The non-adventures of me in CA

A few weeks ago, Janie and I ditched the boys at home and took a well deserved vacay back to the Bay Area to stay with my awesome sis Bek in her awesome house and play with her awesome kids. Bek had put me up for multiple summers both when I was a penniless college student looking for a sweet summer job and for six months as a homeless army wife. She even took me in with Husband and Baby #1 in tow while J ran a business out there for a summer. So, Bek's house always feels like home to me. Except it's a home where no kids are hollering at me and where I can sleep in and have no other demands on my time or emotions. We took naps and did nothing touristy, but all those oridinary things that seem so much more special when you are not hauling three kids around. You know, like when you lose weight and all those clothes you can fit into again feel like new? It was like that and it was great. We ate at Boston Market every day and visited Naartjie and Trader Joe's and the Cheesecake Factory and the best Goodwill ever. If you ever want good food, good rest, good conversation and good shopping, go stay at Bek's! Tell her I sent you... :-)

Cubby, Janie and Bek - Janie was fussy this morning but would calm down for Cubby. He asked me if I could leave her there.

The two big kids were gone the first two days I was there, so I got to play with Nono (Thomas' age) and hear her chatter and sing and I also got to see little G make the greatest faces

She is a mini Lulu, and so happy...

This looks like a grumpy face, but she was being silly

She spent at least an hour playing with her reflection

and the next hour patting the baby and saying "bababa." While we were there, she also picked up the sign for baby as well.

Then she got tired...

Bek also used her far superior camera and skills to take some pictures of J-Lo

Look at that scowl and those eyebrows. Is this J's kid or what?!

She has Alfred Hitchcock cheeks and you just can't keep from kissing and smooshing them (I bet Alfred Hitchcock had the same effect on people!)

On the way home on the plane, it was open seating and it was obvious that no one wanted to sit next to a baby, so we got an empty seat next to us on both flights. Janie didn't make a peep. This kid is already paying for herself!

Poor Janie...

...Losing her girlish figure!

This is post bathtime and her hair always stands straight up after it dries for about 24 hours. She looks like Vanilla Ice.

Cascade Springs

A month or so ago, we visited Cascade Springs with the kids. It has been years since I was there and I was a little suprised to find that my memories of it were a little different. It was still beautiful though and it was a warm enough day that I was tempted to stick my toes in! Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Brad were going to come along, but were derailed by the flu :-(

Jen and Co. on the bridge ( I need a better camera!)

Aunt Jen pointing out the finer sights of the boardwalk.

Sis gets a ride

This tree gnome was so cute, we took him home and named him Sam!

Exploring the trail (Sam enthusiastically, Thomas reluctantly)

Water Skeeters!

Stranded!

Cool Rocks!

Heading Home...

Catching up - Grandpa's Birthday Cookout

I am so far behind on my updating, but these pictures have been sitting in my camera, so...

We celebrated Grandpa K's birthday at a cook out in Provo canyon. I couldn't remember his actual age when the boys asked, so I just told them he was 100.

This ain't your average redneck cookout with something as plebeian as hot dogs! No way, we roasted redwine and gouda (or something) flavored bratwursts.

While the grown-ups ate and ate and ate...

The kids enjoyed themselves digging for treasure in the nearby volleyball sand pit. There was much throwing of sand and tattling (the former by thomas and birdie and the latter by Sam and EJ).

This is what Janie was doing when no one was holding her (poor girl - this was actually the day before her hospital stay).

Chilling with "Unca" Brad.

and Poppa!

Thomas wasn't impressed with his s'more. I am in the process of making sure he is really my kid!

At the end of the evening, goody bags were handed out (courtesy of Sam's insistance that goody bags are the best part of a birthday party).

To top the evening off, we had a little silliness....

...courtesy of Poppa!

Happy Birthday Grandpa/Dad!!

Super Effective Parenting

What I found myself saying in response to Thomas' repeated acrobatic gyrations during family prayer tonight:

"Darn it Thomas!! Be reverent or you are going to get a bum spank!!!!"

Something feels wrong with that statement :-)

Some coincidence...

I'm a big believer in the idea that often used adages are based on real truth, particularly the one that says "It never rains, but it pours" and the one that says "beware the 19th of July because you might end up in the hospital with your third born on the fifth anniversary of the hellish hospital experience with your first born's broken arm" (if that isn't actually an oft used adage then I'm making it one! Spread the word people - and anyone who is curious about this "anniversary" and doesn't know what I am talking about, remind me to tell you sometime...)

Long story short, Janie developed a fever this weekend and was admitted for a few days. It looks like a unrinary tract infection and a virus. Test results tomorrow will let us know what further tests/treatment need to be done since UTI's are not common for this age. Hopefully it is on the less bad end of what the possibilities are.

In the meantime, a few far away friends and family have requested new pictures. Now, she isn't in pink, which goes against everything that feels right at the moment and there is no bow in her hair which I almost can't stand. Bear with me because you may not recognize her...

This is how she tries to keep her pacifier in.

Just chillin' and being calmer, quieter (and prettier) than all the babies in all the other rooms.

Being a very good sport (first recorded smile)

Back to poker face (with chimpanzee hair! She just had a bath)

Big brothers came to have dinner and visit. After I took this picture I told Sam to make a handsome face instead...

...So Thomas made it for him (I gave up on a good picture)

2 days in the hospital is plenty. We're bored!

She is responding to the medication well and now we are just waiting on test results before they will discharge her. Big shout out to Grandma Jane and Aunt Jen who wrangled the boys on short notice for us and for all the wonderful friends and family who have checked in and offered support and meals and love. We know lots of amazing people (you know who you are...).

***UPDATE***

Good news and bad news! Our Janie tricked the doctors with her initial culture and she does not have a UTI, just the paraflu. This is great because the presence of a UTI potentially signalled a lot of other potential problems. The bad news is that I traded spots with J for overnight duty the second night so I could go home and get some sleep and ended up awake all night long anyway with a puking Thomas. Dirty trick...

This is where Thomas keeps his toy parrot...

Why? Where do you keep yours?

*I had to bribe T with a piece of gum to let me take this picture. He always gets embarrassed when we notice that he has done this (and he frequently stashes it there...)