Ready to Scream

This last week has been a rough one. Kameni started in with a fever, losing her voice, and a severe headache last Thursday. Sunday night, Kaymin started in on it and yesterday Gerrit began throwing up and has had diarrhea non stop yesterday and today. I mean to say...so far seven blow outs. Since both girls have missed the whole week of school and are not better yet, I finally decided to take them to the doctor. I was going to be ticked if I got there and they told me after I paid my $70 co-pay to find out it was a "virus". Lucky for us...well maybe not lucky, but they girls have strep throat. I was actually relieved to get them on antibiotics and get them feeling better. One thing that I thought was interesting is that the doctor told me after 3 days to throw away or put their toothbrushes in the dishwasher, because they can get it again from them. Also if you have a really bad sore throat, you can mix equal amounts of Maalox with liquid Benedryl and gargle it. Together they have a numbing effect on the throat. On top of strep throat for Kameni, she has asthma. The doctor said her breathing is really constricted and to start giving her albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours for the next couple of days. Poor kid! As she has been doing her breathing treatments, Gerrit has been quite angry that she is using HIS machine. The thing is, he hates having breathing treatments. I have really enjoyed having them home and with me not having to get up and work, it has really been a wonderful week. We have watched some movies, got caught up on the Bachelor and a lot of snuggling. Now hopefully things around will start looking up...that is if the rest of us don't get it.

My Job

Well the first week of my job with all of my friends gone has been a bit of a vacation. I have been able to sleep in and there has hardly been any work at all. Usually in a week I work around 20 hours. So far this week, I have almost 6 hours. I feel like it is the best of both worlds, I get sleep and I get to enjoy my kids while I am still employed...even though I'm not technically working. I really need to enjoy this time with my kids while I can and while they still want to be with me. Heaven knows Kaymin is getting closer to the age that parents are lame and friends are cool. So I have really enjoyed this little break. However, the way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if I was out of a job within the next couple of weeks. But I am not exactly sure if I am sad or not.

14 Years and Still Counting

Blake and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary on Monday. I guess I wouldn't really say we "celebrated" it, but it was indeed our anniversary. Blake worked until 8pm and I didn't feel like cooking (I almost always make us a big fancy dinner since we have rarely been able to go out in the last 14 years), but this year I didn't. Instead I went to the Burger Bar and got us some Big Ben's and they were so yummy and I think the kids preferred them too. We were going to go out last Saturday, but I was still trying to get over this illness that I've had for the past 10 days and didn't feel like it at all. So we decided to go out tomorrow, however, Kameni is running a fever so I guess that won't happen either. I guess the nice thing about being married so long with kids, you know eventually you will go out, it just may not happen when you want it to. But I really do enjoy going out with just Blake, even though it rarely happens. But when it does, I feel like I'm in heaven...or maybe just dating again. I really do love you Babe! Thanks for the wonderful 14 years.

Gerrit the Goof

The other day Gerrit was being so silly. He put on of Deilen's boots and one of Kameni's boots on his hands and was walking around on all fours singing something that only babies can understand. Then he found some licorice and grabbed his favorite blanket and sat in the rocking chair and rocked, and then he had to run and get inside his favorite hiding place...the printer cart. All of this happened within 15 minutes. Of course, that isn't surprising to anyone who has a 20 month old. They never stop and they never tire.

Horse

Blake is a really good dad and loves to take the kids on a "horse" ride. The other day Kaymin had bent down and Kameni and Gerrit went running over to her and hopped on her back for a ride. Being the great sister she is, she took them for a ride. The funny this, I think Gerrit and Kameni combined weigh as much as she does, but she did it. She is such a great big sister.

Another Tooth

Kaymin is losing teeth like crazy. I swear she is losing them faster than all of her friends, but maybe I am wrong. The other day she lost another tooth and I think she said that makes the 13th tooth. I guess I am still having a hard time that my little girl is growing up on me.

Sleigh Riding

I am finally posting this today, because this is the first time in almost a week that I have been able to log into my blog. Last Saturday Blake took the kids, as well as our neighbor boy, Richard, sleigh riding. I stayed home with Gerrit because his asthma tends to kick up when we take him outside. Besides, he is still at the age where we have to carry him and the sled up the hill. Well they were only sleigh riding for about 30 minutes when Kaymin and Richard stopped in the middle of the hill and Deilen went down without looking. He ran right into the back of Richard and his nose started bleeding, he scraped his nose, and hit his eyebrow (we hope) causing a black eye. Needless to say, they came home. Poor Deilen looks like he has been in a fight and lost. I took this picture the day it happened and I really should take one today since you can really see the bruising around his eye. Of course he had to hit the eye that has had surgery. The doctor has permanently stitched up his eye lid muscle. So he has warned us that if he ever gets hit hard right there then it can pop the stitches and he will have to go back in for surgery. It is still swollen and only time will time if the swelling will be going away, or if he will be having another surgery. We are praying that he only hit his eyebrow and it is swollen from that.

Changes

I have very mixed feelings about changes. Some changes I really like and other changes I have a really hard time with. I currently work for a company processing medical claims out of my house. I have been doing it for almost 3 years now, hired in March and began training on April 18, 2007. I have always wanted a job like this and I LOVE it. However, the timing wasn't the best, but when she hired me, I couldn't resist and decided I had better take it now or never. I have referred a few people and have so much fun instant messaging them when we should be working. However, last Friday 16 of the 21 people that I work with received an email from the V.P. that they were doing layoffs and today (January 15th) would be their last day. I am one of the lucky 5 that gets to keep their job. I know I should be more excited, but I am having a really hard time. This is one of the changes that I am having a really hard time with. I hate to see so many of my friends get laid off, some which need this income to live. I do it because I have a hard time staying home and being a "mom". For whatever reason, this job helps meet some sort of purpose, if you will, about me being home. It also gives me a chance to be "Heidi" instead of mom all day. I truly have been happier since I've had this job. I know now, that being a stay-at-home mom is not something that everyone can do, and this includes me. So many people have asked me how come I get to stay. What makes me so special? To this, I have no response. I have no idea why I get to stay and others have to go. Maybe Heavenly Father knows what is best for me and my kids....lol. I just really don't know. I have shed tears about this and really don't know what to think. Come Monday I have no idea what to expect. My boss said that we will only have 1 client...so I wonder what happened to the other 20 that we used to have? There are so many questions that I have and I have no idea how to ask them and if I even want to know the answer. Some questions are just best left unsaid. So maybe I will still get up at 4:45am to work come Monday and maybe I won't. I just feel like I am in limbo. I will be alone and left to think and work...and do a little online shopping I'm sure. But I sure am going to miss all of my good friends that have made the last few years so much fun!

Starting the Indoor Greenhouse

Today I decided to plant my peppers for my upcoming garden. Last year when I planted them in February, they were still a bit small and produced later than I would have liked. So I decided that they needed to be planted about 4 weeks earlier. I planted 36 planters so I guess we will see how many of them sprout. I planted 8 green peppers, 6 colored peppers, 10 hot peppers (Anaheim, Serrano, Jalapeno), and 12 Banana Peppers. I would really like to pickle Banana Peppers this year since I didn't get a chance to last year. I didn't plant enough. So I am really excited to see what this year brings and how well the peppers do being planted this early.

Deilen's 5-Year Old Pictures

I took Deilen's 5-year old pictures a little early this year. In November when I took the kids to get their pictures taken in the leaves, I took all of the kids individual pictures. Deilen had to be first because he wanted to hurry and get it over with to go and play on the toys. He is all business, but they still turned out so cute.

Kameni and Her Funny Sayings

I need to start recording some of the things that Kameni says. They are hilarious and I easily forget. A friend of mine said I need to write it down. Well I am going today on my blog since this serves as my journal too. This morning Kameni woke up and when she came in the hall, she said, "Holy crap! I feel normal." I began laughing and then said, "Well what did you feel like before?" Her response was, "Not normal."

Deilen Turns 5

I can't believe my little boy is 5. I told him he could have a birthday party at 5, but he just wanted to go somewhere and take two friends since that is all of the extra room we have in the van. Since his birthday fell on a Sunday, we went to Jungle Jim's Playland on Saturday and he invited Preston and Coplin, his two best friends. We had a lot of fun. We found out that Gerrit is not afraid of anything....oh wait, we already knew that. He ran around pointing and grunting of the next ride he wanted to ride on. We stayed for about 3 hours and before we went home, I had each of the kids pick their favorite ride to ride one last time. Poor Preston went on the little ladybugs that the worker spins you around on and got sicker than a dog. He started to yell to the worker that he was getting sick and needed to stop spinning. She immediately stopped him and he began dry heaving. I ran him to the bathroom, but luckily he never threw up. He sat out the last ride and was very glad to leave. Once in the van he fell asleep and I was happy that he was able to sleep it off. When we dropped him off at his house, he ran in and yelled to his dad that he almost threw up and it was so cool.

On Sunday, Deilen wanted a chocolate cake with white frosting. Nothing more. I thought it looked boring so I put on sprinkles since he wouldn't let me put M&M's or any other candy. Well he threw a fit. He only wanted it white...oh well the damage was done. Then he wanted vanilla ice cream so we made some homemade ice cream and he was in heaven. He got two remote controlled vehicles, some baseball stuff and money. Happy birthday, Deilen. I love you my boy! I am so happy that you are mine!

New Year's Day 2010

Well we survived the sleepover. I did have to get after 3 of the kids because they wouldn't go to sleep. All of my kids crashed before midnight and I had one nephew that stayed awake all night playing his DSi. The kids began waking up at 7am and Olivia and Oakley, two that didn't want to go to sleep, began crying it was in the middle of the night and they didn't want to wake up. When I told them it was 7am, they said it was still dark so it had to be night time. Boy, wouldn't that be nice. After breakfast the kids began getting rowdy and naughty. You know doing things they shouldn't do like jumping off the bunkbeds onto the full sized bed. So I decided it was time to take the kids home. Will I ever do it again? Hmmm, I don't know maybe in like 10 years. Afterwards I took the kids, while Blake stayed home, he wasn't feel good, to my parents house. My dad pulled us in the snow again and we sang for 5 hours with our karaoke microphone. We had a lot of fun and what a great way to bring in the new year.