Going to work

Tomorrow is my official return back into the working world. I'm so excited, and definitely a little nervous as well. It also required some logistical planning, because I actually need to be at a different elementary school than the one my kids attend. Normally I would not agree to work over there, but I was specifically requested by the Kindergarten teacher who works there in the morning and at our school in the afternoon. She also happens to be a friend, and I'm grateful for her requesting me so I have another friend who is willing to help me out for the next two mornings. Hard to believe after nearly five years, I'm going to be earning a paycheck!

Great ending to Summer!

This weekend was really a great ending to the summer. Saturday was a beautifully cool day...we actually needed jackets and long pants! I felt sooooo lousy thanks to allergies and sinuses, but there was college football on ALL day which made the day tolerable. The kids were content to hang out and do their own thing all day long, and of course a big fuss was made by many over HT's new cast. Sunday was an even more perfect day. The temps were in the low 70's, low humidity, and bright and sunny. Days just don't get any better than that. We spent the entire day at the lake with my dad. I can't imagine any day that could have been more perfect. There were lots of bike rides, golf cart rides, yummy foods to eat, and for JR, two solid hours of fishing. For dinner we built a bonfire and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. The kids eventually went inside and watched a movie, but my husband, dad and I stayed outside well into the evening. I think I saw more stars in the sky that night than I may have ever seen in my life. I know I'll never forget that. It was after 10 before we left, and nearly Midnight before we were home. The kids slept on the way home, but there were still lots of grumps yesterday. We managed to accomplish many errands and chores yesterday and everyone got a good night sleep last night. I really think this past weekend is going to go down as one of my most favorite ever!

All casted up

HT had an appointment with the "bone doctor" (as HT calls him) this morning. There was no debate whatsoever, the thumb was being put in a cast. Only for three weeks, but a cast none the less. HT chose black in honor of the Steelers and is walking around proudly to show it off. I'm happy that he can still play soccer and actually is safer running around now than he was before, and on the upside (in my opinion only) is the fact that because his thumb is now completely immobilized, he can no longer play video games!

It's really too soon

The kids are off school today. They were off yesterday. And of course, they will be off Monday. So yes, their school calendar had them going for three "long" days before they were rewarded with a five day weekend. Way, way, way too soon to be experiencing this much togetherness again. There aren't words to describe how "too soon" it is. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure is up. It would be nice to have them home if they actually behaved like responsible human beings. Instead, they are behaving like wild monkeys at the zoo, and I have reached my limit for zoo animals today. The kicker is that JC is actually behaving the best, but that might be because she is spending the day with her aunt and isn't actually in the house (she is actually at the zoo, by the way, so who knows what behavior she will imitate upon her arrival at home). I have no idea who devised this school calendar, but I would bet a large sum of money that it wasn't a stay-at-home mom!

Or, maybe it is...

We just received a call from the urgent care. In spite of the doctor assuring us HT's thumb was not broken, upon review by the radiologist, there is a hairline fracture. AGH!!!! I feel awful that we haven't been more careful with his thumb, but my mother assures me that we did the best we could with the information we had. I know it isn't like he's been writhing in pain, but I still feel badly. I'm working on locating a pediatric orthopedist now!

It's not broken

In the midst of all of the back-to-school excitement, I neglected to post about HT and his weekend experience. We were at the lake enjoying our time with my dad on Saturday, and my mom even came up to join us as well. This was a rare treat and we were all very excited! Although the older two were planted in front of the TV, HT was out enjoying the scooter that is kept up there for the kids. Mom had just arrived, my wonderful husband was out front grilling, and Dad and I were enjoying the sunroom. All of a sudden, I heard my husband yell for me in a panic, and my Dad said, "Uh oh, something happened to HT." As a mom I went running with my heart in my throat. They are allowed to ride on the street up there because it is rarely traveled and even though he's always careful and wears a helmet, I still pictured the worst in my mind. Fortunately, although he'd taken quite a spill, it only involved himself and the ground. He held his hand gingerly for quite some time, and we put lots of ice on it throughout the evening. The tough thing is that, at his age, it's very difficult to determine what is real and is "drama". Sunday morning though, he was still in a lot of pain and there was still lots of swelling. To urgent care he went! He was very excited about getting to have an x-ray taken and being able to see the bones in his hand...which very fortunately were not broken! He just has a sprained thumb, and already today feels much better. Of course, he got to have it wrapped for the first day of school, and I'm sure he loved showing it off!

Successful beginning

It appears as though school is off to a successful beginning for our crew. In fact, HT announced when he got home yesterday, "Mom, my first day was awesome!" I'm very happy that he was so excited about his first day. JR has a big transition this year...his classes are being run more like middle school where everyone has their own schedule. He only has three teachers for all of his subjects and they are all located close together. He's really excited about the teachers he has. And JC loved the mid-morning snack that her teacher provided.

As suspected, HT is having trouble adjusting to his early mornings. The other two do fairly well, but he's all about trying to continue sleeping!