October Is Here!

Yay for October!  My absolute favorite time of year.  (It doesn’t hurt to have a birthday during such a beautiful month!) 

We’ve been busy AND we’ve been sick!  :(  Last week, Liam complained of an ear ache while at school.  (I think he honestly had some water in his ear from our visit to Whitewater in late August...I think that might've started the ear infection).  I was fortunate enough to get him into the doctor that day, after Ava got home from school. 

While at the doctor’s, they asked “Are you here for a flu shot?”  Oh, uh, yes?  The kids were too busy to realize there would be a needle stick in their near future.  They gave Ava the shot after I received mine.  She was in hysterics before the needle came within 12 inches of her leg.  Liam was ever the empathetic brother, with a big pouty bottom lip sticking out, while he watched her get poked.  He felt SO bad for her!  It was sweet to watch him care for his big sister like that.  L  I honestly thought he might start crying over it!  He ended up with two ear infections, so they prescribed Amoxicillin.  His flu shot wasn’t nearly as traumatic.  They both quickly got suckers, which made them forget any pain from the flu shot.  Ava mentioned at that point that "the flu shot didn't even hurt."  Um, yeah, right!  ;-)  That was Tuesday.

Wednesday Ava had her very first official school pictures.  She seemed excited about them.  Her school also lets parents come in and have lunch with their kid(s).  I had time that Wednesday, so I was able to have lunch with her.  We sat at a separate table designated for parents visiting their kids.  I think I saw about six parents that day visiting with their child.  It was hilarious….she sat facing the majority of kids in the lunch room.  She would quietly notify me of which friend might be walking close to us, in line with their classroom, completely under her breath.  When they would get close to us, she would stop talking, smile and wave at them.  The friend would wave back.   

One of her friends is a little boy named Kyle, who lives just up the road from us.  He is also in Kindergarten.  Ava told me:  “I think Kyle loves me…”, as she sheepishly laughed her way through saying it.  Oh boy.  I did notice he would look back at her a few times, even after he had left the lunch room!   She mentioned she doesn't have any best "boy friends" in her class, but that she does have two best "girl friends" in her class.  I told her it was good to have both.  (Trying to keep it on the friendly front. :) 

That day, I got a package in the mail from my Dad.  He had made a bracelet for me, a bracelet for Ava and also a vase – all out of the wood from the tree we cut down in our back yard!  (Ambrosia Maple) They are beautiful!  He is amazingly talented.

They also sent the following Temp-Tations dishes for my birthday.  I absolutely love them!  You can use them in the oven, microwave AND dishwasher.  Tres cool.
 

Here's a closer look at the pattern:

Thursday started my birthday celebration.  Well, I like to think so, since I got sick later in the week… I picked up some flowers for our raised bed in front of our house.  Nothing makes me happier than planting flowers, I’ve found.  That, and canning, I'd say.  Weird, huh?

Mom also sent some moolah in a card for my birthday.  Always appreciated!  Thanks, Mom!

Friday Ava missed school, waking up with a very sore throat and cough.  I had been battling a sore throat since Monday, as well.  We went to Target on the way to the doc.  The doctor's office took a rapid strep culture which came back negative, but we had to wait for 48 hours to confirm the regular culture results.  We had a nice lunchtime at Chepe's after the doc appointment.   We then walked next door and bought a few barrettes at Sally’s Beauty Supply next door, then ventured home so she could rest. 

Saturday Ava went to her gymnastics class.  The kids went to bed very early the night before, in hopes that they could recoup.  In gymnastics class, she did really well!  She still seems to LOVE being a part of this class.  She has so much upper-body strength!  She was holding herself up on the rings, pushing down onto the rings while holding her body straight up and down (with the rings to her side).  I know I couldn’t do that! 

Once we returned home Saturday, I helped Doug on digging the retaining wall while both kids caught a nap.  Doug is on the worst part of this wall now.  He is digging 6 foot deep trenches that are 6 feet wide (back into our lawn).  :(  But together we were able to make quite a bit of progress, digging out three trenches, installing three dead men. 

Sunday we got messages first thing in the morning from the doctor’s office, advising that Ava’s strep culture was positive.  Yuck.  So we stayed home that day.  Ava had an earache, as well.  We didn’t get to go to church or to visit the pumpkin patch with the Homebuilders’ class at church.  We definitely needed some rest to get the kiddos better.

Monday I went to the doctor to get tested for strep, since Ava’s culture came back positive.  Ava seemed well enough to go to school.  When she got home from school, she was reading to me, when she suddenly couldn’t sit still.  She mentioned she was itchy.  By the time Doug came home, she was red and had a hive on her belly.  I knew immediately it was probably a reaction to the antibiotic.  I gave her Benadryl and called our insurance / doctor’s office.  They wanted to see her after-hours, but it’s $190…  (compared to $20 during office hours).  So we decided we could monitor her, flush her with lots of Gatorade and keep the Benadryl doses coming.  She seemed to be doing well, so we decided to take her in the next day. 

Ava missed school Tuesday, due to the antibiotic reaction.  Ugh… last Friday and Tuesday so far for her this school year… Doug stayed home with her, since he has sick days he can use.  It was my birthday, but I was feeling under the weather.  I called the doctor’s office to see if they could prescribe an antibiotic.  Who wants to be sick on their birthday, anyway?  I played doctor phone tag all day, which wasn't too fun.  Doug and Ava ran top-secret birthday rounds and got a different antibiotic filled for her.  I used my Massage Envy gift card from Mother’s Day.  Heaven1  I opted for the aromatherapy massage.  They used Mint and Rosemary lotion.  It was just what my congested nose needed.  I walked next door to Target and bought the Lion King on DVD.  I've been waiting what seems like 10 years for this to be out on DVD!  I went home, worked for a bit, then we picked Liam up from school early and headed to Marlow’s Tavern for dinner.  I love their shrimp and gritcakes!

For my birthday celebration, Doug and Ava had picked out a very colorful assortment of fun balloons, a Cookie cake (Doug knew I’m not a big cake fan), and even bought some Godiva truffles.  Yum.  I told Ava I wasn't really in the picture-taking mood, sinceI was sick.  Ava thought I was 53, when she pulled out the candles to put on the cookie cake.  Yikes!  They got me a digital kitchen scale (that can automatically be zeroed out), which was on my list.  They also got me a wheeled seat for gardening, which looked pretty interesting.  I was spoiled with cards from everyone in the family, new school pictures of Daymian and Jordan, pictures Ava had drawn for me. 

Hmm???

"Happy Birth Day"

After the birthday festivities, I wasn’t really feeling too celebratory (I was feeling pretty sick, actually), so I crashed on the couch.  I was able to catch some zzz's while opening one eye occasionally to see the Tigers and Yankees play.  Here’s to hoping I don’t get sick for my birthday next year!  All in all, I can’t complain!  I planted the flowers, got a massage, was spoiled by my family, ate a yummy meal, and bought the ingredients to make Grandma Nila’s concord grape jelly recipe.  (What started this year’s entire jam-fest, to begin with!)  What could make a girl happier?

Thank you, Doug, Ava and Liam.  You make every day special, but ESPECIALLY my birthday!

Peace, love and 35 candles,

Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam