Each week the blog “I Should Be Folding Laundry” hosts a different topic for us  to capture in photos.  This week’s theme is Autumn, and have I got a few pictures to share!  Granted I am not a professional photographer like FireMom,  but I still like pictures!

My yard looked so awesome this year.

Meg worked hard on the leaves...all to jump into of course!

Elle got to actually carve this year!

This was Mita's first experience with pumpkin guts!

Enu cleaned out her pumpkin with good humor.

Thanks for the great idea I Should Be Folding Laundry!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesForMom.com

Photo Credit Me, Mom, Mandy W. 2009

October is my favorite month for taking pictures of the kids.  Not only are the leaves beautiful, but the crisp air tends to bring out the genuine smile of a child.   Their cheeks are rosy, noses are often glistening with a bit of snot (yes, even snot can be cute at times) and their eyes bright.

This week I’m going to post a lot of my pictures as I have been taking them like a mad woman.  With  one more Halloween party and trick or treat I am sure to take another hundred or so this week!

Mita participated in her first ever Pumpkin Bowling game at her cousin’s birthday party.

Elle wanted me to take this picture. She was feeling cute I think!

Enu was still recovery from the flu, but she loved getting out in the fresh air for a walk.

Meg milking a cow.  It was a fake cow built to teach people how to milk.  Not sure why this exists, but it does and it is at our local corn maze for the kids to check out!

All these pictures were taken by ME, Mom or Mandy W. in October 2009

I’ve been rather flippant about the whole H1N1 thing by calling it “Piggy”.  I’ve paid for my sarcasm as when the Doctor diagnosed me with bronchitis yesterday.   He also wanted to screen me for the flu, “just in case”.  No big deal I thought and Hubby took me off to the outpatient lab across from the doctor’s office.

When he said “flu culture” this is what my head pictured:

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Not pleasant, but no big deal.  Just a swab in the nose and I’m done!

I was in for a surprise when the nurse gloved and masked up and came at me with this:

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To be honest, she did warn me at first that it would hurt, make me cry and choke and cough.  It was quick and she had good technique but it HURT!  Basically a a guide-wire was rammed down my nose into my throat!

The moral of my story is don’t mock the swine flu and PRAY that your kids don’t have to be tested for the flu because that would take a lot of screaming children when they see this thing coming at them!

Call it  H1N1, call it the swine flu, call it whatever you want to.  IT STINKS!  We have been sequestered in our house since Friday when Enu woke up with a raging fever.  A fever of 103* actually.  I tried to tell myself it was just a little virus, but when she showed the rest of the symptoms of the flu (dry cough, chills, dizziness, nausea and vomiting) I could no longer ignore what she had.

After doing some research online about the flu,  I discovered that the seasonal flu isn’t going around yet, just the H1N1.  So if you have the flu right now it’s the dreaded piggy flu that the media has been going on about forever.  Of course we won’t know for sure, as they are only testing people who are admitted to the hospital.  I  didn’t panic as Enu is a healthy kid and everyone in the family is healthy.  Elle is quite small though, so we did worry about her a bit.

So almost five days after Enu got sick we are all home and want to get out.  The website Flu.gov suggested that anyone exposed to the virus shouldn’t go out and about for five days after exposure.  Enu’s fever broke on Sunday morning and she is just a bit tired and the other three are fever-free and healthy.  Hubby worked from home yesterday, so to not spread the piggy around at work. Tomorrow they will all be off to school and work where they will be exposed to more fun illnesses to challenge me with!

I, on the other hand, have no fever but a ferocious cough that hurts and a voice that makes me sound like a 3 pack a day smoker.

Tips if your family has the flu:

1)Wash your hands a lot.

2) Open up your windows during the warmest part of the day to get fresh air inside.  If your child isn’t feverish and walking around okay, let him outside in the fresh air.

3)Change your child’s bedsheets daily and make them bath and change clothes even if they want to lay around in the same pajamas for a few days.  Clean and fresh equals healthy!

4)Gargle with warm salt water a few times a day.  This kills and sloughs off the virus in your throat which helps reduce the spreading of the germs.  Saline sprays or drops for the nose also helps a lot.

5)Call your doctor is you or your child has a chronic illness that may be exacerbated by the flu.

6) Keep your heat down low if it is on and make sure you have changed the filter recently.

Things I should have done:

1)  I should have let Elle sleep with her healthier sisters.  Enu was on the top bunk coughing down on Elle (bottom bunk) that first night.

2) I would have had more cough drops, ibuprofen, Tylenol, saline drops and salt int he house!  Six people = 12 nares, 6 throats and a lot of whining and you run out of supplies quickly.

I hope all of you stay healthy in the coming weeks. I am rather glad to get this over with so early though.  We should be healthy for the rest of the school year, I’m sure.  If I say it, it will happen.  If I say it, it will happen.

* A funny story about Enu’s temperature.  I took it and the thermometer read 104.  I about had a heart attack and ran her to the ER.  Then I saw that she was laying on a heating pad.  She had found the heating pad I had used for my back a few weeks ago and feel asleep on it!  I let that wear off before taking her temperature again.  These kiddos are going to drive me insane before I am forty!

Photo Credit

My friend FireMom has been a busy bee with giveaways lately.  I was going to keep all of this knowledge to myself, but the angel on my shoulder told me not to.  Actually I get another entry for blogging about them   Everyone likes to win, it really doesn’t matter what we win, we just have a great feeling when we do.  Two weeks ago I won a case of V8 Fusion from MomCentral.com.  This may not be a fabulous trip to Italy, but think of all of the Girl Scouts I’ll be able to hydrate!

Here are a few giveaways at StopDropandReview :

A Harry Connick Jr. CD

A VeggieTales Christmas DVD

A Fire Safety Giveaway worth $135

A $100 Gift Card (That’s right One Hundred Dollars!)

A Joshua Bell CD

I hope you all take the time to enter the above contests and hopefully you will win one. If any of the above is given to you for Christmas from me, please don’t be offended as I view it as earth friendly to re-gift!

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I am a safety nut.   I love all things prevention, I admit it.  I also have to admit that while I have the best intentions of fulfilling all safety laws without a fuss, my children have a different approach.

Ohio’s Child Passenger Safety Law went to effect on October 7th.  This means all children under 8 years have to be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall.  This law passed a few months ago and we have been using a booster for Enu since I heard about it and she is not happy.  She has gone from never wearing a seat belt (Ethiopia) to having to wear a seat belt (too tight mom) and now a booster.  She is 7 years old and boosters are so uncool you know!  Thankfully I compared the law with her recent Dr. appointment measurements and she is now allowed to be booster seat free according to the state of Ohio (by 1 inch!).  You can just hear my sigh of relief through these words I ‘m sure.

As much as I love safety, I hate conflict every-time we get into the car.  So now three of my four kids can just wear a regular car seat (joy!!!!!!).

Then there is Elle.  My runt. My little girl who hates anything remotely tight or snug.  My little 35 pound almost five year old that will have to be in a booster until she is 10 I’m sure.  All I can do is pray and try not to get to angry as she pulls and screams at the booster’s belts.

I have tried everything I can think of to help with this dastardly dance. I have pulled over and secured her seat. I have used strong Velcro to get her belts on better, I have taken away TV privileges.  I have plead, bribed and bargained. Her Grammy has promised her a DS if she stops the crying.  I have also ignored her, actually that is what I usually do. So if you see me looking serene behind the wheel of my car and then see Elle bright red with her mouth wide open, don’t think I’m heartless. I have just gone to my happy place where Elle is 40 pounds, four foot nine and is in a regular seat-belt.

I would love to hear what has worked for you and you family in regards to car seats and seat belts!

Photo Credit

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesForMom.com

Photo by Mandy W 2009

Meg

My baby, my first born, turned ten on Saturday.  This past year I have been dreading this birthday and didn’t approach it with my normal birthday pizazz and preparation. When the magical day arrived I met it with an unexpected attitude.  While I had been prepared for being sentimental and a little sad (and I did get a bit sappy) I mostly felt immense pride in my girl.  I admire her for her confidence, her kindness and her attitude in life.  She reminds me a lot of Hubby, in that she doesn’t put things off, she works hard and plays hard.  She is easy to laugh, fun to be with and knows her own mind.

Ten years ago when I became a mom I had such plans and strategies to raise her into being a compassionate and amazing child.  My plans  have met a few curve balls and I have learned far more from her than she has from me.  I am enjoying watching her become who God wants her to be and it is such a delight to be her mom.  She has really grown into herself the last few months and it is a privilege to watch.

Age 2

Just in case Meg is reading this I must point out that while she is really amazing, she is not perfect and she will not get more allowance or a cell phone any time soon

Last Saturday Elle went to her first “friend” birthday party.  She was invited by a girl at school for a Pizza Hut  party.  How proud she was when she climbed in the car and said,”Mom, I got a birthday invitation!”  We quickly RSVP’d and she knew she wanted me to buy some “Pet Shops” as a gift.

In the spirit of the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) I bought a Tinker Belle Halloween Candy bag to put the Littlest Pet Shops in so that she could reuse the bag.   Elle made three cards in the spirit of using as much paper as possible!

As we got into the car on party day, she asks me, “When are you picking me up mom?”.  I told her that I was staying for the party, that she just wasn’t old enough yet to go by herself.  This made her grumble a bit and I think she may have rolled her eyes, but I cannot confirm that (denial:).  On the way out of the driveway her three older sisters were yelling at Elle to “Have Fun”  and “Bring us back candy” as they were very happy for her.  Elle screams back at them to let the dog and the cat in and out while she’s gone!  Letting the pets in and out is Elle’s chore and she takes it very serious obviously.

She is growing up way to fast.  Here is a picture of her right before we left for the party.  Note that she is looking a bit goth/grunge/tinkerbellish in her new over-sized dress, white capris and Enu’s old boots that are three sizes to big!  I have a feeling this is not a phase she is going to grow out of, and she will always be my “creative dresser”!

Photo by Mandy W.  2009