Tourist Detour

***** Warning******* The blog post below has some icky pictures. If you have a weak stomach or just plain prefer not to see icky flesh wounds, don't read. I promise to post fun pictures of the rest of our weekend trip soon, so you wont be left out :)

There is nothing like a trip to the ER to add that special something to any trip. Lets face it, you don't forget the trip when you went to check out the local hospital of the town you are visiting. Blood, tears and carnage will add so many memories.

We went to Spokane, Washington this past weekend with Mike's brothers, their families, friend and friend's family. It was a weekend filled with crowds, basketball, food, heat, fountains, laughter and . . . wait for it . . . . . you know it's coming . . . . . the pediatric wing of the emergency room. Was it worth that wait? ;)

Reece went with his Daddy to play Laser Tag with the guys and Mada. Apparently, he got pushed down while playing and got hurt. He didn't want to stop, he was doing pretty good and owning everyone with his mad laser skills. Plus, it was dark and Mike and I don't think he realized how bad he had cut up his knee. After the game was over, Reece came out and told Mike he got hurt.

This was when I got a phone call. "Sarah, Reece fell and cut his knee up pretty bad. I'm walking back to the hotel with him now."

I wasn't too concerned because I didn't hear my little guy crying in the background and he was walking back to the hotel all on his own. Couldn't be bad, I thought, because my kids have a flare for the dramatics and I have seen them get the tiniest cut and come unglued like they had cut their arm off.

Reece and Mike get back to the hotel and I take a peak at Reece's knee.
Hmmm, that picture doesn't really show you, does it? How about this one . . .


Hmmm, yeah, this looks a bit deep. Think stitches may be in order.

- Can we take a break here for me to sing the praises of GPSs. I love, no wait . . . . I LOVE that I was able to click in find closest hospital into my GPS and off it took me right to the ER door. Thank you my dear friend.

So, we left the girls with their Aunts and Uncles and we we jetted Reece over to the ER.

- OK, one more little break for me to say Spokane's ER rocks. They have a section for pediatrics and we got right in. I LOVED that I didn't have to sit and fill out tons of insurance paperwork before we got in the door and treated. So many other hospitals want that done before they will even see you . . . I wont name names, but lets just say, I've seen enough ER rooms since having kids and well, marrying Mike. The staff was awesome! Friendly, skilled and just plain awesome. They are super great with kids.

All right, back to Reece. The kid was doing great. Not so much as a whimper from the guy! He said it hurt, but wasn't shedding a tear. Brave little guy. They got us into our room and the Dr. was in pretty quick. He checked Reece's joints out and all was good. Verdict - stitches needed.

He flushed out Reece's wound and then brought out the HUGE needle to numb it up. He jabbed that thing into Reece's wound all over. This hurt and Reece sounded off his first wail. Mike's and my heart broke. A nurse came by and asked if all was all right in the room and shut door. After a few minutes the Dr. spoke and said to Reece, "I'm not sure you can feel this anymore, Little Guy." At which Reece took a breathe and paused and then decided the Dr. was right and stopped wailing. Out came the needle and thread.

The Dr. sewed him up. Reece was happily watching ICarly on the TV, oblivious to the whole thing. The Dr. talked about cheese to Mike and I . . because that is what people do when they find out where we are from.

All Done. Good as new . . . well, in 7-10 days, when he has to get his 6 stitches out.

Something to Tide You Over

I'm tired. I'm worn out. I'm emotionally drained. Yes, my kids are back home and sucking the life right out of me, isn't it wonderful! Always so nice to have all my kids back under my roof. Nothing like all three of my babies home, tucked safely in their beds, when I rest my head on my pillow at night. That said to say, I'm tired, worn out and drained, a new blog post will come soon, in fact we leave for a weekend get-a-way in two days, so in the meantime enjoy a few recent shots.

Isn't life grand at home?

Hey there cute stuff!

Awe, kids getting in touch with our towns roots!

Grace and Logan feeling the need for speed!

A rare shot of me and my little toothless wonder.

Daddy is happy the kids are home too! Finally, someone to laugh at his jokes ;)

When The Boys Are Away The Girls Will Play

Grace and I had a lovely time playing tea party last night.

Bottoms Up! Wait, what's that? Did you see that? Here, let me bring it into focus better for you . . .

Yah, that's what I thought I saw . . . it appears Spiderman came to our tea party too, and dressed for the occasion. Yes, Cinderella's gown looks quite lovely with the web pattern going on.

"Grace what do you think Reece will say about Spiderman being dressed up?"

"Yah, that's I think too."

Bug Farm

A little update from Grandma . . .

Kids were excited from the moment they woke up this morning. Usually Reece wakes up first and comes in my room and crawls in bed and watches cartoons until I get up. We have an arrangement where he can watch tv and I can sleep in until 9:00. Maddie usually wakes about that time and then we all get up and have breakfast.

This morning was a little twisted. Reece woke up and got into bed and I turned on the cartoons (that was good) but he kept announcing the time to me on every half hour or so ... thus waking me up just when I was falling back to sleep. He was so excited and didn't want me to forget or sleep through the "Bug Garden" adventure we had planned for today.

What a day they had at the bug exhibit. The park was great and the people in it were really nice and helpful to the kids. They answered their questions and spoke about bugs for at least a half hour. Then the kids got to hold "some" of the bugs. The "stick" bugs were the biggest success ... all the kids loved holding them.

I think the roaches were the next favorite for the kids. The roaches were fast so the kids had to really watch and be careful when they were holding them. GROSS! Grandma stood at a distance and used the zoom feature on the camera while taking pictures. I had already warned them not to bring the bugs too close to grandma. Bless their hearts, they didn't even try. I told them for 45 minutes while driving I did not like bugs ... so they knew.

I don't think Reece was too crazy for the bugs also ... I didn't see him holding any today. When I got home and was going through my pictures, I think I know why. Look at his face in the enclosed picture of Maddie holding the bug. He doesn't look too sure of that bug!!

Oh My, Oh My!!

I'm a horrible mother. I have a very hard time holding my mouth. Tonight, Mike and I were walking out of his brother's house. I called to my Gracie to come along. She was busy practicing her ballet walk on a retaining wall.

"Come on, Gracie May." I say.

I know, May is not Grace's middle name. Her middle name is after her Grandma, in honor of her. Arlene. It drives my dear husband crazy when I say May and not Arlene. I don't know how May came about (perhaps because she was born in May), but I always call her Gracie May. I do tend to say Arlene when she is in trouble, and I drop the "ie" at the end and only a Grace in a stern voice comes out. Anyway, beside the point.

So, tonight when I called my barely five year old, over, I jokingly said to my handsome man, "I better stop saying May or she just may think that's her real middle name!"

"I know!" He lashes back with more venom than I was expecting. "I wish you would stop that and call her by her real name."

Now, if you know me, I tend to fight back when pushed. So I instantly threw back at my husband in the most lovingly way, "She is my daughter and I will call her anything I so please! I can call her Poopy Stain if I want!" Is there anyway to actually say that lovingly? I can't believe Poopy Stain came out of my mouth, because I would NEVER call my kids that!!! But, I did but only in a conversation with my hubby, not TO Grace. Ok, go ahead, shame me now, I deserve it. I'll wait.

So, we climbed into the truck and I turned to Gracie, "Grace, whats your middle name?"

Without skipping a beat she retort, "Poopy Stain! Grace Poopy Stain Motsinger!" Then she about died laughing. Oh, my sweet little girl, always the jokester.

A Blog For All

Come one, come all! My blog has a bit for everyone, even my daughter enjoys reading her mommy's blog. She may follow suit and start one of her own.

Stolen Car

My parents recently came up to Oregon to watch Reece graduate from Kindergarten and Mada at her end-of-the-year awards ceremony (that blog and pics to come at a later date). My father is on a special assignment for work, so he is temporarily working about an hour and a half to two hours north of where my parents live. So on the day of their trip up here, my mom drove up to meet my dad and left his car at work. This eliminated a very stinky round trip drive for my dad. Mada and Reece went back to my parents home and are visiting for two weeks. They are currently there.

With that said, here is another email blog my mom wrote me.

I have a story to tell you ... Reece came to me the other day and asked me in a worried voice, "Grandma, why did Grandpa steal that white car the other day?" I was stunned for a few moments and I asked him, "Reece, Grandpa didn't steal a white car the other day. Why do you think he stole a car?"

"Because the other day when we came to your house, we stopped next to a white car and Grandpa got in it and stole it." I had to laugh ... it hit me kind of funny. I said, "Reece, honey, Grandpa didn't steal that white car because that car was Grandpa's car. He left it at his work place when we went to Oregon and we were planning to pick it up when we came home." "Oh," he says and he walks away satisfied that his Grandpa was not a car thief.