What a week!

Oh boy, where to begin...

Last week was crazy with school starting. I also was trying to get my things tagged and ready for our Mothers of Mulitples sale last Friday and Saturday. It was crazy!! Both Max and Myles received time-outs at school for biting each other...I was not surprised. So I was so looking forward to the end of the day Saturday when things would be over.

I was wrong. Myles woke up Saturday morning with a fever and the stomach flu. Daddy was home with both boys while I was working our sale. I was lucky enough to get home Saturday afternoon to catch the last round of the flu. Poor thing. We put him to bed to find he still had the fever on Sunday. Luckily Daddy let me sleep in because I was up all night with my sweet boy, Myles. Monday morning came and he still had the fever.

I took both boys to the doctor Monday morning to find out Myles had an ear infection. (Remember, he had tubes put in last fall!) We got the medicine and hoped for a quick recovery. No such luck. On Tuesday morning GJ and Papa arrived while the boys were still in bed and found the fever still there when they woke up. Max went to school and Myles went to GJ's. (Max is such a trooper! He WANTED to go to school which we love.)

Wednesday morning Myles woke up early while I was still home at 6:30. He told me he wanted a drink, so I took him to the kitchen. He pointed to his mouth and said, "Something in there." He opened his mouth and showed me lots of sores in his mouth and on his tongue. So, I quickly grabbed his stuff and drove him to GJ's. (Have I told you how wonderful she is???) GJ and Myles went to the doctor and the practitioner said he had a herpes outbreak---don't panic! It's what causes cold sores. She gave medicine and we hoped the fever would go away with this medicine too.

NO! Last night Myles was up twice. He is such a good sleeper, so I had my motherly instincts kick in. They had told my mom he needed to return to the doctor's office if the fever was there on Friday. As I rocked Myles in the chair I could not help thinking of the worse. The thought of this darn fever hanging on worried me sick.

So, we called my parents' house and Good 'Ol Papa told us he was on his way. It was about 1:30 am. Thank goodness he arrived, and looking so dapper I might add. He had a complete outfit on--belt and all. I was impressed, but then it is my dad, so I should have known! He is so great too!

Sean, Myles and I headed to Children's Mercy. I could not get there fast enough. I did not care if they thought I was crazy! I wanted reassurance things were okay. (Sean did too.)

The doctor came in, looked at Myles and said a few things I won't soon forget. Take note if you are a parent...
1. If you treat your child with Tylenol, Motrin or such and the fever "goes away" and comes back after it wears out, then things are fine. He said they worry when kids are given medicine and have no comfort or change. (I wish I would have been told this earlier!!)
2. If your child runs around and plays fine while the medicine is working, it is a good sign. (While we were at CM Myles thought it was time to play, so he was his cute, darling self...giving knuckles and "blowing them up"!
3. If your child has sores all over his mouth AND in the back of the throat, it is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. AND it causes FEVERS! The practitioner had said herpes, but herpes is just in the front of the mouth and not in the throat.

So, I have learned a few valuable things. Maybe you have too. :) Myles was home with GJ and once again Papa took Max to school. Both boys did well, and Myles was fever-free from 10:30 am until I put him in bed. Hopefully it will last.

Once again, I have realized how blessed I am to have my boys...all three of them. And I also have more reasons to list, on my very long list of reasons, why I feel I won the Parent Lottery.

Sean and I are looking forward to catching up on some lost sleep this weekend. If we don't, it will be just fine. Hopefully it's because we are chasing two HEALTHY boys!

We have been busy!

So it's been a while since I made a post! It's not because we weren't doing anything...lots has gone on so I guess it is an excuse for not posting! Should I start with going back to school? Or backing up and hitting another car in the parking lot at Dean and Deluca? (Luckily the damage wasn't bad, but I am driving a rental car for a few days while it gets repaired!)

Last weekend, Daddy bought Max and Myles a John Deere tractor. They are very cute, and as you can see, it took some work putting them together. Luckily one of them was pre-assembled. Here are Papa and Daddy putting one together.

Max and Myles have trouble pedaling, but it won't be long before they can ride away from me!

Lala gave the boys this Pooh tent. They have had fun with it outside.


I had to put these in to show off the K-State outfits. The boys have been getting "harassed" at school because many of the teachers went to KU. Papa Denny and Papa Tim love to tell them to like Jayhawks. Don't be fooled.
I just love this picture of the boys. All three of them! This picture makes my heart sing, and it reminds me just how blessed I am.

The kids are coming to school tomorrow, so my summer is officially over. I am anxious to begin school, but I wish I had some more summer mornings with M&M...guess the weekends will do! Max and Myles love their new school and don't even look back once they walk through the door in the morning. Daddy takes them, and I pick them up.

So "cheers" to a new school year!!

Another Great Day!

When I picked Max and Myles up today, their teacher told me they had another excellent day! They both came running and shouting "Mommy" which I loved. :) They made a darling Olympic torch out of tissue paper and were so proud. Max handed his to me and said, "That fire is hot".

Neither boy cried at all today. It makes me so happy to know they are adjusting just fine. Miss Stacey also told me they slept over two hours (not a surprise). She also was amazed at how fast they fall asleep. Gotta love it! I think they take after their parents!!

First Day at Building Blocks

Of course neither wanted to stand still for a picture. When I helped Myles put his "packpack" on, he fell over because it was so heavy! They really had a load!
Max wanted me to be sure I got a picture of the car on his "packpack". They have no idea about the movie...they got them from Lala.
Check out what Myles has in his hand. We could not have gone to school without Murphy, Marshall and blankies!!Here's Max with Miss Stacy. She is so kind and sweet. He did not mind posing with her right away. Myles was hanging on my leg as I took this picture!


So it was a great day for Max and Myles at Building Blocks today! Their teachers said they did very well, and they seemed to have lots of fun.

When we arrived, the kids were getting ready to go outside. Of course the McDaniel boys were ready!! They were more than anxious to get on the slides, so it was perfect. The kids in the "Green Room" got in line after an application of sunscreen, sang 3 cute little songs, and headed out the door. Max was right with them, not missing a beat. Myles was a little hesitant and hung on to my hand. He took off as soon as he walked through the doorway. So I left without tears...Until I got in the car. My awesome summer is at an end, and now I have to share time with Max and Myles with others. It's been great, and I have treasured my summer with them.

When I picked the boys up today they were at the table eating a snack. Neither one was about to get out of the chair just because I walked in...which was a good sign. I asked if they had fun and both said yes! They also said they were going back tomorrow! I'm so happy they had fun and are feeling so great! Hopefully it will continue tomorrow...

OOOPS!

I did not mention my "winning the lottery" with in-laws. I most certainly did, and I love them all dearly!!

My Jackpots

Last week, I read The Last Lecture. It's a book about a man with pancreatic cancer who knows he is dying. He tells about his life and drops tidbits of advice along the way. It was excellent, and I highly recommend it. Anyway, in the book he says he won the "Parent Lottery". As I read it, I could not stop thinking that I hit the Family Lottery. I am more than blessed with the world's best parents, the best husband, and the best twin boys. I don't mean to brag, but I am very lucky. Seriously.

It's been a great summer with the boys. Max, Myles and I have pretty much done whatever we wanted every day. We went to Gymboree, at lunch out, played with Molly and Libby, spent time with grandparents and just hung out. Unfortunately, it is all coming to an end tomorrow. M&M are starting at Building Blocks and I am going to school. When we visited Building Blocks, the boys loved it. I was impressed with the learning centers and the super behavior I saw from the kids. It's up-beat and positive, so I know the boys will do great. I just cannot stop thinking about how fun it was to be with them every day, all day.

The second graders will soon be walking in my classroom door, and that is fun too. I do know it is my mission to be a teacher, so I guess I'll be back in the swing.

It's bittersweet.


I found the boys' costumes from Halloween as I was preparing for the Mother's of Multiples' Garage Sale. (It's Aug. 23!) M&M said, "I Mickey Mouse" with these on. They saw the gloves and thought of Mickey. I love it!

Two Boys and Two Girls

Today we went swimming with Molly, Libby, Papa and GJ. It was lots of fun, and Max and Myles had fun jumping in from the side of the pool. Here's a picture of Papa and the kids afterward. Myles sat with him to read most of the book (The Caterpillar Who Went to Church--one of my favs!), and he got so sleepy Papa put him in bed. He is just like his Papa Denny who goes and goes until there's nothing left.

These are Hannah Montana wannabees, Molly and Libby. Just darling!
Check out Libby's Dora costume. She has a game where she puts it on and then puts a dvd in to say what to do. I just love how the backpack is printed on the shirt. Both of these girls take such good care of M&M. They are so helpful, and they are such loving cousins.