What are the ODDS?

This is sort of a long story with some medical details most probably wouldn't care about, but it's interesting to me so here it is......

Sunday morning Thad woke up with some swelling in front of one of his ears. I wasn't too worried because it wasn't bad, but really wondered what it was. I thought it could be some sort of ear infection. If I didn't know any better (if it was 1952) I would have thought it was the mumps!!

(not a good picture, but see how his left cheek looks chubbier)

Later that afternoon, Hollace came and told me that it hurt when she pushed in front of her ear. I figured    it was just her imagination after seeing Thad's little problem and so I sympathetically told her not to push in front of her ear then.

Sunday evening we went to the movies and as soon it was over and the lights were on...POOF-Hollace's cheek had blown up like a balloon and very sore!

I just couldn't think of any other explanation for them both to have this sweling.........

they must have MUMPS!

I mean it's possible for one to be vaccinated and the vaccine to not "take", but this is HIGHLY unusual. I looked it up and there are around 200 cases of mumps in the US each year (the huge majority in unvaccinated people).  For two of those cases to be in the same family in vaccinated children, well I think the odds would probably be astronomical. 

(I did dig out their shot records to make sure that they hadn't, in some crazy coincidence, both missed their MMR vaccines!- but all was in order)

By Monday morning, Thad looked a little better, but Hollace was much worse! 

We made a trip to the Dr. and I think they were almost as puzzled as I was at first. The nurse did a rapid strep test because Thad's throat looked just a little red and it is going around here like crazy! Turns out it was positive- even thought neither of the kids would admit to a sore throat and they hadn't had any fever. Our Dr. finally decided they had a strep infection which had settled in their Parotid glands causing Parotitis (which is very similar to Mumps, except Mumps is viral and this is bacterial from the strep)

Of course strep is contagious, but the unusual complication of it affecting the Parotid gland is not contagious. So what are the odds of BOTH of them suffering from this complication from a very mild (with no symptoms) strep infection when it's not infectious????? Probably astronomical! The Dr. agreed that this was VERY strange, but he felt it was a more likely explanation than the viral Mumps in vaccinated kids- especially with a positive strep test.

All that to say that my kids are WEIRD!

Hollace was pretty miserable for a couple of days, but is feeling much better now. 

The  pictures don't really do it justice. She was so swollen!
Poor baby! We are so thankful it wasn't more serious and that they are feeling much better.

Wordless Wednesday

Memorial Weekend In Oklahoma

For Memorial Weekend we decided to take the trip north to Oklahoma. We had already agreed to watch my sisters girls for the weekend so we went through Harrah and picked them up on our way. It was a little crazy, but for a 6 hour road trip with an 8, 5, 3, and 2 year old, an 8 month old and a 4 month old puppy who has never taken a trip, we thought it went pretty well.

(Ginger was up front and I wasn't able to get a picture with her and all the kids together.)

 The kids were excited to see everyone and we had lots of fun just visiting, eating, and playing...

The kids (the big ones too) played tag baseball at Grammy and Papa's

Uncle Scott was the designated batting assistant. Brent was the pitcher.

Here are the kids with their grandparents. This is at Grammy and Papa's, which looks a little bare because they had moved all the furniture out to get ready for their new carpet!

The kids playing in Nana and Papa's back yard. They had lots of fun with this big tree.

Hollace didn't have any "climbing" shoes with her so she borrowed Nana's, which she is wearing in these pictures. (She has long feet, but not that long!)

They designed their own pulley system for delivering important things up into the tree.

Hollace found this old piece of wood and painted "Family Tree" on it. She said:  "I'm going to write down the names of our family members who die on it..... Thank goodness it's blank!" 

Yes, thank goodness!!

They had lots of fun with their cousins!! Here they are with baby Maggie

The silly boys.....Love this picture!

                            

The cousins minus Margot, who wanted nothing to do with this!

It was a fun weekend. So glad we are closer and able to see everyone a little more often now!

Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime!!

This song will be in my head the rest of the day! Anybody else?

I think I heard that yesterday was the first official day of summer. That's hard to believe when it feels like summer has been in full swing for a good couple of weeks around here. Here is a little bit of what we've been up to since school let out the last day of May. 

We've been to the beach club..........

 the Pirate Ship snow cone stand a few blocks from our house............

had swim team practice EVERY morning and several meets.....

had fun backyard pool parties with great friends......

.........and been to the Dallas Zoo!!

Some of these will be posts of their own, but this will do until I have time for more! 

Happy Summer Everyone!!

Wordless Wednesday

Fabulous Fathers!

Happy Father's Day to three FABULOUS Fathers! I am SO blessed to have you in my life!! Love you all so much!!

So thankful my kids have such an amazing father too! They couldn't ask for a better Daddy!

Flashback Friday: Lady Bobcats Basketball

This post is way overdue, but better late than never I guess. Hollace played Upward Basketball for the first time this last winter. While she wasn't the star of the team, she did really well and we were very proud of her. She was actually great at defense! She always gave a great effort and wasn't afraid to get aggressive. She wasn't as confident or aggressive on offense, but that will come. She always had great sportsmanship and did her best!!

I really wasn't able to get many good pictures because of my good camera not working, but here are a few.

Here she is getting one of the "upward stars" at the after game meetings.

Standing with her team. Her height could definitely provide her with an advantage if she decides to keep playing. She was the tallest one on her team.

SUPER THAD!!!