General goings-on

As their band director strongly encouraged, the girls are practicing their instruments right away after getting their braces.  Sylvia says her high notes are not there, and it hurts to play.  She has wax and special plastic bumpers to put over her braces, but says the wax is too slippery and the bumper is too short.  Annah says it's not bad at all to play with her braces so far.

 I made this cowl yesterday afternoon with some beautiful blue yarn, and gave it to Celia today.  

This kid needs a haircut so badly!  He has some crazy bedhead, and doesn't like it to be messed with!

Annah does not appreciate her brother's hair.

Brand new Baby C came home from the hospital today and is using the blanket I made her!

Caeden wanted to take a selfie.  I read that duck lips are out for 2015, but the fake surprise look is the go-to face for selfies.  Haha.

He was begging me for something, and busted out both dimples. Oh man, my heart.

See ya later, splint!

Caeden saw the orthopedic specialist again today, and has improved so much that he doesn't have to wear the fiberglass splint anymore!  He did great with resistance testing, and only had pain during one. So, now he has a compression sleeve and the sling only.  (Still no contact sports, but he can participate in P.E. activities that don't require contact--specifically a game they'll play tomorrow with foam balls!)  He can even go without the sling at home, and is supposed to exercise his elbow 4 times a day.  Although he wishes he could jump right back into wrestling (especially for the tournament this weekend and home meet next week) and can't, we are so pleased with how quickly he is healing!  

Braces Girls

I love these smiles!

Today, these smiles got a little "shinier," as both girls got braces!  Sylvia had hers put on first, since this is her second time around and she is an "old pro!"  

 Her braces are on her top teeth only for now.  

Annah has been looking forward to getting braces for a while now, and said she wasn't nervous.

Annah's braces are only the bottom for now, and she has a bite plate on the top. The bite plate looks like a retainer, but is much thicker.  She is only allowed to take it out to eat, sing in choir, and play her clarinet.

Annah chose pink and maroon bands for Valentine's Day, 

and Sylvia chose pink and bright green bands. 

They look pretty great with their extra shiny new smiles, I think!

I was going to take them to Zoup for lunch, but Annah begged to go to Moes before the pain set in.  Unfortunately, Sylvia was already having pain by the time we got our food, and didn't fair to well with the chips.  (This look is just her being dramatic and silly; it wasn't sincere.)

 They have all kinds of extra stuff to take care of their teeth now, and their morning and evening routines are going to be lengthened by quite a bit!

At least a week ago, the girls asked if I would make cheesy broccoli soup the day they got their braces, so that's what we had for supper--with extra mushrooms, since Daddy wasn't home for supper.

This process will be at least 20-36 months, and will cost as much as a new car, but it will be worth it.

Saturday Stuff

Jeremy is working today (tax season), and the rest of us are home.  I paused for a minute in the middle of the morning and took a picture of each kid just doing what they were doing.

Sylvia is reading the last book in the Kingdom Keepers series.

Annah was practicing a fun band piece.

Caeden was playing a game on his Kindle--in a very interesting position.

I used some more of the Christmas ham today in a recipe I hadn't made in a while.  It's actually supposed to be Hot Turkey Salad, but I used ham and it was just as good.  The girls loved it, especially Sylvia, and Caeden gave it a diagonal thumb--not thumbs up or down, or even sideways, but diagonally up.  ;)

Basketweave Baby Blanket

I had fun the past few days making this super soft baby blanket. It is for the first baby of our band director, who will be born next week.

This (Bernat Baby Blanket) yarn is really bulky and soft like chenille.  It was nice and quick to work with.  I started out with a puff stitch pattern, but there were too many holes in the way it was turning out and I was afraid it would stretch too much. I'd been wanting to do a basketweave pattern for a while, and it worked nicely and was fun.

Lots of love and prayers going out to these new parents and their baby girl!

No fracture

Today, Caeden saw an orthopedic specialist.  After reviewing his x-rays from the ER visit Monday night, and removing his splint and assessing him, it was determined that there is actually no fracture.  They are calling his injury a sprain.  He still has to wear the splint, but can take it off to shower.  

He is kind of disappointed not to get a cast, because all his classmates wanted to sign it.  But, I am very thankful not to have to deal with him being in a cast!  We are all thankful his injury was not as bad as it could have been!

Elbow Fracture

While the boys were at wrestling practice tonight, the girls and I were at home watching The Muppets.  About 7:30, Jeremy called and asked me if we had any ice packs at home.  I told him I didn't think so and asked what was wrong.  He said Caeden had hurt his arm during practice and he was taking him to the ER!  Then he thought to ask Caeden if he wanted me to go along.  Caed said yes, so they stopped by to pick me up so I could sit in the back of the car with him.  Poor little guy was crying and obviously in pain.

I texted the PoC staff, and they all responded with encouragement and prayers.

We prayed that the ER would get him in quickly and be able to diagnose and treat him quickly, and that he would have kind nurses and doctors to help him feel better.  God answered all those requests.  

Caeden had x-rays.

I was thankful to be allowed into the X-ray room with him.  The part where he had to straighten his arm was the worst part of the time in the ER.  It really hurt, and he teared up again.

After a while, the doctor came in and said, "Hey buddy!  What happened?"  He very kindly told Caeden that he thought he broke his elbow.  The sweet nurse gave Caeden some pain medicine and put a fiberglass splint on his arm. 

Jeremy was such a great daddy in the waiting moments, keeping Caeden calm and even laughing a bit.  Caeden is so most sad that he won't get to wrestling anymore this season. After we left the ER and Jeremy went into CVS to get Caeden's prescription, Caeden asked me if this meant I would never allow him to wrestle again.  He seemed surprised when I told him no, that I just wouldn't want him to wrestle with fear of being injured again.  He assured us he wouldn't be afraid.  

When we got home, Caeden prayed for his friend that he was wrestling with when it happened.  He doesn't want him to have any guilt, because it wasn't anyone's fault.  

Tomorrow we call the orthopedic doctor and see what is next...

Mustache Smash

Pastor Celia knew about Sylvia's incredibly itchy rash, and the fact that she would be laying low today.  She stopped by and surprised us this evening with gifts for Sylvia!  She gave her chocolates, fuzzy socks, and a super fun game called Mustache Smash.  We were so happy that dinner time fell while Celia visiting, and she stayed to eat with us.  We love her so much and are so glad she is in our lives!!

The kids couldn't wait to play Mustache Smash after we cleaned up supper.  It is pretty hilarious.

   

It was a blessing to have Sylvia's mind off her itchiness for a while.  Thank you, Pastor Celia!!

Putting away childhood

The first night of volleyball practice, Sylvia spent 45 minutes ransacking the house (mostly her room) trying to find her kneepads.  I went up for about 1 minute thinking I might help and saw that every drawer, corner, nook, and cranny of the girls' room was overfull and a mess.  

This morning I told Sylvia she needed to clean up the mess she made the other night and go through all of her things and LET GO of some.  Throw things in the trash; it's okay!!  Well, she decided to go through the "toy closet" and put things she and Annah don't use into bins in the attic.  Goodbye dolls and Barbies and Littlest Pet Shop toys and Strawberry Shortcakes and being a little girl.  

The girls spent many, many hours playing with Barbies and dolls in this space.  They not only loved Sylvia's Barbie house, but created many more rooms to expand the house all throughout the closet.  They used folders and cardboard boxes and duct tape and other toys and craft items.  And they really played and pretended with all of it.  

While Sylvia was a bit more of a "dolly girl" than Annah, they always played dolls together.  I remember a very difficult discussion the day last summer when Sylvia realized that Annah wasn't interested in playing with Barbies most of the time.  Sylvia didn't want to play with them by herself; she loved the pretending, acting, giggling time with Annah.  She wasn't really ready then to outgrow that special activity with her sister, and it hurt when I explained that Annah was older and it was okay for her not to want to play with dolls anymore.  Sylvia was afraid she would lose the special sister bond they shared, but understood.  When I explained Sylvia's realization to Annah, she cried too.  No bond was lost.  Memories made are now cherished, and they share tween/teen activities just as happily.  

Sylvia asked me to take pictures before they packed everything up.  I have to admit, my momma heart was having some trouble with this decision to pack these things away.  Their childhoods are passing so quickly; that's a painful realization for me.  As I came into the girls' room to take pictures, Sylvia showed me around the Barbie house and pointed out each little item they had made or repurposed.  Tears began to stream down my face.  At the same time it hurt so much to see the girls packing their childhood toys away, I am also grateful for the treasured memories they have.  I asked Sylvia to give me a tour on video.  I love the creativity they used in their play and making the space a haven that's now full of memories.  

I also share memories with them.  Many of the items they have in their room are from my own childhood.  Their furniture and lamps, Holly Hobbie items.  

The kids each have one of these pencil drawings in their rooms.  I bought them  at Hearts at Home conference years ago, and the artist personalized each of them for me.  I love the reminder they are to the kids.  

"I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." - Isaiah 49:15b-16a

Here is the wooden Barbie house my parents and brother and sis-in-law gave Sylvia several Christmases ago.  It has been well-loved.

The girls used the boxes their cars came in for garages.

This extra bedroom is made from plastic folders (walls), fabric scraps (carpet and blankets), pencil box (bookshelf), a pizza pressure guard thing to keep the pizza box lid from falling into the melted cheese (table/stool), and plastic ice cream dish (nightstand).

This is a bedroom made from my old Caboodles case!  

The sink, toilet, and tub in this bathroom are all made out of duct tape.

There are many other creative items throughout the house, including a shower made from a Velveeta box, and an entire patio set made from duct tape and other items.  It's all so creative and sweet.  I love the children my girls were and are.  I think they are growing up wonderfully.  I'm so blessed to be their momma and to get to watch them grow up.

The girls decided to keep the wooden Barbie house, a few Barbies, and one of the cars in the closet for little girls who may stop in to play.

"I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." - Isaiah 49:15b-16a

Trains with Griffin

The kids are off school for a teacher's inservice day today, so Addie came over for her lessons this morning.  Dawn brought Reece too, and Griffin!  Griffin's mom is a teacher, so she had work today.  We were very happy to have Griffin visit for a little bit.  Caeden got out his trains and the kids built a track in the living room to help keep Griffin entertained during Addie's lesson.

I love it when we get the trains out!!  I think Griffin (and the big kids too!) loved the trains.

We had staff meeting at church today, and my kids were planning to watch the staff kids that are too young for school.  However, Sylvia is currently covered in a rash from head to toe, and we don't know if it's something contagious or not.  So, they stayed quarantined and reading in Pastor Todd's office during staff.

We left the meeting a little early to get Sylvia to the doctor.  He said her rash looks like it could be viral.  But, as I know all too well, it's so hard to tell what causes a rash.  He said we should give Sylvia Benadryl every 6 hours, and if it isn't gone by tomorrow morning, give her Prednisone.  Poor itchy girl is completely miserable.

After Sylvia's appointment, we went straight to Meijer to fill her prescription and did some grocery shopping too.  Jeremy had texted me earlier in the day to be sure to get a car wash, since it is warmer than freezing today and the car was filthy.  It was after 5pm when we finally got in line.  The car wash was the place to be tonight.  We waited for 4 cars before our turn.  Pearl is shiny and clean now though.

When we got home, Caeden rushed to his Legos to complete a project.  The man at the pharmacy at Meijer had been wearing some really cool PacMan pins made out of Legos.  We'd struck up a conversation with him, and he told Caeden he could make him a minion pin.  So Caeden was determined that he was serious.  He came right home and made a Lego minion.  It's too bulky for a pin, but it was fun for him to think it up!