Positive Action

So, Logan came home all excited that he got his first "Positive Action Award" and the following conversation ensued:

LOGAN: I got my first Positive Action Award today. Aren't you so proud of me?

ME: Of course I am, baby. What's a Positive Action Award?

LOGAN: It's when you do a Positive Action.

ME: Ok.....

LOGAN: And then they say your name on the TV and you get to go to the office and get something. And only two kids in the class got it.

ME: Cool! What'd you get?

LOGAN: Just this paper.

ME: Wow! Logan! It's a coupon for a free kids meal at Red Elephant!!!! (Now, I'm REALLY proud because I love coupons so much!)

LOGAN: Ok, good. So, we can all go there?

ME: Of course. We'll go this week.

LOGAN: Great-Nana, do you want to come too? And I'm gonna invite Nana, and Papa, and Keegan, and Daddy, and Gavin, and....

ME: Wait a minute! Who's paying for all this?

LOGAN: No one. I have a coupon!!!!

ME: (sigh...this is going to be one expensive dinner) So what'd you do to deserve it? What was your Positive Action?

LOGAN: I don't know. I don't remember.

Looks like they might need a little work on the effectiveness of their school-wide behavior program!

Birthday-isms

Summary of bloggable birthday moments today...

Conversation between Gavin and Daddy:

GAVIN: "Daddy, I need you to get all your money for me."

JAY: "Why?"

GAVIN: "So I can buy Mommy some diamonds for her birthday!"

(Four years old and he already knows the way to a woman's heart!)

Sung in the car:

"Go Mama! It's your birthday!"

Logan notes the rainy day and converses with himself (even though it seems like he's talking to me, he's really just rambling to himself):

"Mama, why did God make it rain on your birthday? I mean, he knew it was your birthday 'cause he knows everyone in the whole world's birthday. So, why did he make it rain? The plants must have needed some water, I think. So he had to crunch all the ice in the world into rain to water the plants. 'Cause we only have drinking water on earth. So, that's why I guess. Dear God: Please, please, please don't make it rain on Mommy's birthday. That's not good And it's really been raining all day. So that must be enough rain."

Gavin asks:

"Where are you having your birthday, Mom? Zoinks or the Nick Hotel?"

ME: "Just at home with you guys."

GAVIN: "But why? You can't do that. Birthday's have to BE somewhere!"

Keegan says:

"MAMA! ELMO!!!!!!!!! MAMA! ELMO!!!!!!! MAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

the ghost of Hudson lives on

we like money

While making a transaction at CVS yesterday the cashier asked if I wanted cash back (her nice way of saying, "pay attention to what the credit card scanner thing is asking you, lady!").

ME: No, thanks.
LOGAN: Yes, you do!!!!!
ME: No, I really don't.
LOGAN: But Mom! You DO want cash back! Cash is MONEY and we LIKE money!!!!

While the kid behind me in line snickered, I used this as a teaching opportunity. He listened for about two seconds and then ran off to admire the Peanut M & M statue nearby. Sigh.

The Allison Weekly - Week of 10/5/2009

Another busy week in the Allison house! I'm feeling a lot better, but still not 100%. I've been playing catch up at work and here around the house. This week, I had Logan's first Parent/Teacher conference. Mrs. Z. had only good things to say about my exceptionally smart, handsome, and sweet baby boy! Jay and I had the opportunity to be mystery shoppers at a chain restaurant in town. Gotta love that free food! He's such a cheap date!

On Saturday, we had Logan's first sleepover! Ok, so I admit that the mommies were enjoying some wine time, so the sleepover was only half-planned and depended on whether or not that third bottle was opened (it was).

Logan and Connor

Gavin and Cole. He's a great babysitter!

The whole gang (minus Keegan and the mommies) playing Wii.

Keegan "surfing" on his Elmo tray table.

"Let's go surfin' now. Everybody's learnin' how."

I still miss summer vacation

Just thought you should know. I drove by McClay Gardens with Logan today and he asked when we can go swimming at the lake again. I wish every day was summer. Mosquitos, humidity, and all! Those were the days.....

Just in case

For the first week of school, I drew these little hearts on the inside of our wrists. The children were excited, nervous, and anxious about starting the new school year and I told them I'd be thinking about them lots and lots. I came up with this little symbol to represent my love for them. Whenever they missed me, whenever they were scared, and just in case they needed some familiarity, they could just look at their heart and know I was thinking about them. As Logan set off to Kindergarten, I think the heart on my wrist helped me get through the day more than it helped him. So you can imagine my surprise when he asked for me to draw it again the following morning.

One day, I asked Logan if he needed to use his heart that particular day. His reply: "Yes, but I didn't think of you. I thought of dad". Motherhood: a thankless job, but a rewarding one nonetheless!

As they made friends and grew accustomed to the expectations of their new teachers and the new school year, they rarely need the heart anymore. But every now and then, they still ask for it "one more time".

The Allison Weekly - from H1N1 to Pneumonia & finally back again

This is a doubled-up version of "The Allison Weekly" as I have been too sick over the past few weeks to stand up...much less blog.



Wow! Boy has it been a past couple of weeks in the Allison household! A couple of weeks ago, the dreaded Swine Flu hit me like a ton of bricks while I was in the middle of a "crisis" situation with a child at one of my schools. I had no choice but to walk out on the school, which at the time, I felt terrible about. In hindsight, it's better that I didn't continue to share my germs around the school. H1N1 kept me bedridden...literally...for a week. My fever consistently increased to 103 degrees (!!!!!!) in the evenings. And as the days blended into nights, I always knew the evening had come when my fever once again rose to 103. With constant Tylonol and Advil, I was able to keep it down to a miserable 100-101 degrees throughout the day. Miraculously, the kids didn't get it. I attribute this to the fact that my husband's OCD tendencies kicked into overdrive. He shipped the kids off to Nana's whenever possible, quarantined me to my bedroom, forced me to wear a mask, and worked diligently to completely disinfect the house. Lysol was his BFF.

Well, as they say, it takes a village to raise a child...especially when Mommy is feeling under the weather. So all I can say is THANK GOD FOR NANA (and Papa...and Miss Shannon...and Nanny Ashley...and Nanny Hannah...and....).

As week one of my illness rolled over into week two, Jay insisted that I go to Urgent Care (I should note here that I had already been once at the start of my illness. Despite the fact that a nurse had informed Jay over the phone that I would be able to receive an anti-viral, they sent me back home with a prescription for "lots of rest and fluids"...NO MEDS!). I reluctantly and angrily agreed to go see a doctor, which in hind-sight might have even saved my life! Since I was unable to drive myself, Jay had to leave work to take me to the doctor and as I was in the process of receiving my diagnosis of pneumonia (and treatment), our 2nd nanny (Hannah) called to say that Keegan had a fever. So, Jay drove me home from the doctor's office, picked Keegan up, and headed right back where he came from. Keegan's diagnosis: Ear infection (Yay, Antibiotics!). You would think this is the end of my story, but since all bad things for the Allison's occur in clusters, Keegan woke the next morning with an ear that looked like this:

These pictures really do not even do it justice. It was seeping at the top of the ear and was swollen to almost twice its normal size. There was a puddle and stain in his bed from where it had been leaking all night.

Poor Jay. He was trying to actually go back to work today. But instead, he went back to the doctor. The diagnosis: possible MRSA...definite staph infection. After a scary 24 hours, it completely disappeared (thanks to a second, stronger round of antibiotics). And that proved to be the start of the road to recovery in the Allison house. I'm happy to report that despite a lingering cough and fatigue, I feel almost completely back to normal. I was also rewarded with a 7 pound weight loss, courtesy of Mr. Pneumonia, which finally brings me back to my pre-pregnancy weight! I have been celebrating with chewy brownies and pizza.

I feel loved, needed, and missed by my family...a great feeling as a mom. It's so good to be back!

The Allison Weekly -- Week of 9/14/2009

Notable events:

• Nana was kind enough to attend Logan's first open house where she was greeted by a welcome letter written by Logan himself. His teacher had so many great things to say about him.

• We saw the most beautiful, complete rainbow!

• Logan, Gavin, Nana, and Papa traveled to Orlando for a quick Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure trip. This left us home alone with just one kid! We enjoyed our bonding time with Keegan and can't believe we ever thought one kid was a lot of work...little did I know!

Dr. Logan

It's been a doozie of a past few weeks. We've seen so many doctors that Logan has decided he wants to become one when he grows up. Sorry for the blogging break, but if you follow me on Facebook then you probably already know about all of the infectious diseases that have plagued our home: Swine flu, pneumonia, and finally MRSA. I am back to blogging this week and happy to report that I'm feeling much better these days. Stay tuned for photos all the gory details!