The 14 Days of Valentines

Starting February1, each day, a new heart was added to Megan's wall of love.

Ron and I wrote things we love about Megan on hearts and added them to the wall each day.

She passes this wall any time she goes up or down the stairs to her room.

I have loved doing this so much that I want to continue for the entire month.

We don't spend enough time telling the people we love what we actually love about them.

Having it in writing and posted where it will be seen every day is good for any one of any age.

 I thought about putting the hearts on her bedroom door but I wanted them 

in a more prominent location. 

We have enjoyed this happy wall of love.

I love you, Meggie!

Happy Easter

I love to decorate for the holidays. 

Some of my favorite decorations are those made by my children.

I am so happy I have saved these over the years.

Here is Megan at 2, 3, and 4 years old.

The 2 year old frame was made while she was in Nursery at Church

 3 Years Old

Pre-School

 4 Years Old

Pre-School

I had these foam eggs for a few years and was always happy to give a few more away to teachers and friends. Now they make such cute decorations and bring back such sweet memories. Any time I have been a teacher, leaders, or room parent at school, I look for crafts and projects that will be keepsakes, not just something that takes time up at a party or activity. I did not always find something that met this desire, but I tried.

This Will Make You Smile or Laugh...

Obviously, summer brings more time for Megan to keep us informed. She wrote THREE Posts today...Thank goodness she did, I would not have known what to order at Taco Bell or what to do with our Dog as he is chewing on himself....

Click HERE

And you will receive advice you did not even know you needed. If anything..your daily smile/laugh awaits you within the lines of one of these THREE posts.

Love you, Meggie!

She Speaks The Truth

For only being nine years old...
Megan has spoken some profound words this week regarding Ron and Me.

On Ron...she said, "My dad is old enough to be a Grandpa, but he is just a Dad!" To that I say... she is so blessed to have Just The Dad she has! I am sure I will use this line in a lesson, talk, or, presentation sometime in the future. Mr Ron is a wonderful example of being "Just A Dad".

On me....it is not such a pretty picture...When writing sentences for her Vocabulary Words this week, she wrote, (and apparently told the entire 3rd grade class) "My mom is a PACK RAT!" Yes, PACK RAT was her vocabulary word and MY OFFICE gave her a complete reason to use ME in her description. For someone who usually is on top of clutter and junk...my office is a borderline FIRE HAZARD!

She speaks the truth and it is hard to take! Of course...nothing she has written to this point can top this Proud Moment.

My Girls

My Girls

December 2008, Orlando LDS Temple Grounds

Our Family Photos taken by Rebecca Silva have arrived!

More to share in days to come!

Thanks Rebecca!

Ding Ding...Round Two

ALWAYS have your camera handy at a Doctor's Appointment....
Something "bloggable" may occur....and today, it did.
If this post seems like a total deja vu for, you my readers, imagine how I felt in the Doctors Office this morning. Once again....Megan is in a cast for the purpose of healing a BROKEN FOOT. Same song, Different Verse. Read HERE and HERE for previous cast experience.
This time, however, I did not wait 4 weeks until I took her to be checked out. At the first complaint (New Years Eve), I called the Doctor and was given the first available appointment...this morning! Good thing there was NO SCHOOL today.
Once again, I was certain that the Doctor would say...it is just sore from the previous injury...WRONG-O! She broke her foot AGAIN in the same spot. The Doctor says until her body has completed growing, she may prone to re-injury. No kidding....
I have been in the ER with broken parts and stitches far more often with the little girls than I ever was with the rough and tumble boys.

And....For the Record...Andrew was NOT in town when this injury occured!

Happy New Year! Happy Back To School!

A Star Is Born

It All Started Here...
Those words will be said when we see Megan on stage playing the guitar in her famous band. For Christmas, Santa brought her the number one wish on her list...a Guitar AND Guitar Lessons. The first lesson was today at C-Sharp Music in Wellington (Yes, I DO have to take a picture every where and of everything...thank me later, Megan, for now, I will shamelessly click away)
Do you think she was excited to have today finally arrive? No..she was EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!

She came right home to perform the first songs she learned. It is amazing what a teacher can accomplish with a pure beginner in just 30 minutes.

The next lesson can't come soon enough...for any of us...and the side benefit?????? Megan says her teacher is HOT! I can see why!

Strum away, my dear daughter. I am so happy for you to have this opportunity you have so patiently waited for.

Turn Up The Volume

Picture This...

Morning carpool to The Elementary School....

You are on campus going through the drop off line....

Thanks to Holiday Pops on XM Satellite Radio, your Mom is blaring The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah over The Bose Speakers in her Suburban. Not just any rendition of The Hallelujah Chorus will do...it simply must be performed by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Rather than be embarrassed, you ask her to TURN IT UP and MAKE SURE ALL THE WINDOWS ARE DOWN....for that matter....OPEN THE SUN ROOF so the entire school can hear! (and everyone at the drop off curb DID hear)

After all, you say, this is the coolest song you have ever heard.

I agree, Megan! Thanks!

Yet, another reason to love The Christmas Season! Not to mention, a fabulous way to start the day!

On The List

Parenting....Round 2

On My Gratitude List

My energy level may not be what it was in my 20's during

Parenting Round 1, yet I am absolutely grateful for the

blessing of having these little

(OK, not so little...they are growing like weeds) girls.

They are delightful. Even with the challenges we face with

Katherine and Aspergers Syndrome

(which becomes more and more pronounced with age)

I would not have life any other way.

I seriously can not picture my life without them. My nest
would have been "empty" three years ago..something I
would have not been ready for.Being a mother is the best "job" in the world. I loved being a mother
to the boys when I was 20 and now I am happy I have
had the opportunity to "extend my contract" by having little
ones later in life. I know...I know...even when they leave the
nest...I am still mothering...it is just different once they fly away
and only land at home occasionally.

Another part to this list...
Parenting Both sets of children with the same man...
my dear husband and friend, Ron.
Life is good.

I Want To Be In Third Grade....
Not just any 3rd Grade Class will do, and I want to choose my teacher...... I want Megan's 3rd Grade Teacher, Mrs. Jacob. This decision was made as I attended "Bring Your Parent To School Day" this morning. Whether as a parent or student, rarely, have I had such a stimulating experience in a Classroom/ Academic setting.

Mrs. Jacob gave a writing lesson that is forever etched on the front burner of my mind. She taught writing to 3rd graders and their parents in a manner that many students never receive, even in college. Teaching writing with such clarity and passion is a gift....a rare gift. Not only is Mrs Jacob teaching the mechanics of writing, she is instilling a LOVE of writing. That which a person learns to do well becomes something that person loves to do. Megan will use the writing skills she is learning for now and the rest of her life, I am confident.

Today, we learned about Idioms.....remember what an idiom is? Those phrases that drive speakers of other languages crazy when they listen to Americans speak English. "I saw red" vs I was angry. "A Wolf in sheep's clothing" "Money doesn't grow on trees" "It's raining cats and dogs" "Sleep Tight" "Poor as a Church mouse"...

Listening to Mrs Jacob teach made me want to march straight to my local College and enroll (even more than I already want to)! I have always wanted to be a writer, yet have very little formal training (obviously...as you read my posts) however, as a result of this one-hour lesson, I may have the courage/encouragement I need to become a student again. (It was a powerful hour!) I know, I can't return to 3rd grade (and honestly, I would not like most of it.) additionally, I can't have Mrs. Jacob as my teacher, however, I am hoping to borrow Megan's "Writing Bag Of Tricks". Perhaps Megan will become my teacher and mentor, she is receiving the best training I have ever seen from a Public or Private School.
This was truly a lesson that spoke to my soul. I have a deep craving to learn and grow in all areas of writing. Something was definitely "unleashed" inside of me today....now I need to act on it....Maybe start a new blog for my some of my writing.

Do you feel like you received adequate writing instruction?

Would you like to improve your writing skills?

Should I be afraid to return to college?

Have you ever had a "Bring Your Parent To School" Day?

This Should Be On My

Front Door.....

Today's GARAGE SALE sign is tucked away....

far away.

Katherine's PINK EYE is gone...

Now.....Megan has STREP THROAT!!!!!

Yep..you don't want to share the air we breathe at this house.

Actually, I am thinking you don't want to touch the

same surfaces we even look at.

Apparently, all things contagious are floating around hoping

to take up residence on every person and surface in our house.

Last night, I stayed up late

(not much past midnight...surprise! I must be getting good at

this or I just know what does and does not deserve my attention...

indicating a great level of wisdom on my part...could it be that

I am finally applying years of experience to make my life easier?)

getting the last minute Garage Sale details arranged.

(That is the part I cannot stand about Garage Sales...the pricing and

getting all the stuff organized. I keep having them, though, after

repeatedly saying NEVER again each time..OK...so maybe I

quickly forget what I learn and just need to keep aiming for greater

levels of wisdom.)

At 2am, Megan came to my bed saying she did not feel well...

sore throat and ears....her body was full-blast-furnace HOT.

I got the fever down and tucked her back in bed.

(so much for this sale being Katherine and Megan's project

to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness....Kind of like when

you get a puppy for your KIDS...guess who does 99% of the work?)

I snuggled with her (no sore throat for me, yet)

At 5:30am...I was up to beat the Early Birds who would surely

sit on my sidewalk to watch my Garage Sale being set up.

Yes, they were there at 6:30 for our 7am opening.

(Yes, I made them WAIT until the advertised 7am opening...

don't mess with me in my own driveway! Ha!)

Right before the crowds came, I made sure Megan was

comfortable and not burning with fever.

She slept through the Garage Sale in my bed.

(More sheets to wash and sanitize, because, of course,

I did not do enough of that earlier in the week when

Katherine had PINK EYE)

At 11am, after a steady crowd of shoppers,

(and I mean steady crowd up to the latest open time.

I have never had people come is such large numbers so late.The

crowd was steady...but the $$$ did not match the number of people

who stopped by...people are being very cautious with every penny...

even at Garage Sales.)

I packed up the leftovers, headed to Goodwill,

then grabbed lunch at Checkers....

Next Stop Med Express

(love that place and I think they love us, too)

Strep Throat, Swollen Glands, White Spots on

Tonsils, Ear Infection, Fever were quickly confirmed...

On to Publix Pharmacy....

Guess What???

Amoxicillin and several other Antibiotic Prescriptions

are FREEEEEEEE at Publix. I had heard about this, but thought

it was for people with no insurance, etc.No...it is for everyone!

Publix gives certain antibiotics for FREEEEEEEEE.

This is a way for Publix to "Give Back" to the Community.

I was happy to be on the receiving side of their giving today.

Summary:

Garage Sale...Great (Too Much work for ME, though)

Katherine... Well

(Amazing help at The Garage Sale...if she continues to polish her sales skills,

she can support us in a lavish life style in our golden years...

no one says NO to Katherine...no one has the heart to rip her off with a low offer.)

Megan...Strep Throat

Shauna....Exhausted (better now after napping to Pete's Dragon)

Ron...Happy....GO GATORS!!!!

(Hopefully the final score against LSU keeps him a Happy Gator.)

Until Further Notice...

Knock on My Front Door At Your Own Risk...

Don't Say I Did Not Warn You....

Blogging seems to be the safest method of staying in touch!

And Finally...

Remind me to Click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE

when planning another Garage Sale.

Someday.... I really will learn from the wisdom I am

cultivating via daily life!

Do You Like Hosting Garage Sales?

Do You Like Shopping At Garage Sales?

Is my household the only one catching the contagious

STUFF floating around?

Ummmm.... I think my eyes are itching and my throat hurts...

time to sign off this long epistle....

Not For The Cookies...

One Guess What I Signed Up For...
Yes, after being a Cub Scout Leader for all three of my sons,
I get to roll my sleeves up in the Girl Scout Leader Department!
Megan has been BEGGING to be a Girl Scout for over a year now. That pretty much tells me she is serious and will be committed to this new adventure.
Megan is excited, I am excited to be with her, and off we go.
I attend training in 2 weeks and hit the ground running. You see,
I don't have enough going on in my life! I do, however, remember how rewarding it was to work with my own sons and their peers as they went through Cub Scouting. Everyone grows up too fast, so I will treasure this time with Megan. I know it will be over before I blink twice!
Wherever my children are.. that is where I want to be! Parenting, Round 2, here I come! Oh...to have the 20 year old energy I had during Parenting Round 1!
And for the record...I am NOT doing this for the COOKIES! Really, I'm NOT!

A Proud Mom Moment? Do I Laugh Or Cry?

Third Grade Open House...Oh My.

Today, I was on Mom Duty The Elementary School.

Along with 3 others on Mom Duty,

I helped prepare the halls near Megan's classroom for

The Infamous Parents Open House, aka Back To School Night,

or in our case....Curriculum Night. (Don't let the name fool you...

it is Back To School, Meet The Teacher Night in disguise)

We hung art projects, decorated bulletin boards, made die-cuts,

etc. Everything looks fabulous, which means our teacher will

look fabulous when the parents arrive tomorrow night.

I won't be able to attend Curriculum Night,

I'll be on Mom Duty flying high in a plane with Andrew

who is heading to College. Ron will be the parent in

attendance.

The parent guilt was gnawing at me over missing

Curriculum Night until....

Oh My.....I Read Megan's "All About Me" Poster

I ALMOST took it HOME...after all, would the teacher really

notice the gaping hole in the perfectly posted projects?

I seriously wondered...Oh My...Do I want to be near when

anyone reads my child's project? Oh My.....

The HUGE posters from each child were titled "All About Me"

The posters had photos of each child, their family, their pets, etc.

They listed their favorites in several areas

They listed their heroes, their friends, and little known facts

about themselves and their families...Catch my drift...listing

little known facts about her family was dangerous enough...

I suppose I should be happy that this is what I read posted next

to a photo of our dog Mr. Riley...

"This is my dog, Mr. Riley. Riley the "Funny Bunny" is what

we call him when he drinks out of the toilet or chews our

under wear. Sometimes he is a naughty boy and poops in my

dad's office. Then we have to swat him and eventually he gets

put outside. He loves to chew under wear. That is why most

ALL of my under wear has HOLES in it."

Should I not be the MOST PROUD MOM in the entire 3rd Grade,

if not, School?

Should I be relieved that ALL she wrote about are

holes in under wear?

Yep... there is SO MUCH MORE she could have spotlighted

regarding her life with us.

Oh....and by the way...her favorite song.... do me proud....

Green Day's "American Idiot" yep the one with all the curse words..

I know...I know...change MY ipod selection and

do not let my children ever hear that CRAP.

(oops, sorry for the language..I know I owe my family members

a quarter for using that word)

I SWEAR she has heard that song ONCE!!!!

Her HERO....Andrew! Because he taught her how to play

Command and Conquer on The Computer.

Yes, I know it could have been so much worse....

Megan, you did me proud...Holes in the under wear and all.

Celebrate Megan

Nine Years To Celebrate!

Not only did we Celebrate Megan's Birthday ALL week...

We celebrated an amazing, amazing accomplishment...

Megan has NOT sucked her Thumb for over ONE Year!

She set her mind to STOP and she did it.

I am so proud of you, Meggie!

You can accomplish anything you decide to do!

Look how nice her teeth look with her Braces OFF and NO

worries about pushing them out again!!!!

This was the Family Birthday Celebration on her actual Birthday
Opening Gifts....Her very own Ripstick!!!!
She is already zipping around on it. Impressive!

I Love you, Meggie!

Yessss!

Sunday Dinner Enlightenment

We eat lots of Fruit and Vegetables....95% of the time...we

eat FRESH Fruits and Vegetables...I snip the beans, peel the carrots, slice the melons,

cut the fruit,etc. Sunday dinner, especially, everything is the fresh, from scratch, etc.

Recently, I decided that I should occasionally use our Food Storage canned Fruits and/or Vegetables so the family is used to them in the event we must live off of what we store.

This was the case this past Sunday....

I decided to heat up a can of Green Beans.

When I placed them on the table, Megan let out a big

Yesssssss! I love Green Beans from a can!

All that rinsing, snipping, sorting, and steaming

when I could have been opening a can, placing it in the microwave and

calling it a day.... (I know the whole nutrition debate and all is a factor.)

Here's To You, Green Giant...You were the hero of our Sunday Dinner!

I will continue to serve the majority of our Fruits and Vegetables in the freshest form possible (we are a little spoiled here in paradise with year-round wonderful produce)

. As a little treat once in a while....I will serve Canned Green Beans or Corn to Megan.

Once in a while, I, along with The Green Giant,can be the mealtime hero!!!

Have you ever done something so simple as open a can of vegetables for your child that makes you realize you can simplify in other areas?

Kind of like when your child would rather play with the box than the toy that came in it????

We parents just complicate things sometimes....Another reason that I am thankful for this Round 2 shot at parenting. I know more what to worry about and what will just work itself out in the wash.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation.....

I Can Just See It Now....
It is the first day of school and the teachers ask my girls to write a paper about what they did over the summer. No doubt, at the top of the list will be.....
"This was a great summer, I learned how to properly clean a toilet....."
The essay will go on....
"My mom says that there are some children who don't know how to clean a toilet at all and she does not want us to be one of those children. She said that when we are 12 years old and attend Young Women Girls Camp, we may even get the assignment to clean toilets. She does not want us to be embarrassed by not knowing how to do this chore properly."
The essay will include other thoughts such as...
"I have the greatest mom in the world. She made sure that she prepared me for real life and taught me everything I need to know. I will know how to take care of and clean anything...especially the toilets in my future. I love my mom and I know she loves me."

Yes, you read it here first.

Two weeks ago, I gave some serious Toilet (and Bathroom) Cleaning lessons
to Katherine and Megan.
With 4 Bathrooms in our house, there was plenty of "hands on" demonstrating.
I cleaned one toilet as a demonstration and then they each cleaned one on their own with me watching and then inspecting.
We covered what cleaning supplies and materials to use and why.
We covered the all important....Do not combine ammonia and bleach cleaning products
and then went over which products contained what.
I showed them how to read labels and where to use which products.
I taught them which order to clean things in the bathroom
and how to not use the same rags on the rest of the bathroom that touch the toilet, etc.
Little did I realize that this new found skill would be put to use outside of our house so soon.
Tonight was our family's turn to help clean the the Church Building.
Guess what.... We Cleaned the Women's' and Men's Bathrooms.
(Yes, my GIRLS got to go in the BOYS Bathroom...they kept staring at the urinal...I realize we did not cover urinal cleaning in our sessions.I just tried to be matter of fact, like this was any other restroom that just had to be cleaned)
Katherine kept saying....I need to do this for the experience. I don't want to be one of those kids who does not know how to clean a toilet properly. I need all the experience I can get.
I THINK maybe.....just maybe... I got my point across!
For 8 and 11 year old little girls, they are doing great.
What an amazing summer we are having... I know you are sitting there just a little envious that you have not had Toilet and Bathroom Cleaning sessions with your children.
Or, maybe you have had these sessions and are having the same sort of
wonderful summer I am having.... It's great, huh?
Not everyone can have such an exciting summer.

My Kind Of Doctor

Doctor's Orders...Buy Shoes....

These are my latest shoes for this summer....I was wearing them this

morning when Megan and I went to her Doctor's appointment.

We started taking silly photos...

This morning, Megan was officially released from wearing her

Air Cast and using her crutches. Hooray!!!!

She has to wear supportive sneakers that tie (she CANNOT STAND tie shoes)

and is allowed to put full pressure on her foot.

She told the Doctor that she did not have any sneakers that tie and he said...

Go BUY Some Shoes that tie and will give you support.

Being the shoe queen I am (I admit it),

I would love to have those orders from a Doctor.

Although, if you know me or have seen my closet...

I don't seem to need ANYONE to tell me to buy shoes!!

I am of the opinion that one can never own too many books

or shoes (especially black ones!)

Review

The Week In Pictures

(and a few words)

Every day this week has been full. This time of year, there is always too much going on. It is all good and I find myself having to choose between good and good often.

When schedules get this crazy, I count the days until school is out and look forward to a change of pace. I am so happy when we are not running to and from activities.

I am also so happy when we can spend our days at the beach not having to rush home to get to the next event. Each summer, I raised my boys at the beach and it is looking like I am doing the same with the girls each summer.

Here is the Mother's Day Report.

My family (Ron) always make sure I have a corsage to wear on Mother's Day.

Even when I had babies who would generally smash or pick the flowers apart,

I have had a Mother's Day Corsage.
I appreciate this thoughtfulness.

Oh... I am craving exercise.

With this darn cold (8 weeks and 2 anitbiotics later) I am just now feeling like I can push. I just hacked and coughed every time I got my heart rate up.

When Andrew uses the Sunday Newspaper to wrap a large gift....
I am definitely curious....maybe the word should be cautious!
True to Andrew's character,
I had to unwrap several boxes within boxes to get to my gift from
The Hostetler Boys....just what I asked for....the Push Up Pro Set.
I am working with them every day!
Thanks Boys!
This Card was next to my gifts. It had a string attached and I had to follow the string all over the house to find my gift. It was locked inside one of the bathrooms.
To my delight, I found a new Sewing Machine.
I have actually wanted this for a year, but did not even tell Ron, or anyone, for that matter.
Hooray, I am so excited.
Both of my girls want to learn to sew.
I am planning to give them sewing lessons as part of our summer fun.
Megan got her cast CHANGED.
Now she is wearing a blue cast.
She has 4 more weeks of wearing a cast on her foot.

This is the daily routine at school.

Each morning, Katherine goes to the clinic to pick up the wheel chair

and then wheels Megan to class.

In the afternoon, Katherine goes to pick up Megan and wheels her to the front office,

where she returns the wheelchair.

Megan's classroom is the farthest away possible of all the classrooms,

which has made this wheelchair a lifesaver. Or, in her case, an arm-saver.

The Mouse And The Motorcycle Project
(Note...Ron assisted and he got an A+)
Megan had to make a diorama depicting a room in Ralph The Mouse's House
using completely recycled materials.
She used the Golf Tees she collects in our backyard.
Note the ceiling light and the cups on the table are all made with Golf Tees.
Also used are gum boxes, matchboxes, jello boxes,
pictures from the newspaper, lids of all sizes, toothpicks, etc.

Meet The Authors

Yesterday, 3 of the 5th Grade Classes invited parents to a reception to view their Pulished Books and to meet the authors. What an incredible project. Each child wrote a story about their future and then illustrated each page. Wow!!!

This is not the last time I will mention this, however.... I must say it....

This has been THE BEST SCHOOL YEAR our girls have ever had. Hands down.

Five years at the Private Christian School cannot compete with the incredible experiences, the kindness, the love, the support, the academics, and over-all amazing school we attend.

We are not at this school by accident. I feel so blessed and watched over.

Another bonus... the school is almost in our backyard.

This makes biking to school a reality (unless you are wearing a cast on your foot)

Next year, Katherine will attend Middle School at the top of the neighborhood.

Another great place we can ride bikes to.

The closeness of both schools is great for me as I spend a great deal of time in my children's school's as a volunteer and parent.

Amid all of the above, I have been working on Alison's Bridal Shower (which is TONIGHT!!!!) and working on the MSABC Committee. What is MSABC? Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for the American Cancer Society. This could become a full time job, if I allowed it. What a big undertaking for the Western Communities of Palm Beach County.

I am serving on the Executive Committee as the Sponsorship Chairperson.

And...

of course there is my Young Women Calling (which needs more attention),

My house that needs Major attention, and the laundry, my family, my body, etc.

Lots going on.

As I say in my Blog Header.

I Would Be a Famous Author if I Did Not Have So Much To Write About!

Have a Great Weekend!

I will return with lots of photos from the Bridal Shower, and some stories, too!

Megan

Before I Sign-Off For The Week... Here is an update and 2 addtional posts follow this...I'll return next week, ready to Rock and Roll!! May will be a busy month so this little break comes at a perfect time!!!!

Update On Megan
Megan ( I should say WE) are one week in to Megan's 6-8 weeks of

wearing a cast on her foot

and getting around on crutches.

For one fleeting moment, I was not sure I would be able to go on my trip tomorrow and leave her. So far, however, she gets around amazingly and does not seem to be hindered in too many areas.

Here we are at the Orlando Temple last Saturday....

Megan wanted to be at the temple when her Primary Teachers, Jay and Tina Sweet, were sealed to their little boy, Jay, Jr. (see post below)
She was excited to stay at Grandpa and Grandma Hogies while we were in the temple....
The traditional trip to Golden Corral included Grandpa and Grandma signing her cast....
Grandpa even decorated Megan's big toe.
My girls do not know there is a Golden Corral close to our house here in Palm Beach County...they think this is strictly and Orlando Restaurant....I think we will keep it that way as long as possible.
I am not much of a Buffet person at all.

Grandma was the first to sign at The Golden Corral

For the Record... I (Mom) ,the one who bathes her and waits on her hand and foot, was the first to sign her cast when the Doctor gave the OK for signatures!

Note Riley in the background wearing his "Lampshade" Cone while he was recovering from surgery last week.

The Big News Got Bigger

I Thought Mr. Riley Would Be

The Focus of My Blog Post Today.....

He had surgery yesterday (yes, THAT surgery) and is now an

official CONEHEAD while his incision heals.

Without this lovely Conehead accessory, he would have chewed the stitches out by now.

Oh, the answer to the question you have not asked....

NO, Riley does NOT like being a Conehead or looking like he belongs on a lamp!!!!!

And NO...Riley is not the center of the

BIGGEST NEWS or DRAMA at our house.....Read on...Read on....

Now....

Here Is Why You Should Believe Your Children

When They Repeatedly Tell You They Are In Pain!!!!

This morning's "Quick Trip To The Doctor" was anything but quick!

The plan was simple.... go to the 8am Orthopaedic Doctor so he could tell Megan that nothing was wrong with her foot... perhaps "Growing Pains" or a sore muscle....NOT!!!!!!

I would check her in to school late and be on with my day....NOT!!!!!!

(Ooops, I forgot, I am a mom, my best planned days are usually un-planned by someone else's needs!)

She hurt her foot 4 weeks ago but there was no swelling or bruising and it seemed to get better after Grandpa Hogie wrapped it in an Ace bandage.

(just to distract and/or appease her, we thought).

Off and on, she would complain of it hurting,

but it did not seem to be bad and did not keep her from her activities.

In her gentle way, she kept coming to me last week to say the pain was getting worse.

OK.... I made an appointment with the Doctor just to make sure there was nothing wild going on and to let her know I really believed that she was in pain.

Thank goodness we went today....Thank goodness for Health Insurance!!!!!!

Here Is Why You Should ALWAYS

Have Your Camera With You....

When your daughter is having her first CAST put on because on the top of her left foot,

there are 3 definite stress fractures and 1 smaller stress fracture...you want to distract her by taking a photo. You also want this documented for posterity.

(Not to mention for the Blog World documentation!)

She chose PINK!!!!!

And what goes with a CAST on your FOOT?????

What else....CRUTCHES!!!!!!
She will be wearing a cast for at least 6 weeks. No pressure on the foot, no movement, etc.
That means, MAYBE her cast will be off for Jeff and Alison's wedding in 7 weeks. If not.... I am sure we can get a BLUE cast to match the wedding party!!!!
For the record...
While all 3 of my boys were little....NO BROKEN bones, NO CASTS, CRUTCHES,etc. Jeffrey had a cast when he was 19 years old.
For as wild as the boys were, we managed to stay clear of major medical drama and emergency rooms.
The girls have them beat on all counts and they are still very young! Girls...this is not a contest....I will be happy if we never go to the hospital or Doctor for anything other than a Well-Check Up at Back To School.....really!!!!!