Derek's Broken Arm 2014

It was bound to happen. He is such a busy little guy and so prone to doing dangerous things. The way it happened was a bit frustrating. The school nurse has always been a bit too dramatic for my taste but this day takes the cake. I subbed a yoga class at the gym just up the road from my house. When I teach I don't bring my phone in with me at all. It was on silent as I left and went home to shower. So I missed the phone call from the nurse. When I got home there was a police officer at my door. She told me there was an emergency at the school with my son Derek and I needed to get there right away. My heart sank and I started to panic I was begging her to tell me what was wrong but she said she didn't know. Then her partner was talking to her (on her walkie) and she said "you have to get there now they are taking him away in the ambulance". She got in her car and escorted me to the school. I thought the worst had happened. Why else wouldn't they tell me what it was? As we drive up I see a fire truck with its lights a blaze, two police cars, and an ambulance. I thought I was going to throw up. Then they let me in the ambulance and it was just a broken arm. I could have karate chopped some one in the throat. But I just hugged him and tried to calm down. They said the break was limiting blood to his fingers and he could lose his hand if he didn't get to a hospital soon. I drove to the medical center and Andrew met me there. Those people were much much more helpful. Yada yada yada I could go into every detail about the event but it doesn't matter. What has really left me awestruck is how incredibly positive and calm Derek was the whole entire time. He has always been a very very happy child. If you ask him how he is doing the answer is always "GREAT" and I mean always! Its hard parenting a difficult child but its even harder parenting a super easy happy child when you know you don't deserve him. He amazes me! Not one negative word. Not one complaint. No tears. No screaming. Just a big smile. He didn't even hesitate to consider his limitation once we got home. He just ran around like normal. When the kids were hot and wanted to go swimming I put a water proof sleeve over his arm and he ran around without a care. The other day I told the kids to do their chores. They have a list in the office of what to do each day. I wasn't paying attention busy with laundry but he gathered the kitchen trash bag with one hand and took it outside. It had been about 20 min and I noticed he wasn't back so I went outside to check on him. As I turned the corner to the side of the house I saw him trying to throw this heavy trash bag with one arm up into the big city trash can that is 2ft taller than him. Every time the bag would fall back down and he would try again. Once I picked up the bag and realized how heavy it was and how long he had been out there trying to finish his chore with one hand I started to cry. He really is the sweetest little boy! It breaks my heart that he was sent to me. And that the world will be so hard on him. But it made me think about how I need to be more like him. When he makes a mistake he comes and tells me right away and instead of being upset about the mess that was made his honesty calms me down and helps me be more patient as I clean it up. And when I am grumpy he comes up and hugs me and tells me how much he loves me and it instantly difuses my anger. Instantly. I think humans naturally react to negativity with negativity but he doesn't. And I need to be more like that. He is such a blessing. I really don't deserve him!

Baseball 2014

Derek's age division didn't have a full team so it is just Dallin playing baseball this season. And can I just say he is an amazing baseball player!!! His pitching has really gotten good. I usually can't watch so I have not seen many of his games, but I went to his game on Monday night. First inning her struck out three batters ..boom, boom, boom 3 outs. Then he pitched again 2nd inning and again struck out three batters in a row. No one got on base. He came over to the fence and said "Hey mom. Did you like that? Do you like watching your boy pitch? Do you like watching me kill it?" I laughed so hard. More than I love watching him have success I love his sense of humor. He is hysterical. He knows I get nervous and I think I am bad luck, so he was giving me a hard time about it and I LOVE him for that. It made me feel like maybe I am not bad luck. Well... I still kind of think I am... but he wanted me to know that HE doesn't think I am. And that warms my heart! <3 <3

Easter 2014

My brother will be moving this summer. I seriously will miss his little boys. He came up for sort of our last family holiday together and they spent the night so this Easter was extra special. Plus Annette took the glow in the dark egg hunt up about 3 levels. She found these little LED lights to put in the plastic eggs and they are waaaaaay better than glow sticks. We had glow glasses and glow balloons and Glow guns. It was crazy fun! At the end each kid got a big egg from her with money and candy. My dad did his egg hunt on Sunday. I pulled the bitch card and told him it had to be at a park because I wasn't going to have my nice yard all torn up. He did a small hunt at the park and then went back to my house for the "Grand Hefe" egg hunt. So I basically can never get respect from my dad even as an adult. He still calls me Odie. My nephew calls me Odie. You can't have a big ego in this family. Another cool thing was the egg dying. We used regular food coloring instead of the kits and it made some really pretty colors.

Olivia turns 8

No big party. NO baptism (what a "blessing" that has been). But I did take her out of school and we had lunch, and went shopping, and her grandparents came so we could have cake and ice cream. She was beyond happy to get all the cool toys she wanted like and American Girl Doll bed (from aunt Net) and Camper Trailer. Plus afew littlest Pet shop toys (from her siblings). My favorite thing was when she stayed home from school and we made littlest pet shop tins for her to play with in the car or on the go. I do detest crafty women. But I must admit when I want to be I can get pretty creative. I love how the little tins turned out. Making them together was the best. I love her. She is so cute I want to just squeeze her to death.

Bowling

Olivia was invited to her boyfriends birthday party. Mathew lives down the street and he is such a cute boy. When we showed up she was the guest of honor. No one else was invited to his party. It was a bit alarming. That is a pretty big crush to only have your girlfriend come. Any way.. The point that I am struggling to make is- he took her bowling. It was such a cool place I decided we needed to go back as a family. Andrew loves bowling and his whole family is good at it. Me and my kids suck at it! All the more reason to go and practice. They all were such good sports. It really pays to take a little time out to go do these things. I hope we go back again soon!

Kite Flying with Grandpa

My dad amazes me. When he comes to visit he never stops or slows down. It wears me out just watching him. He loves to take the kids kite flying. This time it was in the field right across the street. He does have some choice words when lines get tangled up but the kids are so used to it now they laugh at him. Him and Dallin love to disappear for hours to go fishing. Dallin loves fishing with him. They have grown really close to each other. I would almost say he has a stronger bond with my dad than me. Every kid needs a fun grandpa.