Good Intentions

Week 44.5

Yes, so I did have good intentions of posting this past week's adventures Thursday evening, except that as I was uploading the pictures from the camera our computer froze.  The reboot process takes quite a bit of time, as this old desktop is from when Tangie and I first got married, and it is always constantly reminding us that we need to invest in a Mac.  But only after we pay for daycare, get a new fence, etc. etc.  That's what our accountant says.  One day I'll just make the sacrifice.  Until then, we're stuck with this old...uh oh...not again.....sigh.  Whew!

Are you seeing double?  This is Maddy wearing her big sister's dress from the original photo below, from 3 years ago.

Braelyn, age 9 months.



This week we started by celebrating Lala's birthday here for Sabbath lunch.  My folks came up to spend the weekend and see Mike, who is in town from California for some work, but let's not kid ourselves, they really came up to see the grandchildren!  Lala turned 61 years young on Feb. 19, so after church we had a nice lunch in the backyard and had some cake to commemorate the occassion.  Sabbath was a gorgeous day with absolutely beautiful weather, and we took advantage of it and hung out in the backyard for most of the afternoon, including taking naps on the hammock.  This is why we live in Florida!

Our very own "Kohl-in-a-box"!



Saturday evening Tangie and I hooked up with Kent and Kelli Johnson for a dinner and movie night, while the kids (Uncle Mike included) hung back at home with the grandparents.  We took this opportunity to have a date night, as we had done nothing for Valentine's the weekend prior.  Anyway, we went to one of Tangie's favorite restaurants, Taverna Opa on I-drive, great Greek food, and then saw Adam Sandler's "Just Go With It" afterwards.  It was a lot of fun; the food and company were great.

Sunday Tangie worked early out of the house for a few hours.  I had the day off so I spent time with Lala and went for a nice walk down to the clubhouse to see Lolo and Mike finish their round of tennis.  The sun was out but still slightly chilly from the morning so it was a perfect combination.  It was nice too, as I hadn't taken a relaxing walk in a while; most of the time I'm rushing to get from one place to another.  I'm going to have to do this more often.  At least, I plan to.

"Swing me real high, Uncle Mike!"



Sunday after the grandparents left and with naps completed, Tangie came back so we could do something outside, as it was another gorgeous day.  We tried to think of a place we could go that wouldn't cost us too much, spend about 2-3 hours, and most importantly, have fun!  Well, the FUN SPOT on I-drive was just the place.  It is a small amusement park that has a ferris wheel and bumper cars, as well as a kiddie ride place that you just pay for the rides you want.  So off we went and spent the afternoon with several thousands of people, all wanting to do the same thing.  Braelyn had lots of fun and the twins enjoyed watching her and all the activity.  Soon enough they'll be riding as well.  We topped the day off with dinner at Sweet Tomatoes.

She's the smallest and, if you can't tell, the most fearless.

I should get some commission for advertising the Fun Spot's famous cheese steaks!



Monday through Thursday was life as usual, although Maddy came down with a fever Thursday morning and had to be picked up from school.  I had a client event that evening and Tangie was working a new job out by Port Canaveral so luckily Uncle Mike was in town as he was able to go pick Maddy up.  A doctor's visit that evening confirmed Maddy had an ear infection so now she's on antibiotics, one that twin brother was on 2 weeks earlier.  Ah, the cycle of sickness never ends.

This week we found Kohlden sitting up on his bed by himself and Maddy had stood up on her own for (at most) 10 seconds, until she realizes she's not holding onto anything and then plops down on her rear.  Braelyn is a bundle of energy, and continues to dote on her younger siblings and loves to help her parents.  We are so very lucky!

I can't believe next week is March already.  Where did the time go?  Until then...

Non-Stop Activity!

Week 43.5

Kohl  18.3 lbs (25%), height 27.5" (25%), head circ 17.5" (25%)
Maddy  17.7 lbs (25%), height 27.2" (35%), head circ 17.5" (75%)

To start this entry, I have to say that I just jinxed myself when I wrote previous that I had not been taken ill by the bug that's been around the house.  Well, I guess the flu gods took offense, because that very night I started to feel achy and clammy, and by the time I was at work Tuesday afternoon I knew I was getting sick.  I could feel it, while trying so hard to be positive (and drinking lots of water and oj), alas I had full blown chills and a fever that evening.  So Wednesday was miserable and today as well, but just trying to power through work as my GM is on vacation and we couldn't afford to lose another manager with the heavy workload week we've had so far.  Stinks.

Last Thursday we had some houseguests stay with us from Tennessee.  A very good friend, Stacey Jack McClarty, his wife Susan, and their 2 year old boy Boston had taken a long weekend trip and arrived Tuesday from Chattanooga.  They have relatives in Jupiter, near West Palm Beach, so they spent Tuesday and Wed night with them and then drove up to spend the rest of the week with us.  Stacey and I were classmates at Southern Adventist University, and we were in the orchestra together, so we hung out a lot and stayed in touch throughout the years.  Anyway, we did the tourist thing:  Disney and eating out.  Stacey and I treated ourselves to a nice round of golf, and had some mutual friends Tim and Magally Putt and Richard and Catherine Ottati come over for dinner at our house:  Grilled filet mignon, asparagus, and freshly made salsa and guacamole (yum Susan!).  It was nice to have them over and catch up, as the last time we had seen them last year was around the same time, when Tangie was still pregnant with the twins.

Putting together Mr. & Mrs. Potato Heads at Downtown Disney

Filet Mignon topped with Boursin cheese...heaven...

We enjoyed catching up through conversation...actually, sharing apps on everyone's iPhones!



With us going to Disney we thought we might as well take advantage of the special Florida Resident offer they were having:  A four park pass for only $30/park.  So, $400 later, we were at the Animal Kingdom, looking forward to spending some family time together and seeing some animals.  Well, it was a little chilly that day so most of the animals were either in their dens or asleep.  We did see a lot of birds, ducks, and people.  Tons of people!  Braelyn enjoyed watching the Lion King Festival but absolutely hated the 3-D interactive show "It's tough to be a bug", where you see bugs flying at you with lots of smoke and noise, it was no wonder she and the twins cried the entire time.  Still a bit young for that!  Afterwards we went to their petting zoo where she was able to brush some sheep, rode the train, and met some of the Disney characters, including Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Mickey, and of course her favorite, Minnie.  We concluded with a trip to Dinoland, where she rode some rides with Mommy, and then took on the kid's playground and slide area, which she just enjoyed immensely.  Too much fun meant no time for a nap that day, which we payed for dearly on the ride back home. 

I love this one of Kohl...just hangin' out!



Sunday I worked early so after I came home from work I took Braelyn to the fair that had set up about 2 miles down the street from our house.  We had seen them throughout the week, and didn't know when they were leaving.  Come to find out that Sunday night was their last night, as they were going to pack up and drive to their next location down towards Miami.  Talk about a lucky break!  So Brae and I braved the cold evening chill and spent about an hour riding some rides, doing the bumper cars, and playing on the bouncy house.  There wasn't too many people there (they were smart, for it was just way too cold) and at times we were the only ones on the rides.  It will be a different experience once all three are able to go to the fair, what fun!



So, as I said, I fell ill on Tuesday so I've been trying to avoid the family so I don't continue passing the love bug.  Valentine's was a non-event as we both worked, although it was nice trying to secretly get our Valentine's Day cards signed by the kids for each other.  Tangie and I plan on spending some time together this weekend to make up for the lost holiday while my parents come up and help us with the children.  Uncle Mike is in town too, as he flew in late Tuesday night and is working here in Orlando for a couple of weeks.  Braelyn was very excited to have him stay over.  "But where is Auntie Genevieve?"  We miss her too.

Braelyn and Mommy baked some cakes for Valentine's Day!



The children continue to grow and develop with wonder.  It is just so neat to watch all 3 interact with one another.  Braelyn was kissing Kohlden on his fingers and got a little too carried away, as all of a sudden Kohl just started screaming.   Tangie immediately tried conforting Kohl, when, after a long silence Brae offered, "Maybe... I bit his finger."  Ah, kids.  They'll do that sometimes.  Bite.  Maybe.



This weekend we celebrate Lala's birthday.  Until next time!



Catch Up!

Week 43.5

Hello stranger, it's been awhile!  Yes, we have been neglecting our blog, and now it is time to make amends.  

Let's see, after our last post, we had pretty much stayed low key at home.  Saturday we went to church and did Sabbath school.  The children are now going to separate classes, as Braelyn had graduated from Cradle Roll and is now in primary 1, while the twins are still in Cradle Roll.  We can now drop Braelyn off and pick her up after, if she is willing to part with us.  It's a little difficult when you have 3 kids to 2 parents, as this is one of those times you wish the ratio was a little more even.  We either split the twins up or all go to Primary, depending on the mood of our older princess.

Saturday night brought about "PPM" night, also known as "Pizza Popcorn Movie" night, with the Grodacks coming over to visit and hang out.   It was a lot of fun as we put our own toppings on top of frozen pizzas before putting them in the oven.  We must've had at least 4.  The girls (Calleigh & Brae) watched Enchanted in the guest room next to the living room while the parents watched It's Complicated.  It had been a while since we had gone out to see an actual movie so being able to get together and watch a DVD was the next best thing.



Here the girls show their tub of popcorn.  Calleigh really enjoyed her sippy cup full of juice, so much so she had two!

On Sunday I was off so technically I was on Daddy duty while Tangie tried to put some hours in.  So I started working on 10 loads of laundry that needed to be completed for the week.  It's amazing the number of clothes this family goes through in seven days, but then when you think about all the onesies and bibs and socks and uniforms and work clothes, well...you get the picture.  I'm just glad we at least got the energy efficient washer and dryer to alleviate the electric and water bills!



They were really happy to help me with the laundry...until I told them how many loads there were...

That afternoon we needed to get some energy out and so we ventured to the neighboring town of Clermont and tried out a bounce house play area.  It was in a factory/warehouse building and quite clean.  A decent price, we spent a good hour and a half just having Braelyn jump and run and play, trying to get her tired for the night.  They also had a toddler area where the twins could roam around.  We'll have to go back one day.





On Tuesday Braelyn started coming down with a fever.  She was coughing and so we thought, oh boy, here comes another round of sickness! I am so sick and tired of us being so sick and tired!  Well, she couldn't go to school for several days so she accompanied Mommy everywhere, including work.  She went to the office downtown and helped shred some documents (legally) and even went to the clients where she joined Tangie's team for lunch at Panera.  She connected with one of Tangie's coworkers named Diana, a Korean/American mix that reminded Braelyn of "Auntie Genevieve"!  When Braelyn stayed with me on my day off we went to Costco and saw their flowers and she wanted to get some, not for Mommy, but for "Mommy's friend".  On our stop to Home Depot we swung by the paint department to get some color swatches for her.  Free entertainment and she just loves the Mickey Mouse ones, she taped them on her door in her room, just for kicks, although I don't know why she put them up in the shape of the letter J.



Well with Tangie hanging around Braelyn, guess who caught it next?  You guessed it, she started feeling achy on Thursday.  Friday evening brought Lolo and Lala up for the weekend to help with the children.  They enjoyed feeding and taking care of the twins while letting us catch up on a few extra minutes of sleep.  They also were witness to Kohlden starting to army crawl and Madelyn standing up on her feet and cruising around the furniture.  A lot of development since the two weeks they had last seen them.

Sunday I had to work, as did Tangie from home, although she took a quick trip to Solantic urgent care and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, so was prescribed the Z pak.  My parents were generous to stay and help until seven that evening, although unfortunately the twins were starting to feel a little warm and that just confirmed the spread of sickness later on Monday when they were called home from school with full blown fevers.  Brae had already stayed home with me that day. Tuesday both Tangie and I worked half days to accommodate each other's work needs and switched taking care of the twin while the other worked and Wednesday Tangie went to work in the AM and came home to relieve me as I went in for the late shift.  This past Thursday the 9 month Well Visit turnd into a Sick Visit which confirmed that Kohlden had an ear infection, so on antibiotics he went, and both continue more regular nebulizing treatments with added Progesterone (steriod) to help with their bronchialitis.  I have not fallen prey to this deadly bug and cross my fingers I won't, although the sofa is starting to hurt my back and is not very comfortable for sleeping multiple nights.  I miss my bed!

We did have some company over this past weekend but that is a story for our next blog post which I'll be posting, knock on wood, this Thursday evening.  Until then...

Coming Soon!

My biggest apologies as I have not posted a blog for the past two weeks.  It's been so hectic both at work and home, and everyone has been sick.  I know that's not a good enough excuse, but I had to have some sort of reason.  In any case, we will post a lengthy and picture filled entry very, very soon.  Thank you everyone for your patience!