Love-ly Long Weekend

We had a pretty special love filled weekend celebrating valentines.  It was also filled with a lot of sniffles and kleenex.  

I posted this on Instagram but for my family that does not do such things...  Brady made us a valentine at school and it just made my day.  I love it.   It says, "Happy Valentine's Day!  I love my dad because he tucks me in bed.  I love my mom because she packs my lunch.  xo Brady"

Brad was lucky enough to get the afternoon off work on Friday for good behavior (hehe) so he surprised Blake by going to his class party with me and Brady.  The look on Blake's face when he walked in from recess and saw us all standing there...priceless.  Wish it was on video.  He shouted, "I'm so lucky my WHOLE family is here!"  Swoon.  Brad, Brady and I had driven up to his school but the boys declared it was a walk home from school kind of day.  Indeed.  So Brad drove home and I got the good fortune of walkin with my boys.  Swoon again.

Saturday the boys both had separate birthday parties to attend and then we regrouped again as a family and enjoyed dinner out.  This pic is courtesy of Blake's photography skills while outside waiting for our table:

My parents met us for dinner and gave the boys a little valentine love, Snoopy stuffed animals.  The boys were so crazy excited.  The next morning we met my parents for brunch and Brady insisted Snoopy join us.  Brady played on Brad's phone for a bit and later we discovered someone had been taking pictures:

The following day we all went to the Lego movie in 3D.  (Brad had off work and boys off school for President's Day).  We all really enjoyed it and was such a great end to our long weekend!  However, we've been dealing with yucky colds and Blake ended up missing school yesterday and Brady missed today.  No fun.  Hopefully we will all be healthy soon and stay healthy!!  I'm tired of all the sickies!

So, I also have to share a few pics I found on Brad's phone I just recently discovered.  They are from the crazy bad ice storm we had awhile back.  Just loved the pics so wanted to document.

Mother Knows Best

Last Thursday we got a little bit of snow but not enough to cancel school.  Here is Blake in the school parking lot Friday morning...

He was happy and seemed healthy as can be.  And then I picked him up at the end of the day and he still seemed perfectly fine.  But when we got home, only 2 minutes later, instead of playing with Brady like usual, he curled up on the couch and watched cartoons.  This is an immediate sign of doom.  I, like I'm sure any parent, HATE HATE HATE when my kiddos are sick.  My heart just breaks for them and so I was hoping that he was just a little tired from the week. Blake went from laying on the couch to asking Brad to build him a fort.  Oh, yay, he's not getting sick I thought, if he's well enough to play in a fort!  Except shortly after the fort was built was dinner time and this is how I found Blake. 

On top of the fort, with his eyes closed, but not asleep.  He.was.pitiful.  When Blake doesn't want to eat dinner you know something is REALLY wrong.  Blake does not slow down with a cold and even some sinus infections and so I knew it was something more.  Fever and his throat hurt and I had a mommy instinct of strep throat.  Off to the doctor we went Friday morning.  Except the doctor said no strep and was probably just a bad cold.  I knew better.  I tried to argue with the doctor but something about an M.D. not being after my name for some reason made me less credible than him.  Hmmmph.   But my mommy instincts kept nagging at me all day as Blake was still pitiful.  I was cursing the doctor in my head all day.  And then Saturday morning Blake woke me up in tears.  Blake was crying because his throat hurt so bad.  So, back to the doctor we went Saturday morning.  The doctor on call took one look at Blake's throat and was like oh yeah, that is definitely strep.  Amazingly with one dose of antibiotic he was on the road to feeling better.  I kind of want to write the doctor that saw him initially an I told you so letter.   Mommy always knows best.  
So, the lesson here is to always trust your gut, I guess argue with the doctor until you win?  Or maybe the lesson is to wait and take your kid to the doctor until they are REALLY REALLY REALLY sick.