Happy valentine's Day everyone!

Well Valentines Day is fast approaching and I sit here thinking how different it has become for me. LOL. When it was just Tony and I...even when it was just a couple of the kids...we would go out to dinner and celebrate. Now a days, we are making Valentines for the kids to pass out at school...no dates, no cards...but that's OK...we know we love each other...

These days, it means a simple, "I love you". Thank you for being here in my life. No cards, no gifts...not even a night out to dinner. Why? Because with 7 kids, it's easier AND cheaper to just stay home. No one wants to babysit so many kids, and to be honest, Kenny needs his medicine, and I wouldnt feel comfortable with leaving him...just yet. Who needs to go out and spend $50 on dinner anyhow...not me. I am so far from wanting anything materialistic...it not even funny. I guess I am...simple. That's a great word for me. I love sitting here with my family. Talking to them. Making them great dinners that while we are smashed around out little dining room table with Kenny and Gina in their high chair and walker. The kids telling us about their day at school...that is what I love...and live for... Yes, there is the common fight about who is going to talk first, who is sitting where at the table, and the occasional..."I don't like that...can I have something else to eat"? But that is what makes it even more memorable.

I am very happy to have the loves of my life all around me. My husband swept me off of my feet 19 years ago. We had everything in common...

He saw me drive up in my red convertible to a job interview at his office...told everyone that he was going to marry me...and he did! He didn't even know I was getting interviewed at his office until the owner asked him into the office, where I was! He was persistent and charming...as we got to know each other, we found out that we both came from families of 7 children..just the opposite (my family had 6 girls, 1 boy and his, 6 boys and 1 girl), we both loved art. And the kicker...we both were twins! The similarities just went on and on.

Oh...I can go on and on...but I wont bore you with our love story. LOL

So this is why I love Valentine's Day.

You know what I ended up doing these last couple of nights and days...making 100 ipod candy valentines for the kids parties at school. I saw the project in a magazine about a month ago, and I just HAD to make it! All it is, is a box of conversation hearts, construction paper (or if you have a sign guy for a husband, like I do, we used hot pink vinyl), string, Hershey Kisses and tape. Well...after countless hours of printing, taping, and tying...I finally got it done! Woo hoo! And I must say, they turned out very cute!

I love seeing the smiles on my kids faces when I do something like this for them. I just wish I had my own craft room. I was sitting at the dining room table, then at the kitchen counter working on these things...all the while, Kenny and Gina fussing because of being sick...it ended up being 5 minutes working on the valentines, 15 minutes taking care of the little sickies, and so on....But it is done and their parties are today!

here is what they turned out to look like:

I'm back after a long break. We have strep throat here in the house...little Tony has it. It's just a matter of time before it spreads like wild fire and the entire house is going to get quarantined. I guess it is going around...everywhere. Tony and I have been up for the past couple of nights with Gina and Kenny, coughing like crazy and both with fevers. It makes for a F U N time. So everyone please keep both babies in your prayers that they wont have to be hospitalized...I just don't feel like staying at the hospital for any amount of time...it's getting old. Luckily, they are not wheezing too bad and Kenny is not breathing too fast....knock on wood!

I just get so paranoid with him. Every time he gets sick, I worry that his heart or lungs wont be able to handle it. And with his fever last night, I didn't want to fall asleep...I wanted to sit and hold him all night long to make sure he was going to be alright.

This past week was a pretty busy one for us. Kenny and Gina went for their immunizations...Kenny ended up getting 5! Three of the normal ones and 2 Sinygis for RSV...those suckers are EXPENSIVE! I cant understand how or why they would cost so much, but they do. It's almost a shame. Kenny got the shots last year and right after his last shot, he ended up getting RSV, what a waste of money.

Anyhow, at Kenny's check up he was weighed and is at 20 lbs. 2 oz. As a mom, I feel that he is doing horrible with his eating and weight, but the doc thinks that he is doing well, so...only time will tell. He is really trying to eat cheese puffs ans cookies, He wont bite it, but he licks it...I guess it's a start. I have even tried suckers.

As you can see, he doesn't have great hand control yet, but we are working on it! Now that he is sick, it's going to put his eating back a little bit. He is already not wanting to drink his bottles that much. He also stopped signing. I don't know why, I do it every day. He just stopped. Time to get serious with this whole signing thing...I have to say one thing...it's HARD...for a person...well...family that has NEVER had to even think about any type of hearing loss, learning and doing sign language really takes time and effort....every time we say something, we have to follow it up with a sign. Not to mention, Kenny being a very stubborn 21 month old and not wanting to keep his hearing aids in..no matter what we do. We were supposed to go to the audiologist this morning, but with his fever and cough, I didn't want to take him out.

On another note...

Gina started to hold her own bottle! Yeay!!! That helps mommy out a lot!! She is even trying to get up on her hands and knees...scooting backwards! She wants to really catch up to her big brother, Kenny so they can cruise the house together! I LOVE IT!

We have our very own Cabbage Patch Kid...

This is what NOT to do with a basketball! LMBO!!!
That's about it for now...its been a very crazy week here between sickness and running around...I'll leave you with a picture of a cute puppy that I fell in love with at the pet store...until I found out how much he cost...$1200 dollars! Ummm...no thank you...I'd much rather go to the pound and get one that needs a home for about $20! He was cute though!