Sarah's New Excitement

Birthday parties are expensive. Sarah went to a friend's party on Saturday, was there for five minutes, and now we have a broken arm from flipping off a bed. Note to six year olds. If you do a cool trick and your friend says, "Do it again!." DON'T DO IT!

So we went to the doctor Monday to have Sarah's arm x-rayed. The results were that she broke her elbow. I thought they would cast it and send us on our merry way. No way! She broke it but they were concerned that she may have broken her growth plate so they sent us to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. That appointment was Wednesday.

Again I thought they would take a few x-rays, tell us everything was fine with the growth plate, cast it, and send us on our merry way. No way!After the x-rays, the surgeon told us that she had broken the right radial head of her elbow. Also, it had moved so far away from the bone that surgery was required in order to reattach it. So instead of the quick visit I was expecting, we went from the doctor's office over to the children's hospital to check-in and have surgery that evening.

God has a sense of humor since we ended up being in a room just three doors down from the room I spent 3 days in in the hospital with Nathan last month. I even wore the same shirt that I got to spend 3 days in. I think that's hilarious. The nurses joked that I didn't need a wrist band to let me into the unit. My shirt alone should work. he he he.Sarah and I spent the afternoon playing hospital bingo, reading the rest of A Tale of Despereaux, and hanging out. Sarah's favorite part was Disney Channel. We have only movies at our house so she was glued to Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, etc. As for me, I took that time to wander or read a magazine. I knew there was a reason why we didn't have tv anymore. I think I lost many brain cells watching just the little bit I did.

Legacy Immanuel Children's Hospital is the best. Sarah says that her stufties (stuffed bear and dog who went into surgery with her) got the sleeping gas first and the doctor pushed them over so that they were sleeping. These same stufties also came out of the operation with matching casts to Sarah's on the same arm. So cute.Scott came to be with us after work and was so wonderful. He is a great dad and a fabulous husbamd. His brain cells are in question, too, though because he came after the surgery when Disney watching was at it's peak. I think we will all live but yuck. Scott says the best of Disney Channel is an oxymoron.

We were discharged at midnight so we wouldn't have to pay for another day. A blessing but what a long day. Now we are home and Sarah, my brave humpty dumpty is on Tylenol with Codeine wanting to do everything but sit still. She is the coolest kid. She was so calm in the pre-op room that the nurses thought the nurses upstairs had given her valium before she came down. That's my Sarah, calm and fabulous (most of the time!).

Monday Sarah gets to go back to the surgeon's office to get a real cast and she says she's choosing the Glow in the Dark color. That should be fun. Anyone want to come sit in the bathroom to see a cast glow in the dark?

Well, we are home and I have a shirt available for anyone who wants it.

Seattle As A Family

We went to Seattle for a few days as a christmas trip with all the children. Some highlights were the space needle and getting to see all of seattle from above. The Seattle Aquarium is fantastic. We saw octopus, starfish, otters, etc. I love touching sea life. I want to go back all by myself and play for hours in the pools where you can touch the animals. A cool one is called a feather duster. When you touch it, it pulls itself inside a tube. Cool looking and fun! We also enjoyed Pike's market although the smell of fish was a strong deterent for Taylor who wouldn't eat anything there. Taylor and Ally went on a shuttle to Westlake Mall and truly enjoyed being off on their own. I can't believe my kids are so grown-up that they can do that even in a new city. Cameron and I had a fun walk in downtown Seattle and got crepes and talked. I really love my husband and kids.

Of course there were the rough times like stuffing six kids and two tired adults into a small hotel room. Or Rylee pooping his underwear at the top of the space needle. Ugh! Or a screaming two year old in a backpack. Or losing Tay and Ally in downtown Seattle and having to pray to find them. Or . . . I think I should remember the good times and stop documenting the yucky ones, huh? We really did have so many good memories that I am truly glad we went. Afterall, if you get back from a trip and even the teenagers say that it was a great trip, I think it was successful. Now Scott and I need a vacation. He He He.