poison control, how can I help you?

Today was a day and a half.  It all started innocently enough, everyone chilling in the living room watching a movie together....... or so I thought. 

Ellie walked up to me saying, "This is yummy, mommy!" and hands me a SILICA GEL packet.... you know the ones I'm talking about.  The ones that say "DO NOT EAT" written all over them!  Talk about PANIC!!!!  I made her spit, getting 2 small silica beads out of her mouth, so obviously she did eat them.  Great.  Next step, a call to poison control.




The suspect 

The poison control nurse was very helpful.  She told me that silica gel was non-toxic, so nothing needs to be done.  Seriously?!?  Then why all the scary warnings all over?  According to poison control the fear is that silica gel is a choking hazard.  (Really?  The beads were the size of a pin head.  How can you choke on that?)  Luckily all that she suggested for treatment was a glass of water to make sure that none of the beads were stuck in her throat.  Thank heavens that is all!!  It definitely scared the poop outta me!  I'm so thankful that it wasn't more dangerous and that I will get to see this smiling face without tubes and wires of the hospital, which is where I was SURE we were headed.

Thank heavens for small blessings!

(and for the record, the silica gel was in the garbage, buried.  She dug it out.  I don't know what I am going to do with the girl!  Everything has to go in her mouth!)

The View from Here

We woke up this morning to the sound of rain.  Not too bad, we need the moisture.  But an hour later, it stopped..... or so I thought.  This is what I found when I opened the curtains.

Not exactly what I wanted.  I know that it is ridiculous, that we haven't had near enough moisture this winter (I mean, we have only had snow twice this year!), but..... I am ready for spring!

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Today is the day for prepping our valentine cards.  Lainey is SOOO excited to be able to give LOTS of valentine cards this year.  She has been studying her name list and deciding who is going to get which card.  Today I finally let her get them out and start working on them... and finish working on them.  She wasn't going to stop once she got going!  (Ignore the store bought cards, I found a STEAL of a deal for them.  I couldn't make them for that price)

ignore the pj's, it's "jammie Saturday"



And that is the view from here, at least for right now.  =D

Oh, and just to document the momentous occasion, John got his first cold sore today.  (hehehe)  I shall NEVER have to hear "I've NEVER had a cold sore" from him again.  (And it's o.k. to laugh because it is one of the mildest cold sores I've seen in a LONG time, but he DID get one and he can't rub it in anymore!)

Here again?! Maybe....

After a LONG vacation from blogging, I have decided that there really isn't any excuse for me not to be journaling our family experiences.  I sure as heck don't remember as much as I should be, and I have already liked looking back to see what happened during the time Ellie was born, so I feel like this should be something I do.

In the last few years we have all grown and changed quite a bit so here is a quick recap.

At Daman's Wedding Fall, 2011

John has FINALLY graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering in December 2009.  Unfortunately that was only the beginning of the "process".  We have been unable to find an engineering job anywhere.  BUT we are still blessed as the "part-time" server (read: computer nerd) job with the University of Idaho John had while in school has turned into a decent paying full time position.  AND... he is able to go back to school (I know... I know) for his masters for a minimal $5 a credit hour.  There would be NO way we could afford for John to go back to school without this blessing.  We are hoping that maybe with a master's, the jobs may be a little easier to find.  We are still looking for an engineering position though, so if anyone hears of a mechanical engineering position, let me know!

I am transitioning to a stay at home mom with only ONE little one at home.  I am starting to look at what I may want to do with my life after my kiddo's move on to school.  I don't know what my future holds, but I've considered going back to school myself.  We will have to see.


Ky the cool, Christmas, 2011

Kyrin is now a "big" 5th grader.  He is still doing great scholastically and is working on trying to become more "self sufficient" as far as being responsible goes.  It's a learning curve. 

Spring 2011

He has also done some great things this year.  He was able to participate in the Geography Bee and the Spelling Bee this year.  Both had all the 4th through 6th graders tested and then they took the top few in each class.  Kyrin was the representative for his 5th class for the geography bee, and one of the representatives for the Spelling bee.  The geography bee was kind of a fluke, but he was able to participate.  The spelling bee was more his thing.  The second round (after all the classes had been tested and the particpants chosen) was 3rd through 6th grade and had 42 particpants.  Kyrin went round after round spelling the words correctly.  He was finally put out in the 5th round with the word "DURESS".  He did awesome though and took 9th place.  That isn't too shabby at all!!!

First day of school, Kindergarten 2011

Lainey was so excited to FINALLY start kindergarten this year.  She LOVES the social aspect of it, and can't wait until she can go all day and have "more recesses to be with my friends". Her teacher has said she is friends with EVERYONE in class, and is constantly being asked to sit with one friend or another.  She has learned many compromising skills as she has had to work out a schedule to make everyone happy.  What a happy little kid.

Spring 2011, grandma made the beautiful dress

She started the year struggling with her pre-reading skills (which we knew and I had already addressed with her teacher on the first few days of school) and was given the opportunity to come to school an hour early and go to a "reading intervention" class, which we call her reading class.  She has been able to learn so much and at the last report card she had gone from "concerns" in most of the areas to "at grade level" in all but 2.  Her reading teacher says she is doing so much better in her class, and is the "star" of the class right now.  She has worked so hard on her schooling. I'm so proud of her!

At the fair, Fall 2011

Our Ellie is growing every day.  She is now 2 years old and will steal everyone's heart.  She is NOT shy at all and will strike up a converstation with anyone.  I cut her mullet off a few days ago and gave her a cute bob cut, and she has told everyone we see, from teachers at the school to the cashier at the grocery store, that she "had her hair cut" and it "looks cute".  Everyone tends to agree.  Kyrin's school teachers are totally taken with her and often come down to the hall where we drop Lainey off for Kindergarten to have a conversation with her.  She LOVES to wear dresses and will fight me tooth and nail if I try to make her wear pants.  I have a ton of shirts and pants for her and very little dresses which means DRAMA ensues often because she has "nothing to wear".  I'm afraid I am going to have a serious drama queen on my hands.  I guess my girls are more like me then I want to admit.

Summer 2011 while camping