It ain't all fun and sunshine

Thursday was Josh's first Open House for school. Uncle Joel was nice enough to have dinner with Lauren so that I could give Josh some one-on-one time for his special night.

We headed off for school and he was just a mile a minute in the backseat. He was SO excited! We ended up having to park a few blocks away so we had a nice chat on the walk to the front entrance. He was letting me know what to expect and listing everything he wanted to show me.

By the time we got to his classroom I thought his head was going to explode. He was running around, all crazy-like, and I was scrambling to keep up. He showed me his favorite book, where he lays during "quiet time", the word board, where his girlfriend sits (don't ask) and just about every other square inch of his classroom.

Mrs. Wilson had a list of things we were to be sure to ask our children about and the last item was "Their Family Tree". I asked Josh where his family tree was...he drug me over to the coat rack. Each of the children had drawn a huge tree and Mrs. Wilson had written "The Bricker Family" across the top of Josh's. I read all the little apples; Beth, Dustin, Lauren, Josh...and Baby. OMG...I started to tear up. He was so proud...as was I.

We went to see the gym (where he showed me how to run ladders), the music room (where he showed me where the bongo drums were), the art room (where we ran into his "best friend") and the library (where we spent a small fortune at the book fair). Last but not least he got to show me the playground.



If the look on his face is any indication...he loves his school.

Then on Friday Josh had his 5 year checkup. It was not a fun visit.

First, we get there and they hand me a clip board to fill out a survey. As I turned around to find a seat he walked right into the board and nailed his eye. So he bawled, his eye swelled up and by the time they called his name he had a black and blue mark. Nice.

He got four shots, flu mist up the nose, a finger prick topped off with the embarrassment of having to get naked. I felt so bad for the guy. His legs hurt all weekend and by Friday night he was running a fever.

I'm not sure the Dairy Queen treat following the appointment made up for anything. But it sure made me feel better.

Other than that our weekend was pretty uneventful. I cleaned upstairs and Dustin worked in the basement. The kids worked their hardest to undo everything I did so I finally set them in our bed and let them watch a movie.



And last night Dustin got Twizzlers and we all got to cuddle up for a Tom & Jerry marathon. The perfect way to wind down a weekend.



Baby Update: 15 weeks

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.

I've been feeling baby move around quite a bit lately. The first time was about two weeks ago and both the kids were sitting on my lap. I'm quite certain he/she was just trying to make some room for him/herself.

Out of the mouths of babes

Conversation #1

Josh: Mom, today at school my best friend pushed me at recess.
Me: Josh...best friends don't push each other.
Josh: That's what I thought.
Me: If that happens again you tell him that best friends don't push each other. And then you go tell the teacher.
Josh: Yeah, cuz' that's not appwopwiate (a/k/a appropriate) behavior.
Me: Uh...no it's not.


Conversation #2

Tonight the kids and I made banana bread and while we were waiting for it to cool we watched a Christmas Veggie Tales in my room. The kids were getting rowdy and picking on each other rather than watching the movie.

Me: Guys! Quit it!
Josh: Mom, Lauren keeps sitting on me.
Me: Lauren, sit down. Josh, don't touch her.
(They continue picking on each other.)
Me: GUYS! Last warning!
Josh: Then what?
Me: Uh, you go to your room and Lauren goes to bed.
Josh: Are we driving you crazy?
Me: Yes!
Josh: Yeah...I thought so.


Conversation #3

We went to Wal-mart to pick up a few items. Josh and I loaded the bags in the back of the van and Lauren watched on from the cart.

Josh: SHOE! SHOE!
Me: What are you talking about?
Josh: SHOE! Lauren's shoe!!!
(I noticed her shoe was in the middle of the parking lot and went to pick it up.)
Me: Thanks, dude!
Josh: I saw the shoe and was like, "That's Lauren's". And then I saw she was missing a shoe.
Me: Wow!
Josh: Was I helpful?
Me: Yes!
Josh: (to himself) Go Joshie! You're awesome! Go Joshie! It's your birthday!

What else is new?

We left for Des Moines on Friday afternoon only to run into rain right outside of Cedar Rapids. What else is new? Out of all the times we've been camping this summer we have avoided rain once. ONCE!

Dustin coincidentally started complaining of a wrist pain around Tama which meant by the time we hit Des Moines he was "unable" to use his right hand. So I stood out in the rain and pumped the tanks full of water. I stood out in the rain to direct him into the spot. I stood out in the rain to set the hitch. I stood out in the rain to crank the jacks. And yet somehow Dustin looked like he had done all the work by the time he got into the camper.



I stopped to take some time and mock him and then turned back around to drive back into town to pick up some groceries.

The next morning we got up and realized how much the Saylorville lake had changed since last time we'd seen it.



The last time we were there that entire area was covered in about 50+ feet of water. I was shocked. We had no idea the lake was up that much and were a little freaked out by it all.

We walked all the way down to the beach and realized that right where we were standing had seen 50+ foot deep water. Makes you feel pretty small.



Dustin and Josh decided to race and shortly after they sarted Lauren thought she'd join in. Shockingly...she did not win.



The campground was great, the company was even better. We met up with some friends and their children from Omaha and just "vegged" all weekend. It was great!

The kids all wore themselves out on the playground and Lauren was bound and determined to try and keep up with them all.



By the time we left on Sunday...the kids were disgustingly dirty. But I certainly didn't have the energy to give them a bath before we left. Alas, I rode between two dirty kids...with sticky hands.




Mattie looked at me from the front seat like I had gotten what I deserved. I figured she should enjoy it while she can because by next camping season the baby will be taking my seat, I will be taking her seat and she'll be stuffed back in the camper. :-)



Baby Update: 14 weeks

Welcome to the second trimester! This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

Today's appointment

I lost another 5 pounds (even after having Chinese for lunch with Joel)! AND I got an ultrasound!!!

Dustin and I got to see the beating heart and Mr. or Miss Bricker bouncing around like a crazy person in there!! Even Dr. Hocking had to chuckle.

Everything looked great and we'll be back in another 4 weeks!

Glass of whine

I got an update from BabyCenter.com today. Every week they email me with tips and discussions about the various stages my child may be going through. Today's made me laugh right out loud!

Whining and screaming: If your 15-month-old has started sounding like a hyena or worse, you're experiencing his intense desire to interact with you.

Oh...we are SOOOOO there! Although, I think she's just trying to drive me nuts and actually has no desire to "interact" with me. Not to mention, her brother feeds off of it and the two of them make my house sound like an African safari. In the meantime, my exhaustion gets the best of me and after listening to their whining for an hour I break and send them to their separate corners.

While I'm sure it's probably not the best example of my parenting style...it is keeping me from having a nervous breakdown. So, rather than giving this child fetal alcohol syndrome, I have chosen to do what gets me through.

As a side note, it is amazing that our neighbors haven't called the police on me. I can't imagine what I'd think if I walked by a house and heard two children screaming, a dog barking, and a crazed mother shouting, "Guys!!! Stop!!"

**shaking head**

We went to our second parade in one week this weekend. This one had a few less tractors and a lot less candy. Josh was freaking out.





We always go into these sorts of things with the best intentions. But somehow things always get sidetracked and mid-event a child's tears ruins the fun. And usually by the time the event is over Dustin and I just want to get "the hell out of dodge."

This parade was no different.

The only really cute thing that happened was that Josh was spotted by one of his classmates and she was jumping and shouting, "Josh!!! Josh!!" He waved and smiled. I said, "Do you know her from school?" He said, "Yeah, she's in my class, MOM." I said, "What's her name?" He said, "I have no idea."

Again...**shaking head**

After church on Sunday, Dustin somehow found enough energy to do a little work in the basement. My biggest accomplishments this weekend were making a soup on Saturday and making lasagna on Sunday. I digress. Even though Dustin worked for a few hours in the basement it, frustratingly, looks just about the same as it did two weeks ago.




The wreck from the basement is creeping up the stairs and infecting the rest of my house. It's an utter disaster. I need to have a huge bonfire and set all the junk mail cluttering my countertop, the toys cluttering my floor and other various junk in this house aflame. I can't keep ahead of the kids, the dog (who is going through a NASTY shredding phase - I'm sure it's just my punishment for the kids tormenting her) or my husband for that matter.

So lately I've been in the mind frame, "If you can't beat 'um...join 'um." I swear Dustin would live in squander before he'd get sick of it. So, in a week or so, I won't be able to take it anymore and I'll kill myself to try and get a hold of everything again.

My only consolation, is that Dustin will suffer just as much as me. Not because he has to help...but because he has to listen to me whine. Hmmm...I wonder where the kids get it.

Baby update: 13 weeks

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. As you start your second trimester, most of your baby's critical development will be completed and your odds of miscarriage drop considerably.

Prayer

I'm slacking...I know.

Good news...Josh LOVES school. But he hates daycare. Dropping him off is barely better than it was on the first day but my sympathy and guilt have been replaced with frustration and irritation. This morning, when he was jumping around and crying, I looked at him and said, "Enough!" and walked off. Seriously, enough.

I picked him up this afternoon and he's a bucket of smiles and actually looked bummed that it was already time to go. Jeez!

Last Friday night I invited mom to join me and the kids at the mall for a little "indoor play" and food court dinner. After we ate I decided to take Lauren to Claire's so I could buy her some new hair pretties. Her hair has grown so much and I can't seem to tame its wildness. So we found some cute things and went up to check out. Then it happened...her first public tantrum and I was by myself.

As soon as she started screaming I began to pray....

ME: Dear Lord, please make her stop screaming.
CASHIER: Can I interest you in any of our flavored Chapsticks?
ME: Dear Lord, make this cashier shut up. Give her the wisdom to realize I am in no mood to buy the Dr. Pepper Chapstick and all I want to do is get the heck out of here.
ME: Uh...not tonight.
CASHIER: She must be tired.
ME: Dear Lord, I see you've given her at least a basic level of wisdom to realize that my screaming child, who's writhing on the floor, is tired. She is obviously a genius.
ME: Lauren!! Goodness.

This about the time I realized that everyone in the mall had now entered Claire's and was staring at my daughter. I remembered from my days of working at Claire's that there was some sort of attraction to screaming children getting their ears pierced. I'm not sure what sadist type of person wants to see a small child in pain, but nonetheless, I noticed that people have not changed and that a crowd had gathered to see, what they assumed, was a little girl who just got her ear pierced.

As soon as the crowd realized it was just a bratty child and not a cute little girl who just got her ears pierced...they turned on me.

We finished the transaction and I pretty much ended up dragging Lauren out with one arm and dragging the stroller out with the other. I was mortified and trying to hide the steam coming out of my ears.

After that, I went and found Josh playing the Wii at Game Stop with mom, where, while waiting for him to finish his game, a small child had taken down his pants in the middle of the store and his mother was screaming. Oh God did I laugh. Once mom and I composed ourselves, I realized that I had just witnessed God's sense of humor again. He's good!

Then we went to Von Maur to look at the Shoe Sale room. Lauren had ball and made every woman in the department chuckle. She tried on about a dozen pairs of shoes and brought out a selection to mom to try on as well.

And with that we were done with our shopping excursion.

Saturday we went to the Blairstown Sauerkraut Days parade. Miss Diva was "in the zone" and ready for some serious candy.



The kids had a blast and got a ton of candy. And although it was a typical Iowa parade (tractor, farm animal, tractor, farm animal) it made me miss small town living. You know where everyone knows everyone and families have been friends for 30+ years.






After the parade I pushed Josh in the stroller and carried Lauren on my hip. The kids got the candy so mama wanted her funnel cake. Fortunately I got my funnel cake...



but soon the smell of sauerkraut got to me and we had to leave...quick.

Sunday we worked in the basement and Monday we heard that Larry's brother had passed away. I quickly gave the kids a bath and got them dressed so we could join the family at the farm.

While bathing Lauren I noticed a few red marks on her face. But by the time I buckled her into the car I noticed they had spread. So I stopped at a pharmacy and picked up some cortizone cream.

We headed to the farm and expressed our condolences, looked at old pictures and visited for awhile. Dustin had taken the kids out to the barn to see the horses and Josh had attached himself to four defenseless kittens. Shortly after we got there, Dustin brought Lauren in and I realized she was covered in red spots.

Turns out, what we thought was chicken pox, was merely a reaction to the chicken pox vaccination she had received two weeks prior. Unfortunately, my camera died and I didn't get any pictures and of course by the time I found the charger...they have cleared up.

Tomorrow is Kris' funeral. I can't imagine losing a brother, let alone a child. No parent should ever have to go through that. I know tomorrow will be a difficult day for many people and I continue to pray for everyone's strength and comfort. We certainly are blessed, at times like these, to have our faith in God.

Baby Update: 12 weeks

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.