We know where the Urgent Care is

Yup, we found it, twice. Greg's mom had to go early Monday morning. She's doing better know. We took Charlotte Monday afternoon after her third pee accident of the day. She had been having 2 or more a day since we left home. She didn't have a fever or pain, but she did have frequency. I was able to get a clean catch at the office (thank god). The sample came back negative for a bladder infection but the doctor wanted to send it for a culture. My FP called back yesterday (I had called him first) and he wanted to make sure a culture had been sent. the Urgent Care just called and said the culture was negative--otherwise she would have to have had several tests done. So, what do we chalk it up to? regression, stress?
Ryan loves the indoor pool, I wish I did. He turns blue after 5 minutes in it. He wants to go all the time. the jacuzzi is very warm, almost hot. He's jumping off the side of the pool now. He no longer wants to live in Alaska, but Indiana--apparently they don't have volcanoes.
We hit the outlet mall about 5 miles away. Ryan can no longer wear slims. He's a 6regular with the waist adjuster pulled in abit. Charlotte is a solid 4 regular. I love the Osh Kosh outlet...
Found a winter down coat at Eddie Bauer for $50 and microfleece pullovers for $8. Love it, love it. Not having wireless in the room really sucks.

Sara

Sara

Warm Today

Today it finally cracked into the 70s. It felt so good taking off a layer. We drove out to the Jamestown Settlement today and wandered around the fort and over the three ships they had at port. Ryan was thrilled to see the rigging and play with the tiller. There were lots of school groups so it was crowded. But they sky was blue and the sun was shining. The fort was a hit. We saw several types of buildings, Ryan saw a old school and church as well as straw beds which Charlotte called "scarecrow beds". She like being on the ships too, but didn't like the dark spaces in the holds. We also went to Yorktown and saw the earth works where the soldiers built hills and valleys against the British. I could live here. there is so much history and I am such a dunce with it. I can't wait to bring the kids back when they are ready for it. I remember as a kid being taken to museum after museum and being bored out of my mind. Now all I want to do is stop and read everything, and the kids just want to climb hills and look at the water, boats and flowers.
I learned how sailors figured out their speed today. The used a 30 second timer and a long rope that had a knot every 42 feet. They put a weighted end of the rope in the water, started the 30 second hourglass and counted knots as the rope was pulled off a reel. there is a mathematical correlation to those nmbers but I forget the innards of that. it was just cool learning where the term "knots" for speed came from.

Sara

We're on Vacation

This phrase was repeated several times yesterday. Overall trip was a little over 10 hours. We left Fairborn after stops at Blockbuster (almost late DVD), Fairborn library (would have been late books), Tim Hortons (Mom skipped breakfast) and the Dungans (had to drop off blanket). We were up until 1 am Friday packing and sorting and tidying as people would be in our house to make sure the cat lived. So we launched at 10am. The GPS was programmed, Greg had an atlas (just in case) and we had about 300 punds of stuff lodged into the van. We had every portable electronic device we owned in the car and sorted. Our first official stop was a rest area where I quickly figured out what I had forgotten. It wasn't my contacts (usually is) or a hairbrush. As the winds blew us into the bathroom, I realized I forgot a coat. Greg had 2, the kids each had one. Go figure. We were an hour out. I drove most of the way and Greg fiddled with the GPS. He hasn't had as much time to play with it as I have. Then he noticed a discrepancy. When our final destination was programmed, it said we were 429 miles away at our house. When he added up the turn by turn, it came to 575. After consulting the atlas, he realized this was true. Oh crap. We just added at least an hour and a half to our trip. Also discovered something annoying to me about the GPS. It gives you an estimated arrival time. I found as I tried to move a little faster, this arrival time didn't budge. This was annoying to a competitive person like me. When we gained, say, 15 minutes, it was time to stop for food or the bathroom. This got worse as the day progressed and it really started to stress me out. We realized an hour away that we wouldn't make it to Norfolk to get Greg's parents. This was disheartening, but they were troopers and rented a car. They were literally 10 minuted behind us to the condo.
A word on traveling with the kids, they were great. My butt was numb by the end but they held on. They were looney for the last hour and Greg was almost ginding his teeth but he agreed the kids did great. A blooper occurred at a great little stop (that I did save in the GPS) Very clean BR, huge beverage and snack collection. Anyway, at some point I napped and Greg drove. I woke up when Greg pulled to a stop and nudged me saying Charlotte had to go to the bathroom. We went in and she changed her mind when she saw the automatic flush. Now she had used one earlier in the day without a blink (hooray, major accomplishment) but now she was more tired. So no go and I informed her that when we stopped at her request, she needed to at least try. Back out to the car. Climbed over luggage and they sat. We were opening our snacks when Charlotte cries "I peed my seat" and sure enough, she had. So eveybody out, seat out, pants off, bottom wiped, huge suitcase open for clean clothes while Mom goes back in to rinse and find a plastic bag. Done. On our way. Three miles later Charlotte cries, "I have to poop!" Well her parents are not complete idiots and we have the emergency potty seat so Greg pulls off at the next ramp. She does her business. We go to get back on the highway and Greg can't find an entrance for I-64 East, just West. the GPS points the way. It take us a few minutes to wonder about the one lane road in the holler and that our trip time just went up by 40 minutes. Zipping thru the turns on the Garmin and I see we are heading for a turnaround--20 miles away. Bur Greg didn't lose it. When he started to shake, we hear a voice from the back "Daddy, do you think Mommy should drive" at which point greg laughs like a loon because even the 5 year old figures that we had a little better luck with me at the wheel.

Sara

She does a faceplant

Charlotte and I went to pick up Ryan and Kaylynn at school this afternoon, per normal. All the kids wanted to play outside and I think it may have been a whopping 40+ degrees. I went out to watch. 1 second Charlotte is running on the sidewalk, I turn my head, come back and she is facedown, screaming on the sidewalk. I walk the sidewalk, the screams become more shrill and she won't get up. I pick her up and she has a mouthful of blood, it's in her hair, up her nose and she continues to scream. I pick her up, take her inside past many shocked faces as the screams go unabated. In the girls room I clean her off some, Chas comes and gives me some ice and Charlotte just can't calm down. I can't tell where the blood is coming from. I go out to collect the other 2, Ryan is on another playground. Chas offers to take Ryan and Kaylynn to Charlotte's. Quick check with Charlotte to make sure it's a go, then little C and I load up. She sniffles and snuffles part of the way and then starts to doze. I holler at her to wake her up (nurse training) and she cries more. I feel terrible. We make it to the ER where she cries more and won't let the nurses touch her. I ask if they have suckers, they offer a popsicle instead (brilliant) She calms down and then continues to perk up over the next three hours in the ER. By the time we check out she is quite chatty. The diagnosis: she tore the flap of skin between her top lip and gum--they bleed alot. She has a gumball sized swelling in the middle of her top lip. Motrin will help with that. Xray confirmed no broken nose. She has road rash on her nose lip and chin. Also, my white winter coat is probably ruined. Oh well. No stitches. I was very calm until the car ride home and then I was just exhausted. But my baby is okay. Thanks to everyone who offerred to help, was able to help and made everything go smoothly (Chas, Charlotte, Steve).

Week 1

Week 1 at school officially ends Sunday at 1159 PM MST. Hooray! My discussions are done and my application (a paper this week ) is uploaded to the professor. I asked Greg when the band of tension across my shoulders goes away, he laughed. I had to do some massive cramming to write a 2 page paper in APA format. The formatting took longer than writing the actual paper. I haven't written a paper in 13 years. So I'll either do very well or really bomb.
I was able to stay home tonight which was nice. We haven't had a laid back Saturday in awhile. The kids frolicked in the house and even got some outside time today. It was a whopping 40+ degrees and most of the snow is melting. The bulbs are starting to push up too. I am so ready for warmer weather. Ryan found a remote controlled truck in his room today. It was a gift from Steve for his last birthday. In true monster truck fashion, Ryan soon figured out he could make it fly off the steps. This kept him busy for awhile. Charlotte spent most of her day in a dressy blue dress, a hand me down from Ava. She had to put on regular clothes to go to the grocers and to eat lunch, but otherwise she was in the blue dress. We had about four changes in clothing today--just going back and forth to the dress. We hit the shoe store. I always try to get to Stride Rite in case they are having a sale. The kids' feet have grown again-a result of feeding them no doubt. Ryan is a 1.5 or 2, Charlotte is a 12.5. They each got shoes and yes they were on sale.
The battle continues with new food for Ryan. We are down to requiring him to take a "no thank you" bite for new stuff at each meal. This is as far as I am willing to go. Today he spent an hour or so in his room for not trying his vegetable soup. He ate everything else and then was full, he said. We reminded him about the bite thru the meal and he smiled. We'll see how it goes. He does surprise us from time to time by asking for new things. Charlotte eats most things, though occasionally she'll have a light eating day. Ryan is getting hard for me to lift.
Ryan continues to discuss his plans for his birthday-he wants to make invites now, and is really getting excited about or trip in a few weeks. He wants to start packing now and leave in the morning. When told we have to work, he said we could go in the morning and come back before I go to work:)