Lay Off, It's My Birthday!

That is all.

boyz

This summer started us out running full force! We only had a couple of down days before we had a cousin swap with our family in Denver. This is the first time that we've been able to do this since we've always lived far away from family and we were totally pumped!  It was decided that the girls would go north while the boys would stay south.  That meant that I was completely outnumbered by the male species in our home for four days.

We had a great time together, but I learned a few things about boys along the way.  Did you know that 7/8 year old boys are so giggly?  I had no idea.  These boys laugh all the time.  Now, I grew up in a house full of girls and the kind of conversations these boys are having are pretty funny.  One afternoon, for a good solid half hour, the whole conversation was about passing gas. I never knew that there was so much material concerning the subject!  And it all started with Caleb who said, "I know what rhymes with gas! Pass! Get it? Pass Gas?" {Insert giggling and laughing here}.

And the dinner conversations we had each night? Let's just say it was totally different than what I would have expected.  Some new vocabulary was defined and other curious questions answered.

Ahem.

I decided the best thing to do was to keep everyone busy.  Video games were played with restricted times and only on my terms (which surprisingly worked very well!). We spent a lot of time at the skate park while they perfected their mad skillz on the bike, scooter, and skateboard for hours.We hit the dollar movie theatre in town and they played lots of monkey in the middle all the while laughing about gas.  No joke.

We had a great time and all that giggling made me smile. I love how these boys have a special connection and love to hang out together. I think this may be the start of a new tradition. Except maybe next year, we'll have the girls. I'm pretty sure there will be just as much giggling, but perhaps a lot less gas.

Summer Begins and the End of an Era

Today was the last day of school for us.  It was actually a snow make up day from last February when a big cold front hit our area.  It was kind of a joke though, since most of the education population was out of town or just didn't show up.  Brandon's teacher wasn't even there. Oh well.  The last day is still the last day of school, right?  I thought it would be fun to compare the first day of school pictures with the last to see how much they've changed this year.  And believe me, a lot has changed for our family.

August, 2010

May, 2011

2nd grade turned out to be a pretty good year for Brandon.  His easy going personality and ability to adapt to new changes really helped him end the year just as good as he started it.  It didn't take him long at all to find new friends and also to find his place in his new classroom. 

These next pictures are bitter sweet for me.  This was Kelsie's last year of elementary school.  I really don't know where the time goes, but we're entering the exciting years of middle school in the fall.  Kelsie loved her old school in Evanston and it was a really hard thing for her to move and be the new kid again.  It was sad to see her say good-bye to her old friends, but she seemed to find her place fairly quickly here. She ended her last year of elementary school strong and ready for what lies ahead, even though she's pretty nervous about that too. Honestly, I feel like I'm not old enough to have a child this old.  My little girl is growing up faster than I want her too, but she is turning into a beautiful young woman. 

May, 2011

August, 2010

Rock 'n' Rocks

You're in your car driving on the highway, when you hear a low rumbling noise. What could it be? You see a rocky trail not very far away. Then, you stop the car and listen. Sure enough, that sound is still there. Wondering what it is, you get out of your car and look around. Suddenly, the ground shakes. A truck is driving on the bumpy, rocky, road. What are they doing here? Well, it's

4 Wheel Driving!!!!!
(Applause)

Yesterday, Dad, Caleb and I went 4 wheel driving in our truck. The road was really bumpy, and as Caleb said "wiggly." We had to stop a few times to get pics of the rocky road, but it was totally worth it! We had lots of fun laughing about how bumpy it it was, and had a grand and wonderful time! :)
Kelsie & Caleb smiling through the sunroof

The rocky path ahead of us...

Kelsie peeking through a window

Dad & Caleb doing thumbs up out the window

Dad driving the 4 wheeler

Caleb feeling wiggly


We also took some fun videos!

Rock'n'Rocking from Ronni Paxton on Vimeo.

Cast Away

After all the craziness of last week, here's a quick update on Caleb's arm.  We went to the pediatrician last week and came away with a sling and a diagnosis of a "dislocated elbow that won't pop back into place". About an hour after I left the office, the doctor called, telling me that the official report came back from the radiologist where they saw some fluid in his elbow. He recommended that I make an appointment to see an orthopedic to have it further diagnosed.  We went the next day and came out of the office in a bright red shiny cast.  The doctor saw the fluid, but didn't see a fracture, but thought it would be a good idea to play the cautious card for a week.  We went back in a week later, they cut off the cast, did some more x-ray's, and we left the office in another cast, this time blue.  She couldn't see a fracture (her best guess is that it's in one of the growth plates in his elbow, but it's so small we can't see it on the x-ray), but Caleb still wouldn't move his arm once the first cast was off and it was hurting when she did her exam.  He's now in the blue cast for two weeks then we'll go back and repeat what we've already done.  He thinks it's pretty cool and especially loves the lightning bolts that his Dad drew for him. Hopefully it will heal completely so we'll be able to move on from this and enjoy our summer!  Thanks for all the concern on his behalf!

12 Years

Today is our 12th Anniversary.  It's crazy to think about.  A whole lot has happened to us over the last 12 years.  I couldn't imagine doing any of it without him.  I got lucky.  Real lucky. We've created a pretty good life together.  Definitely crazy at times, but totally worth every minute of it.  I love you, Wally.  Happy Anniversary!

Pobrecito

You'd never know it with his cute little smile up there, but this poor little guy ended up in the doctor's office today with a diagnosis of a dislocated elbow.  Sunday night was a beautiful night with perfect weather. We decided to take advantage of it and head outside and enjoy it. Caleb learned how to ride a two-wheeler last fall while we were still living in Illinois. Once we got his bike out again after we moved, he learned all too quickly about hills and wheels. Just as quickly, he decided he didn't like riding his bike anymore. In an effort to help him not be afraid, we decided to put the training wheels back on his bike. He was doing pretty well until he got going too fast and lost control and ended up on the pavement.

The doctor tried to pop it back in today, without much success, but with more than just a few tears.  We had a few x-rays done which concluded that there was no fracture. We left the office in a sling and with a charge to watch it and call in a couple of days if it doesn't get any better. About an hour later, I got a phone call from the doctor telling me that the official report came back from the radiologist and there is some fluid around his elbow that they are worried about.  Tomorrow we head to the orthopedic office to find out what exactly is going on. Until then, we've got a little boy who thinks his sling is magical and is making his arm feel all better.

p.s. This kid has the craziest cowlik right in the front of his forehead.  I can't figure out how to cut it without it looking like he cut it himself.  Our most recent remedy is to comb it back and give him "spikes". He thinks it is so cool. Any tips on how to cut it would be very helpful at this point!