Our Week

Monday morning we woke up to rain and soggy soccer fields, so practice was cancelled.  Daddy picked up the boys from school and started dinner, and the boys wanted to go for a bike ride before it was time to eat.  Great idea, guys!! 

Tuesday was a regular day of school and work, and Wednesday seemed to be the same.  Daddy and Pop Pop went to play in the Member Scramble, so Nana came to join us for dinner.  Beau began to complain a bit that he didn't feel well, but he ate dinner pretty well.  He said the strawberries and broccoli would make him feel better.  After repeatedly complaining of being cold and asking for a blanket at the table, we noticed his ears were super red.  After taking his temperature, we discovered it was upwards of 102 degrees!  Nana stayed with Lincoln, and Beau paid a visit to Pediatrics After Hours.  He was so tired and feverish, and they tested him for everything!  No ear infection, no sinus infection, no respiratory infection, no strep, no flu, no nothing but a fever!  We went home with instructions to give ibuprofen and Popsicles for a few days.  Beau was looking so sad laying on the exam table! 

Once home, Beau got a bath, meds, water, and a spot on the couch for a little tv time.  Oh, and of course he had shark hair!   

Daddy volunteered to stay home with Beau on Thursday because he couldn't go to school sick with a fever.  Curiously, Beau woke up with no fever AT ALL and needed no ibuprofen all day.  By 2:00 they were on the golf course . . . because Beau wasn't sick!!!  So thankful that fever was nothing at all and went away completely! 

We met up at the fields at Bowie for a make-up baseball practice at 6:00.  The boys had fun in a simulated game, and the grounds were so full of baseball/t-ball/soccer teams practicing.  Oh, and Beau is still not sick.  Hallelujah! 

We have a busy weekend planned, so we are glad everyone is well and rested.  Hold off rain, we've got plans!

Happy Easter from the Kuhlmans!  It was a great day, and we began our day with hugs!  The boys were looking cute in their church clothes and being super sweet.  This sweet picture brought back a memory of the funniest Easter picture ever . . .

Seriously, the funniest Easter picture ever!  Beau was just a few weeks old, and Lincoln was not all about cheesing or the camera while a screaming baby was nearby. 

 

We accidentally recreated the 2011 picture in 2014.  Beau was not screaming this time, but Lincoln was sad-facing.  How much they have grown! 

Luckily, Lincoln cheered up in just a few clicks of the camera.  We were still a little frazzled about timing with church, brunch, naps, etc.  Life was different with a 5 and 3 year old. 

This year's picture makes lots of smiles.  They have learned to love (and hate) each other so much as they are growing up.  We love the sweet moments!  After the pictures, we headed to church and knew it would be super crowded.  There was a major "thank you God" moment looking at my happy and healthy family all celebrating that Jesus is Risen.  Perhaps a joyful tear was shed!  We didn't take one single picture of the day after that, but we enjoyed a delightful brunch at the club with Nana and Pops, played with Hannah and her parents after brunch in the cold, and came home to take a nap in the rainy cold afternoon.  On every Sunday (and on every day), we can celebrate the Easter story.  Jesus is Risen.  Thanks be to God. 

Friday and Saturday before Easter

Lincoln headed off to school on Good Friday . . . it was supposed to be an off day but ended up being a make-up snow/ice day.  Beau and Mommy spent a few hours cleaning up the backyard.  The giant tree was shedding buds like crazy, and pollen was everywhere!  We cleaned up the buds and hosed and cloroxed everything!  After we picked up Lincoln from school, it was time for haircuts with Mr. Danny.  They both finished looking sharp! 

We hit up Tom Tom while Daddy made a Whole Foods run, and we were all ready for a play date/dinner with the Johansson's.  Lincoln and Isak were on a T-Ball team together last spring and an indoor soccer team in the summer.  They weren't in the same Kindergarten class this year, but we are reconnecting over spring baseball.  We only live a few streets away from each other, and Isak is a fun kid so we had a great evening with them.  We did some playing in the backyard while Daddy grilled hot dogs and burgers, and they everyone enjoyed a nice dinner and lots of fun conversation.  The boys all had popsicles around 8:30! 

It was Ninja soccer time on Saturday morning, and the boys were ready!  We were down three players due to the holiday, but the remaining 5 boys really stepped up.  It was an awesome game, and our boys really played so well.  It's so fun to watch Lincoln being super fast and into the defensive mode.  He is meant to be a goalie!  Team High Five after the game!!! 

We got cleaned up and had a little lunch then headed to the club for the Easter Party.  A lovely bunny lady magician entertained the kids for a half hour.  She was great with the kids! 

Of course, her last magic trick was to pull a bunny out of a box (not hat), and everyone loved that!  The kids all lined up for a turn to pet Maybel the bunny.  Lincoln's face says it al when it was almost his turn.  How exciting to touch a real bunny!!!!  (Not surprisingly, they got their hands washed and sanitized just moments later!)  It was funny to watch them pet the bunny. 

We gathered out front for the egg hung, and Lincoln and Beau were feeling like old pros.  They decided on a strategy . . . run far away from everyone to maximize the eggs before the other kids caught up.  Egg hunting is serious business! 

We were lucky to have some close friends at the party.  Lincoln, Beau, Hannah, and Shayne closed down the bounce house, and they had so much fun.  It's great to have fun friends and fun parents to share these events with.  (And Mr. Richard was the funnest dad ever chasing the kids around the bounce house!) 

The weather was amazing for Friday and Saturday, albeit full of pollen and other allergens.  Perhaps some of us will pay for that later, but we all had a great couple of days outside.  Easter Sunday is next!

Busy Week

Monday was Lincoln's actual birthday, so we kept the celebration going all day.  Lincoln was so excited Principal Low read his name in the morning announcements, and he got to go to the office to get a birthday pencil.  He had birthday cookies to share with his class in the afternoon.  After soccer practice, we took Linc's picture by the Bowie sign showing his name.  It's a major deal to have your name on the sign!!! 

On Tuesday evening, Lincoln took his new birthday scooter out for a ride.  He did great, and Beau pedaled super fast to keep up.  (All of the pedaling practice has paid off!) 

We made Resurrection Rolls on Wednesday after dinner.  What a great Easter tradition!  We talked about how Jesus died on the cross and was buried in a tomb protected by a big stone.  When the stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty, and Jesus had gone to heaven to be with God.  We spread out the crescent roll dough, dipped a big marshmallow in butter (for burial oil) and cinnamon (for burial spices), and rolled the marshmallow up in the dough.  The boys really enjoyed helping and were anxious to see what came out of the oven.  To their great joy, the rolls were empty when they took a bite.  The marshmallow was gone, and it was a great way to demonstrate the purity of Jesus disappearing from the tomb.   We love dyeing eggs and having egg hunts, but it's great that they love to hear the real story of Easter.

Lincoln asked Mommy to join him for lunch on Thursday, so we had a lunch date Clair and her Mommy, Laura.  It was super fun!  In the middle of a busy time at work, what a way to recharge looking at the sweetest Lincoln ever! 

Beau's class had an Easter Egg Hunt at the end of the day on Thursday, and he couldn't wait!  He collected tons of eggs, and was so happy to pose at the end.  (He took two eggs out for the picture and then scooped them up quickly.  Weirdo!) 

It was definitely a busy week, but it was good to make time for family fun.  Easter weekend has lots of activities, and we are ready for the excitement.

Super Fun Sunday

Saturday was so much fun, but Sunday had lots of fun too.  The boys were looking handsome (and wind-blown) on the way in to Sunday School.  Beau hasn't been super interested in going to his own age Sunday School class, but he has apparently matured since turning 4.  He had a blast!  Before we started our lessons, the Sunday School classes all walked through the Sanctuary waving palms to celebrate Palm Sunday.  Beau had a great time in Ms. Jamie's class and said he would be happy to do that every Sunday! 

We have been talking with the Moody's about trying out our church for a few weeks, and it finally worked out.  William and Lincoln had lots of fun in Sunday School.  We had a double lesson about Easter, and our craft was stained glass (tissue paper) crosses.  Love having friends in Sunday School! 

We had brunch at the club then did our grocery shopping for the week.  We made it home in time to change clothes and hit up the Easter Egg hunt at Bowie.  The boys were dancing to the "Happy" song while waiting on their age group hunt to begin.  They had super awesome strategies about getting tons of eggs, and they had so much fun.  Beau loved that Lucy C. was there to hunt eggs with him, and Lincoln and Cameron stuck together too. 

As soon as the Easter Egg hunt was over, we walked to the baseball field for our first baseball practice of the season.  Coach K (Nick's dad) ran a great practice.  We have our Kindergarten friends from our last team, and everyone is super ready to play again.  There are a few kids that haven't played before, but they caught on right away.  We have a girl on our team, and Mia impressed everyone!  Their family moved just down the street from us, and they are so sweet.  We did some coach pitch practice after the basics were taken care of, and everyone was ready to hit the ball! 

After we got cleaned up from baseball practice, Lincoln chose Katy Trail for his birthday dinner.  (Monday was going to be super busy for a dinner on his actual birthday, so we celebrated with Nana and Pops on Sunday evening.)  The burgers were delicious!!  We called Bubbles at the end of the night to wish him a Happy Birthday.  They almost share the same birthday, and we didn't want to forget to call him.  We have had some of the busiest weekends ever lately, but it is always full of fun. 

Lincoln's 6th Birthday Party!

Lincoln's 6th birthday party was super fun!!!  He picked Angry Birds as his theme, and he was so excited to celebrate with Kindergarten friends: from his class, soccer team, basketball team, and baseball team.  The door decoration was a picture of sweet Lincoln!

Nana never disappoints in helping with decorations.  As usual, Lincoln has the cutest party ever! 

Stein's cupcakes were the best.  We added Angry Birds rings for the boys and flower rings for the little sister siblings.  They were definitely a hit! 

Since this is our first party with Kindergarten friends, the parents didn't know about how we roll in the food department.  Once the gym time was over, they helped the kiddos devour the Chick-fil-A and Campisi's pizza! 

The birthday boy had so much fun playing with his friends at the gymnastics place.  He took a quick break to pose for a picture for Katie (the party pic girl for the day - thanks Katie!)  How sweet does he look? 

One minute later . . . Beau, Canon, Griffin, Jonathan, William, Isak, and Preston decided to join Lincoln in his little circle!  So glad they love each other so much! 

The brothers had a few sweet minutes of bounce house time, and Beau was happy to get a little alone time with Lincoln at the party.   

The kids all sat down to learn the rules of the noodle game.  Lincoln got a noodle and had to select a friend to have a noodle too.  The shouts of "Pick Me!" was crazy, but Lincoln couldn't help but pick his best brother Beau.  They had to tag the other kids with their noodles as they ran past on the gym floor.  It was super fun! 

The coaches organized the kids for a group picture.  Lincoln was so proud to have so many friends surrounding him.  Two guys specifically made sure to be by his side, Beau and Nick.  It was such a great group! 

When we were finished in the gym, we hit the party room for nuggets and pizza.  A few sneaky boys had already claimed their seats by the birthday boy.  Beau was on Lincoln's right, and Canon was on Lincoln's left followed closely by Ben.  We passed out cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday to Lincoln.  He got a little embarrassed with everyone looking at him, and he snuck Mommy a look with his eyes filling with tears because he was just overwhelmed with joy.  Lincoln is seriously the best!!!

He couldn't wait to hand out the favor boxes that we have worked on all week.  He designed every part of the favor boxes and placed each item in carefully.  The guests were almost as happy to receive them as he was to hand them out! 

It was such a fun party!  The parents had a great time visiting while the boys ran wild and had fun.  Good food, good friends, and good time for all. We headed home with tons of gifts, and Lincoln was blessed with so many fun presents.  Tons of Lego sets, the Gooey Louie game he had been eyeing, a few craft projects, a few sports gifts, and lots of cards and gift cards.   

Lincoln is sure that this was his best birthday EVER!  So glad to share in his joy on this special day.  His happiness was contagious, and everyone there was in the best spirits.  Happy Birthday to the best 6 year old this Mom could ever know!

Beginning of the Weekend

It's the weekend - hooray!!!  Daddy got back in town after some work travel on Friday, and we all met at the club to hang with some friends.  Lincoln and Beau got to meet Hannah for the first time, and they really hit it off.  Hannah loves Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as much as these guys, and they ran around setting up traps for fake bad guys for hours.  She's super cool!  She also REALLY likes Beau and scooted her chair as close as possible during dinner.  They also share a love of pizza and have a really sweet bond. 

Lincoln's soccer team, the Ninjas, are back in action this spring.  We've had some weather problems (ice then rain another week), but the boys were ready to play on Saturday morning.  Beau and Lucy were happy to be reunited at their big brothers' game.  They did some artwork and smiled sweetly!  These two are so sweet!

 

 

It's crazy how much better the boys are after the winter break.  They are just more mature and aggressive and handle the ball better and work together more.  It was a great game against a good team, and the Y bumped us up a level.  Jonathan shouted at the end of the game, "We won this one for you, Lincoln, because it's your birthday!"  (No parent had the heart to tell them that the other team's goal in the final minute made it 5-5.)  Jonathan and the other boys were so excited about being back together and celebrating Lincoln, and it was too cute! 

The busiest weekend ever continued after the soccer game.  Huge birthday post is next.  Beware:  picture overload is next!

Mid-Week Notes

We had some Mommy time in the library on Wednesday morning, and it is always super fun to see the kids in action in Kindergarten.  Wednesday afternoon was super BIG for Lincoln!  Ms. Harker, the librarian, had recognized his recent AR quizzes and moved him up to the 10 point club!  Lincoln was totally excited, and we took his picture next to his picture on the 10 point group and with his reward for reaching the latest milestone.  He was so excited to get a new slap bracelet!  I am on the Reading AR Committee next year, and I don't know the budget yet for rewards.  I'm going to make a mental note that slap bracelets need to stay on the rewards list because they are cheap but awesomely fun!  Go Lincoln!

We came home on Wednesday to an upgraded security system.  Ours hadn't been updated in a few years, so we went all touch screen and stuff.  We walked in the door to hear a strange voice announce, "Garage Door."  It was unbelievable how funny Lincoln and Beau thought this strange voice coming out of the way could be.  We seriously stood in the hall and (closed then) opened the garage door 17 times so they could hear the lady in the wall say, "Garage Door."  They doubled over in a fit of laughter each time!  (Beau might have been caught knocking on the wall under the security monitor and yelling that she talk to him.  Too funny!)

After dinner on Thursday, we resumed out bike rides, and Beau wanted to wear his new helmet like Linc's.  He made it around the block several times with minimal Mommy pushing, and his little legs are getting better about pushing.  We ran into a sweet friend (Charlie) one street over, and that inspired Beau to pedal better.  The boys wanted to show Charlie how they ride through a large (why won't this dry up) puddle at the end of the street, and Charlie and his mom walked down the street to watch.  Beau also had to try some of Lincoln's "no legs" tricks!  Super fun bikers!  (Beau's helmet is crazy too big, by the way.  I guess he'll grow into it?  But really, how much damage can be done when slowly riding a bike with training wheels with a mom walking along?  Hopefully, none!) 

 

We came back to have dessert (Popsicles, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and bananas) then get cleaned up for bed.  (We had to make an emergency Tom Tom run for Kindergarten lunch ingredients because Beau was sure that he need a turkey and cheese sandwich on a roll with pretzels and a red apple for lunch on Friday.)  Bath time was quick and bedtime was immediate.   

Lincoln came out to investigate what Mommy was up to, and he really wanted to help with the last of the party favor boxes for Saturday.  When we finished those, he managed to climb onto the couch and fall asleep quickly.  It's crazy that these boys don't fall asleep as soon as we put them in their rooms at night, but they appear to be night owls too!  Lincoln woke up while he was being carried to bed after falling asleep on the couch . . . he wanted to clarify that he was still a big kid but it was still ok to be tucked in sometimes.  I'll tuck these little guys in until they won't let me, so each night with "extra" time is precious. 

Wonderful Weather for Bike Riding

Beau suggested that we go for a bike ride on Monday evening after Lincoln's soccer practice.  It was a beautiful evening, so we went for a bike ride around the neighborhood.  Actually, only one of us went on a bike ride . . . Beau abandoned his bike three seconds from our house  Lincoln was super happy to got on a late evening ride around the block.

So Beau was the instigator of the bike ride, but he completely bailed when it was time for him pedal along with his new training wheels bike.  Luckily, he joined Mommy in jogging along with Lincoln pedaling fast down the street.   

After dinner on Tuesday night, we headed out for another bike ride.  Lincoln is looking super cute in his helmet.  He's become the most confident bike-rider lately.  This daily practice is going great. 

So we got Beau's bike out to so he could ride with Lincoln, but he changed his mind to run around the block.  When we got back to the house, Mommy insisted that he pedal himself around the block a few times.  He was pretty good on his own, but he slowed down and needed a push a few times.  It was definitely the longest pedaling he's done, so we'll keep working on that.   

On our third trip around the block, Lincoln got a little fun/creative with his legs!  He discovered that his bike would keep going even though his legs weren't on the pedals.  Super fun! 

Cool biking weather is short and sweet in Texas, so we are taking advantage as much as we can.   It's great that Lincoln is getting so much more confident on his big kid bike (no elbow/knee pads), and Beau needs to keep up his confidence/effort on pedaling his 4 year old bike with training wheels.  We will keep the neighbors entertained with our biking adventures for a while.

What Really Happened During the Week - Appendicitis and Finally No More Rain!!!!

Remember this picture from the post about Beau's birthday?  Bubbles and Minnie had stopped by for a visit when they arrived late on Friday night (3-13) before Beau's birthday party.  We got a call at 9:30 on Saturday morning that Minnie and Bubbles were in the Emergency Room waiting on Bubbles to have an emergency appendectomy!  (Minnie knew Bubbles was in pain that night and made a note of a hospital on their way from our house to their hotel.  Smart Minnie!)  They had already talked with Nana and Pops, and Bubbles was insisting that Beau's birthday party go on without any mention of this problem.  He had offered to bring a tarp in the morning so the kids wouldn't get their feet wet ( in the damp grass after taking off their shoes for the bounce house), and he made sure someone got a tarp to the party ASAP!  Thanks to Aunt Carolyn for that save!  Really, Bubbles shouldn't have worried about such a silly thing while in so much pain, but I guess it was distracting to think of something other than he was sitting in the ER waiting on surgery!  So we had the party, and we made Minnie send us endless text messages about their condition, their surgery time, their transport to a larger and new hospital, and everything else.  Crazy day!! 

Mommy left as soon as the party was over to go to the hospital and arrived at Pre-Op just in time.  We got to meet the surgeon and get the details, and we also had to call several VIPs to keep them updated with information.  Ally was just sick that she hadn't been able to come, but we were calling her a ton to assure her that all would be ok.  The hospital they transported him to was super state of the art and only about a year old.  It was great!  (Stole this picture from Minnie!)

Not gonna lie . . . Saturday was hard!  Hard for Bubbles, hard for Minnie to watch her husband be in so much pain, hard for me to watch them both suffer, hard for Ally, Auntie, and so many friends and family away from us wanting to know more.  I had brought Minnie some Chick-fil-A and Campisi's pizza from Beau's party for her "lunch" (at 2:30), which she ate behind a napkin because Bubbles couldn't eat.  I made her throw it away around 6:00 because it had been sitting out unrefrigerated since 11:00.  When I was leaving around 8:00, the cafeteria had closed and the vending machine just had cookies and candy.  I ran to get her a sandwich and fruit from a nearby convenience store and didn't even realize it was EXPIRED!!!  So sorry Minnie!  After church on Sunday, the kids got to go visit and thought Bubbles had a cool room and really that the whole thing was kind of cool.  Super glad they weren't freaked out about him being in a hospital bed.  Minnie had dropped her iPhone on Saturday night, so went to get it fixed - why we ended up at Firewheel Mall riding trains, eating cookies, and wasting time.  We bought Minnie a cup of cinnamon sugar mini pretzels for a surprise.  I'm pretty sure Beau licked the cinnamon and sugar off a few pretzels, but Minnie didn't care!!!!  Mommy picked the boys up early from school on Monday to go visit again before soccer practice, and we were happy to see them again.  We went back on Tuesday to visit and pick up some laundry to take home to wash, and Daddy joined us.  Wednesday was a little different.  Nana had picked up the boys from school, and the doctor though Bubbles needed a little help getting some fluids out so I went to sit with him and Minnie for the afternoon/evening.  I brought Minnie's laundry back and baked penne for Minnie and I to share in the waiting area . . . poor Bubbles still couldn't have food until all of the fluids were gone.  (He hadn't eaten since Friday night!!!!  But Minnie needed a home cooked meal instead of hospital sandwiches or protein bars.)  I picked the boys up from dinner at Nana and Pops to come home and get ready for bed, and we saw a strange possum walking along Ms. Sally's fence.  (That's important for later!)  We couldn't go visit on Thursday night because we had Open House at Kindergarten.  Lincoln was so proud to show us his Space Journal, Art Book, Rotating Solar System, and Astronaut.  He loves school!!!  We also went to the art room and collected his heart tile and stopped by the book fair to get a new Captain Underpants book (gross!)  Nana and Pops went to visit Minnie and Bubbles on Thursday and reported that he was getting better faster - YAY!

We got a wonderful call on Friday morning that Bubbles was getting his fluid tube out and he was looking great!  So excited!!!  Minnie and Bubbles were so happy they took their first selfie ever!  I stole this from Ally (who stole it from Minnie).  Poor Ally was stuck in Arkansas working, but we kept her super updated each day.  Those are two happy people smiling because Bubbles had "turned the corner"!!! 

Bubbles was in such a picture happy mood, the boys got a picture with him after school on Friday.  They totally think they own that hospital after visiting so much!  The nurses have been so kind and stop to introduce themselves to us and tell us how much they love Bubbles.   

We got a rainy Saturday and a cancelled soccer game, so we just loafed around all day.  A little March Madness, a few video games, a stop at a friend's shop to buy Minnie a birthday gift, and a visit with Bubbles at the hospital.  Hopefully, our last visit at the hospital.  The boys were completely over the novelty of visiting a hospital and had lost their nice behavior, and we were all praying for a Sunday release!  Bubbles got the "all clear" to eat real food FINALLY after 7 days, so I honored his request for a burger with a special delivery from Shady's.  They were so happy!!!  I was only a little sad that I just dropped it off because I kind of wanted to watch them eat it with joy!  We went to dinner and came home to watch the late Razorbacks game, but that ended with a loss.  Daddy went out into the garage around 10:30 and found this guy hanging out . . . OMG!!!  We called Bubbles, Pop Pop, and Eric, and no one really knew how to safely get the possum out of our garage.  Everyone suggested leaving some food out to lure him down, but this Mommy only buys enough fresh food to last until Friday.  On Saturday nights, the fridge is empty.  Daddy took matters into his own hands and hit the garage door button a few times to wake the possum up, and he fell down out into the driveway.  We haven't seen him since, thankfully!!! 

Sunday was a joyous day!  Nana and Pops went to check on Bubbles early in the morning, and he was being discharged!!! For some crazy reason, the doctor agreed that they could drive home to Arkansas!  Everyone was so happy!!!  Minnie drove them by the house so the boys could say good bye and we could all hug.  It was so good to see Bubbles outside of the hospital!  The boys promised that the next time he comes to visit he gets to eat two cupcakes . . . one for Beau's party and one for Lincoln's party.  After they left for home, we had brunch at the club, did some grocery shopping, then went for some tennis on a wonderfully warm spring day.   

Daddy and Pop Pop had played golf in the early afternoon, but Daddy wanted the boys to have a little golf after our tennis fun.  Daddy took Lincoln to the driving range and instructed Mommy to give Beau a putting lesson.  Not sure Mommy is a putting expert, but we had fun!  Beau putted for a while, but he actually only cared about going into the locker room to get goldfish!

We traded after half an hour so Daddy and Beau could have some time at the driving range.  Lincoln sank a putt-in-one!!!!  After that great feat, he insisted that he get a popcorn snack from the clubhouse.  Apparently, it's all about the snacks!! 

The best news of the day is that Minnie and Bubbles made it home to Arkansas safely, and they are so glad to be home.  We loved getting to see them every day, but it was a crazy week.  We are so thankful for the doctors and nurses that took such great care of Bubbles, and I have so much admiration for Minnie for not wanting to leave his side the whole time.  So lucky that we both have parents that still love each other so much.  This wild ride is winding down, and we just hope Bubbles will come back one day . . . at least he won't have to worry about appendicitis ever again!