Still Kickin'

Above: Dressed for success! It is all about the outfit! Left: Sarah got to kick in the ball!

Below: "What are we supposed to be watching? When can we go back inside?" Aiden is not amused...

Last Wednesday Sarah had her first Soccer Game. It was interesting.... Ok, so when you have 30 4-6 year olds you have to expect some level of chaos. Basically the kids just tried to kick the ball. It did not matter in what direction the ball was kicked, only that contact was made.

Sarah was her usual timid self and hung out on the fringes of the excitement for the most part.

She did, however, get chosen to kick the ball in from out of bounds! That was pretty exciting! And quite possibly, the only time she was able to touch the ball. We will be playing every Monday and Wednesday night, so maybe she will get in the mix eventually. Right now I am just happy that she is out there running her little heart out and making new friends. (Two of which she has declared as her new boyfriends...uhg...)

Aiden on the other hand, was not interested in watching Big Sis at all - he was more interested in finding out why the "outside" is not air conditioned. He did pretty well for about 15 minutes and then he was done and needed a cold drink! Sounds a lot like Daddy...

Smiles

Well, it may have taken us seven weeks to see a smile out of Aiden, but it was well worth the wait! He has turned into a very happy baby, and quite the chatter box. Matthew says he must take after Sarah and I. We don't talk that much...do we?
I am trying not to take it personally that he smiled at the ceiling fan long before he smiled at me. I did, however, explain to him that it is not the ceiling fan that gets up with him at 2 a.m., and he needed to share the love. He is now very willing to share his smiles. With anyone, or anything!

Cold day at the pool

Beer break for Todd!
National kid throwing competition.
Sarah was so cold her lips were blue - but back in the water she went!

Break time - really it was time to warm up. Ok - so the icees did not help that.

Zoe refused to take off the goggles, even for an icee break!

Over the weekend we hung out at Todd and Tami's house and did some swimming with the kids. I should say, Matthew did some swimming with the kids - it was cold, you can't expect me to get in there! The kids did not care though, they were all about the water. Sarah even began jumping in by herself and shocked us all with her swimming abilities in the deep water.

By the time they came out of the water, they all had goose bumps the size of Volkswagons and were shivering uncontrolably, but it never phased them. They were ready for rund two after supper!

Hay Day

Sarah "helped" Daddy put up hay the other night in the big barn. She had more fun throwing the hay into the air then she did helping her father. I think she came in the house wearing more hay then she left in the barn.

And, yes, those of you who read my previous entries would note that Matthew still has a broken rib. Apparently nothing slows this man down! He did come in and take an asprin though...

Amaretto Slushies

1 (750ml) bottle amaretto
1 (12oz) can frozen raspberry lemonade, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1 (12oz) can frozen pineapple or orange juice, thawed
8 cups water
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime soda

Combine the amaretto, lemonade, sugar, pineapple juice and water in 2 freezer safe pitchers. Freeze for 24 hrs, stirring after 12 hrs. Remove from the freezer. Add the soda, stirring to a slushy consistency. Garnish with orange slices or cherries.

Yield: 25 servings

Shots!

Here I thought I was being quite efficient taking both children in for their Doctors appointments at the same time yesterday. Sarah needed a back to school physical and Aiden was due for his two month check up. Both visits required shots.
Sarah was very excited. You see, she wants (for the time being) to be a "baby doctor" and this would give her the prime opportunity to get an up close and personal view of the doctor in action with her baby brother.
She did VERY well with her exam. She sat still for the nurse to check her heart rate and blood pressure and was even friendly to Dr. Deumler as he checked her over. But the real test of true bravery for her were the shots! She needed two this time and received them both in her legs. She was outstanding - not even flinching or looking away. I, on the other hand, was about on the floor! No tears were shed and no complaining heard. Unbelievable.
Next was Aiden, who also did well at his exam, but the shots were heartbreaking. This is where Matthew comes in. I made him come with to hold Aiden down - I do not have it in me. Big sister, Sarah, who did not cry for her own shots, was in tears for her baby brother who received three agonizing shots in his legs.
All-in-all, we made it through the appointment unscathed. It was at home that it all turned into another story... Aiden slept soundly for the first two hours we were home. I thought we had clear sailing to head off to the pool with a sleeping baby and a bouncing four-year-old. I got Sarah and I into swim suits, towels gathered and pool bag packed. And then it hit.
Aiden woke with a startled shriek, which quickly turned into violent screams of pain. His little leg had swollen and become a lovely shade of crimson. Every time he moved it sent a jolt of pain through his small body. It was terrible. For two and a half hours he screamed uncontrollably, no matter what I did to try to console him. We tryed ice, warm baths, Tylenol - nothing worked. About 4:30 he finally slipped into an exhausted sleep. I could breathe.
In the meantime, Sarah, who was now sadly disappointed that we were not going to the pool, also began to feel sore in her injection sites. She began limping around the house and whimpering. I would pick her up when I could, but with Aiden screaming at the same time, it was hard to give her her due sympathy as well.
By 5:00 the Tylenol had kicked in for both children - just in time for Matthew to come home from work. I have to wonder if he thinks I make these things up. He came home to a perfectly happy daughter and a sleeping son. (Oh yea, and an exhausted wife.) He and Sarah headed out to the barn and Aiden and I took a bath.