Can I Get a Whoop Whoop

Blake and Paige are rarely sick. There have even been a couple years during which the only time they went to the doctor was for their wellness check. Despite that, they sure do seem to pick up some dandy illnesses.

Paige had RSV when she was 3 weeks old. The doctor scared us with all of the possible repercussions that could follow her throughout childhood. Nope, she is as healthy as a horse. In fact, she sometimes thinks she is a horse, or a dog, or a cat, or a cheetah. She also had Scarlet Fever when she was about 2 years old. No big deal.

Last week, Blake tested positive for Pertussis (Whooping Cough). The only reason I took him to the doctor was because the school district had just sent home another letter asking parents to get their kids tested for any cough lasting 5 days or more. I am such a rule follower! Blake coughed a couple times, and I knew he had been exposed, so I took him in to the doctor with a mild, mild, mild cough and zero other symptoms. Henry thought I was nuts especially since I generally try to avoid taking the kids in to the doctor unless I am really concerned. Well, the test results were positive so the whole family got to take a course of antibiotics. Top it off with multiple calls from the Minnesota Department of Health, and the whole saga seemed very silly considering that he only coughed a handful of times, there were no coughing spells and no whoops. Blake thought missing school (school policy) was pretty cool since he didn't feel sick...and with the long holiday weekend, he ended up with an entire week of vacation.

Busted!

Remember when you were a kid and you always wondered what your parents did after they made you go to bed?

Remember when you finally realized what your parents did after they made you go to bed?

It was then that you realized why it always seemed so urgent that you go to bed RIGHT NOW, even if it was still light out.

Parents out there...have any of your kids discovered your dirty little secrets?

Today Paige opened a drawer and stumbled upon one of ours...

First Curiosity

Then Disgust, Rage & Anger

Finally Disappointment

That's right kiddos.

We make you go to bed so early so we can eat Dairy Queen...WITHOUT YOU.

Sweet Dreams.

I'll Always Make Time for You

There are always laughs to be had when children are not sure what is to be taken literally. Now that Blake is getting the hang of the concept, he loves to tell Paige "Ugh, it is just a figure of speech!" (with ubiquitous eye-roll and head shake...which he gets from me...just ask Henry).

My favorite "not literally" moment with Blake was when he was about 3 years old. We were outside doing yard work on the front lawn when he decided he had to go to the bathroom, NOW. I looked around and some of the neighbors were outside so I told him "go pee on the side of the house". After a few seconds, I walked to the side of the house to check on him. He was doing exactly what I told him to do...peeing ON the side of the house. Of course, I just have to laugh because I can't possibly get mad at him for doing exactly what I told him to do.

I had a pretty humorous "not literally" moment with Paige the other day. I made her toast for breakfast and told her to hurry up and eat it because we needed to leave as soon as Daddy got home. Paige does not hurry up and do ANYTHING. She walked away from the table to gather up some of her beloved stuffed animals, leaving her food unattended. This is a huge no-no at our house...a few seconds later I hear Paige shriek (she shrieks a lot) "Bad Ringo". She comes running into the laundry room crying, very upset that Ringo is eating her toast. I told her I could make more. This made her even more upset. "There isn't enough time. You said we had to hurry because we have to leave. I won't have time to eat." So I reassured her by saying, "It is okay. We can make time." Wrong answer. Insert strange facial gesture of anger and confusion mixed with crocodile tears. "YOU CAN'T MAKE TIME. NOBODY CAN MAKE TIME. HOW DO YOU MAKE TIME? YOU CAN'T!" Whoa. My mind was caught between laughing at how much this upset her, being upset at her for yelling at me, and being proud of her understanding of the concept of time. "You are absolutely right sweetheart. No one can make time. It was a figure of speech. What I meant was that we will wait for you to finish eating your breakfast." Thankfully, this appeased her.

I love to try to imagine what is going on in their little brains and how they see things with their level of understanding (strange carry-over from the background in psychology). What I pictured made me giggle...

Mmmmmm...Fresh Batch of Time Comin' Right Up

Be the Puck

The SCSU Hockey Spring League is almost done for the year.  It is such a fun time.  The teams only have games (no practice) and they get to play on the SCSU main rink.  It is pretty exciting for the kids to get to skate the same ice that the Huskies do.  It really great to see their skills improve so much and in such a short amount of time.  They play full ice and there are only 7(?) players on Blake's team as opposed to 35 during the regular season so they get a lot of meaningful ice time.  It is a lot more fun for me to watch the Spring League games too.  They actually turn the heat on in the arena (hear that River Lakes?).  And other than the jersey, they can wear whatever they want for their uniform.  Henry bought Blake a pair of red socks so he is easier to spot.  Now I can actually watch him instead of spending half of the time just trying to find him.  

Blake has had some pretty impressive games the last couple weeks. Grandma and Grandpa Blattner came to watch on Monday so Blake had some incentive to play extra hard.  He scored 5 goals and was pretty pumped.  Henry said he had a great attitude during the entire game which is what makes us, me and Henry, happy...well, seeing him score some goals is nice too.  Keep up the good work Blake!  What an awesome kid.  I wish I could skate half as well as he can.  Maybe next winter he can give me some pointers!

Face-off

Blake with the puck.

Blake (on the ice) as he scored a goal.

Hey, there is that cute coach again!

Life in the 'hood

There are many impromptu gatherings that happen in our neighborhood once the weather warms up. The kids tend to go through phases as to which house they prefer to hang out at. Yesterday, we were the lucky winners. There were 9 kids here playing outside on the trampoline, on the swing set, and in the sand box. Later, they moved the action indoors with some shinny hockey for the boys and playing house for the girls. I love these days. There was no crying, no fighting, and other than a couple jackets left outside, nothing that wasn't put back in it's place when they were done. The crowd dispersed family by family as supper time arrived. 

Boys Turn to Jump

Girls Turn to Jump