Spring Break and an Update!!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth!!!  Last week was Spring Break here in good old Illinois.  It was a fairly cold one!  This week, of course, is supposed to get up to 80!!!  At least I will get to enjoy the weather while the boys are sitting and learning in school!!!

School...that's a fun issue in our town lately!  Teachers being let go for next year, a new superintendent that sounds less than a pile of manure!!  It is sad and scary and I can't wait until the next school board meeting.  I have a feeling it will be nasty!!!!

So back to Spring Break.  The boys had a pretty good week.  Cale was able to have his friend, Ryan, over A LOT!!!  First of all, a little confusing because everytime I called my Ryan, his friend would answer.  I couldn't even say Ryan S. because his last name starts with S.  So I started with the Ryan Patrick (who, by the way, has been putting his full name on his school papers and spelling it Patchrik).  Anyway, Cale has finally found a friend that shares his exreme passion for anything Army!!!  Every time they are together, itis in full on camoflague and Army gear.  He had a sleep over one night and they had made an Army "fort" out of camo sheets in Cale's room and insisted on sleeping in it.  They also asked to sleep in their camo clothes just in case they were attacked in the middle of the night.  They also wanted to go outside and play night Army at 10:30 pm!!!  That answer was a big NO!!!  I even had to be "that Mom" and tell them it was time to turn off the lights and try to sleep at 1:30 a.m.  They finally ended up falling asleep at 2:00 a.m!!!!  On the plus side, Ryan's mom specifically asked me if she could learn what needs to be done with Cale so that he can play at their house.  As scary as it is, I am all for it!!  It helps that she is a CNA and has worked with people that have diabetes and she is studying to become a nurse. 

My Ryan felt very left out.  He is so used to being able to play with Cale.  So, I let him have a friend come over to play.  Unless there is a full bottle of wine available, I will never let them have friends over on the same day!  It was NUTS!!! 

On Wednesday, my sister (Hi Lauren!) took the day off of work (which was so difficult(um-not) for her to do considering she hated that job and had gotten a new job that started the following Monday!!! YEAH!!!) and we took the boys into Chicago to the Museum of Science and Industry.  We spent the ENTIRE day there and they loved it!!!  We saw everything except the Coal Mine (Ryan had a little bit of a gas issue and we weren't going to be confined in a small space with the "walking turd" as Lauren called him) and the "Green" house.  The boys loved the submarine.  I actually thought it was really cool!!  We even paid the extra fee to go on the tour and I learned a lot!  Normally, I could care less about that kind of stuff (I hate the History Channel and Military Channel - which are always on in my house) but it was interesting.  57 guys on a 90 day mission in a sub that only has bunks for 30 to sleep at one time.  Only 2 bathrooms but one was used for food storage.  They didn't shower (GROSS!) and the lowest temp in the sub was 90 degrees.  STINKY!!!!

Here are some pictures from our day~

They had a farm exhibit.  Here are the boys driving a combine.  They are actually watching a screen that makes it look like they are driving through a corn field.

Of course it was a John Deere!!

My John Deere loving son - by the way, his new John Deere bedroom is all done!!

Yeah...that's Ryan smelling a pile of cow manure!!

On to the Circus exhibit...turns out Auntie Lauren loved this exhibit - explains A LOT!!

Um...what!!!???

We are getting closer to the submarine...U505, a captured German sub.

Unfortunately, we couldn't take any pictures inside of the sub.  You wouldn't believe the size of the bunks and several of them have a missle lying on the floor next to them!!!

Ryan's favorite part of the huge train layout...the John Deere tractors being transported.

In the Air Craft Carrier exhibit...hey Grandpa, here's how they stop the planes when landing!

Checking out the baby chicks that were hatching.  Did you know it takes 10 hours for a chick to hatch??  See, I learned a little that day, too!!!

Hi Auntie Lauren!!  She made me take this cuz she said she was having a good hair day!

The tornado in the new weather exhibit.  Overall, the exhibit was not very impressive.  The lightning was loud - yes the lightning, not the thunder!! Would have rocked if we could stand inside the tornado!!!

Cale made me take this one.

The day was great.  We got there at 10:30 and didn't leave until after 5:00!!! 

Well worth the trip!  This week, they have Friday off from school as well as the Monday after Easter.  The plan is to go see The Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie or as Lauren calls it The Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid movie!!!

On the everyday items, Cale has joined a Basketball league through the YMCA.  He has practices and games every Saturday starting on April 24th through May 22nd.  Not overly competitive, more learning while playing.  Perfect for a beginner!!  Ryan has been officially promoted from Rink Rats to Termites for his hockey lessons.  They don't want him back in Rink Rats!   The coaches would have the kids start at the blue line and skate as fast as they could to the goal line and stop several times.  Ryan kicked butt!!!  That turkey is fast!!  AND, he stops - he doesn't fall!!!  Now he will start working on backwards skating and more stick handling.  Ryan is also signed up for Little League for the summer. Cale didn't want to play.  He would rather go to the playground or to the basketball hoops while Ryan is playing.  I always wondered what the big deal was with parents always taking their kids to this activity and that activity.  How crazy could it really be???  Now I know!!!!  I'm not a soccer mom, but I am a Basketball/Hockey/Baseball mom. 

On the diabetes front, Cale's numbers are doing pretty good.  Had a few highs a couple of days ago, and even though they weren't good, we know the reasons!!!  He still has no desire to go back on the pod.  Still have the 3 full boxes in my cabinet - all paid for and collecting dust!!!  Our ADA rep is helping me out there checking with some support groups and seeing if anyone needs/wants them.  I tried e-bay, but a message kept coming up about FDA regulations, and even though I don't think they pertain to me, not gonna take any chances.  Who knows, maybe after Diabetes Camp this summer, he may want to give it a try again and see how his skin reacts.  Then again, maybe not.  Maybe someone there may need the pods???  On a positive note, he did attempt to give himself an injection today!!!  It didn't happen, but he did try.  He is also getting all of the syringes ready on his own.  Of course, I am telling him how much and double checking, but he is doing great.  It's kinda cute to see him tapping out the bubbles!  AND, we are going to be doing our ADA Step Out Walk on Saturday, October 16th.  Go TEAM CALE!!!

Ok..I've rambled enough and bombarded you with enough pictures.  I promise not to stay away so long again!!!