Mundane to Adventurous

My kiddo's make the most mundane tasks adventurous.  Today I went to get the vacuum, and in our home you must announce "I am getting the vacuum" and the kids (even I-man who is 12 years old) will stop whatever they are doing and start running into the living room with excitement as they wait for me to turn it on.  Now, I am just happy that I am vacuuming up the dry cereal bits and shredded paper off the floor, but for them it is a game of "Mom you can't get me."  They run toward me and taunt "Mom you can't get me." I pretend not to see them and then chase them with the vacuum, onto the couch.  They giggle with joy and do it over and over again.  They are dissappointed when the floor is clean and I put the vacuum away, but of all the daily tasks that must be done, vacuuming is always an adventure.

Brothers are the Best Medicine

Mr. Mr. had an extremely high tempurature and couldn't keep any food or medicine down.  I tried but I couldn't break the 103 F fever at all that day, at around 4:00 pm the temperature reached 104.4 so we headed to the Emergency Room.  I wasn't expecting Mr. Mr. to be admitted so I didn't bring anything except my wallet, cell phone and Mr. Mr.'s blanket.  After much testing and frustration Mr. Mr. was admitted to the hospital at 2:00 am Friday morning.  He did not go to sleep until 4:oo am and needless to say, that started the long stay in the Hospital.  Many blood tests and x-rays were taken to find the cause of his sudden illness.  In the end he was diagnosed with  bacteria in his blood that caused pnemonia.  The staff at the Children's Hospital were so kind and loving toward Mr. Mr. and myself.  Despite why we were there, they made the stay pleasant.  Mr. Mr. is allergic to milk and strawberries, and in general at home, we eat mostly fresh fruit, produce and home cooked meals.  The silver lining (aka good mom moment) of our stay came when Mr. Mr. refused to eat canned peas, spaghettios, chicken or anything else that had been prepackaged.  The nurses were great and brought him salad and fruit platters to eat instead.  He was released from the hospital on Sept. 11 2011.  I hope he makes a full recovery.  Popcicles and Forts are the best prescription given by big brothers to make you feel better.

  

Show me those popcicle tongues

Popcicles are tasty

J-Man's red tongue

Mr. Mr. is feeling better

J-Man drew up a plan (aka plan-it) for his fort

The fort took up much of his bedroom

He used chairs and an extra large blanket

Mr. Mr. and J-Man in the Fort

Brothers are the best medicine, Mr. Mr. was excited to play in the fort.

Homework and Stuff

Completing homework in peace is a tricky balance when you have a 7th grader, J-man (age 4) and Mr. Mr. (age 1).  J-Man and Mr. Mr. cannot sit still or play quietly for more than a few minutes.  However this one time I was able to capture J-Man's attention for about one hour while I-Man did his homework.

I-Man doing his homework

J-Man separating the copper coins from the silver coins

J-Man discovering what he can do with the coins

J-Man making coin creations

Coin Creation - "Bathtub"

Coin Creation - "Cart"

Coins are really fun to play with, what can you create?

Boys on the Block

We live in a cul-de-sac and all of the neighborhood kids (mostly boys) gather to play football, basketball, ride bikes or skateboards, talk and eat popcicles. 

 

Mr. Mr. hanging out with Mom watching the big boys play

Playing in the driveway is such fun

J-Man hanging out with the big boys

All the Neighborhood Boys sitting on the curb taking a break in the heat

The Boys on the Block

Smile:)  That Arizona Sun is bright!

Squash Garden

We decided to plant a garden.  The only seeds that sprouted up in our 100 degree + weather were the Squash Plants.  The Monsoon rains have helped water our garden and we are beginning to reap the benefits.

Summer Squash Seedlings sprouted in just 6 days after we sowed the seeds

Mr. Mr. and J-Man excited about the seedlings

Six weeks later J-Man picked our first Crookneck Squash

Mr. Mr. wanted to hold the squash too.

The first of the Squash Harvest

Squash Sliced and Ready to Fry

Frying the Squash

Squash for Dinner, Yum!

J-Man ate all his squash first. He asked if we could have squash again tomarrow.Our Garden is a Success. Hooray!

Monsoon Wonders

We arrived home from vacation in July 2011 to Monsoon Season in full swing.  Everyone was so excited to have rain after such a long time without moisture.  The results were beautiful.

Monsoon Double Rainbow and Extra Large Raindrops

Rainbow in the Monsoon Sky

The Sun Peaking through the Monsoon Clouds

Monsoon Sunset, Gorgeous

Although the monsoon rains can be very dangerous, it is truly a wonder of nature to behold.

Bridging the Gap

I have just celebrated my birthday and made a goal for myself as I do each year.  I have chosen to reach outside my comfort zone and create this blog.  I tend to be an extremely private person, however I live far from all my family members and have decided to create a blog to share my family with them as they grow.  I hope you enjoy my munchkins and as much as I do.