Mother's Day

Mother's Day is upon us.  That is when Andy asks me what I want to do for the day.  Have you read any of those articles that describe what really happens on Mother's Day?  They are true funny.  Sleeping in---brunch--no changing diapers--alone time--opening a gift??  There is  pressure to spend time with all your kids and still make it different from every, other day that isn't in your honor.   (For example, on Father's Day Andy usually chooses to go golfing-but not with the kids).     It's a sticky spot because I also have a mother-thank goodness.  And part of me wants to spend my time with her-celebrating her!!!!  As I gain experience as a mother, each and every day, I say a silent (huge) thank you to my mom.  Thank you for every single little and big sacrifice she made.  I always try to add in (never enough) I'm sorry's for how I acted when she was in the trenches.   So!  If you are as blessed as me, to be a mom and still have a mom, and a mom-in-law...I hope you enjoy the whole weekend in whatever way you truly desire.

Hugh Lou Reads

I remember when Eli started reading and I was in disbelief.  I LOVE to read.  It's on the top of my list for hobbies so it is very important to me that my kids enjoy it and understand that it isn't just "homework".  Hugh is a totally different boy from Eli and I never expected him to start reading as early as Eli.  I told myself to not put the pressure on him and to not even let myself wonder when it will happen---because when they go to school--each kid finds their way, gets their footing and takes off.  I could hear Hugh Lou in the backseat of the car sounding out words on signs and billboards but I still just let their teachers do their thing.  he has different 4K teachers than Eli has and he is sent home letters to practice writing and to review the different sounds they all make.  But he wasn't sent home any sight words like Eli did.  Evidently Hugh hasn't needed or started sight words yet.  But he is darn good at sounding out words and now is able to identify a whole bunch of words in books. I am so proud of him and feel a little braggy about this but you know what---he's the middle child and deserves a shout out.
GO HUGH GO --you amaze me every day! 

Back Tracking....

It's been a long time since I consistently blogged and I finally uploaded all the pictures from my old phone onto my computer.  So now I can successfully back track.  Why doesn't that sound as successful as I feel?  Back tracking...but still getting it posted.  As this blog is the boys virtual baby book (I do have real physical baby books too!!) I want to back track a little in order to record their history.  Their little lives that seem to glide by too quickly.
So let's back track a bit to Eli's first grade year!

Here are the first day pictures......

And here are the end of the year photos

So let's just ignore the fact that Hughie's belly got much smaller over that last year....and see how much more of a boy Eli looks.  A kid.  A person with a personality--and getting SO smart.  Too smart.  This last year he learned about trust, and how to question others to make sure they are telling him the honest truth.  He went through (and we survived) a very strong Star Wars obsession.  He developed a love for Minecraft.  He got 100% on every spelling test except one!  We read the first Harry Potter book together and watched the first movie.  He lost more teeth.  He grew more inches.  He became more ...aware...of everything, continues to learn about responsibility and respect--concepts that can never be modeled enough all over this world.  He made new friends.  Ate a bunch of pizza, burgers and apples. He started drinking water at meals instead of milk and attempted to teach me a thing or two about nutrition (from what he learned in class).  He is still a joy.  My first born.

If you ever get a letter signed "From Eli R"...this is why.  This is the other Eli in his class...Eli H.  One of his favorites.  

End of the year picnic

Eli's first grade teachers.  

He's already in the middle of his 2nd grade year.  Gulp!!!!

These days....

These days I am lucky if I even make it to the mailbox and back.

Hughie's Humerus

This summer lil Hughie fell at the neighbors house....and wouldn't use his arm.  We took him to the ER at Children's Hospital and they did x-rays and didn't find anything.  They leaned towards the idea that it was a muscular issue that would self resolve or that he was scared and sort of "Faking" it. They went as far as blowing bubbles high above his head and encouraged him to pop the bubbles.  He wouldn't do it.  They gave him a little sling and we worked hard at making him wear it.

The next day he made it through the 4th of July-watching the parade, missing out on squirt guns (He is left handed) and slip and slide action.  Hugh is left handed and he was struggling to get dressed, brush his teeth etc.  So we took him to his regular doctor who suggested another x-ray of his arm and collar bone.  The next set of xray showed a clear fracture, you can see it in the picture up by the shoulder-a crack straight across.  

 

A few days later I received a call from the head of imaging at Children's Hospital who let me know there was an error initially and that they had x-rayed the wrong side/wrong arm!!!!  

  Because the break was so high up, the "cast" was called an immobilizer.  He had to wear it 24 hours a day except for when he took a shower/bath.   We were about to embark on a two week vacation spree.  And he was not to go swimming.  We knew that wasn't going to happen so we figured out how to brace his arm down with an ace bandage when he was going in the water. 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard to tell but this is Hugh sleeping in a hotel bed with me.....he even wore that to sleep

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was total trooper and has full use now....kids bounce back.  Let's all hope I never have to wear an immobilizer!!!

Red Helicopter

It was Sunday and we were scheduled to have an open house (our house is on the market with no real future of moving at this point) and so we had to be out of the house.  All of us.  Even Bailee.  And the house had to be spotless.  And the boys were at Sunday school, we needed to go to Costco.  But we had no real plans after all of that.  So.....we got a last minute invite.  And if you know me---I'm not one to be spur of the moment with plans.  But we couldn't resist.  The weather was perfect and it was an activity for the boys to get their wiggles out.

Off we zoomed up to Grandma and Grandpa's neck of the woods-about an hour away.  There were hay bales stacked for the boys to climb all over, pumpkins galore, a corn maze, free corn on the cob and live music. Not even 5 minutes into saying our hellos Grandma Barb presented us with a proposition.

"Do you think one or both of your boys would fly on the helicopter with me today?"

Hmmmm....."Yes" I told her pretty much right away.  The helicopter was RED.  This sold it to my bucket-list-mother.  But it only carried three passengers and she wondered if I wanted to go too.  This is ALSO not my style.  I hate flying in planes so why a helicopter?  But to experience this with my boys AND my mom?!?!  I couldn't pass it up.  So Hugh rode on my lap, my mom next to me in the back and Eli in the front seat and we were off.

We had no emergency back up plan-no real rules were even given to us.  And it was amazing.  We went up over Lake Geneva and saw all the boats and big houses.  Hughie pointed out the pools in backyards and the pilot even swerved for a bird!!!

Unfortunately they were getting the next folks on right away and didn't give us time to stand as a group in front of the red helicopter but you can see Eli sitting in the front seat.  So brave!!!!  I actually don't think the boys really knew what was happening.  

We survived and it's something I will probably never, ever do again in my life.  I hope someday that I inspire my kids and Grand kids and provide them with an opportunity so crazy just like my mom did.  

Crosby Turns 1!

So my littlest turned one.....sigh.  There was no real theme.  Sigh.  Eli missed singing the birthday song to his little brother because he was in the grass looking at bugs.  Sigh.  I am the only adult who got involved in the water gun fight.  sigh.

BUT!!!  It was such a good day for Crosby.  Soooo many that love him were here.  He had no idea what was going on, but he was in GREAT spirits!!  He smashed the awesome cake that Andy made him with love.  He got some new balls for his birthday and he never stops playing with them!!!  The weather was perfect!  And Crosby turned 1!!!!!

This kid loves balls...so we made a sports themed cake.  And when I say we....I mean Andy.  There was quite a bit of frosting on this cake....It took him a few minutes.  

 Grandpa Bob got to give him his first icecream---probably yummy after all that sweet and sticky cake and frosting!!

I think the Grandma's got a little time to chat. 

On the menu: pizza, finger jell-o, salad (dressed by Aunt Erika),  fruit, taco dips and a few veggies with a buffalo dip

Post Cake Smash sticky-uppy-hair.  And a Bath!!! 

ANd the big brothers got to have a soda.  In a coozie!

It was a great day.  Happy Happy birthday Mr. Crosby Paul!!!

You are loved!