100th Day

School has celebrated the 100th day. A little later than the norm since we missed an ENTIRE week of school for the snow that we had. I should be posting pics of each child in the doctors office. This time of year is brutal in the South. The weather is all over the place. Yesterday it was 75 here. We have had a stomach virus, the flu, two cases of strep, a sinus infection, and an asthma attack. Oh well, this too shall pass.

Goings On

I know I haven't blogged in a while. Many of you already know that the day after we arrived home from Oak Island, my vertigo reared it's ugly head. This time around it was pretty rough. It hung on for 10 days. 10 days of nausea, headaches, no sleep, throwing up, not driving...you get the idea. I finally got well enough to get Landon to take me to the chiropractor and see if they could help. The moment we left, after the adjustment and acupuncture, my headache was gone. It has been gone ever since. I am on a schedule with them for now, to see what happens this time around treating it differently. Not just treating the symptoms like the doctor would. As I am typing this, I have a needle in my shoulder that will stay there until next Monday. I am intrigued to say the least, and quite impressed with acupuncture. The hubs and I got to spend allot of time together, since he was driving me everywhere for so long. He even got to go to David's Bridal and get my dress for my sister's wedding. When we walked in the store it was empty, except for the sales ladies. They practically pounced on us, especially Landon.

Ladies: Hey! How are you today honey? (said with major Southern drawl and charm)

Landon: Not too good. (said with a kill me now voice)

Ladies: Aaaaawwwwwwww, why? (completely sucked in)

Landon: I am in a dress shop at 8:00 at night.

I was glad they got it, and everyone started laughing. Also glad the dress fit. Because the dresses in that store are made for 20 year olds and not for people whom have had three c-sections. Stay tuned.

The Weekend

We were planning our annual trip to Biltmore this year while the boys all went camping with my parents for the weekend. One call from the school nurse blew that out of the water. G not only had strep throat, but strep rash.
So, we decided to go anyway, not being sure when we could go again with planting season quickly approaching. The buddies had a blast.
They had no trouble remembering not to touch anything or not to go under the ropes. I think they loved the basement the most......as do I.
The fact that someone had a pool inside and under their home, along with a bowling alley, impressed them more than the many floors and statues and paintings. We ate lunch in the stables again, delicious! Then headed over to a new area that just opened last Friday.
Antler Hill Village. In Biltmore terms means, new restaurants and more stores, along with a new cavelike entry into the winery. I want to take the big boys there this summer and ride on the bike trails, and do some hiking. Thank you to Aunt Leigh and Uncle Dave for the tickets. Best Christmas present EVER!!!!!

Be Careful What You Say

On the ski lift Monday....

Levi- Wow, I haven't been sick all year!

Me- Don't say that.

Levi- Why?

Me- If you say things like that, you will get sick.

Levi- Huh?

Me- It is like you just jinxed yourself.

Levi- Hahahahaha.

Guess who was hugging a bowl this morning? Maybe mom DOES know best.

Tubes Take Two

Yesterday S got his tubes in. This shot was taken right after he had his "happy juice". He was getting pretty silly while we were waiting. It was all over in less than 10 minutes, and we were back home about 30 minutes after that. He is doing well and returned to school today.

Calls

Automated phone call from the school last week......my thoughts are in parenthesis.

Hello, this is Corey Cochran, principal of the elementary school. (get on with it) We have been seeing an unusual amount of sickness at school. (what a news flash) Currently we are sending kids home with the flu, strep throat, and a terrible stomach virus that involves severe diarrhea and vomiting. (awesome) If your child is sick or has a fever, PLEASE DO NOT SEND THEM TO SCHOOL. (yes, please) Remember that, if your child has a fever, they MUST stay home for 24 hours after said fever before they return to school. (please don't let us get anything else) Let's get the students well. (then you may want to do away with perfect attendance) Thank you and have a great week-end. (PLEASE no more sickness!!!)

Weird Weather

There are some pics the hubs took of the kids in the snow, I just don't know which piece of equipment his camera is in. Anywho.........

Where else can you live where one week it is 72 degrees outside, followed by a week where it snows many inches and is so cold at night that records are broken, followed by two days of missed school, Saturday school, and THEN 80 degree weather? AAAAHHHHHHH! WE BETTER NOT GET SICK FROM THIS!

Allergy season, here we come. I have my Claritin D and I am ready.

Slowly Normal

I am slowly coming back to the "land of the living". School started at the normal time this morning, and preschool was on as well. I think we were all excited to get back to normal again. I was hit hard this morning by the reality of what goes on in the house when Mama is sick. Basically kids get fed, and bathed. Soooo, the kitchen was a war zone, the playroom was ridiculous, and the mountain of dirty laundry is staring at me each time I pass the bathroom. Add to that the snow paraphernalia that was left all over, and you have it in a nut shell. As I was loading the dishwasher this morning, G was nice enough to let me know about a plate that was under the couch, lol. I ventured upstairs to find out that Levi never completely unpacked from his trip, and Wyatt had food in his room. On a positive note, Wyatt did help the buddies clean their room yesterday, and Levi vacuumed the living room. AND they got the trash rounded up and the recycling together and out to the end of the driveway, because today is trash day. Okay, I think I have drained my energy for the day. I am going to lay down before I have to get back to preschool in a short while.

Brief Update

Well, Sunday I got the flu from the kids. It is the kind that slowly gets worse the longer you have it. So, yeah, I feel like death right now. Sunday evening it started snowing. It snowed and snowed for hours. That hasn't happened here in years. It took the hubs 40 minutes to make it to my parents house to get the boys after their Washington trip (normally it is a 15 minute drive). There hasn't been any school since last Friday. Y'all know what that probably means, either Saturday school or they will start taking away Spring Break. Today was supposed to be a two hour delay, but they cancelled it around 5:30 this morning. Yep, I LOVE the superintendent waking me up after I have been up all night because I can't breathe out of my nose, and when I breathe out of my mouth I start coughing, just to find out that there will be no school. Good times. Hopefully there will be school tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

Guess What?

The buddies got it. It was inevitable. They had a field trip today and are going to be pretty mad when they realize they missed it. I was up at two am with two sick little boys and 103.5 temperatures.

And They're Off

The boys were night and day yesterday afternoon, compared to the previous afternoon.  Wyatt woke up bouncing off the walls (and could have gone to school).  Levi slept in, and laid around on the couch all day until about 2.  But, he was one day (and one dose) behind Wyatt, so that was par for the course.  Wyatt and I finished the packing, and drove out to the elementary school and middle school to get their missed work for the rest of the week.  After seeing the amount of worksheets from Wyatt's class, I think an entire rain forest was missing for the three days of work.  Levi didn't have as much, and I am not sure they understood that he wasn't coming back for the week, but we'll see.  I dropped them off at 7 last night, at my parents house and loaded their stuff into the van.  They got on the train at 3am this morning in Salisbury, and are on their way to Washington DC. 

 Now......what are my odds of the buddies NOT getting this?

SICK!!!

Monday when Wyatt got off of the bus, he told me that he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open all day at school.  He was a tad droopy, but that was it.  Tuesday morning he had a slight fever, so I gave him some Motrin and told him to try to make it until after lunch (since he was going to miss Thursday and Friday for his trip).  Around 1, the school nurse called and told me Wyatt was in her office with a temp of 102.6.  I called the hubs and he went to pick him up.  I gave him some more Motrin, and he told me he had been hot all morning, but the nurse was at a meeting and the teacher couldn't do anything until she returned to her office.  Thirty minutes later I took his temp again, and it had RISEN to 103.9..... on Motrin.  I called the hubs back to the house, to keep the buddies, and took Wyatt to the Urgent Care.  The doc took one look at him and said, "He has the flu".  What?  I was hoping for strep, you know, one shot in the rear and 24 hours later you are good as new.  Apparently it is just now going around NC.  While we were waiting on the doc to come back and give him a flu test, the middle school nurse called.  Levi was in her office with a temp.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!  I called the hubs and told him to go and get him before they loaded the buses, then called the nurse back so she could tell Levi not to get on the bus, but get in the parent drive line if his dad didn't make it there in time.  Levi said the same thing Wyatt had said the day before, he couldn't hold his eyes open at school all day and his head felt like it weighed 100 pounds.  Guess who was driving back to the Urgent Care two hours later.  They wouldn't call anything in for Levi without seeing him, because he has never been there before.  But, they didn't make him take the flu test (they stick a thing up into your nose for the swab).   So, if you are counting, that was two trips to the Urgent Care and two trips to CVS.  Oh, the best thing out of this?  We got a prescription card from the school at the beginning of the year.  I used it last night.  It took almost 30 dollars off of each of the doses of Relenza.  Awesome!

Beautiful

The State is in the process of straightening out one of the main highways into and around the mountains.  
This is great news for people like me who get car sick and are turning green after three curves in the road.
I can't even ride home from Albemarle on Canton Road... yes, it is THAT bad.  LOOK, pretty trees.  I didn't get to look at them because if I look sideways, I will lose my lunch.
This saddens the hubs, however, because he LOVES all of the curves and turns.  (of course he does, he was driving)  If you are planning a trip up to the mountains on this road, you need to check the blasting schedule so you know when it will be closed and open.
We passed this dairy farm on the way from Linville to Blowing Rock.  Gorgeous!!!!  

Random Buddy Birth Facts

How much did the buddies weigh at birth?

S- 7 pounds (even, I know it was weird) 21 inches long

G-6 pounds even ( yeah, weird) 19 1/2 inches long

What kind of birth did you have?

A scheduled C-section.  It was the best of the three.  

Anaesthesia?

Spinal block.  I can't have any more epidurals.  Bad experience.

NICU?

No, regular nursery.

How long were you in the hospital?

The regular three days for a section, just like the other two.

How was the pregnancy?

Just like the other two.  I wasn't HUGE, people never believed that I was having twins.  I was never put on bed rest or anything.  I just took the cues from my body, if I felt tired I would go watch TV in the bed for a few hours with Wyatt.  

How many weeks did they make it?

They were born exactly four weeks before the regular due date.  That is normal for twins.  

Why October 6th?

It was the first day the doctor said she had available, and we jumped on it.  I was pretty miserable there at the end.

You couldn't wait and have them on your anniversary?

No, not at the time, lol!

How did you get through those first few months?

We put them on a schedule and we NEVER deviated from it.  If one woke up, we woke up the other one.  If it was time for a feeding, and they were sleeping... we woke them both up.  After a few days, they caught on.

Tips?

Join a warehouse club like Sam's or B.J.'s.  We grocery shopped for EVERYTHING once a month.  I had a full cabinet of formula and a closet for diapers and wipes.  I also would order my groceries on-line.  Come spring planting season, the hubs didn't have the time to go with me.  Sam's would pull them and scan them before I arrived.  All I had to do was walk in and pay for them, and they would load up the Suburban.  Ten minutes tops.  It is awesome, I highly recommend it.  They don't charge extra for this service, anyone can use it if your order is big enough.

Hardest time?

Right after the buddies were born, Levi got sick.  Then Landon got pneumonia, then Wyatt got sick.  Two weeks after I came home, I got Bell's Palsy on the right side of my face.  That was followed by strep throat.  Thanksgiving week, the chicken pox started going around the first grade at Mount, and L got it.  Two weeks after THAT, Wyatt got it... ten times worse.  Two weeks after that S got it, and two weeks after that, G got it.  Yep, they were almost three months old at the time.  But, it wasn't bad.  They LOOKED terrible, but they didn't scratch or anything like the older two did.  So, if you are counting someone had the chicken pox from Thanksgiving through New Years.  Fun times people, lol.   

Questions?

Ha!  Random people would stop me and want to CHAT about the buddies, and ask me questions, and TOUCH them, or tell me about their neices cousins neighbor that has twins.  I guess they didn't realize that I was doing good to be dressed, with newborn twins, out shopping alone, and on a serious time frame, before someone needed another bottle or pooped in their diaper.  I noticed that even if I answered with a nod, they just kept on talking and following me around.

Diaper bag?

My diaper bag was regular size.  It had three diapers in it, a baggy of wipes, one clean outfit and socks, two bottles, and my checkbook and cell phone.  I kept other supplies out in the car like more clothes and diapers, and a canister of formula and water bottles.  No need to lug all of that around everywhere.  When they were older, I changed out the bottles for sippy cups and snacks.  A small sucker can work wonders for when you are trying to check out, and they are fighting with one another.  I didn't carry a pocketbook for three years, the diaper-bag was my pocketbook.  

What is in the back of your car NOW?

A huge first aid kit, an umbrella, and a case of water bottles.  Don't laugh people, boys get in the weirdest freak accidents.  And... someone is always thirsty!

Let me know if you have anymore questions.  I am here to serve.

We're Here

Let's see..... the ride down here was pretty uneventful. Of course we had to swing by John Deere in Wadesboro, to "see what they have". You will only get that if your husband is a farmer, lol. We also had to stop at Smithfields because there isn't one near where we live anymore. Traffic was non-exsistant until we tried to merge in Southport. I think everyone had the same idea we had and decided to come in the afternoon. We passed Shaun and Brandy on 211. Sorry we missed you guys! Landon had to bag deer corn, and I had to pay David and Benji before we could leave. Then the husbands camera was in his tractor in the field, and we had to drive out and get that. The kids didn't think we were ever going to leave.
I took W and the buddies out to the beach in the evening while Landon and L went to Pizza Hut to get supper and stop by Lowe's. They had a blast and I actually got to SIT IN A CHAIR! I haven't sat in a chair in, well, in forever. This morning G and I went to Food Lion at 7:00. When we got back we found out that W has a stomach bug. So the hubs took everyone else out to the beach and I am here washing clothes and waiting on W to wake-up. I even cleaned out the fridge! I KNOW, I don't even do that at home, lol. More later, with pics and all.

Sickness

Okaaayyyyy.  Where do I start?  Monday G threw up two times and then had diarrhea.  Wednesday, L, threw up M.A.N.Y. times.  Last night, W and G threw up in their beds, and L was up all night with the G.I. trots... fun times.  Now, Landon and S have it.  Sooo, ya'll know that means I am doomed here.  I'll probably get it on Father's Day and not be able to go anywhere, lol.  If you have tried to call Landon, he is out of commission.  Hopefully we will be well soon!

Could we have the salmonella that everyone has been talking about, or is a virus going around?  Just to be safe, I am throwing out all of the tomatoes.  I just noticed that it is Friday the 13th, how appropriate! 

Happy Anniversary to Shaun and Brandy!!!!  Hope B is well.

Bruises, Rashes, and Poison Ivy, Oh My!!!

Three weeks ago, Wyatt came home from school with Fifth's Disease.  It is also called "Slapped Cheek Syndrome", because the cheeks look like they have been slapped.  It basically spreads from the face down the body.  Causing the child to be very itchy, and Wyatt said the soles of his feet burned the worst of anything because he had to wear his shoes all day at school.
Here is a shot of Landon's ankle the day after the accident.  I wish I would have taken one the day after that, because it was COMPLETELY purple, from the strip you see here up his leg, and three times it's normal size.
Here is Levi, with poison ivy on his face.  It caused his eye to swell shut, and has now spread to other areas of his body.  He got a steroid shot today.
Oh, and yesterday G came down with the Fifth's rash.  Yay, us.  He is now covered and quite miserable and itchy.  Below is a shot of his arm.  Now all we have to do is sit and wait for S to get it.  Ahh, and the weather forecast for Thursday?  HOT.  Yeah, they are gonna be uncomfortable for a while.

Vertigo Part Deux

As many of you know, I have still been getting dizzy ever since my last bout of vertigo.  Every time we have to lay on our backs in pilates, the room starts spinning around.  Not a fun feeling, at all.  Finally, today I went to the doctor to see what was going on.  I knew I still had sinus problems from before, but figured it was because of the Spring weather and pollen that the South is known for.  Also known as ALERGY SEASON.  Well, I do have the sinus stuff, but I also have fluid in both of my ears.  That is what we hope is causing the dizziness.  Now I am on Claritin D, non-drowsy formula.  It this doesn't help, I go see a specialist in nine days.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Tuesday

Let's seeeeeee, I took the buddies to the ear, nose and throat doctor because I KNEW something was going on with them.  They have had general crud (snot, coughing, ear pain, loss of appitite) for two weeks now.  G has a double ear infection, with one ear drum bulging, and S has one ear infection.  Now, he is talking about G getting tubes again this summer if this doesn't clear up in the next two weeks.  Poor kid!  He got a double dose of nasty ears from both the husband and I.  We both had ear trubs as chitlins.  (ya'll Northerners liked that ...... didn't ya, lol)  And, no, I don't call kids "chitlins" on a daily basis.  I went to my doctor to be told that, yes, I have a sinus infection.  It probably triggered the Vertigo.  She gave me a Z-pac and a horse pill for sinus pain that knocked me out last night.  I was looking forward to getting on the scale at the doctors to see if I have lost any weight from all of the healthy eating, and exercising at the Y.  It was still the exact same as last summer.  Seriously?  I almost asked the nurse to hold on while I take off my hoodie,  my shoes, and the thirty-five cents in my pocket.  How much do glasses weigh? Surely that would have made a difference, oh well. ;)  I am aiming for a toned tummy when I return in July for my physical.  Let's see what it says THEN!  When we returned from basketball practice last night the husband was up to his eyeballs in paperwork.  Those of you who think that all he does is ride around in a tractor all day are sorely mistaken.  The paperwork for the USDA and the FSA are crazy.  Not to mention we haven't gotten our taxes done yet.  He also had misplaced some weigh tickets, and was tearing the office apart searching for them.  I asked him when he saw them last.  "When the crop insurance agent was here", he replied.  That was a while ago..... they could be anywhere.  I found a bag of them, nope 2004.  Found another bag, nope 2006.  For pete's sake, we have two filing cabinets to prevent this kind of fiasco from taking place.  But he would rather keep piles everywhere.  PILES!  If you know me, you know about my organizing.  Piles don't cut it.  But the office is HIS domain, and I have succumbed to his system.  (whether it works or not, lol)  Oh, and the weigh tickets for 2007?  Stuck inside of a composition book in his desk.  I KNOW I didn't do that.  Now if they were found in the filing cabinet, or the 2007 box of files..... that is another story.