Week in Review: Playdates, Sickies and Christmas Fun

Carl has been out of town all week so it's been an adventure around here! We are looking forward to a fun family weekend.

Monday: Evie had dance and was very curious about why she had a substitute
teacher. It was a gorgeous day so we enjoyed lunch outside. Henry can sit at the table now so there is no need to lug out the highchair. We went to the tree lighting at our library. It was a festive event with carols, cookies and of course the big event - the tree lighting. Evie and Henry had a blast playing under the big tree and seeing all of their friends. It was packed and seemed to be a popular tradition with many of the families in attendance. Evie had fun selecting her cookies and they had quite the spread to choose from including some divine citrus cookies. Both kids enjoyed some cider with their cookies. Mama was exhausted after this so we had cheese and crackers for dinner. Evie and Henry cut their cheese into Christmas shapes using our miniature cookie cutters. That's a dinner, that we need to repeat again soon.

Tuesday: Evie had school and Henry ran a few errands with me. He took a super long nap and then we picked up Evie from school. We made Christmas play dough with glitter and peppermint extract. Both kiddos thought that was cool! Evie did a great job measuring all the ingredients. We dashed off to swimming lessons later that afternoon. I was a bit apprehensive about Evie's reaction because she asked me about three million questions regarding everything from the water temperature to which bathing suit would be the most beautiful for lessons. She's the only girl in her group but that does not bother Evie one bit. Hannah, the instructor, conveyed that Evie has a lot of confidence in the water. So much confidence, that she thinks that it would be a cinch to swim across the entire pool by herself.  We headed out to Chick fil A for dinner. It was Kid's Night so it was a madhouse. Moms will do anything for free chicken! Evie and Henry both chose balloon animals. Henry's balloon popped on his chin - remember that piece of information for later.

Wednesday:  Henry turned 17 months! Evie woke up requesting to attend swimming lessons. Henry woke up with some red spit up similar to the color of his balloon. He also had some bumps on his chin. I decided that he must have ingested some balloon when it popped so close to his face. We went to The Porter's for lunch and playtime. Jacob and Evie explored the woods behind their house. Even Henry and Anna joined their expedition! We love playtime with the Porter's. Evie invited her friend Molly over for a play date. It was our first play date without the Mama. I need to do better about that because it is an eye-opening experience with just the kids. It was so interesting to see the differences between the two girls. Molly and Evie had a grand time playing with only minimal interaction from me. They decorated Christmas cookies, played with play dough, ran around outside and experimented with every art supply in our house. Molly has an incredible attention span for art! It was a wild Wednesday. I had plans for a Christmas party on Thursday but decided that I was too exhausted so I canceled my sitter. Foreshadowing for the next day.

Thursday: Henry woke up with blisters on his chin! I figured that it was from the latex in the balloon. Henry is super sensitive to lotions, soaps and of course milk so this did not really surprise me at all. I had a wonderful morning to myself exploring Green Hills and crossing names off my Christmas list. So much fun! I adore shopping in stores that are beautifully decorated for Christmas and love the excitement in the air. Crowds are thicker but still manageable. I was in the car line to pick up Evie and one of the teachers walked over to let me know that Evie had just thrown up. There was not much that I could do since I was stuck between a few cars but I really had the urge to bulldoze right over the other cars. That mother bear instinct is real! I ran into Evie's classroom and found my sweet girl reading books with the assistant director. She was super calm and not at all upset which surprised me since I still cry when I throw up. Evie assured me that she was fine and that she wanted to go to swimming lessons. We went to pick up Henry and Evie stayed in the car which I have never done before.  I'm so glad that I did though because right when I was putting Henry in his seat - Evie became violently sick. It was pretty crazy trying to figure out what to do but she was fine. Right as I was pulling in the garage, I got a call from another mom that her child was at home throwing up too! Evie took a bath, climbed into the bed and rested all afternoon. She had a few more bouts of vomiting and then went to bed at 6 without any dinner. Poor thing is just not feeling too good! Henry really wanted his sister to put him to sleep because she has been helping me all week while Carl has been gone. It took him forever to get to sleep because he was so mad. Both kids were up around 11:30. Evie needed a drink and Henry was just mad making his presence known.

Friday: Morning came way too soon! Henry had ten blisters on his chin and one on his nose. It looked pretty bad so I called the triage nurse. She thought it sounded like a latex allergy but asked me to bring him in. I decided to wait until Carl arrived back from Colorado so Evie would not be exposed to more germs at the pediatrician's office. Evie "babysat" Henry while he played his crib so I could take a little rest. I could hear them the whole time and it was so cute. Evie thinks she is real babysitter! We just hung out at home all day folding laundry, watching movies and trying to make it the last few hours without Carl. He finally arrived back. Henry and I scooted out the door. We waited three million years which seems to be the norm these days at the pediatrician. It was a lot easier with only one kid though. Henry was diagnosed with impetigo and given two prescriptions. Dr. B thinks it may be a latex issue since impetigo is a skin condition but is hopeful that the popping balloon just created a portal of entry for the bacteria. Henry had a few shots while we were there which really annoyed him. I decided to run by the pharmacy but the RX was not ready yet so it took me an hour to get back home. UGH! I decided to go home and worry about it tomorrow. Everyone is ready for bed and tomorrow will be a better day!