Our Weekend

Saturday Abby and Natalie played and then we just hung around the house basically doing NOTHING. It was nice for me- but not for them. I only ran 12.5 miles last week. I needed to rest my ankle an extra day and was going to run 3 miles Saturday night but who wants to end the week at 13 miles. Could be unlucky so I stopped a half-mile short.

Sunday’s question to Rick, “Daddy why do we have to wear clothes to church?” HA! After church we went to Abby’s friend Owen’s new house in Aurora to see their new spread and then went to the tulips! Photos below.

Abby & Natalie

Elebenteen

That is a number according to Abby. She can count to Elebenteen. She goes up to nine and then it sounds something like this, ten, eleben, twelve, firteen, sebenteen, eighteen, ELEBENTEEN!! It's hilarious.

So this week...let's see... I fell in our garage Thursday morning. I left my shoes in front of the door and stepped on one as I was going out to load the car. I rolled my ankle and just bit it on the cement. Oh does it hurt. Not even swollen or bruised. I still have 6 miles to try to run between today and Saturday. The kids are on the mend, Rick's cold is better- he never did get a rash.

I finally got my echocardiogram results back and they are normal so I guess I can chalk my chest pain up to stress/anxiety/worry. I know... I'm working on it. I got blood taken yesterday to get my iron 'officially' checked. I'm still waiting for the results so if you happen read this before I get them think good thoughts for me.

I've probably mentioned before how getting out of the house in the morning for work by myself with 2 kids is a bit of challenge therefore I do all that I can the night before to prepare. I've done this since I was little- I set out my cereal bowl, outfit, make my lunch etc... naturally I would still do this as an adult (and before you laugh I read somewhere awhile ago that kids who have had many strep infections often end up with Type A personalities). Anyway sometimes after work I get into a rush making dinner, lunches, emptying the dishwasher that I set out a bowl for me and one for rick with spoons only he keeps pointing out that I sometimes put forks in them. I did this again this week- only I gave myself a spoon and him a fork. So I tell him to just eat some thick oatmeal instead of cereal.

The picture of our bed below- I think Abby assumes that everyone sleeps with things. She likes to leave items on our bed and designate who gets to sleep with what. It's kind of exciting to go in and get ready for bed to see what item was chosen. On this particular day, I got Santa and Rick got a flashlight. Aidan even gets items in his crib- it's pretty sweet (although nothing compares to snowman). Tonight I think I am getting one of the Fairy God Mothers. Speaking of which... my husband knows all of the princesses by name, the God Mothers by name and all the princes- and what princess they hook up with. And Abby... her Uncle Dave made her a princess CD and when I play it, the song will start and I ask her what movie it's from and she can tell me.
On one hand, I'm proud on the other- it's a sign we do let her watch a lot of Disney....

Beef Jerky

I've added a link under favorite links- for Jerky. It's random I know but this stuff is out of this world. It's real beef and it's local and it makes great gifts- father's day, bdays, stocking stuffers.
I know this family personally so I want to help support their business!

Well I tried...

to donate blood today and they wouldn't take it. Told me I was anemic- it's happened before so I'm not all that shocked but I take a multivitamin AND an iron supplement so I don't get it why it's that low especially already taking iron. I'm frustrated....

Abby woke up today covered in hives. Her fever is gone yippee! We called the dr to see if we could just give benadryl (she was itching) and they wanted to see her. Her dr said it's probably the same virus Aidan just had but her body is throwing out hives instead of the rash he had. Rick now is coming down with something. There is nothing worse than a sick husband :-)

Forgot to mention she pooped at school on Friday- so again I had to follow through with my bribe (this is the last one). Her latest 'prize' is below- a Jasmine nightgown. You wouldn't even know she was sick!

Temp 102

Both kids sick this week. Aidan had Roseola- or so they think. He’s had a cold and then a fever a week later and then this bizarre rash appeared. Hand, Foot and Mouth is going around again- Abby had it twice. It was horrible. Right up there with Rotavirus. So far no signs of that.
Aidan is doing better and now Abby has a fever today- she’s not feeling so good. We are supposed to go to Rick’s family spring gathering tomorrow and with this fever she's contagious so I don't feel comfortable bringing our germs.

So… onto peas. I can’t expect the kids to eat something if I don’t eat it myself. I dislike peas. I served them Friday night with dinner and I have a ‘one bite’ rule. Aidan is still too young to understand- he spits them out. I take a bite of my peas and I’m chewing and I have to turn away because I am gagging and my eyes are watering. ICK. I eat more of my dinner and I decide to just get it over with and eat two more bites. More gagging.
Rick thinks he is off the hook because on his work days he doesn’t get home until 7:30 therefore he doesn’t eat with us. He assumes the no bite rule doesn’t apply to him but I am keeping tabs. I tell Abby to take a bite of peas and she starts gagging. That’s my girl. I tell her to wash it down and I give her a high five for effort.

Often I tell Abby, “I love you to pieces or I love you to the moon, the stars, infinity etc”
It has become a playful game. She will say “Mom I love you to the car” and I’m like whoa… that’s not very far. Yesterday on the way to school she says “I love you 8 houses and to pieces and that’s a lot.”

Not much else to report this week other than illnesses. I conquered another 16 miles! There was a recipe in the paper this week for Honey Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cherry cookies- ok who wouldn’t love one of those? I made them today- NOT GOOD. They are healthy. I like my cookies to be full of fat.

On a side note, Jessica and Ashley were here last Sunday- wasn't able to get a 'posed' picture of all the Jenkins kids together but one nonetheless. Ashley took the Cbest test (I think that was the one) last Saturday for her application process to get into the Teaching program at George Fox! Yippee- (that is where I got my MBA). Jessica leaves for Hong Kong next week- she's become quite the traveller for her job. For those of you who don't know, her husband Reilly works for Bacon Salt. We eat bacon salt on popcorn, eggs, baked potatoes, fish. You name it. In fact there is a blog link on their website with great recipes.

Fever Girl

Not feeling well

Pushing my snowman

Snowman Crisis Averted

I blogged awhile back about 'it's starting... Abby is trying to dress Aidan, she's shutting him in the bathroom etc'. Last night Aidan was pretty fussy and we were gathering them upstairs for bathtime and snowman was no where in sight! Abby kept saying "It's in the garbage!" She was pretty adamant about it. We searched all over and she kept saying it so I finally DUG IN THE GARBAGE... and it was there. The little stinker had thrown his beloved snowman in the garbage.
Why she did this we do not know- she's not even a jealous kid.
Rick put snowman in the washer so I tried to get Aidan to go to bed with this stuffed froggy Ashley got him for Easter. He just laid in his crib and held it up to me as if to say "are you crazy woman- this is NOT going to work."

Scuff and Ballerina

Many of you may already know this, that Abby calls Aidan Scuffy or Scuff. Ever since we brought him home from the hospital she nicknamed him Scuffy and she’s stuck with it. She doesn’t ever call him Aidan… their school even calls him Scuff. When he sees her, he just lights up. I point to her and say Sissy or Abby and she says “Noooooo, I want him to call me Ballerina.”

I bribed her again. I told her if she poops at school she can pick out a new book. She tried to negotiate with me and said, "how about either a new book, OR some princess wings (she’s into Tinkerbell right now) because I am tired of walking and I’d like to fly.” The reason for the bribe is two parts; the last time she did it at school was because it was inevitable. She had a tummy bug. I want her to consciously make the choice to go and here is why… she might have to have surgery on her little bum and I don’t want her to have to go through that. She has a bit of loose skin- more or less a skin tag. It’s from a variety of issues- holding it, constipation, and holding it toooo long and then the stool is extremely large etc… so now this skin that is hanging there often bleeds. Her doctor gave us a prescription for stool softener to try before she sends us to a surgeon but we are trying a more ‘natural’ approach with flax and benefiber. Wish us luck!

They hired Rick another manager- he recruited her from Merix. She’s great and they will make a wonderful team. Hopefully it helps his stress level (now if I could just get him on that treadmill). I bumped it up and ran 16 miles this week, with a cold and a tummy bug. Not a wise choice but a personal goal :-)

I did it again... I squirted vicks vapor rub on one of the kids' toothbrush. And what is it with boys?? "If it's even a half inch off the ground it's meant to be climbed and conquered." Sheesh


Snowman waiting for breakfast

Lovin on Pooh

Are my eyes blue or green

Climbing of course

Ready for Ballet

What is a Ninny?

The definition of Ninny according to Abby: Raisin. She has always called raisins Ninny’s- and she still does. I don’t bother to correct her because it’s somewhat cute. We make toasted cheese sandwiches on raisin toast and she will say, ‘Mom I found a ninny’...or one time I surprised her with a raisin bagel (normally she gets an everything bagel) and as she was eating she was beyond excited, ‘Mom! This is a Ninny bagel!” And Raisin Bran... you guessed it. It's called Ninny Bran at our house.
My friend Laura, her daughter Natalie calls (called) her binkies Ninny’s. Long live Ninny’s!!

Well… it’s started. Abby tried to put one of her dresses on Aidan. Apparently he was NOT happy. I was at work when this transpired so I asked Rick, “uh… where were you?” He says he was eating breakfast and the kids were in the ‘library’ which is next to the fireplace and off of to the side so they are out of his view. He heard Aidan crying and found Abby trying to dress him. The day before she shut him in the bathroom and wouldn’t let him out. It’s only going to get worse isn’t it?

Also, being female, Abby changes her mind often and last week decided to go to ballet. We will see what happens this week. At Abby’s 3 year appt today we were in the exam room and Rick says “you’re going to kill me” and I said what happened? He says Aidan opened the toy box to get toys out and he fell in head first and was screaming- the top shut on him and his little legs where straight in the air. Now isn’t that just hilarious? I was wishing he had the camera to get a shot of that. Here are some pics of this evening- you can still see his bump/cut on his head.

***Please continue to pray for Ethan's Parents, Ben and Becky Powell***
Sign up to give blood. Sign up to become a bone marrow donor!!!

Ethan Has His Wings

Ethan Powell passed away today. This is a baby whom I have been praying for over the past year. I do not know him or his family personally (they live in another state) but somehow stumbled upon their website through babycenter.com. Ethan was born the day before Aidan and was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 2 months old. I felt compelled to follow their daily updates and prayer requests since their son is the same age as ours. When Aidan was still waking at night I would rock him and sit there and think I get to hold my healthy son and they are at St. Jude Hospital with theirs...
I hope we one day win the war against cancer, especially in our littlest people.
I also hope that anyone who is reading this will consider becoming a bone marrow donor. To get started, all they do is take blood (a little extra than normal) and put you on a list. You could save the life of one of these little guys.
Ethan is now safe in the arms of our Father and I will never forget how a little boy whom I never met touched my heart and reminded me DAILY how blessed I am. Ethan's website link is posted to the right in our blog. I am going to leave it up for a few more days if anyone wants to visit. I hope you will consider praying for Ethan's parents, Ben and Becky.

Swim and Soccer

Abby started her new swim class today- without us :-( No more parent/tot classes!

We also got her back into soccer... for some reason she wants to quit ballet. Yep- miss princess obsessed wants to give it up.

Aidan... what can I say other than oh my gosh. He is opening doors. Abby didn't do this until well over two. He is opening the pantry. He opens the office door, he's reaching for drawers that Abby never did. The kid is into EVERYTHING. Not to mention- he throws anything he can get his little hands on. My sweet tempered little baby boy is turning into a brut.