Emergency Trip to the Doctor's Office

This morning Abby tripped and fell into the bookcase in her bedroom, hitting her head. When I looked she had blood on the floor, hands and running down her face. Once I got her cleaned up I could see it was a small gash but fairly deep and would need attention so as not to scar too badly. I tried calling Matt, who was at the library, but he had left his phone here so I got Elizabeth up, and then loaded all three children into the car and called the doctor's office to see if I should bring her in or take her to the hospital. I took her in and they glued the wound shut after cleaning out some paint chips that were inbedded in the wound. All in all she was fine and barely cried after I got the bleeding stopped the the doctor quit messing with her. I'll add a picture later since it is covered with a bandaid right now and she is sleeping. This was our first and probably not last emergency doctor's visit. I was just glad that it was Saturday and that they could see her. It saved up a trip to the emergency room.

Gabriel Read a Book

Today Gabriel read a book. I am so proud. When I was teaching we had Bob Books in our classroom. I haven't seen them lately in the stores so I was trying to find out where I could purchase them and went to the web site. They had a way to peek inside the book Mat on the website. I called Gabriel over and he sounded out the words and read the whole thing. It was great to see his reaction when I told him he had just read a book.

Gabriel is Sharing

When Gabriel was 9 months old my mother bought him a Ty bear named Molasses. Gabriel later called it Mo. Anyway, this bear has been his favorite ever since. It was such a favorite we had to track down some extras just in case something happened to the first one. So now we have three Moes in the house. Just recently Gabriel decided that Elizabeth needed a Mo. So he chose one and put it in her crib. If that Mo happens to leave the crib he replaces it with "her" Mo. If she starts crying he will often get her Mo and put it with her. I guess in his mind it has been such o comfort to him that it will be for her too. It will be interesting to see if she likes it as much as Gabriel has. I also think it is very sweet of him for sharing one of his most treasured possessions.

Letter Boxing

Just recently I read an article in Family Fun magazine, September 2006, about Letter Boxing. Letter Boxing is a less high tech form of geo-caching, which uses a GPS to locate hidden boxes. It combines hiking with the element of treasure hunting and both are fun for the kids. In letter boxing you follow clues, once you find the hidden box you will find a logbook, an ink pad and a rubber stamp. Once you discover the box you will documnet your discover by "stamping in" by marking the log book with your own stamp and a breif message. You will also stamp your own log book with the box's stamps.

The history of letter boxing is interesting too. It started in the mid-1800's with an Englishman named James Perrott placed a glass jar within a mound of stones at Cranmere Pool in Dartmoor. People would leave their calling card to prove that they had been there. The idea took hold in the area and later spread. The Smithsonian helped to spark the interest in the hobby outside of England in 1998 when it published an article about letter boxing. Now there are thousands of letter boxes around the world with more than 23,000 in the Untied States.

Go online to www.letterboxing.org to get started. It will give you maps that will make it easy for you to locate hunts in your area.

You can also go to www.FamilyFun.com for directions for making a hiking belt, walking stick, and other fun letter boxing gear.

Rock Climbing

After school today we picked up Matt and went to the local children's museum for lunch and some play time. In the museum they have a climbing wall. The other times we have been there neither child has been interested in climbing, but today Abby really wanted to try. She put on the helmet and harness and started climbing. She got about a quater of the way up before she said she wanted to comeback down. But she had a pretty good idea of what to do. I really wish I'd had my camera for a picture, but it had gotten taken out of the diaper bag and never put back in. Well, see if she wants to try again the next time we go. We also need to see if Gabriel is interested.

Quotes

"Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but, it doesn't get you anywhere."

Maybe I Should Try This

Next time Abby takes off her seatbelt and won't put it back on maybe I should try what another mom with whom I play BUNCO did. Her 4 year old son took off his seatbelt and wouldn't put it back on and because he was in the third row of her van there wasn't a whole lot she could do except to stop the car. In her mirror she spotted the police station and told her son that if he didn't put on his seatbelt she would take him to the police. He said no, so she pulled into the police station took him inside and a police officer was kind enough to play along with her. She said that by the time she got him to the door he was in tears. He gave the child a stern talking to and that he would get a special police sticker badge if he would promise to wear his seatbelt. She said that now he wears his seatblet without incident.

Family Health

Today I to Abby in for her three year check up. I was greatful to find out she did not need any shots. I was interested to find out she is still in the 20th percentile for height and 25th for weight. Elizabeth is right on or just off the 50th for both weight and height. While Gabriel, last time we did his, was in the 75th for height and 80th for weight. I am interested in finding out where he is now, a year later.

I have kids above, below and normal.

Today Matt also had his physical done. It didn't tell us much more than we already knew except that his good cholesterol is low, he could eat a lot more sugar than he does, and that his systolic blood pressure is high. Overall exercise, eating more fiber and cuttig out caffine were recommended. Something we both need to do. Maybe we will buy that treadmill or join the gym.

Kindergarten Round Up

Gabriel is now enrolled for Kindergarten for next year. On Monday night we went to the school and flled out all the paper work. We expected to be able to meet the teachers and see the classrooms but that was not the case. That will happen this summer after they have placed everyone in morning or afternoon kindergarten, since kindergarten is half day here. Or you could pay $75.00 a week and have full day. We chose Morning half day so we will just wait and see where they will put us.

Happy Birthday, Abby!

Abby had a great birthday!! We celebrated it a day early so that my parents, who were in town, could celberate with us. Abby's day started with getting presented with her hat and a new dress that has a matching dress for her bitty baby. We then loaded into the car to eat at her resturant of choice, Bob Evans. She then went to Menards with Matt and Grandad while Mimi and I came home and decorated the house. Once she arrived we opened presents and then took a nap. She had her birthday cake after dinner.

She received balloons on her actual birthday and then on Tuesday she shared cup cakes with her class.