Camping at Ponca....with bees

We set off yesterday for our last camping trip of the year. We went with some friends to Ponca State Park. They had a weekend of outdoor events for the kids. We had never been before but were told that it was a great time and everything was free. They have sponsors such as Scheels and Cabelas and it encourages people to get outside and see what they are missing in nature. They were expecting about 50,000 people over the course of only 2 days. Did I mentioned the millions of bees everywhere yet??

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and set off the watch the "Splash Dogs". Jack saw a Husky dog there and I took a picture of him with it. That had to be the highlight for him. For anyone who does not know, Jack LOVES husky dogs. He often asks us to take him to Alaska and we have read countless books on these dogs. After watching the Splash Dogs, the kids had snow cones and we ventured off to the Riverfront. Everyone went on a 30 minute boat ride, and enjoyed the "Touch Tanks". There was a tank of fish and a tank of turtles. The boys just walked up to the tanks and picked up the turtles and grabbed the fish. Jack especially enjoyed this. Another favorite were the large sand boxes that contained special colored rocks and arrow heads. The kids had to shovel the sand into the grate and then shake it out to see what was left behind. Will could have spent the full 8 hours just digging. Finally we set off for the rifle range where the boys were able to shoot BB guns, bow and arrows and sling shots. Jack & Will were in their element and wanted to stay for another week. In case you hadn't noticed by now, I haven't talk much about Hannah. She did not participate in any of the above mentioned activities except the sand dig. Like her mom, I think she only enjoys the outdoors in doses and spent most of her time in her stroller. I almost forgot to mention the worst part of the trip...the bees. There were millions and millions of bees everywhere. Will & I were both stung on the first day.

I think this trip will become a tradition in upcoming years. It was a really nice time and the weather was beautiful. The pictures include a couple of the boys at the touch tank, Jack shooting a BB gun, Will getting help shooting the bow & arrow, the only picture I took of Hannah and Jack and his husky dog!

Jack & Meningitis

This week started out uneventful but that changed rather quickly. I had a meeting on Monday so I had to work on Monday instead of my usual Tuesday so that threw everybody off. As I sat in my meeting I thought I had done a fine job making sure everybody was where they had to be and everybody knew their pick-up/drop-off responsibilities. When I got out of my meeting around 2:30, my phone had about 12 missed calls. I knew something happened so I quickly called Darren. He informed me that Jack's school called at 10:30 to tell him that Jack was sick and to come and get him. In the meantime, Darren forgot that he was suppose to pick up Will from preschool. It dawned on him when Will's teacher called and asked if someone was going to pick Will up. My how so much can happen when I am out-of-pocket for a few hours. So I rush home to see how everybody is doing. Jack had been sleeping for 4 hours at this point.
To make a long story short, after 36 hours of vomiting and crying in pain from a terrible headache and dizziness, I took him to my moms emergency room at about 4pm on Tuesday evening. They gave him fluids for dehydration, morphine for the head pain, a CAT scan of his head and finally a spinal tap. The spinal tap revealed viral meningitis. They told me that this would explain the severe headache. This was probably the 1st time in my life that one of my children really scared me to death. Jack looked so miserable and I could not do anything for him. They gave him nausea medicine to stop the vomiting additional pain medicine in case the headache began again. We went hope a little after midnight. It is now Friday and he is doing much better. He is teasing Will again and will be ready to go back to school on Monday. He has missed 6 days of school in barely 3 weeks. We pray that no one else has caught it!
My dad came into town yesterday and so we will see him this weekend. I have not mentioned much to the kids yet because they want to see him every second of the day when he comes in.
Hannah still is not going potty in the big potty. She will sit there 10 times a day but nothing will come out. It is very frustrating since she is almost 3. She loves her "panties" and don't you dare call them "underwear" or you will be corrected. I need to start a new tactic I think. Diapers are up to $20.97 a box!

Cousin Braxton & 1st Day of Preschool

This post is a little late but we really enjoyed seeing Steve, Kristi & Braxton. The kids couldn't get enough of "baby Braxton". He has grown so much and has so much hair. We really need to get out to Colorado and see them. I wish they lived closer so the kids could get to know each other better. We met at a park so the kids could play. It was hot but they had a great time. Grandma and grandpa were also there but I did not see to capture any pictures of them with the kids! We also took a family picture while Steve & Kristi were back. They turned out really nice and the kids did a great job.

Will had his 1st day of preschool today and Hannah had her 1st day of mom's day out.

We will start with Will. He was very excited and wanted to start weeks ago. He packed his backpack last night and put it on 1st thing this morning. He walked right into his room, found his name on his cubby and for a split second thought about holding ont0 my leg but I peeled away too fast to let that happen. We were encouraged to walk in, say goodbye and leave quickly so I did just that. He had a great morning and was very excited about everything that they did. He didn't understand why they didn't use their markers today but I told him they couldn't use every school supply in the 1st 2 hours!

Hannah was the next drop off. She assured me for the past 2 weeks that she was a big girl and not going to cry. We all know that it would be amazing if that were true but I had a sparkle of hope. They had to peel her off of me screaming as if she would never see me again. I felt terrible and of course waited around to see if she was going to carry on all morning. The ladies kept going back to check on her and assured me that she was wimpering but being rocked and loved. I called about 30 minutes after I dropped her off and they said she was done crying and engaging in activities. I felt better but still wished she was with me. When I picked her up and she saw me, her face lit up like I have never seen before. It was as if she was saying "you came back for me". She held on really tight and told me how much fun she had.

The best part was when Will & Hannah were both in their carseats and Hannah looked and Will and told him how much she missed him. Will then looked and Hannah and told her how much he missed her too. They love each other so much! How will I ever let them go when it is time for kindergarten??

Here are some pictures!