penguins

So we were singing a song from Africa in my kindergarten class today so I showed them on my map where Africa is. I told them that in Africa, most schools aren't as lucky as we are and they don't have fun playground equipment to play on at recess. So instead, they might play kickball in the dirt, or sing songs with games, and then a little girl raised her hand. She said, "OR, they might pretend to be penguins!"

Yes, yes they might.

giggles

Brecken had a great case of the giggles tonight while playing a new "game". It involved putting his cars down my zipper hoodie, then lifiting the hoodie up to let the cars fall out. We played that "game" for quite a while tonight- he would laugh, then I would laugh at his laugh, which made him laugh harder. It was quite fun!

I discovered teeth #8 and #9 tonight. His left bottom tooth next to the two middle ones finally came in. I also discovered one on his top right gum, in the middle of his mouth. He HATES us looking for new teeth. And the little man knows when we are talking about it somehow, and he shuts his mouth TIGHT and turns his head. In order to get a good look in his mouth, we have to get him laughing and hanging upside down so he doesn't have a choice but to open his mouth. :)

holy macaroni

I'm sure glad I made it home today- the roads were slicker than snot but it wasn't snowing or blowing. I pull into town and BOOM. The storm hit. I was inside getting B for literally 10 minutes and when I came back out, I had to scrape my windows. I couldn't see where my street was to turn on to until I was right there. B and I sat in the car for 10 minutes (with seatbelts on because I thought the car was going to get blown over!!) because I couldn't see the front door, which is no more than 10 feet away from the car. Then I decided I better get B inside before the tree blew over because the car sits underneath. So I covered him up and we ran for it.

Here is what it looked like from my front door. There IS a street and stuff beyond the yard, but you wouldn't know by looking at this picture. It's been like this now for an hour and a half.

fun with blocks

Stacey posted a year's worth of weekly challenges in her blog at the beginning of January. I don't usually have a ton of time to be super creative, but this week's challenge I figured I could get knocked out while playing with Brecken this afternoon. This week was "words". Here's my go at it:

It bothered me that the C and the O were the same colors- it's not very symmetrical this way. However, I couldn't find another color of either letter. So, I fulfilled last week's challenge, too- "Photoshop before and after" and did a real quick fix. Could be better, but at least the two letters aren't the same color anymore:

Like I said, it was a quick fix and actually now that I look at it, it looks pretty terrible. But here it is anyway.

reaction

Brecken had an allergic reaction to his antibiotic. I noticed a rash on his belly while I got him dressed this morning. He was going to Deb's house for the morning while we had a district in-service, so Jake looked at it real quick and confirmed that it was an allergic reaction. So, we quit that antibiotic and will start Amoxicillin (or however it's spelled) tomorrow. I hate that one- it's a LOT (1 1/2 tsp!), twice a day, for 10 days. Last time, B hated it by day 3 and I had to disguise it in his milk. I was really hoping this first antibiotic would work since it's only 1/4 teaspoon, once a day, for 5 days. But, the rash on his belly and back which is now creeping up his arms and down his legs, isn't worth it! B is now logged in the pharmacist's computer as allergic to a medicine. I'll have to write down the name so I can put it in all his medical records.

He sure is feeling better today though. He was easily aggitated this morning but when I skipped the work-in-your-room time at school this afternoon to go pick him up and take him home, he was having a good time. Jake and Deb are big BYU fans (and we are NOT!!) and they had a BYU jersey on B this afternoon. He sure was proud of it- he ran up to Josh and I, stuck out his little belly, grinned, and patted that jersey. Jake said he felt better because he had that thing on. We'll have to dress B up in his WYO gear on Monday. :)

We went to Josh's game tonight. They played Hanna here at home. No JV game so we just watched the varsity. With 15.4 seconds left in the game, we were down by 2 and one of the best players got fouled, but she got hurt on the way down. This girl reminds me of the Bionic Woman already, with her hi-tech leg braces on both legs because her knees are so bad, and she hurt her knee really badly tonight. They even called the ambulance. Josh went with her, as did the girl's mom. The team tried hard to win it, but were on the short end at the buzzer and we lost 55-53. Bummer. We didn't stay for the boy's game since Josh wasn't there anymore and B wasn't interested in watching more basketball, so we came home. Tomorrow the teams are at home again against Wyoming Indian.

oh, thank goodness, mommy's home!!

Man, did I come back to a mess when I got home from Sheridan yesterday afternoon! Monday night, Josh called me to ask if I would please come home. I couldn't for two reasons: I was chaperoning students AND the only way I'd be able to make it home was if I stole the school bus and left everyone there! I guess he had gotten the stomach bug and threw up all night.

Brecken had been whiny that day and that night, after Josh finally quit puking, came to sleep with Josh. Josh said he was really hot but he thought he was just getting some more teeth. Tuesday Josh stayed home from school and Brecken stayed with him but didn't have much life in him. Wednesday, B went to Deb's house where he still didn't have much life to him and when I got there at 3:50 to pick him up, Deb had to wake him up from a 3 1/2 hour nap, which never happens! I knew then that it wasn't teeth coming in, but that B was sick.

Since I knew he wasn't feeling good and all he wanted was to be held, he slept with me and Josh. I should retract that- there was not much sleeping going on. He kept tossing and turning and crying, which in turn meant Josh and I did not sleep. He was also BURNING up. I took his temp at 2:45 and it scared the daylights out of me- 103.5!! I about cried- fevers scare me ever since my niece Karlee went into a seizure because of a fever. So I called my sister and bless her heart, she answered her phone at that un-godly hour! She said to get some ibuprofen in him (which I had already) and get him to drink some cold water. He chugged it. At 3:15, his fever was 102.2. Josh went to the couch to get some sleep and I stayed with B. I didn't sleep. Actually, I slept for about 10 minutes and in that 10 minutes, B managed to fall off the bed. I felt so bad. :( He didn't hurt himself though, it just scared him.

I called in to work today and stayed home with Brecken. Josh called Deb and Jake to say we wouldn't be bringing B over today and Jake said to bring B into the clinic. He's seen lots of 1 year olds this week with fevers that last for a few days and then go away, but he wanted to make sure B didn't have an ear infection. So I called as soon as they opened and they said to come in right away. And B doesn't only have one ear infection, he has TWO! Poor kid- no wonder he wasn't feeling good!!! So we went to the store, got his antibiotic and some Pedialyte, and came home to take a good long nap. He's been very clingy this afternoon but I've managed to get one or two smiles out of him. Right now, he's sleeping next to me on the chair.

So, I got a big huge "Thank goodness! Mommy's home!" when I got back. I feel bad that I was gone while both of my boys were sick!! I'm glad Josh is feeling better. He went back to school yesterday. Let's hope it's not my turn to get sick this weekend!!!

brr

Brecken and I took the opportunity to go outside this afternoon while there was a slight break in the wind. It was so windy this morning that I could hardly see the deer across the street in the field because the snow was being blown sideways! We were only out for a few minutes but it was nice to get some air. This picture shows you his totally fake cry- he didn't think he wanted to walk in his snow boots and wanted me to carry him! Wuss.


Josh should be home in a little while. His team went to Farson to play on Friday, then spent the night in Rock Springs before playing in Cokeville today. His varsity team won their game last night but lost pretty badly today.


Tomorrow I leave for Sheridan. The All-State music convention starts tomorrow night and goes through Tuesday night. We are coming home on Wednesday. I had a choir student make it into the All-State choir, and we are going to travel with the 5 kids and 2 teachers from Saratoga, as well as the 1 student and 1 teacher from Hanna. Cross your fingers for a break in the storm tomorrow while traveling, and again on Wednesday when we come home!!

tooth #7

Josh found a new tooth in B's mouth on Sunday. We had been looking for one, but not in the spot where it was found! It's on his top left gum, in the middle of nowhere. I think it's the one next to the I-tooth, in-between that and the molars. We were looking at his bottom gums for new teeth- he still only has the front two down there! Guess we were looking in the wrong spot. We don't know when this new one came in- it's been there for a few days because there was quite a bit showing through. I asked B on Sunday if it was easier to chew with his new tooth and he nodded yes. Silly kid. I love asking him questions- he gets the answer right 99% of the time but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what all the questions mean!!

Also on Sunday, he picked up one of his baby socks, took it to Josh, and put it down on Josh's foot and pressed real hard for it to stay there. We laughed for quite a while about that one- B wanted to put socks on Daddy!!!

ping-pong

My best dog ever, Pongo, died yesterday morning. He was the dog we got when my dad and sister and I went to Casper one day and decided to adopt a puppy, even though my mom had said NO! We brought him home, this tiny little bundle of fur, and when my mom came home and saw him, she said, "What is that?" We said, "Duh, Mom, it's a dog!" She then replied, "Well, what is it doing here?" She eventually learned to love him, though she would pet him most when she thought people weren't looking. :) We named him Pongo, because he looked like those tiny little puppies from 101 Dalmations after they had rolled in the soot and then got rain drops on them. My grandpa always called him Ping-Pong. He was the dog that had to take a stuffed animal with him while on a walk to the mailbox once. He was the dog that always slept at the foot of my bed. He was the dog that loved car rides, but hated hotel rooms, so he was happier sitting in the car looking at the door to our room. We'd have to drag him in the room to go to sleep. He was the dog who knew I was moving to college and wouldn't drop his tennis ball to give me a lick goodbye- I cried more about leaving my dog than I did about leaving my parents! He was the dog that would pick up his stuffed football and do a victory lap around the house every time we yelled, "TOUCHDOWN!" He was the dog that somehow got into a zipped tight backpack, into a Ziplock bag, and opened a big bag of chocolate cookies and ate every single one of them. He was the most gentle dog in the world, and I'm going to miss him so much. He turned 14 years old last August and had recently gotten pretty sick. He had always suffered from a thyroid condition that was regulated with medication and a strict diet, but the vet discovered a tumor on his bladder a couple months ago. I knew when I saw him at Christmas that it would be the last time. I cried for miles after saying goodbye to him at Christmastime and I'm still crying today after receiving the news that my mom and dad had to put him to sleep yesterday after he took a severe turn for the worse on Friday. They said he was snoring before the injection was even finished, so they knew he was happy with their decision. And I'm glad he won't be sick and suffering anymore, but I'm sure going to miss my dog. He was most definitely the best dog ever. Hopefully he's up in Heaven with my grandpa, so Grandpa and Ping-Pong can keep each other company.

varsity debut

Josh made his Varsity coaching debut last night with his basketball team. The head coach is extremely pregnant and in fact is being induced on Monday if she doesn't go on her own this weekend. She was told at her appointment this week that under no circumstances was she allowed to travel with the team this weekend, so Josh is now in charge of the Varsity girls. The assistant boy's coach from last year is taking this year off but stepped in to help out while Amy is out of commission.

Anyway, the point of this post is, that in Josh's Varsity debut, they WON! The team went to Baggs last night and beat them. They traveled to Burns today and the last text message from Josh said the JV won and it was time for the Varsity to play. Josh was very nervous to coach Varsity, but I don't quite know why. I guess I just don't understand the game, because to me, a basketball game is a basketball game, whether it's Varsity or JV!

The football team was supposed to serve lunch at the speech meet at the high school today, but none of the coaches were in town- they were all gone for sporting events. So it was all the wives serving a taco lunch today. B is grouchy today and wouldn't let me put him down, so serving lunch one handed was a lovely experience. :) Good fundraiser for the team though.

a sleepover?

So Brecken LOVES his new babysitter. In fact, this afternoon, I had to chase him down to get him to put his coat on! He didn't want to come home. His friend Chandler, Deb's 2 1/2 year old son, told me, "Brecken can stay." I said, "Oh? Are you going to have a sleepover?" Chandler said, "Yeah!" and I look over and Brecken was nodding his head with a big smile on his face. :) I told him we probably needed to sleep at our own house but that he could come back tomorrow and play. Boy, was he mad at me for making him come home! I guess that's a good sign, that the new place is working out! I know he's getting a lot of attention there- Deb asked me to put new books in his diaper bag because she read each one (there were three in there) four times today. :)

Here's another one of B's new things: He now sits on the dogs like he's riding a horse while they are laying down. He thinks it's fun to bounce up and down on them like he's on his Bounce and Spin Zebra that Santa brought him. Birdie isn't so hot on it- she gets up and bucks him off. Good ol' Hogan though, just lays there and tolerates it. I swear, if dogs can roll their eyes, Hogan certainly is!!

playing

Brecken and I spent the day playing hard and reading lots of books. He's such a goof lately- laughing and flirting and trying to trick me- it's pretty funny. He has two new things that he does a lot- he will now say, "uh-oh!!" when something drops (whether on accident or on purpose!) and his really funny one- he turns his hands over and almost shrugs his shoulders in an "I don't know, Mom!" pose when you ask him a question he doesn't know the answer to. It's quite funny.

lonely

Well, Josh isn't coming home tonight. His teams were in Yoder playing ball this afternoon. The two buses decided to wait in Cheyenne for the Speech bus who was also in Cheyenne and then all decide what to do. Josh's principal was on his way home from Cheyenne and called and said the summit between Laramie and Cheyenne was pretty nasty, and then some parents of one of the boys called and said they slid off the road on the summit. I've been checking Road and Travel and after Laramie, highway 230 (through Wood's Landing and up through Encampment) is no unnecessary travel, but highway 30 through Rock River, Medicine Bow, and Hanna is normal- slick in spots and windy. One of the bus drivers freaked out and won't drive tonight, so they all have to stay. Josh is ticked- they keep getting calls from parents saying once you get to Laramie, the roads are OK if you pick the right road. Josh said they could've been home by now if they would've just kept going and not waited for the speech team. And his poor head coach really wants to be home- she's VERY pregnant (being induced on the 14th unless she goes sooner) and was barely even allowed to go on this trip, and now she's stuck overnight with kids, making her more tired. Josh said everyone is blaming me for being stuck in Cheyenne because I made Josh bring an overnight bag. I jinxed them. :)

So, I'm on my own tonight. :(

Don't know how the boys' games went but both girl teams lost. By a lot, from what I could gather. Josh didn't tell me the scores, but he was kind of laughing when he told me they lost, so I'm gathering they lost by a ton. I'll have to go look on the web.

new daycare

Brecken is starting with a new babysitter tomorrow. He'll now be full time at Dr. Jake and Deb's house. If you want to know the story, email me and I'll let you know. I don't want to post it on here because it's a public blog and I don't want say anything negative. But Josh and I are excited about the new plan!

15 months old

Brecken had his 15 month appointment before we left for Christmas. He's a growing boy! He's now 19 pounds even and getting closer to that percentile chart. His head grew as well and is in the 75th percentile and he is now 31 inches tall, in the 50th percentile!

We got some stuff taken out of his room and rearranged his room so that he can now have his bigger toys in it. He sure likes playing back there. And it's nice to not have everything he owns in the living room. :)