Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween Fun

Halloween started with a parade and party at Katie's school in the morning.  It ended with Trick or Treating in the neighborhood with friends riding on the back of their Gator!  The kids were so excited to finally wear their costumes and get candy.  Due to the change in temperature here over the past few days, we had to make a few modifications to Michael's costume last minute.  He was the Hulk and was going to be wearing green paint on his arms and legs.  He ended up wearing a green long sleeve shirt under his Hulk shirt and his purple pants became shorts with green Duck Tape on the bottom of them.  I thought it looked pretty neat!

After Katie's parade, we headed back to her class.  They played musical chairs, hot pumpkin and a Jack O'Lantern bingo game.  They went outside and came back in to eat a Halloween snack.  Each kid got a big bag of treats sent home with them, which included Build a Spider.  This was a bag of green playdoh with black pipecleaners for legs and googly eyes.







The end of the night found everyone exhausted and full of candy.  I imagine that tomorrow morning is going to be kind of rough when Michael has to get up so early for school but Halloween only comes once a year.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Katie's Thoughts on School

Tonight I was in Katie's room before bed.  I was telling her that tomorrow was Wednesday and she would have school in the morning.  This is how the conversation went:

Me:  When you wake up in the morning, we will get dressed, eat breakfast and I will take you to school.

Katie:  I don't want to go to school tomorrow because I don't like it.

Me: I thought that you liked school.  Won't you miss your friends and Ms. Beth and Ms. Jane Ashley if you don't go?

Katie:  I will miss my friends but I don't like it because I have to wear my hair in a rubber band.

Me:  So the only reason you don't want to go is because of your hair?  If I left your hair down and didn't brush it, then you would want to go to school.

Katie:  Sure.

Me: Well, I am sorry but you have to wear your hair up to go to school so you can see what's going on there.  If you leave your hair down, it will be hard to see where you are going on the playground or where your friends are.

Katie:  I still don't want to go if I have to wear my hair up.

Me: We'll talk about it when you wake up in the morning.  Good night.

It made me laugh that something so simple was making her not want to go to school.  I do not make her wear her hair up on most other days but she is getting better about it because I think she realizes she can see.  However, it usually only lasts for part of the day before she pulls it out.  Let's hope she changes her mind in the morning!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Fun at the Fair

Yesterday we went to the SC State Fair with Todd's parents.  This was the first time that Katie and Michael have ever been to the fair and the first time in many years for the rest of us.  Todd and I used to go there for lunch when his office was located across the street from the fairgrounds.  It was a perfect day to go as the weather was sunny and in the low 70's. 

We got there a little after 1:00.  As soon as we entered the fairgrounds, the kids were ready to go on rides.  The first one Katie went on was the carousel, which Michael does not like.  I had to ride with her as she didn't want to go on alone and it's not my favorite ride either.  Both kids also went on the roller coaster with Todd and Grandmama.  Katie was NOT a fan of that ride and told me when she got off that she did not want to go on the roller skate again!

Some of the kids' favorite rides were the motorcycle, the racecars and the giant slide.  We got to the slide at the right time of day.  There was no line and the kids were able to go on it multiple times in a row before a line formed.  Neither of them wanted to ride the ferris wheel and Michael reconsidered going on a few rides that he said no to when we walked by the first time.

They rode several different rides and then we got something to eat.  We decided on hot dogs and fries.  Later we got strawberry lemonade, cotton candy and cookies.  As we headed home, the kids got candy apples to eat at home the next day.  They both chose the original red with sprinkles. 

We also looked at the animals inside at the fair.  We didn't pet any but did get to see the winners for several different categories, including the rabbits.  Katie and Michael both loved the pony ride but this was no surprise since Katie did it at the zoo a few weeks ago and Michael rode one a few times last year.  There was also an elephant that you could pay to ride but we did not do that.

Everyone was exhausted when we finally headed home after 8:00.  The kids did really well and the only meltdown occurred when we were getting ready to leave.  Katie didn't want to hear that she had to wait until the next day to eat her apple!  We got into the van and asked her if she wanted to go back to the fair again.  She was so tired that she said she never wanted to go back.  Considering all the fun she had, I think it was just the lack of sleep talking.

All in all it was a wonderful day!  We all enjoyed ourselves so much and will look forward to going back again next year.










Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Dental Decision

Today I received a call from the dentist that we got a second opinion from.  Everything has been cleared by Johns Hopkins, the ENT and the pediatrician for Michael to get his cavities filled in the office using nitrous oxide and novacaine.  Of course, it is still going to have to be done in several visits due to the extensive work that has to be completed.

The first appointment is scheduled for next Wednesday, the 17th.  I am hoping and praying that everything goes smoothly because I know how upset Michael can get when it involves any type of pain.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Flu Shot Fiasco

Last year, I took both kids in to get the flu shot separately.  This was due to the fact that Michael got really upset the previous year and I didn't want him to scare Katie again.  Today both kids had off from school for Columbus Day so I decided to be brave and take them together to get the flu shot. 

I am not quite sure why I thought this would be a good idea but they needed to get it.  I told them we had to go to the doctor but didn't say why as I knew Michael would get upset.  Sure enough, we pulled up at the office and the first thing he said asked was, "Am I getting a shot today?".  I told him yes and then he wouldn't even get out of the car.

Michael did come inside after a few minutes.  The kids and I waited in the well visit room for their names to be called.  Thankfully, we were called back fairly quickly.  I was worried about a long wait so this was a good sign to me.  We got into the exam room and the nurse came in to give the shots.  It was at this point that Michael just started crying and screaming that he wasn't getting a shot.  I tried to get Katie to go first but she wasn't willing to do that.  I wonder why......

It took the nurse and I holding Michael down to get him the shot.  Then he was talking about how his leg was broken and that someone was going to have to carry him out of the office.  I told Katie it was her turn.  She walked up to the table and climbed up to get her shot.  She actually was trying to see what the nurse was going to do.  She was extremely calm considering what was still going on with Michael.  The nurse gave her the shot and she cried.  I told her to look at her sparkly silver bandaid.  She did and the tears stopped.  She was fine.  Michael was still crying about his leg. 

It's amazing to me that Katie was able to get the shot with little crying, especially after the way that Michael was acting.  In that respect, she definitely takes after her father.  When it comes to small, everyday pain, Michael clearly has inherited a low pain threshold from me!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Walk for Life 2012

This past Saturday I did the Walk for Life for breast cancer with my sorority alumnae group.  It was a 5K through the downtown area.  The weather was absolutely perfect for the walk this year.  It was a cold morning last year but the temperatures were in the high 60's/low 70's.  At one point during the walk, you could look ahead down the street and see the sheer number of people participating in the walk.

This is such a great cause and seems to affect so many people that I know, as well as friends and family of others that I know. 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Dental Update

Today I took Michael to get a second opinion with another dentist regarding the multiple cavities that he has.  We were not pleased with the options that were presented to us by Michael's regular dentist and decided to seek another opinion.  I was able to go back with him while the hygienist examined him.  She also took some x-rays to further examine the teeth.  The original x-ray was a panoramic and not as clear.  Michael was a great patient and let her get the x-rays needed.

The dentist came in to talk with me and check Michael's teeth as well as the x-rays.  After looking things over, she said that she wanted to consult with Michael's cardiologist, ENT and pediatrician.  Since Michael takes a daily medication for his heart, she was not sure what his restrictions would be.  She wanted to check with all of his physicians to make sure that they were all on the same page as far as treatment goes.

So now we are waiting to hear back from the dentist to see what the treatment plan is going to be.  We are hoping that the cavities can be filled in several visits using nitrous oxide.  Hopefully this will be resolved in a few weeks and we can get his teeth fixed.