A Bright Spot

I went out on my own today with G and M. We went to the Y ( a nice familiar place) to let g have some time with his Kindergarten camp class and M and I did the Halloween scavenger hunt. M was in his wagon; while it is sweet that everyone wants to comment on him it makes him anxious. M does not like the attention. While E would be preening and basking in the glow of pity, M just hides under his blanket or acts like he wants to crawl into a hole. Scavenger hunt was fun and he got to ride in the Y elevator (the best part for him). At the end I got the bright spot in my day: the Childwatch director and I talked and while I can't take M into the big Y nursery(and wouldn't even try; too risky with all the kids wanting a ride in his wagon on top of his broken leg) She did agree that taking him to the Women's Center Y in a different part of town would be good for both of us. So if I want to get out of the house next week then I have a place to go. I almost danced and sang for joy right there in the Y lobby. What I did learn today is that one stop is enough for both of us. Getting M in and out of the car in his bulky cast is a trying task. Will try to post pics of all the boys in costume.
love and hugs and Happy Halloween to all, B

One Week Down

One week down and ? to go . We went to the doctor today and he liked the way the bone is lined up and the stability of the leg in the cast. So no operation needed :) Dr. said that six weeks is the average and we may go a bit over to make sure it is properly healed. he did give us hope that at the six week mark he may take off the hip and right leg portion of the cast and just leave the left/injured leg casted. I like that option because it gives M the chance to begin moving, but with a hindrance so he doesn't take off full speed and get hurt again right away.

We also got a few hints on making clothes fit -- I get to sew this weekend--- and keeping him as clean as possible. They seemed to like how clean he was so far. As D said "By week six they really will smell us coming in for an appt.". M is a trooper. We took him in his wagon. He also got to go to Target. Yesterday was his first venture onto his tummy and he loved it.
So far so good, now we just need this thing to heal quickly and well. love and hugs, B

Day Six: Small Town News

So you know you are in a small town when your child's injury makes the local paper under the police and fire calls for the last week. No, not joking. You can't make this stuff up. Also people I totally do not know or haven't seen have called to check on M.
What this should say is that the boy's loser mother drove him to the urgent care after moving him several times risking further injury to an already damaged leg. Tomorrow is our doctor's appt to see how it is healing. Say a prayer, think good thoughts, wish us luck.
In other small town news E received the Otter of the Month Award for Enthusiasm. I did go to the ceremony (Thanks A, J and M for coming to "play" with M!).
Here is a pic of our Enthusiastic Otter:
love and hugs, B

Day Five: Yeah Teamwork!

With teamwork we are unstoppable. Of course, we haven't left the house yet.
We have figured out that putting the spica car seat in a dining room chair with arms makes it a nearly perfect height for the island in the kitchen which also happens to have a ledge to slide his legs under.
I also tried rolling him up on his side to check his bottom for bed sores and get a good look at the back of the cast once. D brought me info he printed off the internet on caring for someone in a spica cast and it is more work than I thought. I know stuff down the cast (think crumbs, drinks, medicine he spits out, eventually toys) could be smelly and disgusting, but I didn't even think of bed sores. I also forgot that the itching will begin eventually. Wow! I may be busier than I thought for 5 weeks and 2 days more.
M is off all pain meds,though he still complains sometimes. He doesn't cry when we move him anymore.
He ate dinner last night. My mom pointed out that the "If you love me, you'll eat" comes from her mom; true. I think it also comes from her. She always has goodies around the house and asks about our favorites so she can stock up before we visit.
I think we are not just surviving, but thriving. Today M and I made this mummy pumpkin for him---M acted as though I was mocking him with this project while I consider it honoring a first (and hopefully last) event of having someone in our family in a cast.

love and hugs,B

Day Four: Routine?

It feels like we might actually get into a routine for the next long weeks. D and I got ready while M was still sleeping. Took him down for breakfast. He just isn't eating much since he isn't moving much. He stayed sitting in his seat in the kitchen until bus stop time. Moved him to the new bean bag chair to watch shows during bus stop and for an hour afterward; TV is an easy distraction since he doesn't have to reach anything and can't drop it and need it picked up for him. I then moved M in his car seat to the living room where the coffee table is glass on a pedestal so his legs can go under it and he colored and played for an hour and a half before his sponge bath. He liked being wiped off. Back for a bit more TV, lunch and a nap on the couch. He woke as the big guys came home. He didn't want to leave his couch this afternoon, but entertained himself (for the most part). When D came home he brought a wheelchair which we tried while making dinner and watching a show (notice the TV theme is big right now). The wheelchair works OK; M's position just looks uncomfortable. M sat in his car seat in a dining room chair for dinner. Meals are difficult. Still can't find a way to get him close enough to feed himself and be near the family. That and he is just not hungry most of the time. The night ended with E reading stories to everyone in the big bed before bedtime. We are going to try M sleeping on his own in the big bed tonight--- wish us luck.
love and hugs and routine can be good, B

Day Three: Adjusting to the New Reality

We are adjusting to the new reality of having a toddler that is a bit more like a newborn--- although I will proudly tell you that he has been staying dry quite a bit. If all boys could train using a portable urinal they would all be potty trained at 12 months. M has discovered that since he can't move he has to call for help for things. Now the call for Mom or Dad goes on constantly--- Tomorrow could be rough with D at work. Last night he slept with D in E's bed (full size bed-- sliding him into a bottom bunk didn't seem like a good idea). He slept all the way through and we have him switched to all motrin and off the codeine. One pic of M trying to eat dinner closer to the family tonight. We were given/bought a special car seat in the ER Thrusday night since this cast won't fit in his regular seat.

Also including a pic of the older 2 with the pumpkins they carved today. They each drew their own design involving lots of eyes.

love and hugs, B

Day Two: For Better or For Worse

Day Two of Life with a Preschooler in a Spica Cast had a few bright spots and a few times that make you feel helpless as a parent.
Helpless: 4 am when he won't take his medicine that would bring his low fever down and take away the pain and help him sleep.
Bright spot: He slept a lot and drank his fluids.
Helpless: When kids kept coming in and out and you could see his confusion.
Bright spot: Neighbors. They are terrific. Neighbors we are close to are offering anything we need and some we barely know are stopping by to check on him (word spreads quickly). One little boy that really loves him brought him a stuffed puppy which is how we got him to eat anything so far today; apparently puppy loves apples and grapes.
Helpless: when your child who needs to be laying down develops a chest cold and gets croupier and more hoarse with each minute laying down.
Bright Spot:
D is a smart man and a SUPER DAD! Not only does he get M to take medicine easily and get his diaper changed, but also moved his special car seat inside so he could sit up for a while and watch TV and reach toys and food by himself. M was so happy! We were so happy to see him happy!
love and hugs and remember: its the little steps that count, like moving across the room to sit in front of the TV instead of laying in front of it. B

Un-brake-able = Breakable

Maybe someone in our house has learned a lesson. I hope--- we never want to repeat this event. An older brother has trouble with his 'stop it' button; completely nonfunctional. When I say stop it he just can't. So when they were playing rough on Thursday afternoon at 4:50 and I said stop it, he simply moved the rough to a new area of the yard. Where it happened at 5:00. I heard the scream (unlike any I have ever heard from any of my children). The ones he was playing with had backed up like he was radioactive; the sound apparently scared them. And as he lay there screeching I knew I was totally messing it up by picking him up and taking him inside (still screeching). And then I took the pants off to get a better look (blood curdling wails). And lay him on the couch and tried to coax him to let me look (fetal position and sobbing and no-no-no). Call to D and meet me at urgent care. Carry to the car (screaming NO). Ride with rising and falling cries (I found later this was the muscle spasms). Into urgent care. IV of morphine (less crying). X ray (loud weeping and glaring looks that I would let them do this). Broken. Ride in the ambulance with a little bit of siren so he would remember the ride (thank goodness for one last half hit of morphine before the ride-- Tacoma needs to repave 6th). Orthopedic doc. Broken. Spica cast--- if you don't know look it up. While waiting for the casting he came out of the drug fog (and probably shock) and talked and it was so good to see him almost normal and hear him ask "What dat?" about everything and hear him tell everyone about his "accidentally". Casting for spica: we were welcome to stay, but barbaric is being polite for how they do this particular cast. Luckily he was in a twilight haze which also causes a brief amnesia so he won't remember it. Coming out of sleep he didn't understand what felt different. Prescrips and discharge (I'll go into that another time). Home. To the couch -where he is yet tonight and for much of the next six weeks. First words to D upon waking this morning: I hate this cast. A good day all things considered. M was in pain between 12 and 1 when he finally napped for a while (off and on so it must have been muscle spasms around the break). And this afternoon he perked up again and was almost normal and again it was such a relief to see it and enjoy him just being him. I will keep this updated as I can..... hhhmmmmmm..... 6 weeks of mostly stuck at home... I might find some time. Pics below of right after the casting and tonight relaxing after eating some real food for dinner.

love and hugs and try to teach the un-brake-able ones to stop before they break someone, B

What the World Needs is.....

MORE POLKA!!!!! We took a trip to Leavenworth Friday. We had heard about all the different festivals they have there and decided Oktoberfest (before it begins to snow) was the time for us to go. The ride was beautiful through the Cascades. Leavenworth is modeled after a Bavarian village. Really. The whole town is built to resemble a Bavarian village. Right down to Der Haus of McDonalds.

Picturesque and a marketing bonanza. I do believe the entire economy of the town is built upon the festivals they hold every 2 months throughout the year. We walked around the town in the afternoon and then went to Oktoberfest in the town festival hall. The kids were not sure at first what to think; but when the bratwurst and root beer floats arrived for them they were ready to enjoy.

I used my limited polka skills to teach them the dance--- live music was terrific. E was uncomfortable with dancing in public at first, but warmed up when he noticed no one was watching him. G headed right to the dance floor with me and by the end of the night was doing the chicken dance like a pro. A word of warning to my sisters in case G ever asks you to polka-----think about dancing with Uncle Al and run the other way. He kept spinning me round and round.

M tried to chicken dance with G and me once but was not a fan of the big crowd on the dance floor or being to close to the loud music. Fun was had by all and we turned in at regular bedtime for the munchkins.
Next morning went to a pumpkin patch/farm stand on the way home. Gorgeous setting in apple country and they had this cute ride with cow carts pulled behind a four wheel tractor thing. All four boys had a great time on the ride and everyone got to pick their pumpkin. All that and 23 pounds of apples! I have found a terrific apple bread recipe I will have to share sometime soon.

One final pic which shows the orchards on the east side of the mountains. There at the base is apple trees as far as the eye can see. When you buy Washington apples this is probably where they come from.

love and hugs and it really is always an adventure with my boys, B

Fall is Here!

I only have a few minutes of peace while M is busy dressing up in the Halloween costumes.
Fall is here- in color at least. Temperatures are beginning to drop but we are awaiting autumn rains. Still watering to keep things alive. I had to get a picture of the katsura tree before she drops her leaves. She looks beautiful one day and then is completely bare the next.
While fall has arrived some summer flowers are still hanging on-- coreopsis shown below still stealing the show.

This is one of my favorite plantings that I did. It has something interesting in every season. The big purple asters came back from last year and I like the agapanthus seed heads left from summer blooming.

The Christmas tree farm is next. Between the evergreens we put in and the blackberry thicket at the bottom of the slope we have almost blocked the road passing our house.

Next are just some pansy pics. I love purple pansies. Though once I saw the cyclamen at the garden store I did feel a tug of regret at not going pink.

The front is all purple, white and yellow with bulbs planted for spring daffodils,crocus, and tulips in the same colors.

A final pic with the boys on the bench--- I promise when we added that feature we had no idea how beautifully it was placed. On Earth Day this is where I took the boys pic surrounded by daffodil and periwinkle in bloom.

love and hugs and happy fall to all! B

Easy Meals

Breakfast is torture. My children have been eating cereal for every weekday breakfast for as long as I can remember. Yes, on odd days they get toast or yogurt or bagel, but mostly it is cereal. Unfortunately they have gotten bored with it. This morning I tried something new. Eggs in the microwave; crack a few into a mug and stir with a bit of milk. Microwave till they look like funky scrambled eggs. This may be a hot breakfast I can handle on a weekday morning. Add some toast and some fruit and it looks very healthy. The test will be: how hungry are they by lunch? Did it hold them thru till snack time.
Last night was a dinner that is a favorite with everybody.

Tornado Tacos

1# of your favorite ground meat (chicken is our fav, but turkey and beef work)

1-2 cans of black beans

1 packet taco seasoning

fresh chopped onion to taste

Brown meat. Add onion, beans, taco seasoning (and water listed on seasoning packet). Let this low simmer for at least 15 minutes. Can be served as crisp or soft tacos or as nachos. There are never leftovers at my house on Tornado Taco night; it looks like a tornado came through.

OK, I think that is all from here. A boring post-sorry. Next time I do a recipe I will try to include a picture.

love and hugs,B

A New Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is terrific. This was the kids reward for reading 100 books (G and M) or 36 hours (E) over the summer. I love it when we head to a zoo that is new and they have some different animals. This is a full day zoo. We hit the gate at 9:30 and stayed until 3:30. When we got inside we checked scheduled events for the day and found that giraffe feeding was in progress. We headed right over and saw them. No kids were interested in feeding them (I was but didn't).
This is one of G's favorite animals. So sweet. Woodland Park has a good variety of animals with plenty of monkeys for M, river otters for E, and everything else for G.

Kids with a monkey sculpture. OK probably not monkeys; they are probably gibbons or siamong or some other kind of ape creature, but I did not note what they were exactly.

Hitting the animal highlights so you don't get bored. Wallaby here.

The enclosures at this zoo were some of the best we have seen. We are zoo aficionados so we would know. The viewing area for these grizzly bears was lower and separated by a thick sheet of glass. Fantastic. We hit near feeding time while the bears were waiting to be fed. D and I did not want to leave this one, but that worked out OK since it was right next to the river otters E loved. We were almost ready to go when one bear got more anxious to eat and stood up watching for the keeper of the food.

The tigers were beautiful.

This shows you how close you could get to the animals with the glass partition. That cat just laid there and slept while my three little monkeys watched and tried to tease him.

Final favorite of D and I was the hippo. G also loved them. In the morning they were out of the water, but in the afternoon we went back for one more visit and they were swimming.

We also got in a quick lesson on why we need to go to the dentist--- look at those teeth--- actually reminds me of G.

We had a terrific time at the zoo.

love and hugs and why would we visit a zoo when we live in one? B