Keeping It Going....

Byron's Grandfather passed away in January.  He was 96 years old.  The changes that man experienced in his life are things I can't even begin to imagine.  We had the funeral and entombment and after the services the entire family went back to his house; the house he and his wife built 54 years ago by themselves, to eat and to share in each others company.  There were stories about Grandpa and Granny (who passed away in January 2002) and how they owned a hardware store, how Grandpa was a private eye for the federal government, about his life flying in WWII and what he must have seen and done then.  We began looking around the house at all of their collectables and how their house has never changed, how the figurines are in the same spot they have been in all their (the children and grandchildren's) lives....

Then I looked over at the Grandfather Clock.  I have been to Granny and Grandpa's house numerous times in the 12 years that Byron and I have been together and the constant in that home whenever I was there was the Westminster Abby chime on that Grandfather Clock.  Let me give you a little background on the clock.   That clock was dedicated by the 3 kids (Jack, Mimi and Bob) to honor Granny and Grandpa on their 40th wedding anniversary.  Granny and Grandpa were married on December 25, 1940.  The clock was dedicated to them on December 25, 1980, 9 months to the day that Byron was born.

I made a comment about how the clock was stopped and on the wrong time.  Byron's dad made a comment about how we should get it going again.  There were several family members sitting in the living room and nobody said a word, so I told Byron's dad "show me how to get it running Dad".  He explained in an edited version how the clock worked, how the phases of the moon part worked, and how to correctly wind the clock to get it working.  So he and I stood there and wound the clock so that it was chiming on the correct time.

As morbid as it is, the list came around a few weeks later of things in Granny and Grandpa's house that we would want.  I immediately signed up for the Grandfather Clock.  I am happy to say that the family agreed that the clock should stay with the Pletcher name, so we got the clock.  Byron brought the clock home, cleaned it, tuned it up, leveled it and set it.  The clock has been chiming the Westminster Abby Chime for the last month in our house, and will continue to chime for the rest of our lives and hopefully beyond.  I walk by the clock everyday and it makes me so happy to have it in our home.  To know that Carter is going to carry on the Pletcher namesake and to have the clock here, it represents Granny and Grandpa, and all of their hard work and love.  Every Saturday the family gathers around the clock and we wind it for the week.

You can't read the plaque all that well, but it says,
40th Wedding Anniversary
December 25, 1940-1980
John and Millicent Pletcher

So Over It....UPDATE

Now I am REALLY over it!  Yesterday my son refused to eat or drink anything and I mean ANYTHING.  I tried the Popsicle, I tried the ice cream, I tried small amounts of fluid in a syringe, nothing worked.  By 3pm he hadn't had a wet diaper and was miserable.  So I called the Dr, and they said they should probably see him.  The appt was at 5, and I couldn't stand to be in the house with both of them any longer, so I loaded them in the car and took off driving in hopes that it would put them to sleep - 40 minutes later I was pulling into the driveway with them both awake and annoyed that they had been in the car for so long.  Carter seemed to have perked up, but was still coughing and refusing to drink.  We went to the Dr and he checked out C's ears - they didn't look all that bad, his concern; C has phenomena in both lungs.  I almost burst into tears.  I was just at Children's 24 hours before and they said his lungs were clear!  Thankfully, he is on the amoxicillan and that is what they would have given him for the phenomena anyway.  We just need to be extra vigilant in watching his breathing, and to get as much liquid in him as possible.

So last night I was freaking out about not being able to hear him breathe...I slept with his baby monitor turned all the way up against my ear, needless to say I didn't get much sleep last night!  Thankfully Byron was able to take today off with me so I don't have both kids alone again today....

I am so over cold and flu season!

So Over It.....

I am soooo over cold and flu season....it seems like from December to April our kids rotate on who is sick and what funky illness they get....I realize that this is what every parent goes through and that once you put your kids in day care or preschool it is building their immune system, blah blah blah....I'M OVER IT!  My house looks like a tornado came through it, the kids don't sleep at night, therefore we don't sleep at night, B and I hardly see each  other because we each have our own "sicky" to deal with...and by the time we see each other at night, we assume the other has the coodies from their sicky so there is NO WAY we are kissing or hugging at night!

This past weekend was no exception with our children catching the next round of illness.  Saturday was BEAUTIFUL - the high was 81!  I had visions of us going to the zoo, having a picnic, playing outside after nap time....not one of those things happened....Carter woke up in a mood and could not be consoled, no matter what we did...Haylee was mopey all day...so we ended up deciding to go for a bike ride to the park by our house.  That is another disastrous story that may or may not be told.  Anyway, Saturday did not turn out how I had envisioned.  We put the kids to bed early and when they woke up on Sunday, Haylee had a fever of 102 along with rashy splotches all over her body.  Carter woke up with the same crankiness and a fever.  I took H to Children's where they diagnosed her with Strep (WHA?!  Serious - where did she get that from?!)  I made it home, fed the kids, put them down for nap.  When they woke, Carter had a fever of 102, and was inconsolable.  Back to Children's I went!  This time I was leaving with a prescription for Amoxicillin for an ear infection!  Again - where did he get that from?!

So, to keep the children calm and to infect as little as possible, we decided to do crafts both yesterday and today...enjoy the pics of the sickies!

They don't look all that sick - but man, the nasties have invaded their little bodies...they are being troopers though.  I am hoping to take a walk with them today to get them out of the house and get a little fresh air - waiting for the snow to melt though!  Trying to keep them away from each other and not share their illnesses is not the easiest thing to do!  Did I mention how over cold and flu season I am?!