Cauldron Linn!

We decided to go visit a local attraction for Memorial Day this year.  It is know as Cauldron Linn.  It is off the beaten track.  We tried to go visit it a few years back and could not find it.  This year Kyle and I did a little research before heading out and had a pretty good idea of where we were going.  Mapquest had Cauldron Linn listed, but had it on the wrong side of the river.  However, it got us close enough that I could find an unamed road on the correct side of the river that did actually lead down to the falls.  Cauldron Linn is difficult to get to and probably required four wheel drive to get all the way down.  It was rainy in the morning so the area was a muddy and the falls had quite a lot of mist.  My family went a few years back and the water was probably 5-10 feet below the rocks.  This year it was only about a foot below the rocks at the top of the falls.  It was an amazing site.  Kyle and my father decided to take a muddy path that was closer to the edge, while my sister Jennifer and I took a higher path that was a little less muddy.  I had Wesley with me and Kyle had Jonathen.  About the area the two paths converged I heard Kyle call for help and looked over in time to see him slip and fall.  He started to slide and put Jonathen down on the ground.  I had to place Wesley in a safe spot and tell him not to move.  I then moved over to get Jonathen and make sure Kyle was not going to slide any farther.  My father and I both saw Kyle go down and it scared us beyond belief.  He was able to stop his slide and get back up, but there was a second where I was scared to death.  Jonathen was not fazed by this incident at all.  He kept pointing at the falls and saying water.  He really liked it even though it was cold and rainy.  Wesley on the other hand was cold and nervous.  He kept asking his dad and poppa to get farther away from the edge then they were.  After Kyle fell and got all muddy he walked Wesley back to the car while the rest of us took a few more pictures and then decided to join him when we realized it was starting to rain in earnest.  By the time we got back to our vehicle we were wet and cold and called it a day.  The falls were beautiful. 

Afterward we took the boys home and put them down for a nap.  When they woke up we went over to my parents and had dinner with them and my sister Elisa and her son Shayne.  Overall it was a good day.

I have a Superhero in the family.

Wesley is really in to superheroes right now.  He loves Batman, Superman, and Spiderman.  He even has his own cape with a "W" on it.  He wears that cape everywhere and needs to have it on to help.  The other day I was sewing and Jonathen had discovered my box of safety pins.  He quickly found how much fun it was to throw the safety pins in the air and watch them rain down around him.  Wesley came in to the room and surveyed the situation.  He then looked at Jon and very calmly asked him, "What do you think you are doing?"  Jon responded by continuing to throm the safety pins around him.  Wesley then knelt down next to Jonathen and said, "Remember, I am a superhero and I can help." 
I then started to laugh.  It was really funny.  Wesley looked up at me and asked me what was so funny.  I told him he was.  He then informed me that he wanted me to stop laughing because I was being silly.  This made me laugh harder.  I love my little superhero and my destructive one year old.  They make me laugh every day and keep me guessing as to what they are going to say next. 

Happy Birthday/Mother's Day to me!

My birthday and Mother's Day are so close sometimes that it feels like one big celebration.  Kyle and the boys were very sweet this year.  They got me several books, which I always appreciate, a couple of covers for my Miche purse (these allow me to change the color and look of my purse without getting a new purse) and a new Wii game, Country Dance.  We were able to celebrate my birthday with some of my family and go out to Wesley's favorite restuarant, Guadalajara.  Elisa, Don and Shayne were able to be here since they were just getting back from New Mexico.  It was great to have them and they got me an awesome necklace.  Mom, Dad and Jenn were there and got me some great scrapbooking supplies, a jacket, and a new book that was signed by the author (from Jenn).  Overall it was a great week.  Thank you everyone for making such a special day.  How old am I you ask... Ha, that is for me to know and you to guess.  Sometimes even I struggle remembering.  I stopped getting older in my head about 7 years ago.  Oh well, you are only as old as you feel and I am not old. 

Easter!

I had to work this weekend so Easter was a little different this year.  The hospital has a big Easter Egg Hunt every year.  Since I was at work, Kyle brought the boys over to the egg hunt and I came outside to help him.  The 0-2 year olds stand in line and some helpers give each kid a handfull of eggs and toys.  The first age group to hunt for their own eggs is three years old.  So Wes actually had to go get his own eggs.  He did not get a lot since he was a little nervous.  He did pick up some toys and he says that he had a good time.  We colored eggs at my parents with Elisa and her son Shayne on Saturday night.  Then Sunday they held the Easter Egg Hunt until I got home after work.  So after six last night my parents had a big Easter Egg Hunt for Hallie, Wesley, Carter, Shayne, Jonathen and Catherine.  The kids all got a lot of eggs.  Wes and Hallie got the most, but the littler kids got the eggs they wanted.  We then came inside to have Easter dinner with the family.  It was nice to have most of the family home.  We always miss Matt and his family, but Matt called and talked to my mom while we were preparing.  The kids really seemed to enjoy themselves.  Overall, it was a pretty good Easter.  Next year I should not have to work so it will be a little easier.

Jon's Ears

Jon has been very sick lately.  He had an ear infection when we went in for his check up at the end of March.  He completed a course of amoxicillin, but got worse by the end of the 10 day course.  We went back into the doctor and got a different antibiotic.  He finished that course and appeared to be doing better.  He was talking more and was not running any fevers.  Four days after he finished that antibiotic he started running a fever again and pulling on his ear.  I also noticed he was not eating as well.  We went back into the doctor and got yet another antibiotic. We also noticed white spots on his tonsils at that appointment.  The next day I noticed that he was getting white plaques on his tongue.  It appears that Jon has developed a case of oral thrush due to the antibiotic.  We ran to Ridleys and picked up some Gentian Violet and started treating him Saturday night.  He is now walking around with a very purple mouth.  As long as it helps then it does not matter.  He is still extremely whiny and I am pretty worried about him.  I hope he gets better soon.  I do not like seeing him so sick.

Wesley's Birthday!

Wesley turned three on April 17th.  He is getting so big.  We decided to let him have a party with his friends this year.  He decided he wanted a Super Why! party.  He invited some of his friends and his cousins.  He had a three of his friends come and his cousin Catherine and her mom, Aunt Caitlin.  We colored Super Why! masks and then we played Pin the Mask on Super Why!  One of Wesley's friends did not want to wear the blindfold and had to place the mask perfectly on Super Why.  It was really funny to watch them.  Then we opened presents and had cake and ice cream.  I made the cake into a book with Storybook village and the Super Readers on it.  It turned out pretty well.  I wished more people could have made it, but he had a pretty good party anyway.  He got a lot of superhero stuff.  He really liked all of the presents.  We also got him some board games that he has really enjoyed playing with his parents. 
Wesley had a doctors appointment the next day for his three year well-child checkup.  He was 38 1/2 inches tall (75th percentile) and 27 lbs. (10th percentile).  Talk about being a bean pole.  He has lost weight since his 2 year check up, but the doctor was not worried since 2 year olds are such picky eaters.  If he had not gotten taller he might have worried, but since he was still growing they felt it was okay.  He had an ear infection so he got a prescription for antibiotics.  He is really good about taking his medication.