New Computer: New Posts!

Tim got me a fancy new computer!!  Technically, we have to share it for the time being, until he decides what he wants in a computer for himself, but still.  I can get it on it while he's working, which is HUGE! 

About 2 weeks ago, we started Lucas on Acellus Power Homeschool.  So far, we like the stability it is giving us & him.  I started him out with the Kindergarten lessons and he is testing his way through them to make sure we don't have any gaps in his knowledge. As soon as Tim sets the old computer up for the kids to use downstairs, Vinnie will start on it as well.  

We also started the kids in karate at a local dojo.  These are pictures I took of Lucas & Vinnie before they left this morning.  It was their first time wearing the gi to class.  Vinnie's fit straight out of the package, but I imagine Sulley will inherit it soon.  Lucas needed an adult size 4, so I had to hem the legs and arms to fit him appropriately.  They are both quite thrilled with their new hobby.  We are excited about the discipline and self-respect aspects of the class.  Sulley is participating as well, but he can't go right now because we are shielding before we fly back to Virginia later this month. The dojo we joined is a family focused center, run by a husband and wife sensei team.  They allow parents to participate with kids in the classes, as part of the kids' tuition!  Tim and I are planning to join as well.  I am sure I will take forever to earn a belt because I certainly cannot do a full push-up right now, but I think the exercise and the kids' seeing us do something will be a big benefit.  

In other news, I bleached my hair  & Tim pierced my ears!  That was an experience.  

Welcome to Colorado Goetsch Family!!

 So, we have officially been in Colorado for 3 weeks now!  

Today the kids and I learned all about the shape of the state of CO, the border cities, and some key vocabulary.  There's so much neat stuff here to learn and since it is all new to me too, we are learning it together! 

Earlier this week we got to go to a Gameschooling Club run by another homeschool family & the boys made a friend!  

Tim's new job hasn't started yet & probably won't until well into the New Year.  He's still working remotely at his old position though. 

The boys all got new bedroom furniture & bed linens and such.  They are so thrilled.  The little boys have a Hot Wheels themed room upstairs, Vinnie went with a "Percy Jackson" theme, and Lucas went "big kid" and just asked for black linens and some anime posters!  He wanted a poster of Billie Eilish, but I just wasn't ready for my 11 year old to have a girl poster on his walls!  Tim and I got new dressers along with all the new beds everybody got.  

Within the first week we were here I managed to get Vinnie and Percy seen at National Jewish & both big kids had their eye exams.  I'm so thankful we are here and able to go to NJH for Vinnie.  

We have managed to get out and do some touristy stuff so that's fun.  

Blog? What blog? Here we go again!

So, we have been on quarantine at home since March 13, making today, 70 days at home.  It has been tough. It has been fun.  We have done a ton of home improvement and housework.  We’ve played games.  We’ve done a little bit of homeschooling.  We’ve done lots of tele-health doctor’s appointments.  We’ve played virtual games with our friends and had Zoom, Skype, and Messenger video chats with friends and family.

I’ve been having a hard time with my anxiety and just nerves in general.  My temper is short and the amount of “crap” I can deal with in a day is limited. So, if I have a long day of appointments like I did yesterday and Wednesday, I typically need a whole day “off” at home to recoup.  I want to try to get back into blogging at least a little bit, just so I have some outlet for my own thoughts and feelings.

Wednesday we drove for Meals on Wheels.  I had all the kids ride along this time & just made them stay in the car.  I had to wear an N95 mask and it was quite miserable.  Also I had 7 stops on my route, so I went through 14 gloves! Thank goodness we had a decent stash of gloves before all of this started.  Afterwards, the kids and I got lunch at Chic Fil A, which we ate parked at Regent University.    It was rainy and gloomy so the boys couldn’t get out and run around or anything.  Then we headed to Tom & Peggy’s house, so Peggy could watch the 3 littles while I took Lucas shoe shopping.  On our way back to her house we found Carolynn skateboard outside of where she should have been (too far from home) so we dropped her off & I had a visit with Chrissy & Cody.  Then we went back to Tom & Peggy’s for a bit before Lucas & Sulley had their physical therapy appointment.  Sulley went up first with Ms. Hayley & then she swapped him out in the van for Lucas, we all just hung out in the van during their two hours of therapy.  Then it was time to head home for dinner.

Yesterday, we had Vinnie’s speech appointment at 8:45 am, then Lucas’ splint fitting appointment at 11, Lucas and I went to Wal-Mart for some groceries, and then I had to go to the oral surgeon at 1:15!  It was a long day!  Tim stayed home with the kids throughout the day.   Lucas is getting a more supportive style of shoe insert to help with his feet not having any arch on the outside.  We had a yummy spaghetti dinner at an earlier than normal dinner time & then I went to bed with Percy.  I was pooped!

So, today, we haven’t left the house, we had Occupational therapy & speech for Sulley this morning, in person and tele-health (respectively) and then Amy stayed to do OT with Vinnie.  Afterwards, we ran over to the school to get school lunches.  We put all that food away & Lucas, Tim, and I ate.  Then it was nap time for both babies.  We checked on the garden, it seems less than half of the green bean plants survived the tropical storm that came through only one week after our last frost. Which is sad, but I can still plant more, so that’s what I’ll do.

Anyway, this post is just to get it out there that I’m doing this again! I’ll try to write specific updates for each kiddo and update pictures and such as I figure out how to blog from the tablet instead of a computer.

Anaphylaxis Sucks Take 2

I stayed up all night (literally until 3 am) on Thursday sewing myself a new bathing suit, so that we could go to Water Country USA with Reesha and her kids.  I had cut out the fabric 2 years ago but never gotten around to sewing it up, because my serger was broken.  Since Tim got it fixed this week, I've been sewing like crazy! Its a little on the small side but totally wearable (with a sports bra for modesty) and I love it! :)

We got up to Water Country around 11:40 am, Reesha ended up hitting mega traffic and didn't get there until closer to 1:00, so we had a long wait & a picnic in the van. 

After we got our passes from Reesha the kids & I headed in to the wave pool and then to the Kritter Korral, but before we could get in the KK, it started to storm.  So we had to hide from the rain under the pavilions. 

Reesha finished lunch with her kiddos and joined us there for a while, then we wandered back to Aquazoid, hoping to be in the line when it reopened.  We ended up waiting for over an hour, before they opened a few rides up.  We headed back to Hubba Hubba Highway because we heard that it was open.  The kids all enjoyed that for a while.  When we were done there we headed to Meltdown.  We waited in the queue for what seemed like forever, one of the kids had an accident, and Lucas FINALLY  started to board a raft, when they got the call to shut down the ride because of the rain. The kids were all quite frustrated.  (So were us grown ups.)  

So, we headed to the bathroom to get the kiddo cleaned up & then to Cowabunga play place.  All of the kids enjoyed playing there for a little while.  Around 6, Reesha was headed out and then they suddenly decided to close the park entirely because of the storm systems that were moving in. So we all hustled to get out of the park.  

We went to the candy shop and let the kids get some candy and then to guest services to get rain passes.  By the time we got settled in the van, Vinnie's legs were covered in hives.  It was around 6:30.  He had only eaten a few of his Sour Patch Kids (from the bulk bin) and some lunch meat.  

We hurried up and got on the road to home and I drove like a crazy person.  We kept an eye on Vin and he kept saying he felt okay, but before we got home he was pale and tired.  As soon as we pulled into the drive-way he utilized the emesis bag I'd given him.  I jumped out of the van, gave him the Auvi-Q epinephrine and called 911 while the kids ran in the tell Tim.

While the EMTs were coming and then doing their thing with Vinnie, I got changed and packed us up.  I also nursed Sulley.  Vinnie decided to ride in the ambulance by himself, and I drove Tim's car behind them. 

The ambulance drivers speed. :) I had to go 10-15 over to keep up with them.  

By the time we got to CHKD ER, Vinnie was still feeling better, but he started to hive and swell up again shortly after that.  

He had a pretty serious biphasic reaction with the second reaction happening around the 3 hour mark and continuing despite benadryl for about another hour and a half.  Then Saturday morning he had hives that came and went all day long, even though he was on steroids and benadryl. 

He also got hives on his face.

The hives did a number on his skin and his eczema is in full flare mode.  We are going to have to be extra careful for a while about food allergies and skin issues.  Throughout it all, Vinnie kept a smile on his face and was as sweet as could be.  One of the doctors literally did a double take when he came in the room, stopped, and said, "Wow, you're a cute kid!"  Ha ha.  Vinnie gets that a lot. (Tim and I cringe because nobody does that to Lucas & he notices.)  

Anyway, we are waiting to hear back from his doc today to find out if she wants to see him, and he is feeling much better. 

Independence Day 2018

I'm not sure when it happened exactly, but the boys discovered "American Ninja Warrior" and "Beast Master" type shows on Netflix in the last couple months and have become obsessed with "training" (otherwise known as jumping and climbing on every surface in the house and yard).  

After Tim & I went away to Maryland to cheer Laura & Cody on in the Spartan race, the boys interest intensified.  They really enjoyed watching the videos of Laura & Cody competing.  So, I started looking around for kids obstacle course races that they could participate in.  I didn't find this one until a few days before July 4th, but it was the perfect opportunity for them to try it out.  Ages 5 & up, FUN, and obstacles and only a "mile" instead of a 5K.  

So, on the morning of July 4th we woke up SUPER early to get to the Freedom Fun Run Mile Obstacle Course Race by 7:55 (we were supposed to be there much earlier, but we didn't make it...)  The boys quickly got registered and ran off to line up in their corral, like they'd been doing races their whole lives.  

The first "leg" of the race was a long run. 

Then there was a slide bouncy house.

Some more running and then this "obstacle course" style bounce house...

Then more running...

Then they had to jump over these tunnels.. like hurdles.

More running and then tires.  Vinnie didn't know what to do with the tires & he was a little too small, so he put both feet in each tire! 

After the tires, more running and then the "barbed wire" crawl. 

More running followed that & then they had to choose between the short or tall climbing wall.  Both kiddos went for the short one, but conquered it epicly. 

Then of course, more running.  Vinnie was pretty much over the running by that point!  And so was Lucas!

Up next was this hay stack climbing obstacle.  That stupid hay had Vinnie covered in hives for 2 days.

Then there was more running...and a "balance beam" made from hay barrels, before the final home stretch to the finish line.

Vinnie finished ahead of Lucas by a couple minutes.

Two sweaty boys with their first ever "race medals".

After the race, we had a Chic Fil A breakfast picnic & then enjoyed the Family Fun Day presented by Community Church Western Branch for about an hour.  It was so humid we were all struggling with the heat.

After that, we went home & Mommy got to sew.  I had only finished Sulley's fourth of July donut outfit and needed to completely make Lucas and Vinnie's from start to finish.  

Frankie & Mom came over and Tim prepared an amazing steak, baked potato and corn on the cob dinner for us, with sauteed mushrooms and onions!  

I didn't get any pictures of that stuff, but it happened and was awesome!

After dinner, I started baking donuts!  I had a couple flavors saved from my first attempt at Vinnie friendly donuts but needed to make more so he would have a decent "variety box" to choose from.  

It took me about 2 hours to bake & decorate his donuts! He had so many choices!

Coconut, red white and bluberry hearts, blueberry with powdered sugar,

chocolate with chocolate frosting and beads, blueberry w/ blueberry glaze , blueberry monster,

blueberry coconut, blueberry powdered sugar no frosting, coconut flag

Choco peanut butter donut w/choco pb frosting Graham’s and marshmallows, chocolate raspberry flag, chocolate frosted with choc sprinkles,

choco pb with choc pb frosting and pb, chocolate with blueberry glaze and choc sprinkles, chocolate frosted with Oreo,

chocolate frosted, white frosting, chocolate coconut with choc frosting and coconut

As soon as I finished baking it was time to go to O' Doodle Doo's Donuts for the fireworks & our donut party! 

Lucas helped us pick out our Baker's Dozen of O' Doodle Doo's donuts & then we were ready for our sampler platters!

Sulley would only accept donuts off of my plate and then he preferred the Old Fashioned!  He wouldn't even taste the frosted or chocolate donuts!  

We got there around 7, so we had a 2 1/2 hour long wait for the fireworks to start.  They have put in a sand pit in the back and we brought bubbles.  The boys ran around and played.  They made friends with a bunch of the kids and had a general good small town fun time!  There were folks with corn hole boards, a wiffle ball game and a football game going throughout the time we were there!  The boys also had a bunch of glow stick toys to play with. 

When it was time for the fireworks we got Sulley into his weighted compression vest.  He also ended up wearing Lucas' noise cancelling head phones.  And sitting in Tim's lap while clinging to my finger. 

He didn't really enjoy the fireworks but wasn't hysterical either.  He just kind of observed and stayed in his safe zone. 

After the fireworks were over, we cleaned up, loaded up and headed home.  Everybody was tired by then and we all pretty much went straight to bed. 

Tim took Thursday off of work and we spent the morning test driving some pick-up trucks for fun.  Mom stayed home with the big boys.  Then when we got home, we had a picnic lunch and I went out fabric shopping.  

All in all, it was a good holiday.