SNOW=Skiing &Boarding

Not for me don't worry, with a year of recovery for my knee I won't be doing that this year. Although, I did dream about it last night, almost as good. However finally we have been hit with some snow, the kids have been twice this week with.......their Dad. Even better it's always me and the kids. I'm just happy they finally get to go. Eliza got ski's and boots for Christmas and has been dieing to go. Everyone has, I'm just glad they got the chance. Hopefully we keep getting storms so the can ski some more. Just got the update on the snow while they are eating lunch, the snow is good, they are having the best time, Dallin crashed, they are warmed up enough after one day and then 3 runs today before they went to the top of the mountain to ski the blacks. Way to go D & E.

Spencer is NAUGHTY!!!, and quick catch up

I have the cutest but naughtiest 2 1/2 year old. Ever since I've had all these knee surgeries Spencer knows he can out run me so anytime he has the chance he runs away. I am always limping after him or trying to dig him out of whatever hole or under whatever he can get under to get away from me. A couple of days ago we went to the movies to see Journey 2, Mysterious island. Towards the end of the movie Spencer starts crying about his nose. I tried to pick it, thinking it's a hard bugger or something, and he wont let me pick and then really starts up about his nose. Steve grabs him and takes him out. Steve tried to get a look at his nose in the hall but Spencer won't let him. The movie gets out and we meet Steve in the hall he asked me what is wrong with his nose and I tell him my theory of the bugger but he wont let me pick it so I just let it go and tell Steve we will just put him in the shower when we get home and his nose can drain in there. Well we got home and were having dinner first and Dallin says there is something in his nose, he reaches over and pops a popcorn kernel out of his nose. That's right. Spencer put a popcorn kernel up each nostril. Unfortunately the other kernel is up past the nostril and in that cavity right above it. We tried everything, one of those baby suckers, the method were you cover their mouth and the clear nostril so they will farmer blow it out. Not working. I ended up calling Timothy Jackson, he is a Physicians Assistant at the ER. He came over with his tool bag. We hog tied Spencer, and he dug for a while. Spencer was screaming and sobbing, shaking from the pain, and not knowing whats going on. Timothy tried about 5 times and it wouldn't come out. Lots of blood was coming out of his nose at this point, so we stopped to give Spencer a break, and myself. I was trying not to cry. I've never had to hold my kid down like that, and have them scream in pain like that. I had a talk with Timothy and said, "If you feel like you can get it out, then we can try again. But if you think you don't have the right tools, or if they can do it easier in the ER, then I will just take him there." He said I had a good point and this is what they would try in the ER first, so I said OK lets give it another try. We hog tied him up again. This time Steve and Sissy took his head and body I took his feet. This is the best way I can explain his pain, when it got really bad you could tell because his whole body was straight as a board, but he was shaking. I was at his feet just praying we would get it out. Timothy tried twice, the second time it popped out. It was seriously the biggest popcorn kernel I have ever seen. Timothy sprayed some steroids up his nose. Everyone at that point was talking about how they were all silently praying it would come out, Timothy also told Sissy that was going to be his last try. We gave him some IBU and I held him all night. Steve got kicked out of our bed that night and Spencer slept with me. I even spent the next day just hanging out with him, reading books, building blocks, playing with cars and play-do, we watched a movie all cuddled up in my bed. Obviously he is my baby. Hopefully Spencer has learned his lesson and he doesn't put anything else up his nose. The next day we were talking about it and his comments of the experience were, "My nose (he points to it)....hurt."  "Sissy got it out...hurt." Oh I love that baby boy. Bedtime with him is exhausting, it goes something like this after dinner he, showers, pj's, brush teeth, story time, prayers, song (during the song he closes his eyes to pretend he is asleep, while shaking his head to dance along to the song, smiling of course). Then we turn off all lights, say good night, we love you. Dallin and Spencer say, "we love you too." We say, "love you higher than whatever you say," then shut the door. With in 5-10 minutes he is out asking for another song, water, or story. He does this about 3-4 times,  we don't ever say anything to him, just pick him up and take him back to bed. He will finally stops asking for things, but still comes out.  He stands in the hall and when we come around the corner, he puts his blanket over his head, so we can't see him. He does this about 10 times, until finally he gives up and goes to bed. Today at the grocery store, (and this experience is not much different than most) he asked to get down because he wants to walk. I pick him up and look into his eyes (like this is going to really get my point across) I warn him that if he goes running off then he is back in the cart. He does a really good job staying with me until we get up the the lines to check out , and then he starts wondering off. So I go over and get him, hold him by the shoulders, and have him look me in the eyes, I start to say, "Spencer you need to stay by me." I am cut off by Spencer, who is closing his eyes and rolling his head around while saying, "Of course mama, of course, of course," over and over. To distract him I say, "Do you want to help me unload the cart and put the groceries up on the belt?"  "Oh yea," this is one of his favorite things. I give him the lettuce and he shoots it up there, he does the same with the bag of rice and a few other things. I then give him the bag of about 20 red potatoes. They are about the size of golf balls. I guess the bag wasn't closed all the way because a few started to fall out and before I could stop him, he has shook them all out and onto the floor. I said, "Spencer no, OK quick help me pick them all up," and he starts to. But if you are two, and have two hand fulls of potatoes it is very enticing to throw them all up in the air. I was trying to pick them up as fast as I could and so was he, so he could throw them back into the air. After he did that twice, I was getting mad and he had one in his hand, right as I was saying, "don't you dare thr...." he hocked it across the store over into the service desk area. I just picked up my potatoes and my kid, paid for my food and went home. He is to much for me. The real problem is, he is my baby and it is kind of funny. It's not like he is doing anything really wrong, I can see how they look like a whole bag of balls to a 2 year old boy, and how fun that they all came tumbling out of the bag for him to play with. Right??? 
     I know I need to do a better job at blogging I am just really busy lately, with all the surgeries and now in physical therapy 2-3 times a week, they also gave me a recovery time of 9 months to a year. I feel very overwhelmed. I am also coaching 2 basketball teams, Dallin's and Eliza's. Dallin's team is 5 and 2. Eliza team is 7 and 0, that's right undefeated. They are both playing great and really learning a lot this year. Spencer is doing a gym class once a week and goes to reading time on Fridays. I meet with my breakfast group once a week and book club once a month. Dallin is in scouts, going through the braces process, which is an appointment once a week for 3 weeks. I also just enrolled him (so we just just did all the touring) for a new school next year, called Basis. It's going to be a challenging year, but he is looking forward to it. I just got him signed up for baseball. Eliza is in girl scouts, jazz, and ballet. She goes in tomorrow for her first braces appointment. I just signed her up for softball and she is going to start horseback riding in the spring. Steve is in young men's, coaches Dallin's basketball team with me and plays basketball in his own league. I feel like all we do is run, run, run, as long as I can stay organized and on schedule it's manageable. If we fall behind, catch up can get a bit stressful for everyone. For the most part, we are staying above water and really enjoying life. Today was Valentines day, I set up a really fun table for dinner. I made heart placemats and put each family members name on it, then wrote "name, we love you because..." Steve and I wrote some of the reasons we love them. Before dinner each of the kids wrote on them reasons they love that person. At dinner we read them out loud. I am very thankful for my family. As crazy as life can be, I really do have it all, Steve, Dallin, Eliza and Spencer.