Mexico Update

Okay, I finally got my nerve up and called the LDS travel office. They aren't sending anyone to Mexico until at least May 6 (that's only two days later than orginally planned) because some haven't received their visas yet and because they wanted to keep an eye on the flu problem. There's only one mission in Mexico that has halted all activity so all the rest are still working although possibly not at full speed.

I've written Mikkel probably 5 letters this week telling him to get tons of hand sanitizer and surgical masks. He's probably tired of me nagging him long distance, I keep apologizing for it and then reminding him it's my job... I'm the Mom!

Part of my concern is that healthcare down there isn't as good as here and many providers are just turning sick people away so they don't get sick. Isn't it their job to treat the sick??? I hope there are some members who are doctors/nurses down there who'll take good care of him.

I will be happy for him to leave only because that means he can call me from the airport! I'm going to have my cell phone permanently attached to me all day that day. I told him on mother's day he shouldn't worry about the time, just call when he can. Even if we're in the middle of church I'll answer!

Mexico

I've had a few people ask if Mikkel is still going to Mexico next week. The answer is, I don't know yet. The U.S. government is recommending all non-essential travel to Mexico be postponed but that's just a recommendation and I'm not sure I want to call the LDS travel office to ask. I don't want to be known as a pest there and since I've actually called a few other times, I might be at risk for that title!

I'm sending him a package and I'm so tempted to add hand sanitizer and face masks to it! If I have space I probably will. He'll think I'm being way over-protective but that's my job, I'm a mom!

I'll update Mikkel's info as I get it!

Sick Again!!

Daniel woke up Thursday morning with a 103 temperature and Abby was coughing a ton still so we spent the morning at the doctors office. Isabelle was still not feeling well after several weeks so I took her in on Friday (it was a day off school - something about the battle of flowers blah, blah, blah... I never really listen when people talk about Fiesta. It just seems like a reason to drink and eat too much. But I digress). So the list of illnesses goes like this - 4 ear infections (A&D), 4 cases of pink eye (A&D), 2 cases of bronchitis (I&D), 2 sinus infections (I&A). Isabelle and Daniel are each on 4 different medications and the Abigail is on 3. Oh, and now Fred has pink eye too, I swear my house is like a petri dish right now! Of course, this means I missed church AGAIN today. At least I made it last week and I'm told I won't be considered inactive until I've been away for 3 months so I have a whole two months to go before then.

Mikkel is set to leave for Mexico a week from tomorrow and he is so happy to get out of the MTC! I'm totally nervous because he has a layover in Mexico City and the swine flu is really bad there right now. He also has a layover in Dallas so I told Fred I thought we should take a road trip to Dallas because I've always wanted to see the airport there. He just shakes his head smiles.

When I was worrying out loud about the swine flu, Fred said "Don't worry, he'll be fine" to which I replied "it's my job to worry, I'm the mom" to which he replied "I know and it's my job as the dad to tell you not to worry" and I said "well, it's not working" then he says "it's my job to tell you not to worry, not to be effective". Well, I guess he has me there!

Abigail was counting the pictures of the kids on the wall and then came to me and asked "Mommy, why do you have too many kids?" How do I answer that one??? (Isabelle was in the background laughing and saying, "I wonder too sometimes!")

Gardening

Well, we finally got our garden planted. We're growing jalapenos, cucumbers, peas, sweet yellow peppers, cilantro, Italian parsley, basil, tomatoes (roma and grape), sunflowers and miniature sweet red/orange/yellow pepper mix. We'll have everything we need to make my favorite foods - Mexican and Italian - YUM! This year we decided to grow our tomatoes upside-down so my handyman (aka hubby) quickly built me a trellis. Yes, it's the "topsy-turvy" version of tomatoes! Actually, I bought a more stout one from my favorite gardening catalog but it's the same idea as the tv infomercial.

Mikkel is leaving for Mexico in 22 days and can't wait to get started. He told us the other day that he found out that he'll get to baptize in the ocean, rivers or ponds (that would have crocodiles in them.) Not the information a mom needs to hear! He also said he'd be bathing and doing laundry in 50 gallon drums (maybe at the same time even!) which I actually knew about but he didn't I guess. He's so excited and just doing great. In the MTC they take the calls from people who see the commercials and want to know more about our church. He took one from someone last week and started teaching her about prophets and our core beliefs, then he committed her to attend church today. He gets to call her back Tuesday to see if she went and what she thought about it. He also taught his first all Spanish lesson Friday so I'm excited to see how he did. The only time they don't hear exclusively Spanish is at mealtime so it's pretty much immersion. Speaking of mealtime, he ran into a couple from Arizona who are on their way to Germany. They started talking to him and told him to remember to write his mother and suddenly he realized he was talking to the Despains (from the old 9th ward). They see each other practically every day at the cafeteria... kinda cool.

Last night Abigail came into our room screaming that she was going to "spill" (that's the kids' word for throw-up). She promptly did and went straight to bed. This morning though, I was feeling horrible so she and I ended up staying home from church. That wouldn't have been so bad but I've missed church (due to the kids and my own illnesses) three out of the past four weeks (and the other week was conference)! Fred mentioned that we never expected to be inactive from following the counsel to have more children but that seems like the case when you have everyone getting sick all the time! Well, maybe we'll all be better next week. If not, maybe I won't be sick and since it's not the 4th Sunday, Fred can stay home.

Me - "What should we plant in our garden?"
Abigail - "How about chickies?!?" (chicken nuggets)
Jacob - "How about bunnies?!?"
Abigail - "I want to plant dirt too!!"
(At this point I almost drove off the road I was laughing so hard!)

Age Definitions

Jacob's definitions of age;

-Baby - self explanatory
-Children or Kids - someone who is his age (or around his age). Abigail and Daniel would also be children.
-Brothers or Sisters - someone older (teenager). Mikkel and Isabelle are in this category.
- Bigger like Mom or Dad - again, self-explanatory.
- Way older like Grandpa or Papa - well, he said it.

Out of the mouths of babes!