Are We Ready For School?

Addisan looks forward to going to school each week.  This year, she is in the two and half year old classroom.  Last year, there were two teachers for the five kids.  Now that she is older, there are two teachers for a classroom of ten kiddos.  I love the ratio! 

It is amazing how her language and vocabulary has exploded over the past few weeks.  She told me the other day, “Mama, autumn is too windy.  I am ready for summer to come back.”  It never ceases to amaze me how she takes in the world around her, even when I am not watching.  I know with school back in session, my little girl won’t be so little by the end of the school year….but rather a young lady.  Time is flying by with kids.  Good thing Campbell is still little.  Below are some pictures of our first day of school.

 

It's that time of year again....Apple Donuts!

Aunt Lora and I took the girls apple picking up at Carter's Mountain on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was magnificent! It was a little warmer than I expected and I got a good work out pushing Campbell in the stroller. I should have brought the jogging stroller! We picked six scrumptious apples, had a picnic, ate ice cream, and brought some apple donuts home with us. The baker was not working the day we were there. When the baker is not working, the donuts are prepackaged. DON'T BOTHER GETTING THEM! They are not nearly as good as getting them fresh. I was so disappointed! But seeing Addisan loving the day there was worth it!! Below are some more pictures of our day trip. I am hoping to add some more from Aunt Lora. She took such awesome ones!

Campbell loved being out of the stroller and crawling around the pumpkins.

These are the cutest apple worms ever!

Addisan loved helping Campbell with reaching her pumpkins.

A priceless moment!

Yum!

She would pull with all she had to get those apples down!

Campbell watching her big sister pick apples.

What a great view from up on top of the orchard!

Snapshots of Summer

I took the girls to the Virginia Safari by Natural Bridge to see all the animals. It was a blast. We went with Samantha, Kris....and of course Campbell.

Addisan went to camp at Romp and Roll this summer and loved it. Campbell loved it too because she got to enjoy Open Gym hours in the evenings.

Lots and lots of laughter and giggles when daddy was home!

Campbell is not enjoying that neglecto-saucer quite as much since she started crawling.

Addisan loves her tu-tus and dance class that she started this summer at The Little Gym.

They started taking baths together this summer and LOVE it! There are no toys in the tub and they just make each other laugh splashing and playing Peek-a-boo.

One Saturday when Tommy had to work, I took the girls to Culpeper to visit Baby (this is what Addisan calls my mom) and have tea with her and Cousin Samantha at my favorite tea house. We all had such a good time.

With Tommy being gone during the week, it was too hard to take both kids to the pool by myself. So we got a kiddie pool for those warm summer days.

Addisan dressed up as a cowgirl for the Charter Colony parade for her American Hero. She loved being with all of her friends in the parade.

We took some trips to the zoo and had such a blast. I ended up getting a season pass and hope to go again in the fall before it gets too cold.

Addisan loved the new addition to the front porch...the sand table.

We played LOTS of dress up!

With Tommy working back up in Northern Virginia, leaves me very little time to sit down on my computer and blog these days. Plus, I taught preschool for the county this past summer as well which made time even more limited. I have to say though, I loved returning to teaching even for that short bit and found preschool to be right up my ally! I hated leaving my girls for those five weeks, but it was nice to help with additional income while doing something I loved.

So here are some snapshots of our summer. I tried to plan extra special somethings since I was gone AND Tommy. Tommy leaves for work before the girls wake up on Monday morning and returns after they are in bed on Friday nights. Then, he even has to work some Saturdays. We are all getting into a better groove with this new arrangement, but it sure is difficult. I try to count my blessings and remind myself he now has a job and to be grateful for that. We are hoping for the next job to be with us:)

This was NO Beach Trip!

Boy...I am so overdue with my blog entries!!! I am going to start with the present with our eventful weekend and work backwards:)



Well....we went on a four night, five day stay at Chippenham Hospital. This was unexpected and totally out of the blue. It all started last Wednesday when Addisan developed a tickle in her throat. I contributed it to allergies since our windows were open and seasonal allergies are not unusual for her. This continued until Friday afternoon. My happy girl was not singing, dancing. wearing her tu-tus, and enjoying her favorite lunch (pizza) with two of her favorite people...Justin and Lexi from next door. Then when she fell asleep two hours earlier than her regular nap time, I knew something was up. I confirmed my hunch when she threw up. I was thinking that it might be the flu. I decided to let her continue with her nap and reassess when she woke up. When she got up, you could see her chest cave in severely when she breathed. I thought we had another case of RSV, but I was sadly mistaken.

When we got to the pediatrician's office, we only had half an hour to spare before it closed. She was talking the doctor's and nurse's ears off. You could not tell she was sick. The nap totally rejuvenated her. To make a long story short, they tested her for strep and it was positive. Then they proceeded to test her oxygen levels and they were really....REALLY low....toxic low. Her readings were in the low 80s (as oppose to the norm being 95 or higher) and both the nurse and the doctor kept on retesting her because the levels did not match her energy and enthusiasm. They decided to send us to the pediatric ER at Chippenham for x-rays and further evaluation.

Before I went to the ER, I dropped Campbell off with Popeye and picked up Ju-Ju to go with us. I was so impressed with the ER! We were diagnosed with pneumonia, had x-rays, and two breathing treatments within the first hour of our arrival. Up home, we never could have received such rapid care. By 11:00 that night we were in her hospital room where we would be spending the next couple of nights. We had such awesome doctors and nurses. Addisan was a trooper and took her meds and IVs with ease. The only thing she truly hated was the oxygen in her nose. One night, it took me, Tommy, and two nurses to hold her down to tape it on her cheeks in order for her to keep it on. This girl's threshold for pain never ceases to surprise me. She is such a tough cookie!

Addisan Saturday morning (her first morning). She was so unresponsive and in a daze. You would ask her a question and she would just look at you and not answer. Even when her friends brought in donuts and gifts, she showed no interest in them. She was so pathetic.

This is an outfit that Aunt Boop brought Addisan in the hospital. Between her new threads and a bath, she was starting to come alive again by late Saturday afternoon.

Aunt Lora and Uncle Carl came to visit. Addisan had to wear a mask while in the hall. She asked Lora to wear a mask too, which it made it less scary for her to have a mask on. Tommy got the job of walking her with the IV cart.

Addisan insisted on bringing her purse with her to go see the fish in the hall.

Addisan catching up on some sleep Sunday morning. We had a rough night the night before getting her to keep her oxygen in her nose.

Addisan and Daddy playing Backyardigans.

Addisan LOVED playing in the playroom next door to her hospital room. They had movies, blocks, dollhouses...EVERYTHING!

Addisan loved this little car. We would go up and down the hallway each day.

Ju-Ju and Addisan enjoying some time together.

We are now home and have already had our follow-up with our pediatrician. She is doing so much better and can resume normal activity. We are now trying to get our little princess back to reality where she can no longer watch TV until she goes to bed and she cannot get what she wants when she wants it like in the hospital. We want to thank everyone again for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

Beach Fun

We went down to Corolla for a week and had a wonderful time. We went before school was out and it was perfect! There was NO traffic and the weather was awesome....not too hot and not too cool. The water was a little chilly in the beginning of the week, but quickly warmed up. Mike and Nicole and their family went as well as my parents. And of course, we couldn't leave our four legged children at home, so they joined us at the beach. Below are pictures of our week. We hated leaving and getting back to reality.

The whole gang grabbing a bite to eat one afternoon.

We found the BEST soft serve ice cream down in Whalehead! Here is Gavin trying to win Addisan's heart though ice cream....I think it worked!

My parents offered to watch the two youngest kids for us while we took just Addisan and Gavin out to dinner. We all forgot what it was like to just have one kid to worry about at dinner...it was so nice!

Addisan eating her snack at the beach in style.

Addisan informed me while we were walking to the beach that she had to go to the bathroom. This is the first accident she has had since being potty trained in a month.

I think we could have lived at the beach all summer!

Gavin and Addisan loved reading books in bed together each night before they went to bed.

Nicole reading to the kids in Gavin's room.

Pop-Pop, Baby, and the girls on the front porch of our beach house. Addisan was in such an awful mood that night (yes....my little princess was so moody). There was not one picture of her smiling in any of these from that night.

Pop-Pop and Campbell together. Campbell is ALWAYS happy (as long as she is not hungry that is). Her first tooth cut the surface while we were at the beach.

Baby trying to console Addisan.

Campbell getting some tummy time in on Daddy.

The Currituck Lighthouse.

Addisan looking at the top of the lighthouse.

Addisan pointing up at the Harrisons at the top of the lighthouse.

Campbell getting ready to eat.

Campbell eating yet again. She loves her food!

First Love!

Getting ready to the leave for the beach. Addisan refuses to look at the camera most days...I think it is a control thing! It is so frustrating!

I just love this picture of Gavin!

Mike playing Mr. Mom with Addisan and Gavin. I think he was just in it for the Play-Dough.

Nicole and her two little men.

Daddy playing dress up with Campbell.

The girls getting ready for another fun day at the beach.

Dad just taking everything in while we chase the little ones.