There's something about Birmingham?

About a month ago we attempted a family trip to Birmingham to visit Jeff's brother, shop and eat din din. We got to the 65 exit (still in M'gom) and had to turn around. I had some type of virus and ended up throwing up later that night. We decided to try it again today! I should have known when Browder woke us up at 5:30 AM complaining of an earache that we should have called the whole day off! I got in bed with him and by 7:00 I was sandwiched between him and G in a full size bed. I managed to snooze off and on a while longer. B was still complaining and whining about the ear, so I called the PED and got the 10:00 slot. Seeing as tho I had just got out of bed at 8:36, I had to hustle to get everyone dressed and fed and to the Dr.'s office by 10:00. You know as I'm trying to get them loaded in the car at 10 til, I realize Mallory has a load in her diaper (never fails)!! There's nothing like taking 3 kids to the Dr. when only one is sick. He had an earache - do you sit in the well room or sick room? I sat in the sick room and they played with/touched just about everything in there. We were called back quickly, so now you have the 4 of us stuck in the tiny room! A middle ear infection and a couple of stickers later, we headed out with an Rx for Browder. Race to the PO (which closes at 11) to get a package mailed to NY and by Adams to get the Rx filled, thru Zaxby's and home for a quick lunch. I walked in the door and there were waffles still sitting on the table from b'fast!! Jeff got home not too long after that and next thing I know he's laid out on our bed!! Now he's not feeling good, but we decide to pack up and head out at about 1:00. This is when it got fun. Did I mention that I had to drive? We got to 459 and Browder started puking all over himself - pink no doubt from the amoxicillan! What do we do? We head to 280 as fast as we can and straight to Old Navy to buy the boy a new outfit! I had only brought his PJ's. So we strip him down to his undies in the Summit parking lot and I run in to Old Navy to buy something for him to wear. Of course it took me 30 minutes to pick something out. Polo shirts were 2-fer so I had to find 2 colors in his size and shorts to match. I had coupons too, so I had to check out separately and of course the price of B's shorts was wrong. In the meantime G has to pee so Jeff lets him go right there by the car!! ANYWAY, we get B dressed in his new duds and managed to squeeze in a little shopping! I got some new white jeans/pants at the Gap and a new pair of Yellow Box flops from Belk before we headed to Trey's house. En route there B began to puke some more, but this time luckily in the Old Navy bag!! All was well at Trey's! The kids ate a snack (saltines and a few Ritz), played a little Wii and we headed out to make our 6:30 reservation at PF Changs. Get there, get seated, Jeff is not looking so great. He managed half a lettuce wrap, got his tea to go and spent the rest of dinner in the car, leaving me & Trey with 3 tired, starving and wild kids! They were banging chopsticks like they were drums. Mallory was throwing stuff and pitching a complete fit. I ended up digging a sucker (her first sucker of her life I might add) out of my purse just to appease her for a few minutes while we waited on our food. Thank you Wachovia Teller!! I have no idea what I ate. I scarfed it all down while shoveling anything and everything to Mallory to keep her happy and in the meantime B & G have created 2 ft long sticks with chopsticks and straws stuck together. Got the check, sent M to the car w/ Trey and took the boys to the bathroom. We did the stall thing, washed our hands and did the stall thing again. Gotta love potty training! Washed up again and headed out to the car in hopes of finding Jeff ALIVE! Got everyone's PJ's on and I headed south! I am a terrible night driver but we made it home safe and everyone is fast asleep in their beds! Needless to say, it was what you call "a trip from hell-o"!!!! Nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I'm pretty sure Jeff has what I had a couple of weeks ago. Browder... not so sure? He refused to eat lunch and I then gave him a dose of Amoxicillan (msp), so it could be any number of things - ear infection, the antibiotics on an empty stomach, a stomach virus, car sick?? Who knows!! We are not sick people?? We have been sick more in the past month than we have in the past year! The iron seems to be working for me. I didn't realize how sick I was until finally I have felt alive and normal this week! I did have a msg. from my Doc yesterday that they made me an appt. with a Rheumatologist in September. I'm guessing that is a good sign if I can wait all summer? Physical and blood check again the first of July!
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Anyway... I had to "blog" about our little family excursion! Tomorrow is a new day, and Garrison & I hope to be by the pool at Wynlakes at about 10AM. Goodnight!

Saturday update... G was up bright and early as usual, so I convinced him to let me go lay down with him. That didn't last long so I fixed him a bowl of cereal and turned the toons on. Next thing I know I'm entering dreamland and hear "MOM, the toilet water is NOT going down"!!!!!!! Yes Browder has stopped up the toilet with too much toilet paper!! I managed to turn the water off, but not before I'm wading in it. Threw about 9 towels down and plunged about 50 times... nothing. I think it has gone down by now and I'm not sure if Jeff was successful at fishing anything out? I saw him go in with a wire coat hanger. He, by the way, was asking for Primed hours so here we go again!! I'm feeling a bit "tested" here?