Ian's big week

It seems that last week was Ian's big week of events...sorta over shadowed my birthday, but not really caring about turning the big 3-5...in fact, if I could still have my kids and be 10 yrs younger I would.  But this blog isn't about me, it's about Ian.
1. he lost his first upper tooth (his 3rd tooth total). This tooth hung on for a super long time, so long that we started coming up with new nick names for him, like Mator, snaggle tooth, or asking him if he wants to live with his Uncle Sean in Kentucky. I would bribe him to let me wiggle it or to try to pull it.  FINALLY, he laid his in my lap, I grabbed it with gauze and Paul placed his super cold hand on his tummy, he jerked away giggling and out it came.  HURRAY!!!

Mator

finally it's out!!!

2. Ian had his cub scout soap box derby and placed 3rd place!!  He raced his Speed Racer car. (again with the Speed racer)

3rd place for speed

Go Speed Racer, Go!!!

 3. On my actually birthday, Ian participated in his first science fair. it was pretty extensive, they needed a hypothesis, research, data...His was making a battery out of fruit. We thought that the lemon and pineapple would work, while the apple wouldn't.  Well actually we were wrong, only the apple created enough volts to run the digital clock. They all had to present it, and answer questions. At the end, everyone received a certificate, a ribbon and a airplane glider.

There is a budding scientist amongst us

It was quite a few days for Ian, we are super proud of everything he does of course, but when he goes above and beyond the call of duty, our pride overflows.

catch up...again

Not sure why I do this to myself, but it seems I can never be really consistent with posting. It isn't like I don't want to, nor do I not enjoy everyone else's blog, I look forward to others' blogs.  So here goes another blog of make up posts.  I'm guessing I can skip Christmas and go straight for Ian's birthday.  If you really want to hear about Christmas, make a comment and I'll consider it.
Ian did in fact made it to 7...not sure how that happened.  Since he already has enough toys to last a lifetime, and I had zero energy level for a party, and his birthday was the first day back from Christmas break, we decided to just have a family celebration. No complaints from him.   We did take him out to eat at his choice (Cici's pizza) and have a cake.  We then planned to take him bowling with one of his friends, but had to postpone because he was sick.   I cannot tell you how nice it is, not to have to plan a real party with tons of kids.  We don't have the space in the house...I might invite his best school buds to the house during the summer for a post school year party.   More updates to come.

Happy 7th birthday Ian!!!

Ian wanted Speed racer for his cake...my homemade version

Blowing out the candle

snowmageddon

Last Thursday night and into Saturday we had Snowmageddon....about 26 inches of snow. 

Mid morning on Friday

Friday night

Even the cat was getting tired of being inside

Saturday morning

labor of love

Being a stay at home mom...I try to make the things I do for my kids special.  I tend to feel guilty about not being a bread winner or at least help with bring income in.  So when I can, I like to help out in Ian's (soon to be Megan's) school.  For his Winter party (I detest having to say that, why cannot we call it a Christmas party anymore?) I had an idea of making Frosty the donuts...one of those plans that looks better on paper, or at least someone else's website.  Let me back up and say that their party was the first thing in the morning (this is to help support working parents) and knowing that, I thought donuts...breakfasty yet very similar to a cookie.  I cannot have my kid thinking that all school parties are just fruit and muffins. Not that that isn't a good treat. 
okay...so I got the mini powdered sugar donuts, black frosting and used red M&Ms for the nose (Frosty the Snowman has a red nose....look it up if ya'll don't believe me)
Got up extra early, thinking it would probably take me 5 min tops to put a couple dots of frosting and a red M&M in the middle. UMMM NOPE,  I nearly stroked out doing this.  Lesson learned 1) don't try something new right before you need it done 2) frosting doesn't stick easily to powdered sugar 3) wetting the donut helps a lot.
But I did get to use my cupcake holder for the first real time.  The sole purpose of getting it was so I could be the cupcake mama.  Did the kids really care if they all looked the same....NOPE. 

So, what does one do with extra green M&M's?  Wait, no...I have that one covered. ;)

Halloween fun

Carving pumpkins

finished product

Dorthy!!

Tron

rainy day crafts

Since Ian is on Fall break, since it is rainy, and since it is fall....today was a craft day for mommy.  Actually all sewing.  I decided to get adventurous and make my own holiday place mats and make some treat bags for Ian's upcoming class party. 
this is what I made today...

Megan's surgery

10 Days ago my little Megan had her tonsillectomy/ adenoidectomy preformed.  The decision to have it done wasn't the easiest, but we thought long and hard and had several people recommend it.  Knowing that her chronic throat infections, snoring and sleep apnea would be greatly reduced still didn't make having her go under the knife easier.
Thankfully, my parents postponed their annual late summer/early fall trip to coincide with her surgery. I needed a familiar person to take care of Ian.  Paul and I took her in at 8am for her scheduled 10 am surgery.  Megan, not usually eating too early in the morning worked out in our favor...she gladly got dressed in her red tutu. What?!? Don't you dress up for your surgeries?
Once we got into the actual surgery wing, there was a goody bag waiting for her and a large screen TV with tons of movies to watch,  so we settled down and watched "Tangled" while we waited for her turn at surgery.  The staff was fantastic at Parker Adventist Hospital, (it was also nice that they had a moment of prayer for all the patients in the hospital.  I also liked the painting of Jesus with His hands guiding the surgeon)
One of us was allowed to escort her back to the operating room, Paul really wanted to be the one, but we allowed Megan to choose, so she picked her mommy, she was also allowed to bring in her favorite toy and blanket.  Despite her being allowed to choose flavored gas (she chose grape) she freaked and had to be physically restrained why the anesthesiologist cranked up the gas and put her under.  The sight of that brought me to tears, they allowed me to kiss her goodbye, the nursing staff were all giving me hugs and telling me it was okay to cry but she was in good hands.  Duh, as a nurse I knew that, but as a mommy...it was the hardest thing to watch.
I rejoined Paul and we headed out to the waiting area, thinking we had oodles of time, we went downstairs for coffee (for Paul) and a run through the gift shop. I found her a ballerina necklace...gotta ease my guilt some how.
By the time we got back to the waiting area, it was all done...we even missed the surgeon.  They wanted to get us back to her prior to her waking up, well that didn't happen. She woke up terrified, (more guilt) her heart rate was nearing 175bpm, and O2 satting at 95 from crying so hard.
She was pretty much still asleep from the anesthesia.  The nurse moved the bed away and got a chair for me to hold her, once I held her, her rates normalized.  Poor baby, just wanted to go home, we were there for about 2 hrs, she had to be able to keep liquids down and to keep her oxygen level up while sleeping.
At first she didn't want to drink but I told her once she drank the juice she could go home, sure enough that worked.
Once home, she threw up once, that scared me more than it phased her...I think once she slept off the anesthesia she was fine. 
During the next week, the main hurdles we had to deal with was, pain, fever, getting her to drink, and choking on saliva when she slept.
Every day she improves, her voice was a bit off at first, but it's getting back to her normal as time goes on.  Her appetite is improving as well,  she wouldn't eat ice cream or popsicle, she would eat jello.  But as the nurse I talked to, said, drinking was more important than anything else.

Wearing her red tutu for surgery

this is a copy of the picture outside the surgery center, I didn't get a chance to take one with my own camera.

all gowned up

Cobbler even got a hat

mommy in her bunny suit ready with Megan and Cobbler

Megan, right after surgery, very swollen and groggy

resting at home, she wanted to go downstairs to be with the family so we made a little couch bed

after surgery, the nurses made cobbler look like megan

getting her color back

guilt gift, aka get well gift from mommy and daddy

All the thoughts, prayers and well wishes were truly felt, she is doing much better, and we pray that this will help her immensely.  Our biggest reassurance came from the surgeon, she said, "we were here for the right reason, her tonsils were big and her adenoids were HUGE"