The diagnosis

I went to the doctor to have my sprain checked out.  It seemed to be getting worse rather than better and with Stuart leaving next week I needed some answers.

I have a grade 2 sprain and a high ankle sprain.  Not good! Being fairly clueless when it comes to sports I was oblivious when the doctor started using sports examples-a high ankle sprain can put a player out of commission for the season...  

What does that mean for me?  Basically a grade 2 sprain means that the ligaments have been torn (but not completely) and a high ankle sprain involves the tendons as well.  I have a fashionable boot to wear for the next two weeks.  Very attractive!  It is supposed to give me more mobility so I don't have to use the crutches.  I did pretty well with it yesterday.  I have an appointment in 2 weeks and then most likely I will have to start some physical therapy.  The nurse said that I should plan to be in the boot for 4-6 weeks.  So, just when Stuart is coming home I may be getting back to normal.  I wonder what lesson I am supposed to learn from this experience...

My gimpy week

My ankle sprain was badly timed.  This week was packed full plus I have a garden to get prepped and planted and little seedlings needing to get in the ground.  GRRRR!

Monday morning I had an ultrasound scheduled at 9:40am for some weird pains I have been having the past few months.  It has been on the calendar for over a month so I didn't want to cancel but I was in bad shape.  I typically have a difficult time with pain medication.  I am OK if lie still in bed but if I have to get up and function I get very ill.  When I woke up in pain at 5am Stu brought me a Vicodin and I took it not remembering my schedule for the morning.  It took all of my will power and strength to get up, shower and make it to the car.  Forget looking presentable, I was lucky to get out the door.  When having an ultrasound you need to drink a few glasses of water so your bladder is full.  Not a problem normally but quite a feat when you are sick.  I threw up the first batch and managed to keep the second round down until we were on our way home.  Not an ideal way to start a day or week.

I think we had a little birthday bash for Sam Monday night...

Tuesday Samuel turned 3.  What a boy!!!  We had a special breakfast for him and gave him a couple of presents.  Stu got to do the birthday shopping this year because I was incapacitated.  I went to the dentist at 1:30 to check out a tooth that has been bugging me.  Darn sensitive teeth!  The tooth looks fine, which is a plus, so they put some treatment on it it to help with the pain.  Worked like magic!    Tuesday night I attended a big MonaVie meeting with Stu and his team.  I usually stay home but I decided to brave a night on crutches to be supportive.  It was good!

Wednesday was voice lessons and gymnastics.  Lindsey and Lauryn have been begging for too long for me to come watch them at gymnastics.  I usually drop them and Adam off, run and errand and come back to pick them up.  This week my "mother heart" told me they needed me there so I left the little boys with Emmalyn and went to watch them.  I am glad I did!   They did so well and were so excited.  Drops in their bucket.  After gymnastics I dropped them off with Stu and headed to my follow up appointment for my ultrasound.  Everything looks normal.  My doctor gave me a few things to try and if they don't work I need to go to a GI specialist.  Oh yeah!

Thursday was Emmalyn's last day of Key of Liberty and we had momschool.  What a challenge! I wanted to stay home but was committed to go.  It is not easy to manage 2 toddlers with a sprained ankle...  We left as a soon as I could get out of there but the kids had a fun time.  I went straight home and started preparing everything for our commonwealth parent meeting.   Fortunately my mom and Tracy came to help with kids so I could get everything done.  We left and watched Emmlayn at the Constitution Bowl and then had our parent meeting.  It was so amazing!!!  It went well and what a relief it is to have it over.  I am ready for a break!!!

Friday  we went to an OYLI meeting to find out about their classes for next year.  Adam went to Chase Young's for a playdate.  Stu and I went to a late night showing of Star Trek after the little boys went to sleep.  We really liked it! 

Saturday morning the kids had a primary activity from 9:30-11:30.  We worked on the garden in the afternoon and then the girls went to Jesse and Amy's for a concert.  We just had the boys for the evening.  Weird!  We went to get a few plants and stopped by Burgerville for dinner then went to the Nilson's to pick up a motor bike they offered Stu...unbeknownst to me.  We ended up hanging out for a bit and I even got to go milk the goat with Jenny and bottle feed a lamb.  An educational evening.  My first milking...

Church today started out a bit stressful.  Our friend, the choir director, called right as I was leaving(I was a few minutes behind the rest of the family) and begged us to sing with the choir. She offered to have our kids sit with her husband which I doubted would work.  Our little boys are still learning to be reverent(which basically means that they are not) and are fairly attached to their parents (which makes leaving them with someone tricky).  Stu and I ended up sitting in the foyer with all the boys while the girls sat with the director's family.  They were on the 3rd row and we were just a tad bit concerned about how that would turn out.  When it was time to sing, Adam sat in the foyer with Sam and James, who was asleep in the car seat- an unheard of event these days.  When we came back they were sitting on the couch drawing quietly.  So, while it may have been more appropriate to sit in the chapel I was just grateful for a little miracle.  I went to nursery with James because there was no way I could chase him around the halls and he is not amenable to sitting quietly through relief society these days.  It was fun to see Sam enjoying himself.  I had to leave to change his diaper and he kept saying "I go to nursery, Mom!" This afternoon was blissful.  I sat outside and watched the kids wander around the yard and had fun singing harmony with Emmalyn and Adam.  I love spring and summer!!!

So...I am looking forward to a quieter week at home without so many meetings and appointments!

Memorable Mother's Day

Mother's Day hasn't always been one of my favorite days.  A few years I ago I decided to basically write the day off and pretend it was just another Sunday in May.  So, this year comes along and I am actually having a lovely day.  No expectations will help with that.  Everyone made me a lovely breakfast in bed.  Stu got me a composter.  The twins made cards for me and bought me flowers and they gave See's chocolate bars to the moms at church.  I taught a lesson in Relief Society about adversity and Joseph Smith in the Liberty jail which I was not all that excited about but turned out OK despite my bad attitude.  My sister came over in the afternoon and rallied the troops to cook dinner for my mom and I and we had a splendid meal.  It was a beautiful day and after dinner we decided to go outside and enjoy the sunshine.   A basketball game was suggested and I thought what better way to celebrate mother's day than to be a "good mom" and play with my children.  Ha Ha!!  No good deed goes unpunished.  The game had barely begun when I suddenly found myself in great pain and falling to the ground.  Not sure how it happened.  One minute I am guarding my man-Adam, the next I am on my back in wailing like a child about my ankle.  Tried to hold myself together but I was unsuccessful.  I hobbled to a chair and thought I would put my foot up, ice it and play spectator until I was feeling better.   As Tracy pulled off my sock to look at it and put the ice on it I changed my mind.  My ankle was HUGE and looked a bit deformed and I was going in to shock.  Shaking, nausea...interesting experience.  Stu loaded me in the car and dragged me off to the ER for an x-ray.   My ankle wasn't broken, just badly sprained but incredibly painful nonetheless.  I got IV pain meds and was incredibly grateful!!!  I had an amazing nurse who did one of the best IV's ever and coincidentally turned out to be an LDS guy from Sherwood in the Woodhaven ward.   So a couple hours later I returned home more comfortable, with more drugs to get me through the next couple of days and a new respect for sprained ankles.  A Mother's Day that was memorable if nothing else.

Potty Party!!!

I have a friend who LOVES potty training and does it in a day.  I was shocked and disbelieving.  Who loves potty training?  Certainly not me!  I decided that the next time I needed to potty train a child she would be my mentor and that I would do whatever she said.  The past year I have been asking questions and getting ready knowing that Samuel was getting close to that magical age but was still unconvinced that I could actually enjoy the process.  

Well...today I am a believer.  Thank you Kelly!!!!

Today we had a potty party with Samuel and by early this afternoon he was using the potty every time with no coaxing or reminding.  It is a miracle!  I still can't believe how easy it was.  I didn't think he was going to get it but he did and he was amazing.  We had the greatest time and now I too can say that I love potty training. Why didn't I know about this 5 kids ago???  Boy would it have made life much easier for my little ones and for me.  I am planning to have a few accidents here and there but I think we can officially say that Sam is potty trained.

Hooray!! Now we only have 1 in diapers...

Happy 1st Birthday

James turned 1 year old on January 2.  What a blessing he has been to our family!  He has a sweet and pleasant nature and has been a very easy baby.  We love our James!!

James has learned patty cake and to wave bye-bye.  He is on the cusp of walking but just hasn't shown much interest since he is a very speedy crawler.  He has mastered the stairs, going up and down, and loves to climb.   He likes to play with balls and scavenge the floor for tiny bits to explore with his mouth.  Nothing is safe from his eagle eyes and fine motor skills.  James enjoys bonking his head, especially against someone else.  Just say "Noggin'" and you will find out.

James is a pincher.  His favorite thing to do is get a tiny piece of skin between his fingers and squeeze.  He especially enjoys necks, mine in particular.  He loves to cuddle and has become quite attached to his pacifier since his last round of teething.

Happy Birthday James!!  We love you so!

Pumpkin Patch pictures

Pumpkin Patch

Last Saturday we went to get pumpkins with Phil and Katie's family. I wanted to go to a farm in Canby that we went to last year with the Barney's and my dad. I thought I found the right place but when we arrived I was disappointed. Hoffman Farms was not the right farm and we will not go again. They have a lion and tiger caged up on the property, what is up with that?? The pumpkins are lined up on a grassy lawn rather than in the field so we missed some of the ambiance of a pumpkin patch.  We decided to get pumpkins since we were already there and we let the kids get some kettle corn and pick one activity. It wasn't quite what I had in mind but at least we got pumpkins and a few pictures.  I need to figure out the name of the other place.  It was much better!!!