Slade's Birthday, Part 1

Even though he was not born until after lunch at 12:44, he woke up on Thursday to green & gold balloons in his bed! We were going for the camo theme but there were no brown balloons at WalMart.

 He also lost a tooth the night before, but he forgot to put it under his pillow with all the birthday excitement.

 Kyle brought him a special birthday breakfast-his favorite Chick Fill a breakfast biscuit!

 I made cinnamon crisp cookies for his classroom. Finley helped me wrap them all up individually with camo ribbon and he passed them out when they left school that afternoon.

 Somebody with bed head loved loved loved the balloons.

 When Kyle came home from work, we had birthday dinner and opened presents. Slade requested his favorite that I make-homemade chicken strips with mashed potatoes. We also had cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, and rolls. I never fry anything, so chicken strips are a treat around here!

Birthday present time!

 Kyle picked out two new jogging suit outfits for him. It's what all the 4th graders are wearing now. Since he only had two, and wore them every other day, the new outfits were welcomed by us all!

 His BIG present was his new laptop! Cita and Nana went in on this with us. I was particularly excited because he has taken over my Mac laptop and I never get to use my own computer. So he was getting a computer whether he wanted one or not. And he loved it! He also got some new Nike socks, an airsoft rifle, a camo tent/sleeping back, a shooting game, and cash. He was one lucky boy!

 Nana brought him his mini cake when they arrived after dinner. He gobbled it right up and none of us even got a taste!

Ten Terrific Years!!!

Happy 10th Birthday!

Happy Birthday, my precious precious boy. I cannot believe you are DOUBLE DIGITS!!! Where has the time gone? The first time I laid eyes on you, I had no idea what a blessing you would be. You are smart, funny, handsome, kind, and loving. You make me proud every day. Ten years have gone by in a flash! Ten years ago tonight, I sat on my hospital bed and held you in my arms. I had no idea how much work it would be nor how much I would love being your mom. What an awesome kid you have become! I love you! Happy 10th Birthday, Landon Slade Smart!

And Still Sick

And after I posted about the flu this morning, I ran some errands and went to the mall a few hours alone(mainly for my sanity). When I got home, Finley was running 102 fever and I ran her up to the Kids Clinic. Yep, now she's got strep throat. Geez!!! The Smarts need some immune boosters!!!

Sicky Sicky

I had every intention of getting all my Christmas photos and Gunnar's bday pics blogged and then it happened.............

The FLU! It arrived just in time to ruin our week!!! I've been doing alot of holding this boy all week. It's not been the best of times this week at our house. Here's the story. All last weekend Finley ran fever and laid around. She said nothing hurt but she was just cold and tired. No other symptoms besides fever, so I figured she caught a cold. On Sunday night, Gunnar started running fever. I thought he caught Finley's cold. We didn't have school on Monday, so the baby I keep(have I mentioned I keep a baby on M/W/F?) came and I had a house full of kids. Monday night, we woke up to Gunnar running 103 and we finally got it to go down by about 6 that morning. Of course, I couldn't send him to school (sadly, bc momma needs a break) but Slade and Fin got ready and went. Finley at this point is still dragging, but no fever and just is tired. I called my drs office and made G an appointment because I figured he needed his ears checked just to make sure we weren't sitting around with ear infections. At this point, he still only has fever, nothing else. At the drs office, she wanted to swab him for the flu and I was thinking that he doesn't have flu, but whatever. Well......ten minutes later she comes back and tells me he has the flu AND rsv. WHAT?!?! That is crazy! We figured that Finley also had the flu that weekend and probably passed it to Gunnar. Super. Another week in the house!!! And the baby was exposed on Monday and she couldn't come Wednesday or Friday.

None of us have ever had the flu. So I rushed to the health food store. We've been taking Oscillococcinum.

 Poor Gunnar has been on this and Tylenol and Motrin every three hours.

 I've also got the entire family on these.

 And some of this. Yes, I have germ issues. But I really don't want the rest of us to get sick.

 Night time and nap time has been a nightmare. Gunnar looks like a baby in this photo-funny! As miserable as it has been, I'm so thankful that he and Fin only had fever symptoms. And as far as the rsv, he hasn't coughed at all. Very strange!?! He's just been a grump.

 I felt horrible that I didn't know Finley had the flu. She came home from school on Tuesday and Wednesday, worn out. She fell asleep Wednesday and slept several hours, which is very NOT like her. So I decided to keep her home with Gunnar on Thursday and let her rest. They both haven't had an appetite and are so tired.  Fin stayed in her jammies all day on Thursday.

I'm pretty sure Gunnar has lived on chocolate milk the past two weeks. I'm hoping his appetite will return soon! He's on the last day of his meds while I continue to clean, spray, and pump us full of vitamins!!! And as far as myself, I have been with a child/children since December 21st and it's starting to  wear me down. I really, really need a day to run errands and frankly just get out of this darn house!!!! House arrest is no fun! Please excuse me while I spray Lysol.

School Parties Or Party......

For some reason, my photos are not spacing in the correct order and it's really on my nerves! Oh well, here it goes, in no particular order.......

Finley is working on her shaving cream snowman at her Kindergarten Christmas Party. 

Here's the letter that started the puppy ordeal, fiasco, or whatever you want to call it. Santa is still on the naughty list.

This is Gunnar chasing bubbles in his school room one afternoon in December when I came to pick him up. I love to watch them when they don't know you are there!

Finley all dressed up the morning of her school party. Here's the deal with the parties.....I went to Finley's on the Wednesday before school was out. I didn't go to Gunnar's on Thursday because it was at a time where I would have had to leave him there and I was afraid that my being at school and leaving him there would ruin his day-and the teacher's. They just have a little snack and exchange a book so I didn't feel too bad for not going. And poor Slade missed his fourth grade party. He woke up with the upset stomach! Of all days! He was bummed!!!

 Finley and Kyle

Finley and I at the library during her party. I cannot believe that half of the school year is gone!!!

Christmas Morning 2012

On Christmas morning, we woke up to a WHITE CHRISTMAS!!! After very unusually warm temps all through the month of December, this was a treat!!! What a perfect day for snow!!!

Kyle and I woke up before the kids and could not wait to show them the snow outside our windows! This is Slade in his camo in the snow later that morning.

My photos ended up not spacing out in the correct order for my story, so I will have to do the best I can! So we woke all the kids up around seven so they could see the snow. Santa had left their gifts under the tree. Slade got a new airsoft gun, Gunnar got a little wagon with some goodies inside, and Finley had this note left in gift sack...............

It was clear to us that the only thing Finley wrote on her Santa letter was that she wanted a dog......

All three of them were stunned when they opened the door to the washroom and this ball of fluff ran out! I think Finley was speechless. She's been wanting a dog for a while now. Looks like Santa is in big TROUBLE!!! :)

Christmas breakfast was homemade blueberry muffins, eggs, and bacon.

Gunnar ran fever the entire week of Christmas and he has refused to eat more than a morsel for two weeks now. This is him "eating" his breakfast.

Enjoying the puppy after opening gifts.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Gunnar loved his Fishing Game!

The pup watched Finley open all her gifts.

Several days later, Finley decided on the name Austin. He is 7 weeks old and is a Shorkie. He is half Shih-tzu and half Yorkie.

Gunnar was just happy to run around in the paper and mess with the dog.

This was Christmas Eve-we bribed G into eating a yogurt pop.

Finley's forced smile as she left Santa his homemade cookies and milk

The Smarties-December 25, 2012