Just some pics

I Wanna Go!!

Those were my exact words when Carey told me that the scouts would be taking a tour of the NBC5 news studio. This is the news channel that I grew up watching ... Harold Taft showing us the weather and Santa coming into Fort Worth on the radar on Christmas Eve. There was also the Children's Hour on Sunday morning with the guy who would read the comics from the Star Telegram. Who could forget the advertising campaign in the early 90's of "Let's JAM" with Jane and Mike on the evening news. I am such a huge fan! I just had to go! So, it was a family outing for us.

The scouts doing their salute. Little Miss right there behind Riley doing her salute.

Riley and his buddy, Joseph, in the news room. I would like to say that they were listening intently to our tour guide, but there were about 20 TVs in this room, so I do believe that they were just watching TV.

In the studio behind the news anchor desk. The scouts were instructed not to touch the desk, because little fingerprints show up in HD. I am sure the temptation was just overwhelming. I was a bit busy at this point trying to keep Victoria from climbing and crawling all over the studio set.

I do believe this was the best part by far ... in front of the green screen with the 5-day forecast and being able to see themselves on TV. Very cool. They couldn't contain themselves.

Riley had a good time, but Carey and I by far had the best time. It was really kinda neat to see how they do everything. All the cameras are controlled by computers, so there aren't cameramen anymore. The studio just has the anchors and one other person to give them there prompts. Most of the work is done in a room with many monitors and computers and chairs and wires and switches and glass walls. We were there around 7PM and the place was just about empty. That surprised me. I thought they would all be running about getting news stories and preparing for the 10PM news. Nope. Almost all of them went home except for about 5 people in the news room that were leisurely working, eating dinner, talking on the phones. Alot more laid back than I pictured.

Riley's most favorite part was the goody bag he got when the tour was over. There was a plastic slinky in it with NBC5 printed on it. He was in heaven. He said it is his most favorite toy ever and that was the best night ever.

The slinky has since disappeared and been long forgotten.

Pictures pictures pictures!!!

We got these done at the Target Portrait Studio in Hulen. This is our 3rd time to go there and I am always so pleased with the pictures. Plus, with the coupon, it is only $4 a sheet. Such a deal! The photographer did such a good job just capturing them being themselves.

Here they are - Riley age 6 and Victoria age 2:

Ballerina and Swine Flu

Wow ... what a week we had last week. By the time we got to the end of it I was spent. Carey was out of town in Wyoming (so jealous) for a couple of days and then spent almost every other waking moment working on the deck (the project that just keeps going and going and going and never seems to end) and helping me get the house ready for my Pampered Chef party on Thursday night.

Amidst all this work that Carey and I tackled this past week, we definitely had one high point and one low point of the week:

Ballerina

This was no doubt the high point of the week. Victoria was invited by one of her little friends to Bring a Friend Week at a dance studio here in Saginaw. So, we of course got all the necessities to attend the class ... pink leotard, pink tights and pink ballet shoes. He he he. This just makes me so giddy. I mentioned in my last post that Carey has been looking forward to Scouts for Riley since birth. Well, I distinctly remember getting all excited about dance class for Victoria once all the medication wore off after her birth.


And can I tell you it was the most precious thing ever!! I was prepared for the worst ... ya know, tears, screaming, begging, pleading ... for both her and I, but she did fantastic! Her little friend grabbed her hand and they walked together down the hall into the studio. She did most of the moves and participated as well as you could expect a 2 year old with a short attention span to participate. The cutest was when they were doing Chasse' across the floor. Victoria was last in line and by the time it was her turn, she was so excited to go to the other side of the room, that she just ran! It was hilarious!! Seeing her in her little pinkness, chubby toddler body running so excitedly across the floor ... I loved it! As the lesson went on, she was getting a little restless and I saw her running around the teacher a couple of times, but all in all she did so well. The jury is still out on whether we will put her in lessons this Spring or wait until next fall. We'll see. My vote is now, but the checkbook doesn't agree as of yet.

Swine Flu

And this was no doubt the low point of the week. Riley's school called Thursday afternoon saying that he had a fever of 101. So, I went to get him, gave him some advil and he rested for about ... an hour. Then he was bored and wanted to play. He had been having a cough on and off all week, so I was thinking that he probably had a sinus infection. The plan was to see how he did that night and take him to the doc in the morning. Well, somewhere around 8PM, he came downstairs during the Pampered Chef party, and seriously people, he looked terrible. His eyes looked awful. That night he ran a temp of about 103 - 104. He was sooooo sick.

That next morning we went to the doctor and as soon as he walked in the room and looked at Riley, he told me it was the flu ... the swine flu. Well, I just about fainted. Pretty sure you could have knocked me over with a feather. He did the test and sure enough he was right. He spent about 10 minutes with me explaining that it wasn't gonna be as bad as I thought it was. He even said that the seasonal flu is much worse. He hadn't had any of his patients hospitalized and most were fine to go back to school in 4 -5 days. By the time we left, I felt a little better. I really trust my doctor. He was my pediatrician growing up. He is smart and a good man.

So, we got the tamiflu prescription filled (which is not covered by insurance, urgh) and within about 12 hours of his first dose, his fever was down and within 24 hours he was fever free. Yay!! We are on day 4 and he is fine. He still has a cough, but no fever for 48 hours now. Phew! So glad it wasn't as bad as they were thinking it would be. The incubation period is 1-4 days and so far only Victoria has had any symptoms. Hers are very mild (cold and fever of 100) and we have a script for tamiflu at CVS that we are gonna start her on today.

Another side effect of the swine flu is that it is driving us stir crazy. The kids have not been out of this house for 3 days now. I ventured out yesterday for about an hour to run a few errands. That wasn't enough. Needless to say, I am looking forward to going to the cleaners, blockbuster and CVS today. I got all dressed up for it and everything.

Scouts

Riley started cub scouts this week. Yay! I do believe that Carey has been waiting for this since the doctor exclaimed "It's a boy!" in the operating room 6 1/2 years ago. This should be right up his alley. I think that Riley is really going to like it ... and Carey too. He is going to serve as a den leader since there are so many boys signed up. However, Victoria was not too happy about Riley getting to go to scouts ...

Victoria: "Where going, Riley?"
Riley: "I am going to boy scouts."
Victoria: "Me too!"
Mommy: "You have to be a boy to go to boy scouts. That is why Daddy is going too. The girls, you and me, will stay here."
Victoria: "I wanna be boy! Boy, boy, boy, boy!!" At this point she is jumping up and down.

The "I wanna be boy" went on until the boys left ... and then some. Mommy fixed it with some Dora and a snack of some sort (probably chocolate).


Now that we have added scouts to our calendar, our plate is officially full. Sunday night is Awanas, Wednesday night is Children's and Adult Choir and now Thursday night is cub scouts. There is no room for anything else. Amidst all this activity there is also dinner to be made and eaten, homework to be done, bikes to be ridden, a backyard to be played in, baths to be taken, books to be read, toys to be played with, and a faith to be taught and encouraged. So no more activities on school nights. We have plenty to do. That's enough. No more.

Well, until dance lessons for Miss Victoria next fall
... or maybe even sooner :)!!!!!

Good-bye Training Wheels

Well after about a month or so of practicing and encouraging, Riley can ride his bike without training wheels!! YAY! We are SO proud of him. He wanted to give up most of the time. I am so glad Riley has a Daddy that did not give in to his pleas to quit (his Momma probably would have caved). I am also SO VERY glad that he has a Daddy that did not mind running next to him as he rode past the house about a dozen times or so. Momma would definitely have not been up for that.

First Day of First Grade

**Updated** (I forgot about the All About Me bag)


Riley was just so excited about his first day of first grade. I on the other hand, was a basket-case. I was SO nervous for him. He was good until we got to his room. Then he started to get nervous too. We waited in the hall until about 8AM. I guess this is how they do the first day?? We were late last year (got there around 8:05) and they were already in the room and doing the pledge on the loud speaker.

Anyway, he didn't know any of the kids sitting down in the hall, so he just stood there and was doing a little nervous fidgety thing with his hands. I held back my tears and the quiver in my voice and started to talk to him about his new classroom and how the teacher decorated it like a jungle and so on. That helped. Then, his friend walked up ... Yay!! I could just tell by his body language that he felt better.

So, after like FOREVER, they went into the classroom to find their desk. Well, at meet the teacher, Riley picked out what desk he would sit at. For some reason (and I am sure it is a good one) the teacher decided to move some of the kids around. Riley was looking for his desk, found it and then the pouty lip started. Victoria and I rushed over to him before any tears started. I then tried my best to cheer him up. It worked. He was sitting and ready to color within seconds. Phew. Averted a meltdown on the first day.

So, Victoria and I said our good-byes. She was VERY upset that she was not going to the first grade with Riley. She wants to go to school so bad. She would probably do really well in a preschool, but Momma wouldn't yet. So, maybe next year (if funds allow). She didn't want to leave and was just a milla-second away from a screaming crying fit. I then told her I had a surprise toy in the car for her and asked her if she wanted to go play with it (thank you Gigi!!). She whispered yes and we were out the door.

I wanted to burst into tears all the way out the door and in the car, but I held them off. Big mistake ... had a headache the rest of the day. Next time, I will just let the tears fly.

We made our way home and started our day together. I kept very busy so I wouldn't think about how much I missed Riley. Victoria missed him too. She asked me 4 or 5 times where Riley was. She even brought me a shirt to wear. "Air dis shirt. Go in car. Riley." Which means "I want to wear this shirt to go in the car to get Riley right now." This was at 11:30. My family was so great yesterday. My mom called me twice, my dad once and my sister-in-law once to all check on me. They new it was gonna be hard for me.

So 3:00 finally came and we were there ready to see Riley. He ran up to us and was just so happy ... all smiles. These are some of the things he had to say about his first day ...

"It was SOOOO fun."
"The time ran out and I didn't eat all my lunch."
"It is just like kindergarten, but there are no centers."
"I got a star today. You knew I would, right?"
"Lunch is a yellow, so we whisper."
"If I get stars all week, I get a prize out of the zebra box. It doesn't have a head. It just has zebra stripes on it."
"There is a new climbing wall in PE. You sign a note so I can do it."
"We have PE everyday."

That is all we got out of him. That is pretty good for Riley. I usually pull info out of him and get alot less than this. We got all this over the course of the evening. So it seems to me he really enjoyed himself. He didn't get to do his presentation of his "All About Me" bag. They were supposed to bring five things from home that describe them. This is what he brought:

1. Blue goggles - because his favorite color is blue and he likes to swim
2. A lizard - because he likes lizards
3. A picture of cinnamon rolls - his most favorite food (who could blame him)
4. His Bible - because he likes to go to church (can I say how much I love this!!)
5. The case to his Indiana Jones Lego Wii game - because he likes to play Wii and Legos

We probably spent an hour and a half working on his homework. Yep ... first day of first grade and we had homework. There is a class notebook that goes home with each child and we were the first to get it. Riley answered about 20 questions about himself and then made a page all about himself. It took a while for him to write all his answers to the questions. Especially since he had to write it so that others could actually read it. We were a bit out of practice on our writing. Ooops.

He was totally exhausted by the end of the day. Put him to bed around 8:30 and did not hear a peep out of him ... that usually doesn't happen.

He informed me this morning before we left for his second day, that he didn't need me to walk him into the school. He knew where to go. I love that he is starting to have more confidence and independence.

But I still miss him and want to know all that he is doing. I will just trust that the Lord has him safe in his hand.