Ear infections, Thanksgiving dinners, and pictures

I took F6 to the doctor today. He’s been pretty miserable since Thursday…at least as miserable as one of my sweet babies can be. He’s been running a temp and Sunday developed some congestion and coughing. The doctor took one look into his left ear and said, “Oooh, that doesn’t look good. Definitely infected.” In some ways, it’s a relief to hear. There is a obvious and not-to-serious cause for his fever, and I also feel vindicated. Especially when the nurse took his temp and it was only 96.7. So he is on amoxicillen for the next 10 days and sleeping on Motrin.

Thanksgiving dinner is at our house again this year. Mom is making her pies tomorrow, and I think I’ll make the dinner rolls tomorrow, as well. At least get them to the point of ready-to-rise, and then put them in the fridge to rise. They’ll be ready to bake (I hope) when the turkey is done. We generally eat late (6pm) because of all the family that is somewhere else earlier in the day. Mr. Nutt’s kids will be eating at their mom’s earlier and then coming to our house. My brother will be bringing his daughter and girlfriend (maybe) after another dinner as well. Our menu will have: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and cheese, creamed corn, baked butternut squash, dinner rolls, pumpkin dip with ginger cookies, apple pie, pumpkin pie, lemon meringue, and chocolate cream pie. I think we’ll get the pies all done, and maybe the squash tomorrow, so that there is less oven usage on Thursday.

Yesterday, Mom and I looked through old pictures of when I was a kid and when my bigger kids were very little. Wow! It makes me realize that I’m not a little girl anymore. I love to look at those pictures and see how time has marched past. I’m sure there will come a day when the time that has passed will be more than the time that is to come, and it may sadden me. But right now, it is so fun and uplifting.

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The Insanity!

We’ve been cleaning children’s bedrooms this week. Actually, just the boys’ bedroom and the basement play area. It was really bad. After eleven years of toy accumulation, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that there can be too many toys. I have tried a gazillion ways to organize the chaos, but just when I get it organized five little pairs of hands plunge in and undo all of my efforts.

So, I’ve decided to declutter the toys. Each child will get their own box of toys. We will go through all of the toys (not to include stuffed animals or hobbies) and as they come to a toy that they consider a favorite, it will be put into their own box. If a toy goes into no one’s box, then it will either go into the donation box or the trash, depending on its condition., When each child’s box gets full, the top will be put on and that will be that. We will still have six boxes (large rubbermaid containers) of toys, but the is better than the twelve or thirteen we currently have.

As each child gets toys for gifts or whatever, they will have to either find a spot in their box for them or get rid of something that is already in their box to make room for the new toy. Grandparents have been informed of this and the kids have all requested that money be given to them instead of toys, so that they don’t have to deal with semi-unwanted gifts, but can pool birthday money together and buy something they really want. Books are always welcome, as are hobby oriented gifts.

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