Happy Friday Everyone!

Well, it is finally Friday night and all of my kids are in bed and my hubby is out in the field spraying beans. Maddie had daycamp today and they went fishing, swimming and canoeing at Smith Lake. She said that it was lots of fun. Next week they are scheduled to do all sorts of water activities because they are having "Wacky Water Week" at the YMCA. Hopefully the weather stays like it has the last few days for them...hot, very hot. Today it was so hot that I tried to take the boys outside so they could play for a little bit, but after half an hour we were back in the house because they got too hot outside. We spent the afternoon watching several Baby Einstein DVD's and playing with legos. Carter learned how to do a somersault on his own and he is very proud. He spent alot of time tonight doing them on the living room rug. Maddie is trying to show him how to do cartwheels but it is not going well. Carter got to ride with Adam tonight for about an hour and he was in heaven. He has been asking and asking all week long to ride with his dad. I am attaching several pictures from today for you to look at. You might notice that Maddie has a bruise next to her eye - that is because someone jumped off the board at the pool yesterday and him knee caught her eye. There is a tiny cut on it and it is really tender, but she said that she was fine. I guess she also ended up getting a bloody nose too. She is a tough girl and said that she did not even cry. In the pictures I took of her she is showing off the bracelet and necklace she made at daycamp. They do such fun things with the kids and I am so happy that she likes to go. Well, I need to get a load of laundry folded before I head off to my bed. I am not sure how long Adam will be spraying but I am sure I will be snoring by the time he gets home. Have a great weekend! Love, Steph

Hello from the Sullivan's

Well, today is Thursday and we had quite a normal day. Maddie went to daycamp. Brennan was here. He was a happy little guy all day. Carter and Kinnick were good too. Wait, I take that back because Carter was very naughty, oh wait, so was Kinnick. This morning they wanted a snack so I gave each of them some cereal in a bowl and let them sit on my rug in the living room to eat it (NO MILK OF COURSE). What a mistake that was! I went in the kitchen to unload the dishwasher and when I peeked in to check on them there was cereal everywhere. And Kinnick was having a blast walking on it and hearing it crunch into little pieces. Since Brennan was napping I decided that I would wait to vacuum the mess. About an hour later the boys wanted another snack, of course they did, I am sure that they were hungry since they did not eat the cereal I had given to them. This time Carter asked for popcorn puffers, so I let the boys have some. There was not alot left in the bag, so I told Carter to sit in the rocking chair and eat them and also to give some to Kinnick. Well, he gave some to Kinnick alright, he dumped the bag of puffers all over the living room floor. The two of them proceeded to smash them into the rug, yes, the same rug that had cereal all over it. When I discovered what they had done Carter did the cutest thing. He went into the toyroom and brought out his little vacuum and told me that he would clean it all up. It was so cute, how could I get angry? So, he "cleaned" with his vacuum and I got mine out too. It took a long time to vacuum all of that up. Carter's mischevious behavior doesn't stop there, at lunch time he ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some pringles, and some fresh strawberries. After he ate that he was still hungry and asked for a bowl of fruity pebbles. I gave them to him and then went to take Kinnick up for a nap and when I came back downstairs there was cereal and milk all over the table, the floor, and all over Carter of course. He had dumped it out and then taken his hands and smeared it all over the table. When I asked him what he was doing he told me that he was making circles. And he was. It is amazing how far fruity pebbles can fly when someone is making "circles". What a mess that was to clean up. All three boys napped after lunch and I had the chance to work on some school stuff. When Maddie got home from daycamp we had supper and shortly after that Kinnick went to bed. Carter and Maddie are driving me crazy so I am headed upstairs to put them to bed now. Talk to you all again tomorrow!

Our Wednesday

Well, I had alot of plans to get alot of things done today, but that did not happen. I woke up this morning with another one of my awful headaches. The kind where I don't even open the curtains to let sunlight in. I spent most of the morning on the couch watching TV with the boys. I TiVo alot of programs for them and then we watch them over and over and over. Carter's favorite is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Kinnick's favorite is Little Einsteins. They are both educational so I don't mind letting them watch those programs. By lunch time my headache was much better so I let the boys play outside for a little bit so that I could re-pot some flowers. They both decided they wanted to help me. Kinnick was eating the soil and Carter was using his shovel and dirt was going everywhere. It was quite the project. After we got done doing that it started to smell like pigs so we came back in the house. After both of them napped we planned to go get some groceries at Fareway and then go pick up Maddie at daycamp. My wonderful mother offered to watch one of the boys for me while I went to Algona, so that helped alot! It is so much work taking both of them shopping for groceries. They always want to ride in one of those carts that looks like a firetruck or police car, but then I never have enough room to get my groceries in those carts. And by the time we get to the checkout one of my boys is trying to push the other one out of the cart. Oh the joys of grocery shopping! Kinnick stayed at my mom and dad's house because he needed a nap and Carter wanted to go with me anyway. He was quite the handful at the store. He did not want to ride in the cart, he wanted to walk like a "big boy". Well, we did not get far and he ended up getting put into the cart against his will. We were in the produce section and he was trying to grab everything he saw. He wanted to eat the grapes, then he wanted to eat a banana, and finally while I was getting kiwi he decided to try and eat through the plastic bag to get a bite of an apple. We managed to leave the store spending under $200 so I was happy about that. I even bought alot of meat and pop this time too. When we got to the YMCA to pick up Maddie she was just starting to play racquetball with one of her friends. She was bummed that we had to leave, but I could barely keep ahold of Carter because he wanted to get down and play. Plus we had groceries in the car and needed to get going. We went and picked Kinnick up at mom and dad's and then we came home and the kids played outside while I carried in groceries and put them away. They came in and we had supper and then we watched a movie and played in their toyroom. Carter was ready for bed by 7:30 and Kinnick followed shortly after. Maddie is just getting ready to head up to her bed now. I plan to do some school work and then relax and watch my soap opera from today that I TiVo'd. Talk to you all again tomorrow. Love, Stephanie and family

BLOGGING by Kinnick

Heddo evweebuddy. Dis is Kinnick and my mommy said dat I could send dis BLOG to all of you today. We weally had a good day. Sissy went to da daycamp dis morning, daddy took her to it at 8:00. Den he went to da elevator to get some chemicalsso dat he could spway da beans. Carder was mad dat he did not get to go wiff daddy. Bwennen was here today too. He was a good boy. Sometimes I get mad when my mommy is holding him and not me, bus mommy always wets me sit on da couch next to dem and I wike dat alot. We got to go over to John Deere dis afternoon so dat daddy could bwing home da tractor dat was done getting fixed. Mommy dwove us over to Algona and da backseat of da suburban was full. Bwennan was in his carseat between me and Carder. When we got to John Deere Carder got weally excited. He just luvs dat place. Daddy decided to let Carder wide home in da tractor wiff him. Carder got a lellow balloon when he was at John Deere too. He was weally proud of it when he got home in da tractor. Afder we dwopped daddy and Carder off at John Deere we went to get sissy at daycamp. By da time we got back home it was almost 5:30. Daddy decided he was going to start spwaying da beans so he made himself a PB and J sandwich for supper. Mommy started to make banana bwead after Bwennan left wiff his mommy. Da bwead smelled weally good. Mommy let us have a piece of it. It was still warm and it was weally yummy. Den we all went outside to play for a little bit. Mommy took lots of pictures of us when we were outside. Madster and Carder decided to pwetend dat day were building a house, so dey got out a dumptwuck and some tools to work wiff. I was just happy to be outside and run around. I did manage to get into some mud and got a wittle dirty. Mommy said dat me and Carder will get to take baths in da morning. I hope dat da weather is nice so dat we can play outside again tomorrow. Mommy does not have to babysit for Bwennan since it is Wednesday so maybe we can go swimming in our pool. Dat would be alot of fun. I think dat it is supposed to be weally hot outside. I think dat mommy wants to use da compuder now so dat she can reconcile da bank statement. I need to go to bed anyway cuz I am weally tired.

Wuv, Kinnick

P.S. Here is a video clip of us playing inside tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3mx6iwfRJU

My boys each learned something new today....

Well, it is Monday night at 7:30 and my children are being rotten. It is time to pick up toys and Carter and Maddie are both whining. They are both over tired because they were up too late last night. What fun! It has been quite a day, first Kinnick learned how to crawl up onto the couch and he runs from one end to the other and I am just waiting for him to fall and get hurt. Then, Carter learned how to open the baby gate and get into the kitchen. That is big TROUBLE! He gets into everything in the kitchen! He even managed to sneak upstairs and I found him spraying Febreeze all over Maddie's bedroom. It was really hot out today so we stayed inside all day long. Maddie went to daycamp and got to go swimming at the Algona pool. She loves swimming there. She missed going to daycamp last week with being out of town and also because of the holiday. She has alot of friends there and likes to hang out with them. Not much else happening here with us. Adam plays softball at 9 tonight in Algona so I imagine that I will be asleep before he gets home from doing that. I am tired and could go to bed now, but that is not going to happen. I still need to study and then unlaod the dishwasher. Have a great week everyone!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Can the weekend be over already? Where does the time go? It was really hot here today so Maddie and Carter spent some time swimming in their pool. I kept Kinnick inside most of the day because it was just so hot. I did alot of laundry today. That is just so much fun! We had a wonderful supper that Adam made. It was grilled chicken breasts and scalloped corn and some fresh fruit. As you will see in the attached video clip and pictures, Kinnick really likes the corn and he got quite messy eating it. Not too much else happening here except me doing alot of school work. I am to the really tough part of my classes now where I am learning medical terminology and human anatomy, etc.... I don't know how people make it though med school, there is just so much to learn! Have a great week everyone! Love, Steph

P.S. Cindy if you are reading this, Happy Birthday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDet9yjZjXU

Video Clip

Here is Maddie, Carter and Adam swimming yesterday afternoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fWHojMwIcY

Maddie's back from fishing!

Hello! Well, Maddie and Adam got home today from their fishing trip to Alexandria Minnesota. Maddie said she had a great time. She fished yesterday morning, went mini golfing and go cart racing in the afternoon, went out for supper (and she ate ALLIGATOR), and then went fishing again. Carter and Kinnick were happy to see her this afternoon when she got home. Carter really missed her alot! We all decided to hop into the pool before supper and the kids loved it. Kinnick was napping, but Carter and Maddie had a blast. It is nice to have Adam and Maddie back home tonight. It is late and I am going to bed and will post more tomorrow! Love to all, Steph

Ever watched the Boobahs?

I am all about letting my children watch TV programs that are educational, and I always thought that PBS Sprout provided educational programming but I was wrong. I watched the Boobahs with Carter and Kinnick this morning. What a strange show. I am not really sure what that show is supposed to teach children. I think I might just do some research on the internet and see what the point of the show is supposed to be. As I type this Carter and Kinnick are watching the episode I recorded for the 3rd time. Just wanted to let all of you know that, I am sure that you do not really care, but does anyone else let their children watch the Boobahs?????

Wish I would have had my digital camera today!

It's FRIDAY! I sure wish that I would have had the digital camera today, but Adam and Maddie have it in Minnesota. My 2 little boys created alot of "Kodak" moments today. Brennan slept for most of the morning and so did Kinnick, so that gave Carter and I the opportunity to go outside and play. Carter found that Grandma was out in the garden so he decided that he would help her. She uprooted a big plant that grew voluntarily and so Carter decided that it would be fun to put it in the back of his gator and get rid of it. He thought that was really neat. It was a little prickly so it was nice not to have to carry it over to the tall grass and get rid of it. Carter wiped out on the sidewalk and really cut up his knee and both of his feet. He cried and cried and cried, but he kept telling me to leave him alone. He would not even let me look at his knee. I knew it was bad because I could see the blood. He has so many scrapes, cuts and bruises on his legs and feet that people probably think I never watch him.

We spent most of the afternoon inside playing tractors. When Brennan went home the boys wanted to go outside and play, so I thought that would be a great idea so that I could sit in the swing on the deck and work on some school stuff. I heard a loud scream from Kinnick and I looked up to see Carter spraying him with the hose. He hated it. I told Carter that he could not spray his little brother anymore, but like any 2 year old, he did not listen to me. It was quiet and I knew that could only mean double trouble. I was right. Carter was holding the hose close to the grass and making a big muddy mess. Then he was digging it up with his gardening tools and trying to dump it on Kinnick. They were both very dirty. Kinnick also must have decided to eat some dirt because it was all over his mouth and chin. Just as the 2 of them were getting in trouble for the mess they made my mom and dad were pulling into the yard. They had come out to do some work in the shop. Of course, Carter wanted to help, so we walked to the shop to see what they were going to do. Carter ran over to the Cub Cadet and hopped on. He was in heaven. I spent the whole time chasing Kinnick around and taking things out of his mouth (he tries to eat everything!)

Kinnick was so tired when we got back up to the house that I just wiped him down with baby wipes and put him to bed for the night. Once he was asleep I took Carter upstairs to take a bath. He is watching "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" on the couch and I think he may have fallen asleep...it sure is quiet in there. Once I get him up to bed I plan to work on more school stuff.

Adam and Maddie will not be home until either tomorrow or Sunday. They went fishing again this morning and then went mini golfing and go cart racing this afternoon. She should be calling me before she goes to bed to fill me in on all the details.

Love,
Stephanie

Fun day!

Hi everyone! Well, Maddie and Adam took off about 10:30 this morning to head up north fishing with Adam's dad. Maddie was pretty excited about going fishing on a boat because she has never done that before. She called me tonight to let me know that she caught the most fish, about 15 or 16. She caught 2 big catfish and then the rest were mostly sunfish. She was really excited when she called so she must be having lots of fun. That leaves me at home with my 2 little boys. They played outside for a while this afternoon and then after we got done eating supper we went to my mom and dad's house to deliver a plate of cookies that Maddie baked yesterday. I took along the clipper set that we bought at K-Mart to cut the boy's hair. Carter was very cooperative and let me cut his hair. It is short. Really short. I decided to be brave and cut Kinnick's hair too. He was not as happy about it as Carter was. In fact he cried the whole time. My mom held onto him while I used the clippers and managed to get it all cut. His is short too! It will be much cooler for them in this heat. Since they were such good boys Grandma let them eat popsicles on the deck. Needless to say, when we got home they needed a bath because they were hairy and sticky! The video clip I have attached is one my mom took after the haircuts. It turned out really good! Well, I am going to head to bed for the night. Talk to you all tomorrow! Love, Steph

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVO6piq3u90

Fourth of July 2006

Hi! Just a quick post with some pictures from last night at fireworks. Our day was pretty uneventful yesterday. I did not feel the best and so I laid around on the couch most of the day. Adam spent the afternoon in the back yard filling wagons to be hauled to the elevator today. Then he worked on cleaning the big pool. He grilled roast for supper and also made acorn squash for us. It was yummy. Maddie wanted us to take her to the fireworks in Algona so we dropped Kinnick off at my mom and dad's house and took Maddie and Carter to see the fireworks. We had never been to see fireworks in Algona, and we were very impressed. The show was awesome! Carter was not sure about the noise, but he liked to watch them. I plugged his ears most of the time. It was 11 p.m. by the time we got home and so we all went to bed and decided that we would save sparklers for tonight. Hope you all had a great 4th of July! Love, Steph

WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Hi everybody! Well, we are back home after a wonderful weekend in Carroll! It was great to see so many of Adam's relatives. We left home on Saturday morning about 10:30 and got into Carroll at noon. We went to Aunt Ruth's house for lunch. The boys were a little unsure when we walked in and there were so many people in the kitchen, but once they warmed up to everyone it was nice. After lunch we all went outside and sat on lawn chairs in the shade and the kids played.

They started to get cranky so we decided to take them to Grandpa Mike's house and let them nap in their pack and plays. When they got up they were in great moods and were ready to play with Maddie, Blake and Katie. They went outside and across the street from Grandpa Mike's house is a large lot where there is not a house, so it makes for a great spot to throw the football, play frisbee, play softball and all of that sort of stuff. We had a huge supper with lots of great food! The kids got to eat corn on the cob and Carter had 2 ears that he absoultely cleaned every kernel off of. Kinnick went to bed by 6:30 p.m. and we did not hear from him until 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning! I guess he needed his sleep! When it got dark outside we headed out to let the kids do some sparklers. Carter was quite impressed with them. He took turns sitting on laps and had a blast! Aunt Betty taught him to sing "Hooray for the red white and blue!" It was so cute to hear him!

On Sunday we got up and had doughnuts for breakfast because Grandpa Mike decided to go and get some for us at Hy-Vee. We all got showered and dressed for the day and said goodbye to "Papa Gene" because he had to head back home to Minnesota because of work. After he left Carter wanted to play in the garage on the lawnmower. He sure loves that John Deere mower alot! We spent most of the day in the garage and outside. It was really hot out! Katie and Blake took Maddie and Carter to see the movie "Cars". They had alot of fun!

Carter got the chance to wear lipstick for the first time thanks to Aunt Betty. Although it really was not her fault because she was only putting lipstick on herself and Carter walked up and asked for some. He thought it was really neat when we had him give kisses and he could see the lip prints he left. Of course, when we took him out to the garage to show his dad, Adam was not really pleased about the whole deal. It was lots of FUN!

Maddie complained that she did not feel good. She started to complain of a tummy ache and then she really started to cry because she had an awful headache. I really got worried because I had not seen her so upset about a headache before. She finally ended up getting sick to her stomach and then she laid down on the couch and slept for about 2 1/2 hours. When I started to think about it, I realized that she had complained to me several times earlier that she was really hot and could not cool down. We think that she most likely had heat sickness. Once she woke up from sleeping she felt fine and went with us out to Aunt Ruth's house to watch the fireworks. It was great to see her feeling better!
Carter was not sure about the fireworks, at first the noise scared him, but once he got used to it he was fine. Kinnick was just crabby and tired, but who can sleep when there are fireworks going on? He managed to stay awake the whole time. Maddie liked the fireworks but was mad that we would not let her help Uncle Tim and cousin Blake set them off.


We got up this morning and packed up our stuff to head back home. What an ordeal! We have to take so much stuff when we travel. Amazing how the little boys require so much! We had breakfast with Grandpa Mike and then headed over to visit Grandpa Adkins. I felt awful because our kids were rotten when we were there. They were tired and cranky, so we did not stay long. Adam and I will have to make a trip down to visit without the kids so we can sit and visit with Grandpa more. He seemed to be doing pretty good. We wanted to take him out for lunch but it was too hot and humid for him to be out (since he only has one lung). Maybe we can take him out to eat next time we are in Carroll.

It is always nice to come back home. The kids can get back to their routines and sleep in their own beds and all of that good stuff. Tomorrow is the 4th of July and I do not think we are going anywhere. It will be nice to stay at home and just hang out as a family. There are fireworks in Algona tomorrow night and I am not sure if we will go over to them or not. We have some sparklers left and will do those once it starts to get dark.

It was wonderful to see you Grandpa Mike, Grandma Jo, Papa Gene, Uncle Tim, Aunt Betty, Katie, Blake, Uncle Gene, Aunt Ruth, Aunt JoJo, Uncle Jeff and Dianne!

Love, Adam, Stephanie, Maddie, Carter & Kinnick

Headed out of town

Hi! Just a quick post to let everyone know that we are headed out of town today and will return home on Monday. Have a good weekend and I will post on Monday night when we get back!

Love,
Stephanie

Today is Thursday

Hi!

Our day started with Adam taking Maddie to the dentist in Algona to have sealant put on her back permanent teeth to help protect them. Adam said that she did not like it and cried. I really dread having to take her to the orthodontist. I am going to call and set the appointment up tomorrow. She will be going to see Dr Jones in Spencer. I think this is the same dentist that put my braces on years ago! Crazy!

After her appointment she went to daycamp at the YMCA. She had her last baseball game of the summer at 5 tonight. I was unable to go because I was babysitting and Kinnick was rather crabby. I think he is getting some more teeth in! Maddie hit a home run and was very excited when she came home and told me about it. I am so proud of her. Of course, we know who all the credit should go to for teaching her how to play, Uncle Bill in Hawaii! (Ha Ha Ha). No, Adam works with her alot and that is something that the two of them really enjoy doing together, playing sports.

Carter went to my mom's house this afternoon for a few hours to play. He had been asking since 8 a.m. so Adam called and asked what she was doing this afternoon. It does Carter good to spend some time away from me because he wants me all the time and cries when I leave to go somewhere.

I did laundry most of the day, yuck! I need to unload and then reload the dishwasher before I head to sleepy time! Normally Maddie would do that but she seemed tired and I got her up to bed about 9 p.m. and told her I would take care of the chores tonight.

Not too much else happening here, Adam is outside doing something in the shop since it is cool out tonight and is supposed to be hot tomorrow. I think he is going to mow our lawn and that means Carter will be excited to ride on his lap.

Love to all! Steph and family

It's Wednesday and I know I did not post yesterday

Here is a picture I took yesterday of Maddie, Carter and Brennan. I am also attaching the link to a video clip of Kinnick and Brennan from yesterday when we were playing and watching Little Einsteins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtA3vbUZlAY


The only excuse I have about not posting yesterday is that I had a headache that I think turned into a migraine and I was on the couch all night until I went to bed at 9 o'clock. It was awful. Otherwise yesterday was pretty normal here. This morning Adam and I took Kinnick to his 15 month checkup at the doctor. Fifteen months? Can that really be? He is not a baby anymore! He weighed 27 lbs 14.5 oz and was 33 inches long. He is in the 90th percentile for both his weight and his height. We had some concerns about the fact that he does not say anything except for guh and ba ba so we asked about that and the doctor thinks that because he had so many ear infections and always had fluid in his ears that he was not hearing things normally. Sounds were muffled when he heard them. So, he may just be a little behind because of that, and also because of the fact that he has 2 older siblings that do all the talking for him! I felt better after we got an explanation and if he is not talking more by the time he is 18 months we need to see the doctor again. We also got news that he does not have to wear his star band 21 hours a day anymore. We can just have him wear it when he is sleeping or playing around the house. When he is outside and it is hot he does not have to wear it. The doctor was really happy with the shape of his head and had noticed a change even since we were there 2 weeks ago. So the appointment went well. I went to Algona for lunch with 2 good friends of mine today and I got to leave Carter and Kinnick with daddy at home. That was nice to get away for 2 hours! Tonight Maddie has her last t-ball game in Whittemore at 6 o'clock so we will all go to that. I will try to take some pics and get them posted tonight after we get home. Have a great rest of the week! Love, Steph

Where did the weekend go? Can't believe it's Monday!

Hello everyone. Today was a pretty good day in the Sullivan household. Brennan arrived just before 7:30 a.m. and was in a super happy mood. The kids all had breakfast and then Adam took Maddie to an appointment in Algona and then dropped her off for daycamp. He came back home and was able to go out and finish the spraying he needed to do. With the rain on and off the last few days I was not sure if he would ever get done. Today was a great day to be outside. Carter and I spent quite a while outdoors this afternoon while Kinnick and Brennan napped. He accidentally backed into his little pool and to his suprise it was very cold water. I had just filled it up about an hour before he fell in it. He jumped out quickly and just looked at me like "Mom, why didn't you tell me I was going to fall in?" His teeth were chattering and so we changed him into some dry clothes and then played some more. Maddie had a t-ball game in Whittemore tonight so we all went into that. Kinnick stayed in the truck with me until the game was almost over. Carter sat in my mom and dad's vehicle for awhile and then decided he wanted to get out and play in the pea gravel by the bleachers. Kinnick thought that looked like fun too. For some reason we cannot get Kinnick to understand that rocks are not good to eat. Who knew that 2 little boys could have so much fun playing in rocks? Needless to say, we had a few rocks in our diapers when we got home and very dirty hands and feet too! They are in bed now and Maddie went with Adam to his softball game in Algona at 8 p.m. So my house is quiet and I am enjoying each minute of it. Nothing else going on here that I can think of, so I will talk to you again tomorrow! Take care, Stephanie

Uneventful weekend!

Hello everyone! Well, we had a pretty boring weekend. It rained off and on most of the weekend. The kids and I did manage to enjoy about 3 hours of sunshine on Saturday afternoon. Maddie and Carter thought it would be fun to put their little pool at the end of the slide and splash into the water. They really enjoyed it! Carter and I got sunburned on our backs. Maddie is as tan as ever. I have not felt the greatest since Friday, but I am not even close to feeling as awful as Adam did last week. I got alot of rest this weekend, so I suppose that helped too.

We are heading into the last week of t-ball and baseball for Maddie. She plays in Whittemore on Monday and Wednesday night. She plays in Algona on Tuesday and Thursday night. We will be busy! I wish that she was able to play more games, but the season is only during the month of June.

Adam and Maddie are over in Algona tonight because Adam had a game at 8. They boys are both in bed and that is where I plan to head off to also. I am tired and have to be up early tomorrow morning.

Have a great week!
Love,
Stephanie

A long day

What a long day it has been. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and an achy body. I actually got some sympathy from my hubby because he knew what I was in store for. I took some Zicam as soon as I got up and around in order to try and avoid getting as sick as Adam has been this week. I spent about 90% of the day on the couch. Thank goodness I have 2 little boys that like to watch movies and play tractors. They were very good for me.

I did let them go outside and splash for about 45 minutes in their pool and they loved it. The clouds started to move in so we came back inside and watched some more TV. Hopefully the Zicam worked and this will not amount to much.

As you can see from the pictures I've added, we had macaroni and cheese for supper. I am not sure how much Kinnick got in his mouth because he sure had a lot on his lap.

It sprinkled on and off this afternoon and tonight so Adam got to come in a little early from spraying and he made supper for us. I think he was happy to be home because I know he still does not feel 100% better either.

I don't have anything planned for tomorrow or Sunday, so I can rest and relax which is what I need to do to get better.

I have attached a clip of the boys swimming today!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGPatWrvQno

Love, Stephanie

What a day it has been!

Hello to all!

Gosh where do I start? Today has been quite the day. Adam woke up this morning still feeling like crap, but he drove Maddie over to daycamp for me and that was good. When he got home he laid down and took a nap. I woke him up at lunchtime and asked him if he felt good enough to help my mom mow the lawn. Of course as soon as Carter heard the word mow he went nuts. He asked if he could go along and ride with daddy, but when we told him no, he was not happy. He cried and cried and cried. Adam said that he could help mow so we had some lunch first. I usually let the boys watch a cartoon when we eat lunch, so today Carter picked "The Wonder Pets". He and Maddie just love this show. I TiVo it for them every morning. Carter started singing so of course I had to grab the camera. You will see that Brennan is laying on the table watching me and Kinnick was sitting in his high chair very ready for a nap. He was a little stinker today and did not go down for a nap until 3 pm. He was a very cranky little boy!

Carter SINGING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXxehekhk5M

Brennan left a little after 3 and I got Carter ready to go to Maddie's ball game with me. Adam got home from mowing the lawn and felt awful, so I knew that he would not go to the game with us. That worked out okay because Kinnick needed to sleep anyway.He ended up napping for Adam until about 5.

When Carter and I pulled into the YMCA's parking lot he spotted Grandma and Papa's van. That made his day! We went over and sat on the bleachers to watch Maddie's game. She did really good. She had an awesome catch in the outfield. She hit the ball well too! The people sitting in the bleachers commented to me that she was a good little ball player. And then they asked me if I spent hours outside playing catch with her. If you know me at all you would find that funny! I am the one who closes her eyes when the ball comes my way. There is not much athleticism in my body. Maddie loves sports and we encourage her to try whatever she wants to play.

After the game we went to K-Mart to get some diapers, wipes, and coffee. I am not sure how it can take an hour to do that, but when you shop with Carter things take time. He is so naughty when we shop.

On our way home from Algona we came upon the scene of an accident. There were 3 state trooper cars, 2 sherriff cars, a firetruck, and markings and glass all over the road. I did not know what had happened for sure because the vehicles had been moved from the scene already. My mom called me about an hour after we had gotten home and told me who was in the accident. She asked me if I had went by it on my way home. It turns out that an elderly couple from Whittemore pulled out in front of a car coming down highway 18. The elderly couple were both killed in the accident. The other driver was able to walk away from his car. How sad I thought at first, but the more my mom told me the more I thought to myself, "Everything happens for a reason, and this was God's plan. The elderly man's health had been failing and they did not think he would live a whole lot longer. He was very dependant on his wife to care for him. His wife had just been diagnosed with colon cancer at the end of May and was going to have surgery soon. Maybe this was a blessing. It is so hard to make sense of things when they happen.

It seems that there have been a string of accidents lately. My dad's cousin was killed in an accident last week. He was driving a semi and ran a stop sign and hit another semi. Both drivers died. Then I read in the newspaper today that a local farmer was killed when the tractor he was driving crossed railroad tracks when a train was coming and the train did not have time to stop.

It really makes you think when stuff like this happens. You just never know when you will see someone for the last time. Enough about that, it is almost 10 pm and I need to get ready for bed. I am tired. Adam's tossing and turning the last 3 nights has kept me from getting a full night's rest also.

I do not have to babysit tomorrow, so I am not sure what the boys and I will do when Maddie is at daycamp. Will have to see what tomorrow brings!

Love, Stephanie

Almost FRIDAY!

Hello. Sorry that I did not get anything posted last night. The rain cleared and so we went to Gilmore City for Maddie's t-ball game. She did a great job! The other parents kept commenting on how good of a hitter and a thrower she is, so that made me feel good. When we got back to Whittemore the coach bought all of the kids an ice cream cone at Cenex. Adam stayed home because he was still not feeling well at all. The boys went to Nicole & Brad's house so that I did not have to hassle with them at the game. They had fun playing with Jordan! Carter didn't even cry when I went to leave so that was good. He is really becoming a mommy's boy. Maddie has a baseball game tonight at the YMCA at 5 pm so I plan to go over and watch that. Brennan is leaving around 3:30 today so it works out perfect! I am doubtful that Adam will go. He still feels awful. He says he's a little better than yesterday, but not himself yet. He can't seem to stop coughing. I feel so bad for him. He is napping right now. I am going to make lunch for the boys now and hopefully I will be able to write more tonight. Love to all!

Rainy Day

Well today started off with the loud thunder waking me up. It also woke up the boys. Carter is fascinated by thunder. He really talked alot about it today. Of course he told me that the angels in heaven were driving their John Deere tractors. Maddie slept right through it. I let her sleep in this morning and when she got up we decided that she would stay home today and play with her brothers instead of going to daycamp. By 3 this afternoon I would say that she was wishing that she would have gone to daycamp. Her brothers tend to get on her nerves sometimes. I think it had to do with the fact that they had to be inside all day becuase it was wet from the rain we had this morning.

Adam is still sick. He just looks and sounds awful! He even went back to the doctor again today, but he just has a virus so there is not much that he can do except rest and get plenty of fluids. I guess it lasts about 3 days so I am hoping that by Thursday he is feeling better. He spent the day up in bed except for his trip to the doctor.

Maddie is at the circus tonight in Algona. A friend from school called and asked if she wanted to go along so she said yes. I can't wait till she gets home so she can tell me about it. It started at 7:30 and I don't know how long it will last.

Well, it is 8:45 and my 2 boys were up in bed an hour ago but they decided to talk and giggle and then cry until I went up and got them. They are in the living room eating a snack and then I will try and take them to bed again. I really would like some quiet time. I have a terrible headache and would love to lay on the couch and watch some TV until I fall asleep.

Talk to you all again tomorrow!
Love, Steph

Ordinary Monday!

Well it is Monday and Maddie started out her week with a dentist appointment this morning at 9 am. She had two fillings done. The dentist hit a nerve when he was drilling and it sent her through the roof. She was not really happy about that. She goes back next week to have protective stuff put on her teeth so that they will stay as healthy as possible until they fall out. She will also get a spacer put in the spot where she had a tooth pulled last week. FUN FUN! After her appointment she went to the YMCA for daycamp. Carter and Kinnick spent the better part of the day outside. Carter played with the garden hose and he was being really good until all of a sudden I got sprayed with very cold water while I was reading a book on the deck. I yelled so loud that Adam heard me clear in the shop. Carter knew he was in trouble. I guess that is what I get for letting a 2 year old play with the garden hose. Brennan was here today and he was a good little boy. He even got to come outside and sit on the swing with me for awhile. Adam was going to spray but his sprayer had a breakdown and he spent most of the afternoon fixing it along with someone from John Deere. When he came inside the house I asked him if he felt okay. He woke up this morning with a cold. He looked at his throat and it was bright red with white spots. He decided to buzz over to the clinic and see if it was strep or not. His initial test came back negative but they are doing a culture for 24 hours to see if it shows up then. He went out and sprayed for awhile and now is here at home laying on the couch. I feel bad for him because when he gets colds they are really bad ones. Nothing else going on here. I need to get Maddie off to bed and then I need to study. Love to all! Steph

Father's Day Weekend

Hi everyone. Remember how I told you that our weekend was going to be so relaxing? Well, that is not how things turned out. On Friday night Adam and I went on a "date". We decided that getting away one night a week would be good for the two of us. So we went over the the Wild Rose casino in Emmetsburg. I have never gambled in a casino so Adam had to teach me how to do the slot machines and I had a lot of fun. It was nice to get away from the children and just hang out together. Don't get me wrong, I love our children dearly, but we need to do this date night thing at least twice a month if we can't make it work every week. My mom and dad watched the kids for us and I know that they had fun! On Saturday morning we got up about 9 o'clock and ate breakfast as a family at the kitchen table, that does not happen too often. Then, I thought I was going to be able to lounge all day in my comfy clothes, not do my hair, not put on make-up, but that is not what happened. We were supposed to go to DesMoines for a Sullivan family reunion but we had decided that we were going to stay home and relax. As the morning went on I think that Adam felt more and more guilty that we were not going. I could sense this so I told him that we could go if he wanted to. He decided at 10:30 that we should go. He asked me if I thought we could be ready to go in an hour. I said that packing for 5 people takes a little more time than that and could he give me 2 hours to get ready? So we hustled and got everyone loaded in the suburban and headed for DesMoines. We thought it would be fun if we suprised everyone when we got there, so we did not call and tell Adam's aunt that we were coming. She had really wanted us to come down and was bummed when we had told her that we were not going to make it to the reunion. You should have seen the smile on her face when we walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. It was alot of fun and I got to meet some people I had heard about but never had the chance to meet. After we got the kids all to bed we decided to play Balderdash. I had never played it, but it was alot of fun. Adam and his cousin Patrick got the giggles and it was a good time. We got to bed about 1:30 and I tell you that is way past my bedtime. I do not remember the last time I stayed up that late. I guess that goes with getting old and having children. We got up this morning and loaded the suburban and headed back home. Adam wanted to mow the lawn and my parents invited us in for supper at their house. We went to my mom and dad's about 5:30 and we had hot dogs and burgers on the grill, scalloped corn, cheesy potatoes, chips, and jello squares. It was all YUMMY! After supper my dad opened his gifts and then we went outside to let the kids play. Carter and Jordan found that it is fun to take a John Deere tractor and let it roll down the slide. They did this over and over for about 45 minutes. We came home about 8 and I put the boys to bed and now I am sitting here typing this for all of you to read. Have a great week! Love, Steph and family

Carter & Kinnick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM_VnuDfimo

Playing outside on Father's Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c66xi_q5WE

It's finally Friday

Happy Friday everyone!

I am happy to say that this weekend is going to be very relaxing for us. We do not have any plans to go anywhere. We were invited to a family reunion in DesMoines and also to a high school graduation in Minnesota, but we are opting to say here at home. It seems like all we have done for the last month is go go go. With the cost of gas we really don't need to spend 2 + hours in the car. If the weather is nice we will most likely let the kids swim in our pool and play outside. They love to do that.

Maddie is at daycamp today and if the weather was good they were going to Smith Lake. She was looking forward to that. Yesterday morning they took the kids to see the movie Cars at the theater. She said that was pretty cool becuase she and her friend sat in the front row. They do really neat things with the kids that go to Daycamp. I am happy that she wanted to go this summer.

Not much else happening here. Kinnick is napping and so is Brennan. Carter is pooping his pants as we speak. He always squats down and tells me to "shh be quiet" and "go away" because he does not want me to see what he is doing. I can't wait until he is ready to potty train. Well, I should get to some homework before the 2 little ones wake up.

Have a good weekend everyone! Steph and family

Here is a clip of Kinnick playing patty cake with his puppy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2cq1u2sEfY

Video of Kinnick

Here is a clip of Kinnick playing with his busy ball bopper today. He really likes it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nc95AvnIa4

Love, Steph

Busy Wednesday

Hello again. Today was my "day off" from babysitting and I had all sorts of plans to get things done but somehow none of them did. I took Maddie to the YMCA this morning for daycamp and then went to the doctor for a follow up on Kinnick's star band. One more month is what the doctor asked us to do. We have not been very good at having him wear it the last 3 weeks because his ears have been bothering him so much. We will have to buckle down and get him back into it. After we got done at the doctor we went to Hy-Vee to get a few groceries. Then we went to John Deere to pick up Adam and Carter because they had to take one of our tractors over to get fixed and needed a way to get back home. Carter was so happy that he got to ride in the tractor with his daddy. He talked about it all day long! After we got home the boys both napped and I did too because I started getting an awful headache. We had a quick lunch after their naps and then it was back to Algona to get haircuts for both of them. I am really glad that I had Adam go with me because Kinnick screamed and I mean SCREAMED the whole time. Adam tried his best to hold him on his lap and I had to hold his head so that he would not move it. It was pretty traumatic. Carter was awesome when he got his hair cut. He sits so nicely. When we got home the boys napped again. And you guessed it, so did I. Although I did not really sleep. My head hurt so bad that I could not fall asleep. Finally at about 6 pm my headache was gone. Maddie was supposed to have a t-ball game tonight but it was cancelled due to the bit of rain we got late this afternoon. Carter was bummed out because he really wanted to go to the park and play. Adam made supper for us and we had ribeyes on the grill, corn casserole and acorn squash. It was all very yummy. He does such a good job cooking. After the boys got done with supper they needed a bath to get the hair off them from their haircuts and the corn casserole off from supper. Maddie and Carter cleaned the toy room after that and then it was off to bed for the two of them. Kinnick was not ready for bed so he and I watched a Little Einstein movie in the toyroom. He has been miserable the last few days because the antibiotic he is on for his ears has given him a really really bad diaper rash. We have been treating it for 3 days and it just keeps getting worse and worse. I picked up some clotrimazole cream and also an ample supply of butt paste to get us through this rash. We let him run around without his diaper on tonight for a while. I was telling Adam that I would gross out if he pooped on the floor. Not even a minute after I said it he pooped on the floor. Adam said that Kinnick pooped, but I thought he was joking. He wasn't. I have never had one of my children poop on the floor. I guess there is a first time for everything. So, as you can see it has been quite the day in our household. It is time for me to go to bed now because I am wiped out. Love to all, Stephanie

Kinnick learned to patty cake

Hello all! Well, it is Tuesday and it was really quite an ordinary day. I have been working with Kinnick on Patty Cake and he is catching on really well. This morning at breakfast he was sitting in his chair and eating a trix cereal bar and had his foot up on the table and he started to patty cake. I caught some of it on video and also took a picture of him and he is really happy in it. The other picture I have attached is of the boys eating goldfish together in the rocking chair. Carter was not so willing to share, but he learned that if he did not Kinnick would grab the bag and eat them anyway. It was really hot outside today so I filled the little pool with water at lunch time planning to let the boys splash in it after Brennan left for the day, but that did not work out so well because when we went outside there were little bugs all over. They would not leave Carter alone, so after about 10 minutes we came back inside. The boys are playing with toys in the living room and watching Toy Story as I type this. Maddie is at practice for t-ball until about 7:30. When they get home I am going in to my sister's house to do some sponge painting for her. It will give me a break from the kids and let them spend sone "QUALITY TIME" with daddy.

Here is the link to see Kinnick doing patty cake this morning.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KarFgqYASs

Love to all! Steph

Maddie was a trooper today!

Hello all! Well, Maddie had a dentist appointment this morning and she had to get a tooth pulled and then 2 cavities filled also. Adam took her to her appointment and he said she did great! Once they got past the novacaine she was fine. She ended up having to get a shot of novacaine on the roof of her mouth, and I know how much that hurts! The dentist that we go to is just so good with his patients and so compassionate. We just started going to him a few months ago and it was the best decision we could have made. While Maddie was waiting to go back and have her dental work done she lost a baby tooth in the waiting room. It had been loose for quite a while. So now the tooth fairy has to do double duty tonight!

Adam spent his afternoon spraying fence rows and will have more of that to do tomorrow. He is at softball in Algona tonight. He plays every Sunday and Monday night for the Knights of Columbus. Maddie tags along with him and always seems to find boys to play catch with her at the park while Adam plays. I stay home with the boys because it is just so much work to take them along. I would not get to watch the game anyway because I would be chasing the boys around the park.

Today the weather was a little warmer than it has been so we got to spend some time outside this afternoon. I sit on the portch swing and work on some of my school work while the boys ride their trikes and play on the trampoline. Brennan sits in his bouncy chair and looks around. He seems to like being outside.

We officially took Carter's bottles away from him yesterday morning after church. We told him that the garbage man took his bottles and put them in his dump trunk. We put all of his "big boy" cups in a drawer where he can open it up and decide what cup he wants to use. When he is a big boy then he gets a "star sticker" to put on his chart. Maddie and Carter each have a chart and they earn stars so that they can get rewarded for doing good things. It is really working quite well. Maddie's chart has things like: load/unload the dishwasher, water flowers outside, pick up toys inside and outside, help carry in groceries and put away, fold laundry, and put laundry away in her bedroom. Carter has things like: learn ABC's, learn colors, learn numbers, learn to put shoes on, learn to dress himself, help pick up toys inside and outside, drink out of a big boy cup, use the big boy potty, and eat at the table and don't make a mess. They both seem to like the idea of earning stars. It gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Carter is standing at the gate right now and he is asking me for a bottle. I have stuck to my guns and not given him one, and I am quite proud of myself. We tried to take the bottle away from Kinnick too, but that was terrible, so we will wait on him. I suppose I should get the boys off to bed now. Talk to you tomorrow. Steph

No post yesterday

Good Morning! Sorry for no post yesterday. By the time I thought about posting I was too lazy. We all went to church yesterday morning at 10 am and then came home to make lunch. Adam grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for us and then made homemade french fries. The Cubs played at noon so we watched them. The boys both took naps and I worked on my school work. Maddie and Adam made "dirt cups" with chocolate pudding, crushed oreos and gummy worms. The elderly man that I do typing for stopped by and was here for about an hour so Adam took the boys outside to play. It was a little cool and windy, but if they were in the sun it did not seem so cold. We popped a pizza in the oven for supper because we were too lazy to cook the chicken breasts we had planned on having. I guess those will be supper tonight. Adam and Maddie went to Algona after supper for a softball game that Adam had at 7 pm. I took the boys to my moms so that I could buzz down to my sister's and help her with some painting advice for her bathroom. After that I went back to my moms and picked up the boys and we came home and watched a movie while we waited for Adam and Maddie to get back from softball. Then it was off to bed for all of us. We were tired. Have a great week! Stephanie

Shopping shopping shopping

Well, today we (all 5 of us) went shopping in Fort Dodge. We really needed groceries and it seems that we can get so much more for our money when we go to Super Walmart. We needed to pick up a few Father's Day gifts too. Maddie was not thrilled about having to go with us, but she went along anyway. When we got to Walmart we ate lunch at the Subway restaurant right inside the store. The kids all like eating there, so it worked well. We shopped for the miscellaneous items we needed and then we headed for the side of the store where the groceries are at. By this time Carter and Kinnick were very tired and very crabby. Carter did not want to stay in the shopping cart, and so we let him out. Boy was that a mistake. He was running all over the place. Then, he spotted the live lobsters and did not want to move from them. He thought they were cool! Kinnick did not want to be in the cart either, so I ended up carrying him and pushing a cart at the same time. Adam also had a cart and then Maddie was trying to keep tabs on Carter. We looked like a 3 ring circus in the middle of the grocery store. I think Adam and I aged about 10 years during this shopping trip. It was crazy. When we got home we unloaded everything and put it all away. That is always when our fridge gets cleaned out because we need to make room for new stuff. I am sure that tomorrow Adam will be complaining that we don't have anything good to eat. Well, I am ready for bed and think that I will head that way. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Steph

Video clip

Here is Kinnick eating a bomb pop for lunch today. I guess his throat still hurts because he really does not want to eat alot yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6sTiI0YuMU

Rough day for Kinnick

Hi. If you read my post from yesterday you know that Kinnick went to the ER and we found that he had inflamed ears, a sore throat, and a stuffy nose. Well, today when we were outside playing he fell and wacked his head pretty hard. Of course he cried and cried and cried and cried so much that he made himself throw up. Poor little thing. Just as all of this was happening my mom was coming down the road bringing our water wagon back to the house. So she came and helped me get him all cleaned up and calmed down. Thank goodness! I will be anxious to see how his head looks tomorrow morning. Not alot else happening here. Adam is busy spraying crops and picking up rocks so I do not see much of him. Carter and Maddie are great. Carter found that I had left the hose turned on after I watered my flowers today and he thought it would be a good idea to play in water. He sprayed water all over the place. We managed to get the hose put away when mom was here so that was good. He just loves water. What 2 year old doesn't? Maddie had daycamp at the YMCA and then baseball practice also, so she had a busy day. Tomorrow night she is going camping with a friend and is really excited to do that. Well, I suppose I should go for now and get some homework done. Talk to you all tomorrow.

First T-ball game of the summer

Hello! Well, Maddie had her first t-ball game of the summer against Lone Rock. Unfortunately I was not able to go. Kinnick spiked a temp this afternoon and was just crying non-stop so I decided to take him to the ER and have him checked out. His ears are both inflamed and his throat was red, no strep throught though, and his nose is stuffy. The doctor gave us antibiotic so we will see how he feels tomorrow. Hopefully better. I actually managed to take both boys to the ER with me so that Adam and my mom could go to watch Maddie's game. I was nervous about Carter being a little stinker, but he suprised me and was very very good! He sat on the bed next to Kinnick and shared some Kix cereal with him. Then we ran to K-Mart to get the prescription filled and that took forever. I hate having to get my prescriptions filled there, but our pharmacy that we usually go to was closed already. The boys were pretty good considering the amount of time we had to wait. When we got home we watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Wonder Pets, and Blues Clues. We sat on the couch and just relaxed while we waited for Adam and Maddie to get back from the game. It is nice that my mom and Adam both took some video clips of her game so that I could watch a little bit and I can share with all of you too! I missed this same game of hers last summer because I was having my gall bladder removed that day and was still in the hospital. Glad that was not the case today...although a cranky Kinnick is not much fun either. His ears just seem to give him troubles. Even with the tubes. Oh well. It is time for me to go to bed. Talk to you all again tomorrow! love, Steph

Maddie batting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ycNWsl6AyA


This is a clip that my mom recorded on her camera and it turned out really good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92FWZZp0_Qo

Twinkle Star Video Clip

Here is a clip from my mom's camera of Carter singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXFmPqJUTMM

Sorry I did not get this out yesterday!

Happy Tuesday. Well, my Monday was pretty hectic and so I did not get this post done yesterday. Sorry about that. It was my first day to watch Brennan all day. He napped for 4 hours, which gave me some time to take my two boys outside and play. Carter kept asking to mow the lawn, so I had Adam put one of our riders in the lawn by the house so that he could sit on it. And that is what he did most of the day. Kinnick sat on the gator and had a blast even though it was not moving. Maddie was at daycamp again and they went to Veteran's Park and went down by the river to skip rocks. She said it was fun. Adam had a softball game in Algona at 7 so the kids and I went out delivering the orders from my Pampered Chef show.Our last stop was at my friend Kim's house and so we all went in so that I could catch up on things and visit with her. I sure miss seeing her each day! After an hour of trying to keep my children out of things we went home. Thank goodness for baby gates, or I would go nuts at home. The boys are just so active! And into everything too! Well, I should fold some laundry now. Love to all! Steph

Relaxing weekend

Hi. Well it is the weekend and I am sorry that I did not get a post done yesterday. The boys have been keeping me quite busy. Jordan came over yesterday morning and I babysat for him while my sister helped pick up rocks. Jordan is just 11 days younger than Carter, so they like the same things, and wanted the same toy at the same time. If I had 2 of each toy life would be good! It was fun and we even went and played outside. Jordan liked the trampoline and the swingset alot. The afternoon was pretty uneventful. I took a nap from 3 to 5 because I had an awful headache. When I woke up it was dulled some, but not gone. We all went outside for about an hour and played, but then it got windy and looked like it was going to storm. All of the kids were crabby and went to bed early. Adam and I finally got to watch the season finale of LOST that we recorded weeks ago. We were both tired and went to bed by 10 ourselves. It is 8:41 am and Adam is making pancakes for us. He tried to make one that looked like a tractor, but Carter thought it looked like Blues Clues. Today we plan to get some groceries and that is about it. I hope to get some school work done since Adam will be here today to help with the kids. Hope that you are all having a good weekend. Love, Steph and family

YEAH! It's FRIDAY!

Well, I must say that today was pretty uneventful. Maddie went to daycamp and then straight to spend the night with her cousins in Whittemore. I have not seen her since she left at 7:30 this morning! Adam picked up rocks for the better part of the day and then when he got home he did some stuff here in the yard and then put out the pool that his mom got the kids last summer and filled that with water. He made it into the house around 8 pm. So, I did not see much of him today either. I watched Brennan this morning and then after his mom picked him up at 12:15 the boys and I went outside and played. We were outside until about 6:30 tonight. Kinnick got slightly sunburned on his shoulders, but it did not seem to bother him tonight when I gave him his bath. Carter was so tired by the time we came in the house that he could barely keep his eyes open when he laid on the couch to watch Little Einsteins with Kinnick. So that is about it for today. I am going to eat supper now, at 9:41 pm, and then head to bed! I am tired. Have a super weekend everyone!

Love,Steph and family

Our visit to the cardiologist

Well today was Adam's appointment with the cardiologist in Des Moines. He had to have an EKG and also an echocardiogram done. After reviewing the results of the tests he talked with us. One thing the test showed was that Adam's aorta was slightly larger than normal. Normal is 1.25 to 1.50 inches and his measured 1.75. The doctor was not sure why it is slightly enlarged, but said it could be due to the high blood pressure Adam had been experiencing the last 3 months. He decided that he would have Adam go off of the blood pressure medication and see what happens over the next month. Adam has to have his blood pressure taken 2 or 3 times a week to make sure that it is within normal range. The doctor is not 100% sure what is causing Adam's shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. We came home with a heart monitor that Adam will wear for one month. If he feels a spell coming on he pushes a button on the monitor and it will record the episode. After that Adam calls into a place called Life Watch and speaks with a representative who will have him place the heart monitor next to the receiver of the phone and play back what he recorded. The recording will tell Life Watch what happened and then Life Watch will notify our doctor in Des Moines. They in turn will contact us if there is anything that we need to be concerned about right away. Otherwise, we will go back in a month and get the results of all the episodes from the doctor. Adam will also have a stress test done at that time. The two things that the doctor is leaning towards are Marfan's Syndrome or else Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome (WPW). He explained what he thinks is occuring when Adam has a spell like this: the state of Iowa has I35 running north and south and I80 running east and west. The interstates are like the veins and arteries moving the blood through the body starting up north in Mason City and travelling down I35. When the blood reaches the heart (where I35 and I80 meet - Des Moines) it should slow down like you would when driving through a city. Then the blood is pumped out and would continue to travel south on I35 to Lamoni. Instead of continuing to go south Adam's blood is circling inside his heart at a rapid speed (thus the spells of shortness of breath and the racing heart rate). The monitor will tell us what is happening for sure and then we can go from there. When we got home I started looking through my text books for my college classes that I am taking online and we found the two things the doctor was talking about and can do some research on our own. So, we will keep you posted as we know more, but it will probably be a month before we do.

Take care,
Steph and family