Noah's Ark Day & Donuts With Daddy Day

The Thursday before Halloween was a busy day at the boys' preschool.  Since it's a Christian preschool, they hosted Noah's Ark Day and invited all the children to dress up as animals.  I put my creative skills to work and turned the boys into a pair of giraffes.  Since this was smack-dab in the middle of coordinating Halloween costumes as well, I searched out the most cost-efficient way to create a second set of costumes for the boys.  Enter Wal-mart's Garanimals brand brown sweatpants and turtlenecks along with some good 'ol fashioned masking tape.

Anderson stretching out his loooooong neck.

 Showing his tail.

Everett looking very giraffey.

The best picture we could muster of the giraffes two by two.  

Anderson headed into school.  See ya later, alliga...uh..giraffe!

On the same day, Daddy was invited to a very special event in Anderson's class.  It was Donuts With Dad Day.  Since Father's Day is a summer holiday, the preschool holds this event to invite the dads into the classroom for some special time.  (They hold a similar event for the moms in the spring around Mother's Day.)  Anderson was SO excited to take Daddy into class with him and to get to have such a yummy treat!  Mommy snuck into class before leaving to take a quick picture:

Here is the interview that Anderson was proudly showing Daddy:

Anderson had also made Daddy a nice blue and green tie to wear while he was in class.  Sometimes Daddy even comes out in the mornings dressed for work wearing the tie and makes Anderson smile.  When Reese called me after leaving Anderson's school, he was proud to tell me a story.  He said that after the pledges and before the prayers, the teacher held up the Bible and asked the children "What is this?"  Anderson was the only one to loudly exclaim without hesitation "God's Holy Word!"  I know Reese's heart beamed.  I'm really happy that Reese was able to visit Anderson's class.  I know Anderson was very proud to have him there too.

Texas State Fair

A mid-October tradition of ours is to visit the Texas State Fair.  We literally waited until the last minute this year, going on the next-to-last day it was open.  It's a quick adventure when you are dealing with a 45-minute+ drive there, two kiddos who are on two different napping routines, and two kiddos who really want to walk unrestricted on their own, but can't because it's so crowded and chaotic.  But, we all had a fun time, nonetheless and are very happy that it worked out for us to fit it in this year.

First up: some rides before the lines get too long.  Anderson loves the rides!  Everett really wanted to go on them!  Next year he should be tall enough to go on them with Big Bro.

Year 2 for the Giant Monster Truck ride with Daddy

This little train was the only ride Everett could go on. He was so excited! Later in the day we walked by it and Everett wanted to get on it again so badly!  

One of Mommy's favs to do with Anderson ~ the giant slide.  

Anderson &n Daddy on the Kiddie Rollercoaster

Both boys really enjoyed the interactive kids' activities at the fair.  There was a great Hands on the Farm area that allowed them both to do all sorts of activities like they were on a farm.  Anderson was most thrilled with the bag of pretzels that he got to buy with his money that he earned from his crops that he grew and sold.  They also loved feeding and seeing the animals in the petting zoo arena.

Everett was very excited to feed the camel...

 ...until the camel tried to eat his hand.  ;)

And, oh the games.  I only have a couple of pictures of the carnival games.  There's a good explanation of the reason, though.  Each time we neared a carnival game booth, both boys began to turn into wild monkeys.  Not to mention the multiple signs posted on all of these kids' booths that said something along the lines of "If your child touches a duck, you pay for it."  So, they were both screaming to play the games, hands flying and grabbing at all the beautiful, cheap stuffed plush, and Mommy and Daddy were trying to explain to a 1.5 & 3.5 year-old why they only got to pick up one duck out of the pond of a thousand. They did enjoy picking out a prize from the tiny buckets labelled "Small Prize" stuck over in the corner of the booth.  (At least they weren't old enough yet to beg us to try and win those giant ones hanging all around them.)  Then, the monkey-wrangling and screaming would commence as we would try and get them out of said carnival game booth.  It was torture for us and momentarily Heaven for them.

The food at the fair was kind-of a 'miss' this year for us.  We all had the standard corn dog and tater-twisters along with some lemonade.  We shared some Dippin' Dots ice cream (Everett & Mommy's favorite) and as we bribed Anderson to leave walked back to the car, shared a funnel cake (Daddy & Anderson's favorite).  So, no adventurous tastes of fried bubble gum or other winning delicacies of the deep fryers.  :)

Here's our favorite tradition from the fair.  Piling into this tiny photo booth always brings about such laughter and the moment when we first see the photos printed out is priceless.  I'll throw in last years' for comparison, too.
2011                                                     2010

The second picture from this year just cracks us up.  Right before we took it (and you literally have like 3 seconds between takes) one of us yelled out "stick out your tongues!" and were only half-expecting Anderson to even join in.  When the pics came out we were hysterically laughing at Everett and his sneaky little tongue!

Anderson's Random Hip Virus

Since I will most likely print this blog at some point as a keepsake for the boys, I figured this was one for the books- mostly for posterity in that it's just SO random.  Last Friday morning, Anderson woke up complaining/crying hysterically that his left leg hurt.  Go figure...Reese was out of town for work, so it was Mommy and Grammy standing at Anderson's bedside wondering what in the world was going on.  After carrying him downstairs to the couch, the situation didn't improve.  Over the course of the next few hours, Anderson proceeded to not move an inch except when Grammy and I tried to play doctor and figure out what was going on.  When we did get some movement from his leg, we also got tears.  Not just tears, painful tears.  He seemed to not be able to put pressure on it, but also not be able to bend or twist it properly.  I even tried at one point to stand down the hallway with a miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cup candy so I could coax him to walk a few steps.  No such luck, although his tearful attempt earned him his bite of candy and lots of sympathy.

So, the morning went on with Grammy and Mommy carrying our little invalid around everywhere very, very gently.  We realized that an umbrella stroller doubles nicely as a wheelchair.

I took Anderson into his pediatrician around 11:00 that morning and it didn't take long for his doctor to agree that he was certainly hurting.  It wasn't his knee, or thigh, but his hip.  And after a some questions and an exam, the most unexpected diagnosis ever:  Toxic Synovitis.

Toxic Synovitis is a viral infection that settles in the hip joint and causes swelling.  It's most common in boys and affects preschool to early school-aged kids, but younger kids also can develop it.  Basically, it comes on like a light-switch, but often follows some other viral infection that the child might have had recently (Anderson did have a stomach virus the previous weekend).  There's no treatment for it besides monitoring for high fever, rest and pain relief.  


So, we were sent on our way with instructions for lots of rest, TLC and Motrin.  Off to Blockbuster and Chick-fil-A we went.  Anderson proceeded to park himself on the couch for the next 8 hours and literally just didn't move while he was treated to endless Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and his favorite lunch on a breakfast-in-bed tray in the living room!  He couldn't move and I've really never seen him be so still for so long.  That night during his sleep we kept hearing him moan every time he moved, which was probably the saddest thing I've ever heard from Anderson.  :(  Poor Buddy.  


Thank goodness that the next morning he woke up and was walking again.  He was visibly limping, but at least he was upright!  By Sunday, he was back to his usual self with the occasional explanation to us that "it still hurts a little, but it's getting better".  


So, moms of preschoolers- especially boys - now you've heard of this odd 'thing'.  If your little one wakes up or suddenly complains of leg pain and there's no obvious reason for it, you can at least remember that there is such a thing as a hip virus!


I thought this article was really helpful too! Mysterious Limp Strikes 100,000 Kids a Year 

Apple Picking

A few weeks ago Anderson's preschool class had A is for Apple day where they brought in apples and completed all sorts of fun activities revolving around the apples (graphs, counting, crafts, snacks, science, etc.).  It was soon after that when Anderson told me that he wanted to go see an apple tree.  I was excited to tell him about the time when Daddy & Mommy got to pick apples from a huge apple orchard when we lived in New England.  He wanted to see pictures and told me that someday he wanted to go and pick apples too.

Well, last weekend we took a road trip to Lubbock to visit my family and attend the A&M/Tech football game.  We were pleasantly surprised to pass by a nice little apple orchard about 20 miles east of Lubbock.  We immediately decided it would be perfect for stopping on our way back out of town headed home after the weekend.

Anderson was thrilled when we told him on Sunday morning that we were going to pick apples from trees.  He had a great time and I was really happy that his little wish came true.

Everett loved putting the apples into our bucket!

Everett coming....

...and going back to the bucket with an apple. :)

First taste straight from the tree!

A little sour!

Everett LOVED the apple.

Everett kept stopping every time he wanted to take a bite.

Come on, Everett...  :)

Summer...in October

Before the posts arrive with pumpkins, sweaters, turkeys and eventually snow, there's a bit more water fun to document!  Yep, one of the hottest summers on record here in TX just sort of continues on bit by bit.  Even today, the boys played outside in the water for maybe the last time of the year.  Over the past few weeks, we've hit up lots of splash parks.  It's funny how at the end of September I actually began receiving compliments on my tan!  The boys love the splash parks and Mommy enjoys being able to supervise from the sidelines and cool off in the mists as needed.  I really feel like we got an extra 'bonus' summer here at the end with all of the warm weather and water fun that we've had lately!

 

 (yes, we repeatedly told him NOT to drink the water)

Everett loves this fire hydrant!

 They actually sat here on their own.

There's no way they would've cooperated if I had wanted to take a picture of them both sitting still on these benches at the same time.

This picture makes my heart smile.  

Everett just runs along after Anderson wanting to do exactly what he's doing.  

Happy Birthday Riley!

Five years ago Reese got me what I still say is one of the best birthday presents I have ever received: a sweet ball of fur we named Riley.  She was so tiny when we picked her up from a breeder at a parking lot in East Texas.  We were terrified as we drove her home!  It's funny as I look back at the pictures I have of her from when we picked her up.  She was wrapped up in a baby's receiving blanket and it's funny how similar pictures I have of me holding Riley in those first moments resemble future pictures of me holding my own newborn children!

So, on September 28th we celebrated Riley turning 5 years old.  Anderson was thrilled to know that there was a family member's birthday to celebrate.  He spent the day telling her Happy Birthday and singing to her over and over.  We decided to bake her some special dog treats!  (Just 5 ingredients: whole wheat flour, peanut butter, milk, baking powder, and oatmeal. Bake ~15 minutes)

Anderson & Everett checking out the mixer for the first time up close.

Two determined doggy-treat chefs at work.

Everett is watching and learning!

"Stay back, Everett.  Don't put your hand in that."

Anderson loved rolling out the doggy dough.

Riley's doggy-shaped cookies ready to go in the oven!

Here's a video of Anderson & Everett giving Riley her first taste of her special treats:

And of course, Riley had to receive a present.  :)

(and if you listen closely near the end @ ~48 seconds ....you can hear Everett repeat after me saying Happy Birthday.  He says "Ha-Da-Da")  That's some good progress for him!  Yeah, Everett!