Crazy as Usual ...

Well, the boys finally broke their fever Monday night only to have Riley come down with the pukey flu on Wednesday. Yuck! Thankfully it was only the 24 hour kind and Gage somehow avoided catching it. But, poor Riley, he has such a dumb, mean mommy. The evening he got sick he only ate about half of his dinner and was being just whiny and clingy. Corey was working late, so I shooed the boys to the backyard after our meal so I could get everything cleaned up (which there was plenty of, it's amazing the mess these two little fellas can conjure up even while being confined to their chairs!) Anyhow, back on point - - I was getting frustrated as Riley was out there whining and fussing every other minute over things that would typically be nothing of special exception (a fly landed on his arm - waaaah, Gage had both sand shovels - tears, one of the dogs licked his face - meltdown.) So, I finally told him if he's going to be such a crybaby to just come inside and chill in a chair with his blankie until I was done cleaning. It wasn't soon after that that the vomiting started. Ugggh! Wow, I felt like such a jerk! Here I was upset because his tempermant was interfering with my cleanup and the poor kid was sick. Luckily, Corey got home soon after this so I could begin to baby and take care of him like he needed. Sorry, didn't mean to blab on about this, but this blog is a bit of my confessional sometimes. It just really bothers me that I didn't see he was actually sick. I try so hard to be the best mom I can be, but I really failed there. I'll just have to remember this lesson in the future when he's having an off day and do my best to handle the situation with more love and thoughtfulness. Dishes, floors and tables can wait ... my babies shouldn't have to wait for my love.

Ok, enough about that. Corey stayed home with the boys on Friday as daycare was closed so Gloria could go back to Hays for a friend's wedding. One of their projects for the day was to go to Vanderbilt's and get daddy some new work boots. He is a brave soul taking on this task with the gruesome twosome in tow. Corey decided during this outing that Gage's new nickname is to be Taz, as in Tasmanian Devil. I guess he was a whirlwind of activity trekking down the aisles and opening shoe boxes like they were Christmas presents. Bless his heart, amidst all of this he did manage to find a really nice pair of boots and clean up the disaster left behind in the wake of Taz. I'm sure the clerks did not shed any tears upon their departure. Here's a pic of the boots, they are Riley Shaw Huber approved = )

As for the rest of the weekend, it was filled with chores, meetings, and lots of outdoor time. I think everyone's favorite was the model airplane show out at Clinton Lake. Some of the planes were actually quite large. I think the biggest one was almost 5 foot long! The boys thoroughly enjoyed watching them take off and land and do various aerobatics and loop-de-loops. Gage again did his best Tatoo impersonation by consistently pointing upward and yelling - Airplane! Airplane! No matter how many times I hear him say that, it never gets old because each time is filled with as much enthusiasm as the last. However, after a while it was almost too much for Riley and Gage to take. They wanted to go in the restricted area to play with and "drive" the planes, which was obviously not a possibility. So, then it was time to go, plus it was almost lunch time. All of the excitement must've really worn Gage out as he was zonking out in his carseat. However, like magic, once we were in the drive-thru to pick up some lunch for Corey and the boys (not me, I have my healthy diet stuff at home) Gage popped up and began chanting "fry, fry ... fry, fry" until he had his beloved snacks in his eager little hands.

Oh, and speaking of my diet - - after 7 days of medication and strict adherence to my new mealplans I lost 5 pounds! I don't want to get my expectations up, because I realize it is not realistic to lose that much each week consistently, but it sure does help keep my spirits up! Especially when the boys are eating burgers and fries; Corey's barbecuing his special cajun cream cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped jalapenos; or our neighbor Vicki brings over her made from scratch, amazingly moist, chocolate cake with to-die-for chocolate fudge frosting - - the immediate progress helps me stay far away from these temptations. Okay, okay ... I did have a bite of the cake, but only one bite. If you've ever had the pleasure of tasting this awesome dessert, you understand that it not something that can be denied. Thankfully, Corey and the boys quickly demolished the 3 huge pieces she brought over, so my willpower will not have to be tested any further = )

On a final note, with winter on the way, we decided the boys needed some houseshoes to keep their tootsies toasty. We found the perfect ones. I wish I had audio of the boys delighted declarations when we revealed them to them .... Cars, Cars, Cars!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeellllllmmmmoooooo!!!! Too cute = )

So much to say ...

Well, we started off the weekend with a bang. Bright and early Saturday morning I headed out to help with the set up for the Cooper's Cause Fun Run/Walk. Corey and the boys met me out there later to participate in the event. Riley and Gage really enjoyed the pre-run stretching routine. Gage also treated those around him prior to the race start to some of his famous dance moves. He was a big hit = ) I was stationed at the one-mile turnaround point for the walkers. Once Corey and the boys arrived at this point, there was no proceeding any further without mom coming along, so they helped me cheer on the participants and Riley even doled out a couple of high fives to the runners = ) Too cute! We all had so much fun, but the most important part is that the event was a huge success!

The pics to the right are of the boys in their Cooper's Cause shirts. I wish I could have gotten them to stand still long enough to get a picture of the back that says Coop's Troops. They are really adorable.

After the boys went down for their nap, I headed to my appointment with the Nutritionist/Dietician. She was really helpful and gave me some great tips on easy and tasty ways to increase my soluble fiber. She also gave me a list of heart healthy foods and provided a 14 day menu. I'm really excited about all of the choices and taking these steps to make myself a healthier person.

The afternoon turned out to be absolutely beautiful, so we decided to take advantage of it and take our dogs out to the dog park for a hike. Gracie and Katie so love to go out there and sniff around and meet other dog buddies. The kids really enjoy it, too with all of the different breeds running around, as well as all of the various bugs. Yes, they are all boy! One leg of our hike was especially entertaining for Riley. Long, spindly tree roots were exposed crossing the path in several areas along the way. Each time he saw one, he'd yell "stick!" then bend down and try to pluck it out of its resting place. It didn't matter how many times we tried to explain that they were stuck in the ground and not coming out, his determination was not swayed. We eventually just went with it and let him try them all until he finally came to his own conclusion that the roots were there to stay.

Riley and Gage are both still dealing with this odd virus thing, too. They still do pretty well in the morning, but then as the day goes on, the fever starts in. I think Gage may be over it now as he hasn't had a fever since Saturday evening. Riley, on the other hand was really tired this afternoon and starting running a high fever again after dinner. I think I'll call the doc again tomorrow to see when we start worrying if this doesn't quit soon. I hate it when my babies are sick and there's nothing I can do to make it better.

And, finally, I'm going to end on some great news. As if I'm not busy enough, I have been working on setting up a home-based business for the last couple of months and as of now am officially open for business! I'm making hand beaded bracelets and am having so much fun doing it. Mother's bracelets, father's bracelets, kid's bracelets - you name it, I'll make it. Check out my site if you have a chance: http://geminigemssite.com/. If you know anyone in the market for this type of item, please send them my way. I greatly appreciate it! = )

Good News/Bad News ... I guess it's all about Perspective

Well, let's start off with the boys. Riley and Gage have continued to have fevers all week. They typically start low-grade fevers in the afternoon at daycare and they get worse as the evening goes on. Tylenol helps, but the fevers don't seem to break until around 3 or 4 in the morning. So, the boys have continued to be up and down each night this week. I finally ended up taking them to the doctor Thursday afternoon after dealing with this for 4 days and nights. She checked them for ear infections, strep, and something else that escapes me at the moment. Their ears are clear - - not even any fluid. The cultures came back on the others and no problems there, either. So, it looks like it is just some pesky little virus that won't seem to hurry up and burn itself out. I guess it's good news that it's not strep or an ear infection, but it is a little frustrating that it's something that can't be treated and just has to run it's course. But, Dr Kimurri did point out that the virus must not be too nasty since the boys were able to act as wiley as they were. Riley, as usual, showed signs of becoming a future gynecologist by pulling the stirrups out of the table and demonstrating the different positions the metal legs could be locked into. He also enjoyed turning the stirrup warmer on and off and inspecting various items in the room with the doctor's light. Gage was little a monkey climbing up on the chairs and exam table and had a total blast crinkling the safety paper on the table. Thankfully our doctor and her nurse are very patient people who love kids! Well, here's to hoping the doc's right and we're almost at the end of this darn bug. Riley actually slept pretty well last night, but Gage still had some issues. We'll see how tonight goes ...

I also had a doctor appointment this week to do the normal annual woman's check-up stuff. I have been feeling extremely tired lately. I know, I know, everyone tells me that normal -- I'm supposed to be tired after working full-time and chasing a 2.5 and 1.5 year old around. But, I really haven't felt like myself for awhile now and am tired to the point of utter exhaustion on a daily basis. Also, as most of you know, I've been really struggling with my weight since having the kids. I have been very conscious of my diet for a long time now, weighing and measuring everything. Of course, I cheat every now and then and enjoy some pizza or have an ice cream cone with my kids. But, I really try to limit this to special occasions only. Anyhow, I still have not been able to lose weight and have been really frustrated. Well, I finally know why -- my darn old body has turned against me. Apparently I have developed hypothyroidism. So, I guess that's bad news and good news. At least now I know what has been causing my fatigue and memory lapses and been making my weight struggle even more difficult. On top of this, we found out my cholesterol is through the roof. The thyroid issue can contribute to this along with heredity and diet. So, now I'm going to get some help. I'll be taking 2 prescriptions to help with these issues and am meeting with a dietician this weekend to help figure out a diet plan that will help get them both under control. I'm also starting at a new gym on October 1st, so hopefully the combination of all of these things will help me get back to being a healthy person. I am so hopeful, I really need to do this not only for myself, but especially for my kids. Wish me luck!

Here's a few pics of the boys from this weekend. The first two are of the boys playing with their favorite truck at Corey's parent's house. The last one is of Riley and Gage are showing off their matching Lightning McQueen shirts from Grandma (Nana) Soukup. I'm not usually much into cartoony clothes, but the boys LOVE the show Cars and Grandma's new shirts were a big hit!

One final note, Saturday is the Fun Run/Walk for Cooper's Cause. Thank you to all of you who have already signed up to participate, this is for a really awesome cause. For those of you who haven't yet submitted an entry, there's still time = )! You can enter at the race site which is at the trails by the movie theatre on the south end of town. Click on the links on the left of my site for more info. I'll be at the 1 mile turnaround. Looking forward to seeing you all there. Have a great weekend!

Great Weekend ... Cruddy Monday

We made the 3 hour trek to Russell on Saturday so the boys could make a long overdue visit to their Great-Grandma Galyardt. Thankfully Riley and Gage slept for about half the ride which helped things go smoothely. We were very fortunate that it turned out to be a lovely sunny day so the boys could get outside every once in a while and run off some of their seemingly boundless energy. I don't know if Great-Grandma (or any of us for that matter) could have handled it if it was still raining and we had to be cooped up inside. She has so many "pretties" that the boys just love to touch. Lamps with beaded fringes, collector's display plates, tall floor vases, numerous ceramic and glass knick-knacks ... yep, a whole lot of breakables that are just too irresistable for curious little fingers. Luckily, with the help of Grandma Soukup and Aunt Tracy, many near disasters were avoided. Corey was also very happy because he finally got to golf at the Russell Golf Course after all of these years of visiting.

After our visit to Great-Grandma's we headed to McPherson to stay the night at my parent's house. On our way we got a great surprise! My dad was supposed to be at a trap shoot all weekend that he had planned way in advance, but due to the weather and some unfortunate shooting percentages, he decided to come home Saturday evening. I wish I could have gotten a picture of Riley's face when he saw PopPop Soukup. Oh my, that was pure joy! We had tried to prepare him that PopPop wouldn't be around on this visit, so he was especially excited to see him open the door. He is sooo grandpa's little boy. I think that grandpa was just as excited, too = ) So, with all of this excitement, there was no way Riley and Gage were going to get to bed on time. They got spoiled and got to stay up late and they loved every minute of it! We had the usual morning routine where dad cooks up a huge breakfast fit for a king (and his little princes.) Afterwards the boys got to play outside with PopPop for a little while before he had to head off for the 2nd day of his shoot. Remember how extremely excited Riley was to see PopPop? Well, he was just as disappointed to see him leave. The tears were just streaming down his poor little face. But, he still had Grandma there to spoil him so he did find some comfort in that.

Next we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Huber's house for some more family fun and BBQ dinner. The boys loved getting to run around the farm, play in the rocks, and help pick fresh veggies from the garden. Gage was especially enamoured with the pinball machine in the garage. All of those flashing lights, crazy noises, and frantic flipper action kept his attention for a long while. When I'd had more than my fill and tried to divert his attention to something else, he just wailed his trademark "noooooooooooooooooooooo!" But, lunch was ready, so that fit was quickly over as our little redhead LOVES to eat = )

After that, we headed back to Lawrence as we were all beyond beat. I love visiting everyone and it always seems that we have to leave too early. However, it is always so nice to be home, too. After feeding the kids supper and unpacking we all just pretty much zoned out and went to bed early.

Unfortunately, Monday was not nearly as pleasant as the weekend. It started off fine enough, with the exception of my herniated disc really becoming painful. I went in for my epidural shot which is really not a fun experience. The shot itself hurts like the dickens, then the backache really intensifies. The last time I had this done I had to take the rest of the day off of work because sitting in my desk chair was unbearable. However, I had too much stuff to do so I resigned myself to the fact that I was just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. Then I had one of those special kind of people come in to my office who is just not happy with anything. After listening to this lovely person go on and on telling me what a money grubbing wench I was because of the rate I quoted him (he had 6 different violations, a suspended license, and an accident in the last 3 years), I had had enough. I held it together while he was here, but once he was out of sight I just broke down in tears. I just don't understand how people think it is ok to talk to someone like that. I know I shouldn't let that kind of stuff get to me, but sometimes I just can't take it.

Anyhow, after dealing with this as best as I could and trying to grit my teeth through my back pain, I get a call from Gloria telling me that Gage is running a fever of 102 and is just cranky and not eating. Great. After some Tylenol he did better for a little bit, but was soon grumpy again and just wanted to be held. I made one of the kid's favorite goulash casserole dishes for supper and neither one took more than a bite or two. Then Riley started crying, and lo and behold, he had a fever, too! Uggh! Corey tried so hard to help me soothe the kids, but, of course, when little boys are sick they just want their momma. So much for resting my sore back! Since I didn't know if they had the flu or not, I decided to turn the living room floor into our sleeping area and covered it with blankets and towels in case there were any vomiting bouts or leaky diarrhea diapers (yep, been there, done that, now I know to be over-prepared!) Fortunately, we didn't have to deal with any of that yucky stuff. But, they alternated all night long which one would break a fever and cry and need cuddled and rocked back to sleep. They each had their last dose of Tylenol at midnight, then got up for snacks at 3:00 am. Yes, snacks! Riley requested crackers and Gage just said eeeeeaaaaat! I know they were hungry since neither of them ate supper and they slept throught their bedtime snack, so there I am stumbling around like a zombie getting together a little something for them to get in their tummies. From there they slept the rest of the way through to 6:30 and woke up fresh as daisies. What?! Don't get me wrong, I am so glad they are feeling better. But, honestly, I was sort of looking forward to staying home this morning and maybe getting a little rest with them. Oh well, c'est la vie. So, I'm packing them off to daycare and I'm heading to work. Let's hope Tuesday turns out to be a much better day for all of us!

A B C's and 1 2 3's

Riley is really getting into counting and saying his alphabet. I know it sounds terrible, but sometimes I think if I hear that darn alphabet tune one more time I might just go insane. I'll think, how can you hear and sing the same song 157 times per day, yet still not get all of the letters right?! But, just when I am about to lose it, he'll go and correctly add a letter or 2 that he's been unable to say or remember before ... or Gage starts singing in with him with his version that goes something like e e e e e e e ha ha ha ha ha ha ha o e e e s e e e e x e and e. How can you not love that! I just have to remember to keep my impatience in check. To them, it's not about getting it right, it's about having fun singing. That is the hardest part about being a mom for me. I always want and expect (silly me) for things to be done right or properly right off the bat and that just isn't the way it works in the toddler world. Luckily, my poor kiddos easily brush off their momma's frustrations and continue to have fun doing things their own way in their own time.

Counting is also a big part in Riley's world. He can count all the way up to 13 by himself and up to 20 with some prodding from mom! Our drives to and from daycare are pretty much nothing but counting. 1,2,3,4,5.6 cars. 1,2,3 buses waiting for kids. 1,2,3,4 fire trucks (we drive by the fire station everyday - very exciting stuff - the boys get especially excited if a fire truck is pulled out getting ready to leave and has it's lights on!) However, the most animated counting comes when we get to driving in the country on the way to Gloria's. 1,2,3,4,5 DEER - which may or may not be there. 1,2 HAWKS! Every bird we see sitting on a wire is now a hawk according to Riley. I've been trying to explain the difference between grackles, robins, wrens, hawks, etc., but hawks is what sticks with him, so that's it for now. I guess it's good we live in Lawrence, his love of the word hawk will help when rooting on the Jayhawks during Football and Basketball seasons = )

I finally got a picture of Gage with one of his beloved toads in the backyard. I kind of feel sorry for the poor little toads, they really get tortured at our house. Between one of our golden retrievers feeling the need to pick every one of them up in her mouth several times, despite the fact that it make her foam at the mouth like Cujo -- Gage picking them up, squeezing, and throwing them -- and Riley trying to run them over with his Harley -- it really is a dangerous place to be for the hoppy little dudes. But, we have tons of them, so it must not faze them too much!

We also discovered a locust shell on the fence. Riley was really interested in this. I think it confused him a little bit that it looked like a bug, but didn't move. Gage, on the other hand, was his true no fear self. He grabbed another shell we found and promptly put it in his mouth. After deciding he didn't want to eat it (possibly influenced by mom yelling "get that out of your mouth right now!") he proceeded to pulverize it in his little fist and just giggled as it crumbled. Yep, that boy worries me a little bit. But, he's always entertaining nonetheless = )

Busy, busy, busy ...

Well, we've been super busy lately with the kids, work, projects and what not, so it's been a little while since I posted. Let's start out with my favorite part of the holiday weekend ... more time with sweet baby Patrick and his awesome parents Shawn & Kari. Patrick is now a month old and so freakin' cute I can hardly stand it! I loved getting to see him and hold him and snuggle him for a little bit. I even loved it when he puked all over me = ) The boys really enjoyed seeing him, too. Of course, they were most interested in him when it was time for him to leave and get strapped into his car seat. Kids and their timing - rarely in synch with what you want. Check out the picture above, don't you just love the face that baby is making = ) Make sure to click on the pic to enlarge for the full effect. Love it!

It was so nice to get to spend time with Shawn and Kari, too. I really miss having them so close. They are such good people and great friends. We are lucky to have them in our lives.

In the morning before their visit I was straightening up the house and pulled a major boo boo. Gage was working on getting another tooth and dealing with a stupid summer cold. The perfect prescription for him to be a big-time momma's boy. He wanted mom to hold him the whole time. He kept crying while I was trying to vacuum and saying mommy, mommy, mommy. Well, you know I can't just let my baby cry for me ... so, I picked him up and continued to vacuum while holding him. Even when I was doing it, I knew this was a bad idea because this is what I was doing the last time my herniated disc became irritated. Well, lo and behold, after a couple pulls, pushes and twists -- OUCH! There it went again. By Tuesday the pain was so bad I had to leave work early. I finally got into the doctor on Wednesday and she prescribed me some high dose Ibuprofen with a kick and some muscle relaxers. I can't get in for my epidural injection for another week and a half, but at least the meds are finally making it tolerable.

Riley has been especially clingy to me lately ... not sure what's going on there. He wants mom to do everything - bath, diapers, potty time, put his meal together, put him to bed, etc. Which, I usually do most of these, but Corey usually swoops in to take care of breakfast and has been doing baths this week since my back is so messed up. However, Riley has been giving him an exceptionally hard time this week. He wouldn't even let Corey put his breakfast tray in front of him the past 2 mornings. He wanted mom to do it. Bless his heart, I love the kid, but mom needs a break every now and then. Plus, I know it gets to Corey sometimes. It's got to be so frustrating to him. He is so good with the kids, but sometimes, no matter how hard he tries, they still just want mom. I know it's just a phase and I should enjoy it, 'cuz Lord knows they'll be true big boys soon and will want nothing but to hang with dad and do man stuff. But, a break for me and little extra love for dad right now would be nice, too.

Well, TGIF. The weekend's almost here. My whole internal schedule has been off with the previous 3 day weekend (not that I'm complaining about a 3 day weekend - that would be crazy!) Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to another couple of days hanging with my boys and getting some things accomplished around the house. Have a great weekend!