Haven't Blogged Since AUGUST!?!?!

I can't believe it has been so long since I have added an entry! That just goes to showhow busy we have been...

Here's the last 7 months recapped:

Alex is in 2nd Grade, Carter is in 1st Grade. Love their teachers, still loving the Clyde school district.

I have 22 piano students this year and they are all AWESOME! We had a great Christmas program and are looking forward to a fantastic Spring Recital next month.

I have taken a part time job as accompanist for the Musical Theatre Department at ACU. It is the most fun I have had in a long time! The students and faculty are so talented and fantastic to be around. Plus, it is challenging to sight read so much new music...

Carter and Alex are taking a Tap class at Turning Pointe and will be performing in recital on May 15...Mark your calendar!

Alex is taking violin lessons from Joyce McGlaun and doing a fantastic job. We are so proud of her! Recital May 7....Mark your calendar!

We have loved having Jeffrey Voois in our home this school year as a foreign exchange student. He is like a part of our family...I can't believe he will be leaving us in a couple of months. We will be so sad....

By the way - with Jeffrey in the house we have THREE straight A students...

Okay, I will try to be a better blogger...look for an update this weekend after I take Jeff to the PROM!

A New Year...School Year, That Is!

Well, here we are beginning a new school year! Alex is in second grade, Carter is in first grade, and Jeffrey is a senior. Wait a second - who is Jeffrey?

About a week ago, Eric and were approached by a rep from 'Face the World' and after much discussion, we decided to host an international student for 10 months. 3 days later, we became the proud parents to an 18 year old boy from the Netherlands - Jeffrey! Obviously, we had to do a little adjusting in the house. Alex and Carter are sharing Carter's room, and Jeffrey has moved into Alex's room. We de-girled it pretty well...peeled all the butterflies off the wall, changed the bedding, etc, but there are still the pink curtains to deal with! Jeffrey has been very gracious, though, and not complained a bit! He is a real sweetie!

We are looking forward to sharing Texas with Jeffrey! West Texas Fair and Rodeo in a couple of weeks....

Never Put a Rock in Your Ear

We have had quite the exciting couple of days...

Our adventure began when Carter put a rock in his ear at church last night. Do you see where this might be going? Another Mom and I tried to pull it out with tweezers and a bulb syringe, but we were unsuccessful (of course). A Medical Assistant recommended that we head off to the ER. Off we went....

After 3 hours of waiting, we made it to a room and the nurse attempted to flush out the rock with saline (to no avail!) Next a PA came in and attempted retrieval - also unsuccessfully. Finally, a doctor came in AND *drumroll please* decided the rock was too big/misshapen/far against the eardrum for him to remove. So, we were sent home with instructions to see an ENT the next day (which would be today.) But wait...you may wonder, 'Why not call in the on-call ENT that night since you had already invested 6 hours and who knows how much money in the ER?' This is not a question to which I have the answer. I'll let you know if I ever discover the reasoning behind that doctor's decision.

After a painful trip home, we gave Carter some pain killers to ease the discomfort of having a rock rubbing against his eardrum and put him to bed. He lastedabout an hour and then spent the rest of the night with us.

TODAY we headed to the ENT first thing this morning. He seemed pretty confident that he could get the rock out without too much trouble, but as the appointment wore on and more nurses were called in to help hold down my screaming baby, the doctor decided surgery was the only option.

Let me just add an aside here to say that you should never have to restrain your son and listen to him beg and plead someone else to stop hurting him...it hurts too much...make it stop...please just stop....

A few hours later, we were in the surgery center waiting for the doctor. Carter was such a brave boy, joking with the nurses and the anesthesiologist. Fortunately, the doctor was able to remove the rock without actually CUTTING his ear canal. UNfortunately, the rock filled his ear canal so completely that the doctor actually had to dig around a little to get it out, so there is a REALLY good chance of infection if were aren't completely diligent with his eardrops. WORSE, there is a hole in his eardrum from all the doctors digging around which may require another surgery next month.

Well, we are home now and Carter is resting. Of course, his biggest concern is that he might miss his school Valentine's party tomorrow, bless his heart!

Well, It Has Been So Long...

...I don't know how I can get caught up!

We had a great Christmas vacation this year, and everyone at home is still in relaxation mode, which is fabulous! I am sure that will all change when I go back to the studio next week, but Summer will be here before we know it!

I think the best part of it all is that the kids rooms have been picked up and tidy for more than two weeks now, and the house is staying nice and clean! That always makes for a happier Mommy!

It Seems Like Forever...

...since I have posted! And so many things have happened, which is undoubtedly why I have left it so long.

So...

First, Carter caught Shigellosis. This is VERY unpleasant, and VERY easily passed from person to person. Check it out online, and then wash your hands. Friends, WASH YOUR HANDS!!! I cannot stress it enough. Even if you are a diligent hand washer, other people are not. If someone hands you a piece of paper (who has not washed their hands) and then you unwrap a piece of gum and put it in your mouth, you just put their germs in your mouth. And if they have shigella or are a carrier, you just caught it. And 3 days of diarrhea every 30 minutes can be wearing on you.

And that is all I have to say about that!

Then, Eric had Hernia surgery.

The same weekend as Dance Recital.

Need I go on?

Then we had Tour with the Dance Company.

Then I directed a music camp at my Mom's church in Kerrville.

Whew!

You can imagine all the drama, tears, etc that we have been through the last month or so!

Oh yes, and this week is VBS at my church!

Vacation next week....

As I Sit on the Front Porch...

I am noticing a lot of things. First of all, those crazy people across the street are sitting in their garage again, watching me. I am trying to pretend like I don't notice, but I do. What is with those people? Their kids aren't even outside! They have a great backyard (we saw it before they moved in), but they are always sitting in their garage, watching the neighbors. It is creepy. At least I am sitting out here watching Carter...

Our street is fairly quiet, but I am seeing that there are a lot of people that walk around here. It has been a veritable parade...

Okay, Carter has ceased playing and commenced whining. Time to go.

Whew!

Well, I can hardly believe it has been so long since I have posted anything! We have just had a whirlwind of activity around here....

The biggest thing, though, is Carter. He has been VERY sick! He picked up a nasty bacteria called Shigella, resulting an an even nastier bout of Shigellosis. All I have to say about it is that if you don't constantly wash your hands, YOU SHOULD! THis is one disease you DO NOT WANT! TRUST ME! I will refrain from posting the gory details, but you can find them yourself on the CDC website. It will give you more information than you wanted to know!

Fortunately, Carter is feeling MUCH better today. It is his 5th day of being sick...but, last night he made it all the way through the night. Much rejoicing was had this morning by Carter AND by me! It was my first full night of sleep since Thursday as well!

New pictures soon...Alex has Track and Field Day AND Kindergarten graduation coming up this week!