And Down Goes Boy #2

I think this flu bug is trying to see just how long it can drag itself out.

We made it through the whole weekend with everyone healthy.  I thought we were in the clear.  Yesterday, at lunch time, though, it hit Henry from out of nowhere.

It was all very dramatic thanks to a locked bathroom door and a sick boy who couldn't move.  I'm just glad it happened when he was at home.

He's been in denial about being sick the whole time. 

He keeps saying he is fine, he doesn't know why I would give him pj's to wear, and he doesn't need to stay in bed. 

Just last week he tumbled down the stairs and before he even hit the bottom step he yelled up that he was fine and then limped off, so he's not really a reliable source on how he feels.

He seemed fine this morning, but at the risk of a recurrence and to give him time to de-germ a bit more, I kept him home from school.  He pointed out that, other than the half day he missed after running head on into a light pole, this is the first time he has ever missed school.

I'm trying to make today as boring as can be so he's not encouraged to have more sick days, but it's been a battle.  He just makes his own fun!  I finally gave in and let him play the Playstation so he would at least sit still.

I should have just sent him to school.

Well.....That's One Way To Do It!

Josh hasn't quite mastered all the steps to folding a basic paper airplane just yet.

It doesn't, however, stop him from making them!

Round Two

Today has been another sick day at the Jonker house.

I don't really know what happened.  Luke was fine on Thursday, but came back down with it this morning.

I feel bad for him.  I feel bad for me.

We added a couple of games to our sick day routine, just to break up our time a bit more.  It helped a bit, but I think he's tired of being stuck in bed.

I think he's finally on the mend. 

I'm hoping it's for good this time.

At this point, I am really dreading the thought of anyone else coming down with this boomerang bug. 

If they are going to get it, though, I'm hoping it will be this weekend when Ben can join in on the fun!

Sick Day

Now don't get me wrong, I have never hoped that my boys would get sick, but I have often thought about how lovely it is when one of them is a little down-and-out.

I love a boy who wants nothing but to cuddle and be close to me.

I thought today was going to be one of those days with Luke.

He had to stay home from school today because of a stomach bug.

It started off well.  He seemed to have gotten most of it out of his system early on and was feeling okay.

We got some reading done, worked on his math, watched T.V. and just hung out.  It was nice.

Then suddenly, it really hit him--hard. 

I think it may have been one of the roughest, messiest cases of the yucko's any of my boys have had--at least in the last few years. 

It was so bad that it was funny. 

Needless to say, everything has been completely disinfected because I'm in no hurry to have another sick day for awhile. 

Zoom-Zoom

This is what Josh Oliver wore all through last weekend--shorts, a t-shirt, and his super fast tennis shoes.

I spent my time in two shirts and a hoodie and I was still freezing.

Ben switched out our door between the house and the garage on what was one of our very coldest days in the last year.  It did not make for a warm house.

You would never know it by looking at Joshers, though. 

He was even in the garage quite a bit helping out, but never with a coat!

This weekend was all about "extercising" for him.  He did some push ups, sit ups, and ran fast as lightening all around the house.

He even requested that his new "nick-nick name" be either Zoom or Zoom-Zoom.

He kept making us re-tie his shoes for him, even though they never came untied.  He didn't like the sound of them hitting his shoes as he ran speedy quick.

It got a little frustrating, but I decided it's better to keep re-tying already tied shoes than to have to continually bug a boy to keep them tied, like I do with the other two.

He loves those shoes. 

He doesn't even care that they are hand-me-downs that he's had for several months.  He still thanks me all the time for giving them to him!

I love that kid!

--I also can't believe how much taller he looks in shorts.  He seems to have lost his little boy legs over the winter.

Valentine Treats

The problem with kids getting older is that they start getting their own ideas about what they like and what they don't.

It's most noticeably a problem when it comes to birthdays, Valentine's Day, and Halloween.

I have good ideas.

I don't understand why the boys don't agree.

For Valentine's Day, I presented the boys with a wide array of super cute ideas. Some of them I was certain they would immediately jump on--bugs, mustaches....it's all right up their alley.

To my surprise, they were not quite as enthusiastic about them as I was.

In the end, I offered to let them each pick out a $2 box of valentine's from the store.

They were ecstatic!

I decided that we at least had to do more than just slap a piece of candy on the back and call it good.

I found some perfectly sized baggies, let the boys each pick out two of their favorite kinds of candies, and gathered up some heart stickers to add just an extra little punch.

It ended up being a win-win!

The boys got to pick out all their favorites and I got my extra bit of "special" added to them!

I almost hate to say it, but I kind of really love this years valentine's because they were oh-so simple, but still pretty cute!

It may be our new "go to" design........although if any of the boys want to go fancy next year, I'm game!

Would You Like A Cookie?

I don't often let the boys help me make sweets.

They are just entirely too germy.

I make an exception when they treats are completely, totally, only for us--which isn't very often.

When they do get to help, they end up rewashing their hands several times because they've stolen some licks.

(I'm completely aware of how unfun I am, although, I must say, I'm not so much a germ-a-phobe for myself as I am for other peoples sake!)

On Thursday, I went with Henry's class to the nursing home behind their school, where the kids got to decorate sugar cookies with some of the residents.

It pretty much reaffirmed my feelings on not letting kids touch anything but their own food.

There was a lot of licking going on.   A LOT!

I encouraged a couple of the residents to decorate their own, especially when they would say it was fun just watching the kids do the decorating.

I figured they should have at least a couple of "safe" ones to eat!

In the end the cookies were just little serving trays for gobs of icing and sprinkles, but they were pretty impressive!

Everyone got to pick one cookie to eat and the rest were left behind for the residents to enjoy.

I think the field trip was more about the experience than about providing treats, though!
 
It also made me realize that I should let the boys bake more often "just because"--even if they make a mess and lick their fingers like crazy!

Speech! Speech!

Henry was one of three kids picked to give a short speech at an informational meeting for next year's kindergarten parents.

He was pretty excited about it.

He's been waiting all his life for this opportunity!

He was really hoping that he would get to:  1. use a microphone and  2. have a question and answer session with the audience.

He clearly didn't get either mine or Ben's nervousness about public speaking!

When we got to the meeting the other two kids had their speeches completely written out. 

Henry had this....

....his speech in super simplified, bullet form. 

It made me suddenly get very nervous for him.

He should have at least written it in something a little easier to read than super bright neon pink!

Even though he was winging it, he did so good.

He started off with, "Hi, my name is Henry Jonker and I'm in the 1st grade" and then took off on all the things that he loves and why he loves them.

I was so proud of him!

He did end up getting to use a microphone. 

He did not, however, get to have the Q & A session that he wanted.

Down the road, I guess!