Operation CrazyWoman: Day 8

This morning, in honor of my 35th birthday, the three youngest boys woke up at 6:30.  Since it was so nice outside I went to check on the pool because we had left it uncovered for the weekend.  After cleaning all I could reach from the edge, I succumbed to the deliciousness of the cool water and decided to hop in and clean out the rest.  Simon was playing happily in his diaper, and Connor and Maddox in their jammies.  The boys were all in the backyard and pretty well contained, so I figured it was safe enough.  After a few minutes, Connor asked to get in so I let him strip down naked go skinny dipping.  What they hey, right?  I've already gone redneck this morning by letting a baby play outside in nothing but his diaper and hopping in the pool with my clothes on.

By 7:30 everyone was up and the fighting began.  The fighting took place mostly between Simon, Mallie, and Connor.  Maddox was assaulted by Simon a few times, and Wesley engaged Mallie a little, but I'm pretty sure she started it.  I think it was the "7-day-itch" for Simon and Mallie.  It's hard not being in their own comfortable spaces.  In Mallie's case, she was also tired because I let her stay up with the big kids last night to finish a movie.  I didn't know she was going to turn into the devil.  It was almost comical.  She'd be playing with Simon or Connor just out of my sight... I'd hear the other person crying and come over and ask, "What happened?"  At this point, Mallie would look at me sweetly and say, "I punched him in the face."  Or something like that.  (At least she's honest, right??)  However, she took a nap today, and that has brought her angelic side back.

So anyway, to cope with restless natives we decided to make an appearance at "Swim Monday", which is an event hosted by a friend at her house a few Mondays this summer.  Originally I had decided we weren't going because there was no way I could keep an eye on 8 kiddos (5 who weren't swimmers) at a busy pool.  Besides, with Olivia's ears I just didn't think it was a good idea.  It's amazing what screaming kids will make look like a rational option.  By 9am I had decided it was less stressful to get everyone ready to go and out the door than it was to stay in the house with all the infighting.  So that's what we did, and we had a great time, actually.  No injuries, no near drownings, and no drama.  Just what I needed.  And it wasn't hard to keep an eye on the kids, though I did spend most of my time counting heads.  By the time we got home it was time for lunch and naps for the younger kids (including a short one for me) and by the time we all got up we were in much better moods!

After a couple of hours working on friendship bracelets and watching Tangled, the girls started to tell me about the blisters they were getting on their fingers - just like the ones Nan had.  In fact, I realized that out of the 8 kids in my care, 6 had shown symptoms of blister-like spots on their feet, hands, or in their mouths over the past week. And even I currently had 2 in my mouth and one on my thumb.  They are actually quiet painful.  After consulting with my medical-savvy sister (thanks, Beth!!), I decided I'd better run to the doctor to rule out a staph infection since we had a young baby in the house.

The verdict?  Happy Birthday to me, I have a disease...

Hand, foot, and mouth disease in fact.  It's a viral infection that is highly contagious, but relatively harmless.  Just painful.  I can remember having it once before in my life when I was about 8 or 9.  My little brother caught it and gave it to the rest of us kids (thanks a lot, Danny!).  I don't remember much except that we ate nothing but jello and pudding for about 2 weeks.  By the way, Julie, this is what Simon actually had when you got here - that mouth sore on his tongue started out as a cluster of blisters even though you couldn't tell on Saturday.  I know this because Connor has one right now that looks just like it but on the side of his tongue, and I know that one started as a cluster of blisters because I've been watching it for a few days.  From what the PA said, you are contagious just before you have eruptions (i.e.blisters).  As far as I can tell, this is the way it went:

• Simon got it in Louisiana and passed it to Nan.
• Nan started getting little blisters on her hands and feet a day or so after she got here, so she probably passed it on the kids at my house.
• Connor got a cluster of blisters on his tongue on Tuesday or Wednesday.

From there, I'm not sure who got it next.  The girls were complaining about it yesterday, and I first noticed it in my mouth yesterday, too.  Fun fun.  As long as Maddox, Wesley, and Ben don't show symptoms in the next couple of days we should be in the clear and not pass it on any more.  If you know us and you or your kids come down with the symptoms in the next day or two, I'm really, really sorry. 


With all the drama today we didn't get much in the way of pictures, but we do have a few worth sharing. 

 After naps I went on a quick "Sonic run" to get some half-price slushies for the kiddos.

Simon really loved his!

This afternoon he was having a good time hanging out in the dog crate, so Olivia got a few pictures.  He looks a bit like a jailbird with those stripes and bars!

Connor wouldn't co-operate so I could get a picture of his tongue, but here's a look at the blisters that are healing on his feet.  There's not very big, and are probably not something I'd have noticed by themselves.  Especially since he didn't complain about them.

So anyway, that was our day!  I think tomorrow we're going to take it nice and easy and just play around the house.  That's my goal for tomorrow - play games with the kids and love on the little ones especially!  I think we all need it.