Teenagers, Preschoolers and Puking Pigs...Oh My!!!

This week is district contest.  I really thought this year wouldn’t be as bad as the past years.  By looking at the calendar it seemed to be a shorter season.  And I was wrong.  Every year I tell myself it’s going to be ok.  Then about our birthday weeks I hit the wall.  I am so ready for Jay to be home tomorrow morning.  Trying to get them both around and out the door is a challenge.  I’m trying to decide what is more tiring – a small child you have to physically wrangle or a teenager who’s like a mental minefield.  Both leave me feeling like I’ve ran a marathon by the time I’m backing out of the driveway.  Then I drive 10 minutes to Stacy’s house.  Then another 10 to Miller.  Then another 25 to work.  Yeah, I’ve been late several days the last few weeks.  Anyway – after today we will be over the hump.  Thank goodness!!!

Jay didn’t get home until 6:30-7:00 last night.  As soon as he walked in the door he told me he needed to go back to the school because he forgot something.  We worked it out so that he would take Camryn with him so I could go for a walk.  Camryn is a good shopper, but she’s not a good walking partner.  About 3-4 minutes into the walk she’s done.  Jay left with her and Cade went out to start chores.  I finished cleaning up the kitchen and then headed out for my walk.  I wasn’t even out of the driveway when Cade came running up screaming “Dad, Dad” in his panic voice.  I told him Dad was gone.  He said “one of the pigs is throwing up come look come look.”  I told him I wasn’t going to be any help but I went anyway. 

We got out to the pig house and I could tell one was eating happily and two looked suspicious.  I figured one had thrown up and the other had ate it.  Sure enough the pig started throwing up again and his buddy cleaned up behind him.  They were on some different feed because the feed store was out yesterday.  They went from pellets to ground corn.  The corn looks pretty dry and choking to me.  I wondered if something with the new texture had bothered him.  I told Cade to give him some water and see what happened.  Then I finally did a head count and noticed there were only 3.  I asked Cade where the other three were at.  He said they were still in the farrowing barn.  They moved these  three to the hog house because they are for sale.  He said “My Dad said they looked bigger in here so we are keeping them here.”  I could hear that whole conversation between the two of them exactly in my head.   I decided it was time to leave Cade with his vomiting pig so I could go on my walk.

As soon as I left the house I called Jay to tell him about the pig.  He asked me what the vomit looked like.  I said “well it looks like corn and water.”  He decided it as probably the feed.  He was going to look at it when he got home.  When I got back from my walk I checked on them and they seemed to be doing fine.

Later that night, after the kids were in bed and I had a moment to think, I realized I had inspected a pigs vomit.  Then I described it to Jay over the phone.  Again….when did I loose control of my life???  Jay said it was just turning me more and more into a farm wife.  And think about all the legitimacy it was giving me with our customers.  Yeah, I’m probably not going to talk about puking pigs with my customers.  And I’m also thinking there is a difference between a farm wife and a showing wife.  I can’t quite put my finger on the difference except for the crazy, maniacal look that the show dad gets in eyes this time of year….     

The rest of our birthday week

Well the rest of our birthday week ended up like most of our birthday weeks.  Somebody was sick!!!!  Camryn woke up at 3 AM Sunday morning, after Cade's party, with the stomach flu.  She had been really congested so I hoped it was either snot or all the Reeses PB Bunnies she had ate the night before.  No such luck.  That baby girl was sick!!! 

 

She woke me up screaming because she had puked in bed.  I didn't realize what was going on until I picked her up and then I knew.  She was screaming, I was trying to get her cleaned up, I needed to change, her bed needed changed, etc.  Finally I went in our room and asked Jay is he was still alive because I had no idea how he could've slept through all of her screaming.   You can write this on your calenders....March 2030 I will be taking a vacation.  Jay can come if he wants to, but that will be the first March that he will be retired and both kids will be out of HS.  I will be on a beach somewhere.   

 

I left work early on Tuesday because I was getting sick.  For awhile I was scared it was the flu but I think 5% of it was catching a cold and 90% was exhaustion from the day Camryn was sick.  And again, typical March, I got to be sick for about 2 hours.  Then I had to do mom/kid/FFA wife things which resulted in me vowing to leave Jay home alone for a week with the kids the next time he feels sick.  I wouldn't ever do it, but in the middle of March there are a lot of things I dream about like that....Just being honest here.

 

Thursday Sharon invited us over to celebrate my birthday, even though it was Cade's birthday.  Sharon has always tried to do something special for my day and I appreciate it.  Since mom was here on Spring Break she also got to go with us.  It was a fun night.  Another thing I've tried to talk myself into is taking more pictures.  I really hate to take pictures of myself.  Like really hate it.  Like I put a lot of thought in to how I can position the kids to cover myself up and things.  So I'm trying to work on it.  Even though I knew I didn't look the best that night I had Jay take our picture.  I've tried to not critique it too much.  Small steps, small steps.....

 

Last Saturday the kids and I met Mom, Charity, Avery and Lawson in Branson for the day.  We did a little shopping and then played Mini Golf.  Just FYI Shoot for the Stars is way over priced!!!!  It was a pretty crazy, wild time.  There were golf balls, clubs and kids everywhere.  Thank goodness we didn't have people right in front or behind us.  The kids kind of ended of running everywhere.  I felt like I yelled a lot...Camryn it's your turn, put your ball down, no put your ball down there, Lawson don't touch your ball, get off the green, get out of the way, etc.  Yeah, just our normal chaos. 

The next day we found out that I had the steel belt coming through on one of my tires.  I was so thankful that we made it to Branson and back in one piece.  I thought my van had been a little rough riding for a few days.  I got just what I wanted for my birthday- new tires!!!! 

How Did This Happen????

Cade is 13.  I started this blog the summer after he turned 5!!!  Here is a little throwback to the first birthday party I blogged about.  Cade's 6th Birthday Party

But look at these baby faces from that night.....

 

 

Such sweet babies.  Looking at those pictures you can tell we've lost a few faces but we've also gained a few to.  Life keeps going on....

 

 

Cade didn't want a big to do for his 13th party.  So that meant no theme, no decorations, nothing.  So I went along with it but then he said I could add a duck to the cake.  And like normal Janella did a great job with it.  But I didn't even buy matching paper products.  We used our regular Fiesta dishes....but hey anytime you use Fiesta dishes it's already like a party!!!

 

 

I make a big deal out of my kids parties because 1.  I like a party and 2.  I'm just so thanful for each birthday we celebrate with them.  There was some rough stuff going on around us the first part of March.  Not us personally but people that we know going through their own tragedies and anniversarys of other things.  It definitely reminded me to thank God all over again for these years He's given us with these kids.  And also all of the family members we get to celebrate these days with.  I hope my kids remember me trying to make their day's special (and not the lunatic I am most of the time, but that's another post).  I'm so thankful for these people.  And look at that sassy look Camryn has.  Who was turning 13????

 

 

Memo and Papa Jim

 

Papa Kerry.  Lynn was on call. 

 

Nana....all the way from Fayetteville!

 

Grandma Robyn.  Steve was at home painting while mom was here on Spring Break.

 

Charity and her family.  Uncle Justin was in the field.  It's that time of year!

Looking at these pictures I'm not sure Camryn is as over her shyness as I thought.  She was pretty attached to her sippy cup that night.  She also woke up with the stomach flu at 3 am the next morning.  So it's anyones guess what was maybe going on with her in all of these pictures.

I'm really not sure who enjoyed the presents more.  They both had a good time that night.

 

One of the things Cade wanted was a Memory Foam pillow.  I'm not sure that's on a lot of 13 year olds lists, but that was what Cade wanted. So that was what he got.  And all of the littles fought over it.  Lawson is also on it.  He's smooshed between Avery and Camryn.  You can barely see the corner of his head by Avery's.  Camryn is about to knee him in the face.  Of course all of the adults were just sitting around watching it. 

 

And this is probably my dad's first selfie and it might be my first one I've ever made public of myself???

 

It was a great night!

 

Happy Birthday Cade!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Rapunzel, Rapunzel....

This past weekend Camryn and I went to a tea with Rapunzel.  There is a kids boutique in Springfield that has started having Princess teas.  It was so much fun!!!!  They had been having Elsa teas for quite awhile but I had never purchased a ticket.  Then over a month ago they advertised a Rapunzel tea.  I think I had to have been one of the first people to have bought a ticket.  Camryn's favorite is Rapunzel because she likes purple.  Camryn also has a Rapunzel dress so it seemed like a good way to get another wear out of last years Halloween costume. 

For $10 you get....
A picture with Rapunzel that they print out for you in the store
Lemonade and cookies
A story read by Rapunzel
A sing along with Rapunzel
A picture to color that Rapunzel will also autograph
and best of all the whole thing lasts about 30-45 minutes which is the perfect amount of time for these size kids.

The main thing to remember is that if you think you want to go to one of these teas you had better sign up because they sell out really fast.  Why not??  You can't beat all of that for $10! 

This is a really bad replica of the picture we got that day, but here is Rapunzel.  Rapunzel also had some tattoos on her wrist and ankle that she had covered with make-up.  Let that be a lesson to you kids.  Visible tattoos aren't a good choice not matter what your profession!!

I had a hard time getting pictures of her.  She is very anti-camera now.  If she sees me trying to get a picture she will move her head which means most of them are blurry.

Rapunzel sat with each table and talked to them for awhile.  I tried to stay in the background as much as possible so Camryn would associate with the other girls by herself.  Rapunzel asked Camryn her name and she must have answered because Rapunzel said a name back which was wrong and Camryn said "No, Camryn!" I was impressed Camryn responded.  Small steps, small steps.

Seeing all the purple decorations and all the cute little girls was so much fun.  The girl on the left side of this picture, wearing the Elsa blue dress, was so funny.  During the tea time they had random Disney songs playing.  That little girl belted out Let It Go when it came on.  She was also very dolled up.  She even had on the plastic Princess jewelry sets which included those uncomfotable clip-on plastic earrings.  She looked to funny wearing those giant things.  I heard her mom say she turned 3 that weekend. 

This was when Rapunzel sang to them.  Camryn loves music and is so attentive whenever she hears it.  Her gaze was so intense the entire time Rapunzel was singing. 

And then there is this picture.  Each table had a cup full of crayons that I did have to rescue from Camryn a few times.  Sharing is not in her vocabulary yet.  If she was my first kid I would be horrified.  Since she's my 2nd I'm not too concerend.  We will get there with sharing and pleases and thank you's.  They learn eventually.  Again, small steps, small steps.   But there were only two purple and 1 yellow crayons in our glass.  Pictures of Rapunzel pretty much only need purple and yellow.  Camryn wasn't too interested in sharing those crayons.  The other girls didn't even mind.  They looked to be a little younger than Camryn so they just scribbled with whatever color they could grab.  Camryn even went as far as to get up and stand with the three crayons so no one else could use them.  I showed Jay her Rapunzel picture when we got home and I was pretty impressed.  She didn't stay in the lines but she had yellow where the hair should be, purple where the dress was at and then green on her eyes.  I told Jay the other kids just had random scribbles - none were as close to right as Camryn's picture. Of course later I realized that they probably didn't look as good as Camryn's because the correct colors were being held hostage. 

All in all it was a great day.  I've needed to socialize Camryn a little more so I think these may be the perfect opportunities to start slowly working that in.  We are already signed up for a Cinderella one the last Saturday in March.