Magic Bus Bound

The girl child continued her birthday celebration last weekend. Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and brought with them an uncle and aunt. Another uncle and his better half joined the celebration as well cousins from a rather large city about three hours east of here which features a rodeo and a football team who will hopefully cease playing like an expansion team by the end of its first decade.

Pictures from the past two weekends should be coming once Picasa and I learn to get along. Hopefully later today (i.e., the man who snores next to me comes home from work and can help yet again).

When our guests departed on Sunday, the kiddo made it clear that she wanted to ride "The Magic Bus." Her grandparents own a motor home, and they had driven it down for the weekend. Why "The Magic Bus"? The coach has four slides which expand the width of the interior when parked, and the kiddo had christened the vehicle with this particular nickname when the slides were adjusted while she was lounging inside. When she deemed that the RV would be known as "The Magic Bus" this past Christmas, we were pretty impressed at her reasoning as she was three at the time.

So, Grandma and Grandpa strapped her in, and she took her first long trip in "The Magic Bus." Since arriving at her destination, she has accompanied both Grandpa and Grandma to their places of employment and visited the local zoo, Target, McDonald's and On the Border. She called Mom and Dad to let us know that she was enjoying creating a dinosaur on the Light Bright (if it's the one left over from my childhood, I am impressed by the longevity).

We get her back tomorrow night and cannot wait to see her again. We'll see how she feels about the "Real World" after parties two weekends in a row plus a week long trip to Grandma's and Grandpa's. My guess? She will not mind going back to school and Kids' Club (the child care center at the gym she enjoys).


One last thing to leave you with - What she has told me when I dropped her off at Kids' Club: "You go work out, Mommy. I'm going to have fun."

So true, kid. So true.

You've Come A Long Way, Baby

March 31, 2005

March 31, 2009

Happy Birthday Laura. We love you very much. Mom and dad are not quite sure how we're going to top the big bouncy castle in the back yard for next year's affair, but making you smile is worth all the effort. How do you top the "Best Birthday Ever"???

Step Away from the Scooter.....

"Daddy, you're going too fast. Give me your license. Okay, put your hands behind your back. Now, go sit down."

This was just reported to me by the child's father. They were outside playing, and apparently she felt he was breaking our patio's speed limit when he test drove her scooter.

I'm constantly amazed at what comes out of her mouth, and in this case, I am left to wonder where she learned this particular law enforcement script. Nobody around here has been pulled over lately (that I know about).

She turns four on Tuesday, and we had a party for the birthday girl and some of the kiddos she plays with this weekend complete with pizza, cupcakes, and Strawberry Shortcake moonwalk. More family members come in to town to continue the celebration next weekend.

I'll add more information about the party later. The birthday girl and her guests had a great time. The adults seemed to also enjoy themselves, thanks in no small part to the man of the house's purchase of the Shiner Family Reunion variety pack made up of six different brews.

I cannot believe my little girl is almost four. I feel so honored to watch her become a funny, smart, and beautiful young lady, but I am holding on to this age as tight as I can since I know that Mom will not always be as cool or as fun as she is right now.

Okay, I'm off to continue to clean and enjoy one of the remaining brew products. Enjoy your evening!

Paging Chin Suture, Stat!

When I was in graduate school, I lived with a good friend who was beginning her MD studies. I was amazed at the sheer dedication she and her classmates displayed in regards to their studies; however, like all overworked med students, they needed breaks and a chance to recharge. One of the stress reliefs for this group? On Thursday nights, they would gather at some one's apartment and watch ER (of course, some still studied during commercial breaks - dedication to the finest). As the school year progressed and their knowledge of anatomy and medical terminology increased, they became skilled in finding the writers' oversights. The DMS IV? Still cannot believe that one made it to air.....

I admit, I have not watched the show since that time. I tend to have a short attention span for television of any sort of quality and always feel a little annoyed when a show I can relate to "jumps the tracks" because of ratings. From what I hear, ER is still on the air (though facing its series finale in May).

On Saturday evening, our child had her first emergency room visit. I had blogged earlier that she has all of her limbs attached. She still does, but she also has three new stitches to accessorize the previously mentioned arms and legs.

The child's father was making tortilla soup for visiting grandparents. I had just returned home from the gym (a whole different blog post for another day), and my brother was pulling up the Cramer/Jon Stewart clips from Comedy Central for our viewing pleasure. The kiddo wanted to help her dad cook, and she pushed a chair into the kitchen so the added height would allow her to be a sous chef. Apparently, feet with socks are slippery when standing on chairs, and the next thing heard was "crash" followed by screams/shrieks.

After a call to the pediatrician's after hours nurse, we were directed to the emergency room housed in the hospital closest to our neighborhood. From what I remember, television's portrayal helped prepare me for the moment. Waiting room wait? Check. Easy on the eyes physician? Check. Frazzled patient? Check. Drama between the parents? Not so much - we tend to like each other most of the time.

After an initial exam by a RN and a more in depth exam by the doc on call, her teeth and gums were pronounced fine. The tongue was bruised but still worked (as the repeated "I want to go home NOW!" proved). However, the impact caused a split chin , and sutures were ordered. After application of a local anesthetic, she was given an oral dose of Versed. As she became the most relaxed she has ever been in her almost four years on this earth, the procedure commenced.

A papoose board was used. It was ordered as the child would not keep still - more due to her being upset that she could not move her hands and see what was going on rather than pain or discomfort. The doc sewed her up while an awesome nurse sang "Spongebob Squarepants." Her parents were right there and held her hand until we were released to go home.

Mema and Grandpa were waiting for her with chocolate, a puppy card which makes noises whenever it opens, and a "Get Well" Spongebob balloon. The next day, Grandma and Grandpa came into town and took her out to eat for chips and queso. As of today, she seems to feel pretty good (and by good, I mean "good" enough to elicit several "GET DOWN! Do you want to go to the hospital again?" directives from her parents and grandparents).

Thus, we're on the mend around here. However, when it comes to emergency room stories, I'll leave them to skilled actors and/or trained professionals.