Big Ideas

Our oldest twins have very big imaginations. When the two of them are on the same wavelength watch out! For some reason last week when they came down from their room after quiet time they were very excited and on a mission. Their imaginations were racing so fast their mouths couldn't keep up with what they were thinking. They were so excited to tell me about the race track they were going to build in the backyard. I asked if the racetrack was for their matchbox cars. They laughed at me. Of course not! They were going to build a HUGE race track with carpet in the middle (so when they fell or crashed it wouldn't hurt so much.) The track was for race cars that kids can drive, they told me. Mind you, we don't own one of the little electric cars. But, darn it, we will have a racetrack for one.

Carson asked me for paper and a pencil. He and Owen headed out to the backyard to draw up their plans. They sat at the little picnic table for almost 20 minutes or so. It was time to put their plans into action. They raced to the garage to get their carpenter aprons and loaded them down with tools, tape, and nails. Before long Carson and Owen were asking for wood and had a saw in hand. I was informed that the race track is going to have a bridge and a ramp.

Putting their ideas on paper.

I'm not sure where this idea came from, but a week later it's still on Carson's and Owen's minds. They continue to research race tracks online (with the help of Daddy) and continually tell me they have to get a new race car ... before Halloween they think. Ha! I guess it doesn't hurt to dream big.

The boys moved to the workbench in the garage to put their plans further into motion.

Star of the Week

Many of you know that being chosen for Star of the Week is a big deal in a preschooler's life. It's one whole week where the child gets extra attention at preschool. Owen was the first of our two older boys to be selected to be Star of the Week.

On Friday, October 01 Owen got to bring the Star of the Week pet (stuffed animal) Ozzie home. Ozzie followed Owen everywhere he went. We found Ozzie to be a very good little otter. He isn't much of an eater, though. On Monday Ozzie had to be returned to the class. Some of the "perks" of being Star of the Week include getting to bring show-n-tell all week long, bringing treats to share with the class, being the check-in helper, and on Friday a parent gets to come to class to read a book.

A summary of Ozzie's weekend with Owen. Ozzie got to witness a light saber fight, attend Owen's and Carson's soccer game, see a Jets game on television, ride bikes with Owen and play in the back yard.

Monday Owen decided he wanted New York Jets football cookies and took his Star Wars gun for show-n-tell.

Wednesday, it was Husker cupcakes. The Huskers played K-State Thursday night. We had to get everyone pumped up for a Husker victory. Owen took Spike the Dinosaur for show-n-tell.

Friday daddy came to school to read to the class. Owen brought Star Wars sugar cookies to share with his classmates and brought his Star Wars Storm Trooper helmet for show-n-tell.

Good Old Dirt!

"A kid's best friend has just got to be dirt." -Waylon Jennings

The kids have rediscovered the joys of dirt. I say rediscovered because in our old house Carson and Owen would play in a dirt patch (they created) by one of the trees in our backyard every day it seemed.

We have a dirt patch at the top of the "hill" in our new backyard. It hasn't seen much action until just recently. This has become a favorite spot for the kids to play. They will play there for an hour or so at a time. I almost hate saying it out loud, but the kids have been playing so well together. I'd like to believe this is not a phase, but a crossroad in my kids' lives. Maybe, just maybe, they are all (finally) getting old enough to play together and enjoy each others' company.

Dirt has brought them together. Maybe it's true when parents say that kids love dirt. I know it's true for this household.

This leads me to sing (in my head) the song Dirt by Waylon Jennings. It's one of the best kid songs I've heard. If you have a child who plays in the dirt you will LOVE this song. If I could figure out how to post it on my play list I would. It is a staple song in our house.

"Dirt. Dirt. Good old dirt. It may sound silly, but it really don't hurt to sing about good old dirt!" -Waylon Jennings

"Dirt is quiet. It don't make noise. It's fun to play with especially for boys. Girls don't much like it, but that's okay. Boys don't like girls much anyway." -Waylon Jennings

Stella chooses to ignore the part about girls not liking dirt.

Isaac's Surgery

Isaac finally had his baby hernia (hydrocele) surgery yesterday. It was quite a journey, but we finally have the surgery under our belt. A back story on our day is he was scheduled to have the surgery last Thursday morning. He decided to come down with a 104.2 fever at 7 pm the night before the surgery. Needless to say the surgery got postponed. My mom had traveled to Wichita earlier that evening. She drove through multiple hail storms including baseball size hail. She even had a huge dent on the roof of her car to prove it. My mom was going to watch the other kids so Carson and I could be with Isaac at the hospital. Isaac had another idea, I guess. My father-in-law accused Ike of sitting in front of the furnace. He may have been on to something. Isaac was feeling fine by lunch the next day. What a stinker!

Baseball size hail.

We were able to get the surgery rescheduled for the following Friday. We checked in at the hospital at 8 am. Isaac declared, "I not gonna cry" as we were walking into the hospital. The surgery was scheduled for 10 am. They started it at 10:05 am and were done by 10:35 am. Pretty easy. Isaac was a trooper and such a good little boy.

Isaac's stickers are on.

Isaac didn't seem scared at all. We got to our pre/post-op room the nurses showed Isaac where his bed was. They showed him his tiger gown that he was to wear during surgery, his oxygen mask and gave him three Thomas the Tank stickers. (Stickers make everything tolerable.) We answered questions, Isaac got his vitals checked numerous times and he even got to play in a little play room. About 20 minutes before surgery the nurse gave him a liquid "cocktail" that made him a little goofy and very relaxed. It was funny watching it take effect. We quickly got Isaac in his tiger gown right after he took the "cocktail." Shortly later I found myself carrying Isaac down a long hall with Carson by my side and a nurse telling me "okay, this is it. I'll take him now." Off they went. I knew the medication had fully kicked in. I watched my "oh so sweet baby boy" being carried away from me in someone else's arms. Just as he declared earlier that morning, he didn't cry.

Checking out his oxygen mask.

Playing in the toy room.

Isaac's "cocktail" is kicking in.

The surgical team waited to put his IV in until right before surgery. Smart people. He was very out of it and I'm sure didn't fight it at all. Carson and I went to the waiting room. 45 minutes later the surgeon walks in to tell us Isaac did fine and the surgery was over. What a relief!

Ten minutes later I was told to go back to the recovery room with Isaac. He had been calling for me. They told Carson only one adult was allowed. This made me sad. I would have loved for both of us to comfort Isaac. I found Isaac sitting in a very caring nurse's lap calling for "mommy" in the sweetest voice I've ever heard. I held him tight. The nurses told me they had to wrap up his right hand because he was trying to rip out his IV in his left hand.

Eventually, we met Carson back in the post-op room. We were told once Isaac drank 8 ounces he could go home. He had a hard time waking up. Once he was awake and the nurse informed him she had apple juice for him (a big treat in this house) he chugged it! Isaac drank his 8 ounces in no time. He kept it down and off we went.

Trying to wake up.

Mmm! Apple juice!

Stella went to preschool on Friday. We were home from the hospital in time for me to pick her up. When she got home she ran inside said hi to daddy then ran over to Isaac to give him a big hug. They missed each other. Isaac couldn't wait for Stella to see his Thomas stickers. Stella painted Isaac a picture while at preschool.

Carson and Owen stayed with Kayla (our former nanny.) They were so happy to see her. After dropping Stella off at school they were even able to direct Kayla to Super Target and conned her into buying them Star Wars walkie talkies. (Carson and Owen are weasels.) The boys were very happy to see Isaac when they got home from preschool that afternoon. They were very interested in seeing his incision.

Isaac's incision appears to be about two inches long. It's still covered so we don't know for sure how big it really is. He got along good yesterday, but was sore when he woke this morning. Isaac seems fine once he's got Tylenol in his system. We are expecting him to be back to 100% by tomorrow afternoon.

Thank you to all of you for your thoughts and prayers. It has been comforting having the support of family and friends.

Showing off his band-aid and i.d. band.

The incision.

All the kids reunited and all have "get well" balloons from Boom and Gee.

Goooaaalll!

Carson and Owen have joined the world of soccer. They play on a five and under team where they play three on three with no goalie. There are four boys on the team. We knew Carson and Owen would like soccer, but we had no idea they'd love it. The boys took to it right away. They have never played soccer in their lives. I only bought them their first soccer ball the day before their game. Their team didn't even have a practice before the first game.

After two games Carson's and Owen's team is undefeated. The first game the Purple Cats (name of their team) won 9-3. Carson scored six goals and Owen scored two goals including the first goal of the season. The second game the boys' team won 7-3. Carson scored four goals and Owen scored three. We love that they are not afraid to get in the action. Carson and I noticed an improvement in how well the boys and team as a whole played from game 01 to game 02. They are learning technique, but most importantly are having so much fun! It is important to us that the boys have fun and enjoy themselves while playing soccer. We love watching our kids have fun.

My favorite picture. Owen gets so excited when a goal is scored. This one happened to be scored by Carson.

This is the first organized team "thing" Carson and Owen have participated in. It is fun watching them be part of a team and getting to know other kids and working to achieve a common goal.

Good luck Purple Cats.

And yes, it is hard to see our boys wear purple and be called "cats."

A First for Stella and Isaac

Stella and Isaac started their first day of preschool (a.k.a. Kids Day Inn) on Friday. I wasn't sure how Isaac would handle it when I left him there. The kids are there for four hours. Isaac, Stella, and I went to meet their teachers and to get acquainted on Wednesday. While there Isaac kept saying "mommy stay here?" I would remind Isaac I was only staying today, but not on Friday. So, when Friday came I wasn't sure how he'd do. We have talked a lot about preschool. Stella was very excited about it and would reassure me, "I otay." Isaac is our nervous child.

Friday morning the "Littles" woke up happy. Stella came running down the stairs from her room. I asked her if she knew what she had today. She started jumping up and down while clapping her hands and repeatedly exclaimed "I doe to stool today!" (I go to school today!) She was very excited. When Isaac walked into the room I asked him if he knew what he got to do today. He shyly smiled and said, "I go to school today." I asked him if he was nervous. He said he wasn't. Time would tell if he knew what he was talking about or not.

The morning went smoothly. The kids were excited to get dressed and put on their backpacks. They wore their backpacks around for more than an hour before we left. I managed to get two lunches packed and four kids out the door on time. There's a first for everything.

On the drive to preschool we talked about how fun the day was going to be and how Stella and Isaac would get to play with other kids. I asked the Littles again if they were excited for their fun day. Both said they were. Isaac even said, "I not nervous. I not gonna cry." Stella once again reassured me she was okay, too. I completely believed Stella. I wasn't so sure about Isaac.

Carson and Owen were just as excited for Stella and Isaac to go to preschool as they were. They were great supporters and cheerleaders on Friday.

The kids ran into the building. Carson and Owen held the doors open for the Littles as they raced in the building. We saw a girl in hysterics on the way to the classroom so I quickly went to plan B and rerouted the kids. We were the first ones in line. Stella and Isaac patiently waited for the teacher to open the door so they could go inside. When the door opened Isaac literally ran right in, never looking back. No goodbye. Nothing! Stella followed with great speed as well. No goodbye from my little girl, either.

Yes, that is the way I wanted it to be, but a little wave or "love you" would have been nice. I was a little sad to see the kids go to preschool. It's a bittersweet feeling seeing your youngest children (remember we do everything in pairs) go to preschool. My heart was both happy and sad at the same time.

Many have asked what I'm going to do with all my free time during the day. Well, let me tell you the 30 minutes I have by myself doesn't go very far. Stella and Isaac go to school in the morning. Carson and Owen have preschool in the afternoon. I drop Carson and Owen off then before I know it it's time to pick Isaac and Stella up, then we pick up Carson and Owen a little over an hour later.

The first day I did come home for a grand total of 15 minutes. I forgot my magazine to read in the van. I sat on the couch for 15 minutes while talking on the phone with no interruptions. It was beautiful.

Isaac and Stella I am so proud of you. You both got good reports from the teacher. She even told me Isaac went potty in the toilet. That's his first time. Yay Isaac! I have a feeling you are both going to love Kids Day Inn.

Goooo Biiiiiiggg Reeeedddd! GO BIG RED!

Go big red (or as Owen says, go big wed!) This is Carson and Owen's new favorite thing to say. At random times during the day I will hear this cheer. It makes me smile.

Carson and I took Carson and Owen to their very first Husker game (season opener.) The boys were looking so forward to the game. They really had no idea what to expect, but I can confidentiality say that it lived up to every thing they imagined and more! We arrived in Lincoln, a.k.a. God's country on Friday night. All six of us stayed in downtown Lincoln in the hotel. Saturday morning we took Stella and Isaac to meet my parents at my aunt's house in Lincoln. On the way to Aunt Kristy's house the big boys kept saying, "Look! They like the huskers! So do they! They are husker fans, too!" They pretty much pointed to everybody in red or with the Nebraska N (which was pretty much everybody). It was cute. Papa and Mimi took Stella and Ike to Omaha to watch the game at the Patterson's house.

Can you see the excitement on their faces? This was taken just before hitting the streets.

We took the big boys back downtown. We took the boys to a favorite of mom's and dad's (Lazlo's) then back to the hotel for a little rest. The boys had nothing to do with resting. They were way too excited. We headed out to the streets around 2:30pm. We met up with Tom and Misti Wolf at their tailgate. Then we met Trent and Megan Abbott and headed to Husker Nation. Husker Nation is a fantastic place that is football fantasy land. It is designed for kids, but I could see in all the dad's eyes they were wishing they could participate in the fun. Carson and Owen loved the obstacle course best. Playing on the husker's practice field was pretty cool, too.

Trent Abbott, Carson, Kara, Misti Wolf, Tom Wolf, Owen, Carson, and Meg Abbott

It was finally time to go to the real husker stadium (not the track and field stadium where Husker Nation is located.) Carson's and Owen's eyes were as wide open as they could be! They could hardly contain themselves. We rode escalators to our section then walked to our seats. We got to sit in the front row right where the players enter the field. The tunnel walk was amazing! Carson and Owen loved the game, people watching and took in as much as their little bodies could handle. Carson loved the "Red Dogs." (That's husker dogs or Fairbury hot dogs to you and I.) We caught a balloon and re-released it during the first touchdown, chanted Goooo Biiiggg Reeeddd! several times, loved watching the marching band, got to see Herbie Husker and Lil Red, and loved waving our arms after the extra point was scored.

(I couldn't resist including a picture of Suh.)

We weren't the last ones to leave the stadium, but it seemed like we were pretty close. We stayed until the very end of the game. We ran into college roommates while they were waiting to leave the game and got to see both the alumni band and collegiate band walk through the streets. It was very entertaining. After finally getting back to the hotel and hearing Goooo Biiiggg Reeeddd! a few hundred times throughout the night we were able to get Carson and Owen to call it a night. It did not take the boys long to fall asleep. It was a long, long day, but oh so much fun!