Puke and Poop

We spent the past week camping in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming (pics and more details to come later.) Our first night, we were so exhausted that we didn't even think about putting a flashlight in the tent. In the mountains, it stays pretty light even past 10pm so it wasn't dark yet when we went to bed. I am awakened in the complete darkness to conversation. What I hear is Sophie telling Dan "No, I just think I need a cup." This is immediately followed by the sound of barfing. Dan scrambles to the car to find a light and all I can think is "omg she's barfing all over Isabella". The smell hits me and I start gagging. We get her out of the tent, but by this time I'm starting to barf from the smell. Thankfully, she managed to only barf on her sleeping pad, nothing else. Amazing!!! Dan is cleaning the barf mess up, I'm still gagging (this is usually reversed), when she says that she has to go potty, then she says that it's too late she went in her pants. I look down and there's a puddle of diarrhea forming at her feet. All of a sudden, Dan says "omg I'm gonna crap my pants!" and runs to the outhouse (which was conveniently located next to us.) We all know barf can be contagious, but I've never heard of getting diarrhea from someone like that! Poor Sophie was such a trooper. I had to strip her naked outside in the cold and wipe her down with wipes. I had to step away every couple minutes because I'd start dry heaving so it really took awhile and she didn't complain or cry or anything. This all happened at about 2:30 in the morning. I can only imagine what a train wreck we must've looked like had anyone seen us! I actually think it was a bit of food poisoning from the fast food we had earlier in the day as she was completely fine after that night. But, boy, was that a miserable experience! Of course, Noah and Isabella slept right through it all!

Congratulations Noah!

Noah's artwork has been selected for the Bloomington Student Art Show at the Bloomington Art Center. The opening ceremony is Tuesday so I'll get some pics of the little artist and his work then.

Last month, a different piece of art that he made, a clay gargoyle, was put on display at the school.

We're really proud of him!

My Sweet Boy

I must tell you all what a sweet little boy I have. I had asked the kids if they wanted to help me bake Amy's Carrot Cake for my birthday. The girls were really excited, but Noah just stared at me, almost mad like, then shook his head 'no'. The next morning while I took the girls to their dance classes, Dan and Noah went shopping for my birthday gift (an awesome yarn swift, ball winder, and knitting bag!) Later, Dan told me that Noah practically insisted on buying me a cake because it just wasn't right for me to have to make my own birthday cake! Wasn't that sweet of him? Of course, Dan insisted right back that I really wanted Amy's Carrot Cake and a substitute just wouldn't do. So I did make my own cake, and really didn't mind, but Noah was still upset about it and wouldn't have anything to do with me making my own birthday cake!

Hello? Anyone out there?

Sorry for the huge lapse in posting! No, we haven't fallen off the earth or anything crazy like that! I've just been slacking off. I really like reading blogs, I just don't seem to be good at keeping one myself! Figures!

Now I have to brag about my kids! Report cards came home today and both Noah and Sophie are doing above average! Yippee! Noah has really struggled with reading these past few years, but all of his hard work and effort has finally paid off. He was moved out of the special reading class and is now scoring at or above grade level. He tested at a 7th grade level in vocabulary!!! He is doing equally well in math (although that has always been a strong subject for him.) His report card was full of 3's and 4's with only one 2+. (3 = meets expectations, 4 = exceeds expectations) Sophie's report card was almost all 4's! She is reading at a first grade level......I didn't even know she could read! I always do the reading, so tonight I had her read and by golly she can read! LOL I'll definitely have her do more reading to us from now on. It's so cute how they read when they're first learning! She even uses expression! And here I was starting to worry because so many other people have been talking about their K's reading and I didn't think she could. Although Andrew (her teacher) has been telling me that she's doing great.

I go in every Wednesday and read to Noah's boulé*. It's kind of a bummer that Sophie isn't in there, too, but her classroom is right across the hall so I'm able to sneak in there for the last 5 minutes and listen with her to her teacher reading. I help out in her classroom at least once a month. I'll be able to help out more next year when Isabella is in afternoon preschool.

Isabella is doing really well in preschool, too. She still sometimes says that she doesn't want to go to school, but she doesn't make a fuss about it and has a lot of fun. Really she wants to go, she just wants me to stay there and watch her! She is slowly getting more independent which is nice, but I do miss having a baby sometimes (no...that doesn't mean that I actually want to have another one!) She turned 4 yesterday! My how the time flies!!! I'll post pictures of her party soon!

* Boulé is a Greek word that loosely translates to council or gathering. Hillcrest students and staff end their day in this multi-age group. Each boulé covers curriculum developed to enhance self-esteem and awareness of others. Character Education is emphasized through discussion and activities.

Boulé classes reinforce the family concept that is so important at Hillcrest. Siblings are together in the same boulé and the class remains together for all their years at Hillcrest. (Due to the half-day schedule, kindergarten students are not included in the multi-age boulé class, but cover the curriculum within their kindergarten class.)

We are proud of our unique boulé. Curriculum developed by Hillcrest staff is replicated by many other schools throughout the state.

Making Progress

After working on the new playset for about a month now (thanks Kenny for all of your help when you were here on 'vacation'!) it is finally coming to completion. We're just waiting on a couple replacement pieces to arrive so we can finish up the swingset portion. Dan will be THRILLED when he's finally done with step number one million and two! LOL After taking these pictures, he attached the slide. The girls keep going up the stairs, down the slide, up the stairs, down the slide, giggle, repeat. They're having lots of fun and it isn't even finished.

MRI was a bust

I'm really feeling frustrated right now. The ICU doc who does the sedation for the MRI would not sedate Isabella because of the possible sleep apnea. She said that the risk of the sedation with sleep apnea was too great in comparison to this tiny lump on her leg. I am in agreement with her, however, I wish they would have figured this out last week when they got her health & physical report rather than making her go all day without eating! She was really calm so we decided to try the MRI without sedation, but when it got really noisy she got scared and started moving so the pics were blurry. I'm waiting right now for a call back from the specialist regarding what to do now. The ICU doc said that depending on what we find out at the sleep clinic, she may have to go under general anesthesia and have a breathing tube in order to have the MRI. We aren't scheduled for the sleep clinic until Nov. 8th. Radiology gave her Candy Land for being such a brave girl. I thought that was cool! It's pouring rain, so I'm off to go play Candy Land with the kiddos! :)

The MRI is a go

I was really hoping Isabella's lump would disappear, but it hasn't so we had her Health & Physical done today. I spoke with the nurse at Children's Hospital (where she'll have the MRI) and she was really reassuring. The sedation drug they use (Propofol) works really quickly and also wears off quickly without any side effects. She said that after about a half hour, Isabella will be able to go on to have a normal day. :yay I will also be able to hold her until she falls asleep and then again before she wakes up. Now if we can just get through the morning without eating/drinking, we'll be good to go! (She can't have any food after 5am, no milk after 7am and not even clear liquids after 10am...the MRI is scheduled for 1pm!)

Ever since she was a baby she has these episodes at night where she'll gasp and then start coughing. I thought it was that she'd fall asleep with a little breastmilk in her mouth and then choke on it, but she did it again last night and she's not nursing anymore. I also asked him about these nightmares she's been having and from my description, he said they're actually night terrors (she beat the crap out of dh the other night :lol) He suspects that both issues are related. So, we have a referral to the Sleep Center (also at Children's Hospital.....we're becoming quite familiar with that place, unfortunately.)

Oh...I did hear back from my doctor and she says that the meds seem to be working and that the cysts I keep getting are likely just from my body trying to adjust from the surgery. So....I'm trying to have faith and not to worry!