January 2015

This January has been a crazy whirlwind of a month. It started out normally, but then spiraled into an insane mess of a month that I'll be happy not to repeat. Now, technically, the month did not start with snow. Actually, thus far, we have yet to have a real snow for the winter. Ice? Yes. Snow? Not so much. But this "snow" was on the last couple of days of December. I like to show my kiddos in the snow every year and this might be the only shot I get at that. I am not a fan on winter, but I do enjoy snow.

After Christmas, we had a great New Years. My brother, Jeremy, and his family were here and we spent a lot of our time over at mom's house with them. We enjoyed playing some board games while eating a whole ton of junk food. We actually played a game called Scategories. I've owned it forever and forgotten about it. Honestly, I haven't laughed that hard in ages. My entire body was sore the next day from laughing. It was a great time and I hope we get to do that again in the future.  Family game nights will be fun when the kids get older. For now, we do the movie and popcorn thing. And thanks to Grandpa Paul, we have fun new beanbag chairs to enjoy it with.

 About half way through the month, we experienced yet another Alex injury moment. The last one was with his badly sprained foot and the most recent was much more devastating. We were out on a nice walk on one of the nicest days of the winter and Alex decided he was going to jump over a railing that stood about a foot off of the ground and dropped on the other side another half a foot directly onto a sidewalk. I quickly envisioned him tripping over the railing and falling and told him not to do it. Guess what? He did it anyways. And guess what happened next? He failed to use his hands to block the fall and landed face first on the cement. As I watched this happen, I knew that it was bad. He went limp and didn't move. I ran to him and tried to pick him up. He weighs almost 80 pounds and it wasn't easy to pick him up, but I did. I didn't have my phone with me (as it's not connected to me 24/7). Luckily, a neighbor saw the whole thing and had his phone on him.

So here I am. No phone. My oldest kid is in my arms and can't remember his name. Blood is filling his mouth and running down his face and he's saying over and over, "I feel like I'm in a dream. I think I'm dying." His arms were limp and he couldn't move them. His eyes were out of focus and I was absolutely terrified. Watching that kid fall and hit his face haunts me constantly. I can't pass that place on the sidewalk without feeling every nerve in my body flare up. It was horrid. When I finally got him onto the grass across the street just a block from our house, I had Abby run to the house and get my phone so I could call my mom so that she could watch the girls while I go to the hospital with Alex. In the mean time, the neighbor called 911. Overkill? Maybe. Maybe not. But he lost his memory, blacked out and couldn't move his head or arms. I wasn't going to chance anything. The paramedics came to our rescue along with the local volunteer firefighters. After several checks and some cleaning up, they said he would be okay to wait it out until the next day as long as he didn't get worse. I am a so thankful for these men and women. They've been to our rescue more times than I can even count anymore.

I spent the night checking him and Alex spent the night in severe pain. His top front teeth were loose and blood blisters on the gums above them. His arm was so sore that he couldn't move it. His head was pounding and his lips and nose hurt something awful. The following day, we spent the whole day (start to finish) at doctors and dentists to get him checked.

Step one: Dentist. The paramedics said he needed checked first thing in the morning and we headed in to see his dentist. It was a miracle he walked away from this as well as he did. The dentist was shocked, but there were no cracks or permanent damage. However, he did completely tear the ligament that holds his top front two teeth in place. So he was ordered only soft food and no biting on his teeth for 10 days with an antibiotic mouthwash to ward off infection. Then I was told by the Dentist that he needed to go to his doctor to get his face checked. So...step two. We headed to his pediatrician. The said that he did, in fact, suffer a concussion. No sports, P.E., or recess for at least two weeks. He sprained his whole arm and needed a brace for a few days and had to miss school. But they were certain that he fractured his face in several places and broke his nose. So off to step three: Xrays. We went to get six xrays of his face and found out later than he didn't fracture anything. All the doctors said the same thing: It's a miracle.

So lesson learned: Listen to mom. And the lesson for me? Boys are scary to raise. *sigh*

 In between our moments of crazy, I still had to do my normal weekly shopping with my tiny ice cream lover, Miss Evie. We go out and get lunch most weeks on Thursday just to keep things fun. She gets a small thing of chocolate ice cream when she eats her lunch and I enjoy these moments with her. When she goes to school, I'm going to miss this and be very, very lonely. Love my lunch dates with this cutie!

We also, got to enjoy seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the IMAX theater. I was a tad worried about Evie seeing a 3D movie, but she did fantastic. It was my second time seeing it (as I missed out once because Evie wouldn't see Good Dinosaur with Grandma and I had to switch theaters with her my mom). I love that movie! So great in 3D too!

 Evie had a big moment at the Dentist at her cleaning. She did the whole thing by herself. No lap sitting and she did wonderful! I am so proud of her. Such a big girl! I'm hoping she takes after Abby with the dentist. Abby is the perfect patient. Alex? not so much, but that's okay.

 Aaand...last but not least, another big moment for the big kid. Alex had to get glasses. He's been struggling with  seeing the white board at school for several months, but one eye just wasn't ready yet for glasses and he's been monitored closely by the eye doctor to wait until his good eye catches up with the other. It happened and off we went to pick out glasses. I was a little concerned that he'd struggle wearing them. But he's doing great and can actually see now. So he's happy. He looks good in glasses, but is a whole different kid. Especially with his Luke Skywalker hair. (that's the look he's going for.)

So this was January. It was nuts and I was glad it was over and ready to start fresh with a new month. No, hold on. I'm forgetting something, arnen't I? Oh...and also, I was diagnosed with cancer on January 28th.

To be continued...

Riding Lessons

Abby and Phantom

If you would have told me that one day I'd be paying someone to give one of my kids horse riding lessons, I would have called you crazy. I spent more time on horses growing up than I did being social with actual humans. I could ride bareback, barefoot, in a pond. All at the same time. I always thought that I'd be able to pass on my knowledge of horses to my young ones without any problems. What I didn't think of was what I am obviously missing - a horse. My  mom has two horses, but neither of them are anywhere near being kid-broke. As I don't have land of my own, I can't have a horse of my own and neither can my kids.

So, Abby has struggled with extra-curricular activities. She doesn't want to participate in anything at school and most definitely doesn't want to play sports. When I asked her what she'd like to try, she said, "nothing." One day I ran across an ad in the local paper for a lady in our town that gives riding lessons at a very reasonable price. When I mentioned it to Abby, she nearly flipped out! She got so excited that I decided that it was something we could do for her. I signed her up and the lady, Miss Janna, is super awesome. She is very sweet, incredibly knowledgeable, and has a really down-to-earth attitude when it comes to riding and horses. Best of all? It's western riding. None of that fancy-schmancy english riding. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not my style.

Abby has had six lessons thus far and she's really blossoming. She can name all the riding parts (saddle, stirrups, bridle, etc.) and can lead her horse to the arena and ride on her own. She's ridden two horses - T.J. and Phantom. That girl is really in her element and she is in love. One day, I hope to go riding with her. It will be amazing and I can't wait. So am I ashamed to pay someone to do this? No. Because currently, I don't have the means to do it myself. I am so happy that she has found a new passion and I am blessed to know that we really are a lot alike, Abby and me.

She could groom them all day.

Abby and T.J.

Finally on "The Black". She's always wanted to ride a black horse.

Christmas 2015

Despite the cold weather (which I can't stand), Christmas is easily one of my favorite times of the year. Yes, it's been tough since Dad died. I always have my moment of tears. But having kids makes it hard not to enjoy the season. I get my moments of bah-humbug every year. I generally experience this moment around the shopping time. I love buying gifts for people, but I hate the greedy crowds. Nevertheless, I always seems to bounce back. The kids just get so darn excited that it's hard not to get excited with them.
This year we put up our tree a few days late because of the paint job being executed. Upon decorating, I became aware that my cheap Dollar General tree from my college days was starting to look old. Not to mention that the sheer number of ornaments (mostly handmade from the kids) was starting to overtake the tree. The conclusion? Our tree is too small and we need a bigger one. I've been trying to convince Josh for a few years that we need to get a nice big one and donate our old one to a family who has no tree. He has, thus far, decided it can wait until we (and I quote) "get a bigger house". Ha! I think this year he saw the light.

Anyhow, we had a great Christmas. It was filled with lots of love, good food, presents, and our annual singing of Happy Birthday to Jesus. Funny thing, I actually sort of forgot about that part this year and the kids wouldn't open their presents until we sang it. Great kids! We've started a new tradition (to help mom with her Christmas blues) of having mom over for Christmas morning. I think she really enjoys it. Milo comes to join in the fun. Poor pup was exhausted after it all.

We got to spend time with both Jake and Jeremy with their families at one point or another during the holiday break. The kiddos were so excited to spend time with all their cousins. We missed seeing Aaron and his bride though. Sure hope we get to see them for one Christmas sometime soon.

The kids got pretty much everything they wanted this year, save a few items of course. We had a great Christmas dinner and even had an awesome New Year's eve playing board games with Jeremy and Dianne. Let me tell you that if you haven't played Scategories, you're missing out. I haven't laughed that hard in years. My cheeks were sore! All in all, the holiday break was wonderful and filled with many blessings. Now it's the long, dark haul until spring. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My three little turkeys in their new jammies.

The crazy kids tearing into Christmas morning gifts.

Abby's new cow girl hat that she wanted.

Mom enjoying the morning. It's our new tradition for her to celebrate with us.

Jetfire...the toy he loved from childhood.

A new fishing pole to go fishing this summer.

A mouse from Grandma.

Proving that I was actually there. I stink at selfies.

The crazy kids wore out Milo.

Evie and Grandma. So sweet. :-)

Merry Christmas, Dad. We miss you.

Quilting Fan

Thirteen years ago, I worked on my very first quilt. The one-year anniversary gift is paper/cloth. I used this as an opportunity to make a quilt for Josh for our first anniversary. I did the whole thing in secret. I only worked on it when he was gone and used mys sister-in-law's machine to quilt it. She had done a few quilts and helped me out. When it was all said and done, I'd bled way too many times (stupid straight pins) and messed up more times than I wanted to admit to. Once it was done, I vowed then and there that I would never again make a quilt. Well...oops. Turns out that I shouldn't have said "never". You know what they say. Never say never.

When Alex was about to go into his big-boy bed, I decided that I would try my hand at another quilt. The reason for this was his horrible problems with polyester. It caused really bad eczema and itching so I wanted him to have something cotton to cover up with. After it was done, I decided that I kind of enjoyed it. Then I went on to make my third quilt for miss Abby, a fourth quilt for my niece Greta, and just recently finished my fifth quilt for miss Evie. My grandma (mom's side) is a huge quilter. Turns out that she's passed this love on to me. Who knew? It's very relaxing and rewarding at the same time. I'll be starting my sixth quilt in January for my mom. It will be my very first t-shirt quilt of all my dad's old shirts. I hope it turns out good. I'm excited to start it. After that, I plan on starting new quilts for each kid. They've sort of outgrown the themes that they have on their beds and Abby's is showing significant wear and tear. Onward I go!

Thanksgiving 2015

 

 Long gone are the days when massive Thanksgiving dinners with many, many family members are there to enjoy the bounties of food. It seems like the older I get, the less time I spend with my extended family. Part of it is Alex's food allergies. When huge numbers of people are responsible for all the different foods that are served, it's impossible to guarantee food safety for him. Actually, it's impossible to feed the kid in those situations unless I bring all of his food from home...that I had to make myself. So making all the food myself is...well...easier. Part of it is also that my dad somehow made things much more enjoyable when it comes to family. When he passed away, going to see his side of the family (which was our place to go for Thanksgiving), seems almost empty. Sure, I still love my family. But this little Thanksgiving at home with just us and my mom was perfect for us. This is the second time I've made the whole dinner and it turned out lovely and quite tasty. Oh, and as for the beautiful house you see in the background? It is in the process of being upgraded. Lots and lots of mudding, sanding, and painting. Oh...and the entire house was turned upside down in the process. It was kind of crazy, but my mom helped me out and now I have a beautifully painted house. It was a nice Thanksgiving with good food.

Breaking the wishbone.

Abby's Big Day

So, first Alex has his big moment in the spotlight with a poster contest, then Abby goes on to win a contest of her own as well. It's crazy! What are the odds of two kids from the same family winning pretty big contests in the same year? Apparently, art is running strong in the family. I am pretty proud of miss Abby. She entered a coloring contest for the town Christmas festival. It was kind of crazy, but as much work and detail she put into it, I was kind of thinking she had a good chance to win. The winner receives a $25 cash prize, a plaque with their name on it, title of junior Mayor for the day, and to ride in the parade with the mayor and Santa Claus.

When I went to pick her up from school the day of the judging, she nonchalantly walked up to me and said, "I won the coloring contest, mommy." There was no excitement in her voice...just stated as though common knowledge. At first I thought she was joking, but then found out quickly that she was, indeed, the winner. Woo-hoo! Go Abby! She was nervous because she had to have the whole elementary watch her accept the certificate from the Mayor that day.

When the parade time came, she was a little nervous, but otherwise excited. It was funny, because when she sat down in the convertible, she practically disappeared because she's so small. I told her that she had to throw some chocolate to me when she drove past. She promised she would and threw some right at me...several times. After the parade, she stood up on stage with the mayor and the 5th grader who won the essay contest, and then accepted her award. It was a pretty awesome experience for a seven-year-old and we were super proud of her. What a day and what an honor!

Watching for sissy in the parade with her b-day present.

Abby with the Mayor

Evie's 3rd Birthday

I have a three-year-old! (again). This is the third and final time I will ever have a three-year-old birthday party. It's bitter-sweet, really. Evie has become quite the little girl. She's officially in the full-potty training swing and has really starting making progress. I've told her she can't go to school until she's a big girl and big girls use the potty. I think it might be working. It's her first birthday in underwear! I can see the diapers fading into the past, now.

We went extremely low-key this birthday. We had a very busy day planned because of the town Christmas event and Abby's ride in the big parade (but that's for another post). This year's cake choice was tough. Evie kept changing her mind. One minute it was "another Olaf cake" and the next minute it was simply "a pink cake". Finally, she decided on a lady bug cake. I think she really liked it.

It was just us, my mom (Grandma), and Aunt Mandy and her gang. Evie got some nice gifts and she enjoyed a house full of balloons. Then we went and watched the parade, caught some candy, and went out to eat at McDonalds. As for what Evie is up to these days, she's quite a pistol! She loves to play games during the days when the kids are at school and really enjoys being with them when they get home. We spend our days doing a lot of pretend play, walking to the post office/library, and going out to lunch on Thursday shopping days. She has a lot of spunk and can keep up with her siblings like crazy. She's super sweet, telling me how much she loves me more times than I can count in a day. I get kisses and hugs constantly and she always wants to help me with whatever she can. Having her with me during the day is wonderful. Sometimes I feel a bit stretched, but when she gives me that hug and kiss while saying, "I love you, mommy," all that stress just melts away.

Don't get me wrong, she had some whopper sized temper tantrums still, but that's okay. They really are getting fewer and far between. She knows all her colors and shapes, can say her ABC's and count two twenty (and above most days), and is starting to write her name. What a smart girl she is. So Happy 3rd birthday Evie! We love you so, so much!

Her actual birthday was midweek and she had super waffles for dinner. (all sugar)

Her balloon throne. Look how big she is!

She loves her big brother and big sister.

Grandma got the winner gift this year! Rainbow unicorn!

She loves Aunt Mandy.