FLU!

After a solid week of gathering information on flu shots and debating whether the benefits outweigh the risks of getting the shots for the kids, it hit us...First it was Luke who got a fever, then Grace, with Anteneh following close behind. And do you think I could care for 3 fevered, coughing kids for a week without getting it? Oh, no...today it hit me, too...our house is like an infirmary...I have taken so many temperatures that I actually made a line graph to keep track of the temperature trends. I guess it's the engineer in me but it helps me visualize what is going on. Haha...

Poor Grace missed her field trip, Tuesday. She had been looking forward to it for weeks and was really upset! The rest of the second grade rode school buses downtown to meet the major and eat lunch at Lic's. My poor girl! And Daryn, Grace's soccer coach, is trying to convince me to let her play tonight. The team is undefeated and Grace is one of the best players on the team. But, really, honey? Haha...It's like 50 degrees outside and rainy and she has a fever.

The part that I'm gearing up for now is to be sick for a week with 3 kids HOME ALL DAY who are sick, too. I've been stuck in the house with them for 5 full days already, taking temperatures, dispensing medicine, waiting hand and foot on everyone. Oh, and did I mention trying to keep up with the classes I'm taking? And now I have it. Blah! 2 more days of taking care of everyone but now while I have the flu. Saturday and Sunday Daryn will be here to help, but then Monday the boys are home on fall break. I already feel like I'm losing my mind! Haha... And to top it off, they all three follow me around all day now saying they are bored. Oh, my! I sound like I'm complaining but I'm really laughing inside. No, I am complaining, too. I love my kids so I don't mind at all caring for them when they are sick. But it's time for this flu monster to get on out of here! Welcome to the kid world of being sick: boredom. Welcome to the mom world of being sick: doing everything you normally do, except with a fever!

Lots of Friends

We've been spending lots of time with great friends this fall! Grace and I cooking... Grace and her good friend, Cookie. They sleep together every evening until around 10pm when Cookie goes out for his night hunt. It's a great set up-after helping her get to sleep he kills moles in the yard for Daryn!

Anteneh lost his FIRST TOOTH tonight! Just in time for school pictures in the morning.

The kids eating chili tonight with their cousin, Jocelyn, and their friend, Taylor! (who is actually their second cousin)

Here they are with a Chick-fil-a cow and the Hellmer cousins at a magic show fundraiser for the new local Ronald McDonald house!

The boys doing their homework with their good friend, Nicodemus, the nephew of one of my friends from high school!

Grace with some of her friends the morning after her camp out party...we had 15 kids running around our backyard that night-it was CRAZY!!!! Lots of smores, giggly girls, and some earplugs for me!

Grace with some of her cousins and friends at her sleepover party. My mom, "Mimi," brought one of her horses and gave the girls pony rides. It was so fun!

Grace helping her cousin, Jocelyn, ride the horse.

It's been a GREAT fall so far!