Field Trip to Edventure & the Vein Specialist!

In the butterfly gardenEddy with Emma Grace and Madeline

Eddy's shoe

Inside Eddy's stomach

Madeline, Alex, and Emma Grace bulldozing the "brick" wall

Emma Grace and Madeline in the Fire truck at Dalmation Station

I've been meaning to post since Monday but our preschool has been taking up most of Jase's morning naptime and I'm barely getting a shower! We had a fabulous visit to Edventure! We went last Friday, August 28th with Julie and her two younguns--and we made several other stops along the way....when you go to Columbia about once a month, you have to combine trips! The visit went great---furthermore, we got in free since Jason's office (Fire Marshal's Office) hires the workers for Dalmation Station. Thanks to Miss April for allowing us to be one of her "friends"!! Here are some of the pics from the day. I think Emma Grace really liked "The Little Pig" grocery store they have best (wonder where she gets that from?)--we had to visit it twice along with Dalmation Station. Emma Grace learned to go down the fire pole by herself at Dalmation Station and was actually pretty good at putting back her grocery items she "bought".

I really enjoyed the Butterfly Garden; it's only there until the beginning of October, so you need to get there soon if you haven't had a chance to visit. There were SO MANY butterflies!! The first thing the "gate keeper" told us (it's extra to get into the butterfly exhibit and you have to have a time to enter/leave) was to be careful where you walk so we don't squash the butterflies. Ha! Nice!! Easy to say when you're not watching a 1 year old, a 2 year old, and a 4 year old! We did fine, though, and it was good to hear Emma Grace say, "Momma, is that a monarch?" She does learn something at home! Ha!

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I had my own little Field trip to the vein specialist in Columbia yesterday! Boy, was that a new experience for me. God bless all the plebotomists out there! I guess the moral to the story is "Vanity is not worth it!" No, really, I did find out after an ultrasound on my horrible looking calves that I do have medical necessity for work on my legs (insurance would cover the work I need done), but that 20% of $9000 is ALOT of MOOLAH (like $1700)! More than what we paid to have either one of our children!!

So, with having only one salary (and really even if we had two salaries), we still cannot afford to have this work done on my legs until they become everyday paining-me problems. I have cramping about once or twice a week during sleep, but generally they don't ache where I have to take medicine for pain. Now, this may become true as I get older, but for now, I will have to put the needs of my family above my own. Such is the life of a mother. I couldn't rightfully and willfully spend that much on myself!!! I'd have to sing the song, "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you" if I did that. Our 10th wedding anniversary is coming up next summer, so I think I'd rather see that $1700 go towards a nice week-long vacation somewhere really nice with my hubby than to think my legs sure do look great and feel great, but, eh, I'm stuck at home looking at them myself! There's always future years like when I'm 40 or 50-something (come to think of it, I was the youngest person in the waiting room yesterday!). They probably waited too and put the needs of their family first, too. Thank you, God, for this insight! I'll go lotion down my sleek legs now that I shaved for the doctor yesterday---special events, don't you know?!?