Christmas 2015

Wow, it's been two years but I think I'll give this a try again.  This is for you mom ;)

I guess I'll start with Christmas 2015...

We had a very uneventful Christmas break this year.  It was mostly spent close to home and included lots of relaxing (not to mention a few power outages due to weather).  We celebrated Christmas with the boys at home on the 23rd, then went to Darren's parents for Christmas Eve and to mom and dad's on Christmas Day.  Darren had to work most evenings during the kids break so we didn't get a lot of time with him but tried to make the most of the time we did have. On the rare occasion that he was home we spent our evenings driving around looking at Christmas lights.  It's our family's favorite tradition and one I hope to continue for years to come.  My mother-in-law mentioned that she couldn't believe Connor still likes to go with us, but I truly believe he enjoys it just as much as we do (in fact, he's the reason I took the boys by myself on the nights D had to work).  I hope he'll never get too cool for these special times!

I didn't get many good pictures but here's a peek into Christmas 2015....

Cale at his class Christmas party

Cale's finished craft from the party before he gobbled it up

getting out decorations 

a stop for ice cream while out looking at Christmas lights

his favorite gift was a $5 gun from the Dollar General (Who knew!?!)

this one is silly

opening his new wallet

making cookies for Santa  (they ate all but ONE!)

making them purdy 

Santa found us

Cale woke up a few hours before his brothers and he patiently waited to open gifts!  What a trooper.

Finally, the brothers are up!!

Ellie waited somewhat patiently as Coby helped open her gift

After opening gifts we sat down and had a breakfast casserole as a family before the kids spent the morning building Legos before heading to Nina and Poppy's house for a late lunch.

loved watching Connor spend the morning helping Cale build his Legos 

opening gifts at Nina and Poppy's (more Legos)

one gift for Connor (a much wanted bat)

Vans, KD's, discontinued Legos and cash for this guy

We had a wonderful Christmas with family, but I sure am glad to be settling back into a routine again.  I'm excited about 2016.  These years are going by WAY too fast and I don't want to look back with regret.  I plan to make the most of it!

goodbye 2013

Last night we said goodbye to 2013.  Overall I can only say good things about the year we had.   It really was such a great year!  If I had to think of the worst thing that happened it's that Darren broke his ankle at work just 7 months after I broke mine!  However, that even felt like a blessing in the end.  He was on paid leave for 3 months and we were able to enjoy tons of family time that we never would've had otherwise.  It was nice for him to be able to slow down and get rested up...now, I'm not sure he'd call it a blessing, but I sure enjoyed having him around more. :)

Last night we partied hard for New Years.  We went out to dinner with Darren's parents then headed home to put on our pajamas.  We had sparkling grape juice (or just "sparkly" as the boy call it) and snacked on egg nog ice cream, pumpkin pie cake, and popcorn as we waited for the clock to strike midnight.  We filled the time with a little Wii bowling...it's a tradition!!!  We had lots of fun and laughs mixed in with a bit of brotherly drama....just the usual New Years Eve around here.  I loved it and wouldn't change a thing.

Here a peak into our CRAZY night {try not to be jealous :)}....

This kid loves to put on my aviators and say, "Hello ladies!"  He's a character.

Action shot

Aviator man bowling

Grrr...D always throws his hand in front of his face when I try to get a pic.  He's a MESS, but I sure do love him!!!

Every now and then Connor would take a break from watching the football game to grace us with his presence. 

Proof that I actually WON a game!  Woohoo!!!!

Cale decided to wear my shoes half of the night.  Soon enough my shoes will actually fit his feet (Connor outgrew them about a year ago and is now caught up with D!)  :(

Well if I can't get a pic from the front I'll settle for the back 

It was a ROUGH night!

Cale and his Panda which is named "Cuddles".  Um, yeah. 

And I leave you with a message from Darren Grumpy Cat.  He's been a prominent fixture in our house for the house these past few months.  I don't know who finds him the funniest, Darren or the boys.  I think it's a toss-up!

back to school:2013 edition

Today is the first day of school...I have a 2nd, 5th and 8th grader.  Yikes!  The boys woke up excited and ready to begin the new school year.  It made my heart happy to see them so excited to go back.  I think it's because our summer was so boring that they were just ready to have something to do!  Oh well.

Of course I wouldn't walk Connor into Middle School because while I do enjoy embarrassing him, I do have to draw the line somewhere!  I also hadn't planned on walking Coby up to his class but he surprised me when he said that he wanted me to.  He didn't have to ask me twice that's for sure!  This is the last year I can do that with him since he'll be in Middle School next year.  Yikes.  I can't even think about the fact that I'll also have one in High School next year.  The years are just flying by.

So, back to Coby wanting me to walk him to class...pretty sure that didn't include him wanting me to take a picture.  Clearly that sent him over the edge. haha

Now my baby Cale tried really hard to have me just drop him off at school.  He wanted NO part of me walking him to his class.  I told him that I was most definitely walking him in.  I know I probably shouldn't have, but come on!  He's only in second grade for crying out loud!  I just had to walk him in.  Sadly it might be the last time I get to.  I'm pretty sure he'll put his foot down next year.

Cale is super excited about school.  He is in a class with very few kids that he knows this year, but I know he'll do fine.  He told me that it doesn't bother him at all.  Out of the three boys, Cale is the perfect one to be in this situation.  He'll have made lots of friends by the end of the day I'm sure.  Plus, he says he'll see his other friends at recess.  No worries.  

I'm looking forward to a wonderful school year!

it's the thought that counts

Today was Cale's parent/teacher conference.  I scheduled it for 3:30 knowing that I'd have some time to kill after picking up Coby and Cale from school but it needed to be early so I could make it to Connor's baseball game (he leaves on the bus directly from school on game days).  I planned on hanging out in the car with the boys until the meeting but the boys reminded me that the book fair was going on....they thought they'd just head over to it while I was in my meeting!  haha....NO way was that going to happen.  I mean I know that Coby would be on his best bahavior, but Cale?  Well, I never know, lil stinker!  So, off we headed to the school library with 20 minutes to kill before my meeting.  We looked and looked and I finally told Cale that I'd buy him an $8 book and I told Coby (who had been off on his own most of the time) that I'd do the same for him.  He told me that he didn't need $8 but that he didn't have his money with him and asked if I would loan him $4 until we got home.  I pressed him to know why and he hesitated but finally told me that there was a flower pen he wanted to buy me for my birthday (which is on Friday).  Melt. my. heart.  I gave him the loan and he was so happy to have bought me something.  The whole way home he told me how he just wanted to make me feel special and that I always make him feel special....he just kept saying that he wanted me to feel that way too!  He told me that I'd have to wait until my birthday for my new pen but that once I got it, he hoped I'd think of him when I used it.  Oh, I love him so!!!!

Coby has voiced a lot of concern lately that I don't get a cake for my birthday.  Tonight I asked him if he'd like to make me one.  He was SO excited!!!!  Cale overheard the conversation and came in to say that Coby should make me an angel food cake (one of my favorite cakes ever!) because I'm an angel.  Haha....FAR from it, but it was cute and sweet for him to say.  That boy should be a politician!!!  He always says the right thing at the right time.

I love being a mom to the boys.  It's the hardest job ever for sure, but I am SO blessed by my little family.  I love that they love me so despite my many failings as a mom.

And so I don't forget...the conference went GREAT!  Cale is rocking school.  So thankful for that, too!

re-entry

This post is really just for me because I don't want to forget....

Yesterday marked my re-entry into the world.  I was given the go ahead by my doctor to both bear weight (with protective boot) and drive once I felt comfortable at the 8 week post-surgery mark (which was 8.5 weeks post-break).  Weight bearing went alright, but I quickly learned that after not using a leg/ankle/foot for so long it just doesn't want to do the things it used to do.  I really thought that I'd be driving the minute I was given the go ahead, but unfortunately my ankle/foot didn't want to do that.  I went out to the car one day to just see how it would feel to sit in the driver's seat and get a feel for the gas/brake pedals.  Sadly, my foot couldn't even press down on the brakes...AT ALL. :(  I cried and cried.  But then I decided to suck it up and do the work necessary to get back at it.  I upped my daily exercises which consist of writing the alphabet in the air with my foot (and I even added picking up marbles with my toes after a little research) and I knew that eventually I'd feel comfortable driving but until then I just needed to suck it up and enjoy my time  tolerate being chauffeured around (MUCH easier said than done).   The boys had a dental appointment yesterday and I knew it was time to give driving a go.  It scared me to death!  I honestly thought about canceling, but I knew it was time....it had been 10 weeks since I had last driven outside the neighborhood (I did take three test drives IN the 'hood just to build up confidence ahead of time).  I was nervous to drive my boys outside the confines of the neighborhood, but deep down I knew that I was ready.  I drove my boys to the dentist and it felt so good.  In fact, it felt so good that we spent much of the day away from home...after the dentist we just ran several boring errands but it was so nice to be able to even do that.  Last night I paid the price with a very swollen and sore ankle but it was worth it.  Being stuck at home for 2.5 months without being able to leave unless someone could take me was really depressing.  Most days I didn't even get out of sweats, fix my hair or put on make-up...what was the point I would tell myself!?!  So it was nice to get out with the boys by myself again and I think the boys loved it too!  Yesterday I felt myself slowly come back to life.

Another first happened today.  I went shopping ALONE (at Sam's Club).  It was the first time in ten and a half weeks since I have been anywhere by myself.  It was so nice and I  think I must've had a smile on my face the entire time I was shopping.  People probably thought I was a little weird but I didn't care!  I felt so free and normal (well, minus the large boot covering half of my right leg!).

Now I have to say that driving is a bit of a pain because I have to wear the big protective black boot (BPBB) out to the car, change into a regular shoe once in the car (can't drive with the boot, but can't walk without it), get to destination and put the BPBB on once again...and on and on.  But, it's SO totally worth it!!!  I'm just thankful to be walking and driving again.  Independence is SO nice!!!  

Next up....I'm looking forward to losing the BPBB!  Hopefully I'll get the go ahead in a few weeks.  I'm learning that there's always something to look forward to. :) 

change

Last night as I got in bed I couldn't help but take note of the fact that I was able to get in bed easily for a change.  I find myself frequently discouraged by the things that I cannot do, but last night I was excited to realize that things are slowly getting easier (I'm three weeks out from my surgery).   Pre-surgery and for awhile after, I had to have Darren hold my splint covered leg in one place and then my ankle as well.  I couldn't even lift it up to my bed without feeling my broken ankle bones.  He had to do all of the work for me and it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt.   It was horrific.  But little by little, things are getting better and I don't want to take it for granted. I've come a long way and today I want to count my blessings...even if they do seem little.

As I laid in bed last night I got tickled as I looked around the room.  My room looks like it belongs in a nursing home.  Here are a few things that caught my eye...

I have to sleep with my leg elevated above my heart.  That takes three pillows.)

I get to sleep with this monstrosity on.  I'm a lucky girl. ha  Cale even asked me the other night where daddy sleeps because he couldn't figure out how daddy would fit in bed with me, the boot and all of my pillows.  There are 7 in our bed...I counted them when I couldn't sleep.

This is what my life has come to.  Crossword puzzles and iphone games.  Blah.  I get SO bored at night because I can't sleep with this big ole boot on, plus my ankle just aches all night long {especially on cold nights thanks to all of my hardware :(}.

One of my favorite things that I see daily are sweet little notes the boys put on my nightstand during the day so I'll be surprised when I go to bed. :)  I am so blessed!!!  The white one if from Cale and the green one is from Coby {it had a sucker attached...doesn't get much better than that!} 

my water {I have never been so thirsty in my life} and daily morning meds {so I don't have to go to the kitchen to get them}  A book is also a must!  I started and finished an entire book two nights ago.  It cured my night time boredom and took my mind off of the pain,  but boy was I tired the next day!

Good thing I'm not much of a T.V. watcher while in bed because if I were my view would be quite obstructed!

my trusty knee walker is always by the bed.  I have to get up many times during the night {it's all that water!}.  My basket carries my magazines, house shoe {not shoe(s) since I only need one.  It hangs out up there because that is one thing that Ellie likes to chew}, chap stick, the rest of my boot that I don't sleep with  and other "necessities".}  And something that is not a change is Ellie all curled up in her bed.  She always sleeps like that. :)

What can I say?  I was bored last night.  This was at midnight...couldn't sleep. :(  

This is probably the funniest change.  If I want to soak in the tub {and when it's cold, I do want to!} I have to cover my right leg with this little number.  Ahem.  You should see it when it's all rolled up.  I laugh every time I put it on but I am SO thankful to have it.

turkey lunch

Darren and I had the privilege of eating with Cale at school today.  I'm sure many other parents wouldn't feel the same, but I love the schools Thanksgiving Feast and actually look forward to eating there.  It was a tasty meal.

Waiting in line...this boy needs a haircut bad!

Cale had to turn a turkey into a community worker.  Of course we had to make him into a k-9 police officer.  Our instructions were that he had to have something on the face and feathers depicting the career.  Thanks to GramPat we came up with this....

Meet Officer Mitt Romney (Cale named him...so funny!)