High hopes

I had high hopes for this summer.  I pictured days of craft projects, play dates, swimming, watching movies, practicing reading, writing, and math with Madison, and letter recognition with Jaxon, baking and pretty much just hanging out.  I know it's only June 14, so summer is far from over, but so far we haven't done much other than get sick.

I already posted about my awesome illness last week.  Nothing like a virus while recovering from surgery to pretty much knock the life out summer.  Thankfully my mother-in-law came to the rescue and invited the big kids over for a sleepover.  They love grandma's house!  It was a huge blessing to have just Colton for 2 days.  Having one happy baby to take care of is so much easier than 3 kids!

By the time Saturday rolled around I was feeling human again and I figured we'd get back on track with our fun summer plans this week.  Until Madison woke up this morning crying because she was coughing so hard she couldn't breathe.  So off to the pediatrician we went and Madison was diagnosed with strep throat.  That's 2 more days stuck at hope because I don't want to infect anyone else and the doctor said she's contagious until tomorrow evening.  Poor thing.  So we'll be reading lots of books and coloring and staying home.  Hopefully Jaxon won't get sick and hopefully he won't go nuts being cooped up inside.

My parents will be here this weekend for Madison's dance recital and father's day.  I'm praying everyone will be healthy by then so that we can all have a good time with grandma and grandpa.

On a much more entertaining note, Jaxon has been pretty stinkin' hilarious lately.  The thing about 3-year-olds is that they are almost impossible to live with half the time and the other half the time they are super funny.

- Today we were at the dermatologist.  Jaxon has a skin virus called melescum.  It's pretty similar to warts in that it doesn't really go away on its own, but it doesn't really cause other symptoms.  Anyway, he has these little pimple things that we have to get treated every 3 weeks so that the virus will stop spreading.  Today we were getting his treatment and he started telling the doctor that the owies were from the shark in the pool.  He went on and on about this "real shark" that lives in our pool and gave him the owies and the shark's mama lives in the pool, too, and the mama is green.  We were all cracking up.  He was dead serious, though.

- On Saturday we were driving past some cows on our way home from getting some dinner and Chris told Jaxon, "Look, Jaxon, there are some cows.  Cows are steak."  Jaxon thought about this for a second, the he said, "Yeah, we get our wands and we make the cows little, and then we eat them."

- Madison has an electronic toothbrush.  Jaxon is really jealous of Madison's electronic toothbrush, so he came up with a solution of his own.  EVERY day when he brushes his teeth Jaxon "turns on" his toothbrush by pushing the handle.  Then he makes a buzzing noise the whole time he brushes his teeth.  Then he turns his toothbrush off until it's time to wash it off.  When he washes it off, he has to turn the toothbrush on again.  If we are helping him brush his teeth that night he still insists that we turn on the toothbrush for him.  It's seamless.  He does it every day and he doesn't ever mess up.  It cracks me up every time.  I guess I could go buy him his own electronic toothbrush, but I'm just really entertained by his pretend one!

- For his birthday Jaxon got: 2 water guns, a thor shield, a thor sword, a thor hammer, a pirate hook, a pirate sword, a pirate knife,  and 2 super hero capes.  We are well armed and equipped for any possible emergency.  Thankfully, Jaxon does a pretty good job at resisting the urge to hit people.  Occasionally he does, but for the most part he's pretty in-control with all his weapons.  The other day I was playing with him and I said, "Let's go hurt the bad guys."  Jaxon said, "We don't want to hurt them, we just want to kill them."  Obviously he has no concept of what killing is since, although he definitely enjoys his weapons, he's really not a violent kid.  He's just a superhero whose job it is to protect our family from the bad guys who are evidently attacking our house multiple times a day.

I'd hate to finish any post without pictures, so here are some super random ones from my phone:

I did it all for the sticker!

On our way to Florida we took a pit stop at Madison's General Store then we drove through Ja[x]on, Mississippi.

Colton and I in Florida waiting for some pizza. 

Madison and her bff Sabrina sleeping on the way home from Florida.

Jaxon had an accident on the way home from Florida.  He ended up naked wearing Colton's diaper. 

Gotta put that big head to use.  According to his 9 month stats Colton is actually 50th percentile on height and weight (the doctor double checked those stats after looking at him).  He's in the 90th percentile on head circumference.  We've started calling him "Heeeed" 

Colton in a box.

Blonde highlights for the summer.  

Please send healthy thoughts our way.  Between surgery, dermatologist, well visits, and strep throat we've been to the doctor 6 times in 2 weeks.