Here We Go Again

Two days past her 9th birthday, Eva breaks her first bone.

On Wednesday evening as I was upstairs changing clothes to go to her girl scout meeting,  I hear the all too familiar ruckus of kids running through the house. No matter how many times I tell them not to, they just don't listen.  This particular evening, they were chasing a bouncy ball.  I came back into the kitchen ready to yell one more time when suddenly it was quiet. There in the kitchen Eva stands with tears in her eyes.  She had jammed her finger into the wall trying to catch the bouncy ball. Alex was right behind her looking pretty guilty.

It was already starting to swell, so I gave her an ice pack and we left for the girl scout meeting....in which she won a 7 inch tablet.

By the time the meeting was over, her finger was more swollen and starting to bruise. We stopped by my parents to have my dad look at it. He agreed that it was probably just jammed. We buddy taped it and gave her an ibuprofen.

The next morning, I had her ice it again and then taped it again.  They would be with their dad the rest of the week, so I let him know what was going on.

Thursday evening, Eva sent me a picture of her hand.  The bruising and swelling was worse and had started to move down her hand.  By the time I actually talked to Chris, it was too late for the doctor or urgent care. And I didn't think it required an ER visit.

Friday, I scheduled a doctor appointment for the afternoon, left work early and picked up Eva from school. The doctor agreed that it looked worse than a jam. She sent us for x-rays which confirmed a broken bone right above the growth plate. 

Because of the location of the break and her age, a cast would be necessary.

Eva was weirdly excited about the cast. However, by last night the newness of the cast had worn off and she is pretty much over it.  Only 4 more weeks to go!

Me and You and You and Me Day

Yesterday was one of those days that the universe was talking to me.  I was up early, well rested and in a great mood. The kids, however, were not sharing in the same sentiment. After a weekend with their dad and losing an hour to daylight savings,  getting them out of bed was quite the challenge.  We left the house 15 minutes later than usual and both Alex and Grace were eating their breakfast in the car. Layla was crying. Eva was the only one who was somewhat put together, besides myself.

After taking Grace to school,  I realized I was going to be late to work.  I also needed to go straight to the grade school or Alex and Eva would be late too. On the drive,  Eva somehow managed to spill Alex's juice all over his pants.  I'm not sure how or if it was even her fault, but she got blamed for it.  I was pretty sure I'd need to take Alex home to change. By the time we got to school,  Alex thought his pants would be okay and dashed out of the car.  Layla was still crying. This is not normal behavior for her and our broke my heart.  In that moment, I made the executive decision to take the day off work to be stay at home mom....just for one day.

Layla and I went home.  She promptly cuddled up on the couch and went back to sleep.

After her morning nap, we went out to the lake for a walk. I packed a Layla lunchable, complete with turkey, cheese, crackers, apples, fruit snacks and a Capri Sun. I gave it to her about half way through the walk.  She exclaimed,  "mama I'm so happy. " With those words, my decision was validated.

After the walk,  we did a little shopping at my favorite thrift store.  I picked up a few books and a set a candle holders that were calling my name for our new house.

Then we went for a late lunch at our favorite mexican restaurant.

We got home about the same time the kids did.  They got right to work on their homework and I made dinner.  Then we went to the park for some play time.

I picked Grace to from her babysitting gig later that evening. We went to get our eyebrows done.  It was her first time and she took it like a champ! She just kept gushing about how much she loved them!

Today, it's back to work as usual.  The kids were in much better moods this morning and we were on time.  I'm all caught up on my work and it's early afternoon.  I think it's safe to say that day off was definitely worth it!

Spring has Sprung

It's been a long, cold winter but it's finally coming to an end.  We had what I hope to be the last snow storm of the season this week.  Today the temps are supposed to climb near 50 degrees and all the way through next week we are suppose to see sunshine and 60 degree weather.  I'm ready to shake off these winter blues and spring into long walks,  barbecues, bonfires and our new house.

We hit a little hiccup with the close date for our new place.  The sellers are having a house built and their builder is behind schedule. I knew there would be some type of set back with the home purchase, I've just been praying it wasn't financially related. So, this change in closing was kind of a relief.  Although I don't have a date yet, I expect for it to be early April instead of late March.  In the meantime, it's still full steam ahead in the packing and cleaning.  I have already accomplished cleaning out the basement, which was a huge task.  Last weekend,  the kids and I cleaned out and packed up the main level.  The bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and their bedrooms have been decluttered,scrubbed down and everything we won't need over the next few weeks has been packed.  Alex and Eva were really fantastic helpers in completing this project.  Grace on the other hand spent 45 minutes cleaning off one shelf in the bathroom.  She sort of packed her room, but really left a lot for me to do.  I don't blame her.  Entirely. She does struggle with focus issues and packing and cleaning requires a fair amount of focus. Nonetheless,  I'm pretty satisfied with the progress we've made.

This weekend, I'm focusing on myself.  I took yesterday evening as my "off time". I put on comfy clothes,  ate bad for me food, binge watched netflix and went to bed early.  Today,  I'm hitting the gym after work and making a healthy dinner.  I've been slacking on the exercise the last few weeks and really need to ramp up again.  Even though I was able to wear a pair of jeans that haven't fit since 2013, I know if I fall off the wagon I'll put the near 25 pounds I've lost right back on.  Tomorrow morning I'm heading out early to Eva's last basketball game.  Then to the lake for a hike, as long as the weather cooperates.  To finish off the morning,  I'm getting my eye brows done and picking up a few needed beauty products. Once back home, I'm spending the afternoon rocking out to some tunes while I clean out and pack up my bedroom,  office,  sitting area.  For the evening,  I'm not sure yet.  I'm leaving it open for some spontaneity . Sunday resumes my normal chores of grocery shopping and laundry.

Although there's nothing exciting, per se, on my agenda,  I'm still really excited for the weekend. 

Now,  to get this work day to a close.