Another Rush To A Place I Don't Like...

Last night, we had a Curriculum Night Meeting at Freedom Preparatory Academy.  I called my good friend Lezlee to see if the girls could hang out with her while Nate and I attended the meeting with Hailey's teacher. The meeting was great and it was nice to visit with her teacher on a more personal level. Her teacher is awesome.

As we were coming upon Lezlee's house to pick up the girls, we see them walking up her driveway. We knew they must be coming from the park. What was strange was that Lezlee was holding Addy and carrying her scooter.  They turned around when they saw us and then we saw the horrified look on Addy's face. We got out of the car and asked her what was wrong as she was bursting into tears. 

Lezlee then tells us she fell from the monkey bars and says her arm hurts.  I scan my eyesight down to her arm and there I see this "S" shape that her forearm had become.  Trying not to freak out, I said "oh, yep, she's hurt." I look at Nate, Lezlee looks down and realizes how bad it is, then her face goes white.  If you can remember back a few years to THIS post, you'll know why she felt as bad as she did. I immediately grabbed her and hugged her telling her not to worry and we would call her. By this time, Nate was in the car, holding Addy in his lap.  

The whole way to the ER, which is right down the street, thank goodness, Addy was in and out of falling asleep. She had a yucky scrape on her eye and a bump on her head so I was worried that it might be more than just her arm, but luckily, she didn't have a concussion.  

We got to the ER, I was trying to get her checked in and everything I tried to dig out of my purse was that much harder because I was shaking so bad.  Hailey was being a great big sister in trying to talk to Addy about OTHER things, but Addy was really in shock and out of it.  We finally got called back and the doctor on call came in to see what was up with sweet little Addy.  She FREAKED out.  She was already in shock, having a serious overload of anxiety AND it was a male doctor with some crazy hair.  Finally, she let him see her arm and he shot me a worried look. 

He then told us that they would have to most likely put her out because he needed to set it.  UGH!  I call Lezlee to see if she could come get Hailey for us, since we know it's going to be a while and it's already way past bed time. Life goes on and Hailey STILL had school bright and early the next morning.  I then call Rachel to see if she could put Hailey to bed for us. She called me back a few minutes after Hailey and Lezlee got to the house to inform me that Lezlee refused to go home and that she would stay with Hailey till we got back from the hospital.  

Somewhere during all this, my wonderful in-laws showed up to assist in a blessing.  They hung out with us the rest of the night which was great. We TOTALLY needed the moral support.  

So, they took her in for x-rays and saw that both bones in her arm were broken just below the wrist.  Luckily, they were pretty clean breaks so surgery was not needed.  I then realized that is why the doctor gave me that worried look. From the looks and feel of it, he thought it might need surgery.

Then, the drugs came.  They put an IV in her left arm and soon after, the doctor came in with a few other nurses and x-ray techs with a big x-ray machine.  Poor Addy.  Then the doctor watched as she fell asleep then grabbed her little arm with both hands. I immediately looked away and found my mother in law looking right at me asking if I was ok. Nate was holding her head still because the doctor said she would definitely feel it even though she was asleep. The good news was she wouldn't remember it.  

Then, I heard the crunch. My father in law was brave enough to snap a picture while he was setting it. Good thing you can't see much.  After it was set, they saw on the x-ray machine that it set correctly and then it was time to wrap it.  They put a soft cast on her which she'll wear for a week or so to allow for swelling. Then, once the swelling goes down, they will put a hard cast on which he said will need to be on for 6-8 weeks.

If you look closely, you can see the doctor holding her arm, ready to set it..

Just after the meds wore off.

trying to sit up all by herself while still doped up.

trying to look happy at everyone staring at her.

He gave us a prescription for some pain meds for her and wished us luck.  Early on in the process, one of the nurses came in with a little doll for Addy which was then given the name 'Addy'. :-)  She watched a little Dora on Nate's phone while they put in her IV and at that point, I realized I was relying solely on my mother in law for physical support because she moved apparently and I almost fell off the hospital bed. :-)

We got Addy home VERY late last night and she had a hard time settling down to sleep. The doctor recommended she stay with us all night... obviously. Nate slept with her in the bed and I slept on the floor with the dog. Figures. Just kidding. I CHOSE to because I didn't want her to be cramped and get her arm bumped in the night. Plus, due to 5am wake up times, Nate was already out cold.  She woke up about every hour and a half crying, but then quickly fell back asleep.  This morning, I had to get Hailey to school but Addy was still sleeping and I REALLY didn't want to wake her up... but, that's life and I ended up having to wake her up to get Hailey to school. 

Today's been rough. This morning, she was feeling pretty good. Especially when her best little friend Sophie brought her a balloon and card.  They watched a movie for a little bit together and Addy was happy to have a friend with her.  Then, as the day has progressed she has become more and more upset and is in quite a bit of pain.  Her little cousins stopped by to see her and she really started understanding the extent of her injury as they all went out to jump on the trampoline and she couldn't go. She then wanted to go ride bikes, but again, not something she can do. It's hard to explain that to a 4 year old. She's asking for her dad a lot as she usually does. She loves the comfort and safety she feels when Daddy is holding her. Especially when she's hurt.   

Hopefully the pain subsides and she can start to feel better soon.

Two Wheels!!

Hailey's been wanting to ride her bike without training wheels for some time now, and i'm a horrible parent for not helping her learn sooner. The truth is, it's hot outside and i'm an introvert lately so the thought of running around outside in the heat of the afternoon just didn't sound very appealing. Rude, I know.

Yesterday, we were hanging out over at our neighbors house while the girls played on the slip-n-slide. Hailey wandered over to a bike in the yard that had no training wheels.  She was just kind of  'walking' around while sitting on it. My neighbor, Abby, was telling me how it was easier for her kids to learn on a 'small' bike. (that was the same bike Hailey's was playing around on) Next thing I knew.. she was yelling "MOM! Look at me!!!"

I look up to see her riding that bike all by herself.  She was so excited to show daddy when he got home from work.  I love that she pretty much taught herself how to do it. She's so ambitious.  Such a little smarty pants.  

That night, Nate had a double header at the Provo fields so she asked if she could take her bike (well, Addy's bike).  She was all over that ball park. She became a pro so fast. She was weaving in and out, riding on grass, gravel, standing up while riding, etc.

Way to go Hailey!!!

My little Hailey is growing up WAY too fast these days.

Preschool!!

We've known for a long time that we wanted Addy to go to the same preschool that Hailey went to. Kids Village far exceeded our expectations for Hailey's start to education and I was so excited to sign Addy up for her first educational experience there. If you want to read more about their school, you can see my blog post here or their website here.

I've been really nervous for Addy. She doesn't do well in social situations, but she REALLY loves learning.  We've been getting her all excited and the day finally came. She was ready. She went to bed last night really nervous and had a hard time falling asleep.  This morning, however, she woke up SO excited and got dressed right away.  

The good news about this situation is that Addy is very familiar with this school. She knows all the teachers, well, most of them.  Some of the teachers there have become very good friends of mine and I couldn't be happier with my choice to send her there.

This morning, we dropped Hailey off at Kindergarten, then headed up to Orem to Kids Village.  I dropped her off with Farrah, Hailey's teacher last year, because I knew that would be easiest for Addy.  Farrah then would take her to her class when the time came. It worked great. On my way out, my friend Robin said she'd keep an eye out for her in case she was having a hard time.  An hour or so after I dropped her off, Robin texted me to let me know that Addy was having a great time.  I was so incredibly grateful for that text and to Robin for taking the time to give me piece of mind.

The time came to pick her up and I went inside to do so.  I looked into her classroom and saw her sitting on the carpet square with everyone else. They were listening to her teacher, Miss Kathleen read them a book.  I opened the door, she saw me and had the BIGGEST grin on her face ever.  I carried her out to the car and the whole time she had a smile bigger than I've ever seen from her.  She told me all about her first day and how fun it was. She told me about her two new friends that she made. One was named Sarah and the other was Addy.  She was excited that they were both 4 just like her.  She told me about her art class and how she made a picture of herself with red hair.  She said she had fun in kitchen but they didn't make any food today.  She said her teacher Miss Kathleen was very nice and she liked being in her class a lot.

We drove to Hailey's school to pick her up and she wanted to wait in the car while I walked to the front of the school to get Hailey. Once I got to Hailey, she said "How was Addy's first day of preschool?" I loved that she was thinking of her baby sister.  I told her to ask Addy herself and then she sprinted to the car.  Addy told her how fun it was and Hailey just listened and asked her questions about the teachers and classes. I was in heaven listening to their conversation and how much they wanted to know about each others day at school. I have the best little girls ever.

First day was a success and i'm so excited for her to have and enjoy this journey. And I'm grateful for my friends who are helping her to do so.

Kindergarten!!

Yesterday was Hailey's first day of Kindergarten.  I've had mixed feelings about this day since she was born.  I've been OVERLY nervous and anxious about the beginning of her career in Education.  Yes, she went to preschool, but this is so much different. Nate and I have spent countless hours talking about the best options for her as far as school goes.  Luckily, we live in a 'parent's choice' district and therefor, our options were very open.  Our first choice was Freedom Academy in Provo. This is a charter school and our favorite choice, only, there was no guarantee that she would be accepted. Its a luck of the draw and sadly, she was put on the waiting list. I cried. A couple months later, we got a random phone call saying that a spot had opened up and they were offering it to Hailey.  At this point, I had put in a request for a school not to far that was public, but of course I was ecstatic that Freedom had given us this opportunity. I had my worries after speaking with people and reading reviews, but for the most part, I could tell that it was a great school.  So, I gladly accepted and we moved forward from there.

This summer has been spent doing a lot of talking, praying and preparing for Kindergarten.  I was terrified, Hailey was excited.  Of course, I tried my best to get her excited and not let my anxiety show through.

The day came when we got the letter from her teacher. Mrs. Wolf is her name and the day was quickly coming. Well, after shopping for school supplies and uniforms, she was ready.  The night before her first day, Nate had a little 'daddy/daughter' chat with her and gave her a blessing to prepare her for this school year. 

The next morning, she woke up and said "I'm SO excited for school today.....  but also a little scared." Hailey is a pretty easy book to read and it was obvious that she was extremely nervous, but she wasn't about to let that get in the way of her excitement.  We took some pictures, then it was time to head off to her first day.

When we got there, the teachers were all outside and had their classes lined up behind them. It was so weird to see my little Hailey at a school where there were also 6th graders!!

 She lined up and then we followed her into her new classroom.  There, she hung up her zebra print backpack and we gave her a quick hug and left. As Nate and I were walking through the school to leave, he was fanning my face, making fun of me for being emotional. I was proud of myself for not crying till AFTER we left the school.

It was an extremely long 3 hours waiting to pick her up. I wanted to hear all about it.

When we picked her up, she was all smiles and had so much to tell us. Nate told her he wanted to go out to lunch to celebrate her first day of Kindergarten, then asked where she would like to go.

As usual, her answer was Tucanos. (the girl has an obsession with steak)

So, we went out to a really yummy lunch with daddy, then played at the splash pad for a bit.

It was a successful first day.

Today was the second day and when I dropped her off, she was a little nervous again, so I promised to walk with her to her classroom again.  Apparently, an adult kind of shoved her into a line and that made for a bad start to the day.  But, upon picking her up, she was all smiles again and had So much to say. She was excited because she made some fun friends who helped her build a castle at recess. Then, she got assigned to sit at the same table as her friend Parker for the year. Then, her teacher asked her to show other kids how to use the website Starfall since she's a pro. She loved it.

Now, we are off to a whole new schedule and a stricter one at that.  I have to really change my spontaneous personality and realize that we will be pretty scheduled from now on. I've always been a schedule type person, but on my own terms, not someone elses.  The last almost 6 years have been spent dreading this day, it's here and it went well.  I can't believe my Hailey is in Kindergarten. It's not fair that they grow up so fast.  I feel like I was just smooching her giant baby cheeks yesterday.  Hopefully I can be a strong mom and not an annoying blubbering one. Either way, i'm entitled. :-)

Wish me luck!

And, here's to a great school year for my Monkey!

Cheers!

2012 Olympics London

Nate and I have been REALLY pumped about the Olympics this year. We've gotten the girls all excited as well and the time had come. We really watched a Ton of the Olympics and the girls really enjoyed it as well. Especially the gymnastics. They were so into it, that they were actually cheering. Hailey had decided that she wanted to spend her money she had saved up for a ribbon baton like the ones they use in Rhythmic Gymnastics.  Luckily, we found one at Toys R Us.

I was so proud of my country with these Olympics. I feel that for the most part, we were humble.  That's something that some other countries struggled with and I was just very proud of how hard our athletes worked.  

2012 London

(top 3)

(gold, silver, bronze, total)

1	United States of America	46	29	29	104
2	People's Republic of China	38	27	23	88
3	Great Britain	29	17	19	65

Way to go USA!!!

Dance Camp

My friend informed me about a girl in her ward that was doing a week-long dance camp for kids. So, I signed my girls up.  Every morning for an hour through the course of the week, the girls got to go meet some new friends as well as learn some choreography.  It was great.  The girls had a blast.  I enjoyed an hour to myself every morning. :-)

YEEOW!

Nate and I cleaned the garage REALLY well the other day.  Because of this, Nate had some printers and such that he put on our sidewalk for anyone who wanted them. The next morning, I was out doing some yard work, fairly early in the morning when this nice man walks by. He walks by every morning and he offered to dump the printers for me in garbage cans since it was garbage day. Without taking no for an answer, he began searching for empty garbage cans.  Well, these printers are HUGE people.  I saw him struggle, so I ran to help him and right as I got to him, he dropped the printer, right on my toe.  I bit my tongue, because I didn't want him to feel bad, but oh my crap, that hurt.

I had surgery on my feet when I was a teenager and I have pins in my toes as well as a gnarly scar.  It fell RIGHT on that spot.  My foot swelled real quick and as the day went on, I got a little nervous that I might have broken something. I got it x-rayed and the great news was that it was not broken but it had done some damage to the scar tissue surrounding my surgical site. Instructions were to lay low and let it heal without adding any additional stress to my foot. :-)

HUH?

Once upon a time, we had a guinea pig. Her name was Pepper. Pepper had babies. One of the babies we named Cuddles and HE became our new guinea pig as Pepper found her new home at grandma's house.  Fast forward a few months and we got Curly. We figured that Cuddles needed a friend. After 5 months of having both of them in the cage, I was going bananas. Curly was such a bully. We decided it was time for Curly to find a new home and we sold him.   Fast forward a few days....

We are eating breakfast and Hailey checked on Cuddles like she always does every day and squealed!

"MOM!!!!!  There's BABIES in there!"

I look at Nate in unbelief and respond "WHAT THE?" As I walked over to the cage.

Sure enough, 3 baby guinea pigs had just been born moments before.  Apparently, Cuddles was a girl and we had been told all along she was a male guinea pig.  

Last Minute Decision

A couple weeks ago, my mom called to tell me about a puppy she had at her house.  She had this puppy at her house because the couple who spent TONS of money on him realized after one month that they work all day and go to school at night and the poor guy was locked up all the time. She told me about his background, what he was, who he was coming from, yadda yadda.  My immediate response to the question "Do you want him?" was "NO!"

We currently have family living in our basement, as well as a dog living in our basement, a cat, a couple guinea pigs (one of which we sold last week), a fish, 2 children, a business, along with Nate and myself all under one roof. The LAST thing we need right now is a dog.  

Granted, we've always wanted a dog at some point. Nate and I both grew up with dogs and see the impact a dog can have on kids in a family so we knew it was definitely something to look forward to.  However, if and when we did get a dog, we wanted it to be part of the family.  We didn't want a dog that sat outside being ignored or a dog that was kenneled up all day. Also, we wanted to make darn sure that the girls could have responsibility with a dog.

So, after telling her no, I told Nate about it.  His response was kind of shocking because he said, "i'm ok with it if you are!"   WHAT?  I really thought he'd say no as well.  So, I thought about it for a while, did lots of research and after hearing that this dog was bought at a specialty shop who sold to celebrities and who make sure their dogs are top quality for that reason as well as potty trained and kennel trained, we agreed to come see the puppy. So, the girls and I, on a whim, drove to Las Vegas to my parents house to check out this little guy.  

Needless to say, we fell in love immediately.  We agreed to take him.  We told the girls that we were just going to "babysit" him for a while so that Nate could be the one to tell them we had bought them a dog. 

So, meet our little Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie Mix) Koda. 

I had a Yorkie growing up so I've always had a soft spot for that breed. And Maltese? well, they are just beautiful.

He's our cute little bear of a dog (hence the name Koda from Brother Bear).

The girls are absolutely in love with him.  He rarely barks unless he is startled by something but doesn't bark at our neighbors dogs. He will bark for a second if a stranger comes in our house, then just licks them to death.

He's 4 months old and is potty and kennel trained.  He sleeps through the night and loves to chase our cat.  He won't get any bigger than he is now, about 6-8 pounds and is just a fluff ball.  He loves to play catch with his little Frisbee and he loves going to the softball fields. 

Best of all, the girls absolutely love him to death.

I'm happy that they will come home from school to a little fluff ball who's excited to see them..

I remember having that feeling after a rough day growing up and coming home to my dogs who I adored and just knowing their unconditional love for me. My dogs got me through some really hard times.

I look forward to that for my girls.

Princess Party with Grandma

While my family was in town (I know, i'm backtracking again) my mom decided to do a princess party for all her granddaughters. As always, my mom went all out.  She had decorations, wands, crowns, jewelry and many other things for the girls.

The purpose of her party was to talk to the girls about their 'Happily Ever After'.  She spent countless hours making a book for them that has that very talk from Elder Uchtdorf.  They each got their own book along with a framed picture of the temple that says "if this is not your castle, then you are not my prince". 

After having a little talk with the girls, she then presented a princess lunch that she had prepared.  The girls had place mats with name tags where they were to sit and they were just pampered. 

I think for most of them at this age, it was just FUN to have a party with grandma. As they get older and have their book to read, they will understand the significance of what grandma was trying to teach them.

Princess Senna

Princess Maddy

Princess Bella

Princess Addy

Princess Marley

Princess Savannah

Princess Hailey

Grandma and her granddaughters... minus Macey who was sleeping.

While the girls were hanging out with grandma, the dads took the boys to Lowe's Extreme Air Sports to play around.. then to the river where they all got soaked.

They came back after we were done and helped the girls (or Hailey) finish off the amazing fruit platter.

Thanks mom, for putting so much time into a great memory for our daughters.