Thursday 30 April 2015

THE FLU THAT JUST WONT END....

It has been ten days of flu here at the Sunshine Ranch! 10 days of puke and poop...lots of puke and poop, sometimes both kids at the same time!! Finally though, (knock on wood,) both kids have been tucked into bed without any signs of pending puke or poop! Here's hoping that maybe, just maybe we'll all actually sleep all thrrough the night! Ha!

The flu started with me. I just felt "off" for the entire weekend Mom was visiting. I went to work Monday and Tuesday though I just didn't feel quite right. Tuesday night, the trips to the bathroom started and I couldn't stop worrying about whether or not I would need a sub. See, when you are a teacher, you can't just call in sick. Nope. You have to find a replacement and create a lesson plan for the entire day.  Between trips to the bathroom, I kept trying to mentally create a lesson plan, just in case.  Finally, at 3:26am I had to make a decision and it wasn't looking like I'd be able to go to work, so I got up, turned on my computer and started to plan Wednesday.  I booked a sub (thank God for online sub desks,) then wrote out a day plan that I emailed to my colleagues with hope that they would print it off for my sub.  Unplanned absences are the worst for teachers. I tried to visualize where all the papers the sub was going to need could be found in my room..ha!  Thank God, the kids know the place as well as I do and I knew they'd fill in any blanks I left.  Marty took the kids to the Day Home (thank God for the day home) and I slept and went to the bathroom all day.  I felt ok that night and intended to go to work Thursday, but....Ryder started puking at midnight and didn't stop.  So once again, I got up in the middle of the night, once I realized he wasn't going to stop puking and booked another sub.  I kept Payton home too, just incase.  Thursday was a long day, but it was a beautiful day and since Payton wasn't really sick and since I felt mostly better, she and I hung out in the sunshine for a while so poor Ryder could sleep. 
Spending time with just Payton, made me realize how big she's getting. How she's not my baby anymore.....


 She was so sweet.  She sure missed playing with Ryder, but she got in plenty of cuddles.
 Friday morning, Ryder woke up feeling much better. Here's the snapshot I got before I took us all to work (and day home) Friday morning.
 Friday afternoon, on the way home from the day home, Ryder asked me for a puke bowl in the car. Ofcourse I didn't have one and by this time, I figured he just wanted to make me nervous (they think it's funny when they cough and I think they are gonna puke) so I handed him all I had, a sippy cup.  I told him to take the lid off and puke in it.  He did not think this was funny and told me it was too small.  "I guess I'll just try to hold it in til we get home, Mom." Right, I though. Sure.  When we got home, Payton and I headed to the potty (our new ritual since potty trainging) she was on her little potty and I was on the big one. Ryder came in asking for the puke bowl.  I told him where it was. He went and got it, came back to the bathroom, put it on the counter, stood up on a stool and proceeded to empty the contents of his lil tummy into it!! What???? I couldn't believe it! He is the most mature, calm puker I have ever known, adults included!!! Turns out he was apparently still sick!  I was supposed to work at the school's spring fling, and I hated to leave, but Marty insisted I go. It was just for an hour.  By the time I got to school Marty had sent a text saying that Payton was also now throwing up! Ahhhh! Two puking kids!  I didn't stay to work my shift. I came home. Kids just want their mommys when they are sick, so Marty says. :)  As a family, we spent Friday night on the couch, cuddling, catching puke in bowls, watching crappy kiddy cartoons.  Payton ended up puking for 9 hours straight! Poor lil thing!!!
Saturday was a right off. The babes were sick, watching TV, whining and sleeping.  Sunday, they both perked up so we spent some time outside.  


 This is not Payton and a puke bowl. This is Payton pretending to drink out of the pot like a puppy. LOL



 Sunday night, Marty started puking. :(  Monday I took the kids to the day home. Monday night, Ryder puked once early on and around 2am Payton had a giant poop blow out in her crib. One that required bedding change and a tubbie!! I made a sub plan and stayed home Tuesday as Marty was still sick and wasn't able to look after the kiddos.  Tuesday was actually a beautiful day outside and strangely enough, both kids actually seemed fine once they woke up.  We spent the day outside so Daddy could sleep.  

Tuesday night, or Wednesday morning around 5am, Ryder got diarrhea. Bad!  He spent Wednesday at home, on the toilet.  Marty was feeling better by then so I went to work and Payton went to the dayhome but by 4:30, she had diarrhea too!!!!!  Luckily hers was short lived and by 7pm she was empty!! Today is Thursday, everyone went where they were supposed to go on Thursdays and life seems (knock on wood again) to be heading back towards normal! Thank God!!!!

I am exhausted. I need to go to bed just in case I need to get up to catch puke or poop (seriously hoping not!) 

Kiss your babies, count your blessings and soak up the extra cuddles as they are the only good thing about babies having the flu!






Thursday 23 April 2015

BACK TO WORK...KINDA

The first week back into routine after spring break was rough...for me. Getting up and getting going was rough. I sooo enjoyed my time off, at home with the kids. No rushing, no need to be anywhere.  But alas, all good things must come to an end.... and really I actually love my students and my job, so it wasn't that bad going back to work, just exhausting!  Mom had planned to come for a visit on the Friday, so I had something to look forward to as well...but I ended up getting the flu. :( Poor Mom came all this way and I couldnt' even really enjoy my visit with her. She did get a lot of Grandkid time in though which was helpful and fun.

She got to play soccer with Ryder (it snowed Saturday, so soccer was in the basement that day.)
She bought Payton new boots for her birthday (I got her the hat to match.) :)

Ryder already has a hat, which he loves!

Sunday, the sun was shining and I felt a little bit better so Mom and I took the kids to the river for a little adventure before she had to leave.



After Grammy left, Payton was tired. Too tired to keep it together. She had a few meltdowns. Somehow they are still pretty cute and comical. The whole production, the throwing her doll, the lying down, the wailing....
 Most of the afternoon while the sun shone, the kids played outside while Marty was in the garage.  This is what I love about kids: they don't need fancy toys. These two spent hours playing with scraps of wood, the watering can and water. LOVE THEM!
 Ofcourse they do still love stuffies and sparkly shirts! Thanks Grammy!
 And who doesn't love a good old fashion lawn mower ride!

 I still felt "off" Monday and Tuesday but I went to work anyway.  As a teacher, it is just too much work to miss work.  Plus, I hadn't actually puked or pooped yet, soooooo.  The sun was still shining so I figured we should take advantage.  Monday afternoon when I realized I felt "ok" I texted marty to see about meeting up for a family adventiure.  After school I picked up the kids and we met Marty and Scout at the Glenbow Ranch for an awesome bike ride/dog walk/stroller ride.  Tuesday during my staff meeting I texted again, suggesting we all met up at the Cochrane Ranch. This time Marty, Ryder and I biked while I pulled Payton in the bike trailer.  Love these kind of spontaneous adventures with my family!

 Tuesday night the flu got a hold of me for real and I spent the night in the bathroom. I made a sub plan at 1:42am and spent the night on the toilet. No fun! I stayed home and slept all day Wednesday while the kids were at the day home.  I felt quite a bit better by the time they got home.  Payton and I even baked cookies after supper while Marty and Ryder practiced soccer outside.  


I planned to go to work Thursday, today.  I really wanted to and I really did not want to write another middle of the night sub plan...but Ryder woke up at 3am puking, so here I am. Home with my lil cutie. He's watching cartoons and I'm catching up on things like my blog and baking.  Payton is home too...just incase she's sick too...so far she's not. Thank God!  Here's hoping that by the weekend we will all be back to our energetic, happy, rested selves!!!

Kiss your babies, count your blessings and don't feel guilty watching Netflicks when you are sick, especially when the show you are watching has the hottest leading actor you've ever seen. (Check out White Collar!)

Tuesday 14 April 2015

SPRING BREAK

Spring Break ends tomorrow.  I have to go back to work after an amazing week of time off with my lil cuties.  Marty, unfortunately was away for my entire break.  He was in Toronto for sales meetings, but his absence didn't stop me from spending all day everyday with two energetic little balls of cuteness, getting a huge pile of dirt delivered, painting two bedrooms, visiting Uncle Dirt, attempting potty training with Payton and planning a party for the kids.  Yes, I do want a "hero cookie," lol!

Easter Monday we hung out as a Family. Tuesday morning Marty headed to Toronto and Tuesday afternoon, this big dump truck delivered 10cubic yards of loam to our back yard.  Talk about the most fun "yard toy" ever!!! What kid doesn't love a giant pile of dirt to play in????
 Ryder was super pumped to watch the huge truck!


 This scene, the diggers and shovels in the dirt at the end of a day of play, make me happy....
 but not as happy as this scene! :)

I painted Ryder's bedroom after the kids went to bed Tuesday night.  Ryder slept in my bed so that I could take the time I needed to paint his walls.  I painted them grey mostly because I want to do Payton's room in gray and pink, so that's the color of paint I bought.  Ryder wants a hockey room and I figure that can happen in any color of room, except "puke" which is what color the walls were before I painted them!! 

Wednesday we had play dates all day, so I took a break from painting.  I prepped Payton's room though so that Thursday I'd be ready. 

 Thursday morning we woke up and I promised the kids a fun morning cause I planned to paint for a couple hours in the afternoon.  We were on the dirt pile before 9am and once we were good and dirty, we headed to the pond where we discovered snails!!!

Once I was sure both kids were good and tired out from our adventures, I brought them in for lunch. My plan was to paint Payton's room during her nap (that would give me two hours.) I planned for her to nap in the pack n' play in Ryder's room...but she had other plans.  Her plans did not involve a nap at all....she ended up spending her "nap time" in her crib in the middle of her room while I painted it.  As long as she was in the crib she couldn't touch the paint and she was much happier watching me, reading books and singing with me than she was not sleeping in Ryder's room.  

After I painted, we headed to the farm to see Uncle Dirt.  I still have some fencing to do before we can bring Dirt here, to the Sunshine Ranch.  Like I mentioned, Payton is potty training. I am taking a much more relaxed approach to it this time around and so far, so good-ish.  She ended up peeing her pants at the farm, ofcourse! I had brought back up pants for her, but since the sun was shining and since she's stubborn, Payton didn't want to put them on...naked cause that's how she rolls! LOL


 Friday afternoon Marty came home! It was great to have him back! I had taken the kids to the Day home so that I could clean and prep for the party I was planning to have Saturday afternoon for the kids. It was going to be a late birthday party as I was hoping that by delaying the party we'd be able to have an outside event with a bon fire and all...but the wind had other plans.....no matter, a party was going to happen and chances were, we were going to have to be inside, so the house needed to be clean-ish. :)  
Also Nic was coming. She had been in South America for a month so I was looking forward to catching up with her...plus she had promised to help me with projects around here.  By the time she left, we (and by "we" I mostly mean Nic) had, painted and framed a chalkboard on the hallway wall, painted the words, "he shoots he scores" above Ryder's window (the beginning of his hockey themed room,) hung the signs she made in Payton's room that read "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine you make me happy when skies are gray," and had created and hung a whimsical banner in Payton's room! Thank you Nic!!

  


Saturday afternoon, the kids came and we partied..mostly inside due to the crazy, crazy winds.  Some of us braved the dirt pile and the pond, but after an hour, we all ended up inside for hot dogs, chips and an ice cream sunday bar.  I decided that since Mom and Nic were unable to make cakes this year, we'd skip cake all together, besides, we'd had plenty of cake-ish treats in March for all of our real birthdays.  The big finale to the party was the giant pig pinata!  Trish and bought it to support a charity in kelowna and she gifted it to the kids.  It was the hugest pinata I've ever seen.  We stuffed it with some candy and toys, (Trish assured me it was full of love, so no need to fill it to the brim with sugar lol) and then the kids took turns wacking it with golf clubs while it dangled from our clothes line! So. Much. Fun!
 





Kiss your babies, count your blessings and soak up every minute you have away from work!

 
Ack! Now that I finally have had enough internet to get all the pics posted (yep, still struggling with this satelite internet here at the Sunshine Ranch, but trying not to get to obsessed as I realize it truly is a First World Problem) so I've actually been back at work for two days already......