Run Griffin Run

Last night was Griffin's first track meet. He ran the 400m against other 1st grade boys. He decided to wear yellow shorts, great idea, we could see him all the way around the track.

Yesterday also marked the one year anniversary of his release from the hospital. Can you believe it has been a year? Pediatric Pseudo Tumor Cerebri have you ever heard of it? Most commonly found in young obese women on acne medication, not 6 year old boys. After hearing about our experience, people said it was like an episode of House.

To make a long story short:
Griffin says, "Mommy, I see two of you."
Eye doctor says, it may be a brain tumor, go for a CT scan now.
Neurologist hospitalizes him for testing.
2 spinal taps
2 MRIs
2 MRVs
2 Cat Scans

Ten very long days in the hospital with no answers.

Final diagnosis: Bad ear infection led to mastoiditis, which led to increased pressure in the brain, and caused blood clots in the brain, in turn causing double vision.

His blood clots finally dissipated in November and now he has no restrictions so, RUN GRIFFIN RUN!

Mostly sunny with a chance of rain

I am sure you are tired of hearing about Carter's awesome school by now. Sorry but we have one more story.

The kids are currently working on their spring field projects, his group is weather. Carter loves weather! He is obsessed with our local NBC weather guy. The mom of one of the kids from his group set up a field trip to the local Fox news station. Carter was in heaven. The weather man told us all his tricks, showed them behind the scene action, the kids tried out the news desk, Carter gave a weather report in front of the green screen. It was a fun filled hour.

Be more specific

I wasn't thinking clearly this morning and therefore did not issue morning instructions as specific as needed.

I said, "Please brush your teeth."

I should have said, "Please brush your teeth without destroying the bathroom."

Lesson learned. I will speak more clearly tomorrow.

Our YouTube Celebrity

I had an email that we have a new comment on YouTube 3 year old speed stacker. I clicked on the link to read the comment and almost fell over. Hayden's little video has had over 500 views!

Carter's video was the first we uploaded and he was happy having the most views. Griffin's speed stacking video definitely shows more skill but some how Hayden's video has greatly surpassed both his brothers.

I think Hayden has some kind of speed stacking cult following. He is linked to various speed stacking sites. He is listed as a favorite by other speed stackers. He is one popular little speed stacker.

I will be sitting by the phone waiting for Meredith Viera to call us and invite us to the Today Show, certainly with 500 views he has celebrity status.

5 socks

Guess what I found in my car as I was pumping gas (read: spending our retirement account)?

Amongst the trash I found 5 dirty boy socks, not 4 or 6 but 5. Why 5? Where is the other one? Who walked around with only one sock on his foot either before or after he was in my car? Or, heaven forbid, did it fall out of our moving trash heap in some parking lot; church, school, grocery store, library? Where is our missing sock?

And more importantly, why do you need to remove your socks in my car?

Upon closer inspection, I notice only 2 socks match.....
Note to self, add bleach to the shopping list.


Can't you just smell that smell?

Search Engine Results

I love, love, love being able to track the traffic on our blog. I know who you are and where you came from. Thanks for visiting, please leave comments.

One thing I love is the keyword analysis. Here are some recent searches that brought people to our blog.

Gimmees
Funny Ways to Say Grace
Hobby Lobby Chalkboard
Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry
Cashier job descriptions for quick trip
Laura Baldrick's
Carter's Birthday bibs
youtube videos of pediatric dentists
Chatty Cathy

And then the Testosterone searches:

High Testosterone Smile
2008 Testosterone Beautiful
Testosterone and OCD
Peanut Butter Testosterone
Testosterone for Kids
and my favorite
Quaker Oats Testosterone

What were you thinking, do Quaker Oats increase testosterone, is there testosterone in Quaker Oats, do you need testosterone to eat Quaker Oats? Please tell me, I am dying know.

A Weekend of Firsts

This weekend we had a fun camping trip with good friends. We meet Ashley (my friend since 8th grade), her 3 year old daughter, Ashley's boyfriend and his 10 year old son. The boys had a great time fishing, biking, climbing trees, and swimming. The water was too cold for most of us sane people, but some crazy folks went in.

We can't wait to get down there again. Our site was perfect, it backed up to sandstone formations including a big "sand box" just behind our site.

Our first camping trip of the season

Griffin's first whiddling - yikes, boys and pocket knives

Hayden's first fish - those spiderman fishing poles really do work








Griffin's first fish - he caught it all by himself









Hayden's first tree - you can only climb up if you can get down by yourself




Carter and Griffin's first late night (8pm) fishing trip without adults - a short walk back from the youth pond in the dark, with flash lights

It was so much fun we are already trying to book another trip to Lathrop State park this summer.

Wacky Colorado Weather

It seems very strange to be getting ready to go camping tomorrow when the kids have a two hour delayed start for snow today. The town we are heading to also has a weather delay today. I keep checking weather.com and it still shows great weather for the weekend, 67 Friday, 71 Saturday, and 67 Sunday. Should be big fun, however today we have 5 inches of snow and 30 degrees. I guess it is a typical, wacky Colorado spring weekend.

The price of fame? 20 bucks

We are lucky enough to have access to a sky box at the Colorado Springs Sky Sox baseball games about 4 times a year. The Sky Sox are the AAA team for the Colorado Rockies. Last night was our first time this season. We arrived early and were soon visited by a few young guys from the promotion crew.

We could have one of our boys be the Junior Announcer during the bottom of the fourth inning. He would sit behind home plate and announce all the Sky Sox players during the bottom of the fourth. We have never had anyone we know get to do this in the 19 years of the Sky Sox. What a fun time! Griffin hears this and is saying please, can I do it? over and over again. I look to Carter (the older, shyer one) and he seems fine with Griffin being the Jr. Announcer. Yes, sign us up, we say.

One catch, they say, it is $20. Ok, fine, 20 bucks isn't a lot to pay for this shot at fame. They pull out the sign up sheet and I notice several other promotional spots still open.

We find Carter something also, the Checker Auto Parts Pitch to Win, and shell out another 20 bucks. Yes, even though it already sponsored it is still $20 to participate. Hayden is too young to realize he was gypped.

The fourth inning comes along and Griffin's cute little face graces the jumbo tron four times while he calls out Seth Smith, Sean Barker, Joe Koshansky, and Edwin Bellorin. There is just something sweet about the little kid in speech pronouncing all those S's. He received huge applause from the crowd!

Carter and Ben were in the player's tunnel for most of the seventh inning. They went on the field after the seventh inning for the Checker Auto Parts Pitch to Win contest. Carter's adorable face was on the jumbo tron while he had 3 (then 4 and 5) turns to throw a ball though very small holes to win a Checker Auto Parts gift certificate, just what every ten year old needs. He did a great job, he came very close every time. More huge applause! He won a $20 gift card for Checker. Ben was thrilled.

And these boys will forever remember their once in a lifetime brush with fame in minds. They will have to, I forgot the camera.

5 classes I wish they would have taught in school

I was tagged by Karen for 5 classes I wish they would have taught in school. If you ask my Dad he will say I took lots of unnecessary classes, I called it being well rounded, in my 5 years of college: Wine tasting, photography (3 semesters), National Parks, beginning basket weaving, you get the point. These are 5 classes I wish they would have offered.

1. Guilt Trips: How To Ignore Them, and the second semester, Guilt Trips: How To Give Them.

2. Watch out for the Girls: wear a supportive bra, especially while exercising. These girls may be your best friends now but after breast feeding, or exercising without the proper support they will (LITERALLY) turn on you.

3. Just Say NO: you can not possibly do all things well if you try to do ALL things. Note to self, sit on hand next time the call for volunteers goes out.

4. Cooking near the end of the month: Great ideas for "pantry surprise" when it is not quite payday and the supplies are dwindling.

5. Household Assertiveness: Getting the repect you deserve. The cable guy is late again, the vinyl siding guy will only speak to your husband, the mechanic tries to rip you off. Get the cojones you need to stand up for yourself.

And now, tag you're it.

Hillary
Monica
Rachel
Lady Kong

It's not just me

You may remember my run in with Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry a few months ago.

I received an email from a father this weekend who is having the same issues with the same dentist from that practice. A loose estimate, they tell you it can be higher depending on your insurance, over the top treatment plan that maxs out the dental insurance(including extractions of already wiggly teeth), and so far no relief in the child's discomfort.

I am not sure how these people get away with what they are doing. FYI, when you google Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry, my blog comes up before their office website. I bet that puts a bright white smile on their faces.

Back to School Shopping

Yes, you read that right....


I always L O V E D back to school shopping, so imagine my surprise when my children complained about HAVING to go. They are boys so that explains it. Now I dread having to take them. Imagine last year...three boys in the Kohls boys changing room, me trying to adjust the waistband on my extra slim kids pants and help my (just turned) 3 year old try stuff on from outside the dressing room... AAHHH. I cringe just thinking of that bad, bad day.


I had to hit the mall on Friday. I was trying hard to avoid the boys section of Macy's, but I was drawn in by the "additional 30% off" signs that were topped by "extra 20% off when you use your Macy's card" sign. I should have looked in the mirror and saw SUCKER printed right across my forehead. I started in the big boys section and started loading up. The sales clerk came to relieve me of my pile several times. An hour later, I was done back to school shopping.

I did find remarkable deals that I will store in their closets until August 14th when they head back to school. Then in September, when it starts getting chillier, I can torture them with a trip to the store for jeans.

Total 21 shirts (mostly long sleeve)6 for Carter, 6 for Griffin and 9 for Hayden
1 pair pants for Hayden
1 NICE jacket for Carter
1 pair PJs for Hayden
1 cute outfit for Alexander


Grand TOTAL : 116.00 plus tax!

We are famous

OK, maybe not really famous but the boys did get some local ink recently. Our Community News printed a picture of the boys playing marbles at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry.

Monday morning

The weather, a balmy 31 degrees

Road conditions, dry

There hasn't been rain or snow since the brief storm we had on Thursday.

Why then, you ask, do we have a two hour delay? Someone (read...high school students) let air out of the front tires of 90% of the school district's fleet at the transportation office. How many buses could that be? 120 buses servicing five high schools, five middle schools, and eighteen elementary schools.

In addition to the two hour delay, there will not be morning bus service available. Remember that fun 4th grade school Carter attends? 16 miles away. Griffin's school 1 mile from our house. They both start at 10:25 today. This will be one crazy Monday.

Cute prank kids, I hope someone gets suspended.

The Queen

This scene takes place in the backseat of Ben's Taurus.

Hayden: Carter, turn on the TV.

Carter: Daddy's car doesn't have a TV, only mommy's does.

Hayden: Oh, only the Queen's car has a TV.

Dad: (Laughing) That's right!

Bald is Beautiful

Today was St. Baldrick's Day. We found out Colorado Springs had the largest number of shavees (in a single day event) than any other St. Baldrick's event in the WORLD. We were so proud that one of the shavees was Carter. He raised $330 in pledges (thanks to all who contributed!) more than doubling his personal goal.

Without further adieu here are the pictures of our newly bald child.

Huh?

Hayden and I were early to the childwatch drop off at the Y this morning. I signed him in and waited for them to open..

Another mother came in and said, "Isn't this the greatest program?"

I reply, "Yes, all I have to do is go work out and someone will watch my child."

She said, "I looked around at other preschools and they want $200 a month for only a few days a week. I only have to pay $52 and the whole family gets to come."

I smile politely, kiss Hayden goodbye and went to work out thinking HUH?

Do you really think a babysitting service is equivilant to preschool? Yes, the kids get social interaction, some coloring, but childwatch isn't preschool. I love the workers, they love Hayden, they do a great job and he enjoys "Y school," but it isn't in their job description to teach these kids anything.

Now I know some YMCAs offer preschool, this isn't one of them. This is strictly a drop off babysitting service for 2 hours a day(max) while you are on the premises.

I am involved with the nursery at our church, childwatch is just like that, a safe place for your children to be while you have to be somewhere else within the building. I would never say, oh yes my son goes to preschool Sunday mornings while I am in church, and it's free.

In hindsight, I should have told her how wonderful our son's preschool is and the fantastic things he has learned. Yes, it may be $170 a month but he knows shapes, ABCs, early reading skills, sings songs, has field trips, etc. But I don't think she would have heard much past $170 a month. And I will continue to think HUH how can someone confuse the two.