Recovering and adjusting

The last 2 weeks have pretty much just been us trying to get back into a normal routine after the holidays and being sick. It was a rather hard transition back to work and school. It was a looong week! Arden is continuing to grab at her ears and act like she doesn’t feel great. And she also tells me frequently “I not feel dood, I go to doctor.” in a sad pouty voice. Not sure if she’s playing me or really doesn’t feel good, but I felt bad enough I took her to the doctor on Friday morning. They put her on new antibiotics and she already had an appointment to see the ENT on Monday anyway.

She said she didn’t feel good, so I didn’t make her go to bible class- pretty sure I got played this time.

We took the kids to Marvel Universe Live! in Little Rock last weekend. We gave Stratton the tickets for Christmas. The show was at 3:00pm so we grabbed some lunch on our way out of town and then hit the road so the kids could get a decent nap on the way there!

Lunch at Firehouse

Before the show!

Stratton LOVED the show. It was loud and a little scary, there were fireworks, lasers, fights, and stunts and motorcycles tricks. . . .all things that little boys love! Plus all his favorite super hero's were in the show! Iron man, Spiderman, the Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine. . .and more! And of course all the villains! Arden on the other hand felt slightly different about the event. She hated it. For most of it, especially anytime it got really loud or there were fireworks shooting off, she would burry her head in my shoulder and clung to me so tightly I could hardly breathe!! As it went on she relaxed a little. The popcorn helped.

After the show Jarrod called Steven to see if he wanted to meet us for dinner at Copelands. We had a yummy dinner and even better cheesecake! Then we headed back home. We got to the house about 10pm.

Monday morning, we took Arden to her ENT appointment, and as I assumed, they recommended another set of tubes. It’s been about a year since she had the last ones in, so I guess we’ve gone almost a year without an ear infection- that’s not too bad! We set up the procedure for next Monday. They will call me Friday afternoon and let me know what time. They schedule by age, so hopefully Arden will be one of the first ones!!

Monday night we decided to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Stratton has been doing really well in school, and was promised a trip to CEC before the holidays and the sickness! We will only go on a weeknight, it’s so much less busy! Arden wasn’t keen on the rides moving. I forgot at this age they are happy to just climb on and off of stuff! Stratton took care of her tokens though! I only got one picture! Too much to keep up with!!

Last week a little girl (and one of the girls Arden plays with a lot) scratched Arden’s neck up pretty good. The little girl wanted whatever Arden had and jumped on top of her, the Arden pushed her off and slammed her head in the ground – this is what the teacher told me she saw before she could get to them! Ha! 2 year olds are brutal!! I’m glad to hear that Arden took up for herself though that time! But then Tuesday, a little boy got her and scratched her up really good. He got in trouble and we had to sign an incident report this time, it was pretty bad! Poor baby!! This time however she just took it and then fell on the ground and starting crying?! I’m not sure why she didn’t fight back this time? Who knows. She doesn’t have a problem holding her own with Stratton!! A few hours after that she fell down and bruised her check! When I picked her up she looked just awful!! I also had to call the doctor’s office and ask them to change her antibiotic. She was giving us the worst fits about it! The new meds are much more palatable and she is taking it so much better!!

Scratches on her nose and head and check

Arden and baby Lelia- we take her pretty much everywhere these days!

She likes to try to dress herself. Sometimes she gets it, sometimes not. . .

Wednesday morning she woke up in a particularly good mood. At least one of us slept well!

Major bedhead!!

“I sleep in mommas bed!!”

She’s been waking up and coming to get in bed with us every night since we got her new bed. I am not as hard on her as I probably should be about this, but when you wake up to such sweet snuggles it’s hard!! And with her being sick and not feeling good I hate to make her cry it out in her room! Maybe once we get the ears situation over we can start working on getting her to stay in her bed for the night!

Last night after her bath before church I put her hair in pigtails for the first time! I was surprised that she left them in! The whole time at church too! She looked adorable! I took these right after I did it and her hair was still wet, it looked even cuter after it dried.

When we got home Stratton did his homework (with some help). Since starting back to school they now have weekly spelling tests on Friday. So, I am having him write his spelling words 3 times each every night. Then on Thursday night we do a mock test. Last week he made a 100% on his test!! I hope this proves to him that a little work and preparation makes test taking easier! He told me the other night “that it’s not fair! None of the other kids have to do spelling words every night” and I said. . .”Well, you know what?? Life’s not fair!”. Yep, I sure did. I am about 99.9% sure I told myself that I would never tell my kids that when I was a mom. He has been doing much better in school till yesterday. He got in trouble for not listening. What a shocker.

I developed my own worksheet. There are 8 words, he must write them 3 times each. It takes him FOREVER. . . .

Probably because he gets distracted very easily!

Oh, yes. She is giving him a drink, I guess his arms are worn out from writing too much! I’m such an awful mom!!

This has been a long week (that’s not over yet!) Tomorrow if Stratton can be good, I hope to take him to see the Paddington Bear movie. I think we might leave Arden and Jarrod at home! And then Saturday Jarrod and Terry are taking Stratton and Archer to the Monster Truck Jam in Little Rock, and Stratton gets to stay with Nan and Pa till Monday afternoon! They are out of school Monday! That will help us out since Arden could possibly need to be at the hospital at 5am, which would be hard to do with a cranky 5 year old tagging along!