It's the Simple Things

Our friends and neighbors, Heather and Mark, told us about this cute little amusement park in Blowing Rock, NC called Tweetsie Railroad. Knowing Grant's love of trains right now, we thought this would be the perfect time to take him. So we decided kind of last minute to leave Friday evening, stay overnight, go to Tweetsie on Saturday, and return on Sunday morning. I had so much fun just being with my family, no phones, no outside distractions... just us. It was a much needed breath of fresh air. The rides at Tweetsie were age appropriate for Grant as well as Ben. They both got to ride quite a few rides, see lots of animals, and ride a huge locomotive (however, they didn't like the cowboy and Indian gunfight on the train). Grant has always been quite cautious so I didn't know what kind of rides he would really like. He liked the smaller, slower rides, of course, but didn't much care for the faster, get-your-belly kind of rides. Chris got him on the Tweetsie Twister, and while he wasn't horrified, I don't believe he liked it very well. Later, I got him on the Tilt-a-Whirl and he screamed in horror the entire time. He definitely hated that one. My stomach didn't like it so much either. Ben, on the other hand, is our little daredevil. He rode all of the rides with Grant and was dying to get on the Tweetsie Twister. So, Chris took him on the Tweetsie Twister. The look on his face was priceless! It was kind of in between sick and shock, but Chris said that when they went to get off of the ride that he acted like he didn't want to get off.

Later in the day Ben wound up with a fever and fell asleep in the stroller. I figured he had an ear infection and was just going to take him to the doc on Monday when we returned. By early Sunday morning his fever had reached 102.8, and he was miserable. We were planning on grabbing some lunch and then heading back to VA. We were all eating our food when I noticed that Ben was grunting like he was trying to fill his diaper. He kept eating, so I just figured I'd go change him when he was finished. About ten minutes later, he started acting strange even though he still kept eating. I picked him up, fed him a few more bites of applesauce and noticed that his fingernails were purple and his lips were blue. Since Grant has horrible breathing problems every time he gets a cold, etc., I just figured it was the same with Ben. I thought that maybe his blood oxygen level was low or something. We immediately left and took Bean to the emergency room. By the time we got there his fever was up to 103.3 and he was very lethargic, but his color had returned to normal and he was breathing fine. He does have a double ear infection and the doctor didn't know what would have caused his lips to turn blue. In hindsight, I figure now that he must have had something caught in his throat since he didn't ever dirty his diaper. Dummy me, never even thought about something being caught in his throat since he still kept eating. I figure that maybe when I picked him up and fed him some applesauce it helped to wash whatever it was down. All I know is that it scared Chris and I to death.

The boys were exhausted and slept almost the whole way home. We had a blast in NC, but were ready to sleep in our own beds again. Today, I've enjoyed a nice, quiet day at home with just the boys.

My plan to return to work is still in full swing, however, I won't be going back until August more than likely. Once visiting her home, I realized that the babysitter I had in mind before wasn't going to work out. So, I searched some more and found a 60-year-old lady in our neighborhood who has watched children most of her adult life. She mostly just watches her grandkids now, but agreed to watch Grant and Ben as well. Grant will have her 3-year-old grandson, Shane, to play with. We met them at the park one day and all of the kids got to play together. Grant is kind of backwards so we're going to get them together a few more times before August just so the transition is easier on the boys. She seems like a wonderful person and is very easy to talk to. Now that I know what it's like to be a full time babysitter for someone else's child, I found it easier to relate to her and found that we have a lot in common. Also, Grant will be starting in the older two-year-old's class at South Roanoke United Methodist Pre-School. I was able to go and meet with his teacher and see his classroom and what he'll be doing three half days a week. He's so excited to go and is constantly asking to see his school. I will be taking him on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and since Kathy's (the babysitter) grandson, Shane, attends there as well, she will be able to pick him up for me. It's all worked out very well, and I hope it'll be a smooth transition for all of us. I would love to be able to stay home with Grant and Ben, and hope that I will be able to again some time in the future without having to watch other kids for income.

I have learned many life lessons since I started staying home last year. I have found a new appreciation and respect for my own mom and wonder how she did it all those years with three girls everyday. Stay at home moms don't get near enough appreciation for the things they do. It's a 24/7 job - for sure! I've learned that kids and keeping a house are WAY more demanding than any employer I've ever had, hands down. Managing stress and frustration has been a toughy for me lately. My friend, Kari, who recently moved to NC is struggling with these very things as well and has been a great listening ear. It's nice to be able to confide in someone who is going through the very same thing at the same time. Advice is wonderful, but NOT so much when it's coming from someone who's never been there.

I hope this finds everyone well. As for you Ohioans, the boys and I will see you the first week of June.