Massive Update

For Michelle and Beth:

I know, I know...It's been a while. I have way too much on my plate for any sane person. Guess that means I'm not sane, right? Here is the quick version of my blog updates.

July 28-29

My friend Julie and I took our daughters to the American Girl Store in Chicago for their seventh birthdays. Brooklyn and Avery opted for a road trip, a stay at the Hilton Suites, and a day in little girls' paradise(aka the AG Store)instead of a birthday party. I'm truely not sure which would be more expensive! We had a wonderful time! We did some shopping, toured Navy Pier, ate at Gino's, and wandered the store. Twenty-four hours in Chicago is definitely not enough, but I could do without the traffic.

August 1

Brooklyn's dance team performed at the Union County Fair. Big time! Brooklyn waited 3 years for her class to be selected to dance on the big stage.

August 5

Brooklyn's dance team's 'end of the year' party. Played, danced, canoed, received the coveted "competition team" trophy.

August 11

Brooklyn asked for a trip to Libby Lu's from her Oma for her birthday. Unfortunately, the glitter infested store has spritzed its last giggly customer. The Polaris mall just opened a close sibling so we visited Sweet & Sassy for a spa day. The diva for the day had her hair cut, mini mani and pedi, mini facial, makeup application and hair style. Brooklyn loved all the attention!

August 25

Brooklyn started the second grade.

I haven't even uploaded the pictures of Xavier's first day(September 12th) because of this...

We purchased a forclosed property at the sheriff's auction on August 4th. We have been getting our current home ready for sale(it's already in contract. Yahoo!) and muddling through piles of paperwork, boxes, etc., to get ready to move. The new house is twice the size of our current house and on two acres in the country...all for close to the price of our current home. It will be beautiful when we fix the cosmetics. I'll post more photos when I have more time. Maybe 2011?

Pop Starz

Brooklyn attended a week-long Pop Starz dance camp where they learned dances to Hot and Cold, Tell Me Something I Don't Know, and the Hoedown Throwdown. It was a hoot! As usual, Brooklyn's favorite day was Friday when they got to dress like pop stars and perform for the audience.

Reunited

Andy's mom's family hosts a reunion every year. It rotates houses from Indiana to Texas, Ohio to Phoenix, with an occasional Wisconsin thrown in. We rarely make it to one outside of the midwest. This year, the reunion was held at Andy's parents' house. It was wonderful to catch up with family we hadn't seen in a few years and meet some new faces.

Marysville's Best Kept Secret

During the month of July, we joined the Bautsch family on some of their park adventures. When Julie invited us to meet her at the Allen Township park, I wasn't sure I remembered the park even existed! We ventured a few miles out of town to join her at the best park I've been to in quite a while! The park had a beautiful covered bridge, swings, climbers, sandboxes, a walking path, tunnels, and multilevel slides. It was awesome! After lunch and some playtime, we headed next door to visit the fire station. The firemen were above and beyond helpful and friendly. They took the kids on tours through the trucks, let them sit in the driver's seat, and showed them all the equipment. The kids were in heaven! Little did we know, we'd be bidding on a house just down the street in a few weeks. Amazing!

A Month of Fundays

Between two vacations and two weeks of Honda shutdown, we've had our share of good times this summer. While Andy was home and not working on our yet-to-be-finished bathroom we ventured out to the zoo and the Powell splash pad. We saw the baby elephant, visited the lions, and were transfixed by the manatees. I love watching Isaac discover each of the animals just as much as the other two kids. It never gets old! The splash pad was fun, but chilly. We spent most of our time at the playground. I have realized that my greatest happiness is when my family and I can enjoy all of God's and man's creations together.

Dublin Spray Park

My mom and I took the kids to the spray park this summer. It was Isaac's first experience with the Bunny Hill. He slept through half of it! The kids ran through the fountains like maniacs. Brooklyn was concerned because she was stung by a bee there when she was 3. I really think she is part elephant. She doesn't forget anything! Xavier thought it was hysterical to hang his bum over a low fountain and wait to get sprayed. Boys...I don't think I'll ever understand.

July 4th

We started the day with the fabulous Marysville parade. Brooklyn walked the parade route with her dance team while Xavier and Isaac gathered candy. By the time evening rolled around, it was raining and yucky. We had to improvise on our usual s'more and fireworks tradition. We made patriotic sundaes before we left for the fireworks, changed the kids into their PJ's, grabbed our umbrellas and headed off to the fireworks. Isaac was asleep before we arrived and Xavier fell asleep under his umbrella during the show. It was a great day!

Norris Lake

Each year, we travel to Norris Lake in Tennessee for a week of boating, fishing, swimming, and relaxing. It's always a wonderful getaway! This year, our vacation in TN fell just one week after returning from Myrtle Beach. I barely had the laundry done when I had to repack it for our next adventure. Thankfully, it is only a six hour drive compared to the 12 hour trek we'd just completed. We loaded up van and SeaDoo and headed south again. Norris Lake is always a true vacation. The kids are constantly occupied by their Oma and Opa, and the owners of the lake house, Kevin and Betty. I read three "adult" books while I was there! We spend our days putting around the lake, skiing, tubing, swimming and fishing off the dock, playing games, and sleeping. Paradise!




The weather was a little cool this year and it rained more often, but we made the best of it. Xavier did really well with his broken collarbone until he fell off a barstool midweek and reinjured it. Poor kid! Isaac was definitely Daddy's boy while in TN. He wanted to be with him every waking moment. He wasn't a big fan of his life jacket, but the boat almost always relaxed him to sleep. Brooklyn was happiest when she was fishing off the dock. She'd wake up each morning and beg someone to take her down to the lake. We are already looking forward to next year!

Broken

We were home from Myrtle Beach a total of 30 minutes before the next noteworthy event occurred. As I was unloading the car, I asked Xavier to carry the buckets back to the sandbox. After complaining, arguing, and negotiating as only Xavier does, he begrudgingly took the sand toys from my hand and headed for the backyard. Less than 15 minutes later, I couldn't find him. I went into the house and found his shoes in a pile at the bottom of the steps. I yelled up to his room and the only response was the click of the lock on his bedroom door. I picked up his pillow and headed upstairs. I used the key to get into his room only to be greeted by a very panicked little boy telling me to "get out!" I kindly told him he was welcome to stay in his room, but he was not to lock his door. I assumed his odd behavior was from being tired from our trip and left him alone.
A while later, Andy called him for supper. When he finally came down, he acted very strangely and didn't touch his food. I was really starting to worry about the little guy. I began planning to get the bucket from the basement and wondered how many times I was going to have to change his sheets that night. I assumed he was getting sick.
Finally, when it was time for bed, Andy couldn't get Xavier's clothes off. Xavier couldn't raise his left arm at all. Andy coaxed the truth out of him. He had climbed the fence(which we'd told him not to!) and fallen off. He was wearing his bike helmet, but landed on his shoulder.
We decided there wasn't much we could do at almost 10:00pm, gave him some ibuprofen, and sent him to bed. He was up 4 or 5 times in the night, literally, screaming in pain.
Do you think we went to the doctor in the morning? Noooooo...we went to soccer camp! Xavier was supposed to have a week long soccer camp. He really wanted to go and really didn't want to go to the doctor. He convinced me he could do it. As I watched him try his best on the field, really favoring his arm, I called the doctor. After a trip to the family physician, a trip to Dublin Close to Home for x-rays, and a visit to the Urgent Care, Xavier came home with a figure eight brace/Clavicle strap to wear for the next two weeks. No soccer, no gymnastics, no bike riding, etc. No fun!

The next few days were a little rough. His face was so pale and he complained he was cold all the time. The doctor prescribed some Tylenol with Codeine that really helped!

The moral of the story? Xavier will tell you...Don't climb the fence when your parents tell you not to.

A big shout-out to the Marysville soccer camp at the high school. They not only refunded my money, they gave Xavier a camp shirt too!

Myrtle Beach...Finally!

It's been so long, I barely remember what happened! So far, summer has been a whirlwind of vacations, camps, trips to various medical facilities, etc. So much to post, so little time!

Myrtle Beach was a fun vacation. We spent almost every morning on the beach, back into the condo for lunch, then on to the pool until it was time to drag the kids in for baths and dinner out. The hotel was right on the beach so the sand was just an elevator ride away. The kids searched for shells and sharks' teeth, built castles in the sand, swam in the ocean, and rode the waves to shore. At the pool, they floated in the lazy river, dove for rings, and cartwheeled into the pool. All this, plus their best friends at their disposal. It was wonderful!

I'd have to say, supper out was not the top of my list. I love seafood, especially fresh seafood, but with Isaac's allergies, we were fearful of setting foot in any seafood restaurant. Plus, it seemed all the seafood options were giant touristy buffets. Not my thing. Almost everything seemed to be large and touristy, but I guess that is what defines Myrtle Beach.

Isaac loved the beach. He carried buckets, poured water, and ran up and down the sand for hours. He wasn't a huge fan of the water temperature but eventually let us carry him out into the waves. The sunscreen, salt water, sand, and chlorine didn't help his skin, but it could have been much worse. Our biggest problem was that he was allergic to the sheet on the pack 'n' play. He kept me up at night listening to him scratch in his sleep.

Xavier loved our vacation! He spent most of his time playing with Jack and Cole in the waves and sand. I think he was thankful for some guy time. At first, he wouldn't get into the pool without his floatie. He was sure it was too deep. By the end of the week he was diving for rings in that same pool. I think the highlights of his week were seeing the real Power Ranger costumes at Planet Hollywood and throwing paper at everyone at Dick's Last Resort.

Once we found Brooklyn, all was well with her. She was fearless in the waves, a fish in the pool, and hung out with her dance buddies every day. Her dance team performed on Thursday. They received a First Place ranking and won the Best Costume award for all the groups ages 11 and under. Not too bad for their first year of competition dance! After the competition, we housed four six year olds in our hotel room for a sleepover. Wow, girls giggle alot! They were all so tired from the sun, swimming, and dance, it wasn't too difficult to tell them it was time for bed.

The drive was long in both directions. I don't know that we are in any hurry to return to Myrtle Beach. But, we had a great time with my family and friends!

Was Lost...But Now She's Found

I've been putting off this post because it is not something I enjoy reliving, but the story must be told...


June 14th, we left for Myrtle Beach to allow Brooklyn to participate in a national dance competition with her team. We left REALLY early in the morning(~5:15) to make the 12 hour trek to South Carolina. The drive was uneventful, but long. We arrived in time for supper, checked into the room we were sharing with my parents and brother, and prepped for the week ahead.
We woke up Monday morning and decided to take a walk on the beach before we gathered all of the beach paraphernalia for the rest of the day. The kids were suited and sun screened and we headed out for our walk. Brooklyn and Xavier headed straight for the ocean while Isaac got used to the giant sandbox. Every time a wave rolled in, Brooklyn would scream like a Fourth of July firecracker. Isaac walked between Andy and I as we made our way up the beach. The older two walked knee-deep in the water behind us. After a while, I noticed I didn't hear any more screaming. I turned to check on the kids, and to my horror, found only Xavier frolicking in the water behind me. I scanned the beach and water, looking for the adorable, pony-tailed, pink suited, slow as molasses, little six-year-old that holds at least one quarter of my heart. SHE WAS GONE.
The next hour was nothing but a nightmare. My dear friend Julie watched the boys while I ran/sprinted up and down the beach, through hotel pools, and into the water, looking for her. I asked everyone I encountered to look for my baby. The lifeguards were on alert, many strangers were looking for her...but no one had seen her. I truly thought Isaac's trip to the ER was the worst day of my life...until now. I honestly entertained the thoughts of abduction and death. I couldn't breathe. I was in a complete panic. Andy said it best when we talked later. He pleaded with God that this wasn't the end of Brooklyn. "She's too special. This can't be it for her. You have more of a plan for her life than this!" He started walking down the beach...he almost turned around twice because she couldn't possibly have gone that far...when there, walking toward him, was our beautiful little girl. As he ran to get her, she looked up and said "Oh, Daddy, I'm so glad I found you! I tried to stay calm, but I couldn't find you!" No one could find Brooklyn because she didn't look lost. Silly girl! He took her hand and led her back toward our hotel. She was a mile from where we'd lost her. Andy yelled to me as they got closer. I couldn't believe my eyes! I ran to her, scooped her up, and sobbed like only a mother could. I walked back to the hotel, never putting her down.

I now understand the panic, heartbreak, and hopelessness felt by parents of lost children and I only had to experience it for an hour.
Brooklyn is safe!
The rest of the week was a blast!(more on that later)

An Incredible Soccer Season

The spring soccer season has come to a close. It was a great season for the Incredible Hulks! During the last game, our team was playing two players to the others' four and still dominating! Xavier loved playing and is looking forward to the fall. He was so excited to receive a trophy after the last game! Brooklyn felt a little put out because the season she played she only got a medal. Let the rivalry begin!

We Are Family

Brooklyn's dance recital was May 30th. She danced wonderfully. The year of competition dance has done wonders for her stage presence. She looks like she loves to be on stage! I didn't make a fool of myself(I hope!) during my tap dance. Great fun was had by all. We're already debating which classes Brooklyn will take next year.

Is This Homemade?

We shared Memorial Day with some good friends. They provided a delicious meal, cooked with plenty of propane. Ultra-cool mom, Beth(not me!) allowed the kids to make their own ice cream dessert with Ziplocs, ice, salt, half and half, sugar and vanilla. The kids had a blast shaking and making their treat. The funniest quote of the day came from Brooklyn. As Beth set the cups and drinks on the counter, Brooklyn looked up at her with breathless excitement and asked, "Is that homemade?" She was asking about the ice! She was completely enamored with the ice trays and couldn't believe that they'd made the ice themselves. Goofy girl! Thanks to the Marshals for their wonderful hospitality!

Slacker

I know, I know. I'm way behind in posting. I have lots of updates but no time! It may be tonight...It may be two weeks from now...But I will update my blog. I promise!