ER

I spent yesterday afternoon in the ER with the boys.  

Little Austen sliced his left, middle finger on a can in my recycling bin.  It was one of those I-knew-I-shouldn't-have-left-that-out moments.  Just as I was about to turn around and redirect him he started crying.  The lid was still connected to the can, so it was like a a trap door.  He got his finger in but couldn't pull it out.  Then he yanked it out and......off to the ER we went.

**I especially need to say what a good boy Adam was.  "Adam, put your shoes on!"  Done.  "Hand me the phone, please."  Done.  "Grab your jacket."  Done.  "Hop in your carseat." Done!

I wrapped  Austen's hand in a cloth, put him in his carseat and headed off.  This was my first ER trip taking one of the boys---and by myself!  Luckily I had scouted out the route and new exactly where to go.  We are so blessed to have Vanderbilt Children's Hospital so close.  They have an ER just for kids.

By the time we got to the hospital, poor Austen crying the whole time, he looked pretty bad.  He had blood all over his shirt and had rubbed it all over his face.  

I think the waiting is the hardest part.  But again  **Adam was great!** and soon the bleeding stopped and Austen wanted to get down and play.  When we got to our room the nurse put a bandaid on his finger so I wouldn't have to keep the cloth wrapped around his hand.  While we waited, the boys colored and explored all the wonders of a hospital room.

Austen was given some anti-anxiety medicine, which they had to put up his nose.  It made him super loopy!  He could hardly hold his head up.  Because we were at the children's ER, a Child Life specialist came with books and toys to distract Austen while the Dr. sewed him up.  2 Stiches!

They wrapped up his finger, gave both boys a popsicle, and sent us home.  

Austen slept from 5 pm until 4 am.

He's doing fine today.  Here is he is showing off his "owww"

Kisses!

Yes, he may look like he's giving "the finger" for a few days.  But soon the bandage will come off and we can just use Bandaids.  He'll get the stiches out in about a week.

Kisses make everything better!

A Real Winter calls for a Wild Rompus

The snow fell beautifully thick last night and did not stop until the ground and roads were covered.  I love that we are having a Real Winter this year.  In previous years, I had missed the snowball fights, the crunch of the snow under my boots, leaving tracks in freshly fallen snow, and feeling cozy in my house while the snow fell outside.  Perhaps this Real Winter is making up for lost time.  And the snow seems to want to stick around for awhile, instead of melting away soon after falling.


We've been playing in the snow a lot this year, but some snow days you just want to stay inside.  But in order to keep every snow day from looking like this

Mom's job is to come up with lots of activities to keep two energetic boys entertained.  


We play lots of games (many thanks to my sister, Nicole, who handed down some great games).  Adam's favorites are Hi-Ho Cherry-O and Memory.  
Austen loves to play this obnoxious game called Buck-a-Roo.  You load up a "moody mule" with gear and hope that he doesn't buck. 

 But when he does and his stuff goes flying, Austen cracks up!


And we love to have ourselves a Wild Rompus on mommy's bed!

With such a Wild Rompus this, perhaps, is inevitable

Though soon after we have this

Snow Day!

We have had more snow in Tennessee this winter than all the winter's combined since we've lived here.  Last week the schools were closed (some days unnecessarily) all week!  Then we of course had off Monday for MLK.  So, needless to say, we had some fun in the snow!


Well, Adam did!

His favorite Snow Day activities are

 Pelting me with snowballs

Like this one the size of his head!

Eating snow

And snow parties!

Snow Days were made for 

And my dear, sweet Austen.....

Well, this is how much he likes the snow

After some comforting from his brother

He brightened up!

His little boots were so hard for him to walk in that he insisted on holding my hand the whole time we were outside.  

We, of course finished off the day with some hot chocolate

Funny Faces and All!

Bubbles and a Bloody Lip

My mom flew in on Christmas Day just in time to take the turkey out of the oven and make the gravy.  Christmas dinner definitely scored a 10+.  That was mostly due to my dear friend Christy and her mad cooking skills.  (You can find Christy on my last post being oh-so-affectionately smooched by Austen).  


My sister and her troop came in on the 26th.  The snow was almost gone (not that my Nebraskan family was missing out--they've had their share), so we made the most of the cold and got out the bubbles.  

 

Yes, there was a lot of spilled bubbles, soaking Austen's pants--see the puddle under his feet? :)


Adam was able to crank out a couple of good ones, though!

The bubbles were soon left behind for the swings.  There is some kind of magnetic pull for the swings.  Adam could swing all day long!

My beautiful niece got in on the swinging action too

The only way to get my nephew to come outside was to lure him with a great climbing tree.  I tried out this tree a few weeks ago and can attest to the great climb-ability of it

Adam ended the day like this

Not sure how he got the bloody lip, but it didn't seem so bother him!

White Christmas 2010!

Nashville had a White Christmas for the first time in 17 years!  

We chose to stay home this Christmas for a number of reasons.  And I must say it was The BEST Christmas we have had in a long time!  

We decorated the Christmas Tree

Took a Christmas Train Ride

Made Christmas Cookies

Adam was a Ram in the Christmas Eve Pageant

We left him with the pageant workers looking like this.  By the time he got to the sanctuary he had taken off his hat and was looking furiously for us. So he spent the service in my lap.  Oh, well....maybe next year.

Gave Christmas Kisses

And played in the Snow

This Christmas will always be close to my heart.