Quintalicious

Dare I say it?

2008-01-08T12:55:00.001-08:00

I think that nobody is still sick! Everyone's back at school and work and I'm feeling happy to have my routine back. I am planning on starting school next Monday-that is if I can jump through the 1500 hoops they are throwing at me cause it's been so long since I went.

Don't have much to say but, I finally scanned the older two boys' school pictures. I am still working on the Christmas pics so those will be up sometime around Easter, I'm sure. ;)
Here's James' kindergarten pic:

And Aidan's 3rd grade picture. Geez, third grade?! When did that happen? I remember when I was in 3rd grade!

Recovery

2007-12-31T18:53:00.001-08:00

Well, we had a pretty good Christmas, I think. That was until the puking. But, hell, it's not Christmas unless a kid pukes, right?
As soon as we're on stable ground again with nobody being sick (I'm the only one left that hasn't been sick this week!) and me having the energy to do it, I'll get some Christmas pictures up here for y'all.
My news for the day is that I am 100% infertile! Yippee!! I bet not many people get to be excited about that but I sure as hell am. Apparantly not many women have their tubes tied twice as I was somewhat of an exciting patient for the nurses today. One of them sat down, a glint in her eye and said, "So, tell me, how did this happen? I've never seen this before!" I told her one of the tubes grew back and she gasped and said "So, you're like..." I raised my eyebrows at her and said "a freak of nature?" I think her nervous laugh and the following denials gave her away though...that's what she was going to say. ;)
Anyhow, the test results say that I'm all set in the "no more kids" department so yay, something to celebrate on this fine New Years Eve....now if only I had a babysitter and my husband wasn't dying in the bedroom...

Two weeks...

2007-12-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

So it begins, the two weeks of hell. Christmas Vacation. Oh, pardon me, I mean Holiday Break. No use of the "C" word here, no ma'am. Hey, how come we can't use the "C" word in schools but we have to hear about Bush's trip to church on "C" word day? I'm confused...
Anyway, two weeks of too much candy, too much excitement, too much spending, and not enough time where the kids are not within 15 feet of me. At least this year nobody is sick...yet...*knock on formica.*

P.S. I'm quitting my job this weekend. You want details, you'll be forced to contact me and listen to my rants. :)

P.P.S. Today is Michael's birthday!! Everyone say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy 6th Birthday Jamie!

2007-12-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

My Baby James,

Six years and nine hours ago, I was huge and exhausted. You were 13 days late! Just wanted to stay put, warm and comfy in my tummy. Little did I know that this need to be close to me would last to this day and beyond.

Aidan was two and he had croup and I was perched on his bed taking his temperature when labor started. For the next 8 hours, I would hold and rock Aidan through the night, stopping only to breathe through contractions every ten minutes or so. Finally, around 6 a.m. I woke Daddy to tell him it was time to go to the hospital-our James was coming into this world at last!

So we bundled Aidan up, called Grandpa to meet us at the hospital, and headed into Hoag's emergency room, where they took us up to L&D. Within a few hours, I was hooked up to moniters and epidural, had my water broken by a nurse while I talked with Grandma on the phone (she was so excited you were coming!) and soon after, I fell asleep.

When I woke up many hours later, it was to feel you slip-sliding right into this world. I calmly buzzed the nurse to let her know you were being born right then. She laughed, saying that she was sure you were not coming yet but came in anyway to check on me. Seven minutes and two pushes later, you were born. The doctor placed you on my stomach, covered in new-baby gunk and gazing up at me with huge eyes. You weighed nine pounds even and were 21 inches long. A big boy!

Daddy and I were so happy you were here to hold finally!

We named you James Donald Cedric Platt. James comes from Daddy's cousin, Jimmy. Jimmy and Daddy were best friends their whole lives. Jimmy died at the age of 19 just a few weeks before we found out I was pregnant with you. Donald comes from Grandpa Jack's dad, who was a very kind, loving man. Don died just before I was born. And Cedric is for Grandma's dad, who died when Grandma was a little girl. Cedric was a brave and handsome man. We could not decide between Donald and Cedric for your middle name but just before you were to be born, your Great Grandma suggested we use both-so we did!

You came home from the hospital with me on Daddy's birthday. Grandpa Jack and Grandpa came over and Aidan got to meet you for the first time, since he hadn't been allowed in the hospital because he was still sick. The hospital even kept you and I an extra day to assure that you would not catch Aidan's croup.

The following few months were hard, you were colicky and cried 8-10 hours a day. Nothing could calm you down. We had a photographer come take your baby pictures in our living room. You cried the entire time but somehow he got a few good pictures of you.

By the time you were six months old, though, you had calmed down and become the sweet, loving James that we know now. Good thing too! At the rate you were going, you may not have made it to your first birthday without being sold to the circus or driving me to the nut house! Ok, so you did drive me to the nut house but, I forgive you! :)

By your first birthday, we'd all come to know and love that bright smile of yours!

You find joy in so many things in life, James!

At two years old, the world held endless wonder for you and you loved to explore everything!

For your third birthday, you wanted to go see the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. I was pregnant with your little brother, Thayer, and sick as a dog, but we all piled into Grandpa's car and drove up to L.A. We had lunch at Canter's and went to the museum. You had so much fun!

James, you are always so loving and never forget to tell me you love me at least 54 times a day! ;) Always ready with hugs and kisses, you are my sweet Jamie.

When Thayer came, you were so excited to be a big brother! Always smothering Thayer in kisses and hugs, you can get a smile out of him anytime!

At four years old, you were in preschool and loving it! You had been begging to go to preschool for years and it was finally your turn! You immediately became very attached to your favorite teacher, Mr. Glenn.
That summer, we went to Utah, where you got to ride an ATV with Daddy for the first time:

You and Aidan have always been best friends! You may fight a lot but, when it comes down to it, you are always there for each other and you love each other immensely!

My three boys...you fit perfectly in the middle, James. A great source of comfort for your younger brother and a wonderful friend for your older brother.

By your 5th birthday, we were living in Utah and all you wanted for your birthday was SNOW! It didn't look good, it hadn't snowed in a week and the ground was clear. But, the morning of your birthday, the snow started falling and it didn't stop until well into the night!

And today you are Six! I can't believe you've grown so much, the time has gone so fast!
You are our world, James! We love you so much!
Happy Birthday, my Jamie!

Smartass!

2007-12-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

James is turning 6 tomorrow! Now, Michael and I like to screw with our kids on a daily basis. For instance, when we're going somewhere fun and the kids ask where we're going, Michael will tell them we're going to the dentist. Usually James is the voice of reason. He'll shout "NOO! We're going to the PARK, Daddy!" He says it in a tone that very obviously means Daddy is lacking vital brain cells required to understand that the idea of going to the dentist on a bright Saturday afternoon is absurd, to say the least.
So we've been messing with James' head for weeks now, asking if he's turning 26, if he's going to get his driver's license, and, perhaps the most enjoyable of all, telling him we missed his birthday-it was last week! He gets a little miffed and will state very firmly what the facts are concerning his birthday.
So you can imagine why I was scratching my head during a conversation I had on the walk to school with James today. The entire time, James was talking very matter-of-factly, as if he completely believed everything he was saying.

James: "Today is Wednesday, right?"
Me: "No, today is Tuesday."
James: "So, tomorrow is Friday, right?"
Me: (with a suspicious sideways look at him) "No, you know what comes after Tuesday..."
James: "Yeah, Friday!"
Me: "James, what's the first day of the week?"
James: "Sunday! DUH!"
Me: "What's after Sunday?"
James: "Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Friday! Today is Wednesday, tomorrow is FRIDAY!"
Me: "James, do you have a brain injury I don't know about?"
James: (laughing) "Noooo..."
Me: "James, today is Tuesday. Tomorrow is Wednesday, December 19th. What day is that?"
James: "FRIDAY!"
Me: *screaming in frustration in the general direction of the heavens*
At this point I think that if I mess with him, he'll remember what tomorrow really is.
Me: "If tomorrow is Friday, then I guess we missed your birthday and we'll have to wait until next year!"
James: (laughing maniacly) "I was just SCREWING with you MAN!"
Me: "What?!"
James: "Today is TUESDAY! Tomorrow is WEDNESDAY! Tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY! Tomorrow I turn SIX! DUH MOMMY!"
Me: "Tomorrow you turn sixteen? You're going to get your license?"
James: *letting out an exasperated sigh* "NO! I'm turning SIX!!!!"

At that, he rides his scooter out of earshot and I am left trying to wrap my brain around how my sweet little boy just caused me to question my own sanity...and what day it is.