The natives are getting restless.

So, looking back, I have not posted ANY pictures of the kids on here since April. Well, they have grown...sorry.

I think the biggest news, is that they are in Swim lessons. They LOVE it! Tori is seriously turning out to be my little swimmer. A few days ago she did the most beautiful backstroke to me. About 20 yards of it. I am thinking that after a few more weeks of this I may decide to put her into a US swim team. The Claremont Club (where I swam at) is not far from my house, so I am thinking there! You know, because I am not busy enough. Jake as well is doing incredibly well at swimming. He can swim a bit unassisted, but I dont think he will be able to go on a swim team quite yet. I might look into lessons thru the year? We will see. Tara as well is doing GREAT! This girl L-O-V-E-S the water. You can't tell with the first pictures I am posting...well, because she screamed...the entire time! but the second day she loved it...I promise. She is now floating on her back, all by herself, kicking like a maniac, blowing bubbles, and loving every minute of it. I think it helps that her very best friend/mortal enemy is in swim lessons with her (Sarah my niece). Elijah did not go into swim lessons this year. He didn't want to. :(

Elijah also has some big news. He has been saving money since January to buy a bike. Like a lot of money. He managed to save $280. Not bad for a 12 year old! So he got his long awaited bike last week. We bought it for $300 so we had to put in a bit of money, but lets just say it was a job well done. Plus I like to "own" a portion of his bike. You know, in case I need to take it away. :)

Tori as well got a new bike. Its HOT pink and black and super cute. She loves it, and is doing well on it. We still have the training wheels on it, she is umm lets just say SUPER coordinated, so we will keep those on for a bit....

In other big news, Tori starts kinder in just 2 short weeks. :( Have no doubt there will be pictures for that! And tears for mom as well. sniff. My baby is growing up!

Jake and Tara also start Sonrise pre-school on Sept 1st, Taras 3rd birthday is coming up in Sept. Big party of course! The annual Carlson Backyard Birthday Bash with Blood Drive of course! Tentative date is Sept 11th for the party (so mark your calenders), still need to confirm with the blood donor people. Trying desperately to get American Red Cross, but am thinking its going to be USC blood drive again, they were so incredible to work with last year, and super sweet. I would rather do American Red Cross to choose where the blood goes, but USC was great and donated half of the blood we collected to Huntington for us. So we will see!!!

Well, Jim has my camera today, so I only have these 2 pictures, but be rest assured I do have more, and hopefully will post later today. But for now, hopefully these will calm the natives....and by natives I mean Grandmas.

The Ear Saga

So, Monday was a CRAZY busy day!! But...Crazy rockin' too! I expected to spend WAY to much money that day on things that I really didn't want to spend money on...mama needs a new pair of shoes, and I was convinced after Jim saw the bills from that day, I would be able to get a new pair in the year 2020.
9 am was our ENT visit. Since the ER tryed to hard to get out the bee bee, and mentioned most likely surgary...I half expected it. Well, ENT looks, brought up surgary, asking if he has ever had any, and said "well, I will try to flush it out with the high power flusher". IT WORKED! I am now I am the (not so proud) owner of a green bee bee. I may keep it and shove it in his 12 year olds ear one day...you know, just for fun. So, that ment no surgary, and no 30% co-pay for surgary. Total bill for that day...$35. NICE~
11 am Dentist appointment. for me, and all 4 kids. Yes, I am crazy like that. Last time Elijah and I went to the dentist (we have no dental insurance) we walked out of there spending $2137. 00 (I just found the old bill). YIKES... Not to mention the fact that I was going to be adding 3 more kids to that bill. I was scared. So filled out all the new forms etc. Got Taras cardiologys office to fax a note to dentist (with a note from Cardiology saying "don't make my baby bleed" how much do I love him, and love the fact that he loves my baby, and takes a little ownership in her) So, turns out Tara does need to be pre-medicated for any dental visit, so all the dentist did was look in her mouth and thought it all looked good. ~no charge for that, bonus~ Tori and Jakes mouth looked good, no cavaties :) and they both did GREAT for X-Rays etc. Elijah did have 2 cavaties...but they were on baby teeth that should be falling out VERY soon, so no fillings ~bonus~ mama had no cavaties either ~bonus~ So we cleaned, we polished we flouride rinsed and painted, we left!! Total bill $432 NICE~


As a treat after the well behaved dentist appointment we went to Grazianos for pizza after. Its a fun little pizza place with a few games, plus yumm food. (think Chuck E cheese, but with REALLY good food, and 1/16 of the games, plus barely any kids for lunch (we infact were the only ones in there ~bonus~ no germs and I did not look like a freak when I lysoled ummm everything) They had a little "family pack" with a Large Pizza, 4 drinks and a salad, plus 20 tockens for $20!! Total for lunch for all 6 of us $25 NICE~ ( I tipped $5)


We then started our trip home...Tara was cranky, and I went to grap her Pee night night (yes, I know, weird name, bu thats what she calls it, funny story, but she peed thru her diaper awhile back, and got pee on her night night, so when it was in the wash, and she wanted it I told her "no baby, it needs to wash your night night has pee on it" So when it was done in the dryer she took it out smelled it, rubbed it a bit, and said happily "my pee night night" it stuck...so she still calls it pee night night.) anyways, could not find the pee night night. Lost!! AAAH. I was freaking out, went back to Grazianos, not there...found it at the dentist fortunatlly, so got it back. Close call, to much of a close call, so we made a stop at Walmart on the way home and purchased another one. Well, it needs to be puked on, peed on, spit up on, and washed a gazillion times, but we found another...on clearance...$8 NICE~

So all in all, good day, and spend much less! NICE~
Bee bee out...total cost
$35 ped. copay
$100 ER visit
$154 Ear drops (not covered by insurance)
$35 ENT specialist
Total $324

Boys, and their boyness!

So planned on talking about This...(Tara 2 years ago)

but alas, instead we will talk about this!! Elijah asked if he could go "riding" before dinner tonight. I said sure, just bring your cell phone (sometimes I need to call him and let him know its been an hour come home!) and put your helmet on (of course). So I have spaghetti on per Toris request, and just boiling the water to put the noodles in when the phone rings. I see its Elijah so I anwser, and he is just screaming. I can tell he is hurt, so I ask where he is and he says just go up our steet and turn right. So I get in the car with the other 3 kids and we go searching for elijah. He is not up our street and right so I look around a bit and call him back. (still crying) he said "I don't know where I am, just hurry it hurts" poor kid. I go around for a few more minutes looking and finally find him. (down our street, left, then left again up a steet and right....but what ever) I see right away that his finger is hurt (bent) and that he has some nasty road rash all over. We go home and clean up a bit, and call Jim to see when he will get home. In only about 1/2 hour so we wait for him to come home. At this point I knew we were going into the Urgent care or ER. So Jim gets home and Elijah and I head out. When we get there it is PACKED like I have never seen it. Crazy, and we wait, and wait, about 2 hours in the waiting room. We get backed they get the road rash cleaned up and bandaged, and do exray on his anckle (which both the doc and I agreed most likely just sprained) and his pinky (again doc and I agreed most likely brocken). Well xray is done, and I ask if I can see them. She says no, but she puts them up for the doctor to see when we get back and puts us in our room and I go sneak a peek...my kid! And even I notice the LARGE break on his leg. OOOPS!! So he broke his Fibula, and we see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to decide what to do. Oh, and did I mention his finger was fractured as well? An upward fracture? not sure what that means, but just a finger splint will do I guess! OOPS again!!!

So tomorrow, or Wed. I will write about our little princess Tara, and her story (readers diagest version of course). but until then, why am I always in the ER on September 14th!!!