Talent Search 2012, a birthday party & powdered donuts

Last weekend Samantha competed at Talent Search 2012.  My niece, Jade, got to compete too.  It was fun for me to watch both girls.  Jade hasn't competed before so this was new territory for her.  It was fun for me to watch someone who was excited about the hustle and bustle and not have to listen to them complain about how it's taking FOREVER!  (Actually, Sam's usually pretty good about keeping the complaining at these things to a minimum but the judges DID take FOREVER this time!)

Here are the girls with their awards.  They both got a trophy as well as a ribbon.  The ribbon for Jade was for participating in the dance down.  The ribbon for Sam was for participating in the drill down.  Plus, Sam got a medallion for taking 3rd in the dance down for her age group.

These cute girls look more alike every time I look at their pictures!  I love their matching glasses too!  I can't believe how old they both are!  I swear they were both babies just yesterday!

Speaking of how old these girls are, May 1st was Jade's 8th birthday.  We went out for cookies and ice cream.  My sister mentioned that we hadn't taken any pictures of these girls together since probably Christmas.  Despite Brook having what my other kids call "her boy hair do", I snapped some photos.  I think my sister got a few better ones.  It's fun to have girls so close in age again. Sam & Jade are 15 months apart & these two are only 2 months & a day apart.  Brookie looks as old (and chubbier than) Sunny!

Yesterday I took Brooke to watch Nash's soccer game in Nibley.  He's playing better at every game.  He's goalie (in the red shirt).  The sun was shining right in our eyes most of the game.  They kinda got creamed at this game (6-0).  Half this team was a year older than our team.  Their previous game they played a team where all the kids on it were a year older - they got creamed at that game too.  It makes me smile though because Nash always says, "They beat us __ to __, but I still had a lot of fun!  And that's what matter's, right mom?!"  Love it.

Tonight we got to dance about 45 minutes early so we ran across the street to Smiths to get pull ups.  Well, as my luck would have it, they had several items on their 10/$10 sale.  One of those items happened to be powdered donuts.  Powdered donuts are Caleb's FAVORITE (along with pink milk and waffles).  So, I let the kids each pick a drink and we got the rest of our 10 items as powdered donuts.  Why?  Well, Caleb loves them and I figured they'd be easier than letting everyone pick something else and make me walk all over the store.  Unfortunately, I still had to walk all over the store because Samantha HATES donuts (yes, she reminds me every time I try to get her to eat one).  So, 40 minutes later, we walk out of Smiths with about 7 of the 6 pack of powdered donuts.  Brookelyn was freaking out trying to grab everything of everybody else's.  When I had Caleb strapped in I asked him if he'd give Brooke a donut.  Not sure if that was a smart idea or not.  My vehicle looked like someone had been having a crack party after she was done.  She sure was happy though!

Tomorrow I get to make a Monster High cake for Jade's friend birthday party.  Should be interesting - I'm making my own pattern here.  Saturday is our big yard sale/bake sale fundraiser for Relay for Life.  I'm hoping we have good weather and an even better turn out....cross your fingers!

Sam's Youtube debut

My SEM students have been putting together podcasts since February.  The official name of their project is "How Things Work".  They were to pick a topic they wanted to know more about and how it works.  Sam chose the electric & acoustic guitar (gee, I wonder where she came up with that idea? :) )  So, the kids had to research their topic, take notes and write a script.  After their script was written, I would video them.  Sam did hers the other night.  She's kinda my lab rat in figuring out how to do this.  If I can figure out how to turn the video so you don't have to watch it sideways I'd be much happier.  Anyone know how to do that?
The next step for me is to figure out how to get all the videos of my students uploaded to my SEM website (it's a uen website).  Anyone know how to do that?  I'm thinking if I can zip the file to make it smaller I can do it.  Not sure exactly how to go about that yet.  Still working out the kinks.  I should be a pro by the time I'm done doing 28 of these suckers!
Happy viewing!

Pictures!

In my last phone dump post I posted a picture of Brookelyn eating a strawberry.  It so happens I took a bunch on my camera of that same strawberry eating.  You can tell how excited she is about it.

I love this one.  She looks like: "mmmm..this is so good.  What are you looking at?!"

This is such a Caleb face

This is totally a Caleb face too!  You can tell she's watching me trying to figure out what I'm doing.

Sam with her newest dance trophy.  This was at the Clearfield High School competition last weekend.  She competes again tomorrow night.  She'll have another trophy and probably a couple ribbons from that one.  I really need to get her a trophy shelf....soon.

It would appear that summer is already here.  Caleb has been digging like no tomorrow in the dirt by the fence in the backyard.  Apparently, he's not only digging in it, he's also eating and snorting it.

And here's where I realize I haven't taken any photos of Nash this past week or two.  That poor kid!  I always say he has middle child syndrome!  No wonder!  Actually, he's been sick.  Yesterday at work I got a phone call telling me he threw up in class.  The poor kid had to lay in the sick room for two hours before I could get off work and get there!  I didn't answer my phone when they called because I was with my students.  My class had just gotten underway and it's an hour and fifteen minute class.  When I did finally get the message, my fifth graders were on their way into class.  I did a half class with them so that I could get all the explanations they needed before I dismissed them.  Then I had a 10 minute drive from the school I was at to his school!  Poor kid actually ended up throwing up about five times yesterday.  He was home again today and seems to be doing much better.  I'm going to send him to school tomorrow despite the pleas I know I'm going to hear!  It was actually terrible timing for him to get sick.  I was observed TWICE today so I couldn't stay home with him!  Good thing Grandma closes at work on Thursdays and Grandpa was available between when Grandma left & I could get there.

A follow up to yesterday

Today I was talking to my girlfriend about B's ear situation.  I figured the following:

1-If my kids' surgeries had all been done separately, we would have endured 19 surgeries/operations at our house.
2-We have paid a MINIMUM of $9,600 for tubes/adenoids/tonsils for 4 kids.
     a - if our deductible hasn't been met, we pay a MINIMUM of $1,100 per surgery.
     b - if our deductible has been met, we pay a MINIMUM of $800 per surgery
     c - I figured $9,600 by multiplying 12 surgeries x $800
     d - this figure does not include Samantha's broken arm when she had to be sedated and her arm set
     e - this figure is only the hospital amount, not the co-pays to the ENT, co-pays to the pediatrician, co-pays for prescriptions, or the anesthesia bill, or the surgery bill for the ENT

Yes, this thoroughly depressed me.  Why?  That's a TON of money.  And, I figure we've got a few more surgeries to endure.  Why?  Brooke has her second one coming up and Caleb has only had 2 sets of tubes (Sam & Nash have had 4) and Brooke has only had tubes and adenoids - not tonsils (other 3 have had tonsils out too).

What's unfortunate is that this total doesn't include our dental bills.  And yes, we have AT LEAST 1 set of braces and an implant in our future.

I think I will seriously recommend DNA testing for my children before they marry!  That or suggest they all go to ENT school or marry a doctor!

Cheaper by the dozen

Today I took Brookelyn back into the ENT to have her follow up again.  Her right ear was clogged...again.  Fortunately for her, we didn't hold her down and unclog it.  Dr. Blotter has decided we need to remove the tube that's in her right ear now and replace it with not just one, but two, brand new tubes (a different kind of course).  So, we had the pleasure of scheduling TUBE ROUND 12 today.  Yep.  An even dozen.  Oy.

You know, I knew this was coming and I had been telling my family this was coming.  Jinxed it, right?  No, was trying to mentally prepare myself.  You know what?  It didn't help!  I'm still bummed out for my poor baby girl that she has to have another round of tubes already.

Dr. Blotter suggests we leave the left ear alone because it has been working (and looking) beautifully.  My fear is that as soon as she comes out from having a second one put into the right ear that the left ear is going to start acting up and giving us the run around.  Guess all I can do is cross my fingers, right?

Now we play the waiting game.  Because of my work schedule and the schedule the kids have right now, I had to wait to get her in until May 16th.  We could have gone in on May 3rd, but then I'd have to miss work...again.  Can't do that to my students right now because that is their last week of class to prepare their final presentations that they've been working so hard on since January!  I'm just hoping that she doesn't end up with another ear infection in that ear between now and then!

I asked Dr. Blotter today if there is any other family that he knows of that has bought as many tubes as we have.  His answer was a resounding No.  He said that he has one guy who's nine and is getting his fifth set of tubes, but as far as a family goes, nope, we pretty much take the cake.  I told him I should start a support group I guess!  I can laugh about it now, but lets wait and see what Sam's allergy testing says on May 10th.  We might not be laughing any more!  Good thing we're done having kids, I can't afford any more medical bills!