Quick Takes - Stomach Bug, Green and Pascha

Linking up with Kelly ... for almost Holy Week

---1---

I believe I left off with the stomach bug. Ultimately everyone got it - including Lee. It hit him Friday night late and he didn’t get out of bed until Sunday morning. So the Stomach Bug of 2021 will go down in the books as something that got us all - not even Lee’s Flu of 2019 and the 2017 Flu can say that. So contagious you’d think it might be covid - I’ve been dared to get an antibody test but I’m not convinced.

But the Stomach Bug of 2021 didn’t end with Lee. It had the final word with R - a full week after she had been sick and four days after she was seemingly over it. She had been to school and swim all week but she wasn’t right. She was tired and her position of one of the better eaters in the house had been moved. Thursday when I got home from work - they had a half day - Lee said she would eat and she was in bed. We were ready to have R back to normal so I called the dr and went there and then we got sent to the ER to check for stomach ulcer or appendicitis - which it was neither. After a bag and a half of fluid and and ultrasound and MRI - and no I haven’t seen the hospital bill yet - we were on our way home. Not without a stop for milkshakes and chicken nuggets at 11:30 pm. Thankful it was dehydration but amazed what that can do to a kid and tucking this experience away in the I wonder what I could have done differently file.

---2---

St Patrick’s Day came and went. A won the kid who was totally into all the green possible. Lee cooked an Irish feast for take away fundraiser meal for the girls school which was a big success. 

The kids got the scraps of a few leftovers desserts - which was a Lent treat - and Lee picked up burgers because he won’t eat what he spent days and hours prepping. We also splurged and did burger pick up this week for Annunciation so that was a treat after we did vespers here. 

---3---

It’s hard to believe Holy Week is upon us. Covid kept us from all church services last year and this year I wish we were returning to our pre covid church arrangements but we aren’t for a variety of reasons

It will be strange but not a weird as last year I assume. 

---4---

Somehow J turned 18 months yesterday 

Two boys who need Pascha haircuts...

And if he keeps up not walking he won’t own a pair of jeans without holes in the knees

---5---

Progress on the house is going well. February it seemed liked nothing would be done because it was perpetually wet and we could do anything to keep the pier holes free from water. 

Sand pile fun pre nails

They ended up pouring them late on Friday afternoon after a day of sun and then it rained again that weekend but the concrete held of course. 

On the slate for next week is removing the wall between the existing mud room/laundry room and the addition. Fortunately we should be able to use the washer and dryer in the new laundry room because I told them I can’t be without for several weeks and fortunately we only do wash on the weekends and fortunately we’ve been through the stomach three weeks ago so we shouldn’t need to wash unexpected laundry at all days and hours of the night.

It’s neat walk through and it’s finally feeling more real. I’m excited for the kids library/study room the most I think. We added a bay window at the last minute and it’s going to be a quiet hideaway space for reading and homeworking and entrance will not be open to everyone : ) 

---6---

A and C have been entertained by the geese in the pond by school. They feed them whatever snacks scraps they can find and scream with delight as the stale goldfish and crackers are eaten. It provides just enough entertainment to pass the minutes between big school drop off and preschool drop off.

 

 

---7---

Lee and I have been rewatching Downton Abbey on prime on the weekends. We are nearing the end of season three which I when I gave up on the show when it was airing. Hopefully I’ll power through to four. We aren’t much show enthusiasts - he’ll watch Chopped or Lydia with the girls and we watch Bringing up Bates with the kids - but past that we really don’t tune in or record anything. Summer is upon us so I doubt we will get into a new show because he’ll be getting home later and later and be less inclined to stay up to watch anything.

7QTs - Lent and the Last Man Standing

Linking up with Kelly ... for Lent

---1---

Lent started... 

So we had BIG DESSERT night the Sunday before. We did not have any ice cream so it was anything and everything you wanted from the treat box

A is the boy after his mama's heart and pulled out as many chocolate candy as he could find. He can C lasted the longest at the table and finally we told them enough was enough after about 20 minutes because they might have gotten sick. 

C loves a DumDum and of course was double fisting them. 

Now the constant topic of conversation is when is it going to be pasta? Pascha - I ask - so you can have dessert? It will be a little be longer : ) 

---2---

Backtracking to January... 

On theophany/ January 6, we blessed the house. Or I guess Papa did. Prayers, chalk, holy water.

---3---

Kibbe Swimmers - The Next Generation!

I've taken A and C to the rec pool while the bigs have swim practice a few times. J hangs in the stroller so I don't want to push my luck. Since masking is required for soccer they won't be playing this spring so maybe I can suit up J for the pool and we can all go. 

---4---

How we Roomba...

With big siblings entertaining him.

J has to be contained when Roomba runs around. Sometimes he’s in his chair and other times he’s in a basket 

---5---

Valentine's Day, so you know what that means...  

Flowers for the girls, balloons for the boys, heart shaped muffins and a swim meet for E 

---6---

With the girls I did lots of matching pics...

 

 

So here's one of the boys who desperately need haircuts. I think I'm going to have to breakdown and trim up Js. 

---7---

We are in the throw of the stomach bug. I thought just half the kids had it because we had a pretty quiet day at home but this afternoon me and R succumbed to it and then E and A weren't far behind. Papa appears to be the last man standing. We'll see if that holds. Praying he does.  

We've been battling it since Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately the weather has been nice so the non sickies can go out. 

7QTs - The Ides of March... on the blog

Linking up with Kelly ... a reckoning for a time marked by sickness and a whole lotta busy

---1---

Where to begin? There's been so much going on and so many times I have wanted to sit down and knock out a blog post on it all but then something else pops up so I'll just start with March 1 and we'll go from there. 

On March 1st about 10:30 am Lee called me to tell me he wasn't feeling good and he was going to bed. Not a major deal except for the fact I've never known him to do that. Then it dawned on me, he should probably get tested for the flu and after failed attempts to call him (he was sleeping) I storm in at 12:45 for lunch and announce he must go to immediate care. He says he doesn't want to. I told him all the more reason to go and he finds his way out of the house. By 3 he's got a positive flu test and a prescription for Tamiflu. Again, not a huge deal except for the fact everyone in the house might get it AND I'm leaving for China in 36 hours. 

I load up the troops and make a quick exit to avoid any further exposure and we head to our normal swim practice and lessons and I have a mountain to ponder over the next several hours. Finally I make the decision to not go to China because I'm sure if I went every single kid would have gotten sick and I couldn't really leave Jibbe with all five kids for five days. Lee would basically be contagious until the day before I was to return home so he was out. 

Disappointed but at peace with the decision. 

After swim we went for ice cream (before dinner) because someone was celebrating an AR goal met and Lent was upon us and we needed to get it in even if Papa could not join us. 

E got 6 toppings instead of 3 because she went to swim 4 times that week

Celebrating 

A got some sour patch things to go on his which was gross

C and I shared which I was really leery about because I was like what if we have the flu? 

Before leaving to walk next door (in the rain) for pizza, this guy came up to me and gave me $20 and said he thought I needed it. It was a humbling and strange interaction because I really had no idea how to respond except graciously. I'm trying not to overanalyze the whole exchange and I'm holding out to see when I can pass it on. 

We stayed the night a Jibbe's which in the morning turned out to be terrible because C was up before 5:30 and everyone was up before six. I fumigated the house 3 times before bringing everyone back Saturday night - oh and Lee was banished to our bedroom. 

---2---

That week was interesting to say the least. We still had the normal swim and AHG and school but solo parenting is not for the faint of heart. Plus being nervous about kids getting sick plus arguing your husband back to bed because he's still got the flu but he feels better? 

It was Dr Seuss week at school and C showing off her whacky hair when she takes her hairtie out. 

Wednesday was indeed whacky. A was pumped. I did his hair. We made a whacky boy outfit - which I've never had to do before. Then as we are pulling into the parking spot at school he said his tummy hurt and 15 seconds later I knew why. I found a mom to hustle M and her friend into school. I did a driveby with C then A and I shot home. A was banished to the kid bathroom tub with the iPad and Papa manned him from the next room over while I went to work. 

I did get a pic of M's whackiness after school. The van had been thoroughly fumigated and sprayed down and I was glad that I hadn't put A's clean carseat back in the van - it had been thrown up on several weeks before just not by him. 

Lee went to get the big girls from school on Wednesday - because he was technically not contagious and he was exhausted - and he THOUGHT he was going to serve at the morning Ash Wednesday masses.... silly Papa

R and M and me went to Presanctified Liturgy that night as C is a loony tune, A was sick and E said she didn't feel good. It was a good reminder Lent had indeed begun whether we were ready or not. And I LOVE Presanctified Liturgy so much even if it crazier now with kids - I hope one day they'll appreciate it as much as I do. 

---3---

So to recap the sickness, Lee did go back to work Thursday and took it easy. A must have gotten sick one more time because he spent Friday at work with me. Papa did get his energy back to take the girls to the Battleship with AHG that weekend which had been on the calendar since August. While they may have been able to survive without me, I still believe it was the best decision to not go to China - even though I missed out on hotpot - and other things too. I am not 100% sure, but I have a hunch, if I had gone Lee would have been up doing stuff too soon and not consumed copious amounts of elderberry syrup and I don't know that he would have been able to make the battleship trip - which would have been a major letdown for him and the girls  - since they missed a big swim meet to go on that trip. 

Also, I was so happy to get back into my bed. I couldn't sleep in the room with C because she wakes up and chats in the night so I was on the couch for a week. Friday night I stripped the whole bed and washed everything and it was a glorious sleep - plus the couch was super sunk by the end of the week. I rotated which way I slept and it still was sunken. 

---4---

Random kid news:

While E and R and Papa were on the battleship trip, A put himself in his (old) crib for a nap. He and I were warring about him laying down for rest and finally he stopped coming out but this is how I found him.

 

C helping herself to grapes before Presanctified the second week of Lent - when we all went together. She was very pleased with herself.

M passed the swim test at the Y last Friday! That gained her lots of confidence and access to the waterslide - which she took advantage of this week. She is quite determined to swim in lane one on the swim team and if she can get a lap of backstroke in she'll be able to! Also, she's lost not one but two teeth and that hurts my mama heart to the core. 

---5---

Also in last week's news...

The girls had etiquette class at AHG. They had pound cake and strawberries for dessert to practice using their placesettings. I found this hilarious because A. we gave up desserts for Lent (but of course we wouldn't refuse it if it were served because we fast in secret, right?) and B. there were strawberries and E claims she hates strawberries. They talked in class about eating what you are served and being gracious and trying food even if you don't like it. She ate every single strawberry : ) 

R practicing her cutting skills. 

This picture doesn't do the evening justice because there was swim practice, soccer evaluations - which we stayed at for 15 minutes, then AHG. That's a whole lot of costume changes. 

---6---

This week proved to be just as action packed as the previous two...

Monday was soccer for everyone, except C, which was freezing and windy and Bible Study for Papa. Lee dropped C off at the field as well as dinner for us so he could go to church and everyone ate in between practice. I left E and R at their practice and went home and shower M, A and C. It was late and C was tired and acting a bit out of sorts but we reloaded and picked up E and R and walked in the door just after 8 only to have C get sick just after cross the threshold of the laundry room door. It was actually not a terrible place for her to get sick because in her carseat or in the crib would have meant stripping sheets or padding. I just herded everyone out of the laundry room sent them to brush teeth, to pray and to go to bed or do homework and I dealt with C and the mess. Big kids are great! I scrubbed the floor and the doors and good as new. 

The next day I had to wash my new (and only pair of) running shoes as they were victims of the night before so soccer cleats it was. 

C was fine after that but we laid low for the day and she was mad at me for not giving her milk. 

---7---

Last but certainly not least, a pleasant surprise for the week... 

I finally was ready to put A's carseat back in and this red lever that adjusts the recline of the seat broke off - it had broke off before and Lee fixed it but this time it was no fixing to it. I finally contacted Britax about what I could do. Want to know what they did? 

Sent us a whole new carseat.

I was shocked. Shocked. I think we had had the seat for about 2 years but no receipt needed. No explanation as to why/how it happened just a new seat and instructions for proper disposal of the old carseat. I'm still surprised and need to get rid of the old one. 

7QTs - Sickie, School Pics, Turtles

Linking up with Kelly ... catching up from Flo', Spain and the week or so in between

---1---

So we survived the hurricane without any problems and I was already a little on edge with life because we were leaving for Spain and stuff and stuff so just to make things interesting...

The Sunday before we were leaving A woke up for church ate breakfast said his tummy hurt and proceeded to have no breakfast left in his tummy. 

Insert freak out... 

We can't leave sick kids. All the kids are going to get the stomach bug. We are doomed. 

I had all morning to mull over this stuff while Lee was at church with the big girls. C was stuck in the pack and play because I couldn't bear the thought of her crawling around and getting contaminated with the funk. A watched a few shows. Fell asleep. Fell off the couch. Woke up and proclaimed himself all better. 

No one else got sick so I don't know what that was about but it sure put us on edge. 

---2---

R finished her reading book!

I am super proud of her. That means she's keeping Pony forever - instead of just on the nights she'd do her reading book. 

Next on the chopping block is M - who the next day announced she was ready to start - which we haven't yet 

---3---

Just to prove that she's mine...

E hates wearing her hair down and this was picture day. I told her she HAD to wear her hair down with a hairband for her picture - hello arguments from my childhood. So she put it in a ponytail to go to school and I told her she HAD to wear her hairband because she 'forgets' to put it on for Friday Mass which is the only other required hair down time. 

---4---

R on picture day... 

With her crazy scratch on her head from running into the wall a few days before... I did put a put of make up on it but then I took it off because I think it made it stand out more. 

---5---

R had her first tee ball game - finally - after we got back from Spain

Lee took her so I had to snap a pregame pic. The game was called after 3 batters because of lightning. She was really annoyed. 

---6---

While the teeball game was getting canceled I was at home with this group

Who that is was wildly funny that A was brushing M hair. They were cracking themselves up. As much as it is crazy to have different sets of kids going in different directions I do appreciate the time with them in pairs. 

---7---

Now onto the turtle adventures...

Last week we were driving home from school and there was a turtle crossing the road. I a turtle person I guess so I stopped and snagged it. As soon as I picked it up that turtle was out of its shells air-crawling. Totally fearless turtle. One the way to our first stop he turtle was in the passenger side of the van and he was actively trying to get to the back. Fortunately a shoebox was found and the turtle hung out in that for the rest of the ride - but not without a weight to keep the box closed. So crazy. 

So we finally got home and the turtle happily and quickly crawled out of the box and went on his way. An hour and a half later I saw him at our neighbors house in the back. That was cool. 

Then on Friday we dropped E off at swim and took the MooCow way home and we came across another turtle. I was a bit traumatized from my overly-active turtle from the day before plus this turtle was twice a wide and it had really long claws. I scooped this one up using a Lidl bag. This one was your stereotypical turtle and didn't really move until he was on our grass and was there for a while. He was SUPER fast once he did get going and we lost him when he went in the front bushes. 

7QTs - The Walking Dead

Linking up with Kelly ... 

---1---

Okeeeeey.... this week. Let's discuss. 

First part of the week very boring/normal-ish

Second part of the week very NOT boring and NOT normal-ish (praise the Lord for not being the norm)

Monday - It rained so no soccer practices... great things slightly less hectic

Tuesday - E and I swim in the AM. The evening holds AHG for E (R is pretty much done as of last week)... awesome except Lee and I literally cross paths in the driveway as I am taking her because... 'tis the pool season and aint nobody trying to load up 4 other kids who are at or nearly at bedtime just for the heck of it

Wednesday: 

A is quite the scooter-er.... We went up the road to visit our neighbors which is something I appreciate and remember doing when it was ONLY E and R. That's crazy. I love afternoons like this and so do the kids. 

Also Lee and I did a great dinner menu for the week and he grilled everything for the week on Sunday so there was just about ZERO for me to do for meal prep #winning 

---2---

Thursday is where it started to get hairy....

This is C as I am feeding her a .... you guess the fruit?... Then about 2.5 minutes later that fruit and all the milk she had after her rest came hurling out of her tummy about 20 minutes before picking up the big girls from school.... 

Awesomeness.

She didn't seem terribly bothered but little people throwing up is a bit nerve racking. 

So cancel E's soccer practice. 

Pick big girls up from school. Deposit them at Jibbe's. C and I head home. We go on a walk because I don't know what else to do with her as I wait for an encore performance. Jibbe feeds everyone and drops dinner off and takes R to tee ball practice (I have the BEST mother in law EVER). Lee gets home from work. I put everyone in bed. I go to R's tee ball game which is pretty much taking place in Arendelle. Get home. Go to bed...

IT GETS BETTER...

---3---

Backing up to earlier in the week at some point... M's eye started crudding up a bit but the pollen is RAGING in between the 80s and the frozen temps about here BUT

She woke me up at 11:45 on Thursday night because her eye was crusted over... 

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET pink eye. Did I mention I'm sleeping in C's room because A. I'm worried up her throwing up again (suspense killer... she doesn't totally isolated incident) and B. I'm feeling a bit under the weather and Lee has a super big Friday and we don't want to get him sick. 

Lee leaves at 5:55 to set a fiberglass pool!

This is how she wakes up... 

This is her after getting cleaned up before breakfast. 

The masses wake up. R announces her tummy hurts and I realize my day is going to pot so I tell her to go back to bed and E hustles to get the heck out of dodge! 

---4---

So it is not off to work I go and after dropping E off I call the pediatrician and I'll get a call back. I run by the office and pick up some things to do at home with my resident sickies and head home. As I pull in the driveway I get a call back from the nurse (hoping for a Rx and I'll jet right out and get it because pink eye is pink eye, right?).

Negative

Me - Well you see... C was throwing up yesterday and R says her tummy hurts and I have A with me so can I just get a prescription so I don't have to bring sick kids with me?

Nurse - Since Ms eye was swollen she has to be seen. Morning, afternoon or tomorrow...

Me - SIGH... (thinking tomorrow is too late and it might spread to someone else, afternoon... I don't know how E is getting home from school) morning and if something changes I'll just call you 

My Walking Dead... R kept on asking what The Walking Dead were and why were there dead people walking around. 

We survived the appointment... barely. And headed off the the closest pharmacy with the pick up window because.... getting 4 kids out of the van for a tiny bottle of medicine... Not cool

Except I get to the window and they say  - Oh that just came through it will be 30-60 minutes.

SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Get gas because I've been on E^mpty for too long. Head home without said tiny bottle of medicine and devise a plan to secure the medicine and E. All the while texting another mom friend of five because we have solidarity texts pretty much all the time. She offers to pick up AND deliver said medicine - because I got the best of friends. 

We chat.... I need mom chat more than ever

Everyone loads up to get E and then we are home. 

I touch base with Lee for time numero DOS for the day. Looks like I'm in for the long haul. 

E desperately wants to go to soccer (and she didn't go last night and so I take one for the team) so our best of neighbors helps facilitate that and all I have to do is pick up. 

---5---

I load up the troops for one last run of the day. 

We grab E and take the long way home at the little kids request. I let everyone get out and see the cows. E said she "only got out to support A" - drama

Everyone goes to bed. 

R never threw up and as much as she said how bored she was and how her tummy was better - maybe she just needed the day off. So whatever the day was shot (from a me trying to work more than 15 minutes at a time - stand point from the get go)

Lee rolls in sometime at or close to dark. 

He gets a showers and gets dinner...

I know how his day has shaken out with a late truck and missing parts so my turn!

Me - You know that R didn't go to school today right... 

Lee - Nooooooo.....

Me - You know I had to take M to the doctor today....

Lee - Yeah but 

Me - All four little ones.

Lee - ......

---6---

Saturday was so uplifting and full of promise: 

It was picture day at soccer which always makes things way more interesting than necessary. 

Lee stayed at home while E and M and me went to M's game. It was a great game and M scored a handful of goals. 

We headed home with the van still on E^mpty from last night and then 20 minutes later after a quick regroup E and me head up for her game - with Papa and the gang following at game time. E's game wasn't nearly as fun as last week. You know what, it is kind of really fun to win. And you know what? It is really hard to coach your kid because they act differently for you.... 

I might be throwing in the towel on coaching a team of E's in the future because she is a whiner for me but I enjoy coaching but I think it will be better for her in the long run. We had multiple discussions about it so I'm sad for me but believe in her and want the best for her. 

Then we shoot over to R's tee ball game without Papa who had to leave for work..... at noon. 

A and M played in the dirt. E was the batgirl again. 

R had some good hits and did some nice base running. 

Then (no photographic evidence)

We went to Sams at the peak of lunch and rest times because I didn't have a choice - after getting gas of course

We survived. I wished I had space on my phone for a pic. 

Papa got home. 

We decided to go out for M's celebratory goals from LAST season BEFORE dinner. 

We get Sno-Balls 

We pick up pizza 

We go to bed

---7---

Lee is exhausted and still not 100%. I'm tired and want a redo on the last 3 days. 

We decide to go out to family breakfast at a nice restaurant after church but they don't take reservations so we are just going to rolls with it. 

About 9 something A has a nightmarish fit. He is not awake but I take him out of his crib (to not wake up M) and he is literally kicking and screaming and rolling on the floor for a few minutes - it is the weirdest thing

11 something M comes in and says her eye is crusted up again - NOT nearly as bad - get her cleaned up. 

3 something E comes down and says her tummy hurts. I'm on the couch so I tell her to get on the other one because I'm on the big one. I've half convinced it is because what she ate yesterday. Well she gets sick... a few times. 

Did I mention I am not a 'good sick mom'? Because I'm not and I know it. I think God knows this and He's working on me. Can't you tell? 

Then M wake up and Lee and I do a quick and thorough Lysoling of the downstairs. R emerges and says she is going to throw up. So the upstairs is the new sick bay and I've got a gate between my sickies and non-sickies - and I'd like to keep it that way. 

R does in fact get sick - so maybe she was sick Friday? Who knows...

Our neighbor brings us some keifer and we all cross our fingers this will work while Papa is at church. 

I listen/watch Mass on EWTN because... what else should you do in between dumping Legos downstairs and cleaning toilets upstairs? It was the Sunday of the Good Shepherd and the priest noted that we need to know our Shepherd like He knows us - do we know what He wants from us? and that there are people now who know more about fake news than the Good News. Sad but so very true. 

So it looks as if my Monday is shot even though E and R have been okay since mid-morning. They will be taking it easy tomorrow for school even though they'll be bouncing off the walls. 

Happy Sunday yall