ER trip #2

Tonight was #4's turn.

Playing tackle football with his brothers, #4 got the ball and quickly got tackled. Not normally a problem but this tackle was right onto a rock which either went through his lip or made him bite through his lip. Either way, Mr. Wiedz took him to the ER. 4 hours, a couple hundred dollars and some glue later they're on their way home.

Poor guy.

She's Eight

Eight years ago we welcomed our wonderful #1 to our family. To say we were ready would have been an understatement, we'd been waiting and wishing and crying and hoping and praying for over 2 years by the time she came. But to say we were amazed at the love we felt, amazed at how tired we were, amazed at how unequipped we felt for the job would have also been accurate.

Mr. Wiedz and I had moved to central California right after finding out we were expecting #1 in the winter of 2000. Mr. Wiedz worked his dream job as an assistant golf pro at Pebble Beach Golf Links and I had a job also working for the resort in the reservations department. We'd found a great doctor who didn't mind that our insurance wouldn't start until middle of the way through my pregnancy and did all the birth preparation classes and hospital tours. We were ready.

Grammie (my mom) decided she just couldn't stand to possibly be there in time so she flew down about a week before my due date. We had a fun couple of days showing mom around before my doctor's appointment on Friday. At that appointment the doctor stripped my membranes and said "see you this weekend". After that we stepped up our preparations a notch.We had the car seat installed at a car dealership, bought window screens, went out to lunch and made sure my hospital bag was packed. Mom treated me to a pedicure at the Pebble Beach Spa while Mr. Wiedz hit the actual Pebble Beach Links. He thought it would be awesome to get to say he was golfing on Pebble Beach when I called to tell him I was in labor.

At the end of my pedicure (4PM) I felt a contraction. When we paid I felt another one. At the car, there was another. Mom noticed at that point and we started keeping track. We called Mr. Wiedz awhile later when the contractions weren't stopping although they were still 12 minutes apart and so there was no reason for him to come home yet. Mr. Wiedz returned after a fun afternoon on the golf course and we spent the rest of the evening going on walks, resting, wandering around, breathing and anticipating. At 4:15AM we headed to the hospital. My doctor came at 8AM and broke my water. I spent the rest of the afternoon in labor. And at 4:08PM Saturday the 7th of July, 2001 our sweet #1 came into the world!

Mr. Wiedz and I are always suggesting that we bottle the kids. Not let them grow anymore. Keep them at this perfect age! It has become a great family joke. I have loved #1 at 7, she's so much fun. She talks SO much (though she comes by it so naturally she can't be blamed), has great ideas (she'd make a great only child so she could execute all the ideas that take too much time or effort to do with all these siblings), she tries to be helpful and kind but these little brothers are so much a thorn in her side at times that she really just needs to learn to trust the Lord to cultivate that kindness and patience in her life.

Eight should be great! I can't wait!

The first of many, I'm sure!

This past weekend we went camping at a cabin Mr. Wiedz has been helping his best friend build for the past year. The cabin's final inspection was coming up and the guys had a couple outside things to do but, inside was safe for kids to be in the cabin. The loft had a railing. The tools were put away. The floor was done. It was warm. So the inaugural family weekend came and we packed up for a fun weekend in the woods. I'll blog about the actual trip later.

Today I have a different story.

After we got to the cabin on Friday we played outside, exploring the surrounding woods. I'd gotten myself HOOKED on the "Twilight" series and was into book 2 for our drive. So I mostly followed the boys around with my book and a camp chair so I could watch them and read at the same time. About 11:30-12:00 I decided that since it was trying to rain so much the boys and I would go in and I'd see if a bottle would get #4 to fall asleep.

I brought the Lego's in for the big boys (#1 was riding with our friend's wife and daughter after swim lessons that morning so she wasn't there yet) and went back out to get the milk from the cooler. When I came back in #2 was on the floor in the hall screaming. Now it is important to realize that I often come back into a room to one of my children screaming. #2 in particular. It is his natural first reaction to scream like the devil is chasing him when one of his siblings does something to him. For all I could have known #3 could have smacked him.

It didn't take long for me to come to the conclusion that #2 had fallen out of the loft and landed 9 FEET below on the floor.

After about an hour of asking him to move each finger, wiggle his toes, searching him head to toe, getting him to calm down and having many discussions about going to the Burns ER we decided that his arm was the most hurt but that it seemed sprained or bruised deeply. I made him a sling from a t-shirt and gave him Tylenol.

After a few more days of camping we came home and #2 was still in a lot of pain. We noticed that he couldn't do certain things like pull up his pants or put on his shoes. We decided that it was necessary to get some x-rays of his arm and really know what was wrong.

I took him to the Dallas ER and after x-rays and a short visit from the doctor we had this.

And yesterday a visit to our family doctor, the result:

Both of the bones in his wrist are cracked. 4 weeks in a cast. Our first broken bones!

We are thanking God everyday that He spared us from all the other injuries that could have been the result from that fall. The Dr. just shook his head over and over. The Dr. also told me to keep #2 from running, riding his bike, jumping, or anything else that could cause him to fall. I reminded him that we were talking about a 5 year old boy in the summer! He just smiled! How nice.

His arm is doing well and the pain is gone. He's already complaining about the cast and wanting it off. He also asks a lot for toothpick so he can reach the itchy place.

It is going to be a long 4 weeks.

I know I have a blog.

I'm just too tired.

Tomorrow.

I promise.

Always a duck!

Remember this:

This weekend was the culmination of all the work, and stress, and late nights, and cranky days of homework.

Mr. Wiedz has three more classes to take (1 on campus, 1 independent study, and 1 on-line) but walked in the graduation ceremonies on Saturday.

We had a nice day celebrating and taking in all the moments that this meant to our family. The Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) program ceremony started at 10AM. It was a simple time with a few comments from the professors that run that department and all the graduates stood to be recognized in their program. The rain threatened to make the ceremony very quick but it held off. It made the air feel even more special, the grass and the moss a little greener and the trees drip.

After that ceremony we walked to a campus pizza place that Mr. Wiedz had wanted to get back to. We were the first ones there which was AWESOME and the kids could run around and play video games and we didn't have to worry about other people. Lunch was wonderful too. Mr. Wiedz remembered Pegasus Pizza from when we were in college in the early 90's and it was as delicious as he remembered. I had wanted to have a picnic on the campus somewhere but this was so much better.

After lunch we started walking back toward where the next ceremony was to take place. We first walked to the Knight Library and showed the older kids what a beautiful college library looked like. I even showed the boys the card catalog because I think it is so cool they still have them set up. The smell of a card catalog is undeniable.

The School of Architecture and Allied Arts held their ceremony and the sun had come out! #4 took his nap after we got our seats and were waiting for the ceremony (an hour!). I held him across my legs and held a scarf up to shade his face from the bright sun. It was a short nap but any amount of sleep I figured was a gift! Mr. Wiedz and all the graduates marched in a were seated by program. There was a couple speeches then they called each graduate across the stage and gave them their diploma cover and shook hands. After all the graduates were announced they moved their tassels and were graduated!

It was all so fabulous to witness. Such a big deal to be a part of. Finishing his degree has been a life-goal for Mr. Wiedz and he got to participate in the ceremonies which really brought the whole thing together. I'm proud of him for sticking with it (this last term almost got the best of him and us) and excited about what he can and will do in the future. He can do anything that he puts his mind to.

Some tresures

We've been finding all sorts of great bugs/critters around lately. #2 is chief critter finder. He also wants to know about the bugs/critters he finds. We've been using google and wiki answers.com to find information with little success. He really needs a field guide. I remember having butterfly and seashell identification books when I was little. They were pocket size and so beautifully illustrated. That's what #2 needs only for bugs with legs, caterpillars and snakes and slugs.

:: periwinkles found at the creek

:: some green catterpillar we couldn't identify

:: a slug I found on the deck the other night and photographed to show

:: a fuzzy catterpillar

:: another fuzzy catterpillar found at the lake on our trip to Florence

I need this one.

Summer Reading

Today I pulled out our summer books for our basket.

Quite awhile ago I read a Soulemama post about having seasonal books arranged in a basket. I store our books between seasons so it is a fun surprise and like finding a treasure when it's time to get them out again.

When I gathered the summer books I realized that our pile is very skimpy.

Here's the titles we have so far:

• Graduation Day Is Here by Grace Maccarone
• The 10 Best Things About My Dad by Christine Loomis
• My Daddy and Me by Amy Sklansky
• America the Beautiful

See. Skimpy.

Please leave some recommendations in the comments. I'd love to pump up our summer reading.

We are going to the library today and I'm armed with a list I made from some of my fave blogger's lists. And, I hadn't thought of this before, I'll be taking along the Sonlight catalog I got to look for some titles from their lists for #2 and #1.

#2 is really starting to take off in his reading and I'm hoping to use the summer months to get him to a little more independent stage. If anyone has grade-school aged kids Barnes & Noble is offering a free book for their summer reading program. #1 is going to work on that, she's already finished a Nancy Drew book (I haven't even read any of these) and just started The Boxcar Children last night (be still my heart, I loved that book when I was her age)!