Throw Pillows

I love a good deal. I practically have a heart attack when I have to pay full price for anything. Therefore, anything handed down to me is generally appreciated and loved as if it were my own. In our entire 8+ years of marriage Chad and I have only had to buy a few items of furniture due to the generosity of different members of our family. Recently we purchased a leather couch and chairs set that we both (for once) agreed on at Sam's Club. They reside in our front "sitting room". So that relegated the most recent of our heirloom acquisitions to the family room. We have gone through several sets of couches, never worn out, just newer and different. Last year when we listed our house we traded our sectional with my sister, Jennifer, for a set of couches she had been using that originally belonged to my parents...and heck, the sectional originally belonged to Jennifer anyway!

So we went from tobacco colored sectional to tobacco colored couch and loveseat. Our family room has been looking a little blah and needed some spicing up. I went on a hunt for throw pillows that had several colors in them. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything that caught my eye, and I don't own a sewing machine (and I am a little afraid of them anyway) so I couldn't make my own.

Enter my fabulous mother. On my recent trip to TN for Spring Break we tootled down to Fayetteville for the afternoon to the most AMAZING fabric outlet. I immediately found fabric that I loved...and we spent another three hours looking at everything else in the store. I got a fabulous deal on the fabric, just $3.99 a yard for decorator good quality stuff. I also got trim and pillow forms. Mom and I then set to work to make our ideas come to life.

The days passed too quickly, so I ended up having to leave the unfinished pillows in TN, and my mama finished putting them together and shipped them to me. Then I stuffed the pillow forms in them and closed them up. I love how they turned out! Big shout out to Mom for putting in so much time on another one of my crazy projects. Someday I will learn to sew and own a machine...I promise!

Memories...

This is Woody. He and Blake used to be inseparable. I bought him at the Disney Store along with a Buzz Lightyear for Blake when he was about 18 months old. He insisted on dragging Woody wherever he went for many months.

Whenever he would say "Mommy?" I would say "Whatty?" and then he would say in his best serious toddler voice, "No, Woody's taking a nap!".

I found poor Woody last night while I was sorting through the kids toys. Woody has been through a lot. He's lost the hat that used to be sewn on, got multiple scuffs and "bruises", and been separated from Buzz at the bottom of a completely different toy box for who knows how long. I showed him to Blake, who just kind of glanced his way and shrugged.

After I tucked the kids in for the night I came downstairs and spotted Woody laying discarded by the couch. I picked him up and gave him a quick hug. As if by some small way I could, just for a second, hug the chubby little boy who used to insist that he wear a seatbelt in the car.

Kade's Ears

Yes folks, poor little Kade has finally had to get tubes put into his ears. The past year and a half has been riddled with trips to the doctor for ear infections, staph infections, RSV, and more ear infections. Sprinkle in many hundreds of dollars worth of allergy and dermatology appointments for Blake and we could single handedly make a big dent in wiping out the national deficit. Just kidding...but it sure feels like it!

This morning I woke before the roosters to get Kade to the hospital for his Myringotomy (ear tube) surgery. He was a little trooper, but was irritated with me for not bringing him any "num" (his word for food), or "wawer" (his word for anything liquid). I was very impressed with the staff and surgical dept. of St. Luke's hospital. Having worked in a hospital environment I find myself on the lookout for things I wouldn't normally notice, and I am happy to report that I found nothing that bothered me there. If anything, I could complain that I was only able to read about five pages of my book after they took him back and they were already out to tell me they were done!

Kade was especially impressed with this machine that they had borrowed from the pediatrics department for the day. It had a clear plastic tube with water in it. Bubbles would shoot up from the bottom, making little balls and beads rise to the top, only to fall back down. There was a little box with red, green, yellow, and blue lights on it. When he pushed the light a light in the tube would turn that color...it was pretty cool. It also projected images on the wall that spun around.

Before they took him back they gave him some medicine to mellow him out, after it took effect he just laid on the stretcher playing with my iTouch. After the surgery was all over, I carried him to the car (he was awake when they took me back to get him) and the nurse carried my bag. When she asked him if he was ready to go home he said no, which she thought was funny. When I got him home I opened the door of the car to get him out and he lifted his head (he'd fallen asleep again on the way home) and said "Daddyn?" (his word for Dad), then went right back to sleep.

My Relief Society president called when I got home and told me she was on her way over so I could take a nap. I just love her! I didn't think I would be able to go to sleep but I did for about an hour. When I came downstairs Chad had come home and sent her home. Apparently she had brought Kade upstairs at 12 (his normal naptime) and when she put him in his crib he cried and banged his head on the side, so she took him back downstairs. I can't believe I slept through all that! I am so grateful for her and for medical insurance...two things I couldn't have lived without today!

Trevorisms

This morning Trevor and Kade and I went on a long walk. Normally I try to avoid taking them on a 3+ mile walk but I wanted to get it over with before it got too warm. As we were nearing the end of our walk, Trevor (who pretty much can fill up any silence with useless rambling) began to ask about whose birthday was next in the family. We discussed this for a few minutes and then I mentioned that Father's Day is coming up in a few months. He immediately said, "Ooh! I know what we can get for Grandpa Mike. He collects needles cause he likes to give himself shots!"

Now, Dad, if you are reading this, don't be surprised if you get some Diabetic supplies for Father's Day!

I hesitate to mention this next story, but it gave me a good laugh so I have to put it in.

A few weeks ago the younger boys and I were at Sam's Club printing some pictures. I told Trevor I would buy him lunch since it would take an hour. As we were sitting at the table in the cafe part of Sam's, I decided to take a moment to work on his readiness for kindergarten.

Me: "What's your middle name Trev?"
Trevor: "Uhhh, McGhie?"
Me: "No, that is your last name. What is your middle name?"
Trevor: Blink...blink.
Me: "Come on, you know this. What do I call you when you are in trouble?"
Trevor: "Jerk?"

Just to clear the air, I do NOT call him that...though at times I may have told him to stop acting LIKE a jerk. I guess it is all relative to a five year old. It really made me laugh...good think I hadn't taken a sip of my drink cause it probably would have come out my nose!

Back to Reality

I can't believe we are already so far into April, time definitely flies. Last weekend we were lucky enough to have company come to visit.

Chad's father, Von, came out to spend time with the boys and get a nice warm dose of Texas. We had beautiful weather, not too hot and not cold. We played frisbee golf every day at different parks in the area and ate great food. On Sunday night Von made us a Greek shepherd's pie with lamb, pork loin and skirt steak in it...it was really good. Luckily he made so much he made it into two casseroles so we froze one and look forward to busting it out in a few weeks.

It was fun to watch all my guys playing video games. Von and Chad played Fight Night (boxing) on the Xbox 360 so much Von ended up with blisters on his thumbs. Chad (ever the engineer) rigged up some "protection" for him by finding him a garden glove for one hand and wrapping his other thumb with masking tape. They kept having to re-wrap it cause he would wear holes in it after a few rounds. Of course, it never occured to them to just stop playing...no way! Kade was so cute to watch, they would give him a controller with no batteries in it and he would stand or sit next to them with it and yell "yay" with his arms in the air whenever they got excited about something.

What a great long Conference weekend. Now back to reality...and laundry.