Outside again!!!

Most people who know me well know my allergies are HORRIBLE around the month of May in Kentucky!  I never really had allergies before my parents moved back here in 1998, and I started coming home from college early May every year.  Oh my goodness, it is awful!  Like absolute uncontrollable nose, throat, ear, eye itching!  I can't even hardly concentrate on having a conversation with someone when they are acting up!  And theya re so bad, I will simply not go outside unless I absolutely have to (which is no fun and almost impossible with two young children).  Unfortunately, they are also hard to control with meds.  But with the help of my doc, he got me on a concoction of meds several years ago that seemed to work.  Then I got pregnant and spent the next 4 springs either pregnant or breastfeeding (and for the sake of my babies, chose not to take my meds then).  So this year, I decided to seek and allergist and get some more answers.  I got tested early last week.  It was quite an experience if you have never had it done.  I was prepared for the pain (which wasn't too bad), but oh my gosh the itching!!!  It was torture! They poked my back with 80 different allergens, and then I had to wait 15 minutes and not touch my back.  IT. WAS. AWFUL!!! Then they did each of my arms with about 15-20 more on each arm and had to wait another 15 minutes.  Turns out I am VERY HIGHLY allergic to grass, and then just HIGHLY allergic to trees, weeds, and lots of other stuff too including cockroaches!!!  Yes, cockroaches!  Apparently, most people with allergies are usually allergic to them too. So he started me on 5 meds!!!  Three to take regularly during this time, and then two to add as needed on really high pollen count days (which are most days) and/or days I am going to be outside alot.  And I think I am going to start allergy shots in a few weeks.  It is a HUGE commitment, but I think the long term payoff of not having the allergies, not paying for all the meds, and not putting all the meds in my body every year will be worth it!

Okay, so this post was totally not supposed to be about my allergies, but about how we have been outside so much the last week or so since my allergies have been back under control!  It has been so nice.  Both girls love it, and Lily is getting better about staying around where she is supposed to be instead of running down the street the whole time!  The last couple days, I have even gotten out a chair and sat for a few minutes here and there!

 I took this with my camera during my test bc I was dying to see
what it looked like.  Can you guess which side was
grass/trees/weeds? Some of the spots itched for days!

 

 Sprinkler time!

 Filling their cups

 Look at Lil Lil's legs!!!

 Taking a break to dig.

 Enjoying a snack.

See my chair!

 Breakfast out back over the weekend.

She was not happy about having waffles,

but guess what she ended up gobbling them up!
Funny how that happens.

 Mazie ready to grab anything that falls.

 Water colors and the water table!

 Lily enjoying it

 Spray, spray, spray!!!

This ended up getting a little out of control, as in

she it got all over the siding, and it did not come off

very well!  I was scared for a bit, but it ended up

coming off....over time... and with the help of the sun.;)

 Lily does not have the attention span C does, so she usually moves

on to other activities pretty quickly!

Sharing a snack in the shade.