Stitches Club!

It’s a fact that in my family that just about all of us had had stitches by the time we were two.  I tripped over my dad’s foot and landed on the blade of a rocking chair and had to have stitches in my forehead and my sister fell off a coffee table and had to get the corner of her eye stitched cut and my little brother almost had his nose ripped off his face when standing too close to a golf club swing although it was never stitched it left a nasty scare and probably should have been stitched.  Anyhow we all had them and last Tuesday we welcomed our newest member Paisley!

It was a typical morning getting everyone ready for school.  Kids were all fed, the girls were dressed and I was working on getting myself ready for the day before I got Gage out of his jammies.  The girls were running in their socks and giggling and I was getting Gage a cup of milk and I was about to yell at them to stop running when I heard the crash and about 5 seconds after the blood curdling scream.   At first I thought Paisley had just bitten her tongue cause there was a little blood coming out of her mouth.  When I asked her to open her mouth so that I could see the damage is when I realized it would be a trip to the ER today! 

Just above the corner of her mouth the lip and cheek where cut completely through about ¼ inch up.  I called BJ to tell him to get home ASAP and I threw clothes on and gathered things to go to the ER.  Bianca got Gage dressed for me while Paisley sat on the couch with her little seal icepack firmly pressed to her face.  As soon as BJ pulled in we rushed to my car and headed to the hospital.

When we got there they took us right back and got things started.  BJ took Bianca to school and played with Gage in the waiting room while I worked on the paperwork and they started to prep Paisley.  They had to put her under since she is a pretty spirited little girl and I know she would not have tolerated stitches willingly.  They gave her some meds that basically made her like a zombie.  Her eyes were open but she was gone.  They then gave her some numbing meds in her lip and started sewing.  5 stitches in all and they were the dissolvable ones so we were not going to have to come back.  After she came too from the meds we got to go home and rest. 

Her lip is healing beautifully, a little colorful too, and the doctor said her scar will hardly be noticeable since it’s so close to the corner of her mouth.  Thankful BJ was there to help keep me together and the staff was so great!  Welcome to the club Plaisely!

A September to Remember

Another month has passed me by and it’s true the older you get the quicker time seems to fly.    We have been keeping busy with the end of the summer and beginning of fall and it’s hard to believe we have already been here in Kansas for a year now.

Bianca started a soccer league and we have had mixed emotions about it and by we, I mean Bianca. She was so excited to start soccer so we rushed out to get her a ball, shin guards and cleats when we signed her up.  At her age they do a short practice before they play a short game so we figured it would be nice that it all took place on Saturday mornings and we wouldn’t have too much of a time commitment.  We got to the field for her first game and Bianca just shut down.  She pretty much cried the whole hour we were there.  Her second game was canceled due to weather and third game was the same as the first…full of tears.  Her fourth game we decided we would just let her sit on the sidelines and watch but we had decided we wanted to make sure she tries and knows it’s not ok to quit.  After sitting on the sidelines for 20 minutes she decided she could try and had a blast playing.  Today we had a similar experience.  We got there and she didn’t want to practice and she cried so we sat her down and when the game started she was ready to participate.  She mostly just runs around with the cluster of kids chasing the ball but she is not the superstar her Uncle Brian was when he first started.

Bianca also just had her fall conferences at school and passed with flying colors!  Her teacher said she is such a sweetheart and a joy to have in class.  She is well behaved and the only discipline she has needed is a stern look and she shapes right up (wish it were that easy at home).  She scored above normal in both rhyming and in picture identification and her handwriting skills are improving daily.  I was concerned she was not making friends but when I asked the teacher how she was doing socially she laughed and said she is doing just fine and has lots of friends at school.  Both BJ and I left glowing with confidence! 

Paisley as adjusted to dropping Bianca off as school but she still gets super excited when we get to go pick Bianca up from school.  It’s nice to have some more time to spend with just her and Gage and I think she likes it too because she gets to have her pick of toys and movies when it’s just her and Gage.  She is speaking clearer and making much more sense and is understandable most of the time now.  Makes communicating much easier.  She is so funny and makes me laugh with the things she says and does.  The other day Bianca had fallen off the table after I had told her to get down and told me she had lost her balance.  After hearing that Paisley came up and told me she had lost her balance too.  I asked her where she put it and she told me she didn’t know.  I told he to check her bed so she went to check her bed but didn’t find it.  I suggested she look in the fridge too and she came back empty handed.  So I held my hand out to her “oh hear it is!”  I said and she looked at my empty hand and said “no its gone.”  I couldn’t help myself it was too funny.

Gage is doing well too.  He is off and running places now and is constantly getting into things he shouldn’t.  I don’t know what his fascination is with the plunger but I finally had to lock it up in the water heater closet because he kelp dragging it out.  He loves touching the buttons to the TV and DVD player and when you scold him for it he simply turns around and gives you a big cheesy smile…I can’t help but feel manipulated , but he is super cute when he does it…  He makes lots of noises but still doesn’t actually say much besides uh-oh.  Knock on wood but thus far he is the child that has had the most accidents so far.  Just last moths he busted his lips twice and stabbed himself in the eye with my keys once.  Boys are defiantly more fearless which I think causes the accidents, but so far we have only had minor ones.  He still sucks his thumb like it’s going out of style and has to have his blue blanket to fall asleep.

BJ has been busy traveling back and forth to Mexico.  He goes down to Querétaro two weeks of every month which is about two hours northwest of Mexico City.  He is really enjoying his work and the people there.    He has joined a bowling league with some of the guys he works with and has really enjoyed getting back into the sport.  His average is 214, compared to me who is lucky to score anywhere from 60 to 100 ;)  His work had a family event this month too where we got to walk around his plant and see the planes and people he works with.  Bianca was so formal in introducing herself to all of BJ’s co workers. “Hello, my name is Bianca.  It’s nice to meet you.  This is Plaisley (that’s what she calls Paisley), Gage, Sarah and BJ” It was a nice sunny day and fun was had by everyone.

I’m doing great.  After being here for over a year I am finally getting to meet people and feeling like I have friendships.  I go to a mothers group with a group of gals from my church and we all just talk about our lives.  It feels so good to have a relationship outside of my intermediate family.  BJ and I have also started going to a small group at church and have enjoyed getting involved in church that way as well as volunteering for things like VBS and our upcoming Fall Festival. 

As a family we discoved we had black swallow tailed buterflies laying eggs in our garden and got the opportunity to raise them.   It was amazing to see them grow from little black grubs into bright green caterpillars to building a cacoon and then emerging as butterflies.  We all enjoyed learning a little about how mother nature works and getting to see it first hand. 

I think that catches you up on our lives for last month.  Nothing exciting but truthfully after last year, that’s just what I like :)

School Days

Well after much anticipation and anxiety we made it through the first day of school! 

For months Bianca has been waiting for this day.   She had to have asked me over 100 times since May when her first day of school was; and now we can say it was August 19^th, 2011.  Class of 2025!  That seems so far off but really so did school just a short 4 years ago when I held her for the first time in my arms and looked into her beautiful face and knew my life had forever been changed for the better.

Yesterday was our last day of “summer” before school started so we made an event of it and started with a trip to the zoo.  We love the zoo!  No matter how many times you go you always see something different.  On this trip we got to see two turtles fighting (Paisley called it kissing), the panther, got snuck up on by the puma, and no one got a cactus needle stuck in their hand or mouth.  After we had traveled the zoo we went home for lunch and naps.  After naps we got into our swim suits and enjoyed some good old past times in the sprinkler in our yard.  If that were not enough we then headed to Jimmy Johns (Bianca’s request) for dinner then back home again for a good old dance party to the movie Rio.  BJ got home from his two week stay in Mexico just before the kids all headed to bed.

In the morning of first day of school, we all had a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs and strawberries before brushing hair and teeth and getting dressed.  I then took the camera out to start our snap shot flurry began.  I took lots of pictures; pictures of us getting ready, pictures of us outside, inside, by the car, in the school and one last one of her as she disappeared into her class room.  She was so excited to finally be going to school!  She quickly gave BJ and me a hug and a kiss walked straight up to her teacher and announced that she had a lot of things in her back pack then walked in and that was it.  I was proud of myself.  I had not cried yet and even managed to talk to the teacher with a large ball welling up in my throat. 

 As soon as Bianca disappeared in her new classroom Paisley tried to run after her but was quickly stopped by BJ and we tried to exit.  That’s when Paisley lost it.  She got to do what I so badly had wanted to do.  She cried and let the tears fall.  I’m not sure if she was crying because she was going to miss Bianca and didn’t understand why we were leaving without her or if it was because she had wanted to go with Bianca and was upset she was not being left behind too.  Either way she was terribly upset and cried the whole way back to the car and the whole trip home.  To try to distract her I gave her a chocolate kiss and headed to Wal-Mart where she too got her very own mini backpack.

The Wal-Mart trip was a distraction for me as well.  Up until this point I have very rarely been separated from one of my children.  To make matters worse I’m a hard core worry wart who thinks of every worse case scenario out there.  What if there is a tornado, what if she gets lost or there is a mean kid picking on her, or she gets hurt at school, or she needs her asthma meds and no one knows, or she gets a hold of a kiwi and there is no epi pen…or the worst….she likes her teacher better than me.  Yes, I know…most of those things will never happen but it’s the fear of not being able to protect your child, the very thing that is instinctual for every mother, which is the hard part.  This is the first step of letting go… letting her go and experience the world for herself.  I’m selfish and want to keep this glorious gift all to myself.  But on the other hand I know she will make this world a better place for so many and I would be wrong not to share her.

When it was time to pick her up, Paisley and I went and waited outside for her.  She came out of her school in line with all the other little pint sized children and was glowing with excitement from all the fun she had had that day.  When her teacher released her to us Bianca and Paisley hugged each other for a good 30 seconds as if to say, I missed you so much and I’m glad we are ok.  One of the sweetest moments I have gotten to witness.  I’m so blessed and glad that we all survived the first day of school!

Changes

Life is full of changes and they are inevitable.  Some changes are welcomed and others are more difficult to adjust to.  Our life has seemed to be full of changes recently, some easier to welcome that others.

A welcomed change was Gage’s mobility.  He is now up and moving and chasing after his big sisters.  He beat the girls and walked before 13 months where as both girls didn’t walk until after 14 months.  He took no time to start digging into things such as cupboards and drawers and closets J  I love watching him walk.  He looks like a drunken goose with his chest all puffed out and his staggered waddle.  He has become quite the dancer too as he and his sisters all rock out to movies like Rio and Veggie Tales.  He has become quite vocal in the last couple of months as well.  He likes to scream at the top of his lungs and I can’t blame him as it’s hard to get a word in with his two gabby sisters.  He is up to 6 teeth now.  He got his bottom two then his “vampire” teeth and now his two front teeth are on their way in.  There have been a few sleepless nights where Gage and I have fallen asleep on the couch or rocking chair but like everything else it’s a phase that will pass and new changes will come.

Another welcomed change is the beginning stages of potty training Paisley.  I decided I had better start when she started trying to wear Bianca’s big girl panties.  She was wearing them as belts and hats J  I look back at Paisley before Gage was born and she was such a quiet and shy baby and part of that could have been from her staph infection that we didn’t know she had, but she has become such a different little girl in the last year.  Now she is my spunky and spirited little girl.  I will admit I’m a little fearful about what her teenage years will bring, but I hope and pray she will always be as confident and spirited as she is now.

Biggest change and hardest one for me to accept is the beginning of school.  I’m still in disbelief that Bianca heads to school for the first time on Friday.  Part of me is sad.  I have to share her with the rest of the world now and won’t get to spend all day with her anymore.  I hate that I will miss some of the funny things she says and does and that my super star status with her will now be shared with her teacher.  I worry that kids will be mean and she will learn what the world is really like and have her heart broken.  But I also know how much fun she will have meeting new friends and getting to learn and experience new things.  It will also give me a little bit more time to spend with Gage and Paisley while she is at school.  I’m thankful that BJ gets back from Mexico Thursday night and took Friday off so I can have a shoulder to cry on when I drop her off.  It’s only a half day for preschool so I will only miss her for three hours a day but at the same time she will be in school from now on and our days will be just a little different. 

Changes are part of life and always will be so it’s best to just accept them and make the best of everything.  In the end God knows what he is doing and things will turn out for the best.

Bittersweet

Life is so full of bittersweet moments.  Endings of chapters are the beginning of other chapters, but all we can do is just enjoy the book.  The “moms” came for a visit this weekend and we had a blast! They drove here from Denver arriving Friday afternoon to be welcomed by 2 jumping and squealing toddlers, a baby with a birthday and 2 adults just wanting time with their mommy J We ate well, played hard, laughed lots and slept like rocks.  I ended the weekend with a little reflection time after the guests left, lights went out and the kids when to sleep.

Saturday we woke up early to get to the zoo as soon as it opened in hopes to beat the heat as the temperatures had been in the triple digits for a couple weeks.  We had a great time and even got to ride the boats for the first time which had been closed for the winter since we have been here.  As the temperatures climbed we decided to come back home for a quick lunch and then a dip in the new pool, and when I say dip I mean a splash fest with three children.  Just an inflatable pool but a large enough one to fit 5 people comfortably. 

The girls had a ball, the grandmas got in some good laughs and we all got some relief from the heat not to mention some quality fun time and good pictures.  Kiddos took naps while BJ and his mom took a field trip to the golf warehouse and my mom and I looked for the debit card and car key I had lost (I know shocking I would lose those…like I have done so many times before this...think i need to put it back in the same spot everytime and not let the kids in my purse)  After naps and fieldtrips we all had grilled chicken and asparagus for dinner and made the birthday boys cakes.  

Sunday was a bit mellower but fun all the same.  Got up and headed to “Jesus’ House” (that’s what Bianca calls Church) and then came home for a birthday celebration.  We had hot dogs and then opened presents.  Like always he was showered with lots of great gifts and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful family.  The girls were very helpful in the present opening and Gage loved all his new goodies and clothes.  He is such a cute baby and looks so handsome in all his new outfits ;)  After presents we did cake and had to help Gage “make a mess” but once he got the hang of it he did just fine on his own stuffing his face with chocolate cake.  After cake it was a definite nap for all wee little ones!  While napping BJ and his mom held down the fort so my mom and took an adventure to the mall for a pretzel pick up and firework shopping spree.  When we got back we dined on Auntie Anne’s and enjoyed the down time.  When kids woke up we started dinner, sloppy joes, and then got ready for fireworks!  The neighbors must have spent a fortune, but we enjoyed the show while we participated in a pop its frenzy for the girls!  Four fireflies were caught or as Bianca calls them “Fire lighting bugs” and put in a jar for viewing until we released them later.  We then packed everyone in the cars and drove out to view some of the big ones.  When we got home we lit off our fountains then headed to bed as children were beginning to expire.

Monday was a day of mixed emotions.  Gage’s official birthday, yes a firecracker baby, our little Yankee Doodle Dandy, was full of smiles and posed for several pictures.  We made waffles with strawberries and bacon for the moms before they hit the road.  We so enjoyed having them here and were so sad to see them go.  The rest of the morning was a bit lazy.  We watched new movies that grandma had brought Lady and the Tramp and Cinderella, got dressed and took an early nap after lunch.  The girls and I took a dip in the pool to cool off and pass the time before dinner and fireworks.  BJ cooked up steak and corn on the grill for dinner and then we picked up before when went back outside to watch fireworks in the driveway.  I also caved in a moment of desperation to find my debit card and car key deciding to dig through our trash.  YUCK!!!!  No debit card was found but the car key and pair of my mom’s earrings were recovered so it was not in vain. 

After kids had been put to bed and all the lights had been turned off I sat on the couch in the dark with the glows of the TV and the pops of firecrackers outside in the background and shed a few tears as I thought about how fast life seems to be passing me by.  Gage turned one, and he is my last baby so it was a bittersweet day.  It is the last 1^st birthday I will get to throw for one my children.  Bianca starts school in the fall (August 9th); it’s a hard to think about handing one of my most precious possessions to some stranger.  I know she will be fine and will love it, but can’t help but feeling sad that fun chapters are come to a close.  I have so enjoyed all the time I have had to watch her grow into the little busy bee she is now, it just went by way too fast.  Soon Paisley and Gage will follow in her footsteps.  My life is so full because of them and I can’t imagine how boring and unfulfilling my life would be without them.  I am so blessed…SO BLESSED.

So as I close the 1^st year chapter and open the toddler chapter for Gage, close the toddler chapter and open the preschool chapter for Bianca, enjoy Paisley’s mood swings,  I relish the memories made and wait with anticipation for those to come.

Back to reality!

Well back to reality!  The vacation was wonderful, I know I shouldn’t have been surprised but I guess I forgot how quickly my house gets destroyed and how little time it takes my little ones to get into trouble J 

Yesterday I was making the kids lunch and I kept hearing giggles coming from the girl’s bedroom.  This did not alarm me since generally when they are up to no good things get eerily quiet.  When lunch was done I served plats and called the girls but no one came running.  So I walked back to see what was going on…

That’s when I walked in on Paisley with a makeup brush in one hand and dark blue eye shadow in another.  Then when I looked over at poor Gage I see he too has been “painted” on both his face and head.  His hair was spotted blue and he looked like he had been in a fight with all kinds of bruises all over his baby face.  He didn’t even cry!  The most frustrating thing was that my makeup had been put away, but Paisley stood on the toilet to get into cupboard where I store it. 

After a long day with the kids I had threw them in to the bath tub because we had fruit smoothies for dinner and we made a pretty good sticky mess.  Just as I was getting them into the tub our weather alert system went off saying tornado warnings.  UG!  So we hurried up in the baths so I could get everyone out and dressed.  We hung out in my room while I watched to news to keep up with the worsening conditions outside.  At one point they told the people of Wichita city to take shelter so me and all three kids jammed ourselves into my closet and waited while we listened to the rolling thunder, pounding hail and the screeching weather radio. 

Luckily nothing happened and truth be told the kids did much better than I had thought.  Maybe I over reacted since I’m new to town and don’t know about the tornados in this area…but better to be safe than sorry.  After we came out we called my parents to let them know we were ok and I let Bianca talk to my dad and she told him “Grandpa, if a tomato comes we hide in the closet with mommy, Plaisley and Gage!”  I was so proud that she knows what to do and humored that she calls tornados tomatoes J

Today we are back at it!  Catching up on errands this morning and chores this afternoon.  There is always laundry and dishes to do and if you have one lazy day it seems to take a week to get caught back up.  It probably doesn’t help that BJ is on a business trip and I’m flying solo for a bit.  Every time I turn around there is a new mess but I should know that’s what my days are filled with now, and truthfully I love my job as stay at home mom, so I can learn to love the messes.  I get paid in hugs, kisses, and little people laughter and that’s a better salary than monetary amount anyone could offer.  We will squeeze in a little fun time too...like ahir dresser...scary thought, but still fun!

Our Colorado Trip

Well we had a fabulous vacation back to CO!  Our trip out was great; we left at 4 am so we could get some road time in while kids were still sleeping.  We stopped in Colby (1/2 way)for breakfast, but had to make one more stop 30 minutes outside of Limon because Gage needed a break.  Next time we go out will be better because he will be in a forward facing car seat by then and can watch movies with the girls.  It was a very welcomed site to see the beautiful mountains, because you dont realized how much you will miss them until you dont get to see them everyday!  We got to have dinner with BJ’s dad and wife that night since they had plans later in the week.  We also made a quick visit to his mom’s on our way home since she lives back in Denver now. YEAH!!!!!!

On Saturday we just took it easy and went to the park.  It’s a park both BJ and I used to go to as kids.  Both of our moms came with us.  We let the kids “dip” their feet in the water.  Turns out the water is deeper than I had remembered and one second of not watching Bianca and she was in thigh deep.  Of course I hadn’t brought spare clothes with us so my mom ran back to get dry clothes.  We all had a good laugh when she brought back a pair of Gage’s 12 months shorts for Bianca, but as luck would have it they fit her quite nice, it’s a good thing she is skinny J  My mom brought kits and we attempted to fly them but the wind was just not strong enough.  We also road the train there and all of us had a great time!

On Sunday we went to our old church and got to see some old friends which was nice and the kids had a good time seeing their old Sunday school teacher.  After Church we took a short visit to his moms where BJ’s uncle and cousin’s family was too.  We then headed back to my grandmother’s house to have a family birthday party/get together with all the extended family.  Kids had a blast seeing and playing with all the cousins.  They did chalk, tag, sprinklers and other activities to keep them busy while the adults chatted and snacked before dinner.  Gage got some nice gifts and we got a surprise visit from my aunt and her family who had flown all night back from a trip to Hawaii that morning.  We all went to bed and slept like rocks!

Monday morning BJ left early to go help his mom set up for the BBQ she was hosting for us that afternoon.  My parents and little brother came up from Colorado Springs to visit and play with the kids.  The kids entertained us as they always do with the funny things they say and do.  My mom and grandma left to go pick up some Subway for us and while they were gone my dad snuck a rice crispy treat which my mom had already told they girls we could not have until after lunch.  I asked him if he had just eaten one, and with a full mouth said “no”.  Bianca promptly walked over to me and said “Actually, my grandpa DID have one!”  and she was serious too J We all got a good laugh out of that one.  After lunch I packed the kids up to go to the BBQ that BJs mom had.  The kids a great time playing with their other cousins and again the adults had a good time catching up

Tuesday we met my grandma Coberly, aunt and cousin for lunch at the best pizza place ever!  Frank the Pizza King is a must go to whenever we go back!  After lunch my grandma treated us all to a trip to the aquarium.  It was a blast!  We got to see them training the tigers in the water and see all kinds of cool sea creatures! Bianca loved the sharks.  We also got to feed the sting rays.  Bianca freaked out when they “tired to eat her”  so I got to finish feeding them.  It feels like a cat’s tongue licking you when they grab the fish out of your hand.  We then headed up to Monument to stay with my Aunt the rest of our trip 

 

Wednesday we drove up to Colorado Springs to hang out with my parents.  We kind of putzed around in the am before decided to go to lunch at one of my favorites, Chick-fil-a!  They don’t have one in Wichita yet so I had been craving it bad!  It was SO! Good!  After lunch we went to Garden of the Gods and walked around.  It was pretty hot and kids were getting a little crabby towards the end, I think they were dehydrated.  They got to take a nap in the car on our way over to my other Aunts (yes I have a lot of aunts and I love it!) to go swimming in their pool.  The cool water was a nice treat.  Paisley and Bianca had a great time jumping in and poor Paisley was having such a great time she didn’t want to get out even though she was shivering and her diaper had swollen to 4 times its normal size J.  To finish the day we all went back to Monument and had a family dinner and good conversations.

On Thursday BJ and his mom played golf in the morning while I went to visit my aunt and cousins who had just gotten back from Hawaii.  It was nice to just relax and not feel like we had to rush off.  We talked while Bianca picked up 2 bags of pine cones for my aunt out of the yard…but then she just dumped them back out on the porch…oh well.  When BJ finished golfing we went to lunch with his mom and then headed up to Tiny Town.  We all enjoyed ourselves looking at the tiny houses and peering into the windows.  We also got to ride the train before leaving and going to dinner at one of BJ’s favorite restaurants Brewery Bar III.

Friday morning we woke up and headed to the Denver Zoo.  We met up with BJ’s mom, BJ’s cousin and 3 three kids, aunt and her step son and then BJ’s grandparents and their three grandchildren and their mom.  We were a large group to say the least J   We walked around for a bit before stopping for lunch. There were some mean geese patrolling the picnic area and stole my aunts pizza.  We took the kids on the carousel since the train was broken.  All in all it was a great day and we were so sad to have to leave.  We went to dinner with BJ’s mom and my parents at Red Robin as a last supper before hitting the road the next morning.  We left at 3 am and only had to make one stop for breakfast in Colby before getting back home about 12:30.

Colorado Mountains :)

Kansas Mountains :(

We had an amazing time and enjoyed seeing everyone!  We can’t wait to come back out and do it again!