Second Verse Same As The First: A Bench Easter

OK......I will outline our last couple of days for you!

*Daddy took Friday off and we took the kids on a picnic to Meyer Park and had a blast (once I got over being a little cranky). We went to dinner that night to Berry Hill and then on for ice cream at DQ!

*Saturday the kids and I baked all morning for our Easter festivities and had fun! We then went to GiGi's for Easter with that crew and had so much fun! The kids had a blast and Caden is getting to be at an awesome stage where he eats himself and now that he walks he just goes and follows the kids and semi-plays. We actually got to eat (next to him) but pretty peaceful! (Foreshadowing...Tate and Caden have a cough and Jake has a red spot on his nose....we thought it was from rubbing it with his shirt a habit he has).

**Saturday Night...not peaceful Tate and Caden's asthma raring its ugly head!

***Easter Sunday...REJOICE HE IS RISEN....STOP MAKE DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS!

Tate tells me she does not feel good at all and does not want to go to church! You have to understand she has been PUMPED about having Easter at the Berry Center and doing the kids program called "riptide"...she must feel bad. She was coughing so bad as was Caden and both were wheezing so we made an appt for 10:00. **Foreshadowing #2 Jake's nose a little more red and a thought passes in my mind "does one nostril look bigger than the other"? We did our dyed egg hunt and our baskets and we all headed in different directions. Tate asked "why do I always get sick on holidays??" GOOD QUESTION!

*Tate: ear infection (yes..she has tubes) and sinus infection. Because she just was on steroids one week ago we are going to try and let the antibiotics fix the drainage and hope it fixes the cough.

*Caden: Left tube has fallen out GREAT! Ear infection and he is wheezing and blood oz level a little low so he is on antibiotics and steroids! Plus....6 treatments a day!

******Jacob...I am finally at my mom's with the kids and Michael calls leaving church "Babe...Jake has a staph infection in his nose"!!!!! GREAT! So....the after hours clinic closes early today and the nurse tells me to just wait until tomorrow to have it looked at if she were me she would not go to the ER! Good thing I am not her! Where did she get her nursing degree..please tell me that!? We head to the ER clinic that was built at the front of out neighborhood for the Bench Family! I swear, like my friend Lisa said, they probably did a search before building and said ooh the Bench's live there build fast! Anyway...yes staph..so they numb his nose with some cream (actually they had me do it....does that transfer towards a nursing degree). Then the had us hold him down after that finally numbed his little nose and took a q-tip and just started pushing in his nose...all this stuff came out (sorry I like gore)...is it crazy I loved watching it pour out as Jake was screaming in pain! Then after all the staph (puss) came out it really did some bleeding. So..I am holding him and loving all over this guy and they look at his nose and see more puss ROUND 2! Hold him down again and this time they squeeze his little nostrils together! That was not so cool. I felt so bad for him but he did great considering! We then headed back to my folks for an actually awesome Easter afternoon! My pop made some killer BBQ and the kids hunted eggs and had a blast! We head to the ENT tomorrow for Caden's ear (he will have to have another tube put in here we go again! and Jake needs to have his nose looked at) like father like son!

So here are a few shots of the last few days. Also, you can go to this link and see all my pictures on flickr.....http://flickr.com/photos/benchcrew/

Children's Museum

My mom and I took the kids to the children's museum in the Woodlands Mall. If you have never been they had a blast! We will be going lots this summer! Today was critter day and they were walking around with the animals to see. Jake loved the trains and the dinosaur dig. Tate loved cart wheeling in the open space and Caden loved roaming and once he got used to the sand in the beach room he liked that. There was so much room to roam and the kids could run while I chased Caden.

~We then went to the play area in the mall for a few and the big dino dig (but it cost more $$ so we will be doing that next time). Then took a turn on the carousel. Caden didn't know what to think once it got started going we were cracking up. He would look up and then grap my mom around the neck but he finally got used to it! We closed our fun morning with lunch at the mall and some way yummy tollhouse cookies.

~I looked over at Jake as he was sharing his peanut butter cookie with Caden. AHHHHHH!!! When Caden was tested for allergies he had a mild one to peanuts! The doc said he was young and he could have just been overly exposed while in the tummy! Well....I love peanut butter and we all know when pregnant I could swim in it I like it so much! So..we have been hoping that was the casebut, have held off on peanut butter until his next testing later this year! Well, thanks to Jake we think all is a go! My mom and I kinda panicked thinking we need to leave quick in case we have to pit stop at the ER! Thank God his face never swelled and he is still breathing (btw..he loved the cookie).

Palm Sunday

The kids sang in church Sunday! They were so excited. They had practice Saturday in the big church and then they marched over to the Outlet where the contemporary service is held and did a second performance there. Brave people to herd that many children!

Anyway~Jake was very excited (as you can see from the pictures he froze). At least he did not cry like at Christmas he just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights. In the second performance I was at the other end so I passed my camera down to Angela and Mr. Fiff to get some shots of Jake. He hid behind his palm branch! Tate did great of course...sang loud and did excellent ans strong hand movements:)

These Shoes Are Made For Walking

Wee Puppy's new shoes!!! We went yesterday and he got his first tennis shoes since he is walking everywhere now! He looks so cute. It was funny when we got home they were heavy on his feet and he couldn't get his balance! He is growing so fast!

Bunny Hop

Today Jakey Boy had his "Bunny Hop" at school. Parents got to attend the kids music class and watch what they have done. HE PERFORMED!!!! I was beyond proud of him. He only asked to sit with me twice and got over it real fast when I said no! I did hug him and kiss on him and that helped.

The other picture is of Caden eating a hot dog for lunch! YEAH!!! We are off bottle and on solid foods he eats himself.....FINALLY!

Elephant Man

OK....the past weekend was GREAT! Michael and I attended a Marriage Retreat through our church in Columbus, TX. It was called R&R with your spouse. They had an awesome speaker (Guy Gourley for those that know him) and we had lots of alone time and then time to play! We went Horseback riding, did a ropes course (zip lines) and then Michael and I went on a run around the lake! The food was so awesome. Nothing like camp food I am missing it already it was that good.

Bad things......Caden's ear infection worsened and I spent and hour with the ENT on call explaining our situation with him and that he needed an atibiotic. Really I( need my own perscription pad! He told me he would not put his 12 month old on an antibiotic so he wouldn't mine. I asked if they had the same history....ear infection with tubes..one gets blocked needed new tube..this one is partially blocked and he needs to get it unblocked before he has to have another surgery. I was at the doctor Wed and we knew this was a possibility.....can not have adnoids out becuase of hidden cleft paellete therefore ear infection usually leads to runny nose which leads to chest issues because of his asthmas..I am not asking for antibiotics for my health here I am trying to prevent his asthma from flaring. I start bawling so Michael gets on the phone for 30 minutes begging this guy to just call our docotr in the morning and explain the situation to her she would call us in meds trust us. He argues he is the doctor on call for 20 minutes and mIchale finally says we have had 5 surgeries with her between all our kids she knows us well we arejust asking for that patient/docotr relationship to mean something. Needless so say he was an *&@# BUT late yesterday afternoon on the way home our doctor called us and called us in an antibiotic...WAS THAT THAT HARD! MALE PRIDE I SWEAR!!!!!!!

....Then Michael's nose and the right side of his face started swelling...he looks like the elephant man promise! Keep your kids away if you do not want them to have nightmares. *Doesn't he look happy in the pictures this morning..I wanted to blog his deformaty..He was not so happy about it! So...we left the retreat early and headed to the ER Clinic by our house AGAIN and they had to drain it WOW!!! They deadened it and then stuck a needle in his nose. I told him not to be a baby..if the docotr could push Tate's staph out of her vagina with no deadining and he was deadened than he could do this just fine. He is now on his way to see an ENT for follow up and the fact his face is still swelling. All joking aside please pray for himsstaph is very dangerous and this is up on his fave close to the brain so along with my joking is much worry!!!

The other picture is of Jakey Boy getting ready for Tiny Texan Day./ I pray they took there pictures earlier before this storm blew in because he sure looks cute and he will be so upset if he does not get to ride that darn pony!

If you have never attended a Marriage retreat with your spouse DO IT!!!! It was amazing and we learned so much to help us love and respect eachother the way God intended!!!

Lunch Date With Daddy

We met Michael yesterday for lunch at Mytie Burger!! BEST PLACE for burgers. We have both eaten there since we were wee little ones and now get to take our kids. Tate was so jealous we went. jake was cranky becuase we had promised him a trip over to the fire station next door (he even brought his fireman outfit from Halloween) but it was closed for repairs:( We will go back in May when it is up and running again! Caden had a blast and just wanted to drink Jake's milkshake....he is definatley one of our kids. His face would crack us up. He would look at me before he took a drink and then focus down on the straw! My dad went along and we had such a good time! Newsflash........Caden is officially off the bottle HOORAY!!!!!!!!! Wed. he started taking his milk from the cup out of the blue!! Mind of his own I tell ya! I threw the bottle rack away and was SO HAPPY to get it off my counter!!