Hell Week Is Over!

GO Lady Viks!!


Curtis High School girls water polo season has started. Ellysa has been up, out the door and in the pool by 5:00 am all week! Once in the pool it is an hour and a half of extreme training. Do you know these girls are treading water while holding five gallon jugs full of water above their heads in the water! She amazes me every year with her determination. Ellysa made Varsity again this year and we are so proud of her. This has to be the most exciting game to watch ever, especially when your child is in the water. Those girls are brutal!





In other news Ellysa also landed a job this week. She is the newest swim instructor for our local YMCA! She has had a good week for sure. This weekend, she sleeps!

I love you Scooter, keep up the good work!

When the Parents Are Away the Kiddos will Play...

(By Cindy Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - click on over!

Kaylee and Tyler decided to go Gothic in our absence. Should we be concerned? Nah...

They look good, just sayin'

Could it be, we're coming home?

(By Cindy Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - click on over!

Good News! After this mornings breathing treatment the RT deemed Danee's lungs clear! She went all but one hour last night with out supplemental oxygen and has had plenty of wet diapers in the past 12 hours! (thanks to the IV) The word on the 7th floor is that we should be coming home soon. :)

We just need to get this girl to drink and keep herself hydrated. As of this morning it was a NO GO! She just isn't interested. But she did eat a pancake and some chocolate pudding.
Any tips any one?

Today they brought in a play mat and I am bringing some of her favorite toys from home for her to play with. I can't wait to see her award winning smile again.

Thank you SO much Sister Garlock, and Sister Van Valkenburg for feeding the big kids in our absence and Sister Farnes for the sleep over with Kaylee. We are very grateful for ALL the support we have been given. We truly are a blessed family.

Comic Relief

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - click on over!

Last week, Cindy pre-ordered tickets for the whole family to go see the new Alice in Wonderland movie today.

Obviously, with the events of the past couple days, things got tricky... And with the amount of sleep Cindy and I got last night, there was no way we would stay awake through a movie...

So my sister Linda and her husband Eric (honestly two of my favorite people in the world) came to the hospital to watch Danee. Cindy dropped off the kids at the theater, and now we're going to get a much needed nap...

But on the way to the theater, Andy dropped a line of pure gold:

You know, you bought all these tickets, and now you can't even go... We're on the brink of bankruptcy... All I can say is that Tim Burton better have made a VERY GOOD MOVIE!

This was followed by a rant about how if the movie isn't as good as it needs to be, Andy will sue Mr. Burton, who will in turn pay for Danee's medical bills.

Pretty brilliant plan, actually!

Scenes From The 7th Floor

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

Last night was a little rough. It started out positively enough...



That's Danee actually drinking a bottle. She hadn't done that since breakfast time Thursday. The problem is, about an hour after polishing off that bottle, she got a breathing treatment and screamed so hard she puked up the entire bottle. All over both of us. And only she had clean clothes...

The good news is that not too long after that, she settled in for a good night's sleep.



Well, actually it was a PRETTY GOOD night's sleep. She kept waking up to make sure Mommy was still there. I was there too until midnight when I admitted defeat and acknowledged there was only room for one parent to sleep in the room.

But this morning brought a slightly closer to well Daneekins... Here are a few highlights from her second day at the hospital.

First, she woke up and refused to eat. No bottles, no apple sauce, no nothing. I asked the nurse to bring in some Cheerios, since she'll almost always eat them. They didn't have any Cheerios (Too Healthy?) but she brought some Froot Loops, which were even better!

Oh wait... Let me check this out..



THESE AREN'T FROOT LOOPS!!!

Nope. We'll likely be paying this little visit off until Danee graduates college, but the fine folks at Mary Bridge are pawning off GENERIC CEREAL to their unsuspecting guests.

Luckily, Danee didn't care. She ate a few handfuls of cereal, then finally agreed to drink a bottle. And then another.

Then a nap, another breathing treatment, another bottle, and she was feeling pretty darned good!!



I finally came home for a shower, and to update the blog, but am now heading back to the hospital.

MAJOR THANKS to our wonderful friends from church who are driving our big kids all over creation, feeding them, and helping us out at the hospital. You guys are the best the Earth has to offer! :)

Back To The Hospital

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

Danee came down with a cold on Monday - and yesterday it was sounding pretty bad...

This morning at about 1am, she woke up crying, and had very shallow, very quick breathing. At 11:30 this morning, Cindy decided enough was enough and took her to the doctor. The doctor didn't take long before forwarding them on to the ER at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

Danee has been diagnosed with Viral Pneumonia and/or Viral Bronchitis.

She HATES having anything put on her, HATES anyone poking at her with needles, and HATES being held still against her will.

Needless to say, our baby girl is a very unhappy camper today.

The one bright spot was a total surprise... An old friend who we haven't seen for a couple years was a doctor at Madigan. We didn't know, but he's now a doctor at Mary Bridge, and when he popped into our room we were surprised and instantly comforted by the familiar face. He even got Danee to (mostly) agree to having her heart and lungs listened to...

Thanks Dr. Tim!!

And Danee, GET BETTER SOON!!!

I'm off... gotta get back in with my baby...

It's All Fun and Games...

It takes a special kind of guy to not only allow a child care to run his home, but to participate in it! Mike is a very loved guy around here, always ready to be pounced on by menacing Puddle Jumpers. Ya know everyone thinks it is me that the kids will remember, but I'm pretty sure this guy will bring back smiles as well.

Thanks honey for always making time for these kids of ours :)

Oh and timing is everything, this was going on a couple mornings ago while trying to clean up and get ready for school!

A Dozen Years of Tyler!

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

Last weekend, we celebrated Tyler's Twelfth Birthday!

To honor the occasion, here are a dozen random pictures of Tyler being Tyler.



And finally, here are a dozen things we love about Tyler:

1. He is a very funny kid - quick on the snappy comeback, and he can get Cindy into a giggle fit that just won't quit.
2. He has earned his nickname of "Favor Boy." When something needs to be done around here, Tyler will eagerly volunteer to do it... with most things, at least!!
3. He's always up for doing something! Whether it's going out to play frisbee or going to the store to run errands, if you shout out "Who wants to go with me..." Tyler will almost always be first to answer.
4. He and Kaylee have one of the best sibling relationships I've ever seen. LOVE watching them together.
5. He's not (t00) easily embarrassed. His school puts on very high quality plays every year, and Tyler has been involved in them for as long as he's been able to. Last year he played Charlie's dad in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and this year he's landed the part of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast!
6. He's very polite - often the first in the room to say thank you for a good dinner.
7. He loves helping in the kitchen. Favor Boy makes another appearance in the list... Even though his eagerness to help has backfired on him a few times...
8. He's so delightfully gullible! From trying Smoked Salmon on a Saltine Cracker with Chocolate Frosting, to trying home made Play-Doh, Cindy has had hours of fun tricking Tyler into doing and/or trying things that his common sense SHOULD tell him to avoid...and...
9. He's a VERY good sport! With all the times he discovers that he's been flim-flammed again around here, he typically laughs, shrugs it off, and starts plotting his comeback on whoever administered the flim-flammery.
10. When I took him to the Space Needle for his tenth birthday, he came up with an interpretive dance to a song we were listening to. Believe me, this kid can interpretive dance!
11. He is the epitome of a pre-teen boy... Four day weekend at dad's house with no shower?? Sure, if we don't gently remind him that he stinks!!
12. We just love the young man Tyler is growing into, and couldn't imagine life without him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TYLER!!!

Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies!

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!

Now, time for a bath.

What Do You Mean Share...?

Danee and Eric have been having alot of fun lately. Eric has learned to hang on to his toys (sometimes so tight he falls backwards when she finally lets go) and I think Danee has decided to stop sitting on his head!

They crack me up daily but what I find most amazing is that Danee tries to make eye contact with him. She moves her head around following Eric's eyes trying to get him to look at her. I am amazed that at this young age she notices. Eric is a dear and we enjoy having him in our home.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

(By Cindy Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

My SIL Linda started teaching me how to sew about a year ago. She has patiently helped me make, Jammie's, a couple dresses and even a highchair pad (admittedly she ended up with that project, I watched though).

These cute pillow cases were a Super Saturday project. I had the idea to make one for each holiday through out the year. Christmas was too busy, Valentines Day came and went (I did get some cute fabric) but I gave it a go for the upcoming St. patty's Day.

They turned out pretty good for my first SOLO project. One for each of the BIG kids.

And In My OWN HOUSE!!!

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

By now, most of you have met Baby Eric, the little boy Cindy watches during the day.

Eric's dad is Neil. Neil works as a diver, repairing boats under the water all day.

Sometimes, when he comes to pick up Eric, he just takes off the wet suit and doesn't bother to put a shirt on... That seemed kinda weird. But it was nothing compared to what he brought into our house yesterday...



CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? He willfully and knowingly wore a geek squad t-shirt into my house. As soon as I saw him, I informed him that he was dead to me.

He shot back that he would wear a Tech Services 4 All shirt, if he had one!

Psshh... As if I'm not prepared for that kind of thing!



And that atrocity he WAS wearing? I'm thinking it'll live out its days lining the chicken coop. For now, it's just unceremoniously dumped on the floor.



Neil suggested we could use it as a diaper for Danee, but there's no way. It's not WORTHY of catching her poo!!!

I'm Goin' Fish'in again....

These crackers are by far the best snack food I have eaten in a long, long time!

(and lets just say I get to try out lots of snax with the daycare)

If you like:

Chocolate, Grahams and Mini Marshmellows. (and lets face it, who doesn't)

You will LOVE these too!

I'm just sayin'... you should try them :) You will be glad you did, Promise!

Play Time for Daneekins!

We've Got Spirit

Yes we Do, We've got Spirit HOW bout' you?

Andy came home from school about a month ago and sheepishly asked for money to pay for a PEP band t-shirt "he didn't remember ordering". I wrote him out a check and the next day he brought home the greenest, coolest t-shirt EVER!

Yesterday afternoon Andy came home from school and I noticed he was again wearing his very (hhhmmm) cool school shirt.

Cindy: Um bud didn't you wear that shirt yesterday?
Andy: yeah
Cindy: and the day before that?
Andy: Yeah, so...
Cindy:So don't you have any other shirts you can wear?
Andy: Yeah, I just like showing school spirit.
Cindy: Go change your shirt, and I will give you a welcome home hug.

Today Andy's assignment is to go shop the student store.

I think it may be time for another shirt!

A Valentine Mystery

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

It was the day after Valentine's Day. The day before, I'd given my sweetheart a nice chocolate heart, one that was a little too big to eat all in one setting. Unfortunately, she didn't think to lock it away when she was done with it, and it went missing. Really. Stealing a Valentine's Day Chocolate Heart. Who would do such a thing?



Ahh yes. I know this perpetrator. She's the cause of a lot of missing items around these parts... And she's a little too good at playing innocent, if you get my drift.



My sweetheart was pretty sure she recognized the melting brown mass in the perp's fingers, but didn't want to show too much of her hand. So she played it cool, and asked if maybe the kid had seen a Chocolate Heart... But oh, this kid is as smooth as the creamy milk chocolate she had smeared all over her face.



Then, as if she was trying to prove that she really IS the most cunning little thief in town, she actually had the nerve to offer to help track down the missing sweetness!



Now my sweetheart is certainly sweet, but she's got her limits. This kid was quickly approaching the line, with no signs of slowing down. So Mommy put her foot down on the little searching party...



Without even increasing her heart rate, this cool little cucumber plays right along, acting all surprised when the missing treasure suddenly appears where her hand had been just a few seconds earlier!



Somethin' tells me this kid could wind up in politics someday!

My Day: Made!

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - click on over!

The last couple weeks, I've been doing much better at making it to the YMCA in the morning, and it feels great. This morning while leaving, I ran into a friend who commented on how great it was that I was getting there regularly again...

Friend: It's great to see you here in the mornings!

Me: Yeah, it's been hard rebuilding the habit after taking 6 months or so off...

Friend: That's a hard habit to rebuild, but stay motivated and you'll do it.

Me: Well, I have extra incentive because Cindy and I started a Biggest Loser club.

Friend: Well there's no way you'll win that, you don't have enough to lose!

Even though I'm confident in my ability (and need) to lose enough to win, that comment made my day!

My little Soap Box.....

(By Cindy Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!


My Parents Drugged Me!
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6



"The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question: 'Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?'

"I replied, 'I had a drug problem when I was young! I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.
I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.
I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad
report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put
forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.
I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower-beds and cocklebur's out of dad's fields.
"I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no
one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever
known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
"Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think.
They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem,
America would be a better place."


God bless the parents who drugged us.


-- Author Unknown --

Kids Eat The Darndest Things!

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

Our poor, gullible Tyler...

Cindy has a long history of tricking him in to eating things that shouldn't really be eaten.

One time, back when he was probably 4, they were making home-made Play Doh together. While sitting on the counter helping, Tyler looked down at the creamy red Doh in the pot and licked his lips... Cindy said, "Do you want to try some?" and Tyler eagerly nodded his head.

One teensy spoonful later, and he was hanging his tongue out while Cindy fought to keep breathing through her laughter.

Well, the other night, while Danee was enjoying crackers with chocolate frosting, the rest of us had been enjoying some smoked salmon. Cindy started preparing a cracker with frosting for herself, then looked at Tyler and asked if he'd ever had smoked salmon on a frosted cracker...

At least he was a LITTLE skeptical... Just not skeptical enough. It only took one round of "oh yeah, when I was a kid, this is how we always ate it!" before he stepped up to the plate and was ready to give it a try...



And a moment later, it was a replay of the Play Doh incident!



Luckily for us, he's a totally good sport, and is able to laugh at stuff like this!!

Cute 'n' Messy!

(By Mike Brinkerhoff - from Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs) - if you don't see the pics, just click on over!

The other night, Danee got a chance to enjoy one of the finer things in life...



Yup, a saltine cracker with chocolate fudge frosting!!



One of her favorite things to do lately, when she really likes something, is to clap her hands and say "Yay!!!"

She definitely liked the Chocolate Frosted Cracker!



And if I had the time and ambition to load up the Gimp and throw a caption on this last pic, it would definitely say, "I CAN HAS MORE?"

Meanwhile, Tyler was having a cracker-based delicacy of his own... which we'll share tomorrow!