peeling onions and shaking soda cans

I feel like my life has been like peeling onions and shaking up soda cans lately.  Why that analogy?  Well, because that seems to be Kyle's favorite thing to do.  I no longer keep onions in the pantry at his height, but if you come over to my house and want a canned soda or ginger ale, you're on your own.

But seriously, every day I wake up and don't know if Emilie is going to pop out of bed with a bunch of fizz, ready to explode and be a challenge all day.  And every day I peel back each day's challenge and see the good in all situations that this crazy family of five plus dog can bring.

Steve and Brit sold their house in Florida and moved out.  Before they did, we enjoyed several meals al fresco and made lots of yummy food for the Notre Dame games on Saturdays.  Have no fear.  They are only five minutes down the road.  

family time

For one meal, I made BBQ chicken cobb salad and Aunt Brit made homemade pretzels and pretzel bites.  They were SOOO good.  She even made them healthy by using whole wheat flour.  Pretzels are some hard work!

BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad

from the Kitchn

2 cups cooked, diced chicken (I just grilled chicken breasts on the grill)
Favorite barbecue sauce, to taste
2 cups mixed salad greens
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and crumbled
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 ripe avocado, cubed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn)
1 cup grated cheddar and/or monterey jack cheese
Favorite ranch and/or honey mustard dressing, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toss the chicken with enough barbecue sauce to coat. Season with salt and pepper.  Put the lettuce into a shallow serving bowl. Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, beans, corn, and cheese in thin rows over the lettuce. Season with salt and pepper over the ingredients.  Serve with dressing on the side or tossed in.

Since Steve and Brit have moved out, the girls have seemed to need some extra attention from me.  Aubrie went ahead and took a red crayon and drew on the window sill with it.  I took that as an opportunity to spend time together.  Together she learned how to clean a window sill, clean toilets and wipe counters, and then both girls learned how to wash windows.  Of course, you have to dress as a princess when your evil mother is making you work so hard.  

She hasn't drawn on window sills again.  AND she's even flipped out and confiscated crayons that Kyle has attempted to walk around with!

 We have had a rough go with illness lately.  For 3 weeks someone in my house has had a cold/ear infection.  Emilie had a double ear infection and Kyle woke up running a fever.  So Adam worked from home and took those two to the doctor while I went to work and Aubrie went to school.  Whilst at Daddy Day Care, Kyle went ahead and got the comet out from under the sink (because Adam didn't lock it) and licked the top of the can.  So while Adam was on the phone with poison control, Emilie found a pen he had laying out by his computer and drew all over the doll house and the wooden furniture.

When Em's ears hurt, she wears a winter hat and battles.  

Once Adam found out that Kyle was going to live and the only way to get the pen off the doll house furniture was to actually SAND it, he got them to the doctor and it turned out that both Emilie AND Kyle had double ear infections.  And as it always works, this all happened on a Tuesday when our pediatrician is off, and we had to see one of the associates.  She suggested tubes for Kyle's ears since this was his 7th ear infection and it isn't even winter season.  So we figured we would wait until Emilie's 3 year check up in 3 weeks and talk to our pediatrician and see what he wants us to do.  But it turned out that Kyle's ear infection didn't go away after his dose of antibiotics and we were back at the doctor's office 10 days later!

Withhin two days, we are headed to the ENT and that morning Emilie is acting extra fiery and complaining that her ears hurt.  Fantastic.  So while we were setting up a date to get Kyle tubes, he went ahead and checked Emilie's ears and she still had a double ear infection!  Goodness gracious!  So another round of antibiotics for her and she finally kicked her ear infections.  And a week later we had Kyle's procedure for tubes and all went well.  He is trying to talk a lot more and is much happier.  Yay tubes!!

But all of the above happened AFTER a stomach bug swept through our house.  And I mean SWEPT!  You see, Gram came to town.  We had plans. 

Party plans.  

Pumpkin patch plans.  

Shopping plans.  

But one day after she was here we all started dropping like flies.

Gram just had a birthday and we were excited to celebrate.  This is before we got sick.

 We were headed to dance and it hit Emilie.  She got it all over her car seat and clothes.  It took TWO DAYS to remove the smell.  Later that night it hit Aubrie.  I was so thankful my mom was here to help because Adam was working late.  (By working late, I mean a recruiting dinner at a steak house stuffing his face with expensive steak, mouth melting rolls, and gourmet desert)  After being up with them that night, the next night I was up with it.  ALL NIGHT.  Wanted to die.  Then the NEXT night, my mom wasn't feeling well so I had her sleep with me in my bed and sure enough, she was up with it.  ALL NIGHT.  Ah man, next up was the big fellas.  If poor Kyle got it, I would be so sad, but if Adam got it, we would be in for it.  Because EVERY illness he gets from the kids and I is mutated and deadly.  But God was looking out for us and neither Adam nor Kyle got sick.  Whew!

By the way, there is an awesome blog where a mom couldn't have said it any better.  Please take time to click here to read how she sees it.  :)

But my poor mother.  She bought a plane ticket and came out here for a week and spent six of the seven days sick.  Finally, by Sunday, we were all feeling well and were no longer contagious and went to the pumpkin patch. And wouldn't you know it, it was hot!

Happy Kyle

Precious Aubrie

Sweet Emilie

Aaaand we have a man down.  Heat is getting to Emilie and now has enabled her body and brain to connect properly and pose for a picture.

Oh, we are happy again.  Playing in the grain bins.  (Walden farms is our favorite!)

Rosey cheeks.  Might need to move on to the next activity...

Aubrie is happy to find a pumpkin!

Aaaand we have two men down.  

Ever since Aubrie was a wee baby, we sat our kids' little rears on this red tractor and took their pictures.  

Pooped from the pumpkin patch.  Nothing like Gram's shoulder to sleep it off.  

Lots coming up on the ol' blog.  I miss writing on here.  Mostly because it is the only way I can remember anything.  My friend, Katie, stated the other day that she hates being so stupid now that she's a mother.  She wanted to know if it gets better and if we will be smart again.  Nobody gave her any hopeful answers.  I couldn't agree more with her.  When it comes to remembering something, or having to really think hard about stuff, my brain sends a busy signal and I start drooling.  But if you want me to get 3 kids out the door in 8 minutes with combed hair, snacks packed, juice cups in bag, the dog fed, the dishwasher ran, all lights off, and diaper bag in hand??? You got it.

But of course that means I didn't remember to grab my coffee in the to-go cup on the kitchen island....

Fail.

Love to all!

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