Helen Ga

Cierra had asked to visit Helen while we were on Spring Break this past week. We drove down (I only got lost 1time going and coming home) with amma and the kids just to have a little break. While we were there we got to play putt putt (one of my favorite games), visit all kinds of little shops, and a train museum. The train museum was phenomenal. There were 2 viewing levels and I'm pretty sure we still didn't get to see everything. The kids are begging to go back when daddy comes home so he can see it too. After walking around a little while we hopped in the car and drove about 5 minutes up to Anna Ruby Falls. Ok so I was nervous driving on the mountain roads but it was worth it. We hiked about 1/2 mile up the side of the mountain to get to the falls. It was a nice hike and the kids noticed many different flowers and trees, as well as a skink eating a worm. Cameron was fascinated with the water flowing down the rock faces from out of 'nowhere'. We didn't make it to the Cabbage Patch Hospital but maybe we can make it the next time we go.

Mysteriously flying frogs

Okay so I have this magnetic book mark with a frog on it. I like it because a frog reminds me to: Fully Rely On God. Anyway, I use it in my Daily Bible even though logically I could just look up the date but I like the frog. SO last night after I finished reading the chapters of the day, I looked for the bookmark to put on the pages. Not laying next to me where I had seen it earlier. Strip the bed and remake to see if it got tangled up. Nope. Check living room, kitchen, kitchen table, computer desks, bathroom, front hall (you get the picture). No frog bookmark. Okay, I surrender. I will look in the morning. So I lay back on my pillow and glance at the ceiling. You guessed it, there stuck to the air conditioner register is my frog book mark. I love kids with imaginations.

Lesson learned.

This one I regret but it was a lesson learned (by all involved). We had driven in to our neighborhood coming home from church and as when came around the (randomly placed) median I looked in the rear view mirror to see Cameron sprawled across the top of the back seat like a cat on a window sill. Well I was fed up with the disobedience of unbuckling the seat belt while I am driving. So I hit the brakes HARD. I should have looked at everyone else in the car before making that snap decision. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Caitlin flying face first into the back of the front seat. My first thought was oh great I probably just broke her nose. I pulled over and walked around the van feeling like the worst parent in the world to check on her. Thankfully God watches out for fools and idiots (and I fit both categories on occasion) so she was fine, in some pain and scared, but fine. I let her sleep with me so that I could keep tabs on her thru the night (just in case). This is where I figure I did my penance because she sleeps all over the bed. Therefore, I slept very little on any of it.

Hail!

So tonight the weather was suppose to include thunderstorms and high winds. The temperature change was so quick that we got hail instead. The kids were watching it out the back door and so we grab a few pieces so that they could hold and see it first hand. Caitlin looks down and in awe says "It's ice, made by God." Corbin pipes in with "Can we eat it?" Leave it to a home school kid. After crunching it around in his mouth his verdict was "It tastes a lot cleaner than normal ice". Cameron's 2-cents: "God makes everything clean, except dirt". Love the logic of kids.

Bad storms & Doctor Visits

Took Corbin today for a follow up from the neck fiasco on April 2nd. Muscle strain is the diagnosis ( figured that but wanted the documentation that I did go back for a check). Dr Shoemaker did want me to bring Corbin back to evaluate the recent change in the way he walks. Corbin has developed a Charlie Chaplin type gait. and his left shoulder is now higher than his right. I'm not worried but would like to know if he's just growing faster on one side than the other. Leave it to him to be different.

Last night there were severe storms that swept thru between 4 and 6 am. I had gone to bed at about midnight and the storm woke me up at about 4. I turned on the news for updates and there were tornado watches and warnings popping up left and right so of course I didn't go back to sleep. I really need to buy a weather radio. So when the storm began to subside around 6:15 I dozed off. Or so I thought. I was solid asleep and missed getting up to at least say good morning to Cierra. I felt terrible. Even though I don't make it up some mornings in time to spend the full 30 minutes with her before she leaves for school, I do try hard to get up and say good morning and "I love you" before she leaves. I was very thankful that the rain had ended in time for her to make it to the bus stop without getting wet. Oh the arrggghh moment of the day: the front windows of the van were open during the storm so the interior of the van is wet and will probably take a couple of days to dry out...

Yay! no cavities

So today was the dentist appointment I was dreading. But thankfully all mouths are currently new cavity free. Cameron still has the old ones hidden by crowns or fillings. All three were troopers and behaved well. Caitlin's palate seems to be way narrow so we're going to "watch it" and see how she grows, which is typically code for "save up we're headed for the orthodontist!" Cameron only has 3 baby teeth left ( I almost cried) and Corbin for once is the normal one. The boys also finished reading their individual books without me having to repeatedly remind them. So all in all, an okay kind of day...

What was that for?

I was sitting in nursery tonight and Caitlin and Denver were sitting at the table coloring. Caitlin got up, walked around the table and hugged Denver. Denver hugged her back then looked at her and said " What was that for?" Caitlin's reply " Because I needed it" Denver ( looking a mite confused) "Well okay". It always fascinates me when random acts of kindness or spontaneous joy confuse other people. Some like Denver take it at face value and go with the flow, where as others have to 'figure it out'. Occasionally I will pay for the order of the person behind me in the drive thru. The kids think this is absolutely one of the funnest things to do, so much that they all spin around in their seats to try and see the reaction as we pull off. Some of the faces have been priceless. So confuse somebody today and show them God thru a random act of kindness.

And the weird continues to happen...

Today I was supposed to go help set up the mad hatter's tea party girl scout event at our church. Well the day took a slight turn at about 8:45am. The boys were upstairs supposedly getting ready to go with me to help. I heard the typical brotherly noises followed by a loud angry scream. At first I thought Cameron had just aggravated Corbin to the anger point so I ignored it. Then the screaming was accompanied by crying. And it continued. So up the stairs I go. Cameron is standing in the middle of the room looking dumbfounded and Corbin is laying face down in the floor holding the back of his neck and otherwise not moving. I asked Corbin to stand up, he attempted to move, screamed and began to cry harder. My next words were to Cameron: "Oh great! You broke your brother's neck." Probably not a fine parenting moment but not unusual for me. So the explanation began and amazingly both boys gave the same version. Corbin was laying on his back on the floor and when he lifted his feet in the air Cameron grabbed his feet and wound up flipping Corbin over, heels over head. Unfortunately Corbin's head didn't roll to the side so all the weight was on his neck when his chin hit his chest.

A few hours and a few x-rays later we were assured there was no damage to the spine or spinal cord. Of course he was going to hurt for a few days. So we stopped by the store to get a heating pad, pain medicine and a reward for not screaming during the x-rays even though they were painful. He chose a Halo building blocks set ( surprise surprise) and was happy to be pampered.

Thankfully the Tea Party turned out fabulous and Missy was able to rescue me (again) by unlocking the building.