"Our Little Nephi"

I just witnessed the sweetest family home evening. This was one of the first times that we let Ty stay up for all the fun.  Usually he is already in bed. Craig gave a stupendous lesson on working hard.  He told them several stories and had their full attention the entire time (miracles do happen). Afterwords he talked to them about overcoming weaknesses and also strengthening the talents we do have.  The kids both made promises to work hard and practice a lot at something they want to do better at. Jace wants to get better at sports and Brooke wants to get better at catching butterflies and mermaids. lol.  She makes me laugh on a daily basis.  We sang a song that Brooke made up all about how we love daddy, then we said prayer.  Jace had activity so we played freeze tag.  Ty had been toddling in and out of our family home evening thus far but saw us running around and wanted to join in.  After freeze tag Ty grabbed a baseball and started throwing it and chasing it.  We all joined in his game.  He was having the time of his life.  We all took turns tossing the ball and he would chase after it with all his might and a giant grin.  In the middle of the game Jace and Brooke fought over the ball and Brooke lost.  She curled up on the floor in the fetal position crying.  (she is very emotional lately)  Ty would not continue the game without her.  He tossed the ball her way but her back was turned and she continued to cry on the floor.  He toddled her way and leaned over and gave her a full body hug.  She still wouldn't get up.  We encouraged him to come play again. I'm trying to show her love but at the same time not encourage that kind of behavior by extra attention. He took the ball and tried to throw it to Brooke again... with no response.  Then he again went to her and got on his knees and patted her head and gave her another luv.  She looked up and smiled and miraculously was healed and ready to play again.  It was such a sweet moment.  Ty is such a peace maker... and so obedient too.  I mean for an 18 month old whose curious about the world.  If he's doing something naughty and I tell him no ... he may start to do it again and glance my way but if I tell him no again he actually stops doing it.  AMAZING!!  Craig and I have nicknamed him "our little Nephi".  It almost feels weird to have an obedient child. :)  We love it.  Maybe Jace and Brooke can learn from him ... ha ha ha.

Little Blue Cast

  Here are a few pics I took just before he got hurt.  Playing outside with trucks and baby. He LOVES playing outside more than any of my other kids.  He's an outdoors boy.  He sits by the sliding door to the back yard until someone opens it for him.  Pretty cute kid!

  

  It happened on Mon. April 15th.  I wasn't in the room but Jace and Brooke said he was just walking around and fell backwards on it wrong.  I heard his hurt cry and snuggled him.  He seemed better.  He was a little bit fussier than normal but not much.  I felt his arm to determine if it was broken and he winced a little one time and then not at all another time so I just wasn't sure.  I watched him closely to see if he would use it and he did.  He played with toys and ate his dinner picking things up with his left arm/hand. His hurt arm.  I figured it was sprained or bruised.  I gave him some Motrin and put him to bed.  He fussed for a bit and then went right to sleep.  The next day he was great.  He was happy and playing with toys, running around, eating normally, using his left arm.  The only thing that seemed off was his balance.  He was falling more than normal and whenever he landed on that arm he whimpered a hurt cry.  I still wasn't sure.  It didn't seem like it hurt him that bad.  I continually felt his arm to try and determine if it was hurt more than I thought.  But it never seemed to bother him unless he fell on it.  I gave it another day.  On Wed. he was fine as well.  He used his arm and happily ran around the house.  This is when I noticed that it wasn't that he was falling more than usual but that it just seemed that way because he was crying every time he fell.  After I noticed that he preferred to face plant when falling rather than using that arm to catch his fall I decided to take him into Instacare just to be sure.  I thought they would think I was crazy since he was running around the waiting room playing with cars with the supposed hurt arm.  After they examined it they thought it was most likely just bruised but decided to do some X - rays just to be sure.  He sat quietly while they did the X-rays.  We waited for the results.  I called Craig and told him to pick out a movie since we would be home soon.  Moments later the Dr. came in and said it was HORRIBLY broken and that he needed to be seen by an Orthopedic Surgeon TONIGHT.  WHAT!?!  They told me to rush him to the ER and that they would call ahead and tell them I was on my way.  I stopped at home so daddy could kiss him and so I could pack a quick snack for him and his blankie.  Hardest part of the whole night was waiting 2 hours in the ER.  He was tired and had a hard time getting comfortable enough to fall asleep in my arms.  I paced the room holding him.  When we finally got back the ER Dr. said the Instacare DR. overreacted.  He had a buckle fracture which are common in children his age.  It looks horrible on an X-ray but they heal quickly and aren't very painful to the child unless they are putting pressure on it.  That made sense.  She put a splint on it and gave me a referral for an Orthopedic to get a cast on. 

 The next morning Ty figured out that he could clamp onto the top part of the splint with his teeth and rip it off.  He did NOT like it on there.  Soon after we went to the Orthopedic and got a little blue cast on.  They told us it is to remain on for 3 weeks and to make sure and keep it dry and clean.  Easier said than done.  This kid is an exceptional puddle finder in the back yard.  He can open bathroom doors and turn on the tub by himself.  We are watching him like a hawk.  I have to spoon feed him with anything messy so as not to get the cast messy. The kids were excited to sign it.  It looked so cute.  Ty hated having it on though.   After trying to rip it off the entire weekend he finally succeeded Monday morning.  The receptionist was shocked that he actually got it off and just laughed.  We made another appt. to get a new cast on.0

We had to go back to the orthopedic and get a new cast that goes up his whole arm bent at a 90 degree angle so he can't get it off.  He hates it.  He tried desperately to bite it off like a little beaver the first few days.  Sorry dude, this ones NOT coming off.  A week and a half later he's finally getting used to it.

Not too happy at first.  He's a tough kid though.  He must have a high tolerance for pain.  You really wouldn't have guessed he had a broken arm.  He even went to the babysitter for an hour during that time.  She was shocked that he had a broken arm while he was at her house.  I felt horrible though.  My baby had broken arm and I didn't take him into the Dr. until 2 days later.  He's a champ.  He's still occasionally trying to bite it off and has now found that it can used as a weapon when getting smothered with kisses from Brooke. lol.  It's tough watching Brooke and Jace at swim lessons and not being able to get in the water.  At least we're half way done.  He gets it off on May 9th.

Kite Flying

 It was really windy outside so right after we picked up Jace from school we headed right over to Sweetwater Park to fly kites for family night activity.  It was the first opportunity we have had to play with the kites that Grandma & Grandpa Johnson gave us since being at the beach in San Diego with them.  We had such a fun time.  I'm going to just come right out and say that I am the kite master of the family.  I got them all set up and ready to go and whenever I would hand one over to Craig to help the kids with it would come right back to me 5 minutes later and have to be untangled or removed from a tree.  lol  Kite flying is not his forte.  He was finally getting the hang of it towards the end.  The kids couldn't stop laughing, and running and smiling.  It was awesome.  Super fun family night activity.  Plus they were so tired from chasing kites around that they were pleasant for the lesson too which was on obedience.  One they definitely need to learn and one we will probably have to reteach 15 times or so before they grow up and leave our home.  Hopefully by then they can choose the right all on their own.  We do our best but in the end it's all up to them.  Sometimes I really do wish I could just MAKE them choose the right.  It would be easier. ;)

Easter Sunday

 We had our Easter egg and basket hunt after church this year.  We really tried to get the kids to understand the true meaning of Easter.  Earlier in the week I had prepared a family home evening where the kids got to find eggs that had symbols and scriptures in them.  We watched To This End Was I Born and the kids were really good.  They were asking questions, they were concerned about Jesus.  We were shocked that they both payed attention and they were both reverent.

 

 That hardly ever happens.  Jace even sang the songs and that truely NEVER happens.  I was so proud of him.  For the activity/ treat I had planned to make Resurrection Rolls.  I put Jace in charge but really I was in charge.  I explained that they needed to be reverent because we were going to be talking about Jesus.  Both kids agreed.  Resurrection rolls are made by dipping a white marshmallow in butter and cinnemon then covering it with a Crescent roll.  The marshmallow represents Jesus, pure and white.  The butter and Cinnemon represents the oils and spices used to prepare his body for burial. The crescent roll represents the clothing his friends wrapped him in.  After you bake the rolls in the oven/ tomb, the marshmallow has melted and is no longer there.

Things were going smoothly until I started explaining to Jace what he was supposed to say since he was in charge.  He just kept cracking up and would not be reverent which got Brooke going too and she has the loudest laugh on earth.  I reminded them that needed to be reverent and we would try again.  Here is where I messed up.  After I gave them a warning and it happened again they should have immediately gone to time out - those are our family rules.  I think because the oven was already preheated and I had spent some time and effort preparing this activity I decided to just let them have a second chance and hope they would be good.  (Bad decision)  Every time I started explaining how the marshmallow represented Jesus they would both just crack up laughing and say silly things like "Ï'm Jesus and I'm swimming in butter" in a silly, irreverent voice.  It was driving me crazy.  I kept giving them chances but they just kept on being silly.  I threatened to stop the activity completely and was getting angrier by the minute but I didn't follow through (you have to follow through) Jace kept negotiating his way out of things.  It was driving me crazy.  I finally just blew up.  I spanked them both and dragged Jace to the time out spot. Craig came in to see my screaming at the kids that they needed to be reverent and that they were ruining everything.  Craig politely reminded me that I needed to be reverent too.  I felt so embarrassed and horrible that I had ruined family night.  At least it went well earlier for the lesson.  So if you want to have a reverent activity, don't talk about dipping Jesus in butter...

My little Easter angels.

Dying & Hunting for Eggs

 Look how cool our eggs turned out!  I especially love the ones that look like baby chicks.  We had a LOT of fun while Ty was napping.  I'm not too sad about him missing out on this one.  That could/would have been a messy disaster.

On Saturday we went the the annual Easter Egg hunt at the Peoria Sports Complex.  Ty just wanted to sit down and eat the candy he picked up.  He was on a complete sugar high.  Jace and Brooke were too.  In fact, we had to do 2 time outs in the bleachers after Ty's age group went before we could go enjoy some of the other free activities so they would settle down and follow directions.  It seemed to do the trick.  They were good the rest of the time. :)  They had some carnival type games available to play and some entertainment.  Brooke wanted to watch the singers.  She loves anything to do with singing.