Monthly Archives: May 2008

Swimming Lessons

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The Parks and Rec magazine came out a while ago and the kids wanted to take some sort of class. We went through the options and at first they chose ice skating. Then they changed their minds to swimming.

So I was going to sign them up but then we got the idea that Jamie could teach them. We can use the neighborhood pool as much as we want for free and figured they could set a day of the week and time and have their regular lessons all summer long.

Ani thought the idea was great. She likes the idea of anything that means more time spent with Daddy. Cameron thought it was a terrible idea. Then I told him that Jamie had been a lifeguard and a competitive swimmer. All of a sudden, in Cameron’s eyes, his father was qualified to teach swimming lessons.

They’re starting their classes today.

Naughty yet clever kids

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We are in the process of rearranging our computers. Getting everything completed has taken a backseat to getting everyone healthy over the last couple weeks, however, so changes have only been half made mostly. The iMac is now being used as our main computer, the eMac for school purposes, and the MacBook will be the server for things like Rosetta Stone. The iMac and MacBook have internet access. The kids are limited to 1 1/2 hours per day on the iMac.

For a couple days this week the big kids were being very secretive and doing a lot of whispering which of course made me suspicious. I was barely able to move at that point so mostly ignored it, but they were getting more and more sneaky, so Wednesday I went down to the rec room and Ani was nowhere to be found. I went into the unfinished side of the basement to get something and there was Ani hiding in there with the MacBook happily playing some on-line game. Apparently they had been using the internet with no time limit on the MacBook for a couple days.

When I told Jamie he wasn’t sure whether to be proud for figuring out how to get around their time limits or mad for them doing it. Of course they knew they had done something wrong so punishment was necessary. They will be able to use the iMac again tomorrow. Definitely clever, but still naughty.

Daddy-Kid Dates

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While Jamie was in Colorado he went to see a couple movies. The kids decided that when he got back he’d have to take them to see movies. Of course then Fritz got sick and I got sick so the Daddy-Kid date movies waited until Monday.

First he took Ani to see Prince Caspian. Then he brought her home, we ate lunch, and he took Cameron to see Iron Man. He really pushed for Cameron to choose the new Indiana Jones movie since Jamie had seen Iron Man while in Colorado, but Cameron insisted on seeing Iron Man.

Of course Fritz was not very happy with Ian not being home much and taking his siblings out but not him. By the time Jamie and Cameron had been gone for a couple hours Fritz sat himself in the kitchen in front of the window and started calling “Daddy! Daddy!” and asking me “Where Daddy?” and “When Daddy home?” Guess Fritz needs a Daddy-Kid date, too.

My Weird Body

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I have a huge aversion to sweat. Since I’ve been sick I’ve been sweating a whole lot. I think my aversion stems from being allergic to something in my sweat and if it sits on my skin for too long I end up with a nasty rash. I can’t even wear my wedding ring all the time because I get a rash underneath it.

Over time I have developed another weird thing that apparently actually goes along with the allergy to my own sweat. If I take a bath that is too hot I get welts on my ankles. They itch and look horrible. Benadryl cream takes care of it. It’s really strange.

The welty thingy is another reason I’m not sure if I’ll have this baby in the birth tub or not. The tub is in my basement ready to be set up if I decide to use it. I guess time (and being in labor) will tell.

A PSA

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How dilated (or not) you are at 36 weeks or later does not indicate you will (or won’t) go into labor soon. Having contractions that fizzle out (or not) does not indicate you will (or won’t) go into labor soon. Dilation prior to labor only means you have that much less to dilate when you actually go into labor. No one, not even a doctor, can tell you when you will go into labor based on dilation.

More Sickies

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We spent several hours Monday night (really early Tuesday morning) in the ER. Fritz and I arrived in an ambulance and Jamie and the big kids followed in the van. Sunday Fritz started running a fever and we assumed it was just the virus going around the toddlers at church. The other little ones just had a fever for a few days and no other issues. Fritz, however, never does things like everyone else.

By Monday night he was really sick. Clearly by the way he was coughing he had croup. Again. He woke up at 11 and 1 and filling the bathroom with steam from the shower helped his strider go away so he could settle down and sleep. Then he woke up at 3 and we tried the whole thing again, only this time he couldn’t get his breath and the steam did nothing. Since he was having so much trouble getting air and sounding worse and worse we called 911. They got here and checked him over and after hearing his cough they said he really should be taken to the ER.

By the time we got to the ER his breathing was much better except when he’d start coughing again. He had x-rays (definitively confirmed the diagnosis of croup) and they tried to give him oral steroids. Fritz, my child who loves to take medicine, spit it right out. The doctor was not surprised since it apparently tastes like liquid aluminum. Yummy. So Fritz got a shot of steroids (followed by lots of glaring at the nurse who gave him the shot).

His fever broke that morning and the steroids have done their job of opening his airway and letting him breathe normally. He’s got a nasty cough (anyone who didn’t know he had croup would now think he just has a really bad cold) and sometimes coughs so much he throws up. Poor little guy.

And of course he has shared his germs. Cameron and I have coughs, now, too. It’s much more occasional than Fritz’s and not nearly so severe, but still not pleasant. Especially for me. Coughing at 9 months pregnant really isn’t my idea of a good time.

Kick Counts

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I’ve never been able to do kick counts. Three of my kids would have failed every time and one would have reached the required number in about 30 seconds. Instead I’ve just always made sure I’ve felt the three quiet ones at least a couple times during the day.

No second TV needed after all

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We came up with a solution to the need for a TV in the school room without getting another TV. Instead we got an iMac.

The eMac is now in the school room ready to be used for watching the science and math DVDs and also for the kids to play their school games (which are, so far, Music Ace Deluxe, Rosetta Stone Spanish, and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing) and to do word processing. It’s not connected to the internet.

Our new iMac is in the dining room where the eMac used to be. A nice bonus is Leopard (the newest version of the OS X operating system) has controls that allow the parents to determine the hours and amount of time per day a login can be used so now the kids are limited to 1 1/2 hours of non-school games per day. Ani would spend all day on the computer if we let her.

We survived

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A few weeks ago we agreed that Jamie could be sent to a training class in Colorado. The options were this week or in July or August. We decided that this week would be better. Although I’d be 36 weeks pregnant, I wouldn’t have a new baby. So Jamie went to his class.

By the time we got to the actual week I started wondering what in the world we were thinking. I wasn’t worried about having the baby early. My babies seem to need extra cooking time so even though there is 3 weeks until my due date, I’m expecting 4 or so weeks before he arrives. But, I’m 9 months pregnant. I’m tired and sore. And Ian puts the toddler to bed every night.

The week ended up not being bad at all for the most part. The big kids are incredibly helpful in keeping the house clean. They do 10 minutes of acts of kindness (random chores I assign) in the morning, 10 more minutes at night, and their daily chores for about 15 or 20 minutes in the afternoon. I’ve pretty much only had to do laundry, cook (convenience food has been my friend), start the dishwasher, and vacuum and I still have a clean house even at the end of the week.

The only issue was getting Fritz to sleep. I’m very tired and ready for bed most nights by 8:30. Fritz likes to stay up until about an hour later. Even nursing him doesn’t knock him out any earlier. And then we spent the afternoon at my friend’s house on Wednesday and Fritz fell asleep on the couch at 7. While that made bedtime easy, he woke up at 4:30 Thursday. Thursday night he went to sleep at 7:30 (Fritz basically does not nap – he took two 15 minute naps during the day Thursday). Friday morning he was up at 6:45, but that was a half hour after I woke up on my own so that was fine. So even bedtime wasn’t too horrible, though I am glad Ian will be back to getting the boy to sleep starting tonight.

So we survived and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. We’re all happy to be able to pick Jamie up this evening, though. The big kids can understand how long it is until Jamie will get home, but Fritz is still too little. He has asked me several times “Where Daddy go?” and has spent quite some time sitting at the kitchen window saying “Need Daddy!” and “Daddy home!”