What Easter looks like

oy!

She's sick again :/  Took her to the doctors this morning after day 4 of a fever and no other symptoms aside from extreme crabbiness, lots of crying and her hand either constantly over her ear or in her ear.

Another partially ruptured ear drum, the right ear this time around.

She's been one sick chick for over a month :(

February 12 - Left ruptured ear drum courtesy of a nasty ear infection
February 21 - Amoxicillin rash/allergic reaction, still has ear infection 
February 25 - Stomach bug
March 12 - The worst stomach bug, ever
March 29 - Right ruptured ear drum courtesy of a nasty ear infection

Foto Friday

And a Good Friday it is.

T.G.I.F!

those R/C car enthusiast can click the link below to see more footage

 KCH R/C Car -1

Rough patch with a side of nachos

This is/was Reagan today/yesterday/the day before etc etc... feel like a broken record talking about her general crabbiness lately.  The girl is going through a rough patch.  And two days ago I saw what I had suspected as the partial culprit - her two year molars have hatched.  Both her bottom ones are breaking the skin and if I remember correctly those bad boys are huge and take their grand ole time in surfacing completely.  Haven't been able to pry her mouth open wide enough to see if the top ones are coming in but I would suspect they'll all be up & out before her 2nd birthday - just like Logans were.


I ran out of options of comfort for her this morning - so I put her back to bed at 10 & she fell right to sleep.  Sleep & grow my little one.

If one of my babes is a crabby crab monster it never fails for me to have the urge to spoil the other :)  So while Reagan slept Logan & I had lunch together.  I thought of what Logan might deem as his most favorite foods and thats what we ate: Nachos, carrots already pre-dipped in hummus and apple juice.

Need to kill the last 10mins before bedtime?  Try this - turn off all the lights and put a mag light in their hands

works for Logan
lol

Ask and you shall receive

Mother nature sent us a few hours of coatless sunshine today :)

More toys

Is it Christmas for Kevin?!  

An R/C helicopter to fly on the inside when the weather doesn't allow for R/C car racing on the outside.

Still winter

We are almost one week into Spring &  one week away from the start of April.  Yet my poor kiddos are still having to wear hats, gloves, and winter coats when we go outside :/

Desperate for some warm sunshine.

Houston Favs

Being super sick didn't cramp the Hertel/Hawk style of taking a gazillion pictures & just in case you didn't click the picture link Epic Houston Vacation here are some of my individual favorites of the kiddos

 LOVE.love.LooooOVE this picture of Olivia.  I can see into the future with this one. She's beautiful.

This kid.  He works me hard, but I love a happy Logan and he is so very happy in this picture.

Ohh Mason-Man if one picture can capture your personality, this is it. You are looking at one laid back, cool little man.

So very fitting for my favorite Reagan picture to be not of her face but of her growing blonde hair.  She had her fit throwing face on for most of our vacation. boo.

Foto Friday

T.G.I.F !!!!!!

4 flights, 2 kids, 1 Moma

I won't go into details about our epic vacation but I will make up for it with details of how I took my two babies on an airplane by myself for the first time ever.

To Houston

Flight #1
Providence to Philadelphia

 

The picture below was taken over an hour after we boarded the flight.  And we were still on the ground, still on the runway, it was weathering and the pilot had just announced he had no idea what was going on and wasn't sure if the flight was going to actually happen or not.  

I was one stressed Moma.  I was determined not to break out any of the in-flight entertainment until we were in the air but I eventually had to cave with a snack.  Having 2 kids on a not moving airplane is like my 3rd worst fear and there I was.  My saving grace - having an entire row to ourselves.

 

We eventually took off but I think we sat on the airplane not moving for 1.5hrs.  Once in the air we watched a short Mickey Mouse movie while Moma took a couple deep breaths and by the time that was over we were getting close to landing.  At which point I busted out some books and we read until we were on the ground.

 

Flight #2

Philadelphia to Houston

I managed to have just enough time to change diapers before we boarded our next flight and again we had the entire row to ourselves :)  We played, ate, read books, did a couple puzzles on the tablet and flipped through the Skymall magazine.  We made it.  No one cried. 

This is how we traveled around the airport - the the double wide.  When we boarded I somehow managed to carry Logan, push the folded stroller, and keep Reagan by my side.  I dropped the stroller off right before we boarded and continued to carry Logan while directing Reagan where to go.  I probably could have let Logan walk but I know my kids strengths and weaknesses - listening and walking are not Logans strengths. And when you're by yourself you choose the less stressful option, always.

Not once did I ever ask for help but not once did someone ever offer to help.  

Coming Home

Flight #3 Houston to Chicago

These next 2 flights had SUPER GREAT potential to be completely awful.  At this point in the viral vacation my kiddos were still blowing through double digit diapers a day.  I decided not to eat or drink to increase my odds of having a bathroom free travel day.  I was tired and hungry and had no coffee.  My kids were sick & miserable. And we just boarded a plane.

We didn't have a full row to ourselves.

But this was us after being in the air for 20mins.  And it remained that way for almost 40mins - I think I even managed to tilt my head back and close my eyes :o

Flight #4
Chicago - Providence

Again not a full row to ourselves.  There were two empty seats behind me and I so badly wanted the man next to us to move back there but I didn't have the gusto to tell ask him to.  I was barely hanging on.  I was sensitive to the littlest things the kids were doing, I didn't have the energy to be the super mom I was on the first two flights.  But somehow we made it.  No one cried.  The kids were great on the plane.

Best news: my bag of over preparedness for diaper explosions went untouched :)

My advice: Remove your mom status for that day and turn into Mary Poppins

Isa & Uncle Timmy's House

I failed to mention that in addition to going on vacation to Houston for 10 days I was also going to be taking a mild vacation from technology.

I'm baaaaacck.

That vacation was  EPICperiod. End of story.

I cried at Houston airport when I left & hugged Andrea goodbye because no matter the type of trip it is I never like leaving her.  I wouldn't have been able to survive without her caring for me and Isa & Uncle Timmy taking care of Logan & Reagan in addition to their own kiddos when it was impossible for me to. Love you.

I cried at Providence Airport when I arrived & saw Kevin because I was that happy to see him, it had been way too long.  He came with balloons for the kiddos and flowers for me and it felt sooo good to be home.  Love you.

There are far too many pictures to put on this blog post but by tomorrow I should have all of the pics dumped in this album, so click to see!

Epic Houston Vacation  

 

Map of the future - II

This is an invitation to an amazing future & I can guarantee it because most futures are

-Story People

Another piece of the jigsaw puzzle I call life was put into place while we were in Houston:

The 'rents bought a house... 

in Texas - say what?!

She's a beaut, by the water, close to Isa & Uncle Timmy with PLENTY of accommodations for extended stay guests ;)

Map of the future - I

Big boy toys

It's been on his (Kevin's, not Logans) wish list for a long time ....
And now it's here in our backyard :o

It's an R/C car.  Scratch that - it's an R/C car on steroids.
Folks this thing goes over 50mph?!

If you want to see the car, see Dylan chase it around the yard, catch a glimpse of a completely random fit by Reagan and see a totally gobsmacked Logan I suggest you click the YouTube link below and watch:

R/C Car Video

Say What?!!!

Ohhhh I'm sorry - have I not mentioned that m'love bought me & the kiddos a trip to the big ole' state of Texas so we can hang out with the Hertels?!!!  AND it just so happens that Grandma & Grandpa will be there for most of it tooooooo :)

We leave on Wednesday and will be soakin' up some Southern sunshine for 10 days.  This will be my first attempt at flying with both kiddos by myself (eeek, wish me luck).  Unfortunately Kevin wasn't able to come with but he will keep Dylan company while feverishly attempting to cross as many things off the to-do -list I created for him ;)

sick of it

oy! get out of our house you nasty germ bugs.....

Kevin was sicksick on Wednesday & this morning Logans got it :/ 

Foto Friday

News Flash:  My kiddos look alike.

TGIF!