Peek-A-Boo, Spring...

Now we see you...



Now we don't...

Confession...

Okay, this is going to sound ridiculous, but I just have to get this off my chest.

Sometimes our toilets can get to a place where they look less than desirable. Sometimes, one of them can look just down right gross. Such was the case with one of our porcelain thrones just yesterday. And even though because the cleaners were coming this morning, last night I actually scrubbed the toilet and cleaned it myself. Is that ridiculous?!? (Jena, you can't answer, as I already know that this probably sounds totally reasonable to you. LOL!)

Oh my goodness.... cleaning for the cleaners!!

Now I had to blog this because someday when my children are reading this blog book when I'm old and gray - I want them to know I was always crazy (and a little anal retentive) and I didn't just get that way in my old age.

So, here is proof.

Welcome my step Sister!

Yay! I am so happy because my step sister and very close friend, Laura, has finally put together a blog! http://ourfourlittlemonkeys.blogspot.com/

Laura is home schooling her 4 kids and between her and my sister, Stephanie, I have gleened TONS of good ideas and advice from her - not only just on home schooling - but on parenting, as well- as her kids are just a little bit older than my own.

Please hop over to her site and say hello!!

Another day, another Dr. visit...

Can the third time be a charm? Please... will it mean that my kids will FINALLY be getting better soon??

Grace was in on Monday.

Alex was in yesterday.

And, although my little Ariana had been doing much better the last couple of days, "this morning" at midnight she spiked a 104 fever. That was interesting. Instead of being fussy and crying, she was actually almost delirious. She was babbling away and "talking" about all sorts of things... pointing out the window, pointing up to the ceiling, using such exaggerated inflection when she was "describing" what she was "talking" about (yes, this was my 17 month old. No, she doesn't really talk using real words... at least not more than a handful of them).

So, off we went, back to the Dr.'s office again today.

"Hi! It's me, again! Nothing's changed (on our insurance) since yesterday!" ... I joked to the front desk receptionist ladies.

No one laughed.

I guess I don't blame them. I'd probably be ticked, too, if the same Mom kept bringing her Influenza infested children within breathing distance of me, day after day, all week. It was interesting, though, because today they ushered us immediately into an exam room. And, interestingly, it was the same room I was in with "Influenza Alex" yesterday. Maybe they have a special "disgusting germs" room that they designate to stick the ones they know are carrying junk.

Anyway, so the nurse came and did the nose swab. But she stuck it so far up Ariana's left nostril that she broke a capillary, or something. It bled. It bled more. It is still bleeding 6 hours later (not kidding). Nice.

But the flu test was not why I came in. Already knew it would be positive. I wanted them to check (gulp) her ears.

Could it be?!? Another ear infection? She had one mid-Jan. A double infection in February. And, yep... you guessed it. Yet another one now. So, I left with a script for Augmentin this time. This is the 3rd antibiotic she's had in about 10 weeks. I am not happy about this, at all.

In many ways, I am very thankful and grateful that I live in a day and age where there are antibiotics available. But, I am not liking this pattern with Ariana. Depending on how this turns out, we may have to start considering tubes (which scares the pants off of me, to even think about putting my baby to sleep).

But, for now, she will take this (3rd) round of antibiotics and I will just hope and PRAY that these ear infections will take a hike once and for all!

Desperado's...

Because (although this is fun) we are tired of finding crazy ways to entertain ourselves inside




We thought we'd pretend it was nice enough outside to do a little bit of this...





And with our winter coats on, it actually was (for a little while)




It was so nice to see smiles!

These smiles...

And especially these smiles...

My interpretation of "180 degrees"

From this...

1 PM Monday

To this...

10:00 a.m. Tuesday

The girls were both MUCH better this morning. We were sooo relieved and thankful for their quick healing! As the day went on, the noise level increased (a lot) and by about 3 PM we had full fledged running (racing) around the house... chasing, laughing, teasing, fighting, more laughing, and more chasing.

So glad my girls are back!

The (Not So) Great Way to Celebrate

Easter lunch at my Mom's house started out like this...


1:00 PM Mike blessed the meal and thanked Jesus for the meaning of Easter...





1:10 PM Enjoying every bit of Easter meal





1:30 Yummm... don't forget the pie!





3:00 PM "Mommy, I feel really cold."



3:30 PM Wants to go to bed.
Heads straight in herself.
103 fever.
Cold rag on forehead.
Asks her best friend to keep her company,
which he happily does by sitting on her bedroom floor and coloring.




Monday...


Gracie moved this much the entire day.
From here...




To here...



Except when I took her to the Dr. at 2 PM to confirm what I already knew.

And it's not just her.



Here is how I keep track of the Tylenol given throught the day...




Thankfully, Alex seems to be fine. Ariana is quite sick, but at least she is walking around.
Grace has not moved all day and has been staring off into space with glassy eyes.

Yes, it is concerning. I hate it when the kids are sick, but I just keep repeating the promise in John 14:13-14 and trusting that she will be well soon.

Still here...

Hi! We decided not to come back.






Ever.





So today, we'll be doing a little more of this...

And this...

And a whole lot more of this...

And certintly not seeing any of this....

OR this...

And definitely not doing a single bit of this...

Great news!

For all you faithful blog readers (yes, you both know who you are... lol) - I have great news! We are fiiiiinnnnaaallllly heading home later this afternoon. NO more boring pictures of my kids in their beach attire frolicking in the sand and sun. Next time I post, I will be 1600 miles NORTH in beautiful MN, watching the snow showers come down. Horray!

Goodbye, Florida- we're coming home...



And I am just about this happy about it...

See you soon!

"remember when i was 1 and got stung by a jellyfish?"

... Alex asked me this morning as we walked hand in hand on the beach.

Actually, that never happened. My son never got stung by a jellyfish. He did, however, get stung by a bee in his eye when he was one.


My kids have a love/hate relationship with the jellyfish on the beach. They are just as fascinated by them, as they are afraid. Actually, they are not afraid- I am afraid. Because they really do sting... BAD!

They are one thing I will not miss when we leave. They really are a unique creation.

Sebastian's Inlet

Yesterday we spent the morning at Sebastian's Inlet- a really unique area where the ocean is channeled into the Indian River. Surfers surf on the ocean side, anglers crowd the channel & the ocean side to fish, dolphins frolick in the chanel & families can swim in the "inlet" part.














The kids had an absolute blast splashing around for (what seemed like) hours! I was a nervous wreck because the tide in the inlet was so incredibly low that it was only about 30 feet away from the rushing chanel waters that sweep you right out to the ocean (not to mention the shark danger!). There are an unbelievable number of sharks off the coast. Though we've been spending every waking moment on the beach, you won't find any of us actually going IN the water past our ankles! The other night, I actually watched a shark swimming round and round for a good 15 minutes straight out from our house, very close to shore! But going to Sebastian's Inlet gave the kids some fun time in the water as you can see below!






The kids had so much fun watching boats & dolphins in the channel, just feet from where we were splashing around!

"She's so good at that!"

We were pleasantly surprised to see that we now have neighbors "next door" in the townhouse adjacent to ours. We are on a corner unit, so we have no one on one end (just windows with undending vista of the ocean!!) and on the other side it's been empty. But yesterday morning we found a nice family there- a mom, dad & 2 little girls (age 3 & 5). It was nice to have some "life" next to us!

Of course, me being the busybody outgoing person that I am, I immediately took the first opportunity to visit with them. Where are you from? What are you doing here? Blah, blah. A few hours later on we all ended up in our backyard on the beach with our sand pails and shovels not far from each other. As I visited away with the "mom" her 2 girls were off a distance away digging and building a sand castle. The "mom" turned to Grace and said, you can go ahead on over there and play with them if you'd like. And, without hesitation, Grace said, "Okay! I will!" And off she ran up to girls, waving, "Hi!! I'm Grace"- she greeted them- and jumped right in there with them and started digging away.

The "Mom" turned to me - eyes big and wide- and exclaimed, "Wow! She's good!! What a sociable girl!"

Now- fastforward about 45 minutes into my conversation with the "mom" I come to find out that she is a public school teacher and much to her surprise, she comes to find out that my "sociable girl" is home schooled.

To those of us who educate our kids at home, we already know the benefits of home school precisely FOR socializing... how much easier it is to socialize them not only just with kids their exact same age- but a wide range of kids AND adults. They are out in the world most of the day, and in most cases they become much more comfortable interacting with a wide age range of people.

Though we've only been home schooling for a year, I have already been confronted with the "S" word (aka "socialization" to home schooling parents) so many times I've just gotten to the point that I don't even try to explain myself anymore when people wonder how on earth my kids will possibly "get socialized" and turn out to be well adjusted adults.

Now, I just let the kids actions speak for themselves. And, 9 times out of 10, they prove that yes- they are good at that.

Obligatory Pool Pictures

Okay- what is a Florida vacation without the obligatory swimming pool pictures?




Ariana LOVES the water. She is much more brave than the others were at that age. As a matter of fact, we have to sit RIGHT next to her at absolutely all times because she just jumps right in off of the step. She thinks that she can swim, already, since she sees the other 2 doing so. She actually did end up completely submerged the other day. Though I was sitting right next to her on the step, I turned my head for one second to watch the other two and when I looked back, there was Ariana sinking to the bottom of the pool... no kidding. Now, it seemed like it took place in slow motion- but in reality she was probably only under for about 2 seconds- I snapped her up FAST. Not even sure if we could have prevented that from happening- she is so quick! But she didn't mind - and since then, I've dunked her under a couple times to get her used to getting water in her face.



This little guy's favorite thing to do is "walk under water." It's quite difficult, considering that he is wearing a life jacket. But he insists I hold him down under there so he can "walk" along the bottom of the pool. It actually creeps me out a little bit to hold him under there- but he absolutely insists- and he loves it.



My little fish girl.... she is crazy about swimming! My oh my- what a difference one year makes! (And an ungodly amount of money towards swim lessons!). But, then again, that is the point of swim lessons- to teach them to SWIM, and to be safe. She is doing such a great job! I do make her keep her life jacket on most of the time in the pool, though, because there are only 2 of us (parents) and 3 little ones to watch!



Best friends on land... and at "sea."

Wordless Wednesday

Goodbye, Alex...

And helllllllooooooo BATBAN...

Yesterday, when we were in the van, Alex wondered out loud why we had named him Alex.

Alex: Mom, why is my name Alex?

Me: Well, because that is the only name Daddy and I could agree on the name that Daddy and I both love for a boy.

Alex: Well, I don't want to be Alex anymore.

Me: Okay, well what would you like to be called?

Alex: BATBAN!

Me: All right, Batman. You got it. Batman it is.

And because I happened to have my camera right there next to me in the van (of course), I snapped a picture of my new Batboy... ahhemmm... I mean, BATMAN.