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.