Getting back in working order...

Our computer had issues for the last week. Now fixed, thanks to my genius cousin Mark. So...technically I think we can post again. BUT... our family has been taking turns and over lapping getting sick. Its been Joel's turn for quite some time and still going strong...so for now, my baby needs attention. Stand-by

The week when nothing went quite right...

The week started not so great...Gav was on call all last weekend. Monday morning brought a continuation of the no-good week...Christian came down with a flu-bug. bad news= he puked all day Monday. good news=it was only a 24 hour bug (acutally less than that). So having Monday's puking session messed up Tuesday as well...keeping him home from school and making up things missed on Monday. As icing on Tuesday's cake, it was POURING rain here. Which makes for crazy transports to various activities. Wednesday...Shane started complaining of being cold...and he wanted to come home early from park day (NEITHER are normal). Despite my best efforts to medicate his persistant cough...it kept barking, more and more. Gav was again on call. Went to dinner...where Shane coughed so hard he gagged and puked (a FIRST for him...in fact, he didn't even know how to do it. He caught it in his hands and kept the rest in his cheeks until we helped it out=))By today (thursday) I figured out that he was cold because he had a fever with that horrid cough. Contrary to what that mom-voice in my head was saying ("its just a virus, just let it run its course.") I made a sick appt. with the pediatrician. And boy am I glad. Shane has a mild case of pneumonia. So...on Antibiotics he went. And will hopefully be feeling much better by the time we get on a plane heading to the snow. With 2 sick kids and all their activities that added up and got changed this week...I am so far behind being ready for a trip. Laundry? what's that? Oh the heaping pile of clothes that we need to take with us on our trip. Yep...pretty much...we've had one of those weeks. Where poop hit the fan...and we're still trying to dig ourselves out.

This was Monday's solution...no kid touching another...watching a movie to rest so I could do some dishes. You would think Shane was the sick one here...when it was Christian that couldn't hold anything in. Joel just wanted to be cool like his brothers=)

here we come mr. orthodontist

last night amidst all the crazy stuff we have had going on this week...christian lost his 8th tooth and the last "required" tooth to be ready for a consult by the orthodontist. his mouth is crazy overcrowded. and im sure it will cost us a fortune. i have an appt in march for that consult...entering into another phase of a maturing family. congrats to christian, though, for being brave. he has finally become more brave...less freaky about the fact that there will be blood and it might hurt very temporarily. becoming a real man=)

Confessions: I totally get it.

Say your prayers. read your scriptures. how many times have we heard we should do these things regularly? well. here's my confession. i have always been pretty good as saying my prayers. not perfect but good. and i have always been horrible at reading my scriptures. i'm not sure why. it has never been a created habit for me. i have dabbled, lasted a few days consecutively. but never habitual. until 2010. i finally asked gav to help me in the effort. he is so good at it. so i told him to leave his BOM on the laptop after he reads in the am. and what's the first thing i reach for when i get downstairs. the computer to check whatever. so i had to discipline myself to not touch the computer until i read at least a page in the BOM. it works. and i have found the secret i am sure most have known for some time. that reading doesn't give u a perfect day. it does not prevent incidents, accidents and life from happening. (like...i read this morning and i have a puking son, a needy 4 year old and a newborn all cry for help and attention and a million things i had to cancel today because we need to stay near a private bathroom). it gives me the ability to deal with what does inevitably come. not that any particular insight has, thus far. but, the spiritual blessing from doing what has been asked to do. i claim no perfection at this, either. but i can almost say its habitual...almost 6 weeks down with great consistency. i get why i need it. loud and clear.

I see what you mean.

FB.facebook. its fun. almost as much as a blog. its just different than a blog. much different. honestly, i am better at a blog, for now. i dont quite get the whole gist of fb. but its interesting. so far its okay. no freaks. its not even as open as a blog. very select few. i like it for friends. i leave the blog open for all. i like to have one thing that is more "private", if u will. i feel more connected to long lost cousins and friends scattered abroad from our adventurous lives. thank goodness for techno advances. for the fb skeptics (ahemm, Gavin)...even my 80+ year old grandma is on facebook. enough said.

Just for laughs...

I always wish I would write down the funny things my kids say...usually I don't. So...maybe I'll start to jot down a few here on the blog....just for a little giggle.

Christian: "Hey mom...did you know we breathe tree's throwup?"
Me: "What did you say?"
Christian:...repeats what he said and explains further," ya...we breathe in oxygen which is what trees throw up after they're done."
Me: "Sweet"
(now that's science I understand!!)

Bargain Prep for the Sun

Despite it being cold, rainy and stormy here in San Diego....I know the warm spring/summer months are right around the corner. And thanks to my local 99 cent store...I am ready. Can you believe these were each only 99 cents?!! Awesome! I love good deals!!

(ps...a few of these are for other people...I'm not sure if I could really use all that!)

Reward: Disney with cousins

I've been meaning to take the kids to Disney for the last little bit. With the end of my pregnancy and then a newborn and recovery...3 months later...we made it. I was using it as incentive for Shane to stop having wet pull-ups at night. He needed 4 nights of dry pullups...and it worked. He can do it...he chooses not to permanently...but we are working toward it slowly but surely. And Joel LOVED all the lights and sounds...he did really well. It was a lot of work to take 3 kids by myself to Disney...but it was worth it for them! We found out that Shane was tall enough to ride all the rides in Disneyland except Indiana Jones. Despite him saying he would not like it, I forced him to go on Splash Mountain....and he LOVED IT!! of course!! Then the flood gates opened and he rode Thunder mtn.,matterhorn, soarin'....and wanted to go on Space mtn...but the wait was too long for 8pm at night. So, he will get to try that one for the first time with Daddy when he gets to come with us in February=)

First new year's resolution...PRESCHOOL!!!!!

In the first full week of the new year I was able to knock out some of my priority new year's resolutions...not the least of these was getting Shane into PRESCHOOL. We showed up to the preschool the first morning preschool was back into session...and we were able to jump into the only vacant spot in the 4 year old class....which was not the inital plan. Of course, he wanted to be in the same class as his buddies Jack, Sam and Luke...but there was just no room in the 3 year old class. But we are already finding that its okay not to be in the same class...in fact, there are some advantages. He is stretching and making new friends...and he is thriving in a class where all the kids are several months older than him. He loves the curriculum and the christian-based themes...and he really likes his teacher. In fact, funny story from his teacher on Friday...when I picked him up. Apparently Shane was playing with babies one of their stations and he came up to his teacher and told her the baby was hungry. So the teacher, which I might add is very practical, told him she could help with that. She went to get a bottle to feed the doll. Shane, very confused at this point, sees that she is clearly not doing it right...walked up to her and said," NO, that's not how you do it!" ...then proceeds to push the bottle away and put the doll up to his teacher, showing her how to nurse the baby=))!!!! As Ms. Wilder is telling me this, I look at her waiting for her reaction...was she offended, astonished....oh no! She was cracking up and saying its great he sees that and knows that's how it should be done. PHEW!!! I always knew he was watching...apparently he has now mastered the skill! It certainly was a good introduction for his teacher on the true nature of the SHANER man. He is one unique kiddo!!

Happy New Year...

Only 2 weeks late!! We had a great start to the new year...celebrating at Trish and Jeremy's place until the wee hours of the morning...then a LONG, sleepy drive home. Believe it or not, all of our kiddos were still awake at midnight when it turned to the new decade. Even little man made it. Then we spent the next day recooping from the fun. We had such a great holiday season...but we were glad that things have resumed their normal pace and we are looking forward to a fabulous new year full of exciting adventures. my sweet smily boy
my dangerous one

its midnight!! Happy 2010!!