Quiet activities:

Just doing some puzzles and playdough while Mama was reading...

Poor Layla

Layla woke up this morning around 5:45 SCREAMING in pain.  When I rushed up to her room with Cora (sadly, Cora got up at 5:30 today.  What is with that, huh??) she was lying face down on her bed, arms up around her head, sobbing.  She said her neck hurt, and she couldn't move, and she had been calling and calling for help.  *insert Mama heartbreak*

I gave her some ibuprofen, put a heat pack around her neck, and for an hour she lay on her back with a pillow under her knees, listening to a Ramona book on Audible.  

Thankfully, Grammy gave Finn these fancy-dancy walkie-talkies for his birthday, and they are coming in VERY handy today with Layla!  I can't be up in her room all day, but she was feeling very sad and lonely before Jonas thought of these.  Now she's doing much better, at least emotionally. 

She really wants to go in to the doctor, but in all honestly I don't think they would do anything helpful to her pain (they would do lots of very expensive tests I'm sure, and I hate to be at a point with insurance where I don't want to talk my crying child in to the doctor because they would do their job and run tests...sigh...).

I wold love to take her to my chiropractor, but because she is a child AND she has never been there before, they are always very cautious and do lots of intake work that is not related to pain relief...so, again, it'd be lots of time and pain for her without any great help.  But, it'd be less money, that's for sure.

I sound like a major downer, huh?  I know.  Sorry.  I just hate having bad insurance with a passion, and being backed into decisions on health care based on money.  Hopefully sometime soon Jonas will have work as a regular employee, not a contract worker, and these fun health events will not be such a present part of our lives.

In the meantime, please pray for Layla.  We're just sitting here, waiting, and praying things get better on their own, in time.  *fingers crossed*

Editing to add:  Finn calls walkie talkies "walkie toffees".  Love it.'

Editing to add:  Layla seems to be doing much better than this morning, but she still is not all the way better.  She can't bend her neck to the right or to the back...but left and front are fine.  If she is not better by tomorrow I'll bring her to the chiro, I think.  She is missing a swimming lesson tonight, which is heartbreaking for her.

Prince

Prince is blowing up my FB newsfeed!  Evidently he died today.

Remember that FB meme that goes around regularly, of Maria from the Sound of Music holding her hands up and running though the fields, in love with the sound of music?  Usually it says something like "This is me, not caring at all about the Super Bowl" or something like that.

That's me right now, not caring at ALL about Prince.

I mean, I'm sorry another human being died...but other than that, come on guys.

I have friends who are HEARTBROKEN about this.  Haha.  :)  Oh, man.  Nope.  My heartbreak is reserved for...well...more heartbreaking things, I guess.

A day-O-Fun for Finn's birthday!

I asked Finn what he wanted to do for his birthday, and what he wanted to eat.  I say he could think of ANYTHING in the world, pretty much, and we'd likely be able to do it/eat it.  He said he wanted to do things like play Paw Patrol with his sisters, and play Hide and Seek, and go to the Children's Museum, and eat pumpkin bread and barbecue chips.  SO, that's easy enough...haha!  Done, child.

Happy 5th birthday to Finn!  Tonight we'll eat his leftover cake from the party on Saturday, and open his gifts from Aunt Laura and Grammy.

At the Children's Museum:

One of the rotating rooms was an artist in residence...very cool.  She was there with the kids, helping them create a map in a box that springs out when you open the lid.  Finn LOVES maps, but he tired rather quickly of trying to create his own.  Layla was very into it and lasted through the entire activity.  Cora is SO FAST these days that I seriously can't take my eyes off of her one second.  I lost her at least 3 times today (calm down, Mom...not for long...), and each time I was so annoyed because I'm rather GOOD at this thing, darn it!  She's just so FAST!!  Haha.  :)  This child.  "Run for my money" child.  :)

getting ready in the art room.

Folding his map for his box.

The artist and Finn.

I left the bigger kids in this room and supervised Cora in the room next door.  Every now and then I'd check back on the older kids and EVERY time Finn was asking the artist a question.  

Cora played with this CM Volunteer the ENTIRE time.  She waved to her when we left.  Hearts melted.

"The tongue of concentration" out again...

The game: stack as many veggies in this lady's hands as possible.  

Deep discussions on art.

Finn's final product.

 

Finn likes to make "little worlds" all over the place.  The red part of this world was God's house.  

On to the bubble room!

And then the room for smaller kids:

Layla loves the face paint there...it's her first stop, usually.

My little rule-breakers only like to climb up the slide...

Happy Birthday, Big Guy!!