Fireman

This is how obsessed Bryce is with fire whatever. Paul bought him a fish. He went to the pet store with Paul to pick it out. He chose a bright red fish with black rocks. We asked him what he was going to name the fish...you guessed it - Fireman. Sorry the picture is so dark, but this was the best we could get. Paul is going to draw a background (a firehouse or something) and then maybe you will be able to see Fireman better.

Friday on our way out to run errands, we went to McDonalds for breakfast. We were sitting in the corner eating when Bryce spotted a firetruck pulling in. He starts jumping up and down and asking if it was his buddies. About the time I was going to say I don't know, he saw Ronnie (one of his buds) walking in. Ronnie spotted Bryce (the screaming may have helped) and came over to say hello to him. After Ronnie met the entire family, Bryce started asking where Daniel was. He was in the firetruck so Ronnie called him and he came in. While we were dumping trash, I turned around to see Daniel carrying Bryce to the firetruck. All of the boys got to get in the firetruck and visit for a few minutes (then we had to go - it was COLD). It is so funny the way Bryce is so addicted to firemen and firetrucks, but it is also kind of scary! It is an honorable profession - but a scary one too!

Poor Sick Baby

These were taken last Monday, when Bryce was at his worse. Any time you saw Bryce Monday, this is what he looked like. This shows how sick he is: not only does he have very rosey cheeks, if you know Bryce, you know NOTHING ever slows him down. He can't stop moving to save his life.

The rest of the week, he looked like this from about 4pm on every night. I don't know why kids always run fever at night! It is my theory that it is because that is when the doctors office are not open. Isaac always spikes high fevers when he is sick, but it is always when the dr office is closed. I guess that is why he has been to the ER twice with fevers close to 105. This is the first time Bryce has had fevers over 104. We will have to wait and see if he will be a spiker or if it is just part of this virus. THE POOR BABY!!!

BORING

The family is completely bored now. We like to go, so it is no fun when we have weather like this!! It is nice to look at, but...

Isaac is dying to go play some soccer. We went Thursday and got his soccer ball, shinguards and shoes. I have never seen him this excited about anything! He has asked about 100 times this weekend if he could go to the park and practice. His coach called us yesterday to let us know that he is on a team and discuss practices. Our first game is March 4, not a whole lot of time! I guess it is good that they do not take score or have refs for this age!! I hope he kicks butt at the game. He has been through so much...

Caleb is also excited about soccer. He still has one more game of basketball next weekend. I am not sure if they are going to make up the game they missed this weekend because of the weather. If we do that might interfere with soccer games! We took him Friday to get his shoes and shinguards, we however forgot the shinguards. Hopefully the kids will be at school Tuesday and Bryce at Mothers Day Out, so I can run in and get his shinguards without the fight!!

Bryce is also excited about soccer. Sadly, he cannot play and I feel this will not fair well when the season starts! We will get two months of listening to him scream in his stroller or wagon at the games or two months of chasing him off the field while his brothers are playing - we will see!!

I guess I am a true "soccer-mom" with my big suburban taxi-ing around the kids to their various games, schools and other activities. I need to take Moms idea of painting my suburban yellow and black and painting "Mom's Taxi Service." As busy as we are now, I still have another child that has not even started on his activities (unless you count the frequent fire station visits!).

Wondering Minds

I wanted to put this on the blog a couple of weeks ago, but kept forgetting. We were on our way to basketball or something one day and Caleb asks:
"Are there 50 suns for 50 states?"
"No, there is only one sun for the whole world."
"Well that can't work....."
You can see where this conversation went, and if you know Caleb, you know how he can drag out a conversation!!

Catch Up

I have not blogged in a few days due to the craziness of having 2 sick kids home all week. We finally got them over the viruses, and now all three of them have awful coughs and snotty noses. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THEM?!?!

We went and did grocery shopping, etc. yesterday so that we would be ready if things got as bad as the media made it sound like it would. When we woke up this morning it was white (mainly from sleet though). It has been cold (I know family - not as cold as the rest of you!!) so we pretty much stayed inside. Maybe tomorrow I will venture out and take some pictures for the blog.

The boys were upset because everything has been cancelled this weekend. No basketball, church, nothing. We bought some books for the boys yesterday and also went to the library. Caleb is reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He also got some Hardy Boys books and some R.L. Stine books. He is getting really good at reading and he comprehends what he reads very well! I am very impressed with him! He takes after his Daddy though with the smarts. I love to read, but with Math and Science, stuff like that - that is all Daddy!

Prayer In School

Caleb was upset this afternoon after school. He came into the kitchen before basketball practice and said that he was not allowed to pray at school. I asked what he was talking about. Apparantly, before their Valentine party he said a silent prayer before they had their ice cream sundaes. After he said a silent prayer, he asked his teacher if he could say a prayer - out loud. He was told he is not allowed to pray at school. I talked to him on the way to basketball and told him how proud I was of him for trying to pray. I also told him to stand up for what he believes in. I said that if he was told he could not pray, to bow his head and pray, but not to let someone tell him what he can and cannot believe in. He is not forcing anyone to join in, but if he feels like praying, he should not be told he can't.
They should of at least informed him that he could pray silently, but not out loud. I can not guarantee that they did not tell him that, but as upset as he was, I am fairly certain they didn't.
I am just so tired of our kids being told what they can and cannot believe in. Instead of just saying "no, you can't pray," why can't they give the children another option.

A "Virus"

Sunday, Bryce was fine all day until about 5pm. He came in whining and I went to pick him up and he was very hot. I checked his temperature and it was 101.9 degrees. Less than an hour later is was 103 degrees. I gave him some medicine and he laid down and watched tv for a while. He got up about 4:30am Monday but was back to sleep shortly after. He slept ALL DAY! I am not exaggerating about that. He woke up long enough to have the dr check him out and went back to sleep. He slept while we were at the store and then came home and slept in the rocking chair all day (and still slept all night). His fever was above 103 all day, and just wore him out.
The doctor said she could not find anything, and to just keep an eye on him. Today he was fine most of the day. He played and took it easy. This afternoon though he got really fussy again. I took his temperature and it was 104.2 degrees.
Isaac came home from therapy today with a fever. He has acted fine all day though. I don't know what this "virus" is, but it sucks!

The Butt...

I am beginning to think that I am the butt of some cosmic joke!! How could someone as girlie as I am end up in a house full of boys? I am having a hard time with the boys lately - just being boys, I suppose. Last night they all went to bed with shampoo in their hair. I know I am an awful mom!! Caleb was in the shower. I heard the other two in the bathroom and went to check on them. Caleb was still in the shower, Isaac was dumping the second bottle of shampoo in the floor of the bathtub, and Bryce had a wet towel he was trying to put in the sink, but instead he had water going all over the floor (from the towel). As if this was not enough, Isaac's Leapster was on the sink, covered in soap suds, and all three of the boys had soap in their hair (Caleb was the only one in the shower though!) I was so mad, I had to put the boys to bed, soap and all!! I could not even clean the bathroom (and I still have not been able to go in and completely clean it) because I was so angry.

After that last thing last night, I wake up to the boys fighting. I got them to school and when I picked them up this afternoon, they immediately started in on fighting again!

I am sorry Mom and Dad for all of the fighting I was a part of when we were growing up!!!! I can do more that imagine.... I also am a true believer that you get what you give!!!!!!!!!! I love you both!!!!

The Kiss

I got a friend, Jennifer, started on blogging. She also set up a blog for her 6 year old daughter, Holly. Well, Jennifer called me today and told me I needed to read Holly's blog. This is an excerpt from it:
My friends are the best....Nikki #1 (My Big Sis!), Tuckir (my boyfriend), also Caleb (he's my boyfriend too!) I will probably marry one of them. I liked when Caleb kissed me at his birthday party.

I just found out about this kiss like last month. I have not said anything to Caleb about it, but he has not said anything to me about it either!! One of these days I will have to ask him about it and see what his response is.

More Fire Pics

This helmet weighs about as much as he does!! He has to hold it to keep from falling over.

Fire Station Photos

They give Bryce his own helmet!









Teaching him how to jump in puddles of soap











Checking all the valves









Jumping in puddles and splashing the Captain













Washing the fire trucks






"See that man in the white shirt (the captain)? He wears a white shirt because he really likes getting wet!" the fireman tells Bryce as he points the hose towards the Captain.











Washing the truck












washing the other truck




Bryce decided the truck needed to be dried now - with 2 paper towels
(they did not go very far)











helping clean the floor of the fire house













scrubbign the floor with the same paper towels - someone needs to be paying this boy!








scrubbing the fire truck - yes, still the same 2 paper towels









"Open this door!"










Getting cleaned off after falling in the soap










Time for a drive








Bryce's head is peaking over the top of the door (bottom of window)














On his own











Not for long though!











Looking at the lights on top of the fire truck (he turned them on himself)









Learning how to use the wrench that they use to take the valve off of hydrants












All valves open (and water coming out the bottom)












Squeeging the floor






He does not look the same with his uniform on!! (Never mind shortly after he goes for a ride with him by himself)










Looking behind doors










"Yucky water"







"I'm not getting wet!"











"The rake is stuck!"










Going on first ride (of this trip) - with no Mommy this time











Leaving - first ride
Isn't that truck shiney and clean!








coming back - first ride





pulling in










getting back -- second ride (different truck)
another pretty clean one!






Bryce learning how to scare everyone to death









Bryce and one of his new buddies











Bryce and all of his new buddies






One of the fireman was opening a valve for Bryce. Bryce stepped back just in time, because the fireman had water shoot out of the valve and all over him!!









Fireman puddle jumping








The fireman go for a walk













This is what happens when you play with fireman









Close up of what happens when you play with firemen (no he did not fight a gire, just looks like it!)







Bryce's gift from the firemen











What happens when a 2 year old does not take a nap before playing with firemen for an hour and a half!! (we were not even off the street the fire station is on when I took this photo!!)

Bryce's Heroes (Other Than Daddy!)

Well, we had another visit to the firestation, but this time we took the camera!!! He acted like he had never seen any of this stuff before! They already had the trucks pulled out when we got there (both of them this time!). They were working on washing it when we got there, so Bryce got to "help." The chief came and Bryce was getting coached by the other fireman to spray him. I think by the end of it all, everyone ended up getting wet!

After he helped wash the trucks and tried to dry them with 2 or 3 paper towels (you can imagine how far that went on a firetruck) he helped Ronny and Big Al wash the floor of the firehouse. There was water everywhere!!

Ronny put on his fire suit for Bryce, but this freaked Bryce out!! I guess he just did not look the same with all the gear on!! Bryce decided that he needed to see what was behind all the doors again, on both trucks. After they went through ALL of the doors, he wanted to see how the valves worked. He now knows what pretty much everything on those trucks do!!

They asked him which truck he wanted to ride in. He pointed to the same one he rode in yesterday. Ronny took him for a ride, but Mommy did not have to go this time - these are Bryce's buddies now! When he got back and finished playing with all the gadgets INSIDE the truck, he got out and ran to the other truck saying "ride, ride, ride. So then his buddy, Daniel took him for a ride in the second truck. Of course, when they got back he had to try out all of the gadgets inside that truck.

These guys are so awesome. They had a real fireman helmet for Bryce. He is kinda scared of it right now, but I know it will not be long before he wears it everywhere!! We were there for about an hour and a half today. I told them that if they were not careful, Bryce would try to make this an everyday thing. So what do they do - they ask them to come back on Monday (these guys are off until then!) I think they need to start paying him!!!

Thank you to our fire department for opening up your firehouse to a 2 year old! Not many people are willing to do that (not that I blame them!) Ya'll have made him EXTREMELY happy - and spoiled!! When we see a firetruck now (anywhere) he starts naming his new friends. Apparently Al, Ronny and Daniel are the only ones that use the big red trucks!

I am going to post pictures in an entry of their own!

THIS HAS GOTTA HURT