Four Weeks is Over!

I can hardly believe that our four weeks with a cast is up!  While mostly not a big deal, there were certainly little things I was ready to get back.  We had just gained more independence in the bathroom and being able to get up and down from things alone; I was ready for that again, so off we went on our little adventure!

Since it was Red Nose Day, we of course had to bring those red noses along for the ride.  And that was nice, because they were a fun distraction while we had our short waiting time.

 This time, our girl was so much less afraid than she was in getting on the cast!  No need for me holding her or one handed shots, which I was super proud of her for (I credit Daniel Tiger with this one).  As the tech told her what to do, she simply followed his directions - and kept an eagle eye on every move he made.

Once the cast saw had made all of its cuts, there was a simple crack of the top and bottom to separate and then cutting the layer under to remove the whole thing.  More close eyes on the whole process.

Our girl was so unsure!  Lots of itching and checking out her skin.  And a great big brother to show her that the square pattern on her arm was simply from the squares on the inside of her cast.  Final xrays (where Momma was still wanted to sit and hold tight) to double check everything was a-ok (ya-hoo!) and a few stickers for our trip home!

On the way out, we got to stop at the salt water aquarium and check out all the fish.  I mean, after all, Children's Hospitals have to have cool stuff too.  And not to disappoint, we saw Marlin, Nemo, and Dory, along with several other friends from a favorite Disney classic.

 And this last shot to say goodbye.  I sure do love these two.

Until next time,

Bucket List Goodbyes

So, it's feeling way more like summer around here, which means that your summer bucket list is just around the corner.  Of course, as mentioned before, our family is attempting to hit the Botanical Gardens as much as we can before our family pass expires.  And when you have super close friends that are moving soon and have visiting the Botanical Gardens on their bucket list, it only makes sense to go together!

These two little girls are such great friends and it shows in all the playing they do together.  It is both heart warming and heart breaking to see them spend time together, knowing that it is going to change in ways they can't possibly understand as toddlers.  I'm beyond thankful I can capture in pictures, for me, the way it FEELS when I watch them play.  

We started with some craft time.  The girls made a cover for a book with pressed flowers, which was a lot of fun to watch.

 I always love to see their concentration and attention to detail at this age.  And to see them be in wonder of how things come together is pretty awesome too.

On to play time and dress up.  They had a ton of fun being flowers and ladybugs and watching themselves on the screen, all while Abbey played Mom to them both and got them in and out of costumes.

 I can't go to the Botanical Gardens without taking pictures of flowers (duh), so when I saw this line, Abbey sat with the girls while I took a few shots.  Of course, what happened organically (because Abbey is a Momma with preschool training) is that she started talking to the girls about the fountain in front of them and gave them both a penny to make a wish.  Great memories here - and moments that I live for.

Off we went to the Children's Garden, which is really just a huge play area.  With little miss's cast, we have avoided all climbing and playing for the last few weeks, but this day, we just went for it.  The girls have SO much fun running and playing and chasing each other.  And our friend is an amazing little girl full of independence, fearlessness (do you see that jump?!?) and leadership.  A bit like her momma - something I will miss from both of them.

 Some of these moments will be burned in my brain forever, even without the pictures.  I can hear their giggling and laughter as they run up the hill.

 I loved their faces as they came off that slide!  It's always a treat for me.  And I adored seeing Abbey play with the girls as they did the slide a dozen times.

Next up was lunch!  Veggie straws have become a staple in our house and sharing them with a friend is the best way to enjoy them.

And when you share food, sitting side by side is the best way to do it.  Plus, then you can sneak in extra hugs & kisses during lunch.  These girls.

 After lunch, we found the rose garden and these girls ran all over!  They found so many colors to stop and smell, and then the running with each other, with their hair wiping in the wind, all for the hunt of the next color, it was just irresistible.

 And those hands.  Oh those hands.  Side-by-side strollers made holding hands seem like the natural thing to do.  It might not have been as easy as it looks, but it was definitely as sweet.

And finally, well, there are flowers.  As we meandered our way through the rest of the gardens and chatted, I snapped a few shots of flowers as we talked.  The hope was that the girls would nap in their strollers, but they seemed to have other plans.

On our way out, seeing real bee keepers was a sight to stop and watch.  And giving hugs amidst fits of giggles is definitely a great way to head out.  One more check off the bucket list and only a few more days until those hugs will be tear filled.

Until next time,

Mother's Day and the Botanical Gardens

So, I know we are a week (or so) past Mother's Day, but sometimes life gets busy, so forgive my delay.  I wanted to make sure and share my Mother's Day here.  Since Mother's Day is typically hectic with so many activities, we started celebrating mine on Saturday a few years ago (and let me tell you how much I love it).  So, for my day, my family made me breakfast in bed, I got my Mother's Day coupons, and then we took off to spend some time as a family at the Botanical Gardens - this time, with camera in hand.

I'm not sure why, but I was amazed at the huge difference I saw in the flowers to be seen at our visit.  Of course I know that different flowers bloom at different times of year, but the idea that an area as large as the Botanical Gardens would feel like a completely different place was a little surprising to me.  In addition, we tried to wonder through different areas this time.  I was so thankful for that, as I had missed this sweet statue before and some of the flowers we saw.

 While we didn't hit the Children's Garden this time, there was a fountain on that the kids played in for a little bit.  Having that water proof cast was perfect for this and the kids had fun getting a little wet, without getting soaked.

 One area I wanted to make sure to hit this time was the Japanese Garden and Koi pond.  I loved that my girl got down with her "new book" (a free pamphlet from one of the educational centers) to look at the flowers and check for butterflies.  And that outfit?  100% her - fluffy dresses and pink rain boots.  I love that when I look back on pictures of this time in our lives, I will have daily proof of the independence she was already showing at such a young age.

A little farther to the Koi pond.  The kids got the chance to look and feed, which was a ton of fun.  And that bridge - it is pretty spectacular.  As are the people on it.

Until next time, 

Learning to Hula Hoop

At three, there are TONS of new skills to learn - just about one every day (or maybe more).  While some are life skills, some are more just for the fun of it skills.  When my son was three, I would chuckle at him when he might show interest in a skill that he wasn't yet ready to tackle.  Now that I have a, let's say more persistent, three year old, trying to explain that a skill may not be something she is ready for yet is more laughable to HER than to me.  OF COURSE she can do it!  She's a big girl.  I mean, she IS three.

Cue the hula hoop at the dollar store.  As an adult, I can't even begin to think about hula hooping.  I obviously get the concept, and I can keep it around my waist for a few turns, but really, once gravity hits, I am sunk.  And even though I was PRETTY sure that's how hula hooping would go for our girl, she was quite sure that she could do it.  And for a buck, I figured it would be some nice entertainment and maybe some fun pictures.  I'll let you be the judge.  Seriously - I would love to hear your thoughts.  Feel free to leave them in the comments at the end or on my Facebook page.

She was a little hesitant at first.  And I thought that cast might hold her back, but really, she's three.  Not much holds her back.

 I LOVE that face!  She was giving it ALL she had!!

OK, maybe more than all she had.  We switched spots, took breaks, and that grass - oh how I loved it.  Too long for my husband's liking (it got cut about 30 minutes after these pictures), but it was dreamy to me.

You have to giggle at that hair.  It was as if she was willing the hoop to move with every fiber of her being.

I even loved it as she began to wear down.  The smile faded ever so slightly and the hoop began to drag.  The sun still shined though, and I know without a doubt that the hula hoop and my girl will have more time in it.

Until next time,

Soak It In

Being a stay-at-home mom is not for the faint of heart.  Eleven hours a day with a small child who wants your constant attention and no one to have adult conversations with can be mentally (and sometimes emotionally) exhausting.  So finding friends, both for your child and yourself, is a must.  I have been extremely blessed to have found a local MOPS group through our church and make some great connections with a lot of wonderful moms.  Of course, those relationships are all unique, and one in particular has been especially strong for my girl and me.  So, when we found out that those friends are going to be moving away, we knew we had to soak in the precious time we had left with them - and capture it before it is gone.

 Our girls are such little Mommas!  Working in the kitchen, taking care of babies, even busy typing on their computers.  It's so much fun to watch!

 As we drew closer to lunch, they started to make sandwiches.  Who doesn't love milk on their sandwich?

Lunch delivery wasn't as successful as planned, but that face - OH THAT FACE!  And the nice thing about play food is that clean up is a breeze!

Our girls continued to bounce around and play, even through lunch, but eventually settled down on the couch for a little rest and music listening before we had to end the morning.

I already know that these pictures will mean so much to all of us as the girls grow.  It will remind us of the many times we all spent together playing and laughing and talking and becoming great friends.

Until next time,

#Fractured Not Broken

Last week, as we were getting ready to leave a friend's house, my daughter fell during a game of tag and let out a blood curdling scream.  The Mom in me figured out pretty quickly that there was something more to it than a bump she'd get over, especially when that scream didn't end for almost an hour.  A visit that night to the ER indicated that there was no serious break, which left me scratching my head and feeling like the mom who worries over nothing.  But the next morning, I got a call from the hospital.  They had a second technician double check her x-rays and discovered that she had actually fractured her elbow.  So, with camera in tow (at the blame, I mean credit, of my husband), we headed downtown to Children's Hospital to see an orthopedist about a cast.

The worst part of seeing a doctor is always the waiting, so I made sure to come prepared.  We brought a new book Emma had just gotten from my friend Annie and her new-to-her Tag reading system to keep her busy.

It was interesting to me to see the ways she would favor her injury.  She definitely limited how much she used her arm and in what ways she used it.  She used her opposite (good) hand to push back her hair, and when she would climb or play, like spinning the stool, she would really only use one hand.  Yet, she would still use it to touch or hold things, making me unsure of exactly what was wrong.

 Snack is a definite distraction when it comes to, well, anything with toddlers.  And my girl was even nice enough to share.  The office requested an additional x-ray to verify the fracture (no pictures of that, as I got to comfort and hold my girl), and once I saw it, I could understand why!  The crack was so small, but none the less painful.  (In case you are trying to figure it out - it is almost straight across from the top of the "L", at the bottom and outside of the upper arm bone.)

Next began the wrapping.  {Side note: at 3, nothing about this makes sense and is all pretty scary, so all these wrapping pictures are taken one-handed with my girl in my lap and my arm extended out over us.  I apologize for the crazy angles and composition.  I was definitely more in Mom mode than photographer mode - rightfully so.}  My mom friends all recommended that we spend the extra money to get the waterproof cast, and even now, am I so happy I listened!

Cast color was, of course, purple.  As the process went on, there were more tears and cuddling, so I thought the sucker I stuck in my pocket as we were walking out the door might distract her some.  It was just the ticket to get us through to the end.

She really did fairly well.  The cast dries pretty quick and is obviously vary hard, making the edges rather sharp, but a little trimming and sanding and she was good to go.

It took her a few minutes to let it all sink in, and she was interested in touching it and exploring it to see exactly what the deal was.  I chuckled as she scratched at it, almost as if she was trying to get it off.

A few hours after our initial appointment, we were on our way out, making sure to grab a Sofia sticker and wave goodbye to the animals as we left.  We have an appointment in a few weeks to hopefully have it taken off, and I hope that is the last visit to a hospital we have for a looong time!

Until next time,

May 5-on-5: An Anniversary Date at the Butterfly House

I can hardly believe it's May 5th already!  It feels like fall just ended, and yet I know I will blink, and the heat of summer will be upon me.  In the mean time, I am trying to soak up all of spring that I can.  Only a few weeks ago, my husband surprised me on our anniversary by taking a day off work.  I think one of the things I enjoy about our marriage in this stage is that simple times together are often a gift all of their own.  To start our day, we went out to breakfast with our girl.  I love that the two of them sat and colored together - definitely a time that warms my heart.

After breakfast, my husband took the three of us to the Butterfly House. While you might think the fun stuff is only inside, when you are 3, fun stuff is found everywhere. On our walk in, the field of flowers caught my daughter's eye. She plucked up one after another, blowing those wonderful seeds to the wind.

Once inside, the remnants of March Morpho Mania were everywhere!  Blue Morphos would flutter by in groups and land for only a brief second before picking back up again.  And the flowers at the Butterfly House are always a hit.  That purple orchid seemed to be calling my name that day.

And as anyone who has visited a butterfly house can tell you, the heat inside will have you sweating in no time.  Which meant that WE had just a little more time to get in one last shot!

It's hop time! Up next in the circle is Jess at Samarie-lei Photography.  Make sure to check out her amazing work and circle through all the blogs to see the other fabulous photographers!

Until next time, 

In a Field of Flowers

Last year for my birthday, I asked for a family pass to the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  I knew my boys wouldn't take me to see flowers all that often, but I thought my girl and I would enjoy going frequently.  But with a busy and hot summer, the only use we got out of the pass was an occasional visit to the Butterfly House that is closer to home.

So, now, our pass is coming closer to expiring and I am sad that it is almost done.  I wish that I had taken better advantage of it, and am wondering if I should ask again for a family pass.  In the mean time, you might see a few more visits of us with flowers.  Especially since my girl loves flowers so much and sniffing them to see if they smell different.  I'm not sure if she's learned anything about that yet, but I am sure learning to stop and smell whatever flowers God plants for me.  And maybe take in the scenery around me too.

 As a lover of purple, this area is definitely a favorite of mine.  Such tiny purple flowers, but enough to take over so much of what your eye sees.  I could sit here all day.

 What happens when you are 3 and there is a large open circle?  You spin!  Again and again!

One final stop in the garden house before (unwillingly) heading home for a much needed nap.

Until next time,