Elephant Hands

There comes a time when you get too old for things in life--staying up all hours of the night, drinking too much, mini-skirts, etc.  I'd have to add to that list Mononucleosis. 

Yes, I have it and lucky me, I am a rarity in that you normally don't get it twice in a life time.  (I had it in high school.)  As a mom of two boys, it's miserable to sit on the sofa and do nothing.  Yes, the hugs from the kids are great, and my husband truly stepping in to do all of my job is awesome, but to not be throwing up or have severe fever, showing signs of sickness is rough.  I'm not good at this--laying around and resting. 

I also like to cut my own french toast, wear my wedding rings and open medicine jars by myself, but you can't do that when you have swollen elephant hands....

(I have on my pregnancy wedding band.)

And, please pray that Stephen doesn't catch it!  He never had it!

His First Trophy

It's the first one and he's super proud--Kendrick's first trophy.  Nevermind that it is actually a plaque you hang on the wall.  It doesn't really make a difference.  He earned it and learned a lot this season about actually playing baseball rather than watching it. 

Way to go Kendrick!

Of course there was cake!

Laisse le Bon Temps Rouler!

This past summer Southwest Airlines was having an anniversary sale.  We thought about where we could go and decided it was time to head south and see the Degenharts.  The hard part was that flights couldn't be taken on Friday or Sunday.  Oh well.  We took Cavett out of school and headed to the "Big Easy." 

We had such a great time visiting with our cousins and doing all the touristy things, that we had never done.  Since Cavett was pulled out of school, I tried to make it as educational in every way.  We checked out books from the library on all things Louisiana, Rivers, Wetlands, Mardi Gras, and Cajun culture.  We even learned about column classification while riding on the street car down St. Charles.  We also gave him the old camera and a had a photo scavenger hunt to keep him looking.

For those of you thinking that New Orleans is not a place for kids, think again.  Between the swamp tour, the street musicians and performers, the ferry and street car rides and Mardi Gras world, there is plenty to see and do!  We loved it!  Can't wait to join the Degenharts for a real Mardi Gras Parade one year. 

Boo!

Today was a bit of a downer. On the way to school we discovered that Cavett had a stomach virus and we made the block. He felt pretty good the rest of the day but really didn't eat or drink anything. He complained of a headache about 5, so I started pushing Gatorade. Evidently, that wasn't a good idea either way.



We abandoned the Peanuts gang and Kendrick dressed in his costume from two years ago and went with Dad through the neighborhood to trick-or-treat sweetly asking for extra candy for his "brother who wasn't feeling well." Cavett and I stayed behind passing out candy discovering it is just as much fun to give as receive.

Unfortunately, I put him to bed with a bit of a fever but covered in prayer. It's so hard to see your baby hurting so.

This has got to be the worst day as a kid to be sick. Boo---and not the scary kind.


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Home Improvements

We've had a couple of home improvement projects in the back of our mind for sometime now.  For a year, I have been looking at a paint chip in the powder bathroom, wondering if it was too "out there."  Saturday morning I woke up and decided that today was the day.  I was just going to do it.  If I didn't like it, it could always be repainted.  Turns out it was perfect and I love it!  It goes beautifully with the prints I found under the bed at Gran's house.  Maybe it was her brithday coming up that made me decide to do it, and the fact that the bedroom I found the prints in was purple.....

The second project, also related to Gran and Granpaw's house, was the organ pipes.  We found about 50 of them in the attic.  They were from the old organ at Noel Methodist Church (the church I grew up in).  We took about half of them two years ago when we cleaned out the house.  Stephen had always had the idea that they would look great in our rotunda (the round room in the middle of the house, which really has no purpose ecept to house the piano and Christmas tree.)  Stephen engineered a way to hang them without damaging the pipes and working with the round surface and I must say, he did a bang up job.  I think they look perfect.  But, is it bad that I now REALLY want to paint that room now too?  Anyone have a color suggestion? 

I know, I need a plant on the plant stand now...

Fall Fun

The Peanuts Gang

This weekend was full of fall family fun. Kendrick had his last baseball game of the season, while Cavett went to a karate costume party. We dressed the kids up and visited some of Stephen's cousins, Dick and Launa and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside and watching Dad carve the pumpkin.  Of course, we made pumpkin pncakes and found a great recipe for toasting the seeds.  (The trick is to boil them in salt water first!)

 Cavett put his hands in and got messy, but Kendrick would have nothing to do with it and instead decided to roll down the hill. 

 Happy Fall Y'all!

The Tooth Fairy Strikes Again

For the second time this year, the tooth fairy will be visiting our house.  This time it was forced.  Stephen had an opening in hygiene today and it was time for Cavett to have his cleaned.  After his cleaning and exam with no cavities, it was pretty clear that the lower tooth he had been wiggling for several months needed to come out.  His adult tooth was coming in too far behind. 

I am so proud of Cavett.  I sat with him as Dad was ever so gentle and very strategic in word and needle as he numbed Cavett up.  Cavett said the first little bit of medicine gave him a little pinch, but he didn't feel it the second or third time and that it felt really funny and fat after a bit.  The "pliers" were grabbed, a bit of blood showed; I became queasy and sat down on the chair with Cavett.  The tooth still had a pretty good root on it.  Next came the "scaler" and more blood; I was light-headed.  The whole time Cavett is cool as a cucumber.  The tooth came out and that is when it really hit me, but "whew" it was over!

The good news is: when you have to get a tooth pulled at the dentist, the tooth fairy brings you more money.  We'll see how much there is in the "tooth fairy" wallet...

On another note, both boys belt tested today in Karate.  Cavett is now a Camoflouge belt and will go to a new class.  Kendrick is now an orange Tiger belt.  This means more time doing after school activites and waiting for classes, since there is not enough time to go home and come back between classes since they aren't back to back....