It seems we have a budding artist on our hands

We have one of those rooms. That useless room at the front of the house that if it was 1920 we'd retire there after dinner with our dinner guests and sip scotch or coffee and listen to classical music. And it would be called a parlor. I don't go in this room everyday. It houses some of the kid's toys, the piano and one or two small pieces of furniture. 

Not just any piano, but the heirloom piano my husbands family passed on to us when Audrey expressed an interest in music. 

This is how I found it the other day:

All 88 keys autographed with pink permanent marker. Scribbles and little "A's" and PERMANENT marker! And since I don't frequently visit this room, it had sat there a few days, making sure the marker was nice and set in by the time I found it. Ugh. 

Honestly, I don't remember what all I said first, but a thousand thoughts rushed through my head.  I finally  asked calmly what happened, and I got the standard three year old answer, "I don't know." And then, she tried to blame it on her 18 month old sister. 

For awhile, I thought we were stuck with hot pink keys forever. She scrubbed and scrubbed, as did I. Until I remembered my Norwex micro hand pads, which are like the magic eraser but without the formaldehyde. They get scuffs off walls and baseboards, permanent marker, etc off hard surfaces. By the time I remembered these, both girls were in their room for quiet time. The marker came off so quickly,  it was borderline fun. I had to remind myself to save a few keys for Audrey. When she woke up from her nap she cleaned the last four keys until there were no signs of little pink markings. 

This isn't her first writing offense. The girl has continuously gotten in trouble the past few months for writing on the ottoman with pen, autographing the dining room chairs, drawing on her sister, and now, the heirloom piano. She is obviously creative and needs a way to channel it. 

Do we normally leave permanent markers within reach? Of course not. Are there any markers at all in her little art caddy? No. Are any and all markers she's ever allowed to play with washable. Of course! She found this marker when we were getting ready for our summer solstice party last Tuesday. I had gotten the sharpie down and laid it on the kitchen island next to the cups to be taken outside when the party started. (No one likes to wonder, "Is this my drink?" ) Sometime in the hour of me getting that down and getting the food ready, she confiscated it, used it, and left it, randomly on the floor. Would my sneaky daughter ever confess? Of heavens no. And I was too preoccupied prepping ice cream and toppings to notice that my marker was missing. 

Like my SIL Gina said, "Maybe one day she'll be a famous artist and you'll laugh at this." 

Regardless, I'm just happy the keys are back to their original form. 

whew! thank heavens for those Norwex pads!

Sarah

A new gymnastics class

This summer Audrey moved up to the "4's" class at gymnastics even though she's only three and a half. This class focuses more on the skills of gymnastics, rather than circuits and listening skills. So far she loves it and her cartwheel is starting to take shape. Other things she's learning: backward rolls, hand stands, front kick-overs and new skills on the uneven bars. Miss Susan teaches this class and she seems to really like her. Allie however is way too anxious to get out on the tumbling floor and learn so she stays home when possible. Chasing after her is too much work for momma.

doing a "lunge". the start of many gymnastics skills

practicing her switch kicking

Miss Susan helping her. She starts with her right foot and in mid-air switches and lands on her left. 

she was so pumped she got her feet up to the bar all by herself.

backward roll

the cartwheel sequence..... 

Sarah

Where to start?

Do you ever get so far behind on something that you don't even know where to begin again? That's how I've been with the blog the past few weeks. So much has happened in our little lives, it's hard to keep up  no less blog about it. Social activities, photo shoots, entertaining, more photo shoots and planning a trip to Disney

I wrote the above paragraph 10 days ago. I'm just now sitting down to finish it. Case and point.

We've been busy. It seems that nicer weather lures us outside until dark and when we come in, it's time for bed. When we haven't been playing outside, we've had head injuries, one resulting in an ER visit, a pergola/patio project that left me a single momma most nights in June, social activities, photo shoots, entertaining, more photo shoots and planning a trip to Disney..... Possibly. More swim and the start of a new gymnastics class for Audrey.  I said that during the summer we wouldn't have to be on a schedule, and here I am, driving my children three days a week to activities. It's June 24th an we have yet to make it to the pool. (Although I did, I think, finally find a swimsuit for such the occasion).

Despite the extra mileage my van is getting and the excessive messiness that has become the inside (the other day we opened to doors and paper flew out all sides! Eek!) we're making memories this summer.

So I'm committing to updating this blog before I get too far behind to ever catch up! But instead of putting it all into one very lengthy entry, I'll separate them. It's much easier that way when I go to make books later. (I blog and then publish it in books, mostly for my girls. It's my fast way of scrap booking).

So I'm not sure what I'll write about first....the ER incident, or the pergola/patio project. Or the night of the tornados or maybe our summer solstice party.....





Sarah

Summer Solstice

A year or so ago our family started the tradition of enjoying ice cream to celebrate the longest day of the year. This year, we made homemade ice cream and invited our neighborhood friends over for our first Summer Solstice party.

Despite the 10 minute thunderstorm with intense winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning in which our guests were ushered into the garage, the party was a success. The storm cleared as quickly as it came and it was a nice (albeit slightly cool) night.

We offered homemade chocolate and vanilla ice cream

and then people added their own toppings; butterscotch caramel, hot fudge, snickers bars, peanut butter cups, m&m's,  nuts, fresh strawberries, brownie, chocolate chip cookies, whipped cream, sprinkles and of course, a cherry for the top.

Best friends, Audrey and Avery. Avery is moving away soon and we are so sad to see her go.

"Weeeeee!"

Sarah

My poor little Allie

She has not had a good week.

It was Saturday night and we were  on our way to the ER.  My shirt and face covered in my daughter's blood. I'm pretty sure I ate some at one point. We left the house unlocked, and the eggs for the cookies Audrey and I had just started to bake out on the counter. Jeremy grabbed a wet paper towel and we climbed into the van faster than we ever have. The cut on her head was deep. My oversized rear tried to squeeze between two car seats in the middle row of the van as I calmed Allie down, dabbing her head with a damp paper towel, as much as she'd let me.  Not only is she bloody, but her eyes and face are so swollen she's hardly recognizable. Again, the hives. Put it all together and she looked like a heavy weight fighting champion. Poor girl.

I've determined that if they see a mother, covered in blood, carrying her 17 month old child, also covered in blood they usher you right back and you bypass the waiting room. Total we spent only an hour and a half of our evening in the ER.

She fell while running across the kitchen and hit her head just right on the tile floor. It looked more like a puncture than a cut. It's not a straight cut. And it bled profusely as I learned, most head injuries do. 

Poor girl. She'd already been fighting hives that started on Wednesday.....

 I thought it was the beginnings of diaper rash or folliculitis, as we're frequent visitors down that road, but never with her. I sighed, but thought, at least I know how to treat it.

Thursday morning she wakes up and in that same spot has developed what I later learned was hives. Raised red masses that look like little lakes all around her diaper area.

Thursday afternoon after her nap she's covered in hives. I call the doctor on call and he tells me to give her Benadryl. 

Friday morning is an already scheduled visit with the pediatrician. I add Allie to the schedule and the doctor confirms she's got hives. He tells me to give her Claritin, or Zyrtec along with the Benadryl at night. he has no idea why she has them and tells me I'll probably never figure it out. (Talk about initializing a challenge to a curious mom). 

Saturday afternoon she wakes up from her nap and her face is swollen. We contemplate a trip to the ER. I call the doctor on call and explain that now her face and eyes are swollen. Again, since she's breathing fine, no need for the ER, just watch her and keep giving antihistamines. And then she fell and our trip to the ER was inevitable.  

The ER doc opted to "glue" her head shut. $600 for super glue that we had for free in the garage. But we all know I'd never take the super glue from the garage and use it on my child. Allie, naturally, did not like being held down under bright lights by strange people, even though I was right there, trying to soothe her. It was close to 8 o'clock and she was tired. They upped her dosage of Benadryl, and said that whatever it is that she's "allergic" to, that she still must be getting exposed. (And her pediatrician's office kept saying it was a virus). 

Monday, another visit to the pediatrician. He gives us steroids for her hives.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they just go away. Her head will heal in time, and we hope, doesn't leave a big scar. Since we already go to a plastic surgeon for her hemangioma, I plan to ask him what he recommends on Friday.

 Friday June 3rd: you can see her hives across her stomach, chest, arms and legs. 

Saturday June 4th, after her nap, before the fall

you can see how swollen her eyes are in this picture.

I did not take any pictures with my camera during this whole head injury incident. I have no idea why.

After we got home from the ER Saturday night, taken with my phone. 

Sarah

Swimsuits, hives and popsicles

Audrey and Allie playing in their pool and eating all natural popsicles one sunny day in June.

Sarah