The last two weeks...

I actually didn't take many photos the week we got back from Utah. Mostly I just wasn't in the mood. We spent the week getting our house in order for my mom to come and live with us. Then prepared to head up to Springfield for my dad's memorial service.

 

Thursday night (before the memorial service and Mac's birthday) Mac started coughing, the middle of the night it got worse and then he was having a hard time breathing. We were up most of the night. Friday morning I was worried enough to take him to urgent care as soon as it opened at 8am. Mac didn't sleep most of the night but started getting sleepy once we left for urgent care which made for a grumpy boy the entire time we were at urgent care. They ended up taking an x-ray of his chest and did some blood work. His chest was clear but the blood work showed a bacterial infection, most likely in his air way since he was having a REALLY hard time breathing and the doc saw a lot of junk in his throat. We got an Rx for antibiotics and then left out of town so that we could go to my dad's memorial service the next day. 

My dad's memorial service was wonderful. It really was. And it was so wonderful to be with my family again and to visit so many people who knew and loved my dad.

 

After the service I just hung out with my siblings. My oldest brother really wanted to go to pizza at Papa's pizza (his tradition when he comes to town) because one of his most vivid childhood memories was going to pizza on fridays on pay day every month. 

 

My mom and all my siblings. We also drove around and looked at all the schools we went to and our childhood home. 

 

Mac was still sick so my mother-in-law offered to stay home with him and Oak during the service. We also stayed home from church Sunday on his birthday. I caught Mac just laying by the Christmas tree. 

 

While everyone was a church Mac kept on randomly yelling, "I'm seven!" He has been counting down the days since Oak's birthday in August. 

 

We mostly just layed on the couch and watched movies. At one point he was holding my hand. 

 

Grandma made him brownies although he had pretty much no appetite. And he opened lots of presents. 

 

We left Monday morning for home after we stopped in Sweet Home for a few more of my moms things. 

 

After we got home we went and got our tree and got our Christmas decorations out. The kids loved it. I actually let them decorate the tree all by themselves. 

 

Oak missed most of Preschool for December but we got back in town just in time for her Christmas program at an assisted living home. It was adorable and the people loved it. 

 

Oaks drawing of Santa. So cute!

 

Mac has been looking forward to picking out a Lego for his birthday. He actually put most of it together himself. I just made sure he went in order for the directions and that he put the pieces on firmly, both things he struggles with. But he did a great job.

 

The kids did their santa letters. He got a ninja turtle lego for his birthday but apparently wants another one. 

 

Oak is asking for a cowgirl hat, a stick horse and a lasso. I already know she is being gifted pink cowgirl boots. Oh I can't wait for her to see all of that!

 

The activity Mac chose for his birthday was the arcade. So he rounded up all the change we had and counted it. He did great counting the money on his own and he counted out $21. It was nice to see he has a grasp of money value and skip counting. 

 

So a mother in our homeschool community sets up visits to assisted living homes twice a month. We haven't been able to go because we have been sick or out of town. But we finally got to go this week. I have to say that I had high expectations for this to be a wonderful thing for my kids to do, but it somehow exceeded that. At one point I was nearly in tears of the shear joy watching the kids interact with these wonderful people. I don't know if I was emotional because of the recent passing of my dad or because of the holiday season, probably both. But I just loved it and so did my kids. Mac teamed up with a guy named James (above) and they got along really well. They were so cute to watch together.  In the following days after we went to the home, Mac on his own added James and Oak's friend (below) to his prayers. I am thinking we might stop by on Christmas Eve to show these two our love.

 

Oak's friend was Woody, I didn't catch the woman's name that is on the right of her. But woody was fantastic and reminded me a lot of my dad. He adored Oak. I also was able to visit with Woody's niece who drives 6 hours once a month to spend time with him. It just really touched me that she does that.

 

 

There was also a resident that showed the kids how to draw. My kids loved this. 

 

Friday Mac had his seven year check up. He is always so great for his check ups and he didn't have to get any immunizations. His doc said that he is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. And she is also pro homeschooling, which is so nice. 

 

After his appointment we decided to steal a little date to the ice cream shop. Life has been chaotic and it is showing in all of our attitudes towards each other, so it was nice to get a little one on one time with my boy. 

 

Mac got the play doh out and made a whale. 

 

This pic has no purpose except for the fact that Oak said, "mom take my picture with the fish!"

 

We had a nacho picnic and movie saturday night. I was reminiscing about eating nachos for dinner as a kid. The nachos would be piled high with a ton of toppings and we would put the sheet of nachos on the slatted coffee table and all surround it and dig in. Love child hood memories like that.  

 

Getting ready for church I looked over and saw this. So cute!

 

And our Sunday pic!