Our first cast!

We made it almost 8 years of parenting without a broken bone....now, we aren't sure C's elbow really is broken, but the pediatric ortho put a cast on it just in case. (Scooter accident last week...visit to ER...first Xrays...then follow-up appointment six days later...= cast.)

This is one unhappy, angry, young patient...the tears (of anger = and maybe a bit of fear) were something to behold. The tearing up of the Xray photos...that too was something to see. The ripping up of the protective paper on the examining table...well, that too, I won't soon forget.

Don't mess with the Metal Tiger...that's for sure. She vows NOT to wear her Vampire Bat costume tomorrow or on Halloween b.c. the cast ruins the look...we will see.

Friends

My daughter loves her neighborhood friends. She gets along with many kids at her school but is hesitant to sign up for new things: soccer, basketball and Daisy Scouts to name a few. She gave up tennis for gymnastics (again) mainly, I think, to be with her two neighborhood besties. These girls are in and out of house all week long. It's pretty cool - I must say.

But I was hoping to be a Daisy Mom this year so I could make some new friends too! But at this point she is firm in her denial. Next time, I don't think I will ask her if she wants to do it...and just sign her up. That must be the way most parents do it...right?

Looking for the Silver Lining

Our October and Halloween festivities continue...we hit all our popular spots this year - Party in the Patch, the Fall Festival at the school and Pumpkinland. (Right about now, I think a "Thanks Mom and Dad -you guys really are trying to make our childhood a great one" is due.)

The funny thing is that all of a sudden Rhys is almost too old for some of these activities.  It's been five years in St Louis. And while it feels like a short time to me...when I see how they have grown from 0 and 2 -- it's clear we may not have many more years left at these first favorites and will have to move on to the next level of autumnal activities geared toward older elementary kids

But he managed to squeeze in and have fun after a rocky start at Pumpkinland.

I'm trying to find the silver lining to a plumbing issue we have right now.. and there isn't one except that I have cleaned the kitchen like crazy.

Hoping it is all fixed by the end of this week - after weeks of trying to fix on our own, diagnosis, bring out plumbers, receive a crazy high bid and one low bid...guess which one we are going with - and please let us not regret it.  This mama can't take one more thing this week.

A picture is worth 1000 words

There is one thing I know to be true...I love these children.

We did a quick photo shoot as part of a fund-raiser for their school. Dom and I were going to sit it out - so I didn't even get ready before taking the kids to the park (Ok, who am I kidding - I'm not in yoga gear and glasses so it was a step up from my normal clothes)...but once there I couldn't let the opportunity go without a few good shots with my kiddos, wrinkles and all!

After my mom died - it was so important to me to find photos of us together. So I want to have these for the children if they want them...to remember and to know how much they were loved when they were young.

Learning

Scenes like this make my heart happy. I love this boy.

Daddy Daughter time

Claudia loves her dad now - after years of not being too fond him.

She's flip-flopped - and now often asks for Daddy time versus Mama time.  Good thing I got my fill her first four years! :)