When we put up the new play pen last night, I wasn't sure Julianne would "accept" it as an adequate substitute. It definitely isn't the same. She isn't picky about much, but some things she is just highly stubborn about.
As I set up the play pen, we found a small box. The kids opened it and immediately started putting bateries in it. I knew then that she was going to be a happy girl!
The playpen came with a thing to attach to one corner that plays music, nature sounds, has a light, and lets you record and play back!!! Julianne loves music! She also loved having her special things out of that tub. She still isn't feeling well, but she is very happy about having a new playpen. :)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Woke Up Without a Playpen
This is how the day started:
She is still feeling sick, but still slept until early afternoon. She sniffed, sat up and repositioned, but stayed asleep. So sweet and sleeping (she is a world class sleeper!), even when sick.
Then she woke up . . . and there was no play pen. . . . and this happened . . .
The poor thing realized that it wasn't a bad dream. Her playpen really is gone! Her special things really are in a TUB! The disappointment, the disgust is very visible here right now. She can't believe that this fate has come to her. When I tell her another one is coming, she nods her head "yes", but still looks distraught!
I guess she thinks we didn't "understand" last night, because she went right back to throwing things out. I am glad Brent doesn't work too late tonight. A little girl who is already sick and grumpy and now is mad and can't find "her place" isn't a good combo. I hope she likes the new one, because it isn't like the old one exactly.
This is the one that will be coming. The top thing comes off. It is a smaller version of a playpen (which is the size she had to begin with) and that thing on top is a co-sleeper that comes off. Pray she is pleased with it!
Then she woke up . . . and there was no play pen. . . . and this happened . . .
The poor thing realized that it wasn't a bad dream. Her playpen really is gone! Her special things really are in a TUB! The disappointment, the disgust is very visible here right now. She can't believe that this fate has come to her. When I tell her another one is coming, she nods her head "yes", but still looks distraught!
What Happens Without Her Play Pen?
I went in to see what all the throwing was about last night when I quit blogging because I heard throwing. This is what I found:
You can see the look on her face, the things she has already thrown on the floor, and another thing being pitched out from that picture. That should say it all.
This one I call "Life is a blur without the play pen". This is how most pictures turned out. She was throwing "her" stuff out of that tub so quickly that all you could see was the blur.
Thankfully the other play pens have come in today to our local Walmart. Brent will be going to them up this evening most certainly! She is stuffy and miserable and life without a play pen is just not ok with her.
On a bad note, several other kids are stuffy today. Prayers appreciated.
Weak Stomachs Should Beware
Julianne has been extremely snotty today. I'll be taking her to see Anita on Thursday most likely. :( I can't stand it when she is sick and though she was snotty yesterday, today the snot is colored. (I warned you!) If you are a mom, then you know that this isn't good. She had a little viral thing last week that several of them shared and I'm guessing that hers is going to need an antibiotic to clear up. My poor sweet angel is so sweet though. She whined or made droning "my nose is stuffy" sounds all day. She sat in the same spot in the hallway and rocked while making that sound. I moved her and tried to occupy her with something else, but she went back over and over and over and over . . . you get the point right?
Then tonight she had a blow out pull up problem. She was in the play pen that she has refused repetitively to give up. That meant that I got her cleaned up and put her in the bath and then had to look for where all the poop was. Thankfully it was just on the side of the play pen and a few other spots that were easy to take care of.
The poop really didn't phase me. Then we took EVERY TOY AND COMB out of that playpen to Clorox wipe them. Still not a big deal in and of itself. I mean I have 13 kids so this kind of thing has been done before. Once we did that and I was thoroughly wiping down the play pen "in case", I realized that the play pen was on its last leg. The joints were loosening. It had to go.
THAT PHASED ME! I've had that play pen for her from the beginning of her life with us. She refused the "nook" we made her in the new addition with a gate so that it could be "her own" and insisted on the play pen. She kept it next to a chair in the family room. She used the chair to get in and out of it on her own. (Probably what eventually loosened the joints!) She keeps all her favorite things in there, make that "kept". :( Now all of those things are just in a tub. There were more combs in that thing than there are at Walmart!
What is next? Well, I am probably going to order another play pen like I ordered for Keith and Aleshia (see the adoption blog for pictures). Those two are in transit and I will probably give Julianne one of them. Surely it won't be more than a couple more days????!!!????
I know that Julianne is 5 1/2 years old and technically doesn't "need" a play pen. The thing is that she still "wants" it. That is "her" space. She doesn't want a "nook" or her space to just be her room. She wants a play pen and she still technically fits even in the small play pen. If I don't give her one of her own, then she may just takeover one of the ones that are meant for the little ones coming. Plus, honestly I just want her to be happy.
YIKES! I think I better go. I hear her unloading that "tub" that has her favorite things in it. I'm afraid I have a sick and unhappy princess. Uh-Oh!
Please say a prayer that she gets better quickly. She really isn't feeling well. Also pray that whatever this is doesn't spread, especially if it means diarrhea!
Then tonight she had a blow out pull up problem. She was in the play pen that she has refused repetitively to give up. That meant that I got her cleaned up and put her in the bath and then had to look for where all the poop was. Thankfully it was just on the side of the play pen and a few other spots that were easy to take care of.
The poop really didn't phase me. Then we took EVERY TOY AND COMB out of that playpen to Clorox wipe them. Still not a big deal in and of itself. I mean I have 13 kids so this kind of thing has been done before. Once we did that and I was thoroughly wiping down the play pen "in case", I realized that the play pen was on its last leg. The joints were loosening. It had to go.
THAT PHASED ME! I've had that play pen for her from the beginning of her life with us. She refused the "nook" we made her in the new addition with a gate so that it could be "her own" and insisted on the play pen. She kept it next to a chair in the family room. She used the chair to get in and out of it on her own. (Probably what eventually loosened the joints!) She keeps all her favorite things in there, make that "kept". :( Now all of those things are just in a tub. There were more combs in that thing than there are at Walmart!
What is next? Well, I am probably going to order another play pen like I ordered for Keith and Aleshia (see the adoption blog for pictures). Those two are in transit and I will probably give Julianne one of them. Surely it won't be more than a couple more days????!!!????
I know that Julianne is 5 1/2 years old and technically doesn't "need" a play pen. The thing is that she still "wants" it. That is "her" space. She doesn't want a "nook" or her space to just be her room. She wants a play pen and she still technically fits even in the small play pen. If I don't give her one of her own, then she may just takeover one of the ones that are meant for the little ones coming. Plus, honestly I just want her to be happy.
YIKES! I think I better go. I hear her unloading that "tub" that has her favorite things in it. I'm afraid I have a sick and unhappy princess. Uh-Oh!
Please say a prayer that she gets better quickly. She really isn't feeling well. Also pray that whatever this is doesn't spread, especially if it means diarrhea!
Monday, January 9, 2012
We Went Out to Eat Last Night
Last night we decided to go out to eat after church. We decided to go to Bob Evans and hoped that our late night trip would lead to it not being crowded and being seated quickly. That was a success and we pulled in to a mostly empty parking lot.
As we started to unload the kids, I noticed that there were employees staring quite worriedly at us. I had to chuckle at the worry on their faces. If they had known all the "diagnoses" then they would have just slipped quietly out the back door! I always wonder how fast people would retreat if they knew all the labels. I mean, just the sight of all of those kids (knowing nothing more) unloading the van caused their blood pressure to rise!
We went in and they ask "How many?" while employees still peeked around the corner. I had to laugh inside. I told them "15" and you could see them look around like "nope we weren't hallucinating there really are that many". They started to move together tables for us, but I let them know that there was no need to move things around. We can just as easily sit at 4 tables as we can at one long one!
Things went so smoothly. My kids are REALLY good in public and especially out to eat. We had drink orders ready to give immediately. I had two kids who ordered for themselves (Dayton and Denzell) and I ordered the rest. (I was letting others order for themselves, but recently they showed that they couldn't handle it and ate until all the food was gone on the big meal and I had vomit to clean up.) I keep the meals uniform to make it simpler for the waitress and also because if we were home everyone would be eating the same thing anyway.
They brought out the food and everyone was served quickly. I had ordered extra onion petals that I walked around and handed out. There were no spills (though I thought Brent was going to spill someone's drink a couple times!). The kids ate quietly and neatly. The talking at the tables was low and no one got out of their seats.
The kids really enjoyed hearing the employees that dreaded us so bad comment over and over on their good behavior. They laughed when we got to the vehicle about all the compliments to Brent and I about what a good job we must be doing. When we were checking out and they were still complimenting the kids' behavior, I said "I saw your looks of dread when we came in.". The lady replied with "Yes, but that was BEFORE we knew you and now we WANT you to come back".
Yes, I was very proud of my crew! I hope we changed some view points. Maybe next time they see a large group of kids coming in, they will remember that children can be respectful, calm, and enjoyable. :)
And for your viewing pleasure cause she really is THAT CUTE:
As we started to unload the kids, I noticed that there were employees staring quite worriedly at us. I had to chuckle at the worry on their faces. If they had known all the "diagnoses" then they would have just slipped quietly out the back door! I always wonder how fast people would retreat if they knew all the labels. I mean, just the sight of all of those kids (knowing nothing more) unloading the van caused their blood pressure to rise!
We went in and they ask "How many?" while employees still peeked around the corner. I had to laugh inside. I told them "15" and you could see them look around like "nope we weren't hallucinating there really are that many". They started to move together tables for us, but I let them know that there was no need to move things around. We can just as easily sit at 4 tables as we can at one long one!
Things went so smoothly. My kids are REALLY good in public and especially out to eat. We had drink orders ready to give immediately. I had two kids who ordered for themselves (Dayton and Denzell) and I ordered the rest. (I was letting others order for themselves, but recently they showed that they couldn't handle it and ate until all the food was gone on the big meal and I had vomit to clean up.) I keep the meals uniform to make it simpler for the waitress and also because if we were home everyone would be eating the same thing anyway.
They brought out the food and everyone was served quickly. I had ordered extra onion petals that I walked around and handed out. There were no spills (though I thought Brent was going to spill someone's drink a couple times!). The kids ate quietly and neatly. The talking at the tables was low and no one got out of their seats.
The kids really enjoyed hearing the employees that dreaded us so bad comment over and over on their good behavior. They laughed when we got to the vehicle about all the compliments to Brent and I about what a good job we must be doing. When we were checking out and they were still complimenting the kids' behavior, I said "I saw your looks of dread when we came in.". The lady replied with "Yes, but that was BEFORE we knew you and now we WANT you to come back".
Yes, I was very proud of my crew! I hope we changed some view points. Maybe next time they see a large group of kids coming in, they will remember that children can be respectful, calm, and enjoyable. :)
And for your viewing pleasure cause she really is THAT CUTE:
Gallop and Hullabaloo
I think I spelled those games right. That is what we did tonight. We played games that the smaller kids would enjoy. Some of them also had a good time with "Whack a Mole". I have to say that I love games like those. They result in endless giggling!
The older kids play games often that are so serious. They are great games - don't get me wrong. Monopoly, checkers, and those type of games are fun.
I really do enjoy when we all play that "little kid" games though. The older kids (even serious Dayton) will join in because they love their younger siblings. Before long everyone is in a mass giggle session. :) I love to hear them all just being silly.
God is so good!
The older kids play games often that are so serious. They are great games - don't get me wrong. Monopoly, checkers, and those type of games are fun.
I really do enjoy when we all play that "little kid" games though. The older kids (even serious Dayton) will join in because they love their younger siblings. Before long everyone is in a mass giggle session. :) I love to hear them all just being silly.
God is so good!
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