Tradition Tuesday-We've been shot!

Let's face it. Not all traditions are fun around here. This one in particular is probably my kids least favorite tradition and yet I force them to do it every year in October. We call it Flu shot Family Night and it is anything but fun. We all shuffle into the Health Department Clinic and Trevor and I start to fill out our 9 forms-one for each and every one of us. This takes a little time, time for the kids to get even more nervous than they already were, while sitting in the sterile mediciny smelling office. (They even claim they have seen dead bugs in the corners, this adds to the not so happy feeling they have about being there.) The nurse will then come out and asks us to send the littlest one in first, the one who should be the most scared. We opt to not send the littlest and we send Bryce. Definitely the one the most scared of needles.
He was crying before he even got up out of his chair to walk down to get the shot. He is truly petrified of needles (thank goodness he is not Tyler!). Before he could even blurt out that he wasn't ready yet, she was done and he didn't feel a thing. All of those tears over nothing.

Brandon appears brave in this picture, but if you were there in real life you would have seen his cheek quivering with anticipation and fear. Again, unwarranted, it was over before he knew it.

Ethan is one of my bravest. He didn't get nervous. He has never cried. Just marched right in, pulled up his sleeve and got the job done.

Ashlyn had no idea what was going on. She saw the camera and dutifully smiled at me. And then she got shot. She looked over at her arm, saw the band aid, hopped off daddy's lap and walked down the hall. All her siblings were cheering for her because she didn't cry. When she saw them, heard their praise and then looked at the band aid again.....she started to cry.

All in all it went very smoothly. We did what we had to do. We had sore arms for several days afterwards but we are proud to be and always will be (much to my kids dismay).....

FLU FIGHTERS!

Boo'd

We got BOO'D last week. I was actually really surprised. We usually don't get boo'd until the end of the season. I like to think it is because we have 9 people in our family and it isn't easy to make treats for 9 people! Anyways, we got it early this year, Halloween cupcakes and my kids were thrilled. This is a fun tradition, but it sometimes stresses me out. The note says you have 24 hours to make treats and BOO two other families. First of all, we got Boo'd late Friday night. Second of all our Saturday was so full, I didn't even have time to feed my own family. Third of all I am really not a baker. So, at about 11 pm on Saturday night I found myself at the grocery store searching the aisles for a Halloween treat. I came home with 2 boxes of Booberry cereal and 2 bags of spiderweb cotton candy. I tied them up with a Halloween bow and we were ready to go. When my kids saw these treats they went nuts. They wanted the cereal so bad, but I wouldn't let them near it. They so loved the drop off where they put the treats on the doorstep, rang the bell and then raced for the open car door for a quick get away. They wanted to do it again and again, but will have to wait until next Halloween.

Oh, and on Monday I ran back to the store, picked up some Booberry cereal and for good measure threw in a Count Chocula and Frankenberry. When the kids got home from school these were waiting for them and it was the BEST Family Home Evening treat they had had in a long time!