Little stinker broke his wrist

Well, it finally happened. Our first broken bone. It happened at tennis lessons. The kids had all just finished stretching, so they were running their lap around the court. An older girl tried to pass Owen at a corner and pushed him in the process. Down he went. He ended up with a chunk of skin gone from the bridge of his nose and a scraped up knee. I had Russ go to the clubhouse to fill a ziplock with ice for Owen's nose. We had no clue about the arm. Owen usually bounces right back when he falls down, but when he wouldn't stop crying we finally clued in that something was really wrong. At that point I felt stupid for icing his face instead of the arm. Once we got Owen to identify where his arm hurt, I immediately started icing it. That's when we left early to go to the ER, but first we had to stop at home because we didn't have Owen's medical card with us. By the time we were actually on our way to the hospital, Owen was sound asleep in the back seat. I kept checking his arm and his wrist was only slightly swollen. So there we sat in the car not knowing what to do. We finally called our on-call pediatrician. He told us if Owen was comfortable and his arm wasn't looking disfigured, he could see him in the morning and send us for x-rays. If the result was a broken bone, then he would refer us to a orthopedic doctor to set and cast the arm. He suggested we wrap it in an ace bandage for the night and give him some ibuprofen for the pain. Since Owen was sleeping comfortably, we chose to do that.

The next day was a busy doctor day! We had the wrist wrapped in a splint and sling at the pediatrician's office, followed by the x-rays and ending with a cast at the orthopedic doctor. He was so brave at each appointment, too. He didn't cry once, even when the doctors poked at his wrist. Luckily, Owen slowed down a bit and was pretty gentle with his arm most of the day. It was obvious that he was doing his best not to bump it. Once the cast was on, though, all bets were off. He was banging the cast on a table at Cookie's Drive In saying, "See? It doesn't hurt!" 4-6 weeks of that. Thankfully we payed the extra money to have a waterproof cast put on. Now he can take a shower and still go swimming. He's got to be able to do something since tennis, bikes, and scooters are out until he regains his grip...well tennis and bikes anyway. He's already decided there is no way he's giving up the scooter. :)

Breaking News! Blog being updated!

Instead of writing a mini novel to catch you all up on our lives, here is the semi-quick run down:

• The school year began and ended successfully. Brandon finally found a best friend and became far more social that he's ever been. He did well academically and even excelled in math. He had a wonderful teacher. Mr. Myers was so great, I have a hard time believing we will ever run into a better teacher. It was very difficult to say good-bye to him.
• Dylan participated in a pilot Early Kindergarten program at a local school. It is a 2-yr kindergarten program for kids who are old enough for kindergarten, but just aren't ready academically or socially. Dylan just bloomed under Mrs. Lehman's love and guidance. We had our doubts that Dylan would learn anything at all, but his teacher's Waldorf teaching method really worked for him. Dylan is ready for kindergarten and is a very confident kid now. Dylan even found himself a best friend, as well.
• I did quite a bit of volunteering at both schools this year. While I often didn't have the time to spare, I was glad that I was able to help in the classroom and get to know all the kids, as well as the teachers.
• This was Dylan's year of introduction to organized sports. So far he's loved everything he's tried: soccer, t-ball, swimming and tennis. He is very talented and learns quickly. He gets so excited that you often see him bouncing up and down because he can't contain himself. It's pretty darned cute.
• Brandon is continuing to play baseball, and has started swimming and tennis as well. While he enjoys himself, he's more interested in the social aspect of each sport more than anything else. For him, winning is a bonus, not a goal.
• Owen has joined swim team with his brothers. Practices started May 2nd, and he is finally kicking, using his arms and trying to breathe. Hoping he will actually try to do all that in the next swim meet, rather than hang onto his helper hitching a ride to the other end of the pool. He has also started taking tennis lessons with his brothers. He does surprisingly well for being only 4 years old.
• Russ eased himself into coaching baseball this year. He really wanted to be a helper at practices, but somehow ended up being one of the coaches. While he knows little about the baseball, he knew enough to keep practices going and help out on the field during games. He enjoyed himself, and Brandon just loved having his dad being that involved in his sport. It took much more out of Russ than he thought, so he's not so sure he wants to do that again next year.
• We joined a swim and tennis club so all the boys could participate on swim team. We are so happy with that decision. The boys are learning water safety and having fun in the process. Although, they are not happy having to get up so early for swim meets. Brandon's best friend, Tommy, is also a member and on swim team, so we'll be seeing a lot of him and his family this summer. Good thing all the boys get along and we really like his parents.
• Speaking of this new family we are friends with, we are finding that we are spending quite a bit of time together doing things we don't typically do, like going to the drive-in, hitting balls at the driving range (kids too), having dinner together and going out for frozen treats.
• The boys have discovered the public library in McKinley Park. They each have their own library cards and get so excited to find new books or movies they can borrow. Brandon had a very hard time with his reading comprehension this last year, so I have high hopes that this ability to control what he takes home will spark his interest in reading at home more.
• Russ & I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this year. We'd been planning for years to go back to where we got married, but it just didn't work out. Instead we tried to make it special by doing things we don't normally do together, so we went out to a late breakfast and played some tennis. After a long nap, we went out for a sushi dinner. Our mom's were kind enough to keep the kids a couple of nights, so we didn't have to worry about school drop offs or pick ups or baseball practices.
• The boys have been asking to go to the beach for many months now. Diane made that possible for them last month. We took them out of school for a few days so they could play and build forts on the beach and hang out at the Boardwalk. They got their fix and so did we.
• Because the boys are just learning to swim, they can only participate in home meets and they swim with a coach during their "race". Their very first swim meet was in the pouring rain. I swore they were going to have such a bad experience that they would never want to come back again. I was dead wrong. Despite shivering and being miserably cold out of the water, they loved the swimming and the hanging out with friends between races. Looks like we will be involved with swim team for many years to come.
• I created a yearbook for Brandon's 2nd grade class. I worked on it for 2 solid days. Once I saw the finished product, I was so happy that I worked as meticulously as I did. The printed version turned out better than I thought it would. I would love to do it again next year...well, only if I'm able to work on it throughout the year. That 2 day cramming just about killed me.
• The last week of school was a crazy busy time. Brandon and Dylan's classes had so many special events that we were not able to attend all of them. Between Russ & I we did our best to rearrange our work schedules so we could be there for as many as we could. The boys ended the year with a bang and can't wait for school to start all over again. They both admitted they are going to miss their friends this summer, but they are looking forward to sleeping in.
• Brandon had his first sleepover at his best friend's house. He says he and T stayed up so late, they went to sleep when the sun came up. I seriously doubt that, but I'm sure it felt that late to him. He really enjoyed himself and can't wait to have his friend stay with us.

Ok, that was a mini novel, but there was a lot to be said I guess. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this writing over the summer...

Dylan's new adventure

Dylan recently finished his first year of soccer. He LOVED it! He was a bit timid at first. He wasn't sure he'd be able to do it. After his very first practice, though, he looked at me, eyes shining and said, "I can do it!" He was so proud of himself and finally realized that he really is a big boy now. Practices were so much fun for him.

The day of his first game, we drove over to the school, and he completely freaked out. He didn't want to play at the school in front of all those people. He wanted his first game to be at the park where he practiced with only our parents. He flat refused to play in the game. Afterwards he said he didn't want all those people to see him. Way too scary! I told him that all those mommies and daddies weren't there to watch him play, they were there to see their own little boy or little girl play. Once Dylan determined that no one was going to see him play, he willingly walked onto the field for game 2. When he wasn't chasing the ball, he was jumping up and down because he was so excited to be playing. It was down right adorable.

Dylan had a fantastic season. As the weeks flew by, Dylan blossomed and naturally gravitated towards defense. That was kind of a shocker because he started the season out strong on offense. He was an awesome defender charging at anyone who came near him and the goal. It didn't matter how big the player was, Dylan only saw the ball and made sure it was going the opposite direction when he was done. I've never seen Dylan happier.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving was the last game of the season. Dylan was quite upset he wasn't going to be playing soccer anymore. He got over it as soon as we reminded him that he would get a trophy at the team party. That snapped him right out of his funk. He spent the whole party running around the pizza place with all his little friends. So many kids were calling his name, I couldn't help being happy for him. He's changed a lot since this summer. Not all of it has to do with his soccer experience, although it did play a big part.

Santa Cruz with family

Left to right: Owen, Me, Auntie Norma, Britney, Marlyn's husband-Steve, Dylan, Brandon, Cousin Marlyn, Samantha and Russ

We spent some time in Santa Cruz with my cousin, Marlyn, and her family this summer. We spent time at the beach, shopping in Capitola, hiking in the forest, going on rides at the Boardwalk and poking around the wharf. The weather did not cooperate at all. The sun may have been out a few days, but the wind was just horrible. The beach was tolerable behind the wind barricades, although the kids didn't even notice. They played in the ocean and sand for hours. At least we were able to enjoy a little vacation time together. The boys loved that they were able to share their special place with their cousins.

Sisters: my Aunt Norma and mom, Gloria

Love this shot of Sam giving Dylan a piggy-back ride

Second cousins: Brandon, Britney, Samantha, Dyaln and Owen

No more diapers...or so I thought

Well, it took quite a long time, but Dylan was finally out of pull-ups by the end of July. Talk about a LONG hard road to haul with that kid. Once he conquered his fear of "poo on the potty," he was wearing underpants and never looked back. Thank God! I swore he was going to start school still in pull-ups. How horrible would that have been?????

Owen was well on his way to potty training, too. He would have long stretches of doing everything on the potty. Then he wouldn't do so well at all. He wanted so badly to be the big boy, but sometimes playing took precedence over his body's needs. We recently went from wearing underpants to bed to wearing pull-ups...too many mornings of wet sheets. We are almost diaper-free. Really looking forward to that day!

Russ opens his own business

For those who don't know, my husband was laid off from his job of 23 years in December 2008. 3 weeks before Christmas to be exact. A "Happy holidays! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!" kind of moment. It was a horrible time for Russ. It took some time, but it eventually seemed to be a blessing in disguise. While Russ was working, we never saw him during the week because he worked 14-16 hour days. On the weekends we barely spent time with him because he did all the work he never had time for around the house. He lived here, but we rarely saw him. Then he suddenly didn't have the job that took him away from us. The boys got to see him every day. Russ got to see his boys grow and change day after day. It was wonderful. He was bonding with them, and they were completely enveloped in Dad's love and attention.

In the time between then and now, Russ finally accepted the fact that there were no garage door companies or fireplace companies that were looking to hire a salesman. Why would they when no one was building new homes? That's when he decided that he was going to go forward with opening his own company. It's been slow and difficult, but he's finally done it. The jobs have been slow in coming, but what work he's been able to drum up has been good. He's building his reputation slowly through these clients. The folks he's worked with just love him for his honesty, knowledge and work ethic. He's probably one of the few businessmen that is interested in getting to know his customers. He walks away with people telling him time and again, that they will pass his name on to their friends. I'm proud of him, and I'm doing my best to help him succeed.

Last Swimming Lesson

Dylan, Brandon and Owen with Amanda

I got to be at the boys last swim lesson. They did such a fantastic job learning to swim. Brandon was swimming across the pool unassisted and retrieving items from the bottom of the deep end. He was so proud of himself and loved that I was there to see it all.

Dylan was working on his kicks and scoops. He was nearly there swimming on his own. It was a coordination thing that he needed to continue working on. He for sure will be swimming by next summer.

Owen looked at swim lessons as play time. He did more playing than actually learning to swim. The plus side was that he was completely comfortable in the water, and that is really half the battle.

The boys loved their few weeks of lessons and look forward to seeing Amanda again next year.

Lots of writing to be done

Feeling bad that I have not written since July, but the motivation to keep up on the writing has been lacking. Never mind the lack of time now that I'm working so much. I'm going to try to do my best to write about the little things that have happened between my last post and now. I do apologize about being a horrible blogger.

Swimming Lessons

The boys have been taking swimming lessons the last couple of weeks. Brandon went from being a non-swimmer to swimming across the pool by himself and grabbing a toy from the bottom of the deep end. He is clearly proud of himself.

Dylan has also begun swimming on his own this week. He tells me, "Mommy, I'm doing my scoops and kicks like this," and shows me while standing up. He is also very proud of his progress.

Owen is still swimming with a swim noodle, but he shows no fear of the water. He's proud no matter what he does.

I haven't been able to go to swimming this whole week due to my deadlines at the paper. Completely bummed, but my saving grace is that our swim instructor has an opening at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. They can show me everything they can do now instead of just telling me.

Dylan scooping and kicking to Amanda

Owen jumping in with Amanda

Brandon showing off his swimming skills

Photos taken by Diane Fuller, aka Grandma

Independence Day

River Park 4th of July Parade

We had a very busy 4th of July. We joined in the neighborhood parade this year. We actually had to force Brandon to ride his razor and there was no talking Dylan into anything other than riding in a wagon. Owen was the only one on board. He couldn't wait to ride his bike in the parade. We decorated everything in red, white & blue flag garland and pinwheels. Everyone ended up having a great time. My crazy mom chased us down the street snapping pictures like a paparazzo. She actually got some good shots that I'm thankful for.

Dylan was the only one who played until the thing broke

The rest of our day was spent hanging out at the house. Russ BBQ'd all day, the boys played on the slip n' slide and the rest of us watched until they broke it. I think it lasted an hour. They were pretty bummed. As it got hotter outside, we talked the munchkins into watching a movie, so we could all enjoy the air conditioned house. Napping, munching and general relaxation was had by all but Russ who was still BBQing. Once he was done though, we ate until you had to roll us away from the table.

When it finally started to get dark, we all crowded across the street for the annual 4th of July dessert potluck and fireworks show. The first loud pop or crack, sent Owen running for safety within the confines of our home. My mom trailing after him. He did not want to watch much more than a movie at that point. Brandon & Dylan were in full participation mode: doing the sparklers, checking out the fireworks table, picking out the fireworks they wanted to see next and eating tons of yummy desserts. We actually weren't able to pull Brandon away this year to see the big Cal Expo display. He was having too much fun.

Owen's brief view of the fireworks

Dylan & Brandon loved it all!