As promised a day in a life!

As promised (well at least the title says it) here is a day in the life of 4 kids and a dog! Did I mention its only 530? We still have dinner, baseball practice and baths, yet there is still so much excitment!
Jake you get your laso (stick off tree) and I will get my gun (toy pink blow dryer) and we will play cops and robbers and find burried treasure. (pirates would work, but mom doesn't want to hinder the play....) Mac could you wake up and help us find the treasure? Maybe Elijah can help us find the treasure?

I wonder how pretty I will be if I use my sisters make up? Now the one with the brush goes where? Maybe if Tori helps? Am I the prettiest girl ever? "mom watch what happens when I slide down the hill on Jakes Tonka truck!" (does this seem like a bad idea to anyone else?)

Well, I can't show you the other pictures, as it involves Elijah running around the back yard half naked because a bee flew up his pants and stung his ummm.... junk....? What do you do when your favorite toy runs out of batteries? PUSH!!!

Dont make me come down there and show you how it works.... I'll show you how this works... maybe if Sarah turns the wheel and Tara pushes?

oops, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let Tara push... Aunt Lolo had to step up!






Hope you enjoyed our day as much as we have!!!!

Trip to Havasu!

We just got home from Lake Havasu and had such a great time! Lots of boating, swimming, and having fun with friends. My friend Christie and her son Matt (Elijahs friend) went and spent a few days with Jims dad (Jim ended up not being able to go last minute, work takes priority in this market!). I took a friend of ours from church to help with the kids, and give mommy somthing that usually doesn't happen on a vacation...a vacation! We had such a great time together, and loved spending time with everyone! It was good to be home (we all missed daddy) but the kids were already asking me today when we were getting ready for church if we could go back to grandpas house after church to go on the boat!

Elijah and Matt "cought" a fish! With a bucket!! Chirstie and I are swimming behind our boys!

Jay climbing up this cliff! yes he jumped, twice! No I dont have a picture of that! its an over 40 ft drop!!!

Mac was exhausted after such a long day! Had to curl up with mommy!

the birds would take food right from your hand!

Yes, even mommy jumped of cliffs!

Tori loved driving the boat, and if there was a boat within a 1 mile radius, she was going to let them know she was driving! She waved at everyone and anyone! She has this princess thing down!

Grandpa just the way he likes it, with a girl on each knee!

Mac was worn out!!! Lots of fun on the lake!

Elijah was to busy jumping off cliffs to take a nap!

Within minutes of being on the boat everyone fell asleep! My kids were so excited to get on the boat and "take a boat nap"! Even Jay our manny (our nanny, but that sounded a little to girlie) crashed! Somthing about the roar of the motor put them all to sleep! Even Mac had a nap!

had to put this picture in! its just so funny!!!

Guess who is allergic to bees....

Fun stuff first, then the yucky stuff!! We will start off with swimming, end end with the trip to Urgent care at the end of the post!! Suspence......
Tara and Elijah finished swimming.

Princess girl! Just finished lessons (not the practicully dry hair!)

Jake really likes swimming!

Jake "doing it by himself"

This is the best picture of Tara I have in the water. She doesn't like to be there unless mommy is with her!

Elijah the swimmer!

Tori loves her brother!

Now onto the not so fun stuff!!!

Guess who is allergic to bees.....

Yup, couldn't be any other child!!! Just the one with CHF. Thats my girl!!! No anit-histamines here (heart babies can't take that stuff...), no epi-pens, just a trip to the ER.

How it all started you ask?

Tara was playing in the back yard (as usual!) We are back there all day long. I think I might bring my laundry out there to be folded, as it seems silly that I am outside and its waiting to be folded on the couch! I guess we will get to it in the winter when its to yucky outside to play!! Until then the laundry is on the couch, find your own clothes!! So Tara took her shoes off (at some point, not sure when) and she is walking around singing twinkle twinkle (in her mamamamamamamam) toon to twinkle twinkle, then all of a sudden a scream comes out of her. She walks over to me screaming Yiyah (meaning Elijah) and I try to convince her he didn't do it. I figured she stepped on somthing so looked at her foot right away, there it was (the bee included as she stepped on it so it smooshed in her) so I got a credit card and swept it away took her inside washed her up and applied baking soda. (we are no stragers to bee stings this year, Jake thinks he should catch them!) few minutes into the baking soda, and I see her foot is getting BIG! not just little swollen, but big! I also notice this hard as a rock white line forming from the sight of the sting about 3 inches up her anckle. Not good I know! So I call the powers that be (you know cardiology, and PCP) and there we go off to Urgent Care! Urgent care was great, and treated her very quickly. They lanced it to keep the swelling down, and cut open the area of the sting to get out any left of stinger, also checked all of her vitals, twice! Depending how it looks tomorrow she may need antibiotics in a few days, but they were willing to wait on that.

Because she has the worst timing ever...We are going to Havasu tomorrow. (we happen to know where the Urgent Care it there!!) We are looking forward to the time away, and cant wait to spend the day on the boat!

Can I get a what what!!!!

Or a yipee! Or a woot woot! Or a high five? My boy is stoked! The medium boy! Well, as some (or none) of you know, Elijah missed all but 4 games of his little league season. With the fractured finger after the first game, and mono after the 3rd. Its was a ruff season to say the least! Elijah is a great athlete. (takes after his mother!) he can pick up any sport in like a minute, and within a matter of about 2 mintues have it mastered!!!! Well, at the end of last season there was tryouts for a travel ball team. (about 75 of the best kids try out ) and earn 10 open spots. Well, It was awhile ago when he tryed out, and we had not heard anything. We figured he didn't make it. He was not at the top of his game for tryouts, as he was still techinically (I am glad his doctor doesn't read this....) not able to play yet. We tryed out anyways because the coach asked him too. He did ok at tryouts, but I was there, not in the top 10, or face it even top 25 at the time.
well...........
HE MADE IT!!!
WE got the call last night (well, we got the message, as I was out, and Jim doesn't anwser the phone...ever!) Elijah is so super stoked, and as of Tuesday practice starts. I do have some logistics to plan, as we are planning on going to Havasu on Tuesday with some dear friends of ours, then Elijah was suppost to go to his Grandmas house for a week after that. Hopefully the coach will let those slide as they were planned, but from what I hear, travel ball is tuff, and competitive. So we will see. Yippee, Yippe, The boy is so incredibly stoked. Cloud nine for sure! So much fun!!

In other news......
Taras 2nd birthday party is comming up! We are really excited about it. And after 16 hospital admissions in the last 2 years, it is well deserved. We are going to have it on September 5th (labor day weekend) and combine it with Jim Dears birthday as well (his is the 2nd). It should be fun, and if it all works out, I have some great stuff planned. I will give my 2 faithful readers a sneak peek at what it is...Blood drive!!! I really hope it works out, but this is the plan. Tara as my 2 readers know, got so many blood transfusions I lost count. I am guessing? 60? So my goal would be to put at least the back into the blood bank. We have so many AMAZING friends and family, that I dont think it should be that hard. So if you are a faithful blood giver already (I am) dont go give blood anytime soon, wait til Taras party. Plus instead of getting a cookie and OJ after you give how about bbq chicken, potatoe salad, and birthday cake? Can't beat that!!! So save the date of Sept. 5th and know all is welcome weather we know you personally or thru bloggy world. Our house is open for over night visitors, and if you confirm your reservation early you might even get a bed instead of the floor! (I do have plush carpet so its not horrible....You may get stuck on the floor from juice or cookies, but no biggie). We love you all, and can't wait to see you at the party!
Kathie

Home from Vegas!

We had a great time In Vegas, except, I forgot my camera in the room for all of the "fun" things we did!! I know, I forgot that I needed to carry my purse to the pool! WE swam a lot, we played a lot, and the kids thought it was fantastic! WE ended up bringing a friend with us to help watch the kids, so 7 in a hotel room was a little crowded.....fortunatlly they are kids, they sleep on the floor with a sheet and they said "oooh comfy!!" I dont know how long it will last that way, but its nice now!! We left (very) early on Saturday am, and met up with Jims dad at his hotel to swim for a bit, always fun! Then went lunch at Cocos, then to our hotel for a much needed nap. Well, that was not as much fun! I was hoping they were all going to take a nap because mommy was exhausted from the 3 hours of sleep the night before (I told you we left early!!), well Tara fell asleep leaving grandpas hotel, and stayed asleep thru lunch, and woke up nice and refreshed as we were pulling into our hotel! Figures! Jake conked out while I was checking in at our hotel, and Tori was ready for a nap when we got upstairs. She was the only one!!!! Needless to say mommy saw Aerosmith on 3 hours of sleep! It was a great concert, and totally worth it! They put on a really great show!! On our way home we stopped at State line, and had such a great time we should have stayed there for another night. We went into Wild Bills? (I think thats what its called) and Elijah and I rode the "big" roller coaster (yikes, it really is big, and proubly the scarriest roller coaster I have ever been on...and I have been on lots) just when you think the ride is over, it just keeps going!! Elijah cryed....I told you it was scarry!!
the little ones road a small little roller coaster, and had a great time! again, camera in the car! We then went to lunch at one of those restaraunts that you see advertised with a $6 prime rib dinner, not expecting much, but it was REALLY Good!! We fed all 7 of us for under 30 bucks! Now that would not have even happened at McDonalds!! We like cheap food. Jim was so sold, he said lets plan another trip to State line soon! I told you REALLY good prime rib! so here is the few pictures I did have from the weekend!

Elijah starts off the Vegas silly faces!!

Tori gets the silly face thing!

Silly faces for Jake!!

Vegas brings out silly faces in even Tara!! In other news, all of the kids started swim lessons today. Elijah was very proud, because he got moved up 2 levels today (he has not been in swim lessons for proubably 4 years?) and you cant move up unless you have passed the previous class...Tori and Jake are in the same class, and Jake did great telling the teacher "I dont need you to hold me, I can do it by myself" Tori got out and told me the teacher messed up her hair!!! Tara had a good time in mommy and me, but didnt want anything to do with the games or the songs, she just wanted to Jump in off the sides!! So we did....about 80 times!!

Tara also had speech theropy today, and the therapist offered a really good suggestion (I really dont like her therapist at all, but I am figuring out there are not a lot of speech therapist for very young children.) so we are going to start using PECS cards? Not totally sure if I understand this correctlly, but basically they are velcro cards that Tara will use to show what she wants. With her VERY limited vocabulary, she gets very frustrated that she can't tell me what she wants. This way she can show me what she wants. We will have a set for when we are out, and have a set at home. I hope it helps. She knows about 5-10 words right now, but some of them are not words, they are prompted sounds. Spontanious words, is about 5. Mama, Daddy, doggy, grandpa (ba-pa), nanny (na-na), baby (be-be). (daddy and doggy are the same (da-nnnnn) Everything else is prompted. bubbles which is ba-bo, elmo which is ah-bo, apple (accompanied by the sign apple) is ah-bo (the same as elmo). So you see our confusion, and her frustration. I hope this works. I feel like we are grasping for straws sometimes. I did also learn that speech comes from the left side of the brain. The side that has suffered the most damage.

Well, onto making dinner, and folding laundry! Pictures soon of swim lessons (if I remember to bring my camera!!)

Oh, and if you get a chance please say a prayer for our dear friends The Nelsons. They have been in the ICU now for 9 months? They are getting extremely frustrated with so many things, as it is so challenging to live that life, and for so long. www.momentswithmoriah.blogspot.com

Kathie

Water park!!!

So I took the 4 kids and my nephew to this really super cool water park by our house. Its totally free and the kids have a blast there!!! The added bonus about this place....FREEE LUNCH!! Thats right, they give free lunches to any kids who are there. The kids have a blast, keeps them cool in our 100 degree weather, and mom gets to sit back relax, and enjoy the kids!! (and not make lunches for 5 kids who I am sure would have made me be short order cook for lunch!!) Totally fun, totally cheap, totally worth it. Added bonus about today, had someone arrested....Yup, all in a days work for a mom!!! That story another day, as I dont want to bog you down with hey really fun day at the park, got someone arrested because they were a perve.....So onto the pictures!!! Jake is not a fan of sunscreen, so he pouts with his eyes closed for about 5 minutes before he realizes he could be playing!!!

Elijah lovin' on his sister! To cute!!

Tori will tell you she played all day at the water park going under the buckets, and splashing, reality is, she never got wet!! Way to pretty to mess up her hair!!!

They give a healthy free lunch to the kids, super yummy!! Tara loves her raisons!! look at her cute little ringlets too!!

The boys taking a break!! Nephew Levi, Jake, and Elijah

In other news, We are heading out to Las Vegas!! We leave tomorrow am, and I am super excited!! Plan on living it up Vegas style...or mommy style at least! I am going to a concert tomorrow night, then we will come home Sunday night. We plan on staying in the pool the entire time as I belive it might be 500 degrees there right now...they assure me its a dry heat, but I dont buy it!!! Plan on more pictures when I get home!! Love this new blog with pictures deal!!

Kathie

Ok Lets get this thing going!!!

so with many days (and nights) of playing around with this I might (very big might) have this thing sort of figured out! Well, at least I have a picture on here!!!

We had a great day today, played on the slip and slide (even mom) ate PB&J sandwiches, and played in the little pool. I had some friends come over, and it was really a blast!

As for life, everyone is doing great. Elijah spent the last few weeks with Grandpa in Havasu, and came home down town brown, and with lots of exciting stories!

Tori and Jake have just been playing the summer away, and Tara is just being Tara!!!

big news here at the Carlson house is.....drum roll please.........TARA MOVED OUT OF OUR ROOM!!! Thats right you heard me, we finally moved Tara in to Toris room where she is suppost to be. She has had her crib there, with her name on the wall since she we moved in, but its been hard to get her out of our room. Its still tuff...The first night was HORRIBLE!!! She was really restless, and that hallway never seeemed so long until I had to walk down it 10 times between midnight and 3 am!!! Her monitor just kept going off with her being so restless. Not to mention the 6 am wake up call with her screaming Mama! Thats right, my room gets after noon sun, where Tori and Taras room gets morning sun. So with the help of some sheets on the windows the next night was a lot better! Thats my 9am wake up girl!! I have not been able to take her other crib out of my room yet, I think I might leave it in there for a bit, I would like to have it for when she gets sick.

I will (hopefully) leave you with some pictures from the last few weeks! (ok I think they are at the beginning, but you get the message!!