The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Ugly

The kids had off school Friday and Monday and Thursday morning we had a conversation that went something like this.

Me: Hey, the kids have off today and Monday, do we want to do anything fun this weekend?

Charlie: Yeah, why don't I take Friday off and we can go stay at a resort and ski or better yet why don't we go to Chicago and watch the Bears game?

Kids: Cheering and smiles

Me: Ok, and why don't we stay in a hotel Friday night so they can swim and play.

Really???? Did I just say that??? I am the least impulsive person I know, and being married to the most impulsive person I know we can sometimes butt heads but this time it just worked somehow.

I spent the rest of the day on Thursday frantically planning, making phone calls, and packing. Everything was waiting at the door as soon as Charlie and the kids got home and we were off!

We drove for about 3 hours and then stopped at a hotel for the night to swim and play. The kids had a blast.

The next morning we had breakfast and headed to The Museum of Science and Industry for the day. The kids loved the museum. The highlights were the baby chicks, the U-505 boat, the water area, and the weather area. We were tired by the end of the day but we have some great memories.

Then we were off to visit the fam. Charlie's brother Brad and his family came up to watch the game as well and we always love seeing them. There was lots of laughs and great food as usual.

So...the GOOD:

- Brook was impulsive
- The hotel was a blast
- The museum was great
- Spending time with family is always a blessing

Now for some BAD:

Despite all our effort and the fact that we were all wearing Bears gear from head to toe...the Bears lost and our hope of a Bears vs. Stealers Superbowl was over. We then had a LONG drive home that night that would have been much more fun had we won.

The DOWNRIGHT UGLY:

****warning*** If you are squeamish about bodily functions you may want to skip this part. You've been warned. And be glad I have no pictures for this part of the post!

My little Sam has been working on potty training and the last few weeks he has become aware that he should be pooping in the potty and not his diaper so every time he has to go he has been stopping himself and starting to make himself constipated.

This is a common thing in kids being potty trained but I noticed in the last week his appetite had all but disappeared. When he did eat he would always say his belly hurt. When we got to the museum he spiked a fever out of no where and was not feeling well. By Saturday morning he was in quite a bit of pain and was asking to sit on the toilet about every 5 minutes with no success. It got so bad that he spent an entire day crying, feverish, shaking, and in obvious distress.

After a very long sad day Charlie and his dad gave him a blessing and his little body was able to rest for the first time in 12 hours. He slept through the night but awoke around 5 in even more pain. It was off to the ER.

They got him right in and gave him a enema. Uh, not fun folks...not fun at all. Still nothing would come out. So then they attempted manual extraction. If you thought the enema did not sound fun this was worse. I was not there but to hear the story of having to pin down my 2 year old with screams of terror and pain was unbearable. Still no success. There were several trips to the potty and still nothing was working.

They were going to give him another enema and then finally....success. He was instantly relieved and feeling much better. The doctors said there was no way that it would have passed on it's own so we are glad we took him in. I now wish we would have done it a little sooner.

He is still having a hard time and we are going to have to watch him close the next month or so but he is feeling much better than he was.

So there you have it. The Good, The Bad, and The DOWNRIGHT UGLY. I am glad we made the trip. Family is just the best. As for the Bears...maybe next year. Go Stealers!