept me so busy... Well, besides work, kids, husband and farm.....

On my last blog I discussed Devin having problems in school. That was the tip of the iceburg. It was a complete nightmare for 6-8 weeks. She had a REALLY hard time adjusting to school. The school was NOT helpful despite me asking for a counselor, coming every day at lunch to sit with her, picking her up early, etc.... She cried hysterically everyday at drop off for over a month. The school was not helpful and kept sending her to the principal's office or by herself every time she cried. It made it worse. She wasn't eating well, losing weight, etc. On top of it, my pediatrician's office wouldn't allow me to make an appt to talk to my doctor about it. Being fed up, I switched my pediatrician. I loved their doctor, but didn't like the front office staff AT ALL. So, we have a new doctor now. Anyway, finally, I got in touch with the school "psychologist" (not "counselor") after much prodding and investigating on my own. Still don't understand why it took over a month for this to happen- not a single person in their school suggested this to me. And let me tell you.... EVERYONE in the school knew she was having a problem... the principal, the nurse, her teacher, the front office staff, the lunch ladies... etc. Still don't get it. Anyway, the school psychologist and our new doctor really helped us and got Devin and her teacher on the right track. She is doing much better now and seems to like school now. During this whole saga, I was running around with my head cut off... running between school, Kyle's daycare, Devin's school... back to work, back to daycare... I got REALLy sick for weeks at the end of August and missed a few days at work. Ended up at the doctors myself with a sinus infection.

During this time, work got crazy in September. My boss and all the other vets at the practice decided to go on vacation or take time off at the same time... leaving me to do all the work myself. It was a nightmare. During this time, my husband's brother, Joe had a massive stroke and died a week later. Jack was by his side all week and it was just stressful all around.

In October, my mother came to visit for a month. It was great to have her here. The kids loved having their grandmother here. During this time, we decided to have a mini- family reunion and 80th birthday party for my mom. Well, it ended up being a huge "party weekend". My 3 sisters flew in and we all went out to eat to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Then, we had a party and family reunion at my house all day the next day. I thought it was going to be a small party of 15-20 people. It ended up about 40 people. Then, we had "spa day" with my sisters and Mom. That was fun and I really needed it. My sisters stayed another day. Overall, it was a great weekend... just a lot of planning and hectic.

Another crisis we had during October was my husband Jack. He got severe sciatica at the beginning of October. He was severely incapicitated the whole month of October and basically was just lying around in pain on meds. He was back and forth seeing mulitple doctors. So, he was no help with the kids or any of the events for the month of October. He is still on the mend, but doing much better now. But, it has literally taken 2 months.

During October and November, I also sold my 3 horse gooseneck trailer and bought a smaller 2 horse slant. I just recenty sold my one ton truck, which I'm sick to death of driving. We are in the process of buying a smaller 1/2 ton truck which should be done by tomorrow. I finally feel like things are slowing down a little. Still really busy but not in "crisis mode" anymore. Actually got a chance to ride and workout a few times in last 2 weeks. Had about 50-60 people over for our annual family Thanksgiving bash. We went up to Camp Verde last Friday for Joe's memorial service and spread his ashes. Got my Christmas cards ordered. Finally been able to go to a few Mom's club functions in last few weeks. So, life is getting better.

Jack's parents are not doing very well and Jean has really been going down hill lately. Jack's sister in law, Geri, is also not doing well. So, don't know what will happen with them in next 6-12 months. Doesn't look good.

Well, gotta go. Kyle's finger is bleeding and Devin's tooth is about to fall out.

Potty Power

Well, the good news is... Kyle is potty trained. He was VERY easy to train. He still wears a diaper at night and sometimes at nap time. We trained him about a month ago. He loves his underwear and wants "to do it himself!" He only had one poop accident the first couple days. He has had a few wet pants.. but mostly pretty good. He loves the movie, Potty Power. Has watched it incessantly the last few weeks. We can all sing the songs now.
Kyle is doing well. Still has his temper tantrums and fights with his sister. But, when he is out with other kids, he does very well and everyone loves him. He has been taking tumbling class this summer and loves it. He can do back bends and forward rolls, cart wheels (kind of .. his arms are too short) and head stands (kind of). We are taking a break for a month or two and then we will do gymnastics again. He is very talented. In the meantime, he is taking swim lessons. He has been taking them for the last 10 weeks. He is a very good swimmer and can doggy paddle about 10 feet and hold his breath and swim under water. At first, we did Mommy and me classes. But, he was much more advanced than the other kids, so he switched a couple weeks ago to the 3-4 year old class early. Everyone is like.. Oh, he's so small, how old is he?! At first, he cried for me. But, now he is getting used to it and likes it.
Kyle is still at daycare at Miss Julie's and loves it. They are all 2 year olds now... he is the leader with his potty training and shows the other kids. I'm a proud mama.

Devin Drama

Yup. Kindergarten has started and so has the drama. I knew it was going to be a little hard b/c Devin is not good with lots of kids and new situations. But, I underestimated the situation. She has not adjusted to kindergarten well at all. She is having a lot of anxiety about going to school. The first day wasn't too bad... and then it went downhill from there. Unfortunately, our schools are way overcrowded with not enough teachers because of the budget cutbacks. Which means, there are 29 kids in Devin's class with just one teacher. So, that doesn't help. So, the teacher can't deal with a crying kid and they just send her to the principal's office. I understand that Devin is disturbing the class... but it doesn't help to send her to the office 2-4x per day. Ugh.
By the 4th day, she worked herself up to hysterics before school... crying before school, late to school, wouldn't go in. So, I went to principal's office and talked to principal. She felt Devin wasn't doing as badly as we thought and to stick it out. She agreed it would be ok for me to visit at lunch or stay in morning until Devin gets adjusted. She took my hysterical daughter back to class and I came back at lunch. That helped a little. On Friday, Jack went to school with her and stayed for awhile. Then, he came back at lunch. She was still rather distressed, so he signed her out early. He talked to Principal Nelson again... we are going to try picking her up early for a week or so until she adjusts. We will start that tomorrow. Hopefully, this will work. It is stressful for all of us.

Family Photos

June 2010 update

OK- I'm lame for not posting for a month. But, I have good excuses. After my last post, Kyle got sick - AGAIN- with another ear infection & high fevers> 104 degrees. He went back to Urgent Care and given an antibiotics shot. That was about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Yesterday, I took him to new dentist, West Valley Pediatric Dentists, and had his front two teeth repaired for the 4th time. They sedated with oral sedation this time before the nitrous oxide. They put caps on his two front teeth. Personally, I think they are a bit large... but whatever. I don't think his front teeth will ever be normal until they fall out and he gets his permanent teeth in. Guess I have to wait YEARS for that to happen. He didn't really get very sedate and still cried and screamed throughout the procedure. Poor guy... he'll either grow up hating dentists forever or become one. Then, today, he spiked another 103.1 fever. Ugh. Back to doctor... they couldn't find anything wrong (except a fever). They did a throat swab, urine test, checked ears, etc.. Hope he comes out of this ok. Had to take this morning off work & Jack & I are switching in next 30 min so I can see some calls.

Meanwhile, Devin graduated from preschool. They had quite the production. That was about 2 weeks ago. It was very cute. She is still in summer school because she doesn't take to "change" well and we thought consistency would be best. She will stay in preschool until kindergarten starts in August. Meanwhile, she started ballet/tap classes at Steppin Out studio in May. The girl dances like Elaine from Seinfeld (it's a sad sight to behold)... but at least she likes it. I'm trying to convince her to try hip-hop or musical theater instead. She also started swim lessons again last week. Kyle is also taking a couple classes. He started a "Mommy & Me" tumbling class in June and just had his first swim lesson last week.

Work is going ok.... picked up more this spring,so that is good. Well, that's all for now...

Things that make you go hmmm....

Ok- Here are a few things I've had to say to Kyle in the last couple weeks... they really make you go "Hmmm... I can't believe I have to say that!"

"Kyle, please don't drink the water out of the dog's bowl". (He's done it twice this week and Devin used to do it too)
"Kyle, don't lick the shower floor after you peed on it." (Yes, he did that)
"Kyle, don't stick both your hands down your pants" (in public- just to get a rise out of me!)
"Kyle, stop sticking your tongue out at _____ (fill in blank... me, Devin, Rowyn)".
"Kyle, stop taking out all the DVD's out of the DVP player (and changing them to his movies)."
"Kyle, please don't cram so much food in your mouth at once".
"Kyle, please don't put smash mud in your hair." (too late!)

And, that's just the last 2 weeks!!!!

We survived all the fungus among-us.

Yea. I think I can finally see the end to all the sicknesses. My home has been the den of bacteria and viruses for the past 2 weeks... but the end is in sight. After all the drama... Devin had the flu. I had a sinus infection. Kyle got the flu. Then, he just never seemed to get better.... so I took him to doctor yesterday. He was diagnosed with infections in both ears AND a sinus infection! Poor peanut. They gave him a shot of antibiotics in the office yesterday... and said we had to bring him back again today for another shot b/c he was so sick yesterday. They kind of scared me b/c they said if he was doing much worse last night I'd have to take him to the ER! He was such a sick boy yesterday-- he actually fell asleep in my arms in the doctor's exam room! He NEVER falls asleep in my arms unless he is very sick. Actually, he can rarely sit still. So, the fact that he wanted to lay in my arms for the last week for up to 40min at time tells me how sich he was.

Well, thank God he responded and didn't need another shot of antibiotics today. He is much improved and no longer running fevers today! He is now on oral antibiotics and eye drops (for the sinus infection which is backing up his nasolacrimal ducts into his eyes- YUCK). This is the first night he didn't need ibuprofen for the last 8days! He can finally go back to daycare tomorrow afternoon.

Thank God. It has been so difficult for Jack and I to juggle our work schedules to be with our sick kids for the last 2 weeks. I still have a snotty nose but otherwise doing ok. Feel much better with the Z-pack antibiotics. Here's hoping for a good weekend and good Mother's Day!!!