Mason's New Accessory

 So to pick up where I left off on my last post, I had been home from Utah for two hours Monday morning and in the middle of my Jillian Michael's Body Revolution work-out, when I got a call from the grade school.  Thank heaven for small miracles - those work-outs are hard!  The secretary was calling to let me know that Mason was complaining of a sore arm after a fall at recess.  So I got redressed and threw the girls in the car to check on my baby.  I walked into the nurse's office and saw Mase for the first time in 4 days.  The poor little guy's eyes filled with huge tears that rolled down his face when he saw me.  My poor sweetheart.  I asked him how it happened (slipping off the wet monkey bars) and if it still hurt.  He said no until I made him swish his arm in the air and then he said ow.  He said it felt like a million bees stinging him.  The nurse and I didn't like the way his arm looked like it had a dent in it so I took him to urgent care.  Luckily it was a slow day there so we were in and out in record time.  The diagnosis was a broken radius bone in the right arm.  Since the pediatrician there doesn't do casts, we had an appointment for Wednesday in Portland to get his cast done.  That meant 2 whole days of just a splint and sling.  I kept him home from school Tuesday and Wednesday because I figured he would inevitably bump his arm at school and hurt himself even worse.  Those were long days of sitting around for my active Mason.  Oh, he did manage to pull out a tooth Monday also, along with mommy coming home and the broken arm which all contributed to that being "the best day ever!"  I will never understand little boys.

Wednesday we took him to the pediatric doc to get his cast.  There were a million colors to choose from and I was trying to convince him to go with orange or black but he chose red so it would match his Captain America Halloween costume.  The doctor was pretty funny and she said he couldn't do anything he considered fun for the 3 weeks he has to have a cast.  He can help with laundry though, she specifically said so.  She also told him to eat lots of ice cream and broccoli - together, to help his bones heal.  He didn't know what to make of the crazy doctor.  We made sure to stop at Safeway to stock up on ice cream on the way home.  I asked him if I could sign the cast or did he want to keep it clean.  He said he wanted to keep it clean but if the kids "who are fans of mine" want to sign it at school he will let them.  Gee thanks.  I talked him into letting me sign it this morning and I signed it right on the palm where he will be sure to see it any time he does anything with that hand.  I also sent him to school with a black Sharpie so I expect it to be full of names when he gets home today.  Unfortunately he broke his right arm which will cause some problems but he should heal up in no time.  I think he sees this as an adventure and I hope the novelty doesn't wear off too soon for him or its going to be tough to keep him inactive for 3 weeks.  I'm very thankful it wasn't worse than it was and he is taking it all so well.  This is our first broken bone to deal with as parents and it hasn't been as traumatic as I thought it would be . . . knock on wood.

My Weekend

Last Thursday I flew to Salt Lake City, alone, to visit with family, see a football game, and have some Tiff time.  My wonderful Aunt Debbie passed away after a 9 year battle with a brain tumor and the main reason for my trip was to attend her memorial service.  Aunt Debbie was the best!  She was beautiful both inside and out.  She had long, thick, straight, black hair that was the envy of all us little girls with curly blonde hair.  If there was one word to describe her is was peaceful.  Every time she entered a room she brought a sense of peace with her.  Though we lived far apart and I hadn't seen her in years as an adult, I will always have wonderful memories of her and she will be sorely missed by the entire family.  Her service was nice, with lots of family together and lots of love expressed for her.  I enjoyed spending time with my cousins again, though the circumstances were not the best.  The service was on Friday evening and then Saturday 20 of us family members all went to the OSU-BYU football game.  They just happened to be in town on the same weekend as the service, and since my cousins grew up in Utah but vacationed every summer in Corvallis, they all wanted to go to the game.  They were all dressed in both OSU and BYU gear, but I think by the end of the game they had all realized they were rooting for BYU.  Too bad their team lost!  It was a great game in a great stadium with great atmosphere.  OSU is a bunch of backwoods hicks I discoverd.  After the game we did some more visiting and then I stayed with my best BYU bud (except for Jodi of course ;)) till I flew home on Monday morning.  It was nice to get to spend time with Nat and be Tiffiny again and not Mom.  I think it was Friday morning when I was talking to Paul and he said he was already sick of his name (dad) being said.  Welcome to my world!  There are times when if I hear the word mom just one more time I will scream!  Paul did an amazing job with the kids, more than surviving the weekend.  I came home to a clean house, clean kids, and stories of their adventure catching a mouse in the house.  Glad I missed that one.  I felt rejuvinated and ready to get back into potty training and life in general when 2 hours after I got home I received a call from the school.  But that's a story for the next post.

Pumpkin Patch 2012

 We headed out to our regular spot, Sauvie Island Pumpkin Patch on the 29th of September.  We weren't sure what the weather or circumstances would bring in October so we went a bit early but we had a great time.  Most of the pumpkins were still on the overgrown vines though, which made it difficult for Darcy to traverse.  Bree kept calling the vines monsters and she wouldn't let me put her down the entire time we were in the patch.  That meant Paul had to carry the pumpkins.  We were having a hard time finding small pumpkins for the kids too, so we only ended up picking 2 big ones directly off the vines, and found the others for the kids in a big pile back at the market.  We took the tractor hay ride and visited the animals in the barn.  The kids also played on the huge hay pyramid and kids' maze.  Just about the same as every other year but its a tradition and we always have a good time.  We topped off the adventure with a stop at the new Mr. Fultano's pizza place in Scappoose.  MMMMMMM!!!!!!!  When I was little we would go to the one in Astoria and I swear that is the best pizza around!  It will be dangerous having it so close now!

 We didn't get a good picture of all 4 kids posing in the pumkins so I will use this one instead.

 Here is Darcy trying to make her way through the vine jungle.

 Paul is using his muscles to carry our 2 big pumpkins back to the tractor pick-up spot.

 My kids are growing up too fast!

Miss Breezy on the top of the hay pyramid.  This girl is pretty fearless.  Unless you are a monster pumpkin vine.

We decorated the house October 1st and we are almost all decided on costumes for Halloween.  We can't wait!

 

Its Potty Time!

 Its that time again . . . time to potty train!  Bree has been ready for a few months but I was very reluctant to start since we are still having so many problems with Darcy.  I just wasn't mentally ready to take it.  Then 2 weeks ago Darcy's psychologist and I thought it was time for Darcy to lose the Pull-Ups and go to undies only, and she has to clean herself up now.  We were hoping that would be the game changer and she would poop in the toilet but so far all it has accomplished is me getting very familiar with the "sanitary" setting on my washing machine.  I decided the same day we made the change with Darcy I would start training Bree too.  I didn't want to prolong the agony so I found about 3 days in a row without major committments and went for it.  The first day we had 5 accidents and then magically 2 successes that evening!  The next day was a big improvement and now, not even 2 weeks later, I would call her potty trained when it comes to pee.  She even keeps herself dry at night and during naps!  And this was all without having to bribe her with anything!  Whoopee!  Way to go Bree!  #2 hasn't happened yet on the toilet, and I am soooooo afraid I have another Darcy on my hands.  I don't know what it is with these girls and pooping on the toilet but I can't put up with it much longer.  I want to leave this dirty business behind and move on to big kids.  I am very proud of Bree's efforts and I will admit that I just LOVE her little buns in her little undies.  Too cute!

Mason Lost a Tooth!

September 22nd Mason lost his first tooth!  It had been loose for awhile and I mentioned that if he just pulled it down in the front it would probably pop out.  So he did it!  Once it was out he gave us a huge, now holey, smile.  Drew didn't manage to lose her first tooth till she was 7 so Mason is pretty proud of the fact he is only 6 AND he did it during the school year so he gets his name on the tooth board at school.  Quite the accomplishment.  He didn't freak out at the blood like Drew did and now he can't wait to lose the other 3 he swears he has loose.  I think if they were easy to pull out at any given time Mason would be walking around with a totally gummy smile.  It makes me smile when he talks and I can see the little hole in his face.  This kid is growing up!