Claire's Rough Week

Early Sunday morning, a week before Christmas, Claire woke up with a high fever and very out of sorts. We made sure she received lots of rest on Sunday in hopes that it was just a 24 hour bug. On Monday, she was still spiking high fevers, had a bad cough, and was acting delirious from the fever. We took her to the doctor and ruled out flu, strep, and ears. They said it was just a viral infection.

Fast forward a couple more days and mommy was having Deja Vu to Christmas 2006 when I spent a week home with Brady who was diagnosed with RSV. Claire was still spiking fevers and taking lengthy naps, so we took Claire back to the doctor for more tests...poor baby got a chest x-ray, blood cultures, and doctor pokes/prods. All came back negative pointing to a viral infection still.

We are now on Day 5 and Claire seems to be showing some signs of improvement. Fever is gone, but you can tell she still doesn't feel good. Good thing I was on vacation this week to take care of my baby girl or it would have been a rough week trying to juggle schedules. On a positive note, it has been somewhat relaxing having a cuddly baby in my arms the last few days...good opportunity to read and watch movies which I wouldn't have stopped to do otherwise. Hopefully, another day or two of rest and then Claire will be all better for the Christmas festivities.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from the Seaton Family! Hope everyone has a great Christmas with family and friends! Remember the fun times for 2011 and the fun times ahead as it goes by so fast!!

Happy Birthday Chris!

Chris only gets to share the same age with me for a little over a month...that's right, he is now a year older than me! To celebrate, we kicked off the weekend with a Friday night visit to his dad's house and then we hung out at his mom's house on Sunday for a birthday celebration that evening. I know there was some puny kids and a chaotic holiday party mixed in there, but I hope he had a great birthday weekend!

Self portrait...had to throw this one in!

Family Christmas Party 2011

Every year, my mom's side of the family gets together before Christmas for an annual Christmas party.   To mix things up this year, we decided to move the location to a Burdette Park Cabin.  This allowed homes to be freed up and everyone to have more room to visit.  It is always great to catch up with family, enjoy some yummy food, and watch the kids play with their cousins (1st and 2nd).  Definitely going on a diet after eating some of the goodies like maple syrup soaked pigs in a blanket!

The kids all open one gift brought by the parents and the adults participate in a Chinese gift exchange. As always, the gift exchange has an alcohol theme to it and it gets pretty crazy watching the alcohol change hands while the sensible (aka boring) gifts like tool kits, picture frames, and candles never get "stolen".  We gave the boys Lego books, Star Wars and Harry Potter) that kept them entertained for an extended time period. Claire was having fun running around and sharing popcorn with her 2nd cousin, Eli, who is a few months younger than she is.

...and it wouldn't be a family party without some added drama. That cut the party shorter than usual, but it was still a good time! Merry Christmas to all my family!

Meet Goldie and Yellow Toad

For some Sunday afternoon fun, we went to the Fall Festival Family day which is open for the kiddie rides only. We picked Mimi up along the way (in case we needed a token adult for any rides). As for rides, the rides didn't seem to hold up to the amusement park standard they have become accustomed to, so they got bored very quickly.

However, several of the games were also open and the kids couldn't resist the opportunity to beg for an opportunity to win a goldfish. "We've never had a fish before!" So Mimi remembering several years ago when Chris made the same statement and his Grandma Lois said something along the lines of "let him try...what are the chances", she decided it was time to reenact history. She purchased a bucket of balls for the kids to try to win their prized goldfish. The whole family was throwing for a chance...Connor pinged one in and then shortly after I pinged one in for Brady. What were the chances!!

Next stop on our way home was a trip to the Pet store to purchase the required equipment as the instructions on the bag said find a new home within 4 hours. At least this time, it was a daytime win as opposed to a late night win. Hopefully the fish, named Goldie and Yellow Toad, have a surviving chance. If not, we have a nice setup for a replacement.

Claire's Sunday Afternoon

Claire likes to go into the office and turn on her DVD player to watch whatever disc is in. Usually Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Blues Clues. On Sunday, she went in there and realized the disc was missing. She decided it was time to just take a break for a nap instead. This is how we found her within minutes of her going into the office. Afterwards, she was looking pretty cute during dinner with her messy curls from the nap!

Our Little Cub Scout

Oh my gosh, Connor is growing up so fast! As a first grader, Connor can now participate in Cub Scouts. There was a booth at the school open house and he was so excited to join, mainly because of the promise of shooting a bow and arrow. I really don't think the camping and fishing is what appealed to Connor, but he seems excited about those activities as well.

The best part of Cub Scouts is that we have found a way to reunite Connor with his best friend, Carac. They are now in different schools and life gets busy with our families, so this was a great way for the boys to see each other regularly (and for the dads to further bond). Crazy thing...it was the boys' idea that they join the same Cub Scout Pack and Den. Not sure why us resourceful moms didn't think of that!

They have had a couple Pack and a couple Den meetings so far and last night was the first night that all the boys wore their Cub Scout Uniform. It is very important to have the shirt, with all the badges, and all the related accessories so that they can wear the uniform proudly. Chris worked very hard on getting those badges applied before his first pack meeting...that was a chore that Chris would probably agree is best left to professionals. Once Chris was done, Connor was anxious to try on the uniform and even more excited to wear it to the first pack meeting. He definitely wore it proudly!

They have a lot of activities planned between now and the end of the year, including the big popcorn sale. Connor has a very full social calendar now and a lot to prepare for as he advances through the cub scout program. The best part for me is seeing his excitement about it and watching him mature before my very eyes!

Boys' Fan Club

We are reminded on a regular basis how great it is that we have stayed in Evansville where the boys have a regular relationship with all of their grandparents.  For each of the boys ball games, they have had a fan club of grandparents.  It is so great that they can be there to support the boys and that the boys can share their excitement.

Their greatest fan at the majority of their games has been their little sister cheering them on from the sidelines...

Baseball Buddies

As another round of swim lessons ended, we decided to take a break and let the boys try something different. They had mentioned playing baseball for some time, so the decision was easily made when I picked up a Fall Ball flyer from Claire's daycare. Several parents stated that fall ball is the best time for the boys to try out the sport, since it is a short season with 2 weeks of practice and 5 weeks of games.

Lucky for us, the boys are close enough in age that they were assigned the same team. They have been having a blast learning the sport and playing the games. I was expecting complaints about the heat, the cold, the dark, the bugs, something. However, they have really surprised me with their enthusiasm, excitement, and interest in the coaches guidance. I won't go as far to say that they are naturals,but they have gotten a few hits off of the pitching machine and a few good plays in. I was especially excited to see both of them get a good play to 1st Base when they were assigned to the pitcher mound.

I have a feeling that they will be anxious to sign up for the spring season of ball next year...

Saturday Night Summer Social

For some Saturday night fun, we took the kids to a church social that was setup for the weekend.  They had a handful of carnival rides, games, and food.  The kids had a blast riding a handful of rides before we grabbed some carnival food of hot dogs and chips.

The kids got a big kick out of the ride company...Brady's Amusements. We couldn't resist taking a picture!

Back to School Bash

A friend of the boys from Montessori had a back to school bash at his house shortly after school started. Several of the kids from Montessori and summer school were invited, so we knew quite a few of the kids and the parents. They had all kinds of activities set up for the kids, with the water slide being the most popular of the day. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and for the boys to see some of their friends from their old schools.

 

 

 

 

First Day of School

After much anticipation, the boys first day of school at the new Oak Hill Elementary arrived. To prepare the boys for what to expect, we went to the Open House the Monday prior. The boys got a chance to meet both of their teachers, see the classrooms and their assigned desk, and tour the school. There were a few mix-ups with it being a brand new school, but the boys didn't seem to notice.

The first day of school, they dressed in their Oak Hill Spirit Wear, loaded up their new backpacks, and were all set for school. Daddy walked them in to school and showed them to their classrooms. After school, they caught a van to a church daycare that they are enrolled in for after school care. It didn't take long for the boys to get comfortable with the routine and make lots of new friends.