Is It Just Bad Luck?

I don't know quite how we manage it but again we have plunked our kids into a...dare I say SHITTY!! dayhome. It has been months of searching, tirals and again heartache and added stress that I really don't need right now.

We thought that when we hired our nanny in January that we had succeeded in finding someone long term that had the same ideals Neil and I have. Nope, she quit by text message 2 weeks after staring and timed it so we had to fork over the full amount. Then we scrambled (I say we but it was Neil) and found the one we are in now and she is terrible. She has 8 kids in her care including mine and is swamped. She has thus far put all 8 kids into a mini van and drove them over town without car seats, and most of them are under the age of 4. And this has happened at least 5 times in a month and a bit. Then the other day Natahneil bit one of the smaller boys through his pants in his genitals. Now if it had been Ryan we owuldn't have been too surprised at the reaction (biting that is), Nathaniel not so much. It raised red flags for me ( I was there when he did it). It took me 4 hours to get the full reason out of him and it was really me having Neil do it.

Turns out he hates the day home, has no one to play with and the kids are "mean" to him. I'm not sure about the mean part, from a 5 year old "mean" can mean anything.  So the story went that he was playing in one of those pop tents and was told to get out. My sissy boy didn't take that well and frumped a bit. that's fine. Then he asked one of the little boys to play with him and they said no, he bit him. Not normal.

So now I have this huge issue of finding someone that we can trust with our kids. This gal is already non compliant with Leigha, doesn't feed her meals at all. Isn't giving Leigha and Ryan breakfast which is part of the agreement, is going through diapers let and right, and way over using the Pediasure and thickener, I really don't think she gets how freeking expensive it is. We aren't covered for it. 

So what do I do? continue to interview people and have the same thing happen? We were offered a spot (three really) back at the place we had the boys in a few years ago, I really like her but don't know if she's changed in the past few years. and the other one we have is very inflexible.

I now get why mom's stay home for the first 5 years.

My Inspirations

So I thought being as I am so uninspired to do anything in this on again, off again weather we are having here in "sunny" Alberta (I use the term loosely as the sun, even tho it is out, has no heat what so ever in it and I am resorting to flannel PJ's and the furnace yet again) and that said sun has decided to hide behind a blanket of clouds and throw a spit of snow at us again, confining the boys inside for yet another day. I thought I could share some pictures of the kids that Neil and I have shot over the past few days.

I get complaints from my sister-in-law that I don't post enough current pictures of the kids on my Facebook page but alas I tend to put way more on here. Perhaps she should check out this instead;)

Meet Leigha and "Gack" I am assuming it means Quack as she says it every time she sees him. She received him from my sister Laura for her birthday and now tows him around everywhere. Will NOT go to bed without him and will NOT leave her room without him. Heaven forbid we go to bed and awake to find him missing. Reminiscent of Ryan and Boose.

I thought this picture was too cute I asked her what ducks say and then quacked at her to make her laugh. The rest of the pictures I have are even funnier, but then we'd be here forever with only pictures of her. I do have two other kids after all;)

Nathaniel playing in the sandbox at Grandma's last Sunday afternoon. I think he spent the better part of the afternoon in there. I believe he had sand everywhere but he was quiet and made all sorts of tracks for the cars to drive in. It amazes me the imagination he has at the age of 4.

Ryan was supposed to be in time out in this one, but apparently Neil went around and snapped his picture. Ryan is completely incapable of not smiling like a goof in pictures.

Neil caught them standing on the ottoman in the front room, technically they aren't supposed to be in there as my Hungarian Crystal is in the cabinet in there and since the cabinet won't level on the crappy carpet, it shakes when they run through the room. The boys have decided the ottoman is the perfect jumping off place...what can I do they are boys after all. I think I'll have to ditch the carpet sooner rather that later and get new stuff put in. Thank goodness for the new job eh??

Speaking of the "new job" I had my orientation on Tuesday and I can't wait to formally start. I will be working on my own with my own patient load. I even get the opprotunity to train and teach, something I have always wanted to do. That and I even get to take courses and learn more, IV's, wound care, Blood samples...on and on, and on. Wow working for a private company has so many bonuses and they offer the wonderful benefits, something we could really use with Leigha especially.

I'm very excited not to wear uniforms anymore except for when I work at the clinic and can't wait to begin working with pediatrics, something new. Being in Geriatrics is fun and challenging, very challenging at times, but I am looking for a new challenge too. I think I am really going to like Home Care and the people I am working for. I can really understand why most of their employees have been with the company for 10+ years or more.

So that's my week thus far. My sewing project is slow but steady. I have cut the pattern peices out and have begun to pin them to the fabric after having duct taped Nataniel long enough to figure out what sized pattern I needed to use for him. I now need to cut it out and begin the actual sewing part. I'm thinking I may use some scraps to try a practice run as I really haven't sewn since I was in grade 10... oh about ....12+ years ago:( Wish me luck, and I'll post pictures as I have them;)

So Today...

Today was a gong show.. To put it mildly. There is something to be said about single mothers out there. I give them credit. Today I could have cheerfully taken my kids and mailed them to Calgary to Carmen for a bit. I had to take all three of them to the Stollery hospital for their follow-up at our ENT Dr El-Hakim. Let me say that having to take 2 or more kids to a doctors appointment at any time is a chore to begin with but trying to keep three in check is trying. With Leigha sick it was even worse. It started out okay I got them into the van at 1130..we didn't have to be there until 110. I had a plan to go into the west end to pick up Leigha thickener for her bottles first. I was driving down the yellowhead past Sherwood Park when Ryan started up, he had spotted some 3D glasses that Nathaniel had and now he wanted them. Now how in the heck was I supposed to get him the glasses when I was driving down the highway at 110kph?? Nathaniel sits in the rear seats and was teasing Ryan repeatedly so by the time I hit 82ave I was ready to drop them off on the side of the road if they didn't stop fighting. I called Neil to vent a bit and by the time I arrived that the hospital I decided it was probably best if I parked and found some lunch as perhaps it would help if I fed the little demons. So we arrived and parked and I loaded them all up and into the hospital we went. After walking all the way through the hospital to the cafeteria I had to then decipher what the boys wanted to eat, chicken it was decided and we found a spot to eat. Thankfully we found a spot at the lunchtime rush beside a nice older couple who didn't mind two little demons beside them that refused to sit still. It turned out Nathaniel had to pee and only decided to tell me once i had Leigha out of the sling and munching on a piece of chicken herself. I had to pack them all up again and find somewhere to put the chicken while we trudged into the restroom so the boys could pee as heaven forbid ( and I wasn't going to not make him) Ryan didn't go as well. After our pit stop we finished lunch and walked over to the Stollery side of the hospital for our appointment. After checking in with the receptionist we sat down and i was able to let Leigha free of the sling. She crawled away and found numerous dirty toys to play with and proceeded to cough away merrily;) Nothing better for pneumonia than a dirty hospital with dirty toys;) Thank goodness I carry hand sanitiser in my diaper bag. We went into see Dr El-Hakim and his resident (the same one that Leigha freaked out when she had that blue spell on the surgical table in November) So we had a quick talk about Nathaniel...no concerns. On to Ryan, where I finally got some answers about his cryptic comments the day of surgery in December. Turns out he thinks it may be reflux that is making Ryan have all the symptoms of coughing, gagging and the nasal symptoms. As well as the upper respiratory and throat issues. So the plan for him is to treat him for literally acid reflux and see if it helps calm down the agitation and temper tantrums. As well as testing for the diabetes and then follow-up in September to see how he is doing and probably do another bronchoscopy to see how the Prevacid has helped. Miss Leigha is always technical. The plan for her is to treat her left pneumonia that has developed over this past week. Have that improve and have it confirmed with an x-ray..I have to do this or else we can't move on. Then we need to have another swallowing study done under fluoro done (I tried to find the note in November where I explained it , what it is, how it's done.. If you want more info on it all ask and I shall deliver info to you all;) I can't find it now??? Brain fart) So then once we see the results of the swallowing study then we can move onto the next phase...which is....I don't know. He wants to see us May 29th to discuss the next steps. Until then we are to discontinue all thin fluids and to put Leigha onto the thickened fluids all the time again and not to try to take her off them again, fine by me I would rather her NOT to have pneumonia thank you very much. So thats the scoop. I am off to iron my fabric from last weekends excursions. I color set it last night, washed and dried it so now I have to iron it out so I can lay my pattern out and measure my son tomorrow;) I have a date with my sister as well tomorrow afternoon as well as the date with fabricland to scope out potential fabric sales and to pick out bobbin cases and interfacing. My sewing machine came with plastic bobbin cases and I'm not sure they look so sturdy??? I also need some hook and eye so I can do some mending that I have been procrastinating about lately. So until tomorrow when I shall return with pictures of my fabric purchases from last weekend all washed,set and ironed and my new ones, should i find some...have a great night and talk to you all soon;)

My Munchkins Are Growing

My Munchkins all Grown up:) It took me two weeks and five tries to get all the pictures I wanted here but I did it:) Enjoy them. As much as I moan about them I love my kids and I treasure each day I have with them in my life. They are a blessing to me and I am truly a better person with them in my world. My little men are growing like weeds and Leigha is truning from the little pudgy baby into a little girl. I am missing the baby stages...no not enought to have another one;) NO MORE BABIES!!! Enjoy:)

HA Eyelevel with her playmate, or one of them:) Such fun together.

Forever in my minds eye, I love this picture. Even tho they didn't know Natasha they were able to warm up enough to her to smile a bit. Still a bit cautious, and shy.

Such a little man already, who knew he was only 4 years old? 47 lbs and 47inches tall. Size 12 foot I cannot keep up:0

And He's always up to something. Whether grabbing something out from under your nose, something he thought you wouldn't notice:)

Always the mischevious one in the crowd, Ryan has a way of looking at you and seeming so innocent...we know the truth tho.

Escaping from the chaos or trying to find the adventure behind the next corner?

Miss Leigha So happy at all the right moments:)

Budding Musicians Perhaps?? Who knows but they happen to love my Nana's organ. They are very upset that it doens't work right now:(