Can I Get a Frequent Shopper Card?

They have rewards cards, discount cards, frequent shopper cards for just about everything now in this world. You can get them with airlines, grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, auto services, you name it and it is probably available somewhere out there. Lately I wish they had a "frequent visitor " card for the pediatrician's office. Maybe like a sandwich card you get at a sandwich shop. Buy ten sandwiches and you get one free. Between Alex and Emily we have been five times in the past three weeks. I am used to it with the boys , but not Emily.

We were in there two weeks ago with Alex. He was coughing and rattling when he was breathing. I was giving him his nebulizer, but he wasn't responding really well. So I took him in. We had been in there a few weeks before and he had been on an antibiotic for a sinus thing and drops for an ear infection. This time the first words out of the peds mouth were, when do you have to pick your daughter up from school? That good, huh? His oxygen levels were low so they immediately started more breathing treatments. After an hour and a half his levels came up and they sent us home with steroids. Two visits later, the start of a preventative inhaler daily, he was finally doing better. I can't believe how much better his breathing is since starting the Flovent.

On to Emily. Other than her digestive issues Emily really doesn't get sick that often. The boys are always passing some sort of cold/respiratory thing around, but it always skips over her. On the 9th we were at softball practice and I could tell something was up. Emily just seemed out of it. By 10:00 that night she was running a fever, could barely speak and complaining of her throat hurting. Monday we were in the peds office. I took her in first thing on Monday because it was not a good week to get sick. On top of the 3 softball games, 2 practices, and birthday party she would miss, she had EOG testing at school. They have spent all year talking about this testing and preparing for it and this is the week she gets sick. We were told it was viral and sent home. I kept her home on both Monday and Tuesday. I decided to send her on Wednesday which was the first day of testing. An hour in to it I got a call saying they had to pull her out of the room because she was coughing uncontrollably. She did finish the testing but I was advised it might be best to keep her home . Not only did I have to worry about her performance on the test, but how she was disturbing the other kids in the class. I certainly didn't want that to be the case. So I kept her home on Thursday and Friday when she still seemed to be getting worse we went in again. She had a severe respiratory infection and they didn't like the sound of her chest. This time we went home with an inhaler, a steroid, a Z pack, and cough medicine. We spent all weekend vegging on the couch. She went back to school yesterday and last night we went and cheered her softball team on to their second win. I didn't want her to run around and get winded so we watched from the stands. Hopefully she can play on Thursday, we will see. Today and tomorrow she has her make-up testing for her EOG's . I am worried that she may not be completely up to par. I hope that she does well, the teacher says I have nothing to worry about. We have three weeks left of school and I just want to make it through them healthy!

Nights at the Fields

This is how our nights have been spent the past few weeks. Between T-ball and softball we are tied up 5 nights a week. It has been fun . I love to see the kids play of course because I loved to play. On the other hand it has been really hectic getting in to the swing of things. Some days Emily gets off the bus at 4:30 and we have to leave at 5:15 for practice or a game. Get home 8:00, have to do homework and eat dinner, and the days we have two practices or a game or practice, well you get the picture. If Emily has a 7:30 game we don't get home until 9:30, did I mention it was a school night. We are finally starting to get used to things. But the kids are having a blast. Emily's coach and family actually live in our neighborhood, so Emily has a new friend. Andrew is enjoying making new friends and not paying attention. Let's just say the coach has his work cut out with that team of 5 year old little boys. Every time that Drew hits the ball he runs right past the pitcher to second base. He is so cute - typical of that age , but more in need of reassurance than Emily was. Every 5 minutes during practice he looks at me and waves at me. Like he is looking to me for me to say " Good job buddy" . It has been fun for the whole family. Andrew has his first game this Saturday, hopefully he can remember which direction first is in.

Earnhardt Reunion

Judy, Jill, Chip, and Grandma

Mom and Dad in the crazy wind. Thankful there were no tornadoes here.

Judy listening to tales from the Earnhardt clan

Alexander

Boys will be boys, Drew looks like he is trying to strangle Alex and he is just smiling.

Clowning around outside the beautifully redone church hut

Andrew sitting with Aunt Judy

Grandma sitting there covered in her family blanket.

We had a lovely time attending the Earnhardt family reunion on the 16th of April. This year it took place at Immanuel Lutheran Church. In my opinion the perfect location as it was such a big part of our family's life. I have onlybeen bak there once in the ten years since my wedding. The hut has since been remodeled and is absolutely beautiful. It is soon to be renamed after Pastor Sheeks and his wife Kim for all their dedication over the years. It is hard to believe that he has been serving the people of Immanuel for thirty years. Being there brought back wonderful memories of going with my Grandmother and Grandfather to church and also of both my wedding and my cousin Dawn's.

The reunion was nice although the turnout was not as good as we hoped. Unfortunately the weather forecast was quite nasty for the day. Lucky for us the really sever weather stayed away from the little town of Rockwell. Unlucky for me, the weather hit a little too close to home. Both Raleigh and Holly Springs got slammed with tornadoes along with many other places close by. We were lucky, it stopped about halfway down the road that we live off of. Definitely too close to home!

As usual we were treated with many stories about growing up as part of the Earnhardt family. We also got to see some family memories in pictures and mementos of the family. I chose to bring the barbie dolls that my cousins and I used to play with. The girl was missing half her body parts so I left her at home in favor of the two fuzzy headed boy barbie dolls. I smiled as my kids sat there at a back table and played with those dolls just as I had. My sister chose to bring some of Grandmothers paints, brushes and one painting. I remember her painting pictures, stools, and knick knacks and wish that I could have inherited that gene. It was a lovely day, aside from the rain, and I enjoyed visiting and listening to all the stories so much. The only thing missing was more of the Earnhardt family.