Hard Choices

Sometimes, I think it is really hard to be a parent. You are responsible for making choices for your child. Most recently we have had to decide if we will vaccinate the kids against the H1N1 flu. There are plenty of people who choose not to vaccinate their kids at all. Most of them are probably fairly safe, but only because the majority of us have vaccinate so these illnesses are not very prevalent.

But this flu is a little different. It is running rampant around here right now. I hear there are so many case that the pediatrician offices are not testing for it. They just assume when a child presents with symptoms, they have the H1N1. I know there is at least one confirmed case at Macie's school. There are many more kids with high fevers who could very easily have it.

This is a real threat to my kids. Macie has a tendency for things to go straight to her lungs. While she has never had a big asthma attack, she has many of the symtoms. Because this flu seems to be really affecting the lungs, she is probably at high risk. Not the mention the child still puts her hands and lots of other things in her mouth. Carson is probably in a low risk group, but there have been many deaths in kids with no pre existing conditions.

I also have to consider that I am pregnant. From what I read there is a big risk to pregnant women. Because of the reduced lung capacity in pregnancy, the flu attacking my lungs could be very dangerous. If my kids are not vaccinated there is a greater chance of me getting it. They are the ones bringing home all the germs. Right now, I have not been able to fine the shot available. I can not have the mist because it is the live virus, so I have to wait. In addition to me, we are going to have a new born in the house in the Spring. Who knows if this thing will be gone by then. I feel certain I don't want a new born with the swine flu.

So, what do you do? Do you risk getting the illness? Most of the people who get it are fine. Do I hope if we do get it we will be in the majority? Or, do you risk getting a vaccine? You can find as many things saying the vaccine is safe as you can it is worse than the flu. This is why I think it is hard to be a parent!

Today, we went and got the mist for the children. The health department had it in stock and a fairly short wait. We went as soon as Carson got off the bus. Macie had taken an early nap, so it was the perfect time. And, we went with 2 other families. The kids played outside until they called us. We were only there about 45 minutes, and it was very easy (and free). Carson had the seasonal flu mist 28 days ago (the minumum for getting this one). He did so much better this time. He took it and sniffed without a single cringe. Macie was not all the keen on the idea, but when it was her time she was a champ. She did better than Carson did the first time around.

Now, we hope they don't get the flu for the 2 weeks it takes to kick in. And we hope that all the folks saying the vaccine is perfectly safe are right! And hope I can get the vaccine soon.

What about you? Where do you stand on this?

Crazy Day with good results

This weekend has been one of the craziest in a while. Jeff was out of town yesterday and got back in town just in time for a quick dinner out. The kids were at Parents Night Out a Macie's school. We got home after bed time and hit the ground running this morning!

9AM Carson had a soccer game about 30 minutes north of here. But, he actually scored 2 goals. He has played 4 seasons of soccer and this was the first time he ever scored a goal. He came really close in the last game the last season he played. As a matter of fact, he believed he scored. So, we were all really excited for him. He was also playing great defense. I have said a long time, he will do much better when he can play positions.

10:30-12 Macie's school is having a Fall festival. We go ride a train, play some games, get our faces painted, and pet the animal at the petting zoo.

12:15 We get home. Jeff, Carson, and I eat a quick lunch. Macie goes up to take a nap

12:30 Carson and I leave for the neighborhood fall festival. I have to set up for swim team sign ups. He plays while Jeff stays home with Macie who is suppose to be sleeping.

1:30 Carson and I come home. Jeff and Macie are napping.

1:50 Jeff leaves with Carson for a birthday party. I hang out and wait for Macie to wake up from her nap.

2:30 Macie wakes up and eats some lunch

3:00 I take Macie up to the festival to let her play and finish up all the swim team stuff.

3:45 Hopefully Jeff and Carson come and get Macie so, I can pack everything up and help clean things up from the festival.

4:30 We drop Macie and Carson off at the Morrows for our babysitting exchange. We are headed out to get Christmas shopping done for his family. If I am lucky, we will get them finished and a lot of other stuff done as well.

8:30 Pick the kids up and throw then in the bed. We might have to let Carson take a shower. He missed on last night and 48 hours is just a bit long without being cleaned!

8:45 I head across the street for a neighbors birthday party. I hate I won't stay long, but I know I will not have much energy by then.

I bet all of you are jealous of our nice relaxing Saturday!

Melting her mamma's heart

It has never been a secret that my sweet girl can drive me up a a wall, but she can also be the sweetest little thing. Yesterday, she woke up from her nap (the first real one of the week) very grumpy. She wanted to sit in our laps and would cry for long periods of time if anything set her off. At one point, she was sitting in the rocking chair with Jeff. I asked her who her favorite princess was (trying to get an answer for grandma for Christmas). She took her finger out of her mouth and pointed at me. She stares at my wedding portrait several times a week and says "Mommy is a princess." If you call her a princess, she will say "I not a pwincess, mommy a pwincess." Then she will run and point at the picture and say "see." It really is the sweetest thing. And, it melts her mommy's heart.

Sometimes I am amazed

There are days that Carson comes home from school and really amazes me. This week it has happened a couple of times.
Carson is in a reading group that is pulled out from the class, so he is getting a little extra in reading. It only happens once a week right now, but it is better than nothing. In math he is just doing very basic curriculum (his test tomorrow is on the numbers 0 to 5).
There is also a program they use at school that allows the kids to work at their own pace in math and reading that they do on the computer. The computer keeps track of how they are doing and moves them up based on their progress and success. I am not exactly sure how the teacher uses it to assess them. I am actually hoping I will get some information when I get his first report card tomorrow. The get to do it once or twice a week and have to do one math section and one reading section (I think). When he gets a chance to work on the computer, he does the one reading assignment he has to do and then does math the rest of the time.
Anyway, one day Carson came home and told me about some of the math he has been doing on the computer. He said the computer is asking him questions like if you have eight tens and eight ones, what number will you have. I asked him what it would be and he answered correctly 88. I was impressed. I know they are not doing this in class, and we have not talked about it. So he has to be picking it up from playing on the computer. Then, today, he got to play games again. He said the math was hard at first. He claims it was asking 20 +40 and really hard addition problems. Then he said he figured it out. I asked him to tell me how he did it. And he said it is like if you have 4 10's and then you add 2 more 10's it like 4+2 which is 6. So, 40+20 is 60. I am just very impressed with his ability to think through it.

I really hope he continues to enjoy learning and thinking. I really fear that as he is in school longer he will loose that love of learning. By the way the picture above is a soccer picture from this season. I need to do a soccer post sometime soon. I just thought you were ready for a picture.

Pirate Cruise

When we were on vacation last month, we took the kids on a pirate cruise. I was a little sea sick, but it was so much fun. Here is a video of the pictures from that afternoon.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

If you are ever around the area, I would check it out!

More making plans

This time around we are making plans for the Spring. We will be adding another baby to the household. Jeff and I went for an ultra sound yesterday and all is looking good at this moment. (I would post a picture, but our scanner is dead. And, the baby was not cooperating at the time they took the pictures so they are not great) Jeff asked if they could tell if the baby is a boy or girl. The best guess is girl, but they can not really tell. I am not sure if I want to find out for sure, so he might have to wait until the delivery room to know for sure.

We told the kids last night. Macie doesn't really get it and kept looking at me funny trying to find a baby. She also said she thinks we should name the baby Baby Carson. Carson just plain did not believe Jeff. Jeff told him that mommy has a baby in her belly. Carson said No she doesn't. They went back and forth for a little while until we finally got the ultra sound picture. When he saw it, he decided to believe us. He was excited.

I blogged another time about the debate on having a third child. Jeff was willing and ready, but I was a little more hesitant. I worry about the details of managing 3 kids and about how Macie will do being a middle child (My mom is a middle child and hated it). At times I also feel like I am taking a big risk. We have 2 healthy children and there is no guarantee that kids will be healthy. Ultimately, I decided to trust God with the choice. We would try for awhile and then be done. I guess I kind of thought we would quit trying and then talk about adoption. But, in what was probably the last month I was willing to try with some other obstacles in the way, this tiny baby was conceived. (I don't want a summer baby that would keep me away from doing the fun summer stuff with Carson and Macie) So, we will begin a journey of being a family of 5. I KNOW I do not want a 4th child, so we won't have the debate again.

We will have another ultra sound in 6-8 weeks. Hopefully we will have a new printer/scanner by then so I can get you a sneek peek.

Making plans

On the way home from the bus stop this morning, Macie asked where Carson was. I said, "he just got on the bus." She talked about how she wanted to ride the bus. Like always I told her she could ride the bus when she is 5 1/2. We then talked about all the people who will be on the bus with her including Carson. She then said "When I get on the bus, Carson will hold my hand so I won't be scared." It was very sweet to hear her making plans for her brother to keep her safe!