Mommy's Hospital

This is what my family room looked like on Monday morning. It has pretty much been this way all week. Apples, juice, graham crackers, blankies, and Wonder Pets.
James has either bronchiolitis or RSV, but they said the treatment is the same so they didn't test him. We just came home Tuesday with a bunch of meds for the nebulizer, adn I think all the kids have taken some hits of it this week. He seemed better and had no fever today (Thursday).
Addie just had a case of the feeling-left-outs, I think, so I let her stay home and rest. She had to stay in the family room and lay on the couch, read, or color.

Look at my little drama queen, Poor Heidi (the one that's sickest today--third day in a row of 101-104 temps, barfy-cough, and today we learned she has an ear infection). She is now on antibiotics for the second time in her life. She seems better today adn is sleeping in her own bed for the first tiem since Monday.

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Ask me how TOTALLY NUTS I feel right now after being on duty about 21/6 (since last Friday--that's 21 hours, six days a week). THIS IS WHY MOMS AGE, folks! I probably just tacked on a couple of real-age years and some wrinkles working doubles at our home-hospital this week. Thankfully, Richard takes the 1-7am shift, and then goes to his office job. We are both pooped and ready for the kids to wait on us now! ;) KIDDING! I love them and I am glad they are on the mend, and I am especially grateful that my husband works so hard so I can be home with my little ones, especially at times like this when they just want to lay on me all day. It would just kill me to have to leave them like this!

I have to work at the hotel tomorrow (they are trying to hire a full-time person, so they keep having me cover til they get someone--it's ok with me if it's ok with Rich), and then I am planning a relaxing evening Saturday--date night--I hoep it all works out, cuz we need it!

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And now, for some IDOL THOUGHTS...

FINALLY, this week I think the contestants really brought it. It helps that they got to sing Lennon/McCartney songs, although it obviously hurt some of them when they massacred the songs. I thought that Kristi Lee Cook would go home for what she did to Eight Days A Week, which was, I will have you know, my very favorite Beatles tune well into high school. I also thought David Hernandez was lame, but that Kristi should have definitely gone home first. My Jason, Michael, and Brooke SLAYED, but David A. had a bad night. I am hating David Cook less, and I loved his Lionel Richie cover last week! Chikezie was awesome this week, and I got officially tired of Amanda's screaming. She is going to have an aneurism on stage! Carly and Ramiele were great as is to be expected, but I kinda hope Syesha and Kristi go home soon cuz they bore me.

(PS: Isn't Kristi such a Shania wannabe? She totally does that weird straddle-squat dance move that Shania does that made it totally impossible for me to watch her perform live--I like both ladies, and heaven knows I love real, old cowgirl music, I just don't think Kristi is rockin' the show and I hate that move!)

Retro: Saturday, March 8

After our morning chores, our girls wanted to play "kitchen" with the fun little things their Papa Tom and Papa Layton got them for Christmas...That brown box is the oven; Heidi's apron was made by Grandma Rosalie; Addie's came with the kitchenware from G&G Layton. I believe they are making banana bread in this picture.
Later, Heidi brougt me a blueberry tart, made with real blue marbles! I thought that was pretty clever!
Chef Addie
Chef Heidi
...and just so he's not left out, this is James at lunch on Friday 3/7. Heidi took this picture and he was saying "cheese!"

Retro: Thursday, March 6

After a fabulous fajita dinner, the girls decided to lpay dress-ups and dance around with their 'brellas Addie
Heidi, looking suspicious
'Brella Girls
James wanted to pretend he was out in the weather, too, so he put on Heidi's snowboots!

Retro: Monday, March 3

Heidi, Addie, and Daddy went to Addie's school for a Green Eggs and Ham Dinner and some Dr. Seuss stories.

This is Addie's teacher Mrs. Bartz reading a fun story.

Retro: Saturday, March 1

Jacob Post's FOURTH BIRTHDAY!

Jake wanted to celebrate his birthday (a) with Heidi (b) swimming and (c) eating "tiny lobsters" (shrimp). Well, all his birthday dreams came true when the Postums arrived Saturday afternoon from Helena Handbasket with Uncle Michael in tow (visiting from Provo). We all packed up and went to Chico (where I took pictures and herded children and did not swim). We headed home around 5pm and made Jake's yummy requested dinner (Amie and I made a twist on our family's favorite "sweet & sour shrimp"-- to the pineapple, bell pepper, sauce, and shrimp we added asparagus and green onions, and man, it was delicious!) Jake was thrilled about the tiny lobsters. The birthday boy with his dinner and his new gun.

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After dinner, we of course had the birthday cake! It was delicious and a huge hit with the kids.

Sam, Addie, and Jacob dive in to the cake!
Addie loves to eat noodles and shrimp!
James loved all the excitement,

AND having some boys over to play with.


MMMM, Jake likes cake!
Heidi and Sam like cake, too!
Aunt Amie bought Heidi her very own ballet outfit,
complete with LEGWARMERS! It was adorable!
She loves it and even wanted to sleep in it!
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The Postums and Uncle Michael spent the night with us, so after we got the kids to sleep, we watched Redneck Weddings and played Moods and Yahtzee. Moods was really fun and Yahtzee was painfully boring--did you ever play a Yahtzee game where NOTHING good happened for ANYONE and the scores were really low? It's not very fun. In the morning, Michael had to head back to Utah, but the Postums came to church with us and then we had DELICIOUS lettuce wraps. They got packed up and left, and we took long naps. It was a great weekend and we wish they lived closer! (Amie & Matt have the Chico pix, so look for those on their blog).

Gospel Principles in Odd Places

From a ParentCenter email I received today:

Get your child involved in daily tasks around the house so she learns that everybody works together. "I recommend that parents find things their children can do, whether it's washing vegetables, feeding the dog, or sorting laundry," Kvols says. "You're teaching your child to be helpful, which is one of the most important life skills. We've found time and again that the people who are most mentally healthy are those who've learned to be of service to others." While this may not sound like a discipline strategy, just wait: If you've taught your child to be cooperative, you can call on this quality when you need it.

This echoes a BYU Family Science talk I went to in which President Hinckley counseled parents to do away with chore charts that made family members work alone, individually. He said we should practice working together as a family--in the same room or yard--toward a common goal (for example a clean kitchen, finished laundry, or a weeded garden), because cooperation is the Lord's way (remember the Sesame Street song? "C-op, cooperation..."

Manic Monday

Three whiny kids with colds lying on the couches with blankies and juice cups watching Nick Jr.

Mommy trying to recover from a very messy weekend (it's not working; this place is a dump)So busy! Dr. @ 2:15 for Bub's achy ear, work at hotel 5-11pm...maybe I can post coherently then!

Just another manic Monday....!

Mama's Boy

When We're Helping We're Happy from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

Little Helper from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

Please Stand By

...This station is experiencing technical difficulties!

My "big" computer---the one on which we do photog and design--is at the computer hospital right now because it wasn't communicating with its peripherals (like the monitor--it's hard to use a graphic interface when your can't see anything!).

Anyway, I have so much to post--great pix and movies, fun from the weekend with Postums and Uncle Michael (celebrating Jake's 4th bday and Sam's 2nd), and of course some ranting about the frickin' primary election (what the heck!?), American Idol, etc. (I thought the guys were so much better this week--LOVED IT--and Jason Castro and Brooke White just KILLED--I loved their performances!!!! Good riddance to poor Kady robot--sorry Liam!)

And don't forget CANDACE KAY'S birthday!!! Candace, Gramps said you sometimes check my blog and you MUST know that I NEVER forget your birthday, and I would send you birthday greetings if I had your address!!!! And now your birthday is James' half birthday! How fun is that? We even had cake for dessert on your birthday day in your honor (and his). I really miss you, cuz!

Today is my little first-cousin-once-removed's FIRST BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday, Little P!!! It's also my friend Melissa's birthday! She's hosting pre-school today and we're having pizza with pepperoni and olives for "P" and "O" day! She's such a sport...I think I would take the day off pre-school as a gift to myself! ;) Heidi still goes to our little ward school because we chose the 3-days/week program at St. Mary's and they let us choose which three days. I chose Monday (to recover from the weekend), Tuesday, and Thursday. I thought we'd skip Friday so she can hang out with her ward friends and so she can skip going to mass with her class at St. Mary's. I think it's Catholic enough that she has learned to cross herself after morning prayers! ;) It's a really great school and I hope it will help her settle down a bit.

Anyway, I am excited to post videos of James helping me clean up in the mornings--it's so cute! And he is walking now--finally! He's so cute toddling around trying to be helpful. I hope the computer is back soon. Meanwhile, have a great weekend! Don't forget DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME tomorrow night!

Onward, ever onward...

It's MARCH FOURTH! (click)So, by golly, put your chin up, your chest out and

MARCH FORTH!!!