CarniVal!

Every year, during the spring, the Elementary school here hosts a Spring Carnival. This year, it was today. Man, what a week, first Thursday night Fights, then the Carnival, then my BIRTHDAY! :) Yay.

Normally, I would be signed up to do some sort of "thing" to make money personally, but this year, only groups or organizations could sign up. So, I signed up for two things, just to volunteer. Face Painting and Girl Scout Cookie Walk.

I took my camera with the full intention of working the Face Painting booth from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and wandering with Kaisa from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. then going to the Girl Scout booth until 9:00 p.m. when it closed for the night.


Helium is rare here...everyone bought balloons!

I run on "Eskimo Time" which means I'm perpetually late. So, we arrived around 6:15 and Kaisa was complaining of being tired and hot. Dismissing any sort of sickness, I simply asked her if she wanted to go to the Carnival. (At this point, I would have skipped it, cause its a stressfull and PACKED place) Of COURSE, she said NO. So we went.



I gave her the $20 it takes to get tickets and said I'd be in Mrs. Tuning's room (her teacher who was hosting the Face Painting booth) if she needed me.



Normally, the Carnival is a place you can get a cool hat, buy a balloon, jump in a bouncy house, get your picture taken and put onto a button, and go to the Teddy Bear Cake Walk...but I was literally STUCK in the Face Painting room until someone came up to me and said Kaisa was just laying in the hallway. I rushed outside and there she was...laying there. She said to me, "Mom, I think I should just go home...this is NOT fun." (Poor baby)



It was then that I realized that I had to pick Dean up from the airport. He went into Anchorage the night before to go grocery and birthday shopping for tomorrow. So, we rushed out and I brought her home. She was very disappointed that she didn't get to play any games, or do anything really. But I gave her some Ibuprofen and she layed down to watch TV with Dean.



Leaving my camera at the school, I went back, and Mrs. Tuning was still swamped, so I just stayed to help her with the long line accumulating around her classroom. Seriously, we had three lines going, and they just weren't getting any shorter.



Luckily, Kaisa has good friends, and Haiden (Fox hat and Fox emblem on cheek) won a few girly things for her. Namely, a blow up basketball, a baton and two pink pencils. When I brought them home, she says, "Man that Hay Hay, he's so cooOOool."

Not only did the community enjoy all that is well and more...we even had McDONALD'S cheeseburgers for three bucks! The principal made a "bush"order and flew in 1200 burgers. My mom heated them up in the school kitchen and viola! cheeseburgers. MmmMMMmmMM.


I scored a few to take home, since Kaisa didn't spend her tickets and they wouldn't allow me to exchange them for money. Thieves.

Happily, her fever is down, and she's resting peacefully right now. I'm setting my alarm to wake up every two hours to check on her. (Both my biological kids suffer from Obstructional Sleep Apnea, and when they're sick, it really sucks...) The doctors tell us to give her motrin and tylenol every two hours to keep the fever down and the swelling in her throat. (sigh)... Happy Birthday to me. My birthday wish...that my daughter feels better...enough so that she enjoys Jessa's birthday party tomorrow and my dinner tomorrow night. (Its just past midnight here, yay, its my birthday!)

Right before bed she says to me, "Mom, I'm SOOO sorry that I can not bake you a cake right now. I just don't feel that well...and when I stand up for too long, my head is too heavy to lift up for my neck...Can't I just buy you a pop instead?" I sure do love my daughter!



(NOTE: Koy's OSA was cured by having his abnormally large tonsils removed on his third birthday. He's a great, growing boy now, and has had no problems, unless he contracts Strep Throat. In fact, the only thing we're worried about in Koy is that his neuro appt goes well next week. Praying. Kaisa's OSA is getting worse and worse, and if you know healthcare in Kotzebue, you know its virtually impossible to get any sort of referral to a "real" doctor. And even though we get free health care from the Indian Health Service, I pay over $700 a month to cover my family and I...and I don't remember how much Dean pays...but we still have to have a referral to see anyone first. ugh.)