X-ray AGAIN?

I am tired of suppling the magazine Highlight with so many hidden pictures, x-ray version.

Can you find the crack?

This emergency room experience was different than then the last other four.  This hospital never ceases to amaze me.   This time the emergency room was packed.  In my past few experiences it was fairly low key.  So when I went this time and I saw all the people I didn't know what to expect.  Would it go fast like in the past, or take forever.  This was the longest visit so far with our trip taking a total of three hours, but with as many kids as there was it was a great time.  

The impressive part, was that the emergency room had run out of rooms and people were just waiting in the waiting room, but the doctors rather than waiting to serve the people in the rooms were coming out into the waiting room to serve people.  They came out and checked us in and looked what needed to be done,  sent him off to x-rays, and when we came back and all the rooms were still busy they casted his arm in the hallway.

This was such a different feel from our last hospital where the staff only served people in the rooms which led to very LONNNNGGGG wait times.  I was just really impressed that the doctors were willing to do what was needed so that all individuals were able to be seen as soon as possible.

The stay at home kids relishing their brother's company.

The TRUE owner of the skirt (1 Kings 3:16-27)

 This skirt has been the bain of my existence for the past few months.  This is a cheap skirt that was given to Cariña several years ago.  She has loved this skirt ever since.  Well it is a 6x so I thought that is was time to pass along the skirt to a little sister, but Cariña has not been able to let go of this skirt. 


In the meantime Xenia has heard of the promises of getting this skirt.  So every time this skirt is visible to her eyes, she talks about "her" skirt.  There has been so much drama over this skirt, it is driving me crazy.

Then one day I had had it.  Both Xenia and Cariña were screaming and crying over this skirt.  I stormed into Cariña's bedroom determined to end the arguments once and for all.  So I took the skirt from the screaming girls and told them that I was sick of seeing tears and this skirt was going to be cut into rags.  Then I left.

Not thirty seconds later Cariña comes running out of the room, "Mom, please don't cut the skirt into rags, let Xenia have it!"  Then she turned around and leaves crying over the skirt. It was a pitiful sight..  

As soon as C. left I couldn't help but smile because this story reminded me so much of king Solomon judging the two mothers. So this is what I have come up with.

16 Then came there two girls that were sisters, unto the mother , and stood before her.
17 And the one girl said, O my mother, I  and this girl dwell in one room; and I was delivered of a skirt with her in the house.
18 And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered this skirt, that this woman found it also : and we were together there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the room.
19 And this girl's skirt disappeared in the night; because she misplaced it.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my skirt from my side of the room, while thine brother slept, and laid it in her drawer, and left my drawer empty.
21 And when I rose in the morning to put on my skirt, behold, it was in her drawer, but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, there was no skirt, which I did have.
22 And the other girl said, Nay; but the skirt is mine, and not hers.  And this said, No; but the skirt is mine and not hers. This they spake before the mother.
23 Then said the mother, The one saith, This is my skirt: and the other saith, Nay; but thy skirt is too small, but the skirt fitith  me.
24 And the mother said, Bring me the scissors.  And they brought the scissors before the mother.
25 And the mother said Divide the skirt into rags.
26 Then spake the girl  whose the skirt was unto the mother, for her bowels yearned upon her skirt, and she said, O my mother, give her the skirt, and in no wise cut it. But the other didn't care and  left the room. 
27 Then the mother answered and said, Give her the skirt and in no wise cut it: she is the true owner thereof.

Update:  Then a couple of days later Xenia sees the skirt.  It was not rags yet and she says, "mom just let Cariña have to skirt so now we don't have to cut it into rags."

Honestly I don't understand this skirt. It is so loved that both girls are willing to give it up just so they don't have to see it in rags.  Oh funny girls.

Can you find what doesn't belong?

Can you you see it.  Yes it is that small circle battery that Xenia decided to put into her mouth and swallow.  I was hoping that she learned her lesson when she stuck the shell into her ear, but I guess not.
Please don't tell me that lessons have to be learned in 3s.  I don't want to find anything in her nose next.

Poor Xenia was so scared after she swallowed the battery.  When I asked her if she was scared, she burst into tears saying, "I think I am going do die!"  I asked why did she think that and she said, "because batteries are electricity."  My poor little girl.  As sad as it was to watch how scared she was, I sure hope she learned her lesson.

At about 11:30pm I finally got a call back from the nurse in which I was told to take her up to the emergency room.  So I woke her up and we went to the emergency room.  On the way there she said something that just made my heart melt and made me smile.  She said, "I guess I'm not going to die because it is taking so long."  Whew for both us.

The whole trip, including travel to and back, was only 2 hrs.  Not bad.  Then this morning I got a very unexpected call.  Last night I called the nurse and she said I would get a call back within two hours. Well I never got a call back so I had to call the nurse line again.  Anyway that unexpected call was the doctor, that was suppose to call me back last night, called to apologize for not seeing the page.  I was impressed that he called to apologize and made sure everything was okay.

The only thing I was not happy about was the fact that I have been there so often, I recognized a nurse and a doctor.

I am so glad that this trip wasn't stressful. I expected the outcome to be simple and it was.  I am also so grateful for working bodies.  And at least there was was some very sweet/very funny moments too to enjoy.

1 YEAR OLD and WISER too!

Well we made it!  We made it through a year.  As much as I love my little guy, he sure has worn me out.  I will correct myself, he is still wearing me out.  He still pretends he is a new born and wake up 3 or 4 times a night and wants to nurse durning church!!!

Anyway this post is not a pity party about me, but how much wiser he is. :)

Durning this past year he has grown so much and despite being so small he has a lot of muscle.  I don't know if it is because he takes after me or his dad.

We have noticed that his eyes started getting bigger and now he really looks like his dad.

He discovered the cereal cupboard and knows how to get the cereal out too.  Such talent.

    Nothing like free access to making a mess.

                                              He did enjoy getting buried in the sand.

All the other pictures are just some of his finer moments as a baby.  Actually I think these are about it.  The rest of the time he was nursing, and nursing, and finally refusing to take a nap. My life for the past year was sitting on the couch nursing or trying to get him to go to sleep.

 Phew, this past year was a  lot of work, but as you can see he was worth it.  

Summer fun

This summer has been full of fun and adventures.  Some of the adventures were not so exciting, like a fractured wrist.

But learning to ride a two wheeler with no training wheels was super exciting.  We haven't been able to contain her since.

Loosing a tooth was also great.  A paper bill was the reward, although I took the tooth out without permission.  Yes it was that loose. (BTW, inflation has been intense.  I only got a quarter when I was a kid.)

Playing with cousins was also super exciting.  The kids got to play with the cousins while mom and Zion got to nap.  It was a win win.

Swinging in the sun was great fun.

Getting a pile of new clothes to last until at least 2 is fun.  But climbing on the pile was the best.  Thanks to a super great friend who sent us such awesome clothes.  (Zion was down to 5 onsies and three pair of pants.  Now he is set!)

Being a boy scout and hanging out with dad is also fun.  Looking at old Buicks is super fun.  Also handing out free water and people tipping was super fun!

No I don't have pictures of the two emergency room visits I had within a week, or the shell in the ear that I had to extract (with the help of family and a Sunday visit to the store for emergency supplies with my cousin). BTW it  happened in between the two emergency room visits.  

I also don't have pictures of  us laying on the floor at 6pm because it is too hot to move.  Yes I miss my TX air conditioner. I can't believe it is already AUG!

1st Grade update

Remember that post about Helaman and his experience with first grade?  Here is the update.  Well after that post we kept plugging along, but everytime I spoke with the teacher I kept hearing how far behind he was.  It was sad.  I was sad, and he was frustrated.  Helaman was doing everything he could to keep up with the class, but was barely keeping is head above the water.  I could tell it was wearing on Helaman because his stuttering was getting worse.  

But then something happened.  We moved.  

When we got to our new town I found out they had Spanish immersion as well.  I tried to get both Helaman and Cariña into the immersion program, but I ended up having to settle with just Cariña getting into the program.  I was a little disappointed but the situation was what it was, and Helaman went into the all English class.  

During this whole 1st grade drama I kept thinking about a comment my cousin made, that each child responds differently to different teachers.  I thought well here is a chance to find out.

The results couldn't have been better.  This teacher is AMAZING!!!!! and Helaman has done nothing but thrive under her tutelage.  When we first arrived into the class we found out that Helaman's first grade class was running a post office for the school with real money.  (Remember Helaman's driving force is money. :) When I pick him up that first day I found him running the post office.  (He was drowning and overwhelmed but was loving every second!)  We found out that all the money raised at this post office was being sent to sponsor a girl in Africa so she could attend school.  What a fabulous idea.

  

Then geology came into the picture.  This boy who still struggles to find reason to read and write, wrote an article for his classroom newspaper called Geology Times.  This newspaper was a wrap up of the unit about rocks.  Not only did he come home with facts and facts about metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks, and igneous rocks. He sang rock songs, led the family on rock hunts, dreamed about finding thunderbird eggs, (rocks with crystals inside), and corrected us about geodes and so much more. He wrote this article for the paper and read, and re-read every article about ten times.  

Next he started learning about Antarctic and penguins.  He has told us about global warming, (finally a teacher after my own heart) and how we can save energy.  He informed us that we drive too much and need to walk more and so much more.

Currently, he is teaching us about all the different types of chickens; his class is hatching chickens, He has told us about the hatching butterflies,  and ants in his classroom.  He is full of facts of all sorts now.

Despite all these great things that are going on in the classroom, the best was when I had a parent teacher conference with his teacher.  She did her job and told us where Helaman needed to improve and showed me where is was at in reading and where he needed to be.  She then talked to Helaman about it right then and there.  The three us us, but mostly Helaman set a goal of where he is going to be in May and how he was going to reach it.   She then preceded to tell me how smart he was that this reading thing is no big deal and he will get where he needs to be when he is ready.  Then she told me what an asset he was to the class and she was really glad he came.  

What a difference from our last teacher.  We love, love this teacher and I am so glad we got her.  She has made the difference in his first grade.  I thanked her for all her time and started crying because I felt so grateful to her for seeing the potential in my son rather than all his short comings!  THEN she started crying knowing that all her time and effort was appreciated and was working.  Then it got cheesy! :)

We now love first  Grade as it is a place of DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION! and not just test scores. I cannot thank this teacher enough for the sparks she has ignited in my son.

The cute ones

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous.  Our lawn was covered in beautiful dandelions and I wanted to capture the beauty.   I am not a great photographer, but I tried.  Luckily, my lack of talent didn't take away from the sweet moment of these two boys!

So so sweet!

Who can resist these boys!

We can't forget Xenia, she won't let you.  I wish Cariña could have been there for the photo shoot, but who can't compete with a playdate!. The next post includes some funny pictures.