Sickness and Funny Kidisms...

So, on Sabbath, I, Kim, decided that we would skip the kids' naptime and go on the hike with the school.  David was on supervision and would have to go, but I could've taken a nap.  Guess I was feeling out of the ordinary adventurous to suggest skipping naptime, 'eh?  ;)  Yeah, yeah.  They're only almost 8 and 5 1/2, but they still nap almost every day they go down, so naptime (and my quiet time) continues...=O  Anyhow, I announce my spontaneous-like decision very soon before we need to walk out the door, and I'm met by Isaac crying, saying that he has a headache and would rather take a nap.  See, when Isaac gets headaches, it often progresses to nausea and sometimes the real deal throwing up.  So, I reluctantly decided that Isaac and I would stay home (David said he'd still take the girls).  Gave Isaac some good 'ole Tylenol, which sometimes stops the nausea from happening.  Guess his headache started when we got to church, or something, and got worse when he and Jadelyn cracked heads while playing "Red Rover" after lunch.  That game is trouble waiting to happen.  I almost always felt like my wrists were going to get broken playing that game.  But, I digress.  Because Isaac was napping, I laid down on the couch to read, which lasted the approximately 10 minutes that it normally does before I feel very, verrry tired.  So, I took a nap.  Isaac woke up from his nap after only an hour.  He did not come to see me.  That was strange, but I figured he really had to go potty after drinking a cupful of water right before naptime in an effort to get his headache to go away.  I waited around 10 minutes and went to find him.  Fella was sick.  I think he had thrown up by that point.  So, we cuddled in the bathroom for 20 minutes or so.  Long enough for my posterior to become quite sore.  =P  Then, we moved the cuddle session out to the living room.  After a while, little man was fine (as he often is in situations like that.)  We continued with our evening plans as usual with no problems. 

For some reason that nobody knows, David and I forgot how old we are and stayed up 'til midnight on Sabbath.  Finally hit the hay, and shortly after, hear the pitter patter of Isaac's feet running to the bathroom.  Lovely.  He was sick.  Sick, sick, SICK.  Threw up every 30 minutes or so until 3 or 4, and then slowed to about 1 throw up an hour 'til 7.  Oh, and at some point in there it progressed to throwing up AND diarrhea.  Thankfully the worse occurrence of that happened during the hour and a half or so that David was getting up with I-see.  Also thankfully, David is strong-stomached and Isaac didn't want a new pair of jammies and just wanted to just sleep in his undies (first time in his life, I believe).  This made changing easy, since he went through 4-5 pairs of underwear that night.  Only the first time was bad.  After that, it was just a little.  He learned to sit on the potty and heave into the garbage can.  Again, thankfully, I heard him going at it, and ran into the bathroom to find him sitting on the toilet heaving into thin air.  Enter garbage can.  Life saver.  Although I don't think he was really bringing anything up by that point.  Needless to say, I did NOT get much sleep.  But, during one strange episode of sleep, I awoke to a little face at the side of my bed saying that her belly hurt.   Around 5:30am.  Ruby.  Well, it had been about 1 hour before that she woke up to come check on Isaac, who she heard throwing up from her bedroom.  I figured her belly hurt 'cause she was worried, so tried to reassure her that he was fine (for in-between throwing up, he said he felt good and would act totally normal.  Said his belly didn't feel like it normally does when he's "throw-up sick".  Yes, our family has a well-used term.  For throwing up happens around these parts a LOT.  Nobody knows why.  But it does.  =P  Poor little man.).  Anywhos.  Sometimes her belly hurts and if someone pushes on it real well it feels better.  (She's learned this from Isaac, who used to ask Ruby to sit on his belly if it felt bad).  So, I instinctively pushed on her stomach and rubbed it and told her that Isaac was okay.  She said she wasn't worried about Isaac.  And what'dya know.  She started puking soon after.  That lasted until 7am THIS morning.  Yes.  Over 24 hours.  Though really she went from like 8:45 last night 'til 5:30 this morning with no puking.  Strange thing is, she really NEVER brought anything up.  But child wanted to throw up so bad and sometimes would say "help me" as her head swung around in her sickness.  Poor girl.  Every time she'd go an hour without being sick and I'd let her have a tiny sip of water, she'd throw up about 30 minutes later (or maybe that was 30 minutes after the 2 sip time.  =O  Yes, I think that was mostly it.).  So, finally I decided I was going to have to break some rules to hydrate the child, plus I figured that maybe she was throwing up 'cause she was SO HUNGRY by that point.  Gave her ice chips and said she could have as many as she wanted and felt like she could handle.  She had almost an ice-cube tray worth of ice chips.  Then progressed to Gatorade and then broth.  She likes broth.  Couldn't handle jello at lunch time - said she started feeling a little sick when she tried it.  So, broth again.  Then she napped for 3 hours and woke up saying she felt "good" but was tired.  Ate at supper, helped clean up the house, and played hide-n-seek.  I think she's on the mend!!!  =)  This is good.

Aren't you glad you just read so much about puke?  =O

Oh, and in that puke story I forgot the cuteness.  Ruby, after throwing up and asking me to pray for her, then prayed for herself.  And for Isaac - that he wouldn't get sick again.  And Isaac reported that he prayed for Ruby when he heard her puking in the other bathroom.  Seriously, I had one kid camped out in one bathroom, and one in the other bathroom.  There were times I would be talking to one of them after they were done being sick, and I'd have to cut it short 'cause I'd hear the other one at it in the other bathroom.  And during this my belly started not feeling great and I had one end of the sickness (=P).  I was thinking we might really regret not having the 3rd bathroom completed, but all worked out.  =P  Oh, and then David took Jadelyn to work with him on Sunday morning for a few hours so I could get some sleep and such, and when he brought her back, she just quietly colored in the living room, looked at a book or so in her room and then colored on a dry erase board in Isaac's room.  Was all great 'til I found 4 different places this morning that dry erase marker made it on to Isaac's carpet.  =P  That's still a work in process to get it out - any suggestions?  =P  OH!  And at one point, I came out and gave Jadelyn a run-down on her siblings situation.  "I don't care" she told me, "I just like to color."  Ai yai yai.  =P

We got our first hard frost last night, so Isaac and I went out and picked all the tomatoes and tomatillas we wanted to salvage.  4 of our 5 kitchen window sills are now full of tomatoes at different stage of ripening.  When Jadelyn saw all those tomatoes, she said that there were so many tomatoes, "I can't believe my eyes -- I'm about to hit my eyes!"  Okay, then!!!

Another time, something was so funny that Jadelyn exclaimed, "I'm about to laugh my feet off!!!"  Versus "head off", I'm guessing.  ;)

And then she said that Isaac "cracked me up so much I'm about to die!"

There was another good one that Ruby and I overheard from the living room, but I don't remember it.  It gave us a good smile, though.  That Lynnie.

At lunch today, I was telling the kids how Thanksgiving is coming soon and telling them what's on the menu.  Jadelyn didn't want me to "ruin our surprise", but I did anyways.  Isaac was reminiscing to 3 years ago when we had the relish tray on the table and how he wants to do that again.  Funny guy.  I was telling them how I use Gram's recipe for dip, but mine is never as good as hers.  Isaac then said that maybe Gram has a sprayer machine that is a little cone with a hole in the end.  Once she mixes up the ingredients it sprays in a little something extra to make it so delicious.  Must be!!!  My dip never tastes like hers!!!

And tonight, when I was tucking Isaac in to bed, he told me, "I have to talk to you."  He often talks at bedtime.  And talks and talks and talks, even as we shut the door.  So, I figured he was just buying time before he had to be quiet for the night and go to sleep.  But nope.  He really had something on his heart.  So, back to the story.  "I have to talk to you", he says.  I asked what about?  "My brain".  Period.  Pause.  Oh...hmmmm...this could be interesting.  Then, he tells me that his brain tells him things and he thinks and thinks about it.  Then he plays and forgets, but then he stops playing and remembers.  And he needs to tell me.  His brain tells him to pray a lot 'cause Jesus is coming soon.  And he wants to go to heaven.  And he needs to tell this to Jadelyn, and Ruby, and me, and Daddy, 'cause he wants us to pray a lot and go to heaven, too.  Sweet man.  I asked him if his brain tells him that he should stop aggravating his sisters.  Nope, his brain hasn't sent that message yet.  ;)

OH!!!  And on Sabbath night, I taught Ruby how to add and subtract up to 4 places with borrowing and carrying and all that, and she thinks it's so fun she wrote some of her own problems to work.  I love planting messages like, "Math is fun!!!"  Yeah, I think I totally told her that.  ;)

We were supposed to claim their Book-It Pizzas tonight, but with the sickness I thought we'd better hold off.  Hopefully soon.  We're partying this week.  More on that on Thursday, maybe...;)

Oh, yes!!!  The other day, we were running late for story time and I was tired out.  I told Ruby that the other day, Isaac read to me, but I didn't read to him, and I read to her that day, so on this day, she was going to read to me, but I wasn't going to read to her.  She left the room to get her book.  "You broke her heart!!!" Isaac exclaimed.  Sure enough, Ruby re-entered the room with the saddest face and quiet tears.  Then Isaac, my sweet fella, pipes up something like, "Ruby, you can have my story and I just won't have mine."  This is a big deal, for Isaac has been working his way through a library book about elephants and really treasures his story time.  It was the sweetest cheer-up message.  I told Ruby she should give him a hug, so she got down of the chair, went over, and hugged and kissed her favorite twin brother.  Then, Jadelyn pipes in something like, "Isaac, I'll pick the elephant story so you can hear it."  So, Isaac went and hugged his little sister and everyone was happy.  Until I didn't read the elephant book to them because they weren't present when they were supposed to be.  But that would ruin the happy feel-good story, yes?  ;P

OH!!!!  (Again...=O)  Tonight, we played hide-n-seek.  When I was "it" the second time, I walked around singing about where my lost children were and I needed to find 'em.  And then, Isaac was "it" next and he started by walking around singing the same song, except for his song was about his lost "girls" and where is his Mommy.  =)  Funny guy.  And after I shut the door on him when saying goodnight tonight, he sang a quick "Goodnight, little Mommy, goodnight" to the closed door.  Earlier he was singing his own composition that I really need to get on video, "1, you know I'm coooomiiinnng!!!  2, you know I'm cooommming!!!  3, you know I'm coooomingg!!!" and on and on.  About the second coming, of course.  Maybe his brain was thinking about what it's been thinking about lately.  Jesus loves you, my I-see.  He wants to be your very best friend.  Keep using that brain. 

I'm Still Alive!!!!!

We got to spend Thanksgiving with my entire family – all 20 of us. Wowzers…what a lot of people can come from a little family of 6! Anyhow, it was lovely.   Played baseball for the first time in 6+ years.  I've never been good at it, and was hesitant to play, but I was whacking them balls!  I got 5 or 6 homeruns, even!  Okay, full disclosure statement - the bases were closer than usual, and there was only 3 people playing outfield for most of it, and nobody had gloves on, so no balls were caught, but you know.  I was happy!  Also, my nieces and nephews are just sweeties. Even when they call me "Uncle Kim". ;) Andrew was giving all the younger kids rides on two sleds that were hooked up behind the mower, making sure they all got turns. Isaac got to drive the zero-turn mower all by himself, though his arms were barely long enough! ;) There was much noise and wrestling and book reading and game playing. Lovely time. On Friday morning, we had pancakes and waffles, and I was helping Hannah get her toppings on. She told me 2 different times that I was her "servant". The second time, I took the teaching opportunity and told her that Jesus was a servant, and about how He washed the disciples feet. Hannah interrupted me, "then He got tired of it", so now He wants us to be the servants. Not all the way accurate, but you know…..;) Selah was telling me that it was so funny that either Isaac or Jadelyn say "tank tou" instead of "dank you." Ha! Funny differences in speech make ALL the difference, you know!

Isaac really, really, REALLY wants a car or truck that is battery operated that he can drive. I told him it might cut down on his exercise. Ruby cut in to let me know that it IS exercise to drive one of those cars, because you have to push the pedal down. ;) Isaac did tell David that when he drove someone else’s car, his foot got tired, but he kept on pushing it so he could go.

Overheard Jadelyn and Ruby talking the other day. Jadelyn said, "Wuby, I wuv you. Do you wuv me?" Ruby answered, "yes, but I love Jesus more." Jadelyn then said, "I love Jesus more, too." Aww…(though I’m thinking Ruby’s statement had more to do with her being difficult and not just saying that she loves Jadelyn and leaving it at that. =P Oppositional, much? =P)

When I tell stories about myself, Jadelyn pretty much always asks, "were you my Mommy?" when the story happened. Well, this day, she asked, "were you my Mommy?" and then decided that I have been her Mommy since "when I came alive." Ruby told Jadelyn that she has been alive "since you were in her belly". Jadelyn added that she’s been alive "since I was in the grass." Ooooohhhh…..that kid is still so incredibly random.

One prayertime, Jadelyn was praying along when she got to, "help me not write on my hand with markers. Just crayons. Not crayons, either." Then continued about how I told her "no" and she disobeyed, before asking Jesus to help her obey. I just LOVE listening to kids pray!!!

On Sunday, we were hoping to see Ardi, but alas, she didn’t come, ‘cause Country Life didn’t have her cashews. =( But, Kindra and Eden still came, so that was lovely. We had a nice bike ride and I rather enjoyed having a grown-up to talk to (besides David, of course). Thanks for coming, Kindra! You brightened our day!!! =)

Oh, also on Sunday our neighbor was taking care of the two deer he shot on Friday – getting ‘em all skinned and cut up and stuff. Lovely. =O David, ever the homeschool man, took the kids over several times during the process. The kids were enthralled, though they thought it was gross. That night, we took a little walk down the driveway and found a pile of guts or something in the middle of the driveway. How did they get there? Fall off the back of the neighbor’s truck? Get hauled there by an animal? I don’t know. All I know is that I thought for SURE that it was just a leaf, and was gonna kick at it to prove it to David, but I’m really glad I didn’t! He shone the flashlight on it, and wowzas – grossness. Yeah. On the way back to the house, we found what David thinks was the deer’s tail. I’m not sure, but again…glad I didn’t step on it in the darkness!

Sunday night, we went to Wal-Mart. When we got there and got out of the van, Jadelyn said to David, "I got’cha where I want’cha, and now I’m gonna eat’cha!" before declaring that he was a yummy banana. WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?!?!?! She cracks me up. ;)

At Wal-Mart, we split up – David took Ruby and Isaac, and I took Jadelyn. Now, Jadelyn has the tendency to be a bit embarrassing at Wal-Mart with her loud voice and pointing. Well, Wal-Mart was quite quiet on Sunday. Oh, dear. Right away, it started – Jadelyn pointing at people and loudly discussing what they were doing. It doesn’t help that she can’t think of words real quick lots of times, so she just keeps pointing and stuttering, trying to think of the word. Oye. So, I reminded her quietly that it isn’t nice to point at people. A few minutes later, she starts pointing at the tofu section, asking, "CAN I POINT AT THE FOOD?" I think I told her that I supposed so. Then, she’s pointing at her forehead, "Can I point at THIS person?" Oh, Jadelyn…whatever am I gonna do with you? Yes, she still cracks me up. ;P

One night, Jadelyn was pottying on one potty while David was on the other. "Hey, Daddy and I are twins!" Jadelyn announced rather gleefully. Then, she proceeded to close the toilet lid on her back, much to her delight. Oh, pottying is so fun.

Ha! Just read the next note on my notecard. I don’t know what Ruby was saying this in response to, but it’s just a great line – "I can hardly believe my eyes, I’m so old." Ha! =D

One night at worship time, Ruby was saying how she hopes her nose stops running soon, because "the nostril drops little runny parts…and then I can’t sniff my soft blanket." The dramas of soft-blanket-sniffing continues!

Isaac has taken to calling Jadelyn a "cutie pie" now and then recently. Well, really, he just tells her that she’s a "cutie pie". Way to encourage her vanity, ‘eh? =P Last night, he was telling her that she was a "cutie pie", ‘cause she’s just so cute with the way she looks and the way her hair was that he had to call her pie, "like we eat". Then, he asked if he was a cutie. Yes, my man…you are.

Yesterday, I started teaching Ruby and Isaac how to read music and play the piano with right fingering, and counting and such.  Isaac paid attention for a good 30 minutes and did awesome!  I was so proud!!!  Ruby said she didn't want to learn, but after seeing that David and I were really proud of Isaac, she decided to give it a try.  She lost interest after a shorter time than Isaac, but still did well.  I was so proud!  Now, to keep up the excitement and to keep working with them....=O

Last night, we were talking about Christmas presents and about kids who don't have enough food and such.  I was showing Ruby the World Vision website and discussing things you can buy for other kids - food, clothes, medicine, helping to dig a well, animals, etc., etc.  At first, she was like, "well, I don't want to do anything like that".  Then, at one point, I was reading about how a child dies every 15 seconds because they don't have adequate food.  Then I showed her how long 15 seconds is.  I thought she was going to cry.  She then decided she wanted to help with food or water or clothes.  Not toys, because that's not so important - she just really wants kids not to die.  How sad that I go on living my life like I'm the center of the universe or something, instead of thinking of others - Lord help me!!!!

Speaking of others, last week we learned that our friend, John Lello, had died in Papua New Guinea where he and his family have been for 8 months as missionaries.  I was shocked.  And heartbroken for Pam and the girls.  The kids just couldn't seem to get why I was so sad.  Jadelyn, especially took it to heart, and she's STILL asking me if I'm sad.  We'd only met the Lello's a few years ago, but they are just special people.  Isaac, my shy little man, took a liking to Mr. Lello when they were at our house about a year ago.  Just special people.  If you read this, please, PLEASE take some time to pray for Pam, Abby, and Alissa.  Such precious people.

Yesterday, David banned Jadelyn from playing with the train until the next day. So this morning, Jadelyn told him, "I can play with the train because today is tomorrow." Ha!

Today, Jadelyn quietly came into the kitchen where I was, asking for some help. Not screaming. Just matter of fact asking for help. For what? To get the hair clip on her lip unclipped. Oh, child!

Jadelyn as apparently being a bit crazy today, which prompted Ruby to ask, "what’s her name, ‘crazy loon’ instead of ‘cutie pie’?" Yeah, these kids are fun to listen to. Well, when they’re not screaming and fighting, that is….=P