Odds and Ends of Yesterday

Yesterday was a full day for the Smith family!

Collin had his scheduled check-up with his pediatric endocrinologist in Boise. She is young and really nice and he really likes her. He had a great check-up, an A+ rating for being very healthy, but most importantly to him, he reached the 5 foot mark on the height check. He has been waiting to be at five feet! Over the past several months, he has started taking care pretty much of everything to do with his diabetes. He counts his own carbs and programs his insulin pump all by himself. I am glad he took that step, but it really is weird. I have been a living pancreas for over 5 years now, knowing exactly what his numbers were and every bite he has taken, and now I have to ask him. It is weird giving up some of that control, but I need to. I think it is a healthy step for him to assume much more of the responsibility. Sam and I both like to be at these appointments, so we decided to make it a family day.

After leaving the doctors office (with a very happy Collin because blood work wasn't required for this visit), we went to the bookstore to use the gift cards we got for Christmas. Every one of us had a card to use and everyone was excited! It was a little bit chaotic helping the kids find their stuff and making sure nobody wandered off. Kaebrie is "free" now. Meaning, I don't bring the stroller anymore. That takes things up a notch on the watching meter!

After finding Kaebrie a book on horses with real plastic horses inside to play with (which she somehow hit herself in the face with and caused her lip to bleed), finding Tiffer the books on jets and cars that he asked for, finding Kaitlynn 3 Newberry books that were about horses, and Collin his Hardy Boy books and a book on World War 2 military something-or-other, Sam and I were tired. I didn't end up using my card yet and neither did Sam. Both of us said to each other at the same time, "I can't concentrate on my books." We will go back ALONE one night so we can browse in peace. :)

After the bookstore it was off to Cracker Barrel for dinner; the kids FAVORITE place to eat. The boys immediately go to the giant checker board, where Collin graciously lets Tiff "win." Kaitlynn wanders the store looking for who knows what. Kaebrie colors her menu and plays with her new horses. Ordering for them all?? Good grief. They would make it so much easier if they all wanted the same thing! But then, that is the fun of eating out! Kaebrie got chicken tenders and green beans, Christopher got a cheeseburger and fries, Kaitlynn got shrimp and mashed potatoes, and Collin got pancakes and scrambled eggs.

I ate something in between the 6 trips to the bathroom with Kaebrie, but I don't remember. I hate this stage, when visiting a bathroom is FUN, and you can't trust them yet, so when they say they have to go, you go!

After eating, Tiff said he didn't feel well, sat back, rubbed his stomach and proceeded to give the largest burp any 5 year old has ever given. The kind we have heard before, right before he....well, throws up! So I grabbed him and ran to the bathroom with him, where he said he felt better. He just needed to let that big burp out.

Later, I asked Sam what the etiquette rules were for public throw up in a restaurant?

So, here is my question of the day: If your child throws up in a restaurant:

Do you help the staff clean it up?

Do you offer to?

Sam said you leave them a big tip and immediately leave. This is one question I hope to never have to find out for real.

Has this happened to anyone? Do you know the rules? Leave us a comment with your story or advice!

After the dinner was over, we headed next door to go see the new Veggie Tale movie. It was Kaebrie's first movie in a real theater! She was so impressed!................... with the bathroom.

"WOW! This is COOOOOOOOOOOOL," she said.......of the bathroom! Yes, the one stall I took her into was 6 times the size of our entire bathroom here at home.

Her eyes were HUGE when we finally walked into the theater. She was very impressed with the lighted stairs and kept asking when Larry Boy was coming. She LOVES Larry Boy! She enjoyed the movie, mostly when there was music and singing, but we did make 5 trips to the bathroom. Because

1. she liked walking the stairs

2. she really liked the bathroom, and

3. she drank a lot of lemonade at Cracker Barrel.

At one point, after drinking several diet cokes for our lunch, I needed to make use of the facilities myself. So as she was dancing around playing hopscotch with all the tiles in the HUGE bathroom stall, she asks me in her normal LOUD voice, "Mommy, are you going TT or poo-poo? Mommy, if you go poo-poo do you get to eat M&M's?"

Over and over she asks those and other questions. And yes, I hear quiet laughing coming from the other stalls.

I guess all there is to do is laugh!

Movie Review:

We have been a fan of Veggie Tales since Collin was 2 years old. I would not chalk this particular movie amongst the favorites. It was cute and had some funny parts, but we didn't fall in love with it. Also, the producers or whomever was responsible, majorly wimped out. They didn't even do the famous opening song that everyone knows!

"IF YOU LIKE TO TALK TO TOMATOES............................"

No QWERTY computer at the end with the scripture verse. No mention of God or the Bible anywhere in the movie. And no ending with , "God loves you very much."

Did they think someone would be offended? And so what if someone was? Most people know what the Veggie Tales are anyway. If that is going to offend you, why are you watching it in the first place??

By the time we got home, it was bedtime. We are never gone ALL DAY. Not all of us at the same time anyway.

It was fun, as usual, to watch them all spent time with each other and to experience their differences and the unique personalities.

Looking forward to our next family day!