Our Week...

Monday - a rainy day when my kids watched too much TV until AB got home and we went to swim practice.

Tuesday - Dropped the 2 middle ones off to school, went to bible study, picked up the middle ones, AB came home from school. Then it got interesting. She had no homework and Billy was out of town. Ben has soccer practice on Tuesday evenings, and on this particular one AB had open house at school. I cooked and fed everyone dinner and off we went. Almost immediately after practice started MC announces that she has to go the the bathroom. The only bathrooms at practice are port-o-potties. I hate them. They make me gag. I strapped Abe in the stroller and had AB sit in the back and told them not to get out, I would be back momentarily. The potty had been cleaned recently, so it wasn't that bad, but I wanted MC out fast. So fast that I scooped her up and out the door without her panties pulled up, with her bootie shining at the other people close by while I got her put back together. Then, I realized I was out of hand sanitizer (of course). I get back to AB and Abe and release them from the stroller. I learned from the first week to take a ball for Abe to play with. He was happily playing when he comes over to me saying "Ugh" and pointing to his arm. He had spit up all over his arm and clothes. Of course they had eaten spinach for dinner, so it was all over him and smelled aweful. I didn't have a change for him in his bag (of course) and we had to go to open house. I wiped him up the best I could with baby wipes and decided he would be confined to the stroller at the school. Race Ben off the field after practice and go to open house, where AB shows us what she does all day. We then had to go visit her old kindergarten teacher and my kids start screaming in the hall. Not because they are unhappy, just because its fun to be as loud as you can in the hallway. Why are echoes so fun to those under 5? Home and in bed around 9 - and the kitchen is not clean yet.

Wed. - School for EVERYONE, I come home and clean. I pick Abe up early for a check up. Pick the middle 2 up home, quickie naps and AB off to swim team.

Thurs. - Daddy's home!!!

Friday - Clean house, Mimi with the fish (my kids call both their grandmothers Mimi thanks to AB and we decipher which one by what pet they have) and Papa come and off to Ben's birthday party at Pump It Up.

Saturday - AB has her first swim meet, Ben has his first soccer game - at the same time. The girls go swim and the boys play soccer. Ben scored 5 goals (but we don't keep score in his league yet). Anna Beth swam in one event.

Sunday - 2nd day of the swim meet. AB swam in 3 events. Home, lunch, naps, and off to church for Sunday night stuff.

Ben's 5th Birthday Party

Ben's Soccer Game

Swim Meet

The team

Ready for backstroke.

Finished!


The coolest thing (for the kids) about swimming is that you write all of your meet info on yourself with a Sharpie marker. E=event - H=heat - L=lane.

Time for a haircut?

Guess who this sweet baby in pink and a bow is?
Dadgum, he would have been a pretty girl!

I have been flip flopping this entire election year as to who to vote for. I typically vote Republican. Most of my life because that's how my dad did, but lately because it fits us a family due to our tax bracket. We fall into the not enough money to give it to the government to fund its programs, too much to take advantage of any of the programs. We are middle class (I guess).

Barak Obama intrigues me. I like him. He is a charasmatic speaker, passionate politician, and has a great success story. He appeals to the idealist in me. The part that wants no war, no one to be hungry, equal rights, etc. I think the other part of me that likes him is because of the flack that ignorant conservative christians have given him. By the way, I am a fairly conservative christian although I don't consider myself ignorant. I have gotten NUMEROUS e-mails forwarded about him being muslim, his African roots, even some that have alluded to racism. All have enfuriated me. Big deal, he's got African heritage. Last time I checked none of the other candidates were native Americans. The almost passive aggressive racist subleties sent blood rushing to my face in anger. About the Muslim stuff...if you read his testimony he walked down an aisle and accepted Jesus as his Saviour. Big deal if he was a Muslim. Christians should be praising God that he was converted (that is if indeed he was a Muslim to begin with).

After the first two days of the RNC, I was thinking he might be my guy. I was not thrilled with the choice of VP, don't know why just shocked and not really excited. The RNC has been BORING up until tonight, and quite frankly I would (still) rather hear Obama over McCain for the next 4 years. But, I was reminded by Palin why I am a Republican.

Taxes. That's why. My husband owns his own brand new small business and it wouldn't be good for him to be taxed more.

Big government. That's why. Many, many people think we the government should take care of everyone - here and elsewhere. Many Christians support Obama for this reason. He has a humanitarian heart and platform. As a country, I believe Biblically we have a resposibility to do this. But, where is the burden of the people? The logic is, pay more taxes to take care of those in need. I say get off your paycheck or bonus and do something for those in need. How many of us (me included) live in nice houses, drive nice cars, eat more than we should, throw away left overs, and give very little to those who have nothing? I think that the Democratic view lets the government take control of taking care of the least of these, when it should be our responsibility as Christians.

The war. Do I agree with us going there, um probably not. Fact is, we are there and if we don't at least try to clean up the mess we may be in for it.


I still haven't totally made up my mind, but I like Palin. Maybe its because I am a mother of 4. Maybe its because she is normal - She has a child going to Iraq, she has a pregnant daughter, she has a baby with down syndrome, she has a working class husband. These are real things that real people deal with. She added excitment to the convention, and reminded me why I vote Republican.

At the end of the day, I really do like both candidates and think either would make a good president. I believe that, while Washington does affect us on a small scale, its up to us to make change if we want it.

I am so not political and can't believe I am posting this, so please show a little mercy if you want to blast me!

I Like to Smock, Not Nit

So here's the "are you kidding me?" update. I had a full weeks worth of events occur between the hours of 9 and 12 today.

Merrie Cannon has run a fever off and on this week. She went all day yesterday fever free, so I thought we were done with a nagging virus and she could go to school. Wouldn't you know that when I picked her up to put her shoes on (after getting her up, dressed, and fed all fever free) I noticed her armpits were very warm. I took her temp., and guess what? The fever was back. Since it had been on and off for 4 days I decided to go and take her to the doctor.

I had a meeting at the preschool, so I made an appointment on my way there. I dropped Ben off and sat in the back so MC wouldn't breathe on anyone. While I was in the meeting, my cell phone rang (which is one of my pet peeves, there are times when you should turn the thing off). I quickly muted the ring and checked my message when the meeting was over. It was the school nurse asking me to call her. I quickly returned her call, fully expecting to hear that AB had a fever and I needed to come get her. Not so much. Instead of having a fever...she has lice. So I quickly have them check Ben's head (he was clear) and race to pick her up before the doctors appointment. I get to the doctors office at 10:15 - exactly when our appointment was.

I usually wait a few days before I rush my kids to the doctor. I have paid too many $30 co-pays resulting in the "it's a virus, give them Tylenol." So, 4 days of fever and here we go. Strep test - negative. Blood work - normal. Guess what - "It's a virus. We are seeing these fever viruses and they last about 5 days." Really? One more day and I would have saved 30 bucks.

On my way to get lice shampoo, I return a call from my uncle. My cousin had a baby about 2 months ago. The baby's care is being monitored by Children's Services because she is unable to take care of it. My name was given to the case worker by my cousin as a possible placement for the child until she can get it together. Please pray for us concerning this. We really don't know what to do. We have lots of questions and are really seeking God's will in how we handle the situation.

All that before noon - and I haven't even shampooed a head yet. So, I call Billy and ask him to get Ben from school. MC - clear head and taking a nap, bless her little feverish heart! Abe - clear head. AB is getting shampoo on her head when Billy gets home. Billy - clear head. Me - not clear. I have them. I knew I would. AB and I have been cuddling up every night and reading together. That's what I get for trying to be a good mother.

So, I have been shampooing, and nitting, and washing, and drying and vaccuming. The dishes from this morning are still in the sink, along with the dishes from lunch, and this afternoon and tonight. I went through AB's head again before bed, picking more nits - and MC's, and Ben's, and Abe's, and Billy's - all still clear.

Sure Children's Services, bring us a baby. Watch out, don't step on that dead roach. If you see a live one, there is a fly swatter hanging in the laundry room. The 19 month old loves to swat them, just give it to him. Excuse the nastiness in the kitchen and the toys all over the house, I have been picking bugs out of our hair all day. You may not want to sit on that couch, it hasn't been decontaminated yet. Watch the mold in the kitchen, and one day we are going to get a bed. Welcome to the Ivey's.

Oh yeah, MC's eye is weeping green gooey stuff. Pink eye. Pink eye and lice - which one can we control first?

Have you ever been prophesied to?

My answer to that question was no, until last night. Billy and I were going to a friend's wedding. My babysitter was late, so we missed the wedding, but were going to the reception at the Wynfrey Hotel. We had some blinds we needed to return to JC Penney, so we decided to do that before the reception since the Wynfrey is at the mall. After returning the blinds, we were getting in the car. Billy looked super cute in his bow tie, and I was in my favorite dress. A mother and her two small children were getting out of their car, when the little girl told me she loved my dress. I said thank you and smiled at the mother. The mother proceeded to say "I see you in a wedding dress." Weird but ok. I just laughed and got in the car. Then she said "Have you two ever thought about getting married, I see her in a wedding dress." Billy told her we were married and had 4 kids. She said, no lie, "Have you ever been prophesied to?" No, we replied almost laughing. "It's not from me, it comes from God. You should renew your vows. I see her in a wedding dress." All we could say was thank you. I can now say I have been prophesied to - in the parking lot at JC Penney. More disturbing than that is that she saw me in a wedding dress in her vision...no mention of visions of my husband of 10 years.