Ruby vs. vacuum

While I love this age, I hate that Ruby puts EVERYTHING in her mouth!!! I vacuum and sweep and she still finds things on the floor. Ruby gets in the corners and under the couch and tables where the broom or vacuum have missed something and with those cute little pinchers, she can get anything and it of course goes in her mouth. Most recently a marble and a rock. Brian has taken the stance of just throwing things away. He doesn't care if it goes to a game or not, he just wants to avoid any choking hazards. And while I agree with him largely, I also hate to see a game ruined over missing pieces. So I am constantly on the lookout for things she might see. I should probably get on my hands and knees and go through the house. She is like a microscopic vacuum. I am pulling my hair out--it makes me crazy! Of course I don't want her to choke, but what to do with 4 other kids and all their "stuff"?!!!

Bootie Scooting

While Ruby doesn't crawl, she gets around just fine. She is into everything and thrilled about it. The color on the video is a bit dark, but you still get the idea. I've never had one move quite like this--they are all so different!

Happy Birthday, Wendy!

It was so nice for me to think about all the reasons I love and admire Kate on "Praise to Jen & Kate Day", I decided on my sisters' and John's birthdays I am going to do the same for them. I truly feel like I have the best family in the world. My sisters are really very amazing women. And I cannot begin to say how much I adore John, I am so proud of him. So today is Wendy's birthday and there are a million reasons why I love and admire Wendy, but I will write about 10.

1. Wendy ran a marathon, I admire anyone who can do that.

2. Wendy is a perfectionist. Anything she does, she does well. And she does A LOT very well. I remember in middle school I had to sew a pair of short for my sewing class. I sewed the two backs together and the two fronts, so I had one huge leg and one really skinny one. Wendy started looking at the pattern and within a matter of days, she had made several pair, all of them perfect.

3. Wendy is very organized. I admire that because I am not. And she is organized in a very simple and effective way. I have taken many ideas from Wendy, haven't used any of them yet, but I liked them a lot.

4. Wendy is one of the most thoughtful people I know. She sees things that need to be done or could be done for others and she finds a way to get it done. Always quietly and without much fanfare.

5. She is kind. In a most sincere and genuine way, she is just so kind. She has such a good heart and her heart shines through her eyes. She literally saved me this summer with scouts. Jake would have NEVER gotten his Webelos done if it wasn't for Wendy's thoughtfulness, kindness and patience with me. I am so glad she has a son Jake's same age.

6. Wendy is responsible for some of the family's favorite traditions. She started Octoberfest and also in the spring she started the family clean-up at our family cemetery. She has great ideas and she is such a planner! I just feel badly we don't live close enough to enjoy all the fun stuff that goes on.

7. Wendy is a fierce competitor. I admire this so much. She sets goals and gets them done. We did get in a lot of fights growing up when I would beat her at a board game, especially if I bent the rules at all or teased her about beating her, but I love how competitive she is--she makes games fun.

8. She is such a good mom. I will say this about all my sisters, but it is true. Her kids may not know it, but they are darn lucky to have her.

9. Again, I will say this about all my sisters, but she is beautiful from the inside out. She had at least a dozen boys who said they were all going to marry her in high school. She had a following--seriously. Those boys thought she was perfect. It was pretty funny to see from a distance. I don't think she had any idea sometimes, but as her older sister, I saw it AND heard about it.

10. Wendy is strong. I mean this physically and spiritually. She is such a good athlete, but I think I admire the later more. Wendy never wavers. There is no grey area for her, she knows what is right and it is never a hard choice. I like to run into brick walls several times before I figure things out. So Wendy's ability to do what is right and do it so simply is amazing to me.

I really am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life. I love you, Wendy. Hope you have a great birthday.

A look at our LONG week

Last Sunday: Leave after sacrament meeting at church because Sally has started a fever. Later that night, Ruby starts to fever as well.

Monday: Planning to have missionaries and others over for dinner, but have to take Sally & Ruby to the doctor to see what is going on. Ruby has an ear infection, Sally tested for strep, but it was negative. So we have everyone over for dinner. Sally is doing MUCH better, Kash starts with a fever & Ruby is miserable. That night, Kash & Ruby throw up, each a few times. I am feeling terrible about everyone being here--I thought we were okay.

Tuesday: Kash is SO sick, high fever and just so sick. I go back and forth between Ruby and Kash holding each of them til they are asleep just in time for the other to wake up. Sally went back to school, she was feeling fine.

Wednesday: Kash is marginally better, Ruby is still pretty miserable. The doctor's office calls and says the culture they sent out on Sally came back positive, so she does have strep. Great, she has been at school for 2 days with strep--I am such a great mom. She starts her antibiotic. She really was feeling fine!

Thursday: About the same as Wednesday, but Ben comes home with a fever and looking pretty bad.

Friday: Back to the doctor's office. Ruby, Kash, & Ben test positive for Type A Flu. Spend lots of money on meds and all the visits to the office. I tell them that we have also had strep at our house and figure they will send out a culture to see about that as well.

Saturday: Ruby is much improved, she can actually breathe through her nose a little bit again. Ben & Kash still miserable.

Today: Home from church with the sick kiddos. Call the clinic to see if a culture had been sent out for Kash & Ben to make sure there was no strep as well as the flu. No culture sent. I tell them it is logical deduction that they must have strep since Ruby was the only one with flu who is better and she was on an antibiotic for her ears. They tell me I have to bring them back in again. I am mad. Oh, did I mention I have strep too? But I am feeling better since my doctor will give me antibiotics without having to be seen. Brian takes them to the clinic since I was crying and yelling at the nurse, I didn't want to go.

So...I was a little frustrated. I told the nurse, "You are going to make me bring them in, have them tested, if it comes back negative you will send out the culture, but just to be safe you will put them on an antibiotic until the culture comes back." "So tell me why you won't just give me the antibiotic!!!!?" It happened just like I said it would and now we wait until Tuesday to see if I was right. I so hope I am or I will feel so stupid. Not that I am glad my kids are sick, but come on! Oh, another great one, she told me they would just do a nurse visit so we wouldn't get charged, but when Brian got there, they had scheduled an appointment with the doctor. So we got to pay again to do another strep test they should have done Friday. Needless to say, we have had a LONG week! But I think we are finally on the mend. I think about others I know who are dealing with far greater problems than our flu and strep and I really think I shouldn't complain. This too shall pass. Another week and I will have a much better attitude. But I still think we are going to switch doctors. I was really unhappy with how they handled everything this week.

Ruby is Nine Months

I can't believe she is really 9 months old! But she is and she is doing everything a little girl that age will do. She isn't crawling yet, all our hardwood floors deter her a bit. But she scoots around and gets into things all the time, she is definately mobile. Ruby is still such a sweet little girl, we can't get enough of her. She loves the other kids lots and gets so excited when they are around, but she will also let them know when she has had enough. She has finally decided that her Dad is great too. For so long she just wanted me, but now she will cling to Brian and just want to stay with him, unless it is bedtime and then I am the only one who will do. She is making all kinds of fun noises and we are all quite sure she can say "hi", besides just her little wave, it really sounds like she says the actual word "hi". She is amazing! :) Hard to believe we are coming up on a year so quickly. We love our little Ruby--her name is perfect--she is a jem!

Steelers Win--YEAH!!!

Ben was crying when there was 2 1/2 minutes left and the Cardinals were ahead. Brian told him to chill out, there was plenty of time for the Steelers to score. The little video is Ben and Jake after the Steelers made the winning touchdown. I have happy boys. Make sure to notice Kash, who is oblivious to the game and is playing with cars, but decides to get in on the action part way through. I don't even know if he knows why he is jumping around and yelling--just looked like fun--man, I love these kids!

The kids made some decorations on Saturday, Sally helped too. Poor girl didn't even make it to half time, she crashed on her Dad's lap. Jake made the comment after the game, "With all the emotional turmoil and the sugar I've eaten, my stomach doesn't feel so good!" We had a great time! Super game and just a great family night.