SchlegelRock

I cannot believe that Oli started Kindergarten today.  That kid has been attached to me (and truthfully me to him) for five years now.  He was so excited to go and he has Tru’s old teacher so I think he’ll do great.  He was super happy when I picked him up too so I think we’re all set.

Oh man, am I not looking forward to mornings but all three kids are happy as can be right now so I guess it’s totally worth it.

That’s right.  Oli actually jumped off of the diving board today.  Proclaimed it “wicked fun” and did it again and again.  And much to my delight swam halfway from the board to the side of the pool all by himself.  This is a big day for Oli.  He’s been in swim classes literally all summer.  Start to finish next week.  I am so proud of him and just about jumped up and down right there at the pool.  Good job Oli!!!!!

Max and Tru just finished a week at Planet Granite rock climbing. They loved it and can’t wait to do it again next year. We showed up the first day and Oli wanted to do it too even though he declined when I signed them up months ago. Unfortunately all the classes were full. It would have been so cute to see him climbing. The boys did great though. Made it all the way to the top and everything. I never caught Max climbing so I don’t have any wicked cool pics of him.  Tru is in the orange shirt.

But we finally got a bed.  And I love it.  I feel so grown up now.

Scott took a week off of work to redo our bedroom.  He stripped the popcorn off the ceiling and then retextured it.  Then came the cutting and painting of the baseboards and the molding.  Scott’s parent’s came and helped us paint the walls while Scott painted the ceiling.  Then came the tricky bit of actually putting the molding up.  Then Scott put in a modular closet. Add in some new linens and wala, a beautiful new bedroom.  I LOVE our new room and while we still need to get some artwork in there it’s awesome just the way it is.  You did a fantastic job Scott!

Molding at corner where off white and brown meet.

Baseboard on brown wall.

This will be a quick one.  Scott went last Tuesday to the doctor and got a new cast for 2 more weeks.  So by this point it’s about another week with his new green cast.  He said the doctor told him the sure way to know if the bone was still broken was to press in on it so he did and Scott said it hurt bad.  Maybe gave a little silent scream.  But the bone is healing and Scott should be back to normal soon.

You’re doing great hon.  It’s almost over.

I’ve got a little video here of what Truman was up to before he got his cast off last week.  He was doing full heel over head flips on our couch.  That goes to show how good was feeling.  His arm wasn’t hurting at all and he was running full steam ahead.  I think I scared him a little though about playing too hard at the park because he would hold back when we went outside to play but he didn’t care what the consequences were when we were in the house.

Truman got his cast off last Wednesday.  He’s still holding it in the same position that the cast held it in and will probably be doing that for a while.  It just takes some time to get the range of motion back.  It doesn’t hurt him as long as he keeps it bent.  He was doing flips over the couch this morning though so it’s obviously not bugging him too much.

Right when he got the cast off his arm was disgusting.  Dead skin everywhere so the nurse took us into a room and I asked her if I could wash it off and she gave me little alcohol squares.  So I was sitting with his arm in the sink washing off  his arm because he said the skin was itching him.  The doctor walks in the room and says, “Please don’t do that.  His skin is so sensitive right now you’re going to give him a rash.”  Well thanks, nurse for giving me the wipes.  The doctor said to just bathe him and apply lots of lotion and the skin will take care of itself.  Good to know after the fact.  And sure enough, I gave Truman a rash on his poor sensitive arm.  Live and learn.  I think I apologized to Truman like 100 times.  I felt so bad.

Tru goes back to see Dr. Garg in about 2 weeks to check his range of motion.  I have full confidence in Truman’s ability to adapt that he will be perfectly fine by then.  If not, we do physical therapy.  I can think of worse things.  As of now the bone is healed and he’s running around like any 6 year old should.  Well, with a bent arm.  But that’s not stopping him.

We’ve got yet another first going on.  Max is on his first soccer team, the Hurricanes.  Because Max is 8 most of the kids on his team have been playing for a few years.  I was afraid this was going to be a disaster but it wasn’t.  In fact Max had a blast and I loved watching him play.  He got a hold of the ball a few times and passed it where it needed to be.  Max, being Max, is not as aggressive as some of his teammates but he is a great team player and had a smile on his face the whole game.  His coach even told him it was nice to hear laughter from the field.  Not something he’s used to.

Scott is the Assistant Coach so he’s been able to be with Max at practice and at clinics.  I could not be more happy with the outcome of todays game.   It’s just the beginning of a great season.

I love this second picture because that’s how Max looked the entire time.  He was smiling and laughing and there was a skip to his run.  I mean, the kid was having so much fun.  Everyone else was so serious and focused on winning and he was just enjoying the game.  Doing great and enjoying the game.  I couldn’t have asked for this to go better.  Yay soccer.  Yay Max!

Goooo Hurricanes!!

Because Max is eight now he started Cub Scouts yesterday.  He was so excited to get dressed in his uniform and I don’t think he had any idea what to expect but he thoroughly enjoyed the pack meeting.  While we were driving we had this conversation:

Max:  Mom, why do I have to wear these numbers on my arm?

Me:  That’s your pack number.

Max:  What’s a pack.

Me:  Well you know what a Ward (congregation) is right?  It’s a group of people that all live in the same area that go to church together.  Well a pack is a group of Scout’s that all live near each other.

Max:  So I have to move? (Implying leave our family.)

I very kindly told him no.  You just go to Scout’s with people you live by.  I wanted to say something about how he was now going to be living with all these other boys and someone else would raise him, maybe wolves as a matter of fact but I refrained.

I could not believe how ridiculous the Pack Meeting was.  Riddles and bubble gum blowing contests.  In fact there I’ve never felt so stupid in my life because I cannot do riddles.  I honestly can’t figure them out.  Never have been and it makes me feel really dumb.  Well, apparently they like riddles in Cub Scouts so hopefully  my kids didn’t get my inability to work out simple problems.  Like this one.  They gave some of the kids eleven toothpicks and told them to turn them into nine.  Do you know how to do that?  I’ll put the answer in the comments in case your like me and have no idea how you turn eleven toothpicks into nine.

Elaine helped me sew on all the patches so Max looked just like the other new Wolfs in the pack.  It really was a fun night.  My only problem was Tru and Oli because they kept raising their hands to participate but couldn’t.  They didn’t give me any grief but it made me sad to see them disappointed. (Like I’ve never said no to my kids before, right?)

Just another sign of Max growing up and turning into a little man.

I just have one question for you… Do you remember Cub Scouts being so silly?

If you haven’t heard my complaints before about lunchtime you’re about to get an eye full.  Which is totally funny because I only have one at home now but it still effects me the same way.  I hate lunchtime.  I hate it with a passion so fierce I can feel it tightening my chest even now just thinking about it.  Why, you ask?  I’m not sure what the root causes are but I have come to loathe lunchtime more than any other time of the day.  And you know how much I hate mornings so I’m being real serious here.

I guess it started when Max was little and he would start asking me about lunch time starting at 10 am and then every five minutes after that until noon.  Add another kid and it’s another mouth asking when lunchtime is at ridiculous intervals.  Then the third comes.  Oh my gosh.  If one of them isn’t asking the other two are.  It’s non stop.  And yes, I do feed them snacks so they’re not starving.  Thank goodness I finally drilled it into the older two’s heads to watch the clock.  Stop asking me and look at the stinking clock.  Is it 12:00?  No?  Then it’s not lunchtime.

Then lunchtime actually comes and all I hear is, “I want a peanut butter and honey sandwich,” “I want a turkey sandwich,” “I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,”  ”I want cheese bread,” “I want grilled cheese,” “I want a cheese sandwich.”  Can you hear me screaming?  Because I am.  No one ever wants the same thing.  Do I look like a short order cook?  Because I’m not.  I am a loving mother who wants to make sure her children are fed but who would like to make one type of sandwich a day.  That’s all I’m asking.  One type.  Not four (Jessica our neighbor has been with us this Summer).

I even tried making one type of sandwich per day but it didn’t stop the little voices.  ”But I want turkey.  Why can’t I have turkey?”  ”I don’t want peanut butter!”  ”I said I wanted two squares one rectangle and a triangle.”  ”His squares are bigger than mine.”

And don’t even get me started on the shapes they want their sandwiches cut into.  Someone who shall remain nameless actually took cookie cutters and cut shapes out of their sandwiches for them so of course that’s what they want me to do.  I am not Martha Stewart people.  I’m not even grandma.  I’m mom and I cut in half.  That’s what I do.

So a month ago I finally wised up and started making the older three make their own sandwiches.  That way they can make whatever they want and cut it into a bajillion pieces if that’s what their hearts desire.  And now that the school year has started I’m going to let Max and Tru make their own lunches the night before so they can do whatever they like with their sandwiches.  Genius, if I do say so myself.

It’s looks like everything is taken care of right? Well, I’m writing this post because at 9:30 this morning Oli came into my room and asked if it was lunchtime.  I just about lost it.  I guess it’s time to start teaching him how to read the clock.  Poor kid has no idea his mom has so much built up anger about the subject.  But I am not a short order cook people.  I love being a mom but I do not love making four different types of sandwiches and cutting them in four different shapes.  I have my limits.

Now I’ll take a deep breath and try to put this all behind me.  There’s just one more kid to train.

I know there’s something that you have to do as a mom or a wife that drives you absolutely batty.  And it comes up almost everyday if not everyday.  I know I’m not alone.  What is it?

Update:  Even if you’re not a mom or a wife there’s gotta be something that makes you nuts.  We wanna know.

We’re headed back to Max again.  He deserves some time in the blog light.  I wanted to introduce you to Max’s girlfriend Jordyn.  Jordyn has been smitten with Max for a while and he finally came around a while back and reciprocated her feelings.  By reciprocated I mean he lets her hold his hand and I think he actually enjoys the attention.

It’s all very innocent and cute and I love watching them walk around holding hands.  Jordyn starts Kindergarten this year so Max is pretty much robbing the cradle but when they’re older a few years like that wont matter.  And we love Jordyn’s parents so even though the chances are slim to none that this will end up in marriage it’s fun to think about all the same.

When I get a picture of the two of them together I’ll have to introduce you to Abigail, Truman’s girlfriend.  But this is all about Max.

Laura, do you think this relationship is going to last now that Jordyn is going to school with all those boys?  Thank goodness we’re reinstating Thursday park day to keep the love alive.

Do you remember your first grade school boyfriend/girlfriend?

Update:  I went back in and corrected Jordyn’s name.  Good thing I caught that.

Warning:  This is a little gross but really not that bad.

I took Tru to the Dr’s today to get a his pins taken out and a new cast put on.  It was really interesting.  I learned that to put the pins into his arms they put the straight pins into a drill and while watching a live x-ray they drill the pins through the bones.  Then when they are placed they bend the ends so they can wrap them up.  Didn’t know that before.

I also learned that bones have no nerve endings.  Or so says the Ortho Tech that took the pins out.  The part that hurts the most when removing pins is pulling off the scab on the outside of the pins.  All I know is Truman laid perfectly calm and still while the guy twisted and pulled out the pins.

I felt so bad for the Tech because he said some people are so scared and grossed out that they scream and pull away from him which only makes the process painful and worse.  He was genuinely relieved and grateful that Tru was so calm for him.  I am too.  I really enjoyed watching the process and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if Tru was thrashing around.

As you can see Tru got a green cast with glitter stuck all over it.  I don’t think we are ever going to let the kids get glitter again because it is falling off all over the house.  I can’t wait to see what his bed looks like tomorrow morning.

Dr. Garg says Truman is healing really quickly so in two weeks we’ll probably get the cast off for good.  Well, at least until the next time, right?  He can’t do PE but he can play at recess like a normal kid so I am really happy about that.  He’s going to have a great time.

I’m wondering, what color casts have you had?

Max was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday.  It was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had as a mother.  In our church we baptize when we’re eight years old.  Scott and I were both baptized at eight.  We believe that at the age of eight we’ve matured and developed enough that we start making conscious decisions of right and wrong.  Before the age of eight we are considered innocent and there is no need for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  But once we become mature enough we are given more responsibility through baptism.

In the baptismal covenant Max promised to take upon him the name of Jesus Christ (always try to live as Christ would live), keep His commandments and always remember Him.  Max has promised to help his fellow boys and girls, to always watch out for those around him.  In return he was given the Gift of the Holy Ghost.   That means that as he keeps his baptismal covenants that the Spirit of God will be his constant companion.  To help keep him safe.  To help him know right from wrong.  To comfort him when he’s lonely or afraid.

I went yesterday to get my blood drawn at Kaiser.  I’m supposed to do this regularly because of the bipolar meds I’m on but this time it had been a year and a half since my last draw.  I got a call from my Psychiatrists nurse a while back gently reminding me that he had reminded me to get it done months ago.  Fine.

Everything went pretty well.  There was a fifteen minute wait on the first floor so I went up to the second and waited maybe 5 minutes to get called in.  The lady drawing blood had trouble finding my vein so that hurt a bit but other than that, everything went fine and now I wait for my results to make sure everything looks OK.

The reason I’m telling you this is because every time I get my blood drawn I get flashbacks to when I was pregnant with Max and got it drawn for the first time. You see I had started having panic attacks only I had no idea what they were so I thought something was really wrong with me.  I was also throwing up everything that I ate that wasn’t ice-cream so I was pretty depleted and tired and I thought I was losing my mind.  And my bipolar hadn’t been diagnosed yet so I really had no idea what was going on.

So I show up to get my blood drawn and I’m starting to hyperventilate but I’m trying my darndest to keep it together.  But that doesn’t last for long.  The lady puts the needle in and starts the draw and I start crying and hyperventilating at the same time.  I just wanted to run out of there screaming and crying and curl in a ball somewhere to hide from it all.  I was not in a good place.

Then another Phlebotomist walks up behind my station and says, “She shouldn’t have got herself knocked up if she couldn’t stand to be poked.”  Great.  Thank you so much for your kindness and compassion.  I can still remember what that felt like to sit there and hear her say such an insensitive thing.  Of course it made me feel worse.  I felt like not only was I falling apart but medical professionals viewed me as weak and had no compassion for me.  I felt hopeless.

All she had to do was ask me if I was OK or say something soothing to me but she chose to be cold and calloused and make fun of me.  She had no idea that I was bipolar, and that I didn’t know it yet, and that the pregnancy exacerbated my condition and that the panic attacks were still unknown.  Maybe she thought I was on drugs or just afraid of needles but does that really matter?  I was clearly in distress and she had the power to make me feel at least a little bit better or shut her mouth and not influence the situation at all.

Needless to say I went home and got in bed and cried for a good long time.  I’m amazed that I’m even able to get my blood drawn anymore but I am.  I flashback to that experience every time I go and hope for a better one this time.  At least I know how to deal with a panic attack should I have one and my meds keep the rest in check.  So far so good.  Even if they can’t find the vein the first time.  Nobody’s perfect, right?

Do you have any horror stories that still linger when you go see the Dr?

I forgot about Stake Conference (a big twice yearly gathering) at Church yesterday so there was no place to announce Max’s and Hannah’s baptism this Friday at 7pm at the Los Altos Stake Center, 1300 Grant Rd, Los Altos.  I know some of you have kids in Primary so I thought you might be interested.

Max had his interview with the Bishop yesterday and it was so amazing to hear his answers to the Bishop’s questions.  It’s incredible what he knows and understands already.  We are so excited for this step he’s taking to follow the teachings of Jesus.

We would love it if you could come celebrate with us but totally understand if you can’t.