Across America

Brandon had his 5th grade America program today at school.  Of course I didn’t get there in time to get a good seat (although Kimi did try to save me one) and so I sat at the back.  The songs were great.  Patriotic songs about America and the states.  Brandon was his usual try not to sing, pretend I don’t know the actions, act like I would rather be anywhere but here self.  He had to fill in for someone’s part, he was excited to have the part, but acted like he didn’t know what he was doing.  I tried to just smile and let him be a typical “boy”.  Afterwards I did remind him that the teachers had put a lot of work into the program and it would be O.K. to try and do a good job for them.

As we were driving home I said, I didn’t know you were singing “Today” by Neil Diamond.  He said, Oh do you know that song.  I said I sure do, it is one of my favorite.  I then started singing it thinking of the time Tiffany and I were on our way home from California and were singing it.  I started singing “far, we’ve been traveling far without a hope”….no Mom it is home “oh, without a home, but not without a start”……Mom it is dream.  O.K. so I haven’t heard the song in a long time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still like it!

This is life

Saturday afternoon Brandon came inside to ask me if I would go out and play basketball with him.  I said, yes let me finish (whatever it was I was doing) and then I will come out.  He said, you might want to change your clothes.  I was dressed in regular clothes and with a long sleeve shirt on.  I then said, I think I can play in this and he replied, “you look really hot”.  Like hot as in the weather.  I turned to him and said, “well thank you very much”.  I have never seen him so embarrassed (and Brandon gets embarrassed a lot).  He put his head down and had this grin for quite awhile.  I told him, don’t be embarrassed that you called me hot!

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And here is the payoff for a successful family night.  Brandon and Jacob who are almost always fighting and arguing CHOSE to fall asleep in the same bed.  And why????  Because they were still laughing and having a good time from a game we played tonight.  Yes, I was what they were laughing at, but hey whatever makes them bond!

If I Were President….

Jacob brought this home from school awhile ago and I just get the biggest kick out of it every time I read it.

If I Were President…

I would keep us safe so no one would get hurt.  I would make prices lower so people pay less.  I would let the poor people have more money.  I would put no smoking signs on places where people shouldn’t smoke.

Even though this kid drives me crazy a lot of the time, I do really love his personality.

What are the chances?

My BFF Tiffany’s daughter had surgery on Tuesday, to put ear tubes in for the 3rd or 4th or 5th time.  A week or so ago I told Tiffany, just plan on me watching your other kids.  You can imagine our surprise on Monday afternoon as we realized I couldn’t help her because I would be at the hospital myself.  Every time I called her on Monday she would think it was the hospital calling to tell her the time for the surgery.  Anyways Tuesday morning she texted me when Ellie went back for surgery and I took a little walk from our room on the 2nd floor to the surgery waiting room on the 2nd floor.  There we were chatting away in the waiting room, Tiffany looking all nice with cute new shoes on and me in sweats and my hair in a ponytail looking like I had spent 2 nights in the hospital.  It was a fun meeting for us, but one that we hope to never repeat!

Mother of the Year

It is always great when you delay taking your child to the doctor and when you finally do they rush him back and hook him up on oxygen.  I felt so bad, but now after spending 2 days in the hospital I don’t feel so bad.  It would have meant being in the hospital for more days if I had brought him in earlier.  (Of course I may think differently once I get the ambulance bill) I don’t think he suffered any permanent damage by not being able to breathe really well for a few days!

This was the second time Jonah has had RSV and been hospitalized for it.  This time he was much older and was not nearly as scary as when he had it as an infant.  The thought didn’t even cross my mind this winter that he would get it.  With my children’s history I should never let my guard down!

I have spent too much time at Primary Children’s Medical Center, although not as much time as a lot of people.  Yes it is a great place to be if you need a hospital, but really I hope to never sleep there again.

After 2 days of deep suctioning, being on oxygen and an IV we got to come home last night.  One of the requirements for him to come home was for him to eat and drink enough on his own.  He ate great all day (well great for Jonah), he just wouldn’t drink.  He had in front of him ice cream, 2 different kinds of slushies, apple juice, a popsicle and a bottle of milk.  He sat there screaming while we tried to get him to have any of it.  The nurse walked out and another nurse asked what was wrong with him, oh he won’t eat his ice cream.  That is my Jonah baby for you.  I threatened him and bribed him and did everything I could to get 8 oz. of milk down him.

Other than being severely traumatized about his nose he is doing good.  They sent us home with oxygen for at night, which we should only need for a night or two.  He was so thrilled to see Jacob and Brandon last night.  He just couldn’t get enough of playing with them, and they couldn’t get enough of him either.

Ski Away

Jacob had been asking me all season if I would please take him skiing for the first time.  I kept saying yes and then 2 weeks ago when he asked again I realized I better pick a day or the season will be over.  Yesterday was the appointed day.  He was so excited all week he could hardly wait.  We took Brandon and my nephew Nathan along as well.

The morning was a little chaotic trying to hurry and get out the door and deal with a very sick Jonah who Bryan got to spend the day dealing with.  We got up to the resort and I realized that Jacob had brought these little green garden gloves for his gloves, he couldn’t find his.  Great, well it won’t be very cold so it will be alright.

We started out on the bunny hill a few times and he was getting the hang of it.  We then decided to head to a bigger hill.  The weather was pretty nice, but it was freezing on the lift.  Poor Jacob sat shivering with his soaking wet gloves.

 

At the end of the lift Brandon fell getting off and whacked his pole in Jacob’s face which made him fall as well.  They stopped the lift and I tried to hurry and get them both out of the way.  They both were crying as I got them all put back together again.  Jacob now had a bloody nose, which is nothing new, and could not stop crying.  I tried to hold on to him and steer him down the mountain.  He kept crying, “I hate skiing and I am never coming again”.  I finally was the nice Mom and put my gloves on him and went the rest of the way with no gloves for me.  I somehow got Jacob down to the bottom of the hill.  The boys were hungry so I said go to the car and start eating and I will go and pay an arm and a leg to get Jacob some new gloves.  I just kept telling myself I had to do it, there was really no other option. (If you know me well then you know this really is a big deal to me)  So I went and bought the gloves and we all warmed up and ate lunch.

Second half of the day, different story.  Right off the bat Jacob wanted to go with Brandon and Nathan on a lift that goes all the way to the top.  O.K. so we did.  He was happy as could be with his new, very warm gloves.  I thought this is going to take us forever to get back to the bottom, but no.  Jacob immediately picked up on how to really ski and he made it the whole way with no help.  We would get to the top of a fairly large hill and he would say, “let’s do this thing” and off he went.  It was hilarious.  By a few more runs he was going through the trees and off jumps.  He would hit a jump and go flying tumbling down and get up laughing.  It was great.  We had such a good time.

I hadn’t been with Brandon in a few years and he did great as well.  It is funny how some things you are able to pick right back up.  I hadn’t gone in 3 years, but  I had no trouble getting back into the swing of things.  Too bad it is so expensive and way too cold on the lift or I might be going much more often!

So for all my complaining what a difference a warm pair of gloves can make! Brandon and I wear the same yellow gloves that my Mom and I wore 18 years ago, maybe it is time to invest in some new warm gloves for us as well.

Tuacahn Duathlon!!!

3 mile run.....24 mile bike.....3 mile run

This will be a much different post than if I had written it on Saturday or even Sunday. The race was HARD and why was it hard? Because I was not prepared. The website describing the race said, “a fast and flat race through Ivins and Kayenta”. So that is what I prepared for. Flat racing. I did 3 long bike rides, the weather didn’t allow for much more. I knew I was fine with the running because I run 3-4 times a week.

The morning of the race I was pumped and excited. I changed my clothes twice before I left the house, I couldn’t decide what the weather would be like. The first 3 mile run was great. Down a sloping hill from Tuacahn, right past the house we were staying in (where Bryan and the boys were cheering me on), turn around and back up the sloping hill.

As I ran to my bike I checked my cool watch and let out a cheer, 29 minutes!!!! I have never run a 5K that fast before. Quick debate about the clothing situation again, changed shirts and off we went. Down the hill again and cruising along a flat road in Ivins, where I thought I need to get out my jacket it is pretty cold, I will do that soon. Circle around and soon I was starting the part I was unprepared for, UP 2 1/2 miles of Snow Canyon. All I could do was keep adjusting my gears and try to figure out what was best, I was roasting, no way am I putting on my jacket now. The last stretch to the turn around was STEEEEEEEP. I got to the top and debated about whether or not to take off one of my shirts, no I better just get going. Down the mountain and I was FREEZING, why didn’t I put on that jacket and gloves?

Around this time as I started the second loop of the biking portion (the same as the first) I started to notice that not many people were behind us (us being my brother Chris and I). I decided to kick it into high gear on the flat, I left Chris in the dust and counted only 6 people who were behind us. I started to get discouraged. So on I went barreling on the flat until I hit Snow Canyon and Chris caught right up to me. Huffing and puffing and so hot. As I got to the last really steep stretch these 3 (much older) ladies passed me. I said, “no, you can’t do that.” They laughed and on they went. By the time I got to the top panting they were resting and waiting to go done. No resting for me, I had to beat them. Down the mountain I went, freezing again. I was not nearly as cautious as I was the first time down, who cares if I fall at this point. I made it to the last little slope back up to Tuacahn just as Bryan and the boys were pulling out to drive up there to see us at the end.

Hard to tell, but I am smiling so it must not have been that bad. And yes this is the ONLY picture they took of me on my bike.

We got to the transition and racked our bikes, threw down our helmets and just ran. Bryan looked at me and said, “what do you need?” I am sure I looked terrible, I just passed by and waved. There was no way I could have stopped even if I had wanted to. 1.5 miles luckily downhill first while my legs felt like boards. I could not feel my feet and just felt like a machine that someone else was controlling. We got to the turn around water station, stopped for a drink and started back up the LAST hill. We started to notice that people who were behind us disappeared, they must not have done the last snow canyon loop. Almost to the top and here come 2 of the ladies who passed us on their bikes. They just trotted right past us and continued well ahead, I wanted to throw something at them. Finally the finish line was in sight and Chris grabbed my hand and said we can do this. We put as much energy as we had and finished at 2:55:07. One lady finished about 5 minutes after us, we were second to last.

I am hoping my sister in law got some better shots than this! She said we looked like string cheese and Chris said he felt like a baked potato. I had no brain activity so I don’t know what I felt like.

Anyways we thought it would take us 3 hours and it did. There were like 5 bagels left and nothing else, no line at the massage table because everyone else was long done. I was discouraged for about 2 days, until I realized that we were last, but we finished. I know for a fact that 4 people did not finish and there may have been several others. We did what we set out to do and it was hard, but I DID IT!!!

The kids did a kids race, while we were still finishing, which was fun for them.

After hours of trying to warm back up and bring life back to my brain Chris and I decided to do something. So we went to the grocery store and came back and made Si’s Sante Fe Enchilada’s, which take about 2 hours to make and are worth every second! Especially when you have accomplished something great that day.