Better...

Today Ben felt so much better. Just like his old self. I woke up to screaming children, not him but his siblings at him. I walked passed them and didn't have to ask whether he felt better or not. We hung out at home mostly today, puttering around the house and trying to keep our hands clean and away from our mouths. He went to karate but that is about all I thought he should do today. He should still be getting his rest. He napped today so that was good.

Sick & having fun...

Here is a picture of Ben while he is burning up from a fever. He was so miserable, just a hot burning log on the couch all day, in and out of slumber. He has a sore throat and a splotchy rash all over his body. Poor little guy, he's still smiling and in good spirits too!

And while he was inside in misery, Noah and Hannah played together in the pool. It was just hot enough outside to jump in the pool and splash around. Such fun they had.

Miserable monkey....

As I said yesterday, Ben was sick all day with a fever and didn't do much of anything yesterday. Well, this morning it was much of the same. Staring at the TV and not interacting with anyone. At one point he told me that he needed a band-aid for his finger but I didn't really hear it to process it in my brain and go and get him one. At around 10 I took his temp and it wasn't too bad, around 99.6F if I remember correctly. Yesterday it was 102.0 so the lower temp made me feel better about this mystery illness. Then as I was looking him over, I noticed he has a rash. Big splotches all over the place but random, with a red face, and the rash wasn't raised with bumps. He said it itches but he wasn't scratching. And that is when he told me that his finger really hurts. Well, it should because it was so swollen with pus that I went into overdrive. I started thinking that this was what was causing the fever and that we needed to get him some relief. I really don't like seeing my kids so miserable. I called my Mom and I checked online to find out what it might be (the rash was stumping me).

We ended up going to the doctor who sat with us and told us that he needed a topical antibiotic for the finger-it really was ugly-and that it should help relieve it in no time. The fever and rash were secondary to the appointment, she noticed that when she walked in the room, also that he had a sore throat. All that and he has scarlet fever. Sounds like something from the early 1900's that people died from. Probably did. But a round of a different antibiotic will help him with that.

Tonight, after 2 rounds of antibiotics we noticed a little more action from Ben so I think he'll be OK. But since it is highly contagious we are sitting everything out this week! We're in the clear if no one gets it in 1-3 weeks!

Here's to hoping that tomorrow is better for all of us...but especially our #1 monkey!

Sick day....

Today Ben was sick so we didn't go anywhere all day. While Ben laid on the couch and stared at the walls, Hannah and Noah went in the pool. They had so much fun together and they did a great job staying away from the sick one inside. They ran around the back yard, drank smoothies and played in the dirt. They sprayed each other with the hose and then rolled around on the towels together and giggled for what seemed like hours. They enjoyed each other's company a lot today, it was a sort of bonding between them.

Thinking back...

When we got back from our camping trip time went quickly for me and I couldn't get online to post pictures and such, so here are a few that I took that I really wanted to post.

We bought a slip 'n slide when we got back from camping because the weather was so HOT when we returned. The kids wanted something different to play in (besides the pool) and loved every second of this super fun way to keep cool. The grass gets soaked every time and if we forget to pick it up after they're done, the grass gets a nice long brown stripe.

Ben passed his 1st section karate test before we went on vacation and here he is receiving his belt after it was dyed. Yay Ben!!!

We went to the tide pools to explore and had exactly 5 minutes to walk around. Next time I think we will plan it a bit better so that we can walk around to explore and discover the creatures. The kids were into it but we were waved out and had to leave.

Noah loves to vacuum and on this day he decided to do it with his slippers on...now who wouldn't take a picture of him doing this?

And finally (for tonight) we went to night-time zoo with my sister and her 2 children. They had a blast. Here they are waiting for a show. they each got out with a necklace and Marissa caught a stuffed animal. It was late when we got home and they were asleep so fast. Phew...so much fun!

School....

Ben is legally a Kindergartner now... So this week we started to home school our kids. It wasn't a very different week from last week or the week before. We are taking a very relaxed approach to it, almost unschooling but there is parent initiation and guidance. I have the 3 kids to entertain so we thought themes would be good and everyone can join in at their own level. So check out the blog I started here (& on the side bar) and check back often. I really am going to try to keep up with it every day so please bear with me in the beginning, it's a challenge getting blogs here every day, so we'll see how doing two goes!

Spider....

I went to check on a loud noise in the back yard last night and if I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going I would have ran right into this:

The web was huge, it was as big as one of our windows. And the more pictures I took of it the more I believed that it was going to jump right at me.... It was about 2 inches long. It creeped me out.

Oh and I never found out what the noise was.

Nurslings....

We went to playgroup today. At one point Noah wanted to nurse. He had noticed that William (Erika's son) had started nursing and he wanted to also. So the competition nursing began. Noah would stop to see if William was still nursing and William would stop to see if Noah was still nursing. Erika and I were sitting together so it wasn't that much of a strain for the boys to see each other but just enough that they had to unlatch and move their heads around. It was cute.

More Mexico pics...

Noah

Hanging out with family
Noah rolling in sand
Paella! yum!
Playing in the jacuzzi

Labor Day weekend....

We went to Mexico for the weekend and had such a wonderful time! My parents have a house on a cliff above the beach there and we stayed in what they call 'the apartment'. The house is huge and beautiful. We left on Friday evening and stayed until Monday morning. We were afraid of the border wait later on in the day so we didn't want to stay too long into Monday.

On Saturday more family came and all the kids had so much fun frolicking in the sand and water. We brought boogie boards with us and rode the waves, sand toys and made sand castles, balls, trucks and had a grand time. We went out to a restaurant that day and tried to eat while the kids went wild. As we walked back to the house on the beach we ran into vendors all over the place. We checked out jewelry, baskets, food, blankets and dresses. We bought some necklaces for the kids, they are magnetic in places so they stick together. I guess they are the newest thing in Mexico...I had never seen them before. Hannah got a pink one (to match her outfit perfectly) and Ben got a blue one (his favorite color). We walked along the water and since it was so hot that the kids jumped in the water with all their clothes on and had so much fun! We didn't mind, we were on vacation and they were having fun! Most of the family members left by nightfall and we got the kids to bed.

Sunday we did much of the same as Saturday, beach play and having lots of fun. It started to rain while we were on the beach so we headed up for lunch and naps. The afternoon we decided that we'd have paella for dinner so my brother and sister and I went to Ensenada for seafood. That was awesome. I forgot my camera so I don't have pictures of it but it was a great reminder of our shopping experiences in Morocco (for those of you who don't know, I grew up there). That night we ate paella and had good company.

Monday we spent some time playing around the house. We started packing up so that we could get on the road early enough to have some time at our house in San Diego. We got home in 3 hours, not too bad since we had expected the border wait to take forever at the end of the holiday weekend.

The Mexico house (view from the beach)

View out of the apartment window (looking north)

Hannah trying out the boogie board

Ben, Hannah and Marissa on the beach

Breakfast with cousins

Crazy...

Some people tell me that I'm crazy because I stay up way too late at night. And after a day with the three kids running all around, I can understand why they may think that I might be tired. Which I am. Very tired. Every night. But today was a perfect example of why I stay up past the kids bedtimes.

We had a friends two children with us today. One is 4 like Hannah and the other is almost 2 like Noah. So they had buddies all day. As soon as their Mom left, Noah started picking on her youngest and would not stop until he (Noah) went down for a nap. He would bang him on the head with a car or a truck, push him on the back, grab his toy, and this went on for a couple of hours. Hannah and her friend went around the house trying to shake Ben off their backs by running away and making it a not-so-nice game out of it. Ben was hurt and didn't like that they wouldn't play with him. He would run after them scaring them with a tiger mask on, or really try to get them to play with him but they wouldn't. They seemed to like these but only for a few minutes and then one of them would come crying to me. This went on all day. On top of that they didn't know what to do. I brought out the Slip-n-Slide and set it up in the backyard, latherd sunblock of 3 children (the other 2 already had it on) and told them to have fun. That lasted exactly 5 minutes. They got sidetracked and were using the watering cans to fill the birdbath with dirt to make muddy water. Then they fought over the watering cans.... We have a house full of fabulous toys and a huge number of children's books, and they seemed bored and not wanting to play with any of them. We went for a walk (at the hottest part of the day) and everyone was tired, thristy or had to use the bathroom. Not a good plan. We raced home. Noah was screaming by the time we got home, everyone got drinks and then boredom set in again. Hannah and her friend found a quiet game to play with the dolls but Ben was not allowed in again. I turned on the computer and let him watch some shows. It was absolute madness with me trying to put out the little fires, until that moment.

So I stay up because my days are so hectic and crazy that I seek out the peace and the quiet of the night. With only the dishwasher, maybe the washing machine and dryer and a few cars driving by, it is the most peaceful time of the day. I can read online, in my book or watch TV without being jumped on, called upon, nursed on, or needed in any other way. I'm trying to keep my sanity and if that means I have to stay up way past my bedtime, so be it! I'm a happier person that way. :-)


BTW Hannah had a wonderful time and can't wait to play with her friend again! Ben really wants a friend his age. And Noah ... well Noah will love when they come to play again too.

Hi...

It has been quite a while since I last posted. I'm sorry. We've been enjoying Daddy's last week at home. He is so lucky to have a job that gives him time off in the summer. So we went playing with him all around town. We also have worked on our house quite a bit this month, our patio is halfway done. It is so hard to get work done on the house with the kids around. We hate having all the tools and paint around them that we try to have them out of the house while we work. They love ladders and climb all the way to the top teetering on the top step while ignoring our cautions. They love to paint and if they had their way, they'd paint the house to match the playhouse...bright yellow with bright blue trim with a few handprints here and there. They love to use the hammer and the drill, I'm sure if we left it to them we'd have a house of holes with half sunken nails! So we try to get it done while they are spending time with Nanny. It has been wonderful having Daddy around but today was the time for him to go back to work. We didn't know what to do, so we went to visit him at his office! The kids liked that.

A girl thinking...

Hannah is lying on the couch staring at the ceiling. Should I wonder what my four year old girl thinks about when lying on the couch and staring at the ceiling? ... I know what I think about when I get a chance to do this, but what about a 4-year old?

We're back!

I am trying to back-post our trip, bear with me as I do it. Check out the pics...there should be a little slideshow for each day :-) ...sorry there are loads of pics, I hope you enjoy them!

Great trip... and it's great to be back!

Part 2 - Lundy Lake

We go to Lundy Lake every year. My family has been going for almost 30 years! It has a special place in our hearts. However there are improvements that we think should be done to the resort that would make it more enjoyable. We think of how we would improve the resort if we owned it . every year. We have a great time every year. It is a place that our kids will probably go to a lot in their lives.
Here is a slideshow of our time at Lundy Lake this year. (guest login password is: iluv2rlx)

Day 6 - Rainbow Falls

Today we went on a LONG hike with the kids. I did it last when I was pregnant with Ben...about 6 years ago. At the time we had my niece with us and she was 4 years old so we figured that our children could do it since they have been doing lots of hikes. The mileage is 2 1/2 miles to the lower falls. We did it and had fun too! Noah hiked 1 1/4 miles then hopped onto on of our backs, Hannah made it 2 1/4 miles (all the way to the lower falls and almost back to the car), and Ben made it the whole way! Hannah was so tired that she had to have a ride from Corey (I had Noah asleep in the Ergo or I would've given it to him) Check out the picture of his load below!
I am very proud of our kids for the hiking that they did. It was all appropriate for their ages. They did awesome!!

Day 5 - Starkweather Lake

As I wrote yesterday, we found my family last night, however we don't know whether they found a spot to stay last night. The campgrounds are all full with people who are staying for a long time. We headed to a different lake this morning called Starkweather Lake. It is a small lake right off the road. We parked and hiked around to the backside of the lake where we could still see the road (in case my family was looking for us-we left them a note at our site). We got the kids fishing poles all set up and detangled (again) and they set off for catching the big one. We had an extra pole so I set it up and threw my line in. Not 30 seconds later I felt that I had something on the other end. I waited and then the feeling was gone. Then back again and I knew that I had caught a fish. The first of the year. I've never been the first before. It's always been a place for my Dad or one of my brothers. But there I was reeling it in. And it was a big one!! Hard to reel in because the kids had messed with the reel tension. Anyway, it was great!

My family found us and by then I had caught another (2 fish for me!! I have done my part for the year). The rest of the afternoon we spent not catching any more fish but just having fun by the lake.

Tonight we went to the Devil's Postpile campground for the campfire program while Corey fly fished. I thought I was crazy taking all three kids to a campfire program alone...especially since as we walked up to it I noticed that there were only adults in the audience AND the title of the program was "tourism". But they were surprisingly good. They learned a bit about what to do if they see or hear a bear in the area and saw some pictures of ripped up cars/vans by a bear after some food. So there was great info and I learned alot about the area.

Day 4 - Devil's Postpile

We went on a hike today. We went 3/4 mile from our campsite to Devil's Postpile. Noah let me carry him almost the entire way (save a few minutes, aren't I lucky??). Hannah and Ben hiked the entire way. They are awesome hikers. The postpile is amazing and beautiful. Ben loved the columns and was amazed & very disappointed that he wasn't allowed to climb on them or explore them a bit closer.

Tonight we found my family in town (we went again to call them to find out when they would be joining us). They will find a campsite and then I think they are leaving for Lundy Lake tomorrow. Not sure of their plans.

Oh and we decided to keep our site, it's big and spacious. The kids have room to explore and run. We would've felt super cramped in the other site....we thought it might feel like we were at home! lol

After our hike this morning we gathered some nature objects from around the site and we got creating. We made mobiles with sticks, pinecones, bark, and various other stuff. It was hard because we used fishing line and the kids weren't able to tie it very well, but we did the best we could!

And the last thing that we did today was go to the bath house. We waited for everyone to wake up from nap and went. It is a wonderfully HOT natural spring that they've rigged to shower spouts. There are about 6 or 7 of them and there is always a line of people waiting to bathe. The bathhouse was the highlight of the day. Hot but well worth it. The children came out of it looking new and ready to tackle the evening with more dirt and fun!

Camping and Hiking RULES :-)

When I was growing up we only had one rule while camping and hiking: "No whining". We expanded that a bit for our children and had them tell us some of the rules of the road. Here is what they came up with:
1. No whining or complaining.
2. Carry your own stuff.
3. Stay with Mommy and Daddy (at least near them).
4. Don't move if you get lost.

5. Keep sticks out of faces.

And some unwritten rules were:
1. Have fun.
2. Get dirty.
The second was understood and already known by all the children, it seems that someone else told them to pack on as much dirt as possible and not worry about it.

Day 3

After a morning of finding our forgotten supplies in town (Mammoth Lakes) we went for a little hike to Lake Sotcher-right near the campground. With Noah on my back in the Ergo we went on a nature hunt, pointing out everything that we saw. We found lots of great stuff along the way. We found a creek, pine cones, BIG trees and little trees, chipmunks, "LELLOW" flowers (which was yelled loudly when spotted) & purple ones, a waterfall and a deer...amongst everything else nature had to offer. We finally got to the lake, Noah climbed off my back and we went fishing. We didn't have any luck but we sure did do a lot of fixing the rods and reels up after they got tangled! Corey got some fly fishing in too. It was a beautiful spot, popular but very relaxing to hang out and watch the sun go down.