Abby's five year old pictures

So Abby has been five for a couple months now and I am just getting around to taking her for her birthday pictures. I think they turned out really well. If you want to look at the rest follow the link.
https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTPP0687103127JCP
then type in my first and last name.

The things kids say

Collin is huge into using full names lately. If anyone ever asks him what his name is he proudly reports "Collin Thomas Sheen." Evan is always "Evan Isaac" and for awhile he has called me "Mommy Elizabeth Sheen." Today he started calling Logan "Daddy Genius Sheen."

Daddy Genius, what the heck, my GPA was better than his in high school and college. Sure he did better on standardized tests, but how would Collin know that. After a good laugh between Logan and I about who was smarter, we realized that he what he meant was Eugene (which actually is Logan's middle name).

And if you must know it was Logan who figured out that is what he meant. So in this case I guess Daddy did win the genius title. Dang it!

Just for fun

So a few months/weeks ago, I came home and Amy told me she heard a song called "Womanizer" and just loved it. I found it on playlist.com and played it for her and was pretty impressed with how well she was able to keep time with it. Actually a little scared, too. That is, until I heard this version: (See the video here).

Oh All American Rejects - you're so silly.

Laundry Can Wait

  
Having just gotten back from a long vacation I have lots of chores I should have been doing today. But when the weather man said 70 degrees the kids and I packed a picnic basket, threw their scooters in the back of the car and went to the park for a few hours. This is the time of year when the weather in Texas can't be beat!

AHHH California!

I love it. I love it. I love it. We are here in California and it is wonderful. It is so great to give the kids a chance to play with their cousins, make cookies with their grandma and go to the train museum with their grandpa.
And I am in heaven having a chance to be home with most of my family for a little while.

Merry Christmas!

Sick cookies

Today we made some gingerbread cookies with the kids. I was starting to clean up when I heard Abby and Collin discussing the following:

"My gingerbread man is going to have chicken pox just like baby Evan." - Collin

"Hey, that's a great idea. I am going to decorate my angel with chicken pox too! Actually my angel will have jelly bean pox" - Abby

Even cookies around here aren't safe from disease!

Thanks for everyone's comments on the last post, Evan is getting better slowly but surely. In another few days I think he may actually not be contagious anymore.

Chicken Pox and vaccines (or lack the thereof)

These pictures don't quite do this justice; only the very worst pox are showing up.

We took Evan to the Doctor today with what the doctor said was one of the worst cases of chicken pox in a baby he has ever seen. At first I thought, "How is this possible? He is up to date on his vaccinations..." But it turns out the varicella (chicken pox vaccine) isn't given until 12 months. I talked to the Dr. and nurse a little about how he could have even gotten chicken pox - I thought it was virtually gone because of vaccinations. Turns out because so many parents avoid having their little ones get shots that would prevent huge diseases, lots of practically extinct diseases are making a come-back. So because some parents decided that their child didn't need a vaccine, my seven-month-old gets to suffer through an awful bout of these scratchy little polka dots. I'm just glad it was only chicken pox this time, not anything worse. He is miserable but at least it isn't life-threatening like polio or whooping cough or something.

So to all the parents out there who think their decision not to vaccinate or to do so very slowly only affects them, please think about my little guy. My older two have had their varicella and its booster and have shown no signs. I don't know where he picked this up, and I don't want people who live around here feeling guilty that they may have spread it to us. That isn't the point. I am just frustrated that I am doing all I can to protect my kids from life threatening illnesses, but because so many people are refusing to vaccinate, my children are still at risk. I simply am not allowed to vaccinate them quickly or early enough to keep them healthy. I know this is a bit of a rant - sorry about that. It has just been on my mind for a while and when this came up I couldn't hold back, especially after being up half the night with our miserable little Evan.

Give me some opinions. If you disagree let me know why, and if you agree I would love to hear that I am not alone feeling this way.