Flashback to Snow Day 2010!

Flashback a more than a month later to my Birthday-Snow Day.

Here is the view out of the front door on my birthday, snow day. Glad to spend the day with my boys, but bittersweet to loose our Good Friday holiday.

White Birthday!

Our snowman from the day before was struggling but still managed to hold on to his Bud Light.

Everything is bigger in Texas-the biggest snow we've had since moving here.

Amazing! So much fun and I think the experience is worth the lack of holidays now until Memorial Day. It was a great white birthday.

Overwhelmed Update

The blog lately has been a bit overwhelming to me...not sure if that is how to describe it, but I have been avoiding it along with many other things and I apologize to Jack (for many reasons other than the lack of documentation).

Here is our lil man passed out on pain pills headed home from the hospital on Thursday. Too bad his peaceful, yet loud snoring state of comfort did not last as long as we hoped. Thursday as I said he stayed in bed but was healing nicely. Friday Nick was going to stay home with him but the tons of Texas snow canceled school so the whole Relle Clan stayed home to play in the snow and celebrate my birthday together.
There of course was a tish of damage.

But nothing an ice cold snow beer couldn't handle.

The good.

The bad.

And the ugly.

If you can't tell that is our boot leg sled that us Louisiana coon-asses didn't realize needed to be on a hard packed hill to slide nicely, but none the less gave the garbage can lid a shot-Nick was going to reach down and pull me around the backyard. Apparently small garbage lids, thick soft snow, and my fat ass don't mix well. I sunk and it took quite a bit to get me up.

A few days later he no longer had my Neiman Marcus hat, scarf, or beer and looked more like an elephant, and then a pig, and now there is just a bit of remains all over of the big snow fun here last week-but the memories remain.

The McWilliams spontaneously came over for some fried food (which was originally steak reservations, then pizza, and ended up fried chicken, french fries, okra, and pickles....I mean I made it to 31...why not clog it all up and end on a good note?!?

Nick was supposed to help the kids decorate the birthday cake. He set down the tub o sprinkles, grabbed some french fries, and went to hang out with Aaron in the living room. This is what I walked into...there were more sprinkles in mouths and the floor than the cake. Some even came from off the cake and into the mouth. Cleaning it up to me gave me that sand in the bathing suit annoyance...but it's all in the spirit of me so that is all that matters-and Nick now knows a bit more about supervision with projects and toddlers.

On my birthday I officially had two gifts to open. Some MF earrings shipped from Mom and Dad and this Happy Birthday banner that I LOVE from Lisa. She made one for her family forever ago and remembered me asking for one as a gift one day. I love that it is classy (because you know that is my middle name) and that it can be used for everyone. I also had many cards from wonderful friends and family (some included money too). My gifts from the boys were things that I needed and had already gotten- my lens, my shopping spree on Sunday, Disney, and the plane ticket to the wedding in April in the Keys. Thanks everyone for a fantastic birthday!

Jack and I were so prepared for Valentine's Day we made his box early on in January.
Too bad this is how he looked on Sunday resulting in a day home with fever Sunday and Monday missing his Valentine's Party at school. We knew the recovery couldn't be that easy....he's a Relle which is a division of Antie after all. It took a long time for his fever to go down, no eating, and an after hours calling into the ENT hoping not to be interrupting his romantic Valentine's. The thought is that it was a secondary virus which is common after surgery due to the fever being over 101 and not reducing with fever meds. He pulled through and now we are just tackling those painful drops, a funk breath, and dreading the 5-7 day mark when the scabs fall off and the pain that hopefully is gone by then returns....Hoping we never have to go through this again or worse....tonsils!
But my Valentine's Day was nice since I was trapped for my birthday-shopping all day (gift cards and coupons only I kinda promise), a steak/baked potato/grilled asparagus with wine and calla lilly dinner made by Nick, and LOVE for my family!

Tube Snow

Jack's surgery went well. He was not as into the pre op this go around (guess now he knows better than to fall for the sweet talk from the nurses and doctors). But afterwards he was crying when I got back to him but then slept on me the whole recovery, to the car, at the pharmacy in the car, and oer and hour when we got back. Then it was resting in bed to watch Te Bee Movie, Charlie Brown's Valentine's, and Thomas. He even mustered up enough engery and appetite to eat 2 grilled cheese and some of Bebe's cookies.

When Nick got home from work the snow had really accumulated and wasn't stopping in the near future (school has already been cancelled for tomorrow), so we thought we'd do all we could to get Parents of the Year, bundled him up, and played in the snow. Gave him the pep he needed and now he is out for hopefully the night pain free. I have a ton more pictures from the Tube Snow...but this video will have to do for now...I've been in a blog slump lately.

Not in the budget....Surgery Scheduled for Thursday

So this year the only expense we planned on having was to go as a family to Disney. Nick and I haven't been on a trip since the Summer we brought Jack back to the States so we've been saving up and looking forward to it. Well, life couldn't be that easy. A few more expenses have come up that are rocking the budget...but I guess that is life.



One being Jack's ears. Cliff Notes version follows that leads us to Thursday's surgery:

Awhile back he complained and held his ear. We noticed but didn't pursue. The complaint came again so I took him to the new pedi...everything normal but gave a script just in case fever came or got worse.



Still complaining and a call from school lead Nick to take Jack to the ENT (partner of his original ENT due to last minute notice of needing appointment). Left tube was falling out, caught, too painful to push back or remove, so in a week it should fall out on its own. If ear infections within 6 weeks we'd know if Jack needed a tube put back in. If not, we were good....well....



School calls two days in a row- Jack had been crying and holding ear. I made a controversial leaving work ENT appointment to avoid having to go longer with discomfort to find out that the tube had indeed fallen out, was lodged in some hard wax which was causing him discomfort and there was already fluid behind his ear. With our Disney trip and his being uncomfortable we needed to schedule the procedure ASAP.



So Thursday Jack will be having surgery by Dr. Ermel at Centennial Outpatient Surgery Center (same location as last time). They will be removing the left tube that has fallen out, placing a new tube in the left ear, removing and replacing the right tube, and removing his adenoids.



I'll be home with him on Thursday and Nick is on call for Friday depending on how his recovery is going.



Check back Thursday afternoon for an update on how the surgery goes. Hoping we can get this cleared up fully before getting on the plane to Disney (which BTW he still doesn't know about). His birthday wish list will be up soon....on the list as you can guess....money for his new set of tubes!