119

Brennan woke up with the scary inward wheeze that flashed me back to Jack's days in the teeny-tiny hospital gown and oxygen treatments. We immediately knew he needed to see a doctor. Weekends around here in rural Michigan leave us the option of the kids ER at Sparrow. I refuse to take my kids to Redi-Care/Urgent Care crap-o-la places that diagnose incorrectly and over-subscribe antibiotics.

So Jack and I headed to Sunday school and church and Joe took the baby to the ER. (Jack didn't want to miss his class and there was no way I was going to take two kids under 5 to the hospital if I didn't have to ...)

Apparently when the pair entered the hospital Brennan was his cute, flirty, edible self. Gone was the crazy breathing and scary cough and clingy behavior. Instead he flirted with nurses and cooed and laughed and was the agreeable perfect baby he usually is ... and Joe said seeing him in the teeny-tiny hospital gown with his bright red socks was actually pretty cute. And Joe only had praise for the facility and its staff.

The good news: no on RSV and the flu. The bad news: ear infection/croup.

And while croup and the ears are rough, with all of Jack's sicknesses over the years these seem mild. I will be curious to see how Brennan gets nailed in preschool after being childcare facility free for his entire life. That exposure should likely rock his protected immune system ... this sickness is his first recordable bout with croup. His brother had been sick fist fulls by this time.

It just confirms I will get him in a pre-pre program by 3 if only to help his immune system adjust well before kindergarten and "real" school.

Then when they got back, Joe and I had to head to MSU to tackle some of my own ailments. Luckily we have the Darnells to step in and help with the kids on crazy days like today ... and soon after we got home, Tera had B high-fiving. Fantastic -- especially for a sicky.

118

The boys and Grandma Rex went to K-zoo to visit with family and go to a Portage Central game. They left when I was still at work and were home very late ... so late that Jack crawled up the stairs and straight into bed.

Tonight was the first time I really got the debrief on the trip.

He went into great detail about his second cousins ... Carly and Carly's brother who I had to remind him over and over was Evan at which he would say ... yeah, Evan, I know that.

Funny quips ...

On Casey ... the senior in high school playing
"Mama! When did he become a man?! I mean he's huge and old. How did that happen so fast? He ... is ... a man!"

On Evan's friends ...
"His friends were super fun. We made jokes. But one of his friends is dumb."
"Dumb?"
"Yeah the boy in the blue shirt ... really dumb."
"Because he was mean to you?"
"No. He was just dumb. He didn't get any of the jokes."

On Carly ...
"She's got long hair now and she looks like a man."
"A man?"
"Yeah. She's tall. I started at her shoes and looked up and up and up. She's a man!"
"Do you mean woman?"
"Yeah, that's what I said."

117

A request or game is floating around Facebook that asks for people's top 25 random thoughts. I wrote mine twice and then somehow lost them twice before I was able to post it on my wall. But it gave me a quick and easy avenue on how to update on life.

1. I am too tired to be blogging but I am wrought with guilt because it's been so neglected.
2. My feet are icicles but I am too cold to get of bed and get socks.
3. I hate winter.
4. I hate basketball season more. It adds stress and makes my life disorganized and annoying.
5. Brennan had a terrible day today which worries me ... could the Terrible Twos arrive early?
6. Jack threw up this week for the first time in his memory. Poor Ma was here and had to talk him through it when he panicked and thought he couldn't breathe.
7. Every day B is saying more words ... he's super close on "I love you" but also says ... More, No, Up, Down, ni-ni (night-night), bye, GA, hiya!, Ga-ga (that's Ma), Baba (that's Jack also known as Ack), Mama (this one is rare) and on Saturday he said "Hi Ted" to Stina's dog.
8. Jack is the smartest person I have ever met.
9. Work is way harder then anyone ever tells you ... but so is life I guess.
10. I am closing in on 35 and my to-do list is still very long.
11. Jack continues to want a little sister.
12. This economy is outta control. I am trying not to think about it too much.
13. I have been tired for more than five years.
14. I am finally going to the doctor for my numbness and pain on my right side. Super excited to find out what is going on. That is sarcasm.
15. I am tempted to sweep up 50 percent of the toys and sell them on eBay. The boys wouldn't notice they have so much.
16. I got an ipod for my birthday but I still have not downloaded anything on it because our home computer is not set up.
17. Brennan is moaning in his sleep right now. Why am I awake?
18. I am thinking about retiring this blog. I never do it and no one will even read this for months because I hardly ever update anyway.
19. Joe is in Iowa. I am used to it.
20. The peanut butter scare confirms that I should not give my kids peanut butter ... ever.
21. I love chocolate bumpy cake by Saunders although the fake bumpy cake I had for my birthday was pretty darn delicious.
22. Ga liked his day at MIS for his present. And the food in Greektown was fabulous.
23. It was awesome to go the movies and dinner with girlfriends (and Stina) for my birthday. Really nice especially since Joe had to cover the MSU v. NW game ... MSU lost. So totally worth it.
24. Jack says he wants to make movies when he grows up. I believe he will if he wants to ... he's just that guy.
25. Brennan never stops.