From Strep to Bubbles

We've had a fairly exciting week at the Hammster house. If by exciting you mean having horrible colds. Both Nate and me have been very sick. I started out with allergy like symptoms, turning into a fever of 103 (I KNOW you're singing 'Hot Blooded' by Foreigner right now) and swollen lymphnodes and ended with a lovely rash (either from being allergic to Z-pack or from Strep). Then Nate got a rash and we took him to the doctor and wha-laaaaa he's got strep too. I had no clue you could get a rash from Strep, but apparently you really can learn something new everyday. So we're both on antibiotics and on the mend. Oh yeah, and not to be outdone, but Nate also had pink eye this week.

Nate also went to the dentist for his FIRST dentist appointment this week. He was quite the champ and let them look in his mouth without fuss. Or so they tell me. It was at a pediatric dentist and they don't let the parents come back to see them torture... I mean examine the children. They say the kids do better that way. They have it all planned out sooo well, you come in they say come on back Mom and Dad, bring Nate. So we go back and then they say, "Hey Nate look the Wiggles is on TV." And they point to this area with toys, books, and a tv with the ever so delightful Wiggles on it. Nate is distracted and goes towards the tv, then they say, "Hey Mom and Dad, let's continue with the tour right over here, this is the teen room." I'm just beginning to wonder why they are showing me the teen room when I won't be needing it for like 11 years, when she leads me to this other door. And she says, "Come right through here to......our lobby". Low and behold she's tricked me into exiting the exam part and planting me back out front. I didn't even get to have my sad sad goodbye with Nate. Ohh yeah, me thinks they've done this before. Hmmpph. Even though I was bamboozled, I am proud to say that Nate has no cavaties. Yay!

Then we took Nate to get a haircut on Saturday. This is the first time he has not cried!! YAY! My little guy is growing up! Only took 5 haircuts to not be afraid of it. Haha. Of course his new found love of balloons and suckers (which they provide to the victim) might have something to do with it. When we pulled up at Cookie Cutters (hair salon for kids) he started clamoring for a balloon. Hmmm.... what a good memory my guy has!

Here are some recent pictures of Nate and family!

This is Nate (before haircut) coloring at his new desk. He feels soooo important getting his own space.


This is Nate (after haircut) hamming it up for the camera, complete with saying 'Cheese'.


Nate and Mommy playing around.


Nate has another newfound love. Blowing bubbles. Unfortunately the normal wands frustrate him because he can't blow bubbles with them. He puts the wands ON his lips... thus popping the bubble before it starts and giving him the nasty taste of bubbles. So we found these pipe bubble blowers that work great for him! He was so pleased with himself that after 30 minutes of bubble blowing he was still addicted! He cried when we had to come in. Poor kid, his parents are SO mean.



We are heading to Atlanta on Thursday for a mini-vacation and we're REALLY excited about it! When we return I should have some good pictures from the Zoo and Aquarium. Who knows maybe we'll get lucky and gas will go back down under $4 before we go? Wishful thinking...

Happy 6th Birthday Samantha!

My niece, Samantha, had her 6th Birthday party a few weekends ago. It was Luau in theme, which was quite a break from the last three years of Princess theme. I was excited about the change, if for no other reason then we didn't have to hear Disney Princesses, "Happy Birthday Princess" 543 times in one day. Seriously, even Mike knows the words. And that's just wrong.

So for our Birthday Girl, here are a few pictures.


Samantha, super excited for the party to begin.


The Birthday Girl's sister, Sydney, all decked out for the Luau.


Samantha trying out one of her new party dresses.


Nate and his Daddy playing and getting ready for the 4th of July fireworks. Little did we know the before fireworks playing would be Nate's favorite part. Nate CRIED horribly when the fireworks started, so we watched the remainder from the car. From far far away.


Samantha, her cousin Kelly, and her sister Chelsea.


This is what ultimate bliss looks like. I'm guessing she liked this gift a bit.


Samantha began ballet classes and she got a new tutu from her Grandmother.


Checking out all the loot.


The kids were extremely busy playing ladderball, trampoline, basketball, swingset, limbo, swimming, and they even played a few games with the balloons we had.


Hey you, with the camera.... knock it off!


We came, we swam, we sang, we ate cake. All in all it was a great birthday. I hope Samantha had a wonderful time. And remembers... that her Aunt Jenn had the BEST gifts and decorated and put fake tattoos on all the kids. :)

Here versus There

Weekend trip to Big Creek!

This weekend we drove to Eastern Kentucky to visit my sister and her family. The drive is just about 3 hours but the difference in where we live seems so much more vast. They live about 30-40 minutes away from a real grocery store or Walmart. And we all know that your proximity to a Walmart is what delineates the size and progress of your city. :) And what's even worse is the Walmart that is closest to them is not even a Super Walmart. It's old, things are always on the ground, and it kinda reminds me of an old rundown Kmart. Infact I call it the Dirty Walmart. Sadly, I've had to shop here for last minute forgotten items, which inevitably they never have. I'm unsure how far the closest mall is, maybe an hour away? We went there once I think and the curvy drive there made me so carsick I've not been back. There are lots of gravel roads, roads that have slid down the mountain, curvy roads, roads washed out by rain, roads blocked by fallen trees or rocks, teeny tiny roads that are supposed to be for two cars but I feel are a bit too small for my already small Honda Civic, bridges that look like tiny sidewalks and I'm supposed to drive across it, and I've seen rope bridges but I have no clue if anyone actually uses those. I think I'd rather swim. All different manners of houses to pass by... gorgeous log cabins, houses, tiny houses, double wide trailers that look like houses, small trailers, houses and trailers that look unliveable yet I'm sure people live in them. All different styles of living too as evidenced by the number and type of items strewn across the lawns... beautiful flowerbeds, stone figures, swingsets, cars in disrepair, tractors, clotheslines, couches, tires, and even toilets. (Why? I ask.)

With all the differences, scary hilly traveling, inconvient shopping, and all... I like going to visit my family there. Of course I love to see my family, but it's also a nice break from "city livin'". There isn't as much traffic to contend with, people wave when you drive by, cheap shopping at the local community store, the views of the mountains and trees and just overall greenery not blocked by power lines, sounds of rivers and creeks not overcome by city sounds. At night the stars in the sky are amazing. My sister has a pool in her backyard and once or twice I have been swimming in it all by myself and I lay on my back and look up at the sky and the hills and trees and think just how gorgeous it all is.

All this just 3 short hours away from me.

I can certainly see the benefits from chosing to live "far away from it all". I hope that by visiting here often enough as Nate grows up that he will be able to truly appreciate it for all it's beauty and not listen so much when Mommy gripes about the Dirty Walmart.

A few pictures taken at my sisters right after it rained:







Wow this post went totally differently then what I had intended. I will try to post again later this week with pictures for the actual reason we traveled this weekend. A Birthday Luau party for Samantha - now age 6! :)