What a Difference a Day Makes!

Emma and her softball medal

Emma's German souvenir

Owen and his firetruck

Logan loving Lucy

Whew...today was much better. In fact it was a great day! Emma was feeling much better. No fever today - just a little bit of a cold. Sounds like the exact same thing her friend had last week, so let's hope that's it. Even if the boys get it, they should be fine by Saturday. If not...we'll be stocking up on Motrin.
Jonathan made it home today! We were so happy to see him. Emma made him some welcome home banners and the boys practically pounced on him. He had a good trip and he brought everyone some great souvenirs. He always brings some kind of candy for the kids, so they started their sugar rush as soon as he opened his suitcase. He brought me a bottle of wine and some fine chocolates - he knows what my week was like (and he wants to travel again! :) He brought us all a neat little wooden figurine. I'm sure there's some fancy name for them - but they are intricate little wooden toys. He brought the boys little fire trucks, and Emma and I got these little windmills. They are beautiful!
Emma had her softball party at Cici's Pizza. The coach had some nice things to say about her and asked her to play again next year. I thinik that's all she needed to hear and she'll give it another try next season.

But...the best part of my day was a call from my dear cousin Leanne. For those of you who don't know her, she was like a sister to me growing up. We spent a lot of time together - playing and fighting during our childhood (Right Aunt June?!). Well, she started her own blog page with some exciting news. I've put a link to her page on here - so go check it out! Thanks Leanne - that was the icing on the cake today!

What Next?

When it rains, it pours. I am soooo glad that Jonathan is coming home tomorrow. I don't think I can do this single parenthood much longer. Yesterday was a rough day. Emma had a softball game at noon. It was extremely hot and Emma was hard on herself because she's not the most natural athlete (imagine that!) She struck out several times and she knows that she is stuck in the outfield for a reason. I'm glad she tried it and I think she's enjoying it, but she has a lot to learn. Anyways, her team won 13-2, so she was happy about that. The boys managed to cover themselves in dirt from head to toe.

Most of you know already that Owen was diagnosed with ADHD last fall by a psychiatrist. He did so well in school, so we have held off on medication. His behavior really seemed to improve for a few months. Well, now he's back to his old ways. He needs constant structure and I can not do that all summer. He is constantly on the go - he can not physically sit still. (As I type this, he is standing on his head on the couch) After many discussions, we decided to try meds. So I take him to the pediatrician on Friday, thinking I'd walk away with a prescription in hand. Before they give me that, he has to have an EKG. So, I have to take him to get that done and then it takes a few weeks to get the results read by a pediatric cardiologist. Aaaaahhhhhh! I don't know if we'll make it a few more weeks. I wonder if I can bribe the cariologists to get it done ASAP?!

After Emma's game, we came home and did nothing all night. The kids fought with one another and with me all night. I ended my night by realizing that somebody (hmmmm, Owen?!) had peed in the trashcan in the bathroom. I'm not talking ...oops I missed the toilet. I'm talking full blown, let's see how much this trash can can hold! What in the world?! So after an admission, Owen had to scrub out and clean the garbage can. I think he cried for almost 2 hours before he finally settled down and went to bed. It was a crazy night! I was glad when everyone was in bed.

My luck continues today. Emma has a fever of 101. She never runs a fever over 100, so I'm afraid that she really is sick. I pray that she gets over it quick and doesn't pass it on to anybody else. At this moment, Logan fell asleep on the couch without eating dinner. Cross your fingers that we are all healthy before Saturday!

Thanks for letting me vent! Sorry!

A Day for Mommy...well kind of!

Does an MRI count towards Mommy time? I guess it does - no screaming children, laying in a huge donut machine, listening to music?! That's how I started my day. After I dropped the kids of at the sitters and Emma told me that I always leave them and that she wants a "normal" summer, I went for an MRI of my ankle. I broke it 17 years ago playing softball and it has been giving me a lot of pain lately. I finally broke down and went to a specialist and discovered that I have post tramatic stress arthritis - or as my father tells me...I am old. The doctor's say that my joint looks like that of an 80 year old - that it's practically bone on bone. He sent me for the MRI to see if there is anything that he can do. He says I'm too young for an ankle transplant (What the?!) and he doesn't want to have to fuse it (my father in law says I would be a zombie!) until last resort. So basically, I'm stuck with this thing for many years and will probably have to suck it up - oh well, such is life!

Anyways, after the MRI, I took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda and they enjoyed it. We came home, ate dinner (although I thought about just letting them have popcorn for dinner), and they went to Bible School. I went and treated myself to my very first pedicure ever! I have lived a sheltered life, I know, but I figure with all of these doctors looking at my ankle, I might as well make it look a little nicer. So, I loved it and am looking forward to going again in a few weeks.

The kids are really learning things at VBS. This morning I overheard the boys playing. Logan was shouting, "I am Jesus! I am Jesus" and he was curing Owen's blindness. (That was their lesson last night). What a hoot! Well, got to go get the angels. Later!

Pool Pictures

Splish Splash

We had another great day. I might get used to this summer thing! We went to the pool with Tyler, Grace, and Nolan Machi. The kids had a great time playing with the Machi kids and did really well swimming. Logan was hesitant at first, but he then took off in his floatie. Emma has turned into a fish, and Owen is much more confident. I can almost sit back and relax and watch them swim. Fortunately I love to swim, so I enjoy being in the pool. I took the boys to get a haircut...they have to look good for Mickey. Now they are at Bible School. Logan's teacher was very impressed that he could write his name. Luckily we have awesome preschool teachers (Thanks Beth and Christina!) That's about it for today. We heard from Jonathan and he's having a great time in Germany. He might actually get an extra day to do some sightseeing, so that's great for him. I'm so jealous! When the kids are older, I will have to travel with him - some day!

Recent Photos

Logan and his buddy Maddie...What a stud!

Emma and the birthday girl - Maisie. Emma can't get enough of her cousins!

Emma and Jess at Kelly's wedding

Owen graduates from Kindergarten

Keeping these kids busy is exhausting!

Why is it that I can keep 24 six year olds busy for 6 and a half hours, but I can't control my own children?! So far we have made tie dye t-shirts, mosaic flower pots, painted flag magnets at Chick Fil A, and made a craft at the library. I'm going to be out of ideas by Friday!

Really, the kids have been pretty good. Jonathan left for Frankfurt, Germany yesterday, so we are on our own for a week. The kids are doing Vacation Bible School every evening from 6:00-8:30. They are loving it! I have fond memories of going to Bible School as a kid. I'm glad that Emma, Owen, and Logan are having such a good experience. They argue over who is going to tell me what they did each night. They are making new friends and learning a lot. Not to mention...the two and a half hours with no kids and no husband has been kind of nice for me! Ha!
(If you're reading this Jonathan...just kidding! Bring me something nice! :) )

Turdy the Turtle

Did that title get your attention? That would be the name the kids gave to the box turtle we found today crossing the road. Emma spied him in the middle of the road, so we stopped and grabbed him before he got run over. We brought him home and put him in a box for a little while. The kids enjoyed watching him and taking turns holding him. It brought back memories of when I was a kid. I remember finding box turtles and being fascinated by them. The kids decided to name him "Turdy" because it kind of sounded like turtle and he pooped in the box, so they felt that it was appropriate. Are they sick or what?! Anyways, we let him go and he eventually made his way out of our yard. You never know what will happen in this house next.

Okay...I'm trying to figure this picture thing out. Let's try again!

Softball, Skateboarding, and Ice Cream

Emma has started playing softball. She has played a few games and seems to be enjoying it! She especially likes the socializing that happens on the bench! She had a game first thing this morning. She got on base three times (all walks!) and played left field. Her team won 10-5, so she was very happy. After her game, we went shopping - always a fun event with three kids. Daddy caved when the kids asked to get skateboards! I was not there when this decision was made, but he agreed to take them to the emergency room if they broke anything. They had fun trying out their new boards and did pretty well. Of course, Owen was the little daredevil. As if one skateboard wasn't dangerous enough, he decided to ride three at a time. Did I stop him? Of course not, I just snapped away waiting to see what happened! Thankfully, we had no major injuries. The ice cream truck came just in time, so Emma, Owen, and Logan enjoyed a nice summer treat!

I'm going to give it a try!

Well...it seems that this blogging, is the thing to do. It is always so nice to catch up with friends who have their own blogs and to see pictures of their growing families. I thought that I might give this a try so that friends and family from near and far can keep up with the McElwains.

School is out for the summer and we are loving every minute of it! Emma just finished third grade and Owen graduated from Kindergarten. Both of them had a wonderful year and did amazingly well. Logan is still going to preschool at Ms. Beth's and learning so many new things. They are all growing like weeds! I feel like I blinked and they all grew up in no time.

We are preparing for our upcoming trip to Disney World! We leave on July 5th for a week of fun and family! The kids are almost as excited as Mommy and Nana. Memaw and Pepaw are also joining us. We got reservations to eat at Cinderella's castle on the first night we are there, so we are really excited about that! We are counting down the days!