Tim's 27th Birthday

Wednesday, March 21st was Tim's 27th birthday! Ian helped me make cupcakes for daddy and could not wait any long to wake daddy up and celebrate. He had worked the night before and I managed to hold Ian off until noon to wake up daddy.

We then headed up to Sundance to enjoy the day skiing as a family. What a day it was! The weather was beautiful and it was in the mid 60's.

Ian enjoyed being the leader and had a great day. He even went off of a few jumps towards the top of the mountain. He loved going through the woods with daddy and down super steep hills. He did inform me that I could not go down the hills unless he was with me. Safety first! I had to be very careful. He loved having me follow him and telling me where to go. The weather was so warm that Aaron was just in his diaper under his snowsuit. Even then he was still very very warm. So we took a few breaks and enjoyed some snacks in the lodge.

After a great day of skiing the boys where giggling in the back seat on the way home holding hands. It was too cute to not take a picture :)

It wasn't long before we then noticed that we were all sunburned! Oops -you can clearly see Aaron's goggle lines.

We celebrated with Chicken Crepes for dinner and fruit with nutella in crepes for dessert.

The next morning I had to head back to Logan for the closing week of my mathematics conference. Tim decided that he would stay home with the boys to give me a little break. Plus it is always easier to be at your own home.

He surprised the boys and took them to Kangeroo Zoo! Ian has only been here once for a birthday party and continually says how "totally awesome" it is. They played dress up, jumped on the trampoline, played at the park, etc.

Ian and Aaron loved going down the big blow up slide at Kangaroo Zoo.

Tim was planning on coming up with the boys on Friday night. We later decided I would head back home after my conference Saturday so that we could head to church together Sunday morning. My mom always makes Tim a "Better than anything" cake for his birthday each year. What fun is a birthday cake if you can't share it? Probably better if you have it all to yourself. Which is why we recorded us singing happy birthday, enjoyed some cake, then sent him the video. So much easier to ask for forgiveness. Don't worry I brought half of the cake home just for him.

Everyone was very excited that I was home! Even pike.

The next day we were having a dance party and cracking up at Aaron's new dance moves.

My apologizes for the second video. It was cute of Aaron and Ian dancing, then at the end Ian chucked the tv remote directly at my face. Yes, I instructed Tim to shut off the camera. The dance was still so cute!

School Performance & Peter Pan

After getting back from St. George lets just say there was a lot of laundry that needed to be done. Pike is always the ruler of fresh laundry out of the dryer. He is the black rectangle in the middle.

Ian also had a performance in school this week and did amazing!!! They sang many of the songs they have been learning throughout the year and even did a dance number.As soon as they brought out their canes/sticks all of the parents gasped. Yes, us included. Give a bunch of kids a stick and you are bound to have a sword fight. Thankfully they all did great! Sorry the video files are too large so they will have to just be for us to enjoy. Ian sang loudly and enjoyed waving and giving us thumbs up throughout the performance.

The next day we headed to the play Peter Pan put on by our elementary school. Our neighbor was involved in the play so of course we wanted to show our support. The play was amazing! We ended up going to the dress rehearsal since it was earlier in the night. Both of the boys were glued the entire 2 hours.

It may have helped that I was loaded with various snacks, most importantly popcorn! They honestly loved every minute. I too was very impressed, this was not your average play production. Since it was dress rehearsal we had to bring our own chairs. Even better because I just kept Aaron in his stroller. There were just a handful of people there and we were in the very front so nothing was blocking the children's views.

They had a few musical numbers throughout the play that both of the boys loved dancing too. Aaron was going ballistic. Tim was working so he was not able to join us but he is still not sure how Aaron did not start seizing with all of the lights at the end. He loved it! We can't wait to go next year as well for Aladdin!

In other news Aaron has started having night terrors. While Ian's nightmare's are full blown. Ian had night terrors as well from about age 18 months to 3 years old. If you are not sure of the difference night terrors occur when you are in a deep sleep. Therefore you don't remember them. While thankful Aaron has only had a few they do seem to occur when he has not been having sufficient naps. As for Ian he has been having awful nightmares which occur basically when you are not in a deep sleep. Therefor he remembers them all vividly. Just to give you an idea of how awful his dreams have been here are a few that he has shared with us in the wee hours of the night. Someone grabbing his feet in bed and taking him far away from home. Someone cutting off his toes so he was just screaming in pain. The list continues. So needless to say he has been sleeping with us in our bed many many nights. I have been trying to figure out if there is something that is triggering these nightmares and decided to cut out all disney/pixar movies. It has been four days with no movies or TV and he has not had one nightmare that I am aware of. Interesting right? He has enjoyed having my quilt in his bedroom as well as having Pike sleep with him. Poor little boy. Hopefully this is just a short phase and he will be able to get some much need rest soon.

Blue Angel's in St. George

On Thursday morning (March 15th) Tim took Aaron in to see Dr. Porter for his one week check-up after surgery. While they were gone Ian and I started packing the car to head to St. George. Aaron's ear's looked great and the infection was gone but we would have to schedule a hearing test for a later date. Basically, Aaron was grumpy and Tim did not want to sit and wait any longer at the doctors office. I cannot blame him too much considering he had already waited to meet with the doctor for nearly an hour, who knew how long it would take to wait for an actually hearing test.

Then the excitement began! Me driving and the boys in the back for a 4 1/2 hour car ride. I know, I am pretty sure I had lost my mind. It was Tim's weekend to work so he had to stay behind.

Everything went surprisingly well. I did decided to have Aaron's carseat facing forward for the long drive so that it would be easier to see him and hand him things. Tim had made a "custom" holder for the iPad so that both boys could equally see the screen and watch movies on the drive there. Crazy that we already have to debate which movies to watch since each of them preferred a different movie. We finally came to an agreement on Tangled! I can already foresee that we will be needing two iPads for any future trips. Luckily Ian compromised and watched his other shows will Aaron was sleeping.

Don't be deceived we still had our moments. Thankfully only one 10 minute moment in order for me to reach the nearest exit because Aaron did not smell very pleasant. Once changed the rest was smooth driving!

As soon as we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Fosters house Ian could hardly contain himself. He just wanted to sit outside and lay on the soft grass in the warm weather!

We enjoyed going for walks and biking throughout the day and in the evenings.

On Friday morning the guys (minus Aaron) headed out to find a great place to watch the Blue Angels Airshow on Saturday. Being surrounded by a million rocks, sticks, and dirt galore meant that Ian was in heaven.

Destination pick! Notice the Airport and Roads below? It will not look the same in the pictures to come.

While waiting for the guys to return we were going to head into town for some shopping. Aaron ended up taking a very long nap so we just laid out in the sun instead. Below is Aaron eating lunch and watching the news that grandma and grandpa were watching.

Later in the afternoon we headed into town for dinner and went to the outlet mall. I got the boys a pair of sunglasses to wear at the Air show (good thing). While walking through the outlet mail we were all startled by pounding on the window and a bunch of boys shouting "Mrs MacNair." What are the chances? There was a baseball tournament in town and many of my old students were there with the baseball team eating dinner and saw me walk by. I never seem to run into many of my students while in Logan but I end up running to a lot of them in St. George. Random.

The next morning we headed out to make sure we were able to get our spots for the show. We did not go into the Airport because 1) the boys would have never lasted especially with all of those people 2)We did not want to pay $25 a person to get in 3) It was already sold out. The spot that my grandpa and his friend Jimmy had found was perfect. The boys loved playing -a little too much! Plus we were able to go and play in the back of my dad's truck which was just like a big play pin -perfect!

Everyone all set up and waiting anxiously for the show to begin. I did not realize that the show was five hours long. Plus lets not forget that we were up on the mountain top a couple hours before the show began. Looking back I am not sure how the boys lasted that long but they did great!

Aaron was very tired by the time the show was about to begin. Thankfully once the F-22 Raptor took off the noise put Aaron right to sleep for the next hour. Being up on the mountain top was great because the planes would fly right above our heads. At times you wanted to reach up to try and touch them. They really were not that close -it just felt like it.

The Blue Angels were the final performance and it was amazing. It would have been even better if the weather had decided not to turn but a little wind and sand never hurt anyone too badly :) I think we all found dirt in crevasses we were not aware we had.

During the show the boys enjoy having dessert -Original EL Fudge cookies (double stuffed). Since I was enjoying watching the planes I did not notice the boys were just eating the frosting out of the middle and throwing the cookie away.

We all had a lot of fun and enjoyed spending time together. Hunter and Ian loved closing the cover on the back of the truck and watching movies inside on the iPad. Aaron enjoyed watching the planes but also loved playing inside my dad's truck and pushing all of the buttons :)

We had a great time with everyone and loved the nice warm weather. The drive home went well but moved a little slower because it was snowing majority of the time. Thanks for letting us coming and stay with you for the weekend. Hopefully you are now enjoying some peace and quiet. It definitely was not quiet while we were there :)

If you would like to see a video of the show you can check out my dad's Facebook page. I also added it to my Facebook page. Note: It was windy turn the sound down before watching the video. Enjoy!

Feeling Better!!!

Things are finally getting back to normal around here. Plus we are getting tons of snow in the mountains so of course we had to take advantage of it!

Ian and Aaron both love going! And, for the first time in probably over 10 years (or the third time in my life) I went too! I got new ski boots for my birthday -thanks Tim, Papa, and Nan :) And I was able to borrow Nan's skis, helmet, and goggles. I could not believe how amazing Ian was! It is 100% better when you are actually watching him on the mountain versus on video. I did not do too bad myself. I only feel once and that was on a narrow trail where I could not stop in time and was sure I would run into Ian. Instead I ran into the side of the mountain :) There was fresh powder everywhere and Ian loved finding the deepest parts and plowing through it. At one point the powder was above his knees and he was just giggling! After a few runs down the mountain we headed back home!

The next day we all packed up the car and headed to Logan. Above us getting ready to leave. Aaron loves wearing belts and just a diaper. If he could he would take off the diaper -luckily the belt keeps the diaper on as well! I had a mathematics conference to attend that weekend so Tim brought the kids up as well. We were continuously on the go trying to visit as many people as possible. If we did not catch you I apologize it was an insane weekend!

The kids had fun heading to the fun park soft play and heading outside to the park.

Aaron had a grand adventure falling through the railings in my parents kitchen to luckily be safely caught by his Uncle Andrew in the family room below. So the long question of "Can he really fit through there?" Is no longer a question -he can!

After arriving home and since everyone was feeling great we decided to pack as much into the week as possible. So the next day we headed to the aquarium in SLC since we have a membership there. Ian has been loving learning all about animals especially "dangerous animals." He even created his own theme song which I caught the end of...

We brought our Usborne book of big animals with us to the aquarium and had fun spotting some of the animals that we had been learning about. Ian's favorites being the goliath spider, and the anaconda snake. He even informed the employee that some anaconda's can swollow a whole deer. Yes, he soaks up information like a sponge.

One the way home while driving on the interstate Tim and I passed this lady as shown below....

Talking on your cell phone in Utah while driving is not against the law. There is rumor that they are trying to put that law in place. That fact that she was over public safety (are at least in the car) and talking on her phone made us chuckle. Not too mention the evil eye she was giving me. Gotta love it!

Below is a video of Aaron's favorite thing to do. I wonder why both of our boys love thrill seeking adventure? Apparently Tim has been training them from an early age.

Aaron's other favorite thing to do.Putting the toy drill in his mouth. You will also sense some sweet brotherly love. Ha ha...not really. They have their days.

It has been a great week! I got to go skiing with the family, Aaron is finally starting to feel better, I was able to get together and hang out with all my math buddies from Logan High, and enjoy time with other friends and family in Logan. Now I am exhausted! While the kids are still fully loaded with energy and ready to go! Had to capture Aaron's moment of down time in the play room! Plus we loved Ian's picture of a giant person. He was having some quiet time and working on the Usborne wipe-clean activity cards. This one said "Can you imagine what this boy can see? Use your pen and draw it." Everyday his drawing become more clear!

Hope the boys enjoyed a moment of downtime because in just a couple days and the boys and I are heading to St. George to visit Grandma and Grandpa Foster and see the Blue Angles! We can't wait!!!

The doctors visits continue :(

After Papa, Nana, and Maddie headed out on Sunday morning. Monday morning I took Aaron into the doctors office. Yes this would make the 3rd doctors appointment for our family in a week! It was also my birthday! As you can see we celebrated it in style :)

So after visiting with the doctor yet again (this time concerning Aaron) we came home with a strong prescription of amoxicillin and an appointment for the next day with the ENT. Yes, Aaron had yet another double ear infection. He has had consistent ear infections since December. After visiting with the ENT and watching as Aaron failed his hearing test an appointment was quickly made for surgery to put in tubes the following Tuesday.

While we anxiously awaited for Tuesday. Aaron enjoyed watching movies and eating popcorn. Lots of popcorn!

Tuesday finally arrived. Tim took Ian to school while I took Aaron to the hospital. Aaron was showered with tons of love and enjoyed soaking it all in pre-surgery. The nurses had warned me that after surgery he might be a little grumpy. So I patiently waited for a whole 4 minutes until the surgery was complete and they were ready to bring him to me. Let's just say the nurses downplayed how "grumpy" he would be. They brought him to me screaming at the top of his lungs and he continued screaming, thrashing, hitting, and kicking in order to get away from me for the next twenty minutes. As the nurse left him with me she said, "make sure you don't drop him, page me if you need anything." Gee, thanks. I am sure if I tried to page her I would have dropped him. You could tell instantly when the anesthetics wore off because then he cuddled with me and watch a little baby einstein. Just in time for daddy to arrive from dropping Ian off at school -how convenient.

Thankfully the surgery went well. Even after being on the Augmentin for 8 days he still had a horrible double ear infection. The ENT doesn't believe that his ear infections were ever clearing up. Poor little guy :( We still have another hearing test this coming week to see if things have improved or if there is permanent damage. If there is permanent damage I am going to be irritated since I wanted tubes put in a couple months ago. The rules are that they have to have so many ear infections before they will put in tubes. Annoying.

The good news is that same day he took a four hour nap and woke up happy as can be. He enjoyed stealing the drawer organizers out of our dresser and taking off crawling and running around with them on his head. Don't worry I watch him very closely. I wasn't about to tell him no, he had been through enough that day.

As for Ian. He finally finished he amoxicillin for his ear infection that same day. Since having to have eye drops for his pink eye it has been a huge challenge to get him to take medicine. He was excited to have earned a prize that day. Do not be deceived by the picture -he was grumpy that I made him stop to take a picture. He even sleeps with his Thor hammer.

So while the kids are finally feeling much better. Tim and I still seem to have this lingering cold that does not want to go away. Thankfully it is not bad enough to completely knock you down, just enough to be irratating. So between the two of us being sick, the kids having 5 doctors appointments within 2 weeks, plus Aaron's surgery -let me tell you how happy we are that we decided to go with the high deductible insurance plan. Honestly we usually are very healthy and rarely get sick. This year is not panning out very well for us. Hopefully it will end up paying off in the long run. At least we are fortunate enough to have good health insurance. I can't imagine the cost if we did not. On the other hand maybe Obama would just bail us out :)