Catch all

I doubt anyone reads this anymore since I rarely post, but if nothing else I will waste some time at work and fill the air in on what has been going on with us.
I do not have a working camera, so about 6 months of our lives will just have to be in memories! This is one of the items on my Christmas list, so hopefully I will be back to taking pictures in 2011! Luke and Jace's birthday went well. Both got more toys than any child needs, and I had to get Alec something, too, since I felt bad he is the only without a birthday in the fall! Jace absolutely loves Chuck E Cheese and kept telling everyone he was 4! This is his 3rd year to have his party there and probably not his last. Luke did football for his birthday and it turned out pretty good. Great weather, Bobby chalked the field and the boys had fun.
Luke has been a walking accident. I guess some might call it being a boy, but I am starting to fear that CPS might be calling soon to check on all his injuries. This week alone, he has a burn on his arm, from trying to be the first one to get a slice of pizza, a cut on the back of his head from being hit by a swing, and a cut and knot on his forehead from going face first into the trailer making a football catch. By the way he did not drop the ball! His finger got cut in that incident, too. Those are the big ones. He was also bit by something ( I am going with a spider) and had a huge bite on his back. It lasted for 2 weeks and is gone, but there is still a knot there, over a month later. I should take him to the Dr, but every time I go the wait kills me! So I am putting it off and will just pick a day I am feeling brave and take all 4 kids in for a check up at the same time. Have no fear, Luke is not the only child with injuries. Payton was wearing a Halloween costume yesterday that consisted of a yellow tutu that barely covered her whowho, while running on the neighbors treadmill. She fell, which is not surprising since she does not enjoy or excel at running. This left her with a large strawberry on the back of her leg/rear. She I am sure right now she is at school playing the drama card every time she sits down. Shockingly, Jace is injury free except for a small scratch on his face. He has claimed it was given to him by multiple people, so that will remain a mystery. Not shockingly, Alec is also injury free. Since he rarely puts himself in harms way his injuries are few and far between.
We had conferences at school. Alec's teacher said he is sooo quiet and well behaved. This was again not a surprise. He takes great pride in being good at school. He enjoys going everyday and is not hard to get to do his homework. I do have to work with him more than I ever did Payton or Luke on his reading, but we are getting it. I guess we can not have it all, either they get straight As in conduct or on their report cards. Needless to say, Payton and Luke make good grades, but have conduct issues. Luke talks to much and too loud. He rushes through his work to look around and see who he can bother. He loves making people laugh and the more you laugh the more of a show he will put on! Payton loves to talk, also, and be in charge. As she once told me she was born to talk! Jace's school loves him and says is is soo smart and sweet. I am glad they see this side of him because at home he can be spoiled and whiny!
All in all the kids are doing good this year and We are moving right along into the holidays!

Fall

Since my last post was at the begining of summer, I thought I should get on and post something at the begining of fall! The summer flew by and all the kids are back in school. Payton is in second grade, Luke is first, Alec in kinder and Jace is in preschool 5 days a week. All are doing well, and we are back in a routine! I am working full time, 6am-2pm. I am home for the bus and do homework, practices and clubs.
Luke and Alec started football, and Payton started cheerleading. She is loud and enjoys it, but can do without the heat and sweating! The boys love it, and Jace can not wait to play next year!

We have gone to birthday parties galore, and have 3 of own this time of year! Here the kids are at a lasar tag party, which the dad's (and kids) enjoyed AlOT!!

Vacation

The kids on the beach outside of our townhouse.

The kids trying to be patient and wait for a table.

The kids at The Hangout having fun.

The view front our patio.

We headed over to Gulf Shores, AL for a week. The oil was headed right there, but we took our chances and went anyway. We left Friday about 8:30pm and drove thru the night. We got there around 6am. We walked down to the beach and the oil was there. It had apparently arrived that night. There was about 3-5 feet of oil up by the shore line. It was broken into small clumps, but you could not even get close enough to put your feet in the water. There was no smell and we could still play in the sand and pool. We were disappointed, but we were there.

On Sunday the oil did not appear to be coming in and they were cleaning as fast as they could. And by Monday we had yellow flags and could get in the ocean. There was a little tar ball here and there, but it was looking alot better. We had yellow flags a few more days and overall were very happy we took our chances and went! We did the water park while we were there and the kids loved the slides! They rode a roller coaster, co-carts and all sorts of little rides. The area is perfect for families and we plan on going back next year.

Friday the day before we were to head home, Jace jumped in the pool backwards (after being told repeatedly not to do this) and busted his chin open. We took him to urgent car and he got glued up and sutchered. We were in and out in under an hour!

On the way home we drove all day and really prefer the nighttime drive. There was alot more traffic, we got stuck behind a big wreck and delayed over an hour. Luke got very car sick and threw up 5 times. Alec was car sick and threw up one time and Bobby even got a little sick! But we got home safe and sound!

Well apparently this is the year of crazy health problems for our family! We started the year with Luke's staph infection, Jace got a snake bite and now Payton has an infected, enlarged cyst on her neck! After a trip[ to TCH for an ultrasound it was concluded it was no connected to any glands or lymph nodes, just a cyst that got big and infected! She is on antibiotic and will have it surgically removed after the infection is gone. That should be this month. I have a picture on my phone, but am not savy enough to get it on the computer. Basically, it looks like a ping pong ball popping out of her neck!

Needless to say, Alec is the only child who has not been in the hospital. He is my rule follower. He prides himself in this, so he will probably be safe? But lets cross our fingers we do not go for the home run and have all 4 kids hospitalized in the same year! I should have known when Luke got the shingles at 1 year that we were in for some crazy health issues!

Over the memorial weekend we went to the beach with friends. Payton stayed home with Grammy, but here are pictures of the boys having fun with their beach buddies!

WOW

I had a wow moment yesterday. I took the kids to the pool at the gym. When the slides opened, I had 3 kids running up to go down them over and over again. This means I have 3 kids who can swim!!! To go down the slides at the gym, you have to go alone and be able to swim back to the side on your own. While Jace was upset not to be tall enough to try, but I think I actually have 4 kids who can swim well enough to slide!! While we were watching the kids go down the slides, he was swimming across the pool all on his on in water well over his head. He comes up to breath and just keeps on swimming!!! I can not believe my kids are growing up so fast. I will have 3 in school next year!!!! Crazy! I do not have a baby anymore, even though we call Jace the baby and he will forever be the baby of our family! Let's face it he is the same age Payton was when I was pregnant with her 3rd little brother!! I still remember when I turned my double stroller into a stroller for 4 to run errands! And there was a time I had 3 in diapers! Time flies!

Fishing

Here is a picture I took of Bobby and the boys fishing. About 5 min later Jace went on the other side of the log laying on the ground to get a big stick and was met by the snake below! I know it is hard to see, which is why I should go out and buy us all rubber boots!!!

What a weekend!

Friday I let each of the kids pick a friend to invite for a sleepover. I thought it would be either the best or worst idea of my life, and it turned out to be the best. Since they all had their own friend they were not jealous and bugging each other. When I put them all to bed with their buddy, no one got up to bother anyone since they all had someone to chitty chat with. I was very pleased to check up and see all 8 were asleep before 10:30!!!! Jon and Kate have nothing on me, 8 is a piece of cake (at least for one night)!

On Friday night the snake man was at the club, so I took all the kids up there to hold nice snakes. Ironically, we meet a not-so-nice snake the very next day!!! Saturday after a full day of soccer, swimming and a birthday party we decided to take the kids to the lake half a mile from our house in the neighborhood to fish. We went down in the golf cart and were enjoying a wonderful evening. We all had on flip-flops. Jace decided to crawl over a fallen tree to get a big stick he saw, when he was bitten by a snake on the foot! Immediately, he started screaming in pain. His little toe was bleeding, and he was saying a snake bit him. I looked around real quick and did not see one. I took him home to clean him up, and Bobby stayed with the other kids. He called when we were on our way back and said Luke spotted the snake right by where Jace had been, and he got a picture on his cell phone. He sent it to a friend and was told right away it was a copperhead!!!!! I called 911 and when the firemen showed up they confirmed it was for sure a copperhead, and he needed to to the hospital right away. They had called and the best place for a child his age to go was downtown to Memorial Herman Children's Hospital. They have a level 1 pediatric ER. So the other 3 kids headed to a neighbors, and we were off in the ambulance. They monitored him over night, and he was able to go home about 24 hours later. His blood pressure was low for a awhile and some of his blood counts, but he was able to stabilize and get them to start coming up on his own without the anti-venom. Now we are on strong antibiotic to prevent infection and waiting for the swelling to go down. He does not seem to be in any pain and is running around like usual. Needless to say, if we do go fishing again it will not be in flip flops!!