"Back to Life, Back to Reality, Back to Life.....However Do Ya...."

Yes my 80's (early 90's:-))friends - it is that song....could have titled it "Back From Rock Bottom," "It Was Bound to Happen," etc.   WOWsers!  About a month ago I was dealing with bronchitis (before that was sick tooooo) then last week, after my kids and hubby had a yucky 'bug' for 12-24 hrs, I got it.  Tuesday was the day it all began - no big deal, I handle this, it will all be over early Wednesday.  It wasn't.  And then it still wasn't. 

I did not see daylight from Tuesday eve until Thursday 3:45pm when my hubby forced me to go to the doctor.  As you can imagine, I hadn't showered let alone comb my hair!  I mustered all my strength to stand in the shower, throw my hair up, get dressed and go for a ride.  WOW it was bright - now I know why they gave the miners in Chile such nice sunglasses!  Anyway, after one and a half hours at the doctor - I was told my immune system was shot - DUH - Ya think??  After four years of crappy sleep and now this........it was bound to happen.

I told him that from the start - I didn't think it was anything else but I understand they have to rule out other things.  So - got a lovely shot in the rear (steriods:-)) and some mega anti-biotics to clear up any remaining bronchial infections.  It is now five days since all the drug interactions and I feel pretty well close to normal.  YAY!!  I HAVE to mention Big Daddy here - he was amazing and I (and the children) were so blessed that he could take time off to be here - because I was soooooo out of it!!  He sacrificed a lot at work - but no one else could have filled his HUGE shoes - did I say HUGE??:-)

NOW - to just figure out a way to get GREAT sleep and keep on top of my health - would be great!!

More later.....in the NEXT blog.....

'Stupid Mommy!!!'

Ugh.  Thats the only word I can type that describes the last week.  Sleep - not great at all.  First off let me start with the fact that this family has been dealing with one sickness after another - a week of high-temp flu; two+weeks of sinus infec. & bronchitis - I'm still struggling; and now my little Dolly threw up three times last night - nothing since 7:30pm so it's been 12 hours - hope it lasts!!!  

So, on top of the sickness we deal with Sam and sleep.  Daddy's been gone all week so I'm on my own.  Two nights ago - Sam woke up around 2:45 yelling for me so I ran in his room.  Remember he is in a loft bed - I cannot just pick him up, so he's sitting up yelling/crying and I can tell he has no idea what is going on.  In the meantime he's yelling 'stupid mommy' over and over, he threw his pillow at me and was going to throw his sippy at me until I grabbed it first.  So, I try to calm him and ask if he wants to rock.  He tells me not to talk and starts pounding the wall, our bedroom wall.  Ironic since I almost hung our wedding photos back up that same day - thinking his 'fits' might be subsiding during the night.  SO glad I ran out of time:-)  This went on for quite a while and finally I convinced him to come down and rock - my remaining calm I think is what totally  helped - while it's not easy listening to horrible things being said about you and things being thrown at you - I did realize he he had no idea what what going on.  

We rocked and it still was stressful - NOT fast enough no matter what I did.  It had been some time since we'd gone through this in such a horrible way.  Granted, on a daily basis we never do it right but he has not had his angry kicking fits because of this - until lately.  After about 30+ minutes of this I finally calmed him down, he went potty and then he had to sit at the table and drink a little juice.  By this time, I'm not going to fight.  So, we sat at the table quietly until he looked like he was going to fall asleep and I convinced him to get back in bed.  So he did and so did I.  OH, then both kids decided it would be fun to wake up at 6:45.  'Morning mommy!!!'

Hilarious Anger

Okay - so we went to the farm briefly today and on the way home Sam was VERY naughty and would not listen (not to mention his sister was copying everything he was doing) - so I pulled over for a 'time out' and told him if he did not follow directions the rest of the way home we would take away his Iron Man birthday present.  Well, he was still naughty kicking my seat, yelling, being out right obnoxious!!! 

We got home and I immediately went in, took his Iron Man set and put it in the closet.  He came in and I did not say a word - he went directly to where his Iron Man 'WAS' and it was silent.....until - (Wait - I have to tell you I got him a little voice recorder  - he LOVES to listen to himself and has a blast recording himself over and over and over and over.... OKAY now for the remainder of the story).  It was silent until I heard him say sobbingly, "They took my Iron Man forever!" and then I heard it repeat on the recorder.  Then he yelled like he was mad and then played the recording again - and he started laughing (so did I as I was feeding Nasya in the kitchen).  Then he yelled a little more and a little longer and played the recording - laughing even harder - so was I!!  Then - (remember he is a FOUR year old Anderson BOY) he started saying, "Daddy farty pants, Mommy farty pants, Nasya  farty pants" and then playing the recording.........What I thought was going to be AWFUL to deal with turned out to be hilarious!!!  I am so glad he found a way to deal with it without even knowing it - PRAISE GOD!!!!!  We get sooo tired of battles - when we are pleasantly surprised - it is wonderful. 

"Backfired....shock!" and "POOP"

Well - overall a GREAT birthday for Sam J. and Nasya toooo:-)  The Iron Man red/yellow cupcakes and HIS special 'big' boy cake - backfired!!!  I was so proud of my 'creation' since no one carries Iron Man cake decor - - then he says, "no I don't like them - there's no Iron Man!"  He only blew out his candles and that was that - whatever!  Then, I took his IM banner and cut off the Iron Man pics (we don't want 'Happy Birthday' on his wall all year!) and hung them up on his closet doors and told him to come look - you got it - backfired!!  He says, "It's ugly, I don't like it, put it back on the other thing!  It looks horrible!"  Again, whatever.  Otherwise - he got a trampoline (a sensory thing that we requested!), an Iron Man figurine with things to shoot, tool "work station" he calls it and you better not touch it, etc.  He is getting VERY bad a hoarding 'HIS' things - painstakingly puting them up high and out of reach from Sya in particular and sometimes us.  I was getting ready for company for his party (MORE on that later....) and cleared off his clutter from the fireplace shelf.  He woke from his nap and that was the first thing he noticed and I saw a meltdown coming on so I put everything back - I just didn't have time to deal!!!

K - so the party itself.  We had been smelling stinky drains for a few months now - at least.  We'd been using Draino, the little ball things that you put down a disposal, and I noticed nothing was working!!!  Well - the day of ALL days - the drains downstairs were backing up and NOT going down one bit!  The utility sink down there had been filling up half way whenever I did laundry but thats it (DUH something was obviously wrong - but good 'ole Big Daddy ALWAYS says, 'don't worry about it' or 'it will be fine.'  So I usually take matters into my own hands and get ready for a fight ('discussion') - this time I did not. 

Happy Birthday Sam - the house smells like POOP - you're favorite word!!!!!  Yes - Don bought some super powered drain stuff at Ace and WOWOWOWOW I have never smelled such horrible smells in my life - the carbon monoxide detector would not stop going off - we NEEDED to get out of here - but wait......WE HAD A PARTY!!!!  We ended up packing un-frosted cupcakes, plates, spoons, ice cream, frosting, ETC and having the party at Don's parents house - it all worked out but we had to come back home to the POOP smell - wasn't near as bad - but we survived and the kitties are still alive and happy. 

Iron Man Sam's gonna be FOUR

Okay - so I'm typing in Iron Man deep red:-)  Yes - another obsession - for several months now!!!  He wants to be IM for Halloween - I have the costume and he WILL not know that until the DAY OF Halloween!!!!!  He would wear it 24/7 and good luck having it any other way.  So, for his birthday in two days - I got an IM banner, table cover and whistle blowers.....I am also going to make him a 'little' red cake and red velvet cupcakes with yellow frosting - Iron Man enough for me since NO ONE had cake toppers!!  The family will be thrilled they didn't have b-day hats:-)

So, we've all been sick - again.  This time - Sya had been coughing for quite some time and finally took her in last Saturday (maybe I told you this) got an antibiotic blah blah blah.  Sam's been coughing - not as bad as us......I started getting a sore throat, coughing, etc. beginning of the week and the last two nights have NOT slept THIS TIME because of couging ALL night - the hard, ouchie kind of cough.  I decided to go to the doctor - called Thursday to try to get in Friday afternoon and they said they were full but had an opening in 45 minutes - YAY Don was able to come home so I could go.  Glad I did - infection and bronchitis:-(  No wonder the coughing is ssoooo bad - had to get a shot and anitbiotics/cough meds so I can hopefully sleep a little tonight.  Poor hubby had to sleep on the couch last night since he had a presentation today in Lincoln.  He's tired.  We're all tired. 

Went to pick up Sya this morning and saw her at the end of a fairly long hall way - she turned and saw me and soooo happily & joyfully was yelling "MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY" all the way as the skipped and ran to me:-)  MADE my day to say the least - all the workers were smiling and laughing at how cute this was!!!  I hope every parent can experience this - she is my little dolly doo-doo's!! 

Well - removed Sam's ceiling fan tonight to put in a regular light and hang his swing.  LOVES the swing - but it is not serving it's FULL purpose YET.  Not sure it will.  Part of his 'rocking' issue I think is one of us holding him tight where a swing will not do that.  Him and Nasya are having a blast swinging eachother - that is when he is not being naughty to her for being in it.  What a temper and it takes NO time for him to do something to her before we can intervene. 

BUS - he has been GREAT getting off the bus this week, granted he has not been feeling well and missed a day of preschool.  Next week will tell.  While he was sick he figured out he did NOT have to actually get on the bus in the morning - so the next day he got ready (reluctantly) and when the bus pulled up, he ran off and REFUSED to get on.  The bus can only wait a couple minutes and then leaves.  So, daddy ended up taking him in his new work car and now we have to think of consequences for THAT if it continues.  He was fine today since they got to tour firetrucks and ambulances - he surely didn't want to miss that!!

Dates with My Hunky

Yay - Sam and I had TWO dates this past week.  Thursday he had no preschool and Sya went to daycare for 3 hours so we went to the John Deere implement dealer.  We walked the whole lot looking at each and every tractor, combine, and 'articulated' tractor.  It was so sweet - he was in heaven.  We then tackled going into the store.  Of course he wanted everything and I told him we'd have to sell the house and live on the street - he didn't seem to mind.  Eventually I was able to talk him in to a $14.00 JD combine set.  Whew!!!!!  That was lucky - I was a little disappointed that none of the JD guys didn't oogle him since they are his heroes......oh well.  I'm sure they were too 'busy'.  

Since he was such a good boy and followed directions - I took him to the gas station where he loves to pick out a 'cool' sucker or candy of some sort.  Of course, he had to get something for his sissy too......awwwwww.

Sunday - since we had NOOOOOO sleep - attempted to get a few snoozes here and there on the couch, floor or where ever while the kids played and jumped on us.  Sam has a tendency to romp all over daddy all the time - poor guy, sort of.  He brings it on himself - but now that he's soooo tired along with me - it's not so enjoyable.  I decided to get Sam out of the house and let daddy chill......so I took him to Pier Park to watch the skaters - he talks often of skateboards (prob. since they come in the happy meals...???).  We get there - and he doesn't even notice them - he notices the lake and wants to walk around it - fine with me.  It was a fun - relaxing time for both of us - lots of questions of course but worth it:-)  We then played on the playground and came home.  The time spent alone with him or Nasya is priceless - considering there is sooooo much to deal with then they are together - it is VERY good for both of them to have their own time - whether at school, daycare or with mommy or daddy - they NEED it.  Tomorrow and Wednesday is Nasya and mommy's turn - will probably go for a walk and do some 'learning' - I think she is a little behind with talking - and WAAAY advance in motor skills - hello - peddaling her trike at 1 1/2 and is soooo good with the  ball/frisbee and anything else active! 

My Hiney Sounds Like a Marching Band!!!

Yeah - the latest comment from beloved Samuel while having 'toots' on the potty......just happened to be the day before the biggest parade in the state.  Silly boy.  He's really been into rhythms - with ANYTHING!  Kind of cool.....

K - so for reality.  Still no sleep.  NO SLEEP!!!  Daddy was finally here three nights in a row and has actively been a part of this VERY frustrating problem.  Last night - he finally was frustrated enough to say, "If this continues, I'm getting rid of the rocking recliners!!"  I truly think that is the ONLY way to get around this - I only wonder what Sam would think of to replace the 'needed?' behavior.  We did finally get the swing (his b-day present early...) - but need to find the proper place to hang it.  Under the bed is not working for several reasons.  Need to replace his ceiling fan with a reg. light - then there will be room to hang from his ceiling.  AND he will not be able to sit up on his bed and in a 'rage' mess with the fan - I'm waiting for it to come crashing down!! 

I am sooooo truly fed up with this nightly routine!!  Last night was first Nasya (who has a BAD sinus infection) then Sam several times in a row.  Granted, his lips were sooooo sore - we have been telling him to STOP licking/chewing and sucking on them - we could tell they were getting a little sore before he went to bed but he woke up bawling so I put some salve on them.  Then he was coughing/sneezing, etc. - we all have allergies and his are starting to act up.  So - between midnight and 2:00am - we were up one after the other - I am always requested to rock and rock and rock and then daddy has to put him back in bed.  I cannot reach to lift him up there - and he is too out of it to climb back up.  Saturday night was WORSE - yep, no church as we only got a couple hours of sleep AGAIN!!!!  SO incredibly frustrating and maddening.  I again have a list of things I WANTED to get done this AM while I have no kids for 2 1/2 hours - but I decided to blog - too tired to run errands and get my rear downstairs to go through stuff.  Am wanting to MEGA clean out the office and tubs and tubs of STUFF - GET RID OF as much as possible - BUT I need energy and a few hours to do this:-(((((   I cannot get started in 30 minutes - quit and come back - I do MUCH better when I can start and dive in completely - NOT an easy task around here.  Hopefully Thursday, which is the next time I have a couple hours to myself - praying for GREAT nights sleep at least Tues/Wed. night.......

Wow, that was a big paragraph:-).  My little Nasya is such a dolly - she LOVES her brother soooo much.  They are playing sooo well together - much of the time.  She was swinging him in his new swing and laughing so hard.....he loves her so much as well, but when they are playing, he will all of a sudden start yelling in her face or slapping her face or elsewhere thinking it's 'funny' and she's going to think it's funny.  Well, as you can imagine it turns into her crying and crying.  I hope someday he 'gets' the idea that other's do NOT like to be hit and yelled at in the face.