Is it wrong to need a drink while at the health department?...

Oh my.

Yikes.

I think I will survive our experience yesterday getting the kids second dose of the H1N1 vaccine but it was shaky as of last night. I have been scarred for life. I know deep down that getting the 2nd dose of the vaccine was the right thing to do but I have regrets based on what we saw while waiting for our turn in line. I am by no means criticizing how scared most children were to get the vaccine. I know it can be very scary and overwhelming. Molly told me it was scary after we were done and back in the car. Poor thing. It was the reaction of many parents that made our experience worse. I know that I shouldn't judge the parents reactions to a stressful situation. I am SO blessed that I have pretty laid back children who waited patiently and without any drama. The family in front of us had 3 children with them. I guess it was the tone of the father and the words that he used that really bothered me. "Turn it off." "Turn if off, right now." (What he said to one when the waterworks of tears started.) "You want to act like a baby, I'll treat you like a baby." To his wife when he was tired of the crying - "Do you want to to walk out of here and leave you?" The one child was kicking and screaming so loud and fiercely that it took 3 workers and the Mom to hold her down. By this point my children's eyes were as big as saucers and we couldn't help by stare. Not a good feeling. The experience is over and done and we won't have to go back for a year. I'm seriously considering bucking up and paying the nurse at our doctor's office to do them next year. Maybe in a year the memory will be distant. It just isn't today.

I said a prayer for that family and I said a prayer for myself that I work on keeping an open mind. I haven't walked in their shoes.

Our weekend of giving Thanks!...

We had a very nice Thanksgiving break. We had Mike's parents here for an extended visit, I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner and we had some nice family time as Mike took last week as vacation. Here are a few of our highlights!


Cameron was a pilgrim at his Kindergarten Thanksgiving feast! The feast was fun and a great way to get ready for Thanksgiving.


We had Thanksgiving dinner with my brother, sister-in-law and our 2 nieces. Here are my kiddos with their cousins.


Happy Thanksgiving 2009!


Saturday morning Mike ran in the East Peoria River Trail Classic, a 4 mile fun run. It was kind of cold when he started but it turned out to be a nice morning and day.

On Sunday we went to a breakfast with Santa with my brother's family. The kids were so excited to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Santa we saw has been visiting this country club for 30 years! Authentic!




I just love how Amanda is holding Santa's hand. So sweet!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Ours was a success!

Fashionista...

We are having a big challenge around here. Our darling littlest girl is changing clothes multiple times a day - unassisted, too! We have had some really interesting outfits. I thought I would share a few...



PJ bottoms with an Elmo top...interesting!



At 2 o'clock in the afternoon we chose a nightgown and out butterfly tennis shoes...comfy!



And today for Thanksgiving we ONLY wanted to wear our Ohio State cheerleader dress...classic! We sure are raising her well!

Right now out outfit of choice is any dress or a nightgown. Period. If you see us wearing one of these and are legs are bare please realize that I may have been struggling with a certain someone to get them out the door!

My Big Cheese...

Cameron's kindergarten class does a fun thing where they get to be the "Cheese of the Week." It's a week where you get to be the star and share of things about yourself. Every child gets to be the cheese of the week once throughout the year. Cameron did his 2 weeks ago and we thought we would share a little about it.

On Monday you get to take in your favorite story to have read by the teacher. Cameron selected "We're going on a bear hunt." Great story with lots of action!

On Tuesday you take in a favorite item that you hide in a box and the class asks 20 questions to guess what it is. Cameron took his soccer trophy.

On Wednesday you add items to an estimation jar. Here's a picture of what we took...

Lego's of course!! We had fun counting all of them out so we could tell his teacher how many were in the jar. Cameron was very specific that only one size Lego go in the jar.

On Thursday you get to sit at the teacher's desk for the whole day (all 2 1/2 hours!). I guess this is a big deal. I was thinking this wasn't much of a reward once you get to maybe junior high but it's a hit in Kindergarten.

On Friday you share pictures about yourself with the class. Cameron took a baby picture, a few of fun things he has done lately and some pictures of his family. He has enjoyed hearing about his classmates families. He reports back to me how many brothers and sisters they each have. How lucky is Cameron that he has 2 sisters??!!

You also get to take in a snack to share on Friday. Two new friends here in town have started up a baking business called Baked Blessings. They made the absolute coolest Big Cheese treat so far! Thanks Lisa and Donna! We received lots of compliments even if Abbey didn't make them - ha ha!





Of course Molly had show and tell on the same Friday and you are allowed to bring food for it so we shared these...




All in all, we had a very good "Cheese of the Week!"

Halloween recap...

Ugh! I can't believe that I went so long without a blog post. I never would have been successful doing it every day! That would be really, really hard. I also realized that I never had posted any of our Halloween pictures. We had a great time trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood. It was a little cool so the girls only lasted about 12 houses but my boy was going strong so I continued to go to houses with Cameron while Mike brought Molly and Amanda home. Molly LOVED answering the door and handing out candy. When the door would ring she would yell, "We have customers!" So cute! Here is Batman, a little bumblebee and our precious ladybug...

Thank goodness for direction...

The other day I had to go and renew Mike's tags for his Illinois license plates. First of all we were late. They expired last Friday but silly us forgot to do it on the 1 1/2 days he took off last week. And before you say it, I know. You can do this online. I would if I remembered to do that!! Before I even got to the Secretary of State (DMV - Ohio friends) this is what the renewal paperwork looked like:



And this...



I would blame it on the youngest here but I can distinctly read two words on the paper that might have just been done by a Kindergartner. Sigh.

I realized last Sunday that we had forgotten to renew the tags. I got all ready to do it on Monday, got the kids ready and then checked the website for the address. Thank goodness I looked carefully. Closed on Monday's. What?? It became a Tuesday job and got to the Pekin Secretary of State with this:



Aren't these just the greatest creation EVER???!!!
I really have no idea where in Pekin I was. I know how to get to Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart. That is about my knowledge of Pekin.

By the way I was thrown for a loop. For 15 months I have told everyone that I live in Central Illinois. According to the Secretary of State I live in Western Illinois:



Now I don't know where I live...maybe the GPS will help me with that, too!

By the way, I have already failed on noting posting everyday. I meant to last night but fell asleep getting the little one to sleep. I guess real life gets in the way sometimes. Good intentions!

To get a 2nd dose or not...

I'm pretty sure that the kids aren't going to be able to get their 2nd dose of the vaccine for the H1N1 virus. The health department has cancelled all clinics in our county due to a lack of vaccines. I can't imagine that by the first week in December there will be a whole bunch more for round 2 children. I read an article in yesterday's Peoria Journal-Star that says 1 flu vaccine dose is working in pregnant women. It says 21 days after receiving a single 15-microgram dose of the vaccine 92% of the pregnant women showed a robust immune response. A larger, 20-microgram dose produced a strong response in 96% of pregnant women. The same test says that just 1 in 4 children ages 6 months to 35 months had a strong immune response after 21 days. There was a sharp improvement after receiving a second dose. I guess that is why a second dose is recommended in kids. It will be good luck trying to find it though. I guess one dose is better than none. I hope to not to have to find out.