Blog Challenge Day 24, Nash's Mother's Day Tea, & My new niece

Blog Challenge Day 24: My favorite photo - I couldn't pick just one...so, I picked several!

Nash had a Mother's Day Tea at school today. I think he was terrified I wouldn't make it. He asked me at least 6 times before he went to school if I'd be there. Poor boy! All I could say was, "If I'm not having your sister, I'll be there!" When I finally walked into his classroom he was all grins for me. I could just see a big sigh of relief on his face that I was there. It was super cute. They did a short program for the moms. They sang a few songs and they had each drawn a picture that was "If I could give my mom anything in the world, I'd give her ___". The most popular items to show up were flowers and watermelon! A few kids were actually original in their ideas because one mom would get a new car and one would get a mansion and one would get Dove chocolate and one would get steak. It was really cute to listen to all of them. After their little program, they served the moms cake and sprite. Nash was just thrilled that I was there and that was all that mattered to me. Yesterday he asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. I told him that the year he was born he was my Mother's Day and then asked if he thought Brookelyn would be my Mother's Day present this year. His answer? Nope. Gee, thanks for that vote of confidence!

My new niece: Trav's brother's girlfriend was due June 15th. Olivia was born today, May 6th. She was 5 lbs 5 oz and 17 inches long. It sounds like it was a good thing she was born. She had meconium in her water and a knot in her cord. I haven't heard if she's in the NICU yet or not. Sounded like she was doing well though.

Blog Challenge Day 22 & 23, Cinco de Mayo & pictures

I went back to the dr. today to have my membranes stripped again. I didn't see "my" dr., but rather the PA. She was super nice. She told me "Don't be surprised if nothing happens. I've known ladies that have walked around at a 4 for 2 weeks." Wasn't happy about that. She was sympathetic to my situation though. She told me "you're about as effaced as you can get" but I'm also still at a -2 and a 3+ cm. While we were at Trav's parents' house tonight I got to "waddle briskly" around the block with my sil and mil. Been having some contractions. Let's hope they do something already. Although, it would be kind if it would wait to get serious until after Nash's Mother's Day Tea at school tomorrow. His little heart is set on me coming!

We had the "pleasure" of making a trip to the dermatologist for Nash today. He's had this wart on the joint of one of his fingers for ages. We did an over the counter thing once about 6 weeks ago. It made it smaller at first, but after about 2 weeks it was back to its original size. The PA we saw froze it off & then discovered a second, very small one, so she froze that one too. We're hoping she got it good enough that we don't have to go back and have it done again. I think we'd have to drag him in kicking and screaming to have it redone. He cried for quite some time after. Tonight both warts are totally engulfed in blisters. I can't believe how fast they blistered and how big the blisters are. We put bandaids over them before he went to bed tonight so if they pop, he won't get "wart juice" all over his bed. Nice image, huh?

For Cinco de Mayo we got to go to Trav's parents' house for dinner. They bought a new trampoline (Travis killed theirs last fourth of July) and Travis and the kids helped grandpa set it up. They were THRILLED! Oh how they have missed the trampoline. Yes, Samantha was allowed to get on it. I'm not one of those mom's that's like "NO! Stay off the trampoline so you don't get hurt!" I figure we have a daily injury quota at our house that must be filled by someone at sometime. It's just part of growing up, right?

Day 22: A place I've traveled to

I've not traveled much, but then I've traveled a million miles! We make regular trips to Manti (which my kids absolutely love). Trav & I have traveled to St. Louis, Phoenix, Zions, Bryce & Yellowstone. The kids & I traveled to Oregon & Washington. We make fairly regular trips to Lake Powell. We've seen the Grand Canyon. We always love Flaming Gorge. Taking the kids and going off for an adventure is always fun. I always say "It's not camping with the Bowns if there isn't catastrophic weather or some kind of "event"." This year it sounds like we might be making a camping trip to Zions with the kids and with Trav's sister's family. Should be interesting to say the very least. Nothing worked out solid yet, just an idea.

The one major trip I have been on was when I was a senior in high school. My grandparents were on their mission in Wellington, New Zealand. I was lucky enough to have parents that had the time and the means to take us to visit them in New Zealand. Not only that, but we stopped in Sydney, Australia for about 7 days, and then hopped over to Oahu, Hawaii for about another 7 days. We were gone for a total of 3 weeks. Talk about a senior trip! It wasn't even too bad going with my family! We had a ton of fun and there are still certain things we joke about to this very day. I'd love to be able to go back with the kids and Trav some day. Maybe if I'm lucky.

Day 23: A favorite recipe

Anyone that knows me well knows I have a recipe book addiction. I have quite a few favorite recipes. I think one that tops the list these days is the Pampered Chef Chicken Enchilada Ring. It is super yummy and super easy. My kids won't eat it though, so I can only make it when Trav's around - otherwise I end up with lots of food for just me and it ends up going to waste because I can't eat all the left overs quick enough. I'd be happy to send anyone the recipe that wants it.

Samantha update, Project of the day, Sam's dance pix & Blog Challenge Day 21

Samantha update: The radiologist called this morning & we were told that it doesn't look like a fracture. However, she still has to wear the brace for a week & then go in & get new x-rays to make sure the growth plate didn't fracture.

Here's the project I finished today:

In case you can't read it, it says Dance like nobody's watching. I'm going to put it in the girl's room once we get the boys moved downstairs. I still want to do at least one more for the girl's room, but I don't know what saying I want yet. Suggestions welcome!

We were able to get Sam's dance pix back today. When I posted them on fb I hadn't cropped them so they look better here. I should've scanned the group pix, but didn't know how many parents would appreciate it. So, I just did her individuals.

Blog Challenge Day 21: My friends

Not sure what to write about my friends. I have lots of friends - and I love them all dearly. I do however have 1 friend in particular that I consider my "bestest" friend. Laura & I have been friends since we were about 5 yrs old. I'm not even sure I remember how the heck we met! I just know we've been friends for EVER! She's the one that watches my kids while I work. She's the one I refer to as my children's "other mother". She's about the only person (besides my mom) that I talk (or text) to on nearly a daily basis. When I was working in Ogden, I'd call her on my way home & we'd talk until I pulled into her driveway! Travis found out about Halliburton because that's where her husband use to work. She has 3 kids & they fall between mine so together we've got quite the herd. In fact, she's had people ask her if my kids were hers! I keep telling her they could be! Here's to being friends for another 25 yrs "bestie!" ;)

Sam's latest adventure & Blog Challenge Day 20

Sam's latest adventure:

So I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. Nash scaled to the top of the "fuzzy ball tree" we have out front. I took a couple pix and sent one to Trav asking "Any bets on how long it will be before he falls out and breaks an arm or something?" That was my first mistake! Saying it on a Monday night was my second mistake.

I had just finished mowing the lawn (most of it anyway - it ran out of gas) and had come in to check my email. Not 5 minutes later I get a knock on the door. Katelyn was at the door and told me that they had been jumping on the trampoline doing popcorn and Emily accidently landed on her arm and that Sam thought her arm was broken. I told Katelyn I was sure Sam was fine because she's just a drama queen. Meanwhile Emily ran inside & got her mom to come out. Poor Amber! I told her I was sure Sam was fine that she was just trying to help put me in labor.

Luckily when I got there it wasn't all bent out of shape or anything like it was back in August. Plus, it was the right arm not the left (she broke the left one last time). It hadn't started to swell yet either. The only thing I noticed was a bump just below her thumb but I couldn't decided if it was suppose to be there or not because he other hand had one too - just a bit smaller.

Off to home we go to get an ice pack. Now I love my Sam K, but the girl is a serious drama queen. To prove this point, tonight she said "It feels like I'm going to die!" Yeah. You aren't going to die Sam.

I decided it would be easier to take her to Insta-Care and have it checked out at 6 pm rather than listen to all the drama that would for sure insue during the night and into tomorrow. I didn't want her to miss school tomorrow and I knew she'd call me after being there for a short time. Besides, Insta-Care is a $20 co-pay and the ER is a $100 co-pay every time I go! We all loaded into the truck after I called Grandma Kris to ask if she'd keep the boys while we went to get x-rays.

We didn't have to wait too long at Insta-Care (a nice change from YESTERDAY). The dr. we saw was actually the same dr. we saw last August when she broke her arm - ironic? He felt her hand and she told him where it hurt. Then we went to get x-rays. I was back by where the pictures were loading and I couldn't see anything that looked tragic on any of the films. When the dr. came back in I fully expected him to say everything was fine. Nope. He says, "Well, there is something that looks suspicious to me." Great.... He feels Sam's hand/wrist again and asks if it hurts here or there to which she mostly replies yes. He pulls up one film in particular and shows me where a piece of bone juts out just beneath her thumb. Yup. The one I thought might look funny.

He said it's hard to tell in kids because sometimes it's a growth plate and sometimes it's a fracture. He said based on where she was hurting and the film, he was pretty sure it was a fracture and NOT a growth plate. But, to be sure he was going to have the radiologist read the film and give me a call back. He said it would probably be morning before I hear back. If it IS a fracture we get to go back to the orthopedic surgeon (We meet again Dr. Finlayson.). If it ISN'T a fracture, he gave her a brace to wear that she needs to wear 24/7 until she either goes to the orthopedic surgeon or we hear back from Insta-Care. In the case that it isn't a fracture, she wears that brace for a week. At the end of a week, if it isn't feeling better, we repeat the x-rays. Why? Because it is possible to fracture a growth plate and have it not show up on x-rays for an entire week. AWESOME.

Do you think our insurance hates us yet?

Blog Challenge Day 20: What did I wear today:

I must very sadly report that the border collie got the flip flops I got for Mother's Day last year last night. My mom had just commented the other day that they were pretty dead. But in my defense - I had broken them in & they were sooo comfy and let's face it - flip flops are the best.

So, I started out the day in a different (and uncomfortable) pair of flip flops, jeans and a purple maternity shirt. After walking the mall for an hour this morning and stopping by the house (before the 2.5 hr riverwalk) I grabbed my tennis shoes. By the time I got those flip flops off my feet were swollen enough that I had dents in the tops of my feet!

Blog Challenge Day 19

Something I bought recently:

That's a loaded question! I've been trying to stay away from the store because I know I'll find cute baby stuff!

Today I ended up taking Nash to the Insta-care because this morning he was crying about his ear hurting. I kinda thought maybe he was just being dramatic (the kid IS dramatic after all). Then I thought to myself, "Well, if I don't take him today I'll go into labor tomorrow & then his dad will have to deal with it and he deals with it by not dealing with it. So, we better go today." Samantha had spent the night at the neighbor's house and I left Caleb with mom. Off Nash & I went. For there only being 2 people in the waiting room when we got there, we had to wait forever to be seen! Typical of Insta-care though. When the dr. finally came in she looked in his ears. His left ear looked great & the tube is still in. His right ear however, well, that's another story. I guess it's red and swollen. But, of course that's not the worst of it. The dr. said it looked like his tube had been pushed back behind his ear drum. What?! She said it could just look that way because of the redness and swelling, but it could actually be back there. She gave us a prescription though so we went to Shopko to fill it. (Yes, Shopko knows who we are without asking our name when we show up to pick up prescriptions!)

So, in answer to that very short question, today I bought exactly 1 co-pay to Insta-care, 1 prescription for $3.99, 1 prescription for $15, 3 Mother's Day cards, and 1 pink bag to wrap a Mother's Day gift in! Then I came home & checked my Winder Farms order & fixed it so there's about another $30! So much for not spending any money! And I didn't even get to buy anything fun!