3:30 AM

What was I doing at 3:30 this morning? If you guessed sleeping .... buzzzzz, you would be wrong. If you guess laundry, ding, ding, ding, you would be right! Sam threw up all over her bed last night/this morning. She didn't get just the sheets, she got it all! The pillows, the sheets (including the mattress pad) , the comforter and to make things fun, she also threw up on Joe. Joe usually sleeps with Sam because he believes he is way too cool for a toddler bed anymore. So I threw her sheets into the washer, after shaking out all the chunks off outside. Then I moved to Joe. I cleaned him up and took off his splint. I then spent some time scrubbing the puke of the splint! I made sam's bed up and she went right back to sleep. I layed down a few minutes after 4:00 only to hear Ike up about 4 minutes later. I fed him and put him back to bed. I finally got back to bed and sleep only to have Sam throw up again about 30 minutes later. All the bedding -- again -- plus the wall this time! New sheets and a few towels later she is back to sleep. I do more laundry and back to bed. 14 minutes later, Ike is up again! Sam finally got the clean sheets dirty a little later. Just a little bit ago she throw up all over the floor, right next to my nice, huge mountain of clean towels. 2 of the clean and dried pillows were also right there. She got those again along with a couple of towels. As if i didn't have enough to do today. This is my packing day and my "to-do" list day with a million and a half things to get done. We leave for vacation tomorrow! I sure hope nobody else gets sick and pukes in the car tomorrow.

Sam oh Sam

Sam is my "accident waiting to happen" child. She talks non-stop, everyday , all day. That is usually how I know she is asleep- she stops talking! Even as I type this, she is standing here talking her head off.

Yesterday we went to Subway. She wanted cookies. After we pay she promptly grabs the bag and takes her cookie. Only to have about 85% of it fall to the floor. I threw it away and the lady behind the counter saw this and gave her another. Then we walk out and there is a paper machine thingy out there. The machines that you buy a paper from, free standing machine. There are a few freebie ones there- like The Pitch. She asks me, "Mom, do you need a paper?" "No, I don't one today" "Are you sure?...... " "Fine Sam, get a paper, if you want a paper, get a paper" I'm thinking- just one more thing to throw into the recycle bin once at home. So here she is, a cookie in one hand. She pulls the handle down with the other hand. HMM? How do i get the paper now? It was like watching her mind click as her problem solving skills are trying to figure this one out. Well, she opened it a couple of times and finally thought that holding the door down with her foot should work. I was about 5 feet away from her, holding Ike. As soon as she puts her foot on it, it starts to fall towards her. I go to grab it but was too late, it landed right on her wrist. She cried and screamed for a little while. I checked her over and held it for a few minutes. I am thinking- great, watch Sam break her wrist 3 days before vacation. However, she was fine in a short amount of time. She never did get that paper though!

Elephant in the playroom?

The other day we somewhat cleaned up the playroom. You know, so they could totally trash it again in no time flat. We set up Sam's tent and a Hot Wheels Sizzler track. We play cars and 'campout'. We leave the tent up but put the track up. There is a nice big area of clean space- I could even see the carpet! The next day I go down to let Sam know we will be leaving in a few minutes. I walk in the playroom, look around and asked her what the heck happened down here? Apparently, an Elephant came through the window and trashed the playroom. I told her to see how much she could get picked up before we left. Her response was, "but what about the elephant? He made the mess"

Grease Monkeys

This morning the kids and I were on the deck planting some grass seeds for th kids to take care of and watch it grow. Of course planting anything with them involves lots of dirt. Then of course add in some water. That all equals to very dirty, messy kids. I wash them off before we go out in public. I really don't want people thinking my kids haven't had a bath for 3 weeks. After Max goes to school, the rest of us go the the car shop to get my oil changed and tires balanced and rotated. On Sunday my "service engine soon" light came on. So Monday morning, still on, I call to make an appointment. Of course shortly after making it, the light goes off. Still, better get it checked out since we will be driving - A LOT- here pretty shortly. We wait in the waiting area. I don't think that floor has EVER been swept, mopped or scrubbed. It was very nasty. But 3 little kids are not going to stay seated for the long wait. They had 2 chairs there. They did have a TV with a bunch of VCR kids movies (do people really still use VCR's?) We watch some of those while we wait. Sam found a little bouncy ball and played with that most the time. Joe brought cars and trucks to play with. Ike could only seat in the stroller for so long before he really wanted out and was going to make it out one way or the other. Fine, I give up, crawl all over the nasty floor. Well, then Sam had to go to the bathroom. I ask where one is and the owner of the shop kinda paused. "That is kind of tricky" um, OK. He tells me where it is and says it doesn't flush right. You have to fill a bucket of water and pour it in first plus the toilet is very loud when it flushes. Lovely. So we hike it on over to the bathroom. I tell her we are not coming back in here and this is her only time to go to the bathroom. I scrub the kids off while I have the chance as well.

Alright, back to the nasty waiting area. About 20-30 minutes later, Sam says, you guessed it, "I have to go to the bathroom." I tell her she has to wait. Shortly we see our van back in the lot. They must be done and hopefully we will be leaving shortly. There is a guy in there talking up a storm to the owner and must have been in there for roughly 30 minutes, just talking. I finally caved into Sam's pleas to go to the bathroom, yet again! Knowing we have to be leaving soon I really scrubbed the kids this time. They all 3 looked like little grease monkeys. Ike had black feet (top and bottom), black legs and hands. The other 2 have super dirty hands, legs and clothes. So clean, we go and wait again. This time I don't let Ike down or Joe out of the stroller. I wait by the counter and finally get checked put. A little over 2 hours there and they only got my tires and oil done. The check engine light history showed an ignition coil going bad and only takes 15 minutes to replace. Yeah, could they really have not just done it? they knew I had to leave at a certain time so I was home when Max gets home. He also suggested we replace a tire since one has a chunk out of it. How? No idea! So, we will be going back the the car shop very shorty. I am hoping just to drop it off this time.

The mechanic really is a nice guy and he is pretty reasonably priced. If I find someone cheaper, I tell him about it and he will beat the price by a few bucks. We usually drop off our cars but really, who would have thought oil and tires would take SO long?

Vacation is coming...

Ike was cranky today. I think his 4th tooth is about to poke out any time. He has his 9 month check up tomorrow (a little early). Sam announced this evening that her throat hurts. I peek inside and her throat is pretty red with a few white spots. Her lumph node is also swollen. So I may have her seen tomorrow as well. She acts fine however.

Max only has this week plus 2 days of school left. Almost summer!! We are going on vacation shortly after he gets out of school. We are going to New Jersey for my husbands, aunts wedding. Then going down to cape May for the week and also hanging out at Atlantic City for a day. I have never been so I am looking forward to it. However, the part I am NOT looking forward to is the drive there! It will take us 2 days to get there. 2 days with 4 kids in the car!! I have created "goody bags" for the older 3 with little toys that are new plus some coloring stuff and misc things like that. Thank goodness we also have a TV in the car and I am sure the kids will be watching TV 90% of the time.

After we get back from that vacation we are taking another one about 3 weeks later to the Wisconsin Dells. We are stopping at Chicago before that trip to meet up with my husbands family and the "girls" are going to the American Girl place to eat. The girls are 6, 4 and 4 (a few days before she turns 5). I think they will enjoy it. Anyway, the Dells is a waterpark place. Which makes us somewhat nervous taking 4 little kids to. we'll see how that goes. Max hates getting his face wet. So do I but I don't throw a huge fit about it!

Not a whole lot going on

Nothing new really to blog about.

Ike crawls up the steps about 2,ooo times a day which means I have to pick him up and move him about 2,000 times a day! I have showed him a few times how to crawl back down so hopefully soon he will figure that out. He does know that he can fall down the steps and it's not so much fun.

The weather has been pretty nice lately (today it's kinda cool) so we have spent lots of days outside playing. Max's new thing is playing tag- all the time- when we are outside. He waves you over like he wants to show you something then pokes you in the stomach and runs away giggling. A good game for him since he likes to run anyway!

Sam insisted she wanted her training wheels off her bike. I took them off a bike that is WAY to small for her so she could practice that way. Closer to the ground so she can catch herself, right? She does not have the hang of it yet but maybe this summer she will figure it out. Who knows.

Joe thinks he ready for big boy undies. And well, maybe he is, but I'm not. I let him wear them several times and so far, he never runs to the bathroom. He still pees and poops in his pants. I really don't want to deal with poopy pants. Max is still somewhat working on potty training. we have had him in undies since October. He is doing much better but still gets his undies damp sometimes before he goes to the bathroom. However, he rarely poops in his pants anymore- thank God! I hate cleaning poopy pants or poop paintings from the wall or carpet. Why is poop painting such a common thing with kids that have Down syndrome. I think he has pretty much outgrown it (I hope so).

Ike is babbling more and saying mama so maybe soon he will realize I am mama! Right now it's just babble.

Have a good weekend/week!