Lucy Lately

In Lucy's few short weeks of being two she has managed to keep us on our toes.  We did some intermittent potty training over the last few weeks but things were so chaotic and we so were here and there that it was almost impossible to make any progress.  I decided that the Monday after the girls started school we would hit it hard.  Monday came and we made some progress until we had one major set back I assumed would slow us down.

While having dinner with our company Lucy took a tumble off the kitchen chair and hit her head on the tile.  I quickly scooped her up and ran to my bedroom so her crying wouldn't interrupt the conversation.  She cried consistently hard for a long time and would not settle down so I knew something more serious had to be wrong.  I was worried about her head but she started pointing at her wrist.  I finally took a good look at her arm and realized it was looking bowed. Jared and I decided we needed to head to the walk in clinic to have it checked out.  We felt bad hurrying our company out the door but of course they understood.  

At the clinic the Doctor confirmed little Lucy had a broken arm.  Moving her hand around for x-rays was nothing compared to the pain of having her arm reset.  She screamed while Jared held her and I stood in the hall pacing the floor and feeling like I would trade places with her in an instant.  She was put in a temporary cast and given a sling to wear until Friday.  

On Friday she was put into her permanent cast that she will wear for the next four weeks.  We lucked out and the Dr. feels like since little bones heal so quickly she could have it removed at four weeks instead of six.

If I didn't know any better I would think that little gal has never known the joy of having  two fully functioning arms and hands.  Unfortunately the break is in her dominant arm (the right side) but she is adjusting wonderfully.  She absolutely refuses any help from us and gets along beautifully.  Eating was a challenge the first day but she's got that down pretty well now.  Now the real challenge is finding something to wear that will fit over that darn cast!  Around here we don't do sleeveless but have had to make an exception for Lucy.  It's sleeveless or it's shirtless.

With all of that excitement she managed to conquer potty training and I'm happy to say we are now diaper free in this house! 

In July

Well, we survived another summer break.  My goal was to have a television-free summer and we did it!  We spent many hours outside playing in the water, taking Ranger rides, doing science experiments, cooking up all kinds of fun things in the kitchen and lots more.

Including celebrating Grandma Hatch's birthday in July.

A few days later we celebrated Lucy's second birthday.  Her new Schwin trike was the hit of the night.  Her legs are still just a tiny bit too short to pedal but that doesn't stop her from scooting around the lawn.

 

So far two has proven to be quite exciting for Lucy.  She did quite a number on my leather couch with a seam ripper just a few days after turning two.  She put 11 lovely rips and tears in my loveseat.  The rest will follow in another post.

School Days

I really don't know what to say about the first day of school other than there were tears involved and they weren't shed by either of the two girls.  They came from the biggest girl in the house.  Lucy and I are learning to adjust to the quiet around here and look forward to 2:20 when we pick the girls up and we're all happily together again.

This year Addie is in second grade and has Mrs. Flake.  Her best friend Brooklin Austin is in her class again this year.  The other day Addie told me that every morning when her and Brooklin meet on the playground they say "it's hot out here because we're out here and we are hot!"  I told her she was banned from saying that anymore until she could tell me what it means.

Kimber is in afternoon Kindergarten and has the same teacher Addie had, Mrs. Davis.  Her friend Rylie Muder is in her class and they have quickly become best of friends.  Everyday I get the scoop on who did what and all the exciting news Kindergarten can produce.  The other day she said, "mom, guess what!?  Rylie Soloman can whistle like a WOMAN!"  

Remember this?  Well it's happened again.  For the first two weeks of school all Kindergarteners wear a lanyard stating whether they ride the bus or get picked up.  The other day I glanced at Kimber's lanyard and shook my head.  How many ways can I pick her up?

All I can say is Addie turned out okay and doesn't seem to have been affected by Mrs. Davis' lack of grammar skills. 

Summer is here!

Has it really been almost three months since my last post?  Yeesh!  It's been a very busy few months to say the very least but Heather told me I better post something or else.  I guess I better start in March....

Addie went to the funnest birthday party ever.  She came home looking like this-

That same weekend we had a girls day sans Lucy.  I took Addie and Kimber shopping to a few cute boutiques in Show Low then we had lunch at their favorite little Italian joint.  We followed that with a little more shopping.  It was a great day.

After our day of shopping we headed off to Addie's school to play on the playground.  When we showed up Addie refused to get out of the Ranger because she was afraid she was getting caught by the principal and it would mean major trouble.  I was eventually able to talk her into it and guarantee her she would not get in trouble.

Back in February and early March I gave my girls tickets to the Hale Theater in Gilbert to see Rapunzel.  They were so excited and I'm happy to say it was worth the wait.  We took my nephew Cooper and in place of Kennedy (who had the Chicken Pox) my niece Kayla came along.  We had a ball!  The play was so tastefully done and was good for kids as well as adults.  The kids loved talking with the characters after the play.

Onto April-
We randomly ran into Jordan and Nichole that same weekend and I had to snap a few pictures of their sweet baby Michelle.

Annie also went to one of her Prom's.

We got home and spring had sprung!

 A few weeks later the girls and I headed back to the Valley to be with my Grandma.  It's the strangest thing but she teeters on the verge of death and then bounces back for a few days.  I figured I better not waste any precious time with her so we spent a few days helping my mom take care of her.  The picture below was taken after Heather and I got her up and out of bed for the first time in days.  She wanted to go outside and loved soaking up the sunshine.  Heather and I decided to sneak some pictures with her.  Can you tell by her face that she had no idea she was getting her picture taken?

It was a huge suprise but while we were outside her brother, Dick, showed up.  They rarely get to see each other but since she wasn't going to last much longer (ha!  She has proved us wrong again and again) many people were gathering to see her.

Oddly enough just a few weeks after their visit Aunt Vera, Dick's wife, passed away.  It shocked me because I had just seen her and served her a plate of cottage cheese with peaches.  No one expected Grandma to outlive her!

I got a kick out of that lady.  I helped her out of the car and wheeled her to Grandma's porch and I'll tell you what, it was work.  That lady was solid.  I don't know how Uncle Dick managed to take care of her like he did.  I had a good talk with her about the hat she was wearing.  She gave it to Dick for Christmas many years ago and it got left in the back window of the car for a long period of time.  When they finally retrieved it it had shrunk and no longer fit him so she started wearing it and boasted to me about how many people have offered to buy it but she never would.  What a woman.

I am so grateful I got the chance to spend some good quality time with Grandma.  I have so many fond memories with her and this trip was no exception.  

Fast forward a few days.  For months and months the girls have been begging me to get my wedding dress out.  Finally one Sunday afternoon I let into their pleas and let them try it on.  I quickly grabbed my camera and figured I better snap some pictures of them for future use.

I'm seeing these in a wedding video someday-

In early May Lucy caught a nasty flu bug.  That poor baby was throwing up for a week.  It was so sad to watch her crash on the couch through out the day.  

Kimber was the only other one who caught it but she lucked out and hers only lasted 24 hours.

T-Ball and Little League started in early May and boy, it's been a doozy.  I don't know how parents can commit to so many extracurricular activities.  I have two kids to run to practice and they only have one game each per week.  I would be lying if I said I would be said when the season ends.  

Our cousin Lana snapped some pictures of Addie during one of her games and thank goodness because I spend all my time trying to save Lucy from falling off the bleachers or honking the horn and distracting the players. 

It's been really fun to watch the girls improve.  I have to give it to Addie's coach for pushing her and helping her grow.  Kimber has also improved.  She's gone hitting off the tee and  running all the bases until she got home to actually running after the ball when it comes close to her.

Now Lucy.  That girl.  She really keeps me on my toes.  This girl threw this fit-

 When Kimber caught her doing this-

See that cardboard on the ground?  Kimber was smart enough to quickly put it there to catch the drips.  And do you notice the condition of my coffee table?  That is the result of cleaning lots and lots of messes that little mischief makers has made.

At the end of May we took a much needed vacation to Colorado.  We spent a few days enjoying the weather, long rides on the Ranger, sleeping in and having no where to be but together.

On Saturday night we hit the Bar D Chuckwagon for dinner and a show.  Cowboy food is not my thing but the fact that they were so darn efficient made it easier to swallow- both the food and the pricetag- $64 to feed our family.  But it was all worth it as I watched the girls laugh and sing along.

As part of their show they had all the Vets stand and for the first time in my life I felt extra proud since my brother is now considered one of "them."  As we sang a few songs about the United States my heart was full was I was once again reminded that I am proud to be an American.

Kimber snapped about 101 pictures of the guys.  She loved the one that kept falling asleep and snoring as part of the act.

Once the show was over the girls had a ball running from shop to shop checking out the little town.  I'm so glad Jared got a few pictures.  He insisted I get in front of the camera for once.

 Look at this little face.  This can't be the same girl who rubbed craft paint all over the coffee table, can it?

We took a long ride on Sunday and stopped for a few pictures.

We were all sad to see Monday come since we knew it meant packing up and heading home.  But the girls wanted to eek every bit of fun they could out of the trip so they had Jared help them carve their names into a tree-

And played for hours in a fort Jared and his brother built when they were small-

We were all sad to leave and face the fact that we would have to get back to normal- work, chores, everyday responsibilities, getting up early.  But, all good things must come to an end, right?

We also had to get home because I'm a crazy lady who decided to do some summer classes for kids and classes were starting the next week and we had lots to do to get ready. 

Every Tuesday-Thursday throughout June we hold classes for kids Addie and Kimber's ages and it's been a blast.  Tuesday's are arts and crafts and Wednesday and Thursday are cooking.  We made a fun array of crafts and a variety of foods.  All the kids seem to have a great time and it's a little extra cash in my pocket, meaning the girls and I can do something extra this summer since they've worked hard too.

We've also had lots of visitors.  We started off with my nephew Cooper who stayed with us for a few days after we got home from Colorado.  He and the girls played to their little hearts content.  There was picnics, shaved ice, playing in the sandbox, getting wet on the trampoline, lots and lots of Ranger rides and late nights.  My girls don't get to stay the night at friend's or cousin's houses so when they get to have someone stay it's a huge treat and usually results in late nights and early mornings.

We've also made a two trips to the beauty school for some cheap pampering.  The first trip was for pedicures. 

 Once we got to the school I realized the waterproof mascara Kimber was wearing had run and there was nothing I could do.  Looks like she was really concerned, right?

 And this is how Lucy soaks her feet.  It's all about the bubbles.

Once the actual pedi started she was in heaven.  The girls at the school couldn't get over how cute she was and how good she was doing.  Best $2 ever!  The normal price is $5 but "since her toes were so small" they only charged me $2.  What a deal!

We went back a few days later so the girls could get their hair styled.  What a cheap way to have fun and escape the heat for a while.

Congratulations if you made it through the whole post.  It' been one heck of a summer already and there's lots more to come. 

Bug Graduates

It was a long 10 weeks for our family but Taylor finally graduated from Basic Training!

My parents along with Judd, Brigham and Taylor's fiance, Jenn, make the long drive to Oklahoma to attend the graduation.  They had a wonderful time spending time with him on Family Day and for the few hours they had with him after the actual graduation.  I wish our whole family could have made it but there was just no way.  We would have had quite the entourage.  

I've always been proud of my country but never full understood what it meant to be a person who protects our rights and freedoms.  When Taylor started Basic Training I dedicated myself to learning everything I could about what he was going through.  It was so different than I had ever imagined.  I am so proud of his accomplishment.

He is now in Texas at Fort Sam Houston where he will do his Medic traning.  Again, I have researched what his training will entail and know he is going to do great.

Reading Skills

Addie has a serious love for books.  She is one of the top readers in her class!  Right now she is into the Magic Tree House books and will always have a place in her heart for the Junie B. Jones series.

I love seeing her share her love of reading with her sisters.  She will read to anyone who will take a few minutes to listen.  I found her reading Kimber's favorite book to her the other day.  And thank goodness because I am so sick of it!  You saved me on this one, Addie!

Standout Memories

I have so many great memories from my childhood but there some that stand out more than others.  Like the time my mom kept me home from school to take me shopping for new shoes.  Or the times my Dad would take me to Golfland when our school had it reserved.  I went so many times I got earned a Golfland t-shirt!  I try to help my kids create those same memories but I probably won't know if I have succeeded until they are all grown. 

Bedtime for the girls around here is 8:00 but last night I threw our routine out the window and let the girls talk me into making chocolate chip cookies at 8:30.  That's so out of the norm for me but it was so fun.  Addie and Lucy showered while Kimber and I baked in the kitchen.  We were all laughing and having a great time.

It was 10:00 before Kimber finally crashed although Addie fell asleep around 9:30.  That's late for them but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.  We'll be back to normal tonight but I hope my kids look back and remember skipping bedtime to eat cookies. 

On that note I want to remember the time that Addie and I snuck away after Kimber and Lucy were in bed and went to Wal-Mart at 9:30 at night to get groceries.  It was the night before everyone was arriving to celebrate the 4th of July and we were fresh out of everything so it was going to be serious shopping.  It takes about 30 minutes to get to our Wal-Mart and I remember Addie and I singing to the radio and having a great conversation.  We ended up getting home at about 12:30 and after we unloaded all of the groceries Addie was hungry so she ate a bowl of Cheerios.  It was about 1:00 by the time she ended up going to bed.  She has talked about that experience so many times and refers to it as the time she "stayed up all night."

Maybe I don't have to wait until their grow to find out if they remember these things after all.